This new history of the electric guitar should be required reading for all guitarists. And a joyful one at that. Subtitled “An Epic History of the Style, Sound, & Revolution of the Electric Guitar,” it’s a creative, expansive, smart tale.

Brad Tolinski and Alan Di Perna are well-known as editors and authors of other guitaristic books. But they’ve outdone themselves this time.

Their prose is stylish and fun, clever and insightful. The authors connect the dots within guitar history and within the larger world of pop culture as well.

At times, they could be accused of streamlining the history, smoothing over the many rough edges – and interesting rough edges, at that – of competing ideas and designs, all in the name of presenting a clear, concise storyline. And there are some small-yet-obvious errors that crop up. Plus there’s an overall leaning toward the grandiose – the first guitar hero, the most ever paid for a guitar, etc. – that get in the way of the truly fascinating history with all its warts and weirdness.

But that’s all quibbling, as you’d expect from hardcore fans. And it ultimately doesn’t detract from the overall brilliance of the book. Get it and enjoy it!

This article originally appeared in VG‘s February ’17 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.