From the Preface by J. E. Littlewood: 'All [Hardy's] books gave him some degree of pleasure, but this one, his last, was his favourite. When embarking on it he told me that he believed in its value (as well he might), and also that he looked forward to the task with enthusiasm. He had actually given lectures on the subject at intervals ever since his return to Cambridge in 1931, and he had at one time or another lectured on everything in the book except Chapter XIII [The Euler-MacLaurin sum formula]...[I]n the early years of the century the subject [Divergent Series], while in no way mystical or unrigorous, was regarded as sensational, and about the present title, now colourless, there hung an aroma of paradox and audacity'.