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So Much Things to Say

The Oral History of Bob Marley
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( 531 ratings, 69 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
So Much Things to Say presents an intimate oral history of Bob Marley's life, drawn from over four decades of interviews with band members, family, lovers, and close confidants. Roger Steffens, a renowned reggae historian who travelled with the Wailers and captured iconic photographs, narrates vivid scenes from Marley's first audition to the Wailers' confrontations and the attempted assassination. The book explores Marley's journey, culminating in his tragic death from cancer, revealing a legendary figure with newfound humanity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in reggae music, cultural history, and the detailed personal story of Bob Marley. Fans of in-depth oral histories and biographies seeking a nuanced portrait of one of music's most influential figures will find this a compelling read.

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The world’s leading reggae scholar spent forty years interviewing Bob Marley and his closest confidants. This is the definitive telling of Bob Marley’s life.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Renowned reggae historian Roger Steffens's riveting oral history of Bob Marley's life draws on four decades of intimate interviews with band members, family, lovers, and confidants—many speaking publicly for the first time.

Hailed by the New York Times Book Review as a "crucial voice" in the documentation of Marley's legacy, Steffens spent years traveling with the Wailers and taking iconic photographs.

Through eyewitness accounts of vivid scenes—the future star auditioning for Coxson Dodd; the violent confrontation between the Wailers and producer Lee Perry; the attempted assassination (and conspiracy theories that followed); the artist's tragic death from cancer—So Much Things to Say tells Marley's story like never before.

What emerges is a legendary figure "who feels a bit more human" (The New Yorker).

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised by critics and contemporaries alike, So Much Things to Say is described as a "crucial voice" in documenting Marley's legacy (The New York Times Book Review) and "a major work" that illuminates the complexity of the reggae icon (Mojo, The Observer). Called "absorbing" and "definitive," it offers an alternative biography rich in firsthand accounts and insight into the tumultuous life of the country's beloved son (The Spectator, Rolling Stone). Carlos Santana referred to Steffens as "Peter" to Marley's "Jesus."

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393355925

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 October 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Illustration: 40 photographs

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Linton Kwesi Johnson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 345g

Pages: 464

About the Author

Roger Steffens is the world’s leading reggae historian, and former co-host of the award-winning radio program Reggae Beat. His programs on Marley’s life have been presented at the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress, among other venues. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

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  • So Much Things to Say
    Roger Steffens is one of the world's leading Bob Marley experts. He toured with the Wailers in the 1970s and was closely acquainted with Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and the rest of the band members. Over several decades, he has interviewed more than seventy-five friends, business managers, relatives and confidants—many speaking publicly for the first time. Forty years in the...
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