Bob Dylan: A Biography

by Bob Batchelor

Overview

In this thematically organized biography, cultural historian and prolific biographer Bob Batchelor examines one of the most important yet elusive figures in modern history. Rather than taking an exhaustive and cumbersome chronological approach to Bob Dylan's 50-plus year career, the author focuses on the most significant aspects of his life and accomplishments.

This work examines the musician's life and career by placing him in the context of contemporary American history and culture. Dylan's music and lyrics are at the center of the analysis, while attention is also paid to how his image transformed as he moved from being the "voice of a generation" during the 1960s to becoming a bonafide rock and roll icon. Readers will appreciate the book for its in-depth, scholarly coverage that remains readable and engaging, and gain a full appreciation for Dylan's place in American history and cultural evolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313381034
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/22/2014
Series:	Greenwood Biographies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	156
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Bob Batchelor, PhD, is James Pedas Professor of Communication and executive director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College, and director of marketing and media for The John Updike Childhood Home Museum in Reading, PA.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction xvii

Timeline: Events in the Life of Bob Dylan xxiii

Chapter 1 Symbolic Bob 1

Chapter 2 Young Bob 17

Chapter 3 Freewheelin' Bob 31

Chapter 4 Rocking Bob 47

Chapter 5 Renewed Bob 61

Chapter 6 Postmodern Bob 77

Chapter 7 Resurgent Bob 89

Chapter 8 Telltale Bob 103

Chapter 9 Iconic Bob 113

Notes 125

Appendix: Discography 137

Further Reading 141

Index 153

Editorial Reviews

05/15/2014
Prolific popular culture writer Batchelor (James Pedas Professor of Communication, executive director, James Pedas Communication Ctr., Thiel Coll., Greenville, PA), profiles the life and analyzes the work of mercurial folk and rock music legend Bob Dylan. Batchelor organizes his biography thematically rather than chronologically and paints a broad picture of changes in the artist's musical and songwriting styles and public persona. Large portions of Dylan's career get skipped as Batchelor focuses solely on the most significant accomplishments, including early hit songs such as the wildly popular "Blowin' in the Wind" and the groundbreaking "Like a Rolling Stone," 1975's brilliant comeback album Blood on the Tracks, and Dylan's recent critical and commercial resurgence at 70. The author examines the musician's pivotal breakthroughs and artistic reinventions throughout his long and massively influential career, placing his biggest successes into historical and cultural context. The volume includes a biographical time line and an extensive annotated list of Dylan-related books, films, websites, and other sources. VERDICT This accessible and engaging book, which is similar in scope, size, and style but slightly less scholarly than the Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan (2009), is a solid primer for students and critical readers and could inspire further, more inclusive study.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Library Journal