European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

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Book SynopsisThis textbook is endorsed by OCR and supports the specification for AS and A-Level Ancient History (first teaching September 2017). It covers the whole of Component 1, both the compulsory Period Study and the three optional Depth Studies:Period Study: Relations between Greek states and between Greek and non-Greek states, 492404 BC by Steve Matthews and James RenshawDepth Study: The Politics and Society of Sparta, 478404 BC by Charlie CottamDepth Study: The Politics and Culture of Athens c. 460399 BC by David L. S. Hodgkinson and James RenshawDepth Study: The Rise of Macedon, 359323 BC by Lucy NicholasHow and why did a small group of city states defy the might of the Persian Empire? Why did the same city states subsequently descend into 60 years of conflict among themselves? Were Sparta and Athens very different? How did Alexander later redefine the Greek world?These are the sort of questions that you are required to consider for A-LevTable of ContentsIntroduction How to Use This Book Period Study: Relations between Greek and non-Greek states, 492–404 BC Depth Study Option 1: The Politics and Society of Sparta, 478– 404 BC Depth Study Option 2: The Politics and Culture of Athens, c.460– 399 BC Depth Study Option 3: The Rise of Macedon, 359–323 BC Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThis atlas covers the history of the British Isles from earliest times to the present day.The first hunter-gatherers,who crossed into what would become our familiar islands by the land-bridge, and later followed by more familiar peoples the Celts,Angles, Saxons,Vikings and Normans,who together would create our islands unique history. Each contributed ideas which shaped our lands, languages and thoughts that are at the core of our identities to this day. This story is illustrated with 150 full-colour maps and plans that range across many topics, such as agricultural, political and industrial revolutions. The expansion of our islands peoples across the oceans and the lasting legacy that movement left on the world and on our home islands. We show the fluctuating fortunes of the states we now identify ourselves by, from an Anglo-Scottish imperium to devolved power, independence and the often painful process by which the modern map of our islands evolved.The forces of history and religion

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Book SynopsisThe term feminist' would have been anachronistic in the Tudor period, but surely we would not hesitate to call the lady, who would be queen, Anne Boleyn, a feminist? All ten women examined in this book, from Catherine Parr to Margaret Beaufort, lived their lives in a way that challenged the patriarchal world they lived in. Each chapter is dedicated to one remarkable woman, ahead of her time. It explores her achievements and examines the impacts she had on a male-dominated world, while placing her in the context of her particular circumstance and background. These Renaissance women, from the high born to the merchant class, were rule breakers, they railed against the rigid social norms of their time and stand out vividly against a backdrop of domestic servitude.

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Book SynopsisYpres today is an international ''Town of Peace'', but in 1914 the town, and the Salient, the 35-mile bulge in the Western Front, of which it is part, saw a 1500-day military campaign of mud and blood at the heart of the First World War that turned it into the devil''s nursery. Distinguished biographer and historian of modern Europe Alan Palmer tells the story of the war in Flanders as a conflict that has left a deep social and political mark on the history of Europe. Denying Germany possession of the historic town of Ypres and access to the Channel coast was crucial to Britain''s victory in 1918. But though Flanders battlefields are the closest on the continent to English shores, this was always much more than a narrowly British conflict. Passchendaele, the Menin Road, Hill 60 and the Messines Ridge remain names etched in folk memory. Militarily and tactically the four-year long campaign was innovative and a grim testing ground with constantly changing ideasTrade ReviewA fine piece of narrative history, a combination of suspense and scholarship Antonia Fraser Palmer's style is as good as his judgement is daring Sunday Times Palmer has an admirable eye for telling detail Sunday Telegraph

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Book Synopsis*A Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday Summer Read of 2024*The extraordinary story of ancient Rome, history's greatest superpower, as told through humankind's most universal object: the coin. 'Fantastic' CONN IGGULDEN, author of Nero'Brilliant' EMMA SOUTHON, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Woman'Wonderful' CHRISTOPHER HADLEY, author of The RoadMoneta traces ancient Rome's unstoppable rise, from a few huts on an Italian hilltop to an all-conquering empire spanning three continents, through the fascinating lives of twelve remarkable coins. In these handcrafted pieces of ancient art we witness Caesar's bloody assassination, follow the legions to the edge of the known world, take a seat in the packed Colosseum, and ultimately, watch as barbarian armies mass at the gates. The Romans saw coins as far more than just money these were metal canvases on which they immortalised their sacred gods, mighty emperors, towering monuments, and brutal battles of conquest. Revealed in those intricate designs struck in gold, silver, and bronze was the epic history of the Roman world. Hold the glory and the power of ancient Rome in the palm of your hand.

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

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Book SynopsisA compelling history of the women who started their own police force in 1914as war, social upheaval and gender injustice gripped the UK.

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative, illustrated history of how Germany fought to dominate the North Sea in early World War II, and take the naval war to Britain's coasts.

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Book SynopsisIn Afterlives, Nancy Mandeville Caciola explores this extraordinary phenomenon of the living's relationship with the dead in Europe during the five hundred years after the year...Trade ReviewAfterlives is an enlivening read for anyone tickled by ghost stories or the recurrent need to represent the social unconscious; its occasional repetitions notwithstanding, it delivers on the author's promise to "chart... a history of the unknown: of pure, unslaked curiosity," a quest as true of its illumination of medieval afterlives as it is of resourcing the medieval period itself. * MAKE Literary Magazine *A reader wishing to be informed of the theories and responses governing the returned dead in the Middle Ages should look no further than here. The book is a pleasure to read: elegantly written and well produced (with an excellent index). The book acts as a timely and lucid appraisal of recent work in the area of the premodern ghost, and is a stimulating survey of the varieties of its representation and understanding. It is a powerful and rewarding reading of surviving evidence, and of a cultural fascination that shows no sign of resting quietly. * American Historical Review *Whatever interpretative standpoint one brings to belief in revenance in the Middle Ages, Afterlives provides a wealth of evidence combined with insightful commentary and discussion. This book is a major contribution to scholarship, and a highly recommended read. * The Folklore Society *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One: Imagining Mortality 1. Mors, A Critical Biography 2. Diagnosing Death Part Two: Corporeal Revenants 3. Revenants, Resurrection, and Burnt Sacrifice 4. The Ancient Army of the Undead 5. Flesh and Bone: The Semiotics of Mortality Part Three: The Disembodied Dead 6. Psychopomps, Oracles, and Spirit Mediums 7. Spectral Possession Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.The Battle of Britain is one of the most crucial battles ever fought, and the victory of Fighter Command over the Luftwaffe has always been celebrated as a classic feat of arms. But, as Patrick Bishop shows in this superb history, it was also a triumph of the spirit in which the attitudes of the pilots themselves played a crucial part. Reaching beyond the myths to convey the fear and exhilaration of life on this most perilous of frontlines, Patrick Bishop offers an intimate and compelling account that is a soaring tribute to the exceptional young men of Fighter Command.Trade Review‘I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph ‘A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday ‘As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, “Fighter Boys” is unsurpassed.’ Daily Telegraph ‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can’t be a finer history.’ James Holland, New Statesman ‘Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.’ T. J. Binyon, Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisThe Second World War destroyed countless cities in Europe and Asia. Naples 1944 is the story of the first major European city to be liberated by the Allies. The book describes not only what happened to Naples when the scourge of war lashed down upon it, but also, crucially, what happened next.This is the first major history of wartime Naples to appear in the English language. It fills a glaring gap in the British and American historiography of the war and shares a hoard of new stories some of them truly shocking that have never yet been published in any language.When the Allies arrived in late 1943, Naples had already suffered a brutal German occupation and suffered reprisals from the city's heroic resistance and uprisings. This did not save it from the merciless Allied bombing. The city was on its knees with widespread suffering and squalor. Criminal gangs prospered, as did typhus, starvation and soaring prices on the black market. Much of the female population was forced into part-

