Encyclopedia of Folk, Country & Western Music

This sizable book (900+ pages) is not the most up to date production in town (no biography of Garth Brooks here), but if you want a book that gives the history of many famous & not so famous country musicians, then I recommend this.I can't open it to read about one artists without spending an hour in the book as I get absorbed reading about someone I've never heard of or forgot about. The biographies are complete. Maybe the discographies are a little bit sketchy & in some cases incomplete or even incorrect, but it is my experience of such reference works that they all miss something out or get something wrong.I'd certainly recommend this for someone who does want a little (a lot!) more than just what is on country radio at present.

A massive book which has in many ways been superceded by other, later works. It's a bit bulky, with a layout which is a bit flat. Still, it includes entries on some artists which other guides may omit; the discographies are a bit suspect, though, particularly when it comes to little things like getting the titles right. You could opt for the newer, sexier country guides, but this one still has something to offer, particularly the longer, more narrative biographical entries.