Arthur H. Williamson

The book certainly covers a wide range of information, sometimes persuasively, and draws attention to a number of neglected thinkers. But the overwrought tone, unusual for an academic production, frequently verges on hysteria. And when confronted with a writer who seriously prefers Oliver Cromwell and all that he stands for to Michel de Montaigne and all that he stands for, one has to question that writer's good sense.