{"title":"Biography: historical, political and military Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-earl-and-the-pharaoh-from-the-real-downton-abbey-to-the-discovery-of-tutankhamun-9780008531775","title":"The Earl and the Pharaoh From the Real Downton","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnter a world of ancient secrets, old money, new ambitions and the discovery of priceless treasure in this revelatory new biography.Between November 1922 and spring 1923, a door to the ancient Egyptian world was opened. The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun would be the most astonishing archaeological find of the century, revealing not only the boy pharaoh's preserved remains, but thousands of finely crafted objects, from the iconic gold mask and coffins to a dagger made from meteorite, chalices, beautiful furniture and even 3000-year-old food and wine. The world's understanding of Ancient Egyptian civilisation was immeasurably enhanced, and the quantity and richness of the objects in the tomb is still being studied today. Two men were ultimately responsible for the discovery: Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter. It was Lord Carnarvon who held the concession to excavate and whose passion and ability to finance the project allowed the eventual discovery to take place.The Earl and the Ph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e             \u003cstrong\u003eEarly praise for the \u003cem\u003eThe Earl and the Pharaoh\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e           \u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘The story of their quest for the tomb of an obscure pharaoh is familiar but still exciting, and the countess tells it well, conjuring up the fights, the frustrations, the times when Carnarvon came close to cutting his losses and giving up, and the moment in November 1922 when Carter held his candle up to a hole in the wall of Tutankhamun’s tomb and in answer to Carnarvon’s question, “Can you see anything?” answered, “Yes, wonderful things”… Carnarvon’s life makes a good story, with plenty of Downton-esque period details’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e             \u003cstrong\u003ePraise for the Countess of Carnarvon’s previous works\u003c\/strong\u003e           \u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e'Bright, breezy and unpretentious'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuardian\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘If you can’t wait for the new season of \u003cem\u003eDownton Abbey\u003c\/em\u003e … this one’s for you … A revealing portrait of the changing times’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew York Post\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘[A] fascinating insight into how the seriously rich once lived’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNewsweek Daily Beast\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Lady Carnarvon's narrative is a vivid time-stamp of a tempestuous period in history, aptly incorporating its political situation and social structure, to satisfy history buffs’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832535368023,"sku":"9780008531775","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780008531775.jpg?v=1710334975"},{"product_id":"george-ii-penguin-monarchs-not-just-a-british-monarch-9780141978420","title":"George II Penguin Monarchs Not Just a British","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832684265815,"sku":"9780141978420","price":19.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141978420.jpg?v=1710336700"},{"product_id":"world-war-ii-the-definitive-visual-guide-9780241525685","title":"World War II The Definitive Visual Guide","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA renowned military historian, Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire and the Defence College of Management and Technology in Wiltshire. He wrote several best-selling books on the daily experience of soldiers, and presented programmes for the BBC on subjects including World War II battles and the American Revolution. He died in 2011.","brand":"Dorling Kindersley Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832856133975,"sku":"9780241525685","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"father-and-son-9780330418409","title":"Father and Son","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonathan Raban was the author of over a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction, including \u003ci\u003ePassage to Juneau\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBad Land\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHunting Mister Heartbreak\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCoasting\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOld Glory\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eArabia\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSoft City\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWaxwings\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSurveillance\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the span of six decades, he won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award, the Thomas Cook Award, the PEN West Creative Nonfiction Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Award, and the Governor's Award of the State of Washington. His work appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGranta\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHarpers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOutside\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAtlantic Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe London Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, and other magazines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1990 Raban, a British citizen, moved from London to Seattle, where he lived with his daughter until his death in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[Jonathan Raban] is \u003cb\u003ea master\u003c\/b\u003e, as he has shown in his legendary travel writing, \u003cb\u003eof summoning place and people with vivid economy\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003ci\u003eFather and Son\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ean exquisite, sometimes lunatic tension between powerful emotions and carnage\u003c\/b\u003e on one side, and on the other, \u003cb\u003ethe conventional codes of what must remain unsaid\u003c\/b\u003e. This . . . is a gorgeous achievement.” -- Ian McEwan\u003cbr\u003eBlessed with a lyrical, flowing style . . . Raban was noted for his pitch-perfect ear for dialogue and flights of the imagination, but also for evocative powers and sardonic humour. He is frequently melancholic and meditative, but his distinct writing is characterised by precision and clarity. * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFather and Son\u003c\/i\u003e is a fine achievement, a wide-ranging and compelling account with the author's hallmarks of intelligence, erudition, humour and honesty * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eAny book, [Raban] thought, should roam as freely as it likes and this final volume is an illustration of that . . . and that’s what makes his memoir so lively, even when it stares death in the face. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eEverything that’s matchless about Raban’s work — his hyperacute eye for detail, his powers of synthesis, his mordant sense of humor, his vast reservoirs of knowledge and his love of travel — is there. * Los Angeles Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFather and Son \u003c\/i\u003eis a deeply moving career capstone . . . Raban's finest and most moving book . . . It is poignant and crushing . . . I wept. * The Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003eReading his father's wartime letters changed how Jonathan Raban understood their relationship. A stroke changed how he understood himself . . . As full of eloquence as it is free of sentimentality, [this] memoir is a parting gift from a figure of insight and fierce independence... the pages turn quickly because the lines are so raw. * The Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e[Jonathan Raban] was the kind of writer we don't have in quantity . . . It's our luck that he left this lively and bittersweet memoir behind . . . We find ourselves inside the mind of an outraged, indefatigable commentator on life . . . Every writing day, he asked himself two questions: 'What have I lost?' and 'Am I fooling myself?' . . . [The] result of his labors makes the responses clear: a) very little, and b) no.\u003cbr\u003eBlessed with a lyrical flowing style, Jonathan Raban . . . was noted for his pitch-perfect ear for dialogue and flights of the imagination, but also for evocative powers and sardonic humour. . . A quixotic and nomadic seafaring writer, Raban was fascinated by the lives of the people he met . . . [In] his posthumous memoir . . . his thought-provoking approach, with trademark whimsy, illustrates his watchful eye. * The Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eRaban’s posthumously published final work follows an English father and son whose lives take diverging paths . . . The war chapters, which excerpt correspondence between Raban’s parents, are compelling, but it is Raban’s reckoning with his own frailty that carries the emotional weight of the book. * The New Yorker *\u003cbr\u003eJonathan Raban, who died earlier this year, left this memoir almost complete. It tells two stories, artfully braided . . . [and] with Raban’s interpolations, the Anzio pages [about his father] read like a military thriller....He was a master of close observation and wry self-deprecation, and had a cameraman’s ability to switch to a wide-angle lens in a heartbeat. * The Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eThe late travel writer and novelist’s study of his dad . . . offers a beautifully written portrait rather than judgment. * The Observer *\u003cbr\u003e[Raban's] keen observational eye, wry sense of humor, and brilliant ability to prise apart the nonsense and find the tiny seed of truth at the heart of any situation were unique among his peers. -- Paul Constant * Seattle Times *","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47833013420375,"sku":"9780330418409","price":18.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780330418409.jpg?v=1710340511"},{"product_id":"i-am-malala-9781399608992","title":"I Am Malala","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the face of Taliban oppression, one girl''s unwavering defiance sparked a worldwide movement. Shot in the head for daring to seek an education, Malala Yousafzai defied all odds, emerging stronger than ever. From a valley in Pakistan to the global stage, she became a beacon of peaceful resistance and the youngest Nobel laureate. \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala \u003c\/i\u003eis an extraordinary story of resilience, a family shattered by terrorism and the power of one voice to inspire change in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Moving and illuminating'' OBSERVER\u003cbr\u003e''Inspirational and powerful'' GRAZIA\u003cbr\u003e''Astonishing'' SPECTATOR\u003cbr\u003e''A tale of immense courage and conviction'' THE INDEPENDENT\u003cbr\u003e''One finishes the book full of admiration'' SUNDAY TIMES\u003cbr\u003e''Malala is a true inspiration'' THE SUN\u003cbr\u003e''Piercingly wise'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoving and illuminating -- Catherine Bennett * OBSERVER *\u003cbr\u003eFor sheer inspiration read \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e -- Kirsty Brimelow * THE TIMES *\u003cbr\u003eNot only powerful, but also very instructive about the recent history of Pakistan and the pressures of everyday life there. One finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her * THE SUNDAY TIMES *\u003cbr\u003eMalala Yousafzai's story begins with her parents being commiserated with after producing a baby girl. In their part of northern Pakistan, she says, rifle shots ring out in celebration of a baby boy's arrival. But there is no such fanfare for females: their destiny is to cook and clean, to be neither seen nor heard... So how did Malala, who barely warranted a mention in her family's genealogy, become destined for the history books as a powerful symbol for girls' universal right to an education? Her memoir \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e tells us how -- Baroness Warsi * DAILY TELEGRAPH *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the more moving details in \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e is that her mother was due to start learning to read and write on the day Malala was shot - 9 October 2012 -- Kamila Shamsie * The GUARDIAN *\u003cbr\u003eHer story is astonishing -- Owen Bennett-Jones * SPECTATOR *\u003cbr\u003eThis memoir brings out her best qualities. You can only admire her courage and determination. Her thirst for education and reform appear genuine. She also has an air of innocence, and there is an indestructible confidence. She speaks with such poise that you forget Malala is 16 -- Ziauddin Sardar * THE TIMES *\u003cbr\u003eInspirational and powerful * GRAZIA *\u003cbr\u003eThe medical team that saved Malala; her own stoicism and resilience; the support of her family, now, again in exile, this time in Birmingham; Malala's level-headed resolve to continue to champion education and children's rights - these are all powerful reminders of the best in human nature. Much of the money Malala has been awarded has gone to the Malala fund (www.malalafund.org). \"Please join my mission,\" she asks. It's vital that those of us who can, do -- Yvonne Roberts * OBSERVER *\u003cbr\u003eA tale of immense courage and conviction which begins as [Malala] is shot for campaigning for the rights of girls to an education * THE INDEPENDENT *\u003cbr\u003eMalala's voice has the purity, but also has the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she bet in exams (and by how much) or writing a blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage - \"We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak\" - or talking about Pakistan's politicians (\"useless\"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable -- Fatima Bhutto * GUARDIAN *\u003cbr\u003eThe story of the girl shot by the Taliban for speaking up for women's education is one of idealism and stubborn courage, and a reminder that women's rights and many children's rights to education are continually threatened * METRO *\u003cbr\u003eShe has the heart and courage of a lioness and is a true inspiration -- Lorraine Kelly * THE SUN *\u003cbr\u003eOne finishes the book full of admiration both for Malala, and for her father, who has clearly inspired her -- Andrew Holgate * THE SUNDAY TIMES *\u003cbr\u003ePart memoir, part mission statement. \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e recounts the early life of the Pakistani schoolgirl who spoke out against the Taliban and was shot for her defiance. Her recovery, bravery and stoicism - and her father, Ziauddin - make for shocking and moving reading * EMERALD STREET *\u003cbr\u003eMalala's story is gripping, tragic and yet ultimately full of hope. Faced with religious fundamentalism, suicide bombers and death threats her courage, stoicism and wisdom shine through at every turn. The bond she shares with her father - an equally courageous man whose views on equality are at odds with many of his countrymen - is also very movingly described * WOMAN'S WAY *\u003cbr\u003eThis remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death -- Geoff Barton * THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT *\u003cbr\u003eIt's hard to believe that this intelligent, charismatic and very poised young women is still just 16 years old. There is so much hope and expectation resting on those inspirational small shoulders -- Lorraine Kelly * GLASGOW HERALD *\u003cbr\u003eThe Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban has astonished the world with her courage and determination to fight for education and equal rights for women * FINANCIAL TIMES *\u003cbr\u003eHonest, insightful and piercingly wise, this is the celebrity memoir to give your teenaged daughter this Christmas -- Katy Guest * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *\u003cbr\u003eRead the story of the remarkable young woman who refused to be silenced after she was shot in the head by the Taliban on a school bus in 2012. At 16, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize * BABY \u0026amp; ME *\u003cbr\u003eThe media didn't really take on board the fact, which emerges from her book \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e, that every single day for her was a protest. She would hide her pens and books under her clothes on the way to school and ignore the Taliban's threats. She is a role model, not just a victim -- Agatha Johnson * STANDPOINT *\u003cbr\u003eIt's hard to find the words to describe what this girl has done, not only for young women everywhere, but also for the world in which it feels like the bad guys always win. I'm choked up just writing this * GLASGOW HERALD *\u003cbr\u003eI felt both humbled and inspired by \u003ci\u003eI am Malala,\u003c\/i\u003e the remarkable story of the young educational campaigner from Pakistan's Swat valley, who miraculously survived after bring shot by the dark forces of fundamentalism. Deftly written with the help of an award-winning foreign correspondent, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the tortured politics of the Taliban in the North-West Frontier -- Jimmy Burns * THE TABLET *\u003cbr\u003eMalala has shown extraordinary courage in campaigning for the millions of girls who are still denied an education. Uplifting and inspirational -- June Purvis * TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT *\u003cbr\u003eThe inspirational story of the girl who singlehandedly showed that the pen is mightier that the sword should be required reading for people of all ages * ARMY \u0026amp; YOU *\u003cbr\u003eA rich and riveting account of a short, brave and admirable life -- Kevin Power * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST (Ireland) *\u003cbr\u003eThe book is equally Malala's story of love for her family and respect for her father who comes across as an inspirational figure. It is a book of courage and endurance in the face of tremendous odds. \u003ci\u003eI Am Malala\u003c\/i\u003e should be read by everyone who sees education as an agency of liberation for both boys and girls and an indispensable weapon in the struggle against ignorance and oppression -- Alan Gibbons * ARMADILLO *\u003cbr\u003eThis courageous and extraordinary young woman has become something of a world symbol. Her stand for education of women in her own native Pakistan was a courageous one, but it should not lead Western readers to think that such things only happened over there. She and her family now live abroad, but as her speeches and appearances show, she continues her campaign for the right of young people everywhere to fully realise their potential * IRISH CATHOLIC *\u003cbr\u003eThe world is entranced by the story of the 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wished to go to school. Flown over to Birmingham for emergency surgery, she has emerged as an elegant and brave spokesgirl for a better future. This book should inspire girls the world over * CATHOLIC HERALD *\u003cbr\u003eMalala is an inspiration to girls and women all over the world -- J.K. Rowling\u003cbr\u003eMalala's evocation of place, beautifully and lovingly described, and her paean to her father with his own passion for education, are fascinating.  But so is her toughness.  She describes seeing a young girl selling oranges, clearly unable to read or write: \"I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls just like her.  This was the war I was going to fight.\"  This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto.  I feel enriched from having read it.  I also feel humbled.  Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death. * TES *\u003cbr\u003eMalala's voice has the purity, but also the rigidity, of the principled.  Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she beat in exams (and by how much) or writing about the blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage ... or talking about Pakistan's politicians (\"useless\"), Malala is passionate and intense.  Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable. -- Fatima Bhutto * Guardian *","brand":"Orion Publishing Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836752740695,"sku":"9781399608992","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781399608992.jpg?v=1710382005"},{"product_id":"once-a-king-9781399723930","title":"Once a King","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing never before seen sources, \u003ci\u003eOnce a King\u003c\/i\u003e is a fresh, revelatory and gripping insight into the Duke of Windsor - King Edward VIII - who gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved, twice divorced American Wallis Simpson.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Considering Edward VIII's travels and interests as Prince of Wales as well as his relationship with Wallis Simpson and the course of events leading up to his abdication and subsequent exile, \u003ci\u003eOnce a King\u003c\/i\u003e offers a previously unexplored lens through which we encounter first-hand the hitherto concealed subtlety and raw emotion of two of the twentieth century's most iconic Royal figures: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"Hodder \u0026 Stoughton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836763750743,"sku":"9781399723930","price":21.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781399723930.jpg?v=1710382298"},{"product_id":"shackleton-9781405938020","title":"Shackleton","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover the exhilarating true story of Ernest Shackleton''s legendary Antarctic expedition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTold through the words of the world''s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes - one of the only men to understand his experience first-hand . . .\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''THE definitive book on Shackleton and no one could have done it better . . . an authentic account by one of the few men who truly knows what it''s like to challenge Antarctica'' \u003c\/b\u003eLORRAINE KELLY\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e_________\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton''s attempt to be the first to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe and his crew should have died.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInstead, through a long, dark winter, Shackleton fought back: enduring sub-zero temperatures, a perilous lifeboat journey across icy seas, and a murderous march over glaciers to seek help.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn insider's look into a very select club ... Fiennes' personal asides help to explain the unfathomable - such as how and why humans could and, more inexplicably, would persist with moving their tortured bodies across tortured landscapes in such extreme cold ... For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read.\u003c\/b\u003e * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE definitive book on my hero Shackleton and no one could have done it better. \"The Boss\" would have heartily approved of such an authentic account by one  of the few men who truly knows what it's like to challenge Antarctica\u003c\/b\u003e -- Lorraine Kelly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFiennes makes a fine guide on voyage into Shackleton's world . . . What makes this book so engaging is the author's own storytelling skills\u003c\/b\u003e -- Lorna Siggins * Irish Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith first-hand experience of polar expeditions, Fiennes relates these tales of exploration and survival, adding insight to Shackleton's journeys unlike any other biographer\u003c\/b\u003e * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn insider's look into a very select club . . . Fiennes' personal asides help to explain the unfathomable - \u003c\/b\u003esuch as how and why humans could and, more inexplicably, would persist with moving their tortured bodies across tortured landscapes in such extreme cold . . . \u003cb\u003eFor anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read\u003c\/b\u003e * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFiennes brings the promised perspective of one who has been there, \u003c\/b\u003eilluminating Shackleton's actions by comparing them with his own. Beginners to the Heroic Age will enjoy this volume, as will serious polar adventurers seeking advice. \u003cb\u003eFor all readers, it's a tremendous story\u003c\/b\u003e -- Sara Wheeler * The Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Ranulph Fiennes' \u003ci\u003eCaptain Scott\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e * - *\u003cbr\u003eFiennes' own experiences certainly allow him to write vividly and with empathy of the hell that the men went through. * The Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA valuable corrective to the trend of Scott debunking...One by one, and with the commendable attention to detail, Fiennes explodes the accumulated myths. * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eSir Ranulph Fiennes has done Captain Scott's memory some service...he has certainly written a more dispassionate and balanced account than Huntford ever set out to do. -- Simon Courtauld * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eFull of awe-inspiring details of hardship, resolve and weather that defies belief, told by someone of unique authority. No one is more tailor-made to tell [this] story than Sir Ranulph Fiennes * Newsday *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836800123223,"sku":"9781405938020","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781405938020.jpg?v=1710382817"},{"product_id":"spanish-gold-9781408822166","title":"Spanish Gold","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe amazing true story of Blackbeard, Calico Jack and all the other pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Woodes Rogers, the privateer turned governor of the Bahamas, who brought them to book.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eBoth a brilliant idea and an engrossing book that tells the story of a ship of the line in Nelson''s day'' \u003c\/b\u003eBernard Cornwell, Books of the Year, \u003ci\u003eMail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Cordingly is a brilliant historian: authoritative but easy to read, with an eye for the story yet with a touch light enough to let the facts speak for themselves'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003eToday most of us know what we know about pirates from icons like Long John Silver and Jack Sparrow. But who were the real pirates of the Caribbean, and where did they come from? And how were they tamed? David Cordingly''s latest book reveals the true story to have been at least as fascinating and gripping as the legends.After the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, there was an explosion of piracy across the Caribbean and al\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Both a brilliant idea and an engrossing book that tells the story of a ship of the line in Nelson's day ... Billy Ruffian is for anyone interested in the Napoleonic wars or entranced by the adventures of Hornblower or Jack Aubrey' * Bernard Cornwall, Books of the Year, Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e‘David Cordingly is a brilliant historian: authoritative but easy to read, with an eye for the story yet with a touch light enough to let the facts speak for themselves' * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e‘No-one could be better qualified to write this excellent biography of the ship than David Cordingly' * Andrew Roberts, Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e‘Intriguing and satisfying ... Cochrane packed enough drama and history to shame both Horatio Nelson and Sir Francis Drake' * Washington Post *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836867166551,"sku":"9781408822166","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781408822166.jpg?v=1710384167"},{"product_id":"the-international-brigades-9781408854075","title":"The International Brigades","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e** Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award **\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Magnificent. Narrative history at its vivid and compelling best'' Fergal Keane\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first major history of the International Brigades: a tale of blood, ideals and tragedy in the fight against fascism.\u003c\/b\u003eThe Spanish Civil War was the first armed battle in the fight against fascism, and a rallying cry for a generation. Over 35,000 volunteers from sixty-one countries around the world came to defend democracy against the troops of Franco, Hitler and Mussolini.Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose and potential glory, these disparate groups of idealistic young men and women formed a volunteer army of a size and type unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?In this magisterial history, Giles Tremlett tells  for the first time  the story of the Spanish C\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA narrative of astonishing scope \u003c\/b\u003e… This latest study is \u003cb\u003ea remarkable act of scholarship, as well as being captivatingly readable\u003c\/b\u003e. The first overarching history of the brigades in English, it is alive with the testimonies of those who fought, and so much richer for stretching far beyond the obvious and famous Anglophone accounts of men of letters … Tremlett is a worthy custodian of their stories. He has created \u003cb\u003ea dazzling mosaic of vignettes and sources, of lives lived and lost, of acts of heroism, solidarity, betrayal and futility\u003c\/b\u003e, that builds to a grand picture of a conflict that drew idealists from across the world. The war left many of them in despair, injured or dead – but also hardened many more in their determination to defeat fascism. This book is \u003cb\u003eas close to a definitive history as we are likely to get\u003c\/b\u003e -- Dan Hancox * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTremlett’s book marks a heroic episode in the history of the left\u003c\/b\u003e. At a time when real fascists with real guns are patrolling the streets of American cities, and when far-right violence is on the rise in Spain, the sacrifice of the International Brigaders deserves to be remembered. In doing so, Tremlett reminds us that even just wars are dirty and chaotic, breeding grounds of sadism and injustice, and that the selfless often die first -- Paul Mason * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eThis \u003cb\u003eevocative\u003c\/b\u003e study is the first comprehensive history in English of all the 35,000 international volunteers who fought the combined forces of Hitler, Mussolini and Franco in Spain … Far more than a civil war, it was Europe’s war against Fascism. \u003cb\u003eGiles Tremlett encapsulates its huge stakes perfectly\u003c\/b\u003e … There’s no feeling of a heavy read here, such is Tremlett’s deft handling of the material and page-turning prose. \u003cb\u003eThe story races along, replete with memorable stories and poignant vignettes\u003c\/b\u003e … [A] \u003cb\u003egripping\u003c\/b\u003e book … \u003cb\u003eThrough it, the 1930s come hurtling into our twenty-first century present \u003c\/b\u003e -- Helen Graham * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eThe bravery and sacrifices of the volunteers from all over the world who fought fascism in Spain keep alive interest in the civil war. Many of the tens of thousands of books about the conflict are about the International Brigades but there has never been one like Giles Tremlett’s \u003cb\u003edeeply moving and endlessly informative\u003c\/b\u003e account. Bursting with memorable quotes and anecdotes, it provides, in lucid and compelling prose, \u003cb\u003ethe overall history of the Brigades that has been lacking\u003c\/b\u003e -- Paul Preston\u003cbr\u003eMagnificent. \u003cb\u003eNarrative history at its vivid and compelling best\u003c\/b\u003e -- Fergal Keane\u003cbr\u003eMore than eighty years after the civil war ended on April 1, 1939, the story of what inspired left-wing sympathisers from all over the world to fight, and what became of them, \u003cb\u003estill fascinates and impassions\u003c\/b\u003e … It is an \u003cb\u003eepic tale\u003c\/b\u003e and Giles Tremlett’s \u003ci\u003eThe International Brigades \u003c\/i\u003enails it with the decisiveness of a political commissar’s bullet to the back of a deserter’s head. \u003cb\u003eUsing widely trawled research, he has created an electrifying narrative that brings to life the idealism, suffering, chaos and paranoia\u003c\/b\u003e of what a journalist at the time called the “most truly international army the world has seen since the Crusades” … \u003cb\u003eA powerful portrayal\u003c\/b\u003e of an episode underpinned by what Nehru, after visiting a British unit, called “so much human courage, so much of what was worthwhile in life\" -- Isambard Wilkinson * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eTremlett deftly interweaves this\u003cb\u003e rich archival material \u003c\/b\u003ewith \u003cb\u003ecolourful first-hand accounts\u003c\/b\u003e from numerous participants … \u003cb\u003eA highly engaging read\u003c\/b\u003e, helped considerably by the author’s fluid prose style and journalist’s eye for a good story ... \u003cb\u003eA well-researched and comprehensive work of scholarship\u003c\/b\u003e -- Richard Baxell * Spectator *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836870181207,"sku":"9781408854075","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781408854075.jpg?v=1710384278"},{"product_id":"thomas-cromwell-9781444782882","title":"Thomas Cromwell","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ch3\u003e THE CAPTIVATING TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO INSPIRED \u003ci\u003eWOLF HALL\u003c\/i\u003e, MASTERFULLY TOLD: NOW REVISED WITH A NEW CHAPTER \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders LOVE \u003ci\u003eThomas Cromwell\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e''Very well written and engaging; I found it hard to put it down . . . Great book and one I will read again.'' ?????  \u003cbr\u003e''This is one of the most fascinating biographies I''ve read.'' ?????  \u003cbr\u003e''There have been many biographies of Cromwell, but Tracy Borman''s book must rank among the very best.'' ?????  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e------------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKnown widely as Henry VIII''s ''right-hand man'', Cromwell has captured imaginations throughout the centuries: but who was he \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e? In this major new biography, leading historian Tracy Borman examines the life, loves and legacy of the man who changed the shape of England forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn a lowly tavern keeper''s son, Cromwell rose swiftly through the ranks to become Henry VIII''s right hand man, and one of the most powerful figures in Tudor history. The architect of England''s break with the Roman Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries, he oversaw seismic changes in England''s history. Influential in securing Henry''s controversial divorce from Catherine of Aragon, many believe he was also the ruthless force behind Anne Boleyn''s downfall and subsequent execution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough for years he has been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power, Thomas Cromwell was also a loving husband, father and guardian, a witty and generous host, and a loyal and devoted servant. With fresh research and new insights into Cromwell''s family life, his household and his close relationships, Tracy Borman tells the true story of Henry VIII''s most faithful servant.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-----------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCritical acclaim for \u003ci\u003eThomas Cromwell:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Dr Tracy Borman has crafted an exceptional and compelling biography about one of the Tudor age''s most complex and controversial figures. With expert insights based on a wealth of research, and riveting detail, she has \u003cb\u003ebrought Thomas Cromwell to life as never before\u003c\/b\u003e.'' ? Alison Weir\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''This \u003cb\u003edeeply researched and grippingly written\u003c\/b\u003e biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour.'' -- Kate Williams ? Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Tracy Borman tells us succinctly in 400 pages what we need to know about the man who rose to be the king''s highest adviser ... \u003cb\u003ea very good book\u003c\/b\u003e.'' ? The Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Tracy Borman''s study makes clear his achievements, both admirable and despicable ... Borman has read an impressively wide range of modern historical literature on Cromwell.'' ? Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Borman''s is a \u003cb\u003ehighly readable\u003c\/b\u003e account, and will add to the debate surrounding this ultimately elusive character.'' ? Financial Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Elegant ... her prose, as ever, glides beautifully along.'' ? Sunday Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''An engaging biography.'' ? Evening Standard\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDr Tracy Borman has crafted an exceptional and compelling biography about one of the Tudor age's most complex and controversial figures. With expert insights based on a wealth of research, and riveting detail, she has brought Thomas Cromwell to life as never before. * Alison Weir *\u003cbr\u003eThis deeply researched and grippingly written biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour. -- Kate Williams * Independent *\u003cbr\u003eTracy Borman tells us succinctly in 400 pages what we need to know about the man who rose to be the king's highest adviser ... a very good book. * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eTracy Borman's study makes clear his achievements, both admirable and despicable ... Borman has read an impressively wide range of modern historical literature on Cromwell. * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eBorman's is a highly readable account, and will add to the debate surrounding this ultimately elusive character. * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eElegant...her prose, as ever, glides beautifully along. * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eAn engaging biography. * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eBorman writes admirably; her prose trips along merrily and is full of intriguing titbits. * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eAn excellent and readable biography. * The Tribune *\u003cbr\u003eA real and vital portrait, deftly drawn. * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eBorman combines a mastery of historical detail with past-pace and an accessible style. She doesn't forget that she is dealing with human beings, with their fallibilities and petty motivations, and rather than see him as a man for whom things got out of control, as Mantel does, views him instead as a master of control. * Independent on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eAn intelligent, sympathetic and well-researched biography. * Wall Street Journal *","brand":"Hodder \u0026 Stoughton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836961407319,"sku":"9781444782882","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781444782882.jpg?v=1710386694"},{"product_id":"the-war-that-made-the-roman-empire-antony-cleopatra-and-octavian-at-actium-9781982116682","title":"The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony,","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA “splendid” (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) account of one of history’s most important and yet little-known wars, the campaign culminating in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, whose outcome determined the future of the Roman Empire.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium. Octavian prevailed over Antony and Cleopatra, who subsequently killed themselves.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe Battle of Actium had great consequences for the empire. 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The price was the destruction of the man who dared to oppose him, along with the woman for whom he had\u003cbr\u003e risked everything.\" -- Arthur Herman * The Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\"Barry Strauss has the rare ability of being able to bring ancient history to life in a way that is both profoundly learned and highly readable. . . . [Although ] most readers will know the outcome of one of history’s most famous battles, Strauss somehow manages to maintain the suspense and tension until its end. . . . Superbly recounted.\" -- Andrew Roberts * The National Review *\u003cbr\u003e“[Strauss] is both a first-rate scholar who knows and understands his subject thoroughly and a fluent communicator. . . . A splendid account of those dramatic events and people who may not have been all that nice but were certainly never dull.” -- Adrian Goldsworthy * \u003ci\u003eThe New Criterion\u003c\/i\u003e *\u003cbr\u003e\"A master historian of the ancient world’s wars turns his attention to the battle that laid the foundations for the Roman Empire. . . . Few historians can bring such a battle alive better than Strauss. . . . It must now be considered the most up-to-date history of its subject.\" * Kirkus Reviews *\u003cbr\u003e\"A grandiose love affair, doomed lovers, a trio of titanic rivals, deadly political intrigue, culminating in a seismic battle at sea—historian Barry Strauss is the perfect narrator for this epic episode in ancient empire-building.\" -- Adrienne Mayor, author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology\u003cbr\u003e\"Barry Strauss pulls off the historian’s hat trick with his new book, \u003ci\u003eThe War That Made the Roman Empire\u003c\/i\u003e. 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You feel as if you’re present at the events as they unfold, yet at the same time you’re getting the global contour and context of this drama as it affects, and has affected, our own time.  \u003ci\u003eThe War That Made the Roman Empire \u003c\/i\u003eis Strauss at the top of his game.\" -- Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire and A Man at Arms","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850345300311,"sku":"9781982116682","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"codename-suzette-an-extraordinary-story-of-resistance-and-rescue-in-nazi-paris-9781925266832","title":"Codename Suzette: An extraordinary story of","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe thrilling and previously untold true story of Suzanne Spaak, who abandoned her life of opulence to save the Jewish children of Occupied Paris during the Second World War.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuzanne Spaak was born into an affluent Belgian Catholic family and married into the country's leading political dynasty. Her brother-in-law was the prime minister while her husband Claude was a playwright and patron of the painter René Magritte. In occupied Paris she was part of the cultural elite and a neighbour of Colette and Jean Cocteau. But Suzanne was living a double life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer friendship with a Polish Jewish refugee led her to her life's purpose. When France fell and the Nazis occupied Paris, she joined the Resistance. She used her fortune and social status to enlist allies among wealthy Parisians and church groups. 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Now, in a dramatic account of the war that split France in two and forced its people to live side by side with their hated German occupiers, Lynne Olson tells the fascinating story of a woman who stood up for her nation, her fellow citizens, and herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘In this deeply researched book, American journalist Lynne Olson tells the story of this extraordinary and overlooked heroine … a splendid biography.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Kathryn Hughes * The Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Fast-paced and impressively researched … Olson writes with verve and a historian’s authority … With this gripping tale, Lynne Olson pays [Marie-Madeleine Fourcade] what history has so far denied her. France, slow to confront the stain of Vichy, would do well to finally honor a fighter most of us want in our foxhole.’\u003c\/p\u003e * The New York Times Book Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘If Lynne Olson had set out to write a novel, she could not have come up with a more fascinating character than Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the glamorous young woman who led the largest French spy network in World War II. This is a case where fact is far more riveting than fiction. Olson chronicles Fourcade’s extraordinary story with her customary eye for every revealing detail and every breathtakingly dangerous twist.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Andrew Nagorski, author of \u003ci\u003eHitlerland, The Nazi Hunters\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Year Germany Lost the War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Within the pages of this thrilling narrative, Fourcade’s spirit shines through … \u003ci\u003eMadame Fourcade’s Secret War\u003c\/i\u003e stands out from a crowded field.’\u003c\/p\u003e * All About History *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Brilliantly researched and stylishly written.’\u003c\/p\u003e * Military History Monthly *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘This is a stirring story of heroism, charisma, and determination.’\u003c\/p\u003e * History Revealed *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A brilliant, cinematic biography of resistance leader Marie-Madeleine Fourcade ... Olson’s weaving of Fourcade’s diary artfully and liberally into her own writing and her heart-stopping descriptions of Paris, escapes, and internecine warring create a narrative that’s as dramatic as a novel or a film. Olson honours Fourcade’s fight for freedom and her ‘refusal to be silenced’ with a gripping narrative that will thrill WWII history buffs.’ \u003cb\u003eSTARRED REVIEW\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A hell of a yarn … Why the heck have we never heard of [Marie-Madeleine] Fourcade? The only woman to lead a major French resistance network. A woman who in later life was elected to the European Parliament. And who, upon her death in 1989 at the age of seventy-nine, became the first woman to be granted a funeral at Les Invalides, the complex in central Paris where Napoleon Bonaparte and other French military heroes are buried. Olson posits a few possible reasons for Fourcade’s relegation to the footnotes of history. The inescapable one, though, circles back to where we began: her gender.’\u003c\/p\u003e * The Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘In \u003cem\u003eMadame Fourcade’s Secret War\u003c\/em\u003e, Lynne Olson tells one of the great stories of the French Resistance, a story of one woman’s courage amid great danger, a story of heroism, defiance, and, ultimately, victory.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Alan Furst, author of \u003ci\u003eA Hero in France\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘In \u003cem\u003eMadame Fourcade’s Secret War\u003c\/em\u003e, Lynne Olson is at the top of her game, giving us the renowned beauty and elite French socialite, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, who surprised everyone — including herself, perhaps — by becoming one of the most consequential players in the high-stakes spy game in Nazi-occupied France. Fourcade’s nerve, resolve, and extraordinary inner resources shine and inspire here. A fascinating portrait of uncommon audacity.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Paula McLain, author of \u003ci\u003eLove and Ruin\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Paris Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘In the real-life character of Madame Fourcade, Lynne Olson has found a heroine who seems to come tailor-made for the movie screen — she is beautiful, rich, effortlessly elegant, and an absolutely indomitable spy for the ages. Olson’s clear, unadorned writing style and her meticulous marshaling of facts will keep you on the edge of your seat as Fourcade endures psychological and physical hardship in service of her singular goal — to keep France free of fascism. For all of us who have wondered what we would do in a time of crisis, Olson holds up Madame Fourcade and her relentless fight for the French Resistance as a model of how to fight back when faced with unthinkable evil. Fascinating and timely.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Elizabeth Letts, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Horse\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Incredibly absorbing and long-overdue ... This masterfully told true story reads like fiction and will appeal to readers who devour WWII thrillers à la Kristen Hannah’s \u003cem\u003eThe Nightingale\u003c\/em\u003e (2015).’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Margaret Flanagan * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Lynne Olson has added yet another brilliant chapter to her vital historical project: documenting the extraordinary efforts of individuals, such as spymaster Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, who helped liberate 20th-century Europe from Nazi occupation. Much like Madame Fourcade herself, Olson goes to great lengths to unearth truth and preserve dignity for those who lived and died during Hitler’s reign of terror — and for that, both the author and her daring subject deserve high praise.’\u003c\/p\u003e * Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Madame Fourcade’s war should never have been a secret, and it takes a historical sleuth like Lynne Olson to bring it, at last, into glorious light. I read this extraordinary book with wonder and admiration, seeing a movie on every page that was both true to life and somehow bigger than life. The canvas is vast, the characters vibrant, the history we thought we knew suddenly as fresh as tomorrow.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Jay Cocks, screenwriter of \u003ci\u003eThe Age of Innocence, Gangs of New York,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSilence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘As well researched and engrossing as her previous books, showcasing her adroit ability to weave personal narratives, political intrigue, and wartime developments to tell a riveting story, Olson’s latest is highly recommended to readers interested in World War II, the history of espionage, women’s history, and European history.’ \u003cstrong\u003eSTARRED REVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e * Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Lynne Olson is a gifted author and her books about the Allies in World War II are carefully researched and compulsively readable … Thankfully, a new generation of writers is expanding our knowledge of individuals whose roles in World War II deserve more attention.’\u003c\/p\u003e * The Christian Science Monitor *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A comprehensive, often exciting narrative ... [Olson’s] solid descriptive passages help re-create the tension and anxiety Fourcade and her friends felt as they risked everything to save France ... The author brings into the spotlight a woman whose courage and endurance helped shape history yet whose full story had not yet been told. “For several decades following the war,” writes the author, “histories of the French resistance, which were written almost exclusively by men, largely ignored the contributions of women.” Olson rectifies that omission. An engaging, informative addition to World War II history.’\u003c\/p\u003e * Kirkus Reviews *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Marie-Madeleine Fourcade has largely slipped from popular memory, but during World War II she led the largest spy network in Vichy France ... Olson’s very readable account charts Fourcade’s progress from socialite to leader of a vast resistance movement, and reflects on the irreparable divisions caused by the war.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘This is very well written, it creates almost a fast-paced novel as her exploits get more and more strained … A splendid book indeed, which heartily proves that women are more than capable of maintaining a strong position in a male-dominated world and making it work extremely well at the same time.’\u003c\/p\u003e -- Reg Seward * NB Magazine *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Olson has written a lively and compelling account of a woman who deserves to be remembered and honoured.’\u003c\/p\u003e * Military Book History *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eCitizens of London\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e‘An excellent and revealing chronicle.’\u003c\/p\u003e * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eLast Hope Island\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e‘[A] pointed volume … [Olson] tells a great story and has a fine eye for character.’\u003c\/p\u003e * The Boston Globe *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eLast Hope Island\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e‘Exhilarating and epic.’\u003c\/p\u003e * The Mail on Sunday *","brand":"Scribe Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850380820823,"sku":"9781915590169","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781915590169.jpg?v=1710613608"},{"product_id":"seven-pillars-of-wisdom-9781853264696","title":"Seven Pillars of Wisdom","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith an Introduction by Angus Calder.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs Angus Calder states in his introduction to this edition, '\u003cem\u003eSeven Pillars of Wisdom\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the major statements about the fighting experience of the First World War'. 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Brief, authoritative and fair in its judgements - an intensely readable introduction to this most complex and fascinating man' - Graham Farmelo, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Strangest Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA new and dynamic reappraisal of Winston Churchill, and his finest hour in 1940-1.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWho was Winston Churchill? Even fifity years after his death he is one of the most iconic figures in British history: as a young man he was a maverick journalist, his many positions in politics before 1940 marked him out as a courageous but foolhardy man. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet it is Churchill's record in war, which has recently been questioned, that confirms his genius as a military commander and national leader ­- someone who understood the dangers of Nazi Germany before 1939; someone uniquely capable to lead the empire through the turmoil of the Second World War. 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Other countries including Germany, Armenia, Hungary, Portugal and Malta have all claimed him as their own. The cult of St. George is astonishingly widespread with churches being dedicated to him in Ethiopia, Egypt, Greece and France.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHis heroic struggle and victory against the dragon can be interpreted as representing the bravery of an individual Christian or as the eternal battle been good and evil. But closer examination of the cult of St. George yields unexpected results. There are clear parallels between his legendary battle and that of earlier pre-Christian heroes such as Perseus and Beowulf. St. George is also identified with the Islamic hero Al Khidr who is said to have discovered the fountain of youth. He has been associated with the coming of spring and has functioned as fertility symbol and been closely linked to the Green Man of Pre-Christian Myth. St. George has also acted as a symbol of chastity and served as a healing saint. 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Paraded as a prisoner in a Roman triumph, then brought up in the household of Augustus’ sister Octavia, she would marry a North African prince, becoming co-ruler of the Roman client-state of Mauretania.   Jane Draycott recreates the life and times of a woman who became a powerful ruler in her own right at a time when most women were marginalised, and whose remarkable life shines new and revelatory light on Roman politics, society and culture in the early years of the Empire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnyone who wants to learn more about [an] underappreciated female ruler should read this book * All About History *\u003cbr\u003eDraycott brings to life the little-known story of an intelligent, powerful woman of mixed Macedonian, Roman, and Egyptian heritage making her own way in exciting historical times -- Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World\u003cbr\u003eA vibrant and fascinating portrait of a great woman who deserves her place in the pantheon of Roman queens -- Emma Southon, author of Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World\u003cbr\u003eFascinating! Full of fabulous facts about ancient Rome, Egypt and North Africa. I loved all the details of life in Cleopatra's world supported by a feast of visual and literary references -- Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries\u003cbr\u003eJane Draycott has written an excellent account of Cleopatra's daughter – princess, captive, and queen. In Draycott's capable hands, the archaeological evidence tells half the tale, and it is intriguing. Here, Cleopatra Selene finally attains her rightful place in history -- Barry Strauss, Cornell University, author of The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium\u003cbr\u003eIt is extraordinary that such a story has remained untold for so long. The historian and archaeologist Jane Draycott has masterfully pieced together a rich range of literary and artistic sources to create this immensely readable account of a great queen, Egyptian and Roman, who wielded power at a time when women were largely marginalised. * New Statesman *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851002986839,"sku":"9781800244825","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781800244825.jpg?v=1710626813"},{"product_id":"how-to-think-like-churchill-9781789295962","title":"How to Think Like Churchill","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLearn how to think like one of history's most iconic cultural figures: Winston Churchill.  Follow in his footsteps and discover the essential principles behind his success. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRemembered for his leadership during the Second World War, Churchill’s commitment to 'never surrender', along with his stirring speeches and radio broadcasts, helped inspire British resistance to the Nazi threat when Britain stood alone against an occupied Europe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut as well as a hugely successful politician, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a journalist, historian and a writer, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. \u003ci\u003eHow to Think Like Churchill\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the \u003cb\u003eessential principles\u003c\/b\u003e behind this \u003cb\u003efascinating leader\u003c\/b\u003e, exploring the \u003cb\u003edefining moments \u003c\/b\u003eand enduring speeches that have made him one of the most esteemed figures of the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael O'Mara Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851008622935,"sku":"9781789295962","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781789295962.jpg?v=1710627110"},{"product_id":"teller-of-the-unexpected-the-life-of-roald-dahl-an-unofficial-biography-9781788549448","title":"Teller of the Unexpected: The Life of Roald Dahl,","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook of the Week on Radio 4, and in the \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Week\u003c\/i\u003e   'Riveting, and immaculately written' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e   'A superb psychological study of a literary genius' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBusiness Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e   'A rounded picture... and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCountry Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e   'Crisply done and well-judged' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  A brand-new biography of Roald Dahl, re-evaluating the received narrative surrounding the life of the much-loved author and creator of numerous iconic literary characters – from one of our finest contemporary biographers.  Roald Dahl was one of the world’s greatest storytellers. He considered his vocation to be as bold and exciting as an explorer’s and, in his writing for children, he was able to tap into a child’s viewpoint throughout his life. He crafted tales that were exotic in scenario, frequently invested with a moral, and filled with vibrant characters that endure in the public imagination to the present day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDevotes a large chunk of his book to Dahl's Norwegian family and schooldays; their combination of warmth, tragedy, inspiration and savagery is brilliantly evoked... [His account] makes you feel grudging admiration for a bully whose self-belief was, in a way, heroic * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eSuperb psychological study of a literary genius... Matthew Dennison's biography of Roald Dahl manages to peel back the layers of an infamously complex man * Sunday Business Post *\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Dennison's streamlined text clips along with an economy befitting Dahl's brusque manner... Dennison presents a rounded picture [...] and gets to Dahl's flawed, human core * Country Life *\u003cbr\u003eA well-researched, compact book * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is riveting, and immaculately written * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eBrace yourself for Dahl mania... Documenting the multi-layered life of Roald Dahl as a creative maverick who created some of the most well-loved characters in literature, this biography reevaluates Dahl by examining his surviving relics * Tatler *\u003cbr\u003eA crisply done and well-judged survey of the outline of the life * TLS *\u003cbr\u003e[An] impeccably balanced new biography * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eAn intriguing read about a vastly talented but morally weak man * The Anglo-Celt *\u003cbr\u003eDennison recasts the narrative of the daredevil pilot and spy-turned-author as a rule-breaker, romantic and ultimately a child's friend * School House *\u003cbr\u003eAn elegant new biography... capturing [Dahl’s] grandiose, tragedy-specked life. * The New York Times *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851047387479,"sku":"9781788549448","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781788549448.jpg?v=1710627871"},{"product_id":"we-could-have-been-friends-my-father-and-i-a-palestinian-memoir-9781788169981","title":"We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA FINALIST FOR THE US NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2023 FOR NONFICTION  'Profoundly personal as well as historically significant ... In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi' Hisham Matar, New York Times  Aziz Shehadeh was many things: lawyer, activist, and political detainee, he was also the father of bestselling author and activist Raja. In this new and searingly personal memoir, Raja Shehadeh unpicks the snags and complexities of their relationship.  A vocal and fearless opponent, Aziz resists under the British mandatory period, then under Jordan, and, finally, under Israel. As a young man, Raja fails to recognise his father's courage and, in turn, his father does not appreciate Raja's own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. When Aziz is murdered in 1985, it changes Raja irrevocably.   This is not only the story of the battle against the various oppressors of the Palestinians, but a moving portrait of a particular father and son relationship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePowerful ... It's a mark of Shehadeh's brilliance that this latest revisiting is full of surprises: it's even in tone, but jet-fuelled by implicit emotion; there's no conventional suspense, but it is absolutely gripping ... masterly -- Rachel Aspden * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA striking story of loss, heartbreak and political perfidy ... This is a tragedy within a tragedy, of a father and son who, despite their similarities, failed to understand one another, against the backdrop of dispossession of the Palestinian people -- Lara Marlowe * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eHighly readable ... thought-provoking * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eSlim but powerful - rich in recent historical detail with a poignant personal trauma threading in and out of it. This is a Palestinian memoir that will endure -- Gerald Butt * Church Times *\u003cbr\u003ePraise for the author:  'Palestine's greatest prose writer * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eGoing Home cements the author's reputation as the best-known Palestinian writing in English * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eLuminously clear-sighted ... By turns lyrical, witty and shrewd, Shehadeh is an excellent walking companion * Prospect *\u003cbr\u003eShehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise -- Colm Tóibín\u003cbr\u003eRaja Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness -- Rachel Kushner","brand":"Profile Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851058495831,"sku":"9781788169981","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781788169981.jpg?v=1710628147"},{"product_id":"conversations-with-jfk-a-fictional-dialogue-based-on-biographical-facts-9781786782281","title":"Conversations with JFK: A Fictional Dialogue","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImagined by one of the world's foremost JFK scholars, this fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of America's most glamorous and mythologised president. For many, the presidency of John F. Kennedy was a magic interlude in American history. His admirers saw him as a leader of intelligence and imagination, who wielded power with grace, courage and verve - although detractors have questioned the depth of his convictions and drawn attention to his serial philandering.   Kennedy's rise also marked the beginning of modern \"celebrity\" politics - a politician with film star charisma who proved ideally suited to the new age of television. Meet the man himself and he'll tell you how it felt to have his finger on the red button when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war.   The book is divided into two parts: a biographical essay that provides a concise overview of JFK's life, achievements, scandals and controversies; and a Q\u0026amp;A dialogue based on rigorous research and incorporating JFK's actual spoken or written words whenever possible, along with rigorously researched biographical interpretations of his various views and positions.   Here you will find all the key moments in JFK's life and career: his early days at Harvard and the US Navy; his family background and the importance of his Catholic faith; running for office against Richard Nixon; his clashes with communist power in Berlin and Cuba; the Civil Rights movement; Vietnam; and the president's often scandalous personal life that was carefully concealed from an adoring public. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 marked the beginning of a tumultuous and bitterly divided decade, and birthed countless conspiracy theories that thrive to this day. 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It focuses on a period from about 1880, when the young, hard-working parents, Alec and Lizzie Cranston, arrived in Haddington, through to 1920, when the family they had produced, torn apart by the Great War, broke up as its surviving members pursued separate lives around the globe.  Of seven sons who served in the First World War, four died and two more were horrifically wounded; only one, the youngest, returned home physically unscathed. This book explores the effects of this extreme sacrifi ce on the sons themselves as well as the loved ones they left behind, particularly their mother, Lizzie, who mourned them for the rest of her days.  This is the tale of how a once proud and aspirational Scottish family was devastated by war, and how the effects continued to ripple through time and generations. 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Resisting pernicious sexism and misogyny, they were among the first women to study at university and went on to chart now-vanished worlds, seeking new freedoms in in the wastelands of Siberia, the uncharted interior of New Guinea, on Easter Island, and in the villages of the Nile. Yet upon their return to England, they found only loss, madness and regret waiting for them.  