Better than any sitcom or news broadcast---this is a book that definitely puts the reader's finger on the pulse of Nashville. At least, that's what my entry was intended to do (and yes, I won.)

This is a first novel by a new author. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. I was sad with who the murder victim was but the story was GREAT.

Willi Taft is a studio singer in Nashville. She meets up with Sam, a P.I. After a murder, she gets involved with helping solve it and ends up solving a 20 year old crime that involves people in her past.

This story is well told and the characters are very enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

How many first time authors have the gall to kill off their protagonist's main man within the first forty pages of their novel? I kept thinking, "He really isn't dead, just hiding from the bad guys with the cooperation of the cops." But I was wrong. Handsome Sam was a goner, deader than a crunch bug caught crossing KMart in the middle of a Blue Light Special. I have to hand it to Mary Saums. What a gutsy way to steer Willi Taft, her main character, into a new career.

Ms. Saums deserves a round of applause for MIDNIGHT HOUR. Not only is the plot a tricky one, but the characters are reality-based, multilayerd personalities who cry out for attention and remembrance. The book is characterized by smooth writing, almost poetic at times, filled with imagery that makes one want to reread certain paragraphs just for the pure pleasure of seeing the English language used well. As for Buddy the dog, I give him five woofs for lovableness. He can come live with me any time he wants.

This is a fine debut novel by a talented writer. I look forward eagerly to Ms. Saums next book.

Living in Nashville, I especially enjoy books that are set here. Mary Saums knows Nashville well. She has created a great story line with plenty of twists and turns. After reading it, I almost wanted to be a private investigator too. I hope this is the first of many stories involving Willi Taft. I can't wait for the next one.

A creditable piece of work by Mr. Stuart. I would have liked a little more on the artistic process and a little less on the soap opera of the cast and crew. It IS interesting to see how people have such complete misapprehension of one another and the motives of others. I guess that's what "Nashville" is really about, too. Stuart also tells us what happened to the cast in subsequent years, which I've alway wondered about and was glad to know. You come away with a reality-tempered respect for Tewkesbury, the screenwriter, Altman, the director, and most of the cast -- who obviously threw themselves into the parts and did the best they knew how to do. For some, their best was transcendent, and Stuart gives us the story behind those moments. A fine book that was obviously a labor of love -- and just a lot of pains-taking labor -- for Stuart.

For any fans of this film, and indeed, for its detractors also, this is a must have guide to learning more about the behind the scenes gossip. I am glad this book was not written/published until the 25th anniversary of the movie, as enough time has passed for an objective view of the film to be made. There is no denying that this is a powerful, interesting and even disturbing film. I am espcially pleased that a great number of the actors took part in this book. I have always wondered what happened to Ronee Blakley, (who played the fragile Barbara Jean to a T in the film). Do not miss this book if you love the film.

I had no idea that there was so much anecdotal material to be had from the making of Robert Altman's country and western music opus, NASHVILLE but Jan Stuart has managed to interview nearly everyone involved. He traces the film's origins right up to what everyone involved (including country music insiders) thinks of it now. This is an exhaustive, detailed account of every aspect of how Altman's film was made but written in a very entertaining, engaging style.

If you're a fan of Altman's films then this is definitely required reading as Stuart provides fascinating insights into how the man works and collaborates with others. The best thing I can say about this book is that it makes you immediately want to watch NASHVILLE all over again and appreciate how much hard work went into it. Great reading.

"Holiday In Your Heart" is a lovely book. A Gem by LeAnn Rimes and Tom Carter.

Set in Nashville, teen singing sensation Anna Lee has come to perform at the Grand Ole Opry: A childhood dream of hers. Only, her grandmothers illness surfaces and she is left to decide whether to do her show at the 'Opry or visit her Grandma at a hospital in Jackson.

She is intercepted by a classic country singer whose identity remains secret. She gives Anna Lee guidance into what her final decision will be.

The outcome revealed in the book!

This is a beautiful story and after reading dozens of times, I still can't put it down!

Miss LeAnn Rimes, the youngest, newest, hottest country music star, teams up with Tom Carter to write the most heart-warming Christmas story ever to be told.

LeAnn drew on her own personal experiences and weaved them into this tale. The novel's main character, Anna Lee, is, like LeAnn herself, a teenage country music star. She faces a tough choice concerning her family and her career. After meeting and spending some time with [the ghost of] a country music legend well past her prime, Anna Lee makes her choice.