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Book SynopsisFrom classicist James Romm comes a “striking…fascinating” (Booklist) deep dive into the last decades of ancient Greek freedom leading up to Alexander the Great’s destruction of Thebes—and the saga of the greatest military corps of the time, the Theban Sacred Band, a unit composed of 150 pairs of male lovers.The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. At stake was freedom, democracy, and the fate of Thebes, at this time the leading power of the Greek world. The tale begins in 379 BC, with a group of Theban patriots sneaking into occupied Thebes. Disguised in women’s clothing, they cut down the agents of Sparta, the state that had cowed much of Greece with its military might. To counter the Spartans, this group of patriots would form the Sacred Band, a corps whose history plays out against a backdrop of Theban democracy, of desperate power struggles between leading city-states, and the new prominence of eros, sexual love, in Greek public life. After four decades without a defeat, the Sacred Band was annihilated by the forces of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander in the Battle of Chaeronea—extinguishing Greek liberty for two thousand years. Buried on the battlefield where they fell, they were rediscovered in 1880—some skeletons still in pairs, with arms linked together. From violent combat in city streets to massive clashes on open ground, from ruthless tyrants to bold women who held their era in thrall, The Sacred Band recounts “in fluent, accessible prose” (The Wall Street Journal) the twists and turns of a crucial historical moment: the end of the treasured freedom of ancient Greece.Trade Review"Romm, a Bard College professor, has an unusual knack for writing about ancient history for general readers ... I was most stirred by a parallel narrative examining how the story of the Sacred Band both inspired the beginnings of the struggle for gay acceptance in the 19th century and was also long a source of discomfort for many professional classicists." —The New York Times, New & Noteworthy "[Romm] deftly pieces the story together ... Mr. Romm negotiates artfully in fluent, accessible prose. But he really comes into his own when describing the Sacred Band’s dramatic and elegiac end." —Wall Street Journal "An impressive achievement ... Romm illustrates how fantasies about the Sacred Band have captivated different ages ... [Thebes], late to emerge onto the Greek political scene, dreamed big; just not big enough." —Times Literary Supplement "Romm’s book not only details the history of the Sacred Band, but illuminates this murky and murderously internecine period of Greek history ... Romm has an eye for interesting characters—such as the sociopathic tyrant Jason of Pherae, who made his spear into a god." —The American Scholar "The Sacred Band of Thebes was founded to protect the Boeotian League, the federation of cities that Thebes led. The band was the first professional standing army funded by the state in Greek history ... it was founded on the principle that men so intimately devoted to one another would fight as a cohesive unit ... This fascinating period of Greek history is the subject of classicist James Romm’s new book The Sacred Band." —Humanities: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities "A vivid portrait of ancient Thebes ... A spirited, informative classical history from an expert on the subject." —Kirkus "In this excellent work, Romm ... convincingly argues that Thebes was as important as Athens and Sparta during the last century of its history ... Excellent vignettes of contemporary non-Thebans (particularly Xenophon, an Athenian student of Socrates who was an unabashed partisan for Sparta) enhance the narrative ... [The Sacred Band] is highly recommended and will appeal to fans of Thebes, by Paul Cartledge, as well as readers of LGBTQ+ history." —Library Journal "Romm lucidly describes the era’s complex power struggles and explains how the pro-Sparta bias of Xenophon, who wrote the only surviving contemporaneous account of “the era of Theban greatness,” has colored modern perceptions of Thebes. This is an eye-opening and immersive portrait of a little-known aspect of ancient history." —Publishers Weekly "Striking ... [a] fascinating unit." —Booklist"Lively and captivating ... this first full-length popular account dedicated to the “Sacred Band” performs a vital and overdue service: for classical history buffs, for readers interested in gay history and culture, and for anyone who appreciates a fascinating story, grippingly told." —Daniel Mendelsohn, author of An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic "Bound by love, virtue, and valor, the Sacred Band of Thebes fought for Greek freedom and democracy, for more than a generation in a turbulent era ended by Macedonian conquest in 338 BC. James Romm has delved deep into the history and even the archaeology of this famous, little-understood corps of 300 lover-companions. The result is an exhilarating story of eros and power." —Adrienne Mayor, author of Gods and Robots and The Amazons "There are several famous 300s in human history but few deserve to be commemorated as does the Sacred Band of the ancient Greek city of Thebes — as James Romm, already very well known as a reviewer, translator, commentator and Herodotus expert, so amply demonstrates in this splendid, pioneering, indeed loving book." —Paul Cartledge, author of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece "Using contemporary language and interpreting through an enlightened sensibility, James Romm brings energy and relevance to an epic chapter of ancient history." —Mary Norris, author of Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen "James Romm has written a wonderfully readable book about one of the most fascinating and least known stories from the ancient world. Beginning with the Theban rebellion throwing off Spartan control to the destruction of the city by Alexander the Great, the tale of the rise and fall of Theban freedom resonates even today." —Philip Freeman, author of Alexander the Great "An immersive and deeply atmospheric story of strength and power – a power founded, above anything else, on love and belief. I can think of 300 reasons to recommend this book." —Daisy Dunn, author of The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny

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Book SynopsisAbove, a city thriving with life. Beneath, a city filled with the dead. London. A vast, labyrinthine, ever-moving place that shimmers as the jewel of Britain. But what about beneath it? What of it''s history? It''s mishaps? It''s dead? Catharine Arnold invites us on a gloriously macabre tour - across London''s many graveyards, cemeteries and burial plots in a quest to discover whether what has departed can teach us anything about what is to come. It''s an intriguing, occasionally dark, occasionally humorous journey that reaches right back to the Romans and concludes with the most recent display of mass public mourning: Princess Diana''s funeral. Utilising archaeology, anthropology, anecdote and history, Arnold explores the presence of death in people''s lives and the developments and changes in mourning and burial through two millennia. London''s greatest disasters, including the Great Fire and the Black Plague, are explored and analysed for their m

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Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated account of medieval falconry, both in the East and West.

