Barry Miles has thoroughly updated and revised his authorative and immensely readable account of the life of one of the twentieth-century's most extraordinary poets. Drawing on his long friendship and literary association with Ginsberg, as well as on the poet's journals and correspondence, Barry Miles presents a compelling account of a controversial life. Miles also offers a sensitive and illuminating critical appreciation of Ginsberg's poetry, ultimately painting an exhaustive and intimate portrait of this colourful man, whose experiences reflect the developments and changes in larger society.