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Who Was . . . ? Series
By Jim O'ConnorWho Is Bob Dylan? (Who Was...?)[Paperback] June 27, 2013
A Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter, musician, and artist, Bob Dylan is an American icon. In the past five decades, Dylan's work has influenced everyone from John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie to rapper Eminem. Young music lovers will be fascinated by this great artist's life!
Unknown Binding
First published June 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 22, 2022
7 out of 10
I love Bob Dylan's music, and I really wanted to learn more about the person behind his songs. I know the "Who Was/Is" series are books targetted towards children, but Bob Dylan's Chronicles hadn't had a released audiobook yet, so I decided I might as well try this one. I definitely learned a lot about Bob Dylan with this book. I found it informative, but I did wonder why the author seemed to have something against Bob Dylan. Bob is depicted as a big jerk in this book most of the time, (which may be true, but I wouldn't know). He is depicted as always seeing other women in his relationships, stealing people's songs and vinyl records, being a jerk to people, etc. I don't know if it is all true or not, but it sure seems that the author has something against him.
For the most part, though, I found the book to be very informative. I learned about how he became a performer, his personal life, and the circumstances behind his album releases. It is also a good thing that Bob was pro-civil rights, during a time when African Americans were being greatly oppressed. I did catch a slight mistake in the audiobook where the narrator said, "Highway 51" instead of, "Highway 61", but for the most part, I found the book to be pretty good. Can't wait to learn more about Bob Dylan.
I love Bob Dylan's music, and I really wanted to learn more about the person behind his songs. I know the "Who Was/Is" series are books targetted towards children, but Bob Dylan's Chronicles hadn't had a released audiobook yet, so I decided I might as well try this one. I definitely learned a lot about Bob Dylan with this book. I found it informative, but I did wonder why the author seemed to have something against Bob Dylan. Bob is depicted as a big jerk in this book most of the time, (which may be true, but I wouldn't know). He is depicted as always seeing other women in his relationships, stealing people's songs and vinyl records, being a jerk to people, etc. I don't know if it is all true or not, but it sure seems that the author has something against him.
For the most part, though, I found the book to be very informative. I learned about how he became a performer, his personal life, and the circumstances behind his album releases. It is also a good thing that Bob was pro-civil rights, during a time when African Americans were being greatly oppressed. I did catch a slight mistake in the audiobook where the narrator said, "Highway 51" instead of, "Highway 61", but for the most part, I found the book to be pretty good. Can't wait to learn more about Bob Dylan.
September 11, 2017
This book should have been called "Who Was Bob Dylan a Dick To?" The author seems to have a giant vendetta against Dylan, and did not want this assignment. The 'Who Was/Is..." series of books never shies away from the darker side of its subjects, but this book just seemed to be a long series of people Dylan has wronged. Sure, he's not exactly known as the nicest guy on the planet, but no kid is going to come away from this book wanting to know anything about the subject. Plus, the last 40+ years of Dylan's career are given a very quick few page gloss over. Usually this series focuses on why a person is considered historically or culturally important, even going as far as claiming Elvis Presley invented rock and roll. "Who Was Bob Dylan?" is more focused on why people who don't like Dylan are important.
July 16, 2022
i love bob dylan
November 18, 2016
Bob Dylan got awarded a really awesome medal from Barack Obama because his music influenced people in America. The title is Who is Bob Dylan and the author is Jim O'Connor. The narration is third person because the narrator is disconnected from the story and he says he or she or it in the book. It is a biography of Bob Dylan that talks about his whole lifetime. His music he played on the acoustic guitar and electric guitar, which was interesting to know about. The mood of the book was serious, but it was happy because it talked about people liking his music. However, he did not have very many happy things with his family. You should read this book because it describes Bob Dylan and his road to fame in a cool way.
