To be valued as a jam-packed compendium of information, with a fantastic bibliography. The author's condescending tone is uninspiring to say the least: he has that attitude towards his subject that has become so typical of academia: people in the past were so benighted and gullible, but he's here to burst every bubble: "this never happened"; "that too is a myth"; "another invention of the 19th century"; "needless to say this golden age never existed"; and so forth. Yes Virginia, everything really is a social construct. ( )