House of Cash: The Legacies of my Father, Johnny Cash [Hardcover]

John Carter Cash (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 16, 2012

House of Cash is an unprecedented look at the life and inspirations of the Man in Black, by none other than his namesake son, John Carter Cash. Gathering together previously unpublished photographs, lyrics, art, notes, and recollections from the Cash family archives, John Carter paints a portrait of his father’s inner life, and the values he imparted to his son and family.

A record of a deep and ongoing conversations between father and son about what matters in life, House of Cash explores Johnny Cash’s quest to live deliberately as he worked to determine his values, share them with those close to him, and reaffirm them on a daily basis. Topics covered include the nature of creativity, the responsibilities that come with fatherhood and friendship, the need for humility and morality, the value of reading, and the obligation we all have to sympathize with the downtrodden. An intimate exploration of the personality and legacy of Johnny Cash, this is a unique portrait of a deeply spiritual, creative, and passionate soul whose music sprang from the way he lived.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Insight Editions (March 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608870286
• ISBN-13: 978-1608870288
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 1 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Cash, Johnny

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Man In Black" - Highly Recommended October 19, 2011

By C. F. Hill HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"House of Cash" is a celebration of Johnny Cash's life as presented by his son, John Carter Cash. My step-father is a huge Johnny Cash fan and this was the perfect birthday gift for him. The hardback edition is a fairly large book with an appropriately worn looking cover design that looks great on my parent's coffee table.

While I have heard a lot of his music (often while visiting my parents), I knew next to nothing about the man. This book gives a good bit of in-sight into his life, his way of thinking, his music, and his faith. Johnny Cash was a very deep man and I am amazed at the amount of inspirational material he left for his son to use in putting together this tribute. The book contains copies of hand written notes, reproductions of important documents, and many personal photos. Just a note of caution as a lot of the included material are odd sized compared to the standard pages and not all are attached, so so care should taken when going through it (small children might be tempted to remove some of the smaller notes). All of this is great material is tied together by a son's detailed accounts and recollection of his larger than life father.

This is a solid hit for fans and is even interesting reading for those with a casual interest in "The Man In Black".

Highly Recommended!

CFH

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars INTIMATE LOOK AT JOHNNY CASH THROUGH HIS SON JOHN CARTER CASH October 20, 2011

By Stuart Jefferson TOP 100 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Large size hardcover-160 pages. ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS EDITION IS A CD (about 38 minutes long from Sony Music) containing 12 tracks-8 previously unreleased. There's a number of "documents" from Cash's life (handmade Valentine's Day card, high school diploma letters, a sketchbook, of Cash's artwork, lyric sheet, family recipes, etc.), which add depth and interest. The songs-"Billy Brown" (especially fine), "Ridin' On The Cottonbelt" (a great story about Cash's father), "While I've Got It On My Mind", and others-are well worth hearing (and owning), for they're good examples of Cash's voice and style of music and story telling. On a number of tunes Cash speaks and sets the scene by explaining how the songs came to be. The songs feature just Cash and his guitar, and there's a warmth that comes through, as if he's sitting at home and playing for a friend. This is no thrown together/money making book. The attention to detail is on every page-from the embossed cover graphic, to the photo and graphic reproductions throughout the book, to the writing style-this is a high quality book.

This book, written by Johnny Cash's son, John Carter Cash (J.C.C.), is a personal look at Johnny Cash's life and what inspired him to live the life he chose. Using many unpublished photographs and the above mentioned ephemera, J.C.C. paints a portrait of a man who was both a well known recording artist, and a father/family man. Filled with first person writing, the style brings out a different side of Cash-a man concerned with family, life values, and the creative spirit.

Chapters like "Beginnings and Foundations", "Faith & Philosophy", "Married In A Fever", "From Heart To Pen", and others, construct a good picture of Cash as both a family man and an artist.... Throughout the book it's apparent that J.C.C. holds his father in high esteem, and he writes warmly about his father from a unique viewpoint. The book is also a look at how Cash's music sprang from the way he lived, and how he used his life experiences to write and perform his deeply moving songs of faith and turmoil.

This isn't an autobiography of Cash. It's a son writing about his family and his father-who also happens to be a songwriter/singer of some of the best country and gospel music of the Twentieth Century. But it's the many photos, both color and b&w, that really gives insight into Cash and his life. This book is not so much about Cash the artist, but really about Cash the man and father. The photos of Cash with his family, both posed and informal (fishing for example) gives this book an edge over the usual books written about Cash. The perspective that J.C.C. brings to this reflective look at his father is heartwarming, yet both interesting and informative.

