Who better to write an authoritative yet fascinating introduction to flute-playing than James Galway whose glittering career extends from the principal flute in the Berlin Philharmonic to the top of the international pop charts? He starts with the history of the flute -- believed to be the first and in its simplest form, the most basic of man's many melodic instruments: only singers have less paraphernalia between them and their listeners. You just put your lips to the flute and blow. Galway entrances with his tale of the flute's evolution from the basic recorder to the complex, beautiful instrument we know today. The author's unique advice and experience is brought to bear on the problems and techniques of learning, practising and playing -- in solo, ensemble, at home, in concert and in the recording studio. The flautist will find the specific advice Galway gives invaluable, while the non-flute player will gain an insight into the way the lovely sounds of the flute are produced. Both will be enthralled by detailed analyses of the author's favourite pieces, while he gives due attention to the whole gamut of the flute repertoire.