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Book SynopsisA TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEARFrom the preeminent historian of 20th century Spain Paul Preston, Architects of Terror is a new history of how paranoia, conspiracy and anti-Semitism was used to justify the military coup of 1936 and enabled the construction of a dictatorship built on violence and persecution.It is the previously untold story of how antisemitic beliefs were weaponised to justify and propagate the Franco overthrow of liberal Spain.The Spanish military coup of 1936 was launched to overturn the social and economic reforms of the democratic Second Republic, and its educational and cultural challenges to the established order. The consequent civil war was fought in the interests of the landowners, industrialists, bankers, clerics and army officers whose privileges were threatened. However, a central justification for a war that took the lives of around 500,000 Spaniards was that it was being fought to combat an alleged scheme for world domination by a non-existent Jewish- MasTrade Review A TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘Deeply researched and revealing . . . Preston’s study is based on both profound knowledge and shrewd human understanding’ Daily Telegraph, five-star review ‘Preston’s great skill lies in carefully dissecting these vile characters…This book reveals Preston at the peak of his powers; he’s an enormous intellect and a great storyteller’ The Times, Gerald DeGroot Praise for A People Betrayed (2020) A Financial Times Best History Book of 2020 ‘For decades, Paul Preston has been one of the English-speaking world’s premier historians of modern Spain. His latest book, dealing with the controversial topic of corruption in Spanish politic, public administration and business, is particularly good on the Franco dictatorship and post-Franco democratic era’ Financial Times ‘Fascinating … The depth of the book’s research cannot be faulted and the examples of grand malfeasance and political corruption are extraordinary … Buried in the narrative lies ample treasure … I applauded Preston’s heroic feat.’ Times ‘Tremendously rich and learned … Preston is one of Britain’s finest historians … This book, massively researched … Powerful, persuasive and utterly fascinating – makes for harrowing reading’ Sunday Times ‘A magisterial study of [Spain’s] turbulent past, seen through the optic of those apparently ineradicable twins: corruption and political incompetence … Races along in a riveting fashion, replete with eye-catching and often blackly humorous anecdotes …Preston’s narrative combines his gift for cogent, summarising clarity and for telling details …Preston has written an admirable book – a lively, comprehensive history of modern Spain.’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the legions as the core of the Roman army, and chronicling their individual histories in detail, this volume builds on the thematic account of the Roman military force given by its companion The Complete Roman Army. It is suitable for anyone who has enjoyed that book.Trade Review'Beautifully designed and comprehensively illustrated ... brings to life the ancient world’s most successful military machine' - Professor Lawrence Keppie, author of The Making of the Roman Army'Written in a clear, precise style, illustrated copiously ... a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf' - Minerva'Highly informative … a wonderful introduction because the prose is clear, and the maps and illustrations are informative and good reminders of the wealth and power that was Rome' - Contemporary ReviewTable of ContentsPart I: The Legions in the Republican Period • Part II: The Legions in the Imperial Age • Part III: The Legions in Late Antiquity

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Book SynopsisThis edition of a classic scrapbook is published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the end of the World War II.

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Book SynopsisThe Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 is the second book of Alistair Horne''s trilogy, which includes The Fall of Paris and To Lose a Battle and tells the story of the great crises of the rivalry between France and Germany. The battle of Verdun lasted ten months. It was a battle in which at least 700,000 men fell, along a front of fifteen miles. Its aim was less to defeat the enemy than bleed him to death and a battleground whose once fertile terrain is even now a haunted wilderness. Alistair Horne''s classic work, continuously in print for over fifty years, is a profoundly moving, sympathetic study of the battle and the men who fought there. It shows that Verdun is a key to understanding the First World War to the minds of those who waged it, the traditions that bound them and the world that gave them the opportunity. ''Verdun was the bloodiest battle in history ... The Price of Glory is the essential book on the subject''  Sunday Times ''It has almost every merit ... Horne sorts out complicating issues with the greatest clarity. He has a splendid gift for depicting individuals''  A.J.P. Taylor, Observer ''A masterpiece''  The New York Times ''Compellingly told ... Alastair Horne uses contemporary accounts from both sides to build up a picture of heroism, mistakes, even farce''  Sunday Telegraph ''Brilliantly written ... very readable; almost like a historical novel - except that it is true''  Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery One of Britain''s greatest historians, Sir Alistair Horne, CBE, is the author of a trilogy on the rivalry between France and Germany, The Price of Glory, The Fall of Paris and To Lose a Battle, as well as a two-volume life of Harold Macmillan.Table of ContentsLa debacle; joffre of the marne; Falkenhayn; operation Gericht; the waiting machine; the first day; the fall of Colonel Driant; breakthrough; Fort Douaumont; De Castelnau decides; petain; the take-over; reappraisals; the Mort Homme; widening horizons; in another country; the air battle; the crown prince; the triumvirate; "May Cup"; Fort Vaux; danger signals; the secret enemies; the crisis; Falkenhayn dismissed; the counterstrokes; the new leader; aftermath;

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Book SynopsisThe London you know is just the surface! From pomp and splendour to quiet hidden corners, explore London and discover how 2,000 years of history have shaped this city. Fully illustrated with over 400 photographs, this book is packed with interesting tales of the capital's colourful and sometimes murky past.

