Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A revelatory, myth-shattering history of one of the most influential musicians of all time, told in the words of those who knew him best.

Roger Steffens is one of the world's leading Bob Marley experts. He toured with the Wailers in the 1970s and was closely acquainted with Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and the rest of the band members. Over several decades he has interviewed more than seventy-five friends, business managers, relatives and confidants--many speaking publicly for the first time. Forty years in the making, So Much Things to Say weaves this rich testimony into a definitive telling of the life of the reggae king--the full, inside account of how a boy from the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, became a cultural icon and inspiration to millions around the world.

The intimacy of the voices and the frankness of their revelations will astonish even longtime Marley fans. Readers see the intense bonds of teenage friendship among Peter, Bunny and Bob, the vibrant early sessions with the original Wailers (as witnessed by members Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso and Cherry Green) and the tumultuous relationships with Rita Marley and Cindy Breakspeare.

With unprecedented candor, these interviews tell dramatic, little-known stories, from the writing of some of Marley's most beloved songs to the Wailers' violent confrontation involving producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bob's intensive musical training with star singer Johnny Nash and the harrowing assassination attempt at 56 Hope Road in Kingston, which led to Marley's defiant performance two nights later with a bullet lodged in his arm.

Readers witness Marley's rise to international fame in London, his triumphant visit to Zimbabwe to sing for freedom fighters inspired by his anthems and the devastating moment of his collapse while jogging in New York's Central Park. Steffens masterfully conducts the story of Marley's last months, as Marley poignantly sings "Another One Bites the Dust" during the sound check before his final concert in Pittsburgh, followed by his tragic death at the age of thirty-six.

So Much Things to Say explores major controversies, examining who actually ordered the shooting attack on Hope Road, scrutinizing claims of CIA involvement and investigating why Marley's fatal cancer wasn't diagnosed sooner. Featuring Steffens's own candid photographs of Marley and his circle, this magisterial work preserves an invaluable, transformative slice of music history: the life of the legendary performer who brought reggae to the international stage.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction: The People Speak (p. xiii)
• Preface (p. xix)
• Chapter 1 Where Is My Mother? (p. 1)
• Chapter 2 Trench Town Rocks (p. 8)
• Chapter 3 The Wailers at Studio One (p. 22)
• Chapter 4 Good Good Rudies (p. 40)
• Chapter 5 Love and Affection (p. 59)
• Chapter 6 Rasta Shook Them Up (p. 71)
• Chapter 7 Waiters A Go Wait (p. 80)
• Chapter 8 Nine Mile Exile (p. 87)
• Chapter 9 The JAD Years (p. 94)
• Chapter 10 Leslie Kong Meets the Tuff Gang (p. 107)
• Chapter 11 Lee Perry and Jamaican Politricks (p. 117)
• Chapter 12 Cold Cold Winters in Sweden and London (p. 133)
• Chapter 13 Island's Kinky Reggae (p. 149)
• Chapter 14 Burnin' Out in London (p. 158)
• Chapter 15 The End of the Beginning (p. 169)
• Chapter 16 Natty Dread (p. 179)
• Chapter 17 Hope Road Runnings (p. 189)
• Chapter 18 Cindy Breakspeare and the 1975 Tour (p. 198)
• Chapter 19 Rastaman Vibration and the Fatal Reissue (p. 207)
• Chapter 20 Ambush in the Night (p. 216)
• Chapter 21 The CIA and the Assassination Attempt (p. 227)
• Chapter 22 Smile, You're in Jamaica (p. 235)
• Chapter 23 Who Shot Bob Marley? (p. 255)
• Chapter 24 Exodus to London (p. 264)
• Chapter 25 Blackwell, Bob and Business (p. 274)
• Chapter 26 The Bloody Toe in the Paris Match (p. 282)
• Chapter 27 The One Love Peace Concert (p. 288)
• Chapter 28 Babylon by Bus from the U.N. to Ethiopia (p. 305)
• Chapter 29 Charity and Survival (p. 315)
• Chapter 30 From the Apollo to Gabon (p. 330)
• Chapter 31 Natty Mash It inna Zimbabwe (p. 346)
• Chapter 32 Uprising (p. 363)
• Chapter 33 Madison Square Garden Then Everything Crash (p. 370)
• Chapter 34 Dr. Issels and the Final Days (p. 386)
• Chapter 35 Marley's Legacy and the Wailers' Favorite Songs (p. 399)
• Epilogue (p. 407)
• Acknowledgments (p. 409)
• List of Interviewees (p. 415)
• Index (p. 417)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In his page-turning oral history of Bob Marley (1945-1981), Steffens, a reggae historian and producer of a one-man show about Marley's life, brings the singer to life through conversations with his bandmates, lovers, family members, and musical associates. Through this thoroughly engaging history, readers learn about the sometimes uneasy working relationships at Coxson Dodd's Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica, during the early days of the Wailers; Rita Marley's revelatory encounter with Haile Selassie, the Rasta god, on Apr. 21, 1966; and the responses of Carl Colby Jr. (son of former CIA director William Colby) to accusations that Carl tried to have Marley killed. In one conversation, Bunny Wailer (Neville O'Riley Livingston) recalls with joyous insight Marley's songwriting process-"Bob writes bits of songs, as the inspiration come him write, and then him just put them bits there together." Two of Marley's band members, Gilly Gilbert and Danny Sims, recall the nights in 1980 when they opened for the Commodores at Madison Square Garden and more than half the audience left when the Wailers finished their set. In this highly entertaining and informative history, Steffens also includes dozens of photos from his own archive. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

