In this revealing autobiography, which also served as his farewell work, J.G. Ballard charts the course of his remarkable life, beginning with the events that inspired his classic novel Empire of the Sun. Miracles of Life takes us from pre-war Shanghai to the deprivations and unexpected freedoms of the Japanese internment camp where Ballard was imprisoned during World War II, and from there to post-war Britain.

The author recalls his early writing attempts and his involvement in the social and artistic revolutions of the 1960s. He describes his interactions with some of the greatest contemporary artists, as well as family life in Shepperton, southeast England, where he raised his three children alone after the untimely death of his wife.

An enthralling account of the experiences that shaped the work of this extraordinary writer, infused with the rare wisdom of those who are reconciled with life.