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Book SynopsisIts name means ''centre of the world'', and since the dawn of history the Mediterranean Sea has formed the shared horizon of innumerable cultures. Here, history has blurred with legend. The glittering surface of the sea conceals the remnants of lost civilisations, wrecked treasure ships and the bones of long-drowned sailors, traders and modern refugees.Of the many cities that dot this ancient coastline, Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna and Antioch are among the oldest and most intriguing. All are beautifully situated, and for layers of history and cultural riches they are rivalled only by their sister cities of Rome, Istanbul and Jerusalem. Yet their fates have been remarkably different. Once major power centres, all five have declined into relative obscurity. Nevertheless, their entwined history takes in Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Archimedes and the Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Norman conquests, and their greatness still lingers for those who seek it out.To

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Book Synopsis''I hope my passion for Rome''s past has not impaired my judgement; for I do honestly believe that no country has ever been greater or purer than ours or richer in good citizens and noble deeds''Livy dedicated most of his life to writing some 142 volumes of history, the first five of which comprise The Early History of Rome. With stylistic brilliance, he chronicles nearly 400 years from the founding of Rome to the Gallic invasion in 386 BC, an era that witnessed the establishment of the Republic, unrest and brutal conflict. Bringing compelling characters to life, and re-presenting familiar tales - including the tragedy of Coriolanus and the story of Romulus and Remus - The Early History is a truly epic work, and a passionate warning that a nation should learn from its history. Translated by Aubrey DE Sélincourt with an Introduction by R. M. Ogilvie and a Preface by S. P. OakleyTable of ContentsTranslated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with a New Preface by Stephen OakleyPrefatory NoteIntroductionTHE EARLY HISTORY OF ROMEBook OneRome under the KingsBook TwoThe Beginnings of the RepublicBook ThreeThe Patricians at BayBook FourWar and PoliticsBook FiveThe Capture of RomeMaps: Latium; RomeAppendixIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The freshness and honesty of Mission France make it an ideal book for taking a new look at the secret war, at a time when knowledge of these brave women’s exploits is fading from living memory.”—Vin Arthey, The Scotsman“A well-researched chronicle that intertwines each woman’s journey from ordinary daughters and wives to pioneering figures of the conflict who were adept in everything from parachuting to wireless operation.”—France Magazine“Despite the deserved praise for Special Operations Executive members Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan, many of its other agents are forgotten. Kate Vigurs here attempts to redress the balance, looking at the widely varying experiences of all 39 women who undertook such daring missions.”—Military History“Gripping. . . . Based on new archival research and interviews, these are three-dimensional tales of failure and betrayal, as well as heroism and bravery.”—History Revealed, “Book of the Month”“A fascinating account. . . . It’s a tale of triumph and tragedy, of romance but also ruin: 14 of F Section’s heroines died in hideous circumstances. . . . Mission France stands as a fitting epitaph to their courage and humanity.”—Giles Milton, BBC History MagazineShortlisted for the 2021 Society for Army Historical Research Best First Book Prize“Apart from a few names, those of all the women who became SOE agents in France are largely unknown. But, in her compelling new book, Kate Vigurs has brought together the stories of all the women’s triumphs and tragedies. Stories that should not be missed.”—Susan Ottaway, author of Violette Szabo: The Life That I Have“Thirty-nine ordinary women reacting to extraordinary circumstances. . . . Eschewing the glamorous image so often foisted on to the women of the SOE, Vigurs offers a cooler, more perceptive insight into varieties of courage.”—Siân Rees, author of Lucie Aubrac: The French Resistance Heroine Who Defied the Gestapo“Mission France is an important addition to the story of the female agents of SOE’s F Section. It handles the history of these women by means of compassionate analysis and successfully avoids the hagiographical approach so favoured by other writers.”—Mark Seaman, author of Undercover Agent: How One of SOE’s Youngest Agents Helped Defeat the Nazis“A riveting and brilliantly researched account of 39 women agents of SOE. Vigurs takes us on a journey of intrigue, betrayal, escape and sometimes tragedy. A must-read for all fans of the secret war, it is the definitive account of the secret underworld of occupation.”—Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence

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Book SynopsisWhen on Christmas Day, 1130, Roger de Hauteville was crowned first King of Sicily, the island entered a golden age. Norman and Italian, Greek and Arab, Lombard, Englishman and Jew all contributed to a culture that was fantastically cosmopolitan; and to an atmosphere of racial and religious toleration unparalleled in Europe. But sixty-four years later, to the day, when the bastard King Tancred was defeated, the sun set on the Sicilian Kingdom. In this second volume of John Julius Norwich's scintillating history of the Normans in Sicily, Norwich describes the happiest and most glorious chapter of the island's history.'

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Book SynopsisUpdated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognised people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In this new edition, Michael Wood vividly conjures some of the most important people in British history such as Hadrian, a Libyan refugee from the Arab conquests and arguably the most important person of African origin in British history, to Queen Boadicea, the leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans.Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England: Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting the latest historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised and updated edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.Trade ReviewIn Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood wrote the book for history on TV.—The TimesMichael Wood is the maker of some of the best TV documentaries ever made on history and archaeology.—Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisThe perfect stocking filler for lovers of Scottish History. From prehistoric Scotland to the Brexit referendum, this pocket-sized book covers all of the main events in Scottish history.

