{"id":118724,"date":"2023-12-12T12:41:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=118724"},"modified":"2023-12-12T15:55:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T19:55:51","slug":"surrender-by-bono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/","title":{"rendered":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star’s Memoir"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What background stories are discussed in Surrender<\/em> by Bono? How does Bono describe his lived experiences?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Surrender<\/em>, we learn about Bono\u2019s Irish upbringing, how the death of his mother shaped his personal life, and how U2 came together as a band and rose to stardom, giving way to Bono\u2019s celebrity activism. Learning about Bono\u2019s history gives great insight into the nature of stardom and celebrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more from Bono\u2019s memoir Surrender<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

About Bono\u2019s Memoir Surrender<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1976, a teenage Irish schoolboy nicknamed \u201cBono\u201d answered a classmate\u2019s call for auditions to join a new band he was forming. Ten years later, that band\u2014U2\u2014was a global sensation whose musical career was still only just beginning. As U2\u2019s lead singer, Bono leveraged his international fame as a rock star to become a voice for activist groups fighting poverty<\/a>, hunger, and the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, he became a family man while pushing U2 to be creative and explore new styles of music. In Surrender<\/em><\/a> by Bono, we see insights into the forming of U2 and Bono\u2019s personal and professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bono\u2019s memoir, Surrender<\/em>, published in 2022, tells the story of his life, from his childhood in Dublin, Ireland, to the formation and success of U2, to his philanthropic efforts and the band\u2019s constant work to reach and connect with their audiences worldwide. Along the way, he discusses his thoughts on music, his Christian faith, and how the troubles<\/a> of his childhood affected who he\u2019d become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll trace Bono\u2019s life from the early death of his mother to the founding of U2, through their rise to stardom and periods of self-reinvention to Bono\u2019s career as a political activist. Interspersed will be sections on Bono\u2019s ideas regarding the power of music, the meaning of family, and the nature of his faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Irish Adolescence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paul \u201cBono\u201d Hewson was born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 10, 1960. Though he was interested in music from a young age, his direction in life<\/a> was also defined by family trauma and his growing Christian faith. Bono recalls how his childhood was shaped by the death of his mother, his introduction to evangelical Christianity, and the adolescent friendships that would launch him into adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bono writes that his first exposure to music was through his father, who sang tenor and was a huge opera fan, though neither of his parents showed much interest in Bono\u2019s early musical leanings. Had their lives gone differently, that might have changed, but sadly, Bono\u2019s mother died when he was only 11.<\/strong> After her passing, Bono\u2019s family hid their feelings of grief behind anger and silence. Bono became a classic latchkey child\u2014taking care of himself, eating leftovers and canned food, and finding more emotional connection with his neighborhood friends than he ever did at home. It was one of those friends who gave Bono the nickname that would stick with him for life, rechristening him after the local \u201cBonavox\u201d hearing aid store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most important person to come into Bono\u2019s life in this time was Alison \u201cAli\u201d Stewart, whom he would later marry. They first met at school in 1973, when Bono was 13 years old and still emotionally closed off following his mother\u2019s death. He and Ali began dating three years later while they were both involved in a nondenominational Christian organization called Shalom. Bono says that both then and now, his and Ali\u2019s shared religious faith is a cornerstone of their relationship<\/strong>, though he also muses that he probably transferred his suppressed feelings<\/a> of love for his lost mother to his new relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U2\u2019s Early Days<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

