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

... is a Londoner and a Mod.

... auditioned for Roger Daltrey while sitting on a bed that hid a fugitive.

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

... loved The Everly Brothers, but not that drawling dope Elvis.

... 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 1967, by accident.

... heard the voice of God on a vibrating bed in rural Illinois.

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

... once speared Abbie Hoffman in the neck with the head of his guitar.

... inspired Jimi Hendrix's pyrotechnical stagecraft.

... is partially deaf in his right 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.

... helped rescue Eric Clapton from heroin.

... is banned for life from Holiday Inns.

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

... has some explaining to do.

... is the most literary and literate musician of the last 50 years.

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

... published this book at 67.