Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - The Illustrated History

by Gillian G. Gaar

Find out how legendary musician Bruce Springsteen earned his monicker. There's only one Boss; his story is revealed here. Bruce Springsteen is a platinum-shifting, stadium-filling rock star, but he is also more nuanced than that. He is a man of the people, making conventional-and-proud-of-it rock music aimed at the American working class. A supreme songwriter, Springsteen is a rock 'n' roll legend, and this lavishly illustrated book is an examination of his life and music. A comprehensive overview of a fascinating and unique artist, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - The Illustrated History is a tribute to Springsteen's body of work, from the rock anthem Born to Run to his sepia-toned analysis of working-class misery, The River . There's Springsteen's gnarly, Bonnie and Clyde-style tableaux Atlantic City , as well as his debunking of guys' yearnings for youthful Glory Days . Throughout it all, Springsteen has demonstrated that he knows how to create a classic track. Find out once and for all why his nickname is The Boss.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

208 pages, Hardcover

Published July 22, 2016

About the author

I write regularly about music, entertainment, and travel. I enjoy taking pictures for my articles and books as well. My very first book was "She's A Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll," first published in 1992, and updated in 2002; Yoko Ono wrote the book's preface, and it still gives me a thrill to see her name on the cover. Other areas of expertise include Nirvana, the Beatles, and Elvis, all of whom I've written books about. I've also written for a variety of publications around the world, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, Goldmine (where I had regular Beatles and Elvis columns), and many others. I was also a senior editor at legendary Seattle music publication "The Rocket."

Reviews

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Bruce Springsteen for as long as I remember. Okay, that’s not quite true, please don’t judge me on this, but it was actually David Cassidy first. LOL! I think I was about 5 years old then.

Bruce has go the perfect package for me. He is a poet, musician, and wordsmith. His songs resonate with me. He writes and sings about the downtrodden and disenfranchised. He in part, is why I became a social worker.

Boss is a great collection of photos. Even if you weren’t to read the heavy book, it would make a great coffee table book but it should be read. Gillian G. Gaar writes a beautiful biography on Springsteen, including his entire life and career.

I love that she reports on Springsteen, rather than judge him. I have read other biographies about musicians that come off as judgmental. I would rather know the person’s life and background and perhaps, form my own opinion. Perhaps part of it is I don’t want my lifelong opinion, tarnished.

The only negative I have with the book is the cover. There are so many great photos within the book, I have to wonder who made to use the one for the cover. In my opinion, it was a poor choice. Other than that small criticism, I highly recommend Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band by Gillian G. Gaar for any Bruce Springsteen fan. It would equally make an excellent gift.

4.5/5

I received this book for my honest review.

[Miroslav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Springsteen je (spolu s Bobom Segerom, Johnom Mellencampom a Tomom Pettym) priekopníkom fúzie žánrov folku a rocku známym aj pod menom heartland rock, ktorý počúvam už nejaký ten rok. Hoci poznám jeho hudbu pomerne dôverne, o jeho živote som naopak vedel pomerne málo. Táto knižka mi pomohla porozumieť pôvodu jeho piesní, workoholizmu a vitalite, s ktorou dodnes koncertuje napriek tomu, že je na scéne už 55 rokov, no pramálo hovorí o jeho súkromí, skôr len sumarizuje albumy a turné v časovom slede s okolnosťami, ktoré k nim viedli. Kiež by sme sa dočkali aj jeho hlbšieho životopisu aspoň v českom preklade.

[Dawn Epton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous read. Marvellous pictures of my all time fave performer. It does not read like hero worship, nor does it overly dwell on stuff (relationships, gossip driven crap)

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was Springsteen's biography, not a history of every single show he every played.

I did like the short features on each album, but the rest got repetitious.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a good written history, this is your book. But considering the word "Illustrated" is in the title I was a tad upset that there weren't more pictures.