The wonderfully diverse international history of bagpipes

Breath of Life takes readers far beyond the lone Scottish piper to reveal a vast, surprising and deeply human world of more than 130 bagpipe traditions. Cassandre Balosso-Bardin traces the history of bagpipes from antiquity to the present day across continents, from South Asia to Western Europe and from Scandinavia to North Africa. Drawing on two decades of research and interviews, she approaches the subject thematically, with each chapter uncovering the people, places, and legends that have shaped the history of this instrument. Shepherds and princesses, soldiers and dancers, beggars and monarchs, devils, and angels all appear in a rich tapestry of stories woven through a diverse array of bagpipes.