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Every Valley

The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times that Made Handel’s Messiah
Brief Description
The extraordinary true story of intertwined lives that lies behind Handel's Messiah, the most performed piece of classical music ever written. 'A delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty and adventure. Unforgettable' - SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE 'A mesmerising journey through one of the most fascinating... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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The extraordinary true story of intertwined lives that lies behind Handel's Messiah, the most performed piece of classical music ever written.

'A delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty and adventure. Unforgettable' - SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

'A mesmerising journey through one of the most fascinating and creative moments in human history' - AMANDA FOREMAN

London - Dublin, 1741-42.
An actress mired in scandal plans her escape from an abusive husband.
A penniless sea captain sets out to rescue the city's abandoned infants.
An African Muslim and former captive in the colonies becomes a celebrity.
A grieving political dissident seeks release from his torment.
And a great composer to kings - George Frideric Handel - now ill and straining to keep an audience's attention, faces a decision that will secure his place in history.

'An absolute delight, beautifully told' - PETER FRANKOPAN

Evoking a pivotal moment at the birth of modernity, a time of fear, conspiracy, and uprising, and featuring some of the most unusual and brilliant personalities of the eighteenth century, Every Valley is a cinematic and moving drama of hope in the darkness and the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece.

'Fascinating... cinematic... truly informative, imaginative and engaging' - Financial Times

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529942873

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 November 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Charles King is Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University, Washington DC. His numerous books include the New York Times bestseller The Reinvention of Humanity (published in the US as Gods of the Upper Air), which was winner of The Francis Parkman Prize and shortlisted for the British Academy Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Midnight at the Pera Palace- The Birth of Modern Istanbul; and Odessa- Genius and Death in a City of Dreams, which was winner of a National Jewish Book Award. His writing has appeared in the TLS, New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic and other publications.

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  • Every Valley
    The extraordinary true story of intertwined lives that lies behind Handel's Messiah, the most performed piece of classical music ever written. London - Dublin, 1741-42. An actress mired in scandal plans her escape from an abusive husband. A penniless sea captain sets out to rescue the city's abandoned infants. An African Muslim and former captive in the colonies becomes a...
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