Biography: historical, political and military Books
Turner Publishing Company Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of
Book SynopsisWinston Churchill was one of the most extraordinary leaders of the twentieth century. What was it that enabled him to stand so steadfastly when all those around him seemed to turn back in fear? What was it that enabled him to inspire whole nations to endure the unendurable and to achieve the unachievable when all those around him had already surrendered all hope? This remarkable new study of Churchill's leadership skill answers these questions and more. The result is an account that is as inspiring today as it was more than half a century ago when the great man' shadow fell large across the world stage. According to Henry Kissinger, "Our age finds it difficult to come to grips with Churchill. The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. The distinction is crucial. Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the...future they see it as their risk to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support; heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of their inner values." Winston Churchill was a hero.Trade Review“Stephen Mansfield possesses a God-given mantle of leadership—historically and Biblically. I feel these strengths are expressed in his book Never Give In, which details the life of England’s brave knight who possessed and practiced the virtues that embody a truly great leader.” —John S. Wilder, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate, State of Tennessee
£999.99
Scribe Publications Ruth Bader Ginsburg: a life
Book SynopsisThe definitive account of an icon who shaped gender equality for all women. In this comprehensive, revelatory biography — fifteen years of interviews and research in the making — historian Jane Sherron De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, and her meticulous jurisprudence. At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs was her Jewish background, specifically the concept of tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to ‘repair the world’, with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II. Ruth’s journey began with her mother, who died tragically young but whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism. It stretches from Ruth’s days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn’s James Madison High School to Cornell University to Harvard and Columbia Law Schools; to becoming one of the first female law professors in the country and having to fight for equal pay and hide her second pregnancy to avoid losing her job; to becoming the director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and arguing momentous anti-sex-discrimination cases before the US Supreme Court. All this, even before being nominated in 1993 to become the second woman on the Court, where her crucial decisions and dissents are still making history. Intimately, personably told, this biography offers unprecedented insight into a pioneering life and legal career whose profound impact will reverberate deep into the twenty-first century and beyond.Trade Review‘Readable and rewarding … Ginsburg is a true-blue legal icon.’ -- Michelle Olsen * NPR *‘Engaging and admiring.’ * The Wall Street Journal *‘An accomplished account of Ginsburg’s life that also probes the fissures of feminism as it developed over the past 70 years … offers a humane and definitive portrait of Ginsburg’s life and times, full of context and colour.’ -- Frieda Klotz * Sunday Independent *‘[A]n excellent biography based on archives and interviews with colleagues and friends: In its comprehensiveness, range and attention to detail, this is a vivid account of a remarkable life ... De Hart’s chapters on the landmark cases Ginsburg argued, which were the original core of her book project, are detailed and accessible.’ -- Jeffrey Rosen * The Washington Post *‘In a revealing new biography, 15 years in the making, Jane Sherron De Hart helps untangle the mystery of the decorous Ginsburg as feminist gladiator.’ -- Dahlia Lithwick * The Atlantic *‘This hefty book of more than seven hundred pages portrays the history of an outstanding legal expert known and applauded for her advancement of gender equality and civil rights. It is an American story that should be read as an example of what is possible when one has family support, internal grit, moral certainty, and scholarly expertise. Read about Ginsburg’s role in the ACLU, look into case histories, watch her as a college professor, look at the political wrangling, and examine her performance as a judge in the Appeals Courts and as a Supreme Court Justice. This is a wondrous tale, recorded well, that resounds as an American epic.’ -- Aron Row * Seattle Book Review *‘An in-depth biography of the Supreme Court justice who has become a pop-culture icon.’ * USA Today *‘De Hart’s thorough biography relates this life story with a nice sense of the sweep of feminist and legal history that is contained within it.’ * Minneapolis Star Tribune *‘The first comprehensive biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg … De Hart excels in explaining the majority opinions, and later the dissents, in which she participated with remarkable clarity, illuminating the issues, the competing positions, and the significance of each in language easily grasped by readers with no legal training (for a nonlawyer, De Hart has a remarkable grasp of court jurisprudence) ... A monumental biography of one of the most influential and revered Supreme Court justices of the last century.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *‘De Hart's great strength is her ability to explain Ginsburg's cases and the legal strategies she employed … An insightful, fascinating, and admiring biography of one of America's most extraordinary jurists.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Meticulously researched … Ginsburg’s career is skillfully placed within the context of American social and political history.’ * Library Journal *‘Passionate and thorough … A major event in scholarship on American law.’ * Washington Monthly *‘Scholarly, yet accessible … Rewarding and compelling.’ * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *‘Magisterial and timely … Written in clear language and grounded in historical context.’ * The Forward *‘Compelling … De Hart succeeds in showing us that the 107th person to be appointed to the Supreme Court is much more than a pop culture icon.’ * Jewish Journal *‘A masterful biography that adds depth and insight to Ginsburg's only-in-America life story.’ -- Kenneth Jost * Washington Independent Review of Books *‘De Hart displays an impressive grasp of each area of Ginsburg's legal influence, from women's rights to voting rights to gay rights to immigrant rights, with a particular focus on striking down laws that discriminated on the basis of gender.’ -- Mary Ann Gwinn * Newsweek *‘Does a daunting job of restoring Ginsburg’s impressive roots … As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ De Hart leaves no doubt that, in Justice Ginsburg’s hands, that arc will undoubtedly continue to bend.’ -- Priscilla Kipp * BookPage *‘A rigorous, comprehensive, deftly written biography.’ * The National Book Review *‘Couldn't have come at a more opportune time ... This in-depth tome clocks in at more than 500 pages, but promises a first-of-its kind look inside RBG's personal and professional lives ... already at the top of our holiday shopping lists for the formidable women and girls in our lives.’ -- Quinn Keany * Popsugar *‘De Hart dynamically devotes more than 500 pages to the amazing life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg … This extensively documented account … is also quite engaging and very easy to read.’ STARRED REVIEW -- Kathleen McBroom * Booklist *Praise for Women's America: refocusing the past: ‘Women's America is exceptional at providing a variety of perspectives, experiences, and knowledge about women's economic, social, cultural, political, and sexual lives throughout a broad expanse of time and geography.’ -- Sandra Slater, College of Charleston
£10.44
Bonnier Books Ltd Lion Rampant: The Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Book SynopsisLion Rampant is Robert Woollcombe's graphic account of his experiences as a front-line infantry officer with the King's Own Scottish Borderers during the desperate battle for Normandy and the Allied advance into Germany. Vividly evoking the confusion, horror and comradeship of war - from the killing fields of Normandy bocage, through house-to-house fighting in shattered Flemish towns, to the final Rhine crossing - Lion Rampant is a powerful, authentic and moving story, telling with extraordinary clarity how the author, his fellow officers and the men of his company lived through one of the most bitter campaigns in history.Trade Review"'One of the most vivid personal memoirs of the Second World War. Few writers have bettered his description of the experiences of front line infantrymen under the stress of battle.' (Max Hastings) 'Lion Rampant is much more than the story of one man's war: it speaks for many, with modesty, eloquence, and a fine blend of objectivity and enthusiasm. It is a story of comradeship, endurance and sheer fighting skill.' (Cecil Day-Lewis) 'Perhaps the best picture - painted in dark colours shot through by the bright light of valour - that has yet been given of war.' (Glasgow Herald)"
£7.59
Orion Publishing Co Napoleon
Book SynopsisA short and vivid biography, which deconstructs the Napoleonic myth and reveals the reality of his rule.'Written with his customary verve and certainty' Andrew Roberts, SUNDAY TELEGRAPHWritten with great wit and panache, this biography also has a serious purpose: to make us face up to the moral bankruptcy of Napoleon's dictatorship. Johnson tells the whole story: his astonishing gift for battle tactics and his complete control of propaganda. His audacious, hyperactive and aggressive leadership alongside his failure as an international statesman, as Europe grew to hate him. His marshals and ministers; his wives, mistresses. The mistakes he made; the escape from Elba, and the world-changing events leading up to Waterloo and the battle itself. This riveting account is a fascinating look at one of the most notorious military leaders of all time.Trade ReviewIt is lucidly written, and enlivened by personal details and well-chosen quotations -- William Doyle * TLS *Written with his customary verve and certainty -- Andrew Roberts * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Thoughtful and incisive * INDEPENDENT *
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Henry IV Part I Part II
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.The better part of valour is discretion.'King Henry IV's son, Prince Harry is quick-witted yet idle and irresponsible and lives a roguish existence keeping dubious company. However, when the kingdom is threatened, Prince Harry shows his true worth and heroism and begins a journey of transformation from layabout to noble leader.
£5.62
Orion Publishing Co Four Queens The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled
Book SynopsisThe four beautiful, cultured and clever daughters of the Count and Countess of Provence made illustrious marriages and lived at the epicentre of political power and intrigue in 13th-century Europe.Marguerite accompanied her husband, King Louis IX of France, on his disastrous first crusade to the Holy Land, where straight from childbirth she ransomed him from the Mamluks. And with her sister Eleanor, queen of England, Marguerite engineered a sturdy peace between France and England. Ambitious Eleanor walked a narrow line while she struggled to build her own power base without alienating her cowardly husband, Henry III. Beatrice''s coronation as queen of Sicily was the culmination of her long, hard-fought campaign to earn respect from her world-famous, mightily accomplished older siblings. Sanchia wed one of the richest men in Europe, but her reign as queen of Germany, brought her only misery. From Goldstone''s rich, beautifully woven tapestry, medieval Europe sTrade ReviewThis highly readable book is set against the bloody and turbulent backdrop of medieval Europe...a fascinating account * CATHOLIC HERALD *A gripping narrative -- the author is particularly good on the theatricality of the age * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *
£10.99
Sandstone Press Ltd Blue Eyes and a Wild Spirit: A Life of Dorothy
Book SynopsisDorothy Wellesley was a poet, gardener, traveller and heiress; she was also bisexual and a rebel. She became the lover of Vita Sackville-West, wrecking her marriage to the Duke of Wellington. She was the intimate friend of W.B. Yeats in his final years. On the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group, she had a unique view of these iconic writers and artists. Blue Eyes and a Wild Spirit, written by Dorothy’s granddaughter Jane Wellesley, draws on unpublished material, including private Wellesley family papers and hitherto unknown source materials. This is a riveting biography of a complex and fascinating woman.Trade ReviewA tender, warm biography... A story for our times. * The Independent *A fascinating, reckless and maverick member of one of the nation’s most famous families.An extraordinary woman, an extraordinary life. This is an engaging study – a treat of a book.
