"A thoroughly researched and well-balanced appraisal of Prokofiev's life and works, beautifully presented in tandem with some fascinating and previously unavailable photographic illustrations. Jaffé handles the very difficult task of interweaving narrative and discussion of the works with commendable aplomb... Surely one of the best written books in Phaidon’s series."—Classic CD "An extensive biography of one of the 20th century’s foremost composers. Daniel Jaffé... has combined an intimate portrait outlining the life and social circle of Sergey Prokofiev with a full account of the political climate that shaped his career."—Bath Chronicle "Here is an excellent introduction to the life, character and music of a man Jaffé rightly describes as one of the best loved yet least known of all 20th century composers."—BBC Music Magazine "In the same series comes Daniel Jaffé’s Sergey Prokofiev, concise but remarkably rich in detail about the life of this enigmatic Russian composer whose death was overshadowed by that of Stalin on the same day."—Birmingham Post "Jaffé [...] brings insight into how Prokofiev’s life and work intertwined... Reliable... A clear introduction to the composer."—SCRSS [Society of co-operation of Russian & Soviet Studies] "Among modern composer-biographies, Daniel Jaffé’s Prokofiev stands out as exemplary."—The Independent Weekend Review On the 20th Century Composers Series "As a series, Phaidon's 20th Century Composers has brought remarkable variety and a welter of information, both necessary and delightfully trivial. Intended both for the general reader and for the more enthusiastically musical."—The Scotsman