Parachute Women Audiobook By Elizabeth Winder cover art

Parachute Women

Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the Women Behind the Rolling Stones

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Parachute Women

By: Elizabeth Winder
Narrated by: Angelina Rocca
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Discover the true story of the four women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help shape and curate the image of The Rolling Stones—perfect for fans of Girls Like Us.

"A vivid portrait ... Gossipy, entertaining, and quite right in insisting on the central role of women in making an iconic band iconic." —Kirkus Reviews

The Rolling Stones have long been considered one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. At the forefront of the British Invasion and heading up the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the Stones' innovative music and iconic performances defined a generation, and fifty years later, they're still performing to sold-out stadiums around the globe. Yet, as the saying goes, behind every great man is a greater woman, and behind these larger-than-life rockstars were four incredible women whose stories have yet to be fully unpacked ... until now.

In Parachute Women, Elizabeth Winder introduces us to the four women who inspired, styled, wrote for, remixed, and ultimately helped create the legend of the Rolling Stones. Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg put the glimmer in the Glimmer Twins and taught a group of straight-laced boys to be bad. They opened the doors to subterranean art and alternative lifestyles, turned them on to Russian literature, occult practices, and LSD. They connected them to cutting edge directors and writers, won them roles in art house films that renewed their appeal. They often acted as unpaid stylists, providing provocative looks from their personal wardrobes. They remixed tracks for chart-topping albums, and sometimes even wrote the actual songs. More hip to the times than the rockers themselves, they consciously (and unconsciously) kept the band current—and confident—with that mythic lasting power they still have today.

Lush in detail and insight, and long overdue, Parachute Women is a group portrait of the four audacious women who transformed the Stones into international stars, but who were themselves marginalized by the male-dominated rock world of the late '60s and early '70s. It's a story of lust and rivalries, friendships and betrayals, hope and degradation, and the birth of rock and roll. Art & Literature Entertainment & Celebrities Fashion Designers Biographies & Memoirs Women Music Celebrity

Critic reviews

“A fascinating portrait …. backed up by keenly described historical background and an expert understanding of 1960s and ’70s rock culture. The result is a wild ride worthy of rock’s heyday.”—Publishers Weekly

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As Daisy Jones & The Six focuses so much on the artistry and creation of music, it’s no surprise that the focus on sound extends to both the audiobook production and the show's interpretation of those songs. The series had 10 episodes, the last of which aired on March 24, 2023. If you've finished watching Daisy Jones & The Six and are in search of a follow-up listen with similar vibes, start with this curated collection of music nonfic and full cast productions.

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Every girl who is dating, has ever dated, or thinks they want to date or marry a rockstar needs to read this book.
This is also a great companion to Marianne Faithful’s autobiography as well.

Inspiring and liberating

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Women Stones' fans listen up! If you think you know everything about the Stones', you are wrong. This book delves into what we already know - behind every good man there is a great woman that makes that man what he is.

Captivating!

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I absolutely loved this title. at first, I wasn't turned on, I almost stopped listening, but I'm so glad I didn't. it got much better the further & further I went until I couldn't stop it. I finished it in less than 2 days.

phenomenal imagery!!!

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I expected more from this book than I got. The story is interesting. I didn’t know Brian Jones was abusive to women. The book, as expected I guess, had much more details on the women but much less on the Stones (and practically nothing on Charlie). My biggest gripe though is the book includes quotes from the women but they aren’t well understood in the audio. It would have been better to make them more identifiable. Not awful but not a great book either.

Interesting but confusing

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The book should be called Anita and Mary Ann story about how much drug they consumed. While partying with the stones. It barely talk about Bianca Jagger . It feels like the author only talked or read biographies about Anita and Mary Anne and then wrote a college paper about their lives ..

Mostly about two women

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