内容简介

‘A precious book….a work that is in the highest degree pedagogical which stands above the conflicts of parties and opinion’ – Albert Einstein
Remains unchallenged as the perfect introduction to its subject ... exactly the kind of philosophy that most people would like to read, but which only Russell could possibly have written. - Ray Monk, University of Southampton, UK
Beautiful and luminous prose, not merely classically clear but scrupulously honest. - Isaiah Berlin
It is a witty birds-eye view of the main figures in Western thought enlivened by references to the personalities and quirks of the thinkers themselves. - The Week
A great philosophers lucid and magisterial look at the history of his own subject, wonderfully readable and enlightening. - The Observer
Now in a special gift edition, and featuring a brand new foreword by Anthony Gottlieb, this is a dazzlingly unique exploration of the works of significant philosophers throughout the ages and a definitive must-have title that deserves a revered place on every bookshelf.