Roger Daltrey: Thanks a lot Mr Kibblewhite, The Sunday Times Bestseller

Roger Daltrey is the voice of a generation.

That generation was the first to rebel, to step out of the shadows of the Second World War... to invent the concept of the teenager.

This is his story, from his birth at the height of the Blitz, through tempestuous school days to his expulsion, age 15, for a crime he did not commit (though he was guilty of many other misdemeanours he'd got away with). Thanks to Mr Kibblewhite, his draconian headmaster, it could all have ended there. The life of a factory worker beckoned.

But then came rock and roll. He made his first guitar from factory off-cuts. He formed a band. The band became The Who - Maximum R&B - and, by luck and by sheer bloody-mindedness, Roger Daltrey became the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.

This is the story of My Generation, Tommy and Quadrophenia, of smashed guitars, exploding drums, cars in swimming pools, fights, arrests and redecorated hotel rooms.

But it is also the story of how that post-war generation redefined the rules of youth. Out of that, the modern music industry was born - and it wasn't an easy birth. Money, drugs and youthful exuberance were a dangerous mix. This is as much a story of survival as it is of success.

Four years in the making, this is the first time Roger Daltrey has told his story. It is not just his own hilarious and frank account of more than 50 wild years on the road. It is the definitive story of The Who and of the sweeping revolution that was British rock 'n' roll.

About the Author

Roger Daltrey is the lead vocalist and founding member of The Who. His career has spanned more than 50 years, with a solo career producing eight studio albums. A daytime worker at a sheet metal factory, he first assembled The Who in 1961, recruiting John Entwistle and agreeing to John’s proposal that Pete Townshend should join. Daltrey was the band’s voice, a powerhouse frontman known for his stage presence and energy. As a member of The Who, Daltrey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2008. In 2003, he was named a European Hero by Time magazine for his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust and other charities, and in 2004 was awarded a CBE for services to Music, the Entertainment Industry and Charity. He lives in England with his wife and family.