The serious matter of Paying the Piper, Alan Peacock believes, does not require one to write a dirge, so he has chosen to provide this authoritative insight into public policies towards the Arts by calling on a vast array of anecdotes and personal experiences, as well as on his economics expertise.

Indeed, along the route to becoming one of Britain's best-known economists, he has found himself deeply involved with the economics and politics of culture and in close contact with composers and musicians in particular.

His highly controversial Reports on the financing of British orchestras, the effect of inflation on the arts and on the future of broadcasting are now part of cultural history, but the issues they raise remain and offer the opportunity for presenting a challenging and enjoyable book which should appeal to anyone with a serious interest in music and in cultural questions generally.