European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisA groundbreaking new book about the misogynistic nineteenth century obsession with hysteria, focusing on the renowned Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.''Fascinating and beautifully written'' Guardian''Fascinating ... gives us a disturbing insight into the extent to which doctors, patients and diseases, both then and now, are products of their time'' Sunday TimesIn 1862 the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris became the epicenter of the study of hysteria, the mysterious illness then thought to affect half of all women.There, prominent neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot''s contentious methods caused furore within the church and divided the medical community. Treatments included hypnosis, piercing and the evocation of demons and, despite the controversy they caused, the experiments became a fascinating and fashionable public spectacle.Medical Muses tells the stories of the women institutionalised in the Salpêtrière. Theirs is a tale of scTrade ReviewFascinating and beautifully written * Guardian *Fascinating ... gives us a disturbing insight into the extent to which doctors, patients and diseases, both then and now, are products of their time * Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times *Thoughtful and engrossing * Miranda Seymour, Daily Telegraph *The thoroughly researched, very readable material brings to life their strange and remarkable stories, told in meticulous detail, as well as the brilliance and brutality of the great physician * Independent *Consistently enthralling * Kathryn Harrison, New York Times *Fascinating ... This account of psychiatry in its infancy is unforgettable -- Lesley McDowell * Independent on Sunday *Asti Hustvedt has tapped into a deeply fascinating seam of medical history here ... Her descriptions of patients, and of Jean-Martin Charcot, the doctor who treated them, are peerless -- William Leith * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisMasterfully blending narrative and interpretation, and R.F. Foster's Modern Ireland: 1600-1972 looks at how key events in Irish history contributed to the creation of the 'Irish Nation'. 'The most brilliant and courageous Irish historian of his generation'  Colm Tóibín, London Review of Books 'Remarkable ... Foster gives a wise and balanced account of both forces of unity and forces of diversity ... a master work of scholarship'  Bernard Crick, New Statesman 'A tour de force ... Anyone who really wants to make sense of Ireland and the Irish must read Roy Foster's magnificent and accessible Modern Ireland'  Anthony Clare 'A magnificent book. It supersedes all other accounts of modern Irish history'  Conor Cruise O'Brien, Sunday Times 'Dazzling ... a masterly survey not so much of the events of Irish history over the past four centuries as of the way in which those events acted upon the peoples living in IreTable of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesList of FiguresPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart OnePrologue: Varieties of IrishnessChapter One: 'Wild Shamrock Manners': Ireland in 1600Chapter Two: 'Nationalism' and RecusancyChapter Three: Plantation: Theory and PracticeChapter Four: Confederate IrelandChapter Five: Cromwellian IrelandChapter Six: Restoration IrelandChapter Seven: Shipwreck and Deliverance: The Foundations of AscendancyPart TwoChapter Eight: The Ascendancy MindChapter Nine: Economy, Society, and the 'Hidden' IrelandChapter Ten: The Structure of PoliticsChapter Eleven: Americans, Volunteers and the Politics of 'Patriotism'Chapter Twelve: 'Enthusiasm Defying Punishment': Revolution, Republicanism and ReactionPart ThreeChapter Thirteen: The Mobilization of Popular PoliticsChapter Fourteen: The Famine: Before and AfterChapter Fifteen: Ireland AbroadChapter Sixteen: Land, Politics and NationalismChapter Seventeen: The Politics of PanellismPart FourChapter Eighteen: The 'New' NationalismChapter Nineteen: War and RevolutionChapter Twenty: The TakeoverChapter Twenty-one: In a Free StateChapter Twenty-two: The de Valera DispensationChapter Twenty-three: 'Modern' Ireland?Appendix:Proclamation of the RepublicChronologyReferencesBibliographical EssayIndex of SubjectsIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed and enthralling story of the dark side of Elizabethan rule, from Stephen AlfordElizabeth I''s reign is known as a golden age, yet to much of Europe she was a ''Jezebel'' and heretic who had to be destroyed. The Watchers is a thrilling portrayal of the secret state that sought to protect the Queen; a shadow world of spies, codebreakers, agent provocateurs and confidence-men who would stop at nothing to defend the realm.Reviews:''Forget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction'' Daily Telegraph''Absorbing and closely documented ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing'' Guardian''[Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century'' The Times <Trade ReviewForget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction -- Rupert Christiansen * Daily Telegraph *Absorbing and closely documented ... his accounts of the unmasking of the Throckmorton and Babington plots are full and gripping, and he throws much light on the secret agents who exposed these and similar conspiracies ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing -- Keith Thomas * Guardian *Alford brings these men, their worlds and the unfortunate victims of their espionage vividly out of the shadows. Their interlocking biographies and adventures combine to produce a portrait of a mid-to-late Elizabethan England that was ruled by Walsingham's maxim: "There is less danger in fearing too much than too little" ... [Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century -- Dan Jones * Times Book of the Week *Alford paints a vivid and staggeringly well-researched portrait of the sinister side of Elizabethan England ... This is a spectacular book. It sheds new light on plots that most historians have ceased to explore and brings less famous conspiracies to the attention of the general reading public * Herald *Fascinating ... If you want to know the inside story of this struggle, the dark heart of calculation and the fight for survival, then this is the book to read. I know no better -- Alan Judd * Spectator *An enthralling account of the murky shadow-world of Elizabethan espionage ... The fascination of Alford's book ... lies in its focus on the worker bees in the intelligence hive. He has delved deep into encrypted archives to discover the lengths to which Elizabethan Englishmen were prepared to go to destroy their queen, or to defend her - and one of the surprises of a story full of dizzying twists is quite how many of them ended up attempting to do both ... In a bravura piece of counterfactual storytelling, Alford describes the moment in an imagined 1586 when one of the many plots to assassinate Elizabeth finally succeeded ... The heart of the Tudor state, as Alford compellingly shows, is entirely human in its darkness -- Helen Castor * Times Higher Education *The Watchers ... provides a genuine - and compelling - reappraisal of one of the most studied periods in English history: the reign of Elizabeth I. In exploring the world (or underworld) of Elizabethan espionage, Alford takes us on a darker, more disturbing and arguably more fascinating journey through the Elizabethan era than any other historian of the period ... [He] begins by taking the reader through a terrifyingly dramatic account of an assassination attempt in 1586, which leaves Queen Elizabeth mortally wounded ... It is an imaginary, but startlingly real scenario ... By telling it here, Alford sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the narrative, putting the reader in the mindset of the Virgin Queen's paranoid ministers ... a fascinating cast of characters ... engaging and perfectly pitched narrative ... Alford weaves together the bewilderingly complex threads of plots and counterplots so skilfully that as a reader you are never left floundering -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Alford ... has delved deeply into 16th-century archives to unearth a history of the dark underside to the Elizabethan golden age - a page-turning tale of assassination plots, torture, and espionage * Publishers Weekly *An intimate and revealing exploration of the men who did the Elizabethan security state's dirty work. Lifting the lid on the Protestant-Catholic 'cold war' of the late sixteenth century, Stephen Alford sifts the sources with a forensic eye, bringing to life the motley collection of self-interested chancers and drifters, religious and political zealots who watched each other in the streets of London, Paris and Rome. Leading us into the dark corners, safe houses and interrogation chambers of this twilight world, The Watchers paints a fascinating picture of the vast and nebulous threat facing Elizabethan England - and its determination to deal with that threat by any means necessary -- Thomas Penn, author of WINTER KINGDetailed and diligently researched * Sunday Times *[A] deep and convincing new study of the Elizabethan security services ... Previous attempts to understand the world of Tudor espionage ... have been hampered by the intractability of the source materials ... So it is greatly to the author's credit that he tells us much that is new about the diverse, and frankly bizarre, personalities who protected Elizabeth from an assassin's bullet and her realm from invasion ... Alford's mastery of the Elizabethan state papers delivers a detailed, believable and often compelling account of the strategies deployed by the state ... Alford is even-handed in his approach, not flinching from the grisly details of state-sponsored torture and execution, but also trying to see the situation from the government's point of view -- John Cooper * Literary Review *Stephen Alford has written a gripping account of these cruel and dramatic events, proving that the survival of Protestant England was purchased at a very high price indeed * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThis history of Ireland, written by one of Ireland''s most controversial journalists, studies the period from 1968 to the present day. Tim Coogan is also the author of The I.R.A. and two biographies - Michael Collins and De Valera.

