Every Little Thing

The definitive biography of The Police, one of the most successful and fractious bands in pop history, based on interviews with the trio’s members and those who surrounded them—from Geoff Edgers, national arts reporter for The Washington Post.

Every Little Thing excavates the history of the Police, one of the most iconic bands of a generation. This is a band that sold more than 100 million albums around the world, revolutionized MTV, and then disbanded at the height of their popularity, all without sacrificing their artistic integrity. It’s the story of the combustible, creative genius between three artists—Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers—that led to five stellar albums over five years, peaking with 1983’s Synchronicity, a record that’s considered the defining work of the second British Invasion.

The power of the Police was in the immense sound created by Summers, a veteran guitarist with a pedalboard of sonic landscapes; Copeland, a loudmouthed American drummer who pounded his snare so aggressively it had to be repaired every few shows; and of course, Sting, he of the sucked‑in cheeks, spiky, blond hair, and penchant for making even a song about stalking sound romantic. But how could a band that played so well together fight so much? Edgers examines their working relationship and also gives The Police their due as one of the last rock bands to conquer the world before the landscape of popular music drastically changed.