From the voice of a generation: The most highly anticipated autobiography of the year, and the story of a man who . . .

. . . wanted The Who to be called The Hair.

. . . wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer and a graphic designer.

. . . became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor.

. . . smashed his first guitar onstage, in 1964, by accident.

. . . invented the Marshall stack, feedback and the concept album.

. . . inspired Jimi Hendrix's pyrotechnical stagecraft.

. . . is partially deaf in his left ear.

. . . stole his windmill guitar playing from Keith Richards.

. . . followed Keith Moon off a hotel balcony into a pool and nearly died.

. . . did too much cocaine and nearly died.

. . . drank too much and nearly died.

. . . detached from his body in an airplane, on LSD, and nearly died.

. . . was embroiled in a tabloid scandal that has dogged him ever since.

. . . planned to write his memoir when he was 21.

. . . published this book at 67.