The Rolling Stones

The kind of fame and success The Rolling Stones have achieved in their 60-plus year career is without parallel; their most famous riffs and catchiest lyrics are indelibly engraved in our collective memory. With their mesmerizing on- and off-stage presence, the Stones set the standard for how a rock band should sound, pose, pout, and behave. They were the first to instinctively understand that what you looked like was as important as the music, and that photography had a vital role in promoting that image. “The clothes and the hair are always impeccable,” describes author Lucy Sante. “They were playing themselves, but with such consistent finesse you knew they were instinctively aware of the camera and how good they will look in the photos.” Unsurprisingly many of the greatest photographers in the history of the medium wanted to take their picture. Produced in close collaboration with the band, this edition charts the Stones’ remarkable history and outrageously cool lifestyle in over 500 pages of photographs and illustrations, gathered from archives all over the world. Unprecedented access to the Rolling Stones’ own archives in New York and London adds an equally extraordinary, more private side to their story. For Mick, Keith, Charlie, and Ronnie this is and was their official photographic record. Features:Over 500 pages of incredible images from some of the world’s greatest photographers, including David Bailey, Annie Leibovitz, Cecil Beaton, Anton Corbijn, Herb Ritts, Albert Watson, Andy Warhol, David LaChapelle, Peter Beard, Helmut Newton, Bent Rej, Gered Mankowitz, and Norman Parkinson.Essays from award-winning writers David Dalton, Waldemar Januszczak, and Lucy Sante.Appendix including a Stones timeline and a discography.

Allerede i 1960’erne blev The Rolling Stones kaldt verdens største rockband. Efter knap 65 år står de stadig som en lysende stjerne på musikkens himmel. Digteren Jan Thielke stævner ud på en odyssé fra album til album i den rækkefølge, han hørte dem, og tegner et dedikeret, originalt og medrivende portræt af den legendariske rockgruppe, der tog afsæt i sort amerikansk rhythm and blues . Han fortæller historierne – de lyse med gruppens rakethurtige succes og enestående overlevelsesevne på toppen, men også de mørke med sex- og stofexcesser, med interne krige, med kaos og tragisk død og om de dyre lærepenge i en kynisk branche. Jan Thielke (f. 1 963) debuterede som digter i 1994. Siden fulgte bl.a. FADERSKABSDIGTE (2008) og senest SAMLEDE DIGTE (2023). I 2014 udkom romanen ESPEGARE. Han har bl.a. været kritiker på Weekendavisen, redaktør af Samlerens Bogklub og blev i 2011 tildelt Statens Kunstfonds tre-årige stipendium.

A GROUNDBREAKING RECKONING WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CLASSIC HISTORIES OF THE BEATLES AND LED ZEPPELIN. AN OBSERVER BEST BIOGRAPHY OF 2026 A NEW YORK TIMES MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 'Epic' THE TIMES ' Electrifying' OBSERVER 'The definitive (and debauched) history of the band' TELEGRAPH ‘Colourful and authoritative … both forensic and poetic' NEW YORK TIMES ‘Magisterial... For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’ LOS ANGELES TIMES ‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again' WALL STREET JOURNAL ‘A treasure trove for Stones fans�� KIRKUS (starred review) ‘Terrific . . . A work of music history to savor’ BOOKLIST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN … THE ROLLING STONES What left is there to say about the Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out . . . You think you know the story? Think again. Shorn of dulling layers of myth and received wisdom, an irresistible, clear-eyed portrait emerges of a band who, after sixty years, continue to break new ground and command our attention. And at the heart of it all is the remarkable, unique, fractious, codependent, alchemical bond between Mick and Keith, the Glimmer Twins. There’s been debauchery, decadence and death along the way. Not everyone survived the journey, but the band was always greater than the sum of its parts, laying down a trail of classic albums and landmark live performances in its wake. Drawing on decades of music industry experience and five years of dedicated research, critically acclaimed biographer Bob Spitz brings a fresh eye to the epic story of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. In 2026 they remain in a league of their own. The Rolling Stones shows why. ‘Colourful and authoritative … fond, voluble and diligent to a fault … Spitz is both forensic and poetic … celebratory and bittersweet’ NEW YORK TIMES ‘A magisterial work … he excels at presenting the Stones in glorious technicolour. . . Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’ LOS ANGELES TIMES ‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again” WALL STREET JOURNAL ‘A terrific biography . . . A must for every fan of the Stones and rock and roll, a work of music history to savor’ BOOKLIST PRAISE FOR BOB SPITZ ‘A treasure trove for Stones fans’ Kirkus ‘Riveting ... startlingly well-reported and consistently engaging’ Boston Globe ‘Irresistible … a captivating picture that hasn't been seen before’ New York Times ‘Spitz researches like a historian and writes like a novelist’ Christian Science Monitor ‘No other book captures it so well, understands so well...’ Greil Marcus ‘Spitz delivers inside details and analysis with his well-known gift for storytelling’ People ‘No biographer has dug as deeply or with such verve. . . Energetic and engaging’ Washington Post

