A real contribution to art history, introducing the reader to a rich mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar... the book certainly taught me things about the Victorians that I either did not know or had not thought about with sufficient imagination

A wonderful introduction to the sheer vibrancy of the Victorian era... genuinely impressive

Tibet, Tibet, so good they named it twice ... French is a writer of generous talents

French has produced something very different from what he calls "Tibetophile" literature, something greatly superior in its honesty and lack of false sentiment

A gripping mix of history, travel writing and personal memoir... vividly told.

An accomplished writer and a keen observer (French) reports his findings vividly... French's reporting is excellent and this is an enjoyable and informative tour of Tibet.

First hand accounts of everyday experiences gleaned from close contact with Tibetan priests, politicians and peasants illuminate this moving book of modern day Tibet.

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

Ackroyd's view of Venice is not that of an infatuated lover... but more the magisterial distillation of much knowledge and reading, conveyed in prose that aspires to the glassy elegance of La Serenissima herself

Opulent, shimmering prose

Ackroyd does Venice, his sonorous, scene painting prose advancing in rhythmic columns until no quarter of the city has escaped assimilation.

Ackroyd's achievement is to bring the city back to life and help you to experience differently. Take it with you next time you visit.

His dark tapestry ... deserves a place in every visitor's luggage

Ackroyd writes about Venice as an idea, with stylish meditations on such topics as time, light, water, sexuality, politics and psychopathology...he writes so well that at times he'd drive you mad - "Venice represented an idea that was itself eternal" - but if you just climb into his gondola and go where he takes you, the rewards are great indeed

Many books have been written about Venice by authors like Mary McCarthy and Jan Morris. Ackroyd's advantage is his poetic eye

Ackroyd writes beguilingly as he weaves his way around the lagoon, supplying interesting details en route...