Biography: adventurers and explorers Books

19654 products


  • Robert H. Jackson

    OUP India Robert H. Jackson

    2 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    2 in stock

    £25.64

  • Frank Ramsey

    Oxford University Press Frank Ramsey

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen he died in 1930 aged 26, Frank Ramsey had already invented one branch of mathematics and two branches of economics, laying the foundations for decision theory and game theory. Keynes deferred to him; he was the only philosopher whom Wittgenstein treated as an equal. Had he lived he might have been recognized as the most brilliant thinker of the century. This amiable shambling bear of a man was an ardent socialist, a believer in free love, and an intimate of the Bloomsbury set. For the first time Cheryl Misak tells the full story of his extraordinary life.Trade ReviewThis book is dedicated to the memory of Ramsey in a solemn and comprehensively devoted manner. The author has tried to satisfy all the parties interested in Ramsey for one reason or another...The result is an introduction to his work, as well as an account of his life. * Michael Otte, MathSciNet *Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers is a very well researched biography, thus is of great value to academic students and professional scholars alike. The book is a joy to read for not only economists but also mathematicians and philosophers too. * Jason Wakefield, Avello Publishing Journal *an engaging account of the lamentably short life of Ramsey... exemplary piece(s) of intellectual history... * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Frank Ramsey [...] makes noble reading. Ms Misak is a born teacher who explains tricky intellectual abstractions with a clarity that is exceptional. More than that, she writes with love. Her tenderness toward Ramsey, his parents and siblings, his wife and friends gives spirit and delicacy to the whole. There is astounding emotional intelligence in every chapter. One feels on each page Ms. Misak's fine mind concentrating hard on doing the best she can. This is an enthralling and glorious book. * Richard Davenport-Hines, The Wall Street Journal *Philosophers sometimes play the game of imagining how twentieth-century thought might have been different if Ramsey had survived and his ideas had caught on earlier. That exercise has become more entertaining with the publication of the first full biography ... Misak tells a more colorful story than one might have thought possible so long after such a short life ended. * Anthony Gottleib, The New Yorker *Misak' narrative is compelling. * Paolo Mancosu, Philosophia Mathematica *Her book is unlikely to be bettered... Misak provides by far the most complete picture we have of Ramsey's personality and personal life. * London Review of Books *As a whole, the book is a precious piece for the history of analytic philosophy, nicely written and supported by terrific archival research and a love for the author. It is worth reading it for the pleasure of good writing, for a picture of Cambridge at that time, and to learn more about one of the greatest intellects of the last century. * Caterina Sisti, Metascience *...a brilliant, evocative biography of Ramsey. * Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Open *It is thanks to Misak that we can now see Ramsey's mathematical economics from a new and thought-provoking perspective, and this is only one among many reasons why this book deserves to be read. * Carlo Cristiano, History of Economic Ideas *There is a lot of talk about Bloomsbury, and therefore about sexual freedom and the many instances that made up that freedom. There is unhappiness (Ramsey struggled coming into his own, as a sexual person). There is much talk of psychoanalysis, and of extended stays in Vienna to imbibe the same. There is, as anyone who has read Pigou's biography might guess, a great deal of walking in the mountains. There is Arthur's (Ramsey's father) tragic inattentiveness while driving his car. And there is Ramsey living openly with a woman while (mostly) maintaining his happy marriage. So, it isn't all just philosophy. But the philosophy does make for compelling reading ... one must read this excellent book. * David C.Coker, George Mason University , Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics *A full intellectual biography of Frank Ramsey, examining both his complex personal life and his work in philosophy, mathematics, and economics. * Journal of Economic Literature *Cheryl Misak has done valuable work in producing the first biography of Frank Ramsey which is both comprehensive and detailed. Through meticulous documentary research (very well described in the preface), the biographer is able to lift the veil on some of the little-known aspects of Ramsey's intellectual journey and remedy some of the erroneous or magnified perceptions of his life and work. Various excerpts from his correspondences allow us, for example, to put in context Ramsey's depressive episode resulting from an impossible love...Cheryl Misak has successfully met the challenge of inspiring her readers to take the next step - following Ramsey - toward the high peaks of abstract thought in analytical philosophy, mathematical logic, economics, and pure mathematics. * Frédéric Morneau-Guérin, Université TÉLUQ, Mathematical Association of America *Fascinating ... combining insight, wit and affection with erudition, [Misak] conveys how lovable as well as how brilliant Ramsey was ... She has given Ramsey the biography that he richly deserves. * Jane O'Grady, Literary Review *In her important new work, Cheryl Misak [...] finally gives Ramsey the consideration he deserves ... it is an impressive work. She has a devotion to the archive and her book is thoroughly researched and well put together ... We should feel lucky that we have the work we do, and that Misak has done such a good job of drawing our attention to one of the most important and intriguing figures in 20th-century philosophy. * Alex Dean, Prospect *A monument to good scholarship while still conveying the human being at the centre ... A landmark book if you dwell among the modernists. * Richard Lofthouse, QUOD *Writing a biography of a man with such an amazing capacity and range of interests is itself extraordinarily demanding but the author succeeds admirably... hugely informative as well as entertaining and a vivid picture of the contemporary Cambridge intellectual landscape. * Paradigm Explorer *truly comprehensive 'life and works'. * William H Janeway, Project Syndicate *Thought-provoking, wide-ranging, and highly readable. * Matthew McKeever, The Philosopher's Magazine *Cheryl Misak's Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers is terrific... This biography is my book of the year so far. * enlightenmenteconomics *This is a gripping read about the twentieth century's forgotten genius. It provides a fascinating and meticulously detailed portrait of Frank Ramsey's life and times. Finally, Ramsey has the biography he deserves. * David Edmonds, co-author of Wittgenstein's Poker *In this brilliantly written biography of Frank Ramsey, the philosophical and mathematical genius, Cheryl Misak helps us to understand how this innovative thinker could transform so much of the intellectual world of the twentieth century in a short life that ended before he turned 27. The story of Ramsey - his life, his ideas and his engaging arguments with others - as told by Misak is both deeply insightful and much fun to read. * Amartya Sen, Harvard University *I read the book over three long nights of lockdown, in the middle of an Australian winter. Id expected to find it fascinating, but not to find it so gripping... she [Misak] takes us so successfully into Ramseys world, and we know how it ends... [she] pitches things just right. She takes us into Ramseys personal world, without over-dramatising it. * Huw Price, Society *Table of ContentsForeword: 'Mind and Heart' Part I: Boyhood 1: The Ramseys 2: Winchester Nearly Unmade Him 3: 'We really live in a great time for thinking' Part II: The Cambridge Man 4: Undergraduate Life 5: 'To my generation, he was rather frightening' 6: Ramsey and the Early Wittgenstein 7: Vienna Interlude 8: 'The fundamentals are so philosophical' 9: The New Don 10: Passion Found Part III: An Astonishing Half Decade 11: Settling Down in Work and Life 12: Revolution in Philosophy 13: Two Crises 14: Cambridge Economics 15: Ramseyan Economics: The Feasible First Best 16: 1928 Return to Mathematics 17: Wittgenstein Comes Home 18: 'The problem of philosophy must be divided if I am to solve it' 19: The End and Meaning of a Life

    1 in stock

    £24.64

  • Hitler

    Oxford University Press Hitler

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTyrant, psychopath, and implementer of a ruthless programme of racial extermination, Adolf Hitler was also the charismatic Führer of millions of dedicated followers. In this major new biography, internationally acclaimed German historian Peter Longerich brings Hitler back to centre-stage in the history of Nazism, revealing a far more active and interventionist dictator than we are familiar with from recent accounts, with a flexibility of approach that often surprises. Whether it was foreign policy, war-making, terror, mass murder, cultural and religious affairs, or even mundane everyday matters, Longerich reveals how decisive a force Hitler was in the formulation of policy, sometimes right down to the smallest details, in a way which until now has not been fully appreciated. Consistently and ruthlessly destroying both the people and the power structures that stood in his way, Longerich shows how over time Hitler succeeded in forging his ''Führer dictatorship'' - with terrifying and almTrade ReviewAn essential volume for anyone wanting to build up a picture of this atrocious man... * Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph *... a real biography by a genuine specialist... * Richard J Evans, The Guardian *... a comprehensive and impressive work. I am happy to say that Hitler: A Life is a very good book, fluently translated by Jeremy Noakes and Lesley Sharpe. It is comprehensive on the domestic side of the story, and it draws on the newer literature of the past two decades ... Longerich's work is much more than a synthesis... The result is a fine-grained and generally persuasive account of Hitler's rise to power... * Brendan Simms, Irish Times *Here once again [Longerich] mobilises a formidable quantity of archival material and shows us Hitler in his true colours ... [A] detailed biography. * Richard Overy, Literary Review *Longerich's meticulous account touches on many issues... * Christopher Clark, London Review of Books *... demonstrates a mastery of a vast mass of primary and secondary research ... that is remarkable even for a German professor ... Longerich is uniquely equipped to explore the enigma of a Führer who manipulated and ultimately ruined not on his lieutenants but an entire continent... * Daniel Johnson, Standpoint *Thorough, detailed, meticulous, readable, believable, outstanding. Not a lot of cant or opinion; just an incredible amount of detail and precise if not painstaking investigation into events that led to Adolf Hitler becoming the Adolf Hitler of undeniable, tragic nightmare. * David Marx, David Marx Reviews *Essential reading. * Christopher Bray, The Tablet *An important biography of Adolph Hitler. This text ... provides likely the most consequential history of Hitler in our time. * CHOICE^r *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: A Nobody Part One 1: Back in Munich 2: The Way to the Party 3: Hitler Takes the Lead 4: The March to the Hitler Coup 5: Process and Prohibition Part Two 6: A Political New Beginning 7: Hitler the Speaker 8: Reorientation 9: Conquest of the Masses 10: Strategy 11: At the Gates of Power Part Three 12: Seizure of Power 13: First Steps of Foreign Policy 14: Führer and People 15: Outbreak of the International System 16: Construction of the Sole Dictatorship Part Four 17: Domestic Crisis 18: First Foreign Policy Successes 19: The Way to the Nuremberg Laws 20: Foreign Policy Coup 21: Ready to Serve in Four Years 22: Church Struggle and Cultural Policy 23: Hitlers Regime Part Five 24: Foreign Policy Reorientation 25: From the Blomberg-Fritsch Crisis to the "Connection" 26: The Sudeten Crisis 27: To Munich 28: In the War Part Six 29: The War Begins 30: Resistors 31: War in the West 32: Exploring Foreign Policy 33: Extending the War 34: Operation Barbarossa 35: Escalation of Jewish Politics 36: Winter Crisis: 1941-42 37: At the Height of Power 38: Hitler's Empire Part Seven 39: War Change and Radicalization 40: With One's Back to the Wall 41: Before the Sinking 42: 20 July 1944 43: Refuge in Total War 44: The End

