Original in focus, critically nuanced and written with humour and élan, Sophistication: A Literary and Cultural History is smart, subtle and intelligent; much like its subject. Deborah Longworth, Times Higher Education Hammill’s highly original work has impressive breadth – roughly from 18th century to the present – and covers an remarkable number of the essential literary texts on the topic from Sheridan and Jane Austen to Sophia Coppola. Aaron Jaffe, University of Louisville A book for those interested in how cultural values and therefore human behavior change over time. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above. Choice, Vol. 48, No. 5 Each chapter is rich with fresh observations that make this book a pleasure to read. At every moment, the reader feels in the hands of a trusted guide whose well-written prose offers a helpful template for sorting through a mass of diverse literature. The Historian An innovative, well-written and clearly structured book, well-researched in terms of literary and cultural history... Its principal contribution is the establishment of productive links between the study of literature, fashion and technology in a wide historical scope, from Sentimentalism to late Modernism. This makes the book a unique contribution to both literary and cultural studies. ESSE 2012 Judging Panel (Winner of 2012 Book Award for Literatures in the English Language)