Staunch revolutionary yet critic of the philosophy of progress; nostalgic of the past, yet dreaming of the future; and romantic partisan of materialism, yet fascinated by Jewish mysticism - Walter Benjamin is in every sense an 'unclassifiable' philosopher. His last text was written in a state of urgency, as he attempted to escape the Gestapo in 1940, before committing suicide. Yet "On the Concept of History" is one of the most important philosophical and political writings of the twentieth century, argues Michael Lowy in this scrupulous, clear and fascinating examination. Looking in detail at Benjamin's celebrated but mysterious text, and restoring the philosophical, theological and political context, Lowy strives to understand the complex relationship between redemption and revolution in Benjamin's philosophy of history.