Madcap: The Half-Life of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's Lost Genius

I'll admit I was a little dismayed at the length of the book, but if you own this, you probably also own Lost In The Woods, Crazy Diamond, Random Precision... you get the idea. I don't need stories to be told to me, or scenes to be set - we all know the story - Willis' main achievement here is to separate fact from fiction and present Syd's story in a straightforward way, skipping the myths and presenting actual information, which is welcome. I enjoyed some of the other Syd books available, but they all had some inaccuracies that are set straight here, as well as a lot of new perspectives from people who were there and haven't spoken on record about Syd. Willis does a fine job, and to me, this is the final word on Syd. If you want flowery, mythological tales about Syd, don't buy Madcap... there are several other books available that perpetrate the Syd myth. If you want a clear account of his life from those who knew him best, it starts and ends with Madcap.

this is the best book on syd that i've read.tim willis did a good job of interviewing the people close to syd,including his younger sister rose. it gives good insight on how syd lived in his younger days and what led to his leaving the floyd.very interesting.