European history: medieval period, middle ages Books
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Wicked City
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£15.19
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Helsinki
£19.00
Pushkin Press The Writers Castle
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Helion & Company The Battle of the Dnepr
£30.00
Vintage Publishing The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A
Book SynopsisDiscover an original, entertaining and illuminating guide to a completely different world: England in the Middle Ages. Imagine you could travel back to the fourteenth century. What would you see, and hear, and smell? Where would you stay? What are you going to eat? And how are you going to test to see if you are going down with the plague? In The Time Traveller's Guide Ian Mortimer's radical new approach turns our entire understanding of history upside down. History is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived, whether that's the life of a peasant or a lord. The result is perhaps the most astonishing history book you are ever likely to read; as revolutionary as it is informative, as entertaining as it is startling.'Ian Mortimer is the most remarkable medieval historian of our time' The Times'After The Canterbury Tales this has to be the most entertaining book ever written about the middle ages' GuardianTrade ReviewSuperbly lively and filled with telling anecdote. * The Big Issue in the North *Amazing * Alison Weir *He has a novelist's eye for detail, and his portrait of an England in which sheep are the size of dogs, 30-year-old women are regarded as so much "winter forage", and green vegetables widely held to be poisonous has something of the hallucinatory quality of science-fiction * Daily Telegraph *[Mortimer] sets out to re-enchant the 14th Century, taking us by the hand through a landscape furnished with jousting knights, revolting peasants and beautiful ladies in wimples. It is Monty Python and the Holy Grail with footnotes, and, my goodness it is fun... The result of this careful blend of scholarship and fancy is a jaunty journey through the 14th Century, one that wriggles with the stuff of everyday life * Guardian *This is not only an unusual book, but a thoroughly engaging one * Literary Review *
£11.69
Chiltern Publishing Meditations Gift Set
Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World's finest literature. Your favourite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile embossed layers, fine details and beautiful colours of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.
£21.89
Quarto Publishing PLC London Thames Path
Book SynopsisDavid Fathers presents a unique and richly illustrated guide to the London section of the Thames Path, newly updated to reflect the city's ever-changing landscape. The iconic path, which stretches from the lost floodplains of Richmond all the way to the Thames Barrier, is a panoramic 40-mile walk through 2000 years of London's history. From the old docks and wharves that primed the Industrial Revolution, through the heart of British Government, Monarchy and Church to the City of London that took its very existence from the river. From the site of the Putney Debates at St Mary's Church to Wren's mighty baroque cathedral of St Paul's. From the great Victorian engineering works of Sir Joseph Bazalgette and his attempts to clean up a polluted London and the river to the Thames Barrier seeking to protect huge parts of London from rising sea levels. From London Bridge, site of the old
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Colonialism
Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times BestsellerA new assessment of the West's colonial recordIn the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet empire in 1989, many believed that we had arrived at the End of History' that the global dominance of liberal democracy had been secured forever.Now however, with Russia rattling its sabre on the borders of Europe and China rising to challenge the post-1945 world order, the liberal West faces major threats.These threats are not only external. Especially in the Anglosphere, the decolonisation' movement corrodes the West's self-confidence by retelling the history of European and American colonial dominance as a litany of racism, exploitation, and massively murderous violence.Nigel Biggar tests this indictment, addressing the crucial questions in eight chapters: Was the British Empire driven primarily by greed and the lust to dominate? Should we speak of colonialism and slavery' in the same breath, as if they were identical? Was the Empire essentially racist? How far was Trade Review‘A fascinating read, informative, surprising and written with panache and clarity’ The Times, Andrew Billen ‘A thoughtful, compelling text’ Daily Telegraph, five-star review ‘A salutary corrective’ The Times, Book of the Week ‘Carries the intellectual force of a Javeline antitank missile. Colonialism is no apologia for empire… but calls for balance…Biggar acknowledges wickedness in our nation but his version of history calls us to accept the messiness and moral compromises inherent in liberalism’ Sunday Times ‘Nigel Biggar has written … the book on the morality of the British Empire, a kind of Encyclopaedia Pacis Britannicae…. a thoughtful, compelling text’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An important, timely and brave book…the first serious counter blast against the hysterical and ahistorical orthodoxy that has placed such a stranglehold on our public discourse on the British Empire, and as such will prove to be an indispensable handbook in the battles to come. It is also exceedingly well written and compellingly argued’ The Critic ‘An important book, as well as a courageous one’ Literary Review ‘Patiently argued and carefully balanced yet passionately committed to the production of a narrative which replaces denunciation and with evidences and understanding’ Quillette ‘Biggar fearlessly goes where few other scholars now venture to tread: to defend the British empire against its increasingly vitriolic detractors … Those who wish to accuse the Victorians of genocide – who seek gulags in Kenya or Holocausts in the Raj – will probably not risk being ‘triggered’ by reading this book. But they really should … Biggar’s book simply cannot be ignored by anyone who wishes to hold a view on the subject’Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and author of Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World
£999.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Strange Death of Europe
Book SynopsisA controversial and devastatingly honest depiction of the demise of Europe.The Strange Death of Europe is the internationally bestselling account of a continent and culture caught in the act of suicide. Douglas Murray takes a step back and explores the deeper issues behind the continent''s possible demise, from an atmosphere of mass terror attacks and a global refugee crisis to the steady erosion of our freedoms. He addresses the disappointing failure of multiculturalism, Angela Merkel''s U-turn on migration, and the Western fixation on guilt. Murray travels to Berlin, Paris, Scandinavia, and Greece to uncover the malaise at the very heart of the European culture, and to hear the stories of those who have arrived in Europe from far away.Declining birth rates, mass immigration, and cultivated self-distrust and self-hatred have come together to make Europeans unable to argue for themselves and incapable of resisting their own comprehensive alteration as aTrade ReviewBy far the most compelling political book of the year was Douglas Murray’s The Strange Death of Europe … fearless, truth-telling, and masterfully organised … Don’t hold an opinion about this book if you have not read it. * Evening Standard, Books of the Year 2017 *This is a brilliant, important and profoundly depressing book. That it is written with Douglas Murray’s usual literary elegance and waspish humour does not make it any less depressing. That Murray will be vilified for it by the liberals who have created the appalling mess he describes does not make it any less brilliant and important … Read it. -- Rod Liddle * Sunday Times *His overall thesis, that a guilt-driven and exhausted Europe is playing fast and loose with its precious modern values by embracing migration on such a scale, is hard to refute. -- Juliet Samuel * Telegraph *Every so often, something is published which slices through the fog of confusion, obfuscation and the sheer dishonesty of public debate to illuminate one key fact about the world. Such a work is Douglas Murray’s tremendous and shattering book, The Strange Death of Europe. -- Melanie Phillips * The Times *Breathtakingly gripping -- Michael Gove * Standpoint *A cogent summary of how, over three decades or more, elites across western Europe turned a blind eye to the failures of integration and the rise of Islamism … Persuasive * The Times *This is a vitally important book, the contents of which should be known to everyone who can influence the course of events, at this critical time in the history of Europe. -- Sir Roger ScrutonDouglas Murray glitters in the gloom. His pessimism about multiculturalism is so well constructed and written it is almost uplifting. Liberals will want to rebut him. I should warn them that they will need to argue harder than they have ever argued before. -- Nick CohenDouglas Murray’s introduction to this already destructive subject of Islamist hegemony is a distinguished attempt to clarify the origins of a storm. I found myself continually wishing that he wasn’t making himself quite so clear. -- Clive JamesDouglas Murray writes so well that when he is wrong he is dangerous -- Matthew Parris * Spectator *Whether one agrees with him or not Murray has made a valuable contribution to the global battle of ideas -- Amir Taheri * Asharq al-Awsat *Powerful and engaging ... Murray is at his strongest when lampooning the neurotic guilt of Western liberal elites ... Disagree passionately if you will, but you won’t regret reading it. * Literary Review *A compelling, insightful and persuasively argued narrative ... a deeply humane book that touches on individual tragedy ... It may even prove to be the start of a conversation, and for such a dangerously politicised and neglected subject, that would be most welcome. The combination of fascinating subject matter and superb writing make The Strange Death of Europe a title that stays in the mind throughout the reading process and beyond. * Entertainment Focus *Powerfully argued -- Roland White * Sunday Times Political Books of the Year, 2017 *This is the most disturbing political book I’ve read this year. Based on travels through key European centres, Murray weaves a tale of uncontrolled immigration, failed multiculturalism, systemic self-doubt, cultural suicide and disingenuous political leadership. Accurate, insightful and devastating, with applicable lessons for countries on both sides of the Atlantic. -- Rabbi Lord Jonathan SacksPlease read Douglas Murray’s The Strange Death of Europe -- MorrisseyTable of ContentsIntroduction The beginning How we got hooked on immigration The excuses we told ourselves ‘Welcome to Europe’ ‘We have seen everything’ Multiculturalism They are here Prophets without honour Early-warning sirens The tyranny of guilt The pretence of repatriation Learning to live with it Tiredness We’re stuck with this Controlling the backlash The feeling that the story has run out The end What might have been What will be Afterword Notes Acknowledgements Index
£17.09
Faber & Faber Hundred Years War Vol 2 Trial By Fire
Book SynopsisIn the second volume of his celebrated history of the Hundred Years War, Jonathan Sumption examines the middle years of the fourteenth century and the succession of crises that threatened French affairs of state, including defeat at Poitiers and the capture of the king.
