Reading Country Music Steel Guitars, Opry Stars and Honky-Tonk Bars

With its steel guitars, Opry stars, and honky-tonk bars, country music is an American original. One of the most popular music genres in America today, it's also big business, but is little studied by critics, given its predominance in American culture. "Reading Country Music" acknowledges the significance of country music as part of an authentic American heritage and turns a loving, critical eye toward understanding the sweep of this peculiarly American phenomenon.