Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorised Biography is the most disappointing kind of music bio: the band shares all but in the end the book tells us nothing. Heavy on anecdote yet utterly lacking in narrative, the book is built entirely from quotations from the band members and key players in their history. The Banshees are blunt, uncompromising and direct, but writer Mark Paytress fails to produce a cohesive, comprehensive history that shows the band from the outside as well as in. This is not a primer text. Anyone exploring the work of Sioxsie and the Banshees will not find this a helpful introduction. The forward, written by Shirley Manson, provides the most context and hints at the true impact Siouxsie had on music, popular culture, and women; reading it, one wishes she authored this book instead.