The Books of Albion

' ''Poet, young and busy, seeks cheap spacious rooms somewhere. Excellent references available . . .'' so reads a self-penned ad, a very early entry from Pete Doherty's journals. From the early books a fascinating and very entertaining picture emerges of the young poet, broke in London, serving popcorn at the Prince Charles Cinema, ruminating on Britpop, listening to Scott Walker, but dreaming of creating a band infused with 'the spirit of Albion'. The later books reflect Pete's rise to fame, his changing world, and are full of artwork, photographs, notes and thoughts. It is intimate, honest stuff, very readable and very funny in places; pretty dark in others. All in all it's the work of a serious artist, a complete antidote to most things written about Doherty. These twenty-odd books - edited and condensed into one volume - are filled with poems, drawings, personal reflections, lyrics and collages, and is a powerfully compelling collection.