In compiling an oral history of a music legend, or, in Bob Marley's case, a global icon, a decision must be made: How much editing should be done? Historian and archivist Steffens, the reigning Marley expert, provides the definitive primary source in this gathering of recorded and written interviews with individuals from the various circles that surrounded Marley. With so much already written about the music and the man, Steffens presents these remembrances of the reggae star verbatim, forming a grand anecdotal conversation covering the whole of Marley's life, even as personal accounts conflict. This clash of memories is most evident in the coverage of the Wailers' breakthrough album, Burnin'. All involved are represented, from Bunny Wailer to Peter Tosh, Chris Blackwell, Esther Anderson, and more, even as their accounts are wildly different. Also of special note are the interviews recounting the lead-up to the assassination attempt against Marley in 1976 and the landmark Smile Jamaica Concert that immediately followed. Devoted fans and all readers interested in reggae, Marley, and his era will find this many-voiced, richly subjective chronicle dramatic and compelling.--Ruzicka, Michael Copyright 2017 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

An oral history that presents a well-rounded portrait of the music legend, allowing for multiple, sometimes-conflicting, points of view. Robert Nesta Marley (1945-1981) left a legacy of beautiful music, helping to push reggae from its Jamaican roots out into the world at large. Mindful of the many books about Marley already available, reggae historian Steffens (The Family Acid, 2015, etc.) worked to make a complete narrative covering the musician's entire life and filling in the cracks left by previous books. The author goes into great detail about Marley's early recordings, the inner workings of the Wailers, and the cancer that eventually took Marley's life. Steffens has interviewed dozens of major and minor players in Marley's life, including Wailers Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, Island Records' Chris Blackwell, Marley's mother, Cedella Booker, and various friends, musicians, and associates. There is a fullness to the collective weight of all these observations that is well-suited to the oral history format. What emerges is a not a clear picture of Marley the man but rather a true sense of how complicated his life was. His legend and impact, his work ethic, his abilities as a musician and leaderthese are beyond questionbut there are a lot of contrasting voices. On the question of who wrote "I Shot the Sheriff," for example, Marley's then-girlfriend Esther Anderson and his friend Lee Jaffe both think the story starts with them. There are disagreements over how people met, who paid royalty payments, who deserves credit for music and lyrics, etc. Steffens inserts himself as a voice like any of the others, offering structure and sometimes serving as a referee. If someone has told what has proven to be a lie, the author steps in and clarifies. But mostly, he lets his subjects speak for themselves. The author's approach allows him to tell more of the story, and even without presenting Marley's voice directly, this is an illuminating portrait of an extraordinary life. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.