Glenda Dawn Goss

Not really a biography and not really a history of Finnish national awakening, but rather an amalgamation of the two. It gives an idea of the cultural milieu surrounding Sibelius and his response to it, but his private life and music are incidental to the narrative. Somehow it winds up giving one a deeper understanding of the man and his music.

An outstanding book with a somewhat different approach compared with other Sibelius biographies, placing his life and works in their true historical context. Scholarly but also highly accessible, recommended to anyone who cares about Sibelius, Finland and Nordic history.