The authors in this book do not look at the life of Johnny Cash but at the fans of his and how he has reached so many different people around the World. You get a glimpse of this through interviews that they conduct. A very different yet still a very good book.

I really liked the focus of Johnny Cash International being on the fans more than on the man himself. Hinds and Silverman look deeply at how fandom makes the fans feel as well as what a public image really means.
Johnny Cash International is a fun, well-researched book that lays bare what fandom is all about.

BUYER BEWARE: Your brain may be put to work when you read this book. 😊

The concept of this book is different than others that feature a well-known name in the title. While readers will learn about the iconic artist, the book’s focus is on the fans of Johnny Cash and the relationship each feels they have with the man and his music. Rather than focus on who Johnny Cash thought he was, as most books do when writing about a famous person, “Johnny Cash International” examines who he was when viewed through the eyes of other people. When you think about it, although we each have a personal knowledge of ourselves, it is that conglomeration of what other people think that truly fosters a public image.

The international reference in the book’s title reflects on the research of authors Hinds and Silverman. Both communicated with Cash fans from around the world, gathering intimate knowledge of their feelings and reactions to Johnny Cash and his music. The authors split these interviews and conversations into different chapters, separating the data into themes and thus making it easier to attain reader understanding. They first address the history of international fandom and then move on to spend a year examining the lives of Cash fans worldwide. I found myself jumping on websites to gain a closer look at the people mentioned as well as viewing performers on Youtube.

Heavily researched and detailed, this book ranges from interesting to just plain fun to read. A must for Cash fans as well as for those who are not sure what all the fuss is about. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and University of Iowa Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.