For liberalism is a delicate thing. It encompasses so much -- constitutional government, democratic elections, freedom of worship, civil rights, free trade -- that we think of it as timeless and universal. But liberalism came into being in a real place and time, like a flame it has wavered in various eras, and it can be snuffed out.

Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City (ed. Hachette UK, 2013) - ISBN: 9780748128631