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The Devil Is In It: A Story of Love Obsession and the American Acoustic Guitar
380 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 3, 2026
Definitely not for the casuals, but a surprisingly readable and compelling history of the acoustic guitar in America.
I can’t say enough good things about how well Stubbings organizes and delivers information here, and that’s the difference between a book like this that is completist and technically correct and a book like this that is both of those things but also readable and entertaining.
As mentioned I don’t think this is really for a casual music audience, and while it doesn’t require any kind of expertise on the subject, if you don’t know anything about guitars or their history, this probably shouldn’t be your first stop.
To that end, I think this book strikes a good balance between technically complex history and nuance and an understanding that at the end of the day, music is a form of entertainment and discussions of it cannot stray too far from that.
Stubbings proves able to toe that line, and to deliver a thorough history that is edifying but also peppered with humor and wry observations.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I can’t say enough good things about how well Stubbings organizes and delivers information here, and that’s the difference between a book like this that is completist and technically correct and a book like this that is both of those things but also readable and entertaining.
As mentioned I don’t think this is really for a casual music audience, and while it doesn’t require any kind of expertise on the subject, if you don’t know anything about guitars or their history, this probably shouldn’t be your first stop.
To that end, I think this book strikes a good balance between technically complex history and nuance and an understanding that at the end of the day, music is a form of entertainment and discussions of it cannot stray too far from that.
Stubbings proves able to toe that line, and to deliver a thorough history that is edifying but also peppered with humor and wry observations.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
January 18, 2026
A must-read for guitar aficionados and anyone interested in the evolution of the American acoustic guitar. It combines construction history with the luthiers who made them, the musicians who played them, and the dealers who repaired and sold them.
As an audiobook listener, I did a lot of online searches to better visualize the size of a dreadnought, a flat top vs an arched top guitar, f-style holes, etc. it would have been great had there been some audiobook extras that demonstrated the different sounds from different styles of instruments, strings, and picking styles…but I suppose that’s for the music aficionado to discover.
Enjoyable narration, though the book is a bit in the weeds - it’s more suited to those who like to geek out on guitar history. I thought it was a bit lengthy. Still, a lot of info, some of which I shall retain. 4.5 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to #TheDevilisinIt audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 20 January 2026.
As an audiobook listener, I did a lot of online searches to better visualize the size of a dreadnought, a flat top vs an arched top guitar, f-style holes, etc. it would have been great had there been some audiobook extras that demonstrated the different sounds from different styles of instruments, strings, and picking styles…but I suppose that’s for the music aficionado to discover.
Enjoyable narration, though the book is a bit in the weeds - it’s more suited to those who like to geek out on guitar history. I thought it was a bit lengthy. Still, a lot of info, some of which I shall retain. 4.5 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to #TheDevilisinIt audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 20 January 2026.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews