In this portrait of the composer of such notable operas as Tosca, La Boheme, and Madama Buttefly, Howard Greenfeld has brought to life the private man as well as the publicly adored musician. Making extensive use of correspondence to, from, and around Puccini, much of which had not been previously published in English, Greenfeld traces Puccini"s life from its origins in the provincial capital of Lucca to his death from throat cancer in a hospital in Belgium; Hardcover; Index, 299pp.