I use the term "regret" because Warren deserves a biography worthy of his stature as one of the finest singers America has produced. This isn't it. The writing style is more appropriate to a series of magazine articles than a smooth-flowing narrative. The content smacks more of a fan than an objective author. Too often we are bombarded by phrases from reviews and family memoirs. Why quote a family "review" of a Met performance that had Met manager Edward Johnson "almost falling out of his box" and a "five-minute ovation" when the newspapers presented a more restrained demonstration? The author also takes many pains to ask why Warren wasn't given starring roles earlier in his career when a more objective author would have been aware of the serious competition at the Met with Tibbett having considerable seniority as well as popularity. There are many aspects of Warren's career that the auhtor ignores (presumably because there was no family member present) such as the one concert with Toscanini and why Warren was never used again by Toscanini. Was Warren's arrogance at fault there as well? Recording sessions are ignored except for the first anonymous 1940 sessions. The index is terrible and almost useless. Entries are confined to names only, no works - and there is no entry for "Warren, Leonard" which limits this book as a reference. How are researchers to look up specifics about his life or career? They can't. Very lazy! The discography is equally difficult with such tables as combinations of studio plus "selected" live performances and studio sessions that include not only the complete operas but every time these were used in excerpts. The discography also fails to include several CDs of Warren's material (such as Minerva and Romophone that apparently compete with the 2-CD set from the Leonard Warren Foundation).
For most fans, this disappointing book will be self-recommending simply because there are no other Warren bios and none on the horizon. I'd put this on a par with the superficial Emmons treatment of Lauritz Melchior.