This book on Johann Sebastian Bach is the third entry on that composer in the Master Musicians series, published in 2020 by Oxford University Press. Like the two previous “Bach” books in the series (now more than a century old), it is aimed at general readers, including students. Yet it also offers new perspectives on the composer’s life and works that will be of interest to scholars and specialists.

Like other books in the series, Bach includes a handy list of the composer’s works and other reference material. A companion website offers a glossary of musical terms as well as audio versions of the book’s many musical examples.

The published version of the book is only a fraction of the complete life-and-works. A separate online supplement offers more complete coverage of both the biography and numerous compositions.