--- product_id: 50583494 title: "David Bowie Is (The Official V&A Exhibition Book): (E) (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: Exhibition Catalogues)" price: "$146.26" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/50583494-david-bowie-is-the-official-v-and-a-exhibition-book store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # 9 thematic, expert essays 300+ exclusive high-res images premium stitched binding & fabric spine David Bowie Is (The Official V&A Exhibition Book): (E) (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: Exhibition Catalogues) **Price:** $146.26 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🎤 Own the legend: Dive deep into Bowie’s world with the ultimate collector’s edition! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** David Bowie Is (The Official V&A Exhibition Book): (E) (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: Exhibition Catalogues) - **How much does it cost?** $146.26 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/50583494-david-bowie-is-the-official-v-and-a-exhibition-book) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Visual Masterpiece:** Over 300 rare photos, handwritten lyrics & iconic costumes in stunning reproduction - • **Exhibition Companion:** Official V&A exhibition catalog – the ultimate Bowie fan essential you can’t miss - • **Collector’s Quality:** Luxurious fabric cover with textured feel and durable stitched binding for lasting value - • **Curated Cultural Insight:** Essays by top curators & critics reveal Bowie’s impact on music, fashion & gender - • **Unlock Bowie’s Archive:** Only book with full access to David Bowie’s personal costume & design collection ## Overview David Bowie Is is the official V&A exhibition book offering unprecedented access to Bowie’s personal archives, featuring over 300 rare images, handwritten lyrics, and iconic costumes. With nine expert essays exploring his cultural influence on music, fashion, and gender, this premium-quality volume is a must-have for fans and collectors eager to experience Bowie’s groundbreaking legacy beyond the exhibition. ## Description David Bowie's career as a pioneering artist spanned nearly 50 years and brought him international acclaim. Published to accompany the blockbuster international exhibition launched at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, this is the only book to be granted access to Bowie's personal archive of performance costume, ephemera and original design artwork by the artist, and brings it together to present a completely new perspective on his creative work and collaborations. The book traces his career from its beginnings in London, through the breakthroughs of Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and on to his impact on the larger international tradition of twentieth-century avant-garde art. Essays by V&A curators on Bowie's London, image, and influence on the fashion world, are complemented by Howard Goodall on musicology; Camille Paglia on gender and decadence and Jon Savage on Bowie's relationship with William Burroughs and his fans. Also included is a discussion between Christopher Frayling, Philip Hoare and Mark Kermode, held at the V&A, of Bowie's cultural impact. Over 300 images include personal and performance photographs, costumes, lyric sheets giving an unique insight into Bowie's world. Review: Absolutely superb, production, pictures, text all outstanding, get it quick - I am a big Bowie fan and have a ton of books about him. Created as a companion to the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this is one of the best. Several reasons: 1. The exhibition was given full access to the official David Bowie Archive which means there is plenty of material you have not seen before, such as handwritten lyrics with corrections (that line in "Heroes", "and we kissed as though nothing could fall", was drafted as "and we kissed and you felt called"), minor details maybe but it is fascinating to get a glimpse at how these songs evolved. There is also a big focus on costumes, photographed in superb quality, many of which are stunning, as well as photographs, posters, artwork done for album covers complete with some early mock-ups and that I have not seen before, and other memorabilia. One costume example is Natasha Korniloff's "cobweb bodysuit" designed for the 1980 Floor Show, which has a pair of hands clutching Bowie's chest stitched into it. First we see Mick Rock's photo of Bowie wearing this on stage, then pictures of the costume itself. Fantastic. 2. This is not just a picture book. There is a lot of text, and it's good stuff. The authors are various, but the editors are Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh from the V&A, who take a scholarly approach though they still convey enthusiasm for their subject (and overall this is a book for fans, there is not much here that is negative). There is a lot of factual information though, both biographical and cultural. The cultural bit is important. As you would expect from people working for a museum, the editors are interested in how Bowie was influenced by the culture of his times, and in turn how he influenced it. The book is organized into nine main chapters. These are as follows: - Astronauts of Inner Spaces: by Geoffrey Marsh, mainly covers early career in London - Theatre of Gender: by Camille Paglia, covers Bowie and sexual revolution - Oh you pretty things: by Jon Savage, about Bowie and youth culture - Putting out fire with Gasoline: by Victoria Broackes, covers bowie and design, costumes, album covers and more - Bowie Music: by Howard Goodall, about the music, pictures of lyrics and sheet music - For 'We are the Goon Squad': by Christopher Breward, about the album covers - Changes: by Oriole Cullen, an essay on Bowie and fashion - David Bowie then ... David Bowie now: a roundtable discussion with Christopher Frayling, Philip Hoare and Mark Kermode. Wide-ranging, enjoyable. - David Bowie is Photographic: by Nicholas Coleridge, short piece on 16 favourite photographs, reproduced in small size on a single page. Most if not all of these pictures are properly reproduced elsewhere, but there are no page references which is a shame. 