By the time ABBA split up, no one was in any doubt that behind the glitter there was a dark side, and behind the smiling group were four troubled individuals. But even as a whole new generation of fans discover ABBA's great music, Anni-Frid, Agnetha, Benny and Björn have continued to remain rather shadowy, secretive figures. Their marriages, personal break-ups and superficial biographical details are well known... but who exactly were ABBA?

How did Norwegian Anni-Frid, the illegitimate daughter of a German soldier, become a real-life princess? How did folksy Benny and Björn reinvent themselves as an international pop force to rival Lennon & McCartney? And what actually happened to blonde Agnetha who smiled a lot but never looked really happy?

The author Carl Magnus Palm answers these and many more questions about the hit group that no one took seriously... until everyone did. Each page is a revelation and Palm's acute understanding of the culture of his native Sweden makes these sometimes dark personal stories understandable in a unique way.

Bright Lights, Dark Shadows is an instant classic - a truly legendary account of the rise and fall of a legendary pop group and a multiple biography of rare insight.

For more information on this exciting book, visit Carl Magnus Palm On The Web.