The first and only global social history of the world's most romantic, flamboyant, glamorous and politically influential art-form: opera.

'A mighty achievement, by far and away the best history of opera available.' Tim Blanning, Literary Review

Daniel Snowman was born in London. A Lecturer at Sussex University in his twenties, he went on to work at the BBC where he was responsible for a wide variety of radio series on cultural and historical topics. A long-time member of the London Philharmonic Choir, and currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research (University of London), his books include critical portraits of the Amadeus Quartet and Placido Domingo and, more recently, Historians and a study of the cultural impact of The Hitler Emigres.