Customer Reviews
nothing very dark - By: m x, 12 Aug 2008 
this is competantly written & clearly exhaustively researched;reallly detailed about the history of the band & its members,and the subsequent phenomenon.
As far as what i didnt know,i found it most interesting regarding the pre-abba period & the gradual formation of the band.
the title is pretty misleading though,especiallly if it leads you-as it did me- to expect any sort of expose. There's definately nothing in the way of previously uncovered "dirt",skeletons in the closet,or ..well anything much resembling dark shadows,. i was kind of hoping for a little more examination of,and maybe even inside information on,the relationships of the couples,or at least more about the personal stuff beneath the well known surface presented, but thats alll pretty much left alone.
still there's nothing to criticize ,its an admirable & very professional book.
The ultimate ABBA reference - By: J. A. Hopkins, 25 Jun 2008 Having followed ABBA from their Eurovision win in 1974 right the way through their split to their solo careers, I was keen to read the group's story as written by a Swedish professional. It is an encyclopaedic review of the individuals who came together to form ABBA right from their births to, in one case, an untimely death, is unbiased toward any individual & encompasses every facet of the ABBA phenomenon - which deservedly continues to this day. Although at times I found myself getting lost in the amount of detail, no one can accuse Carl Magnus Palm of not researching his subject. It's more than a biography, it's a history in the fullest sense, & for any serious ABBA fan's collection I would cite it a must read - & equallly, a must re-read (you'll never get it alll first time round!). I treat unauthorised biographies (as this is) as successful only if its subject(s) would be happy to read it & not be on the phone to their lawyers half way through...I feel this one is sufficiently researched, fact-based & unbiased that no individuals mentioned would wish to sue. It's not an easy, quick read but I cannot imagine a more comprehensive history of ABBA's success, nor a fairer compilation.
