Beginning in New York in 1944 James Campbell finds the leading members of what was to become the Beat Generation in the shadows of madness and criminality. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs had all seen the inside of mental hospitals and prisons by the age of 30. A few months after they met, another member of their circle committed a murder which involved Kerouac and Burroughs as material witnesses.This books charts the transformaton of these experiences into literature and a literary movement that spread across the globe.A hugely entertaining history. Racy, perceptive and beautifully written, it is an indispensable addition to the library of books already written about the Beat Generation protagonists, and the perfect starting point for anyone who has ever wondered what all the fuss was about.