Gutman undertakes the enormous task of writing a Wagner biography and he uses Wagner's ethnic background, biases, and racial views (such as anti-semitism) as weapons against the composer. What I found interesting and even titillating in this accusation of bias on the part of Wagner is the fact that Gutman, who tells us that he was born in New York City of German-speaking parents, does NOT tell us his own ethnic background. His silence on this issue in the midst of so many trivial aspects of a writer's preparation and credentials is highly suspicious. The reader is thus left to wonder if the book was written by an unbiased mind.