Forty years after John Lennon's untimely death, his former gardener and assistant Michael Medeiros celebrates the Beatles legend with this honest and insightful recollection of the time he shared with John during his final, reclusive years and days at the Dakota.

Nearly a half-century after his sudden, untimely death, John Lennon's gentle spirit and otherworldly talent live on in the hearts and minds of countless fans across the globe. The Beatles, which he cofounded with Paul McCartney in 1960, is the bestselling band in history, with more than 600 million records sold worldwide to date. And the witty, mercurial John-frequently cited among the best songwriters in history-was credited with writing many of the band's most beloved hits. From his ingenious musical compositions, to his political activism, to his quirky relationship with Yoko Ono, the indefinable cultural icon that is John Lennon never ceases to amaze and confound, and his influence has reached across generations.

Now, four decades after his murder shocked the world, yet another side of John is revealed: one witnessed by Michael Medeiros, a gardener he and Yoko hired in 1977 to tend to their indoor garden. It was Michael who observed John's parenting skills first-hand, who sailed with John in Bermuda, and who, on December 8, 1980, exchanged kind words with John before unwittingly shaking hands with his killer. A heartfelt tribute to Lennon, this book also ponders the artist's evolution and insecurities, while uncovering new details of his unusual partnership with the ever-ambitious Yoko. Candidly recounting intimate conversations and encounters with Lennon in the last four years of his life, Michael's story is a fresh, stirring perspective on a complex and brilliant man.