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Rather than retelling all the well-known stories and witticisms, which have been repeated many times elsewhere, Alan Blackwood offers a detailed account of the life and achievements of this figure. A conductor of genius (perhaps the greatest that England has produced), largely self-taught, a musician who enjoyed the affections and respect of almost all his colleagues, Beecham was also an impresario of tireless energy and vision. He was the founder of orchestras and opera companies, and the vigorous promoter of then unfashionable composers like Richard Strauss and Delius. He was also largely responsible for the revival of interest in Mozart after long years of neglect. This chronicle of his eventful life confirms Beecham's place in British musical history, and eminence achieved by few in this century.