Book excerpt: Most books dealing with the history of the organ have confined themselves to a single period, area, or even country. This invaluable new work is the first complete survey of the organ ever to have been made in any language. The author firmly bases his interpretations and judgment on extant documents whenever possible, on his practical experience in playing organs all over Europe, and on his close examination of a great variety of instruments at different stages of restoration or transformation. Eight chapters are devoted to the early period and four to the Renaissance. Then individual chapters consider the French classical organ, the organ of Bach, the Spanish baroque organ, the Italian baroque organ, the English organ before 1800, and the northern European organ. The final eight chapters discuss developments in the 19th and 20th centuries. Supplementing the text are a glossary and plates illustrating a full range of organs that are typical of their kind. The eminent English musicologist, organist, and harpsichordist, Peter (Fredric) Williams ranks among the foremost authorities on the organ.