From Machiavelli to Rousseau, reading theorists as responding to the conflicts of their time. “... This book is clearly written, incisively argued, and immensely informative.”—CHOICE

“a notable book, wide-ranging and perceptive ... [Wood] addresses the heartland of the historiography of political thought from Machiavelli to Rousseau, the territory of its most successful recent practitioners.”—Jonathan Clark, TLS