Tom Petty’s life and career are the subject of a lavish new book, Tom Petty: The Life & Music. The title, from author Gillian G. Garr, via Motorbooks, arrived Nov. 4, 2025. It’s available to order in the U.S. and throughout Europe here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.
The luxuriously produced collectible edition features a slipcased hardcover format, stunning concert and candid offstage photography and hundreds of images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and more.
As the author notes in her introduction, “Music had been the driving force in his life, since meeting Elvis Presley at the age of ten, and acquiring a box of rock ‘n’ roll 45s soon after.”
From the publisher’s announcement: With dozens of memorable songs, induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a string of best-selling studio albums… eight years after his passing, Petty remains one of music’s most beloved figures. In Tom Petty: The Life & Music, veteran rock journalist Gaar reveals this classic rock icon through 75 career releases, performances, and accolades.
Of #8, about “American Girl,” Gaar writes, “It’s a song of escape—of leaving the past behind to chase your dreams. And though the song’s protagonist is female, it can also be read as autobiographical, telling Tom’s own story… [in] his home state of Florida.”
The topic of #11 is the Heartbreakers’ national U.S. TV debut on The Midnight Special in 1978. “As an Elvis fan, Tom may have relished the fact that it was the same venue where Presley had taped his landmark 1968 TV show… commonly known as the ‘Comeback Special.’
“Four days after taping their spot, the Heartbreakers launched their first extensive headlining tour. It would be over a year before they would make another national television appearance.”
Through the decades, Gaar covers Petty’s childhood in Florida and early band, Mudcrutch; his 16 studio albums, including those with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist; a selection of his greatest singles, such as “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Free Fallin’”; his relationships with notable rock figures like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, and Stevie Nicks; some legendary gigs, from his first SNL appearance to his 2004 performance with Prince at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and much more.
#63 is devoted to the band’s 2008 performance during Super Bowl XLII’s Halftime Show. “Asked at the pre-show press conference if, given the show’s size, they’d be playing more to the stadium audience or the viewing audience, [Petty] joked, ‘Well, a lot of it is just trying to remember the next chord!’ He also admitted it was a challenge whittling his set down to a tight twelve minutes, saying they picked the songs they felt would work the best and ‘take you somewhere.’”
The book is divided into five parts: Runnin’ Down a Dream, 1950-1979; Into the Great Wide Open, 1979-1987; It’s Good To Be King, 1987-1996; Won’t Back Down, 1997-2010; and End of the Line, 2012-2023.
Beginning with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1976 self-titled debut LP and continuing right through the band’s final release, Hypnotic Eye in 2014, Petty is one of the most beloved performers and musicians in rock ’n’ roll history, influencing countless acts.
Gaar has written for numerous publications, including Mojo, Rolling Stone and Goldmine. Previous books include She’s a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll; Entertain Us: The Rise of Nirvana; Return of the King: Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback; Elton John at 75; and Bruce Springsteen at 75.
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