Queen LP ‘A Night at the Opera’ Celebrated in New Book

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Photo of Queen from the 2025 book, Queen & A Night at the Opera

A new book, Queen & A Night at the Opera, by author Gillian Gaar, will be published on April 1, 2025, by the Motorbooks imprint of Quarto Publishing Group. Referring to the November 1975 Queen album cited in the book’s title, it’s described in a press release as “truly a deep dive into the album that changed everything for Queen, their first to hit the top of the albums and singles charts.” The album, continues the announcement, “was both groundbreaking and massive, and Gillian explores the story of a band operating at the peak of their creative powers, launching them into global superstar status.” The title is available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K., where it arrives on April 3, here.

Gaar “covers it all,” the release states, including:

Queen’s formation and career arc with the three albums preceding A Night at the Opera
The recording sessions and the band’s ingenuity in the studio
Track-by-track analyses of each side
The tour to support the album, and awards and accolades
The band’s career after the album—and after the death of Freddie Mercury

In addition, numerous sidebars cover topics such as the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video, producer Roy Thomas Baker, Brian May’s “Red Special” guitar, as well as capsule bios of each band member. Hardcover, “with a beautiful hardcover slipcase, this authoritative tribute features stunning concert and off-stage photography alongside images of rare memorabilia,” the press release says. “Queen and A Night at the Opera is a definitive and exquisitely produced homage to the iconic album by the legendary rock band.”

Images from the book’s publisher, Motorbooks.

Gaar has written for Mojo, Rolling Stone and Goldmine. Previous books include She’s a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll; Entertain Us: The Rise of Nirvana; Return of the King: Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback; Elton John at 75; and Bruce Springsteen at 75.