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Live Aid: The Definitive 40 Year Story
A
Classic Pop
Music Book of the Year
FEATURING A FOREWORD BY BOB GELDOF
The authoritative, official inside story of 40 years of Live Aid, from Band Aid to today.
In 1985, with £100+ million in his back pocket from Live Aid – the greatest rock concert the world had ever seen – Bob Geldof took a trip across Africa to decide how to spend the money he had raised for the Ethiopian famine. He asked Paul Vallely to go with him. Over the next four decades Vallely became one of Geldof’s closest advisers – travelling with him to meet the world’s top rock stars and politicians.
Here, for the first time, Vallely gives his full eye-witness account of those 40 years. The book, which has a foreword by Bob Geldof, is crammed with stories of how pop, poverty, politics and power are interwoven in the Live Aid story. Geldof encounters presidents, prime ministers and popes as well as the pop heroes who adorned his bedroom wall as a boy. Bob drinks late-night whisky with Margaret Thatcher, is forced to write a grovelling apology to Bill Clinton and meets Vladimir Putin on a boat in the Mediterranean. He pressurises The Who, sweet talks Pink Floyd, and is awestruck by Bowie. Is Bob Geldof a bully or a charmer, saint or ‘white saviour’, or simply a force of nature?
But there is more to this than music. The journey from Live Aid to Live 8 was one from giving money to calling for action, from charity to justice – and an entire generation went on it with him. Live 8 in 2005 was the largest gathering in human history. Its eight simultaneous concerts created a seismic event which the leaders of the world’s most powerful nations could not ignore. It made a whole generation feel they could make a difference. In more ways than one, Live Aid rocked the world.
FEATURING A FOREWORD BY BOB GELDOF
The authoritative, official inside story of 40 years of Live Aid, from Band Aid to today.
In 1985, with £100+ million in his back pocket from Live Aid – the greatest rock concert the world had ever seen – Bob Geldof took a trip across Africa to decide how to spend the money he had raised for the Ethiopian famine. He asked Paul Vallely to go with him. Over the next four decades Vallely became one of Geldof’s closest advisers – travelling with him to meet the world’s top rock stars and politicians.
Here, for the first time, Vallely gives his full eye-witness account of those 40 years. The book, which has a foreword by Bob Geldof, is crammed with stories of how pop, poverty, politics and power are interwoven in the Live Aid story. Geldof encounters presidents, prime ministers and popes as well as the pop heroes who adorned his bedroom wall as a boy. Bob drinks late-night whisky with Margaret Thatcher, is forced to write a grovelling apology to Bill Clinton and meets Vladimir Putin on a boat in the Mediterranean. He pressurises The Who, sweet talks Pink Floyd, and is awestruck by Bowie. Is Bob Geldof a bully or a charmer, saint or ‘white saviour’, or simply a force of nature?
But there is more to this than music. The journey from Live Aid to Live 8 was one from giving money to calling for action, from charity to justice – and an entire generation went on it with him. Live 8 in 2005 was the largest gathering in human history. Its eight simultaneous concerts created a seismic event which the leaders of the world’s most powerful nations could not ignore. It made a whole generation feel they could make a difference. In more ways than one, Live Aid rocked the world.
- GenresMusic
608 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
10 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Paul Vallely
17 books4 followersPaul Vallely is a British journalist and writer on religion, ethics, Africa and development issues.
He is Visiting Professor in Public Ethics and Media at the University of Chester and Senior Honorary Fellow at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester.
Follow this link for the retired US general Paul E. Vallely.
He is Visiting Professor in Public Ethics and Media at the University of Chester and Senior Honorary Fellow at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester.
Follow this link for the retired US general Paul E. Vallely.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 19, 2026
This book made me incredibly sad.
In fact, it ran me through an emotional wringer, to be honest. Periods of anger, frustration, disgust, and shock. But also choked with empathy, with an undefinable joy that transcends simple happiness, and hope.
The first 40ish percent of the book covers two of the biggest public events, the forming of Band Aid and the release of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" up to the massive Live Aid concert in July 1985. I'm old enough to remember both very well. I was about 22 at the time. Of course, at 22, I was just excited for the parade of bands.
Four decades on, my priorities have changed somewhat.
The balance of the book covers a lot of the maneuvering that Geldof and Bono spearheaded to various charities and governments, along with an incredible team, to push a shocking amount of positive change. Love or hate the Boomtown Rats, love or hate U2, but these two frontmen are phenomenal agents of change, each with their own style.
I expected the balance of the book to be more of a slog, but honestly, the entire thing was riveting, leading to Live 8 in 2005, and then the resulting pushes and changes over the final two decades.
Along the way, there's a lot of heartbreaking moments, but honestly, this is a book of hope. This is a book that shows humanity coming together to be the best versions of ourselves, for the right reasons.
Somewhere just after the sections on the Live 8 concert and the following G8 Summit, Tony Blair reflects that he had never before or since seen so many world leaders come together to work to save those in need.
And, I fear, we may never see its like again. And that makes me incredibly sad.
Because, four decades on, the world's priorites have changed somewhat.
And incredible record of an incredible forty-year ride.
In fact, it ran me through an emotional wringer, to be honest. Periods of anger, frustration, disgust, and shock. But also choked with empathy, with an undefinable joy that transcends simple happiness, and hope.
The first 40ish percent of the book covers two of the biggest public events, the forming of Band Aid and the release of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" up to the massive Live Aid concert in July 1985. I'm old enough to remember both very well. I was about 22 at the time. Of course, at 22, I was just excited for the parade of bands.
Four decades on, my priorities have changed somewhat.
The balance of the book covers a lot of the maneuvering that Geldof and Bono spearheaded to various charities and governments, along with an incredible team, to push a shocking amount of positive change. Love or hate the Boomtown Rats, love or hate U2, but these two frontmen are phenomenal agents of change, each with their own style.
I expected the balance of the book to be more of a slog, but honestly, the entire thing was riveting, leading to Live 8 in 2005, and then the resulting pushes and changes over the final two decades.
Along the way, there's a lot of heartbreaking moments, but honestly, this is a book of hope. This is a book that shows humanity coming together to be the best versions of ourselves, for the right reasons.
Somewhere just after the sections on the Live 8 concert and the following G8 Summit, Tony Blair reflects that he had never before or since seen so many world leaders come together to work to save those in need.
And, I fear, we may never see its like again. And that makes me incredibly sad.
Because, four decades on, the world's priorites have changed somewhat.
And incredible record of an incredible forty-year ride.
February 24, 2026
I did skip massive portions of this book. I read mainly as music fan and didn’t anticipate the amount of information on the political side of live aid. I felt the politics potentially outweighed the music side of it. From what I read, it was well written and was easy to read, just wish maybe there was a greater focus on the actual live aid event for the main portion of the book.
March 26, 2026
the History live aid to live 8 to present the incredible amount of money raised - with the integral part Bob & Bono played in it. Also dispells the myths & rumours about corruption. shows that some Journalists produce more researched & accurate stories than others.
April 16, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
April 24, 2026
Live Aid, Live 8…. And More!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews