Fleetwood Mac: The Definitive History

This illustrated history arrives amid reports that Fleetwood Mac will tour again in 2012. That's good news for fans, who can catch up on 45 years of Mac with this oversized career-spanning book. With rare photographs, album-by-album details, and a concise overview of the band that has survived 15 lineups, music journalist Evans (Woodstock: Three Days That Shook the World) goes back to the beginning, when Fleetwood Mac was a burgeoning British blues band featuring bassist John McVie, guitarist Peter Green, and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The group later added Christine Perfect (who married McVie), and after several changes in members and musical styles, the core trio of Fleetwood and the McVies recruited guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks. Success didn't come easy, and sordid affairs, dangerous amounts of drugs, and extravagant lifestyles threatened to destroy the volatile band. Though Evans navigates the haze of intra-band relationships, solo careers, hiatuses, and reunions, he gives short shrift to 1997's momentous reunion, making his account less than definitive. That said, Evans's insights about albums both renowned and forgotten will renew interest in the band's back-catalog and the vintage photographs will fan the flames of nostalgia. (Oct.)