First Impressions

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, is from a book that helped spark the French Revolution:

"My purpose is to consider if, in political society, there can be any legitimate and sure principle of government, taking men as they are and laws as they might be."

* Entries, including postal address, should be sent to First Impressions, The Times Higher , Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX, faxed to 020 7782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk

The winner receives a £25 book voucher. The closing date is July 17.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified Beryl Bainbridge's According to Queeney, is Gert Westerman of Oxford Brookes University.

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