This volume serves as a comprehensive bibliographic guide designed to assist researchers, performers, and students in navigating the scholarly and historical literature surrounding the recorder. Richard W. Griscom, an experienced music librarian, compiles an extensive array of resources to facilitate academic inquiry into the instrument's history, repertoire, and performance practice. The text provides a structured framework for locating primary and secondary sources, ensuring that users can efficiently identify relevant materials within the vast landscape of musicological research. By categorizing diverse information sources, the author establishes a foundational tool for both novice and advanced scholars in the field of early music.

Experts in music librarianship and early music performance recognize this work as a standard reference tool for academic research. Readers frequently note the meticulous organization of the entries, which simplifies the process of locating specialized information on the recorder.