A cerebrally enjoyable survey, written with great clarity and touches of wit . . . The non-western section throws up some fascinating revelations

Grayling has written a masterful and often entertaining chronicle of the epic intellectual journey we humans have taken, in different periods, countries and cultures, to understand ourselves, our world, and how we ought to live. An extraordinary accomplishment that transcends the usual bounds of academic specialization

Accurately offers itself as a successor to [Bertrand] Russell's classic survey . . . No other popular survey possesses this range . . . The History of Philosophy isn't just worth buying; it's worth scribbling in and dog-earing. For a work of scholarship, there can be no higher praise.

He's more historically-minded than Russell, less dogmatic than Dawkins and less in thrall to the charms of his own fluency than Hitchens

Undeniably thought-provoking

Grayling is particularly good at illuminating the knottiness of moral discourse

Lucid, informative and admirably accessible

Grayling writes with clarity, elegance and the occasional aphoristic twist

Five minutes with any passage will have you contemplating all day

I find the clarity of his thinking so refreshing

If there is any such person in Britain as The Thinking Man, it is A. C. Grayling

The History of Philosophy is an excellent overview of great philosophical thought by an insightful practitioner of the field. It is a credit to Grayling's abilities that he has penned such a perspicuous book on some very difficult subjects-giving the a reader a clear overview of the complexities of Scholastic logic, Analytic philosophies of language and mind, and much else besides is no easy feat, but Grayling has achieved it. This is a book to be treasured, both as a guide to the subject and as a beautiful piece of writing in itself, containing great insight and wisdom. It is a testament to the continuing importance and value of philosophy.

Highly readable and well-researched book… timely

A fascinating account of the influence of Maoism, during the cold war and beyond

[A] superb and chilling study

A fascinating and timely work on one of the most influential and disruptive strands of Marxist thought: that of Mao Zedong… the book reveals the relevance of Mao to our current populist age

Matthews is an excellent storyteller . . . Black Sun is the kind of thriller you want to savour as you turn the pages, suspenseful and thought provoking.

[Frederick Forsyth's] endorsement of fellow journalist Matthews’ totally immersive debut for its “fearsome authenticity” raises the reader’s expectations, and Matthews delivers. To call the novel chilling is an understatement . . . Forsyth claims his wife told him to quit writing because he was too old to travel to dangerous places. Fortunately, there are brilliant new, informed tellers of tales following in his wake.

An impressive debut and it’s not a stretch to say that Matthews’ whole life led him to this book . . . [he] knows the landscape and the people, and his recreation of Cold War-era Russia and the inner workings of Soviet government and society are so good they seem effortless . . . deeply researched and filled with small details and brief scenes that give the setting a cold, clear life . . . the characters are also sharply drawn. A thriller like this lives or dies by its protagonist and Vasin is a breath of fresh air.

A page-turning police procedural . . . . Far beyond a murder mystery, the novel is a textured examination of truth, assumption, and deception. Rich street scenes and dialogue embed in the reader’s mind undercurrents of the paranoia of living in a totalitarian state where neighbour betrays neighbour, colleague denounces colleague, and police gather information to manipulate underlings and bury the secrets of political leaders.

Matthews is especially adept at limning the bureaucratic infighting and political double-dealing that permeate Soviet society . . . the depiction of the forces and behaviours animating Soviet life are compelling . . . well-constructed characters, and the persistence of history is a powerful tidal presence . . . this thriller provides many pleasures.

Magical . . . don’t miss it.

A terrific thriller, knowledgeably written, intricately plotted and the more chilling for being based on a true story.