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16th out of 198 books
—
38 voters
Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley
The classic biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, updated and revised for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death
Bob Marley left an indelible mark on modern music, both as a reggae pioneer and as an enduring cultural icon. Catch a Fire, now a classic of rock biography, delves into the life of the leader of a musical, spiritual, and political explosion that continues tod...more
Bob Marley left an indelible mark on modern music, both as a reggae pioneer and as an enduring cultural icon. Catch a Fire, now a classic of rock biography, delves into the life of the leader of a musical, spiritual, and political explosion that continues tod...more
Paperback, 576 pages
Published
May 2nd 2006
by Holt Paperbacks
(first published 1983)
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I was very disappointed with this book. After reading it, I have a pretty good idea of what Marley's childhood was like, a hazy picture of his adult life but no understanding at all of how a poor man from a third-world country was able to popularize a genre of music that was almost universally disdained in most of the world.
I would have expected more discussion of his music; specifically how he and Chris Blackwell changed the arrangement of Marley's reggae songs to appeal to a broader audience,...more
I would have expected more discussion of his music; specifically how he and Chris Blackwell changed the arrangement of Marley's reggae songs to appeal to a broader audience,...more
Catch a Fire is as much about Jamaican politics, Jamaican music history, Rastafarianism, and Jamaican folk customs and belief in the supernatural as it is about Bob Marley. What you get about Marley covers his childhood at least as much as the time when he was a famous musician. At least a third of this covers the post death Marley situation with way too much for my interest about the legal wranglings over his estate after he died. You never really get inside of his head or get a true feel for t...more
The best artists with in our world are the ones who have passed, but there work still lives on. For generations, Bob Marley has been known as a reggae superstar. Its been a little over twenty years since Bob Marley left our world, but his music is still honored. In this biography, Catch a Fire The life of Bob Marley, written by Timothy White captures Bob and his many memories. Taking readers into the life of the lionized musician. Bob Marley was born in a one-room shack on February 6, 1945 on th...more
I was so looking forward to reading Catch a Fire, the Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White, but truthfully it turned out to be a constant struggle. Timothy White is a font of information, rather than a good story-teller and that is a real shame.
The beginning of the book we are given lengthy lessons in the origins of the Rastafari religion, historic background on the island of Jamaica, an explanation about reggae music and how it developed and a detailed account of how Haile Selassie came into pow...more
The beginning of the book we are given lengthy lessons in the origins of the Rastafari religion, historic background on the island of Jamaica, an explanation about reggae music and how it developed and a detailed account of how Haile Selassie came into pow...more
White's book (I read the 1998 edition) is engrossingly written, and many key aspects are thoroughly reported. (White is print journalist who interviewed and wrote about Marley starting in the mid-70s.) It's especially good at explaining the physical environments in which Marley came of age, and in explicating the rather mysterious (to me) Rastafarian religion. White goes into terrific detail about the rural village life Marley first grew up in, and then the crazy Kingston ghetto world in which h...more
Jun 04, 2012
Keegan LaKosh
added it
The best artists with in our world are the ones who have pasted, but there work still lives on. For generations, Bob Marley has been known as a reggae superstar and pop culture icon. Its been a little over twenty year since Bob Marley departed our world, but his music is still honored. Bob Marleys brilliance and talent will live on for generations. In this biography, Catch a Fire The life of Bob Marley, written by Timothy White encaptures Bob and his many memories. Taking readers into the life o...more
Well written biography, White is (was, RIP) a talented writer. He probably could have been a good novelist. Catch A Fire is certainly an outstanding contribution to the field, i.e. study of the life of Bob Marley and his times. Is it the definitive work? No, just like the recent Marley documentary is not the definitive film account of Marley's life. That is not necessarily a criticism of the book, as there is just so much to Bob and his story. Furthermore, I argue that Bob is largely dismissed b...more
I notice I give a lot of high ratings, and imagine that's due to my enthusiasm for the subject matter. In this case I am a little in awe of this book. When I taught General Music, I had a sign on my wall that read "Music always reflects the culture it is created in." What I like about this took is that it dives headfirst into Jamaican life, the culture, the politics, the daily struggles, the music, the technology, making you feel as if you are there in the moment watching the whole thing emerge....more
I always felt like Bob Marley got a raw deal - the only time i ever heard him was when it was walking by stoned out frat boys at Miami University. And it never sat right that this man, who inspired so much loyalty to him and to his movement, should be reduced to party music by people who weren't really listening to it. This biography completely changed the way I thought about not only Bob Marley, and not only about Reggae music, but spirituality and oppression and what it meant to be an agent of...more
Like a breath of fresh air, even with the rich aroma of mountain 'erb. Timothy White's 'Catch a Fire-The Life of Bob Marley' is wholly, and perhaps holy, unlike any other biography in the 'poptastic' genre that I have ever read.
