Jagger: Rebel, Rock Star, Rambler, Rogue

An examination of Mick Jagger’s spectacular life and the cultural revolution he led as the legendary front man of the Rolling Stones.

As the Rolling Stones celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, their legendary front man remains an enigma; he hasn’t given an in-depth interview in a decade and a half. Drawing on firsthand recollections from rockers, filmmakers, writers, and other artists who have been transformed by Mick Jagger’s work, acclaimed music journalist Marc Spitz  has created  a unique  examination  of the Jagger legacy. Combining biography with cultural history, Jagger unfolds like a captivating documentary, a series of episodes tracing the icon’s rise from his childhood in middle-class postwar London to his status as a jet-setting knight.

Culturally astute, often funny, and painstakingly researched, Jagger offers a far richer potrait than biographies published previously. The book reveals much about his relationships (with Marianne Faithfull and ex-wives Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall); his complex, creative partership with Keith Richards; his friends, including John Lennon and David Bowie; and his enemies, such as Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger. Spitz goes even deeper, exploring Jagger’s many roles: authentic  soul man; powerful social commentator; sexual liberator; would-be movie star; and a shrewd  businessman with an enthusiasm for much younger women. The myth of Mick is examined and rebooted for the twenty-first century.

Marc Spitz is the author of five previous books, including the acclaimed Bowie: A Biography, selected by the New York Post as required reading and by ELLE magazine as a book club pick. Spitz is the music blogger for vanityfair.com and his writing has appeared in Spin, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Maxim. He lives in New York City.