Johnny Marr: Set the Boy Free: Illustrated Anniversary Edition

A fully illustrated, enhanced and reformatted edition of Johnny Marr’s acclaimed autobiography, Set the Boy Free, sumptuously re-imagined with additional archival photography and exclusive updates by Marr himself. A slick redesign integrating the classic text and photographs with expanded imagery from the archives of Angie Marr, this enhanced edition of Johnny Marr’s bestselling autobiography is so much more than the story of the much-loved guitar wizard. It’s the inside track of popular music over the last forty years, laid bare by a musical legend at the heart of it all and never far from the Top 10. A true collector’s item, Johnny Marr: Set the Boy Free also includes a brand-new introduction by Marr and his previously unpublished, highly personal eulogy for Smiths bassist and school friend Andy Rourke. Published to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original edition of Set the Boy Free and the 40th anniversary of the release of The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead – voted the greatest album of all time by NME – this illustrated anniversary edition includes swathes of never-before-published photography from this classic Smiths era, and comes at a time when Marr’s stature as a musician, songwriter and household name confirms his position as a modern cultural icon.

• Publication date: 22 October 2026
• Page count: 368
• Dimensions: Height 254 mm; Width 199 mm; Thickness 36 mm
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9780500030639