The Critical Nexus is a milestone in every respect‎,‎ which appeals to specialists and novices alike‎.‎ It deserves to be ranked among the classic studies on the subject and will be of lasting value to anybody interested in the formation of music thought in the Middle Ages‎.‎ Fontes Artis Musicae The Critical Nexus will become required reading for musicologists‎,‎ music theorists‎,‎ and medievalists interested in the reception of ancient texts‎.‎ Speculum A meticulously researched survey of early medieval theory and its application to plainsong‎,‎ it will form the starting point for future research in the field‎.‎ James Grier‎,‎ Professor of Music History‎,‎ University of Western Ontario A comprehensive study‎,‎ fine‎-tuning our understanding of the challenges faced by medieval theorists as they adopted terminology and concepts from Antiquity to make sense of the music of their own time ‎- the chant repertory of the Christian church‎.‎ Professor Atkinson brings a unique perspective to this history of tone‎-system‎,‎ mode‎,‎ and not‎.‎‎.‎‎.‎