An extraordinary insight into women's suffrage at the turn of the century and a revelatory study of Britain's colonial legacy, Undreamed Shores is an extraordinary portrait of a pioneering quintet whose struggles helped usher in a brighter dawn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA deeply poignant account of five women who defied convention to pioneer female scholarship at immense personal cost. If you want to understand why there is so little historical evidence of women's intellectual achievement, read this. A devastating indictment of prejudice and how it held women back -- Madeleine Bunting\u003cbr\u003eLarson's close and sensitive attention... gives this book, superbly researched and winningly written, its compassionate authority as well as its storytelling zest -- Boyd Tonkin * The Arts Desk *\u003cbr\u003eA vivid and moving history, sensitively told and rigorously researched. -- Sarah Moss\u003cbr\u003eEngrossing, humbling and immensely enjoyable. These five courageous pioneers not only braved extreme conditions and heart-stopping dangers in remote lands, but also the prejudice and hostility of a male-dominated world. Their extraordinary lives are uplifting and tragic in equal measure, and Larson unfolds their story with her customary blend of scholarly insight and page-turning verve -- Wendy Moore\u003cbr\u003eAn absorbing biography of five extraordinary people - the hidden heroines of anthropology - which raises some intriguing questions about their era, and ours -- Jane Robinson, author of Ladies Can't Climb Ladders\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbing... With this tender and luminously written work, Larson has convincingly vindicated [the women's] careers * Rana Mitter, Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eLarson's subjects aren't as well-known as they deserve to be... The expansiveness and meticulousness of Larson's research deserves applause * Lucy Scholes, Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eAn extraordinarily well-crafted, many-layered and captivating book, in which the author makes the amount of research that underlies its chapters seem effortless -- Felix Haas * World Literature Today *\u003cbr\u003eEnthralling... the first generation of professional female anthropologists faced far more prejudice back home than they ever did out in the field -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eUndreamed Shores is a compelling group biography... This is a beautifully written and convincing book that is deeply sympathetic to the difficulties encountered by this first generation of British women anthropologists. It reveals much about how their work at the time was compromised by the myriad ways in which they, and the people they studied, depended on the colonial infrastructure * TLS *","brand":"Granta Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851294097751,"sku":"9781783783342","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781783783342.jpg?v=1710633165"},{"product_id":"prince-albert-the-man-who-saved-the-monarchy-9781782398332","title":"Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChosen as a Book of the Year in \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Highly entertaining' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Enthralling' \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than six decades, Queen Victoria ruled a great Empire at the height of its power. Beside her for more than twenty of those years was the love of her life, her trusted husband and father of their nine children, Prince Albert. But while Victoria is seen as the embodiment of her time, it was Prince Albert, A. N. Wilson expertly argues, who was at the vanguard of Victorian Britain's transformation as a vibrant and extraordinary centre of political, technological, scientific and intellectual advancement. A composer, engineer, soldier, politician, linguist and bibliophile, Prince Albert, more than any other royal, was truly a 'genius'.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilson has produced in this biography what has hitherto been an oxymoron, a highly entertaining book about Albert. -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eMesmerising... An irresistible and informative read... A.N. Wilson's brilliant book is a treat: an absorbing and entertaining guide to the complex tensions of Albert's world. * The i *\u003cbr\u003eEnthralling... [Wilson] writes so exuberantly and perceptively... What keeps his portrait so animated is not only the extensive use of primary sources - chiefly the correspondence lodged in the Royal Archives - but also a novelist's ability to make character vivid and narrative swift... Wilson's account of this remarkable man is unfailingly enjoyable and sharply astute. -- Rupert Christiansen * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eWilson's approach is admiring, argumentative and astute. He is a brisk, irreverent revisionist who likes to find other people's ticklish points. -- Richard Davenport-Hines * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eSubtle, amusing, gripping... Brilliant * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eThis\u003cb\u003e entertaining and beautifully illustrated\u003c\/b\u003e account supports the claim that Albert was \"the man who saved the monarchy.\" It also confirms that A.N. Wilson is one of those rare biographers with the gift of finding words \"at once true and kind\" in which to present the trickiest subject. * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eEngrossing... Mr. Wilson makes good use of documents from the period and has consulted experts, particularly on details having to do with Albert's German background. His most striking contribution, though, is a psychologically astute approach to Victoria and Albert, one that results in a persuasive and humane account of their marriage. * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbing... [Wilson] argues persuasively that Albert's many talents helped reshape the monarchy, fitting it for the modern world and giving it a role in British society that has lasted to the present day. * Daily Mail, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eWaspish AN Wilson delights in stinging comfortable historical prejudices... Albert was a man of culture and intelligence who saved the British monarchy. * The Times, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eIncisive and entertaining -- Helen Rappaport * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the pleasures of Wilson's book is the wit and verve with which it's written, and he does a fine job of reminding us of the many reasons to admire Albert. -- Kate Hubbard * The Oldie *\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbingly readable and impressively succinct. * Michael Hall, Country Life *\u003cbr\u003eThorough, well-written, and insightful -- Simon Heffer * New Criterion *\u003cbr\u003eThis lively, delicious portrait of Prince Albert by distinguished biographer Wilson shows how much the United Kingdom owes to Queen Victoria's adored consort (and cousin)... Anglophiles will relish the inside story of this royal personage. * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eExcellent... A delightfully vivid, opinionated biography that pays almost equal attention to Albert's wife and a colorful supporting cast of early Victorian notables. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *\u003cbr\u003eA magnificently understanding biography of Victoria's spouse....Albert led a brief life-dying at age 42 - but his impact on his adopted homeland, Great Britain, especially on the functioning of the monarchy, was immense, hence the subtitle of this wise new portrait. That is the thesis Wilson develops, comfortably resting his narrative on two legs: complete thoroughness and joyful buoyancy. * Booklist (Starred Review) *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1: Princess Beatrice's War Work 2: His Mother 3: The Wettins 4: Childhood: 'Tout rappelle l'homme à ses devoirs' 5: 'These dearest beloved Cousins': Albert's First Visit to England 6: European Journeys 7: A Somewhat Rough Experience 8: Unbounded Influence 9: Public Art, Public Life 10: Neptune Resigning His Empire to Britannia 11: Malthusian Calamity 12: Cambridge 13: The Year of Revolutions 14: Balmoral 15: The Great Exhibition of 1851: The Making of the Modern World 16: The Great Exhibition: 'so vast, so glorious' 17: Stormy Weather 18: The Prince Consort at Last 19: King in All But Name 20: The Care and Work Begin 21: She Was the Strong One","brand":"Atlantic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851313561943,"sku":"9781782398332","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781782398332.jpg?v=1710634207"},{"product_id":"kings-and-queens-1200-years-of-english-and-british-monarchs-9781529379488","title":"Kings and Queens: 1200 Years of English and","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'We all know about Queen Victoria, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, but how much do we really know about other monarchs? Yes, we know William the Conqueror beat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. We know George III was mad, but what else do we know about his 60 year long reign? We know Henry VIII famously had six wives, but do we know much more about him, other than he was very fat?'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe British monarchy is one of the oldest in the world - dating so far back that even its origins are the subject of debate. Was William the Conqueror the first king of England, or was it Alfred the Great? 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It can be recommended as a short introduction to the horrific nature of the ancien régime and the risks run and suffering borne by its opponents, as they emerge through the prism of the South African legal system -- Daily Telegraph\u003cbr\u003eIn all of [Grant's] chapters, the role of fearless hugely skilled advocacy in creating a belief that the rule of law matters is luminously documented . . . Grant's description of Kentridge's cross-examination of State witnesses who were cynically employed to convict opponents of the apartheid regime should be compulsory reading -- The Daily Maverick\u003cbr\u003eIn November [2022], [Sydney] Kentridge will mark his 100th birthday, and Grant's in-depth research sets the scene for a celebration of a remarkable legal tactician -- Farmer's Weekly\u003cbr\u003eThomas Grant KC has performed a real service by enabling us to get a vivid sense of some of Kentridge's most important cases . . . This is a powerful, but easy, read -- New Law Journal\u003cbr\u003eA forensic, riveting account of a wondrous and principled advocate -- Philippe Sands","brand":"John Murray Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851530518871,"sku":"9781529372984","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781529372984.jpg?v=1710638435"},{"product_id":"hells-half-acre-9781471190322","title":"Hells Half Acre","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eA suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier—shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'A carefully researched and horribly compelling examination of unimaginable evil intruding upon everyday life' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. 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Bear Grylls  ''A desperately tender account ... part love story, part grief memoir ... resolutely uplifting'' Decca Aitkenhead, Guardian  ''Brave, inspiring, and full of love'' Daily Express  ''A chance to get to know the woman behind the headlines - a tiny ball of energy with a heart as big as a lion, a person who wanted to make a difference'' Lorraine Kelly, Sun\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJo Cox''s murder in June 2016 shocked the world. In the aftermath of her tragic death her husband Brendan Cox urged us to remember Jo''s life and what she stood for and not the manner of her death. In this inspiring and impassioned portrait of Jo - as daughter, mother, wife, sister, MP and campaigner - we see how much she gave and much more she had to give. The val\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of Jo's life runs through the book: her childhood growing up in West Yorkshire; winning a place at Cambridge; working for Oxfam where she met Brendan; winning the seat for Labour in 2015 in her childhood constituency which fulfilled a lifelong dream... Jo comes across as \u003cb\u003ea thoroughly decent person who was on a mission to change what she saw as an unjust world\u003c\/b\u003e... And it is all \u003cb\u003eutterly heart-breaking\u003c\/b\u003e because you know as you read the book that all of this happiness, drive and energy is going to come to a sudden, needless and irrevocable end... This is not an easy read. It is overwhelmingly sad at times and the chapters that deal with the immediate aftermath of Jo's death, where Brendan wrestles with how to tell his children what has happened, are almost unbearable... While J\u003ci\u003eo Cox: More In Common\u003c\/i\u003e is raw, painful and shot through with grief, it is also \u003cb\u003ebrave, inspiring and full of love\u003c\/b\u003e. * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA searingly honest \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eand extremely moving book \u003c\/b\u003eabout Jo Cox, which gives us all a chance to get to know the woman behind the headlines and the shocking way she died. 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It was 4 August 1265 and he was about to face the royal army in the final battle of a quarrel that had raged between them for years. Outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and certain to lose, Simon chose to fight, knowing that he could not possibly win the day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Song of Simon de Montfort\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of this extraordinary man: heir to a great warrior, devoted husband and father, fearless crusader knight and charismatic leader. It is the story of a man whose passion for good governance was so fierce that, in 1258, frustrated by the King’s refusal to take the advice of his nobles and the increasing injustice meted out to his subjects, he marched on Henry III’s hall at Westminster and seized the reins of power. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Montfort established a council to rule in the King’s name, overturning the social order in a way that would not be seen again until the rule of Oliver Cromwell in the seventeenth century.  Having defeated the King at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Montfort and his revolutionary council ruled England for some fifteen months, until the enmity between the two sides exploded on that August day in 1265.  When the fighting was over, Montfort and a host of his followers had been cut down on the battlefield, in an outpouring of noble blood that marked the end of chivalry in England as it had existed since the Norman Conquest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Drawing on an abundance of sources that allow us to trace Montfort’s actions and personality in a depth not possible for earlier periods in medieval history, Sophie Thérèse Ambler tells his story with a clarity that reveals all of the excitement, chaos and human tragedy of England’s first revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the finest medieval biographies of recent years. -- Gareth Russell * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eThis is an astonishingly assured debut by an extremely talented young historian. Exhaustively researched and beautifully written, it traces the remarkable life of a military and political giant of the medieval period who has never been more convincingly portrayed -- Saul David * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eIt’s hard to get into the heads of people who lived 800 years ago. This book goes further than you might think possible, by a clever use of letters, legal documents and chronicles; at times, we really can hear this man speak . . . This is a remarkable book: beautifully presented (with good maps and illustrations), finely written and based on a deep, scholarly knowledge of the sources. It’s rare to find a story and a storyteller so well matched. -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eSophie Therese Ambler’s engaging new biography will enthral and horrify in equal measure … \u003ci\u003eThe Song of Simon de Montfort \u003c\/i\u003eis a well-researched, elegantly written and lively portrait of a problematic figure. \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eAmid the valley of dry bones, Ambler breathes life into sources that might otherwise seem arid or dull. Her narrative is expertly paced. Whenever the story threatens to sag or falter, she skips over the drier deserts of fact, moving us from the routine to the remarkable . . . From Evesham to the killing fields of the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses, Simon de Montfort's chief legacy was slaughter and woe. This is, therefore, a song more of lament than of triumph. It is a song that Sophie Therese Ambler sings supremely well. -- Nicholas Vincent * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eRiveting . . . a vivid psychological portrait of the charismatic knight through small but  enlightening details of character . . . \u003ci\u003eT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003ehe Song of Simon de Montfort\u003c\/i\u003e is an engaging foray from a talented historian into one of the most important but least understood eras in English history. -- Emma J. Wells * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eA dramatic story, told here with clarity and insight * History Revealed *\u003cbr\u003eSophie Thérèse Ambler is a dazzlingly talented historian and in her debut biography offers a bold and brilliantly written reassessment of one of (British) history’s most misunderstood figures – the reformer, rebel and scourge of the Plantagenets, Simon de Montfort. Alive with human detail and acute political judgement, this book marks the arrival of a formidably gifted historian. -- Dan Jones\u003cbr\u003eGripping, detailed, and ingenious, \u003ci\u003eThe Song of Simon de Montfort\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling and thrilling story of England's very first revolution. With her beautiful prose, Sophie Ambler successfully crosses the gap between narrative and academic history and brings Simon de Montfort vividly to life -- Dr Estelle Paranque, author of \u003ci\u003eElizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor such a pivotal figure in English history, Simon de Montfort’s remarkable story is one that has been sadly neglected by mainstream history books. Ambler’s riveting volume redresses the balance brilliantly, recounting the electrifying build-up to the nation’s first revolutionary movement and the emergence of a nascent Parliament with page-turning skill. -- Dan Jones * Waterstones Top History Books of 2019 *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSection - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Maps Section - iii: Epigraph Section - iv: Prologue Introduction - v: Introduction Section - vi: A Note on Money Chapter - 1: A Way of Living, and a Way of Dying Chapter - 2: A New Kingdom Chapter - 3: Love Chapter - 4: Holy War Chapter - 5: An Exemplar of Defeat Chapter - 6: Ruler of Gascony Chapter - 7: A New Enemy Chapter - 8: The Seizure of Power Chapter - 9: The Reform of the Kingdom Chapter - 10: Rule by Conscience Chapter - 11: Betrayal Chapter - 12: Revolution Chapter - 13: Triumph Chapter - 14: Disaster Chapter - 15: Evesham Section - vii: Epilogue Section - viii: Notes Index - ix: Index","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851905810775,"sku":"9781509837632","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781509837632.jpg?v=1710648285"},{"product_id":"following-in-the-footsteps-of-henry-tudor-a-historical-guide-from-pembroke-to-bosworth-9781526743305","title":"Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor: A","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of Henry Tudor's march to Bosworth and the throne of England began long before the fatal summer of 1485, with his birth in Pembroke Castle. The gigantic fortress where he spent his childhood years lay some 12 miles inland from the spot where Henry was supposed to have landed in Milford Haven when he came to challenge Richard III in August 1485.  Henry's landing and progress to Bosworth Field were a gamble, but by 1485 the last of the Lancastrian princes had little option but to  chance his arm'. He had worn out his welcome on the Continent and, despite his unpopularity in some quarters of English society, there was the real risk that Richard's reign might finally begin to create stability and financial success - Yorkist stability and success. A gamble, yes, but one that had to be taken if the House of Lancaster was to survive.  In Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor, we hear of the many fascinating stories from Henry's march and the places he visited - a journey that took just over two weeks. It was a time of treachery and double dealing but it culminated with the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginnings of the modern world.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851980161367,"sku":"9781526743305","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781526743305.jpg?v=1710650036"},{"product_id":"cromwell-and-his-women-9781526751546","title":"Cromwell and his Women","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOliver Cromwell, a pivotal and often contentious character, has long been the focus of many historical works that chart his meteoric rise from middle-aged East Anglian farmer with no previous military experience, to command the army and become one of England's greatest generals. Like him or loathe him, Oliver Cromwell is a giant of English history.   With a deft hand and strong narrative, Whitehead guides us through the remarkable life and career of Oliver Cromwell from a unique perspective. He explores not only the effect the women in Cromwell's life had on him, but how his career in turn dramatically altered their lives. His wife Elizabeth become  Her Highness the Lady Protectress' and his four daughters were treated as princesses before their lives turned upside down at the Restoration. We learn of Cromwell's close relationship with his mother, who lived with him throughout her long life, and of his deep attachment to Elizabeth, who he married at 22 and without whom it is doubtful he would have achieved all he did.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851980357975,"sku":"9781526751546","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781526751546.jpg?v=1710650046"},{"product_id":"pirate-hunter-the-life-of-captain-woodes-rogers-9781526760777","title":"Pirate Hunter: The Life of Captain Woodes Rogers","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn 2 August 1708 Captain Woodes Rogers set sail from Bristol with two ships, the Duke and Dutchess, on an epic voyage of circumnavigation that was to make himfamous. His mission was to attack, plunder and pillage Spanish ships wherever he could. And, as Graham Thomas shows in this tense and exciting narrative, after a series of pursuits and sea battles he returned laden with booty and with a reputation as one of the most audacious and shrewd fighting captains of the age. He was then appointed governor of the Bahamas by George I with the task of suppressing the pirates who roamed this corner of the Caribbean and preyed on its shipping. He was equally successful as a privateer and pirate-hunter in an age when brutality and ruthlessness were the law of the sea.  This study of Woodes Rogers is the first modern biography of an extraordinary adventurer. It is fascinating reading.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851980587351,"sku":"9781526760777","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781526760777.jpg?v=1710650059"},{"product_id":"richard-iii-in-the-north-9781526777171","title":"Richard III in the North","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRichard III is England's most controversial king. Forever associated with the murder of his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, he divides the nation. As spectacular as his death at Bosworth in August 1485 - the last king of England to die in battle - the astonishing discovery of his bones under a Leicester car park five centuries later renewed interest in him and re-opened old debates. Is he the world's most wicked uncle; or is he (in the words of the man who most smeared him) 'a prince more sinned against than sinning'?  Richard was not born in the North; neither did he die there, but this detailed look at his life, tracing his steps over the thirty-three years that he lived, focuses on the area that he loved and made his own. As Lord of the North, he had castles at Middleham and Sheriff Hutton, Penrith and Sandal. He fought the Scots along the northern border and on their own territory. His son was born at Middleham and was invested as Prince of Wales at York Minster, where Richard planned to set up a college of 100 priests.  His white boar device can be found in obscure corners of churches and castles; his laws, framed in the single parliament of his short reign, gave rights to the people who served him and loved him north of the Trent. And when he felt threatened or outnumbered by his enemies during the turbulent years of the Wars of the Roses, it was to the men of the North that he turned for support and advice. They became his knights of the body; members of the Council of the North which outlived Richard by a 150 years. They died with him at Bosworth.  Although we cannot divorce Richard from the violent politics of the day or from events that happened far to the South, it was in the North that Richard's heart lay.   The North was his home. It was the place he loved.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851980685655,"sku":"9781526777171","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"assad-the-triumph-of-tyranny-9781529074888","title":"Assad: The Triumph of Tyranny","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Important, compelling, and detailed . . . a superb analysis of the West’s policy missteps and the tragic consequences of them.'\u003c\/b\u003e - General David Petraeus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAssad: The Triumph of Tyranny\u003c\/i\u003e, Con Coughlin, veteran commentator on war in the Middle East and author of \u003ci\u003eSaddam: The Secret Life\u003c\/i\u003e, examines how a mild-mannered ophthalmic surgeon has transformed himself into the tyrannical ruler of a once flourishing country.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUntil the Arab Spring of 2011, the world’s view of Bashar al-Assad was largely benign. He and his wife, a former British banker, were viewed as philanthropic individuals doing their best to keep their country at peace. So much so that a profile of Mrs Assad in American \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e was headlined ‘The Rose in the Desert’. Shortly after it appeared, Syria descended into the horrific civil war that has seen its cities reduced to rubble and thousands murdered and displaced, a civil war that is still raging over a decade later.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this vivid and authoritative account Con Coughlin draws together all the strands of Assad's remarkable story, revealing precisely how a young doctor ensured not only that he inherited the presidency from his father, but has held on to power by whatever means necessary, continuing to preside over one of the most brutal regimes of modern times.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEngrossing\u003c\/b\u003e . . . 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Sympathetic but scrupulous to the last -- Jessie Childs * Sunday Telegraph *\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732293955927,"sku":"9780099555278","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099555278.jpg?v=1719996299"},{"product_id":"into-the-silence-9780099563839","title":"Into The Silence","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE 2012 SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA monumental work of history, biography and adventure - the First World War, Mallory and Mount Everest\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘The price of life is death’ \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Mallory, as for all of his generation, death was but ‘a frail barrier that men crossed, smiling and gallant, every day’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe the prime minister should read it -- Stephen Frears * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eI was enthralled by Wade Davis’s \u003ci\u003eInto the Silence, \u003c\/i\u003ean account of three failed Everest expeditions leading up to the death of Mallory in 1924, which brilliantly places those feats of endurance in the context of British imperialism and the psychological aftermath of the First World War -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[An] epic story\u003c\/b\u003e * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eI was captivated.