Written at the dawn of the seventies by a former crime reporter and self-confessed "mafia expert", this book was not only the first serious study of Dylan's life and work, but also a landmark in the way popular music was written about. In addition to a Bob biographer's wish-list of interviews, Scaduto pulled off the remarkable coup of getting Dylan's full co-operation without conceding an editorial veto. Dylan has read this book cover to cover and discusses its uncomfortable contents with the author at length!
The initial subtitle 'AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY' was dropped and used again on the various editions of this classic book.
Thank you to Peter Oudejans for the precisions about the early editions.
Bob Dylan's biography by Anthony Scaduto has been translated into Danish, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.
Galley proof for Grosset & Dunlap, 1971. The front cover is annotated in Tony Glover's hand, "Grosset & Dunlap - Oct (1st week), Illus. (8 pgs-photos), $6.95, Approx 300 pgs." The proof measures 8.5 x 14.5 and is 165 pages long. (Tony Glover collection)