"Burrow marshals a lifetime of knowledge and guides the reader effortlessly across the ages." –Time
"A fascinating compendium." –
The New Yorker
"A triumph. . . . Reminds us of how often the narratives of the great historians resemble works of literature and of how important a secure grasp of historical fact can be to the progress of culture and the fate of nations." –
The Wall Street Journal
"Absorbingly informative. . . . An exemplar of how history should be written. Witty, scholarly and, above all, fair." –
The Times (London)