Here is Jim Morrison in all his complexity-singer, philosopher, poet, delinquent-the brilliant, charismatic, and obsessed seeker who rejected authority in any form, the explorer who probed "the bounds of reality to see what would happen..." Seven years in the writing, this definitive biography is the work of two men whose empathy and experience with Jim Morrison uniquely prepared them to recount this modern tragedy: Jerry Hopkins, whose famous Presley biography, Elvis, was inspired by Morrison's suggestion, and Danny Sugerman, confidant of and aide to the Doors. With an afterword by Michael McClure.

This title traces the story of Jim Morrison's tragic and triumphant life to his sudden and mysterious death in Paris on 3rd July, 1971. Today, nearly 40 years later he remains the major rock'n'roll cult hero of the 1960's.

Jim Morrison was more than just the lead singer of the Doors. He was a controversial figure who emerged during the 1960s, and his enigmatic style and influence have grown steadily since his death in 1971. Known as a poet, mystic, and shaman, the "Lizard King" performed rock concerts like rituals and took the worship of Dionysus seriously, carrying the torch of Pagan ideals all the way to death. Because of his bizarre cult status, the real man has gradually disappeared behind the myth. In The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison, Morrison's biographer Jerry Hopkins reassesses Morrison's life and offers profound insights about Jim as a man, rather than the rock star he became. Through a series of interviews with rock journalists Ben Fong-Torres, John Tobler, Bob Chorush, Salli Stevenson, and others, readers will learn about an articulate, intelligent, and witty man who consciously created his own myth, then lived to regret it. Published uncut, these interviews bring sharply into focus the broken dreams and unreachable ideals of this legendary artist. Includes 80 black-and-white photos.