The leader of legendary rock band U2, Irishman Bono, released his memoir (“Surrender”) on Tuesday, retracing his exceptional journey from his youth in Dublin to becoming one of the most renowned musicians and philanthropists on the planet.
The book is built around 40 songs by his group U2 and sprinkled with 40 artist drawings.
Real name Paul David Hewson, Bono is not only an accomplished songwriter, singer, guitarist and artist: he is also a businessman and philanthropist with a long history of commitment to great humanitarian and political causes, from peace in the world to the fight against poverty and epidemics such as AIDS.
An extraordinary journey
In his 500-page memoir, 62-year-old Bono traces his extraordinary journey, which begins with the tragedy of his mother's sudden death when he was 14, to his own heart surgery in 2016. He discusses also questions related to the difficulties of writing and the "
pseudo-religious status of the rock star
".
"
The music of U2 has never really been rock and roll
", writes the musician in his book, but "
in its contemporary envelope, it is opera, great music and strong emotions released in a everyday pop music
.
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Bono is supporting the promotion of his book with a literary tour entitled "Stories of Surrender" in New York this week and then in Chicago, London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Dublin.
“
Defeat is a loaded word for me.
Growing up in Ireland with raised fists (musically speaking), defeat was not an obvious concept.
And I still struggle with that (…) in my group, my marriage, my faith and in my militant life
, ”writes the artist and figure in global humanitarian causes.
Promoter of peace in Northern Ireland at the end of the 1990s, the author of the legendary titles "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Desire" and "With or without you" also praised last May the fight of the Ukraine for "freedom" in the war with Russia, during a concert in a kyiv metro station.