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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

THE BEST BOOKS ON BOB DYLAN, LIVE PERFORMER Of twenty books on live Dylan in my collection, these are the must-reads. Paul Williams really got Dylan and wrote beautifully. His Bob Dylan Performing Artist trilogy, plus Watching The River Flow, are admired by most serious Dylan fans.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

DYLAN FANS DISPLAY THEIR DEVOTION Happy Birthday Mr Bob is a collection of articles, poems, drawings and photos by 100 Irish fans, assembled to celebrate Dylan’s art on his 80th birthday in 2021. It’s a handsome little volume, a recommended addition to any serious collection of Dylan books.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

NEW - WHY DYLAN’S LIVE SHOWS ARE SO POPULAR In Dylan in Cincinnati, published this week, author Graley Herren asserts that “Dylan’s performances constitute one of the most significant achievements in modern art.” Herren’s new book is instructive and enjoyable.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

IS BOB DYLAN’S BEST PERIOD REALLY “1991-2024” Yes, according to Robert Polito. DYLAN BOOKS said in March: “Polito’s study is impressive: original. comprehensive...” You can catch Polito in a Zoom discussion from the Bob Dylan Center on Thurs, 24 Sept, at 6pm. You need to pre-book.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

NEW - BOB DYLAN ON FILM Covers Dylan’s extensive, if neglected, onscreen legacy, as actor, collaborator, auteur and subject - in feature films, documentaries and music videos. It’s the most comprehensive book yet on Dylan’s many film projects.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

NEW TODAY - DYLAN IN CINCINNATI Dylan’s ceaseless touring is key to his popularity. Surprisingly, there are few books on his live performances. So I’m looking forward to reading Dylan in Cincinnati. Author Graley Herren is a diligent researcher and an engaging writer. Review to follow.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

MORE ON BOB DYLAN, JOHN LENNON AND GOD Here’s a taster: “… Lennon drew on Victorian and Edwardian imperial tropes familiar from the English literature and popular culture of his formative years… Dylan's perspective had more in common with nineteenth-century North American transcendentalism…”

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

DYLAN, LENNON… AND GOD A deep dive, comparing their wordviews. The God in the title earns his keep, but Karl Marx’s walk-on part hardly warrants star billing. Recommended for the thinking fan, but be warned - it’s a demanding read, a million miles from conventional celeb biography.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

DYLAN BOOKS MONTHLY - NEW, SEPTEMBER, ISSUE NOW ON SUBSTACK Click here to read: dylanbooks.substack.com Covers Country Bob, Dylan/Beatles, top Dylan eBooks, why Dylan really matters and four more exciting new books. Subscribe on Substack. You’ll receive DYLAN BOOKS Monthly as a free email.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

COUNTRY BOB - YET ANOTHER PROMISING NEW DYLAN BOOK COMING SOON Dylan clearly loves country. But, Doggett apart, you’ll struggle to find a detailed study of the country in Dylan’s records and gigs. I’m eagerly awaiting Country Bob, due 15 Oct from Univ Press of Mississippi. Review to follow.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

“BOB DYLAN WAS NOT INFLUENCED BY THE BEATLES!” - DISCUSS That was my assumption. Windolf changes my opinion. Original insights… a clever idea, well executed… stylish writing. Dylan fans who are also into the Fab Four - I realise there are millions - will find this book enriching and enjoyable.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

NEW DYLAN BOOKS - ANOTHER TWO PROMISING TITLES COMING SOON This is a Golden Age for high quality Dylan books - important new titles just keep on coming. These two are due on 15 September: >I’m Glad I’m Not Me: Bob Dylan On Film, by Ethan Warren. >Dylan in Cincinnati, by Graley Herren.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

REFRESHING NEW BOOK INVITES YOU TO THINK AGAIN ABOUT DYLAN Bob Dylan — Don't Think Twice: Another Side of Interpretation is a refeshingly original reappraisal of Dylan’s songbook. It invites you to think deeply about the work. Scarlet Rivera endorses it in her Foreword.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

PROMISING NEW SEAN WILENTZ BOOK - COMING SOON I’m looking forward to reading Bob Dylan Through the Open Window (1956–1963), by Sean Wilentz, due 15 Oct from Abrams. According to Abrams, it’s a “substantial expansion of Wilentz’s liner notes to Dylan’s bootleg album box set of the same name”.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Dylan REALLY matters because of his: 1/ Writing - he’s the top songwriter of the last 100 years. 2/ Recording - Dylan’s catalogue dominates rockpop. 3/ Live performance - thousands of gigs Richard F Thomas’ fine book should be in every Dylan collection - you just need to disregard its title

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I’m looking forward to reading Gary Browning’s new book, Don't Think Twice - Another Side of Interpretation, to be published on 1 Sept. It will “take Dylan himself to be a good guide to how he is to be taken. He is neither a philosopher nor, despite the Nobel Prize, primarily a literary figure.”

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

EXCEPTIONAL NEW BOB DYLAN BOOK According to the Nobel Prize winner himself, there’s “a gazillion” Dylan books. Not many are as important as the newest, How Many Roads: A Life of Bob Dylan by Scott Peeples (Reaktion Books, 1 Aug UK, 12 Oct USA). A contender for best Dylan biography?

