Under Tiberius - Nick Tosches

While not exactly a rock'n'roll book - well, not at all, if you want to be picky - Under Tiberius is written by Nick Tosches, who is responsible for a number of music books, including Country and the Jerry Lee bio, Hellfire.

Here he takes on the tale of Jesus Christ - a subject of many, many songs of all styles - and gives it a realistic telling, as opposed to the wild narrative in the Bible. In this story, Jesus was simply a petty thief and conman who encountered a gifted speechwriter who saw something in JC's eyes that convinced him that money could be made by a pretend prophet - as there were many around at that time.

Tosches brings credibility to Jesus' story and of the miracles that he performed, along with his oratory skills and the reasons for his rise and sudden fall. The majority of the main characters from the Bible appear, though some may not be immediately recognizable as such, which is part of the fun.

I was not immensely impressed with Tosches skills in Country - though it is worth a perusal - and I frankly do not distinctly remember Hellfire (which I should read again) but this book is highly enjoyable and keeps you addicted from start to finish.

The storyline may not be for those who are too deeply immersed in the more well-known mythos, but if you are open-minded - or, frankly, an atheist - then this is quite entertaining.