Newspapers are frequently offered things to review, but sadly we often have to make apologies when it comes to books as we can’t commit the time.

But when we received an offer to review a book about Woking’s most famous son, we made an exception.

Back in September, Dan Jennings released Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire, the authorised oral history.

It’s a behemoth at over 720 pages long and covers the musician’s journey from his birth at Walton Terrace in Woking to the July 2025 release of his last album, Find El Dorado.

For those who don’t know the background, journalist and former radio presenter Jennings has been a fan of The Jam and Style Council rocker since the early 90s.

He took his love for the Modfather to new heights during lockdown when he began his Desperately Seeking Paul fan podcast. It ended after 180 in-depth interviews with people closely connected to Weller and a two-hour conversation with the musician himself.

The book, suggested by the subject, is a chronological weaving of all those interviews, taking in everyone from Weller’s family members and lifelong fans to bandmates and rock star friends like Noel Gallagher.

To his immense credit Jennings decided against simply just printing the transcripts. The resulting labour of love is an exhaustive and definitive account of Weller’s life, told by the man himself and those closest to him.

There’s much to enjoy for Woking residents, from mentions of early Jam gigs at Sheerwater Youth Club and the Labour Club on Walton Road to recollections of a riotous secret gig in the Wheatsheaf (or was it the Cricketers?) to how the band became a family job with the fan club running from their Balmoral Drive home.

It's fascinating to read the inside story of how Paul disbanded The Jam and the processes which led to the Style Council and solo career. One thing that shines throughout is his lyrical prowess – Gallagher highlights the “cut down on beer” verse in Town Called Malice, written in part about Woking – along with his creativity, promethean work ethic and endless quest to discover new music.

Given Weller’s longevity in the business there are some omissions, and there’s sadly no mention of the Wake Up Woking concert in aid of Woking & Sam Beare. That’s a little disappointing from a local angle, given it was his first gig in town for 30 years and also featured Bruce Foxton.

It's also a bittersweet read at times, with the book featuring accounts from Rick Buckler – his plea to Weller to ‘come down the pub sometime’ ahead of his passing last year is particularly sad – and Paul’s late mother, Ann. And that’s before we mention his late father and manager, John, who arguably casts the biggest shadow.

Still, this is a must for any Weller fan or anyone with a passing interest in one of the greatest British musicians of the last half century. Woking’s favourite son indeed – we should be incredibly proud of him.