Cold War Country

“Essential reading . . . Thompson’s exploration of the longstanding ties between the US military and country music doesn’t just help you rethink country music, but the ways in which America uses popular music to its own ends. Thompson’s immaculately researched book upends expectations while diving deep into the previously unreported ties . . . between the army and Music Row.”—Rolling Stone, Best Music Books of 2024

“Joseph Thompson tells the fascinating and forgotten story of how the Pentagon and Music Row encouraged and reinforced each other. . . . [and] reveals why this happened.”—Boston Globe

“Thompson’s book convincingly documents the close association of country music with the U.S. military while also providing lesser-known narratives about the careers of some famous country performers.”—Something Else!

"Through an engagingly written narrative . . . Thompson makes a persuasive case that the association of country music with militarized patriotism is attributable not to something latent in the culture of the working-class white South, but rather to industry positioning and savvy self-interest.”—Journal of Southern History

“Thompson digs deep into the nuanced history of the mutually beneficial relationship between the Pentagon and Nashville’s Music Row. . . . Cold War Country significantly contributes to American music and political historiography and would make an engaging and useful reading for a graduate seminar or upper-division undergraduate course.”—North Carolina Historical Review

“Cold War Country provides a thorough documentation and analysis of the process by which Country music and the U.S. military became entwined. . . . Thompson’s excellent Cold War discussion will be a go-to resource for understanding the relationship and actions of Music Row and the Pentagon regarding Country music during, and even after, the Cold War.”—James E. Akenson, Louisiana History

“Numerous scholars have connected country music to patriotic American themes. Joseph M. Thompson’s Cold War Country makes the linkage more distinct. . . . Thompson’s well-written book uses a variety of primary and secondary sources, making it accessible to students and scholars interested in the intersection of culture, economics, and the military.”—Journal of American History

“Essential. . . . Written in clear, engaging prose, Cold War Country is a delight to read, and would work very well in an undergraduate classroom. . . . Any scholar of the US military, popular music, and the wider cultural paradoxes of the modern United States will learn a tremendous deal from Thompson’s eye-opening book.”—Diplomatic History

“The book is well written and thoroughly researched, documented with 889 foot notes, an extensive bibliography, and a useful, comprehensive index. . . . Highly recommended for academic and popular music collections.”—Notes: The Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association

“Thompson’s Cold War Country will not only transform scholarly discussions around country music, but it will make a crucial contribution to larger conversations about popular culture, the political history of the South, and the United States in the twentieth century. It is a model for the kind of scholarship that anyone who wants to work on music or pop culture can benefit from.”—Charles Hughes, author of Country Soul: Making Music and Race in the American South