This is a richly documented and detailed account of the life of Ernest Jones and the early psychoanalytic movement. Brome's subject from South Wales “became President of the International Psycho-Analytical Association, a figure known internationally who not only manipulated many phases of psychoanalytical history but became the power behind the throne and actually made a great deal of that history”.

Undoubtedly Vincent Brome is a skilled historian experienced in sifting and collating an abundance of material and, whilst this book has much to recommend it, I also found it disappointing.