"Beverly Sills came along at the perfect moment, quenching the public's thirst for a bona fide STAR. Now this book comes along at the perfect moment to quench this generation's thirst for insight into what made her shine so radiantly."
Joyce DiDonato "Guy's study goes well beyond the operatic stage or record studio to consider her subject's broad appeal and popularity."
ARSC ... Read moreJournal   "Guy's refreshing book offers a timely contrast between the cultural backdrop of the 20th century and that of the present… This is a captivating work on Sill's unique, spellbinding artistry. Highly recommended."
Choice   "An exhaustively researched, thoughtful, well-written treatment of one of the most important and beloved musicians the U.S. has ever produced."
Timothy D. Taylor, author of The Sounds of Capitalism: Advertising, Music, and the Conquest of Culture "What stays with one most about Guy's study is the passion behind it, and the way it evokes a time in which an opera could be that relevant to so many."
Opera News “Nancy Guy’s The Magic of Beverly Sills couldn’t be more timely. In an era when opera needs stars, the author has given us a fascinating, comprehensive look at the elusive magic of an artist who enchanted not only opera devotees, but the entire nation."
Renée Fleming "Frequently, biographies of opera singers are basically gushing with enthusiasm and overstated personal opinions. This book avoids those pitfalls and adds important scholarly information about how to think about an opera singer, her roles, and her fans."
Naomi André, coeditor of Blackness in Opera "Guy's elegant biography gets to the heart of Sills's magnetic stage presence and parses the performer's power to mesmerize audiences with ineffable and poignant cultural magic."
Jill Dolan, author of The Feminist Spectator in Action: Feminist Criticism for the Stage and Screen Show Less