U2 first appeared on the music scene during the late \u201970s heyday of punk rock, hard on the heels of bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Bono remembers feeling particularly energized by the raw simplicity of the Ramones\u2019 music\u2014in fact, U2 won their first TV gig by performing a Ramones song as their audition.<\/strong> However, Bono felt they were a stronger band whenever they played songs they\u2019d written themselves. They did so in rehearsals, first in their school\u2019s music room and later in a shed at the cemetery where Bono\u2019s mother was buried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1979, Bono and Ali<\/a> traveled to London to give copies of U2\u2019s first demo tape to record companies and music journalists. They did this mostly by pretending to have appointments just to get their foot in the music industry\u2019s door, and their work was rewarded with positive write-ups in several music magazines. U2 followed up with a tour of London clubs, which met with mixed results\u2014Bono writes that music critics seemed to enjoy the band\u2019s music, but record company scouts always caught their worst shows.<\/strong> In the end, U2 returned to Ireland without the record contract they\u2019d hoped for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of 1980, Bono felt like a failure, and the other band members questioned whether they should keep going or find \u201creal jobs\u201d instead. However, the band didn\u2019t give up. On the strength of their positive reviews for shows in London, they went on tour in Ireland with their last show\u2014offered for free\u2014at the National Stadium in Dublin. Bono recalls that he and the band gave their all during that final performance.<\/strong> As luck would have it, a representative from Island Records was there, and he offered U2 a record deal on the spot\u2014a contract that would lead to their first album, Boy<\/em>, as well as their first music video, filmed for the song \u201cI Will Follow<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art of Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bono struggled with self-doubt<\/a> throughout his musical career.<\/strong> On U2\u2019s first record, he was anxious about the lyrics, which he felt were all less than what they could have been. His anxieties emerged during U2\u2019s early shows\u2014did he really fit in with the angry, rebellious British music scene of the time? After every concert, the band held a meeting to discuss what went right and wrong. In his memoir, Bono chides himself for berating his bandmates, though they often did the same to him regarding his on-stage antics. Bono admits to being an overly showy performer, partly to draw attention<\/a> to himself and partly to hide behind a mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock Stardom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For good or ill, the side of the music business that the public is most aware of is the fame and recognition that comes with success. For Bono, the first decade of U2\u2019s rock stardom\u2014a time he equates to U2\u2019s \u201cteenage years\u201d as a band\u2014opened his eyes to a much wider world. He describes the joys of connecting with an audience<\/a> during a live performance, the privilege of seeing the world from a rock star\u2019s perspective, and how this experience culminated in the recording of U2\u2019s breakout album, The Joshua Tree<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

U2 embarked on their first European tour, and Bono describes how every show was a communal experience in which the audience played as big a role as the band.<\/strong> U2 was catching the energy of the punk rock movement, but where punk was cynical at heart, U2\u2019s early music was a celebration of innocence. Bono says that in the magic of a great concert, he wouldn\u2019t just lose himself in the music; he\u2019d enable the audience to do so as well. It was more than just playing well on stage\u2014when the band could truly connect with the crowd and spark the current of excitement running through them, everyone in the room would have a heightened experience almost like a shared state of flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatherhood and Family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bono and Ali married in 1982, and as U2\u2019s popularity grew, Ali and the band became Bono\u2019s real family. Ali helped Bono realize that due to the trauma of losing his mother, a part of him hadn\u2019t grown out of childhood.<\/strong> When Bono looks back at the anger he\u2019d directed at his father during his teenage years, he concludes that the irrational child deep inside him blamed his father for his mother\u2019s death. Though he\u2019d transferred his love for his mother onto Ali, he\u2019d still never processed his feelings toward his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Bono was deeply in love with Ali and cherished their marriage, he was unsure that he could be a good father. Since Bono\u2019s father had been so distant after his mother\u2019s death, Bono never learned what a caring, loving father should act like.<\/strong> Once Ali became pregnant, Bono remembers feeling happy, but frightened\u2014what if he couldn\u2019t cut it as a dad, and what if their child was as angry and awful as he\u2019d been toward his father growing up? He feared that parenthood wouldn\u2019t be compatible with his rock-and-roll lifestyle, in which he\u2019d be absent for months at a time touring and recording with the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Bono\u2019s fears, he and Ali became parents, with two daughters born in \u201989 and \u201991, followed by sons in 1999 and 2001. They didn\u2019t want their kids to grow up with the privilege and stigma of being a famous person\u2019s children,<\/strong> so they chose to raise their family in Dublin, where Bono says that fame isn\u2019t some kind of holy grail and that everyday people are valued just as much, if not moreso, than celebrities. After getting over his initial misgivings, Bono learned the value of parenthood. According to him, becoming a parent<\/a> made him grow up while reminding him of the innocence of childhood\u2014all of which fed his creativity as an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bono writes that making the album <\/strong>Achtung, Baby<\/em><\/strong> was a particularly difficult time for the band.