The Clash was more than a typical rock band, and this comprehensive history of the group is more than a typical rock bio. Formed in London in 1976, the Clash contributed to the punk, post-punk, and new wave movements, which included pioneering the music’s radical politics. Andersen, co-author of the classic Dance of Days, and Heibutzki, author of Unfinished Business, draw on interviews with virtually all the key players throughout the group’s existence. They chronicle the iconic albums — London Calling, Combat Rock--that eventually earned the Clash the number 28 spot on Rolling Stone’s top 100 greatest artists of all time, trace the group’s changing personnel, and follow the members’ response to events of the Reagan/Thatcher years, including the nuclear arms race, the British miners’ strike, and U.S. interference in Latin America.