The Eurovision Song Contest - John Kennedy O'Connor

Published to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, this is the official, the first and the definitive history of the annual event that is now a global phenomenon.;The fun and the feuds, the high points, the dismal lows, the scandals, the most outrageous outfits, the innovators and the copy cats, this glorious book captures the singular flavour of Eurovision, charting its journey from the first competition in 1955 - just seven entrants, broadcast from a tiny venue in Switzerland with a studio audience of 200 - to the international extravaganza watched by 300 million viewers that it has become today. It's a completely unique event in modern pop music, with its own agenda entirely, that has spawned almost as many anti-heroes as it has stars.;Illustrated throughout with colour and black and white photos, and rare memorabilia including artwork for singles, this book is a nostalgic and resplendent celebration of an at times eccentric competition that is adored by hundreds of millions. It is as compulsive as the show itself.