    1 in stock

    £31.44

  • Winston Churchill

    Oxford University Press Winston Churchill

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBefore Winston Churchill made history, he made news. To a great extent, the news made him too. If it was his own efforts that made him a hero, it was the media that made him a celebrity - and it has been considerably responsible for perpetuating his memory and shaping his reputation in the years since his death. Churchill first made his name via writing and journalism in the years before 1900, the money he earned helping to support his political career (at a time when MPs did not get salaries). Journalistic activities were also important to him later, as he struggled in the interwar years to find the wherewithal to run and maintain Chartwell, his country house in Kent. Moreover, not only was journalism an important aspect of Churchill''s political persona, but he himself was a news-obsessive throughout his life. The story of Churchill and the news is, on one level, a tale of tight deadlines, off-the-record briefings and smoke-filled newsrooms, of wartime summits that were turned into stage-managed global media events, and of often tense interactions with journalists and powerful press proprietors, such as Lords Northcliffe, Rothermere, and Beaverbrook. Uncovering the symbiotic relationship between Churchill''s political life and his media life, and the ways in which these were connected to his personal life, Richard Toye asks if there was a ''public Churchill'' whose image was at odds with the behind-the-scenes reality, or whether, in fact, his private and public selves became seamlessly blended as he adjusted to living in the constant glare of the media spotlight.On a wider level, this is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill''s life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age.Trade ReviewWinston Churchill - A Life in the News is also the story of a rapidly evolving media and news culture in the first half of the twentieth century, and of what the contemporary reporting of Churchill's life (including by himself) can tell us about the development of this culture, over a period spanning from the Victorian era through to the space age. * Cosmopolis *Winston Churchill: A Life in the News sheds a fresh light on one of the best-studied statesmen, exploring the "symbiotic relationship" between Churchill's political life, journalistic career, and media persona. * Stefan Goebel, Journal of British Studies *[An] original study ... Toye is surely correct in seeing the journalism as central to the career of a man whose life was dominated by the news he did much to create. * A.W. Purdue, Times Higher Education *[Toyes] research underpins a clear-eyed, not uncritical but almost always fairminded account of a man whose heroic stature he recognizes but whose prejudices and blunders he also wants on the record. [His] energetic and dedicated scrutiny of Churchills actions, language and image is important and useful work, of interest far beyond academia. There is much good and even original stuff in [this book]. * Anne Chisholm, Times Literary Supplement *A timely and engaging volume ... With Winston Churchill: A Life in the News, Toye has made another significant contribution to Churchill studies. * W. Mark Hamilton, Finest Hour, the journal of the International Churchill Society *This meticulously researched and engaging book shows how the consummate statesman created his public image and why his fame and accomplishments have endured. * Dean Jobb, Washington Independent Review of Books *In Churchill: A Life in the News we encounter both the bombastic and the deeply insecure sides to Churchill's complex personality. The book stands not only as a testament to the effects of the media on personal leadership styles, but it forces us to reflect on how the changing media environment affects the way we are governed. It is a timely reminder of the excesses and limitations of the press in the modern political age. * Professor Jo Fox, Institute of Historical Research *Richard Toye once again brilliantly illuminates a critical side of Winston Churchill's complex life. This original, important, and highly-readable book is teeming with shrewd judgements and fresh insights. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Churchill's political career or modern news culture. * Christopher M. Bell, author of Churchill and the Dardanelles and Churchill and Sea Power *Fascinating ... The attention to detail in this book is admirable. * Chris Green, Suffolk and Norfolk Life *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: A Pushing Age 2: Stage Thunder 3: Any Home News? 4: Hell with the Lid Off 5: Born to Trouble 6: 'Worse than the Nazis' 7: 'The War is not Fought to Amuse the Newspapers' 8: Whose Finger? Conclusion

    1 in stock

    £22.52

  • Elizabeth Stuart Queen of Hearts

    Oxford University Press Elizabeth Stuart Queen of Hearts

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe dazzling new biography of one of history''s most misunderstood queensElizabeth Stuart is one the most misrepresented - and underestimated - figures of the seventeenth century. Labelled a spendthrift more interested in the theatre and her pet monkeys than politics or her children, and long pitied as ''The Winter Queen'', the direct ancestor of Elizabeth II was widely misunderstood. Nadine Akkerman''s biography reveals an altogether different woman, painting a vivid picture of a queen forged in the white heat of European conflict.Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI and I, was married to Frederick V, Elector Palatine in 1613. The couple were crowned King and Queen of Bohemia in 1619, only to be deposed and exiled to the Dutch Republic in 1620. Elizabeth then found herself at the epicentre of the Thirty Years'' War and the Civil Wars, political and military struggles that defined seventeenth-century Europe. Following her husband''s death in 1632, Elizabeth fostered a cult of widowhoTrade Reviewthis new biography surpasses all earlier studies of Elizabeth Stuart * Thomas Pert, The Seventeenth Century *An extraordinary biography of a much-maligned and much-forgotten queen... Akkerman knows her archive as few have ever done, and demonstrates how to resurrect an early modern woman. * Suzannah Lipscomb, Books of the Year 2021, BBC History Magazine *As a political biography, and as a sensitive exploration of the position of a royal woman, Nadine Akkermans book is excellent. * Jean Wilson, Times Literary Supplement *[A] masterful transformative biography * Noel Malcolm, The Daily Telegraph *Akkerman situates astonishingly comprehensive research against an even more complicated background, rooting her account in diplomatic reports, Elizabeth's own correspondence and numerous illustrations... [Her] erudite, pacey narration of the frustrations, downturns and highlights of Elizabeth's life make for compelling reading. I was gripped. * Anna Groundwater, Literary Review *[A] masterful transformative biography * 5 Star Review, Noel Malcolm, Daily Telegraph *After all the macho chevaliers who served her in life, this Elizabeth has found a superb and sisterly champion in death. * Kate Maltby, The Spectator *Akkermans sensitivity to literary and cultural symbolism deeply enriches this biography ... After all the macho chevaliers who served her in life, this Elizabeth has found a superb and sisterly champion in death. * Kate Maltby, The Spectator *This excellent book sheds light on a part of Scottish history – and European history – that is too little known. It is also a reclamation of a figure of genuine significance and strength. * Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman *[Akkerman's book] comprises both personal and political history in which, seamlessly, Elizabeth's reported giggles at her wedding to Frederick of the Palatinate and her dislike of purgatives keep company with – and are as well handled as – Count Mansfeld's military advances on Breda. * Steven Veerapen, Aspects of History *A goldmine for the Stuart enthusiast who wants to know everything about the fascinating and often misleadingly depicted Elizabeth Stuart, British princess and titular queen of Bohemia, and the times she lived in. * Eva Bonde, Historiskan *This is a scholarly and fascinating account of both an extraordinary woman and of the time in which she lived. Using original source materials, much of which has not been seen before, Dr Akkerman is particularly skilled at showing how easily women can be misrepresented or erased from history. * Kate Mosse *In Queen of Hearts, Nadine Akkerman combines matchless archival expertise with a story-teller's instinct to give new life to one of the seventeenth century's most misunderstood women. A gripping tale. * Natalie Zemon Davis *This is an important scholarly biography, of interest to those who work on British and European political, cultural, and religious history; court culture; and women's history; plus, it is readily accessible to anyone who enjoys a good, historical read. * Georgianna Ziegler, Folger Shakespeare Library (Emerita), Early Modern Women *Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Winter Queen? Prologue Part I: 1596-1612 1: A Family Reunion 2: Periwigs and Powder Plots 3: Protestant Unions 4: The Marriage of Thames and Rhine Part II: 1613-1620 5: Heidelberg - The Eye of the Storm 6: In the Service of the Electress 7: Queen of Bohemia 8: Troubles in Prague Escalate Part III: 1621-1632 9: A Republican Queen 10: Military Manoeuvres 11: Unseverable Ties with Austria and Spain 12: 'I can send you nothing but deaths' 13: An 'Evil State' 14: Losing Champions Part IV: 1632-1642 15: A Widow's Weeds 16: Unlikely Bedfellows 17: The Archbishop Strikes Back Part V: 1642-1662 18: Obeisance to His Majesty and Love to the Parliament 19: Undesirable Matches, Unfortunate Endings 20: Three Widows Epilogue: Turn Out the Lights

    1 in stock

    £20.69

  • John F. Kennedy

    Oxford University Press Inc John F. Kennedy

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisRobert Dallek''s masterful John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life was a number one national bestseller, and it remains the most widely read one-volume biography of the 35th President. Now, in this marvelous short biography of John F. Kennedy, Dallek achieves a miracle of compression, capturing in a small space the essence of his renowned full-length masterpiece. Here readers will find the fascinating insights and groundbreaking revelations found in An Unfinished Life. The heart of the book focuses on Kennedy''s political career, especially the presidency. The book sheds light on key foreign affairs issues such as the Bay of Pigs debacle, Khrushchev''s misguided bullying of Kennedy in Vienna, the Cuban Missile crisis, the nuclear test ban, the race for space, and the initial dealings with Southeast Asia, especially Laos. It also highlights the difficulties Kennedy faced getting a domestic agenda passed, from a tax cut to spur the economy, to federal aid to education, Medicare, and civil rights. Dallek reveals the thinking behind Robert Kennedy''s appointment as Attorney General and convincingly argues that Kennedy would never have expanded the war in Vietnam the way that Lyndon Johnson did. The book also addresses questions about Kennedy''s assassination and concludes with his presidential legacy and why he remains so popular despite serving only a thousand days in office.Trade Review"One of the most engrossing biographies I have ever read.... Nothing less than a masterpiece." David Herbert Donald, author of^iLincoln^r"It's hard to believe that someone could find anything new to say about John F. Kennedy, but Dallek succeeds in this riveting and well-documented biography."^iThe New Yorker^r"An intimate portrait indeed...unexpected and important.... This is nothing if not a profile in courage."^iNew York Times Book Review^rTable of Contentssingle chapter

    1 in stock

    £10.92

  • Jurek Becker  A Life in Five Worlds

    The University of Chicago Press Jurek Becker A Life in Five Worlds

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisSander Gilman's story of Jurek Becker provides a portrait of an extraordinarily gifted artist whose hope and courage are manifested in his legacy as one of the greatest German writers of the past century.