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Book SynopsisGeert Mak spent the year 1999 criss-crossing the continent, tracing the history of Europe from Verdun to Berlin, St Petersburg to Auschwitz, Kiev to Srebrenica. He set off in search of evidence and witnesses, looking to define the condition of Europe at the verge of a new millennium. The result is mesmerising: Mak''s rare double talent as a sharp-eyed journalist and a hugely imaginative historian makes In Europe a dazzling account of that journey, full of diaries, newspaper reports and memoirs, and the voices of prominent figures and unknown players; from the grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II to Adriana Warno in Poland, with her holiday job at the gates of the camp at Birkenau.But Mak is above all an observer. He describes what he sees at places that have become Europe''s well-springs of memory, where history is written into the landscape. At Ypres he hears the blast of munitions from the Great War that are still detonated twice a day. In Warsaw he finds the pointTrade ReviewFascinating, informative, sometimes exhilarating, often painful, and quite impossible to summarise... This is a splendidly panoramic picture of our common European home, a book to read through and then to dip into frequently... I thoroughly recommend his book -- Allan Massie * Literary Review *A broader travelling history of the whole of Europe's 20th century. As befits a journalist with an eye for bad news, he also has much more to say on its calamitous first half than on its more successful second half... Mr Mak tells this part of the story vividly and in great, gory detail, moving from grim fields of battle (Verdun, Stalingrad) to places of revolution (Petrograd, Berlin), and on to ghastly charnel-houses of death and destruction (Auschwitz, Dresden) * Economist *An ingenious geographical-chronological structure... It's impossible not to get drawn into this book -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *The pace rarely slackens and every page sparkles with insight * Herald *In Europe is not so much a work of history, nor is it strictly a travelogue of the present; it is part of a growing genre that is sometimes referred to as the 'history of the present', but might just as well be the 'presence of the past'. It is undoubtedly a spectacular and beautifully crafted piece of such writing -- Isabella Thomas * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Greek statesman Polybius (c.200118 BC) wrote his account of the relentless growth of the Roman Empire in order to help his fellow countrymen understand how their world came to be dominated by Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he vividly records the critical stages of Roman expansion: its campaigns throughout the Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal and the final destruction of Carthage. An active participant of the politics of his time as well as a friend of many prominent Roman citizens, Polybius drew on many eyewitness accounts in writing this cornerstone work of history.Table of ContentsThe Rise of the Roman EmpireList of MapsIntroductionTranslator's NoteBook I: Introduction; The First Punic WarBook II: Affairs in Spain; The Romans in Illyria; Affairs in Spain; Rome and the Gauls; Affiars in Spain; Events in Greece: the Achaean LeagueBook III: Introduction; The Second Punic War; The Second Illyrian War; The Second Punic War; The Second Illyrian War; The Second Punic WarBook IV: Affairs in Greece; Civil War in Cynaetha; Byzantium and the Black SeaBook V: Affairs in Egypt: The Death of Cleomenes; Affairs in Greece: Philip and the GreeksBook VI: From the Preface; On the Forms of States; On the Roman Constitution at Its Prime; The Roman Military System; The Roman Republic Compared with Others; ConclusionBook VII: Affairs in Sicily; Affairs in Greece: The Treaty between Hannibal and Philip of Macedon, The Character of PhilipBook VIII: Affairs in Sicily: The Siege of Syracuse; Affairs in Greece: Philip of Macedon; Macedon; Affairs in Italy: The Siege of TarentumBook IX: Introduction; Affairs in Italy: The Seige of Capua; On Generalship; The Character of HannibalBook X: The Character of Scipio; Affairs in Spain: The Capture of New Carthage, Scipio and the SpaniardsBook XI: Affairs in Italy: The Battle of the Metaurus; The Character of HannibalBook XII: Criticisms of Timaeus and His Approach to History: Errors on the Fauna of Africa and Corsica, Errors Concerning Sicily, Intentional and Unintentional Falsehoods, Timaeus on Callisthenes, Demoshares of Athens, Agathocles of Sicily, Timaeus' Criticisms of Other Writers, Timaeus on the Bull of Phalaris, Timaeus' Methods in Composing Speeches, Comparison of History and Medicine, Timaeus' Lack of Political and Military Experience and Unwillingness to Travel, The Causes of Timaeus' Faults and Qualities of the Good HistorianBook XIV: Affairs in Africa: Scipio's CampaignsBook XV: Affairs in Africa: The Final Campaign; The End of the Second Punic War; Affaris in Macedonia, Syria and Egypt; Affairs in Egypt: A Palace RevolutionBook XVIII: Affairs in Greece: Flamininus and Philip; On Treachery; On the Phalanx; Affairs in Greece" Flamininus and the Peace SettlementBook XXIV: Affairs in Greece: Philopoemen and AristaenusBook XXXI: Affairs in Rome and Syria: The Escape of Demetrius; Affairs in Italy: Aemilius Paullus, Scipio and PolybiusBook XXXVI: Affairs in Rome and Carthage: The Third Punic War; On Fate and ChanceBook XXXIX: From the EpilogueMapsChronological TableIndex

