Publisher's Synopsis
A dynamic selection of previously uncollected writing from Rebecca West, hailed as one of the greatest woman writers of the 20th century. West's wit and clear-eyed observations explore many of the great leaders and thinkers of modern times -- from Winston Churchill and Vladimir Nabokov to Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell and many others. Essays include a wrenching description of everyday life in wartime Britain and an excerpt from her last novel, "Survivors in Mexico," which vividly imagines the life and times of Montezuma and his fateful encounter with Cortes.