What made Bowie special? What were the reasons that elevated him to a cultural icon? And why did millions of people around the world resonate with this unique vibration and find exactly what they were looking for?

These are the questions Simon Critchley poses in this insightful, moving, and multifaceted retrospective on Bowie. Each of the two dozen chapters, though seemingly brief, examines Bowie from a new angle, slowly unveiling the enigma of his artistic life and celebrating what made him unique. From his early childhood encounters with the unusual musical and sexual aspects of Ziggy Stardust to the bright glow of Blackstar, Critchley reveals the evolution of Bowie's music and lyrics, telling the story of how he touched the zeitgeist—and our hearts.

Growing up in a working-class suburban area of England as a young man, Critchley was deeply influenced by this creature from another planet, "so sexual, so knowledgeable, so strange." Now, as an esteemed philosopher described by Jonathan Lethem as "an astonishingly intelligent figure," Critchley draws from a plethora of cultural and philosophical references, as well as his personal reaction to the music, to sketch a necessary portrait of Bowie as a songwriter, poet, artist, and iconic figure.

Pages: 192, Dimensions: 11x11cm