"Abound[s] in interesting detail and idiosyncratic judgment." --The New York Times
"Mr. Johnson does not reduce the art and literature of this immensely rich period to mere by-products of the European economy. . . . His concise and entertaining survey is a reminder that the most sublime accomplishments of civilization also depend on the mundane." --The Wall Street Journal
"[Johnson's] reputation for capacious erudition precedes him, and it is no surprise that he turns in a vibrant summary of the era's eruption of art." --Booklist