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Book SynopsisFor those living outside Scandinavia, the Viking Age effectively began in 793 with an attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, a characteristically violent harbinger of what was in store for Britain and much of Europe from the Vikings for the next 300 years, until the final destruction of the heathen temple to the Norse gods at Uppsala around 1090. Robert Ferguson is a sure guide across what he calls ''the treacherous marches which divide legend from fact in Viking Age history''. His long familiarity with the literary culture of Scandinavia - the eddas, the poetry of the skalds and the sagas - is combined with the latest archaeological discoveries and the evidence of picture-stones, runes, ships and objects scattered all over northern Europe, to make the most convincing modern portrait of the Viking Age in any language. The Hammer and the Cross ranges from Scandinavia itself to Kievan Rus and Byzantium in the east, to Iceland, Greenland and the north American settlemenTrade ReviewFerguson adds another layer to our perception of our origins in this compelling and often poignant account of a pagan warrior society faced with Christianity on the march * Independent *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BARBARA JELAVICH BOOK PRIZE''Sean McMeekin has written a classic of First World War history ... This superb and original book is the reality behind Greenmantle'' Norman StoneThe Berlin-Baghdad Express explores one of the big, previously unresearched subjects of the First World War: the German bid for world power - and the destruction of the British Empire - through the harnessing of the Ottoman Empire. McMeekin''s book shows how incredibly high the stakes were in the Middle East - with the Germans in the tantalizing position of taking over the core of the British Empire via the extraordinary railway that would link Central Europe and the Persian Gulf. Germany sought the Ottoman Empire as an ally to create jihad against the British - whose Empire at the time was the largest Islamic power in the world.The Berlin-Baghdad Express is a fascinating account of western interference in the Middle East and its lamentablTrade ReviewIn this excellent, well-researched and fascinating book, Sean McMeekin has given us a welcome and stimulating perspective on a highly important but neglected part of the First World War. His account of the Turco-German war effort is a tale of high adventure, ambition and political chicanery with a cast of colourful, brave and sometimes ruthless characters. -- Lawrence James * Literary Review *An exciting new book by a talented young historian -- Niall Ferguson * Observer *McMeekin adds a wealth of documentation...[t]he result is a captivating new history of the Eastern Front in the first world war -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written an engaging history peopled with larger-than-life characters in exotic settings -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written a powerful, overdue book that for many will open up a whole new side to the first world war. -- George Walden * Observer *In addition to bringing to life a fascinating episode in early 20th-century history, The Berlin-Baghdad Express contains several timely lessons and cautionary tales. * Wall Street Journal *Sean McMeekin's account possesses the large merit that it tells a story little known to Western readers, drawing extensively upon German sources. It depicts a splendid cast of characters heroic in their endeavors if absurd in their lack of accomplishments. -- Max Hastings * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe triumphant conclusion to Tim Robinson''s extraordinary Connemara trilogy, which Robert Macfarlane has called ''one of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English''. Robinson writes about the people, places and history of south Connemara - one of Ireland''s last Gaelic-speaking enclaves - with the encyclopaedic knowledge of a cartographer and the grace of a born writer. From the man who has been praised in the highest terms by Joseph O''Connor (''One of contemporary Ireland''s finest literary stylists''''), John Burnside (''one of the finest of contemporary prose stylists''), Fintan O''Toole (''Simply one of the best non-fiction prose writers currently at work'') and Giles Foden (''an indubitable classic''), among many others, this is one of the publishing events of 2011 and the conclusion of one of the great literary projects of our time.''One of the greatest writers of lands ... No one has disentangled the tales the stones of Ireland have to tell so deftly and retold them so beautifully'' Fintan O''Toole''He is that rarest of phenomena, a scientist and an artist, and his method is to combine scientific rigour with artistic reverie in a seamless blend that both informs and delights.'' John Banville, Guardian''The Proust & Ruskin of modern place-writing, deep-mapper of Irish landscapes, visionary thinker, and human of exceptional intellectual generosity & kindness. He was an immense inspiration to & encourager of me & my work'' Robert Macfarlane''A masterpiece of travel and topographical writing, and an incomparable and enthralling meditation on times past ... This perfectly pitched work opens readers up to the world around them'' Sunday Times ''Will endure into the far future ... He knows this world as no one else does, and writes about it with awe and love, but also with measured grace, an artist''s eye and a scientist''s sensibility'' Colm Toibin, Sunday Business Post Books of the Year ''Anyone willing to get lost in this book will be left with indelible mental images of places they may never have visited but will now never forget'' Dermot Bolger, Irish Mail on SundayTrade ReviewA masterpiece of travel and topographical writing, and an incomparable and enthralling meditation on times past ... This perfectly pitched work opens readers up to the world around them * Sunday Times *Robinson is a marvel ... the supreme practitioner of geo-graphy, the writing of places -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer (Books of the Year) *He is that rarest of phenomena, a scientist and an artist, and his method is to combine scientific rigour with artistic reverie in a seamless blend that both informs and delights. -- John Banville * Guardian *Remarkable * The Times *He is the nearest thing we have to a living legend, this side of Famous Seamus - one of the few people from our world whose name will still be known a century on * Irish Times *Tim Robinson is the Proust of the western seaboard, a Ruskin of the isles * New Statesman *Will endure into the far future ... He knows this world as no one else does, and writes about it with awe and love, but also with measured grace, an artist's eye and a scientist's sensibility -- Colm Tóibín * Sunday Business Post (Books of the Year) *An extraordinary monument * Irish Independent *Anyone willing to get lost in this book will be left with many indelible mental images of places they may never have visited but will now never forget -- Dermot Bolger * Irish Mail on Sunday *Captivating * Independent *Breathtaking ... the West of Ireland has found its ultimate laureate -- Patricia Craig * TLS *

