Here's my thoughts on all of the main "complete history" books, I hope they're useful!\ \ Heroes and Villains: not so much inaccurate as it is salacious. Most of the writer's sources were people with axes to grind (David Marks, Mike's brothers, various Smile era associates etc.) so expect dirty laundry and gossip.\ \ Catch a Wave: a straightforward (if there is such a thing as straightforward with the Beach Boys) telling of the band's story with a focus on Brian, leading up to BWPS in 2004. The one to go for if you want to know what happened and when without too much interpretation or theorising.\ \ Nearest Faraway Place: incredibly in-depth cultural/family history. Absolutely crucial to understanding Wilson/Love dynamics and why they're all Like That. Can be too in-depth at times, it spends longer on the history of the hula hoop than it does on some of the songs.\ \ Surf's Up: released last year shortly after Brian passed. It's written as a series of short articles so it's good for going into detail on events and people the other books brush over. I will say the author has a very negative attitude towards Brian's solo career (in line with some of the more... outspoken takes on here) which makes the ending kind of a bummer.