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| Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me | 
 enlarge | Authors: Pattie Boyd, Penny Junor
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  240 reviews
Sales Rank: 5088
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0307407837
Dewey Decimal Number: 781.66092
EAN: 9780307407832
ASIN: 0307407837
Publication Date: May 27, 2008
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Amazon.com Review
A Q&A with Pattie Boyd, Author of Wonderful Tonight
Why are you writing the book now? I have been asked for the last 15 years to write a book, and it is only now that I feel the time is right. My confidence in myself was restored after two successful exhibitions of my photography, and it occurred to me that I was finally ready to take a look at the unique experiences of my life and to share them--including all the ups and downs. Tell us about the first time you met George Harrison. Working as a model, I occasionally went for castings, mainly for television commercials. I went for an interview with one of the directors I had worked with in the past, and he cast me in his first movie, A Hard Days Night, to play the part of a schoolgirl. When I first saw George on the set, I thought he was the best-looking man Id ever seen. I was so surprised when he asked me out on a date at the end of my first day of filming. Tell us about the first time you heard George Harrison's song, "Something." George said he had written a song for me, and he played it on the guitar at home without the words. Then when I heard the song after it had been recorded I couldnt believe how utterly beautiful it was. It was released on a single in October 1969, and I felt so thrilled and flattered. Tell us about the first time you heard Eric Clapton's "Layla." Eric invited me to his band's flat one day and played a rough recording of "Layla" on a cassette recorder. I was sitting on a sofa and he on the floor as it played, and he kept looking up at me for a reaction. I was stunned; the intensity, passion and tenderness came across so strongly--I knew, as he said, it was written for me.
Product Description
Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
For the first time, rock music’s most famous muse tells her incredible story
Pattie Boyd, former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, finally breaks a forty-year silence and tells the story of how she found herself bound to two of the most addictive, promiscuous musical geniuses of the twentieth century and became the most legendary muse in the history of rock and roll. The woman who inspired Harrison’s song “Something” and Clapton’s anthem “Layla,” Pattie Boyd has written a book that is rich and raw, funny and heartbreaking–and totally honest.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 235 more reviews...
 An Admirable Woman August 29, 2007
329 out of 368 found this review helpful
I'm a Beatles fan too, but am dismayed to see some Beatles and EC acolytes posting not just harsh and unwarranted, but arguably libelious, comments here. "Groupie"?? "Call Girl"??!!
It's sad to see people so rabid and in such denial about their heroes' imperfections that they're smearing a lovely woman because she had the temerity to leave those rock gods before they destroyed her. I fear this sends a message that if you're an abused woman, but your husband is a beloved celebrity (or a popular guy in your community), then keep your mouth shut and put up with it. This is the story of a woman's triumph over abuse and that should be celebrated!
Pattie Boyd gained fame in her own right as was one of the top fashion icons and models of the Swinging London '60s. She was and is a dignified, intelligent woman. She was NOT a "groupie" or a "call girl"; in fact, she initially rebuffed the two men she would later marry.
After being talked and sung about for four decades, Pattie has every right to tell her side of the story. She's said in recent interviews, she chose to NOT reveal graphic details of the abuse she suffered from Slowhand, who has already admitted he repeatedly raped Pattie during their marriage. (See the June 27, 1999, London Sunday Times, recounted here, by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/379240.stm
Pattie chose to omit the ugliest details from her memoir, but still gives a very vivid description of the fear, panic, and disillusionment that reigned during her marriage to the alcoholic guitar god and her subsequent nervous breakdown.
There are no truly salacious, graphic details in this book -- Pattie is much too classy for that. Much of the "dirt" in this book has been previously reported; the point of the book is to allow Pattie to offer her perspectives on those scandals. Boyd also makes clear she's let go of (most of) the bitterness and has come to accept that she made the mistake of playing enabler.
George, her true love, did indeed let her down and it's a sad story, filled with lingering regret. Her second husband professed to adore her, then turned into a menacing sociopath. It turns out we fans who envied Boyd during her marriages bought into a fantasy; we should have instead staged a mass intervention for her.
Pattie is to be admired for pulling herself out of a decades-long melodrama and creating a new life for herself in her mid-40s. She is now a respected portrait and travel photographer for Harper & Queens magazine, and is clearly living a full and enjoyable personal life. Wonderful Tonight should be mandatory reading for all abused women: there is a better life ahead for you, but only if you leave your abuser.
Shifting from the soap operas, I was surprised to find the most interesting parts of the book are about Pattie's childhood in Africa, her early adulthood (including the early years of her marriage to George), and her exotic adventure/spiritual travels around the world after her second divorce.
