"The essays collected here are testaments to Clive James' unique clarity of judgement over a wide range. Whether discussing Shakespeare, Primo Levi, W.B. Yeats, Philip Roth or Isaiah Berlin, he manages to prioritize style and substance simultaneously, his tone never less than pitch-perfect, his argument always considered. But he can do the same for Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Each piece is written with the care of a poem and the exuberance of a public performance. The resulting volume - which takes the reader from London to Bali, from the theatre to the library, from pre-election campaigning to sitting in front of the TV at home, watching The Sopranos and The West Wing - is remarkable not only for its range and insight, but also its intimacy and honesty."--Jacket.