U2's album Achtung Baby was in the bestseller charts for 44 weeks and Zooropa went platinum within weeks of being released. From their first album Boy in 1980 to Zooropa in 1993, U2 have gone through the gamut of changes that have run from the personal to the political. They have documented their lives, loves and fears on a wide ranging series of albums and by using various musical styles. They have been criticized as well as revered, with lead singer Bono particularly lambasted for his outspokenness. This biography looks at U2 and their creative output, tracing prevailing conditions which shaped their music at each stage and analyzing some of the inherent contradictions and frictions which motivate their songwriting. It also features interview material with those who worked closely with the band.