Want to know more about music history but have room for only one book? This is the one.

Oh, if you're interested in only a single type of music, this book isn't for you. It includes classical, pop, Tin Pan Alley, and folk. As a result, it isn't a complete reference for anything. But it will get you started on any of those genres.

The format is simple: It is an alphabetical list of songs. It gives the first few measures of each tune, along with the words if there are any. It traces the history and authorship if possible, as well as bibliographic details about early publications.

What's more, the general consensus is that it is highly accurate. I cannot judge this in general, but in the area that I do know -- the folk music -- most of its assessments are correct or at least defensible based on the information available when Fuld wrote. Overall, the reliability is high.

This isn't a book for reading; it is a reference. And you may disagree with the items Fuld chose to include. I still suspect you will get a lot of use out of it. ( )