Just who was John Philip Sousa?

This intimate portrait brings Sousa to Life—who he was, why he was driven to succeed, his love of country—and explores his life and times through hundreds of photos, cartoons, short stories, news clippings, quotes, sheet music covers, and magazine ads collected in family scrapbooks, the Sousa Archive in the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Marines archives.

This book reveals a quintessentially American story: It is the story of being born to poor immigrant parents and through immeasurable hard work, talent, and self-motivated drive succeeding beyond dreams. But it is also a very personal story of a man with a vision: a man who saw great music ultimately as being from the heart and who sought to bring this music—not just his own—to the world.

This book also includes a bonus compact disc recording featuring The March King's most beloved works performed by his successors with "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band as well as a rare archival track of Sousa's own voice introducing his band and playing his beloved "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

John Philip Sousa IV is the only living direct namesake of John Philip Sousa. "I would like to think that in some small way I have continued my Great Grandfather's love of and service to our country." He served in the Air Force for four years and currently serves as Honorary Chairman and board member of The Enduring Freedom, Killed in Action Fund. He is also a painter and sculptor whose work is in numerous private collections in the U.S and South America. Sousa has worked for years as an investment and insurance consultant to banks, and has helped businesses with sales, distribution, and planning. One of his greatest joys and privileges is narrating Sousa or patriotic concerts for community bands, university bands, orchestras, and ensembles throughout the U.S.

Loras John Schissel is the senior musicologist at the Library of Congress. As a composer and conductor, he has traveled throughout North America, Europe, and Asia conducting orchestras, bands, and choral ensembles in a broad range of musical styles and programs. As a composer and arranger, Schissel's catalog of works number more than 500. Long a favorite conductor with the world-class Cleveland Orchestra, Schissel was honored to conduct this group in a special September 11th memorial concert in 2011. He is a leading scholar on the life and work of John Philip Sousa.