Bill Cosby grew up in a Philadelphia housing project, the son of an alcoholic father and a loving but overworked mother. After dropping out of high school, Cosby turned his life around by joining the Navy, talking his way into college, and seizing his first breaks as a stand-up comedian. He turned his life around to become a groundbreaking comedian and actor and a beloved -- and sometimes controversial -- American icon. Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with Cosby and more than sixty of his closest friends and associates, Whitaker provides a frank, fun account of Cosby's life and historic legacy. Whitaker reveals Cosby's successes, but also deals with professional setbacks and personal dramas, from an affair that sparked public scandal to the murder of his only son, and the private influence of his wife of fifty years, Camille Cosby.