Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White (Holt, Rinehart and Winston,  New York, 380 pages, 1983)

Published only two years after Marley's death, this is one of the earliest biographies of the legend whose life is still today popular fodder for authors.  This isn't a hastily put together book, however; it collects information from Marley family and friends, public records, interviews with Marley himself conducted by White between 1975 and 1981, newspaper articles, as well as conversations with all sorts of politicians, industry executives, Rastafarian elders, etc.  Thus, the detail here is painstaking, but nevertheless, Catch a Fire maintains a readable narrative style.  Still, though, there has to be a certain amount of poetic license taken by the author to re-create the many conversations and intimate moments contained in the book, which makes you wonder how much creative license was taken.  Of course, except for perhaps an implication of CIA involvement in Marley's death and a certain amount of mysticism (reminiscent of the Bruce Lee biographical movie Dragon, which was a Hollywood film, with all the implications that that entails) thrown in, there isn't too much controversial that White could've embelished (Who cares enough about the CIA to be offended?).  The main benefit of the book is that it takes larger-than-life figures -- Bob Marley heading the list, but also with Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Joe Higgs, Chris Blackwell, etc. -- and reduces them to real people by providing a close-up, insider view into their lives.  While not action-packed or always thrilling, the book can only be as exciting as Bob Marley's life was, which was still pretty remarkable.  Part of what some readers my find dull about the book is that White delves into Jamaican history and politics, the history of reggae (though not terribly deep), and some background information on Rastafarianism.  I didn't mind these detours because they helped to provide some perspective.  At least such historical, socio-political facts are easier to verify (some might say "believe") than some of the biographical details.