What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Sultan: The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun
The Last Sultan is the definitive biography of a man who changed popular culture throughout the world. As the founder and head of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun signed and/or recorded many of the greatest musical artists of all time, among them Ruth Brown; Big Joe Turner; Ray Charles; Bobby Darin; Sonny and Cher; Eric Clapton; Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Led Zeppelin; the Rolling Stones; Bette Midler; and Kid Rock. Working alongside his older brother, Nesuhi, one of the preeminent jazz producers of all time, and the legendary Jerry Wexler, who produced great soul artists like Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, and Aretha Franklin, Ertegun transformed Atlantic Records from a small independent record label into a hugely profitable multinational corporation. In successive generations, he also served as a mentor to record-business tyros like Phil Spector, David Geffen, and Lyor Cohen.
Brilliant, cultured, and irreverent, Ertegun was as renowned for his incredible sense of personal style and nonstop A-list social life as his work in the studio. Born into great privilege as the son of a high-ranking Turkish diplomat during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, Ertegun spent his life bringing the black-roots music he loved to the world.
A larger-than-life figure, always hip, Ertegun lived in the grand manner but was never happier than when he found himself in some down-and-out joint listening to music late at night. Blessed with impeccable taste and brilliant business acumen, he brought rock ’n’ roll into the mainstream while creating the music that became the sound track for the lives of multiple generations.
With supporting characters like Steve Ross, Henry Kissinger, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jann Wenner, and a host of others, The Last Sultan is the fascinating story of a man who always lived by his own rules.
Brilliant, cultured, and irreverent, Ertegun was as renowned for his incredible sense of personal style and nonstop A-list social life as his work in the studio. Born into great privilege as the son of a high-ranking Turkish diplomat during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, Ertegun spent his life bringing the black-roots music he loved to the world.
A larger-than-life figure, always hip, Ertegun lived in the grand manner but was never happier than when he found himself in some down-and-out joint listening to music late at night. Blessed with impeccable taste and brilliant business acumen, he brought rock ’n’ roll into the mainstream while creating the music that became the sound track for the lives of multiple generations.
With supporting characters like Steve Ross, Henry Kissinger, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jann Wenner, and a host of others, The Last Sultan is the fascinating story of a man who always lived by his own rules.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2011
About the author
Robert Greenfield
28 books59 followersA former Associate Editor of the London bureau of Rolling Stone magazine, Robert Greenfield is the critically acclaimed author of several classic rock books, among them S.T.P.: A Journey Through America with the Rolling Stones, as well as the definitive biographies of Timothy Leary and Ahmet Ertegun. With Bill Graham, he is the co-author of Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock and Out, which won the ASCAP- Deems Taylor Award. An award winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, his short fiction has appeared in GQ, Esquire, and Playboy magazines. He lives in California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 5, 2013
The subject of this biography, the son of the Turkish ambassador to the United States, co-founded Atlantic Records in 1948, and still worked at the company (which had become a division of Time Warner) when he died in 2007. Probably no one consistently wielded more power and influence in the music industry over these six decades than did Ahmet Ertegun. He had a gift for discovering and nurturing new talent, and he took a very active role both in recording and marketing his label's acts. Above all, he knew how to make money, and he made (and spent) a lot of it.
The book is best read as an impressionistic history of rock and roll from the early 1950s through the mid 1970s. It's far less successful as a biography: I never felt that I really got to know the subject. Ertegun is absent from the narrative for long stretches, and the author never really attempts to get into his head.
But the book has three larger problems.
First, Ertegun doesn't come across as a very sympathetic character. He was tainted by some of the record industry's biggest scandals: the bribery of disc jockeys and radio station executives in the 1950s (the so-called payola scandals), and the failure to pay full royalties to many of rock's early acts and songwriters. He was a great negotiator but also a master manipulator of people. He was an epic party animal and contributed greatly to the decadence of the popular music industry.
Second, the book is uneven in its focus. The first half has more on the acts and how they made their music (the chapters on Ray Charles, Sonny & Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones are full of interesting anecdotes), while the second half has more on corporate intrigue and backstabbing among music executives (Etrtegun had an especially fiery relationship with David Geffen).
