The accompanying catalog, edited by Christopher Reuning, to the 2008 Cremona exhibition of the same title. Giovanni Vigo, Carlo Chiesa, Duane Rosengard and Andrew Ryan contribute technical, social, and familial histories to paint a fascinating picture of these tumultuous and important years during which the three families of Stradivari, Guarneri, and Bergonzi were at remarkably different phases of their respective dynasties. High-quality photographs illustrate instructive examples accompanied by technical measurements.