I'm sorry, it is probably me, but I could not get on with this book. AJP Taylor writes in the preface that this is the book of which he is most proud: the Times, quoted on the cover, states that it is both serious historical exploration and (...) amusing entertainment. I couldn't see what point the book was trying to make and didn't raise the merest titter throughout.

Really good general books upon history expect very little foreknowledge and, lightly, explain the background to a described situation. Mr Taylor overestimates at least my historical awareness, and I found myself regularly stopping to check the details of some cast off remark. Even after so doing, I really could not find any great purpose or value from this tome: perhaps it is a book for experts, or just not for me.... ( )