March 12, 2019
An apt alternative title for this book could be Bob Dylan: Kind of a Jerk; I often felt the need to point out to my son while we read together that it was a good thing Bob was so talented since he didn't always treat others in the best manner possible. The book is fine and fairly informative, and we both learned quite a bit about Dylan; I am definitely curious now to see the eclectic portrayal of him in I'm Not There. However, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the ones we've previously read, and the illustrations don't feel up to par.
August 28, 2018
“Who Is Bob Dylan?” (Who Was/Is...? series) by Jim O'Connor, Nancy Harrison
Interesting take. Seems to focus on his breached relationships and who he ripped off!
I guess it fills in the gaps that hagiography omits, assuming it’s true and not conjecture, which most biographies probably are anyway.
“Bob put away his acoustic guitar and switched to a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar.” (p68)
Interesting take. Seems to focus on his breached relationships and who he ripped off!
I guess it fills in the gaps that hagiography omits, assuming it’s true and not conjecture, which most biographies probably are anyway.
“Bob put away his acoustic guitar and switched to a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar.” (p68)
January 9, 2016
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind
March 4, 2023
My favorite part was when it talked about singers Bob Dylan admired like Bono, the Beatles, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash.
September 6, 2020
This book really wasn't a good introduction to Bob Dylan. It seems like the author has something against him for some reason. If you want your kid or you are a kid or even an adult who wants to learn about Bob Dylan. Don't read this book or give this book to your kid. There are better books or resources on the internet to learn about him.
June 25, 2024
James and I are enjoying reading these books - together and separately - and discussing. I appreciated that this book didn't shy away from revealing what a dick Bob Dylan could be! Stealing other peoples' songs? Come on. But it's good to know that our heroes are flawed, as are we. And now it's time to introduce James to his music!
November 2, 2021
""There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music," the president (Barack Obama) said." (4)
"At times in my life the only place I have been happy is when I am onstage." (96)
Edition Read - Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, New York, 2013.
"At times in my life the only place I have been happy is when I am onstage." (96)
Edition Read - Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, New York, 2013.
January 2, 2025
I just love these “Who is ____?” books. Even as an adult these are great to read or listen to, just to find out some basic information about someone. Almost like the old school CliffsNotes for biographies and that’s not a negative.
May 5, 2017
It was a good book. I recommend to read it. It has a lot of good informatinal facts about Bob Dylan.
October 18, 2017
AudioBook
November 9, 2017
Interesting intro to Dylan for kids
February 16, 2018
Rated 5 stars
Ages 12+
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This guy interests me. He is now on my list of people that I have to meet before they die :)
Ages 12+
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This guy interests me. He is now on my list of people that I have to meet before they die :)
March 19, 2018
Im not sure what to believe about Bob Dylan other than he is a chameleon constantly reinventing himself. an interesting life of an always changing musician. elementary and up
June 5, 2018
Not a bad starter bio of Dylan's life, though it entirely skips over the best album of all-time.
October 1, 2019
A disorganized sprint through Dylan’s life.
September 12, 2020
This is a well researched and educational short biography of Bob Dylan. It reviews his youth and accomplishments. It also reviews his public image.
April 28, 2021
I learned a little about Bob Dylan, but the book left me with more questions to research. :)
Read
January 4, 2022lol this was funny whoever wrote this hated bob dylan
December 9, 2022
Fascinating creature.
April 5, 2023
learned some things
December 6, 2024
Learned a lot about Bob Dylan!
December 20, 2024
Who knew Dylan was such a skunk!
January 13, 2025
Fun little into book on Dylan. I should make my daughter read this book.
October 3, 2020
I've got nothing at all against Bob Dylan, but it's hard to say if the same can be said for the author of this book.
We got off on the wrong foot right away with Chapter 1, Hibbing:
"Hibbing was a small town in a part of northern Minnesota called the Iron Range. ..When Bob Zimmerman was growing up in Hibbing, there were only sixteen thousand people living there."
It seems likely the author must be from a large urban area. Having spent my entire life in Northern Minnesota, I've never lived in a town of more than about 500, to this day a pretty typical size for a northern Minnesota "small town." At 16,000 people, Hibbing was one of the largest towns in northern Minnesota in the 40's and 50's when Dylan was growing up.
