TONIGHT IN JUNGLELAND - THE MAKING OF BORN TO RUN

A revelatory behind-the-scenes account of the making of Bruce Springsteen’s ground-breaking album, Born to Run—one of the most iconic records in rock history—Tonight in Jungleland combines lush music writing with unprecedented inside access to Springsteen, his bandmates, and the full story behind the songs, recording sessions, struggles and breakthroughs… and coincides with the album’s 50th anniversary in August 2025.

From the opening piano notes of “Thunder Road,” to the final howls of “Jungleland” —with American anthems like “Born to Run” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” in between—Bruce Springsteen’s seminal album, Born to Run, established Springsteen as a transformative figure in rock and roll. With his back against the wall and in danger of being dropped by Columbia Records, he wrote what has been hailed as a perfect album, a roadmap for what would become a legendary career.

Peter Ames Carlin, whose bestselling biography, Bruce, gave him rare access to Springsteen’s inner circle and Bruce himself, now returns with the full story of the making of this epic album. Carlin unearths a treasure trove of untold stories, detailing the writing and recording of every song, as well as the personal, intense and at times tortuous process that mimicked the fault lines in Springsteen’s psyche and career, even as it revealed the depth of his vision. Essential reading for any Bruce fan, Tonight in Jungleland takes us inside a hallowed creative process and into a magical moment in music history.