The biggest problem for me is that the book is poorly written. The author relies way too much on direct quotes from secondary sources, such that the book often reads as if it were not so much written as copied and pasted. It's not always clear who's being quoted, and too often there are quotes within quotes (within quotes), and in many places I got lost and had no idea whose account or opinion I was reading. The heavy reliance on secondary material also meant the narrative lacked a consistent stylistic voice.
Those with an interest in the fascinating history of Atlantic Records may wish to seek out the documentary film Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built, rather than slog through the ultimately unsatisfying pages of this book.
The book is best read as an impressionistic history of rock and roll from the early 1950s through the mid 1970s. It's far less successful as a biography: I never felt that I really got to know the subject. Ertegun is absent from the narrative for long stretches, and the author never really attempts to get into his head.
But the book has three larger problems.
First, Ertegun doesn't come across as a very sympathetic character. He was tainted by some of the record industry's biggest scandals: the bribery of disc jockeys and radio station executives in the 1950s (the so-called payola scandals), and the failure to pay full royalties to many of rock's early acts and songwriters. He was a great negotiator but also a master manipulator of people. He was an epic party animal and contributed greatly to the decadence of the popular music industry.
Second, the book is uneven in its focus. The first half has more on the acts and how they made their music (the chapters on Ray Charles, Sonny & Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones are full of interesting anecdotes), while the second half has more on corporate intrigue and backstabbing among music executives (Etrtegun had an especially fiery relationship with David Geffen).
The biggest problem for me is that the book is poorly written. The author relies way too much on direct quotes from secondary sources, such that the book often reads as if it were not so much written as copied and pasted. It's not always clear who's being quoted, and too often there are quotes within quotes (within quotes), and in many places I got lost and had no idea whose account or opinion I was reading. The heavy reliance on secondary material also meant the narrative lacked a consistent stylistic voice.
Those with an interest in the fascinating history of Atlantic Records may wish to seek out the documentary film Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built, rather than slog through the ultimately unsatisfying pages of this book.
November 12, 2012
In the music world there are a handful of seminal figures, Marshall Chess of Chess records, Sam Phillips of Sun Studios, and then there was Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records who far beyond anyone else shaped our musical experience.
Ertegun explored and searched for new music from his childhood forays into Harlem in the 40s until well into the 70s. Discovering Jazz in the after-hours parties of Washington, DC Ertegun continued to look for cutting edge sounds with his brother. This turned into a passion that lead him to start up Atlantic Records where he quickly found his niche in rhythm and blues, jazz, and early rock. From Ruth Brown, to helping Ray Charles form his unique sound Ertegun was at the forefront of a shifting musical soundscape. He touched all the bases; Bobby Darin, Ray Charles, Buffalo Springfield, then landed blockbuster deals with the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He kept Atlantic at the top of the musical stack by recognizing great talents and keeping that talent happy. There wasn’t a party he didn’t like throwing or attending or jumping onto a jet to visit.
Greenfield provides a great background to how Ertegun was introduced to late night jazz clubs and to Ertegun’s business savvy to keep on top of Atlantic through changing regimes and protégées like David Geffen. Ertegun was the octopus in the shark tank, reaching everywhere to get the most out of any situation. This is a fascinating study on how to do power business while placating music superstars.
Ertegun explored and searched for new music from his childhood forays into Harlem in the 40s until well into the 70s. Discovering Jazz in the after-hours parties of Washington, DC Ertegun continued to look for cutting edge sounds with his brother. This turned into a passion that lead him to start up Atlantic Records where he quickly found his niche in rhythm and blues, jazz, and early rock. From Ruth Brown, to helping Ray Charles form his unique sound Ertegun was at the forefront of a shifting musical soundscape. He touched all the bases; Bobby Darin, Ray Charles, Buffalo Springfield, then landed blockbuster deals with the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He kept Atlantic at the top of the musical stack by recognizing great talents and keeping that talent happy. There wasn’t a party he didn’t like throwing or attending or jumping onto a jet to visit.