    1 in stock

    £34.20

  • Hayek

    The University of Chicago Press Hayek

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“A fascinating, readable biography of Friedrich Hayek. . . The book punctures some long-standing myths about Hayek . . . [and] deserves a wide audience.” * The Economist *“An engrossing story . . . [and] as detailed an account of the first half of Hayek’s life as anyone could ask for.” * Literary Review *“A propulsive read. The authors are expert guides to Hayek’s intellectual evolution. . . . [but] they are also perceptive guides to Hayek’s private life. . . . Caldwell and Klausinger have triumphantly succeeded.” * Prospect *“No one is likely to repeat this feat. . . . This is the definitive Hayek for our times.” -- Robert Skidelsky * Spectator *“The story, presented here with more detail than anyone has previously unfolded, is a simple and tragic one. . . . [Hayek’s] was a spectacular achievement, but one, in the end, that could not have been made by a gregarious man of deep friendships and profound personal commitments.” * Times Literary Supplement *"Anybody curious about [Hayek] is well served by the exhaustive account written by two historians of economic thought." * New Statesman *“A gloriously detailed and thoroughly reliable account of the first half of Hayek’s life.” * London Review of Books *"The first volume of what will surely be the definitive biography of Friedrich von Hayek. . . a deeply impressive work." * Project Syndicate *"In mind-stunning detail . . . Caldwell and Klausinger tell everything about Hayek's youth you wanted to know but were afraid to ask." -- Deirdre Nansen McCloskey * Reason Magazine *"The Hayek who emerges from this text is somewhat of a charming loner who maintained distance between himself and all but a small number of individuals . . . The fullness of Caldwell and Klausinger’s picture of Hayek’s life and ideas owes much to their comprehensive study of primary sources." * Law & Liberty *"Much has been written about Hayek’s work, but Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 by Bruce Caldwell and Hansjoerg Klausinger stands as the definitive intellectual biography of Hayek." * History of Economic Ideas *"The biography excels in the way it embeds Hayek in his familial and social setting, and it demonstrates the extent to which his work was shaped, mainly in critical response, to the major intellectual developments of his age. Caldwell and Klausinger tell the story by providing a rich context of Hayek’s intellectual endeavors, first in Vienna and subsequently in London." * Independent Review *"One of the best biographies of any economist, covers anything you might wish to know, and with conceptual understanding. This is a fantastic book." * Marginal Revolution *"Caldwell and Klausinger have created an authoritative and superbly researched biography about one of the greatest intellectuals of the twentieth century . . . Based on tireless archival work, the authors have painstakingly assembled innumerable existing details regarding Hayek’s life and scientific work from an astonishing array of sources in order to create a coherent picture of one of the most complex and intriguing social scientists. This makes the book a thoughtful work and one of the finest biographies of economists." * Journal of the History of Economic Thought *“A magnificent achievement. Caldwell and Klausinger bring Hayek alive; they also bring his world alive. This is riveting reading, taken as biography, and it’s much more than that. It casts a bright new light on Hayek’s era, and on our own.” -- Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness'“Hayek: A Life, 1899–1950 is a triumph of both scholarship and biography. Caldwell and Klausinger have given us an instant classic, sure to stimulate and enrich debates about this most controversial, and still misunderstood, economist and social philosopher.” -- Joel Isaac, author of 'Working Knowledge: Making the Human Sciences from Parsons to Kuhn'"Admirers and opponents of Hayek alike will find much to savor in this deeply researched, sweeping biography. Even readers who well know Hayek and his times will be enlightened and enriched." -- Jennifer Burns, author of 'Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right'“Hayek: A Life, 1899–1950 is brilliant, comprehensive, and engaging. For any historian, social scientist, or philosopher interested in how ideas shaped the twentieth century and how the events of the twentieth century framed intellectual discourse, this is a must-read." -- Peter Boettke, author of 'Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'“By far the most careful and comprehensive treatment of his early life and works, Hayek: A Life, 1899–1950 is an invaluable resource, full of remarkable discoveries.” -- Angus Burgin, author of 'The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression'"A profound and trustworthy biography.” * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *“A monumental biography.” * Future of Freedom Foundation *"Excellently researched . . . this biography offers exciting insights.” * Der Standard (Austria) *"As the authors state, they intended this to be the definitive biography and they have achieved this ambition." * The Enlightened Economist *"This is without any doubt an out-standing biography that should become the go-to account of Hayek’s life as an economist." * Business Economics *A 2022 Notable Book * Seminary Co-Op *"This book is in every sense a monumental undertaking, for which we should be profoundly grateful." * The Critic *"This first volume of a monumental recounting of his life and thought will contribute to establishing [Hayek] firmly as one of the principal economists of the twentieth century." * Economic Affairs *“A fascinating hybrid between personal and intellectual biography . . . the biography is a major publishing event for everyone interested in Hayek’s intellectual development . . . We can now contemplate more deeply and with greater confidence the question as to what made Hayek a prominent economist, indeed one of the most accomplished and lauded economists of the twentieth century.” * History of Economics Review *"This biography contains wonderful material for understanding both the strengths and the limits of Hayek’s thought as it developed up to 1950. It is a major contribution to Hayek studies." * The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought *"This biography is remarkably comprehensive, and is of first-rate quality. It is, for such a scholarly work, surprisingly readable, and should be a key port of call for all students interested in Hayek’s work. Just because of the complexity of Hayek’s work, and the way in which ideas in different fields are interconnected, this study seems to me equally important for those who are sympathetic towards Hayek, as well as those who wish to make effective criticisms." -- Jeremy Shearmur * Society *"Hayek: A Life is crucial read for understanding liberal economic thought in the twentieth-century and how it influenced much of the economic thinking of Cold War era conservatism and capitalism, the politics of freedom and anti-communism, and continues to be an alluring alternative to the soft centralism and managerialism of new establishment erected in the aftermath of the Cold War and War on Terror." * VoegelinView *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I. A Viennese Youth 1. A Fin-de-Siècle Wedding 2. Family Life 3. At School 4. Austrian Politics and Anti-Semitism 5. At War Part II. A Broadening of Horizons 6. Back at Home in Postwar Austria 7. The University of Vienna 8. The Peripatetic Student: Fritz at University 9. Mises and the Geistkreis 10. Changes of Scene 11. The Trip to America Part III. The Making of an Economist 12. Return to Vienna 13. Hella Joins the Family 14. At the Institute for Business Cycle Research 15. The Young Academic Part IV. Hayek in 1930s England 16. Hayek Comes to LSE 17. The Encounter with Keynes 18. Defending Economic Theory and Interpreting Hitler 19. Socialism and Knowledge 20. Academic Life at LSE 21. The Battle for Young LSE Minds 22. Hayek and Austria 23. Domestic Affairs 24. The Hayek Family Debates Politics Part V. Fighting the Spirit of the Age 25. Liberalism: Its Adversaries and Allies 26. Hayek and London Go to War: The Abuse and Decline of Reason 27. Cambridge 28. A Sixpence Penguin Volume: The Road to The Road to Serfdom 29. Scientism and Popper 30. The Publication(s) of The Road to Serfdom Part VI. Changing Worlds 31. War’s End 32. Postwar Austria 33. Mont Pèlerin 1947 34. Hayek Looks for a Job 35. 1949—Hayek’s Annus Horribilis 36. Hayek versus Hayek Acknowledgments References Index

    2 in stock

    £33.25

  • Gossip Men

    The University of Chicago Press Gossip Men

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“A juicy introduction to three of the most controversial figures in 20th-century American politics. . . . Well-researched and stimulating. . . Elias vividly describes the era’s political battles, tabloid magazines, and dramatic Senate hearings, and persuasively identifies the influence of the 'surveillance state masculinity' embodied by his three subjects on the political rise of Donald Trump.” * Publishers Weekly *“A perceptive, well-informed political and cultural history. . . . Elias makes a stimulating book debut with interwoven biographies of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, and lawyer Roy Cohn.” * Kirkus Reviews *"Informative, entertaining. . . An important, novel history text." * Foreword Reviews *“This finely crafted book, based on meticulous use of archival records, satisfies on many levels and sheds light on often overlooked history. . . . Elias adeptly details the Lavender Scare of the mid-20th century, and the lasting impact of the use of fabrication and hyperbole.” * Library Journal (starred review) *“Elias brings fresh detail to how the trio worked together in pursuit of common enemies, and he persuasively argues that McCarthy’s death from alcoholism, at age 47 in 1957, failed to slow the Communist witch hunt he had done so much to foster. He also explores why the cross-dressing rumors about Hoover remain so much a part of his legacy (Elias skillfully skewers the more outlandish tales of Hoover being dressed “like an old flapper” at the Plaza and having the Bible read to him by a young man while another, wearing rubber gloves … well, let’s stop there) and deftly illustrates how the playbook these three men developed came to be used so devilishly by Cohn’s onetime client—the 45th president of the United States. Gossip Men manages the neat trick of portraying three monsters in ways that induce as much pity as fury." * Air Mail *"The writing is crisp and intelligent. . . Elias has written a sociological thesis, dense with information, extensively footnoted, and carefully hewing to the facts." * The Gay & Lesbian Review *“This may be a case of scholarship catching up with James Ellroy, whose novel American Tabloid pursued that thesis with all due imaginative embellishment.” * Inside Higher Education *"This engrossing work blends the best of standard political history with superb cultural analysis. . . . Recommended." * Choice *“A masterful interpretation of the politics of the early Cold War." * Commonweal *“Gossip Men is a fast-paced and absorbing account of how the men who were most vulnerable to gossip about their sexuality—Joseph McCarthy, Roy Cohn, and J. Edgar Hoover—rose to power by mastering the art of masculine performance. As the United States struggles once again with the perils of political manhood, Elias reminds us that alpha-male conservatism was born in a Cold War information economy where gossip, rumor, and innuendo were weapons—but also assets to a career.” * Claire Potter, The New School for Social Research *“Gossip Men is a terrific book about a trio of fascinating (if not necessarily terrific) political men. Hoover, McCarthy, and Cohn helped to create the modern security state. As this book shows, they also helped to create—and were created by—fierce public and private contests over masculinity, sexuality, and secrecy. Gossip Men is an important cultural history and a thoroughly engaging read.” * Beverly Gage, Yale University *“Gossip Men is compellingly written and fun to read from beginning to end. Elias tracks the emergence of surveillance state masculinity and highlights the role of the gossip industry in its creation and reproduction in a novel way, excellently integrating biography, media studies, and history.” * Shanon Fitzpatrick, McGill University *"For those who want a deeper understanding of the underlying cultural force influencing the work and actions of Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover, Senator Joseph McCarthy, and his aide, Roy Cohn, this fine book is a must-read. In a sophisticated analysis, Christopher M. Elias focuses on changing understandings of manhood and their intersection with the rising power of gossip from the turn of the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century." * Journal of American History *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: The Topography of Modernity Chapter Two: The Professional Bureaucrat in the Public Eye Chapter Three: Populist Masculinity in the American Heartland Chapter Four: The Power Broker as a Young Man Chapter Five: Scandal as Political Art Chapter Six: Under the Klieg Lights Epilogue: The Long Life of Surveillance State Masculinity Acknowledgments Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

