AhkimPechess review [mostly], reads, from GOOGLE TRANSLATE, "It is a delight to read books of GM Shipov. His books are filled with entertaining explanations, and a proper selection of variants, since neither trees fills the book with intricate variations, or limited to a terse statement of two or three words ... concise calculation, especially in an opening as tactic is how the hedgehog!
If you want to know the fundamental ideas of the Hedgehog ... this is a right book ... but is not limited to, because as the author mentions the Hedgehog is not an opening that can be played only based only on general ideas ... hard work and concrete calculation are needed at every step!
A good research paper, old games, almost new, more modern ... and also with more material in front ... is a vast field of research." Together, volume 1 and 2, are comprised of 1116 pages of material written by this author! - Volume 1 (Which I currently have), is wonderfully written, and as can be verified here, has gotten excellent reviews - I expect that when I receive volume 2, it will be of the same high standard. I am a USCF, life-master, rated around 2100, and I have a lot of experience with this opening 'Tabiya', from both the white and black side, especially from before I owned these books. I have always lost the majority of games I've played against masters as white, and also won the majority of games played against players of all ratings as black!, so I can't honestly say that anyone actually even needs these books to play this opening system successfully! --- It seems like it is more a question of my chess-style's strength and weaknesses, than the absorption of material in this or that book, but they do look so impressive on the overloaded chess book shelf of this chess book addict!