£24.00
Penguin Books Ltd Europe in the High Middle Ages The Penguin
Book SynopsisThe Penguin History of Europe series... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects.--New Statesman It was an age of hope and possibility, of accomplishment and expansion. Europe's High Middle Ages spanned the Crusades, the building of Chartres Cathedral, Dante's Inferno, and Thomas Aquinas. Buoyant, confident, creative, the era seemed to be flowering into a true renaissance-until the disastrous fourteenth century rained catastrophe in the form of plagues, famine, and war. In Europe in the High Middle Ages, William Chester Jordan paints a vivid, teeming landscape that captures this lost age in all its glory and complexity. Here are the great popes who revived the power of the Church against the secular princes; the writers and thinkers who paved the way for the Renaissance; the warriors who stemmed the Islamic tide in Spain and surged into Palestine; and the humbler estates, those who found new hope and prosperity until the long niTrade ReviewThe Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects New Statesman With five volumes now out, the Penguin History of Europe series ... is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones EconomistTable of ContentsPart I Europe in the 11th century: Christendom in the year 1000; Mediterranean Europe; Northmen, Celts and Anglo-Saxons; Francia/France; central Europe. Part II The Renaissance of the 12th century: the investiture controversy; the first crusade; the world of learning; cultural innovations of the 12th century - vernacular literature and architecture; political power and its contexts I; political power and its contexts II. Part III The 13th century: social structures; the Pontificate of Innocent III and the Fourth Lateran Council; learning; the kingdoms of the north; Baltic and central Europe; the Gothic world; southern Europe. Part IV Christendom in the early 14th century: famine and plague; political and social violence; the church in crisis.
£12.34
Vintage Publishing Katherine Swynford
Book SynopsisAlison Weir is one of Britain's top-selling historians. She is the author of numerous works of history and historical fiction, specialising in the medieval and Tudor periods. Her bestselling history books include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth of York and The Lost Tudor Princess. Her novels include Innocent Traitor, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. She is an Honorary Life Patron of Historic Royal Palaces and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She lives and works in Surrey.Trade ReviewFast-paced, lively and boldly coloured, Weir's book gives us a vivid portrait of courtly life * Sunday Times *Weir combines high drama with high passion while involving us in the domestic life of a most remarkable woman in an equally remarkable book * Scotland on Sunday *Gripping...immaculately researched * Daily Telegraph *Highly enjoyable * Literary Review *Weir's sound scholarship and storyteller's gift for rich, telling detail constantly engages and enthrals the reader * The Times *
£14.24
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Killers of the King
Book SynopsisCharles Spencer tells the shocking stories and fascinating fates of the men who signed Charles I's death warrant in this Sunday Times bestseller''Seamless, pacy and riveting ... exceptional'' ALISON WEIR''The virtues of a thriller and of scholarship are potently combined'' TOM HOLLAND''Outstanding: a thrilling tale of retribution and bloody sacrifice'' JESSIE CHILDS__________________January, 1649. After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain's history, Parliament faced a problem: what to do with a defeated king, a king who refused to surrender?Parliamentarians resolved to do the unthinkable, to disregard the Divine Right of Kings and hold Charles I to account for the appalling suffering and slaughter endured by his people. On an icy winter's day on a scaffold outside Whitehall, the King of England was executed.When the dead king's son, Charles II, was restored to the throne, he set about enacting a deadly wave of retribuTrade ReviewBeautifully written and meticulously researched * Evening Standard *History with the pace of a thriller ... I learned much I never knew -- Julian Fellowes * Observer *Brilliant ... A thrilling tale of regicide and revenge * Independent *Very good … Dense and well-researched … Some of the stories are extraordinary … Spine-tingling detail * The Times *A pacy, well-researched and beautifully written story of intrigue, betrayal and Realpolitik, but above all cold-blooded institutionalized revenge on a massive international scale * Andrew Roberts *Accomplished and gruesome, this masterful account of the fate of the regicides breaks all barriers in weaving the lives – and the grim fates – of many into a seamless, pacy and riveting read, underpinned by the depth of scholarship for which Charles Spencer is renowned. An exceptional and highly original history book that sheds new light on one of England’s bloodiest episodes * Alison Weir *Imagine The Odessa File re-written by Christopher Hill, and you will have some idea of the pleasure to be had in reading Killers of the King. The virtues of a thriller and of scholarship are potently combined * Tom Holland *Outstanding: a thrilling tale of retribution and bloody sacrifice, unflinching idealism and craven miscreancy. In fluent, measured, often witty prose, Killers of the King brilliantly evokes that febrile time when the hunters became the hunted and vengeance was avenged. Like all the best history books, it succeeds not only in telling a remarkable story, but also in illuminating the entire age * Jessie Childs *
£13.49
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Central Europe
Book SynopsisAn absorbing journey through a region caught between history, geography and ideology.
£23.75
Penguin Books Ltd Gulag
Book SynopsisThis landmark book uncovers for the first time in detail one of the greatest horrors of the twentieth century: the vast system of Soviet camps that were responsible for the deaths of countless millions.Gulag is the only major history in any language to draw together the mass of memoirs and writings on the Soviet camps that have been published in Russia and the West. Using these, as well as her own original research in NKVD archives and interviews with survivors, Anne Applebaum has written a fully documented history of the camp system: from its origins under the tsars, to its colossal expansion under Stalin''s reign of terror, its zenith in the late 1940s and eventual collapse in the era of glasnost. It is a gigantic feat of investigation, synthesis and moral reckoning.
£14.24
Orion Publishing Co The Road To Berlin
Book SynopsisA compelling account of the Red Army''s epic struggle to drive the Germans out of Russia and back to Berlin.Beginning with the destruction of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, THE ROAD TO BERLIN is the story of how the Red Army drove the Germans from its territory, and finally invaded the Reich. Using an enormous range of primary sources - Soviet, German and Eastern European - John Erickson describes fighting and hardship on a scale almost unimaginable in the West. He provides a detailed narrative of all the battles on all the fronts, and also of the Soviet system of war which achieved, under maximum stress, near impossible feats in the field and in the factories. The book also tells of the diplomatic moves and counter-moves, including the all-important conferences at Tehran and Yalta. Comprehensive, compelling, and immensely readable, it is an indispensable book for any student of the Second World War.
£14.24
Faber & Faber The History of Rome
Book SynopsisFrom a small Iron Age settlement on the banks of the Tiber, Rome grew to become the centre of an Empire that dominated the Western world. Powerful in war, Rome was magnificent in peace, so that even today her poets, artists, philosophers and historians exert their influence over Western thought and civilisation.Michael Grant, the renowned classical historian, recreates the evolution of this astonishing city and community. He describes the individuals and events that made Rome a political and cultural conqueror, and defines the dramatic circumstances of her eventual decline and fall.
£15.29
Thames & Hudson Ltd Charles Booths London Poverty Maps A Landmark
Book SynopsisTrade Review'A splendid – and necessary – publication … a great resource' - Iain Sinclair'[An] exquisite edition of Booth’s maps' - BBC Radio 3: Free Thinking'Booth’s maps have been beautifully reproduced in [this] new book' - LSE Review of Books'What Booth’s poverty maps ultimately show is a London where rich and poor lived right next door to each other: in that sense, at least, today’s London is no different' - Guardian'Compelling – once you start you can’t stop' - BBC Radio London: The Robert Elms Show'A visual shrine to the Booth survey … the essays are all accomplished and informative and really do help spell out the context in which the maps were produced … these large-scale maps are a delight and it is a joy to have them' - Times Literary Supplement'Charles Booth’s famous maps of Victorian London offer a chance to reflect on how the city has changed - and how it hasn’t' - Bloomberg'Exquisite … the book really is a beautiful thing, with a reverence for the source material and playfulness in the design' - World of InteriorsTable of ContentsForward: Mapping the Abyss. • Introduction. • Eastern District & North Eastern District • Housing. • Northern District & North-Western District • Immigration. • East Central District & West Central District • Religion. • Inner Western District & Outer Western District • Trade. • Inner Souther District & South-Western District • Morality. • Outside Southern District & South Eastern District • Leisure.
