The Thin Lizzy story is one of myths, legends, romance, rock riffs and some of the greatest music to blast over the airwaves in the Seventies and Eighties. More than anything, the band famed for hits 'Whiskey in the Jar', 'The Boys are Back in Town' and 'Waiting for an Alibi' is remembered for exhilarating live performances – the twin guitars, the explosive drumming, the dry ice, the police sirens and the flash bombs, all orchestrated by iconic lead singer and bass guitarist, Phil Lynott. This affectionate oral history uses hundreds of previously unpublished eyewitness accounts to take the reader on a journey through Lizzy's career, from Phil's Dublin childhood to Lizzy's early success, the trans-Atlantic breakthrough with the album Jailbreak and the chasing of fame in America, and on to the rows, the walk outs and the band's break up. It captures the line-up changes that saw Lizzy get through five guitarists – Eric Bell, Brian Robertson, Gary Moore, Snowy White and John Sykes – and ends with the disappointment of failing to break America, the impact of drugs on the band, Phil's ill-fated attempt to continue his career post-Lizzy and, ultimately, the sad loss of one of the most charismatic front men in music history.

Richard Houghton is the author of over 20 books about music, specialising in people's histories that tell the story of an act in the words of fans. He has compiled authorised 'fanthologies' on Jethro Tull, Simple Minds, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Stranglers, Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays), Fairport Convention, The Wedding Present and The Ukrainians. He lives in Manchester, UK.