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Review of "Def Leppard The Definitive Visual History"
By: Terry Bunch
Date: July, 2011

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Photos By: Ross Haflin
Foreward By: Joe Elliott
Genre: Band Biography
Pages: 232
Photos: 450 color and B&W
Format: hardback
Review Rating: 8/10

Rock photographer Ross Haflin has been shooting Def Leppard since 1978. This book gathers together a lot of those photos along with stories from Haflin and commentary by the band.

This book is an enjoyable experience going through the history of the band and watching them evolve. Each photo tells a story of its own making this more than just a collection of pictures. Another benefit is that Ross has bee shooting the band for so long, he knows how to capture the moment each time.

A lot of band bio books throw a random collection of pics together with uninventive captions on each. This book avoids that pitall. The photos chosen make sense, they tell the band's story. There are limited comments here and there, but they are used when necessary. This is one of my favorite books of this type because of that fact. Simple, effective and interesting. Exactly what a biography should be.

One of the many highlights of the book is the photo of Def Leppard with Ozzy and his band in the early 80's, including Randy Rhoads. That picture captures both bands having a great time while on tour.