A New York Times and Boston Globe Best Book of the Summer
"Absorbing. . . [Tonight in Jungleland is] a fascinating portrait of a talented, ambitious and stubborn young man with strong creative instincts - but who needed to get out of his own way to let the genius shine."
—Los Angeles Times
“Carlin revisits those pivotal years [before the release of Born to Run] with a fan’s fervor and a journalist’s attention to detail.... Carlin’s prose heightens the drama of the album’s construction.... Tonight in Jungleland vividly summons the album’s struggle and its spirit.”
—New York Times
"Few writers make the recording and writing process feel as alive as Carlin does, recounting the story behind Born to Run with a deep appreciation for Springsteen's craft and artistry; it's music writing and biography at its finest."
—Seattle Times
"A must-read accompaniment to the biography of a man that many of us have only known to exist in the stratosphere of musical artists. But what makes this book remarkable is what almost wasn't - his most perfect album."
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"What Carlin does here is more than just music journalism. He creates a story, a mood, and triumphs and challenges for its main and supporting characters, almost novelistic in its approach and analysis. So even if you've already spent hundreds of hours with Wendy, Mary, the Magic Rat, Barefoot Girl, Scooter and the Big Man, Terry, and the Duke Street Kings, Tonight in Jungleland is worth another ride out on Highway 9."
—Houston Press
"After two strong but imperfect albums, how did Springsteen's sound grow so quickly? . . . By the end of Tonight In Jungleland, Carlin just might have figured it out."
—AV Club
“A thrilling page-turner, Carlin’s book, which includes new interviews with Springsteen, recounts the minute-by-minute details leading up to and immediately following the album’s release, lingering on the intimate happenings at the recording sessions, Springsteen’s perfectionist struggles, and the grind to craft and record each note and word.”
—Smithsonian Magazine
"Carlin made the most of his remarkable access to Springsteen’s bandmates, producer, agent – and The Boss himself. . . You don’t have to be a Springsteen fan or even a rock music fan to appreciate this book. It reads like a novel, shining a light on the power of authenticity."
—Christian Science Monitor
“Bolstered by interviews with Springsteen himself... this book thrives in exploring the hard work that preceded it. An admirably comprehensive study of a masterpiece and its creation.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Captivating. . . Carlin takes a fascinating look at the challenges of making an album whose success now seems inevitable, exploring what drives artists to create as well as how their relationship with their work can shift as it becomes part of popular culture. Springsteen fans should snap this up.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Endlessly entertaining.... A must for Springsteen fans and admirers of the album.”
—Booklist (starred)
