Race of Angels: The Genesis of U2

by John Waters

U2's place in rock culture is already secure, but still the world celebrates them as an "Irish band." In this book, Irish journalist and friend of U2, John Waters, attempts to pinpoint the Irish cultural genius from which U2 emerged. Piecing together fragments of a hidden ancestry, he articulates the band's unique magic which has captivated a generation. Is the band's "Irishness" the secret of its appeal? This book is a search of the essence of one of the greatest rock'n'roll bands of the past decade.

Genres: Music, Biography

306 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 1994

About the author

John Waters was born in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, in 1955. He held a range of jobs after leaving school, including railway clerk, showband roadie, pirate radio manager, petrol pump attendant and mailcar driver.


He began part-time work as a a journalist in 1981, with Hot Press, Ireland’s leading rock ‘n’ roll magazine and went full-time in 1984, when he moved to Dublin. As a journalist, magazine editor and columnist, he has specialised in raising unpopular issues of public importance, including the repression of Famine memories and the denial of rights to fathers.

Reviews

[The Reading Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

How Ireland -or the lack of Irish culture- produced the nr 1 rock band in the world for the last 40 years. Pundit opinion, too much of Irish history (which is informative) not enough about U2's.

[Jesper Sorensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

not the greatest u2 book ever, but still very informative