Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson

Now the subject of the movie Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack! Brian Wilson was the visionary behind America's most successful and influential rock band. And as the leader of the Beach Boys, he sold 100 million records, produced Pet Sounds, and built a catalog of songs that continues to define the sound and feel of American popular music. He also became one of the culture's most mysterious and tragic figures. But after spending years lost in a wilderness of despair, Wilson has fought his way back to productivity. And now with teh release of Smile - the masterwork that nearly undid him - he has returned to music's center stage.

Now Peter Ames Carlin, who conducted in-depth, exclusive interviews with dozens of sources and listened to hundreds of hours of unreleased studio recordings and live music, tells a uniquely American story of the band, the music, and the culture the Beach Boys both sang about and helped create. Carlin brings a fan's passion, a seasoned journalist's objectivity, and a cultural critic's insight to his subject, and the result is a magesterial and authoritative account of the Beach Boys' visionary figure, who has emerged into a new era of creativity.

PETER AMES CARLIN is also the author of the 2012 biography of Bruce Springsteen, Bruce and Paul McCartney: A Life. His latest book, Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon, will be published on October 11, 2016.  Previously he was a senior writer for People in New York and the TV columnist for The Oregonian newspaper in Portland. He lives in Portland, Or. with his wife and family.