If you're a fan of Johnny Cash you'll like this book. Because it's written from a unique perspective, and has many photographs that are in tandem to the writing, this book deserves to sit alongside other good books about Johnny Cash. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book! October 24, 2011

By Thomas D. Gilbert

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have a fairly large library of books, many of them from amazon, and have been a book-lover all my life. Never have I seen a book quite like this one. As the other reviewers stated, it is not only chock full of pictures and stories as I expected, but there were some really neat surprises, like his homemade valentine to June, and his recipe cards. This is really special, you have have to see it to appreciate it. It will no doubt be a big seller this Christmas and what a great present it will be, even to casual fans. My sister ordered it for me, just as a no-occasion surprise gift, and it arrived today. This one is a keeper for sure. One thing I noticed though, one of the other reviewers mentioned a CD that came with the book. I haven't found that in my book, unless it is hidden away somewhere within the pages. I'll keep looking.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down, the best September 27, 2012

By Pen Name

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read "Anchored in Love," "Johnny Cash's Autobiography," and now this. And this is, by far, THE best Cash book our there. From actual hand-written recipes of food he made, to adorable homemade Valentines he created for June, this is choc-ful of neat, one-of-a-kind pieces of the real Johnny Cash.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!!! January 9, 2012

By Kira

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you love Johnny Cash you will LOVE this book. It is AMAZING!!!!! There is so many cool things to see. Its almost like a Scrapbook of his life. I would recommend this to any one who is a fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect gift for a Johnny Cash lover!! January 8, 2012

By Kathy Gaston

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is beautiful. Not only the cover, but the way it's written too. It tells everything about Johnny. There are his favorite recipes included. Pictures of him from the time he was young until old, with and without family and friends...So many surprises, that you really have to see to get the full understanding. Hats off to his son, he did a wonderful job!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars RARELY IS A BOOK A "WORK OF ART"...THIS ONE IS ! March 28, 2013

By Jonnie King

Format:Hardcover

It opens with John Carter Cash's description of his father: "My father was a complicated man. There is no denying that. He was a man of steadfast faith and an open book in so many ways. But he was also a very deep and even mysterious man, intriguing and unpredictable..." What follows in the journey you will take during the 160 pages of this massive 12"x9" volume, is a first-hand look into the music, life, loves, and career, of an American icon.

John Carter Cash, is the only child born of the marriage of two music legends: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash. The love he had for his parents is self-evident in this book, and his honesty about his feelings for his father are manifested on every page of this "Cash-Carter Family" based volume.

Pulling no punches, you are immersed into the entire world of this musical giant that became known as "The Man In Black". From his early beginnings in Arkansas to his world travels, you follow his path no matter where it leads. His song writing, his poetry, his paintings, his photography, his playful/humorous side, his addictions, his ailments, his friends...if it was a part of the life of Johnny Cash, you will read about it within these pages.

Most of all you will learn about his steadfast, deep abiding faith in God, his loyalty to his friends...and the compassion he had for those less fortunate souls, no matter where in the world he traveled.

Through the years his friends included many whose names you know: the Reverend Billy Graham, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Horton, Kris Kristofferson, "Cowboy" Jack Clement...and many more too numerous to mention.... But his family always came first, and you will also learn about his love for each and every one in it: his parents, children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, cousins, his talented & loving wife, June, and the members of her family.

What makes this book so special is that John Carter Cash, and his wife Laura, went through the archives of Johnny & June and acquired information and documents that only they could have access to. In so doing, the added bonus of the book includes facsimiles, documents, and many, many photos that you will see nowhere else: a copy of JR's High School diploma from Dyess Arkansas, rare photos of Johnny & June, Johnny's recipe's, including Chili (he liked to cook,too !), some of his artwork, poem's he wrote to June, copies of his lyric/song sheets...and that's just a sampling of what's in-store for you !

I had followed Johnny Cash's career since I was a teenager in 1956, and was privileged to receive a phone call from him while I was Music Director at the 50,000 Watt Giant, KAAY Radio in Little Rock, in May of 1972. That call turned into an On-The-Air Interview that I'll never forget, and Johnny Cash was one of the most courteous and kind individuals I've ever known. His music had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, but his thoughtfulness and warmth that came through the phone that day during our conversation will forever live in my memory banks.

Johnny Cash was an American "original" in every sense of the word. His body of work continued for over five decades, and this loving chronical of his life, his music, and his impact on all whose lives he touched, and continues to touch years after his death, is set-down in this wonderful volume by his only son: John Carter Cash....a son who not only loved his father, but wanted to share that love, and his stories, with all of us.

If you would buy only one book that covered the true history of Johnny Cash, this would be it. Read more ›