Rocket in My Pocket -- Max Décharné

If you grew up when I did or if you're at all interested in the history of rock, you'll get a bang out of A Rocket in my Pocket, which is not so much a hipster's guide (as the cover blurb calls it) as a history of a great time for American music. Hundreds of people who wanted to be Elvis Presley were recording at major labels and in tiny studios all over the country. Very few of them met with any success, but the music they made is as raw and vital today as it ever was. (Listen to Rockabilly Roadtrip on XM if you don't believe it.)

Max Décharné writes about the music with appreciation and enthusiasm, and it's great stuff. You'll read about Elvis, Wanda Jackson, Charlie Feathers, and dozens more, even Arlie Duff, who was my favorite DJ when I was in college in Austin long ago. Rockabilly is an essential part of American music, and this book is a great starting point if you want to learn about it. It's also a great trip back in time for those of us who came of age during the rockabilly era. It's out in October, and it's highly recommended.