The Phantom of the Opera is an icon—one glimpse of the famous mask logo and one immediately thinks of the show. Based on the classic novel Le Fantome de L'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, it is widely considered to be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most accomplished scores. This beautifully illustrated anniversary celebration will delight true fans, with its history of how Gaston Leroux came to write the tale originally, and look at the early incarnations of the Phantom. It then describes how Lloyd Webber was inspired to take up the material, and every step of the phenomenon that ensued. The book also includes the full text of the play, a world map pointing out Phantom facts, and a Phantom timeline.