Behind the fame, fortune and larger-than-life personalities lies a world of excess, scandal and bad behaviour. First published by Perigee Books in 1982, Gary Herman's Rock 'n' Roll Babylon pulls apart the mythology of stardom, exposing the darker realities behind the music.

This first edition traces the rise of the industry from its rebellious beginnings through to the early 1980s, looking into the backstage antics, outrageous behaviour, public scandals and personal tragedies that made its biggest stars as notorious as the music they created. From the pleasures of fame and fortune to the pressures of mass adoration, Herman examines the physical and psychological toll of celebrity and the contradictions of an industry that both celebrated and condemned its biggest stars.

Packed with revealing photographs and sharp humour, Rock 'n' Roll Babylon captures the highs, lows and outright absurdities of an era when the line between celebrity, controversy and chaos was increasingly difficult to distinguish.