<\/strong> To record it, they arrived in Berlin exactly one year after the Berlin Wall came down. They had nothing written except some vague ideas and a wish to shed the ponderous seriousness that had come to define them and their music. Bono wanted to experiment with new musical arrangements and technological effects, but the process of improvising an album turned out to be much harder than expected. Bono takes responsibility for straining his relationship with the band, but the end product was an album they\u2019re all proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Achtung, Baby<\/em> became a touchstone of the \u201990s, the tour that went with it was a reaction against the garage-band aesthetic of the grunge movement.<\/strong> Though Bono enjoyed and appreciated grunge, its drab and serious undertones weren\u2019t what U2 needed at the time. Dubbed \u201cZoo TV,\u201d the Achtung, Baby<\/em> tour featured a giant television with real-time channel surfing, and Bono adopted what he considers his most clownish stage persona ever. As part of his act, during every concert, Bono would crank-call the White House and ask to speak to President George H.W. Bush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bono\u2019s Activism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of Bono\u2019s core beliefs is that problems such as poverty and hunger represent a failure of justice,<\/strong> not a lack of charity. The primary injustice he addressed in the \u201990s as a spokesman for the Jubilee 2000 campaign was the vast amount of debt left over from the Cold War that the world\u2019s poorest nations owed to the richest. Bono argues that having to pay off that old debt prevented whole countries from investing in themselves. The point of the Jubilee 2000 project was to get the lender nations, including the US, to cancel poorer countries\u2019 debt altogether, freeing their resources for education, health, and infrastructure. The Jubilee 2000 campaign was successful, and its core group of activists looked for their next project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cWhite Savior\u201d Problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In retrospect, Bono writes that the victories for debt and AIDS relief were won by people even more involved than he was and that perhaps he wasn\u2019t as essential to the movement as his ego would have him believe. Also, he acknowledges that when celebrities get involved in social problems, people assume their activism is self-serving and performative.<\/strong> Because of that, Bono often worries about how his activism affected his bandmates in U2\u2014was he damaging their brand by speaking out on topics that concerned him? Was he inadvertently making U2 uncool?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The broader issue with Western activism that Bono became aware of over time is that often people from wealthy countries try to solve the world\u2019s problems without including those who are struggling in the discussion. <\/strong>Bono argues that there\u2019s also an unfortunate trend to use African faces as a stand-in for poverty and suffering in media without also highlighting the artistic creativity and entrepreneurial innovation that Africa has in spades. The racism embedded in these practices has produced a backlash against Western aid, so current and future activist efforts must consciously work to avoid these pitfalls by involving the governments and people receiving aid in every step of the activism process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressions of Faith<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bono\u2019s guiding star through all the issues in his life\u2014his activism, music, and his role as a father\u2014is the Christian faith he\u2019s nourished since childhood. Bono\u2019s spiritual life isn\u2019t limited to any one branch of Christianity but instead draws from his life experiences and the people he\u2019s connected with over the years. Throughout his memoir, Bono discusses his faith in terms of his journey through doubt, compassion for those in need, and ceding control of his life to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bono explains that doubt is an essential part of his faith.<\/strong> He\u2019s annoyed by overly showy religious figures and leaders who place restrictions on anyone who joins their congregations. For him, religious certainty is antithetical to faith. He sees God as something that can only be seen through symbols, music, and art. For this reason, he doesn\u2019t write overtly Christian lyrics, instead choosing to imbue his songs with messages about searching for truth, rather than claims of having achieved it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Reflect on Bono\u2019s Music, Life, and Activism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like many famous musicians, Bono rose from obscurity to stardom while being shaped by his culture and the times he grew up in. Unlike most of his rock music contemporaries, Bono professes his Christian faith, which he uses to shape and inform U2\u2019s music, as well as his personal activism. Reflect on how the context of Bono\u2019s life shapes your impression of him as an artist, a celebrity, and an advocate for social justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Beyond this article, how familiar are you with U2\u2019s music and its religious undertones? Do you feel those messages are appropriate for mainstream entertainment? Why or why not?<\/li>
