I really enjoyed this biography of Johnny Cash. I learned a lot of things about him that I never knew. This was an "authorized" biography, but was quite frank about Cash's faults -- the long-time amphetamine addiction that fueled wild and destructive behavior; his responsibility for the breakup of his first marriage. The author's admiration for Cash as a person and a musician was obvious, however.

I was surprised how deeply the book delved into Cash's faith. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, as it was clearly quite central to his life (even present in the rough times when he wasn't really living by it). Cash had the humble faith of a man who knew he'd seriously messed up many times in his life, and was aware of how much he'd been forgiven -- by God and by those around him, who he put through hell in his drug-using days. This awareness fueled his concern for those whom society often scorned -- prisoners, addicts, alcoholics.

I do question the format of the book. It began near the end of his life -- at the time of his wife June's death -- and then went back to the beginning of his life. After the life story was done, there was a lengthy chapter of analysis. Some of this I liked and found enlightening, and some of it felt like overkill, hammering points already made in the telling of Cash's life.

Overall, I really liked this book; I listened to it on audio, and thought the audio was well done. ( )

very good book about Johnny Cash. My only complaint is that the author introduces new people into the story and quotes them, but it's sometimes hard to tell who said what. So you have to go back and double check who's talking. ( )

Includes biographical references