This is a terrific book for any Wagner fan. And if you aren't one already, it might help you become one. The book is heavy because it's a large-format paperback, handsomely produced and printed on heavy paper with slick pages and many illustrations, quite a number of which are in full color. There are small boxes on various pages with interesting and witty asides to supplement the text. There are timelines, photos of statues and paintings, cartoons and stamps celebrating or making fun of Wagner, and pictures of Wagner champions and contemporaries. One of the best photos shows the Festspielhaus (opera theater) at Bayreuth, in glorious color. Quotations and anecdotes abound. And yes, there are some really funny stories.The book covers a rich array of Wagner lore - his life and works, critical and historical appraisals and performances, Wagner societies and resources, and some of the productions. Wagner's influence on art and literature is explored and while the author does not avoid mention of the anti-Semitic side of Wagner, he does not spend undue time on it. This book is presenting the lighter side of Wagner, after all, and that is challenging in itself. There is even a list of the author's ten favorite Wagner books and reference works.I was especially pleased to see a section and color photos devoted to the Seattle Opera, to which the author refers as "America's premier Wagner company." The Seattle Opera is now 50 years old, with a reputation for staging great productions of Wagner operas and performing the Ring cycle every four years. (Unabashed promo: Watch for the CD set of their 2013 Ring cycle, coming soon.) For Wagner pilgrims, he also offers practical advice on how to get tickets to Wagner productions at Bayreuth and notes that it may take years of submitting applications in order to accomplish this feat.If you love Wagner, or love someone who loves Wagner (we learn they are called Wagneroos in Australia), you will almost certainly love this book.