3. The production is superb. Stitched binding, fabric-covered spine, interesting textured feel to the cover, and excellent reproduction of the pictures. Some of the early pictures are not so good, but this is because of the quality of the originals (or the best copy that was available to the publishers). Having said all that, some Bowie fans may find the text over-scholarly; I can imagine some finding it pretentious though personally I would disagree. Not a problem though, ignore the text if you don't like it and just enjoy the images. Anything to criticise? Well, bear in mind that the book was done along with the exhibition, and reflects the content that is there. It is not in any sense a comprehensive Bowie book. The text does tend to focus on the early years which is fair enough since this is when Bowie was culturally most influential, but you could say that it is unbalanced. As you will note from the above guide to the chapters, the book is not chronological but rather, loosely thematic. A bit confusing, and it means that if you want, for example, all the material relating to the Thin White Duke era, you have to look here there and everywhere. None of this troubles me in the least. The book exceeded my expectations and is essential for fans (and easier to get than a ticket for the exhibition). Sometimes these exhibition-related books do not stay in print for all that long, so I recommend grabbing it quick. Review: David Bowie is... beautifully presented! - Delighted to open the door on the Saturday to find this book arrived ahead of the estimate, the order had already been amended to arrive earlier on Monday the 25th March... the very day I was going to visit the exhibition behind this book! I bought this book as no photography is permitted at the exhibition and I wanted to have a permanent reminder of the day, torturous as it was, I resisted opening it before my visit!... its worth noting that here is a lot at the exhibit to take in, its vast and overwhelming and this book is gives you a more leisurely chance to look at anything you missed or couldn't absorb at the time, but don't get me wrong, this is a book that can be totally appreciated as a stand alone piece. Speaking as a Bowie fan, I would recommend this book to any Bowie fan, beautifully photographed, well bound and larger than A4 in stature its an impressive weighty tome, I'm guessing it will be a firm fave gracing manys a coffee table, BUT this is more than just a 'pretty picture book' , in my opinion it is more insightful and significant than most 'Bowie biogs' which we usually find rehashing a lot of second hand words and the same old quotes and misquotes. Although I haven't had a chance to read all the text yet, just on pictorial merit alone, I see enough of a glimpse of Bowies past captured in highly relevant freeze frames telling his unique story in a 'speaks for itself' unique kind of way which I truly appreciate, this is a fine representation of a vast, archived collection, gathered during a huge portion of a mans lifetime, illustrating a widely varied career simply like no other. David Bowie is... many things to many people. David Bowie is... beautifully presented David Bowie is... Future History and this book recognises that. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 28,871 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 63 in Fashion Design 140 in Popular Music | | Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 915 Reviews | ## Images ![David Bowie Is (The Official V&A Exhibition Book): (E) (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: Exhibition Catalogues) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wj9esyXwL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely superb, production, pictures, text all outstanding, get it quick *by M***N on 29 March 2013* I am a big Bowie fan and have a ton of books about him. Created as a companion to the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this is one of the best. Several reasons: 1. The exhibition was given full access to the official David Bowie Archive which means there is plenty of material you have not seen before, such as handwritten lyrics with corrections (that line in "Heroes", "and we kissed as though nothing could fall", was drafted as "and we kissed and you felt called"), minor details maybe but it is fascinating to get a glimpse at how these songs evolved. There is also a big focus on costumes, photographed in superb quality, many of which are stunning, as well as photographs, posters, artwork done for album covers complete with some early mock-ups and that I have not seen before, and other memorabilia. One costume example is Natasha Korniloff's "cobweb bodysuit" designed for the 1980 Floor Show, which has a pair of hands clutching Bowie's chest stitched into it. First we see Mick Rock's photo of Bowie wearing this on stage, then pictures of the costume itself. Fantastic. 