£24.00
Cambridge University Press Wilhelm II
Book SynopsisThis final volume in John Röhl's acclaimed biography of Wilhelm II explores the Kaiser's role in the international crises leading up to the outbreak of war in 1914. It also charts his experience of exile in Holland and his frustrated hopes that the Nazis would restore him to the throne.Trade Review'A masterpiece and one of the greatest political biographies of our times.' Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Times'The single most important recent contribution to the debate on the causes of the First World War.' BBC History Magazine'One of the outstanding biographies of the past twenty years.' Philip Mansel, The Spectator'A powerful and impressive thesis.' Jonathan Sperber, The Times Literary Supplement'Devastating.' Norman Stone, Literary Review'Magisterial is the only word that adequately describes Röhl's final installment of his authoritative biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. This massive tome examines in a most engaging way the personal role the Kaiser played in facilitating the major political and diplomatic crises leading to the Great War … Highly recommended.' M. A. Mengerink, Choice'Reviewers of Röhl's work will find it difficult to avoid echoing each other: adjectives such as 'monumental' and 'definitive' are well-nigh inescapable in the face of this enormous achievement … Future researchers with an interest in any aspect of the Kaiser's life or his role in the government of Imperial Germany will find Röhl an indispensable guide to the documentary record.' Andrew G. Bonnell, European History Quarterly'This book is the final instalment of John Röhl's exhaustive and magisterial three-volume biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Like the two preceding parts, this volume is meticulously researched, full of new insights, beautifully written and, notwithstanding its great length and substantial weight, difficult to put down. Taken either on its own or as the culmination of a trilogy, it is a monumental achievement…This is an outstanding work. So much new research and scholarship has gone into completing it that it is difficult to imagine what other new documents might be out there waiting to be unearthed that would materially add to what Röhl has written. Equally, with this volume and its two predecessors in the public domain it is hard to see why anyone else would attempt a new study of Wilhelm II. While no work of history ever has the final word, surely this is as close to definitive as a biography can get.' Matthew S. Seligmann, The English Historical Review'Scholars of the period owe a great debt to Röhl. Whether, in the final analysis, one agrees with his reading of Wilhelm, Röhl has redirected attention to the importance of human agency in history. In tandem, he has also liberated his subject both from being a caricature, a cardboard cutout knave, and from the less-than-benign neglect of those with structuralist predilections.' T. G. Otte, The Journal of Modern HistoryTable of Contents1. Death and transfiguration; 2. The Kaiser and England during the Boer War; 3. 'I am the balance of power in Europe': Wilhelm between Britain, Russia and France; 4. The Boxer Rebellion and the Baghdad Railway; 5. The shabby compromise: Wilhelm II and Bülow's Chancellorship; 6. Wilhelm II and the Germans, 1900–1904; 7. 'We two make history and destiny is in our hands!' Kaiser and Tsar on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War; 8. The Anglo-German antagonism: the Kaiser, the King and public opinion; 9. The Kaiser and America; 10. Uncle and nephew: Edward VII and the 'encirclement' of Germany; 11. East Asia in flames: the Russo-Japanese War and its consequences; 12. Operational plans for a war in Western Europe; 13. 'Paris must get one in the eye from us one day!' The Kaiser and the First Morocco Crisis; 14. 'A turning point in the history of Europe', or the fiasco of Björkö; 15. Balance of power or hegemony? The Anglo-German conflict and the quarrel with King Edward; 16. Humiliation in Algeciras; 17. 'Encirclement': caught in the web of the Entente; 18. Germany's 'Dreadnought Leap': the Kaiser and 'his' navy; 19. The zenith of personal monarchy: the Kaiser and the government on the eve of the great crisis; 20. 'Kings are only human, after all': scandals at the Hohenzollern court; 21. Prince Eulenburg's downfall: the campaign against the Liebenberg 'Camarilla'; 22. The Kaiser's visit to Windsor and Highcliffe, November-December 1907; 23. The hot summer of 1908: on the verge of war with Britain; 24. 'Our Kaiser and his People!' The crisis of Wilhelm's personal monarchy; 25. Nemesis: Wilhelm II and the Daily Telegraph affair; 26. Upheaval in the Balkans: Kaiser Wilhelm and the Bosnian Annexation Crisis of 1908–09; 27. The 'pantomime': from Bülow to Bethmann Hollweg; 28. Wilhelm and the direction of foreign policy under Bethmann Hollweg; 29. The king is dead, or new hopes of an agreement with England; 30. Agadir: the leap of the Panther; 31. 'The enemy identified': the acceleration of the naval race and the growing menace of war; 32. 'Already leader of the United States of Europe'? The Kaiser and the debacle of the Haldane Mission; 33. November 1912: the strategic switch from West to East; 34. Deterrence: the unresolved problem of Britain's neutrality; 35. 'Berlin has warned us off again': the 'postponed racial war against Slavdom'; 36. Kaiser and Reich: Wilhelm's Personal Monarchy on the eve of war; 37. 'With head held high and hand on hilt!' Preparations for war 1913–14; 38. Summer 1914: the decision for war; 39. The Kaiser's last Norwegian cruise; 40. Confusion in Potsdam: the fear of Britain's involvement; 41. Into the abyss: the outbreak of war; 42. The Supreme War Lord in the First World War; 43. The Kaiser's war aims; 44. Downfall: the collapse of the Hohenzollern monarchy; 45. The unicorn in winter: a new life in exile; 46. 'Blood must flow, much blood': the Kaiser and the 'swinish' Weimar Republic; 47. Monarch by the grace of Hitler? Wilhelm II and the Third Reich.
£52.24
John Wiley & Sons Inc The Last Great Frenchman
Book SynopsisCritical acclaim for The Last Great Frenchman This is a splendid popular biography . . . recounted with verveand anecdotal warmth, along with fresh appraisals of de Gaulle''scareer as soldier, politician, and head of state. --PublishersWeekly. Highly readable. . . . It is to Williams'' credit that he is ableto get so close to such a prickly personality. --San FranciscoChronicle Charles Williams has matched a great subject by something near toa great book. --Daily Telegraph (London) Marvelous vignettes. . . . Williams tells his story with pace andskill. --Martin GilbertTable of ContentsPartial table of contents: CHILD. A Parisian Boy from Lille. The Steps of St Ignatius. SOLDIER. The Army of the Republic. A War to End Wars. Polish Interlude. Petain's Chicken. A Toe in Political Waters. The Cut of the Sickle. Is He a New Napoleon? EXILE. Laying the Corner Stone. Afric's Sunny Fountains. Who is Fighting Whom? The Eagle and the Bear Join the Party. Resistance on All Fronts. Mediterranean Storms. The Darlan Deal. From Anfa to Algiers. Waiting for Overlord. HERO. A Parisian Summer. Government Must Govern. POLITICIAN. With Peace Comes Politics. The Gamble that Failed. PHILOSOPHER. A Certain Idea of France. On Public and Private Life. HEAD OF STATE. The New Agenda. Baiting Uncle Sam. The Ides of May. Epilogue: Return to Colombey. Notes. Select Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.
£17.84
Faber & Faber Wittgensteins Poker
Book SynopsisOn 25 October 1946, in a crowded room in Cambridge, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted only ten minutes, and did not go well. Almost immediately, rumours started to spread around the world that the two philosophers had come to blows, armed with red-hot pokers. But what really happened? Wittgenstein''s Poker engagingly winds together philosophy, history and biography into a compelling piece of detective work. It ranges from the place of assimilated Jews in fin-de-siècle Vienna, to what happens to memory under stress, to a vivid portrait of Cambridge and its eccentric set of philosophy dons, including Bertrand Russell (who acted as umpire during the altercation). At the centre of the story stand the philosophers themselves, proud, irascible, larger than life, and spoiling for a fight.''Those ten minutes shook the world of Western philosophy literally to its foundations . . . Edmonds and
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Anne Neville
Book SynopsisAnne Neville was queen to England's most notorious king, Richard III. She was immortalised by Shakespeare for the remarkable nature of her marriage, a union which brought together a sorrowing widow with her husband's murderer. Anne's misfortune did not end there. In addition to killing her first husband, Richard also helped kill her father, father-in-law and brother-in-law, imprisoned her mother, and was suspected of poisoning Anne herself. Dying before the age of thirty, Anne Neville packed into her short life incident enough for many adventurous careers, but was often, apparently, the passive instrument of others' evil intentions. This fascinating new biography seeks to tell the story of Anne's life in her own right, and uncovers the real wife of Richard III by charting the remarkable twists and turns of her fraught and ultimately tragic life.
