"The range, sweep and sheer verve of the book are prodigious . . . a masterpiece."--A. N. Wilson
"With a superb history of a mammoth subject [James'] writing career has reached its apogee."--Andrew Roberts, The Times
"James never loses sight of his grand design, yet he stills finds room for the telling detail which illuminates and enriches a narrative."--Philip Zeigler, Daily Telegraph
"His feeling for historical detail cannot be faulted and is made more engaging by his scholarship and infectious enthusiasm for the subject . . . A thumping good read."--Trevor Royle, Scotland on Sunday
"James' epic is not only a first-rate narrative, but also a penetrating portrait of the British . . . Having largely, if often inadvertently, selfishly or ham-fistedly, engineered the world we live in, we need the courage now to face up to our record as cooly and intelligently as Lawrence James has done."--John Spurling, Times Literary Supplement
