He was there when Dylan went electric, when a generation danced naked at Woodstock, and when Ken Kesey started experimenting with acid. Jerry Garcia was one of the most gifted musicians of all time, and he was a member of one of the most worshiped rock 'n' roll bands in history. Now, Blair Jackson, who covered the Grateful Dead for twenty-five years, gives us an unparalleled portrait of Garcia--the musical genius, the brilliant songwriter, and ultimately, the tortured soul plagued by his own addiction. With more than forty photographs, many of them previously unpublished, Garcia: An American Life is the ultimate tribute to the man who, Bob Dylan said, "had no equal."

"A definitive portrait of the psychedelic bandleader."--San Francisco Chronicle

"A heartfelt biography . . . What remains constant throughout the book . . . is Jackson's ability to elucidate Garcia and the Dead's already overanalyzed musical style with an extraordinary freshness."--The Boston Globe

"A wonderfully balanced, insightful life story of one of rock's most enigmatic heroes."--Robert Santelli, The Cleveland Plain Dealer