There But for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs

Having been devoted to Phil's work since 1969, this is satisfying reading.Michael Schumacher's "There but for Fortune" biography on Phil Ochs is an insightful analysis of the evolution of the flawed but hugely talented man and his fast moving life and redresses the balence on Marc Eliot's cheaply sensationalist version which draws unwarranted attention on 6 months of the manic disfunctional John Train, Phil's destructive alter ego. That being said, the account of Phil's family background reveals a family background to which Phil was always vulnerable but I feel that Phil's prolific activity in a short space of time shows how a manic temperement can work to best effect. If Phil hadn't also cared about the people and causes he supported, this connection couldn't have been made.The book shows how Phil became the Phil Ochs we know and love through a chance pairing with Jim Glover as roommates at Ohio university and how 'John Wayne fused with Che Guevera' in Phil's worldview to become an incredibly hardworking artist whose commercial evolution within the constrainst of folk music never stopped him passing up a paying gig to a benefit concert. Schumacher shows how Phil's political activity evolved hand in hand with his music and how Phil's journalistic side of him always remained a fascinating and worthy second careerAnother turning point in Phil's life was the horrifying police brutality at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention (prefiguring what was handed out to British miners at Orgreave 1984) which broke Phil's heart, tipping him into alcoholism and mental troubles.. He wouldn't have been so badly affected if her weren't such a patriot. That being said, he didn't go down without a fight and the culmination of him being the very rare fantasist who could turn his dreams into our reality was in his "Evening with Salvador Allende." At a time when his health was on the decline, this pulled off his biggest benefit concert against the odds after both the Chilean President and his friend, Victor Jara, were murdered in a military coup.Phil's life is commonly viewed as a tragedy in line with his own personal downwqard spiralling demise but the true value of Phil's life is most recently apparent as so many of Phil's songs can and have been updated so easily- "Cops of the World " and "White Boots Marching in an Arab (instead of Yellow) Land" come to mind and more than ever before, he is relevant to today's struggles and this book serves as valuable further reading material to the currently released film on Phil's life of the same title.

This is the exact same book that Michael Schumacher wrote in 1998 except that the discography has been updated. I was hoping that some information would have been added since we know today so much more about Phil than we did in 1998. The book is still a good read!

I loved his music when I was young. This is a 5 for the writing, but a 2 for the truth of the story.

As a fan of Phil Ochs I found this book not only interesting but profoundly moving. As a depression sufferer it is a cautionary tale.Well written

You can’t tell the life-story of Phil Ochs well without placing him in context, and Schumacher does that very well. Ochs was the quintessential protest singer hoping for a larger stage that he never got. And he never learned to live with the talent and the audience that he did have. It is a tragic tale well told.

This was on my Summer of 2014 reading list, and I am glad it was. Gave me some really good insight into a truly masterful, troubled, and gutsy performer.This book, combined with the recent film probably tells about everything one would need to know.

I love Phil Ochs and this bio tells of a deeply troubled yet powerful personality. Had he been more inclined to follow Dylan's calculated commercial path, we would know a lot more about Phil Ochs.

a beautifully written book about a beautiful and important troubadour of our culture. book arrived on time and in excellent condition..

I have been inspired by the music of Phil Ochs for decades. "There But For Fortune" has been a constant reminder that many of us have had advantages of family and security (and white privilege). The biography of Phil Ochs added to my appreciation of his music. I realize now that he struggled with issues of mental illness, jealousies, and an overblown desire for fame. I appreciate the music with a greater depth thanks to this book.

Das Buch kam wie beschrieben und in time

Great book for Phil Ochs fans. Such a sad ending to an amazing talent.