This reference provides an introduction to the objects in the collections of the British Museum, from Achaemenid silver to Ziwiye treasure, Alexander the Great to Jean-Antoine Watteau, through Greek vases, Japanese pottery, Nebuchadnezzar, Quezalcoatl, and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The BM is the greatest treasure house in the world and it could fill many books with pretty pictures ... but this is more than that. A choice selection of topics, some well known and obvious (Sutton Hoo, the Royal Cemeteries at Ur, the Elgin Marbles), others less obvious (the Folkton Drums, the Lothar Crystal), fifty in all, serve as the basis for description and discussion of both objects and collectors and the way in which the BM has acquired them. This unusual and interesting approach makes for a magnificent book: superb pictures, highly readable descriptions and lots of human interest...