Lionel Tertis was internationally recognised to have been perhaps the greatest viola player of all time. That the viola is today an important solo instrument and orchestral unit is entirely his achievement, and his design of a large but easily manageable viola - the Tertis Model - has laid the foundations for a standard-sized instrument. The author describes his prodigious career with vigour and a remarkable recall of detail. The musicians and composers, many of them his close friends of whom he writes, include some of the most important in twentieth century music. A comprehensive bibliography of works written for solo viola is included as is a complete discography of the author's solo recordings.