With their book, these two British historians have returned a city to us: Germans and Poles alike. … Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse have thrown open the door to one of the most important cities of central Europe. Their book provides an opportunity for the re-emergence of a city that had seemed lost on the ideological battlefield of a divided Europe. It is a good example of what can be achieved when history is written with a European horizon.

- Karl Schögel in "Die Zeit"

This big, lucidly written and fact-filled book admirably achieves its purpose: to give an unbiased account of the whole history, dismantling nationalist claims. … If Professor Davies - who is the most eminent historian of the Poles outside Poland - now finds himself attacked by hard-line Polish nationalists, he will know that he has done his job well.

- Noel Malcolm in "The Sunday Telegraph"

The hybrid city emerges as an extraordinary testament, both to Polish fortitude and guile, and to the spirit of rapprochement now prevailing in the 'lands in-between'.

- James Hopkin in "The Observer"

The book passes its most important test…it makes you want to visit the place.

- Misha Glenny in "The Irish Times"

In Davies and Moorhouse, Zdrojewski found the right men for the job. Microcosm is clear and persuasive and contains many useful maps, appendices and illustrations. This is as even-handed, erudite and enlightening as history can be. In short, it is just what was required. For the past - particularly Central Europe's past - is not so much another country as a shifting continent.

- Sam Phipps in "The Glasgow Herald"

Davies and Moorhouse often enrich their account with brief personal histories, which are woven in to the historical narrative…In the best Anglo-Saxon tradition they never let the reader out of their sight and complex material is lucidly presented. It would be good if German historians occasionally utilised such journalistic skills.

- Richard Heimann in "TAZ"

The re-emergence of the city that was once called "The Flower of Europe" can only be aided by this admirable book.

- Jonathan Patrick in "Scotland on Sunday"

The city is fortunate to have found such chroniclers as Davies and Roger Moorhouse. Determined to avoid the parochial model of civic historiography and to remain above the national squabbles, they have produced a work that vies with Braudel in pulling together political, religious and cultural strands that are usually left dangling by historians at political frontiers.

- Adam Zamoyski in "The Sunday Times"

The City President made a wise choice. This book, which must meet his every expectation of scholarship and objectivity, also makes a fascinating story.

- Antony Beevor in "The Spectator"

Norman Davies is a master storyteller…Roger Moorhouse is a young historian with an eye for factual accuracy…Together they produced a powerful story of a praiseworthy city which deserves to be better known.

- Martyn Rady in "BBC History Magazine"

Davies and Moorhouse lead us through a thousand years of history, shifting from micro to macro to put the place in wider context…The balanced nature of the book shines out from the title page.

- Giles MacDonogh in "The Literary Review"

The authors take Wroclaw as a microcosm - of the Europe which, we trust, has gone and of the Europe which, we hope, is returning to us.

- The Economist

This highly readable, well illustrated book makes its own excellent contribution to [international] understanding.

- David Isaacson in "The Weekly Telegraph"

This is a brilliant idea for a book, brilliantly executed.

- Clive Ponting in "The Romford Recorder"