Biography: adventurers and explorers Books
Simon & Schuster Ltd Gorbachev
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE PUSHKIN HOUSE BOOK PRIZEFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Khrushchev: The Man and his Era, the most comprehensive portrait of the former Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on 30 August 2022.'A phenomenally researched life of the man who did more than any other to change Europe and the world in the last half of the 20th century' Jonathan Steele, Guardian This is the definitive biography on one of the most important and controversial figures of the 20th century. Drawing on interviews with Gorbachev himself, transcripts and documents from the Russian archives, and interviews with Kremlin aides and adversaries, as well as foreign leaders, Taubman’s intensely personal portrait extends to Gorbachev’s remarkable marriage to a woman he deeply loved, and to the family that they raised together. Nuanced and poignant, yet unsparing and honest, this sweTrade Review‘William Taubman has now done for Gorbachev what he had previously done for Khrushchev, giving us the full life deeply grounded in the Soviet and Russian archives, here with the added benefit of Gorbachev’s complete cooperation. Perhaps a hundred years from now, when our perspective on Russia’s role in the world has further clarified, another biography will be needed. For now, however, Gorbachev is the closest thing to the final word that history allows.’ -- Joseph Ellis, author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation‘This is a meticulously researched, carefully nuanced and immensely readable biography of a remarkable, but insufficiently understood, twentieth century political leader. Taubman’s book is destined to remain the fullest and most authoritative life of Gorbachev for years to come.’ -- Archie Brown, author of The Myth of the Strong Leader and The Rise and Fall of Communism‘Nobody before Taubman has achieved an in-depth psychological portrait…what made Gorbachev tick, as a man and a leader, has always been hooded in speculation…A highly readable, reliable and accurate work, one that will be used by all future generations of historians… This monumental biography will become the standard personal portrait, especially of the years before Gorbachev became party secretary. Taubman has charmed more out of him than any of his subordinates ever managed to.’ -- Robert Service * Literary Review *‘Impressive… full of fascinating detail.’ -- Peter Conradi * Sunday Times *‘Comprehensive and immensely readable.’ * The Economist *‘Superb… [Gorbachev] thought he could save the Soviet Union and make socialism great again. In Taubman’s hands, the journey is an extraordinary story of one man and history in a tense wrestling match.’ * The Washington Post *‘A fascinating, perceptive, and compelling account of the life of a brilliant, driven, but flawed leader… Taubman, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2003 biography of Nikita Khrushchev, once again displays his impressive grasp of the inner workings of the now vanished communist system that made the Soviet Union, for a half century, the most powerful and deadly foe of the West… Magisterial.’ * The Boston Globe *‘A masterpiece of narrative scholarship. It is also the first comprehensive biography of this world-historical figure. Other chronicles of Gorbachev’s life and verdicts on his record will follow, but they will be without the trove of personal insights that Taubman has gleaned from his access to Gorbachev himself, his advisers, and other participants in those dramatic years.’ -- Strobe Talbott * New York Review of Books *‘Vivid and intelligent… Wonderfully cinematic narrative.’ -- Neil Ascherson * London Review of Books *' ... deeply penetrating history and engrossing psychological study.' -- Robert Legvold * Foreign Affairs Magazine *'An engaging, poignant portrayal of one of the most significant of Russian leaders.' * Kirkus review *'William Taubman's Gorbachev, like his Khrushchev, is an extraordinary achievement, full of new information, filled with shrewd judgments, a two-in-a-row triumph in the writing of great lives.' -- John Lewis Gaddis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of George F. Kennan: An American Life‘In the centenary year of the Russian Revolution, the standout biography is about the man who lowered the hammer and sickle flag. Gorbachev: His Life and Times is a fitting sequel to William Taubman’s previous biography of Nikita Khrushchev, which won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2004.’ -- John Bew * New Statesman *'A phenomenally researched life of the man who did more than any other to change Europe and the world in the last half of the 20th century.' -- Jonathan Steele * The Guardian *
£999.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Duchess Countess
Book SynopsisA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR A VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening StandardWhen the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder Trade Review‘What a superb, gripping, decadent, colourful biography that brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life. Filled new research, written so elegantly with empathy, passion and cool analysis, The Duchess Countess is an unforgettable, unputdownable read that seems both modern and historical, utterly relevant today - featuring a cast of characters from Marie Antoinette to Catherine the Great, but also the life of a woman who is both adventuress and victim, who achieved vast wealth and great notoriety, becoming one of Europe's most famous women and the star of the most scandalous court case of the century.’ -- Simon Sebag Montefiore‘Although this book is a beautifully written and deeply researched life of one of the most remarkable women of the eighteenth century, it is also a scintillating portrait of an age. Since Elizabeth Chudleigh knew so many of Europe’s most talented, fascinating and important people – as well as its most dissipated rakes – the book is populated by as wide a galere of personalities as one is ever likely to meet in a biography. The author has ransacked every archive and visited every place connected with her subject from London to St Petersburg, and the result is the first ever fair-minded estimation of one of the great adventuresses of history. Funny, intelligent, witty, profound and on occasion moving, this book sets a new standard for eighteenth-century biography writing.’ -- Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny and Napoleon the Great‘Fascinating. Magnificent. Sensitively told. Complex, capricious, beautiful and boldly ambitious, Elizabeth Chudleigh was also one of the most reviled women in Georgian England. In resurrecting her tale, Catherine Ostler allows the Duchess of Kingston to emerge from the prejudices of the past like a resplendent phoenix.’ -- Hallie Rubenhold‘This is a scintillating story superbly told by Catherine Ostler... She has a remarkable ability to demonstrate her deep knowledge of the period without being boring or a show-off. She packs every paragraph with eye-opening detail, making you feel as though you’re living in the 18th century, but never veers from the central story of a woman trying to hold herself together in that vicious society while the men did as they pleased.’ -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Times *'A rollicking read...[Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto, and clearly finds her heroine irresistible. A series of gloriously implausible soap-opera twists... anticipating Thackeray's Becky Sharp... All this would be entertaining enough, but the real drama was yet to come. No wonder the scandal sheets loved it.' -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *‘Before there was Becky Sharp, there was Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston and the greatest social grifter of them all. She lives once again, thanks to Catherine Ostler's captivating biography. Definitely dangerous to know, pretty bad and quite possibly mad, there's no better fun to be had than a ringside seat at the tragi-comic circus that was her life.’ -- Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire'In this skilful and highly entertaining biography, Ostler theorises that the uninhibited Chudleigh was a bit unhinged. The real strength of the book is the author’s painstaking effort to corral all the facts in recounting a life that even her contemporaries found wildly improbable. Bridgerton fans take note: for sheer incident and drama, Chudleigh’s story rivals any episode of the popular Regency-era Netflix series. And it’s all true.' -- Clare McHugh * Washington Post *'Excellent... Ostler has undertaken impressive international archival research and always follows the money meticulously. The book’s spritely, wry tone is a pleasure to read throughout. By the end, however, I was ... in awe of Catherine Ostler’s thoughtful portraiture, both of Elizabeth Chudleigh and her century.' -- Ophelia Field * Times Literary Supplement *‘A masterclass in biography. Ostler brings her protagonist to life with dazzling prose, meticulous research and unique human sensibility. An immersive, glamorous odyssey stretching from rural England to the glittering palaces of St Petersburg, The Duchess Countess is a technicolour portrait of one of history’s most dynamic, but least understood heroines. An instant classic.’ -- Natalie Livingstone, author of The Mistresses of Cliveden'Well written and researched...it is a gripping tale' -- Anne de Courcy * Spectator *'Chudleigh’s life is like the longest and most jaw-dropping society story you’ve ever read. Ostler paints a glittering picture of London in the reign of George II...She also provides a close-up of what she calls “the psychodrama of the Hanoverian succession”. It’s all terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. The story romps along with great style and gusto, and her research is impeccable.' -- Marcus Field * Evening Standard *'Catherine Ostler draws a vivid portrait of this remarkable woman. Ms Ostler has written a rich and compelling book, the fruit of deep and assiduous research.' -- Allan Massie * Wall Street Journal *'In this sparkling gallivant through the 18th century, Catherine Ostler has done justice to a remarkable life... The real delight is the intimate detail of the royal court. The book also does an excellent job of shining a light on issues with thought-provoking modern resonance. Elizabeth is not flawless...[but] she could be just the heroine we need right now.' -- Emily Brand * BBC History magazine *Fans of Bridgerton (so, basically, everyone) will adore former Tatler editor Catherine Ostler’s deliciously evocative biography of Georgian anti-heroine Elizabeth Chudleigh, whose real-life antics make the Ton seem positively tame by comparison. * Vogue, Best Summer Reads *'Makes for thrilling reading' * Tatler *'In this brisk retelling Catherine Ostler does a good job of making us see how this ambitious army officer’s daughter was doing nothing more wicked than making the best of an indifferent hand of cards. For her latest biographer there is something quite admirable about the Duchess Countess, a girl who battled the law of the land, not to mention a good chunk of Britain’s aristocracy, in order to become her own woman.' -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *'Ostler is very good at conjuring up the 18th century "in all its elegance and acidity".' -- Roger Lewis * Daily Telegraph *'Ostler breathes new life into a fabulous subject by taking the reader on a social tour that follows the irrepressible Elizabeth from the tough and insouciantly decadent world through which she frolicked as a Hanoverian belle to the court of Catherine the Great. The centrepiece of Ostler’s fascinating book – and of Elizabeth’s life – is the sensational trial...for bigamy. Ostler has written as juicily readable a book as Amanda Foreman’s celebrated life of another Georgian beauty, the Duchess of Devonshire.' -- Miranda Seymour * Literary Review *'This is a brilliant biography that gives a stunning portrait of the age in all its glory and decadence, underpinned by the ever-present fear of losing face or fortune. Elizabeth comes across as a woman who snubbed the dictates of authority, and refused to be cowed by the paparazzi of her day. Very highly recommended.' -- Deborah Swift * Aspects of History *'Ostler writes beautifully of a Hanoverian life that was emblematic of much more than scandal. Elizabeth not only helped to inspire Thackeray’s Becky Sharp but scorched her way through a patriarchal society without compromise. Highly recommended.' -- Matthew D’Ancona * Tortoise Media *'A dazzling portrait of a woman and an age - I was gripped from start to finish.' -- Antonia Fraser'A witty and engaging life of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston and Countess of Bristol, who was tried for bigamy in 1776, which for all her subject’s scandal-ridden life is ultimately sympathetic.' -- Andrew Roberts * History Today, Books of the Year *'A lively portrait of the resilient Elizabeth Chudleigh (b. 1721), who was found guilty of bigamy and then hurtled off to St Petersburg to become best friends with Catherine the Great.' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Spectator, Books of the Year *'The eye-popping story of Elizabeth Chudleigh, inspiration for Vanity Fair's Becky Sharp, the racy society beauty who in 1776 was convicted of bigamy, and ended up running a vodka distillery in Estonia.' -- Iona McLaren * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *'There is a great line in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: “If scandal is to your taste, Miss Mackay, I shall give you a feast!” Elizabeth Chudleigh, the subject of The Duchess Countess gave the British nation a feast in 1776 when she was put on trial for bigamy. Catherine Ostler tells the life of this unembarrassable Georgian social climber with verve. She was Becky Sharp meets Liz Hurley - George II fell in love with her when she wore a see-through dress to a ball - with a dash of Gwyneth Paltrow.' -- Robbie Millen * The Times, Best Biographies of 2021 *'Welcome to this riveting story of racy society beauty and Georgian bigamist Elizabeth Chudleigh, who ended up running a vodka distillery in Estonia. She was a woman ahead of her time, someone who rose above her reversals of fortune. Her story shows the strength of the human will, and is an inspiration for anyone facing their own struggles, be they psychological or physical.' -- Rachel Kelly * The Idler, Books of the Year *'Begging for a Netflix adaptation, with shades of Jane Austen, Bridgerton and a dash of The Scarlet Letter. Ostler’s book...is fittingly bubbly for the 'ton', or fashionable set.' -- Michelle Ruiz * New York Times *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Unbound
