You Don’t Need a Weatherman: Bob Dylan for Beginners

Perfect for both the long-time Dylan fan and for bemused family and friends wanting to understand the devotion, this book explains what singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has achieved over his 60-year career and why he has acquired such a cult following. Why is he so revered? Why does everyone know his name? Why do we all know someone with ’ Bob Dylan Concert’ on their bucket list? By breaking his career up into 14 different chapters, this book explains how he has both shaped and reflected modern popular culture across a period of enormous social and political change. There are many books about Bob Dylan; stories of his life, fanatic deconstructions of his lyrics, and tomes exceeding 900 pages. This book is none of those, but rather a concise story of Bob Dylan’s artistic development throughout his whole career, perfect for fans and newcomers alike.

Chris O’ Connor’s Bob Dylan journey began when he was gifted Dylan’s album ’ Street Legal’ by his newly ex-girlfriend on his 18th birthday. He found his inner voice in Dylan’s songs, and over the following years he worked his way through the Dylan catalogue and read all the articles and books about the artist that he could get his hands on. O’ Connor writes, ’ His songs have moved me and confused me, confounded and astounded me, and I find a deeper meaning in them the more I listen.’