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eWade Davis has penned an exceptional book on an extraordinary generation. \u003c\/b\u003eFrom the pathos of the trenches to the inevitable tragedies high on Everest this is a book deserving of awards -- Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void\u003cbr\u003ePowerful and profound, a moving, epic masterpiece of literature, history and hope * Sunday Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732300443991,"sku":"9780099563839","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099563839.jpg?v=1719996323"},{"product_id":"the-lion-house-9780099578697","title":"The Lion House","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristopher de Bellaigue\u003c\/b\u003e is the award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent\u003c\/i\u003e, which was chosen as a book of the year by \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSpectator \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e New Yorker \u003c\/i\u003eamong others, as well as five previous books, including\u003ci\u003e The Islamic Enlightenment\u003c\/i\u003e, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2017. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a reporter he has covered war, politics, society and the environment in five continents for the \u003ci\u003eEconomist\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e and the BBC. He is the founder of the Lake District Book Festival in Cartmel, Cumbria, an Honorary Fellow of the University of St Andrews and in 2026 he will take up a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.christopherdebellaigue.com\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere are books that enlarge the mind, there are books that enrich the soul, but rarely comes a book so beautifully-written and profound that it manages to do both\u003c\/b\u003e -- ELIF SHAFAK, author of The Island of Missing Trees\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe most daring history book of the year ... told in the present tense with all the dash and flair of a novel. \u003c\/b\u003eThe research is faultless: we are immersed ... it brilliantly conveys a sense of colour and momentum, placing the reader in the thick of the action. \u003cb\u003eUnforgettable\u003c\/b\u003e -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Times \u0026amp; Sunday Times Best Books of 2022 *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is history, but not as we know it\u003c\/b\u003e. It is non-fiction posing as a novel, rich in incident and cinematic detail ... \u003cb\u003eit's tremendous\u003c\/b\u003e -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn urgent, immersive, present-tense gallop ... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ethe book reads as a non-fiction novel\u003c\/b\u003e ... cinematically vivid tableaux ... Each spangled scene ... rests on a solid foundation in the primary sources ... De Bellaigue enriches his storytelling with the colourful, meticulous dispatches of its traders, envoys and spies ... \u003cb\u003ebehind the bejewelled descriptive prose a thumping pulse of action tugs us through\u003c\/b\u003e ... de Bellaigue's glittering, deft and often witty prose adds pleasure to each page * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLuminous, erudite ... a gripping account that evokes an epic poem, saga or 'book of kings' ... It is as immersive as the blurb claims\u003c\/b\u003e, conjuring the world of the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and south-eastern Europe in the early 16th century with the limpid clarity of the many gems that stud its pages ... \u003cb\u003eEven more than the detail, it is the characters that intrigue and often inspire ... The book leaves the reader with Suleiman truly magnificent\u003c\/b\u003e * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMesmerising . . . \u003c\/b\u003esteeped in the \u003cb\u003esensuous detail of banquet and ceremony, stratagem and conspiracy\u003c\/b\u003e -- Colin Thubron\u003cbr\u003eA\u003cb\u003e brilliantly written \u003c\/b\u003eaccount of the Ottoman empire in all its opulence and brutality. \u003cb\u003eRich in colourful historical anecdotes\u003c\/b\u003e, de Bellaigue brings 16th-century statecraft \u003cb\u003evividly alive\u003c\/b\u003e, and offers a \u003cb\u003echilling insight\u003c\/b\u003e into the ruthlessness and loneliness of one of the most powerful men of the age * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA vivid, cinematic account of the rise of Suleyman the Magnificent ... \u003c\/b\u003ede Bellaigue follows with \u003cb\u003eexhilarating clarity and suspense\u003c\/b\u003e the era's broader battles across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and the individual trajectories - grand ambitions, rivalries, betrayals - of these outsiders in Suleyman's court,\u003cb\u003e a place rife with intrigue and back-stabbing, rich with colourful characters\u003c\/b\u003e -- Claire Messud * Harper's *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThose lucky readers who come to Christopher de Bellaigue's book in proximity to reading Mantel can suddenly have a new panel thrown open to them like an unfolding altarpiece\u003c\/b\u003e ... all written in the present tense. This creates the obvious sense of liveliness and urgency ... Bellaigue sets about the task with such confidence and skill that it works ...\u003cb\u003e a dazzling and dark work. Witty and often wise, it speaks to the frailties and the precarity of power\u003c\/b\u003e -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVivid and compelling\u003c\/b\u003e ... He presents his story like a novel, but it is not fiction; every detail has been \u003cb\u003ediligently researched\u003c\/b\u003e, for example by perusing diaries in difficult Venetian dialect ... Whether he is describing a lavish dinner for Italian merchants on the Bosporus, the stately progress of Suleiman's armies through the Balkans or a mass circumcision, he has an eye for the \u003cb\u003ecolourful\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eabsurd\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eironic\u003c\/b\u003e ... As this book shows, living in the penumbra of such supreme power can be \u003cb\u003eseductive\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eintoxicating\u003c\/b\u003e. But the end of the story is often tragic * Economist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWolf Hall \u003c\/i\u003efor the Ottoman Empire ... History at its most gripping\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eThis account \u003cb\u003ereally grips\u003c\/b\u003e... it does so by bringing out the \u003cb\u003efascinating individuals\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003eadventure\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003elurid details\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003ebarbarities\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb\u003eopulence\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003esqualor\u003c\/b\u003e and near misses of the story -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoised effortlessly between two worlds and two ages, a book as pungent and mysterious as the age it depicts\u003c\/b\u003e -- RORY STEWART, former British Cabinet Minister and author of The Places In Between\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA complex piece of history told with extraordinary clarity\u003c\/b\u003e * Spectator, *Best Books of 2022* *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eChristopher de Bellaigue has a magic talent for writing history \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eIt is as if we are there as the era of Suleyman the Magnificent unfolds\u003c\/b\u003e -- ORHAN PAMUK, Nobel Laureate in Literature\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEssential reading for anyone wishing to understand political ambition and the role of narcissistic leaders and scheming courtiers in any age\u003c\/b\u003e -- ROBERT PESTON, Political Editor ITV News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGripping, novelistic \u003c\/b\u003e... brisk and muscular ... written in a sure-footed historical present, the book creates a simulacrum of the 16th century through the painstaking accumulation of attested details ... [giving] the book its vividness and energy ... \u003cb\u003e[De Bellaigue] writes with supreme confidence about power, diplomacy, clothing, avarice, war, statecraft and the exceptional brutality of the era\u003c\/b\u003e ... While \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e unfolds like a novel, through scenes rich with authenticating detail -- Marcel Theroux * The New York Times Book Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDe Bellaigue is a riveting and expert guide to the story of Suleyman's quest for power\u003c\/b\u003e -- PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNarrated with a verve and flair that make the characters burst from the pages. Outstanding history and an incredibly good read\u003c\/b\u003e -- EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Fall of the Ottomans\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExquisite ... So arresting is this book, so enveloping in the tensions of its narrative, that most readers will feel a pang of sorrow that the tale does not run on. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lion House \u003c\/i\u003eleaves us with a tease, or taunt: \"Who, apart from God, can say what will come next?\" A sequel, surely. Although it was the peak of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman's reign also offers clear glimpses of a great decline to come. Who better to tell us about it than Mr de Bellaigue? * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNon-fiction with the readability of a thriller. Unputdownable\u003c\/b\u003e -- VICTORIA HISLOP, author of The Island\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSensuous and scholarly, meticulously researched and deliciously irreverent, \u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e is an intoxicating journey through the Ottomans' golden age\u003c\/b\u003e -- AMBERIN ZAMAN, correspondent, Al-Monitor, Turkey correspondent for the Economist (1999-2016) and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReads like the most gripping fiction ... could very well \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ebe Netflix's next epic\u003c\/b\u003e * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lion House\u003c\/i\u003e presents a historical universe that captivates and astonishes and is near-impossible to put down. A superb example of historical literature and research\u003c\/b\u003e -- RICHARD WHATMORE, Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFull of breath-taking events at the cross-roads of empires at a moment in history when notions such as Europe, Asia, Christianity and Islam were infinitely more fluid and permeable than they are today\u003c\/b\u003e -- KEREM OKTEM, Professor of International Relations at Ca' Foscari University, Venice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal\u003c\/b\u003e... de Bellaigue... offers a \u003cb\u003evivid presentation\u003c\/b\u003e of events, re-imagined as scenes and episodes... a \u003cb\u003edifferent, literary kind\u003c\/b\u003e [of history] -- Noel Malcolm * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eDe Bellaigue \u003cb\u003ewrites with impecable scholarship\u003c\/b\u003e, piecing together contemporary accounts to create \u003cb\u003ea thrilling narrative\u003c\/b\u003e * Church Times *\u003cbr\u003eDe Bellaigue is \u003cb\u003ean expert stylist, sensitive to rhythm and vocabulary\u003c\/b\u003e, and passionate in his pursuit of the fugitive detail that gives meaning to a whole episode * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eexhilarating read\u003c\/b\u003e -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eengrossing \u003c\/b\u003ebook... This is \u003cb\u003ehistory turned into drama and poetry, awesomely spectacular yet also intensely intimate\u003c\/b\u003e -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * iNews *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732309258583,"sku":"9780099578697","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099578697.jpg?v=1719996358"},{"product_id":"kershaw-i-hitler-18891936-9780140133639","title":"Kershaw I Hitler 18891936","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIan Kershaw''s \u003ci\u003eHitler 1889-1936: Hubris\u003c\/i\u003e charts the rise of Adolf Hitler, from a bizarre misfit in a Viennese dosshouse, to dictatorial leadership.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith extraordinary skill and vividness, drawing on a huge range of sources, Kershaw recreates the world which first thwarted and then nurtured Hitler in his youth, from early childhood to the first successes of the Nazi Party.\u003cbr\u003e  As his seemingly pitiful fantasy of being Germany''s saviour attracted more and more support, Kershaw brilliantly conveys why so many Germans adored Hitler, connived with him or felt powerless to resist him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ''Supersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write''\u003cbr\u003e  David Cannadine, \u003ci\u003eObserver \u003c\/i\u003eBooks of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ''The Hitler biography for the 21st century ... cool, judicious, factually reliable and intelligently argued''\u003cbr\u003e  Richard Evans, \u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ''One of \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSupersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write -- David Cannadine * Observer Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eThe Hitler biography for the 21st century ... cool, judicious, factually reliable and intelligently argued ... 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