Beware of the Bull: the Engimatic Genius of Jake Thackray

At long last – after decades of waiting – and 20 years after his passing, the first, much-anticipated biography of the late, great Yorkshire singer/songwriter Jake Thackray. Admired by such as Neil Gaiman, Jarvis Cocker, Jon Richardson and Arctic Monkeys, Jake was one of the greatest and most original songwriters of the 20th century; a unique talent and master storyteller, whose songs full of wit, poetry, irreverence and humanity are as relevant as ever. In Beware of the Bull, a life as extraordinary as his writing is unearthed – the hard childhood in the terrace streets of Leeds; a remarkable Catholic education and formative years in France and war-torn Algeria; a first career as an inspirational and highly creative teacher; his meteoric development as a writer and performer, and discovery by the BBC; Jake’s Abbey Road recordings and his impact on John Lennon and The Beatles; the fame and fortune ... and his rejection of it all. It’s the story of a charismatic, complex and self-effacing man who remained an enigma even to his friends. The book has been written with the full support of the Thackray family. With exclusive access to his personal papers, it includes a wealth of previously unpublished letters, poetry and lyrics, and is illustrated with many rare and never-before-seen photographs. Through it all, Jake’s voice is heard afresh, and his life and work better understood