DYLAN BOOKS Monthly

January 2026

Welcome to the third issue of DYLAN BOOKS Monthly, a compilation of recent DYLAN BOOKS social media posts.

IN THIS ISSUE

Superstar Bob Dylan plus cat

New Bob Dylan books for 2026

New Bob Dylan portrait

Bob Dylan books added to my collection in 2025

• Part 4 - Filling key gaps

• Part 3 - 9 I’d missed

• Part 2 - 9 new Dylan books

• Part 1 - 4 books BY Dylan

Dylan pour les débutants

Early Dylan - an excellent book you might have missed

SUPERSTAR BOB DYLAN PLUS CAT

This image of a fur-clad Dylan, with kitten in a limo, is from a painting by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert. It’s cropped from his “Superstar Bob” in Rock Dreams, the classic 1973 book, which has several other images of Dylan.

You might be familiar with Peellaert’s art through album covers like Bowie’s Diamond Dogs and the Rolling Stones’ It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll and film posters like Taxi Driver and Paris, Texas.

I bought Bob Dylan Épitaphes 11 partly for this cover. Like many French-language Dylan books, it’s beautifully designed.

NEW BOB DYLAN BOOKS FOR 2026

2026 could be another bumper year for Bob Dylan books. I’m already looking forward to this trio of new titles, due in March and April, on:

- Dylan the filmmaker

- Dylan’s late career work, in a multitude of media

- Teaching Bob Dylan - new pbk ed, newly priced for fans, not academia

NEW BOB DYLAN PORTRAIT

A surprise Christmas gift, from an 8 year old fellow Dylan fan. She was inspired by Dylan’s striking recording of Adeste Fidelis on Christmas In The Heart.

BOB DYLAN BOOKS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION IN 2025

Part 4 - 4 key gaps filled

Why on Earth did I ignore these four Dylan books when first published, long ago? Asleep at the wheel! Jewish roots, The Bible, early Dylan and early Uncut. Key gaps finally filled.

Part 3 - 9 recent books I’d missed

Part 2: 9 new Dylan books

The hit film A Complete Unknown inspired a surge of new Dylan books - I reviewed them here on DYLAN BOOKS.

Expect the flow to continue in 2026

Part 1: 4 books BY Dylan

I’d been looking for these versions of the Lyrics books for a while (I already had less attractive versions). Point Blank is one of the weaker Dylan art books. The Bootleg Series vol.18 liner notes booklet is disappointingly slim - I’m tempted to buy the de luxe box - partly for the Sean Wilentz book.

DYLAN POUR LES DÉBUTANTS - LE NOUVEAU LIVRE DÉPASSE MES ATTENTES

I posted about the English version on 17 October. My darling daughter spotted this French-language edition in her local La Presse in Normandy. DYLAN BOOKS has some Francophone followers, so this is my modest Christmas gift to them…

Meilleurs vœux de Noël et de nouvel an à tous mes lectrices et lecteurs

Je viens d’ajouter à ma collection L’histoire de Bob Dylan, une « bookazine » de 130 pages publiée en août. Je suis impressionné. Il est éditorialement large, richement illustré et joliment conçu. Le texte que j’ai échantillonné est détaillé et vivant.

Il ne tente pas d’innover - les fans baby-boomers n’apprendront pas grand-chose. Mais son marché cible - les débutants de Dylan - le fera certainement. Et, à 15 euros, c’est bon marché.

EARLY DYLAN - AN EXCELLENT BOOK YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

The Formative Dylan: Transmissions and Stylistic Influences 1961-63 (Todd Harvey, Scarecrow Press, 2001, hbk, 240pp) is an excellent guide to the early Dylan songs covered by The Bootleg Series vol. 18. It’s little-known and quite rare.

To paraphrase its accurate blurb : “Examines the musical roots of 70 songs from Dylan’s early career… his first three Columbia LPs, officially released outtakes.., and his Broadside recordings… 70 short articles detailing melodic and lyric roots, describing contemporaneous performances… shows the process by which Dylan learned or composed his formative repertoire. “

It’s the only book I know which discusses the music - as well as the derivation, context and performances - of early Dylan songs. Lyrical analysis is largely ignored.