A delightful, entertaining and illuminating investigation into our peculiar fascination with making things small, and what small things tell us about the world at large.

Simon Garfield reveals the secret histories of tiny Eiffel Towers, the truth about the flea circus, a doll's house made for a Queen, eerie tableaux of crime scenes, miniature food, model villages and railways, and more.

Bringing together history, psychology, art and obsession, Garfield explores what fuels the strong appeal of miniature objects, and how controlling a tiny scaled-down world can give new perspectives, restore our sense of order in uncertain times, and, in unexpected ways, let us see our world in a whole new light.

In Miniature takes a big look at small things and teaches us that there is greatness in the diminutive.

"This intriguing study of our urge to make scale models is full of bizarre stories and poignant insight . . . engaging and exuberant . . . The moral seems to be that we're all small, relatively speaking, which is perhaps why In Miniature is not only highly entertaining; it is also moving" - * Observer *

"If you are someone who appreciates the quirkier byways of human endeavour, there's plenty to surprise and delight in this compendium" - * The Times *

"Fascinating and often funny . . . As a (scaled-down) book, In Miniature is a well-built, highly polished entity. It is full of evocative sentences [and] amusing drive-by thwacks . . . But what he also shows in abundance is the sympathetic understanding of the needs and travails of "ordinary" people that lit up his previous books" - * Guardian *

"In Miniature is a delicious read; quirky, unpredictable and written with a genuine savour for the subject" - * Mail on Sunday *

"Simon Garfield's enthusiasm . . . is irresistible . . . Garfield offers not just intriguing snapshots of curiosities but some rather interesting history lessons" - * Spectator *

"Delightful . . . In Miniature is fascinating, funny and, in places, unexpectedly moving . . . This book is proof of the old adage that good things come in small packages" - * Literary Review *

"Garfield's intelligent exploration of mankind's passion for making small versions of large objects is meticulously researched" - * Daily Express, Books of the Year *

"The subject matter may be all things small, but this book will be a big hit under the tree" - * iNews *