A Little History of Music

By: Robert Philip

Narrated by: Zeb Soanes

A lively, engaging guide to music around the world, from prehistory to the present

Human beings have always made music. Music can move us and tell stories of faith, struggle, or love. It is common to all cultures across the world. But how has it changed over the millennia?

Robert Philip explores the extraordinary history of music in all its forms, from our earliest ancestors to today’s mass-produced songs. This is a truly global story. Looking to Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and beyond, Philip reveals how musicians have been brought together by trade and migration and examines the vast impact of colonialism. From Hildegard von Bingen and Clara Schumann to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, great performers and composers have profoundly shaped music as we know it.

Covering a remarkable range of genres, including medieval chant, classical opera, jazz, and hip hop, this Little History shines a light on the wonder of music—and why it is treasured across the world.

©2023 Robert Philip (P)2023 Yale Press Audio

Another text infected by academe's special pandemic

This text is shot through not only with entirely unnecessary leftwing shibboleths but a solid dollop of obvious falsehoods advancing the same irrelevant ends. E.g.: at 8:41:30 he claims that Cold War repression in the U.S. meant that "every musician who had expressed even a hint of socialist views was under suspicion." (Quote as exact as possible given limitations of Audible app.)

There can be no good-faith justification for this howler. Either Philip shoehorned in offensive and ideology-nuzzling "fact" in fairly comprehensive ignorance of the subject; or he knew the claim was so false as to be ludicrous, but happily made it anyway.

It doesn't require too much on that line to render the whole work unreliable and its reading tedious.

Great book

This book concisely explains the history of music, and that's no easy feat to achieve.
A great narrator in addition to perfect recording and mixing makes the narration excellent.