This book was a very interesting read and and a minimum offers any reader a real "View" from Nashville, TN the World Capital for Country music and the stars and players involved.. I give it 4 stars and reccomend to all.

your first book was 2 thumbs up I will read your 2nd god bless you mr.emery since hee haw has gone and most of any old tm. music it is a pleasure to read about the real country from you some one who was there

When a man has been in a business for all his adult life, he is well quialified to write about that business and the people within. There in lies the story of "View From Nashville". No other living person knows and can tell the story of "Nashville" scene better than Ralph Emery. The reader gets to know as a person one on one Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and countless others. Loretta speaks of an out of body experience as she stood by the bedside of her dying friend Conway Twitty. Merl Kilgore relates through Ralph the message Jim Reeves sent him from the other side. One finds that being a child star does not always mean living in a big house, and driving a fancy car as Brenda Lee relates. That Elvis might have appeared on a recording after his death. Through the writing of this Nashville Icon one learns the humor of Roger Miller, and gets to know stars Reba McIntre and Brooks and Dunn. For Elvis fans he writes extensively about an interview with Colonel Tom Parker and the book he would never write. One can feel the love the author has for the business, his city, and peers. No one else could or has told the Nashville story like Ralph Emery in View From Nashville. No wonder his TNN program was voted the networks most popular for 10 consecutive years. Thank goodness he has had time to pen these stories in written form so they may be enjoyed forever.

As a designer and printer at Hatch Show Print, this book makes me very proud. Our beloved Jim Sherraden, along with Elek and Paul did an absolutely amazing job collecting, archiving and compiling 123 years worth of incredible letterpress poster history. The images are simply stunning and the stories are engaging. This is a coffee table book that will spend more time in your hands than on your coffee table.
Buy the book and then stop by the shop located in historic downtown Nashville. Get a tour of the shop, see the posters, and have Jim autograph your book!

Hatch Show Print: History of an American Print Shop is a pleasurable read of over a century's worth of poster design, but the accompanying images are what make this book. Chronicle Books has done an incredible job of reproducing this letterpress artwork while retaining all of the charms and details of this unique process. Definitely one of those books you can pick up dozens of time and find something with each new look. There is rumor of an expanded version to come in the future, unfolding more of this shop's extensive history and possibly a new chapter chronicling the more recent designs. I definitely look forward to that!

I haven't received the book yet, but I can tell you that the work done at Hatch, both historically and today, is a piece of Americana rarely equalled. Author Jim Sherraden is an amazing artist and craftsman... and, I might add, an extraordinarily nice guy. He's printed several jobs for me and even let me hang around the shop on a couple of trips to Nashville. His personal paintings based on Hatch posters are nothing short of breathtaking. Buy the book and, if you get a chance, stop by the shop in Nashville. These guys are the real deal.

Although there is a chapter dedicated to the subject, my other research indicates this is rather light on detailed 19th Century history in Southern Alabama...which is what I'm looking for. It's probably a good book for an overview, but it didn't meet my needs. The most helpful part was the bibliography, from which I will begin anew.

A well written book on the history and developement of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad loaded with photographs. An excellent companion to the book "Louisville & Nashville Diesel Locomotives."

The L&N is at long last being discovered by those outside of the region she served. This book is a well-written and thoughtful history of the Old Reliable. It deserves a place on your shelf beside the (regrettably out-of-print) L&N history by Maury Klein. One caveat, though; this is not a history of L&N motive power or rolling stock.

This book, with great velocity, pulls the readers through the "must know" aspects of one of the most exciting cities in the US. Very well written and highly recommended.

I got a truly "inside" perspective with Q&A's from some Nashville natives including singers and songwriters --- where they like to eat, where they like to spend free time, etc. The guide gives quite a view of all that Nashville has to offer including annual festivals and events (for example, I live here and I never even heard about 'mule day'! ) and all kinds of recreational activities. not to mention the sections on real estate and education --- essential for anyone moving into the area. all of this in incredible detail. i say "y'all go out and buy yourself a copy".

I HAVE THE NEW INSIDERS GUIDE AND I HAVE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. I WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE AREA AND THIS BOOK IS A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW RESTAURANTS, SITES,TRIPS,SHOPPING, ETC.

This is a rare work of art in the modern American church: it's honest. It's a must-read for anyone entering the ministry and who seeks to live in true holiness. Holiness doesn't present itself as holy. It just is holy. It doesn't draw attention to itself. This work shows us the shame of trying to live an image of holiness instead of being holy. How to deal with our superficial faith. It's a work about God saying 'no' instead of being a short order cook always supplying us with what we consider to be the best of everything. Obviously, it's sobering. It's also enjoyable and hardly as critical or mean as this review sounds. Although there's alot of music industry info, the plot itself is compelling and the ending is rewarding and packs quite a twist! Happy reading, all.

