"A beautiful job….In exploring the nuances of Guthrie's work, Cray's exacting style is pitch-perfect."—Los Angeles Times Book Review

A patriot and a political radical, Woody Guthrie captured the spirit of his times in his enduring songs. He was marked by the FBI as a subversive. He lived in fear of the fatal fires that stalked his family and of the mental illness that snared his mother. At forty-two, Woody Guthrie was cruelly silenced by Huntington's disease.

The first biographer to be granted access to the Woody Guthrie Archive, Ed Cray has created a haunting portrait of an American who profoundly influenced Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and American popular music itself. 8 pages of illustrations.

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