It

That mysterious characteristic "It"-"the easily perceived but hard-to-define quality possessed by abnormally interesting people"-is the subject of Joseph Roach's engrossing new book, which crisscrosses centuries and continents with a deep playfulness that entertains while it enlightens. Roach traces the origins of "It" back to the period following the Restoration, persuasively linking the sex appeal of today's celebrity figures with the attraction of those who lived centuries before. The book includes guest appearances by King Charles II, Samuel Pepys, Flo Ziegfeld, Johnny Depp, Elinor Glyn, Clara Bow, the Second Duke of Buckingham, John Dryden, Michael Jackson, and Lady Diana, among others. Book jacket.

Joseph Roach is the Charles C. and Dorathea S. Dilley Professor of Theater at Yale University