£39.96
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Sutton Hoo Story: Encounters with Early
Book SynopsisA definitive account of Sutton Hoo, its discovery, history and famed treasure. The Sutton Hoo ship-burial is one of the most significant finds ever made in Europe. It lies in a burial ground which contains all the elements of archaeological mystery: seventeen mounds, buried treasure, and sacrificed horses. In this very accessible book, Martin Carver explains what we know of this site, at which the leaders of the Dark Age kingdom of East Anglia signalled the pagan and maritime nature of their court. This is the story not only of this dramatic place, but also of its exploration over half a century, which amounts to a potted history of British archaeology.Trade ReviewThe most up-to-date and comprehensive study of Sutton Hoo available. * ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL *Accessible, affordable and pitched to a wide audience. * TOEBI *Provides a holistic, multi-period review of Sutton Hoo and an authoritative account of its archaeological history. This attractive and very readable overview brings readers up-to-date on this remarkable site. * INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY *This attractive, beautifully illustrated and well laid out soft-covered edition is worthy of our attention. * SUFFOLK VIEW *An up-to-date interpretive handbook. * SAXON *Table of ContentsMrs Pretty digs up a ship The British Museum's Treasure A New Campaign Before Sutton Hoo: c.3000 BC to c.AD 600 Burial Ground of Kings AD 590 to 650 The Gallows and the Gentry AD 650 to 1938 Now entertain conjecture of a time: Painting a picture of the seventh century Bibliography and Sources Background reading on Anglo-Saxon England Archaeological Records Notes to Text
£17.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Army of the Night
Book SynopsisDiscover the truth behind one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of World War II.Who was the enigmatic Jean Moulin, a man as skilled in deception as he was in acts of heroism? The memory of this French Resistance hero, who was betrayed to the Gestapo and tortured by Klaus Barbie, the infamous Butcher of Lyon', is revered alongside that of other national icons. But Moulin's story is full of unanswered questions and the truth of his life is far more complicated than the legend. Patrick Marnham, winner of the Marsh Prize for biography, thrillingly tells the epic story of France's greatest war hero, bringing to light the shadowy and often deceitful world of the French Resistance, and offers a shocking conclusion to one of the great unsolved mysteries of World War II.Trade ReviewSecret agents do not leave reliable accounts of their activities, nor do doubleand triple-agents act from simple motives. The lucidity comes, like the solution of a good detective story, towards the end of a tangled tale full of unusual suspects. * The Sunday Times *A brilliantly sustained, atmospheric and often tensely thrilling narrative [. . .] This book is a remarkable achievement that evokes the whole tragedy of wartime France. * The Independent *This is first-rate history that reads like a thriller and keeps the reader engrossed to the very end. * Literary Review *A gripping account of the last days of the French Resistance hero who was tortured to death by Klaus Barbie. Marnham’s biography is a brilliant mix of political thriller and wartime history. * J.G. Ballard *Enthralling and intelligent, a masterly exploration of the sinister labyrinth that was wartime France [...] It is a remarkable book, utterly fascinating. * Allan Massie *... Patrick Marnham is very good on French self-deception: a moral self-deception which began with Vichy for psychological reasons and continued under de Gaulle. His book is as gripping as a detective story. * Antony Beevor *If you are interested in France, the real France, or if you are interested in the Second World War, or if you are interested in courage, real courage, and how it can rise to meet the most severe test imaginable, then I believe you ought to make it your business to read Patrick Marnham’s extraordinary book.’ * Alan Furst *Table of ContentsIllustrations Acknowledgements Introduction The Legend Caluire Into the Pantheon Part I: Life 1. A Republican Cradle, 1789–1899 2. Growth of a Senior Civil Servant, 1899–1919 3. A Secret Man, a Complex Man, 1919–1934 4. Moulin Rouge, 1934–1939 Part II: War 5. The Prefect of Chartres, 1939–1940 6. Zones, 1940–1941 7. Life on Half-Pay, 1940–1941 8. An Envoy to London, 1941 Part III: Death 9. Life Underground, 1942–1943 10. Vive la Nuit! November 1942–June 1943 11. An Urn and a Pot of Jam, June–July 1943 Part IV: Resurrection 12. The machinery of Insurrection, 1943–1944 13. Murdering History, 1945–1949 14. The Doctor’s Waiting Room, 21 June 1943 Postscript Postscript to the New Edition Glossary Chronology Notes Select Bibliography Index
£14.99
Oneworld Publications A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Book SynopsisCSI: Ancient Rome – what can everyday killings tell us about the Empire and its people?Trade Review‘A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed.’ -- Tom Holland, author of Rubicon, Dynasty and Dominion‘Southon brings some great and little-known murder stories to light, revelling in the bizarre and the macabre.’ * BBC History Magazine *‘She has a rare gift… Those left cold by the sober tones of scholarship will find this voice liberating and intoxicating. Its energy is boundless and its range immense… At a moment when the study of classics struggles to escape its starchy, imperialist legacy, Ms Southon’s cheeky enthusiasm feels like the path of salvation.’ -- Wall Street Journal‘Blood, guts, murder, emperors and a sprinkling of uplifting Latin. A wonderful book on the Roman way of death. Mirabile dictu!’ -- Harry Mount, author of Carpe Diem and Amo Amas Amat... and All That‘I love this funny, scholarly, erudite, irreverent book; Emma Southon wears her learning lightly but we never for a moment doubt her authority, and the past arrives with total immediacy from the first page. Reading it is like seeing a classical statue not remote and austere on a pedestal, but painted in all its original bright colours.’ -- Sarah Perry, author of Melmoth and The Essex Serpent'The genius of Emma Southon’s new book, A Fatal Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome, is that it simultaneously humanizes the Romans and alienates us from them, portraying a society that’s at once a familiar ancestor and a rabid monster.' -- Foreign Policy‘this very approachable analysis of Classical homicide isn’t a dry academic tract… conversational and tongue-in-cheek without sacrificing scholarly credibility. A good chance to learn a lot and have fun doing it.’ * Herald (Glasgow) *
£9.89
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite
Book SynopsisBorn in 1360, Jan Zizka was a formidable figure whose life and military career was set amidst the whirlwind of monumental revolutions - military, religious, political and social - that engulfed medieval Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. The leader of Bohemia's Hussite Revolution, the first of the religious wars during the Protestant Reformation, he was a forward-thinking military genius whose record is virtually unmatched. Zizka fielded a peasant militia, initially untrained and unequipped, and faced down the Holy Roman Empire's huge professional army of armoured knights known as The Men of Iron. Among his numerous innovations was the armoured wagon fitted with small cannons and muskets, presaging the modern tank. All this was achieved despite the fact that for much of his later career he went completely blind. Yet remarkably, beyond central Europe, very little is known about him, though today he is he is widely considered a Czech national hero. In this original and engrossing study, historian Victor Verney combines an authoritative analysis with colourful anecdotes to reveal the incredible exploits of this forgotten military genius and the fascinating cast of characters who surrounded him.