Arvin does just an incredible job of writing a book that is solid from a literary standpoint but which also tackles a serious message in a very effective manner. Andrew Miracle has been given a musical gift from God. A visiting manager hears him perform and in a flash Andrew is signed out of obscurity to a major label and thrust into a whirlwind world that is totally foreign to him. Everything that was once important and clear to him is now hazy and hard questions arise. What is at the core of Christian music? What are its values? Is it a business? Is it a ministry? Is there such a thing as the "business of ministry?" As his star begins its rapid ascent, Andrew must face these questions head on and make some hard choices that are all too relevant to today's music scene. If you are a fan of CCM at all, or especially if you think you will be involved with CCM professionally, you really should pick up this book. It has a serious message, but it's not heavy-handed. It is fair, but bluntly honest. It will force you to re-examine how you view the music you are buying, your attitudes towards many aspects of the scene, and especially how you as a fan look at the artists you listen to. Read this along with Charlie Peacock's At the Crossroads. Five Stars.

I often questioned where I belonged in the vast spectrum of Christian Music and had the pleasure of meeting Reed Arvin at a seminar sponsored by the GMA. That is where I picked up this book. Mr. Arvin was open and honest in his seminars and his book helped me gain a better understanding as to where I belong. Thank you Reed.

As a longtime former resident of Nashville, I found this book entertaining and thorough, as well as being--with a few exceptions--accurate and well-balanced in its painting of portraits of some very outsized and colorful (and controversial) business and civic leaders. As a lawyer and a reader generally interested in how the commercial life of a locale can affect it and its citizens at large, I was captivated. Anyone interested in either of these themes owes it to himself or herself to read this well crafted and highly readable work.

Ever wonder how the "Grand Ole Opry" came to exist? (It was developed as a marketing tool to sell insurance!) Bill Carey shares this story and many more in a most entertaining style. This is a must read for anyone who lives, has lived, or has ever done business in Nashville. Carey does a great job explaining the development of Nashville's major industries complete with interesting, and in some cases, little know facts about the people behind those industries.

Many of the companies discussed no longer exist, but you'll no doubt recognize the names that currently adorn many Nashville buildings, roadways and bridges as those of the early business leaders.

During my read, I often found myself marveling at how little I really new about the history of my home town. Enjoy!

Perhaps every American city harbors as many untold stories of hustlers, visionaries, scoundrels and larger-than-life characters as Nashville does -- but few other cities have had the stories of their business lives told so vividly. Carey's research lays aside long-held misconceptions, punctures the PR-myths of current and former Nashville institutions, and holds surprises on nearly every page. Business people all over Nashville are talking about this book, and the conversations always seem to begin with "I've been in [real estate, health care, banking, what have you] for 35 years, but there are things in Carey's book that I never knew about...."

This is a great story of hockey success in a city better known for its music industry than its stick handling. Craig Leipold tells an inspirational story of how he put the Nashville Predators organisation together from scratch in a very short time period.

The book, in my opinion, is let down in the way that the material is presented. There seems to be no logic in the way the story is told, both on a macro and micro level. On the larger scale the story seems to vaguely follow a kind of chronology, but there are regular jumps both backward and forward in time. On a smaller scale, I also found the paragraphs hard to follow, as they too would randomly criss-cross the chronological flow of the text.

In addition to the above criticism, I found the writing to be very dry, and without direction. Many chapters had no clear focus, and others had no climax when it was clear there should have been. One example of that was in a chapter where (if memory serves me correctly) the authors were setting the scene for a big game against Dallas, and the tension was clearly building towards game time where we were going to see if the Preds could defeat the Stars. As the tension was rising, the authors flippantly give away the final score line -in parenthesises no less- making one wonder where the chapter was really going in the first place.

These criticisms aside, the book is still a good read, and is engaging enough that in the end I felt an emotional attachment to the Predators, and I know that I'll think of them differently next time I watch them play (on TV of course!), and in some way consider myself a fan.

Making hockey successful in the middle of the bible belt was no easy task, and this is a remarkable story of management excellence. Predators owner Craig Leipold and renowned management author Richard W. Oliver combine to tell an unforgettable story. It is a must for fans of good management as well as hockey.

For anybody thinking about getting into sports management or becoming a professional athlete, this is a must read! It provides an insightful view of what is expected of professional athletes and how to successfully manage a pro organization. Being a successful athlete in this day and age goes well beyond just raw talent. Highly recommend this book for high school and college athletes.

Spencer's books have always been hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit. The story was simple and the characters sometimes veered towards stereotypes, but overall I enjoyed this book quite a bit. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew Tess as a friend, and I enjoyed the concert scene with the backstage action going on. I also liked the way Tess handled her fans throughout the book, it gives some perspective of what celebrities are really thinking when they meet fans.