Unfortunately, this is not quite the book we Boyd admirers have long been waiting for and that is the fault of co-author, veteran journalist Penny Junor, whose writing is often rushed, disorganized, and cliched. I'm afraid Pattie once again deserved better than she got. (For instance, there is no mention, at least in the UK edition, of SHARP, an organization for co-dependents, which Pattie co-founded. Why was that left out? Why is this book so truncated? Shame on you, Random House/Headline Review!)
Still, Pattie is to be admired for her courage in standing up to the powerful men who tried, but ultimately failed, to dominate her, and for telling her story with grace -- but I feel she exercised too much discretion in this telling.
Pattie Boyd is not a groupie, or a call girl, or a sell-out. She is not only the greatest muse in music history, in this book she shows why so many of British rock's aristocracy have maintained their close friendships with her: she is a deeply spiritual, empathetic woman who, despite her tragedies, has maintained her sense of humor while learning to stand on her own two feet.
If you're an abused woman -- or an addict's enabler (also an abusive relationship) -- who is afraid to leave, or if you're struggling to rebuild your life after leaving your abuser or addicted partner, Pattie's story will not only give you hope, but guidance on your psychological recovery.
Well done, Ms. Boyd! (And please consider publishing a book of your marvelous travel photos and essays!)
Great Revisit to the 60s and 70s September 14, 2007
84 out of 100 found this review helpful
Having just read the biography of Phil Spector and the girlfriend of Lindsey Buckingham, I'm beginning to see a pattern. Rock Stars are narcissistic creatures who do what they want when they want, don't like no for an answer and want to be waited on hand and foot. Oh, one more trend. There are plenty of people willing to do that from wives, girlfriends, managers and roadies.
But this is a special book mainly because you are dealing with two very special musicians. Any Beatle is special and George appears to overall have been a special human being. Eric Clapton also has to go down in the Top 20 of musicians for his guitar playing and long history. Imagine what life is like to have been the inspiration of such classic songs, Layla, Wonderful Tonight, Something in the Way She Moves! Patty's life is very interesting although I wouldn't call it fascinating. She just happened to be at a place to view Pop History in the last half of the 20th Century and meet many of the people who influenced it, as well as partake in the drugs and drink that shaped it. In summary, George comes off as what the public saw: a quiet man with faults like others but a fairly even demeanor, a good chap. Eric, is passionate, but eventually cruel. It's often said that the ones you hurt the worst are the ones closest to you. That's the summary of this book. And Patty participates also by breaking hearts.
I too am surprised by the harsh comments of her by some reviewers. She was a beautiful model who inspired men, maybe no more so than Clapton who pursued her from his friend when still married. I wish there had been more pictures of her to see the appeal. What she does an excellent job of is showing what is behind the public persona of these guys. What was it really like? A series of highs and lows but due to the fascinating people, the highs were much higher. Unfortunately, the lows were much lower. There seems to be a lot of criticism for not making this a "tell all" with a lot of dirt. It's very clear this is a caring human being who stills cares for both men and chooses to draw the line on some private matters.
Now, to the criticism. Patty, thanks for the revisit to this fascinating period. But the book begins to read very slowly once she is through with George and Eric. Great, she went everywhere and met many people. There is no reason for this. We are interested in the George, Eric and Patty's recovery, but ultimately, not what sites she was fortunate enough to visit. This part makes me lower my rating from 5 to 4.
Overall, not a great piece of literature. But a great story of a great time with fascinating people. And for me that was quite enough to overcome the few weaknesses.
 Disappointing... September 14, 2007
70 out of 80 found this review helpful
Ultimately, the responsibility of the outcome of this book rests on Pattie Boyd's shoulders, but I can't help feeling that she could have used a better co-author here. There are so many problems with this book I'm not sure where to begin. It's unfortunate because I really believe that Pattie has an amazing story to tell.
Clinical is the best way I can describe the telling of this story. Pattie tells us that "this happened, this happened and this happened," but never gives us a real sense of what it was like to experience all these different things. I could accept that if chronologically she wasn't all over the board. One moment she's telling us about something that happened before she was married to George, jumps to something that happened after they were married, and then she's right back to before they were married.
I've seen some complaints about the name-dropping. Quite frankly, I'd be surprised if she didn't drop a few names. What bothered me was that I have never even heard of a lot of these people (sorry, but I'm just not as up as I should be on all the models, photographers and club owners that roamed around swinging London of the 1960's.)
There is something about the way she describes her relationship with George that left me feeling a bit cold. She doesn't even tell us when she knew she was in love with him. Based on what I read, their relationship seemed to be that of roommates. She paints a picture of him as being quite aloof and distant with her, yet quite joyful and generous with her family.
Then there's Eric. This is really were Pattie lost me. I'm still not sure what she saw in this guy that made her leave her husband (yeah, I know, he wrote a song about her...and?) He is not portrayed in a pleasant light at all. Pattie doesn't reveal too much here that wasn't previously known about Eric's drug and alcohol addictions. If anything, she makes it sound a great deal worse. Because of this, it made her come off as being quite stupid for hooking up with this guy. I laughed and did a bit of eye rolling when she talked about how, after seeing both Eric and her sister Paula struggle with heroin addiction, she decides it would be great fun to try heroin herself!!
