Books about ABBA and related subjects

ABBA On Record – Packaged Promoted Reviewed took many, many years to write: much longer than I had originally expected. At one point, it almost felt like this was what the rest of my life was going to be like, just working on ABBA On Record without ever reaching the end.

But I did reach the end and the book is now with most of the people who pre-ordered it, and I am very happy to say that the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Below are some of the nice things people have written on social media, or in messages directly to me. If you're wondering whether this book is any good, just read what your fellow ABBA fans think – then place your order at abbaonrecord.com.

"I can’t put the book down."

"I ended up reading until 1 a.m. Thank you for writing this incredible book."

"You really did an outstanding job, so many nice reading hours are laying ahead."

"Thank you for the great book!"

"Great book!!! Love it!!"

"Thank you for this great work on ABBA! Seriously impressed on your ability to continue to dig up new info on all subjects of our favourite group."

"I'm 75 pages into it – it's fantastic."

"It is soooo interesting! Cannot. Put. It. Down."

"Your book is a triumph.  Book looks great (as always!) and the parts I've read are great."

"ABBA On Record is, to put it simply, just breathtaking. Thank you for your effort and the time you have spent on making this marvellous book."

"What a magnificent and impressive piece of work!!!  You should be VERY proud."

"Got mine today and already immersed!"

"This book will for sure provide me with long days of reading pleasure. A must for every ABBA fan!"

"ABBA on record is our new bible – so amazingly good and I'm so happy that you put so much time into the research but also that your writing is so captivating and inspired. Love and thanks."

"Received book today and started right away. Already in love with it."

"What a fantastic read this book is. It’s hard to put it down. It’s just fantastic!"

"It's wonderful! Definitive and amazing chapters – the Tretow and Voyage ones are just incredible! What can I say – priceless."

"I love the book. What a fantastic job: A+ A+ A+. I just love the text, the layout, the information. This is one of the best reference books for any music group. You did a fantastic job."

"I started with the Voyage chapter and found it interesting how different the recording procedures were this time round – also how long the breaks between sessions for the new songs were. As for The Tretow Tapes, the recording of the vocals for 'That’s Me' really gives great insight into the way ABBA worked in the studio and dealt with issues – and it’s not just the guys!"

"What I enjoyed most about the Tretow Tapes is to learn about how much input the ladies, especially Agnetha, had. Whoever thought she was a shy and weak person has obviously never worked with her. She seems to be a very opinionated person when it comes to her work. I think it shows that she had worked as a songwriter and producer herself so she was quite insistent on certain parts of the recording sessions. That was interesting to read about."

"Yesterday I started my Voyage through the book on page 330, like others probably did. Today I found the chapter of the Visitors photo session very intensive. Felt the cold and had to put on my hoody straight away. All in all, very well written."

"It really is a labour of love! I'm currently reading it and hanging on to every detail! Thank you so much for your fabulous work!"

"The book looks really fantastic. Congratulations and thank you for documenting the ABBA history and legacy for further generations. This is a job of great importance."

"Carl Magnus Palm is the greatest! Everyone needs to order this book if you haven’t already. It’s incredible! Thanks Carl!"

"It is wonderful! Many thanks for the great work."

"I have to say it is a fantastic book. It was well worth the wait because it is quite apparent that you put your heart and soul into this monumental achievement."

"Thank you for providing us with yet another really interesting book on Abba."

"The book has been a long time coming and I'm overjoyed that it's finally here. Your books are always so meticulously researched and well-written. The book looks amazing and is well worth the long wait. Quality takes time."

"I had a great weekend indeed, I read ABBA On Record, all the 456 pages. Once I got started, I found it nearly impossible to let the book out of my hands. Great job once again!"

"Just want to let you know that I hugely enjoy the book."

"I received my book yesterday, started reading it straight away and just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you. Such a wonderful book, a few tears already!"

"I’m really enjoying your new masterpiece. I’m not ticking things off on my tasks list at anything like the rate I should be. You’ve done a magnificent job!"

"The first thing I noticed were the rare photos! Have started reading now and am loving it."

"It is a wonderful book! My copy arrived yesterday afternoon, and I spent 4 hours engrossed in it when I got home from work."

"It is a most impressive work and the detail of the coverage is a tribute to your meticulous endeavours over what has clearly been a very significant period of time. I salute you in uncovering – and then making available to your readers – so much new information about the group."

"ABBA on Record is a triumph!"

"As with all your books, this one was well worth the wait!"

"Thank you for this great book. A very interesting read. Especially the Tretow Tapes, of course."

"Fantastic book, as always. So detailed and well researched."

"I started from the beginning and really cannot put the book down. The story of promotion, releases and all the things happening behind the scenes is wonderfully written with loads of interesting anecdotes (like the Abba promotion trip to Poland and all the crazy things happening in Australia). It is like a time machine taking me to days when every Abba album and single was new and the world was going nuts over the group. I am on page 188 and really looking forward to reading the rest of it."

