Bono—artist, activist, and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2—has written a memoir: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, Surrender is the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, the challenges he’s faced, and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him.
“When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress . . . With a fair amount of fun along the way.”—Bono
As one of the music world’s most iconic artists and the cofounder of the organizations ONE and (RED), Bono’s career has been written about extensively. But in Surrender, it’s Bono who picks up the pen, writing for the first time about his remarkable life and those he has shared it with.
In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2’s unlikely journey to become one of the world’s most influential rock bands, to his more than twenty years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection, and humor, Bono opens the aperture on his life—and the family, friends, and faith that have sustained, challenged, and shaped him.
Surrender’s subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story, is a nod to the book’s forty chapters, which are each named after a U2 song
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"Surrender is an emotional and reflective journey into Bono's life, his struggles and the people who have inspired him. The audiobook, written and narrated by Bono himself, is a captivating experience that envelops the listener in his one-of-a-kind narrative. His candid reflections on personal loss and triumph are poignantly described with deep emotion. As he weaves tales of his adventures with U2 and as an activist, it feels almost as if we are with him every step of the way. The book also features inspiring stories from family members and friends – some of whom have been known to us for years while others remain unknown until now. With its stirring music accompaniment that adds further depth to the narration, this audio journey delivers a truly remarkable performance by one of the world's most beloved musicians."
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L2B (5 out of 5 stars)