The first 30 pages are like a test; can you read this without feeling lost about every 8 words? Then there are another 30 pages of the doldrums; can you read this without falling asleep? After that it's just difficult.

Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it. The brief history of empires in the beginning was very enlightening and well-presented in spite of the extremely high reading level. There were only a few places where I thought the author was out of touch with reality, though I often reconsidered my own understanding of political realities in light of his deep explanations.

If you like your politics simplified and summarized, you'll hate this book. It was worth the struggle for me.