Beacon to the World

“Written by a scholar, musician and arts executive, Polisi’s superb work is an authoritative yet eminently readable account of the creation and growth of the world’s most important performing arts center.”—Nathan Leventhal, President Emeritus, Lincoln Center

"Joseph Polisi has written an indispensable and detailed account of Lincoln Center’s complex history, from its iconic Cold War founding to the cultural uncertainties of classical performance in America today."—Robert Marx, President, Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation

"A superb history about one of the world’s most important cultural centers. The narrative is compelling and besides providing a history of the Lincoln Center, is about leaders, leadership styles, and leadership effectiveness."—Jamal J. Rossi, Eastman School of Music

"The public deserves such an eyewitness account as this. Joseph Polisi welcomes readers to a historic glimpse of a noble venture that envisioned the arts as a pillar of democracy. In it we see the courage and frailty of humanity reflected by leaders whose tenacity established Lincoln Center as a 'beacon to the world.'"—Robert Blocker, Yale University