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group Violencia
Book SynopsisSpain has never worked as a democracy. Throughout the country''s history only one system of government has ever enjoyed any real success: dictatorship and the use of violence.Violence, in fact, is what Spain is made of, lying at the heart of its culture and identity, far more so than any other western European nation. For well over a thousand years, the country has only ever been forged and then been held together through the use of aggression - brutal, merciless terror and warfare directed against its own people. Without it the country breaks apart and Spain ceases to exist - a fact that recent events in Barcelona confirm. Authoritarianism is the Spanish default setting.Yet Spain has produced many of the most important artists and thinkers in the Western world, from Cervantes, author of the first modern novel, to Goya, the first modern painter. Much of Western artistic expression, in fact, from the Picaresque to Cubism, would be unthinkable without the Spanish contrTrade ReviewJason Webster's Violencia is as opinionated as it is fascinating. Even on periods that I know well, I found it illuminating and always provocative. Moreover, as is to be expected from the man who writes such intriguing crime novels, it is beautifully written and extremely witty * Paul Preston *Violencia is a thrilling, page-turning adventure that spans the glittering expanse of Spanish history. Webster travels the horizon of Spain with the head-on confidence of the insider who has lived his subject, deftly bringing to life the grandeur, tragedy and mystery of the country which continues to the shape the identity of Europe and the world beyond * Jason Elliot *A provocative and entertaining trot through the paradoxes of Spanish history and contains much interesting information * Literary Review *Webster has produced what is destined to be a hotly-debated narrative of the land he knows so well * History of Way *Violencia examines Spain from prehistory to the present. It is a delightfully engaging read and a good introduction to Spain's turbulent history * The Times *
£12.34
Vintage Publishing Witches James I and the English Witch Hunts
Book SynopsisSeptember 1613.In Belvoir Castle, the heir of one of England's great noble families falls suddenly and dangerously ill. His body is tormented' with violent convulsions. Within a few short weeks he will suffer an excruciating death. Soon the whole family will be stricken with the same terrifying symptoms. The second son, the last male of the line, will not survive.It is said witches are to blame. And so the Earl of Rutland's sons will not be the last to die.Witches traces the dramatic events which unfolded at one of England's oldest and most spectacular castles four hundred years ago. The case is among those which constitute the European witch craze of the 15th-18th centuries, when suspected witches were burned, hanged, or tortured by the thousand. Like those other cases, it is a tale of superstition, the darkest limits of the human imagination and, ultimately, injustice a reminder of how paranoia and hysteria can create an environment in which nonconfTrade ReviewGripping… Stirring witchcraft, politics and sexual perversity into the cauldron of a superstitious age, Tracy Borman seasons her brew with suggestions of poisoning and the black arts. -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *Tracy Borman has written a thorough and beautifully researched social history of the early 1600s, taking in everything from folk medicine to James I’s sex life. -- Bella Bathurst * Observer *Spellbinding * Daily Telegraph *Tracy Borman has written a superb history of the witchcraze in early modern Europe focusing around this one case. Her book is enthralling and accurate… In many respects this is a triumph of popular historical writing. -- David Wootton * Guardian *A tantalising history... A panoramic survey of the witch craze that swept through Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Origins of the Second World War
Book SynopsisA.J.P. Taylor''s bestselling The Origins of the Second World War overturns popular myths about the outbreak of war.One of the most popular and controversial historians of the twentieth century, who made his subject accessible to millions, A.J.P. Taylor caused a storm of outrage with this scandalous bestseller. Debunking what were accepted truths about the Second World War, he argued provocatively that Hitler did not set out to cause the war as part of an evil master plan, but blundered into it partly by accident, aided by the shortcomings of others.Fiercely attacked for vindicating Hitler, A.J.P. Taylor''s stringent re-examination of the events preceding the Nazi invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939 opened up new debate, and is now recognized as a brilliant and classic piece of scholarly research.''Taylor''s most perfect work of art, a miracle of proportion, language and insight'' Robert Skidelsky''A dazzling exTrade ReviewTaylor's most perfect work of art, a miracle of proportion, language and insight * Robert Skidelsky *A dazzling exercise in revisionism which summed up Taylor's paradoxical, provocative and inventive approach to history * The Times *Taylor was a lifelong dissenter ... at his best - as in The Origins of the Second World War ... he shifted the gorund of major debates -- Ben Pimlott * Financial Times *No historian of the past century has been more accessible -- Niall Ferguson * Sunday Telegraph *An almost faultless masterpiece * Observer *Highly original and penetrating ... No one who has digested this enthralling work will ever be able to look at the period again in quite the same way * Sunday Telegraph *Table of ContentsForgotten problem; the legacy of the First World War; the post-war decade; the end of Versailles; the Abyssinian affair and the end of Locarno; the half-armed peace, 1936-38; Anschluss - the end of Austria; the crisis over Czechoslovakia; peace for six months; the war of nerves; war for Danzig.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd A History of Wales
Book SynopsisStrarting from the Ice Ages, this account traces the political, social and cultural history of the land that has come to be called Wales. It spans prehistoric hill forts and Roman ruins to the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution and the series of strikes by Welsh miners in the late twentieth century, offering a history of an enduring people.
£18.04
Penguin Books Ltd The Third Reich at War
Book SynopsisThe final book in his acclaimed trilogy on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, Richard J. Evans''s The Third Reich at War: How the Nazis Led Germany from Conquest to Disaster shows how Germany rushed headlong into destroying itself, shattering an entire continent. In 1939 Hitler mobilized Germany into all-out war. Richard Evans''s astonishing, acclaimed history conjures up a whole society plunged into conflict - from generals and front-line soldiers to Hitler Youth activists and middle-class housewives - tracing events from the invasion of Poland and the Battle of Stalingrad to Hitler''s plans for genocide and his eventual suicide. ''Masterly ... will surely be the standard history for many years to come ... This is a warning for the future, as much as a judgement on the past'' Richard Overy, Daily Telegraph ''We all know how the story ends ... but Richard Evans brings it masterfully home ... magnificent''
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd Britains War Machine
Book SynopsisGUARDIAN BOOKS OF THE YEARThe familiar image of the British in the Second World War is that of the plucky underdog taking on German might. David Edgerton''s bold, compelling new history shows the conflict in a new light, with Britain as a very wealthy country, formidable in arms, ruthless in pursuit of its interests and sitting at the heart of a global production system.The British, indeed Churchillian, vision of war and modernity was challenged by repeated defeat by less well equipped enemies. Yet the end result was a vindication of this vision. Like the United States, a powerful Britain won a cheap victory, while others paid a great price. Britain''s War Machine, by putting resources, machines and experts at the heart of a global rather than merely imperial story, demolishes some of the most cherished myths about wartime Britain and gives us a very different and often unsettling picture of a great power in actionTrade ReviewBrilliant and thought-provoking ... There are moments of edgy humour, too ... This remarkable book shows that whatever the reasons for the length of time it took to bring Hitler to heel, the quantity and quality of British war material was not among them -- Brendan Simms * Sunday Telegraph *Edgerton's book is a remarkable achievement. He re-envisions Britain's role in World War II and with it Britain's place in modernity. In place of a plucky island standing alone, he gives us a global empire of machines, not a welfare state, but a technocratic warfare state. The period will never look the same again -- Adam Tooze, author of The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi EconomyConsistently lively, stimulating and authoritative * Observer *Absolutely fascinating. This book will make you think differently about Britain's role in the Second World War -- Laurence Rees, author of Auschwitz: The Nazis and The 'Final Solution'This book has certainly changed my views ... It is a necessary and timely corrective to a great deal of loosely thought-through conventional wisdom, and makes a real contribution to our understanding of the war -- Richard Holmes * Literary Review *For too long we have had a distorted view of Britain's position and role in the Second World War. David Edgerton has produced a stunning book that rectifies this misconception, and which is told with authority, clarity and compelling energy -- James Holland, author of The Battle of BritainAn important corrective to the black-and-white portrait of the period that still prevails * Financial Times *A stimulating exercise in muscular revisionism ... Offers a fresh and provocative view of our much-loved and much-misunderstood "finest hour" -- David Reynolds * Guardian *Accessibly written and deserves a wide audience. Above all, Edgerton demonstrates that the war is a subject we haven't yet heard nearly enough about. Britain's War Machine is a considerable achievement -- Graham Farmelo * Times Higher Education *Edgerton has excelled himself with this highly revisionist account of Britain's national performance during the Second World War ... an unusually provocative book * Twentieth Century British History, 2011 *Edgerton has written what could prove to be one of the most influential books on the history of the Second World War ... majestic ... [he] has successfully shown us that we still have a lot to learn about the conflict ... it will become the required reading for all students wishing to study the Second World War * Reviews in History *An astounding work of myth-busting ... Inspiring and unsettling in equal measure -- Tom Holland * Guardian *Majestic ... a wonderful read. It has probably popped more myths than any other book on the war in recent years -- Taylor Downing * History Today *Brilliant and iconoclastic ... debunks the myth that Britain was militarily and economically weak and intellectually parochial during the 1930s and 1940s -- David Blackburn * Spectator Book Blog *Truly eye-opening ... Edgerton's carefully researched book will fundamentally change the way you think about World War II * Daily Beast *Riveting ... a wonderfully rich book ... thoroughly stimulating -- Richard Toye * History *A major new assessment of Britain's war effort from 1939 to 1945. Never again will some of the lazy assessments of how Britain performed over these years ... be acceptable. That's why this is such an important book * History Today *Innovative and most important * Contemporary Review *Compelling and engaging ... an excellent read * Soldier *Edgerton's well-researched volume bursts with data that reveal Britain's true strength even when supposed to be in critical condition -- Peter Moreira * Military History *Britain's War Machine offers the boldest revisionist argument that seeks to overturn some of our most treasured assumptions about Britain's role in the war ... Edgerton [is] an economic historian with an army of marshalled facts and figures at his fingertips ... This is truly an eye-opening book that explodes the masochistic myth of poor little Britain, revealing the island as a proud power with the resources needed to fight and win a world war -- Nigel Jones * Spectator *Masterful Britain's War Machine promotes the notion that the United Kingdom of the Forties was a superpower, with access to millions of men across the globe, and forming the heart of a global production network * Mail on Sunday *
