BOOK REVIEW: BOSS – The Illustrated History by Gillian G Gaar

BOOK REVIEW: BOSS – The Illustrated History by Gillian G Gaar

Voyageur Press
August 2016
Hardcover, $45.00
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar

Biography

7/10

Oddly, for an Illustrated History, this hard cover coffee table styled book focuses more on the words of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s story, than on the pictures – to the extent that photos are sometimes out of order, with photos of late 1975 tours appearing on pages where the text is describing early 1974, for instance.

That said, the photos and memorabilia on display are impressive and not just the same old pics we’ve seen over and over. Gaar’s text is interesting enough, without being definitive, and certainly tells a fair portion of the story of Springsteen and his rise to super-stardom.

Gaar concentrates on the facts, detailing each tour and album chronologically, without going into too much personal depth, but she has undoubtedly done her research and BOSS is definitely several steps above being a kind of ‘cash in’ riding on the coattails of Springsteen’s own autobiography, also out now.

Fans after the career-wide Springsteen story should find plenty to enjoy here – especially in the pictures, but for the full story, they’ll have to go one step further and read Bruce’s own book.

Category: Book Reviews