    1 in stock

    £17.10

  • To Live Is to Resist

    The University of Chicago Press To Live Is to Resist

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis in-depth biography of Italian intellectual Antonio Gramsci casts new light on his life and writing, emphasizing his unflagging spirit, even in the many years he spent in prison. One of the most influential political thinkers of the twentieth century, Antonio Gramsci (18911937) has left an indelible mark on philosophy and critical theory. His innovative work on history, society, power, and the state has influenced several generations of readers and political activists, and even shaped important developments in postcolonial thought. But Gramsci's thinking is scattered across the thousands of notebook pages he wrote while he was imprisoned by Italy's fascist government from 1926 until shortly before his death. To guide readers through Gramsci's life and works, historian Jean-Yves Frétigné offers To Live Is to Resist, an accessible, compelling, and deeply researched portrait of an extraordinary figure. Throughout the book, Frétigné emphasizes Gramsci's quiet heroism and his unwTrade Review“If, as Primo Levi so presciently warned us in 1974, ‘every age has its own fascism,’ it follows that every age needs its own Gramsci. And Jean-Yves Frétigné has given us a Gramsci for our perilous times. This lucidly translated biography traces an intellectual, political, and personal drama that passes through Sardinia, Turin, the Stoics, Spinoza, Machiavelli, Vico, Leopardi, and Marx. We come to understand the origins and explicatory power of Gramscian terms such as ‘subalternity,’ ‘hegemony,’ ‘organic intellectuals,’ and ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.’ The epilogue poignantly renders the pathos of Gramsci’s last years. Most importantly, the reader will be inspired by a life and mind that insisted on a participatory and permanent resistance against the seemingly natural order of things.” * Stanislao Pugliese, Hofstra University *“Gramsci’s political, personal, and prison lives are the source of renewed debate in the neoliberal postcommunist era, with archival finds, speculative conjectures, and ideological polemics. This fine translation of To Live Is to Resist offers a concise narrative of Gramsci’s life as well as an informed and balanced account of the biographical controversies.” * Michael Denning, Yale University *“To Live Is to Resist carries the promise of something different, more akin to an intellectual biography that emphasizes ideas over events. . . . Gramsci urged us to look at bad detective novels and Jules Verne to understand our political reality, and To Live Is to Resist’s best moments are when it takes seriously the unserious.” -- Jennifer Wilson * Bookforum *"In To Live Is To Resist, Jean-Yves Frétigné sketches the life of Gramsci. . . . As Nadia Urbinati notes in her stimulating foreword to Frétigné’s book, Gramsci’s was ‘a life of prisons,’ beginning with his own infirm body, continuing with his early life of poverty and often marginal political standing, and ending in actual incarceration." -- Richard Bellamy * TImes Literary Supplement *"Frétigné’s volume—a lucid, sober, and well-substantiated documentation and interpretation of Gramsci’s life and work—unquestionably stands apart. . . . It is exemplary for tracing the development of ideas against the backdrop of a life, preferring to plumb the depths of the uncertain and enigmatic rather than taking the easy way out. . . . After studying To Live Is to Resist, I am inclined to see Gramsci differently: as an inconvenient Marxist who truly doesn’t fit any of our received frameworks." -- Alan Wald * Boston Review *"[Frétigné brings a] wealth of new material and welcome precision to his biography. . . . If Gramsci has aged better than many of his peers, it is in part because he became a thinker for a defeated, rather than a triumphalist, left. The ground of this inquiry may have shifted in the decades since his death, but the main battle lines remain the same, and this still makes Gram­sci a thinker worth turning to in our moment." -- Thomas Meaney * The New Republic *"Particularly timely. . . Frétigné provides a rich account of Gramsci's political engagements with the Socialist Party of Italy (PSI), the creation of the Communist Party of Italy (PCd'I), his years as representative to the Comintern, and his illegal imprisonment by the Fascists. It also raises questions about the intertwining of biographical intrigue and theoretical import." * The Review of Politics *Table of ContentsForeword Nadia Urbinati Part I From Sardinian Gramsci to National Gramsci (1891–1915) 1 In Sardinia (1891–1911) 2 A Poor Student in Turin (1911–1915) Part II From National Gramsci to Internationalist Gramsci (1915–1922) 3 A Socialist Journalist, Marginal and Original (1915–1919) 4 From the Experience of L’Ordine Nuovo to His Departure for Moscow (1919–1922) Part III The Bolshevik (1922–1926) 5 In the Service of the Comintern (May 1922–May 1924) 6 At the Head of the New Communist Party of Italy (May 1924–November 8, 1926) Part IV The Prisoner (November 8, 1926–April 27, 1937) 7 For Twenty Years, We Must Stop This Brain from Functioning (November 8, 1926–July 19, 1928) 8 The Prisoner and the Philosopher (July 19, 1928–November 19, 1933) Epilogue: November 19, 1933–April 27, 1937 English Editions of Gramsci’s Writings Selected Chronology of Gramsci’s Life Appendix A: Family Tree of the Schucht Family Appendix B: Overview of Gramsci’s Visits and Visitors between May 1927 and His Death in April 1937 Notes Translator’s Note and Acknowledgments Index

    1 in stock

    £14.25

  • The Correspondence of Hannah Arendt and Gershom

    The University of Chicago Press The Correspondence of Hannah Arendt and Gershom

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFew people thought as deeply or incisively about Germany, Jewish identity, and the Holocaust as Hannah Arendt and Gershom Scholem. And, as this landmark volume reveals, much of that thinking was developed in dialogue, through more than two decades of correspondence. Arendt and Scholem met in 1932 in Berlin and quickly bonded over their mutual admiration for and friendship with Walter Benjamin. They began exchanging letters in 1939, and their lively correspondence continued until 1963, when Scholem's vehement disagreement with Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem led to a rupture that would last until Arendt's death a dozen years later. The years of their friendship, however, yielded a remarkably rich bounty of letters: together, they try to come to terms with being both German and Jewish, the place and legacy of Germany before and after the Holocaust, the question of what it means to be Jewish in a post-Holocaust world, and more. Walter Benjamin is a constant presence, as his life and tragic

    1 in stock

    £37.05

  • The Education of John Dewey

    Columbia University Press The Education of John Dewey

    Book Synopsis

    £26.60

  • Basil in Blunderland

    Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd Basil in Blunderland

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisArising out of a game of ''hide and seek'' played with two young children, Cardinal Basil Hume made each hiding place a setting for a discovery of something new about the spiritual life. He chose the title because, as he put it, ''my spiritual life is more a wandering in Blunderland than resting and relaxing in Wonderland. I would guess that most of us would say the same. What matters, however, is that minds and hearts should be involved in the search for God, where the seeking and the finding go hand in hand.'' This is one of the best loved religious books, enchanting young and old, believer and sceptic.

    1 in stock

    £7.55

  • Queen Elizabeth II

    Headline Publishing Group Queen Elizabeth II

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the story not only of the head of a dynasty, but also a history of our times.Table of ContentsThe House of Windsor • George VI • Elizabeth and Philip • The Young Queen • Parliament and Politics • Family and Duty • Commonwealth Queen • The People's Princess • Annus Horribilis • The New Generation.

    2 in stock

    £7.59

  • Nelson Mandela

    Headline Publishing Group Nelson Mandela

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisStarting from the very beginning of Mandela's life in the tribal Thembu clan, read how this unassuming young man became a figure that led the people of South Africa into a new world, away from the apartheid regime and into a multi-racial democracy.Table of ContentsGirding for Battle' • 'I Have Crossed Famous Rivers' • 'The People Shall Rule' • The Winds of Change Blow – Backwards • The Attack of the Wild Beast • 'Esiquithini' – 'At the Island' • The Path to Freedom • 'I Feel Like an Old Battery That Has Been Recharged!' • President Nelson Mandela • 'I Can't Rest' • 'Nelson Mandela, There is No One Like You' • Memorial and Funeral.

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • George III

    Penguin Books Ltd George III

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisKing of Britain for sixty years and the last king of what would become the United States, George III inspired both hatred and loyalty and is now best known for two reasons: as a villainous tyrant for America''s Founding Fathers, and for his madness, both of which have been portrayed on stage and screen.In this concise and penetrating biography, Jeremy Black turns away from the image-making and back to the archives, and instead locates George''s life within his age: as a king who faced the loss of key colonies, rebellion in Ireland, insurrection in London, constitutional crisis in Britain and an existential threat from Revolutionary France as part of modern Britain''s longest period of war.Black shows how George III rose to these challenges with fortitude and helped settle parliamentary monarchy as an effective governmental system, eventually becoming the most popular monarch for well over a century. He also shows us a talented and curious individual, committed to musTrade ReviewThis volume forms part of the Penguin Monarchs series, an impressive collection of short biographies written by renowned historians ... Their aim is not simply to summarise, but to offer genuine insights in accessible format. Black's analysis of George III is a welcome addition. [He] ... manages to pepper his trim narrative with lovely frills. The mark of a good short book is its ability to inspire curiosity and further investigation. Black achieves just that. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Black brilliantly demolishes the paranoiac Whig view of George as trying to accrete powers to himself unconstitutionally. The George who emerges is a far more attractive figure than the Whig historians depicted, let alone Thomas Jefferson with his 28 histrionic and inaccurate accusations against George in the Declaration of Independence, and especially Lin-Manuel Miranda's hilarious but profoundly historically incorrect caricature. -- Andrew Roberts * The Critic *

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Darkest Hour Official TieIn for the OscarWinning

    Penguin Books Ltd Darkest Hour Official TieIn for the OscarWinning

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL TIE-IN TO THE AWARD-WINNING MOTION PICTURE STARRING GARY OLDMAN, WHO TOOK HOME BEST ACTOR AT THE OSCARS FOR HIS SUBLIME TURN AS WINSTON CHURCHILL.From the prize-winning screenwriter of The Theory of Everything, this is a cinematic, behind-the-scenes account of a crucial moment which takes us inside the mind of one of the world''s greatest leaders - and provides a revisionist, more rounded portrait of his leadership.May, 1940. Britain is at war, European democracies are falling rapidly and the public are unaware of this dangerous new world. Just days after his unlikely succession to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, faces this horror - and a sceptical King and a party plotting against him. He wonders how he can capture the public mood and does so, magnificently, before leading the country to victory.It is this fascinating period that Anthony McCarten captures in this deeply researched, gTrade ReviewI learned things from the script I didn't know. I just thought, "Can that be right? Were we that perilously close?" And so it just grabbed me. -- Gary OldmanThis is history written with the verve of a novel. Compelling and provocative -- Piers Brendon, former Director, The Churchill ArchivesPacy, refreshing, intimate and clear-eyed -- Sonia Purnell, author of 'Clementine'Impeccably researched, provocative and absolutely thrilling. I couldn't put it down. -- Henry Hemming, author of Churchill's IcemanEngrossing... a bold and hugely readable story about doubts, decision and the power of words that vividly conveys the man and the moment. -- Clare Mulley, author of The Woman Who Saved the ChildrenDarkest Hour has the panache, pace, wit and authenticity of its place and time...a concise and convincing distillation of the events of May 1940. -- Lawrence James [on the film]It is quite simply brilliantly well done. Gary Oldman's performance is nothing short of a masterpiece and Kristin Scott Thomas is remarkable. At one moment in the film I closed my eyes and I thought it was my grandmother speaking. It is also extremely moving - what my mother used to call a "two-handkerchief film" -- Nicholas Soames [on the film]

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Hurricane Girls

    Penguin Books Ltd The Hurricane Girls

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisCelebrating the lives of the magnificent women, the ATA girls, who courageously flew Spitfires, Tiger Moths, Lancaster Bombers and many other aircraft during World War Two Since the invention of aeroplanes, women have taken to the skies.They have broken records, performed daredevil stunts and faced such sexism and prejudice that they were effectively barred from working as pilots. That changed in the Second World War. Led by firebrand Pauline Gower, an elite group of British women were selected as ferry pilots to fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary. They risked their lives flying munitions and equipment for the boys on the front line. Flying day and night without radio; dodging storms, barrage balloons and anti-aircraft fire; and with only a map, compass and their eyesight to guide them, they navigated the treacherous wartime skies. The Hurricane Girls is the thrilling, moving and inspirational story of the female air Trade ReviewMeet the women who kept the RAF flying during World War ll . . . Nearly 80 years after the war started, the battle over equal work continues and prejudice still hold many girls back from taking up jobs considered to be men's work. But opinions are changing and the women of the ATA remain an inspiration * The Big Issue *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Penguin Books Ltd The Dead Are Arising

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis**WINNER OF PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY****WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD (Nonfiction)**Shortlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown AwardFinalist, LA Times Book PrizeA landmark biography of one of the twentieth century''s most compelling figures, rewriting much of the known narrative.Les Payne, the renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, embarked in 1990 on a nearly thirty-year-long quest to interview anyone he could find who had actually known Malcolm X - including siblings, classmates, friends, cellmates, FBI moles and cops, and political leaders around the world. His goal was ambitious: to transform what would become hundreds of hours of interviews into a portrait that would separate fact from fiction.The result is this magisterial work that conjures a never-before-seen world of its protagonist, whose title is inspired by a phrase Malcolm X used when he saw his followers stir with purpose to overcome the obstacles of racism. Setting his life not only within the political struggles of his day but also against the larger backdrop of American history, this remarkable masterpiece traces his path from street criminal to devoted moralist and revolutionary.An author who saw Malcolm X speak and could not stand the phrase ''we may never know'', Payne writes cinematically from start to finish and delivers extraordinary revelations - from a hair-raising scene of Malcolm''s clandestine meeting with the KKK, to a minute-by-minute account of his murder in Harlem in 1965, in which he makes the case for the complicity of the American government.Introduced by Payne''s daughter and primary researcher, Tamara Payne, who, following her father''s death, heroically completed the biography, The Dead Are Arising is a penetrating and riveting work that affirms the centrality of Malcolm X to the African American freedom struggle and the story of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewBrilliant and indispensable . . . Using the fruits of decades of interviews, [Payne] brings new information and perspectives on one of the most fascinating, and often misunderstood, figures in American history -- Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeThe result of nearly three decades of investigative reporting, The Dead Are Arising is an essential new biography of one of the most compelling political figures of the twentieth century -- Jill Lepore, author of These TruthsIn a time of breezy, green-room infotainment, Les Payne restores the art of old-fashioned shoe-leather journalism. Malcolm X was one of the most fascinating and charismatic figures of the twentieth century, but like many icons,he was not without flaws. Payne exposes some of the major ones made under the influence of Elijah Muhammad whom Malcolm treated as one would a god. Payne charts Malcolm's disillusionment with his mentor, and the tensions between two egged on by J.Edgar Hoover. Payne's detailed account of Malcolm's negotiations with the Klan alone has mini-series possibilities. The Dead Are Arising is superior to the other Malcolm books, including the autobiography, which Malcolm despised -- Ishmael Reed, author of Mumbo JumboMeticulously researched and masterfully reported, this chronicle offers fresh insights and disturbing revelations that, among other things, strengthen the case for government complicity in the murder of Malcolm X. . . . A gripping read . . . [and] a worthy companion to Malcolm's famed autobiography -- Nathan McCall, author of Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in AmericaThe Dead Are Arising. . . will become the definitive biography of Malcolm X -- Ray Winbush, director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan StateLes Payne has written a biography of this African American icon that sets a new standard for investigative journalism -- DeWayne Wickham, founding dean of Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism & CommunicationPayne's storytelling weave[s] an epic tale of Malcolm's exuberant life, his tragic death, and the Phoenix-like legacy -- Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of Harlem NocturneNo one who wishes to reckon with the life of this man, one of the most important African American figures of the twentieth century can afford to forgo this account -- Howard W. French, Columbia UniversityComprehensive, timely life of the renowned activist and his circuitous rise to prominence. . . . Payne delivers considerable news not just in recounting unknown episodes of Malcolm's early years, but also in reconstructing events during his time as a devotee of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad . . . Payne's accounts of the consequences that rupture and Malcolm's assassination at the hands of a 'goon squad' with ties to the FBI and CIA are eye-opening, and they add a new dimension to our understanding of Malcolm X's last years. . . . A superb biography and an essential addition to the library of African American political engagement -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review'Les Payne was one of the most distinguished journalists of our time. Here, after thirty years of research and collecting and by interviewing Malcolm X's family as well as many others, we have the most lyrical and complete biography of this uniquely brilliant American ever written. This book is a great read, full of original insights about an elusive figure rendered deeply human -- David Blight, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning Frederick DouglassPayne goes into gripping detail... In this highly worthy effort, [he] has produced a well-written and deeply engaging biography of a uniquely American figure whose life offers a matchless window into our continuing national struggle over race -- Robert J Norrell * The American Scholar *Compelling... events are portrayed in cinematic detail... this book captures the uncompromising clarity that speaks to this moment of Black Lives Matter -- Colin Grant * The Observer *The Paynes, fortified by hundreds of interviews with family and associates, have thrown some fresh light on the legend created by the Autobiography -- Trevor Phillips * The Sunday Times *This new biography of Malcolm X paints a much more detailed and intimate picture of the man than previous works have ever been able to do -- Sarah Smith * Today *It's to this biography's credit that it attempts to scrape away some of the mythology... Payne doesn't airbrush the facts -- Clive Davis * The Times *Brimming with detail, insight and feeling... Nobody has written a more poetic account... Malcolm's presence is beautifully rendered within the rhythm of Payne's masterly storytelling -- Michael P. Jeffries * The New York Times *This book will always be timely, because the story it narrates is timeless... Les and Tamara Payne are especially good in detailing Malcolm's early years of delinquency and rebirth. Like Robert Caro's life of Lyndon Johnson, The Dead Are Arising delves deeply into the wider context of Malcolm's world -- Andrew Preston * The Spectator *The Dead Are Arising sets out to provide a much fuller picture of the life and death of Malcolm X [than his autobiography]... The recent spate of protests have reminded us that we need the lessons of Malcolm now perhaps more than ever -- Kehinde Andrews * The Guardian *The Dead Are Arising is a meticulously researched, compassionately rendered, and fiercely analytical examination of the radical revolutionary as a human being... Payne's biography forces us to understand Malcolm X as his various communities experienced him-as a brilliant, troubled, selfish, generous, sincere, ugly, and beautiful Black radical... The Dead Are Arising forces us to ask deeper, more complicated questions about the Black people and places from which our heroes come -- Kerri Greenidge * The Atlantic *Fascinating and essential... Payne adds invaluably to our understanding of Malcolm's story -- Mark Whitaker * The Washington Post *This compelling biography of Malcolm X is an appropriately ambitious and forceful book. Delivering an outstanding portrait through lucid prose, it deserves and demands to be widely read * Judges of the HWA Non-Fiction Crown Award *Thirty years in the making and encompassing hundreds of original interviews, this magisterial biography of Malcolm X was completed by Les Payne's daughter after his death in 2018. Its strengths lie in its finely shaded, penetrating portrait of the Black activist and thinker, whose legacy continues to find fresh resonance today * New York Times, Notable Books of 2020 *A monumental biography giving new meaning to our understanding of Malcolm X and his ever-expanding impact on American history... told in riveting prose, The Dead Are Arising is a major accomplishment that could set the bar for how we will define Malcolm X from now on * The Voice *A pensive, lyrical, and finely wrought portrait of young Malcolm Little's evolution into the icon known as Malcolm X... The Dead Are Arising brilliantly crafts a new origin story of the most important working-class Black leader ever produced... Les and Tamara Payne have produced an exceedingly valuable and important biography that adds immeasurably to our understanding of Malcolm X -- Peniel E. Joseph * Los Angeles Review of Books *

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • How to Become a Big Man in Africa

    Indiana University Press How to Become a Big Man in Africa

    Book Synopsis

    £35.10

  • Born in Cambridge 400 Years of Ideas and

    MIT Press Ltd Born in Cambridge 400 Years of Ideas and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAnne Bradstreet, W.E.B. Du Bois, gene editing, and Junior Mints: cultural icons, influential ideas, and world-changing innovations from Cambridge, Massachusetts.Cambridge, Massachusetts is a city of “firsts”: the first college in the English colonies, the first two-way long-distance call, the first legal same-sex marriage. In 1632, Anne Bradstreet, living in what is now Harvard Square, wrote one of the first published poems in British North America, and in 1959, Cambridge-based Carter’s Ink marketed the first yellow Hi-liter. W.E.B. Du Bois, Julia Child, Yo-Yo Ma, and Noam Chomsky all lived or worked in Cambridge at various points in their lives. Born in Cambridge tells these stories and many others, chronicling cultural icons, influential ideas, and world-changing innovations that all came from one city of modest size across the Charles River from Boston. Nearly 200 illustrations connect stories to Cambridge locations. Cambridge is

    1 in stock

    £28.80

  • The Claims of Life

    MIT Press Ltd The Claims of Life

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £27.20

  • Models of My Life MIT Press The MIT Press

    MIT Press Models of My Life MIT Press The MIT Press

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this candid and witty autobiography, Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon looks at his distinguished and varied career, continually asking himself whether (and how) what he learned as a scientist helps to explain other aspects of his life.A brilliant polymath in an age of increasing specialization, Simon is one of those rare scholars whose work defines fields of inquiry. Crossing disciplinary lines in half a dozen fields, Simon's story encompasses an explosion in the information sciences, the transformation of psychology by the information-processing paradigm, and the use of computer simulation for modeling the behavior of highly complex systems.Simon's theory of bounded rationality led to a Nobel Prize in economics, and his work on building machines that think—based on the notion that human intelligence is the rule-governed manipulation of symbols—laid conceptual foundations for the new cognitive science. Subsequently, contrasting metaphors of the maze (Simon's vie

    1 in stock

    £51.30

  • William Still

    University of Notre Dame Press William Still

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first full-length biography of William Still, one of the most important leaders of the Underground Railroad.William Still: The Underground Railroad and the Angel at Philadelphia is the first major biography of the free Black abolitionist William Still, who coordinated the Eastern Line of the Underground Railroad and was a pillar of the Railroad as a whole. Based in Philadelphia, Still built a reputation as a courageous leader, writer, philanthropist, and guide for fugitive enslaved people. This monumental work details Still's life story beginning with his parents' escape from bondage in the early nineteenth century and continuing through his youth and adulthood as one of the nation's most important Underground Railroad agents and, later, as an early civil rights pioneer. Still worked personally with Harriet Tubman, assisted the family of John Brown, helped Brown's associates escape from Harper's Ferry after their famous raid, and was a rival to Frederick DouTrade Review“There has been a need for a good biography of William Still. This sweeping book situates Still at the center of the workings of the Underground Railroad as well as other abolitionist-related activities of the period. William Still provides a sense of the world of which Still was a part and the many roles he played in this activist movement.” —Spencer R. Crew, author of Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History"With this book, William C. Kashatus has delivered a valuable addition to the growing body of serious literature on the Underground Railroad. His attention to the details of Still's life both before and after his engagement in abolitionist work provides a new and rounded picture of a man who for too long remained a vague figure behind his well-known compendium of information on the fugitive slaves who passed through Philadelphia." —Fergus M. Bordewich, author of Bound for Canaan"William C. Kashatus's contribution expands the bandwidth of African American historiography on the Underground Railroad and William Still. For those who want a closer look at an extraordinary and multidimensional human being, William Still provides an expert and sophisticated view." —Kelisha B. Graves, editor of Nannie Helen Burroughs"William C. Kashatus has given us what will probably be the definitive biography of William Still. He has also deepened our understanding of the experiences of fugitive slaves and the people who aided them before the Civil War." —Thomas Hamm, editor of Quaker Writings"William C. Kashatus’s William Still, along with providing a rich account of the great abolitionist and archivist of the Underground Railroad, brilliantly conveys the courage, the resourcefulness, and the intelligence of the slaves escaping towards freedom. This is history as it should be written: poignant, passionate, and trenchant." —Kenneth A. McClane, author of Color: Essays on Race, Family, and History"William C. Kashatus’s William Still is a double tribute to the heroism of this fascinating man as well as to that of the many freedom-seekers who made the journey out of the house of bondage and of those who aided them." —Christopher A. McAuley, author of The Spirit vs. the Souls"Kashatus’s detailed biography of William Still, with its stories of courageous slaves plotting daring escapes, and moving accounts of free Black people who were kidnapped and taken into slavery, reveals the interracial cooperation involved in helping escaped slaves reach freedom, and honors the man who, at his death in 1902, was named 'Father of the Underground Railroad.'" —Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)"In the first scholarly biography of [William] Still, Kashatus highlights the critical roles Still and other Black Americans played along the entire Underground Railroad, and the risks they took to aid enslaved people. A penetrating analysis of Still’s interviews reveals new and important insights into the enslaved people who made the journey into freedom. . . . An essential work that is a must-read for those interested in the Underground Railroad and Black history in the U.S." —Library Journal (Starred Review)"Kashatus’s biggest contribution to the historiography of the Underground Railroad is the analysis he provides of the information collected by William Still. Using both Still’s Underground Railroad and his unpublished Journal C of Station No. 2 of the Underground Railroad, Kashatus has compiled significant trends that characterize the freedom seekers." —Hidden City"William C. Kashatus's new biography of abolitionist William Still is the first scholarly biography of the activist. It is also a very accessible text, suitable for a broad audience. . . . The biography accomplishes the important task of introducing Still and his significance to a wide readership." —Quaker History"William Still stands poised to be the authoritative biography of the ‘Angel at Philadelphia’ for a generation to come." —American Historical ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments About the Author List of Illustrations Introduction 1. The Price of Freedom 2. Quaker Philadelphia 3. Underground Railroad 4. Fugitive Slave Law 5. Vigilance 6. Bondswoman’s Escape 7. “Dear Friends” 8. Canada West 9. Kidnapped & Ransomed 10. Memorable 28 11. Fighting for Freedom 12. Street Car Protest 13. Politics of Reform 14. Legacy Endnotes Appendix: Index of Still’s Runaways Bibliography

    1 in stock

    £24.80

  • Alasdair MacIntyre

    University of Notre Dame Press Alasdair MacIntyre

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £21.59

  • Thomas More

    SPCK Publishing Thomas More

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisConcise historical introduction to Thomas More and his continuing influence on the world and how we see itTrade ReviewA miniature jewel on Thomas More - what a treat this little book is. -- Diarmaid MacCulloch * The Tablet *A lively and learned little book. * Catholic Herald *John Guy has done more towards the scholarly reappraisal of More’s greatness than most other English historians of the last fifty years. * Eamon Duffy *An excellent starting point for anyone beginning a course of study on the Reformation. * The Reader *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Henry VI

    Yale University Press Henry VI

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this biography of Henry VI, Bertram Wolffe challenges the traditional view of Henry VI as an unworldly, innocent and saintly monarch and offers instead a critical portrait of an ineffectual ruler. Drawing on contemporary evidence, he discusses the failures of Henry's long reign.Trade Review"A brilliant biography that brings us as near as we are ever likely to come to this elusive personality." Sunday Times "A powerful, compulsively readable portrait." Observer "Much learning, skillfully deployed as here, evokes pleasure as well as admiration." R.L. Storey, Times Literary Supplement"

    1 in stock

    £23.75

  • J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys  The Real Story

    Yale University Press J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys The Real Story

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDrawing on a range of material by and about J.M. Barrie, this is a biography of the novelist, playwright, and author of "Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up". It includes material from recorded interviews with the Llewelyn Davies family and is reissued to mark the centenary of "Peter Pan".Trade Review"Mr. Birkin writes that he has tried to create ‘a documentary account,’ not an interpretive biography. He offers such a wealth of firsthand information that the book holds up 25 years after it was first published (it was reissued last year) and becomes a rich complement to the film. Beautifully designed, the book reproduces letters and diary entries from Barrie and his circle, as well as dozens of photographs."—Caryn James, New York Times"His most acute biographer, Andrew Birkin, whose, J. M. Barrie and the Lost Boys, has been granted a timely reissue. [It] digs up some astounding entries from Barrie’s private notebooks. Some are composed in the third person, as jottings toward a possible novel."—Anthony Lane, New Yorker"A psychological thriller . . . one of the year’s most complex and absorbing biographies."—Gerald Clarke, Time"A terrible and fascinating story."—Eve Auchincloss, Washington Post"It’s a brave biographer that takes on James Barrie…because Andrew Birkin’s extraordinary book about Barrie’s relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family, J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys, though more than a quarter-of-a-century old, continues to stick as firmly to Barrie’s identity as the shadow that Wendy sews back onto Peter." —Mark Bostridge, Independent on Sunday

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • Peter the Great

    Yale University Press Peter the Great

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is a biography of Peter the Great. It tells his life story in 12 chapters, including two final chapters on his legacy and posthumous reputation, with the aim of providing a vivid sense of the dynamics of his life and reign.Trade Review"In her splendid new biography, Lindsey Hughes deconstructs these mythic images and brings us closer to the true face of the Tsar." Orlando Figes, Sunday Telegraph; "This book will likely become a standard for scholars and students who want a short but comprehensive account of Peter the Great." Publishers Weekly"

    1 in stock

    £14.99

  • Anne Boleyn

    Yale University Press Anne Boleyn

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA biography that offers a fresh portrait of Anne Boleyn, one of England's most captivating queens. Through a wide-ranging forensic examination of sixteenth-century sources, it reconsiders Boleyn's girlhood, her experience at the French court, the nature of her relationship with Henry, and the authenticity of her evangelical sympathies.Trade Review"'Here at long last is a historian of great skill and persuasive power... who cuts through the fog of speculation to get to the woman herself, in a book whose accessible style will mean that most readers, like this one, will devour it in a single setting.' (Alexander Lucie-Smith, Catholic Herald) 'Bernard deals with historical reputations and questions of guilt and innocence in his magnificent new life of Anne Boleyn...It is brilliantly argued, sometimes exhaustingly so, but it will reward those who come to it with an open mind.' (Linda Porter, History Today) 'A close-up, fine-focus retelling of dysfunctional royal family history... G W Bernard argues that Anne Boleyn, King Henry's most controversial temporary queen was very different from her popular sanitised portrait.' (Patrick Skene Catling, Irish Times)"

    1 in stock

    £13.99

  • Yale University Press Gulag Voices

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA collection of the writings of survivors of the Gulag, the Soviet concentration camps. It includes the personal stories of figures such as renowned literary scholar Dmitri Likhachev; Anatoly Marchenko, the son of illiterate labourers; and, American citizen Alexander Dolgun.Trade Review“The power of Gulag Voices is not only to remind us of the horrors of the Soviet Union’s corrective labour institutions and to honour those who were incarcerated there. It is also to illuminate the human consequences that ensue when any state’s legal system fails to recognise the human rights of prisoners.”—Wendy Slater, Times Literary Supplement -- Wendey Slater * Times Literary Supplement *“[Gulag Voices] will inform a generation fortunate enough to be living in different times.”—Mary Dejevsky, The Independent -- Mary Dejevsky * The Independent *“Applebaum….is the ideal editor, providing introductions to each account, as well as a general explanation of the Gulag system. Her selection, each depicting a different aspect of Gulag life, leaves an unforgettable impression.”—Anthony Beevor, The Mail on Sunday -- Anthony Beevor * The Mail on Sunday *“…Applebaum has performed an invaluable service…. She has put together a marvellous collection of memoirs, stories and reminiscences written by surviving Gulag inmates ranging from the 1920’s when Lenin opened camps in the first days after the Revolution, to the late 1970’s, a time when most Westerners, as well as Russians, presumed that such places no longer existed.”—Victor Sebestyen, The Spectator -- Victor Sebestyen * The Spectator *“A shocking mosaic of misery, of courage and of just about unimaginable resilience – this anthology brings together first-hand accounts of what it took men and women to survive. A disturbing and yet, in its way, inspiring book.” Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman, 19th March 2011 -- Michael Kerrigan * The Scotsman *"A book that weaves together chilling official history and personal stories of suffering and survival."—Contemporary Review * Contemporary Review *"Anne Applebaum, who had plumbed the archives to great effect in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Gulag: A History (2003), persuasively argues in the introduction to Gulag Voices that the profoundly personal perspective of Gulag memoirists . . . mean[s] that their works—valuable as both 'literature and testimony'—serve a 'moral and didactic' purpose as well as an historical one. . . . Works such as Gulag Voices encourage historical understanding and moral catharsis and should be welcomed by Russians and Westerners alike."—Daniel J. Mahoney, The New Criterion -- Daniel J. Mahoney * The New Criterion *"[T]he perfect companion for college courses on Soviet history. . . . This book, along with several similar books more or less simultaneously published, should be read widely."—Timothy J. Colton, Journal of Cold War Studies -- Timothy J. Colton * Journal of Cold War Studies *"'A journey into an incredibly rich and sharp recollection of feelings and emotions… The memoirs of these authors take the reader far beyond the duty of memory towards the dead, into the depths of the human heart where, as Solzhenitsyn disclosed when he wrote The Gulag Archipelago, 'the line separating good and evil passes.'" The Global Journal, June 2012 * The Global Journal *

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • King Stephen

    Yale University Press King Stephen

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA biography that provides the most authoritative picture yet of King Stephen, whose reign (1135-1154), with its 'nineteen long winters' of civil war, made his name synonymous with failed leadership. After years of work on the sources, the author shows with clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the monarch.Trade Review“Edmund King’s discussion of these issues is the fullest and most detailed to date, offered through the medium of a compelling biography of the king.”—Nigel Saul, History Today -- Nigel Saul * History Today *“King is an expert guide, with a forensic eye for detail and a sharp-witted way with an explanation for a 21st-century readership.”—Helen Castor, Times Higher Education -- Helen Castor * Times Higher Education *'King's strength has always been in the close reading of the texts he uses. He deploys his knowledge of the contemporary authors to great effect, time and again making arresting observations about their individual perspectives and links to events, which adds to the freshness and liveliness of his treatment.' - Reviews in History -- David Crouch * Reviews in History *"This is a splendid addition to the English Monarchs series, a piece of thickly descriptive political history at its best. With magisterial command of the sources and contexts, Edmund King takes us on a lively tour of Stephen's castles and courts, his options and dilemmas. It is the story of Matildas, one of them the admirable wife-queen who repeatedly rescued Stephen; of his tumultuous brother Henry; of lesser men who, with the king himself, tried to carry on the work of royal power as public order failed; and of the dynastic and clerical elites that dominated England. Close to his sources, Professor King shows how the violence of castles pervades all these stories. He writes with verve and sympathy. His Stephen, found wanting in the end - although hardly 'as usual' - was no nonentity." - Thomas N. Bisson, Emeritus Lea Professor of Medieval History, Harvard University -- Thomas Bisson"King has written a masterpiece that reveals how a medieval political community can both consume and then reconstitute itself and offers readers a king emblematic of his truncated, troubled age."—J.P. Huffman, Choice -- J.P. Huffman * Choice *“This new monograph on King Stephen makes a formidable addition to the Yale English Monarchs series, and to medieval studies more generally."—Medium Aevum, 80:2 (2011) * Medium Aevum, 80:2 (2011) *Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the United Kingdom category. -- Choice Outstanding Academic Title * Choice *“…a balanced and reliable account.”—The Good Book Guide * The Good Book Guide *In keeping with the high standards of the Yale Monarch series, King has produced an effective account of the man and his reign that will hold up for a long time. His scholarship demonstrates a comfortable familiarity with the era. Successfully scouring the many chronicles, charters, letters and papal correspondence, King has rendered it all in crisp prose.— Laurence W. Marvin, Berry College, Canadian Journal of History -- Laurence W. Marvin * Canadian Journal of History * "An important, indeed invaluable, addition to the English Monarchs series. Based throughout on extensive research in primary sources, complemented by perceptive synthesis, the volume is a tour de force." — Northern History Journal * Northern History Journal *

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • Livingstone

    Yale University Press Livingstone

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn extensively revised edition of Tim Jeal's classic biography published to mark the bicentenary of the great explorer

    15 in stock

    £18.04

  • Cornwallis

    Yale University Press Cornwallis

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first biography of Charles Cornwallis in forty years—the soldier, governor, and statesman whose career covered America, India, Britain, and IrelandTrade Review“[A] well researched [biography].”—Gerard DeGroot, Times (UK)“Richard Middleton, in this defensive biography of Cornwallis, the first for almost half a century, proves himself an able historian who has mastered the relevant sources. . . . [Cornwallis’s] efforts are recorded diligently by Middleton.”—Paul Lay, Sunday Telegraph“Never less than fair and consistently entertaining.”—Ferdinand Mount, Times Literary Supplement“Middleton has written both a biography and an important work of history. . . . Middleton makes perceptive comments on Cornwallis’s command in America [and] puts this in the context of a career of imperial service that includes posts of responsibility in Britain, Germany, India and Ireland.”—Jeremy Black, Catholic Herald“Richard Middleton vividly narrates the surprising and revealing life of Britain’s leading general during the Age of Revolutions. In lucid prose and telling detail, Cornwallis reappears as a sensible, progressive, and effective leader in crises that both shook and rebuilt the British Empire.”—Alan Taylor, author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750–1804“A comprehensive, thoughtful, and nuanced biography of a leading British soldier and administrator whose career spanned three continents during a tumultuous half century of war and revolution. In this major reassessment, the general best known for sustaining a defeat that guaranteed American independence emerges as an unusually capable, humane, and—by the standards of his own age—enlightened servant of empire.”—Stephen Brumwell, author of George Washington: Gentleman Warrior“Scholarly yet accessible to general readers, Richard Middleton’s new biography of Cornwallis captures his pivotal role in events in America, India and Ireland. Based on a heroic trawl through a great mass of primary sources, notably Cornwallis’s voluminous papers, this book will surely endure as the standard life of this eighteenth-century imperial soldier.”—Stephen Conway, author of History of the British Army, 1714–1783

    5 in stock

    £23.75

  • Maimonides

    Yale University Press Maimonides

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn exploration of Maimonides, the medieval philosopher, physician, and religious thinker, author of The Guide of the Perplexed, from one of the world’s foremost bibliophilesTrade Review“If you want to watch a formidable writer and scholar with the world’s literature at his fingertips, creatively taking on medieval Judaism’s greatest mind, you will have a lot of fun.”—Carlos Fraenkel, Literary Review“In our confusing time, when rationality is fighting for its deserved place, Alberto Manguel’s brilliant book offers a historical and analytical premise for searching for the deserved place in the spiritual confrontation with the sacred.”—Norman Manea, author of The Fifth Impossibility: Essays on Exile and Language

    1 in stock

    £16.99

  • The Orphanage

    Yale University Press The Orphanage

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA searing novel that excavates the human collateral damage wrought by the ongoing conflict in eastern UkraineTrade Review“Brilliantly rendered into English by Reilly Costigan‑Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler, draws on Dante to offer a vivid glimpse of the current inferno in Eastern Ukraine. . . . Costigan‑Humes and Stackhouse Wheeler do a masterly job.”—Amelia Glaser, Times Literary Supplement“Written in Zhadan’s characteristically colloquial and lyrical prose, The Orphanage is a sensorial snapshot of the ongoing conflict and a chilling tale of survival.”—Matt Janney, Calvert JournalShortlisted for the EBRD Literature Prize 2022Winner of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 2022 Literature Award

    4 in stock

    £14.24

  • Warner Bros

    Yale University Press Warner Bros

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“I can imagine only one thing more pleasurable than reading this book: writing it. . . . You risk misunderstanding America if you don’t read [David Thomson] on the movies.”—Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World"Jack [Warner] is lucky to have a man who has brought a lifetime of sitting in theaters, shellacked by the beams of the projectionist’s light, and who has thought so deeply and eccentrically and opinionatedly and ultimately so brilliantly about him. We, his readers, are lucky too."—Leslie Epstein, Wall Street Journal"Thomson is a British critic whose powers of thumbnail portraiture and plush, velveteen critical judgment . . . are on vivid display as he brings the brothers to life. . . . Thomson’s signature note: a mixture of excitement and rue wrapped up in a sweeping paradox that leapfrogs into the gnomic-philosophical realm. Chop it up into lines of dialogue and it’s exactly the kind of sardonic wisecrack you might have found in the mouth of Bette Davis in any of the pictures she shot for Warner Brothers. . . . For those new to Thomson’s magic-carpet rides: Sit back, hold on and enjoy the view."—Tom Shone, New York Times Book Review“Thomson’s writing is a killer mix of elegance, erudition and punchiness, a violin case holding a machine gun.”—Victoria Segal, Sunday Times“A fascinating new book lifts the lid on the cut-throat, exploitative and often inspired men who produced many of our favourite film classics.”—Peter Sheridan, Daily Express“Nobody writes about the movies with quite the same blend of fond affection, heart-racing excitement and razor sharp insight as David Thomson.”—Allan Hunter, Sunday Herald“Told with all Thomson’s style and brio, and it paints an irresistible portrait of the studio during its glory days.”—Philip Kemp, Total Film“Warner Bros thrums with the kind of insights and asides that have long made Thomson the finest film critic ever."—Christopher Bray, Spectator“David Thomson writes about the cultural and historical significance of cinema with irreverent wit, deep knowledge and devotional lyricism. Warner Bros (the studio, the films, and the immigrant brothers themselves) becomes a fascinating lens through which to examine American identity.”—Dana Spiotta, author of Innocents and Others and Eat the Document “I believe David Thomson to be one of the very best and most incisive writers on film. He has a poetic and dreamlike understanding of what films mean, but is precise in his observations. He presents a very, very high level of understanding in language that is not only accessible, but often witty and stunningly original.”—Jeanine Basinger, author of The Star Machine

    1 in stock

    £15.52

  • The Many Lives of Anne Frank

    Yale University Press The Many Lives of Anne Frank

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £16.14

  • Adventurer

    Yale University Press Adventurer

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA fast-paced narrative about the world-famous libertine Giacomo Casanova, from celebrated biographer Leo Damrosch Trade Review“The great virtue of Mr. Damrosch’s biography is that, while never losing critical distance, he fully succeeds in communicating that ‘vivid presentness,’ that ‘joyful eagerness’ for life, which is what keeps us reading Casanova—and reading about him.”—Gregory Dowling, Wall Street Journal“Damrosch’s biography is undoubtedly a huge achievement, at once erudite and vivid. By the end I was almost convinced that Casanova was worthy of such prodigious scholarship.”—John Carey, Sunday Times“[A] stern but measured book. . . . In his stylish, insightful and, yes, one must admit, sexy biography, Damrosch gives us the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.”—Laura Freeman, Times (UK)“Colourful and entertaining. . . . The author is clear-eyed about Casanova’s faults.”—The Economist“There have been many biographies of Casanova before, some of them very good, although they have tended to be thesis driven. . . . [Damrosch] is in turn clear that he is writing a post MeToo Casanova. At the same time, he is also keen that we should understand just what a valuable document Histoire is for scholars working on the 18th century.”—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian“Damrosch’s biography condenses a vast trove of Casanoviana into a well-researched, four-hundred-page narrative that is most engaging on its subject’s catholic interests as an intellectual and on the milieus he traversed as an itinerant charlatan.”—Judith Thurman, New Yorker“Leo Damrosch is a professor emeritus of literature with an emphasis on the 18th century. And he reads Casanova post-Weinstein, so to speak—but not sourly or dogmatically, instead confidently, inspired, admiringly and at the same time critically, passionately. And he can write brilliantly too.”—Jean-Martin Büttner, Basler Zeitung (Basel, Switzerland)“Damrosch’s adroit and balanced narration is never less than enthralling.”—Michael Prodger, New Statesman“Casanova rarely describes his surroundings and omits much on contemporary Venice that he simply takes for granted. Damrosch fills in the details, provides comment on Casanova from third parties, identifies those lovers whose identities Casanova attempted to obscure, adds previously unpublished material from Casanova’s later years, and places the libertine’s transgressions in the context of the mores of the time.”—Peter Neville-Hadley, South China Morning Post“Casanova’s life was in the best of hands with Leo Damrosch’s erudition. He follows Casanova’s escapades and escapes as a vertiginous heroic story. Out of Venice we are thrown into an experiment with the eighteenth century, its tastes, and transgressions, revealing a surprising ‘book of life.’”—Pierre Saint-Amand, author of Suite libertine: Vies du XVIIIe siècle“A pleasure to read, remarkably clear and readable, engaging, vivid, informative—in short, an excellent biography that both delights and instructs.”—April Alliston, Princeton University“The name Casanova has become synonymous with serial seduction—hardly a model in the age of #MeToo. The excellence of Leo Damrosch’s energetic biography is that it reveals so many other dimensions of this remarkable man: pioneering autobiographer, questioner of received ideas, traveler through high culture and low.”—Jonathan Bate, author of Radical Wordsworth: The Poet Who Changed the WorldPraise for Leo Damrosch’s The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age “Damrosch brilliantly brings together the members’ voices. . . . As this stellar book moves from one Club member to another, it comes together as an ambitious venture homing in on the nature of creative stimulus.”—Lyndall Gordon, New York Times Book Review “Engaging and illuminating. . . . In The Club, as the actors appear one by one, surrounding Johnson and Boswell on Damrosch’s stage, we are transported back to a world of conversations, arguments, ideas, and writings.”—Jenny Uglow, New York Review of Books “Beginning in 1764, some of Britain’s future leading lights (including Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and Edward Gibbon) met every Friday night to talk and drink. Damrosch’s magnificent history revives the Club’s creative ferment.”—New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice

    1 in stock

    £23.75

  • Golda Meir

    Yale University Press Golda Meir

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA balanced biography of Golda Meir, who was both adored and abhorred, from award-winning author Deborah E. LipstadtTrade Review“Lipstadt offers a distilled, delicate account of Meir’s remarkable dedication to her nation that encourages a learned reckoning with her complex legacy.”—John Knight, New York Times Book Review“Engaging writing and fresh perspectives on key moments. . . . An important and captivating short biography of a unique figure in modern Jewish life.”—Avi Shilon, Literary Review“Israel owes Golda much of its legislation in support of working mothers, its housing projects for new immigrants, and the biggest crack yet in its glass ceiling—a female premier.”—Amit Assis, Segula“Deborah Lipstadt offers a comprehensive and fresh portrait of the former Israeli prime minister. Through her attention to gender, Lipstadt provides novel insights into the life of this iconic woman!”—Rabbi David Ellenson, author of Jewish Meaning in a World of Choice: Studies in Tradition and Modernity

    4 in stock

    £16.99

  • Isaac Murphy  The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey

    Yale University Press Isaac Murphy The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe rise and fall of one of America’s first Black sports celebritiesTrade Review“Deeply and impressively researched. . . . Ms. Mooney pieces together a narrative with an arc so tight and clean that it’s a wonder it actually happened. . . . It reads, in other words, like a novel, and that is because the author brought not just rigor, but craft.”—Max Watman, Wall Street Journal“Isaac Murphy is a concise, yet highly informative, detailed rendering of the world of thoroughbred horses and jockeys, the Black struggle during the Nadir, and the impact of an extraordinary Black athlete.”—Gerald L. Early, author of A Level Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports“An eloquent, deeply insightful portrait of an extraordinary athlete at a time when this nation hovered between rising above old racial wrongs and plunging back into a racist abyss. Isaac Murphy’s brilliant career and heartbreaking decline embody this era’s great potential and its tragic end. Required reading for anyone who wants to understand the forces shaping sports, race, and national character in the nineteenth century and beyond.”—Pamela Grundy, co-author of Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball“Mooney deftly contextualizes one of the most significant figures in horseracing history. Anyone interested in how American sports and society reflect and affect each other should read this book.”—James C. Nicholson, author of Racing for America: The Horserace of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • Yale University Press Themistocles

    10 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    10 in stock

    £18.04

  • Phocion

    Yale University Press Phocion

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • A Schoolmasters War Harry ReeA British Agent in