The kind of fame and success The Rolling Stones have achieved in their 60-plus year career is without parallel; their most famous riffs and catchiest lyrics are indelibly engraved in our collective memory. With their mesmerizing on- and off-stage presence, the Stones set the standard for how a rock band should sound, pose, pout, and behave. They were the first to instinctively understand that what you looked like was as important as the music, and that photography had a vital role in promoting that image. “The clothes and the hair are always impeccable,” describes author Lucy Sante. “They were playing themselves, but with such consistent finesse you knew they were instinctively aware of the camera and how good they will look in the photos.” Unsurprisingly many of the greatest photographers in the history of the medium wanted to take their picture. Produced in close collaboration with the band, this edition charts the Stones’ remarkable history and outrageously cool lifestyle in over 500 pages of photographs and illustrations, gathered from archives all over the world. Unprecedented access to the Rolling Stones’ own archives in New York and London adds an equally extraordinary, more private side to their story. For Mick, Keith, Charlie, and Ronnie this is and was their official photographic record. Features:Over 500 pages of incredible images from some of the world’s greatest photographers, including David Bailey, Annie Leibovitz, Cecil Beaton, Anton Corbijn, Herb Ritts, Albert Watson, Andy Warhol, David LaChapelle, Peter Beard, Helmut Newton, Bent Rej, Gered Mankowitz, and Norman Parkinson.Essays from award-winning writers David Dalton, Waldemar Januszczak, and Lucy Sante.Appendix including a Stones timeline and a discography.

A GROUNDBREAKING RECKONING WITH THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CLASSIC HISTORIES OF THE BEATLES AND LED ZEPPELIN. AN OBSERVER BEST BIOGRAPHY OF 2026 A NEW YORK TIMES MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 'Epic' THE TIMES ' Electrifying' OBSERVER 'The definitive (and debauched) history of the band' TELEGRAPH ‘Colourful and authoritative … both forensic and poetic' NEW YORK TIMES ‘Magisterial... For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’ LOS ANGELES TIMES ‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again' WALL STREET JOURNAL ‘A treasure trove for Stones fans’ KIRKUS (starred review) ‘Terrific . . . A work of music history to savor’ BOOKLIST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN … THE ROLLING STONES What left is there to say about the Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out . . . You think you know the story? Think again. Shorn of dulling layers of myth and received wisdom, an irresistible, clear-eyed portrait emerges of a band who, after sixty years, continue to break new ground and command our attention. And at the heart of it all is the remarkable, unique, fractious, codependent, alchemical bond between Mick and Keith, the Glimmer Twins. There’s been debauchery, decadence and death along the way. Not everyone survived the journey, but the band was always greater than the sum of its parts, laying down a trail of classic albums and landmark live performances in its wake. Drawing on decades of music industry experience and five years of dedicated research, critically acclaimed biographer Bob Spitz brings a fresh eye to the epic story of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. In 2026 they remain in a league of their own. The Rolling Stones shows why. ‘Colourful and authoritative … fond, voluble and diligent to a fault … Spitz is both forensic and poetic … celebratory and bittersweet’ NEW YORK TIMES ‘A magisterial work … he excels at presenting the Stones in glorious technicolour. . . Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable’ LOS ANGELES TIMES ‘You won’t look at the Stones the same way again” WALL STREET JOURNAL ‘A terrific biography . . . A must for every fan of the Stones and rock and roll, a work of music history to savor’ BOOKLIST PRAISE FOR BOB SPITZ ‘A treasure trove for Stones fans’ Kirkus ‘Riveting ... startlingly well-reported and consistently engaging’ Boston Globe ‘Irresistible … a captivating picture that hasn't been seen before’ New York Times ‘Spitz researches like a historian and writes like a novelist’ Christian Science Monitor ‘No other book captures it so well, understands so well...’ Greil Marcus ‘Spitz delivers inside details and analysis with his well-known gift for storytelling’ People ‘No biographer has dug as deeply or with such verve. . . Energetic and engaging’ Washington Post

