Description: Examines Édith Piaf's live album Récital 1961, recorded at the famous Paris Olympia, and explores why it marked the last great turning point in her career.
Brief description: David L. Looseley is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary French Culture at the University of Leeds. He writes on the popular music, culture and cultural policy of France, including Édith Piaf: A Cultural History (2015), joint winner of the Franco-British Society Literary Prize, and Popular Music in Contemporary France: Authenticity, Politics, Debate (2003). He was contributing editor (with Diana Holmes) of Imagining the Popular in Contemporary French Culture (2013). He is Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques.
Review Quotes:
"Looseley draws from deep knowledge on every page; his latest publication-so much can be said in advance-is an indispensable book for anyone wishing to study Piaf." --ATeM [Bloomsbury translation]
"A jewel of a little book, elegantly written and limpidly setting out how and why Piaf's artistry counted in 1961 and is still of interest to lovers of French chanson and to the academic study of popular music alike even sixty years after her death." --French Studies "Looseley's account condenses a rich body of material and reflection and is written with a grace and erudition that will appeal to amateurs and specialists alike." --Modern & Contemporary France "Hugely engaging and informative ... There is much to like in the book, and the way Looseley pulls together the various cultural, political, historical and biographical strands makes for a quick, entertaining and informative read." --Popular Music