Through a series of candid photographs and detailed captions, this book charts the life story of an extraordinarily gifted individual. He courted fame and fortune but wore it lightly. He could be savagely abrasive but became the spokesman of the peace and love generation. Most importantly, he left a body of work, both as founder member of the ultimate super group and as a solo artist, that touched people"s hearts. Many decades after he began to create his music it continues to stir and inspire listeners of all generations. There are many ways to describe John Lennon: Voice of a generation; standard-bearer for the peace movement; working-class hero; anti-establishment scourge; charismatic icon; and, of course, musical genius. Years after his untimely death, Lennon remains a towering presence on the postwar cultural landscape. An enigmatic figure who underwent chameleon-like transformations, he defies all attempts to attach convenient labels. Lennon was ever restless, seeking out new avenues, fresh experiences to inform the creative process. There was drug and alcohol abuse, and a flirtation with transcendental meditation as John sought to imbue his life with meaning, and exorcize the childhood ghosts that haunted him. He came to loathe the entrapment that attended celebrity status, particularly after the measured "more popular than Jesus" comment that stirred up a hornet"s nest of misconstruction on the final American tour. Fleeing an ailing marriage he made an artistic and spiritual connection with Yoko Ono, who would later be cast as the person who broke up The Beatles. In 1970 they decamped to New York and in 1980, after a long period of semi-retirement, Lennon saw a triumphant return with Double Fantasy, but what promised to be a new chapter of creative fulfillment was cut short by an assassin"s bullet within a month of the album"s release.