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by The New York Times From the award-winning, bestselling author of classic histories of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, a groundbreaking reckoning with the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band All great music is a threat. What left is there to say about The Rolling Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out. Bob Spitz has brought his indefatigable energy and five decades of experiences in the fields and hollows of rock 'n' roll to bear on his five-year journey to reexamine one of popular music's greatest stories. There are myriad revisions to the conventional narrative which underscore just how in control of that narrative the band has been up to now--small example: no, Muddy Waters was not mopping the floors at Chess Records when the Stones showed up. But in a larger sense, as with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Spitz's greatest gift is for the big picture. He knows where the magic is, and why it is. He is as clear-eyed a connoisseur of the show business, the spectacle and the collateral damage of this whirlwind as anyone alive, and that lucid gaze pierces a lot of incrusted bullshit, but the ultimate goal is to connect with a creative force whose power shows no signs of fading, over sixty years on. At its heart the story is about two boys, Mick and Keith, and their unique, fraught, alchemical bond, often tested, never sundered. The Glimmer Twins. The bandmates, like Charlie Watts, who found their groove in relation to this double star made the trip intact, while those who struggled, like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, were chewed up and spit out. This is a story with many dark corners, including a surprising number of deaths. But whether Jagger and Richards sold their souls to the devil is at the crossroads for blues greatness or just squeezed their heroes for every drop of inspiration, in the end their connection to their music and to each other put them in a category of one, where they very much remain.

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by The New York Times From the award-winning, bestselling author of classic histories of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, a groundbreaking reckoning with the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band All great music is a threat. What left is there to say about The Rolling Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out. Bob Spitz has brought his indefatigable energy and five decades of experiences in the fields and hollows of rock 'n' roll to bear on his five-year journey to reexamine one of popular music's greatest stories. There are myriad revisions to the conventional narrative which underscore just how in control of that narrative the band has been up to now--small example: no, Muddy Waters was not mopping the floors at Chess Records when the Stones showed up. But in a larger sense, as with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Spitz's greatest gift is for the big picture. He knows where the magic is, and why it is. He is as clear-eyed a connoisseur of the show business, the spectacle and the collateral damage of this whirlwind as anyone alive, and that lucid gaze pierces a lot of incrusted bullshit, but the ultimate goal is to connect with a creative force whose power shows no signs of fading, over sixty years on. At its heart the story is about two boys, Mick and Keith, and their unique, fraught, alchemical bond, often tested, never sundered. The Glimmer Twins. The bandmates, like Charlie Watts, who found their groove in relation to this double star made the trip intact, while those who struggled, like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, were chewed up and spit out. This is a story with many dark corners, including a surprising number of deaths. But whether Jagger and Richards sold their souls to the devil is at the crossroads for blues greatness or just squeezed their heroes for every drop of inspiration, in the end their connection to their music and to each other put them in a category of one, where they very much remain.