Caruso

First edition, first printing.  276pp, with a few black and white plate illustrations.  Black cloth-covered boards with gilt titles on the spine.  8vo.  Cloth very slightly pushed at spine tips.  Upper text block edge dust darkened with traces of dustiness.  Previous owner’s name neatly inked on the front free endpaper, pages a little creamy else internally neat, clean and tight.  In its original dust jacket, shelf worn and rubbed and bumped and a little toned at edges, not price clipped.  

A native of Naples and born into a poor family, Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) became one of the most internationally-acclaimed operatic tenors of all time, preforming at all the major opera houses in Europe and America.  He was also an pioneer on recorded music, making some 250 commercially released recordings in the early part of the 20th century.  Known not just for his rich voice, he was also charismatic, witty and, as this biography – the first full length and authoritative exploration of his life and work –  reveals, had a dazzling personal life.