Bono, the lead singer of U2, is set to release a memoir titled Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story this November. The book, named after a song on U2's 1983 album War, will consist of 40 chapters, each named after one of the band's hits, and will include original drawings by the musician.
In the memoir, Bono—whose real name is Paul Hewson—chronicles his childhood in Dublin, including the death of his mother when he was 14, his rise to fame with U2, and his activism against HIV/AIDS and poverty. He said in a statement: '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.'
Bono met his bandmates the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton at school in Dublin. He wrote U2's first single on his 18th birthday, and their debut album Boy was released two years later. They achieved their first UK number one album with War in 1983, and their fifth album The Joshua Tree (1987) brought them worldwide prominence.
U2 is one of the most successful bands in history, with more than 157 million albums sold and 22 Grammy Awards. The memoir, published by Alfred A. Knopf on November 1, will also be narrated by Bono in its audio version.
