AMAZING JOURNEY: THE LIFE OF PETE TOWNSHEND by Mark Ian Wilkerson (Lulu)

I'm not an avid Who fan. And most of their (best) stuff was written before I was even born. So why can I recite almost every lyric from Who's Next? Why was I the only girl (not to mention toddler) on my block who could spin my arms around windmill-style to the chord thrusts in Baba O'Riley?

Older siblings.

For an entire year my brother, Thomas, would not come down for dinner unless someone yelled up to his room, "Tommy, can you hear me?"

Recently, I finished a commercially-published nonfiction book on Morrissey, the lead singer from 80's British alternapop band The Smiths, so I was ripe for another biography on a rock star. And let me tell you, Wilkerson's book on Pete Townshend blew the other book away.

AMAZING JOURNEY is (hold on to your oats) over 600 pages of detailed, meticulous research, all written so well you'd expect a Da Capo logo on the spine. I can't imagine how long it took Wilkerson to pull together the immense information in this book, but it clearly reminds me why I would not be successful at writing biographies. The book is outstanding, covering the famed musician's entire life, and managing to entertain and surprise you along the way. If Pete Townshend was considering writing an autobiography one day, I'd kindly suggest he forget it. This book is more than enough. Here you'll get all the goods on the man who once wrote, "I hope I die before I get old."

Wilkerson writes a fair and balanced look at the guitarist and songwriter (unlike the worship-fest I suffered through with the Morrissey book). If you are a Who fan or even just a lover of 70's rock, this is a must for your collection. Ignore the price; it's like buying three books at once.

You can get it on Amazon for $34.95 or pick it up ten bucks cheaper directly from Lulu (or download it for under $7.50). I'd call that a bargain. The best I ever had.