This is a veritable encyclopaedia of country music, from its modern roots in Hank Williams et al through its flirtations with rock 'n' roll to its present-day incarnation as "alt country", played by artists like Will Oldham and Beck. Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline, one of America's best selling albums of 1969, popularised a country-rock sound pioneered by the Byrds, Gram Parsons and ex-Monkey Michael Nesmith. Dylan's collaborations with Johnny Cash in the bastion of country music, Nashville, symbolised the removal of cultural barriers between country and rock. Doggett has succeeded in the daunting task of charting a 50year history of country while sketching its metamorphosis into several other musical hybrids. He explains why Elvis sacrificed country for international stardom, why Chet Atkins created the 1960s "Nashville Sound" and how Lionel Ritchie ended up cutting country records. The author deconstructs the myths and prejudices about country and illustrates that its influence has moved far beyond the confines of the American south.