I can only assume that she dictated her story to her co-author, who than put it into "book" format. I think a better co-author would have drawn a bit more out of Pattie and given us a more cohesive, introspective book. Again, I believe Pattie has an amazing story to tell, it just wasn't told here.
Old Loves, Leave Me Alone, Old Love, Go On Home September 10, 2007
31 out of 72 found this review helpful
"Old love, leave me alone Old love, go on home"
Eric Clapton
Rock n' roll, the beat generation, the summer of love, the drug generation, Sex, Drugs and Rock n'Roll, all terms used in the 1960's at the start of the generation that changed the shape of music. And, along with the music came the musicians and the drugs and the alcohol.
"The popularity and promotion of experimentation with drugs by musicians may have influenced use of drugs and the perception of acceptability of drug use among the youth of the period. What is clear is that by the end of the 1960s drugs and rock music were part of a common youth scene and that both some rock musicians and some rock fans were experimenting with many types of drugs." Wikipedia
Patti Boyd was of this generation. She tells us the story of her life and her loves, her experiments with drugs and alcohol. Along the way she married two of the best musicians of our time, George Harrison and Eric Clapton. With each relationship came drugs and alcohol. Artists who needed space and time, and the Muse who thought she could change them. Patti Boyd has written along with her collaborator, Penny Junor, an interesting book, a memoir full of places and times and some learning adventures. We meet the scene in London, the Beatles, and George Harrison her first love. But with each love came addictions and affairs and life began to come apart. Certainly lots of journeys and money and "things", but the love she had for this man, seemed to pass her by. She left George for Eric Clapton,and in the end she says she HAD to leave Eric so that he could take his own journey to become sober. Yes, this is her story and her memories. Much of the story is informative and well written, but something is left out. There is a part of her life with independence and individual responsibility that she does discuss but not much of what she has learned in this long strange trip. It is a good read, and informative read, a time in this generation when free love and drugs were part of the mainstream.
Patti Boyd concludes her story "Our generation really did lead a revolution," And: "I have known some amazing people and had some unforgettable experiences." Her husbands' music is what made them unforgettable. In her own way, Patti Boyd has made her own contributions. This book tells of her story but the other side is waiting to be told. Eric Clapton has an autobiography out soon. It will be a nice conclusion to read his version. The two halves can then make a whole.
Recommended. prisrob 09-15-07
 What was she thinking? September 3, 2007
26 out of 42 found this review helpful
Pattie Boyd is the reader on the abrdiged audiobook. She has a pleasant reading voice. In fact, she is a better reader than some of the actors who reguarly read audiobooks.
I found myself very sympathetic to her throughout the first half of the book. Boyd had a rough childhood. It was enjoyable hearing about who she met George Harrison and their relationship. He treated her badly, having an affair with Maureen Starkey. In addition, once he started meditating, he retreated into the mediation, ignoring Boyd. By her account, Harrison treated Pattie better after he married Olivia Arias. He made a touching offer to take care of her at a point when her relationship to Eric Clapton had foundered.
As described in this book, Eric Clapton is just despicable. Boyd says nothing positive about him. In fact, I found it hard to figure out why she was attracted to him.
I lost all sympathy for Boyd when she decided to marry Clapton. By her own account, before she married Claption:
1) He told her he would take heroin if she didn't have an affair with him.
2) He had an affair with Boyd's sister and cheated on her.
3) He was a heroin addict.
4) He had cheated on Boyd already.
If some one who tells you he is going to take heroin if you don't have an affair with him, run screaming in the opposite direction. This is proof that he is mentally unbalanced, willing to use emotional blackmail, and either a heroin addict or some one well on the way to that unfortunate destination.
And once the man has cheated on you, marriage is not likely to change anything for the better.
By her own account it appears that Boyd married Clapton simply because some friends told her do it. And that Clapton only asked her to marry him because he was trying to win a bet.
After reading all of this, I had no interest in her whining about how Clapton broke her heart.
And I sincerely I hope I misheard something and she did not actually refer to a house purchase for more than 300,000 pounds as a "cottage".
If you have an interest in Pattie Boyd and her relationships with George Harrison and Eric Clapton, you'll probably enjoy the book. I found it interesting. But it left me wondering why she ever married Eric Clapton. Given her account of what happened before the marriage, this seems like a serious lapse of judgement.
Any one with more than a passing familiarity with the Beatles' story already knew that George and Maureen had an affair. The most shocking revelation in this book is that Pattie attended Bill Wyman's 70th birthday party. My God the Stones are old!!!!
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