Born in the U.S.A

by Jim Cullen

Bruce Springsteen's status as a pop icon is indisputable, but, as Born in the U.S.A. demonstrates trenchantly and convincingly, Springsteen is a potent cultural icon as well. With an inventiveness and rigor worthy of Garry Wills, Jim Cullen establishes Springsteen as a symbol of what's right in America and as an heir to Whitman, Lincoln, Steinbeck, King, and other key influences on our national consciousness. Cullen is as much a fan as he is a scholar, and has never met his subject. What sets Born in the U.S.A. apart from any other book on Springsteen - and from almost any other book on popular culture - is Cullen's assertion that Springsteen is as influential a figure for our time as Thoreau, Whitman, and Steinbeck were for theirs. As a chronicler of his society and as a catalyst for social change, Springsteen is every bit the equal of his illustrious antecedents. Like them, Springsteen is a "good conservative" who preserves the traditional values of hard work, family, and compassion