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd Berlin. 75th Anniversary Edition
Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ON THE LAST DAYS OF THE THIRD REICH2025 marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Read and remember the history that led to this important moment.''Recounts, in harrowing detail and with formidable skill, the brutal death-throes of Hitler''s Reich at the hands of the rampaging Red Army'' Boyd Tonkin, Independent''An irresistibly compelling narrative, of events so terrible that they still have the power to provoke wonder and awe'' Adam Sisman, ObserverThe Red Army had much to avenge when it finally reached the frontiers of the Reich in January 1945. Political instructors rammed home the message of Wehrmacht and SS brutality. The result was the most terrifying example of fire and sword ever known, with tanks crushing refugee columns under their tracks, mass rape, pillage and destruction. Hundreds of thousands of women and children froze to death or were massacred because Nazi Party chiefs, refusing to face defeat, had forbidden the evacuation of civilians. Over seven million fled westwards from the terror of the Red Army.Antony Beevor reconstructs the experiences of those millions caught up in the nightmare of the Third Reich''s final collapse, telling a terrible story of pride, stupidity, fanaticism, revenge and savagery - but also one of astonishing endurance, self-sacrifice and survival against all odds.''Makes us feel the chaos and the fear as if every drop of blood was our own . . . compellingly readable, deeply researched, and beautifully written'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Spectator''Brilliant. Combines a soldier''s understanding of war''s realities with a novelist''s eye for detail'' Orlando Figes, Sunday Times''Startling, chilling, compelling. Beevor''s writing burns like a torch at night in a landscape of ruins''Literary Review''Powerful, diligently researched and beautifully written . . . even better than Stalingrad'' Andrew Roberts, Mail on SundayTrade ReviewFascinating, extraordinary, gripping * Jeremy Paxman *A masterpiece of modern historical writing -- Michael Burleigh * Guardian *This brilliant storyteller makes us feel the chaos and the fear as if every drop of blood was our own. It is much more than just a humane account; it is compellingly readable, deeply researched, and beautifully written -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Spectator *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Revolutionary Russia 18911991
Book SynopsisWhat caused the Russian Revolution?Did it succeed or fail?Do we still live with its consequences?Orlando Figes teaches history at Birkbeck, University of London and is the author of many acclaimed books on Russian history, including A People''s Tragedy, which The Times Literary Supplement named as one of the ''100 most influential books since the war'', Natasha''s Dance, The Whisperers, Crimea and Just Send Me Word. The Financial Times called him ''the greatest storyteller of modern Russian historians.''Trade ReviewInsightful and convincing... Figes integrates his analysis into a highly readable story, and he shows himself to be a master of historical narrative. Readers will find themselves absorbing a great deal of information and insight with very little effort -- David Priestland * Financial Times *A primer intended for readers unfamiliar with the territory, it sparkles with ideas, vivid storytelling, poignant anecdotes and pithy phrases... Fresh and dramatic -- Victor Sebestyen * Sunday Times *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Rise and Fall of the British Nation A
Book Synopsis''Forget almost everything you thought you knew about Britain ... You will not find a better informed history'' David Goodhart, Evening Standard''A striking new perspective on our past'' Piers Brendon, Literary ReviewFrom the acclaimed author of Britain''s War Machine and The Shock of the Old, a bold reassessment of Britain''s twentieth century.It is usual to see the United Kingdom as an island of continuity in an otherwise convulsed and unstable Europe; its political history a smooth sequence of administrations, from building a welfare state to coping with decline. Nobody would dream of writing the history of Germany, say, or the Soviet Union in this way. David Edgerton''s major new history breaks out of the confines of traditional British national history to redefine what it was to British, and to reveal an unfamiliar place, subject to huge disruptions. This was noTrade ReviewEvery so often a book comes out that the entire political class needs to read ... Edgerton is Britain's most exciting and arresting late-modern historian ... Thanks to this rich and compelling book, we now have a proper map and compass. -- Colin Kidd * New Statesman *A fierce and dazzling account of 20th-century Britain -- Christopher de Bellaigue * Guardian *An extraordinary revisionist study of modern Britain ... Edgerton's aim here is nothing short of a radical repositioning of our sense of ourselves as a nation. It's a startling book, and an unexpected thesis ... I'll be reading [it] over and over, and for years to come.' -- Brian Morton * The Herald *Forget almost everything you thought you knew about Britain in the 20th century ... You will not find a better informed history of this country in the last century. -- David Goodhart * Evening Standard *Stimulating and bracing ... He demonstrates that the story the British tell about themselves - and how it is taught in schools and discussed in the public sphere - is bogus. -- Iain Martin * The Times *Unsentimental and rigorous rewriting of British history. ... It looks beyond the froth of political debate, takes business seriously and analyses government as much from Whitehall and administration as Westminster and politics. -- A. W. Purdue * Times Higher Education *Beautifully written and can be read with pleasure by the general reader as well as the trained historian -- Vernon Bogdanor * Daily Telegraph *Original, opinionated, scholarly, complex and immensely stimulating ... this ambitious and provocative book achieves something remarkable. It provides a striking new perspective on our past, one that future historians may not accept but will be unable to ignore. -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *A sweepingly, and ambitiously, revisionist account of 20th century British history ... full of striking lines ... and a very important challenge to much of the existing historiography. -- Duncan Weldon * Progressive Review *Timely jolt to a deluded 'Bullshit Britain'. David Edgerton fillets national delusion and historical amnesia ... of a country that knows so little of its own history. -- Chris Kissane * Irish Times *Edgerton is an extraordinary historian ... Written with bracing élan, Rise and Fall generates insights at every turn. Edgerton set out to rattle "the cage of clichés which imprison our historical and political imaginations", and succeeds magnificently. -- Nick Pearce * OpenDemocracy *... refreshing and immensely stimulating, and should be compulsory reading for anyone wanting to understand the reality of twentieth-century Britain. Lewis Namier, another historian known for his combative brand of scholarship, viewed iconoclasm as the judge of a great historian, that having produced an account of a period 'others should not be able to practise within its sphere in the terms of the preceding era'. Edgerton has certainly achieved this. -- Oliver Hadingham * History *
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Vanquished Why the First World War Failed to
Book Synopsis''A breathtaking, magisterial panorama, telling the epic story of post-war anarchy, dying empires and rising nation states. It makes us rethink our understanding of Europe''s twentieth century'' David Motadel, The Times Literary SupplementFor the Western allies 11 November 1918 has always been a solemn date - the end of fighting which had destroyed a generation, and also a vindication of a terrible sacrifice with the total collapse of their principal enemies: the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. But for much of the rest of Europe this was a day with no meaning, as a continuing, nightmarish series of conflicts engulfed country after country. In this highly original, gripping book Robert Gerwarth asks us to think again about the true legacy of the First World War. ''Lucid, incisive and packed with fascinating details'' Financial Times, Books of the Year ''Important and timely ... obliges us to reconsider a pTrade ReviewThis narrative of continent-wide chaos makes it easier to understand why order came to seem a supremely desirable objective in 1930s Europe, trumping freedom ... it helps us understand why few wars reach tidy conclusions: once a society has suspended its instinctive, social and legal prejudice against killing, it often proves hard to restore. -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *Pulls together a complex narrative about the uneasy peace of the late Twenties and shine a piercing light into darkened corners of history ... an unnerving reminder of how stubbornly some geopolitical fault-lines endure -- Sinclair McKay * The Telegraph *A mixture of fast-paced narrative and fluent analysis ... Gerwarth demonstrates with an impressive concentration of detail that in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe the carnage of the first world war by no means came to an end, as it did for the British and French, in late 1918. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *Combining a big-picture overview with close-up detail - we hear the voices of soldiers, politicians, civilians - Gerwarth has written a vivid if disturbing account -- Matthew Price * National *Searing and vivid ... a timely reminder that the roots of century-long violence can be traced back to the cataclysmic end of the Great War -- Richard Overy * Literary Review *A thorough explanation for the rise of the nationalist and fascist groups who set the stage for World War II. * Kirkus Reviews *Gerwarth's fascinating and finely crafted book is a rich combination of military, political, cultural and social history. He makes good use of literary sources and witness testimony to bring the events he narrates to life ... an impressive work of highly accessible scholarship -- Geoffrey Roberts * Irish Times *This is an important and compelling book with a fascinating and chilling narrative ... Gerwarth reveals how the forgotten postwar violence comprised a key step on Europe's descent into darkness. -- Alexander Watson * BBC History Magazine *While Gerwarth's warfare theories are cogent and convincing, he never loses sight of the human dimension. He skillfully avoids the danger of getting bogged down in a mass of detail, livening up his narrative by using contemporary quotes from politicians, soldiers and writers. One mark of a good history book is that it allows the reader to see familiar events from a new perspective. In this respect, The Vanquished is an exceptional history book. -- Andrew Lynch * Sunday Post Business Magazine *[Gerwarth] shines a light on what is, from a western European point of view, a somewhat obscure and relatively short period of time ... from the layman's vantage point, it is so well written that it reads like a novel. Tragically, for the people killed, wounded and forced to flee from their homes, it is not. This book is well worth the read. -- Frank MacGabhann * Irish Independent *This fine and timely study makes a compelling case for the argument that the bloody aftermath of the war did more to destroy European civilisation than the declarations of war in 1914 ... at a time when Vladimir Putin seems intent on regaining Tsarist Russia's frontiers, and the map of the Middle East drawn by the victorious powers becomes ever more blurred, we might well ask whether the First World War has ended yet. -- A.W. Purdue * Times Higher Education Supplement *A clear and excellent account of the abrupt break-up of the Habsburg, Hohenzollern, Ottoman and Romanov empires and the difficult birth of their successor states during 1917-23 * History of War Reviews *This is difficult, often horrifying reading, but Gerwarth provides an essential contribution to our understanding of the interwar years. -- Jay Freeman * Booklist *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Enlightenment
Book Synopsis''The best single-volume study of the Enlightenment that we have'' Literary ReviewThe Enlightenment is one of the formative periods of Western history, yet more than 300 years after it began, it remains controversial. It is often seen as the fountainhead of modern values such as human rights, religious toleration, freedom of thought, scientific thought as an exemplary form of reasoning, and rationality and evidence-based argument. Others accuse the Enlightenment of putting forward a scientific rationality which ignores the complexity and variety of human beings, propagates shallow atheism, and aims to subjugate nature to so-called technical progress.Answering the question ''what is Enlightenment?'' Kant famously urged men and women above all to ''have the courage to use your own understanding''. Robertson shows how the thinkers of the Enlightenment did just that, seeking a rounded understanding of humanity in which reason was balanced with emotion and sensibility. His book goes behind the controversies about the Enlightenment to return to its original texts and to show that above all it sought to increase human happiness in this world by promoting scientific inquiry and reasoned argument. His book overturns many received opinions - for example, that enlightenment necessarily implied hostility to religion (though it did challenge the authority traditionally assumed by the Churches). It is a master-class in ''big picture'' history, about one of the foundational epochs of modern times.Trade Reviewcogently expressed and scrupulously documented ... The Enlightenment, he believes, has an urgent message for our time -- Keith Thomas * London Review of Books *the book is written out of genuine curiosity and palpable enthusiasm. Robertson's range allows him to make many illuminating comparisons and some provocative juxtapositions ... This is surely the best and most up to date single-volume study of the Enlightenment that we currently possess. It will inform the general reader while also often provoking, delighting and surprising the specialist. -- David Womersley * Standpoint *The Enlightenment by Ritchie Robertson is a fine examination of how the enlightenment changed the world in different ways in different places - scintillating. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Aspects of History Books of the Year *a work that is at once readable, authoritative and wide-ranging ... a handsome single volume, complete with nearly 30 images from the great first editions of the period. The author is a professor of German literature and thought at Oxford University, but whatever the specific subject addressed, the quality of scholarship is uniformly high. -- Jesse Norman * Spectator *learned, capacious and gloriously rich ... "The first Quality of an Historian," David Hume wrote to a friend, "is to be true and impartial; the next to be interesting." Judged by such a standard, Robertson must be reckoned a historian of very high quality indeed. His book is not just learned and balanced, it is also - in the noblest tradition of the Enlightenment itself - principled and humane. -- Tom Holland * The Times *Mr. Robertson is a splendid writer, astoundingly versed in European letters and gifted at vividly sketching the views of the "Enlighteners." ... Mr. Robertson, armed with a prodigious knowledge of the Enlightenment's literary output, has captured the tone and spirit of this milieu. -- Jeffrey Collins * Wall Street Journal *Mr. Robertson is a splendid writer, astoundingly versed in European letters and gifted at vividly sketching the views of the "Enlighteners" ... [who] has written a fitting tribute to his subject ... Often characterized as a great philosophical movement, it is better understood as a style, a set of shifting public habits and attitudes. Mr. Robertson, armed with a prodigious knowledge of the Enlightenment's literary output, has captured the tone and spirit of this milieu. -- Jeffrey Collins * Wall Street Journal *Masterly...[an] epic survey of Enlightened minds, ideas and policies across Europe and the Americas...Mr Robertson sweetens erudition with humanity, much as his subjects did. Science and statecraft, which are amply chronicled, yield to compassion, sympathy and a self-critical outlook that welcomes experimentation and changes of mind. Not least among its lessons for today, The Enlightenment shows how its sages learned "to manage even Disputes with Civility". -- The EconomistA thoroughly satisfying history of an era that was not solely about reason but was "also the age of feeling, sympathy and sensibility." ... a magisterial history of Europe and the West, featuring more than 100 chapters ... An entirely absorbing doorstop history of ideas. * Kirkus Reviews *The analyst has to stick to the ideas. Robertson does this expansively and lucidly, not just reporting them, but arguing them out in admirable thumbnail sketches, rich in detail, of literary as well as philosophical and also scientific works. -- T.J. Reed * Catholic Herald *A professor of German language and literature, Robertson knows that writing good history means clearing away easy preconceptions. His work implies that to understand the Enlightenment, or perhaps any period, it is less useful to distil a set of theses than to identify a group of questions that people agreed were important, even if they furnished very different answers. Thus he avoids sweeping generalizations and focuses on the particular: he has an eye for revealing anecdotes and memorable quotations. ... When he portrays the major figures of the period itself and identifies the complex questions they raised, Robertson transports us to the past as only a master historian can, allowing us to empathize with perspectives different from our own. As a comprehensive study of the period itself, Robertson's The Enlightenment towers over all others I have encountered. -- Gary Saul Morson * Claremont Review of Books *
£17.09
Oxford University Press Street Food Hawkers and the History of London
Book SynopsisThe story of street food in London, from medieval city to global metropolis - and of the women, men, boys, and girls who provided the capital with this vital service.Trade Reviewa tasty tour of how we used to eat... richly researched * Bee Wilson, The Sunday Times *an immensely vivid portrayal of a forgotten London, and a tribute to the hard lives and admirable independence and resilience of Londoners past. * Christopher Hart, Daily Mail *Accessible and enjoyable... makes for vibrant, engaging reading. It is a world reconstructed with real humanity and warmth For anyone interested in the economics of food or the capitals history, this is a fascinating book. * Olivia Potts, The Spectator *Highly enjoyable, well researched and full of details, Street Food is a must read for anyone with a hunger for Londons culinary history. * CM, All About History *engaging...a comprehensive narrative, debunking stereotypes and detailing everything from the tools of the hawkers' trade... to the famous cries of the street. * Charles Wright, OnLondon *a lively and engrossing book, full of fascinating historical facts and illustrations. * , Shiny New Books *Street Food: Hawkers and the History of London places street trading and markets in the context of a changing city with a diverse population that adapted frequently...it will be enjoyed by anyone who wants to learn more about London's history, its neighbourhoods and the role that markets and street food played both in the past and present. * Diane Cunningham, London Society *Street Food traces the history of London's street traders starting from the sixteenth century and bringing things bang up to date with the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It takes us through the people involved, the food, the 'cries' which evolved into terms still in use and the challenges facing traders from housing to traffic, broken pavements, and their reputation...it will be enjoyed by anyone who wants to learn more about London's history, its neighbourhoods and the role that markets and street food played both in the past and present. * Diane Cunningham, London Society *Beautifully written and underpinned by impressive scholarship, Street Food exemplifies a new and distinctive style of history writing...This volume represents both an exemplar of what can be achieved, and a challenge to others. * Tim Hitchcock, London Journal *An entertaining, deeply researched history of hawking * John Gallagher, London Review of Books *Taverner excels at transporting us to the world he explores... this highly accomplished first book should be on the reading lists not only of historians of work, of food and drink and of London, but of any historian interested in processes of change and continuity in English society over the past 400 years. * Mark Hailwood, Urban History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of illustrations Note to the reader Introduction: Hawkers and the history of London Part 1: People Fishwives and costermongers All sorts of Londoners The status of street sellers Hawkers at home Part 2: Workers Gutter merchants Aristocracy of the kerb The costermonger class Part 3: Street food Garden city Perishing commodities As regular as the weather permits Moveable feasts The metropolitan diet Part 4: Markets Liberty of the markets In defence of hawkers Friends of the poor Part 5: Retailers About the streets Keeping score Carnivals of shopping Part 6: Tools Shops on their heads Barrow wheelers The coster's companion Part 7: Traffic Broken pavements Around the clock Crossing the road Part 8: Nuisances The costermongers' charter Infamous wretches Preventing free passage Part 9: Voices Tortures of the ear The crying art Declaring the seasons The end of the cries? Epilogue: The return of street food Curating street food Hawkers past and present Notes Appendix: Identifying street sellers, 1600-1825 Index