My one small complaint is that I cannot stand the name Kenny, and I just can't believe a grown man still would be going by that name. Maybe it's a Southern thing? I'm from up north, so I really don't know.

Also thought the Judy character could have had a more sympathetic treatment, but there's usually one character in Spencer's books that gets loaded with bad traits and no redeeming characteristics. Another small point though and not that big of a detriment to the overall book.

A good light read, one of her better books.

This should definetely be rated among Ms. Spencer's best. The main character (Tess McPhail) was portrayed as fresh & funky country music superstar that is forced to take time out from her very busy schedule to go back home and take care of her ailing mother. What she bargained for is a boring stay in the too-small town and painful reminders of her less than grand past. Tess eventually becomes entangled in a heart-warming adventure into the many stages of love and gains the wisdom to realize that there is much, much more to be gained in the giving then she ever thought she'd lose. Country music fans will adore this glimpse into the life of a star. Especially delightful are the backstage views of Nashville and the lonely road to stardom. This is a story that will leave you wanting more, as every LaVyrle Spencer novel does.

I am a BIG fan of Ms. Spencer having read most of the books, but was a little hesistant with reading the newer books. Starting with this one maybe because I was afriad it would be as "juicy" as some of the other books. The main thought which made me read it was, "This is a Lavyrle Spencer book, it has to be good." Boy was I ever correct! I enjoyed this book so much I read it in two days! The plot was wonderful, the tension (not only with Mac and Kenny--but with Mac and her sister as well), the clever writing. All these ingridients came together to creat an excellent novel. I'm not a country music person, but I learned a few things in the book about music I never would have thought about. As always Lavyrle put us inside the character to let us know their thoughts and feelings. An added plus was the funny "thoughts" that ran through both Mac and Kenny when they were apart or together. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, it makes enjoyable reading and you might find yourself chuckling when you read some of the antics told in the book. Defenitely a great read!

While this is not among the best books written by this author, it comes a close second. Kat is largely away from home in this book so her interactions with her family, best friend and boyfriend are not as frequent in this book as in most others. For me, it is the interactions among these characters that are a major strength of the books in this series - along with the usually terrific plotting. But, the plotting was a bit lacklustre in this outing and not as compelling as other books in the series. Nevertheless, this is still a good read from reliable story teller.

I usually have an idea of who the culprit is in mystery stories. In Honky Tonk Kat I had not a clue. There were so many different suspects I just could not pick one person to focas my attention on. The part I enjoyed most about this book was the flashbacks. Overall this was a very gripping mystery. The only reason why I didn't get a whole full five stars was because some of the family history part was very hard to keep straight. But, overall a very good mystery and worth taking a look at. Even if you are not intrested in country music. A fun read!

This was my first Karen Kijewski book, and I really enjoyed it. Fun, realistic characters - and you are kept wondering who the culprit is. It makes me want to read more of her books. If you're looking for something to change your life, this isn't it. It's just fun to read.

Daley's book still doesn't get to the insider track of what the Nashville music business is all about - mainly because he has not lived the experience - by trying to make it on music row. Rather, he uses the self-reports of others to guide his words.

For example, the quote ``Thou shalt live in Nashville,'' which refers to the industry's disapproval of anyone daring to commute between the main hive and the outlands.

However, he fails to explain why so many of the new artists signed to Nashville labels have never spent one minute in Nashville - compared to how it use to be. In short, he failed to mention that it is 'financial' backers paving the way for new artists, who have 'nothing' to do with the music business in Nashville.

I was upset. I was even angry. With the author? No, with the business. As a New Jersey songwriter, I am an outsider. More like an outsider looking to displace a Nashville "insider". We all want music to be our livelihoods. But there are only so many musical chairs. We all know this. So why do books that remind us of this fact disturb us so much? If you are absolutely determined to do all that is necessary to be a part of the country music scene, then this book is an easy read. For those circling like vultures, keeping their distances, but not willing to dive full force into the fray, this book will shoot you down. It is extremely well written, jam-packed with critical info, and is a one-stop country history lesson. I have a brand new appreciation for the Nashville machine. I hated what I read. But I believed what I read. Suggestion: 1. Buy the book, 2. Take a sedative, 3. Read the book, and 4. Well, you'll decide what's next.

As a reality-check, this should be considered a must-read by any aspiring songwriter, musician or singer before embarking on the pitted road to Nashville. Through incredible insight, research and experience, Mr. Daley illuminates the good, the bad and the eccentricity of the business of country music. His engaging style captures the tone of the laid-back, but unique, methodologies of the movers and shakers of the Nashville Community.