The Art of Dying Young

Sid Vicious lived the quintessential punk life - fast, furious, out of control and over far too quickly. Over 30 years after his death, Vicious, perhaps more than any other rock icon, remains a figure of heated debate, a man both loved and loathed, sometimes simultaneously. What is it that continues to fascinate us about this Sex Pistol from South London? In "The Art of Dying Young Mark", Paytress offers fresh insights into the life and legend that was Sid. Though in-depth interviews with many of Sid's contemporaries and close friends as well as extensive research into the London punk era, Paytress paints a stark but humane portrait of a young man at once cursed and blessed, amazing and pathetic. From his early years in art school in Hackney to his last drug-soaked days in New York, readers get the whole Sid story. And it's one you won't soon forget.