Author:Walter Benjamin
Illuminations contains the most celebrated work of Walter Benjamin, one of the most original and influential thinkers of the 20th Century: 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction', ‘The Task of the Translator’ and 'Theses on the Philosophy of History', as well as essays on Kafka, storytelling, Baudelaire, Brecht's epic theatre, Proust and an anatomy of his own obsession, book collecting.
This now legendary volume offers the best possible access to Benjamin’s singular and significant achievement, while Hannah Arendt’s introduction reveals how his life and work are a prism to his times.
From the evidence of this book I would suggest that Benjamin was one of the great European writers of this century
—— Philip Toynbee , ObserverHe explained the modern with an authority that fifty years of unpredictable change have not vitiated
—— Frank Kermode , New York Review of BooksLike Baudelaire, Benjamin brings the very new into shocking conjunction with the very old … He is in search of a surrealist history and politics, one which clings tenaciously to the fragment, the miniature, the stray citation, but which impacts these fragments one upon the other to politically explosive effect, like the Messiah who will transfigure the world completely by making minor adjustments to it
—— Terry EagletonExquisite...Barely a page goes by without something fascinating on it, betraying Light's skill in winkling out the most relevant or moving aspects of her antecedents' lives, which echo through the generations.
—— the Independent on Sunday[A] short and beautifully written meditation on family and mobility.
—— the IndependentIntellectually sound and relevant...a refreshingly modern way of thinking about our past.
—— New StatesmanLight [is skilled] in probing dark corners of her ancestry and exposing their historical meaning...packed with humanity.
—— Sunday TimesBeautifully written and exhaustively researched, Alison Light makes her family speak for England.
—— Jerry White, author of London in the Eighteenth CenturyA remarkable achievement...should become a classic.
—— Margaret DrabbleBeautifully crafted and scrupulously researched… The Zhivago Affair is a prime example of hard work and fidelity to a good story
—— Washington Post SundayAs gripping as any spy thriller
—— Sunday TimesFascinating...With a delightful eye for detail
—— Catherine Merridale , The TimesFinn and Couvée deal objectively with the characters involved and tell the story with exceptional vivacity
—— Literary ReviewA thrilling literary espionage yarn...sheds new light on the Cold War struggle for the hearts and minds of millions of people
—— Michael DobbsA fascinating tale that sheds new light on the literary front of the Cold War
—— Stephen Coulson , LadyHigh dudgeon, high stakes, high art
—— Robert Bound , MonocleA wonderful book
—— Angus Roxburgh , The HeraldA fast-paced political thriller about a book that terrified a nation
—— Kirkus ReviewsBrisk and thrilling...expertly told...a triumphant reminder that truth is sometimes gloriously stranger than fiction
—— Publishers WeeklyGroundbreaking reporting and character-rich storytelling... Passionately written...almost makes one nostalgic for a time when novels were so important that even the CIA cared about them
—— Ken KalfusA sparkling and fascinating account
—— David E. HoffmanWell-paced narrative...of great relevance today, when such conflicts seem (but only seem) to have disappeared.
—— Richard Pevear and Larissa VolokhonskyImmensely compelling
—— Fred Hiatt , The Pat BankerMeticulously researched
—— Duncan White , Irish IndependentThe true strength of this meticulously researched book is the placing of the revelations into the context of a compelling human drama
—— Weekly TelegraphEngrossing
—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post[An] outstanding treasure of literature
—— Market OracleImpeccably researched, and moving, this book breaks new ground
—— 5 stars , Sunday Telegraph