White not only provides intimate insights to Marley, his life, family and musical journey, but also documents the history of Jamaica and its people, the politics and the fascinating origins of the Rastafarian religion. The broad sweep of this book, written with authority...more
White not only provides intimate insights to Marley, his life, family and musical journey, but also documents the history of Jamaica and its people, the politics and the fascinating origins of the Rastafarian religion. The broad sweep of this book, written with authority...more
At times I found this book hard to read, the language was written with the Jamacia slang if you will and I was stoned half the time I read it, so I had to keep coming back and re-reading it. But despite all that it was an incrediable journey inside the life of a ledgend! A must read if you have any interest in Bob!
A much more comprehensive read than I was expecting, delving into Jamaican culture, the Rastafarian faith, and the roots and evolution of reggae music. All of this background sets the table for an intimate look at the life and artistry of Bob Marley. Most intriguing were passages about Bob's shooting on the eve of a music festival he agreed to sing at, well aware that there were those in power who did not want him there, the murder of fellow artist Peter Tosh, and Bob's death, which began with s...more
As a reggae lover and a Bob Marley fanatic, I thoroughly enjoyed this biography.
Unfortunately, I have to take one star away from this beautiful book because Timothy White's work occasionally flirts with hagiography. In addition, I found that there was a lack of scepticism toward reported speech. I've heard and read multiple versions of some of the stories White reports as fact in his book. This is a small criticism, but it would have been helpful if he could have weighed some of the differing a...more
Unfortunately, I have to take one star away from this beautiful book because Timothy White's work occasionally flirts with hagiography. In addition, I found that there was a lack of scepticism toward reported speech. I've heard and read multiple versions of some of the stories White reports as fact in his book. This is a small criticism, but it would have been helpful if he could have weighed some of the differing a...more
Now that I understand Reggae and Rastafarianism, I like Marley more and the rest of it less. White makes it easy to see the progression from early rock and jazz to Reggae to hip-hop. He also illustrates the unfortunate cultural and political drivers of Jamaican poverty. None of Marley's family or associates really followed his same ideals. Rita suddenly lived a life of excess, and most of his fellow musicians and producers squabbled over his legacy. He's popular worldwide as a symbol of hope but...more
Catch a Fire is an impressive history/biography about the life and times of Bob Marley. At points the book reads like an extremely detailed political history of Jamaica while at other times it reads like a gripping novel. It is really an excellent book and deserves a less truncated review than the one I'm giving it. My takeaways:
Rastafari is a really, really strange belief system.
Jamaica is a terrifically sad place.
The difference between Bob Marley's reality, (both his physical and his supernatu...more
Rastafari is a really, really strange belief system.
Jamaica is a terrifically sad place.
The difference between Bob Marley's reality, (both his physical and his supernatu...more
I read this while in Boston, probably in 1990. I very much enjoyed learning about a musician who I loved his music. After reading this book and another about the rasta movement, I realized that I didn't respect the culture that seemed entertaining on the surface but was counter to my beliefs once explored.
Of all the possessions that were split in the "breakup", this is the one that I didn't get that I wanted. It wasn't a huge deal, although I wanted it sent to me and it wasn't. :( All these year...more
Of all the possessions that were split in the "breakup", this is the one that I didn't get that I wanted. It wasn't a huge deal, although I wanted it sent to me and it wasn't. :( All these year...more
Read this one a few years ago during a trip to Switzerland. I'd caught some horrible European bug, practically spent the whole trip in the bathroom... Anyways, when I separate it from the very awful memories of my illness, I can honestly say that this is one of the best biographies I've yet to read. Timothy White was one of the great journalists of his time, and this book has so much to say and to teach about Jamaica, the Rastafarian movement, the history of reggae music, and, of course, the gre...more
Timothy White explores Marley's childhood days like no other author. White also focuses on the political background of Jamaica and how Bob's music influences it. One gets to learn about the the Rastafarian religion through this book as well. If you are a fan of reggae or idolize the best reggae musician to ever grace our beloved earth, this is definitely the book for you. A lot of research and time went into this biography, give it a chance.
