The Reggae Nation The Global Legacy of Bob Marley & The Wailers

A unique, colourful, and limited edition hardcover book which explores the global achievements and impact of legendary reggae group Bob Marley and the Wailers.

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A travelogue of inspiring revelations, with eloquent descriptions of Marley’s globe-spanning inspiration. Huisman is an articulate guide as he spins the globe, bringing remote outposts and cultures into view where Marley’s works have taken hold.

Roger Steffens

Author of So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley

The book

The Reggae Nation: The Global Legacy of Bob Marley & The Wailers is the result of ten years of research and is the first comprehensive attempt to explore and understand the global achievements, presence, and impact of Bob Marley and the Wailers and their contributions to the ‘Reggae Nation’: the worldwide reggae community. In honouring the memory and legacy of Bob Marley, The Reggae Nation bears witness to and celebrates the enduring vibrancy of reggae music and its global spread.

As a global history of reggae and a reggae travelogue rolled into one, The Reggae Nation takes readers on an extraordinary and unique journey through time and space. From the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the frozen heights of the Himalayas in Nepal, and numerous places in between on all continents, this comprehensive volume takes readers to the roots and along the routes of reggae and Rastafari.

A striking, one-of-a-kind 432-page publication, The Reggae Nation is colourfully and richly designed and illustrated by Maria Papaefstathiou, co-founder of the International Reggae Poster Contest. The book features nearly 300 photos, many of which by renowned reggae and pop music photographers from around the world, including Lee Abel, Adrian Boot, Murray Cammick, Ueli Frey, Kim Gottlieb-Walker, Gijsbert Hanekroot, Marcello Mencarini, Ebet Roberts, Mitsuhiro Sugawara, and Rob Verhorst. With a foreword by Roger Steffens, reggae archivist and author of So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley.

The Reggae Nation was published as a one-time limited edition of 600 hardcover copies in coffee table format: 23,5 cm (9.25") x 30 cm (11,81") x 3,9 cm (1.54“), each book weighing 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs). Each of the 600 copies of the book was numbered and signed by the author and, optionally, personalized.

The Reggae Nation highlights the author’s commitment to reggae, desire to share his knowledge and passion, and intention to give something back to the music and culture which has given the author so much. The book never was about money and turning a profit. That is why the project has a non-profit character and the proceeds of book sales (after covering the production costs) go to charity, namely the non-profit organization HELP Jamaica! HELP Jamaica! supports educational projects in Jamaica to give children, young people, and adults from economically and socially disadvantaged areas the opportunity to learn, empower themselves, and nurture new skills. More information
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The author

Martijn Huisman is a longtime reggae fan and experienced researcher and author. Following his 2018 debut Babylon By Bus: Bob Marley and the Wailers Live and Up Close, The Reggae Nation is the author's way of giving something back to reggae music and culture. More information

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Testimonials

A travelogue of inspiring revelations, with eloquent descriptions of Marley’s globe-spanning inspiration. Huisman is an articulate guide as he spins the globe, bringing remote outposts and cultures into view where Marley’s works have taken hold.

Roger Steffens (USA)

Author of So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley

AWESOME 🎸🎤🎹🪘🥁🎺🎷@reggaenationbook 💚🧡❤️👑

Junior Marvin (USA)

Guitarist Bob Marley and The Wailers

Congratulations once more on such an impressive project. Excellent!

John Masouri (UK)

Author of Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers

A book unlike any other and one that I encourage all Marley and reggae fans to get. It takes the reader around the globe and exposes them to the seeds that Bob planted so many years ago and what they resulted in. From the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the seas of Japan, this book will take the reader on a journey of a lifetime. Along the way you'll learn how one man from Jamaica impacted an entire planet for the better good of humanity.

Joe Jurgensen (USA)

Author of Bob Marley: The Complete Annotated Bibliography

What a work... and a beautiful result! The book looks really good; the design, the printing, and also the binding. Maria's design is very convincing, a nice balance between popular and serious. In short, you can be really proud of it. Still unmentioned: great image research that was well used by Maria.

Gijsbert Hanekroot (Netherlands)

Photographer and publisher of Babylon By Bus: Bob Marley & the Wailers Live and Up Close

A few days ago I've got your phenomenal book! It's fantastic! Everything fits: the writing, the photographs, the design, the quality of the paper and the binding. It's quite a masterwork!

Rainer Bratfisch (Germany)

Author of Das grosse Reggae-Lexikon: Rastas, Riddims, Roots & Reggae: Vom Ska bis zum Dancehall

Wow, what a brilliant accomplishment, popping graphics, heavy weight like a treasure, great photos…..and I haven’t even read anything yet! Who in the world with any interest in reggae at all would not want a copy?

Lee Abel (USA)

Reggae and Jamaica photographer

This hard-back book is an exceptional piece of work. It’s a real ‘labour of love’, to be cherished by the reggae community. Wonderfully-well packaged and produced, spilling over with an array of revealing insights. It is fair to say that this wonderfully-well illustrated tome is an invaluable addition to reggae’s library stock. As they now say around the globe: ‘Raspect’!

Gerry McMahon (Ireland)

Reggae writer and reviewer

Bravo! The book is GORGEOUS. What an accomplishment! You should be very proud!

Kim Gottlieb-Walker (USA)

Photographer and author of Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae

I received your book, it's lovely!

Miss Pat Chin (USA)

Co-founder VP Records (reggae music label)

It is beautiful. I am often disappointed when books arrive as either the reproduction or paper quality or design are not good. I was happily surprised by the book and am honored to have a photograph in it. Now to read it! Congratulations.

Ebet Roberts (USA)

Rock photographer

Great book. I can't stop reading it, loads of great pics. Heavy to lug around on travels, but it's loaded with lots of historic and great moments in Reggae.

Copeland Forbes (Jamaica)

Tour manager/artist manager/reggae historian

In the media

Since its release, The Reggae Nation has gotten media attention from around the world. Here are the major publications and interviews:

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Thank you!

Thank you for your support of this project, it truly means a lot and is hugely appreciated! Without the backing of fans from around the world, this book could not have come to fruition.

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