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

NEW DYLAN BOOKS - COMING SOON I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing these three new Dylan books, all slated for publication soon… intrinsically interesting topics… authoritative authors… respected publishers… . All three promise to be key additions to the Dylan bookshelves.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

NEW - BOB DYLAN: UNCUT GREATS #6 - A BEGINNER’S GUIDE This handsome new one-off from Uncut mag briefly covers the life and legacy. It hits the spot. It’s photo-heavy, text-lite and runs to 66pp. As a Dylan book collector, I’m pleased to have it. I’ll learn little, but I’m not the target.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

THE CUTTING EDGE, 1965-1966: TOP BOB DYLAN BOOKS HIDING ON YOUR RECORD SHELVES #2 Bootleg Series Vol 12 deluxe, a Columbia gem, has two very desirable books - the liner notes and the separate Mixing Up The Medicine, a 120 page photo album. The new, reduced price makes it a very attractive buy.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

THE BASEMENT TAPES COMPLETE: TOP BOB DYLAN BOOKS HIDING ON YOUR RECORD SHELVES #1 The Basement Tapes Complete (Vol 11) has two books. The first, liner notes in the 6CD housing, is impressive. The second book, Lo & Behold, is a richly detailed bonus - a 120 page photo album.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I’ve just posted the new, July issue on my DYLAN BOOKS page on Substack. Please click here to read it: substack.com/home/post/p-... And, to ensure you’ll never miss another DYLAN BOOKS post, sign up on Substack to receive every issue of DYLAN BOOKS Monthly as a free email.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

UNCUT GREATS - BOB DYLAN: NEW “BOOKAZINE” OUT TODAY I’m looking forward to receiving my copy of Uncut Greats Issue 6: Bob Dylan, which goes on sale today, 26 June. According to the publishers: “The latest Uncut Greats celebrates Bob Dylan, who turns 85 this June…” Eh??? Review to follow…

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

AND THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY IS… Which biography offers fans the best intro to Dylan’s life and work? I’m interested in Dylan’s work, not his private life - except when it feeds directly into his work. So my pick is Ian Bell’s 2-vol The Lives of Bob Dylan.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? HOWARD SOUNES? Down The Highway by Howard Sounes (2001 and 2011) is probably the top-selling Dylan biography. It focuses on Dylan the man. If your focus is on Dylan the celeb rather than Dylan the artist, Sounes is your best bet.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? CLINTON HEYLIN? The Double Life of Bob Dylan (two vols, 2021 and 2023, 1,356 pp), is the longest, most recent and probably the most discussed of my three contenders for best Dylan biography. Covering the man and the artist in depth, it appeals to the demanding fan.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? IAN BELL? Ian Bell’s is probably the least known of my three contenders for best Bob Dylan biography. His two volumes (2012 and 2013, 1,166 pages), chronicle Dylan’s life and work up to Tempest. He focuses on the work not the private life.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? MY THREE CONTENDERS. AND YOURS? In my opinion, there are three contenders - by Ian Bell, Clinton Heylin and Howard Sounes. All three are blockbusters, Bell and Heylin two vols. I’ll be reviewing them here in my next few posts. Which biography do YOU recommend?

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? THOMPSON - THE THIRD OF THREE CLASSICS A would-be writer treks to Hibbing, MN and interviews nearly everyone who counts. Then writes this delightful, recommended book. Republished in 2008 as Positively Main Street: Bob Dylan in Minnesota, by Uni MN Press.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? SHELTON - THE SECOND OF THREE CLASSICS Robert Shelton’s No Direction Home delivers unparalleled coverage of the first quarter of Dylan’s creative life. He interviewed virtually everyone who mattered. Reel also shows Elizabeth Thomson’s two edited versions.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

THE BEST BOB DYLAN BIOGRAPHY? SCADUTO - THE FIRST OF 3 CLASSICS Anthony Scaduto’s Bob Dylan is essential - authoritative, insightful and well-written. Scaduto interviewed Dylan and he critiqued Scaduto’s first draft and generally approved. It confirmed that Dylan was a generational talent.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

BOB DYLAN AND THE BEATLES - HAVE YOU READ THE NEW BOOK? Have you read Where The Music Had To Go by Jim Windolf? If so, what do you think of it? I’ve delayed buying this, and before shelling out, I’d value your opinion. Video shows US edition, Simon & Schuster, and UK ed.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

THE SIX BOOKS BY BOB DYLAN: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? YES - essential: >Lyrics >Chronicles >Philosophy MAYBE - desirable: >Tarantula MAYBE LATER - thin: >Nobel Lecture >Hollywood Foto-Rhetoric

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

DYLAN REVISITED: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED NEW BOOK Colm Larkin’s new book, Dylan Revisited: Busy Being Born (1960-66), examines the singer’s explosive early creativity via a multiplicity of recordings. It’s highly recommended for recent and long-standing fans alike. #dylanrevisited @dylanrevisited

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

CHRONICLES: THE MOST HIGHLY REGARDED OF BOB DYLAN’S SIX BOOKS Chronicles, Volume One (Simon & Schuster, 2004, hbk, 293pp) is highly regarded. It burnished Dylan’s literary credentials well beyond the fanbase. It’s not a conventional autobio! What do you think of Chronicles, Volume One?

