"This is not old-style 'objective' ethnography but instead an engaging narrative with a constantly changing focus. Byl applies her considerable writing skills to helping readers understand the intricate cultural threads that give Toba music its meaning."
~R. Knight, Choice
"Well-written, smart, and honest, Antiphonal Histories is an innovative juxtaposition of historiography, ethnography, musical analysis, and reflexive autobiography. There are also moments of poignant insight, brilliant induction, and hilarity."
~Jeremy Wallach, author of Modern Noise, Fluid Genres: Popular Music in Indonesia, 1997–2001
"Julia Byl's book is a major contribution on the music of Indonesia's outer islands. Its use of local myths and oral histories provides a powerful context for understanding contemporary musical practices. The vivid ethnographic accounts make this a beautifully written work that is both informative and moving.""
~René Lysloff
""The book is highly recommended as an original and vividly written reflexive autobiography that is largely based on personal reflections and stories of the Toba people whom Byl has met over the course of her fieldwork.""
~Margaret Kartomi, Inside Indonesia
""This is not old-style 'objective' ethnography but instead an engaging narrative with a constantly changing focus. Byl applies her considerable writing skills to helping readers understand the intricate cultural threads that give Toba music its meaning.""
~R. Knight, Choice
""Antiphonal Histories, a compelling blend of historiography and ethnography, is the first English-language book dedicated to the music of the Toba, one of the people who form part of the larger Batak group and live in the highland regions of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra and it's capital, Medan. Written in engaging, lively language, peppered with personal stories and jokes, the book is a pleasure to read. Byl has a flair for storytelling, taking the reader with her on the journey deep into the Sumatran highlands, the busy streets of Medan, and the lives of the people she met.""
~Jennifer Fraser, The World of Music (new series)