"Everyone knew everyone else. No one wanted to stand out or be different."
Hibbing was known for it's diverse background.
Fact: "During the early twentieth century, the population of the Iron Range was among the most ethnically diverse in Minnesota." (MNOpedia)
"The Zimmermans were among the few Jewish families."
Fact: "Forty-three different nationality groups populated the Iron Range. The earliest immigrants were Finnish, Swedish, Slovenian, Canadian, Norwegian, Cornish, or German. After 1900, the origins of the population expanded, with Italian, Croatian, Polish, Montenegrin, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovak, Hungarian, and Greek immigrants filling mining jobs. *A sizeable Jewish population started main street businesses. Chinese immigrant men ran restaurants and laundries." (MNOpedia)
"In the 1950's, few teenagers in Hibbing listened to a new kind of music called rock and roll. The local radio station in Hibbing was, like the town itself, conservative and dull."
Ouch. Fact or opinion? I'm pretty over outsiders dissing MN already.
I grew up listening to boisterous stories about Hibbing from an Italian teacher who was born there in the 30's. Mining towns always sounded far more rowdy than dull to me.
Now that I've got that out of my system, moving on to Bob Dylan!
By page 8, the author establishes that Dylan was a liar. He establishes Bob was fairly privileged. His family owned one of Hibbing's first TV sets. As a teen, he bought a really expensive guitar. In high school, he talked his dad into buying him a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "He had a cute girlfriend who rode on the back of it while he roared around Hibbing." (considering school age boys and girls readers, this made me cringe. There are more noteworthy qualities than being cute as a girl! But not as cringe-worthy as the later reference to a playboy bunny.) He starts seeing other girls while she's his girlfriend. His senior year he talked his dad into buying him a Ford.
The author goes on to label Dylan as a copycat, not an original.. Upon listening to Woody Guthrie, "Within a few weeks, Bob was singing just like Woody." He writes that Dylan was a thief.. "he stole records from his friend's apartment.. It wasn't right, but that didn't stop him."
"He became competitive with his friend Spider John." He moved to New York and continued to tell lies. He copied another friend.. "word for word and note for note," put it on his first album, betraying the friend.. "Bob never said he was sorry."
Then the author paints him as a sellout and explains what a sellout is. He benefits from his relationship with young Suze until he moves on to Joan Baez, who's generosity he uses but does not reciprocate, and later treats her with disrespect. He's disrespectful to fans, "Bob Dylan simply didn't care." Then he's in a documentary film. "Bob Dylan comes across as cocky. He looks eager to poke fun at people who strike him as stupid." He writes a song, Just Like a Woman, which is criticized for making women look "greedy, whining, and hysterical."
Next, enters Sara, the "Playboy bunny".. completely unnecessary info having nothing to do with Dylan, and inappropriate to mention in a book made for classrooms and children's libraries. What next, a breakout page answering the question "What is a Playboy bunny?" Sheesh.
A couple of marriages. One known, one secret. Kids from both. Divorce from both.
My question is - if this is the summary of Bob Dylan's life, why the heck was he chosen to be the subject of a biography in this wonderful children's series, which usually focuses on people who've overcome obstacles (no, being from Hibbing doesn't count) made positive differences in the world, people who are role models and inspiration?
I'm stumped.
As noted in a couple of other books in the series, I don't care for O'Brien's cartoon illustrations. I prefer more life like illustrations to go with these real life bios.
To be fair, the book does point out that Bob Dylan did some good by writing protest songs for the Civil Rights movement. Before pointing out that he abandoned it.
We got off on the wrong foot right away with Chapter 1, Hibbing:
"Hibbing was a small town in a part of northern Minnesota called the Iron Range. ..When Bob Zimmerman was growing up in Hibbing, there were only sixteen thousand people living there."
