From the premiere Beatles biographer—author of the New York Times bestseller John Lennon: The Life and the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation—a rare and revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most misunderstood and mysterious Beatle, based on decades-long research and unparalleled access to inside sources.

Sometimes referred to as the “Quiet Beatle,” George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority, despite being considered one of the best guitarists of his era. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album despite writing dozens of tunes. Yet modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page.

Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. While with the Beatles, George was considered a minor talent as compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney, yet Harrison composed such masterpieces as “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Here Comes the Sun,”—and his solo debut album “All Things Must Pass,” achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious (Monty Python’s The Life of Brian). Harrison could be fiercely jealous, yet he not only stayed friends with the man who fell in love with his wife, Eric Clapton, but, after Clapton walked away with her, grew even closer to him.

Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous color photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: the devoted friend, the loyal son, the master guitar-player, the brilliant songwriter, the cocaine addict, the serial philanderer, the global philanthropist, the student of Indian mysticism, the self-deprecating comedian, and, ultimately, the iconic artist and man beloved by millions.