Greenfield provides a great background to how Ertegun was introduced to late night jazz clubs and to Ertegun’s business savvy to keep on top of Atlantic through changing regimes and protégées like David Geffen. Ertegun was the octopus in the shark tank, reaching everywhere to get the most out of any situation. This is a fascinating study on how to do power business while placating music superstars.
April 20, 2012
Very disappointing. It seemed like it was written in indecision - to be a biography of Ahmet Ertegun or a history of Atlantic Records? It falls short in both departments. Obviously its impossible to tell the story of one without the other, but this book just couldn't pull it off in an engaging way. Too bad.
June 19, 2014
Bu kadar çok yazım hatasını, anlatım bozukluğunu, kötü çeviri örneğini bir arada hiç görmemiştim. Çoğu zaman ne okuduğumu anlamadım. Destansı saçmalıklar vardı. Bunu görse Ahmet hepinizi doğduğunuza pişman ederdi. İki yıldızı malzemenin zenginliğine verdim.
August 21, 2017
great subject, not so great writing. nonetheless it's fun to read (if you're into music history)
January 13, 2020
This was a boring read for me. The author goes way beyond the life of Ahmet and elaborates a lot of details on other characters and companies. The writing style also makes this book a little hard and boring to read. It's worth to mention that it covers all aspects of his life his and his surroundings if that's what you're looking for. It also gives a great detail about the music industry of Ahmet's times as the title suggests. I gave 3 stars because of the monotony of the writing style.
April 3, 2020
Korkunç bir çeviri, ayrıca sayısız yazım hatası ve akılalmaz detaylarla boğulmuş bir kitap olmasına rağmen okumaktan mutluluk duydum. Daha fazla caz içerdiğini düşünüyordum, bu konuda haya kırıklığına uğradım diyebilirim..
July 27, 2016
Anyone even slightly interested in the history of popular music should read this book. From the segregated days of 'race music' in the 1940s to rap rock, it is full of interesting stories about the numerous artists, songwriters, producers and executives that at some point during their careers have crossed paths with Ertegun, whose highly remarkable life obviously is the main subject. The book offers a well-researched insight into the crazy world of the music industry, while also covering a variety of other issues, everything from racism in America to the birth of the modern Turkish state. Excellent!
September 7, 2015
Türkiye'nin ve Türk'lerin yurt dışında efsane olmuş çok az değerinden biri hakkında yazılan bu en kıymetli eserin Türkçe'ye çevirisi tam bir rezalet ve fiyasko. Çevirisini yapan adamın eline bir daha kitap verilmemeli. Buna rağmen bu efsanenin nasıl oluştuğunu öğrenmek acısından çok değerli bir eser önemli bir araştırma. Umarım yeniden çevirilir.
January 7, 2015
Ahmet Ertegun is my official role model for 2015. FASCIfuckingNATING history and amazing in-depth look into the birth and death of this indie music label.
December 1, 2023
I kinda got tired of the lovefest nature of this biography of Ahmet Ertegun, one of the founders of Atlantic Records.
Child of privilege, lifestyles of the rich & famous, glossing over his "abu$e" (of artists) & behavior "Oh, we loved Ahmet.). I'm sorry, but just focusing on the "star" acts seems to allow for his over-the-top lifestyle to be validated in a business which does little for a significant number of artists and/or bands.
Even the praise from top talent ("He was like a father" - really? hookers & cocaine, Dad?).
The hilarious part is the depiction of Mr. Ertegun & the other industry moguls behaving at times like a bunch of 13-year-old girls.
Regardless of my opinion, there is some important historical information concerning the rise & fall & rise of independent labels.
Child of privilege, lifestyles of the rich & famous, glossing over his "abu$e" (of artists) & behavior "Oh, we loved Ahmet.). I'm sorry, but just focusing on the "star" acts seems to allow for his over-the-top lifestyle to be validated in a business which does little for a significant number of artists and/or bands.
Even the praise from top talent ("He was like a father" - really? hookers & cocaine, Dad?).
The hilarious part is the depiction of Mr. Ertegun & the other industry moguls behaving at times like a bunch of 13-year-old girls.
Regardless of my opinion, there is some important historical information concerning the rise & fall & rise of independent labels.
