Mick Fleetwood Only Just Discovered the Secret Reason He Wound Up in Fleetwood Mac

The drummer explains how his new book, “Love That Burns,” revealed things even he didn’t know about his past

Little known fact: Besides drumming for Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood is a prolific author. Over the years, he’s written three books about his time with the beloved rock band, including a 2014 autobiography, “Play On: Now, Then, and Fleetwood Mac.”

Fleetwood’s latest effort, “Love That Burns: A Chronicle of Fleetwood Mac, Volume One: 1967–1974,” is slightly different: It’s a lavish, photo-heavy book that looks back at the group’s early days, when they were a scrappy blues band in England weathering an unsteady lineup and shifting musical trends.

Along with some incredible anecdotes — including photos of the band’s 1969 trip to Chess Records in Chicago, where they recorded with blues greats such as Buddy Guy and Willie Dixon — the book features short written remembrances from pivotal figures in the Fleetwood Mac universe: current members John McVie and Christine McVie, and former members Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green. Anchoring it all are Fleetwood’s memories and asides, which are full of wisdom, insightful observations and tenderness.