I was really interested to read this, but I ended up being a little bit disappointed. I thought it would be a bit wider ranging for one thing. I also felt like the structure of the book was a little disjointed - there's a long introduction, then a chapter of Isaac Matarasso's writings, and then some writing from his teenage son. I think it may have worked a little better if IM's writings were worked into the narrative. The Matarasso family seemed interesting, but I don't think the reader gets enough information about them to really feel engaged with what happens to them on a personal level.

On a formatting note, all the numbers were displayed as Chinese characters on my Kindle.

Extremely informative and well written. This book takes you through some deeply emotional events, blending fact and emotion perfectly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would encourage everyone to read it. Especially if you have an interest in history.