In 1969, the BBC TV channel presented to the audience the documentary series "Civilization. Kenneth Clarke's personal view." Skeptics were puzzled: who, in fact, in the 60s could be interested in views on the history of Western civilization of Lord Clark - an art historian, almost the same age as the century, a learned aesthete, a lover of tweed suits and the owner of his own castle (in which there was not even a TV)? Skeptics were put to shame: the series broke all popularity records, laid the foundation for the genre, and Clark, with his refined speech and aristocratic pronunciation, became a favorite of the public. In the same 1969, a collection of scripts for the series was published in the form of a book that immediately became a bestseller, translated into many languages ​ ​ and to this day regularly reprinted both in England and in other countries. Now, as the years have passed, it is even more obvious that, thanks to his truly phenomenal erudition, Kenneth Clarke has coped with an incredible challenge. Masterfully easily, he transports his viewers - and readers - from country to country, from era to era, like pieces of a mosaic, inspirationally arranges ideas, books, buildings, works of art and great people, creating an intricate and fascinating picture of "Clark civilization."