Reviews
Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right the way down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "...[A] masterpiece...Thrilling and revelatory. I love the way [Milton has] shaped the narrative from Yalta to the birth of NATO, balancing the sweep of history against the extraordinary personalities: Tunner, Howley, Reuter and Kotikov. As always, it's brilliantly written...the Berlin winter in particular was heart-stopping with the fog swirling across the pages. I loved it... Checkmate will certainly be my book of the year." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider Adventure series Praise for Giles Milton "In [Big Chief Elizabeth], an exceptionally pungent, amusing and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive.... He has a genius for lively prose, and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William, he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) "White Gold is lively, and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "As gripping as any thriller...a wonderfully clear and digestible account." --Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday "Expertly told...Milton has spun good yarn..." -- The Times "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly "...Enlightens both avid readers and practicing historians with sketches of the foreign military leaders...Weaving together archival transcripts and an incredible array of secondary sources, this book satisfies on many levels...holds readers' attention from start to finish." -- Library Journal Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, "[A] meticulously researched and crisply written account of those pivotal early years in divided Berlin...Popular narrative history at its very best." -- Wall Street Journal "A lively story...Milton raises an interesting question that evokes the great film The Third Man : Who really ran Berlin in the late 1940s -- was it the Americans, Russians, British and French in their sectors, or was it the black marketeers playing the sectors against one another?" -- The New York Times Book Review "As gripping as any thriller...a wonderfully clear and digestible account." --Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday "Expertly told...Milton has spun good yarn..." -- The Times "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton''s masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it''s all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "A sparkling account...the triumph of the book is its depiction of the men who ran things on the ground in Berlin...Milton has the John le Carré-esque ability to make meetings fascinating...told with a dark, ironic humour that makes the unedifying events thoroughly entertaining." -- The Daily Telegraph "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly "...Enlightens both avid readers and practicing historians with sketches of the foreign military leaders...Weaving together archival transcripts and an incredible array of secondary sources, this book satisfies on many levels...holds readers'' attention from start to finish." -- Library Journal Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there''s no question that Mr. Milton''s research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill''s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right the way down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider Adventure series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, [Checkmate in Berlin] is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast Praise for Giles Milton "In [Big Chief Elizabeth], an exceptionally pungent, amusing and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive.... He has a genius for lively prose, and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William, he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) "White Gold is lively, and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right the way down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider Adventure series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast Praise for Giles Milton "In [Big Chief Elizabeth], an exceptionally pungent, amusing and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive.... He has a genius for lively prose, and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William, he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) "White Gold is lively, and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly "...Enlightens both avid readers and practicing historians with sketches of the foreign military leaders...Weaving together archival transcripts and an incredible array of secondary sources, this book satisfies on many levels...holds readers' attention from start to finish." -- Library Journal Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "As gripping as any thriller...a wonderfully clear and digestible account." --Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday "Expertly told...Milton has spun good yarn..." -- The Times "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "A sparkling account...the triumph of the book is its depiction of the men who ran things on the ground in Berlin...Milton has the John le Carré-esque ability to make meetings fascinating...told with a dark, ironic humour that makes the unedifying events thoroughly entertaining." -- The Daily Telegraph "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly "...Enlightens both avid readers and practicing historians with sketches of the foreign military leaders...Weaving together archival transcripts and an incredible array of secondary sources, this book satisfies on many levels...holds readers' attention from start to finish." -- Library Journal Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, "[A] meticulously researched and crisply written account of those pivotal early years in divided Berlin...Popular narrative history at its very best." -- Wall Street Journal "As gripping as any thriller...a wonderfully clear and digestible account." --Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday "Expertly told...Milton has spun good yarn..." -- The Times "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton''s masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it''s all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast "A sparkling account...the triumph of the book is its depiction of the men who ran things on the ground in Berlin...Milton has the John le Carré-esque ability to make meetings fascinating...told with a dark, ironic humour that makes the unedifying events thoroughly entertaining." -- The Daily Telegraph "Historian Milton...captures in this immersive account the drama...of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII....Full of vivid details and intriguing personalities, this is a page-turning chronicle of a noteworthy period in world history." -- Publishers Weekly "...Enlightens both avid readers and practicing historians with sketches of the foreign military leaders...Weaving together archival transcripts and an incredible array of secondary sources, this book satisfies on many levels...holds readers'' attention from start to finish." -- Library Journal Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there''s no question that Mr. Milton''s research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill''s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right the way down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider Adventure series Praise for Giles Milton "In [Big Chief Elizabeth], an exceptionally pungent, amusing and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive.... He has a genius for lively prose, and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William, he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) "White Gold is lively, and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph, Advance Praise for Checkmate in Berlin "Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is, and how often and easily the Cold War could have grown red hot. From the major decision-makers in the four Allied Governments who ran the former Nazi capital, right down to the spooks, soldiers, crooks, and civilians at street level, he has an unerring sense for the revealing incident and hitherto-untold story." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny "From the Yalta Conference to the birth of NATO, C heckmate in Berlin balances the sweep of history against a group of truly extraordinary personalities. Brilliantly written and completely absorbing, this is Milton's masterpiece." --Anthony Horowitz, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series "Giles Milton never disappoints. The man who helped to turn narrative history into one of the most popular genres in modern publishing, Checkmate in Berlin is up there with his best. Milton paints characters so vividly, and his writing has the momentum of a novel - only better, because it's all true." --Dan Snow, host of the History Hit podcast Praise for Giles Milton "In [ Big Chief Elizabeth ], an exceptionally pungent, amusing, and accessible historical account, Giles Milton brings readers right into the midst of these colonists and their daunting American adventure...there's no question that Mr. Milton's research has been prodigious and that it yields an entertaining, richly informative look at the past." --New York Times "Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive....He has a genius for lively prose and an appreciation for historical credibility. With Samurai William , he has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining." --The Times "Milton is a meticulous researcher and masterful storyteller. Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, with its ghastly details and dollops of droll British humor, will reward readers who appreciate military history and good writing." --USA Today (3.5 star out of 4) " White Gold is lively and diligently researched, a chronicle of cruelty on a grand scale. An unfailingly entertaining piece of popular history." --Sunday Telegraph
