I must confess that I was very pleasantly surprised and delighted by this excellent, first book outing by David Linley! It is an excellent survey of the history of classicism from its origins in ancient Greece, to the influence of Architect Andrea Palladio, throughout Europe, England and the rest of the world. Linley is an excellent modern day interpreter of classicism, which is evident by his furniture designs which are featured throughout this beautiful book. He goes into detail about the great furniture makers such as, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton. He also discusses the influence of some of the great architects such as Adam and Kent. I had the good luck to see up close, one of Linley's biggest commissions: The conference table in The Board of Trustee's Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was more than cleverly done. In years to come, he will unquestionably be regarded as one of the great modern interpeters of classical furniture ever. This book is a MUST for anyone who loves fine furniture.