"The general reader, after deep gulps of prose, will wonder why they were ever led to think that history is a dull subject. Stone's fellow professionals will only be able to take his narrative in small doses, needing frequent pauses to think, snort or wriggle with envy." The Spectator

'This is a facinating book, elegant, witty, original, informative and many-sided...The general reader, after deep gulps of prose, will wonder why they were ever led to think that history is a dull subject. His fellow professionals will only be able to take his narrative in small doses, needing frequent pauses to think, snort or wriggle with envy... There really cannot have been a teacher like Norman Stone for many years, and his readers will now jealously compete with his pupils for his time.' John Keeganm Spectator