Thank you NetGallery, W.W. Norton and author Michael Broyles for the opportunity to read the arc ebook of “Revolutions in American Music.”

This is such a well-researched and stimulating read based upon the premise that during certain periods in our history music inspired notable changes in our society. Broyles is a well-known American music historian and he presents detailed information in the most interesting and enjoyable manner. Beginning with minstrel entertainment in 1810 and continuing through early jazz, the invention of radio and phonograph, the founding of symphony orchestras, the development of country music, 1950s rock and roll and modern contemporary composers, the information flows in such a natural and interesting manner one forgets that this is scholarship at its best. When the book presents finite information it reveals facts often overlooked in other histories. A perfect example is the section on early jazz that omits so much of the repeated fiction and presents the real development and important musicians. Each section brings a realization of just how America’s social fabric was heavily influenced by a concurrent musical genre. This is a thoroughly wonderful book.

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