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Book SynopsisWinston Churchill''s six-volume history of the cataclysm that swept the world remains the definitive history of the Second World War. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable both for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction and is an enduring, compelling work that led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. The Grand Alliance recounts the momentous events of 1941 surrounding America''s entry into the War and Hitler''s march on Russia - the continuing onslaught on British civilians during the Blitz, Japan''s attack on Pearl Harbor and the alliance between Britain and America that shaped the outcome of the War.

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Book SynopsisThis rich history of Antwerp was a Times Book of the Year and Radio 4 Book of the WeekEven before Amsterdam there was a dazzling North Sea port at the hub of the known world: the city of Antwerp.Antwerp was sensational like nineteenth-century Paris or twentieth-century New York, somewhere anything could happen or at least be believed: killer bankers, easy kisses, a market in secrets and every kind of heresy. For half the sixteenth century, it was the place for breaking rules - religious, sexual, intellectual.In Antwerp, things changed. One man cornered all the money in the city and reinvented ideas of what money meant. Another gave Antwerp a new shape purely out of his own ambition. Jews fleeing the Portuguese Inquisition needed Antwerp for their escape, thanks to the remarkable woman at the head of the grandest banking family in Europe.Thomas More opened Utopia there, Erasmus puzzled over money and exchanges, William Tyndale shelTrade ReviewAntwerp is the star of this charming and rather lovely history ... Pye writes beautifully, has a lovely eye for detail and an obvious affection for this period of Antwerp's history. -- Peter Frankopan * The Observer *In the 16th century Antwerp was Europe's marketplace, a tolerant, secular city governed by money. It was a spectacular place, a rogue's paradise where everything seemed possible. The city's story is as convoluted as its streets. There is no single plot and there are no straight narrative lines. Michael Pye is the perfect chronicler of this extraordinary place, being a writer of deep complexity, immense imagination and opulent prose. His cornucopia of Antwerp's abundant delights is as voluptuous as the city itself. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times Books of the Year *wondrous ... a book of imaginative historical reconstruction that reads as brilliantly as a novel by Hilary Mantel -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *in his exhilarating new history of Renaissance Antwerp ... Pye captures Antwerp's greatest decades in character studies, stories and vignettes, encompassing not just trade but buildings and books too. It is pieced together with great skill and art, and the effect is dazzling. If you want a linear history of 16th century Antwerp, stay away. But if you want a sense of the city's anarchic splendour, its potent, unsustainable originality, then this is the book for you. Pye conjures up exactly the glamour that drew people to Antwerp's gates in its pomp: the city as idea; the city as improvisation; the city as possibility. -- Matthew Lyons * Literary Review *Antwerp, Pye's galloping and flavoursome account of the city's heyday [is] a lustrous gem of a book. Studded with racy anecdotes but firmly embedded in archival research, it shows why the city that nurtured "a pragmatic kind of tolerance" rose so fast - and why, almost as rapidly, it fell ... Pye unrolls a sparkling string of stories rather than a heavy tapestry of contexts, hinterlands and aftermaths ... In this swarming fresco, which merits a place near Simon Schama's The Embarrassment of Riches or Robert Hughes' homage to Barcelona, Pye not only rescues Antwerp's lost "world of liberty", he leads entranced readers through its grubby, glittering streets. -- Boyd Tonkin * Financial Times *Capturing the essence of 16th-century Antwerp is difficult; its story is as convoluted as its streets. That story does not lend itself to linearity; there's no single plot, no straight narrative lines. Michael Pye - journalist, broadcaster and prolific author - is the perfect chronicler of this extraordinary place, since he revels in complexity and never hesitates to use his abundant imagination. His prose is as opulent as the city itself. ... Pye provides a cornucopia of Antwerp's abundant delights. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Pye offers a master class on how to tell the story of a city. Fascinating and gloriously good fun. -- Gerard DeGroot * Twitter *Now a museum-like gem, for much of the 16th century, Antwerp thrived as Europe's most vibrant center of commerce, intellectual life, and free thought. Pye offers a colorful depiction of the city's 'exceptional years.' Entertaining. An impressionistic portrait of its institutions and great men (Bruegel, Erasmus, et al.), emphasizing the lives of now-obscure traders, bankers, entrepreneurs, officials, printers, and booksellers, including a surprising number of successful women and Jews. A vivid look at a great Renaissance city. -- KirkusIn a highly readable new book, Michael Pye argues that, during Europe's ages of discovery, it became one of the earliest genuinely global cities too ... If we understood more about Antwerp, though, we might understand more about ourselves and our long umbilical links to Europe. * The Guardian *exuberant ... Pye creates a thematic mosaic, drawing on a mass of accounts and original sources, from wills and inventories to doodles and self-help books. The book is dense with stories ... [which] reflect Antwerp's volatile, opportunistic, profit-grabbing ethos, loose ends and all ... Antwerp was, Pye claims, "the emporium for ideas as well as goods." Its trade in knowledge and its deals in art, books, and luxury goods were renowned across Europe. -- Jenny Uglow * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL AND THE GILDER LEHRMAN PRIZE FOR MILITARY HISTORY 2022''A terrific read ... McMeekin is a superb writer'' David Aaronovitch, The Times ''Gripping, authoritative, accessible and always bracingly revisionist'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Impressive ... A new look at the conflict, which poses new questions and provides new and often unexpected answers to the old ones'' Serhii Plokhy, The Guardian In this remarkable, ground-breaking new book Sean McMeekin marks a generational shift in our view of Stalin as an ally in the Second World War. Stalin''s only difference from Hitler, he argues, was that he was a successful murderous predator. With Hitler dead and the Third Reich in ruins, Stalin created an immense new Communist empire. Among his holdings were Czechoslovakia and Poland, the fates of which had first set the West against the Nazis and, of course, China and North Korea, the ramifications of which we still live with today. Until Barbarossa wrought a public relations miracle, turning him into a plucky ally of the West, Stalin had murdered millions, subverted every norm of international behaviour, invaded as many countries as Hitler had, and taken great swathes of territory he would continue to keep. In the larger sense the global conflict grew out of not only German and Japanese aggression but Stalin''s manoeuvrings, orchestrated to provoke wars of attrition between the capitalist powers in Europe and in Asia. Throughout the war Stalin chose to do only what would benefit his own regime, not even aiding in the effort against Japan until the conflict''s last weeks. Above all, Stalin''s War uncovers the shocking details of how the US government (to the detriment of itself and its other allies) fuelled Stalin''s war machine, blindly agreeing to every Soviet demand, right down to agents supplying details of the atomic bomb.Trade ReviewA terrific read ... McMeekin is a superb writer. There isn't a boring page in the book. His breadth of approach, taking in events from Manchuria to Greece, as well as the main fronts, is refreshing ... When he is angry McMeekin can be magnificent. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Gripping, authoritative, accessible and always bracingly revisionist. -- Simon Sebag MontefioreMcMeekin's approach in Stalin's War is both original and refreshing and the book is written with a wonderful clarity. -- Antony BeevorImpressive, well researched and very well written ... McMeekin invites the reader to look at the history of the war from a vantage point rarely taken and appreciate the many tragedies and sad ironies of the grand alliance as it took shape and functioned during the war ... A new look at the conflict, which poses new questions and provides new and often unexpected answers to the old ones. -- Serhii Plokhy * The Guardian *An accomplished, fearless and enthusiastic "Myth-buster", McMeekin hunts out the mistaken explanations of the past ... The story of the war itself is well told and impressive in its scope, ranging as it does from the domestic politics of small states such as Yugoslavia and Finland to the global context ... McMeekin is right that we have for too long cast the second world war as the good one. His book will make us re-evaluate the war and its consequences. -- Margaret MacMillan * Financial Times *A sweeping reassessment of World War II seeking to "illuminate critical matters long obscured by the obsessively German-centric literature" on the subject ... Yet another winner for McMeekin ... Brilliantly contrarian history. * Kirkus *McMeekin draws from recently opened Soviet archives to shed light on Stalin's dark reasoning and shady tactics ... Packed with incisive character sketches and illuminating analyses of military and diplomatic maneuvers, this is a skillful and persuasive reframing of the causes, developments, and repercussions of WWII. * Publishers Weekly *Brilliantly inquisitive ... This book makes the case that Adolf Hitler was within a whisker of winning the Second World War and failed to do so only because President Roosevelt came to the rescue of Joseph Stalin, Hitler's nemesis. -- David Pryce-Jones * National Review *This book is a mammoth achievement in every sense. -- Michael Brendan Dougherty, author of My Father Left Me IrelandSean McMeekin's new book fills a massive gap in the historiography of World War II. Based on exhaustive researches in Russian and other archives, his examination of Stalin's foreign policy explores fresh avenues and explodes many myths, perhaps most significant being that of unwittingly exaggerated emphasis on 'Hitler's war'. He shows conclusively that the two tyrants were equally responsible, both for the outbreak of war and the appalling slaughter which ensued. -- Nikolai TolstoyStalin's War is above all about strategy: the failure of Roosevelt and Churchill to make shrewd choices as World War II played out. McMeekin brilliantly argues that instead of weighting the European and Pacific theatres to favour their own interests - and weaken the inevitably antagonistic Soviet Union - FDR and Churchill left the most critical parts of Asia unguarded while they ground down the German army, a decision that favoured Stalin's interests far more than their own. -- Geoffrey Wawro

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Book SynopsisFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Blair''s Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The English settlements ; 2. The seventh century ; 3. Christianity and the monastic culture ; 4. The Mercian supremacy ; 5. The Viking invasions and the rise of the house of Wessex ; 6. Aethelred and Cnut: the decline of the English monarchy ; 7. The end of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom ; Further reading ; Chronology ; Index

