John Suchet’s new book on Beethoven – his eighth – stands apart. Part memoir, part biography, In Search of Beethoven is a deeply personal account of how the composer’s life and music have become the great passion of John’s life.

For In Search of Beethoven, Suchet draws on his own life and career as a foreign correspondent and news anchor to show how Beethoven’s music has accompanied him through the best and worst of times. According to the Presto Music website.

‘It was with him as a music-loving and adventurous teenager, as a journalist entering Beirut in the grip of civil war, and as he has continued to explore the old cities of Bonn and Vienna, in search of the man behind the music.

‘In this novel and compelling book, we see Beethoven brought vividly – and sometimes painfully – to life. Suchet traces Beethoven’s footsteps from his early years in Bonn to his dying days in Vienna, taking us on a journey both literal and symbolic, as he uses his own experience as a Beethoven aficionado to demonstrate the life-changing power of great music.’

Says Debbie Wisman, composer and conductor: ‘This is a comprehensive yet accessible history of Beethoven wrapped up in an inviting, immersive tale of adventure and discovery, delivered in an inviting, engaging and endearing way typical of this master storyteller.’

Says Norman Lebrecht, author of Why Beethoven: ‘This is a wonderful tale of self-realisation, of what we can gain from turning to genius in life’s many crises.’

You can see John Suchet on Sunday 2 November at Bridport Electric Palace at 6pm. Tickets from the Electric Palace website or from Bridport Tourist Information Centre, 01308 424901.