<p>The only official history of The Who - created with the full cooperation of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, and spectacularly illustrated with rare photographs and memorabilia - published in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the band's first album, My Generation, and their celebratory world tour.</p><p>Three legendary bands are revered as the holy trinity of modern rock and roll: The Beatles. The Rolling Stones. The Who. This landmark publication is the first official history of The Who featuring exclusive access to never-before-published images and memorabilia from the band's own archive, and from other sources including collectors and fans.</p><p>Blending memoir, history, and music, The Who explores the influences that shaped the band and its members, from Britain's post-war austerity to Elvis, Lonnie Donegan, and American youth counter-culture. It follows them through the Mod and Pop years and the furiously fast sixties, and charts the hit singles - "My Generation," "I'm a Boy,, "The Kids Are Alright," and "Pinball Wizard." It revels in memories of making it big in America and inspiring Jimi Hendrix to set his guitar on fire, and much more.</p><p>It records the band's highs - their groundbreaking artistic achievements of Tommy and Quadrophenia - and the devastating lows - the loss of Keith Moon and John Entwistle. The Who documents the extraordinary story of how a tax inspector, sheet metal worker, art school stoner and maverick drummer - John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and Keith Moon - became one of the most famous and enduring musical acts of modern times and transformed the world, creating the sound of a generation.</p><p>The Who includes approximately 500 color and black-and-white photos, band and fan memorabilia, and archive material; Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are writing the captions, providing an extra layer to the book; and there is a special pullout feature spreads providing vivid background social history and context.</p>
