Exhilaratingly thought-provoking

Isaiah Berlin at the height of his glory

In an era where humane intellectual discourse has been deconstructed, intertextualised, phallicised and generally kicked senseless, Berlin's writing shines like a beacon

A profound, if often tantalising, contribution to an understanding of the West's culture... This is a book that would be as salutary a read for prime ministers and presidents as for those who see themselves as cultural critics

Well written, well documented, quite often serious but not too grave, allergic to over -imaginative fantasy but not immune to romantic pull of those colourful worsted threads on plain linen. Carola Hicks's book weaves its own spell

A perceptive and sure-footed guide… Hicks tells her fascinating tale with deftest of touches

Hicks' enchantment with the tapestry is compelling and her style confident and writerly

A beguiling study

Ranging from Scorsese to soufflé Schama is a damn marvel

Lively and provocative... This book is a delight

Richardson, a magisterial writer, brilliant critic and deliriously funny raconteur, is a unique, dazzling match for his subject

A colossal undertaking that has taken almost his whole life and will enrich yours forever

[It] will be on many an art lover's Christmas list this year.

Fond and faintly disturbing.

A rattlingly readable effort... Greig does a fine job revealing tales one suspects the artist may have wished to keep private.

Anybody with an ear for a good story, never mind an eye for fine art, will be beguiled.

Greig's fascinating, intimate biography of Lucian Freud was a revelation. Every question I had about Freud – from the aesthetic to the intrusively gossipy – was answered with great candour and judiciousness… Wry, dry and completely beguiling.

[Greig’s] perceptive observations and eagle’s eye for detail immediately drew me in.

The Freud who emerges in this account is a slippery figure, not only for journalists who tried to explain him but also for his intimates.

Mr Greig's is a compelling portrait of a complete amoralist who became a monstre sacré.

Greig’s portrait glimmers with his eye for the telling detail.

A mesmerising book, seamlessly crafted, totally absorbing, and impossible to put down.

A very readable and enjoyable book, full of salacious detail of the artist and his fascinating life.

This intimate biography of Lucian Freud spares no blushes in its account of one of Britain's greatest painters, tracing his life and work through candid revelations about his views on art, relationships and family.

Building up brush stroke by brush stroke, Greig has produced a three-dimensional study of equal candour. Part demon, part genius, it is an absorbing portrait of the complexity of a strange human character.

An unapologetic mixture of intelligent perception and high gossip... It is, overall, more revealing than anything about [Freud] yet written.

I am captivated by this fascinating memoir... It's an extraordinary read.

Candid and intelligent.

A gripping, page-turning vision of Lucian Freud that penetrates deep into the artist's private life.

Utterly engrossing and lavishly illustrated