This is a very precious book, and a recommendation from the authors of a seminal book in computer science; I believe it has been published in the past under a different name (The Vintage Guide to Classical Music), but except for a few differences, it ought to be the same work.

It is a great introduction to the whole span of what generally falls under classical music, where Swafford leads the way in roughly chronological order from the medieval period to modern times. Short chapters, brief annotations on the composer's life and context, and recommendations for particular pieces: the same unabashed enthusiasm covers Bach, Brahms, Debussy, and many more; it can be read either end-to-end, or consulted on the basis of curiosity; and in any case the reader is left a little more knowledgeable on the breadth and depth of musical culture that precede contemporary (broadly speaking) pop music. What else could one desire?

Then, there are a few ideas that intertwine with modern times: how, for example, the abundance of archival recordings and context-on-demand make for a generation of musicians (Swafford's students) that are effectively independent of musical lineage, free-roamers of the vast past. On the other hand, how the contemporary generation of musicians is presented (Cage, Feldman, the minimalists, etc.), with references to some twenty composers who haven't yet been subject of time's judgement.