Mike Pender - The Search for Myself| Review

Title: The Search for Myself

Author: Mike Pender

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 274

Rating: 8/10

Mike Pender – The Search for Myself

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

The Search for Myself is essentially the autobiography of Mike Pender, one of the founding members of iconic sixties group The Searchers. Pender has been active in the music industry for 50 odd years, and so you know he’s going to have some good stories, and he really does – in fact, one of the interesting things about this book is that it didn’t necessarily run in chronological order, which allowed Pender to talk at length on subjects that he knows his readers will be interested in, like his collection of signature Rickenbacker guitars.

I read quite a lot of autobiographies, but what stands out about this one is its authenticity – it probably helps that the author was kind enough to sign the book before sending it to me, but Mike just seems like a regular guy, and he tells his story with no hidden agenda. Also, as it’s not being released by one of the large publishers (it’s being published by Genuine Article Books, who I’ve never heard of – sorry!), it means that the book has remained relatively undiluted. It’s a case of whatever the opposite of too many cooks spoiling the broth is – the book has been allowed to breathe.

I wouldn’t call myself a massive fan of The Searchers – I just knew who they were and liked a few songs. But you don’t have to be a massive fan to enjoy the book.