Through the lens of four seminal concerts, acclaimed poet and biographer Daniel Mark Epstein offers an intimate, nuanced look at Bob Dylan: a vivid, full-bodied portrait of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, from his birth to the Never Ending Tour.

Beginning with 1963’s Lisner Auditorium concert in Washington, D.C., Epstein revisits Dylan’s astonishing rise as the darling of the folk revival, focusing on the people and books that shaped him, and his struggle to find artistic direction on the road in the 1960s. Madison Square Garden, 1974, sheds light on Dylan’s transition from folk icon to rock star, his family life in seclusion, his subsequent divorce, and his highly anticipated return to touring. Tanglewood, 1997, reveals how Dylan revived his flagging career in the late 1990s—largely under the influence of Jerry Garcia—discovering new ways of singing and connecting with his audience, and assembling the great bands for his Never Ending Tour. In a breathtaking account of the Time Out of Mind sessions, Epstein provides the most complete picture yet of Dylan’s contemporary work in the studio, his acceptance of his laurels, and his role as the éminence grise of rock and roll today. Aberdeen, 2009, brings us full circle, detailing the making of Dylan’s triumphant albums of the 2000s, as well as his long-running radio show.

Drawing on anecdotes and insights from new interviews with those closest to the man—including Maria Muldaur, Happy Traum, D. A. Pennebaker, Nora Guthrie, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Dylan’s sidemen throughout the years—The Ballad of Bob Dylan is a singular take on an artist who has transformed generations and, as he enters his eighth decade, continues to inspire and surprise today.