In 1975 a pop loving beach boy made his last-gasp shot at stardom - an album called BORN TO RUN! The rest, as they say, is history.

At a time when other ageing rock stars have yielded to burn-out or self-parody, Bruce Springsteen has held his place as a cultural icon. His earth-shattering albums like BORN IN THE USA (which spent 136 weeks in the British charts) still enjoy raucous airplay. Meanwhile, Springsteen has carved out a second career as a social critic, balladeer and purveyor of soundtracks. His work, which has been covered by artists from Frank Sinatra to Sonic Youth, sells a total of 15 million albums annually. His concerts are instant sell-outs the world over. Springsteen's distinctive tearaway anthems and foghorn voice are among pop's most enduring sounds. From cult figure to pin-up (aka 'The Boss') to mega-selling guru, Springsteen is the last true rock star. Christopher Sandford's is the first full-length biography in ten years.