Product Description

Why does Bruce Springsteen mean so much to so many people? Political journalist Eric Alterman examines the unique phenomenon that is The Boss and how he has come to reflect and interpret a turbulent quarter century of American history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #303896 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 282 pages

About the Author
Eric Alterman is a columnist for The Nation and NSNBC. He is a contributor to Rolling Stone, Elle, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Customer Reviews

Makes you believe promise of Bruce Springsteen.
This is a book truly written by a Bruce Springsteen fan. If you are a fan yourself, you will find yourself nodding along in agreement, as you read most points in Alterman's book. It does not canonize Springsteen or have huge paragraphs on his personal life, it is more of a close, personal study of his music - which is what the real fans exalt, not the man himself. It is not as piercing or as exploratory as say, Jim Cullen's "Born In The USA" study but it is not meant to be. It is virtually, a fan sharing the impact of Springsteen's music on his life, and it is something every other true fan can relate to. Non-believers may not enjoy it on such a level, but they should find it is an interesting and somewhat inspiring account of the promise of Bruce Springsteen's music.

For the thinking fan
There are books on Bruce Springsteen offering little more than myth-building clichés, and there are books trying to tear down those same myths at any cost.
This book, thankfully, does neither. This is THE book for the thinking Springsteen fan. Alterman is very well informed, critical in an analyzing sense, yet inspired by admiration for the Boss.
You get a very good sense of the man that is Bruce Springsteen, of what he has come to stand for, and why. The analysis of each album within the context of its day, and the context of Springsteen's discography is extremely insightful and enlightening.
I could go into details, but I'd rather just say this: If you are wondering if it is worth reading a book on a rock musician, stop wondering and buy this book. No thinking reader will regret it.
And if you are going to read only one book on Bruce, it should be this.