A History of Popular Music in America.

by Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth

1960. First edition thus. 729 pages. No dust jacket. This is an ex-Library book. Laminated pictorial paper covered boards. Ex library copy with associated labels, inserts, stamps and annotations. Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. Overall a good condition item. Boards have mild shelf wear with light rubbing and corner bumping. Some light marking and sunning.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1948

Reviews

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical oddity. This book was popular enough to go through 8 printings from 1948 through 1962, but it doesn't hold up well. It is sexist, puritanical, historically shallow, analytically weak, and worst of all reflexively and offensively racist, even allowing for the mores at the time of its writing.

It largely consists of lists of song titles, roughly grouped by decade, except when Spaeth comes to a historically significant figure (for example Irving Berlin or Stephen Foster, whom he adores), when he devotes a few paragraphs to biography and songs before and after the decade.

I suppose it could have some value as a reference book of early American popular music.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best birthday present I've ever been given.