"I am only at the Waterloo stage of the book (having devoured the Voyage and Tretow Tapes first, of course) and this book is just wonderful. Authoritative and packed with facts but written so engagingly and with clear affection."

"I am devouring it, though I have already slowed-down my reading of it so the pleasure lasts longer."

"It’s wonderful and I can see how much love and attention you put to this! Will value this so much!"

"ABBA On Record reads very well. Through your research and the new facts, you give us the opportunity to be closer to ABBA!"

"I am engrossed in the hardback. Incredible detail to the data. Superb work. Thank you!"

"I just wanted to say how much I am really enjoying the book. Only a few pages in and I'd learnt so many things I had no idea about, such as that many of Abba's classics were never issued as singles in Sweden!"

"I’ve just finished reading it and it was sooooooooo fantastic. Very emotional for me. Congratulations – the definitive ABBA tome by miles."

"It's fantastic, interesting and you have done a very impressive and great job!"

"I’ve been delving in every day since it arrived and I still haven’t read it all! I'm so engrossed in it, and it’s been well worth the wait! Thank you CM for another 'blockbuster!'”

"It was definitely worth every second. It is more than we expected and is a great read. With new information and pictures. This is one of the best books that every fan should have in their collection."

"Great book – everything we could have hoped for in a book!"

"I love especially all the background information about the album sleeves – fantastic!"

"Amazing details that bring together so many memories and embed them with sense and logic. Particularly the USA situation and the complexity of the Swedish charts. Thank you."

"Just like all the other books you wrote about ABBA, this book is for ABBA fans (and others) a kind of encyclopedia."

"Lots of details and background, especially the chapter about Voyage! I really like it."

"I love the book! It's so good."

"I am a terrible reader. I can't sit still. I have really bad ADHD (not because it's fashionable), so I struggle. But I'm finding myself sitting still with this book for longer bursts than other things at the moment. Hugely enjoyable."

"I like the 'time machine' aspect of the book. I was a child in 1979 when Abba hit me, and this book takes me back to that time and also to the early years when Abba was not in my life yet. The book takes me also to different places and gives a great view of what the life of an Abba fan was like back then. Very enjoyable book."

"For so long Abba didn’t get the serious attention the Beatles have had. Your work has elevated analysis of the group and produced a fascinating window into both the creative process and the record industry."

"I’m really enjoying the read. So fascinating and insightful. Thanks Carl. You’ve hit a home run with ABBA on Record!"

"Haven't had time yet to compliment you on this fantastic labour of love. I'm too busy reading, discovering and enjoying all the details you've collected in Abba On Record. Definitely worth the wait."

"Fantastic book. Totally absorbed!"

"Most definitely worth the money – an incredible piece of work! Congratulations."

"Haven't had much to time to dive in yet, but every time I've opened the book I've ended up reading more than I thought."

"This is by far the most comprehensive book I have ever read on ABBA, from you or anyone else. I applaud your detail and understand why this was four years in the making!"

"Thank you so much for your wonderful work with ABBA ON RECORD! I have to say it was worth every single day of waiting! All the new information is priceless and so wonderful. A real treasure and an ABBA book legacy for many years to come. With this book you have preserved many little and not so little details – every one important!"

"Thank you for a very interesting book, Carl Magnus Palm! So, so good and definitely worth the wait. Thank you so much for your beautiful work."

"I love this book! I can see why ABBA needed a break, they were nonstop, and Stig was a force to be reckoned with! I am in 1976 now.... what a year!"

"As expected, what I have read so far is off the scale. What makes this THE number 1 ABBA book to have is the most fascinating, truthful and comprehensive account of not only ABBA themselves but all the others involved in their story – photographers, designers, promoters, record company managers etc. Thank you so much for the obvious hard work and research that you have put into this project, it's been well worth the wait."

"Bravo! What an incredible book—I understand why it took more than a moment to put this together.  The amount of research and detail that you have put into this volume is just staggering. And I’m impressed with your explaining of the Tretow Tapes—was wondering how you were going to manage that!  So evocative of what was going on (almost brought us right into the listening room with you!)."

"Thank you for ABBA on Record which I am enjoying immensely. I’m going very slowly but relishing every minute. Loved reading the Tretow Tapes chapter and will need to go over it again with the recordings at hand for reference. I’ve also enjoyed reading the Voyage chapter and will now start the main body of the book. Bravo! Another remarkable achievement!"

"Just finished reading this over the long weekend. So much great detail. Thank you for the care and attention you have put into this book. I learnt so much. Who knew that one of the albums could have been called Piccadilly Circus?! And why it wasn’t."

"The amount of detail is amazing and I am enjoying reading about the various sessions and the stories behind the album sleeves. I just love this kind of information and know I will be looking up information on a regular basis while listening to their music."

