Wild American road tales from a writer who lives to ride -- Charlie Musselwhite
Garth Cartwright takes you on a quixotic trek down the dirt roads of American music. This book is part thriller, part adventure story, part mystery tale - in sum, a secret history of roots music as heard only in near-forgotten juke joints, honky tonks, roadhouses, East L.A. barrios, and yes, even churches. Reading his passionate prose, you can almost smell the catfish frying, taste the white whiskey, and feel that bassline pounding away -- Michael Dregni, author of Django: the Life & Times of a Gypsy Legend
Praise for Princes Amongst Men (9781842424831): Excellent... what distinguishes Cartwright is his style, his verve and his whole-hearted engagement with his subject * Guardian *
Brilliant... will capture the imagination of any would-be traveller... An irresistible combination of travelogue and search for human roots * Sunday Express *
Cartwright has a writer's eye for detail and a musician's dedication to late-night adventures... he is good at documenting the road-trip element of his story... gets into the heart of an often obscured side of America... [and] writes with spirit. -- Clover Stroud * Sunday Telegraph *
A terrifically enjoyable read by a true writer... will have you hooked in seconds...The best music book since Nik Cohn's Tricksta. -- Charlie Gillett * www.charliegillett.com *
Shot through with the Beat spirit of adventure, Cartwright throws himself toward the rawest, juiciest slices of American life - whether hitching through the Arizona desert to canoeing down the swampy Mississippi. -- Adam Forrest * The Big Issue *
[A]nyone with even the slightest interest in music and Americana will find something here to whet the appetite -- Dan Collins * Irish Examiner *
His empathetic descriptions of under-appreciated musicians are engrossing, inspiring and frequently heartbreaking. -- Andrzej Lukowski * Metro *
Taking in country balladeers, outlaw poets and soul divas, it's an On The Road for the 21st-century, a journey to the very frontiers of the American spirit. -- Simon Evans * Choice *
A seductive reminder of the mystic energy of the US highway. With a Greyhound ticket and a restless soul, Cartwright writes about troubadours, divas and country poets in prose as sassy and lyrical as his subjects -- N/A * Wanderlust *
A compelling insight into the plight of endangered musical traditions battling ferociously to survive in an increasingly homogenised and philistine world. -- Michael Quinn * Rock'n'Reel *
Enjoyable modern-day odyssey. -- Terry Staunton * Record Collector *
Gritty, diary-like read... Read this and you'll want to exhaust yourself trying to find the heart of authentic American music just like Cartwright did. -- Jon Newey * Jazzwise *
A good read! -- Paul Jones * BBC Radio 2 *
Insightful...will leave you feeling as if you were tucked away in his backpack... his energy and ease of description will engage the avid traveller and the serious music lover alike. -- Ruth Harrison * Real Travel *
A steering-wheel-gripping, ear-bending, gut-twisting mission around North America... You feel like you're a passenger in his dust-licked rental car... you get hooked, like a petrol-head on his high-octane prose... Kerouac's poetic, hyperactive spirit darts in and out Cartwright's writing...an exhilarating read. -- Lucy Wilson * Songlines *
A Kiwi Kerouac... More Miles is that rare thing - a book with real soul. -- Jamie Renton * Straight No Chaser *
Cartwright's writing is by turns entertainingly subjective and factually direct... expressed in both close-up detail and panoramic sweep... compelling. -- Sharon O'Connell * Time Out *
This opinionated travelogue turns out to be a surprisingly crafty and engaging book -- Philip Matthews * The Dominion Post Weekend, NZ *
