One of the most important archaoeological books for a very long time. the clarity of the style and the evident enthusiam in every paragraph make it a joy to read.

Here is pure stimulation from begining to end... outstandingly comprehensible..lucid and exciting...A book which provokes thought, adds understanding, and above all is immensely enjoyable.

An important book... brilliantly argued.

This is a history book with a difference. It is imaginative in its approach, courageous in its execution and expansive in its sweep of interest...His approach is radical and interesting...It is a fine example of how a radically new point of departure can cast light on a range of areas over which the specialists will continue to do battle long into the future.

A meticulously researched work of scholarship, but is also a delightfully personal account of Dalby's year among the geisha. Geisha remains [Dalby's] best-known work and is the bible of geisha studies to this day

Popular history in the best sense...its attention to human detail and its commanding prose call to mind the best work of Barbara Tuchman