£9.49
The History Press Ltd Richard III Classic Histories Series
Book SynopsisA history of Richard III
£12.28
Ohio University Press Julius Nyerere
Book SynopsisWith vision, hard-nosed judgment, and biting humor, Julius Nyerere confronted the challenges of nation building in modern Africa. Constructing Tanzania out of a controversial Cold War union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, Nyerere emerged as one of independent Africa’s most influential leaders.Trade Review“Bjerk succeeds in debating the legacy of Nyerere through six short chapters. The book recognises the highs and lows of Nyerere’s illustrious political careers and balances this in a manner befitting a great African statesman … This book offers that opportunity to understand Tanzania’s political culture and history through the life and times of Mwalimu Nyerere.” * Africa at LSE *“A highly welcome and urgently needed addition to the historical literature on African politicians.…Due to its readability, brevity, and appealing portrayal of the complexities of politicking, the book is well suited for classroom use, but it is also of interest to those already familiar with Tanzanian history.…The book can be wholeheartedly recommended to students of political biographies, postcolonial politics, decolonization, and African contemporary history, and anybody interested in socialist thought and experiments across the globe.” * H-Net *“Bjerk’s embrace of contradiction and complexity allows him to address [an] amorphous question of legacy, and he draws deeply on the full range of existing scholarship about Tanzania.” * Global Africana Review *
£12.99
Yale University Press Bugsy Siegel
Book SynopsisThe story of the notorious Jewish gangster who ascended from impoverished beginnings to the glittering Las Vegas stripTrade Review"Fast-paced and absorbing. . . . With a keen eye for the amusing, and humanizing detail, [Shnayerson] enlivens the traditional rise-and-fall narrative."—Jenna Weissman Joselit, New York Times Book Review "[A] brisk-reading chronicle of Siegel’s life and crimes."—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal“A pacey and thoughtful biography...part of Yale University Press's excellent Jewish Lives series”—The Economist“This latest, punchiest and most compact biography of Siegel arrives in the Yale ‘Jewish Lives’ series...Shnayerson’s brief life of Bugsy is a fun, absorbing read that helps make sense of an emotionally complex gangster. And it’s just long enough to fill one of those transatlantic flights many of us are waiting to take again."—Scott Bradfield, The Spectator “This is an excellent biography for those more interested in the shape of Siegel's life and career rather than the lurid details, and it is admirably cautious on the mythology.”—Strong Words“Shnayerson does a remarkable job of humanizing a man he admits to being "a vicious killer”....He even poses reasonable objections to the common belief that Siegel was a sociopath."—Michael Saler, Times Literary Supplement“An amazing job. I learned a lot. A great book about real gangsters when gangsters were real.”—Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy“Insightful, well-written, and carefully researched, this is the best and most complete biography of the notorious gangster Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel in print.”—Robert Rockaway, author of But He Was Good to His Mother: The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters“A wonderful exploration of the dark side of the American dream via Bugsy Siegel, the personification of the dark side and the dream. Just as stylish as Bugsy himself. A fabulous book.”—Rich Cohen, author of Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams
£17.09
Pan Macmillan The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective:
Book Synopsis'If you are susceptible to Miss Marple and Harriet Vane you must read The Adventures of Maud West. You will never know the difference between fact and fiction again.' – Jill Paton Walsh, author of the Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mysteries.Maud West ran her detective agency in London for more than thirty years, having started sleuthing on behalf of society’s finest in 1905. Her exploits grabbed headlines throughout the world but, beneath the public persona, she was forced to hide vital aspects of her own identity in order to thrive in a class-obsessed and male-dominated world. And – as historical researcher Susannah Stapleton reveals – she was a most unreliable witness to her own life. Who was Maud? And what was the reality of being a female private detective in the Golden Age of Crime? Interweaving tales from Maud West’s own ‘casebook’ with social history and extensive original research, Stapleton investigates the stories Maud West told about herself in a quest to uncover the truth. With walk-on parts by Dr Crippen and Dorothy L. Sayers, Parisian gangsters and Continental blackmailers, The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective is both a portrait of a woman ahead of her time and a deliciously salacious glimpse into the underbelly of ‘good society’ during the first half of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewTerrific ... A brilliant literary sleuth tracks down a real one, uncovering a flabbergasting hidden life along the way. -- Lissa Evans, author of Old Baggage and Crooked HeartDeliciously entertaining, meticulous and affectionate ... Criminally good. I loved it. -- Mel McGrath, author of Give Me the Child and The Guilty PartyA powerhouse of a book ... The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective is, as one suspects Maud herself was, sweet, and wonderful company, and absolutely determined to discover the truth. -- Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder and the Sam Clair mysteriesMaud West is a gloriously English eccentric - think Miranda Hart meets Margaret Rutherford - brought to vigorous life by present day sleuth Susannah Stapleton. -- Sean O'Connor, author of Handsome BruteSusannah Stapleton’s dogged sleuthing of Maud’s own complicated, messy, spunky life reveals the wider story of a little-explored sliver of life between the wars. I loved it. -- Kate Colquhoun, author of Mr Briggs' Hat and Did She Kill Him?If you are inclined to regard the “Golden Age” detective stories as obviously a fantasy form — and never more fantastic than when the sleuth is a woman, Susannah Stapleton’s book will astound you. “Maud West” was a real woman detective, but her story blurs the margin between possible truth and impossible invention till your head spins. If you are susceptible to Miss Marple and Harriet Vane you must read The Adventures of Maud West. You will never know the difference between fact and fiction again. -- Jill Paton Walsh, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane novelsCompulsively absorbing . . . delightfully well written, with both sympathy and empathy; it is jaunty, engaging and witty without being arch. A triumph. -- Lucy Lethbridge * Literary Review *[A] charming light-hearted investigation into the life of Maud West, a lady detective. A sort of “Miss Marple on the trail of Miss Marple” . . . frank and funny. -- Ysenda Maxtone-Graham * The Times Review *Intriguing * Woman’s Weekly *Impressive . . . more fascinating than any fictional detective story * Choice *Susannah Stapleton’s erudite but hugely entertaining debut is a true-life detective story about a true-life detective . . . [an] exhilarating eye-opener of a book * Spectator *Highly entertaining * The District Messenger, The Newsletter of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London *Although Stapleton does not engage in much literal leg-work – she is able to do a lot of her research in her pyjamas – this account of her pursuit of the will-o’-the-wisp-like Maud through the maze of online archives and registries is utterly enthralling, often even thrilling * Daily Telegraph *Shot at in Paris, blackmailed in Bloomsbury: the self-promoting cases, and many faces, of a fearless female sleuth . . . breezy * Guardian *This romp through the life of one of Britain’s first female detectives sets out to solve one central mystery: who was Maud West? Her story is told in tantalising detail by Susannah Stapleton * 5 stars, Mail on Sunday *Fascinating * Sunday Times *A gripping read * Daily Mirror *Meet a fantasizing, sharpshooting, cross-dressing, self-advertising female star of the early twentieth century . . . It's all about women, this book. -- Libby Purves * TLS *A glorious, gripping read, constructed just like the detective stories Stapleton so admires, with clues, cliffhangers, blind alleys and revelations aplenty, uncovering the many truths about Maud and her exceptional life. -- Charlotte Heathcote * The Sunday Express *Table of ContentsSection - i: Prologue: The Lady Vanishes Chapter - 1: The Documents in the Case Section - ii: The Creeping Tiger by Maud West Chapter - 2: The Body in the Library Section - iii: The Lady with the Blue Spectacles by Maud West Chapter - 3: Crooked House Section - iv: The Apaches of Saint-Cloud by Maud West Chapter - 4: They Do It With Mirrors Section - v: The Diamond Necklace by Maud West Chapter - 5: The Shadow in the House Section - vi: The Prince of Lovers by Maud West Chapter - 6: To Love and Be Wise Section - vii: The Chelsea Artist by Maud West Chapter - 7: A Kiss Before Dying Section - viii: A Lady's Folly by Maud West Chapter - 8: The Secret Adversary Section - ix: The Clairvoyante Case by Maud West Chapter - 9: Wanted: Someone Innocent Section - x: The Countess and the Snowman by Maud West Chapter - 10: Tracks in the Snow Section - xi: An Unusual Pastime: as related by the San Francisco Examiner Chapter - 11: Partners in Crime Section - xii: The Fatal Letter by Maud West Chapter - 12: The Wrong Man Section - xiii: A Poisonous Revenge by Maud West Chapter - 13: Sweet Danger Section - xiv: The End of His Tether by Maud West Chapter - 14: Look to the Lady Section - xv: Such a Dull Job! Or, Fifteen Minutes with a London Section - xvi: Woman Detective: Interview with Maud West Chapter - 15: A Case of Identity Chapter - 16: Farewell, My Lovely Acknowledgements - xvii: Acknowledgements Section - xviii: Bibliography Section - xix: Notes Picture - xx: Picture Acknowledgements
£9.49
Melville House Publishing The Making Of Donald Trump
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Haus Publishing Gutenberg
Book SynopsisNamed "Man of the Millennium" in 1999, Johannes Gutenberg was the creator of one of the most influential and revolutionary inventions in Europe's history: a printing press with mechanical movable type. This development sparked the printing revolution, which is regarded as the milestone of the second millennium and represents one of the central contributions in the turn to modernity. His printing press came to play a key role in the development of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Age of Enlightenment, providing the material foundation for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses. His invention revolutionized the way that information is shared and broadened the boundaries of who has access to written knowledge. Paving the way for bibliophiles of today, the Gutenberg Bible of 1454 remains one of the most famous books in history. Gutenberg's technical innovations remained unrivalled for almost 350 years, until industrialization of the printing industry and the digital revolution built on the advances that he began, increasing the rate at which information is spread. Despite his significance in forming the world as we know it, there has not yet been a rigorous and accessible biography of Gutenberg published in English. Written by the leading expert on Gutenberg, F ssel's biography brings together high academic standards and thorough historical details in a highly readable text that conveys everything you need to know about the man who changed printing forever.
£11.69
Birlinn General Robert the Bruce: King of Scots
Book SynopsisIn this exciting and visually stunning book, the most talented Scottish novelist of his generation teams up with Jill Calder, whose bold and colourful illustrations are a perfect complement to one of the most dramatic tales in Scottish history. In addition to the big set pieces from the Bruce story - not least of course the Battle of Bannockburn - and the other famous elements - such as the murder of the Red Comyn and Bruce and the spider - book is full of accurate historical detail and imaginative touches which offer a fresh and vital perspective on one of the great heroes of Scottish history.Trade Review'A stunning new telling of the Robert the Bruce story' * Avocado Sweet *'A gloriously illustrated picture-book version, with expertly concise text by one of Scotland's finest novelists' * The Herald *'A lively pictorial account of the drama. Bolstered by Jill Calder's vibrant illustrations, it is as much for older children as adults, but avoids over-simplifying the battle and the complex factors that led to it' * The Lady *'This unique book will enthral readers of all ages' * Scottish Field *
£8.54
Helion & Company Man of Steel and Honour: General Stanislaw
Book Synopsis
£16.95
Quercus Publishing Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Saved Thousands of
Book SynopsisAn Honorary Citizen of the U.S.A., and designated as one of the Righteous among the Nations by Israel, Raoul Wallenberg's heroism in Budapest at the height of the Holocaust saved countless lives, and ultimately cost him his own.A series of unlikely coincidences led to the appointment of Wallenberg, by trade a poultry importer, as Sweden's Special Envoy to Budapest in 1944. With remarkable bravery, Wallenberg created a system of protective passports, and sheltered thousands of desperate Jews in buildings he claimed were Swedish libraries and research institutes.As the war drew to a close, his invaluable work almost complete, Wallenberg voluntarily went to meet with the Soviet troops who were relieving the city. Arrested as a spy, Wallenberg disappeared into the depths of the Soviet system, never to be seen again.For this seminal biography, Ingrid Carlberg has carried out unprecedented research into all elements of Wallenberg's life, narrating with vigour and insight the story of a heroic life, and navigating with wisdom and sensitivity the truth about his disappearance and death.Translated from the Swedish by Ebba SegerbergTrade ReviewA truly fascinating, subtle and revelatory portrait of this enigmatic character and perhaps the closest any historian has got to the real man and the truth of his fate -- Simon Sebag MontefioreIngrid Carlberg's superb biography will doubtless be regarded as the standard work on Wallenberg. Richly detailed and thoroughly researched ... an atmospheric read that brings to life an extraordinary story of resistance and bravery during Europe's darkest hours. -- Adam Lebor * Literary Review *Authoritative and comprehensive -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *A fresh and forensic portrait of Raoul Wallenberg ... Carlberg has unearthed a staggering amount of detail -- Monica Porter * Jewish Chronicle *Absorbing, masterful ... a riveting biography of a remarkable man * Kirkus Review *Ingrid Carlberg has writtenwhat must be the definitive biography ofWallenberg -- Glyn Ford * Tribune *
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers Karl Marx
Book SynopsisA major biography of the man who, more than any other, made the twentieth century. Written by an author of great repute. The history of the 20th century is Marx's legacy. Not since Jesus Christ has an obscure pauper inspired such global devotion – or been so calamitously misinterpreted. The end of the century is a good moment to strip away the mythology and try to rediscover Marx the man. There have been many thousands of books on Marxism, but almost all are written by academics and zealots for whom it is a near blaspemy to treat him as a figure of flesh and blood. In the past few years there have been excellent and successful biographies of many eminent Victorians and yet the most influential of them has remained untouched. In this book Francis Wheen, for the first time, presens Marx the man in all his brilliance and frailty – as a poverty-stricken Prussian emigre who became a middle-class English gentleman; as an angry agitator who spent much of his adult life in scholarly silence in the British Museum Reading Room; as a gregarious and convivial host who fell out with almost all his friends; as a devoted family man who impregnated his housemaid; as a deeply earnest philosopher who loved drink, cigars and jokes.
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Bolter: Idina Sackville - The woman who
Book SynopsisOn Friday 25th May, 1934, a forty-one-year-old woman walked into the lobby of Claridge's Hotel to meet the nineteen-year-old son whose face she did not know. Fifteen years earlier, as the First World War ended, Idina Sackville shocked high society by leaving his multimillionaire father to run off to Africa with a near penniless man. An inspiration for Nancy Mitford's character The Bolter, painted by William Orpen, and photographed by Cecil Beaton, Sackville went on to divorce a total of five times, yet died with a picture of her first love by her bed. Her struggle to reinvent her life with each new marriage left one husband murdered and branded her the 'high priestess' of White Mischief's bed-hopping Happy Valley in Kenya. Sackville's life was so scandalous that it was kept a secret from her great-granddaughter Frances Osborne. Now, Osborne tells the moving tale of betrayal and heartbreak behind Sackville's road to scandal and return, painting a dazzling portrait of high society in the early twentieth century.Trade ReviewThe Bolter is the real Idina's story told by her great-grand-daughter Frances Osborne. It whirls the reader through the London social scene during the First World War and the decadence of Kenya's Happy Valley via Idina's five marriages and innumerable love affairs. I loved it. Alice O'Keeffe, Amazon Passionate and headstrong, Lady Idina was determined to be free even if the cost was scandal and ruin. Frances Osborne has brilliantly captured not only one woman's life but an entire lost society. Amanda Foreman Rich, title, witty, beguiling, Lady Idina Sackville had all the gifts, except, perhaps, judgement. Frances Osborne has written an enthralling account of a dazzling, troubled, life. Julian Fellowes ** 'On the literary pages, the wife of current shadow chancellor George Osborne, Frances, stepped into the limelight, as her new book, The Bolter, attracted the most reviews THE BOOKSELLER
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography
Book SynopsisMarion Meade portrays Eleanor of Aquitaine as a woman of great intelligence and titanic energy who lived in a passionate and creative age.A comprehensive account of the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. The wife of King Louis VII of France and then of King Henry II of England, and mother to Richard Coeur de Lion and King John, she became the key political figure of the 12th century.Eleanor's long life inspired a number of legends. At twenty-five she set out for the Holy Land as a Crusader and at seventy-eight she crossed the Pyreness to Spain to fetch the granddaughter whose marriage would be, she hoped, a pledge of peace between England and France. This is a compassionate biography of this charismatic queen and the world she ruled over.
£12.34
Oxford University Press Inc Peerless among Princes
Book SynopsisA full life and times biography of Süleyman, the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire.Süleyman, who ruled the Ottoman Empire between 1520 and 1566, was a globally recognized figure during his lifetime. His domain extended from Hungary to Iran, and from the Crimea to North Africa and the Indian Ocean. The wealth of his treasury, the strength of his armies, and his personality were much discussed by historians, poets, courtiers, diplomats and publics across Eurasia.Süleyman was engaged in bitter rivalries with the Catholic Habsburgs in Europe and the Shiite Safavids in the Middle East. He presided over a multilingual and multireligious empire that promised peace and prosperity to its subjects. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire became a truly global power. Imperial governance expanded considerably, and the law was emphasized as the main bond between the ruler and the ruled. Süleyman''s prolific poetic output, his frequent appearances during public ceremonies, his charity, and Trade ReviewSüleyman I has long been considered the epitome of Ottoman sultans, but the man behind the official persona remains elusive. Kaya Şahin is already author of standout studies of this reign and in this new work skillfully mines contemporary sources to reveal the joys and tribulations of a life increasingly shaped by the anxieties associated with the impending Islamic millennium. From his difficult youth to sickly old age, Süleyman's life story is here reappraised in a dynamic and intimate narrative that will have wide appeal. * Caroline Finkel, author of Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire *One of history's most fascinating leaders, known in Europe as 'the Great Turk,' comes vividly alive in this captivating book. Combining deep research with a light writing style, it tells not just the story of a sultan but of an epoch. Learning about Süleyman's multi-talented wife, who rose from slavery to become arguably the most powerful woman in the world, is an added bonus. * Stephen Kinzer, author of Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds *This volume will serve as the standard English account of Süleyman's reign and the model for how to write a biography of a sultan. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Usage Introduction Chapter 1: The Family Story: The Ottomans before Süleyman Chapter 2: Childhood and Adolescence: Raising a Prince, 1494/5-1509 Chapter 3: Apprenticeship: Service as District Governor, 1509-1520 Chapter 4: Growth: The First Years on the Throne, 1520-1525 Chapter 5: Partnership: Süleyman, :Ibrahim, and a New Imperial Vision, 1525-1533 Chapter 6: Maturation: The Middle Years, 1533-1553 Chapter 7: Old Age: The Final Years, 1553-1566 Conclusion: Legacies Notes Bibliography Index
£24.49
Fonthill Media Ltd Heinrich Himmler: A Photo History of the
Book Synopsis"I was following orders." The answer most commonly quoted by SS men accused of atrocious crimes after Germany had surrendered in 1945. But who gave those orders? Who was the mastermind behind the sophisticated machinery which allowed men from normal family backgrounds to kill on such a scale? The right man at the right time, fate steered Heinrich Himmler to take control of an organisation destined to carry out Hitler's racial policies. This study not only sets out in detail how Heinrich Himmler's daily routine allowed him to implement Nazi strategy, but it also provides illustrations of the man behind much of it, both at work and at home. Of all the personalities of history demonized by post-war writers, Heinrich Himmler ranks among the most reviled. His legacy is one of hatred, violence and cold blooded murder on a vast scale. A Jekyll and Hyde character, variously described by his generation and those who followed as charming, loyal, polite, a pedant, an eccentric, an organizational genius, a fool, a desk killer and a loving father.The camera allows us into his world, albeit temporarily, and we can equate his busy, but mostly mundane schedule with contemporary images frozen in time. What makes this book unique is the astonishing amount of photographic material, following Himmler on his day to day routine. It is a must read for anyone interested in the enigmatic man and the operations of the Third Reich.
£32.00
Penguin Books Ltd The House of Dudley
Book SynopsisTold for the very first time, this is the shocking and extraordinary story of the most-conniving and manipulative Tudor family you''ve never heard of . . .???????''A tour-de-force of Tudor history. Remarkable'' DAN JONES''Exciting and immersive. An immensely entertaining history'' SUNDAY TIMES''This is riveting stuff: death, desire, power and scandal'' SPECTATOR''A twist on the Tudors . . . Enormously entertaining - a sheer joy to read'' THE TIMES________Was the House of Dudley out to steal the throne?This was the question on the mind of Elizabeth I''s courtiers when a forbidden book accused generations of the Dudley family of poisonings, plottings, murders, treason, incitement and other ''evil stratagems.''For decades, the Dudleys had been close to the throne, rising from nobodies to the land''s highest offices.Under Henrys VII and VIII, Edward VI, Mary I anTrade ReviewA tour-de-force of Tudor history, as seen through the eyes of a family with a front-row view of almost every major political event in sixteenth-century England. Remarkable -- Dan Jones, Sunday Times bestselling author of Powers and ThronesExciting and immersive. An immensely entertaining history, capturing in full Tudor brilliance the cut-throat glamour of the English throne and the most audacious family to play its game * Sunday Times *House of Dudley is a full-blooded affair, as good on the horrors of war as it is on the soft power of the Dudley women, and written in a lively, episodic style that presents each Dudley as a foil to the monarch they served -- Jessie ChildsBreathes new life into an old and familiar Tudor story. [She] negotiates the labyrinth of Tudor politics with skill, producing a book much more comprehensible and illuminating than others I've read . . . It's delightful, a joy to read * The Times, BOOK OF THE WEEK *I am hugely impressed by The House of Dudley and by the depths of research. This is a pacy narrative, vividly written, that makes you want to read on and on.Joanne Paul is a major new talent in the field and I eagerly await her next book -- Alison WeirThis is riveting stuff: death, desire, power and scandal. Paul has made the most of it, producing a well written and historically grounded page-turner . . . Game of Thrones looks tame compared with the real-life machinations of the Dudleys and the Tudors * Spectator *A twist on the Tudors . . . Enormously entertaining - a sheer joy to read * The Times, '25 BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2022' *A hugely entertaining history of three generations of the Dudley family, who dominated the Tudor court * The Times *A thrilling and deeply researched study of power and conspiracy: the rise and fall of the other Tudor dynasty. The House of Dudley illuminates the fascinating men and women who almost became kings and queens in their own right -- Simon Sebag-MontefioreVivid, innovative and authoritative. I could not recommend The House of Dudley more highly. It's a real lesson in how to revitalise the writing of Tudor history -- Sarah GristwoodJoanne Paul's account of this family is rich and compelling. She manages to hit that sweet spot where scholarly history overlaps with dramatic storytelling; she conjures up the look and feel of Tudor life, down to the clothes, the medicines and the furniture, while also being a skilful filler-in of political background . . . Whether or not you have ever succumbed to Mantelmania, you will find yourself drawn in, fascinated, and richly informed * Telegraph *An enthralling read told by Paul with great verve and an eye for the telling detail . . . The family's complex history is concisely and compellingly related * Literary Review *Visceral and illuminating. The extraordinary House of Dudley is the Tudor Game of Thrones. Paul has produced a painstakingly detailed first book with spirit and verve * The Wall Street Journal *Captivating and thought-provoking . . . Sheds immense light onto this often-overlooked family * Royal Studies Journal *The crowning jewel in its genre . . . I can't recommend this book enough. Unputdownable -- Lindsey FitzharrisWhen reading Joanne Paul's lively history of the house of Dudley, it is impossible not to be reminded of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy . . . Paul uses the experiences of the Dudleys to light up odd corners and backroom spaces of Tudor palace life * Mail on Sunday *Joanne Paul chronicles the meteoric rise and deadly fall of the Dudleys * BBC History Magazine *Joanne Paul reveals how the might of the Tudor dynasty was built on the blood and sweat of three generations of another family - the Dudleys * BBC History Magazine *Hugely entertaining * The Times, Best Books of Summer 2022 *Fascinating -- Catherine Fletcher * History Today *
£11.69
Grub Street Publishing Stanford Tuck: Hero of the Battle of Britain: The
Book SynopsisThe first full reappraisal of one of Britain's great fighter aces, this book examines the truth behind Tuck's 1956 biography, Fly for Your Life. It looks at the evidence behind the myths, checks out some of the exaggerated stories and reveals the real Stanford Tuck. In January 1942 Bob Tuck was the top-scoring British fighter ace with an official score of 29 enemy aircraft destroyed. With film-star looks he was the glamorous role model for the RAF publicity machine and an eager press and public wanting wartime heroes. He had joined the RAF in 1935 and quickly showed his excellent flying skills. In 1940 his Spitfire squadron was fighting over Dunkirk where he proved himself an expert shot. During the Battle of Britain his legendary prowess grew and he was posted to command a leaderless and demoralised squadron, this time flying Hurricanes. He continued to prove he was an outstanding fighter ace, gaining the rare distinction of three DFCs and then the DSO for his leadership. He was shot down over France in January 1942. Imprisoned in Stalag Luft III. His room-mate was Roger Bushell, the mastermind of the Great Escape and Tuck worked with him on the committee and was to be his partner in the escape. In January 1944 however, around 20 POWs, including Tuck, were purged to a new camp. Still determined to escape, when his camp was moved out on the Long March westwards, Tuck and a Polish officer took a risky chance and made their way east to Russian forces and thence to England. This book reveals a more complex man than the one-dimensional hero of the previous biography. Post war, he became good friends with the Luftwaffe ace, Adolf Galland, and was a key advisor with him on the film, Battle of Britain, and, often with his other friend, Douglas Bader, made many media appearances. His health suffered in later years from the impact of his war service and his imprisonment and he died aged 70 in 1987.Trade Review“Stanford Tuck is a neglected hero of the British narrative of the Second World War despite his success as a fighter ace in the critical years. Helen Doe has successfully rescued Tuck as an airman worth knowing better, and at the same time has removed the many myths and distortions that earlier accounts accumulated. This is no hagiography, but a thoroughly researched biography that presents the many sides of Tuck’s personality and career with candour but also with sympathy.” Professor Richard Overy
£21.25
The History Press Ltd The Coal Black Sea
Book SynopsisThis book reveals for the first time the extraordinary true story of the worst naval catastrophe of the First World War and how Churchill covered it up
£17.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Spark that Lit the Revolution
Book SynopsisVladimir Ilyich Lenin visited London on six occasions at the beginning of the twentieth century and it was in this city, where Marx wrote Das Kapital, that the roots of Lenin''s political thought took shape. This book, from a former curator of the Russian collections at the British Library, tells the story for the first time of Lenin''s intriguing relationship with the enigmatic Apollinariya Yakubova a revolutionary known to her comrades as the ''primeval force of the Black Earth''. Based on a series of stunning new archival discoveries from the British Library, published here for the first time, as well as photographs and details of the Russian revolutionaries (and indeed international police spies) who congregated in the East End of London - known then as the ''Little Russian Island'', this is the first full exploration of the formation of one of the leading political visionaries of his age. Revealing Lenin''s London-based accomplices and political rivals, and shedding new liTrade ReviewHenderson has woven his narrative out of a brilliant miscellany of archival sources, with crucial finds in the Hoover Institution's records of the Okhrana, or political police. * Times Literary Supplement *Henderson, a former Russian curator at the British Library, knows everything there is to know about Lenin’s love affair with the BM, and tells it all. This is a level of detailed Leniniana seldom encountered since the demise of the Soviet Union, but even those diligent Soviet researchers who used to track Lenin’s every move and hour didn’t know the BM [British Museum] as Henderson does. It’s what gives his book its charm. * London Review of Books *One hundred fifty years after Lenin’s birth, Henderson’s book does something to bring him back to life. * The Jacobin *Henderson’s revelatory book captures the atmosphere of a time of Jewish idealism preceding that of the horrors of the Gulag. * The Jewish Chronicle *Robert Henderson’s archival snapshots put human flesh on the intellectual and political bones of a figure who remains either revered or hated to this day… [the book] captures the atmosphere of Edwardian London and brings to life many of the players – with its wealth of photographs – in the early moves of a game that would indeed change the world. * Morning Star *Henderson’s book is a very welcome contribution to understanding the role that time spent in London played in the intellectual and practical development of the Russian revolutionary left, especially that of Lenin and his closest comrades. It provides a vivid sense of place and a lot of the human context to a crucially important period in Lenin’s political life. * Counterfire *[A] fascinating and meticulously researched book. As a former curator of the Russian collections at the British Library, Henderson is very well placed to undertake such research. * East-West Review *Henderson’s book should be of interest to Labour historians of the early 20th century. It reveals many of Lenin’s London based political networks and the roots of the politics that continue to influence the party’s left-wing. * Tides of History blog *Henderson has succeeded once again in writing another important and captivating history…Henderson’s book makes an original contribution to our knowledge of Lenin by providing us with a clearer understanding of his activities, the associates with whom he connected and, generally speaking, the milieux in which he moved during his London years. Today this research is invaluable to anyone with an interest in trying to comprehend how Lenin and political émigrés generally perceived their work in exile to make essential contributions to the promotion of revolutionary change in their countries of origin. * European History Quarterly *Based on thorough archival research in Britain, France, Russia, and the USA, the story recreated by the author is presented in an elegant and engaging narrative style, combining meticulous factual accounts with humor, vivid details, and emotional attachment to historical figures. Although the title quite accurately points at the main focus of the book – Lenin’s political activities during the periods when he stayed in London – I would add that Henderson’s narrative can also be described as a chronicle of love and politics that evolved around libraries in the turn of the century London, full of police, radicals, and spies. In this work, Henderson offers up a piece of fascinating historical research, weaving stories of various libraries and their collections into the fabric of his narrative. * Slavic & East European Information Resources *Henderson’s book concentrates on new archival finds and previously unpublished materials. Much of what he uncovers is fascinating and valuable information. * Look Left *[Henderson] makes excellent use of a wide variety of archival sources. * Socialist History *Flawlessly researched, lucidly written, replete with exhaustive archival evidence, including previously undiscovered photographs, Henderson has produced the definitive study of the numerous occasions that Lenin, the world's best known revolutionary, spent in London refining and developing his influential views. * John Gonzalez, author of An Intellectual Biography of N.A. Rozhkov: Life in a Bell Jar (2016) *In this outstanding work Robert Henderson deploys new archival discoveries and a lifetime’s research into the Russian émigré community of the early twentieth century to throw new light upon both the revolutionary and the personal life of one of the towering figures of modern history. One could ask for no more expert or convivial guide to Lenin’s various sojourns on London’s “Little Russian Island” during the birth of Bolshevism. * Dr Jonathan Smele, Queen Mary University of London, UK *Henderson’s book is the product of thirty years of research. Time well spent. Pending future openings of Soviet archives or chance discoveries of unpublished diaries of memoirs, this gripping narrative bids fair to remain the definitive version, in Roman poet Horace’s words, ‘a monument more lasting than bronze’. * The Spokesman *Robert Henderson takes us into the cheap lodgings, much-frequented libraries, packed meeting halls, favourite bars and restaurants which were the backdrops to the intense lives of the Russian revolutionary emigration in London. We become witnesses to their ferocious arguments and observers of their lives, loves and hopes for a better future for their homeland. * Professor Christopher Read, University of Warwick, UK *In this fascinating study, Robert Henderson takes us on a trail through the archives to reconstruct Lenin's life in London: the places he lived, the circles he moved in, and the relationships he built. * Professor Charlotte Alston, Northumbria University, UK *Table of ContentsContents Note on Transliteration and Calendars Acknowledgements Frontispiece Introduction Chapter 1 The Little Russian Island: The First Castaways Chapter 2 'Lirochka' and Lenin – The Spark That Lit the Flame? Chapter 3 1902–1903: Iskra and Shaping the Party Chapter 4 1905: A Congress of Conspirators Chapter 5 The London Congress of 1907 and the Triumph of Bolshevism Chapter 6 Two Last Visits: 1908 and 1911 Postscript Apollinariya's Story Appendix Select Bibliography Index
£14.24
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India's