February 3, 2024
Ahmet Ertegun lived a life that seems almost impossible to believe. The son of the Turkish ambassador to the United States, who was raised in a life of luxury, attended the best schools, dressed well and spoke several languages; Ahmet and his brother were jazz buffs who used invite jazz greats to perform in their house in Washington D.C. despite the Jim Crow laws of the time. In the late 1940's he and his brother co-founded Atlantic Records, and produced Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, the Drifters, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin and later moved into white rock and roll with the Rascals, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and ended up with Kid Rock. In his love life Ertegun went everywhere and knew almost everyone.
June 23, 2018
Living in New York in the early 70's, I met and had some interactions with Ahmet, Tom Dowd and others at Atlantic, so this was especially poignant and interesting to me, learning about the "behind the scenes" part of Atlantic, although I was aware of some of them as I was in and out of Atlantic frequently at the time. This was a great account of a man who was truly one of the last titans of the music industry, a real prince of a guy who was a real class act. He met with a sad and tragic end to a life well lived. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the business of music and the great labels.
April 16, 2018
A must read for fans of music & the music industry. Ahmet was a force from the 40's to the 2000's as the founder of Atlantic Records, signing everyone from Ray Charles to the Stones and many, many others. Many great stories here; Greenfield did significant research and interviews and filled in the blanks for me on a lot of the details of what when down in the studios, clubs, dressing rooms and Atlantic offices.
November 22, 2020
This biography covers the man who founded Atlantic records. I was amazed at all the talent that Ertegun found and brought over to Atlantic. It was interesting to see how he formed his company and where it took him. As a person, he was larger than life and lived as a man of his times though his life is vastly different from what people do now. How he bridged the 2 cultures he grew up in throughout his life was interesting. Fascinating book for music lovers.
November 1, 2021
This is a great biography. It is a must-read if you have any interest in American jazz and popular music of the last 70 years. You learn about the big names in music and the smaller names. The book is a first-class education in music. Ahmet proves that sometimes an outsider sees or in this case hears what the mainstream culture misses.
June 16, 2019
An interesting biography was wasted by the author. Ertegun was one of the most influential and legendary people in the music business. However, the writer mostly focused on the business part of his life, and wrote a little about the music-side. Ertegun deserves much better biography.
January 14, 2020
I’m glad to know more about this legendary man. I also think, maybe, I’ve gotten a clearer view of how the recording industry works/worked. AE sounds like a truly exceptional man. I see a reference to an autobiography by him on my list of books to read, I hope it actually exists.
January 15, 2020
Çok güzel olabilecek bir biyografi gereksiz detaylarla aşırı sıkıcı hale getirilmiş. Çoğu kısmı buraları neden okuyoruz ki şimdi diye düşünerek geçirdim. Son bölümü güzeldi. Daha iyisi kesinlikle olabilir.
November 12, 2019
interesting history of ahmet ertegun, makes sense if you follow the music that is written. didn't finish.
February 27, 2020
Very interesting if you are into Ahmet's music. Would have been a 5, but too much about industry personalities I didn't care about.
January 20, 2021
A good, readable bio, and Ertegun’s achievements are impressive. But it’s hard to celebrate them given his exploitative practices, self-dealing, and “great white father” schtick.
March 4, 2021
Fantastic. An amazing read, about the glory days of Atlantic Records and the glory days of rock, jazz R&B and blues. And of course the man behind it all Ahmet Ertegun.
March 19, 2021
6 stars and beyond.
March 21, 2021
A most unique life, and a beautiful (occasionally sordid) history of American music.
September 12, 2021
Very interesting, what a life!
March 29, 2022
3.5
A few inaccuracies (printing the myth instead of the facts or leaving out all the particulars of certain stories), otherwise enlightening and entertaining.
A few inaccuracies (printing the myth instead of the facts or leaving out all the particulars of certain stories), otherwise enlightening and entertaining.
Read
May 11, 2022Great book if you love the inside story of the record business.
October 20, 2022
For music fans, this is an essential read. The description of the music landscape during the 40s to the 60s is outstanding. From there, the focus on music is lost.
February 8, 2023
It contains very good examples of what can be achieved when given the opportunity. At the same time, I learnt about musicians of music history that I never knew.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews