‘Unique and encyclopedic…a monument to streetwise and cosmopolitan scholarship.’ Guardian

‘An absorbing, illuminating and enjoyable book…anyone with an interest in the development of culture…will find it interesting, informative and surprisingly entertaining. It is also packed with good sense.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Never less than penetrating in his comments…this…book shows how British historians such as Sassoon…now occupy the commanding heights of comparative European history and analysis.’ Financial Times

‘Donald Sassoon has to be congratulated for his immense ambition…it is full of dense detail and he has mastered a considerable body of evidence.’ Spectator