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U2: Under an Atomic Sky is the first unauthorised biography of U2 to document and analyse their 30-year career objectively, going beyond the myth to present the most accurate portrayal of the Irish rock band to date.
Featuring previously unpublished photographs and interviews with people associated with the band, the book offers new information on their pre-contract days in Dublin when they begged and borrowed every last penny just to be heard, played to half-empty clubs, having been rejected by every major record label, and clashed with rival gangs in a hotbed of religious intolerance. It takes us deep inside their lives, exploring their intimate relationships, motivations and complex spiritual beliefs, including their early involvement in an evangelical Christian group as Bono looked to fill the God-shaped hole left by the death of his mother when he was only 14 years old and the ongoing conflict between their Christian values and worldly temptations. It also traces their evolution as musicians from post-punk champions to political crusaders, avant-gardists to stadium rockers, and finally post-modernists to rock veterans arguably compromising their artistic vision and integrity for the sake of mass popularity.
The book also examines their humanitarian work, particularly Bono’s role as key spokesman and lobbyist for the poor and AIDS-stricken in Africa. A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, the lead singer has crossed to the other side of the police barricades to become a major player respected by corporate chieftains, world leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike. At the White House his ability to bend powerful political ears has caused him to become known affectionately as ‘The Pest’.
In doing so, Bono has altered the political power of celebrity. However, his work has also come under fire from both sides of the picket fence. Certain quarters of the media have branded him a political puppet, liberals have heavily criticised his association with power-hungry capitalists looking to sculpt the world in their own corporate vision, and his fellow campaigners have accused him of lending legitimacy to the G8’s role in Africa rather than challenging it. Drawing on exclusive interviews with activists and political commentators, U2: Under an Atomic Sky sheds new light on Bono’s journey into the shady world of politics in which the line between charity and personal gain often becomes blurred.
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