Book excerpt: While Bob Dylan is known first and foremost as an exceptional composer, he also remains a master interpreter of the songs of others. During a career which now spans more than 45 years, Dylan has covered, in concert or on record, more than 500 songs from the pens of others. Set out in an encyclopaedia style format, this book includes details of every song Dylan has covered. Each song is listed alphabetically, providing a history of the origins of the songs and explanations of how Dylan came to record or perform them. This exhaustive work is the first to cover the topic.