£32.77
Oxford University Press Oxford AQA History for A Level The Tudors England
Book SynopsisThis The Tudors: England 1485-1603 Revision Guide is part of the bestselling Oxford AQA History for A Level series. Written to match the new AQA specification, this series helps you deepen your historical knowledge and develop vital analytical and evaluation skills. This revision guide offers the clearly structured revision approach of Recap, Apply, and Review to prepare you for exam success. Step-by-step exam practice strategies for all AQA question types are provided (including Extract Analysis and essays linked to Key Questions), as well as well-researched, targeted guidance based on what we now know from the new AQA examiner''s reports on The Tudors England. Our original author team is back, offering expert advice, AS and A Level exam-style questions and Examiner Tips. Contents checklists help monitor revision progress; example student answers and suggested activity answers help you review your own work. This guide is perfect for use alongside the Student Books or as a stand-alone
£11.50
Oxford University Press The Condition of the Working Class in England
Book SynopsisThe Condition of the Working Class in England is the best known work of Engels, and still in many ways the best study of the working class in Victorian England. It was the first book written by Engels during his stay in Manchester from 1842 to 1844. Manchester was then at the very heart of the Industrial Revolution, and Engels compiled his study from his own observations and detailed contemporary reports. The fluency of his writing, the personal nature of his insights, and his talent for mordant satire combine to make this account of the lives of the victims of early industrial change into a classic - a historical study that parallels and complements the fictional works of the time by such writers as Gaskell and Dickens. What Cobbett had done for agricultural poverty in his Rural Rides, Engels did - and more - in this work on the plight of industrial workers in England in the 1840s. This edition includes the prefaces to the English and American editions, and a map of Manchester c.1845Table of ContentsIntroduction; Note on the text; Select bibliography; A chronology of Friedrich Engels; Map of Manchester c.1845; The Condition of the Working Class in England; Appendix; The Labour movement in America; Preface to the American edition; Preface to the English edition; Explanatory notes; Index.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd A History of Venice
Book SynopsisRenowned historian, and author of A Short History of Byzantium, John Julius Norwich''s classic history of VeniceA History of Venice tells the story of this most remarkable of cities from its founding in the fifth century, through its unrivalled status for over a thousand years as one of the world''s busiest and most powerful city states, until its fall at the hands of Napoleon in 1797. Rich in fascinating historical detail, populated by extraordinary characters and packed with a wealth of incident and intrigue, this is a brilliant testament to a great city - and a great and gripping read.''Norwich has loved and understood Venice as well as any other Englishman has ever done'' Sunday Times''Will become the standard English work of Venetian history'' Financial Times''The standard Venetian history in English'' The Times''Norwich has the gift of historical perspective, as well as clarity and wit. Few caTrade ReviewNorwich has loved and understood Venice as well as any other Englishman has ever done * Sunday Times *As a historian Norwich knows what matters. As a writer he has a taste for beauty, a love of language and an enlivening wit. He contrives, as no English writer has done before, to sustain a continuous interest in that crowded history -- Hugh Trevor-RoperThe standard Venetian history in English -- Jan Morris * The Times *Will become the standard English work of Venetian history * Financial Times *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Guns of August
Book SynopsisBarbara Tuchman''s The Guns of August is a spellbinding history of the fateful first month when Britain went to war.War pressed against every frontier. Suddenly dismayed, governments struggled and twisted to fend it off. It was no use . . .Barbara Tuchman''s universally acclaimed, Pulitzer prize-winning account of how the first thirty days of battle determined the course of the First World War is to this day revered as the classic account of the conflict''s opening. From the precipitous plunge into war and the brutal and bloody battles of August 1914, Tuchman shows how events were propelled by a horrific logic which swept all sides up in its unstoppable momentum.''Dazzling'' Max Hastings''Magnificent'' Guardian''Fascinating, splendid, glittering. One of the finest works of history'' New York Times''A brilliant achievement'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewDazzling -- Max HastingsMagnificent. A masterpiece of the historian's art * Guardian *A brilliant achievement * Sunday Telegraph *Excellent * Wall Street Journal *A brilliant piece of military history. A writer with an impeccable sense of telling detail, Tuchman is able to evoke both the enormous pattern of tragedy and the minutiae which make it human * Newsweek *
£11.69
John Murray Press Paradise Lost The Destruction of Islams City of
Book SynopsisOn Saturday 9th September, 1922, the victorious Turkish cavalry rode into Smyrna, the richest and most cosmopolitan city in the Ottoman Empire. What happened over the next two weeks must rank as one of the most compelling human dramas of the twentieth century. Almost two million people were caught up in a disaster of truly epic proportions.PARADISE LOST is told with the narrative verve that has made Giles Milton a bestselling historian. It unfolds through the memories of the survivors, many of them interviewed for the first time, and the eyewitness accounts of those who found themselves caught up in one of the greatest catastrophes of the modern age.Trade ReviewGiles Milton . . . has crafted an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining * The Times *Giles Milton's brilliant re-creation of the last days of Smyrna * Sunday Times *Giles Milton's powerful narrative of the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe is compelling . . . incidents of heroism among the carnage, give this tale of ethnic cleansing a rare immediacy. * Telegraph *Engrossing . . . Milton's book celebrates the heroism of individuals who put lives before ideologies * Independent *The sack of that famously cosmopolitan city . . . makes a compelling story. It is also a strikingly neglected one . . . Milton's considerable achievement is to deliver with characteristic clarity and colour this complex epic narrative . . . Milton brings commendable impartiality to his thoroughly researched book . . . PARADISE LOST proves a timely examination of a defining moment in the history of ethnic and religious conflict * Sunday Telegraph *PARADISE LOST is a timely reminder of the appalling cost of expansionist political ambitions; it tells a fascinating story with clarity and insight * Economist *PARADISE LOST is essential reading for anyone who cares about the past - and present - of today's Europe, indeed of civilisation itself * Adam LeBor, Literary Review *Giles Milton . . . has written his best book to date * Scotland on Sunday *[Milton is] a master of historical narrative * The Sunday Times *Milton has a terrific eye for the kind of detail that can bring the past vividly to life off the page . . . restores an exotic lustre * Spectator *Milton is a great storyteller . . . he conjures mood from dry parchment * Express on Sunday *Milton has written a grimly memorable book * William Dalrymple, Sunday Times *
£12.34
Little, Brown Book Group Civil War
Book SynopsisOne late summer''s day in 1642 two rival armies faced each other across the rolling Warwickshire countryside at Edgehill. There, Royalists faithful to King Charles I engaged in a battle with the supporters of the Parliament. Ahead lay even more desperate battles like Marston Moor and Naseby. The fighting was also to rage through Scotland and Ireland, notably at the siege of Drogheda and the decisive battle of Dunbar.Few periods in English history are more significant than that to which acclaimed author Trevor Royle turns his attention in CIVIL WAR. From his shrewd analyses of the characters who played their parts in the wars to his brilliantly concise descriptions of battles, Trevor Royle has produced a vivid and dramatic narrative of those turbulent years. His book also reveals how the new ideas and dispensations that followed from the wars - Cromwell''s Protectorate, the Restoration of Charles II and the ''Glorious Revolution'' of 1689 - made it possible for England, Ireland Trade Review[A] superb narrative history. * Guardian *Royle's account is a compelling reconstruction of two of the most turbulent decades in British history. * Sunday Times *Royle's magnificent history cannot be mistaken for anything other than a tour de force. * Independent On Sunday *Royle makes excellent use of primary sources, and, being a good historian, he throws everything into the battles * BBC History Magazine *
£16.14
Little, Brown Book Group Primitive Rebels
Book SynopsisSocial agitation is as essential a part of public life today as it has ever been. In Eric Hobsbawm''s masterful study, Primitive Rebels, he shines a light on the origins of contemporary rebellion: Robin Hood, secret societies, revolutionary peasants, Mafiosi, Spanish Civil War anarchy, pre-industrial mobs and riots - all of which have fed in to our notions of dissent in the modern world.Coining now familiar terms such as ''social banditry'', Primitive Rebels shows how Hobsbawm was decades ahead of his time, and his insightful analysis of the history of social movements is critical to our understanding of movements such as UK Uncut, Black Lives Matter and the growing international resistance to Donald Trump''s presidency.Reissued with a new introduction by Owen Jones, Primitive Rebels is the perfect guide to the revolutions that shaped western civilisation, and the bandits, reformers and anarchists who have fought to change the world.Trade ReviewA pioneering work opening up several little-explored themes. Its subject matter is of profound human interest . . . a very satisfying book. Written with a broad sociological slant, it continually thrusts ideas upon its readers, and it is inspired by a humanity and a deep sympathy for humble people -- Christopher Hill * History Today *Hobsbawm writes so fairly and with so much understanding and sympathy that many who disagree with him fundamentally will find their own views substantially altered by what he says * Spectator *There is much more in this carefully considered book than a lively account of forgotten risings * New Statesman *A book which is as fruitful as this one in posing problems as well as in providing answers descerves the careful attention of any reader. It is plausible, suggestive and intelligent * Observer *
£10.44
Taylor & Francis Ltd (Sales) Whos Who in Russia Since 1900
Book SynopsisWho's Who is Russia and the Soviet Union is a unique reference guide on the leading political, economic, cultural, military, scientific and sporting personalities from 1900-1991. Including biographical information, a glossary, a chronology of events and an A-Z layout, it is invaluable for students, teachers, researchers and general readers.Table of ContentsIntroduction, Chronology, WHO’S WHO IN RUSSIA SINCE 1900, Glossary, Maps, Bibliography
£36.86
Faber & Faber Brittle with Relics
Book Synopsis Brittle with Relics is a landmark history of the people of Wales during a period of great national change.''Richly humane, viscerally political, generously multi-voiced, Brittle with Relics is oral history at its revelatory best.''DAVID KYNASTON''Fascinating.'' OBSERVER''Powerful.'' LITERARY REVIEW''Inspired.'' GUARDIANBrittle with Relics is a vital history of Wales undergoing some of the country's most seismic and traumatic events: the disasters of Aberfan and Tryweryn; the rise of the Welsh language movement; the Miners' Strike and its aftermath; and the narrow vote in favour of partial devolution.Drawing upon the voices of its inhabitants includin Neil Kinnock, Rowan Williams, Leanne Wood, Gruff Rhys, Michael Sheen, Nicky Wire, Sian James, language activists, members of former mining communities and many more this is a viviTrade Review'A peerless cultural history.', Evening Standard, Books of the Year, on THE LARK ASCENDING'Nothing in this book is uninteresting . . . King soars.', Financial Times, on THE LARK ASCENDING
£11.69
Hodder Education Fascist Italy
Book Synopsis
£38.74
The History Press Ltd The Man in the Brown Suit
Book SynopsisOn 16 July 1936 a man in a brown suit stepped from the crowd on London's Constitution Hill and pointed a loaded revolver at King Edward VIII as he rode past. The monarch was moments from death. But MI5 and the Metropolitan Police Special Branch had known for three months an attack was planned: the man in the brown suit himself had warned them. This mysterious man, lost to history, was George McMahon, a petty criminal with a record of involvement with the police. He was also an MI5 informant, providing intelligence on Italian and possibly German espionage in Britain. Dismissed by the rest of the world as a drunken loser and fantasist, he saw his life as an epic drama. Why did MI5 and the police fail to act? Was it a simple blunder on the part of the security services, or was something far more sinister involved? In this first full-length study of the threat to the life of Edward VIII, James Parris uses material from MI5 and police files at the National Archives to reach
£17.00
Oneworld Publications Loot
Book SynopsisA tragic story of the British empire run amok and the plunder of great works of artTrade Review‘Gripping…a must read.’ * FT *‘[A] balanced reconstruction of the Benin saga and probes the difficult choices facing European – and Nigerian – museums… Phillips excels at tracing the roundabout ways in which objects could find their way into museums.’ -- TLS‘The storytelling is crisp, balanced and authoritative… As Britain continues to twist on the thorny issue of racism…this book’s laser-sharp focus on the casenotes from one instance of colonial cruelty allows for a much more informed understanding of the wider issue. Whereas before the now highly valuable Benin Bronzes might have had us looking in the attic for some forgotten heirloom, perhaps now we are left examining our consciences.’ -- Tim Butcher, Spectator‘Mr Phillips, a veteran British correspondent in Africa who knows Nigeria well, adds new and much-needed context to the story of the Edo empire and its bloody finale… Mr Phillips is at pains to show how deeply the Edo people feel the loss of their physical culture… But Mr Phillips is clear-sighted about the political and financial obstacles that must still be overcome.’ -- Economist‘His compelling book is full of African voices… It is balanced, sternly critical of the Brits when that is appropriate, but at the same time humane, reasonable, and ultimately optimistic.’ -- Evening Standard‘[A] valuable guide to a complex narrative… Throughout this tortured history, Phillips writes with journalistic detail, gathering his accounts from many sources, attempting fairness.’ -- The Times‘Damning’ -- Prospect, Best Books of 2021‘A veteran journalist based for years in Africa, Mr. Phillips has written a humane and thoughtful book, devoid of the sort of posturing that mars the debate over the repatriation of objects brought to the West during the colonial era.’ -- Wall Street Journal‘Vivid, dramatic and colourful, Loot is a story of empire running amok. It still has huge resonance in the debate about colonialism and racism today.’ * Kwasi Kwarteng, MP and author of Ghosts of Empire and War and Gold *‘Persuasive… Phillips is scrupulously fair yet damning. He points to the racist hypocrisy that rationalised colonial plunder…[and] covers the ritzy, often clandestine, history of the Bronzes on the western market, where some objects have been sold for up to £10m. Above all, his tale is one of competing ways of assessing material culture.’ -- Prospect‘This timely, thoughtful and beautifully crafted volume deftly guides us through a truly astounding passage of events. These are the kind of histories that change the way that we look at things we thought we knew – whilst shocking us at the things that we simply hadn’t grasped.’ * Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of V&A East and former Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art *‘A fascinating and timely book. A brilliant model of expertly marshalled historical research and compelling narrative.’ * William Boyd, author of Any Human Heart and A Good Man in Africa *‘Reading Barnaby Phillips’s Loot is like walking a sniffing dog through the minds, homes, and storerooms of government agents, military adventurers, museums, art dealers, and collectors… Brilliant and evidenced-based… It is a highly recommended book that will thrill the reader to the last page.’ * Dr Uyilawa Usuanlele, Associate Professor of African History, State University of New York *‘This is a thoroughly researched, well written and timely contribution to the live debate about cultural restitution. Accessible yet nuanced, we hear the voices of a contested history from the looters themselves and the bronze casters of Benin City, to the leaders of the world’s major cultural institutions and so many other players in this drama. Barnaby takes us on a journey raising important questions about empire and the meaning of art, civilisation and culture.’ * Clive Myrie, BBC Chief Correspondent and Presenter *‘Phillips weaves a compelling and evocative narrative from the off, peopled by a cast that propels the story forward, sending the reader on a voyage of discovery that raises some very important questions indeed… accessible, packed with drama and utterly fascinating. It should appeal to a wide audience, from those with an interest in the history of colonialism to art historians and readers who are simply looking for a book that will be difficult to put down.’ -- All About History‘Well-balanced and highly readable.’ -- Peter Frankopan, Air Mail'Brilliant' * South African Mail and Guardian *‘Rarely have books like Loot focussed so in-depth on the perspectives of Africans. As Loot makes clear, whether in the form of Nollywood films or oral histories handed down across generations, Nigerians have had a lot to say about the Benin Bronzes… Phillips kicks off his stylish tome with an in-depth history of the Kingdom of Benin… he paints a touching portrait of the kingdom and the people who inhabited it… it’s possible that a book like Loot could offer some readers the context needed to get behind Phillips’s cause.’ -- Art News‘Debate continues to rage over whether the Benin Bronzes held in London’s British Museum should be returned to Africa. Barnaby Phillips focuses instead on their origins, investigating their medieval authors, and what they can tell us about Africa’s culture and history.’ -- BBC History‘For the first time a comprehensive account of the famed Benin Bronzes, from their creation to their pillaging by British troops to subsequent attempts at recovery. Phillips writes with ease and erudition, highlighting the many complexities that arise with each attempt at addressing this historical injustice.’ -- Alexander Herman, The Art Newspaper‘Readers interested in the diversity of Nigerian views about the Benin Bronzes will be better served by [Loot]… Phillips’s incorporation of local perspectives produces a nuanced picture.’ -- International Journal of Cultural Property
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC OCR Ancient History AS and A Level Component 2
Book SynopsisThis textbook supports the specification for AS and A-Level Ancient History (first teaching September 2017). It covers the whole of Component 2, both the compulsory Period Study and the three optional Depth Studies:Period Study: The Julio-Claudian Emperors, 31 BCAD 68 by Robert Cromarty and James HarrisonDepth Study: The Breakdown of the Late Republic, 8831 BC by Steve MatthewsDepth Study: The Flavians, AD 6896 by Robert Cromarty Depth Study: Ruling Roman Britain, AD 43c.128 by James HarrisonHow did Augustus change the Roman Constitution? Why was the Roman Republic doomed to fail? How did the Flavians re-invent the Imperial image? What was life like in Roman Britain?These are the sort of questions that you are required to consider for A-Level Ancient History. This textbook guides you through the use of power and politics in the Roman Senate and Imperial court from the Late Republic into the Principate. It considers individual ambition against theTable of ContentsIntroduction How to Use This Book Period Study: The Julio-Claudian Emperors, 31 BC–AD 68 Depth Study Option 1: The Breakdown of the Late Republic, 88–31 BC Depth Study Option 2: The Flavians, AD 68–96 Depth Study Option 3: Ruling Roman Britain, AD 43–c. 128 Glossary Index
£17.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Leningrad
Book SynopsisWhen Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941, he intended to capture Leningrad before turning on Moscow. Soviet resistance forced him to change tactics: with his forward troops only thirty kilometres from the city''s historic centre, he decided instead to starve it out. Using newly available diaries and government records, Anna Reid describes a city''s descent into hell - the breakdown of electricity and water supply; subzero temperatures; the consumption of pets, joiner''s glue and face cream; the dead left unburied where they fell - but also the extraordinary endurance, bravery and self-sacrifice, despite the cruelty and indifference of the Kremlin.Trade ReviewA masterpiece of modern historical writing. With a clear, unsentimental eye and in calm prose, she describes the horrors of the most lethal siege in modern history ... A terrible story, superbly researched and beautifully told * Anthony Beevor, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *Magisterial * Orlando Figes, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *An admirable retelling of the extraordinary story of the 1941-44 siege ... The author has assembled the testimony of many unfamiliar witnesses, and vividly portrays what some of us consider the most dreadful saga of the Second World War * Max Hastings, The Times Books of the Year *Impeccably researched, well-paced and beautifully written, Leningrad marks a new benchmark in the study of the subject and a more nuanced, objective interpretation for a new century * Financial Times *A moving and breathtaking examination of the terrible price extorted by unfettered political power on both sides -- Sally Moris * Daily Mail *
£16.14
