‘An absolute belter [...] this is just a marvelous book.’ —Nick Rheinberger, ABC Illawarra Mornings
‘The Shortest History of Music by Andrew Ford, demonstrates why music is so critical to understanding the human condition.’ —Samuel Bernard, Weekend Australian
‘In the latest in the admirable Shortest History series [Andrew Ford] considers the impulse to make music, notated music, music as a commodity, modernism and music, and the consequences of recording. All that in about 250 pages.’ —Jason Steger, The Sydney Morning Herald
‘It may be a miniature, but this story of music strikes the right note [...] The book’s chief delight is its constant asides, tangents and anecdotes, which appear on almost every page.’ —Barney Zwartz, The Age
‘It is impossible to convey enough of the substance and value of this small treasure. It would be accessible to all regardless of their musical taste and knowledge. A pleasure to read, Ford’s book celebrates a form created by humans with infinite possibilities, and in myriad ways has had the ability to add a unique richness to life from the dawn of history ....’ —Patricia Simms-Reeve, Queensland Reviewers Collective
‘The Shortest History of Music is an achievement in brevity and balance – the well-themed structure providing steady tack through the surging and sometimes rough seas of musical history.’ —Kurt Johnson, The Saturday Paper
‘Andrew Ford is a brilliant guide to the inner sanctums of composition and the outer reaches of what we can even call music … The Shortest History of Music is for every music lover’ —Tasmanian Times
‘Like an experienced jazz player, [Ford] knows how to swing his narrative, with delightful off-road lurches into unexpected or cheeky byways’ —Malcolm Gillies, Australian Book Review
‘It is hard to believe that Andrew Ford’s The Shortest History of Music is the work of one person, given its extraordinary temporal and geographical reach. Offering a thematic history of that most potent of art forms, it is a jewel of a book.’ —David McCooey, ‘Books of the Year 2024’ Australian Book Review