Due to the moral this story contains, this is one story that will remain in a reader's memory for quite awhile.

This book was very good. I really enjoyed it. Tom Carter and LeAnn Rimes worked good together. The book turned out great! The book talks about a new singer in the country music business, Anna Lee and the things that all other newcomers to the music industry go through. However, Anna Lee has something else to worry about. Her grandmother is in the hospital, dying. Anna Lee has to make a decision between promoting her career by going on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, or going back home to visit her grandmother in the hospital. The book is basically based on that decision. In Anna Lee's decision making, an 'unnamed' singer takes Anna Lee back to the past. The singer shows Anna Lee what she had to go through to get where she is today and told Anna Lee what she needed to do...Anna Lee made the right decision in my opinion and things turned out good for her. This book is based around the time of Christmas. It would be great to read during the holidays, or read a couple of months before Christmas to bring back old memories and get you in the Christmas spirit a little early. It is a great book to read. I really enjoyed it!

Amazon.com have informed me that my review of Nashville 1865 has been swollowed into the land of computer nothingness. So impressed was I with the book that I'm posting the review a second time.

One sitters - they don't come around too often but when they do it's worth the wait. I read Nashville 1864 in one evening and wished I hadn't! This little novel - some 129 pages in length - contains so much in it's pages that it left me moved, sad, a little repulsed at the nature of war and death, but thankful I'd stumbled accross it while browsing Amazon.

I'd just finished Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks which at 758 pages is an intense and powerful read. Nashville was the ideal follow on - it's short, to the point, refreshing in it's simplicity and more importantly an entertaining, quality novel.

Jones is a wonderful storyteller, not a word out of place, not a wasted sentiment or action, this book involves you as a reader on a range of levels.

Often the Civil War is portrayed in a romantic light, thus reflecting how it was commonly percieved in the immediate aftermath of the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861. Nashville is harrowing and disturbing rather than romantic, and here lies it's strength. The novel is honest and if that means leaving me as a reader slightly uneasy then it's done exactly what good writing attempts to do - to have an effect.

Some books after their reading will sit on my shelf gathering dust, I don't think that Nashville will be given enough time to gather dust at all.

One sitters - they don't come around too often but when they do it's worth the wait. I read Nashville 1864 in one evening and wished I hadn't! This little novel - some 129 pages in length - contains so much in it's pages that it left me moved, sad, a little repulsed at the nature of war and death, but thankful I'd stumbled accross it while browsing Amazon.

I'd just finished Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks which at 758 pages is an intense and powerful read. Nashville was the ideal follow on - it's short, to the point, refreshing in it's simplicity and more importantly an entertaining, quality novel.

Jones is a wonderful storyteller, not a word out of place, not a wasted sentiment or action, this book involves you as a reader on a range of levels.

Often the Civil War is portrayed in a romantic light, thus reflecting how it was commonly percieved in the immediate aftermath of the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861. Nashville is harrowing and disturbing rather than romantic, and here lies it's strength. The novel is honest and if that means leaving me as a reader slightly uneasy then it's done exactly what good writing attempts to do - to have an effect.

Some books after their reading will sit on my shelf gathering dust, I don't think that Nashville will be given enough time to gather dust at all.

My interest in Civil War fiction started after reading Cold Mountain. When I saw Madison Jones' book reviewed in Chronicles Magazine I thought I must give it a try as well. And I am so glad I did! Jones has reached into the depths of the human instinct for survival in the face of doom and fashioned a masterpiece that will chill you to the bone. It is no wonder that it has garnered two literary awards so far. The most significant charm of the book for me was his avoidance of politically correct modern-day notions of antebellum racial relations (white man as oppressor; black man as victim), instead portraying a white family and their black servants in a situation of harmony, love, and mutual respect. This was quite a shock to me, having been brainwashed by public school propaganda and the media-fed hoax casting all white Southerners as brutal demons. (Northerners are always too enlightened and thus could never be racist right?). What a delight to see the table turned toward a scenario that was probably much closer to the truth in the majority of cases. It is this image of the war that I will forever carry with me, and I am indebted to Mr. Jones for bestowing it upon me.

This book is a first person account of Terry Wendt's struggles in Nashville as a struggling musician (pedal steel guitarist). It should be read my anyone aspiring to be a musician in Nashville as it covers life on the road as well as touching on studio work. As well as the professional struggles the book also chronicles the battles that the author endured on a personal level and details battles with the "powers that be" in an attempt to get an independently produced song distributed.
After reading the book (2 1/2 hours) I was emotionally drained and glad that I had chosen a different path.

