5000 Nights at the Opera

If you have a love of opera (and maybe even if you don't), this book is fascinating. So, okay, parts of it are self-serving, although I felt that it was equally a way for Sir Rudolf to make up to people he might have offended, but there are a lot of stories worth reading here. Like the time he and the Nazis arrived in Vienna on the same day. Look it up!

Sir Rudolph Bing is most famous for running the New York Metropolitan Opera House through the '50s, 60's, and into the '70's. In this time he witnessed some of the most amazing opera the world has ever seen. Of course the book does not start there. Bing had lived a full life before even signing on at the Met. I found this book to be very well-written. Sir Rudolph Bing's personality really shows through in his writing. If you are at all interested in opera, life during the World Wars or just hearing about the flaws of world famous celebrities, I highly recommend this. - David C.