Johnson's Latest

In 2003, when Paul Johnson published his massive and magisterial Art: A New History, he announced it would be his last book.  Since then, he has published by my count, eleven new books.  Thanks be to God.  The new books have mostly been shorter biographies--in his Brief Lives series.  This morning I finished the most recent of these: Socrates.  Since I'm lecturing on the world of Antiquity this year, this new contribution from my favorite living historian is most welcome.  And as always, Johnson is witty, insightful, and provocative.  This is the application of the old discipline, Moral Philosophy, at its best. I am so glad that Johnson just couldn't help himself from writing--long after he'd decided to stop writing! We're all the better for it.