“In articulating what’s behind the vaguely red-white-and-blue sentiments that Springsteen’s songs so often evoke, he has written a book as unpretentious and good-hearted as its subject.”— Boston Phoenix
“This is a well-written, painstakingly researched, and surprisingly unpretentious book.”— Asbury Park Press
“Cullen’s line-by-line analysis of Bruce’s songs crackles with insight.”— New York Daily News
“Jim Cullen writes with authority and empathy about the blue-collar roots that shaped Bruce Springsteen and gave rise to his music of rebellion. This is a provocative look at one of America’s cultural icons.”
— Eleanor Clift, Newsweek
“Cullen’s study of Bruce Springsteen is a full-fledged cultural critique … his parting words, ‘When I listen to Bruce Springsteen, I remember how to be an American,’ finally ring true.”— Kirkus Reviews
“Marshals impressive scholarship to assimilate the Boss into the main currents of American thought.”
— A.O. Scott, The New York Times Book Review
“Cullen’s unapologetic pursuit of deeper cultural meanings in Bruce Springsteen’s music and life is refreshing … he proves a sensitive interpreter of Springsteen’s work.”— Publisher’s Weekly
“Offers illumination and thoughtful, discriminating observations about its myriad subjects. And it has aged almost as well as Nebraska.”— Eric Alterman, The Nation