Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer [Paperback]

Bruce W. Talamon (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994

Bob Marley remains a powerful worldwide presence. He is still the best-selling reggae artist in the world, with a following of millions. This text is a photographic tribute that provides an insight into the career, life and personality of Bob Marley. The photographs were taken by Bruce Talamon, a renowned photographer who had regular contact with Marley through the singer's last years and with whom Marley felt comfortable enough to grant unrestricted and exclusive access both on and off the stage. The text traces Marley's life from his youth in Jamaica and the birth of the Wailers to his worldwide acceptance and tragic death at the age of 36. The foreword is by Timothy White, author of Marley's biography "To Catch A Fire".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Steffens traces the life of well-known Rastafarian and Jamaican reggae performer Bob Marley (1945-81) from his youth to his worldwide acceptance to the months preceding his death from cancer at age 36.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Bob Marley is not only an important cultural symbol. He is also something of a cottage industry. Sound recordings, videos, and desultory paraphernalia make of him, even in death, a potent and profitable figure. This volume largely of portraits represents a maturing of the Marley market even as the fascination with all things Marley filters down to fans too young to have seen him alive. Tasteful and well done, Talamon's photographic essay stands in stark contrast to some of the raw, slapdash products intended primarily to cash in on Marley's fame. The photographs catch Marley in relaxed, even introspective moods, and Timothy White's lengthy foreword lays to rest some of the misunderstandings and errors in previous Marley studies. Moreover, this is a thoroughly entertaining book that captures the mystical mood of reggae and advances the study of a figure who, like Malcolm X, to whom Talamon compares him, has grown greatly in influence and stature since his death. A moving portrait of a great musician, religious leader, and force for peace and justice. Mike Tribby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2nd edition (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393312003
• ISBN-13: 978-0393312003
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,402,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration, December 17, 2009

By 

Aaron D. Wood "Garin Wood" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer (Paperback)

Bob Marley is a legend, we all know that. As one African American, he had the power to change an entire country that was in the middle of a major dispute. I knew this information previously to reading this book. However, I didn't know nearly as much as I do now. I'm not going to give any information from the book, you can read it on your own, but I will tell you that for the small amount of pages this book has, there is still a ton of very good information and insight into Marley's life. As with any biographies, there is some slow and boring parts, but these do not even scratch the surface on the rest of this amazing book. The pictures at the end are just as inspirational and enlightening as the text itself and just put the icing on the cake for this book. The price for this book on Amazon seems pretty high, fortunately I checked it out from my school library. I wouldn't say it's worth the price, but I would definitely recommend picking it up somewhere if you are a fan of Bob Marley or even if you just want to learn about a truly amazing human being. R.I.P Bob Marley.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proud Spirit, February 15, 2008

By 

Laughterror "13-XIII" (LOS ANGELES) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer (Paperback)

The photographs and the written text of this book compliment each other
perfectly. This book is put together not just for the Bob Marley fan but
any style music fan and also for fans of photography.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wait - this is a book? Complete Rip-Off, November 1, 2009

By 

Reader1979 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer (Paperback)

Well, for the price, I can safely say this is a complete waste of money. I've bought hard cover autobiographies on Amazon for less. The 'book' is the size of a CD booklet, with 160 'pages'. This book was rated because of all the photos included, but who wants to see pictures in a 'book'that small? I'm sorry I took it out of the package because of curiousity. I should have read the reviews in more detail. In addition to all the pictures, the actual words are written so big that I wondered if it was meant for 10 year olds. I'm sure if this was converted to the size of a real book, there wouldnt even be 30 full pages. Complete RIP-OFF!

There is not much to this 'book' and if you want to read about Bob Marley, this book has nothing for you. I can't even bring myself to read it, I just get angry every time I look at it.