2. This is not just a picture book. There is a lot of text, and it's good stuff. The authors are various, but the editors are Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh from the V&A, who take a scholarly approach though they still convey enthusiasm for their subject (and overall this is a book for fans, there is not much here that is negative). There is a lot of factual information though, both biographical and cultural. The cultural bit is important. As you would expect from people working for a museum, the editors are interested in how Bowie was influenced by the culture of his times, and in turn how he influenced it. The book is organized into nine main chapters. These are as follows: - Astronauts of Inner Spaces: by Geoffrey Marsh, mainly covers early career in London - Theatre of Gender: by Camille Paglia, covers Bowie and sexual revolution - Oh you pretty things: by Jon Savage, about Bowie and youth culture - Putting out fire with Gasoline: by Victoria Broackes, covers bowie and design, costumes, album covers and more - Bowie Music: by Howard Goodall, about the music, pictures of lyrics and sheet music - For 'We are the Goon Squad': by Christopher Breward, about the album covers - Changes: by Oriole Cullen, an essay on Bowie and fashion - David Bowie then ... David Bowie now: a roundtable discussion with Christopher Frayling, Philip Hoare and Mark Kermode. Wide-ranging, enjoyable. - David Bowie is Photographic: by Nicholas Coleridge, short piece on 16 favourite photographs, reproduced in small size on a single page. Most if not all of these pictures are properly reproduced elsewhere, but there are no page references which is a shame. 3. The production is superb. Stitched binding, fabric-covered spine, interesting textured feel to the cover, and excellent reproduction of the pictures. Some of the early pictures are not so good, but this is because of the quality of the originals (or the best copy that was available to the publishers). Having said all that, some Bowie fans may find the text over-scholarly; I can imagine some finding it pretentious though personally I would disagree. Not a problem though, ignore the text if you don't like it and just enjoy the images. Anything to criticise? Well, bear in mind that the book was done along with the exhibition, and reflects the content that is there. It is not in any sense a comprehensive Bowie book. The text does tend to focus on the early years which is fair enough since this is when Bowie was culturally most influential, but you could say that it is unbalanced. As you will note from the above guide to the chapters, the book is not chronological but rather, loosely thematic. A bit confusing, and it means that if you want, for example, all the material relating to the Thin White Duke era, you have to look here there and everywhere. None of this troubles me in the least. The book exceeded my expectations and is essential for fans (and easier to get than a ticket for the exhibition). Sometimes these exhibition-related books do not stay in print for all that long, so I recommend grabbing it quick. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ David Bowie is... beautifully presented! *by A***T on 26 March 2013* Delighted to open the door on the Saturday to find this book arrived ahead of the estimate, the order had already been amended to arrive earlier on Monday the 25th March... the very day I was going to visit the exhibition behind this book! I bought this book as no photography is permitted at the exhibition and I wanted to have a permanent reminder of the day, torturous as it was, I resisted opening it before my visit!... its worth noting that here is a lot at the exhibit to take in, its vast and overwhelming and this book is gives you a more leisurely chance to look at anything you missed or couldn't absorb at the time, but don't get me wrong, this is a book that can be totally appreciated as a stand alone piece. Speaking as a Bowie fan, I would recommend this book to any Bowie fan, beautifully photographed, well bound and larger than A4 in stature its an impressive weighty tome, I'm guessing it will be a firm fave gracing manys a coffee table, BUT this is more than just a 'pretty picture book' , in my opinion it is more insightful and significant than most 'Bowie biogs' which we usually find rehashing a lot of second hand words and the same old quotes and misquotes. Although I haven't had a chance to read all the text yet, just on pictorial merit alone, I see enough of a glimpse of Bowies past captured in highly relevant freeze frames telling his unique story in a 'speaks for itself' unique kind of way which I truly appreciate, this is a fine representation of a vast, archived collection, gathered during a huge portion of a mans lifetime, illustrating a widely varied career simply like no other. David Bowie is... many things to many people. David Bowie is... beautifully presented David Bowie is... Future History and this book recognises that. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great gift for Bowie fans *by J***C on 15 December 2025* Bought this as a holiday gift for my brother, who saw and was dazzled by the Bowie exhibit in NYC before it settled in London. He was thrilled as it includes much more detail and images than the US catalog. And it arrived quickly! ## Frequently Bought Together - David Bowie Is (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: Exhibition Catalogues) - David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track - David Bowie: The Oral History --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/50583494-david-bowie-is-the-official-v-and-a-exhibition-book](https://www.desertcart.us/products/50583494-david-bowie-is-the-official-v-and-a-exhibition-book) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-04*