John Williams: A Composer's Life

by Tim Greiving Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross

Overview

The first biography of a great American composer of the cinema age

John Williams is one of the most important film composers of all time, having almost singlehandedly revived the Hollywood symphonic scoring tradition and helped restore the livelihood of American orchestras through the popularity of film music programming. His film music, in the words of director Oliver Stone, "came to stand for the American culture."

In John Williams: A Composer's Life, the first biography of the composer, author Tim Greiving offers an engaging account of a man whose body of work is well-known but whose personal life has consistently remained very private. Williams wrote the memorable scores and hummable themes for a staggering number of popular touchstones across multiple generations-among them Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and the Harry Potter series-and earned more Oscar nominations than any individual artist in the history of the motion picture Academy. He also composed dozens of concerti, fanfares, and other concert works and was a national presence as music director of the Boston Pops for more than a decade. He inspired countless children to pursue a career in the orchestra and won the respect of the classical community worldwide. Seeking to understand what drove Williams's musical productivity and its effects on the lives of those close to him, Greiving delves deeply into the composer's decades-long career, uncovering countless new stories and revelations. Throughout, he analyzes and describes Williams's film scores, recalling them primarily in narrative and emotional terms rather than purely musicological ones, and in doing so emphasizes one of Williams's principle strengths: his musical storytelling.

With unprecedented interview access to Williams and those close to him, Greiving presents the definitive portrait of a beloved but famously private doyen of twentieth-century pop culture. Featuring 175 exclusive interviews-including with Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, George Miller, Mia Farrow, Hans Zimmer, Yo-Yo Ma, session musicians, family members, and friends-John Williams: A Composer's Life is the first and last word on the great court composer of the cinema age, the musical conductor of our collective memory.

"Fans of John Williams' music will devour this all-encompassing work. [Tim Greiving] provides reams of fascinating inside information about several spectacular scores, including for the classics Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler's List."-Kirkus Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Tim Greiving takes us on a fascinating and insightful journey into the brilliant mind of composer John Williams. Fantastic! I could not put it down." — Howard Shore, Composer

"John Williams defines the word inspiration. Almost every young composer I meet says that John was their inspiration for wanting to compose (including my own son!). I am personally inspired by how incredibly generous, supportive, and kind he is as a human being. It's rare to know someone so successful with such genuine humility and compassion. I think the world of John." — Marin Alsop, Internationally renowned conductor

"Readers be aware, the deep love for music on the following pages is highly contagious!" — Hildur Gudnadóttir, Composer and musician

"John Williams' music was essentially the soundtrack for my entire childhood, and I'll never forget meeting him for the first time at President Obama's inauguration in 2009. To record and perform his piece, Air and Simple Gifts, with Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Itzhak Perlman was one of the greatest moments of my life. He has given all of us the gift of perfect storytelling through music. It is fantastic to see his amazing story told to the world." — Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet, New York Philharmonic and internationally acclaimed Clarinet Soloist

"Captivatingly written, Greiving's book understands deeply the power, the art and the humanity of John Williams's music. From his beginnings and musical heritage, this is a fascinating walk-through of Williams's life and his musical influences. Steeped in interesting detail of the musical era and the beginnings of film music right through to current times, the book is especially luminous when Greiving pauses, steps back and comments on William's music and his person. Greiving knows his subject well and has painstakingly immersed himself in understanding Williams's work, writing engagingly, while enlightening the reader with deep insights into the man himself." — Rachel Portman, Film composer

"Fans of John Williams' music will devour this all-encompassing work. [Tim Greiving] provides reams of fascinating inside information about several spectacular scores, including for the classics Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler's List." — Kirkus Reviews

"[Greiving] is a sharp writer with a vivid turn of phrase and the only time I put the book down was to seek out online whatever music he was describing. ... If you want Williams trivia, this is the place." — Neil Armstrong, Mail on Sunday

"John Williams: A Composer's Life gives the master the kind of biography he deserves, in this richly narrative and deeply researched book by journalist Tim Greiving. Like its subject, the book wears its expertise lightly, inviting all to sit down and relax with a beautiful story." — The Boston Globe

"[A] stunning achievement that digs deep into the composer's work and life in a way that's fascinating and unforgettable." — January Magazine

"A Composer's Life, it's called, but even the briefest glance at John Williams's resume reminds you that his music is all our lives. ... It's a dense, literate read which illuminates his work with brilliant insight." — Nick Setchfield, SFX

"A beautifully written, revelatory tribute." — Michael Beek, BBC Music Magazine

Kirkus Reviews

2025-06-13
The man behind all those hummable scores.

“Actors may convey love in their facial expressions, or express suffering or panic in their eyes,” Greiving writes about movies, “but the music tells the ultimate truth and provides faith in these make-believe stories. The score—John Williams—is their soul.” In this first major biography of the beloved composer, Greiving, an arts journalist, meticulously traces Williams’ magical career, benefiting from more than 20 hours of interviews with his subject. The Williams family’s move from the East Coast to Los Angeles was life changing: In high school, Williams explored arranging, which laid the foundation for his composing, and in 1956 he secured a position at Columbia Pictures, playing piano on numerous B-movie scores. More orchestration opportunities turned up, includingGidget (1959) andThe Guns of Navarone (1961). Live television also called; in 1958 he signed with Revue Studios, writing, orchestrating, and conducting 39 programs a year. Williams scored his first feature film,Daddy-O, in 1959, and later his own series,Checkmate, which led to his first Grammy-nominated album. One of his last studio pianist performances was forWest Side Story. “John’s style and craft,” writes Greiving, took “a giant leap into maturity” with Emmy-winningHeidi andGoodbye Mr. Chips, andThe Reivers “tapped into one of John’s superpowers: nostalgia.” In 1972 he won his first Academy Award, forFiddler on the Roof. A year later, he wrote the score forThe Sugarland Express, directed by a young new talent: Steven Spielberg. Meeting Spielberg, the composer said, was “one of the luckiest days of my life.” A bounty of successes followed, with Greiving charting the composer’s decades-long collaboration with Spielberg and, of course, George Lucas. The author provides reams of fascinating inside information about several spectacular scores, including the classicsJaws,Star Wars,Raiders of the Lost Ark, andSchindler’s List.

Fans of Williams’ music will devour this all-encompassing work.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195622572
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	10/28/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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