"I started reading at Now and then combined (page 330) and have now read until the end of the We can laugh and sing: the Michael B, Tretow Tapes. I LOVED it. I know how hard it is to put music that you are listening to into words – as it always is; even for musicians! Yet, once again, you have done an incredible job of ‘translating’ what you have heard to make the reader feel the music. That is no mean feat."

"Thank you thank you for this wonderful book! I can't stop reading, awesome how many details you have. It is mesmerizing."

"Your new book was a great pleasure to read. I am sure I'll come back to it many times, looking for a chapter, a piece of info… You included a few very nice unknown photos too, which is always a bonus! Congratulations and thanks for this great research."

"It’s probably the best ABBA book besides The Complete Recording Sessions! It’s full of amazing new information, insights and details I have never dared to dream of! Wonderful."

"A brilliantly researched and well written book, as with all your ABBA books. As fans, we are incredibly lucky to have your supreme writing skills to document all things ABBA-related."

"I have already learned a lot of interesting details, although I am far from finished reading the book. Thank you, Carl Magnus, for the intensive and in-depth research."

"You have created a beautiful book, rich in detail and you thoroughly deserve a 5 star review!"

"It is masterpiece – as your books have always been."

"The book, besides being beautiful to hold, is absolutely informative.  I can't say right now what my favorite part is. It was worth the wait. I'm glad you held out and wrote and researched the VOYAGE era.  Now it seems complete as far as the theme of this particular book."

"Just wanted to say I’m loving the new book."

"I'd just like to thank you for the incredible book Abba on Record. The work and detail you have put into this book is amazing."

"I just now finished my leisurely read of AoR. I must say, I loved every moment of the journey from the introduction to the index. The thought and dedication that went into the creation of this volume is something that will benefit ABBA fans and scholars for years to come."

"ABBA on Record is all I expected and much, much more – I’m stretching out my reading to make it last. I didn’t expect the information about the record deals to be so fascinating, but it is!"

"I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with Abba On Record; it was well worth the wait. Your effort deserves all the sales and plaudits it receives (and more besides)."

"I'm loving your book! Learned loads of things I never knew before."

"What an enjoyable read it is! Thanks so much for digging so deeply into the ABBA story and uncovering so many fascinating details!"

"For anyone who hasn’t got a copy yet, don’t delay! A fantastic book."

"It's a masterpiece."

"It’s fascinating and amazing."

"An amazing book. So detailed and so well researched. Have been a fan for fifty years and have learnt so many things I didn’t know before."

"Thank you Carl Magnus for yet another fantastic, well researched ABBA book."

"Thank you for writing it! I can only imagine the blood, sweat and tears which went into it, and it is indeed an important historical account."

"Yet another ABBA bible that I won’t be able put down."

"I thought it was fantastic. An essential read for all ABBA fans."

"ABBA on Record was worth every moment I waited for its publication."

"An amazing, detailed account that always adds more information. I didn't think it was possible!"

"A true treasure for us old timers who got to experience their music and energy as little ones… so glad the next generation gets to experience them with your book and social media too… thank you Carl Magnus Palm for being a dedicated historian of ABBA."

"It's a wonderful book. Well worth the wait!!"

"It’s the most wonderful contribution to the legacy of ABBA. I am sure that everybody who love the music of ABBA agrees with me."

"Finished reading and thoroughly enjoyed it."

"This book is a must have for every ABBA fan."

"I would like to thank you for all your hard work in researching, compiling and writing this superb book."

"A remarkable and hugely informative book. It was an enormous undertaking by you – exhaustive research, I can tell. Well done, as always, and well worth the wait."

"The book was really worth waiting for. I particularly like reading about how the songs developed and how they worked on the songs in the studio till perfection."

"I only started reading it properly last night, but I couldn’t put it down. I love the descriptions of what you heard on the tapes."

"Thank you so, so much for the latest ABBA book. What can I say: Absolutely astounding. Thank you for your hard work – and that’s an understatement… I don’t have enough words."

"I must compliment you for delivering yet another incredibly original and detailed book on ABBA. It is – again – packed with new info. I can't begin to imagine how much time, love and research went into this book."

"Thank you for the fantastic ABBA on Record – we have been reading it out loud to each other."

"I found it amazing that such great insights are still to be written for ABBA's body of work. Kudos to you!"

"It is a truly remarkable achievement to not only track timelines but to also keep the relevance alive AND make it interesting to read. I am sure that in time this WILL be regarded as the ABBA encyclopaedia… Well done you!"

"I was blown away by the detail and depth of investigation of every ABBA single and album revealed in this wonderful book. I’d really recommend to anyone who wants to get under the skin of ABBA’s rise to fame, their success and ultimate decline in popularity."

Order your copy of ABBA On Record at abbaonrecord.com.