Book SynopsisA gripping royal saga of charmed lives in a changing world. The Jaipurs were India’s mid-century golden couple; its answer to the Kennedys, or Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Jai and Ayesha, as they were known to friends like Frank Sinatra, Truman Capote and ‘Dickie’ Mountbatten, entertained lavishly at their magnificent palaces and hunting lodges in Rajasthan—and in the nightclubs of London, Paris and New York. But as the Raj gave way to the new India, Jaipur—the most glamorous and romantic of the princely states—had to find its place. The House of Jaipur charts a dynasty’s determination to remain relevant in a democracy set on crushing its privileges. Against the odds, they secured their place at the height of Indian society; but Ayesha would pay for her criticism of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. From the polo field and politics to imprisonment and personal tragedy, the Jaipurs’ extraordinary journey of transformation mirrors the story of a rapidly changing country.Trade Review'John Zubrzycki does an impressive job of … building up a memorable picture of a glittering family brought to its knees.' -- Daily Mail'Thrilling, deeply satisfying ... a must-read.' -- The Week‘As historian John Zubrzycki dives into the lives of India’s most powerful ruling family in a new book, we look at the power players, past and present, of the grand royal dynasty.’ -- Tatler‘A riveting saga … assiduously researched.’ -- India Today'Extremely readable . . . a nuanced view of the failings and contributions of Indian princes.' -- Sir Mark Tully, former BBC Bureau Chief, New Delhi'Zubrzycki unearths hidden gems with his remarkable storytelling.' -- The Hindu'An intriguing book which will keep the readers hooked till the end.' -- The Times of India'Goes beyond the glitter and gold of the Jaipur royal household to dig out the obscure accounts of romantic jealousies, property feuds, fatal addictions, suppressed grief and more.' -- Indian Express'A fascinating and absorbing book with an unforgettable cast of characters.' -- Sagarika Ghose, author of Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister
£15.19
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II
Book SynopsisThe Queen is a timely book with beautiful photos and fascinating details about one of the most famous women of modern times: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch in history. “Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.” —Queen Elizabeth II, Coronation Speech, June 2, 1953 When the Queen passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, she had reigned over the United Kingdom for a total of 70 years and 214 days, having endured the ups and downs that long life will bring. She was a beacon of hope during and after the Second World War in difficult times when the world faced a precarious future, and she served as a role model for generations of men and women who continue to be in awe of her commitment to service, sacrifice, and the Commonwealth of nations over which she ruled. The abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, in 1936 turned her family’s world upside-down. When her father was crowned King George VI, Elizabeth was thrust into the eye of the storm as a future queen. A shy and reserved child, she grew into a wise and insightful monarch who dealt ably with 15 British Prime Ministers during her long reign, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. It was, of course, not always straightforward and the Queen found herself in hot water several times, most notably during the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. When Diana was tragically killed in a car crash, the standing of the Royal Family was probably at its lowest ebb. It is unlikely that we will ever see a monarch reign so long or so effectively again, holding together a disparate group of nations, each with its own aspirations, customs, and traditions. From her uncle’s abdication to the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, this intriguing biography includes all the ups and downs of Queen Elizabeth’s long life.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 A Beacon of Hope 2 The Duke of York’s Speech 3 The Gathering Storm 4 Abdication and Coronation 5 Coming of Age 6 Rumors of a Royal Romance 7 The Unpolished Prince 8 Announcing the Betrothal 9 The Future of the Monarchy 10 The Passing of George VI 11 Becoming the World’s Queen 12 Princess Margaret’s Impossible Dream 13 Prince Philip and the Thursday Club 14 The Little British Sovereign 15 The Wind of Change 16 The Future King Swears Allegiance 17 The Wealthiest Woman in the World 18 Diana and the Deputy Queen 19 At War with the Queen of Hearts 20 A New Century Dawns 21 Lines of Succession 22 HAPPINESS AND HEARTACHE 23 THE PASSING OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Further Reading Index
£17.09
Unicorn Publishing Group Conspiracy, Calamity and Cover-up: The Truth
Book SynopsisThe Hess affair requires an understanding of a variety of disciplines and practices: Wartime aviation, political history and human psychology to name but three. Harris and Wilbourn have over an extended period tried to learn as much as possible about all relevant aspects of what is in concert a complicated subject, one that has not yet been satisfactorily explained even after more than 80 years. In the past there have been works that have concentrated on single aspects of the affair; usually in great detail, but in Conspiracy, Calamity and Cover-up the authors’ work on the individual components provides the best ever yet plausible explanation of the affair as a whole. Official secrecy on the grounds of ‘National Security’, obfuscation and downright lying have all played a part in preserving the truth behind the flight. Through dogged perseverance and endeavour Harris and Wilbourn now present what they believe is the ultimate truth behind the affair.Trade Review"... clearly the culmination of all their years of diligent research, and they leave no proverbial stone unturned in their quest to answer exactly what happened and why... if you are looking for an insightful and informative read that comprehensively addresses the Hess saga then look no further." History of War
£28.00
Medina Publishing Ltd Captain Shakespear: Desert exploration, Arabian
Book SynopsisTwo years before T E Lawrence received orders to travel to the Hejaz to liaise with the leader of the Arab Revolt, other British officers had already roamed the Arabian Peninsula's unforgiving Nejdi desert, to rally tribal support for the British war effort. The first was Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear, a political agent from the Government of India's Political Department. Born in October 1878 in India, Shakespear spent much of his childhood away from his Anglo-Indian parents, schooling in Portsmouth and later in the Isle of Man, before entering Sandhurst as a British Indian Army Officer Cadet. On his return to India, Shakespear spent six years in military service before he joined the Political Department in 1904, serving twice in Bandar Abbas and briefly in Muscat. Shakespear's next mission was as a political agent in Kuwait, arriving at the coastal Sheikhdom in the spring of 1909. For the next four years, he travelled extensively into the Nejdi desert, providing both London and Delhi with valuable intelligence about the vastly unknown interior as well as cultivating a personal relationship with Ibn Sa'ud, the Emir of Riyadh. At a time when London and Constantinople were negotiating the Anglo-Ottoman treaty, Shakespear almost became persona non grata for advocating the need to back the emir after his tribal warriors had expelled the Ottoman garrisons in al-Hasa in 1913. When war was declared in July 1914, Shakespear was one of the first to try to join the British Army to fight in France, but when the Ottoman Empire looked set to ally with Germany, the powers that had previously shunned him now needed his unique knowledge of Central Arabia and relationship with Ibn Sa'ud. That October, as many of his peers and countrymen crossed the English Channel to reinforce those already in the trenches, Shakespear set sail for Kuwait on special duty to rendezvous with the emir. It was a mission that T E Lawrence would later commend, acknowledging the crucial role that the political agent played during the early stages the Middle Eastern theatre of war. Shakespear was a pioneer in exploring the Nejd, capturing many firsts with his camera, although there were a few other equally intrepid British officials who preceded him into the desert. From the late-18th century, the East India Company collided numerous times with the House of Sa'ud as both attempted to understand the intentions of the other, before the political agent finally laid the foundations for formal diplomatic relations with Ibn Sa'ud, and later with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
£22.50
Haus Publishing Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor
Book SynopsisOtto von Bismarck (1815-98) has gone down in history as the Iron Chancellor, a reactionary and militarist whose 1871 unification of Germany set Europe down the path of disaster to World War I. But as Volker Ullrich shows in this new edition of his accessible biography, the real Bismarck was far more complicated than the stereotype. A leading historian of nineteenth- and twentieth-century history, Ullrich demonstrates that the "Founder of the Reich" was in fact an opponent of liberal German nationalism. After the wars of 1866 and 1870, Bismarck spent the rest of his career working to preserve peace in Europe and protect the empire he had created. Despite his reputation as an enemy of socialism, he introduced comprehensive health and unemployment insurance for German workers. Far from being a "man of iron and blood," Bismarck was in fact a complex statesman who was concerned with maintaining stability and harmony far beyond Germany's newly unified borders. Comprehensive and balanced, Bismarck shows us the post-reunification value of looking anew at this monumental figure's role in European history
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Marshal Zhukov at the Oder
Book SynopsisMarshal Zhukov at the Oder
£13.49
ACA Publishing Limited My Uncle Zhou Enlai
Book SynopsisMy Uncle Zhou Enlai paints a candid and heartwarming picture of one of China’s most beloved leaders and its first premier, Zhou Enlai (1898-1976). Written by his nephew, Zhou Erliu, who found himself at the heart of the political turmoil of the 20th century, this deeply moving and personal account is at once a touching family portrait of the Zhou clan and a comprehensive overview of China’s modern political history.Through personal anecdotes, letters, poems, photographs and other relics from the premier’s epoch-making life, the reader gets up close and personal with Zhou Enlai as never before and gets an intimate peek at life in China during these turbulent times.This book interweaves the fascinating life story of its author, from his childhood in Shanghai’s French concession through his involvement with the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the years of war and revolution up to the present day, and the story of his ‘Qi Ba’, the prominent CPC leader who was at the forefront of major events such as the founding of the PRC, the Cultural Revolution, the Nanchang Uprising, the Chinese Civil War and US president Richard Nixon’s visit to China in 1971, yet always found time to advise his beloved nephew about work, life, love and politics.My Uncle Zhou Enlai aims to set straight the historical facts and to convey the great impact Zhou Enlai had on Chinese and international politics, which paved the way for China’s re-entry into the international community. Always honest, wise, humble and kind, Zhou Enlai is warmly remembered by millions of people today both within and outside China, and this book serves as a testament by a close relative to the many Chinese and foreign lives he touched. A must-read for anyone interested in China’s history and cultural landscape, its gradual opening-up to the rest of the world, and its notable leaders and key figures.
£14.39
Fernwood Publishing Co Ltd What Moves Us: The Lives and Times of the Radical
Book SynopsisEmerging from the Radical Imagination Project, a social movement research initiative based in Halifax, Canada, What Moves Us? brings together a diverse group of scholar-activists and movement- based thinkers and practitioners to reflect on the relationship between the radical imagination and radical social change. Combining political biography with movement-based histories, these activists provide critical insights into the opportunities and challenges that confront struggles for social justice today.In original essays and interviews, these radical thinkers from across Canada and beyond contemplate the birth of their own radical consciousness and the political and intellectual commitments that animate their activism.
£999.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hugh Despenser the Younger and Edward II:
Book SynopsisHugh Despenser the Younger and Edward II tells the story of the greatest villain of the fourteenth century', his dazzling rise as favourite to the king and his disastrous fall. Born in the late 1280s, Hugh married King Edward I of England's eldest granddaughter when he was a teenager. Ambitious and greedy to an astonishing degree, Hugh chose a startling route to power: he seduced his wife's uncle, the young King Edward II, and became the richest and most powerful man in the country in the 1320s. For years he dominated the English government and foreign policy, and took whatever lands he felt like by both quasi-legal and illegal methods, with the king's connivance. His actions were to bring both himself and Edward II down, and Hugh was directly responsible for the first forced abdication of a king in English history; he had made the horrible mistake of alienating and insulting Edward's queen Isabella of France, who loathed him, and who had him slowly and grotesquely executed in her presence in November 1326.
£13.49
Batsford Ltd Alan Turing: Remarkable Lives
Book SynopsisToday, Alan Turing is a well-recognised name, but it was not always so. Until the last few years of the 20th century hardly anyone had heard of him or his achievements. All that changed when the British government permitted the story of Bletchley Park during the Second World War to emerge.We learnt that Alan Turing had had a pivotal role in breaking the Enigma cipher, used by German forces.This was so significant that it helped to shorten the length of the war. Alan Turing was an extraordinary man who crammed into a life of only 42 years other careers besides secret codebreaker: he was also a mathematician, computer scientist and biologist. For example, with Tommy Flowers he built the first computer. A man ahead of his time, many of his theories and calculations are still relevant today. In this guide to a truly remarkable life, recent research by Alan Turing's nephew, Dermot, has unearthed a fresh perspective and made entirely accessible this story to the modern reader.
