For immediate release · Diversion Books
Soul of a Man
My Life in Great White, From the Stage and Beyond
The memoir of Grammy-nominated guitarist and Great White founder Mark Kendall — from rock 'n' roll success and unimaginable tragedy to recovery, faith, enduring love, and an ongoing battle with Stage IV cancer.
The book
A Story Beyond the Music
Mark Kendall, founding member and lead guitarist of the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rock band Great White, has signed with Diversion Books for his forthcoming memoir, Soul of a Man: My Life in Great White, from the Stage and Beyond, scheduled for publication in Fall 2027. The deal was negotiated by Jeffrey Mangus, Founder and Principal Literary Agent of Mangus Literary Group.
Written in his own candid voice, the book traces his rise from the Southern California club scene to international stardom with Great White, and moves beyond the mythology of the Sunset Strip era into the addiction, recovery, devastating loss, lasting love, faith, and second chances that have defined his life since the music stopped.
Behind the platinum records, sold-out arenas, and decades on the road — "Rock Me," "Save Your Love," "House of Broken Love," and the Grammy-nominated worldwide hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" — lies a deeply human story of survival and redemption.
Soul of a Man also takes readers inside Kendall's journey through sobriety, the profound partnership he shares with his wife, Bridget, and his current fight against Stage IV cancer — all while he continues to make music and live with gratitude, purpose, and faith.
What they're saying
"This isn't only a story about rock 'n' roll. It's the story of everything that happened when the music stopped — the mistakes, the miracles, the people I've loved and lost, and the grace that allowed me to keep going. I wanted to write the truth, not the highlight reel."
"Mark's story sits at the intersection of rock history and genuine human transformation. Soul of a Man is the rare music memoir that earns its redemption arc rather than assuming it."
"He didn't set out to write a rock memoir; he set out to tell the truth about his life, with the music and the meteoric rise to the top as the backdrop."
Be first in line
Pre-Order Alerts
Publication details and the on-sale date will be announced by Diversion Books. Join the pack and we'll send you the pre-order link the moment pre-orders open — Soul of a Man will be available worldwide in Fall 2027.
Join the packAbout Mark Kendall
Founder and lead guitarist of Great White, one of the most celebrated rock bands to emerge from the 1980s Southern California scene. A husband, father, grandfather, cancer fighter, and longtime member of the recovery community. Soul of a Man is his first book.
Diversion Books
An independent publisher known for narrative nonfiction spanning music, biography, and popular culture. Editor-in-Chief Keith Wallman led the acquisition.
Mangus Literary Group
A boutique literary agency representing memoir, celebrity memoir, and authority nonfiction, led by Founder and Principal Literary Agent Jeffrey Mangus.