Jim Windolf - Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other and the World [BOOK]
This is a pre-order item and is expected 16th April 2026.
‘The friendship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles and how they influenced, competed with, and revered each other is meticulously, lovingly told in this delightful history of a magical world in an historic era’ – Jann Wenner
Featuring an exclusive, in-depth interview with Sir Paul McCartney on his relationship with Dylan.
Persuasive, captivating and bursting with insight, this dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another – and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined.
From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for 'teenyboppers' to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to 'go electric' and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.
Windolf's meticulous research uncovers hidden gems, peeling back layers of history to reveal the stories fans didn't even know they were missing. From Lennon's and McCartney's lyrical transformations to George Harrison's growth as a songwriter, the book showcases the ripple effects of the Beatles-Dylan connection. More than a music biography, this is a front-row seat to the forces that shaped the sound of a generation.
Jim Windolf said: ‘I didn’t mean to write this book. I just noticed some factual discrepancies in the major biographies of Dylan and the Beatles when it came to their interactions with each other, and I thought I might write a short piece to set the record straight. That was four years ago.’
Publisher Lee Brackstone said: ‘It is beyond debate that Bob Dylan and the Beatles changed the world and pop culture forever. What this book does with fascinating insight, aplomb and narrative intensity is examine how they changed each other as the defining creative forces of the 1960s. Written with the seductive style of a picaresque novel and full of new information and detail, this is a must read for any fan of these colossal artists.’
Jim Windolf is a features editor at The New York Times. He has published profiles, reviews, essays and humour pieces in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. Additionally, his short fiction has appeared in Ontario Review, 3:AM Magazine, and other literary journals. He lives in New York City.
‘One-part delightful nostalgia, two parts smart analysis and perceptive connections, this book expertly re-explains those magical long-ago years we loved so much’ – Lee Child
PRODUCT DETAIL
Author: Jim Windolf
Publisher: White Rabbit Books
Format: Hardback
Released: 16th April 2026
This is available for in-store purchase or Click and Collect. If you would like mail order please contact us here.
This is a pre-order item and is expected 16th April 2026.
‘The friendship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles and how they influenced, competed with, and revered each other is meticulously, lovingly told in this delightful history of a magical world in an historic era’ – Jann Wenner
Featuring an exclusive, in-depth interview with Sir Paul McCartney on his relationship with Dylan.
Persuasive, captivating and bursting with insight, this dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another – and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined.
From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for 'teenyboppers' to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to 'go electric' and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.
Windolf's meticulous research uncovers hidden gems, peeling back layers of history to reveal the stories fans didn't even know they were missing. From Lennon's and McCartney's lyrical transformations to George Harrison's growth as a songwriter, the book showcases the ripple effects of the Beatles-Dylan connection. More than a music biography, this is a front-row seat to the forces that shaped the sound of a generation.
Jim Windolf said: ‘I didn’t mean to write this book. I just noticed some factual discrepancies in the major biographies of Dylan and the Beatles when it came to their interactions with each other, and I thought I might write a short piece to set the record straight. That was four years ago.’
Publisher Lee Brackstone said: ‘It is beyond debate that Bob Dylan and the Beatles changed the world and pop culture forever. What this book does with fascinating insight, aplomb and narrative intensity is examine how they changed each other as the defining creative forces of the 1960s. Written with the seductive style of a picaresque novel and full of new information and detail, this is a must read for any fan of these colossal artists.’
Jim Windolf is a features editor at The New York Times. He has published profiles, reviews, essays and humour pieces in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. Additionally, his short fiction has appeared in Ontario Review, 3:AM Magazine, and other literary journals. He lives in New York City.
‘One-part delightful nostalgia, two parts smart analysis and perceptive connections, this book expertly re-explains those magical long-ago years we loved so much’ – Lee Child
PRODUCT DETAIL
Author: Jim Windolf
Publisher: White Rabbit Books
Format: Hardback
Released: 16th April 2026
This is available for in-store purchase or Click and Collect. If you would like mail order please contact us here.