In my previous books I’ve been chagrined by the brevity of my acknowledgments: no lengthy roster of esteemed colleagues and devoted friends or rollcall of foundations, institutions and conferences that feted the author. Alas, my short list has barely changed over the decades. To Cristina Nehring, my passionate love, who attended the manuscript with her usual scrupulousness, my profound gratitude. To Paul Breines who gave me the benefit of his unvarnished comments, I owe much. I am indebted to Brian Morton, who egged me on and helped find me a publisher; and to William Hackman for his editorial acumen. I want to thank Eliott Eisenberg for his valuable reflections and references over the years; and I also want to salute two steadfast interlocutors: my sister, Wini Breines, and my loyal friend Whitney Green, who both probably disagree with much, if not everything, in these pages. I thank Dan Simon and Noah Kumin of Seven Stories for their support and professionalism, and Noah in particular for his editorial savviness. I take my hat off to Michael Tencer, my copyeditor. Finally, I am grateful to the UCLA Department of History for sustaining me for over two decades. The Eugen Weber Travel Fund enabled visits to European libraries and collections.