NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“This is an eminently sensible and humane book, lucidly and enjoyably written and argued. It is addressed to the general reader, and anyone interested in history should find it an engaging, quick read.”
—The Globe and Mail

"This is history used as its own best argument."
—Toronto Star

“A brief but invigoratingly panoramic survey. . . both timely and justified in its scorn for the many ways in which the past is currently being distorted.”
—The Guardian

“In this highly readable and polished book, readers learn of the dangers of not properly tending to the past, of distorting it and ignoring inconvenient facts. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the importance of correctly understanding the past.”
—Publishers Weekly

“MacMillan lays about with rhetorical broadsword and with fearless abandon. . . Succinct yet substantial.”
—The New York Times

“MacMillan is exceptionally cogent on the subject of history and national identity. . . No history lover should fail to digest the lessons of this short but brilliant book.”
—The Telegraph

“The author maintains a tone of measured, reasoned and scholarly approachability . . . This is history used as its own best argument.”
—The Toronto Sun

“A swift and bracing study of the politics of memory that has no choice but to focus on the misuse of the past.”
—The Independent

“An informed and well-written account of the place of the past in present politics. . . . A thoughtful and accessible study.”
—History Extra

"A good quick read . . . a timely read."
—Guelph Mercury