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 Harry Potter—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’ 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’ film scores, recalling them primarily in narrative and emotional terms rather than purely musicological ones, and in doing so emphasizes one of Williams’ 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.
Available now from Oxford University Press
“… A masterwork. Allying extensive, exclusive access to Williams
with great storytelling, intelligent analysis and a deep love for its subject, it’s as gripping and essential as Williams’ best themes are catchy. … It’s not a toothless study. The later works come in for criticism, but this is mostly an affectionate but perceptive love-in. Frankly, it’s the book Williams’ monumental talent deserves.” — Empire Magazine (October 2025 issue)
“… 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.” — Boston Globe
“Greiving offers a commentary on all [Williams’] major compositions. Happily, he is a sharp writer with a vivid turn of phrase – he describes one piece as ‘a bath bomb of orchestral beauty’ – and the only time I put the book down was to seek out online whatever music he was describing. … This is a serious work, light on Hollywood gossip.” — Daily Mail
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