£6.00
Orion Publishing Co Ethel Rosenberg: The Short Life and Great
Book Synopsis'A heart-piercingly brilliant book about a woman whose personal life put her in the cross-hairs of history' HADLEY FREEMAN'Totally riveting. I couldn't put it down' VICTORIA HISLOP'Ethel sings out for all women who have been misunderstood and wronged, and refuse to bow down' NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE'A shocking tale of betrayal, naivety, misogyny and judicial failure' SONIA PURNELL'A historic miscarriage of justice laid bare for our times' PHILIPPE SANDSEthel Rosenberg was a supportive wife, loving mother to two small children and courageous idealist who grew up during the Depression with aspirations to become an opera singer.On 19 June 1953 she became the first woman in the US to be executed for a crime other than murder. She was thirty-seven years old.Ethel's conviction for conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union followed what FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called the 'trial of the century' in Cold War America and is still controversial. Now, Anne Sebba's masterly, meticulously researched and deeply moving biography finally tells Ethel's true story - a life barbarically cut short on the basis of tainted evidence for a crime she almost certainly did not commit.Trade ReviewA heart-piercingly brilliant book about a woman whose personal life put her in the cross-hairs of history -- HADLEY FREEMANSebba gets her readers under the skin of both Ethel and her era so effectively that this shameful saga had me alternately close to tears and boiling with rage * DAILY TELEGRAPH *An intelligent, sensitive and absorbing account of the short, tragic life of a woman made remarkable by circumstance. [Ethel] emerges as a stubbornly courageous figure, a woman who towers above the parade of morally grubby, self-seeking and misogynistic figures who conspired to destroy her -- Melissa Benn * GUARDIAN *Totally riveting. I couldn't put it down -- VICTORIA HISLOPPowerful . . . her narrative clings to the reader like ivy . . . a feat of empathy * OBSERVER *Masterful, original and painfully gripping, a historic miscarriage of justice laid bare for our times -- PHILIPPE SANDSAn engaging portrait of the woman at the centre of a shameful case in US history * Guardian *An almost unbearably terrible story. I was completely held, absorbed and involved with the story of Ethel's short life. Brilliant ... could not be bettered -- CLAIRE TOMALINAnne Sebba's riveting reappraisal not only includes previously unseen letters and testimony but also manages to extract Ethel from her marriage . . . this important and compelling book raises resonant issues around what happens when collective fear leads to hysteria and justice is wilfully ignored * SPECTATOR *Timely, superbly written and ultimately devastating, this is an American tragedy indeed. I don't think I've ever read a book that has moved me more -- ANTHONY HOROWITZAbsolutely gripping in so many ways; beautifully written and superbly researched, a brilliant and a fresh take on a famous case. This is simultaneously a Shakespearean tragedy of a woman and family betrayal, a history of American Communism and Soviet espionage in the USA, a very modern story with links to the 21st century and Trump, a web of conspiracies, politics and witch-hunts, and an investigation of treason and justice -- SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIOREA tragic and gripping tale, scrupulously documented, of political chicanery, family betrayal and legal perfidy, Anne's Sebba's book has unnerving echoes in the modern world -- CAROLINE MOOREHEADThis is a magnificent book, one with a hundred strands, woven together with such skill that the only thought one can have at the end of reading is: how did we never know the true story of this remarkable woman? -- CARMEN CALLILWas Ethel innocent? Anne Sebba, a masterful storyteller, peels away the layers of historical and sometimes deliberate misinformation to reveal the extraordinary truth. This book will haunt me for some time -- ANITA ANANDA riveting account of "the Dreyfus case of Cold-War America". Ethel Rosenberg's execution in 1953 united the Pope, Einstein and Picasso in condemning her conviction as both a crime against humanity and an assault on America's idea of itself. As Sebba shows to scathing effect, with a message that will strike contemporary nerves, Ethel placed truth above fake news, and being a good wife and mother above being a good Communist. She had wanted to be an opera singer, but here she sings out for all women who have been misunderstood and wronged, and refuse to bow down -- NICHOLAS SHAKESPEAREWhat a soaring story that challenges on so many levels! Anne Sebba has an uncanny knack of upending historical orthodoxies in compelling style. In this gripping account of Ethel Rosenberg's life and death, she does so again. It's a shocking tale of betrayal, naivety, misogyny and judicial failure. As a woman who maybe loved too well, Ethel remains hard to like, but she's even harder to condemn -- SONIA PURNELLAnne Sebba's Ethel Rosenberg is a tour de force, a tale of a woman betrayed and executed. Sebba's painstaking research creates a new picture of a woman caught up in accusations, an activist, a devoted mother sent to the electric chair, a tale of idealism and government's demand for a scapegoat, a moving, fascinating picture of the first woman to be executed in the US for espionage. 'Always remember we are innocent', she said as she died. For years, Ethel Rosenberg has been attacked and castigated. Now Sebba's new access to sources and research tells her real story - of a loyal wife, a woman of principle who became public enemy no 1 for a terrified political class and public - and asks us to make up our own minds -- KATE WILLIAMSIn Anne Sebba, Ethel Rosenberg has found the ideal biographer, sympathetic without being blind to her faults and a sure understanding of the period. Her portrayal is compelling . . . it is impossible to read her account of Ethel's last days without being moved * LITERARY REVIEW *Seventy years on Anne Sebba has given Ethel Rosenberg a towering memorial * THE CRITIC *Anne Sebba's brilliant, unforgettable biography is the story of a woman who fell victim to a fatal cocktail of prejudices - anti-Communism, antisemitism and misogyny * THE JEWISH CHRONICLE *A compelling story of love, betrayal, misplaced idealism, and brutal and legal political manoeuvring * ECONOMIST *Anne Sebba has written a powerful biography of a wife, mother and woman, caught by a system determined to make an example of her and betrayed by those she thought she could trust * THE OLDIE *An absorbing book * THE TABLET *Sebba's impassioned investigation into this shameful saga concludes that this remarkable woman became a "human sacrifice" to Red Scare hysteria and 1950s chauvinism * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Riveting . . . A concise yet thorough account of a 1953 miscarriage of justice with alarming relevance today * Kirkus *This shattering story of a courageous woman swept up in one of America's greatest miscarriages of justice is enthralling and deeply moving. With her usual brilliance, Anne Sebba has brought to light the real person buried under decades of propaganda and has finally succeeded in humanising Ethel Rosenberg. This book is hugely relevant today, it shows us the perils of allowing ideology and hysteria to take precedence over justice. This is a magnificent work, meticulously researched and skilfully crafted -- ARIANA NEUMANN, author of New York Times bestseller 'When Time Stopped'A gripping tale of betrayal, deceit and judicial incompetence * BBC History Magazine *Sebba's painstaking research pulls back the veil of historic projections * Financial Times *Sebba gets her readers under the skin of both Ethel and her era so effectively that this shameful saga had me alternately close to tears and boiling with rage * Daily Telegraph *
£9.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd A Hidden History of the Tower of London:
Book SynopsisFamed as the ultimate penalty for traitors, heretics and royalty alike, being sent to the Tower is known to have been experienced by no less than 8,000 unfortunate souls. Many of those who were imprisoned in the Tower never returned to civilisation and those who did, often did so without their head! It is hardly surprising that the Tower has earned itself a reputation among the most infamous buildings on the planet. There have, of course, been other towers. Practically every castle ever built has consisted of at least one; indeed, even by the late 14th century, the Tower proudly boasted no less than 21. Yet even as early as the 1100s, the effect that the first Tower had on the psyche of the local population was considerable. The sight of the dark four-pointed citadel - at the time the largest building in London - as it appeared against the backdrop of the expanding city gave rise to many legends, ranging from the exact circumstances of its creation to what went on within its strong walls. In ten centuries what once consisted of a solitary keep has developed into a complex castle around which the history of England has continuously evolved. So revered has it become that legend has it that should the Tower fall, so would the kingdom. Beginning with the early tales surrounding its creation, this book investigates the private life of an English icon. Concentrating on the Tower's developing role throughout the centuries, not in terms of its physical expansion into a site of unique architectural majesty or many purposes but through the eyes of those who experienced its darker side, it pieces together the, often seldom-told, human story and how the fates of many of those who stayed within its walls contributed to its lasting effect on England's - and later the UK's - destiny. From ruthless traitors to unjustly killed Jesuits, vanished treasures to disappeared princes and jaded wives to star-crossed lovers, this book provides a raw and at times unsettling insight into its unsolved mysteries and the lot of its unfortunate victims, thus explaining how this once typical castle came to be the place we will always remember as THE TOWER.
£21.25
The History Press Ltd Katherine Swynford
Book SynopsisKatherine Swynford sexual temptress or powerful woman at the centre of the medieval court? This book unravels the many myths and legacies of this fascinating woman, to show her in a whole new light. Katherine was sister-in-law to Geoffrey Chaucer and governess to the daughters of Blanche of Lancaster and John of Gaunt. She also became John of Gaunt's mistress a role that she maintained for 20 years and had four illegitimate children by him, from one of whom Henry Tudor was descended. In a move surprising in the fourteenth century, John of Gaunt eventually married her, making her Duchess of Lancaster and stepmother to the future king, Henry Bolingbroke. But who was this extremely well-connected woman? In this fascinating book, Jeanette Lucraft treats Katherine as a missing person and reconstructs her and her times to uncover the mystery of the other woman' in John of Gaunt's life.
£10.79
Oxford University Press Anecdotes and Antidotes
Book SynopsisTo my knowledge...no one...has ever written a comprehensive book dealing with physicians through the ages and recounting their history in a coherent fashion.So wrote Syrian physician Ibn Abi Usaybi''ah, circa 1243, as he embarked on the first world history of medicine ever attempted. Many physicians served at the royal courts of their time and were firmly part of the intellectual and cultural scene, where the ability to write stylishly and entertain one''s peers in both prose and verse was the basis of social credibility. The work Ibn Abi Usaybi''ah created contains over 432 biographical accounts of physicians from those of ancient Greece, such as Galen, through Avicenna and Maimonides, to the author''s own colleagues of the 13th century. As such, his work includes important accounts of medical activity in medieval hospitals. Through this book, a window opens not only on to the origins of the medical profession, but also into the truly multi-cultural, multi-religious world of the medieval Middle East. Anecdotes and Antidotes is an abridged version of this world history of medicine. It comprises 103 biographies of physicians and philosophers, organized geographically and chronologically, from the 4th century BC to the 13th century, and includes seminal Muslim, Christian and Jewish figures. It contains vital medical and historical information, as well as revealing the cultural values, interests and concerns of the literary and intellectual elite of the time.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on Transliteration and Pronunciation Editorial Note Select Bibliography Chronology Map Anecdotes and Antidotes. A Medieval Arabic History of Physicians. A New Translation. Explanatory Notes Appendix 1: Weights & Measures Appendix 2: Gazetteer of Place-Names Appendix 3: Concordance of biographies with those in the full text Appendix 4: List of Sources used by Ibn Abi Usaybi'ah List of Illustrations and Diagrams
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers English Food
Book SynopsisAn absolute gem' Sunday TimesA mouthwatering history' The GuardianIn this delicious history of Britain's food traditions, Diane Purkiss invites readers on a unique journey through the centuries, exploring the development of recipes and rituals for mealtimes such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to show how food has been both a reflection of and inspiration for social continuity and change.Purkiss uses the story of food as a revelatory device to chart changing views on class, gender, and tradition through the ages. Sprinkled throughout with glorious details of historical quirks trial by ordeal of bread, a fondness for small beer' and a war-time ice-cream substitute called hokey pokey' made from parsnips this book is both an education and an entertainment.English Food explores the development of the coffee trade and the birth of London's coffee houses, where views were exchanged on politics, art, and literature. Purkiss introduces the first breeders of British beef and reveals how cattTrade Review Praise for English Food : ‘An absolute gem… English Food is a fabulous read. I devoured it with gusto… My review copy will find a permanent place on my bookshelves… a richly entertaining and enlightening social history of England… Superb’ Sunday Times, Christopher Hart ‘Every page brings astonishing revelation… acerbic, witty, opinionated and devoid of pomposity… This book is about food, but it’s more importantly about how food defines us’ The Times, Gerald DeGroot ‘A mouthwatering history… A sumptuous survey of English cuisine leaves no morsel untasted… liberally seasoned throughout with literary references, from Anglo-Saxon poetry to Michael Ondaatje… fascinating… There’s an awful lot of good stuff to get your teeth into here’ The Guardian, Felicity Cloake ‘What a delectable banquet of a book this is… This magnificently readable and engaging book (which is also very generously illustrated) sets the record straight and should whet appetites for the attentive, seasonal cooking and gamier flavours of the past’ Literary Review ‘[A] fantastic book’ Evening Standard ‘A remarkable book, scholarly, entertaining and fascinating. Purkiss is extraordinarily well read, articulate, and writes beautifully. She goes under the skirts of convention to strip bare the many presumptions that surround what we eat and why. Mandatory reading for anyone involved, however peripherally, in food and what we now refer to as the food chain. Simply a brilliant work’The Guild of Food Writers Food Book Award judges
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Planes Trains and Toilet Doors
Book Synopsis'F *** ing brilliant. I would describe it as like a bag of political nuts moreish and fabulously salty' JOE LYCETT A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARForget Westminster bust-ups and PMQs, some of the key events that have shaped modern British politics happened not in the cloisters of parliament or Downing Street's many corridors of power, but in car parks, village halls and seaside resorts where the mundane have played host to the mighty. From Pitt the Younger's Putney Heath duel to finding Margaret Thatcher a voice coach on a train, Harold Wilson's Scilly' season holidays to John Major's dental appointment clearing his path to No10 these (and many more) are the places where chance meetings, untimely deaths and snap, sometimes daft, decisions changed the course of politics.Matt Chorley has spent almost two decades covering Westminster, interviewing prime ministers, mocking ministers and chronicling the serious, and sometimes unintentionally absurd, events which act as unlikely turning points inTrade Review A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘F *** ing brilliant. I would describe it as like a bag of political nuts – moreish and fabulously salty’ JOE LYCETT ‘Matt Chorley never fails to look at politics from a different perspective and to make it fun. This book is a rollicking ride through the turning points of the last two hundred years, including many we will never forget and others that some of us wish we could’ WILLIAM HAGUE Revealing, touching and very funny, Matt Chorley’s delightful romp through the rooms where it happened (and the restaurants, museums and beach huts too) is packed full of insight, detail and momentous political stories’ ED BALLS ‘Matt Chorley has the ability to burst the bubble of politicians’ pomposity and show them in all their hilarious ridiculousness. Always acutely observed and completely on point – and loads of belly laughs’ LORRAINE KELLY
£21.25
Penguin Books Ltd Alfred the Great Assers Life of King Alfred and
Book SynopsisThis comprehensive collection includes Asser's Life of Alfred, extracts from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and Alfred's own writings, laws, and will.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd John Penguin Monarchs
Book SynopsisKing John ruled England for seventeen and a half years, yet his entire reign is usually reduced to one image: of the villainous monarch outmanoeuvred by rebellious barons into agreeing to Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. Ever since, John has come to be seen as an archetypal tyrant. But how evil was he?In this perceptive short account, Nicholas Vincent unpicks John''s life through his deeds and his personality. The youngest of four brothers, overlooked and given a distinctly unroyal name, John seemed doomed to failure. As king, he was reputedly cruel and treacherous, pursuing his own interests at the expense of his country, losing the continental empire bequeathed to him by his father Henry and his brother Richard and eventually plunging England into civil war. Only his lordship of Ireland showed some success. Yet, as this fascinating biography asks, were his crimes necessarily greater than those of his ancestors - or was he judged more harshly because, ultimately, he failed as a warlord?Trade ReviewSwashbuckling stuff, and there is only one answer to the question posed by the subtitle. -- George Garnett, Professor of Medieval History at Oxford University
£13.49
Oxford University Press The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder
Book SynopsisIn October 1726, newspapers began reporting a remarkable event. In the town of Godalming in Surrey, a woman called Mary Toft had started to give birth to rabbits. Several leading doctors - some sent directly by King George I - travelled to examine the woman and she was moved to London to be closer to them. By December, she had been accused of fraud and taken into custody. Mary Toft''s unusual deliveries caused a media sensation. Her rabbit births were a test case for doctors trying to further their knowledge about the processes of reproduction and pregnancy. The rabbit births prompted not just public curiosity and scientific investigation, but also a vicious backlash. Based on extensive new archival research, this book is the first in-depth re-telling of this extraordinary story. Karen Harvey situates the rabbit-births within the troubled community of Godalming and the women who remained close to Mary Toft as the case unfolded, exploring the motivations of the medics who examined her, Trade ReviewThe story is told well, and its different dimensions all carefully analysed * Mark Knights, Cultural and Social History *In a captivating new interpretation, Karen Harvey takes on the well-known tale of Mary Toft giving birth to rabbits and resituates it, bringing considerable erudition, empathy, and energy to the task. * Linda A. Pollock, Early Modern Women: An Interdisciplinary Journal *[Harvey's] book provides fascinating insights into the social context surrounding the "Rabbit Woman" case while never losing sight of what remains a rattling good story - a potboiler indeed. * Wendy Moore, The Guardian *The cultural historian Karen Harvey returns [Mary Toft] to the centre of her own story - and, through her, examines the place of poor women in the 18th century ... Harvey deserves credit for the immense amount of research that has produced what feels like a definitive account ... there is much to be said for the timeliness of this story about credulity and hysteria in the age of science. * Robert Leigh-Pemberton, The Daily Telegraph *The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder is a cracking read of a story that seems impossible to believe but it was all too true. * Paul Donnelley, The Express *[An] amply detailed study ... Harvey fills out the case fascinatingly, to create a view of the country and city in a shifting era ... her extraordinary narrative will surely be savoured by a wide audience. * Christopher Hawtree, The Spectator *Harvey's clear-eyed authority and strenuous examination of Toft's story lays bare a fascinating moment in English society. * Tanya Sweeney, The Irish Independent *The book's neat and rigorous analysis provides a thought-provoking glimpse into the England of 1726. It is also, rightly, an effort to restore some dignity to the woman at the centre of the story. * Louise Perry, Standpoint *Powerful and detailed ... The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder is an engaging and emotive volume, capturing an extraordinary event from the early Georgian era. It should appeal to anyone with an interest in this period, but its broad scope and thorough analysis suggest it will find a much wider readership. * All About History *[The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder] is absolutely superb. It's one of the best microhistories that I've read. * James Daybell, Histories of the Unexpected *Harvey's account of Mary Toft's "births" and their social, medical and cultural contexts, is an excellent demonstration of modern historical scholarship: scrupulously researched from a wide variety of sources, but empathetic in its delivery and tone. It is also an exemplary model for what can be achieved when seemingly anomalous events are examined by way of a deeper dive into their wider social and cultural contexts. * Ross MacFarlane, The Fortean Times *[Harvey] has quarried out information about the culture at the time - the medical world, the world of rich courtiers and noblemen, the condition of the poor both male and female. It is rich in footnotes and in the specialized language of cultural studies ... The story still fascinates. * Celia Haddon, The Salisbury Review *Harvey's remarkable achievement is to have gripped our attention with this extraordinary but true story. * Anthony Fletcher, History *Harvey offers [...] a new and valuable perspective from which scholars with interests in histories of midwifery, medicine, and gender will gain a great deal ... Harvey's deliberate and well-calculated focus on questions of town and country, man and woman, practitioner and patient is a key strength of this book, and one which changes our perspective on a story we thought we knew well. Accessible and enjoyable for scholars, students, and the public, this book is a valuable and insightful addition to any bookshelf. * Dr Ashleigh Blackwood, De Partu (History of Midwifery and Childbirth Research Group) *A fantastically rich and beautifully executed book. * Helen Berry, author of Orphans of Empire: The Fate of London's Foundlings *Harvey uses the famous rabbit birth fraud to train a light on country, town and city, social divisions, female touch and patriarchal power, medicine, the law and politics - and at the heart of it all a piteous woman testifying to her bodily sufferings and visceral losses. A detective story in the noble tradition of Natalie Zemon Davis' The Return of Martin Guerre. * Amanda Vickery, author of Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England *Table of ContentsPrelude I: Surrey 1: The town: 'peaceable neighbours who are willing to live quietly' 2: The women: 'they workt for me' 3: The births: 'a Fact of which there was no Instance in Nature' II: London 4: The bagnio: 'several persons of distinction' 5: Confession: 'I was loath She should touch me' 6: The punishment: 'some judge very hard of ye poor woman' III: The public 7: The press: a 'filthy story at best' 8: Body politics: 'the beautiful uniform Order' 9: Afterlife: 'The Impostress Rabbett breeder'
£18.89
