Blues Books

Showing 1-50 of 1,184
Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta (Paperback)
by (shelved 31 times as blues)
avg rating 4.21 — 2,047 ratings — published 1981
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Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 20 times as blues)
avg rating 4.02 — 1,512 ratings — published 2004
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Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday (Paperback)
by (shelved 18 times as blues)
avg rating 4.29 — 1,756 ratings — published 1998
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Blues People: Negro Music in White America Blues People: Negro Music in White America (Paperback)
by (shelved 15 times as blues)
avg rating 4.15 — 2,453 ratings — published 1963
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Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters (Paperback)
by (shelved 13 times as blues)
avg rating 4.10 — 1,145 ratings — published 2002
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The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People (Paperback)
by (shelved 13 times as blues)
avg rating 3.95 — 288 ratings — published 1995
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The Land Where the Blues Began The Land Where the Blues Began (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as blues)
avg rating 4.31 — 865 ratings — published 1993
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Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as blues)
avg rating 4.29 — 799 ratings — published 2008
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Searching for Robert Johnson Searching for Robert Johnson (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as blues)
avg rating 3.87 — 759 ratings — published 1989
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Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as blues)
avg rating 4.13 — 382 ratings — published 2020
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When I Left Home: My Story When I Left Home: My Story (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as blues)
avg rating 4.32 — 1,338 ratings — published 2012
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The Blues: A Very Short Introduction The Blues: A Very Short Introduction (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 9 times as blues)
avg rating 3.83 — 273 ratings — published 2010
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Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as blues)
avg rating 4.22 — 584 ratings — published 2004
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Chasin' That Devil Music: Searching For The Blues Chasin' That Devil Music: Searching For The Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as blues)
avg rating 3.89 — 120 ratings — published 1998
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Big Road Blues: Tradition And Creativity In The Folk Blues Big Road Blues: Tradition And Creativity In The Folk Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as blues)
avg rating 4.00 — 31 ratings — published 1982
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The Devil's Music: A History of the Blues The Devil's Music: A History of the Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as blues)
avg rating 3.92 — 220 ratings — published 1976
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The Country Blues The Country Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as blues)
avg rating 4.07 — 115 ratings — published 1959
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Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 7 times as blues)
avg rating 4.19 — 769 ratings — published 2019
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Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as blues)
avg rating 4.03 — 1,358 ratings — published 2014
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Urban Blues Urban Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as blues)
avg rating 3.74 — 47 ratings — published 1966
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Stomping The Blues Stomping The Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 4.08 — 220 ratings — published 1976
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Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer Blues & Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 4.14 — 117 ratings — published 2009
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Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 3.88 — 42 ratings — published 1988
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The Story of the Blues The Story of the Blues (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 4.01 — 90 ratings — published 1969
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Father of the Blues: An Autobiography (Da Capo Paperback) Father of the Blues: An Autobiography (Da Capo Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 3.70 — 47 ratings — published 1985
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Feel Like Going Home Feel Like Going Home (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 4.19 — 507 ratings — published 1971
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Blues From The Delta Blues From The Delta (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as blues)
avg rating 3.92 — 66 ratings — published 1970
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The Big Book of Blues: The Fully Revised and Updated Biographical Encyclopedia The Big Book of Blues: The Fully Revised and Updated Biographical Encyclopedia (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.19 — 31 ratings — published 1994
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Bossmen: Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters Bossmen: Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.90 — 31 ratings — published 1972
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Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.30 — 81 ratings — published 1993
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Stevie Ray Vaughan : Caught in the Crossfire Stevie Ray Vaughan : Caught in the Crossfire (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.15 — 710 ratings — published 1993
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Heroes of Blues, Jazz, and Country Heroes of Blues, Jazz, and Country (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.28 — 873 ratings — published 2006
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Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.84 — 154 ratings — published 1999
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The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.97 — 505 ratings — published 2011
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Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.84 — 56 ratings — published 2009
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Bessie Bessie (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.06 — 201 ratings — published 1972
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Blues Fell this Morning: Meaning in the Blues (Canto original series) Blues Fell this Morning: Meaning in the Blues (Canto original series)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.83 — 48 ratings — published 1960
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Savannah syncopators: African retentions in the blues (Blues paperbacks) Savannah syncopators: African retentions in the blues (Blues paperbacks)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.60 — 15 ratings — published
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King of the Delta Blues: The Life and Music of Charlie Patton King of the Delta Blues: The Life and Music of Charlie Patton (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 3.76 — 38 ratings — published 1988
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I Am the Blues: The Willie Dixon Story I Am the Blues: The Willie Dixon Story (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as blues)
avg rating 4.16 — 107 ratings — published 1989
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Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.95 — 248 ratings — published 2023
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Barrelhouse Blues: Location Recording and the Early Traditions of the Blues Barrelhouse Blues: Location Recording and the Early Traditions of the Blues (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.58 — 26 ratings — published 2009
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In Search of the Blues In Search of the Blues (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.76 — 132 ratings — published 2007
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Portrait Of The Blues Portrait Of The Blues (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.83 — 12 ratings — published 1996
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A Blues Life (Music in American Life) A Blues Life (Music in American Life)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 4.00 — 10 ratings — published 1999
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The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy Waters The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy Waters (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 4.31 — 36 ratings — published 1975
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Beyond the Crossroads (New Directions in Southern Studies) Beyond the Crossroads (New Directions in Southern Studies)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 4.00 — 27 ratings — published 2017
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White Tears White Tears (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.67 — 10,525 ratings — published 2017
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Recording the Blues Recording the Blues (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 3.94 — 17 ratings — published
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Memphis Rent Party: The Blues, Rock & Soul in Music's Hometown Memphis Rent Party: The Blues, Rock & Soul in Music's Hometown (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as blues)
avg rating 4.11 — 159 ratings — published 2018
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Eric Clapton
“At first the music almost repelled me, it was so intense, and this man made no attempt to sugarcoat what he was trying to say, or play. It was hard-core, more than anything I had ever heard. After a few listenings I realized that, on some level, I had found the master, and that following this man's example would be my life's work.”
Eric Clapton

Ken Grimwood
“You see, there's some blues for folks ain't never had a thing, and that's a sad blues ... but the saddest kind of blues is for them that's had everything they ever wanted and has lost it, and knows it won't come back no more. Ain't no sufferin' in this world worse than that; and that's the blue we call 'I Had It But It's All Gone Now.”
Ken Grimwood, Replay

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