Synopses & Reviews
The classic biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, updated and revised for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death
Bob Marley left an indelible mark on modern music, both as a reggae pioneer and as an enduring cultural icon. Catch a Fire, now a classic of rock biography, delves into the life of the leader of a musical, spiritual, and political explosion that continues today.
Under the supervision of the authors widow and with the collaboration of a Marley expert, this fourth edition contains a wealth of new material on the Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician , including many revisions made by the author before his untimely death. An appendix to the new edition chronicles Marleys legacy in recent years, as well as the ongoing controversy over the possibility that Marleys remains might be exhumed from Nine Mile, Jamaica, and reburied in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where hundreds of Rastafarians live. The new edition also contains an expanded discography and is factually updated throughout.
“Probably the finest biography ever written about a popular musician.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“As close as rock journalism comes to transcendent literature.”
—Playboy
“White has a deep appreciation for reggaes immediacy, hypnotic power, and contradictions . . . An exhaustively researched labor of love.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
Review
"Probably the finest biography ever written about a popular musician. "-Joel Selvin,
San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
The definitive biography of Bob Marley, newly revised and expanded, with a comprehensive discography and bibliography. Over the past fifteen years
Catch a Fire has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and has indisputedly established itself as the best book ever written about Bob Marley.
For this new revision, Timothy White presents new material on the powerful ongoing influence of reggae in Jamaican society. He reveals previously restricted documents about the C.I.A.'s monitoring of Marley's activities and recounts the ongoing legal battles around Marley's estate and legacy. There's up-to-date information about the music being made by the next generation of Marleys and a new comprehensive discography and bibliography.
Description
Discography: p. 316-363. Bibliography: p. 364-368.
About the Author
Timothy White, editor-in-chief of
Billboard magazine, has written extensively on Marley and reggae for
Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and other publications. His close contact with Marley, his family, and inner circle of friends led to his being granted access to private papers, photographs, and memorabilia. He is also the author of
Rock Lives: Profiles and Interviews, a winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award.