COUNTRY MUSIC : THE COMPLETE VISUAL HISTORY
This highly informative and lavishly illustrated book chronicles the history of Country Music from the early days to the present time. Edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alana Nash, it has been written by many respected Country Music authors, historians and critics together with contributions from many artists such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt with a foreword by Willie Nelson.

Through the 12 chapters, the reader is taken on a journey relating how Country Music has evolved from the influences of immigrants, the amalgam of varying styles and the early commercial sounds to the modern music of today. It examines the roots of the first commercial offerings in the 1920's and how radio opened the door to the music and, despite the Depression of the 1930's, it continued to develop. Surprisingly World War II did not diminish the music's popularity and by the end of war an industry started to form with artists like Hank Williams, Kitty Wells and Lefty Frizzell. Within less than a decade the influences of Rock 'n' Roll popularised the music and it started to crossover to the 'Pop Charts'. Bluegrass also became popular with artists such as Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys and Flatt & Scruggs. New songwriters and sounds saw the rise of many performers, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette during the 60's but the commercialism led some artists in the 1970's, like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, to break away from Nashville attracting a new younger audiences to the music. With the advent of the music videos on TV stations like CMT in the 80's the modern sound reached an even wider audience and this momentum continued into the next decade. However, it wasn't just 'New Country' that enjoyed popularity in the first decade of the 21st century, as other styles like Bluegrass and Americana enjoyed a renaissance, as did 'Traditional Country'. This final chapter brings the history right up to date with the likes of Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Shania Twain,Dixie Chicks (and the George Bush controversy) and Gretchen Wilson to name but a few.

This is indeed a most impressive book with fascinating, highly informative facts, figures, artist profiles, guides, timelines, classic recordings, Top 10 recordings chosen by artists and historical data. The profusion of photographs, illustrations and artwork from numerous sources including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are truly spectacular.
This book is not only a must for any Country Music fan but deserves to be on the bookshelves of any music lover.

Country Music:The Complete Visual Guide is published by Dorling Kindersley and is available at all good bookshops (rrp £25) or, direct from the publisher's website