“Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone”
Author: Johnny Ramone
Release Date: April 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Abrams Image
Hardcover: 175 pages
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
Calling all Pinheads it’s time to add another book to your ever growing collection of Ramones literature. In the past year we have seen the releases of “I Slept with Joey Ramone” written by Joey’s brother Mickey Lee as well as “Poisoned Heart: I married Dee Dee Ramone” which was penned by Dee Dee’s ex-wife Vera King. “Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone” is the latest book to join the ranks. The 175 page hardcover book is being released posthumously and tells the tale of John Cummings and his evolution into Johnny Ramone the unspoken leader of one of Punks most influential groups.
“Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone” was written entirely by Johnny prior to his death in 2004. The book is brutally honest and pulls no punches as Johnny recounts some of the more memorable Ramones stories. Throughout the book you can get a sense that deep down underneath that often scowling exterior was man that really cared about what he was doing and the people he was with. The book is jammed packed with rare photos taken throughout Johnny’s life and the Ramones career. The book also features a really great forward written by original Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone.
John Cafiero, Steve Miller and Henry Rollins did an amazing job editing this book. Being a huge Ramones fans there are not many pictures I have not seen of the band. As I made my way through the book I was instantly taken in by these newly unearthed pictures. The overall feel of the book really grabs the reader as it reads as one man’s dying testament to his friends and fans. “Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone” is a must have for any music lover!