Book SynopsisFrom the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twenty-first century, the me too movement, comes a powerful and heartwarming memoir about empathy, hope and healing.
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co In the Shadow of the Empress
Book SynopsisIn the Shadow of the Empress is the sweeping family saga of beautiful Maria Theresa, the only woman to inherit and rule the vast Habsburg empire in her own name, and three of her remarkable daughters: lovely, talented Maria Christina, governor general of the Austrian Netherlands; spirited Maria Carolina, the resolute queen of Naples; and the youngest, Marie Antoinette, the glamorous, tragic queen of France, perhaps the most famous princess in history. Unfolding against an irresistible backdrop of courts from Vienna to Versailles, this epic history of Maria Theresa and her daughters is a tour de force of desire, adventure, ambition, treachery, sorrow and glory.Trade ReviewAdding wry humor to her lucid narrative, Goldstone clarifies the era's complex politics and pinpoints how these commanding women helped give shape to modern Europe. This mesmerizing history isn't to be missed. * Publishers Weekly *Nancy Goldstone has the amazing ability of taking on huge subjects-in her latest work, she concerns herself with the life of Empress Maria Theresa and three of her sixteen children, her favorite, the archduchess Maria Christina, Maria Carolina, queen of Naples, and the tragic and famous Queen Marie Antoinette-and turning very complicated stories into a thrilling and coherent narrative. Her deep knowledge of the period, her clear-eyed empathy for her subjects and her effortless style makes for a riveting, entertaining and enlightening book. * Anka Muhlstein, author of The Pen and the Brush: How Passion for Art Shaped Nineteenth-Century French Novels *In the Shadow of the Empress is engrossing historical storytelling, filled with suspense, tantalizing mysteries, intimate family drama, and details of terror, cruelty, courage, and passion, set in the revolutionary cauldron of eighteenth-century Europe. * Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World *In the Shadow of the Empress is a virtuoso performance, Goldstone at the peak of her creative abilities... the depth of her research and the acuity of her insights are outstanding. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Nancy Goldstone's volume...has much to recommend it...What she does deliver is a highly readable narrative, with plenty of good anecdotes drawn from contemporary memoirs and lively pen-portraits. * TLS *Elegantly written... The author deftly interweaves the ups and downs of Maria Theresa's running contest with Frederick the Great with the vicissitudes of her life as Europe's most prolific procreator... a lively account... rich storytelling. * Wall Street Journal *
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The War Magician
Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of the greatest illusionist of modern times and the man who altered the course of the second world war. Soon to be a major film starring Benedict CumberbatchTrade ReviewRight from his memorable opening line [Fisher] shows a sure touch ... a richly entertaining read * SUNDAY TIMES *Gripping ... A literally marvellous war tale, well told * ForeignAffairs.com *A remarkable tale, delightfully told * SOLDIER magazine *This is one of those books that once you start, you can't give up ... a fascinating read * REGIMENT *
£9.49
New York University Press Hereafter
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Skyhorse Publishing Castro
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.25
Pan Macmillan The Sister
Book Synopsis'Ground-breaking' – Daily Mail‘In explaining the rise to power of Kim Yo Jong, Lee displays his deep knowledge and understanding of North Korea’s extreme, ruthless and self-obsessed dynastic autocracy, the creators and rulers of a de-facto nuclear weapon state. Not a reassuring story’ – Sir John Scarlett, former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)Written by Dr Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar and specialist on North Korea who has advised the US government, The Sister is a jaw-dropping account of the spectacular rise of Kim Yo Jong, de-facto deputy to her brother, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, and the most powerful woman in North Korea.In 2022, in a particularly fiery speech, Kim Yo Jong threatened to nuke South Korea, reminding the world of the dangers posed by her state. But how did the youngest daughter of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, his ‘sweet princess’, become the ruthless
£10.44
Steerforth Press The Worst Day
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£16.19
£14.39
Catapult Accordion Eulogies
Book Synopsis
£21.24
She Writes Press The Road to Yesterday
£15.29
She Writes Press Such a Pretty Picture
£15.29
The New York Review of Books, Inc Henry James Comes Home
Book SynopsisIn this enthralling re-creation of American novelist Henry James'' famous ten-month trip around the United States, lauded critic Peter Brooks brings to life both the literary giant and America in its Gilded Age.In 1904, after two decades of living and travelling abroad, Henry James returned to the United States to discover a world drastically different from the one he had left behind. Suddenly, the future of the world seemed to be in his native land, which he had once considered provincial, lacking in nourishment for the novelist. James thus set forth to refamiliarize himself with the United States, travelling the breadth of the land and exercising his acute powers of observation to document all that he saw.James''s ten-month journey across America and its product, the ethnographicwork The American Scene, are the focus of Henry James Comes Home, scholar and literary criticPeter Brooks?s dazzling follow-up to his book Henry James Goes to Paris. Brooks combines biography and criticism to recreate James''s American journey, tracing his travels around New England, down south to Florida, across the Midwest, up the coast of California, and eventually to Seattle and Portland. For James, being American was "a complex fate," and Brooks shows how James''s keen remarks on rampant materialism and the challenges at the heart of democracy are still of enduring relevance to us in this day.
£15.16
Penguin Random House South Africa Under Smutss Rule
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£14.39
Random House Original Sins
Book Synopsis** A Sunday Times, New Statesman and Guardian Book of the Year ****Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022**''A stunningly well-written, funny, heartrending and utterly gripping memoir about learning how to live with who we are. Read it. Read it now'' Nathan FilerMatt Rowland Hill grew up the son of a minister in an evangelical Christian church in south Wales and then south-east England. It was a childhood fraught with bitter family conflict and the fear of damnation.After a devastating loss of faith in his late teens, Matt began his search for salvation elsewhere, turning to books before developing a growing relationship with alcohol and drugs. He became addicted to crack and heroin in his early twenties, an ordeal that stretched over a decade and culminated in a period of hopeless darkness.Recklessly honest, and as funny as it is grave, Original Sins is an extraordinary memoir of faith, family, sha
£15.29
Bonnier Books Ltd Hubris Maximus
Book SynopsisThe rise, fall, and revival of the Caesar of Silicon Valley.Elon Musk famously leads his companies from a bully pulpit, cutting through red tape whenever possible with little regard for the fallout. Musk's approach to business and politics is truly singular - he alternately seems to be either in complete command or on the verge of a meltdown, and many in his orbit have had their lives upended by buying into his utopian vision. From the chaotic launch of the Tesla Cybertruck to his decision to reshape Twitter into 'X' as part of his self-proclaimed mission to defeat the 'woke mind virus', Musk is seemingly drawn to public controversy, yet he has emerged from these turbulent moments more influential and powerful than ever.Hubris Maximus offers an unprecedented insight into the motives and mindset that have driven Musk's stratospheric rise to power. In this cautionary tale about the pitfalls of magnetic leaders, Washington Post journalist Faiz Siddiqui offers a gripping portrait of a uniquely messy and lucrative period in Musk's career, one which has seen him ascend into a key role in Trump's administration.
£18.70
Vintage Publishing In Defence of Leisure
Book SynopsisThe celebrated psychoanalyst Marion Milner lived for the entirety of the twentieth century. By the age of ninety-eight she had written nine books revealing how free time and creativity are vital for a fulfilled life.Akshi Singh was born ninety years after Milner, in Rajasthan, over four thousand miles away from where Milner lived and worked. At first glance, the worlds of these two women seem entirely separate. Yet when Singh found herself standing at a crossroads in her life and grieving personal loss, she realised the questions and preoccupations Milner was exploring were her own.In Defence of Leisure presents Marion Milner as a writer for our times. In asking the simple question: how do I want to spend my free time? Milner developed a method for discovering her true likes and dislikes. As Singh follows Milner''s approach - from keeping a diary to painting, building a home and travelling to the sea - she discovers the importance of rest, creativity and play in all of our lives, and how it can open the door to achieving what we truly desire.
£17.00
O'Brien Press Ltd Famous Irish Mariners
Book SynopsisIreland has a rich history of famous and infamous mariners: from our earliest navigators, who may have reached North America by currach a thousand years before Columbus, to daring polar explorers Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. Read the stirring adventures of the Irish people who have helped to shape marine science.
£14.39
O'Brien Press Ltd The Keeper of the Bees
Book SynopsisA beekeeper's daughter and a student of folklore, Eimear Chaomhánach weaves folktales about bees with memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey. Afascinating look at the beliefs and traditions about bees and beekeeping.
£17.09
£18.99
Y Lolfa Or Gwylltio Gweithredu Cyfrol Goffa Gareth Miles
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£12.99
Penguin Books Ltd A Small Town in Ukraine
Book Synopsis ''A fine and deeply affecting work of history and memoir'' Philippe SandsDecades ago, the historian Bernard Wasserstein set out to uncover the hidden past of the town forty miles west of Lviv where his family originated: Krakowiec (Krah-KOV-yets). In this book he recounts its dramatic and traumatic history. ''I want to observe and understand how some of the great forces that determined the shape of our times affected ordinary people.'' The result is an exceptional, often moving book.Wasserstein traces the arc of history across centuries of religious and political conflict, as armies of Cossacks, Turks, Swedes and Muscovites rampaged through the region. In the Age of Enlightenment, the Polish magnate Ignacy Cetner built his palace at Krakowiec and, with his vivacious daughter, Princess Anna, created an arcadia of refinement and serenity. Under the Habsburg emperors after 1772, Krakowiec developed into a typical shtetl, with a jostling population
£11.69
Troubador Publishing The Mdivani Saga
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Verso Books Berlin Childhood ca. 1900
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Sherlock Holmes
£11.69
Little, Brown Book Group Married To A Bedouin
Book Synopsis''A fascinating account of life as Bedouin in the late twentieth century'' Mary S. Lovell''This sparkling memoir is a refreshing antidote and a rare window into the legendary hospitality and mysterious customs of the Bedouin Arabs'' Publishing News''Where you staying? the Bedouin asked. Why you not stay with me tonight - in my cave?'' Thus begins Marguerite van Geldermalsen''s story of how a New Zealand-born nurse came to be married to Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a Bedouin souvenir-seller from the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. It was 1978 and she and a friend were travelling through the Middle East when Marguerite met the charismatic Mohammad who convinced her that he was the man for her. She lived with him in a two thousand-year-old cave carved into the red rock of a hillside, became the resident nurse for the tribe that inhabited that historical site and learned to live like the Bedouin: cooking over fires, hauling water on donk
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects
Book SynopsisThis stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world. Retracing the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections across the world, this beautiful and absorbing book is published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle by James Cook aboard Resolution, on 17th January 1773. It presents a gloriously visual history of Antarctica, from Terra Incognita to the legendary expeditions of Shackleton and Scott, to the frontline of climate change. One of the wildest and most beautiful places on the planet, Antarctica has no indigenous population or proprietor. Its awe-inspiring landscapes – unknown until just two centuries ago – have been the backdrop to feats of human endurance and tragedy, scientific discovery, and environmental research. Sourced from polar institutions and collections around the world, the objects that tell the story of this remarkable continent range from the iconic to the exotic, from the refreshingly mundane to the indispensable: - snow goggles adopted from Inuit technology by Amundsen - the lifeboat used by Shackleton and his crew - a bust of Lenin installed by the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition - the Polar Star aircraft used in the first trans-Antarctic flight - a sealing club made from the penis bone of an elephant seal - the frozen beard as a symbol of Antarctic heroism and masculinity - ice cores containing up to 800,000 years of climate history This stunning book is both endlessly fascinating and a powerful demonstration of the extent to which Antarctic history is human history, and human future too.Trade ReviewLike Antarctica itself, this ‘History in 100 Objects’ is unpredictable and compelling. Generous - yet partial, skidding over vast surfaces, digging into detail. Read it all at once: or select at leisure. * Meredith Hooper *From the Aurora Australis to the weather balloon, authors Daniella McCahey and Jean de Pomereu have assembled a beautifully curated collection of objects pertaining to Antarctica. As they note, so poignantly, Antarctica is not one thing. * Klaus Dodds *Reading this book is like being in a very large polar museum with two expert and amusing companions as your guides. Compiled by a historian and an artist, Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects takes its reader on a tour of human engagement with the far south that is by turns educative, playful, poignant, ridiculous and disturbing, but always knowledgeably explained and illustrated. While some objects might be readily anticipated (sledges, diaries, maps), others will likely be a surprise (a canary, a wedding dress, a nuclear reactor). Ranging in scale from ships to krill-oil capsules, encompassing both the other-worldly (a meteorite) and the mundane (soap, a T-shirt), the objects demonstrate the national and cultural diversity of human encounter with the ice continent. While the book skips with delightful eclecticism between different periods, put together the object descriptions comprise a well-rounded introduction to the issues and events that have shaped human encounter with the far south. Readers who know little about the place will find it an excellent way into the continent, and 'Antarctic tragics' will enjoy the unexpected and sometimes surreal details that accompany every object. * Elizabeth Leane *Jean de Pomereu and Daniellie McCahey's handsome survey takes in the world's most remote region...illustrating in colour not just the selected objects, but accompanying painting, photographs and further examples. * The Telegraph *Tells the story of Antarctica through 100 objects from collections around the world...fascinating. * Daily Mirror *De Pomereu and McCahey's handsomely illustrated work examines the history of Antarctic expedition through famous and lesser-known objects. From crevasse detectors...to the whale skeleton assembled by conservationist Jacques Cousteau...it's filled with fascinating snapshots. -- Hannah Beckerman * The Observer *a gloriously visual history of the White Continent * Wanderlust *This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world. * Smithsonian Magazine *Jean de Pomereu and Daniella McCahey captured a marvelous overview of the history and environment of one of the world’s most unique locations in Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects. This captivating book is filled with fascinating images, each with its own unique story to tell about this engaging subject. * The Culture Buzz *a novel approach at showcasing Antarctica’s history * People's Friend *The 250th anniversary of the first documented crossing of the Antarctic circle is being marked with a new book that traces the continent's history via 100 artefacts from around the world. * New Scientist *Great photos and fascinating text make this a wonderful book for those who’ve been there and for those who still have Antarctica on their bucket list. -- Penny A Parrish * The Free-Lance Star *Become a polar explorer from the comfort of your own home with this fascinating book. Drawing together arresting photographs of 100 objects connected to the icy continent, it tells the story of the power of human endeavour. * BBC History Magazine *Broadens not only the diversity of people included in Antarctic history but also the interests of its readers, by providing the expected stories and then challenging them with new and different objects, contexts, and narratives. It makes specialist subjects accessible, but also pushes readers to think more deeply and more broadly about this continent. In their conclusion, de Pomereu and McCahey write, “One of our specific aims has been to break some of the clichés that often constrain Antarctic history,” and there is no doubt that they have succeeded. -- Henrietta Hammant * H-Water, H-Net Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. World Map 2. Taoka 3. Chronometer 4. Commemorative Medal 5. Logbook 6. Fur Seal Clothing 7. Wood Block 8. Burial Monument 9. Magnetic Dip Circle 10. Sealing Club 11. Fish Specimen 12. Hut 13. Primus Stove 14. Harness 15. Gas Balloon 16. Rifle 17. Champagne 18. Aurora Australis 19. Anemometer 20. Canary 21. Eye Protection 22. Skis 23. Sponsorship Solicitation 24. Penguin Eggs 25. Camera 26. Pony Snowshoe 27. Black Flag 28. Fern Fossil 29. Diary 30. Half Sledge 31. Page from the Encyclopaedia Britannica 32. Banjo 33. James Caird 34. Memorial Cross 35. Radio Transmitter 36. Post Office Safe 37. Pemmican 38. Polar Star 39. Soap 40. Swastika Stake 41. Mittens 42. Suit 43. Sledge Wheel 44. Haori 45. Tractor 46. Dynamite 47. Statue 48. Kharkovchanka 49. Crevasse Detector 50. Treaty 51. Dog Fur Boots 52. Fuel Drums 53. Projection Reels 54. Radio Echo Sounder 55. Frozen Beard 56. Nuclear Reactor 57. Dog Cards 58. MS Lindblad Explorer 59. Meteorite 60. Pyramid Tent 61. Whale Skeleton 62. Board Game 63. Passport 64. Aeroplane Wreckage 65. Skidoo 66. Telephone 67. Dobson Spectrophotometer 68. Dinosaur Fossil 69. T-Shirt 70. JOIDES Resolution 71. Red Apple Hut 72. Penguin Taxidermy 73. Sledge 74. Geolocator 75. Shipping Container 76. South Pole Marker 77. Ice Core 78. Stellar Axis 79. ICESat 80. Hydroponic Vegetables 81. Telescope 82. Chapel 83. Optical Module 84. Patches 85. S.A. Agulhas II 86. Krill Oil Capsules 87. Pee Flag 88. Aquatic Rover 89. Weather Balloon 90, Swimsuit 91. Tide Gauge 92. Wedding Dress 93. Microplastic 94. Douglas DC-3 95. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle 96. D-Air Lab Antarctic Suit 97. Shipwreck 98. Trowel 99. Notebook 100. Pier Conclusion 100 Antarctica Books Acknowledgements Index
£22.50
Snake River Press Ltd Sussex Women Sussex Guide Bk 8
Book SynopsisEverybody knows about Virginia and Vanessa, but did you realise that Sussex is the birthplace, home or workplace for many inspiring, intriguing and formidable women; from royal mistresses to pioneering women doctors and from educators and philanthropists to cross-dressing music-hall stars? This work offers 30 biographies of inspiring Sussex women.
£8.54
Haus Publishing On the Back of and Envelope
£13.49
Monsoon Books Majapahit
Book SynopsisIn the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence stretched far and wide, throughout present-day Indonesia, parts of the Malay peninsula and the island of Tumasek, now Singapore.
£12.34
Chiselbury Publishing I Am Andre
Book SynopsisI Am Andrà is an amazing real-life story of espionage, of courage and resistance, and of friendship and love. It pulls back the veil on the hidden history of the struggle for the identity of the Resistance in France. The life of âAndrÃâ Joseph Scheinmann is more intriguing and compelling than any work of fiction.
£21.25
Double 9 Books The Rothschilds the Financial Rulers of Nations
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Insight Editions Carlos Santana Love Devotion Surrender
Book SynopsisTake a journey through Carlos Santana’s legendary career, featuring rare photography and ephemera from Santana’s archive, documenting more than fifty years of his one-of-a-kind artistry, and his impact on the world of music.Carlos Santana, named one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists and one of the 100 Greatest Artists by Rolling Stone, has been an influential musician since his start in 1965. With numerous awards, including nearly a dozen Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, and his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, Santana has cemented his name in rock and roll history. Now, fans can follow Santana through his musical journey with this gorgeous retrospective book, featuring hundreds of pieces from his personal archives such as rare backstage and onstage photography, tour memorabilia, personal art and correspondence, awards, and photographs of old guitars. This is a collection as rare and unique as the music Santana creates, and one that fans will treasure. BEHIND-THE-SCENES CONTENT: Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender offers a never-before-seen look at hundreds of pieces from Santana’s personal archives, including unpublished photos, sketches, itineraries, tour schedules, and concert tickets. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS given specifically for this volume, from producers (Clive Davis), band members (Gregg Rollie and Michael Carabello), collaborators (Rob Thomas, John McLaughlin, Steve Miller), and an exclusive interview with Santana himself. COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY: Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender is his personal journey, from childhood to now, told in a way he has never done before - through his music.