This book is loaded with history and information about the music business. I was in awe over the reference to many country (well known) entertainers I actually had heard of that the author has been involved with. I think this is very good for reference for musicians in general with attention paid to detail. Even as a lead guitarist in a rock and roll band I learned a lot about the music business in general. I think everyone will like it who reads it. You feel a part of the story too!

When I saw the book, I started reading.
As more I red, as more I would come to the end, to see and understand.
Terry took me into a world, unknown so far for me, but...with several well known names.
let me tell you this, when Terry or others write books about country muic , I would be updated.
Thanks Terry, Your book is a big help for me, for my radio shows.

I would have rated this book much higher had it not been for two reasons: 1. It took almost half the book for it to get really engrossing and 2. At times I had the feeling, especially in the first half, that the author favored the South and so was biased in some of his reporting. However, once the story got to the Battle of Franklin the narrative had a quick flow to it and was so compelling I could not put it down. Some of the gruesome depiction of war dead is so vivid that even a week later it sticks in my mind. I also question some of Mr. Groom's beliefs about what happened. At one point he makes a statement that leads you to believe that 1. the war was a big mistake and 2. the North was the aggressor. The statement is that "the war, by far the most destructive to human life of all America's wars, produced 600,000 casualties while freeing 3 million slaves." If Mr. Groom thinks the sole reason for the war was to free the slaves and not to preserve the union he is sadly mistaken. I think intellectually he knows better, but that old bias seems to constantly get the better of him. Still I would call this one of the great books about the war, in spite of the criticisms, because when all is said and done, it is still a great read. It ranks up there with books like "The Killer Angels."

Shrouds of Glory does an efficent job of laying out John Bell Hood's last hurrah at a little known, but crucial battle of the Civil War. What may not be so well known is that the Battle of Nashville in December of 1864 was also the vindication of the Union General George "Pap" Thomas, (who by the way was originally from Virginia).

Linclon & Grant had their doubts about Thomas's waiting game at Nashville. The orders to relieve him of command were on the the way when Thomas unleashed the Union attack and the resulting disaster to the Confederate Army of Tennesee vindicated his patience. Sherman said the Battle of Nashville was the only battle of the Civil War where a whole army ceased to exist after the fight.

If Hood was desperate to make a break through, and he was, as Groom has laid out. Thomas was just as determined to close the door once and for all. I appreciated how this book laid out the events leading up to that battle.

Just as a side note, one of the Union regiments at Nashville was the Ohio 182nd Infantry. In that regiment was my great-grandfather, Sgt. George Debolt Newcomer.

As a high school history teacher and Civil War Buff, I am always looking for ways to bring the deeds and accomplishments of history to life for an audience with open hostility for the topic. This book accomplishes this next-to-impossible task. Groom writes with the prose of a novelist (no surprise), the research of a scholar (surprise)and a genuine love for and interest in the subject matter. One of the most fascinating non-fiction books I have even read, complete with excellent maps and interesting photographs.

Objectivity is Absent Without Leave in Wiley Sword's book about the 1864 Tennessee Campaign by General John Bell Hood. In the latter months of the Civil War, a desperate Jefferson Davis, acknowledging the fading fortunes of the Confederacy, appointed the aggressive young Kentuckian John Bell Hood to command of the Army of Tennessee. Hood's orders were to try to break William T. Sherman's relentless siege of Atlanta. After Sherman's inevitable triumph, in a last gasp effort to save the Confederacy, Hood marched the Army of Tennessee on an ill-fated invasion of Tennessee. The mission was to attack Union occupied Nashville, and seize its considerable stores of weapons and subsistence supplies. This would cut off Sherman's supplies, and provide the same for the starving and ill-supplied Confederates. It would also provide the southern populace with renewed will to continue the war, and hopefully inspire enlistments in the shrinking southern armies. The results were disastrous for the Confederates, with Hood's forces suffering decisive defeats at Franklin and Nashville. A mere sixteen weeks later, Robert E. Lee would surrender his army at Appomattox. Although Wiley Sword does an excellent job of describing the strategies, tactics, and first hand accounts of the fighting, he is obsessed with consistently criticizing every aspect of Hood's performance, character, and even his entire career. Hood's prior brilliant record as a Brigade and Division commander, almost universally praised both during the war, and ever since, is astonishingly brushed off by Sword as dumb luck. Sword essentially censors Hood's admirers and defenders, while quoting his detractors and critics with great frequency. Virtually every explanation for every decision that Hood offered in his post-war memoirs is rejected by Sword as lies and distortions, often without corroboration. Even Hood 's childhood demeanor is mischaracterized. Sword persistently exaggerates Hood's flaws and failures, and minimizes (at best) his accomplishments and virtues. In a final claim of clairvoyance, Sword even accuses Hood of fathering eleven children after the war to impress the public. Unwitting readers, mesmerized by Sword's gifted style and extensive research, are nonetheless being denied balance and unbiased analysis. Objectivity is not only AWOL, it is guilty of Desertion in this work.

