C. F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873 (H. Eugene and Lillian Youngs Lehman Series) Hardcover

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Guitars for All America is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the guitar and its history. (Stephen Stills)"Guitars for All America" is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the guitar and its history. (Stephen Stills)"This is a beautifully illustrated and well-written book that guitar lovers will want to read." -- "American Historical Review"

Review

This finely rendered book resounds like a vintage Martin guitar. It is meticulous in its attention to important detail, solidly crafted from quality materials, elegantly understated, and voiced such that it sings of the importance of music to living and understanding.--Dale Cockrell, Vanderbilt University <!--author of Demons of Disorder: Early Blackface Minstrels and Their World-->A fascinating narrative that will inform anyone interested not just in the guitar or guitar making, but in nineteenth-century American musical life and commerce in general. . . . Gura's work is a model of archival research and is finely written and thoroughly documented. It is highly recommended to any collection with Americana or guitar music interests.-- Notes: Journal of the Music Library AssociationMartin owners will delight in [this] release. . . . Gura's treatment of Martin's success during a period of economic growth and modernization is as thorough as the dozens of crisp color photos are spectacular.--Guitar OneIn C.F. Martin and His Guitars: 1796-1873, historian Philip F. Gura retells the familiar tale with a level of detail that dispels the romantic exaggerations that have accumulated around the name of C.F Martin over the decades. Gura was allowed unprecedented access to the Martin archives. . . . [The book] is copiously illustrated with color photos of some of the earliest known Martin guitars, along with many photos and drawings of musicians from the 1830s through the 1870s.--Acoustic Guitar[The book] is an attractive and entertaining history of the 19th-century American music trade as well as a well-researched history of the earliest days of America's premier guitar builders, and its appeal will be wide.--Vintage Guitar[An] informative work on the world of C. F. Martin. He was the father of American guitar making, and the founder of one of this nation's greatest manufacturing assets. The Martin Company is particularly unique, representing an unbroken legacy of American craftsmanship for 170 years.--Fred Oster, Vintage Instruments, PhiladelphiaPhilip Gura's charming book is well-researched, thoughtfully written, beautifully illustrated, and professionally executed.--countryreview.comThis is a beautifully illustrated and well-written book that guitar lovers will want to read.--American Historical ReviewIn addition to documenting the development of one of the country's leading producers of fine instruments, C.F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873, offers new insights into nineteenth-century business history, the history of technology, and music history.--Pennsylvania HeritageUntil now C. F. Martin has been a legendary figure about whom we knew little. Philip Gura's book gives all who love Martin guitars what they never have had, a detailed portrait of the founder of the world's most famous guitar company. C. F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873 is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the guitar and its history.--Stephen StillsA fascinating look at Christian Frederick Martin, the brilliant craftsman and business entrepreneur who founded the Martin Guitar Company. . . . C.F. Martin and His Guitars will appeal to guitar fans and readers interested in 19th-century American business history.--Harvard Business SchoolPhilip Gura's research about the life and times of my great-great-great-grandfather Christian Frederick Martin (Sr.) provides an incredibly valuable addition to the understanding of our company and family archives. No one before has taken the time to unravel his amazing story with such fastidious detail. Cheers to Mr. Gura for his valiant efforts.--C. F. Martin IV, Chairman and CEO, C. F. Martin & Co.Philip Gura's new book, C. F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873, is a fascinating and high-resolution snapshot of C. F. Martin the man and C. F. Martin the company. In a much greater sense, the book captures the flavor and essence of American life in the mid-1800s--a time of tremendous integrity and change. For Martin guitar aficionados as well as students of American culture, this book is a vital link.--Dick Boak, Artist Relations and Limited Editions, C. F. Martin & Co.Put[s] Martin in a context which cannot be achieved simply by observation and study of the instruments themselves. . . . I am thankful to Dr. Gura for having spent over a year carefully revealing Martin's documents and sharing them with the world. I learned a great deal from this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.--George Gruhn, owner of Gruhn Guitars, for Folk Music Journal