Best books about country music history

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My 5 favourite books about music history for kids

Escott, who's also written a fine biography on Hank Williams, wrote this book to coincide with the production of a BBC series on the history of country. If you're only going to read one book on the subject and don't want to commit yourself to something as long and involved as Malone's account, this is the book to go for. It's clearly written, well told, and supplemented with fine photos. Originally published in , Malone's book was the only game in town for a long time. Many other academic histories of country music have since been published, but this remains the gold standard and still probably the place to go if you want a one-stop, serious resource. Millard's book is a well-organized reference for the fan or researcher. He includes tons of performer bios, great photographs some of which haven't been published anywhere else , solid interpretive essays, and a year by year timeline of notable releases and events.