A memoir of the London Symphony Orchestra on tour in the U.S. and beyond, focusing on their historical first visit to America in 1912 when they were due to sail on the Titanic, and their most recent travelsGareth Davies, principal flautist at the London Symphont Orchestra (LSO), tells the remarkable story of a groundbreaking expedition with the use of recently discovered diaries, archive material from London and New York, and newspaper reports from the time. A behind-the-scenes account of the LSO's current worldwide touring schedule finds that a surprising number of the same challenges remain. Readers join Gareth and his colleagues as they contend with airports, volcanoes, travel strikes, illness, and even life-and-death situations. As well as vivid descriptions of sitting center stage surrounded by music and working with Haitink, Gergiev, and Sir Colin Davis, readers get to glimpse into the backstage goings on and see inside the mind of a professional musician as never before. Written by someone at the center of the action, this book follows the travels of two musicians, a century apart in the same orchestra. and "Davies writes engagingly and fluently as a perceptive observer of orchestral life with a keen eye for entertaining detail. and " - Classical Music Magazine, Books of the Year 2013 and "An entertaining comparison between the high-octane life of a professional musician today and what it was like for his LSO forebears. and " - FT Books of the Year 2013, Financial Times and "This deftly written, insightful and at times poignant travelogue deserves the widest circulation. and " Five Stars - Julian Haycock, BBC Music Magazine and "A gentle dip into a musician's high pressure lifestyle and " - FT's pick, Music summer reads 2013 - Financial Times