£100.00
Missouri Historical Society Press John Frémonts 100 Days
£17.10
Little, Brown Book Group What Would Winston Do Dads ask their questions
Book Synopsis(This book is a parody and is not authorised by the Estate of Winston S. Churchill) THE PERFECT GIFT FOR DADS THIS FATHER''S DAY Dear Winston,We''ve just started our baby on solids and I''m about to change his first nappy since then. What pep talk can I give myself?Reyansh, Chatham, 26WC: Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: ''This was their finest hour''.---Winston Churchill, oft-named greatest Briton of all time, had wisdom in abundance. Now, for the first time, that wisdom is being applied to the people most in need: FATHERS. Whether you''re a 28-year-old newbie after advice on how to remove your toddler''s dummy, a 40-year-old long-timer wishing your teenager would try harder at their GCSEs, or a 63-year-old veteran wanting to know how best to
£7.19
Octopus Publishing Group Opening The Gates of Hell
Book SynopsisHerbert Kenny, an army dispatch rider, was the first Allied solider to push open the gates at Belsen Concentration Camp, in April 1945. He kept his story from the world until an encounter with a trainee journalist brought it to light. Now, forty years on, that reporter is ready to share Herbert's incredible tale with the world. With unprecedented access to Herbert's diaries, letters and interviews, Mark Hodkinson brings to life the harrowing conditions of Belsen and its eventual liberation. From the events leading up to its gruesome discovery, to the trauma Herbert faced and his abandonment in the aftermath, this is a testament to the power of one person in the face of unimaginable darkness. This is the tale of an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary, life-changing situation. How can a person cope when they come face-to-face with history's darkest moment? Herbert Kenny was that man. This is his story.
£18.70
Octopus Publishing Group Opening The Gates of Hell
Book SynopsisHerbert Kenny, an army dispatch rider, was the first ally to push open the gates at Belsen Concentration Camp, in April 1945.He kept his story from the world until a chance correspondence with a trainee journalist brought it to light. Now, forty years on, that reporter is ready to share Herbert''s incredible tale with the world.With unprecedented access to Herbert''s diaries, letters and interviews, Mark Hodkinson brings to life the harrowing conditions of Bergen-Belsen and its eventual liberation. From the events leading up to its gruesome discovery, to the trauma Herbert faced and his abandonment in the aftermath, this is a testament to the power of one person in the face of unimaginable darkness.This is the tale of an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary, life-changing situation. How can a person cope when they come face-to-face with history''s darkest moment? Herbert Kenny was that man. This is his story.
£9.49
Yale University Press Aethelstan
Book SynopsisIn this nuanced portrait of Athelstan, Sarah Foot offers the first full account of the king ever written.Trade Review"'Sarah Foot's wide-ranging, detailed and sympathetic account offers many thought-provoking insights into a crucial and formative period in British history. In its pages AEthelstan emerges from the shadows as one of the great English rulers. It will be essential reading for all future explorers in the field.' (Michael Wood, author of In Search of the Dark Ages) 'In the pages of this remarkable biography - a work suffused with a rare empathy - Aethelstan emerges as a character of flesh and blood.' (Hywel Williams, Times Literary Supplement) 'A compelling new biography... Foot manages to construct a remarkably clear vision of this king who deserves to be more widely known.' (David Musgrove, BBC History Magazine (Books of the Year) 'A triumph of historiography that celebrates a life rich in spiritual, intellectual and martial endeavour. Revisionary, thoughtful, beautifully written and exhaustively researched, this biography of Aethelstan is set to become a classic.' (Helen Fulton, Times Higher Education)"
£18.04
Princeton University Press Kennan
Book Synopsis
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Private Inquiries
Book SynopsisThe history of the UK’s real-life female detectives told for the first timeTrade Review'Intriguing and informative, Private Inquiries is a fascinating piece of detective work.' Martin Edwards, President of the Detection Club'Davies is a great storyteller and this is feast of true crime and women’s place in history. Fascinating and utterly riveting.' Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, KC‘Private Inquiries is a must-read – a riveting mythbuster, with its revelations of the real histories of women PIs.’ – Val McDermid‘Every page teems with larger-than-life characters – women who broke the mould and the accepted rules to make their way in a traditionally male world of private investigation. It is a story told with style and panache by an author who not only talks the talk but has walked the walk, training as an investigator herself.’ – Daniel Smith, author of Scandal at Dolphin Square: A Notorious History
£17.00
Scribe Publications Tokyo Noir
Book SynopsisThe sequel to bestseller Tokyo Vice, now a major HBO drama, with a second season coming in 2024. It's been a while since Jake Adelstein was the only gaijin crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun. The global economy is in shambles, Jake is off the police beat but still chain-smoking clove cigarettes, and Tadamasa Goto, the most powerful boss in the Japanese organised-crime world, has been banished from the yakuza, giving Adelstein one less enemy to worry about for the time being. Adelstein has a new gig these days: due-diligence work, or using his investigative skills to dig up information on entities whose bosses would prefer that some things stay hidden. Underneath layers of paperwork, corporations are thinly veiled fronts for the yakuza. Pachinko parlors are a hidden battleground between disenfranchised Japanese Koreans and North Korean extortion plots. TEPCO, the electric power corporation keeping the lights on for all of Tokyo, scrambles to hide its willful oversights that ult
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Enver Hoxha
