Walter Rimler Livres

The book offers an intimate portrait of Harold Arlen, a musical genius whose compositions, including iconic songs like "Over the Rainbow" and "Blues in the Night," remain pillars of the Great American Songbook. Despite his profound influence on music, Arlen's name is not widely recognized outside of musician circles. The narrative explores his struggles with personal tragedy, including his wife's mental illness and his battle with alcoholism, while highlighting the artistry that emerged from his complex emotional landscape through interviews and newly uncovered archives.

The dramatic story of a legendary American composer

Over the Rainbow, "Stormy Weather," and "One for My Baby" are just a few of Harold Arlen's well-loved compositions. Yet his name is hardly known--except to the musicians who venerate him. At a gathering of songwriters George Gershwin called him "the best of us." Irving Berlin agreed. Paul McCartney sent him a fan letter and became his publisher. Bob Dylan wrote of his fascination with Arlen's "bittersweet, lonely world." A cantor's son, Arlen believed his music was from a place outside himself, a place that also sent tragedy. When his wife became mentally ill and was institutionalized he turned to alcohol. It nearly killed him. But the beautiful songs kept coming: "Blues in the Night," "My Shining Hour," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "The Man That Got Away." Walter Rimler drew on interviews with friends and associates of Arlen and on newly available archives to write this intimate portrait of a genius whose work is a pillar of the Great American Songbook.