Heartbreaker is the Best Book I Read in 2025

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Heartbreaker by Mike Campbell author, Ari Surdoval is the best book I read this year. I’m a graduate of the University of Florida spending time on campus during the years Tom Petty and Mike Campbell were creating their music, putting Gainesville, Florida on the map in the way no football team could ever do. It is a well written fascinating book, and every page exudes Campbell’s passion for music, and love for those who serve as its acolytes. There is unvarnished truth on every page, but despite man’s human frailties that often sink lives, there is an embracing grace and understanding that permeates the narrative.  

I knew of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but I was not a fan at the time, as my interests fell to folk music. Not only am I completely immersed in Campbell’s deep dive into the evolution of the music industry during this extended time period, but able to discover their music in a literally highly annotated format. It is amazing how the technology of creating albums emerged during this period, and how they were physically produced, including the hunger of artists to capture state of the art sound that made listening an almost personal experience between fan and artist. I think the author met all his musical heroes at some point in his career, but he never forgot the mother who worked extra hours to buy him his first guitar, or the hardscrabble years of childhood and adulthood.  

What seems like an overnight sensation, in reality is often preceded by years and years of struggle made endurable only by the compulsive drive to create music and songs. The most refreshing aspect of the book is Campbell’s compassion and humility; a definite part of the Heartbreakers’ success is his ability to leave his ego out of the equation in the interests of having the ride of his life, even if that sometimes meant in a new Mercedes that gets deeply keyed the first night of ownership!    

I read the Kindle edition, and because the author is the narrator used Audible narration while reading the ebook, so not only did I learn a lot, but it felt like I was at the kitchen table hearing it from Campbell himself. I’ve read some outstanding memoirs and books in the past 12 months, including Cher’s first volume of Cher A Memoir and John & Paul by Ian Leslie, but Heartbreaker is exceptional.




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