My Travels with Wagner

Want a true balm for the soul?

My Travels with Wagner tells the story of how author Chris McQuaid's journey took him from young Irish soldier suffering from PTSD, to the finest opera houses in Europe and a passion for the music of Richard Wagner.

The 19th-century composer produced dramatic operas and musical works that greatly influenced the course of Western music.

"I was a lover of Wagner's music long before I came to Ireland and listened for hours on the floor of my brother's flat in Putney, in the early 1950s. Soon afterwards I went to Bayreuth - and went on going. When I came to Ireland, I joined the Wagner Society and met Ireland's supreme Wagnerian, Chris McQuaid. I left the society when he did, in deep sympathy, and sharing his unparalleled love and knowledge. It is reflected, over again, in this book, rich in passionate concern for Richard Wagner and his unique place in Music." - Bruce Arnold, author and journalist

(About the Author)

Chris McQuaid is a retired Irish Army officer who served six tours of duty between 1963 and 1980 with Irish UN peacekeeping missions in the Congo, Cyprus, and South Lebanon. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce and a degree in psychology from University College, Dublin. He retired from active service in 1986 and worked with the Medical Council and later with Irish Air Corps in a civilian role at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. An ardent music lover, he founded the Wagner Society of Ireland in 2002.