Runnin' with the Devil

Beginning in 1978, Van Halen’s rise was one of the most thrilling the rock world had ever seen. Lifting back the curtain on one of the great untold stories of rock music, Noel Monk, the manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom, details the most outrageous escapades from his time as confidant, fixer, and promoter—from hotel room destruction to outrageous backstage behavior to Eddie Van Halen’s high-profile marriage to Valerie Bertinelli to the incredible drug use and drinking that would ultimately fuel the conflict between the band members.More than just a portrait of rock and roll decadence, Runnin’ with the Devil goes behind the legend of Eddie Van Halen, illuminating the factors that shaped one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time and made him vulnerable to the trappings of fame. Shedding light on the band’s infamous breakup, Monk tells the story of David Lee Roth’s departure as he saw it, explaining how a band at the height of their success struggled in vain to hold it all together. Messy, loud, and most of all fun, this is a look inside Van Halen unlike any you’ve ever seen.