Book SynopsisStalinism, that particularly brutal phase of communism, came to an end in most of Eastern Europe with the death of Josef Stalin in 1953 or at least with the Khrushchev reforms that began in the Soviet Union in 1956. However, in one country - Albania - Stalinism survived virtually unscathed until 1990. The regime that the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha led from the time of the communist takeover in 1944 until his death in 1985, and that continued unabated under his successor Ramiz Alia until 1990, was incomparably severe. Such was the reign of terror that no audible voice of opposition or dissent ever arose in the Balkan state, a European country that became as isolated from the rest of the world as North Korea is today. When the Albanian communist system finally imploded, it left behind a weary population, frightened and confused after decades of purges and political terror. It also left behind a country with a weak and fragile economy, a country where extreme poverty was the norm. In Table of ContentsIntroduction by Robert Elsie 1. Death Comes Knocking 2. 28 November 1944 3. From Gjirokastra to Korça 4. From France to Belgium: the Dropout 5. Teacher of Moral Education 6. The Founding of the Communist Party 7. A Leader with an Iron Fist 8. Nationalists and Communists 9. Head of the Provisional Government 10. The Plenary Meeting in Berat – an Interlude 11. Tirana and the Wedding 12. The Reign of Terror 13. Departure of the British and the Americans 14. The Yugoslavs: a Matter of Love and Hate 15. Stalin and the Soviets 16. The Bllok 17. Enver Hoxha and Mother Teresa 18. Split Personality 19. The Medical Team 20. The Great Purges 21. Demise of a Prime Minister 22. The Final Purges 23. The Years of Solitude 24. Death and What Remained Chronology of the Life of Enver Hoxha Glossary Bibliography
£16.14
HarperCollins Publishers Macintyre B Napoleon of Crime
Book SynopsisThe rumbustious true story of the Victorian master thief who was the model for Conan Doyle's Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' arch-rival. From the bestselling author of Operation Mincemeat' and Agent Zigzag'.Adam Worth was the greatest master criminal of Victorian times. Abjuring violence and setting himself up as a perfectly respectable gentleman, he became the ringleader for the largest criminal network in the world and the model for Conan Doyle's evil genius, Moriarty.At the height of his powers, he stole Gainsborough's famous portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, then the world's most valuable painting, from its London showroom. The duchess became his constant companion, the symbol and substance of his achievements. At the end of his career, he returned the painting, having gained nothing material from its theft.Worth's Sherlock Holmes was William Pinkerton, founder of America's first and greatest detective agency. Their parallel lives form the basis for this extraordinary book, Trade Review‘A good deal more thrilling than most thrillers’Ruth Rendell, Daily Telegraph ‘A most remarkable and entertaining biography. It is a highly charged thriller, a moving love affair, a dramatic history of the Victorian criminal underworld, a noble tragedy’Alexander Waugh, Independent on Sunday ‘A well-researched and lively account…Macintyre has an appetite for fact, assiduity and wit’ Asa Briggs, The Times ‘This is a delicious mingling of through research, lyrical storytelling and empathetic crime reporting…a stylish, original, and picturesque story that reads better than the vast bulk of crime books currently in print’ Michael Coren, Literary Review
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Iron Coffins
Book SynopsisA first hand account of the German U-boat battles of World War II, by one of the very few surviving commanders.This is a story of triumph, disaster and eventual survival against all odds. Herbert Werner was one of the few U-boat commanders whose skill, daring and incredible luck saw him safely through to the end of the war. His is an epic and chilling description of the fearful havoc wrought by one small U-boat on the Atlantic convoys. But easy success ebbed away in the face of ever-improving Allied detection and attack techniques. The hunters became the prey, to suffer appalling losses. Of 842 U-boats launched 779 were sunk, ''iron-coffins'' to 28,000 men. Herbert Werner''s graphic account of war waged from beneath the sea, of horror and cold, cruel death, is dedicated to the seamen of all nations who died in the Battle of the Atlantic.
£10.44
Zando How to Tell When We Will Die
Book SynopsisThe long-awaited essay collection from one of the most influential voices in disability activism that detonates a bomb in our collective understanding of care and illness, showing us that sickness is a fact of life.In the wake of the 2014 Ferguson riots, and sick with a chronic condition that rendered them housebound, Johanna Hedva turned to the page to ask: How do you throw a brick through the window of a bank if you can't get out of bed? It was not long before this essay, Sick Woman Theory, became a seminal work on disability, because in reframing illness as not just a biological experience but a social one, Hedva argues that under capitalisma system that limits our worth to the productivity of our bodieswe must reach for the revolutionary act of caring for ourselves and others.How to Tell When We Will Die expands upon Hedva's paradigm-shifting perspective in a series of slyly subversive and razor-sharp essays that range from the theoretical to the pe
£18.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Emperor of the Seas
Book SynopsisControl the sea, and you control everything...a gripping tale of naval warfare, dynastic rivalry, and technical innovation, from the author of the classic work Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime of immersion in Mongol culture and tradition, Emperor of the Seas brings this little-known story vibrantly to life. Kublai Khan is one of history's most fascinating characters. He brought Islamic mathematicians to his court, where they invented modern cartography and celestial measurement. He transformed the world's largest land mass into a unified, diver
£22.50
Princeton University Press ManDevil
Book Synopsis
£27.00
