Roots Rock Reggae: An Oral History of Reggae Music From Ska to Dancehall by Chuck Foster (Billboard Books, New York, 352 pages, 1999)

As an "oral history," Roots Rock Reggae compiles interviews conducted by Foster for magazine articles, particularly for the American magazine The Beat.  The bulk of the book is comprised of these 30 interviews, which range from 3 to 13 pages long and which cover legends like Desmond Dekker, John Holt, and Marcia Griffiths to more modern stars like Buju Banton, Luciano, and Beres Hammond to lesser-known acts like Foundation, Raymond Myers, and Majek Fashek.  Arranged in loosely chronological order of the sub-genres that the artists specialize in, the interviews cover, in order, ska, rock steady, roots, and dancehall, but the latter two styles dominate.  The interviews include some interesting overviews of the artists' careers by the author, interspersed with the artist's comments, but in general, each chapter is only as interesting as you find the artist featured.  The first-person insights can be intriguing, but you can't help but wonder how accurate the performers' memories of their careers are.   Thankfully, in order to provide more comprehensive coverage, Foster includes several other chapters that each provide an overview of a style and its performers, from dub to dancehall to instrumentals to jungle to dub poetry and more.  These overview chapters cover a wide range of singers, groups, DJs, and musicians not covered in the 30 main interviews, with a paragraph or two on each of them.  Foster obviously has experienced a lot of reggae, as his impressive coverage of little-known reggae acts from every corner of America, Canada, Africa, Central America, Europe, and Asia displays.   An added discography section, though not comprehensive, covers a good number of albums and adds a fairly innocuous ** if he recommends them highly.  Although Foster's writing style isn't exactly thrilling -- at times it resembles a school report -- Roots Rock Reggae contains some intriguing info that every reggae fan can benefit from.