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Book Synopsis''This vital history shatters many myths about the Nazi genocide . . . . surprising . . . provocative . . . fizzes with ideas. Even if you think you know the subject, you''ll probably find something here to make you think'' Sunday Times''Erudite...remarkable'' The Observer''Outstanding'' The TelegraphAn authoritative, revelatory new history of the Holocaust, from one of the leading scholars of his generationThe Holocaust is much-discussed, much-memorialized and much-portrayed. But there are major aspects of its history that have been overlooked.Spanning the entirety of the Holocaust and across the world, this sweeping history deepens our understanding. Dan Stone reveals how the idea of ''industrial murder'' is incomplete: many were killed where they lived in the most brutal of ways. He outlines the depth of collaboration across Europe, arguing persuasively that we need to stop thinking of the Holocaust as an exclusively German project. He also considers the nature of trauma the Holocaust engendered, and why Jewish suffering has yet to be fully reckoned with. And he makes clear that the kernel to understanding Nazi thinking and action is genocidal ideology, providing a deep analysis of its origins.Drawing on decades of research, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History upends much of what we think we know about the Holocaust. Stone draws on Nazi documents, but also on diaries, post-war testimonies and even fiction, urging that, in our age of increasing nationalism and xenophobia, we must understand the true history of the Holocaust.Trade ReviewThis vital history shatters many myths about the Nazi's genocide . . . Drawing on the latest scholarship in English and German, Stone's brisk, energetic book fizzes with ideas. Indeed, even if you think you know the subject, you'll probably find something here to make you think . . . surprising . . . provocative . . . an excellent book -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Relays many carefully chosen and deeply haunting stories... an engaging and accessible read that never hurries or shields the reader from its dark subject matter... outstanding -- Angus Reilly * Telegraph *A timely corrective to a shifting narrative ... erudite ... this remarkable book offers both a narrative overview and an analysis of the events, challenging many common assumptions and often returning to how this terrible history remains "unfinished"... a brisk, compelling and scholarly account of the Nazi genocide and its aftermath. But never for one moment does it let us believe that the events are now safely in the past -- Matthew Reisz * Observer *Deep insights into horror... drawing on his extensive own research and a vast range of work by historians from across the last eight decades, Stone sets about showing how our mental picture of the Holocaust is dangerously wrong.... his own passion for his subject and its importance is compelling, as is his willingness to confront both moral and historical questions... the breadth of Stone's work across borders and languages shines through... a vital and provocative book -- Chris Kissane * The Irish Times *A holocaust history for our times, passionate as well as scholarly, and written with a sharp eye to the growing threat of the radical right in the present. Stone is not afraid to question the verities that have become attached to this most catastrophic epoch of modern history, and he challenges readers to confront its scope and enormity anew -- Jane Caplan, Emeritus Professor of European History, University of OxfordA brilliant study, lucid, powerful, moving, and full of original insights. Few general studies of the Holocaust have so successfully integrated the international, indeed global, dimensions of the Nazi genocide and its aftermath -- Mark RosemanA candid, historically rooted, and timely account of the Holocaust and its many consequences . . . troubling and thought-provoking for a world in which post-war certainties are now dissolving. It deserves the widest possible readership -- Richard OveryA stunning, original, concise analysis, culling the latest research and the most observant eyewitness accounts of the time. The parallels to fascism today are extremely unsettling. Stone analyzes the latest research on the thousands of persecution sites that turned Europe into a continent of camps; he explains the mystical power of Nazi racial antisemitism and he grants the aftermath history of displacement, trauma and reckonings the fuller treatment it merits. Few scholars could write this masterful synthesis and even fewer would take on a closer examination of its darkest features and unsettling questions about the broader significance of Holocaust education today -- Wendy LowerIlluminating ... Dan Stone demonstrates the important role played by locals ... He writes with authority and an eye for the human story not always evident in Holocaust historiography * Economist *One of the best new publications presenting more complicated narratives of the Holocaust ... Dan Stone's The Holocaust: An Unfinished History, is an outstanding survey that updates the history of the European genocide of the Jews in a thought-provoking and informative way ... powerful -- Jeffrey Veidlinger * Times Literary Supplement *Significant… A painfully revealing, vital history * Kirkus Reviews *Thought-provoking, a present-day reckoning ... an important and challenging work -- Colin Shindler * Jewish Chronicle *The Holocaust is very much open to further research and Dan Stone is well placed to provide an informed overview, having spent decades immersed in this subject. He is extremely well read, and ... is no dry academic: he is determined to ensure that the brutality of the violence and the suffering of the victims are conveyed vividly, with emotive quotations ... a powerful survey -- Mary Fulbrook * Literary Review *Suprising… timely… a concise and accessible history that extends beyond the death camps * The New York Times *A book that turns on their head some of the widely-held notions about that terrible era of genocide 80 years ago -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *Excellent and engrossing ... this is a history with empathy, insight and depth at its core, all backed up by brave analysis ... This is a vital and provocative book, impressively covering a seismic event in little more than 300 pages, making it accessible to the general reader as well as those in academia -- NJ McGarrigle * Irish Independent *An incisive analysis of the genocidal endgame that unfolded from Nazi antisemitism in the early 20th century * Wall Street Journal *A deeply felt and awesomely learned book -- Christopher Bray * Tablet *Stone's new book is as up-to-date an overview as you are likely to find ... he presents a strong argument that the Holocaust should be understood as the result of ideological beliefs [and] ... illuminates with great sympathy and insight a history of continuing suffering and prejudice ... This is an outstanding book: well written, deeply felt, always perceptive and exhibiting considerable knowledge of decades of Holocaust scholarship. It will become the standard work in English on the subject for some time to come -- Bill Niven * History Today *Stone's deeply humane account draws on an array of testimonies from some of the most observant and perceptive victims, and he uses these to devastating effect ... a well-written history of the Holocaust and its aftermath, with accomplished use of eyewitness accounts ... Dan Stone remains an important and eloquent voice in the field of Holocaust studies -- Alex J Kay * Prospect *A timely study of the holocaust that indicates the dangers of selectively misremembering it ... vital ... offers a detailed examination of the many roots of Nazism -- Gordon Parson * Morning Star *Instead of presenting Holocaust history as a tidy affair wrapped in a bow with neat moral messages, Stone proposes that we examine its unfinishedness, its unknowability, and its very incompleteness… confronts uncomfortable truths * New Republic *

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Book SynopsisA portrait of Jane Austen’s England told through the career paths of younger sons—men of good family but small fortuneTrade Review“Energetic and scholarly.”—Paula Byrne, Times (UK)“A readable book.”—Jonathan Guthrie, Financial Times“Muir gives us plenty of detail—numbers recruited at different periods, premiums paid and salaries earned—he illuminates the hard facts with vignettes of actual lives lived.”—Richard Francis, Spectator“Meticulously researched and eminently readable.”—Fergus Butler-Gallie, Literary Review“Jane Austen’s brothers are among the examples considered here, as the options are explored in fascinating detail.”—Discover Britain“[Rory Muir] writes eloquently and entertainingly about his subject matter, giving anecdotal detail alongside the financial, and so brings these men and their careers to life.”—Matilda Harden, The Georgian“Written with the light, engaging style, and deft balancing of detail, analysis and anecdote. . . . Muir has achieved an admirable mastery of a wider-ranging topic, offering a ground-breaking comparative study of the career options that faced younger sons of the gentry.”—Zack White, Romance, Revolution & Reform

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