Sword's book is a marvelous written chronicle of the destruction of Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee. The authors ability to weave the horror of war into a detailed military history is especially enticing. This is combined with a keen analysis of the triumphs and failures of the leaders on both sides of the conflict.

The Last Hurrah is the story of the Confederacy's last and probably best chance to reclaim Tennessee and Kentucky for the South and to possibly bring the war once more to Northern soil. But more than that it is also the story of poor leadership on behalf of the Confederate General Hood and the political pressure on Union General Thomas to bring the battle to Hood. Sword, chronicles the planning of Hood's offensive and his miscalculation that the supplies to feed, cloth and arm his army could be obtained through a rail link and from the land that they were invading. This mistake perhaps doomed the campaign given that this was a winter campaign and the Confederate soldiers were often without shoes and blankets.

The best part of the book focuses on the battles of Franklin and Nashville. While Sword does a fine job in detailing the battles themselves as well as the strategy and tactics utilized by the respective Generals, he shines in discussing the human effects of the battles. The slaughter at Franklin and the Confederate charge against a heavily defended Union line, without the benefit of significant supporting artillery, makes one shudder. In reading the depiction of the casualties the horror of the war and the human costs were brought home.

Where Sword also excels is in his critique of the leaders of both sides. Sword obviously is a fan of General George Thomas. On the other hand he is very critical of General Scofield's conduct at Spring Hill and latter at Franklin and Nashville. Scofield's generalship would have led to the destruction of his army during the retreat from Spring Hill to Franklin but for the ineptitude of his Confederate counterparts. His conduct at Nashville, and his failure to commit his troops, probably allowed what remained of the Confederate Army to escape.

Sword's worse criticism was justly saved for Hood. The criticism was well deserved, especially for the decision to make the frontal assault at Franklin and again at Nashville. His poor generalship and inability to take the advise of Nathan Bedford Forrest led to the loss of almost two thirds of his army.

All in all this is a fine book and a must read.

One of the great "myths" is that a good history book is written from an "objective" point of view. In truth, this is simply not possible. Every author approaches the subject with a certain degree of bias and a certain "agenda" that they wish to push. Sword, unlike some other authors, does not seek to hide his "bias", but rather sets out his clear (and frankly rather convincing) case that Sam Hood's generalship was poor. Within this setting, he provides detail about some of the more important, but again forgotten, battles of the Civil War and sheds light on some of the more important, but again forgotten, figures such as Pat Cleburne. All in all a superb book and well worthy of the prizes that it has won and the accolades that it has received.

Bruce Feiler presents what one supposes to be an 'insider's' look at country music. He had access to Garth Brooks for what was suposed to be a magazine article (which never materialised) for about 48 hours total. Much of what is written is a re-hash of past articles, conjecture and 'sound bites' from Garth Brooks. I have had it on good authority from Garth himself to disbelieve the majority of what is written about him. For example, Mr Feiler portrays Mr Brooks as a 'womaniser' throughout school; Mrs Brooks (Garth's mum) had stated in several interviews Garth did not date widely, and was somewhat shy in that area.

There are several easily verified errors in the book. The Wynonna web sites deride this piece of fiction, and perhaps that is the best description: fiction.

Feiler's book is ostensibly a portrait of three modern country artists, Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd and Wade Hayes. And though he provides interesting portraiture of all three, what he really documents - using the three artists as vehicles - is the changing business of the country music industry, and by association, the broader changes wrought by and to American media and culture. It's a well-written volume, with some illuminating conclusions, fleshed out by first-hand observations the author made in and around Nashville.

Much has been made of Feiler's veracity, but, to a large degree, his larger theses are independent of the specifics. Brooks and Judd have each taken their digs at Feiler (the latter being more surprising, since Feiler's portrait of Judd is, ultimately, quite flattering), so one might take his biography of their lives with a grain of salt. Even so, his conclusions about Nashville's changing face, both musically and operationally, are usually spot-on.

The Cliff's Notes rendition of Feiler's work focuses on his portraiture of the three principals: Garth Brooks as an obsessive careerist who only finds joy during his time on stage, Wynonna Judd as the screwed-up (but ultimately triumphant) result of a screwed-up childhood brought upon her by the most heinous of mothers, and Wade Hayes as the naïf, making his way through a hurricane of market forces. By threading these three stories with history of Nashville's business, the reader sees how the threads of art and commerce have intertwined over the years, with commerce realizing a substantial choke-hold on artistry in the '90s.

Of particular interest is Feiler's description of the symbiosis between artists, labels and radio. The manipulations of hit single charts, the conniving for chart position (and the lurid world of not-exactly-payola that fuels it), the trading of accurate charts for those that can be "influenced" is eye-opening for those outside the industry. Feiler's discussion about various trends in country music, the rise of women signaled, in part, by the Judd's supremacy, the displacement of Wynonna by the sex-appeal of Shania, and the replacement of earlier artists by a new wave, are all very compelling.

The book is weighted towards reporting on Garth Brooks, which isn't necessarily a negative, since his is the most complex portrait, and Feiler finds his greatest insights in Brooks' rise and plateau. On the negative side, parts of this book were previously published as magazine articles, and there is some unnecessary repetition. The careful reader will wonder whether Feiler's editor actually read the entire book through.

Feiler is a fine writer, and has provided a unique portrait of Nashville through the peak of its '90s supremacy. Whether or not you believe the details he reports on his principal subjects, there's a deep ring of truth in his analyses.

Although Garth Brooks, Wynonna and Wade Hayes are featured in the title of this book, the real key figure is the business that is country music, particularly in Nashville. Feiler uses these three artists as a jumping off point for a sometimes seemingly tangential look at the origins and growth of country music and its effects on pop culture, the city of Nashville and the music industry in general. For true country music fans, as well as those interested in the sociology of music, it is a must read. It sometimes feels a little intense, but it is a well-written tome. Unlike a recent predecessor, it does not aim to be an "inside scoop" on the stars, and is not as eager to highlight flaws. Feiler's writing appears much more objective.

When I say that Sarah Shankman has done a Carl Hiaasen in this book, I don't mean she's copied him in any way. She's an original. But she, like Mr H and almost no one else, understands that particularly curious form of logic, aspiration, and reality in which southerners live, a world view which northern and western folk think of as "insanity." Angels and devils figure prominently in what we call their mythos and they (southerners) call their lives. Strange forces abound. And get this clear -- this is not a case of Ms Shankman using these extra-normal events to drag one bit of plot or another in by its hiney -- my admiration is because she understands how these events figure into the lives of those wonderful people. And unlike Hiaasen's people, some of Ms Shankman's people are actually admirable, although venality certainly abounds. I have enjoyed all the previous Sam Adams books, but this one goes into a whole new level. I can tell from reviews (all positive) whether or not the writer has ever lived in the south and seen it from an outsider point of view. Those who haven't quibble about some things. Those who have lived there in that way read this book and laugh and say, "That's what I mean, that's what it was, that's what I was trying to put my finger on." Thank you, Ms Shankman. You're welcome to come to my house for dinner any time.

If your life looks a little too real and stressful, escape into the humor and intrigue of a Sarah Shankman mystery. Her characters are charming, rude, hilarious, brilliant, ignorant -- the extremes of humanity. You'll get to see what your idiosyncracies look like -- magnified -- and thank the stars that there's someone more wretched or obtuse than you. Great entertainment. I also recommend 'Digging up Momma.'

I bought this book because I loved the title. I don't know much about country music even though my late father was an Oakie from Okmulgee and descended from a long line of sons and daughters of the Old South. My siblings and I were not exposed to Country Western except for once a week when our mother avoided the family room while the rest of us watched "Hee Haw" [salute!]. My ignorance didn't matter a bit. The book is hilarious! I didn't mind Patsy Angel. (I've never quite understood why someone who was born at the same time that someone died would become the reincarnation of the dead person when the baby was around months before birth. I forget why belief in reincarnation was dropped from Christian doctrine, but I'm sure that wasn't the reason.) I laughed uproariously as the plot became more complicated. I loved the final chapter so much I reread it several times. The next day I was quoting the opening lines of the title song's chorus to my coworkers. I even ordered a copy to be sent to my sister. I'm sure she's going to love it. Ann E. Nichols