  2. Comparing Bono to other famous musicians, do you believe that he\u2019s more of an egotist, or is he more humble than his peers? How well do you feel he\u2019s handled being famous compared to other rock stars, and why?<\/li>
  3. Bono used his fame as a musician to speak on behalf of various causes, particularly the need for aid in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world. Do you believe it\u2019s helpful or counterproductive for musicians to leverage their fame for social causes, and why do you feel that way?<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What background stories are discussed in Surrender by Bono? How does Bono describe his lived experiences? In Surrender, we learn about Bono\u2019s Irish upbringing, how the death of his mother shaped his personal life, and how U2 came together as a band and rose to stardom, giving way to Bono\u2019s celebrity activism. Learning about Bono\u2019s history gives great insight into the nature of stardom and celebrity. Read on to learn more from Bono\u2019s memoir Surrender.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":117562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,586,33],"tags":[1340],"class_list":["post-118724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-entertainment","category-people","tag-surrender","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nSurrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Becca King\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe\"},\"headline\":\"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star’s Memoir\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\"},\"wordCount\":2547,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Surrender\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Books\",\"Entertainment\",\"People\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\",\"name\":\"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star’s Memoir\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe\",\"name\":\"Becca King\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ab8ccaa06da85a3a10dc25619d2bcb4408d48fee053d0eddb8a646960874c9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ab8ccaa06da85a3a10dc25619d2bcb4408d48fee053d0eddb8a646960874c9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Becca King\"},\"description\":\"Becca\u2019s love for reading began with mysteries and historical fiction, and it grew into a love for nonfiction history and more. Becca studied journalism as a graduate student at Ohio University while getting their feet wet writing at local newspapers, and now enjoys blogging about all things nonfiction, from science to history to practical advice for daily living.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/becca-king\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir - Shortform Books","description":"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir","og_description":"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Becca King","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Becca King","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/"},"author":{"name":"Becca King","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe"},"headline":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star’s Memoir","datePublished":"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/"},"wordCount":2547,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","keywords":["Surrender"],"articleSection":["Books","Entertainment","People"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/","name":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star's Memoir - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","datePublished":"2023-12-12T16:41:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-12T19:55:51+00:00","description":"Surrender by Bono tells the story of Bono\u2019s life and how U2 came together and rose to fame. Here's an overview of the insightful memoir.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/surrender-by-bono\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Surrender by Bono: An Overview of the U2 Star’s Memoir"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe","name":"Becca King","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ab8ccaa06da85a3a10dc25619d2bcb4408d48fee053d0eddb8a646960874c9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ab8ccaa06da85a3a10dc25619d2bcb4408d48fee053d0eddb8a646960874c9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Becca King"},"description":"Becca\u2019s love for reading began with mysteries and historical fiction, and it grew into a love for nonfiction history and more. Becca studied journalism as a graduate student at Ohio University while getting their feet wet writing at local newspapers, and now enjoys blogging about all things nonfiction, from science to history to practical advice for daily living.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/becca-king\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/holding-and-reading-book-3-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118724"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119007,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118724\/revisions\/119007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}