WCountry was the first book published by Rolling Stone magazine critic Nick Tosches. Released in 1977 under the title Country: The Biggest Music in America, it was retitled in later editions as Country: Living Legends and Dying Metaphors in America's Biggest Music and Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock and Roll.
WThe Devil and Sonny Liston is a biography of world heavyweight champion boxer Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. The book's title is a reference to the story "The Devil and Daniel Webster". Tosches' intended title was "Night Train" after one of Liston's favorite songs. It was changed at the behest of his publisher in order to avoid potential confusion with the novel of the same name by Martin Amis.
WDino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams is a biography of Dean Martin written by Nick Tosches. It draws heavily from interviews Tosches did with Jerry Lewis, and with Martin's second wife and lifelong friend Jeanne Biegger. The story begins with the births of Martin's grandparents in Italy and follows his entire life up to the point of publication. It also includes sections in which Tosches writes in the first person from the point of view of Martin, a gonzo journalism style which would be used more frequently in his later non-fiction works.
WKing of the Jews is a book by Nick Tosches. On the surface it is a biography of Arnold Rothstein, the man who reputedly fixed the 1919 World Series, inspired the characters of Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and created the modern system of organized crime.
WThe Last Opium Den is an investigative journalism/travel book by Nick Tosches. It was originally an article in Vanity Fair, where Tosches is a contributing editor. Tosches travels the world seeking the titular establishment. He also spends time discussing the heroin/opium trade, the history of opium dens, wine tasting, and the historical use of opium to treat symptoms of diabetes.
WPower on Earth is a biography of Mafia-linked Italian banker and accused murderer Michele Sindona written by Nick Tosches. Based on his own in-depth research, including several interviews with Sindona himself while he was in prison awaiting trial, Tosches tells Sindona's rise from poor beginnings to becoming one of the world's most powerful bankers. It also details his connections with the Gambino crime family, the Vatican Bank, the Franklin National Bank in Long Island, New York, and the murder of Giorgio Ambrosoli, a lawyer overseeing the liquidation of his banks.
WWhere Dead Voices Gather is a book by Nick Tosches. It is, in part, a biography of Emmett Miller, one of the last minstrel singers. Just as importantly, it depicts Tosches' search for information about Miller, about whom he initially wrote in his book Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock and Roll. It is also a study of minstrelsy and its connection to American folk music, country music, the blues and ultimately, rock and roll. In that way, it is a companion volume to his other books of music journalism, Country and Unsung Heroes of Rock N' Roll.