Mr. Bozza makes his presence known with footnotes scattered throughout the book. While he considers himself a fact-checker in Tommyland, a task he does cheerfully and with accuracy, his previous works show him to be a writer that understands music and musicians with the ability to get to the nut of each subject. Such is the case in this book as well. He and Tommy clearly became comrades-in-arms during the five months that it took for them to write the book and it's his freewheeling style that helps make this both informational and entertaining to read.
Now, what kind of autobiography would this be without illustrations in it? In Tommyland, along the edges of the pages are drawings. Remember those little flipbooks you would get as a kid? Thumb through the book, watch the figures and voila! There you have a nifty pictorial. It's very cool and something to do when you just have a few minutes to spare.
There aren't as many pictures of Tommy in the book as some may wish for. But the ones that are there are choice and unlike other bios I've read, these aren't the standard publicity pix. Instead they are the type you would find in a personal photo album, which is a lovely touch.
By the way, I would like to go on record right now about something. I have an idea about one of the snapshots and I know that if it were possible to follow through on this, it would be a very effective public service project for the greater good of all womankind. I think that one specific picture should be blown up to poster size and copies sent out to every OB/GYN clinic in the world, enough so that each examination room could have one to put up on the ceiling over the table with the stirrups. It would make those yearly pap smears an easier exam for all parties involved and I'll bet my bottom dollar that more women would go for these very necessary visits when they should, instead of putting them off as many of us do. Just thinking about how many lives this could save is mind-boggling and I hope that the powers-that-be are paying attention.
I don't want to give away too much more of the book itself. But really, there doesn't seem to be any part of his life that Tommy leaves out. Just the extent of his creativity, both aural and visual, would make an interesting read on its own. So would his affairs of the heart and body. Both of those areas get plenty of coverage within, but it does not stop there. The reader is privy to T-Bone's philosophies on life, parenthood, religion, and even his fans.







Article comments
1 - Kimi
Well worth the wait! Something tells me he will be proud of that one.
2 - Rose Whiteowl and Friends
Well after waiting and checking back several times we were all so impressed with the first episode of Skeletons in the Closet.
After reading this it makes one want to go and buy the book if for nothing else to see that picture that should be in every GYN's office.
Thanks so very much for giving it a fair read. Very often whether it is a book or music or people we too often judge by the cover. Usually we are very disappointed later to find that we missed an incredible learning opportunity or at the very least an exciting adventure.
3 - tink
Kimi, your response is much appreciated.
thanks for reading my article!
4 - tink
Rose and Friends--your kind words are very heartening and much appreciated. As for giving it a fair read, it was an easy book to settle into and I owe both Mr. Lee and Mr. Bozza a tip 'o the hat for that accomplishment.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!
5 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
6 - tink
Thanks Natalie for both the kind words and for getting this review out there for more to read!!!
7 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Thanks for an enjoyable read--I'm just about to pick up the phone and invite Tommy and the kids over for a 'que right now.
8 - tink
Glad you liked it Gordon. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to leave a comment!! Just make sure you have tons of food ready before you make the call...