    Yale University Press A Schoolmasters War Harry ReeA British Agent in

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe wartime adventures of the legendary SOE agent Harry Rée, told in his own wordsTrade Review“In a book devoted to heroism in its true, self-effacing form, that modesty seems entirely appropriate, and is a tribute both to Ree and to the son who put it together.”—Andrew Holgate, The Sunday Times “The way in which ordinary people are tested by extraordinary times is vividly illuminated in this first-person account.”—History Revealed “[A] striking memoir”—William Boyd, New Statesman “[T]his important collection of memoirs, letters and broadcasts…touches on tragedy and treachery with great sensitivity and reveals a quiet heroism.”—Victoria Marston, Country Life "[A] fantastic read"—Paul Ross, Talksport “[A] poignant account of friendship in times of difficulty, betrayal, selflessness and bravery”—Helen Tovey & Rachel Bellerby, Family Tree Magazine “Harry Rée, teacher, pacifist, defender of liberty, was a great man, dear to his family and friends, a hugely respected educationist, and a quiet hero. This important book is long overdue. Read it and be inspired by a life well and bravely lived.”—Michael Morpurgo “This is the real thing. As an account The Schoolmaster’s War scores highly in terms of detail and reliability. It lacks any sense of myth making, concealment or boasting — qualities quite common in many SOE memoirs.”—Sebastian Faulks ‘‘A fascinating story, not just of spectacular shootouts, parachute drops, and derring-do but of day to day living behind the lines as an Englishman who had literally dropped out of the sky. Harry Rée does not duck away from the harsh reality of the war and the personal tragedy of many of the French people he worked with - those who befriended him, fed him, sheltered him, risked death, arrest and torture for him.… Possibly one of the last of these stories of the like we will never see again.”— Keggie Carew, author of Dadland “A beautiful collection of writings by schoolmaster-turned-secret agent Harry Rée … Memoirs, postwar broadcasts and letters from French comrades combine to paint a picture of everyday heroism, treachery and tragedy.”—Robert Gildea, author of Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance “Terrific in the detail and the authenticity, the humanity and the immediacy. The fear and dread mixed with the holiday spirit is remarkable.”—Nick Rankin, author of Churchill’s Wizards

    1 in stock

    £11.99

  • A Good and Dignified Life

    Yale University Press A Good and Dignified Life

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA timely and provocative essay about the parallel lives of Rosa Luxemburg and Hannah Arendt and their mission for a more humane societyTrade Review“An intimate and timely meditation on dark times, Hermsen’s illuminating essay offers readers a way to think with Hannah Arendt and Rosa Luxemburg about how to build a more humane world in common.”—Samantha Rose Hill, author of Hannah Arendt“In this profoundly beautiful book, Joke J. Hermsen offers a poignant analysis of Hannah Arendt and Rosa Luxemburg as they model thinking undeterred by fear. Advocating for love and collective responsibility for the world as a shared object of attention, Hermsen illuminates the ways that these two Jewish women geniuses enacted freedom in the only way we can—with others.”—Jane Anna Gordon, coeditor (with Drucilla Cornell) of Creolizing Rosa Luxemburg“In A Good and Dignified Life, the noted Dutch writer Joke J. Hermsen provides us with a tour d’horizon of our current social and political ills through the lens of two clear-eyed partisans of hope: Rosa Luxemburg and Hannah Arendt. Focusing on public freedom, the self-organization of ordinary citizens, and the need to combat the ever-increasing hegemony of the economic over the political sphere of life, this unique work surveys the current scene—and the seemingly dim future prospects that confront us—with a renewed appreciation of the promise of politics and of ‘acting together, acting in concert.’”—Dana Villa, University of Notre DamePraise for Joke J. Hermsen: “Despite the weight of the subject, Joke Hermsen succeeds in continuing to captivate her readers.”—Yves Joris, Tzum “Hermsen writes in long, full sentences, which are pregnant with meaning and at the same time remain flexible. You glide through the language, you sink into it wonderfully.”—Fleur Speet, De Morgen “Engagingly and with great vitality, Hermsen charts the richness of our inner lives.”—NRC Handelsblad

    1 in stock

    £12.34

  • Yale University Press The Bhutto Dynasty

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA major new investigation into the Bhutto family, examining their influence in Pakistan from the colonial era to the present dayTrade Review“In this intimate portrait of both the Bhutto family and Pakistani politics, Bennett­Jones delivers a complex Shakespearean tale of loyalty and feuding, insecurity and arrogance, and jealousy and solidarity spanning three generations.”—Foreign Affairs, Best Books of 2020“Bennett-Jones masterfully weaves together the disparate strands of the modern, cosmopolitan, and urbane Bhutto with his strong nationalistic streak on the one hand and a socialist yearning on the other.”—Shuja Nawaz, Friday Times“Fluently written, impeccably researched and never short of extraordinary insights, this is a landmark publication.”—Farzana Shaikh, Literary Review“Many readers will turn with anticipation to Bennett-Jones’s assessment of the Bhutto dynasty’s future, to which he devotes the whole of his concluding chapter.”—Commonwealth Lawyer“An excellent study that is far more than a chronicle of the Bhutto family, although that history is fascinating enough. Bennett-Jones’ book provides the reader with a superb case study of civil military relations in the modern state.”—R. Gerald Hughes and Ryan Shaffer, Intelligence and National Security“A gripping and timely take on a family and a country—past, present and future.”—Mishal Husain, broadcaster for BBC News“Bennett-Jones has repeatedly shown himself to be one of the most perceptive, impartial and knowledgeable journalists reporting Pakistan. Rigorous, authoritative and readable, full of both insights and investigation, this new work is an important addition to the literature of a very important, and often very misunderstood, state.”—Jason Burke, author of Al-Qaeda“Blending the Bhutto family’s eventful history with that of the broader political developments, Bennett-Jones’ exploration is riveting and thought-provoking in equal measure.”—Sarah Ansari, author of Boundaries of Belonging

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Alexander the Great

    Yale University Press Alexander the Great

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“The definitive treatment of Alexander as a figure of myth. . . . Whether it is Hellenistic notions of utopia, or cities of death in the Arabian Nights, or the origins of the manticore in Indian fable, the extraordinary range of Alexander’s afterlife has enabled Stoneman to write a veritable book of wonders.”—Tom Holland, Daily Telegraph“In this fascinating book, Stoneman explores the various legendary aspects of the general. Stoneman suggests that Alexander embodies the aspirations of Everyman.”—The Independent“Stoneman, here solidifying his reputation as the foremost authority on the legend of Alexander, presents us with nothing less than a legendary parallel life of Alexander. . . .A boon for anyone studying Alexander myth or historiography. Much has been written over the last decades on Alexander-as-legend. . . but nowhere have the many strands of the legendary Alexander been woven together so fully. . . .It would be a great shame if any course on Alexander were to be taught without reference to at least some of its insights.”—Sulochana R. Asirvatham, Journal of Historical Biography“Richard Stoneman gave 20 well-spent years to the writing of this masterly book. In it he separates the truths about Alexander from the many myths that have surrounded him.”—Sunday Telegraph“Anyone who undertakes the task of evaluating a body of materials as composite as the Alexander Romance must possess—in addition to a thorough knowledge of the history and historiography of Alexander—a working knowledge of several languages and the history of scholarship on a very complex problem. These are skills that Richard Stoneman possesses in abundance.”—Eugene Borza, Classical OutlookShort-listed for the 2009 Runciman Award, administered by the Anglo-Hellenic League and sponsored by the National Bank of GreeceSelected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title of 2008“This is a magisterial book, of quite extraordinary breadth and depth. Stoneman is supremely well qualified to write the definitive work on the Nachleben of Alexander in tradition, legend, and myth.”—John Cherry, Brown University“Alexander the Great enjoyed one of the most spectacularly glorious of human lives. His afterlife, as Richard Stoneman’s masterly new survey amply documents, was every bit as spectacular and glory-bringing. Look on his fame, ye mighty, and despair! Or rather, read this literally marvelous book by one of the world’s leading authorities on the multifarious Alexander-legend. Hero or villain: there is an Alexander here for every conceivable taste.”—Paul Cartledge, Cambridge University“The legend of Alexander the Great extends from Iceland to China, and is reincarnated in Jewish and Christian versions, in Islam and the religions of India. Richard Stoneman traces the many re-tellings, both in literature and in art, situating each in its historical context. His book is a pleasure to read: full of remarkable episodes and insights, immensely learned, clearly and elegantly narrated. If you want to know how the story of Alexander evolved over two millennia and penetrated most of the world’s cultures, this is the book to read.”—David Konstan, Brown University“In this impressive volume the many varicoloured threads of the legend of Sultan Iskander are skilfully woven into a fascinating fabric. Stoneman has successfully faced an awesome challenge in marshalling a huge body of diverse and complex material into an ordered whole, subtly highlighting the factors which have given Alexander’s legend such an enduring and widespread appeal and the ways in which it has been adapted to very different cultures.”—Stephanie West, Oxford University“Richard Stoneman retells in a fascinating way the life of Alexander the Great not from the historical records but from the fictional texts of the Alexander Romance and other legendary sources. The result is an extremely rich and well-documented survey of the various traditions which, at the same time, is also a most enjoyable reading. This highly recommendable book is a masterpiece and will be the new point of reference for all future studies in this field.”—Heinz Hofmann, University of Tuebingen

    1 in stock

    £11.99

  • Henry V

    Yale University Press Henry V

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMore than just a single-minded warrior-king, Henry V comes to life in this fresh account as a gifted ruler acutely conscious of spiritual matters and his subjects’ welfareTrade Review“The Henry who emerges from this study is not the stereotypical warrior-king feted (or vilified) for his military prowess. He is an altogether more complex figure: decisive in his leadership but collegiate in his approach to government; exceptional in his mastery of administrative detail and his determination to do right by all his subjects. . . . It is a fascinating and persuasive portrait of a controversial monarch and a major contribution to studies of his reign.”—Juliet Barker, Times Literary Supplement“Vale gives us a portrait of Henry V’s kingship and, not surprisingly, it is a good one.”—John Watts, London Review of Books“A superb example of scholarship . . . unsurpassable for what it reveals of what scholars can bring to light . . . erudite. . . . You’ll go more deeply than was previously possible into this phase of the history of England, this particular reign, and a king even greater than the one given voice by William Shakespeare.”—James M. Banner, Jr., Weekly Standard“Here is a book that pushes out the boundaries. We will never know what went on in Henry’s mind. But as a study of how he worked and what one can infer about his thoughts, Malcolm Vale’s book is unlikely to be surpassed."—Jonathan Sumption, Literary Review“Vale’s book is a clearly written study that does an admirable job providing new insights into Henry the man and the late-medieval ruler.”—Alexander Brondarbit, Royal Studies Journal“By giving greater authority to the archival record than most previous historians have done, and by adopting a thematic rather than a chronological approach to his subject, Malcolm Vale has succeeded in penetrating, as never before, the mind and intentions of Henry V. As this highly recommended study develops, the reader is presented with a king no longer primarily a soldier but a much more rounded, multifaceted figure who leads his country through a time of uncertainties social, political, military and religious, justifying the author’s claim to have revealed ‘another Henry V’ in the process.”—Christopher Allmand, author of Henry V“A highly original study of Henry V. It is difficult these days to say anything new about the king: Malcolm Vale manages it.”—Nigel Saul, author of For Honour and Fame: Chivalry in England, 1066–1500

    1 in stock

    £12.99

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