The comment I'd like to make is this.
Who is making money out of all this old tiffle?

It's quite a decent read. Much like the "Meat is Murder" book in the 33 1/3 series, this one is a sort of time capsule of what Morrissey meant back then and something of what he means today.

Only problem I have is that the author spent a bit too much time relating his personal memories, which I regret to say, are utterly boring.

Is this his swansong or what?
Someone is sure milking this new emergence of Mr M's. Sanctuary perchance??
And what's with all the overblown hype for Ms Sinatra? Is that part of the deal? Ciao!!!

Have had a quick look at this in Waterstones but still can't decide if its worth getting. Is it any good? Does it tell us anything new/worth knowing?? How does it compare to the David Bret book (which I enjoyed reading despite the errors and assumptions)?

...the best Morrissey book to buy? There seems to be so many at the moment so I'm all of a dither. I've read all the Smiths one's that are out there, but have read so many negatice comments about the Morrissey books on this site that I don't know if any are worth buying.
Although there is a positive comment for this book above...

I'm quite sure you can get the hardcover marked down to less than £7.99 in places like Virgin anyway

a friend (who hates moz/smiths) gave me it, partly i suspect to take the piss. i've never had the slightest interest in reading the opinions of some tragic geek fan - it would probably remind me too much of myself!

but simpson is insightful and witty and makes perceptive comments about moz, his fans and his/their place in pop culture. i like his suggestion that moz fans suffer from/indulge in 'melanalgia' (a mixture of melancholy and nostalgia) :

"i may have felt unlovable but i derived an exquisite, narcotic satisfaction in the knowing of it and the ability to laugh under my breath at the perversity of that knowledge".

He's very naughty. If you go to his website you find, at the end of the long list of rave press reviews for ST MOZ one ridiculously over-the-top bad one, penned by the completely disinterested, Mr Goddard: "Boring... appalling... smug... idiotic... A painful waist of time and trees". He credits it: 'Simone Goddard (author of The Smiths: The Songs That Shaved Your Wife)'

I laughed so much I almost inhaled my tongue.

On page 160, Mark Simpson wrote: "The very first track on Southpaw, 'Reader Meet Author' ...". Well, of course, we all know that he should have written, "The second track ...". How familiar is he with Morrissey's work if he can make such a basic error? This sort of mistake seems to exist in all Smiths-related literature, e.g. Simon Goddard claiming that "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" reached number 48 - it reached number 49, and Johnny Rogan (in the Usborne pocket guide to The Smiths) claiming that "Hatful" spent the Winter inside the top 5, when it only ever reached number 7 - for one week. I could go on, but you get the general idea. Anybody else spotted any other mistakes?