The long hard road out of hell

From the world's most controversial rock star comes his shocking, confessional and revealing life story. In The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, Marilyn Manson candidly and vividly recounts his metamorphosis from a frightened Christian schoolboy into the most feared and revered celebrity in America. A cross-dressing grandfather, a sexually abusive neighbor, a brainwashing faith healer and a schoolteacher searching for satanic messages in rock songs are only a few of the characters who populate his bizarre childhood. From backstage to jail cells, from recording studios to emergency rooms, from the pit of despair to the top of the charts, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell chronicles Manson's rise to fame at the price of his humanity and his descent through the circles of Dante's Inferno: Lust, Violence and Treachery. His story is illustrated with dozens of previously unpublished photographs, and it features a behind-the-scenes account of his headline-grabbing Dead to the World Tour -- vilified, banned and protested by politicans, preachers and parents alike. In his 29 years, Manson has experienced more than most people have -- or would want to -- in a lifetime.