Mr. Toynbee's analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations has been acknowledged as an achievement without parallel in modern scholarship. In its way, Mr. Somervell's abridgement of this monumental work is also an unparalleled achievement, for while reducing the work to on - sixth of its original size, he has, preserved its method, atmosphere, texture, and, for the most part, the author's very words. Indeed, through this miracle of condensation, he has provided a concise version that is no mere summary but the very essence of Mr. Toynbee's work.