Here is musical biography of quite a different nature from the one above, -- a musician and critic appraising another musician, and never quite keeping himself out of the picture. Erskine does not attempt to tell a consecutive, routine story of Felix Mendelssohn. We approaches it from the viewpoint of phases of his career, he has studied letters and diaries and contemporary critical commentaries -- and appraises and reports his career from these various angles. The result is that instead of a straightforward record, one builds up a rounded picture through various eyes, and almost unconsciously absorbs the modern critical approach to Mendelssohn's achievements and personality. There is more real depth and quality to the biography than in the ordinary biography for young people, but it demands more concentration on the part of the young reader than is usual. Market primarily-young musicians.