Waging Heavy Peace

More about the book

For the first time, legendary singer, songwriter, and guitarist Neil Young offers a kaleidoscopic view of his personal life and musical creativity. He reflects on his childhood in Ontario, where his father instilled a love for the written word, and his early brush with mortality after contracting polio at five. Young shares his struggles to pay rent while with the Squires, his travels across the Canadian prairies in a 1948 Buick hearse, and a memorable performance in a remote town with a polar bear beneath the floorboards. In 1966, he left Canada to pursue music in Los Angeles, where he quickly joined Buffalo Springfield, experiencing their rapid rise and eventual breakup. He discusses going solo, overcoming his fear of singing alone, and forming Crazy Horse, during which he wrote iconic songs like “Cinnamon Girl” while sick with the flu. His collaboration with Crosby, Stills & Nash led to the landmark album *Déjà vu* and the song “Ohio.” Young also reflects on life at his secluded Northern California ranch, his love for his wife Pegi, the birth of their three children, and finding peace in Hawaii. Candid and witty, this narrative captures Young’s journey as only he can tell it.