He handles with grace and skill the challenge of making the country's dynastic past intelligible to the layman

A thoroughgoing history of China's ruling dynasties and their extraordinary achievements in architecture. The author's knowledge of Chinese dynasties is nearly encyclopedic... [his] work takes the traveler deep into the fascinating recesses of each dynasty

In addition to the political history, Sinophiles should savor Cotterell's surveys of the imperial capitals

It can't be denied that beyond the dingy politicking, lunatic number-crunching and slide-rule stuff, there was something grand about the US space programme. DeGroot's achievement is to have preserved that, even as he exposes the dark side

An elegant contribution to the history of the space age. For space nuts who think Apollo is all about heroism, it should be compulsory reading

DeGroot goes far beyond his precise academic remit in bringing us this caustic, absorbing and suttee exploration of how and why the dream died

DeGroot has a good ear for anecdotes and his narrative is highly amusing.

An enjoyably written argument

A gripping account

DeGroot tells the story of the American lunar mission with verve and elegance

Fascinating, gossipy and occasionally hilarious