Much closer to the teeming panorama of a novel like War and Peace than the narrow focus of most books about music history . . . It takes a rare blend of scholarship, ingenuity and empathy to weave together the stories of the mostly distressed souls who, one way or another, were connected with Messiahs creation . . . King expertly juggles these individuals stories and a lot more besides . . . riveting -- Richard Morrison * The Times, *Book of the Week* * A mesmerizing journey through one of the most fascinating and creative moments in human history -- AMANDA FOREMAN This book reveals . . . fascinating historical truths . . . By following the links between individuals who are connected by varying degrees of separation with the works original creation and promotion, the author discovers that this one musical piece can stimulate joined-up insights into almost every significant aspect of its period: cultural, political, social, economic . . . His technique is often cinematic, focusing in and then panning out . . . In every case the macro picture is made vivid through the micro stories of individuals. Anyone who has ever written a historical narrative will know how hard it must have been for King to keep all the strands so expertly in play. The result is a truly informative, imaginative and engaging work * Financial Times * An absolute delight, beautifully told and featuring a veritable Whos Who of the Georgian era -- PETER FRANKOPAN Charles Kings fascinating history of Handels most famous work shows it in a whole new light . . . his book humanises the works exalted creators and demonstrates that the Messiah is not a pompous manifesto of faith but a troubled, often desperate quest for consolation . . . King . . . does a fine job of implicating Handel in the conflicts and contradictions of an unsettled society -- Peter Conrad * Observer * Engaging and enthusiastic . . . King handles a very large cast of characters and source material with energy, intelligence and aplomb -- Freya Johnstone * Literary Review * Fascinating . . . King's narrative is wide-ranging, taking in not just the ailing composer and his circle such as Thomas Coram, instigator of London's Foundling Hospital but . . . how the Messiah coincided with the birth of the Enlightenment . . . In King's telling, the "Hallelujah Chorus" is just one rousing highlight among many -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman * An adroitly threaded account of Handels life and achievements [ that] opens out to a colourful gallery of 18th-century personalities who played a part in making Messiah what it was . . . lively . . . readable, well researched and rich with detail . . . an engaging narrative . . . full of understanding, setting a good example for any who would write about music . . . thoughtful and wide-ranging * Gramophone * A splendid writer . . . a meticulous researcher, [ King] delivers surprises . . . fine and vivid sentences . . . fascinating * The Atlantic * Compelling. King transforms Handel's world into a place we can all recognise and understand as the foundation for our own * Washington Post *
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