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

BOB DYLAN’S SIX BOOKS: THE MONUMENTAL MASTERPIECE Of the six books written by Bob Dylan, Lyrics is the most important. It illustrates just why so many regard Dylan as a towering creative genius. Every Dylan home should have one. File next to The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

THE SIX BOOKS BY BOB DYLAN: THE ODD ONE OUT Bob Dylan has written six books. Hollywood Foto-Rhetoric is the odd one out. Dylan - a movie nut - supplied 23 short ”prose-poems”, which will interest students of Dylan’s writing. But it’s slim pickings - the least essential book “written by” Dylan.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

FOUR MORE NEW DYLAN BOOKS - WITH A NOD TO THE BEATLES New Dylan books just keep on coming - these four drop in the next few weeks. Are they worth reading? Watch this space.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

WHAT ARE THE 10 BEST BOB DYLAN BOOKS? Among the many hundreds of Dylan books, there are some must-reads, guaranteed to enrich your enjoyment. But where to start? This 10 Best Bob Dylan Books is my ranking of the key titles in the key areas. My pic ranks them from Lyrics #1 to Chronicles #10.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

PEAK BOB DYLAN: 1963-78? OR 1991-2024? OR SOME OTHER PERIOD? Two recent heavyweight Dylan books, by Ron Rosenbaum and Robert Polito - both highly recommended - have different opinions on when Dylan was producing his best work. Rosenbaum prefers earlier Dylan. Polito prefers 1991-2024. You?

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

IS BOB DYLAN’S LATER WORK REALLY “HIS MOST AMBITIOUS AND ACCOMPLISHED”? After The Flood, Robert Polito’s outstanding new book, covers Dylan’s work 1991’-2024. It’s impressive: original. richly detailed, beautifully written. He regards Dylan later work as “his most ambitious and accomplished”.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

NEW: FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON DYLAN’S CREATIVITY Author Kevin Kane has a commendably clear aim: to analyse Dylan’s creativity. He’s impressive discussing the wider culture. And he offers some interesting perspectives. That said, his book’s a little too discursive for me.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

THE SMALLEST DYLAN BOOK While The Lyrics Since 1962 (see recent post) is the biggest, heaviest, least usable Dylan book, the smallest, most user-friendly Dylan book in my collection is The Little Guide To Bob Dylan: How Does It Feel? It’s a pocket-sized collection of Dylan quotes. Recommended.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

DYLAN MOJO ESSENTIALS - NEWLY UPDATED MOJO Essentials are commendable introductions, aimed at newer fans. The updated version of the Dylan issue, first published in 2023, will please Bobfans pulled in by A Complete Unknown. Grizzled Boomers won’t learn much from it.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

BOB DYLAN FILMS PRAISED BY IMPORTANT NEW BOOK Bob Dylan’s film catalogue is generally derided. In his impressive new book, Bob Dylan As Filmmaker, Michael Glover Smith re-assesses Dylan on film. A film-maker as well as a Dylan fan, Smith has the ideal CV for the job. And he delivers.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

NEW TODAY - UNCUT DYLAN COVER Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966, the forthcoming Bob Dylan Center exhibition, is the focus of the new (“April 2026”) UNCUT, on sale today in the UK. The two page preview is the centrepiece of 13pp of Dylan content, fronted by the exquisite Olle Lindeborg portrait.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

BOB DYLAN’S MUSICAL ROOTS - IMPRESSIVE CATALOGUE FROM ISIS Exploring Dylan’s deep roots in American popular music, ISIS editor Derek Barker’s encyclopædic catalogue discusses 550 songs that Dylan played up to 2008. A supplement adds 188 songs, notably Dylan’s covers of the Great American Songbook

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

ISIS MAGAZINE part 2 (of 2) Bob Dylan Anthology Volume 2: 20 Years of ISIS (2005) is a selection from the first 100 issues, complementing the book covered in my previous post. Bob Dylan Anthology Volume 3: Celebrating 200 Editions of ISIS Magazine (2019) has articles from more recent issues.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

ISIS MAGAZINE: PREMIER DYLAN FANZINE part 1 (of 2) ISIS was a paper magazine every two months, 1985-2022. Then, after 218 issues, it changed to a quarterly e-journal. The best of ISIS is in three anthology books. ISIS A Bob Dylan Anthology (2004) is a selection from the first 100 issues.

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Dylan Books @dylanbooks.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

THE BOB DYLAN LYRICS BOOKS - 1961-2020 - DOES IT EVEN EXIST? I suspected that The Lyrics 1961-2020, covering writing up to Rough And Rowdy Ways, didn’t exist. I couldn’t confirm on official, publisher or Amazon sites. A helpful Commenter’s photo confirms it does exist, so it’s the obvious buy.

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