Iron Maiden: A Photo History
by Ross Halfin

The shadow of the clicker man

Ross Halfin first saw Iron Maiden play at a heavy rock disco in Kingsbury. That was 27 years ago and he’s been their fan, friend and snapper ever since. Particularly gelling with Steve Harris, the love Halfin has for the band is obvious in this substantial collection of photos: a treasury of spandex trousers, biker jackets, white trainers and foreign walls. A man of few words, Halfin’s foreword and captions are brief, but this is certainly no rush-job. Beautifully produced on heavyweight gloss paper, it’s a coffee-table item worth going back to, whether you’re a NWOBHM fan or not. A pictorial documentary of a band who clearly love what they do: triumphant on stage with enormous crowds behind them; laughing and windswept on hillsides; playing football and, er, bathing together; sleeping on tour buses and drinking beer (in almost every frame – Dave Murray even has a can in the bath shot). Harris affectionately describes his mate as obnoxious but, true or not, Halfin knows how to get the best out of his subjects and has captured Iron Maiden again and again, looking like the band you want to be in. Plenty of Eddie too.

ISBN 1846094453

Reviewed by Suzy West
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