25 NOVEMBER 2000, Page 49

Eric Christiansen

A Confederacy of Dunces by J. K. Toole has been republished (Penguin, £5.99) nearly 40 years after it was written. Strongly recommended to those who need or enjoy periods of helpless mirth, it is a sort of New Orleans Don Quixote. The fat hero lays claim to a `Boethean world-view', as might Mr F. Fernandez-Armesto, whose Civilisa- tions (Macmillan, £25) must be among the best universal histories published this year because of the arresting manner in which the information is arranged. On page he apologises for the allusive style of his prose, but there is no harm in drawing attention to great Paraguayan parachutists now and then; the whole work is a most refreshing brain-wash.