It seems likely the author must be from a large urban area. Having spent my entire life in Northern Minnesota, I've never lived in a town of more than about 500, to this day a pretty typical size for a northern Minnesota "small town." At 16,000 people, Hibbing was one of the largest towns in northern Minnesota in the 40's and 50's when Dylan was growing up.
"Everyone knew everyone else. No one wanted to stand out or be different."
Hibbing was known for it's diverse background.
Fact: "During the early twentieth century, the population of the Iron Range was among the most ethnically diverse in Minnesota." (MNOpedia)
"The Zimmermans were among the few Jewish families."
Fact: "Forty-three different nationality groups populated the Iron Range. The earliest immigrants were Finnish, Swedish, Slovenian, Canadian, Norwegian, Cornish, or German. After 1900, the origins of the population expanded, with Italian, Croatian, Polish, Montenegrin, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovak, Hungarian, and Greek immigrants filling mining jobs. *A sizeable Jewish population started main street businesses. Chinese immigrant men ran restaurants and laundries." (MNOpedia)
"In the 1950's, few teenagers in Hibbing listened to a new kind of music called rock and roll. The local radio station in Hibbing was, like the town itself, conservative and dull."
Ouch. Fact or opinion? I'm pretty over outsiders dissing MN already.
I grew up listening to boisterous stories about Hibbing from an Italian teacher who was born there in the 30's. Mining towns always sounded far more rowdy than dull to me.
Now that I've got that out of my system, moving on to Bob Dylan!
By page 8, the author establishes that Dylan was a liar. He establishes Bob was fairly privileged. His family owned one of Hibbing's first TV sets. As a teen, he bought a really expensive guitar. In high school, he talked his dad into buying him a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "He had a cute girlfriend who rode on the back of it while he roared around Hibbing." (considering school age boys and girls readers, this made me cringe. There are more noteworthy qualities than being cute as a girl! But not as cringe-worthy as the later reference to a playboy bunny.) He starts seeing other girls while she's his girlfriend. His senior year he talked his dad into buying him a Ford.
The author goes on to label Dylan as a copycat, not an original.. Upon listening to Woody Guthrie, "Within a few weeks, Bob was singing just like Woody." He writes that Dylan was a thief.. "he stole records from his friend's apartment.. It wasn't right, but that didn't stop him."
"He became competitive with his friend Spider John." He moved to New York and continued to tell lies. He copied another friend.. "word for word and note for note," put it on his first album, betraying the friend.. "Bob never said he was sorry."
Then the author paints him as a sellout and explains what a sellout is. He benefits from his relationship with young Suze until he moves on to Joan Baez, who's generosity he uses but does not reciprocate, and later treats her with disrespect. He's disrespectful to fans, "Bob Dylan simply didn't care." Then he's in a documentary film. "Bob Dylan comes across as cocky. He looks eager to poke fun at people who strike him as stupid." He writes a song, Just Like a Woman, which is criticized for making women look "greedy, whining, and hysterical."
Next, enters Sara, the "Playboy bunny".. completely unnecessary info having nothing to do with Dylan, and inappropriate to mention in a book made for classrooms and children's libraries. What next, a breakout page answering the question "What is a Playboy bunny?" Sheesh.
A couple of marriages. One known, one secret. Kids from both. Divorce from both.
My question is - if this is the summary of Bob Dylan's life, why the heck was he chosen to be the subject of a biography in this wonderful children's series, which usually focuses on people who've overcome obstacles (no, being from Hibbing doesn't count) made positive differences in the world, people who are role models and inspiration?
I'm stumped.
As noted in a couple of other books in the series, I don't care for O'Brien's cartoon illustrations. I prefer more life like illustrations to go with these real life bios.
To be fair, the book does point out that Bob Dylan did some good by writing protest songs for the Civil Rights movement. Before pointing out that he abandoned it.
September 18, 2023
Unfortunately somehow I couldn’t feel the inside of Bob Dylan. At least I could know his extraordinary talent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews