Book Finds
 

I'm intrested in finding a book about the Beat Generation. I'm not looking for a poetry anthology, or something on a specific writer. I'm looking for a great book about that era and the major people involved in it, (Burroughs, Ginsburg, Kerouac, etc.) I've made searches on Amazon and in the bookstore, I know there is a lot of stuff out there but most of it seems to be anthology stuff, or things on specific writers instead of a book that encompasses the whole scene and those involved. Any reccomendations? It would be greatly appreciated.

I don't have any recommendations. But at my local secondhand bookstore that I frequent, they have a bunch of beat stuff and stuff that is classified by many as beat stuff. Not many are interested in that stuff. He only has it all up stairs and lets me up to look at them all, I purchased Naked Lunch by Burroughs the other day, but still have alot of other stuff to read at the moment. Lots of Kerouac (I have a bunch of his stuff and will get more), Ginsberg, Burroughs, Bukowski (I love Bukowski. I don't consider him apart of the beat generation but some do) and others. If only for all the money in the world... awwwww.

Edited: Oh, I forgot what I was on about. They have a bunch of books on just the actual beat movement. This is no help to you though as I don't know any titles. I go more for the writers, so I generally ignore the books on the actual movement.

Thanks Kegmama for those reccomendations, the first one you linked sounds really great, unfornately I didn't see that in my own search and have already made an order for another book.
Amazon.com: Naked Angels: The Lives and Literature of the Beat Generation: Books: John Tytell

Oh well, too bad I didn't come across "Birth..." sooner, I might have gone with that one.