A shrewd choice of subjects that do, indeed, mark the passing of the Churchillian epoch.--The Washington Post Book World Cannadine makes a number of worthwhile forays, and his best chapters display his well-earned reputation for lively writing and provocative thinking.--Boston Globe Zestfully and gracefully written, compulsively readable, and full of sagacious insights about big questions.--Fred Leventhal A group of sometimes provocative, always accessible and thoroughly researched essays that are sure to enlighten those devoted to British history.--Publishers Weekly Apart from the solid good judgment, the expert marshalling of resources, the sheer professionalism, there is something special that does distinguish all of Cannadine's work and it's on magnificent display here.--Financial Times Cannadine is actually presenting us with a selection of essays rather than a meditation on the Churchill legacy, but he justifies the notion by a shrewd choice of subjects that do, indeed, mark the passing of the Churchillian epoch....In an excellent analysis of his political rhetoric, Cannadine shows how often the old boy was rightly written off as a demagogue and an alarmist....Elsewhere in this enjoyable assemblage are solid background essays on the Chamberlain dynasty, and two particularly clever pieces on the contrasting careers and works of Ian Fleming and Noel Coward.--Christopher Hitchens, Washington Post Book World It is a tribute to Cannadine's gifts that while mining a relatively small, well-dug territory, he can continue to turn up large, near-flawless gems....Apart from the solid good judgment, the expert marshalling of resources, the sheer professionalism, there is something special that does distinguish all of Cannadine's work and it's on magnificent display here. It is an almost anthropological feeling for the way in which people construct themselves and perceive their place in the world--their nation, region, city, class, gender--by reference to the past.--Financial Times Veteran English historian Cannadine ranges freely over an eclectic selection of topics, from the design of the palace of Westminster to the differences between the cinematic and literary versions of James Bond....Twelve engaging, literate essays...provide Cannadine with an opportunity to display his mobile, well-equipped mind.--Kirkus Reviews Cannadine makes a number of worthwhile forays, and his best chapters display his well-earned reputation for lively writing and provocative thinking.--Boston Globe
