Gounod was the leading opera composer in France in the mid- nineteenth century, and his best-known operas, including Faust and Roméo et Juliette date from that time. Despite the overwhelming success of Faust and Gounod's immense influence on all French composers of the later nineteenth century, he has been virtually ignored by scholars until now. Steven Huebner here sets out to remedy this neglect. In the context of Gounod's operatic world, he charts the composer's career from his early decision to abandon studies for the priesthood in favour of the stage, through the years of frustration and uncertainty, to the triumphant success of Faust, and beyond that to the years he spent in England, when he composed oratorios for the Birmingham and Norwich Festivals and became the first conductor of what is now the Royal Choral Society. The central section of Huebner's book deals with each of the major operas, discussing not only the music but also the critical reception and source material. The final section, 'Gounod the Progressive', considers aspects of the composer's musical style and outlines his influence on subsequent generations of composers. This substantial but eminently approachable work is sure to be welcomed as a significant contribution to musical scholarship.