Hello, Vic

You make an interesting point.

I hadn't noticed that as a difference between that chapter and the rest of the book. In terms of the 'interview' sources you mention, maybe there simply aren't so many interview sources in the earlier centuries covered by the book.

I agree with you about tbe bibliography, and the index is useful though annoyingly mine has a lot of pages missing starting at about the ltter K. They don't seem to have been ripped out: they seem never to have been there. But I got a refund from the seller (2nd hand) so I can't complain though it is a bit of a nuisance if you are interested in a topic beginning L to Z