Simon Says: The Sights and Sounds of the Swing Era, 1935-1955

This book was published in 1971 as a fond look back on 20 years of articles in Metronome magazine. The author, George Simon, was a reviewer of bands and his articles are full of humour and a feeling for the sights and sounds of that time. There are band reviews, singer reviews, articles about the (then) future, some great pictures or the bands and a diary (written in a pseudonym in the magazine). That alone is worth the price, but you also get an added bonus. George wrote to many of the musicians for responses to the articles (in 1970, so in some cases it's over 30 years since the article was written). There are many fascinating responses and extra notes from George himself as to what the article meant, what happened to the musician, who married whom, or when George got it wrong.Nearly 500 pages oozing with the Swing Era. Find it and enjoy.