Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

The title of this book and the name Bill German may sound familiar to rabid Rolling Stones fans. That’s because this account of a young man traveling with, and documenting the activities of, the mega rock band was first published in 2009. This expanded edition contains an extra sixty-four pages plus photographs.

Strangely enough, the epilogue to the original version and the afterward in this version are the most engaging sections. That’s because German is more introspective and personal. It’s as if he felt the need to explain what spending years of his life with the band meant in terms of his life.

Those first encountering the book will likely appreciate it if they feel that Keith Richards and Ron Wood (a non-original Stone) are the soul of the band. Or the heart of the band’s rock ‘n roll foundation. Fans of Mick Jagger may not enjoy the fact that most references to him are not quite laudatory in nature.

The biggest flaw in this account is that too much time is spent on detailing the personal lives of the musicians and not enough on the music itself. It’s an interesting book that, unfortunately, fails to be essential or revelatory.