Cultural Amnesia is an encyclopedic A-Z masterpiece that serves as the perfect introduction to the core of Western humanism. This international bestseller by Clive James illuminates, rescues, or occasionally destroys the careers of many of the greatest thinkers, humanists, musicians, artists, and philosophers of the twentieth century.

Organized by quotations, the book is more than just a collection of essays. It takes the reader on an intellectual adventure, soaring to Montaigne-like heights, and provides a thorough understanding of the cultural and intellectual landscape of the last century. It's the book to burnish the memories of a Western civilization that James fears is nearly lost.