Description: In this "incredibly rich" (New York Times) definitive history of the Bolshoi Ballet, visionary performances onstage compete with political machinations backstage.
Brief description: Simon Morrison is a professor of music at Princeton University, a contributor to the New York Times and the Times Literary Supplement, and the author of, most recently, Lina and Serge. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Review Quotes: The title means what it says. There's plenty of scandal here: arson, double suicide, dead cats flung at curtain calls. At the same time, the book is energetically researched, beautifully written -- fun, relaxed, sophisticated -- and full of serious ideas, boldly stated.--Joan Acocella, dance critic "The New Yorker"