amazon.com now tells me-

[eschiss1]

that they have researched the topic authoritatively and that they are quite sure that Donald  Francis Tovey wrote "The Forms of Music" when he was -10 years old.

May I give up now?

[M. Henriksen]

Such a clever boy, the young Donald!

[eschiss1]

it's really from 1956. I was trying to correct them but they weren't buyin'

[Hofrat]

When is his birthday?  If it is February 29th, then he wrote the book at the age of 40.

[eschiss1]

-40, you mean. not 40. that "-" was the significant bit. I wouldn't mind if he'd written it as a pre-teen... that happens. as a pre-conception? (Or rather, Gilbert & Sullivan style, you mean -2.5.)

er...