An extremely thorough and honest portrayal of an exceptional and inspiring figure. Also, the level of research and interviews compiled over more than a decade allow the reader some insight into the financial and political insanity that was the start of reggae in the late 1960s/early 1970s Jamaica.
If you have an interest in music, magic, Marley, Reaganomics, Jamaican culture, or even just like a crazy story, this is an excellent choice.
If you have an interest in music, magic, Marley, Reaganomics, Jamaican culture, or even just like a crazy story, this is an excellent choice.
Graet account of the life and times of one of the greatest that ever lived. I love that the author included a lot about Rastafarianism, Jamaican politics, and Marley's family. The only complaint is that it can, at times get confusing. Given that there is so much information, and so many names thrown into it, I found myself backtracking to try and figure out who was who, which I hate doing! All in all though, it's a great read.
Great book about the life of Bob Marley. In my opinion, one of the top 3 most influential musicians in history. Considering I haven't read any other books on his life, I can't say if there is a better one. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was it spent a little more time on Jamaican politics and other things than I was looking for. I felt that there was just a little to much detail. Some info about some of the obscure people in the music industry that didn't really add to the stor...more
I'd give this book more like 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed it and learned a ton, not only about Bob Marley but about Jamaica, the Rastarfari religion and Carribean politics. In some portions, White could either sound like the super fan or a scold, which turned me off a bit. He also had a tendency to get a bit too detailed for my tastes in some areas. But, all and all, I would recommend this book to anyone, Bob Marley fan or not.
I'm not a huge Bob Marley fan, but I checked this book out as a means to get a feel for the overall history of a lot of the Jamaican music I'm into, e.g. Gregory Isaacs, Delroy Wilson, Justin Hinds, etc. I didn't get as much of that as I wanted, but I thought it was still a great read. For the record, I certainly have been listening to a lot more Bob Marley lately.
I am a fan of biographies, especially musicians, so I had a certain expectation of content coming into this book. I would say the contents is only 1/3 about Marley, the rest is a murky history of Rastafarianism and Jamaican politics, which I found to be poorly organized, confusing, and boring. Definitely choose a different book if you want a Bob Marley biography.
Dec 16, 2011
Thomas Mckinzie
added it
This is by far a amazing book . It so descriptive and detailed . It takes you deep into the life of bob marley and the history of Raggae . The first 100 pages are about raggae and they are kind of slow but if you are interested in learning every little aspect about Bob marely and raggae i would recommend this book for you .
bob was, and continues to be, a very influential person. however, a lot of people don't know much about him. even after reading this book he is still something of an enigma. interesting to read about his influence on reggae and his role in popularizing it around the world.
Okay...So I might be a little biased because I'm obsessed with Robert Nesta Marley though I have to say that I would have liked to hear more about him as a father and a family man in general. This was an excellent depiction of this revolutionary!
I checked out on this book. Ostensibly a biography of Bob Marley, it functions as an introduction to Kingston in the 1970s and the most interesting parts of the book are when the author is going on about politics and the reggae scene. It's a loving tribute and all that, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say the book this guy really wanted to write in the end would have been about Jamaica. The Marley stuff is pretty on point until he gets famous and then you kind of stop caring about what's...more
One of the most informative and inclusive books on Bob Marley, his life and his music. Bob was so much more than his music, he was a prophet, a philosopher and a hero to millions. A must read for any Bob Marley fan.
SOOOOO much more than the biography of a man at the center of a music revolution, it is the story of a once-in-a-century human being. I was not a big Bob Marley fan before I read this book ... but I could not help becoming one once I did. A fantastic and riveting read and re-read about the life and influence of a reggae and music icon. Wait until you read about the time Bob and his rastafarian brethren played the World Cup champions in a friendly game of soccer ... but that's nothing, the story...more
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May 04, 2011 09:36am
May 04, 2011 09:36am
Apr 25, 2013 07:51pm