Book excerpt: In the short time they existed, The Libertines accomplished the impossible: they kick-started the new British music renaissance. They erased the barrier with fans, they inspired thousands, they gave away entire albums of material free on the internet. Yet on the whole the media failed to grasp what the band really stood for, preferring live-fast-die-young-cliches and headlines screaming for Kate Moss to abandon 'Junkie Pete' Doherty. Award-winning journalist Anthony Thornton and celebrated photographer Roger Sargent witnessed the whole messy story of The Libertines, and have remained on good terms with the two battling creative geniuses of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. THE LIBERTINES: BOUND TOGETHER documents their extraordinary highs and lows, and the fallout from the breakup. Anthony Thornton is the only journalist to have interviewed the band at every critical stage, and witnessed every major gig. Roger Sargent was their photographer of choice; responsible for the iconic second album photograph and artwork. This is the definitive representation of the band in words and pictures - a unique, beautifully produced record of the most important British band of this generation.