The Pleasures of the Past

Mr. Cannadine enjoys himself so much that he always conveys enjoyment to his readers. He is erudite and rigorous yet always fun. I can imagine no better introduction to historical study than this collection. Hugh Brogan Observer Each of the thirty essays here penetrates to the root of a character a problem a style an idea drawn from the recent British past. Clear-eyed acerbic witty David Cannadine makes the ideal guide for a tour of the past and companion as one considers the present. Mr. Cannadine is professor of history at Columbia University and author of The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy and Lords and The Aristocracy and the Towns 1774-1967 .