Your selected currency is
Your selected currency is
The Who’s first and only authorised book returns for the band’s 60th anniversary.
First published in 2002, Maximum Who remains the only fully authorised book on The Who created with the band’s participation. Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle all contributed – sadly, it would be John’s final major project before his passing. The book became both a cultural milestone and a tribute to the two legendary members no longer with us.
'Individually we were fucking good musicians. And we did play in a completely different way because there are only two guitars. Pete had to do two jobs and I had to do two jobs. And Keith did several jobs, or played several drum kits at once. So it followed through that we were not going to be like anyone else.' – John Entwistle
Now, for the 60th anniversary of My Generation, the final 200 copies are released as Maximum Who 60. Each features a new cover, exclusive slipcase, and a foreword signed by producer Glyn Johns, who was there at the original My Generation session.
‘I first met The Who when they were called ‘The High Numbers’. They were, like my lot, a cover band. By the time 1965 came around, I had established myself as a freelance engineer, my main client being the American producer Shel Talmy. You can imagine my surprise when he turned up for a session with ‘The Who’ to cut ‘My Generation’.’ – Glyn Johns
Unseen photographs chart The Who’s rise from Shepherd’s Bush clubs to international stages.
From the Goldhawk Club and Ready Steady Go!, to the Richmond Jazz Festival and early U.S. appearances, Maximum Who 60 brings together rare and intimate images – band members at home, on the road, and in Chelsea’s Mod shops.
‘They were just really exciting times, with the Mod thing coming up. Most of my time was spent being the singer and the placater of many fights that were going to happen in the audience!’ – Roger Daltrey
Curated by Ross Halfin – who went from teenage fan to The Who’s trusted photographer – Maximum Who 60 showcases images by Dominique Tarlé, Tony Gale, Colin Jones, Chris Morphet, David Wedgbury and Baron Wolman. Together, their lenses captured the raw energy and restless spirit that made The Who unlike any other band of their time.
The band’s own words tell the story of their explosive Sixties breakthrough.
Roger, Pete and John recall the early chaos and creativity of The Who – from Keith Moon’s arrival in 1964 to the triumph of Tommy. Their voices are candid, personal and unforgettable.
‘Tommy was huge. It made Roger into a proper frontman. He was magnificent on stage from this time forwards. From here on, he was a real part of things, and more than that.’ – Pete Townshend
The photographers also contribute their recollections, adding context and behind-the-lens detail to the images they captured. Their perspective is expanded upon by surrounding figures from The Who’s world – producer and engineer Glyn Johns, long-time sound engineer Bob Pridden, and Pop artist Sir Peter Blake – painting a vivid picture of a band, and a cultural movement, that changed rock forever.
'I have fantastic memories of The Who, Pete leaping higher into the air than seemed possible, Roger throwing his microphone out of sight into the darkness above the stage, and then catching it. John impassive and, of course, the one and only Keith Moon. The Who sang "Hope we die before we get old", they didn't, and I can't wait to see them again.' – Peter Blake
Only 200 anniversary copies. Each in a new anniversary binding and signed by Glyn Johns.
Only 1,500 numbered copies of Maximum Who will ever exist. To mark 60 years since My Generation, Genesis presents the final 200 in a specially created anniversary design, complete with an all-new quarter-leather binding and housed in a handcrafted slipcase with the band's screen-printed logo.
Each copy includes a new foreword by legendary producer and engineer Glyn Johns, and is individually signed by Johns and curator Ross Halfin.
'Nothing quite compares with having my hair parted by hearing the first rundown of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’… it was an explosion of innovative musical talent from each member of the band.' – Glyn Johns
Present at the My Generation cutting session and later behind Who’s Next and Quadrophenia, Johns’ legacy runs through The Who’s greatest work. His new foreword connects this anniversary edition directly to the sound and spirit of the band at their peak.
'When you've got money and you do the kind of things I get up to, people laugh and say that you're eccentric... which is a polite way of saying you're fuckin' mad.' – Keith Moon
Select from the following copies:
An official signed, limited edition book of The Who in the Sixties, published with the participation of Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Pete Townshend, and compiled by Ross Halfin.
Since 1974 Genesis has created signed limited edition books on behalf of authors and artists ranging from the Beatles to Buckingham Palace.
Genesis news and special offers direct to your inbox.
For enquiries, please call
+44 (0)1483 540970
Genesis House, 2 Jenner Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3PL, England
