Excellent breakdown of where John (Romero/Carmack) came from, how they came together to found id, and how they split to go their own direction. This book covers the wonder years of id, from Keen to Doom to Quake. Quite good, but short of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed the history, though towards the end it felt a little rushed. The focus on success with a smaller company and each of the Johns finding problems with larger companies is telling. It is hard to find fault with their split - they were both right in their own ways. I wanted more from some of the other characters - a few early lives are covered, but then they vanish in the narrative. Where other companies connect with either John, they are mentioned. This leaves an incomplete picture of PC gaming at the time, but then that isn't the focus of the book.

In the end, a very good book about an awesome pair of guys. I was a hardcore PC gamer during this entire run, and connected closely with all of their software, from Keen to Wolfenstein to Quake. Modem games and LAN parties led to random internet an cooperative play. Reading this history took me back to those times. 4½ stars.