‘Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers,’ John Lingan

So many books have written on the broad history of rock & roll that it’s some marvel that John Lingan, who’s previously tackled the stories of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Patsy Cline, has found an entirely fresh way to tell its story. This selection of mini profiles on drummers ranging from Charlie Watts to Questlove is a revelation for the way it reorients American popular music around a single instrument, and for the way the book manages to tackle the music itself in a way that’s both broadly accessible and enlightening to non-musicians. “Drums gave rock and roll its energy, motion, volume and rhythm,” writes Lingan, “and they are the source of much of its innovation.” —J.B.