Lively, lucid, and richly informative. If you're new to the history of music, there's no better place to start. If you're an old hand at it, you'll still find plenty to think about.--Lawrence Kramer, author of The Hum of the World

A wonderful read. . . . As erudite as it is enjoyable; as riveting as it is revelatory. Andrew Ford's history of music may be short, but it is deep. With the lightest of touches, he has excavated many layers of human history and global culture. . . . A highly readable (and persuasive) thesis of what music is, why it exists, and how we couldn't survive without it. Indispensable.--Clemency Burton-Hill, bestselling author of Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day

Brilliantly readable and bursting with insight, wit and wisdom. Ford is a master storyteller.--Michael Spitzer, author of The Musical Human: A History of Life on Earth

The Shortest History of Music is astonishing! It is a richly detailed and informed deep dive into the nature and practice of music across many cultures and much human history by a composer, thinker and writer who has been immersed in exploring and creating music for many years. And it's addictive: I keep reading and rereading passages, relishing delicious details and illuminating insights, conveyed with clarity and wit. At a time when so many 'musics' are accessible on our devices but their context diluted or missing, this is an essential overview.--Annea Lockwood, composer and sound artist

There is something undeniably impressive about both Ford's compressed marshaling of such varied material and his desire to make connections sing across different musical cultures.-- "Times Literary Supplement"

Impressively engaging given the highly compressed format. . . . There's much to recommend in this book: a refreshingly non-European starting point . . . and pithy, thought-provoking statements and quotations which drive [Ford's] energetic prose.-- "BBC Music Magazine"

Ford's historical and technical knowledge is vast, the depth of his research astounding. . . . This book is fascinating, broad and (like all good histories) has humanity at its center.--Prospect Magazine (UK)

If it was translated into a score this would say the word 'allegro' at the top. But The Shortest History of Music never feels rushed. . . . Sometimes brevity allows boldness.--The Herald (UK)

A top-notch critic . . . our answer to America's Alex Ross.--Rolling Stone (Australia)

Exhilarating. . . . Evokes a world of creative destruction where rules were made, broken and remade. . . . Note to prospective readers: Stop and listen to any piece that is mentioned more than once. It will deepen the experience profoundly. . . . The Shortest History of Music is an achievement in brevity and balance.--The Saturday Paper (Australia)

Andrew Ford is the most literate of composers; the most musical of writers.-- "Australian Book Review"

This entertaining contribution to the Shortest History series . . . makes a compelling and informative case for the power and necessity of music.-- "Booklist"

I know of few other writers, if any, who could have told this intimidatingly vast story with the breezy readability and boundless expertise that Andrew Ford brings to it. From Monteverdi to Charlie Parker to Beyoncé, Ford connects dots that range across centuries and circle the globe. Never pedagogical, always witty and engaging, he has gotten to the heart of why music is an eternal part of our lives.--James Gavin, author of George Michael: A Life, Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker, and other award-winning books

Publisher: Experiment

Pub date: 2025-05-06

Length: 256 pages