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Book SynopsisThis Very Short Introduction offers a powerfully-written explanation of the war''s complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and international scale. It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe''s tumultuous twentieth century, highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time, and how it continues to resonate today in Britain, continental Europe, and beyond. Throughout the book, the focus is on the war as an arena of social change where ideas about culture were forged or resisted, and in which both Spaniards and non-Spaniards participated alike. These were conflicts that during the Second World War would stretch from Franco''s regime, which envisaged itself as part of the Nazi new order, to Europe and beyond. Accordingly, this book examines Spanish participation in European resistance movements during World War II and also the ongoing civil war waged politically, economically, judicially and culturally inside Spain by Francoism after its military victory in 1939. History writing itself became a battleground and the book charts the Franco regime''s attempt to appropriate the past. It also indicates its ultimate failure - as evident in new writings on the war and, above all, in the return of Republican memory now occurring in Spain during the opening years of the twenty-first century. 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.Trade ReviewProvocative and illuminating in equal measure, every sentence...is packed with thought and meaning. * Paul Preston, BBC History Magazine. *Small but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of ContentsPREFACE

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Book SynopsisMedieval history comes alive in Joseph and Frances Gies’s classic bestseller on life in medieval villagesThis new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances Gies, paints a lively, convincing portrait of rural people at work and at play in the Middle Ages.

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Book SynopsisFrom Edith Pargeter, who also wrote as Ellis Peter, BROTHERS OF GWYNNED is an epic quartet of novels telling the dramatic tale of Llewelyn, the first true Prince of Wales. ''A richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales'' Sunday TelegraphLlewelyn has a burning vision: one Wales, united against the threat of the English. But, before he can realise his dream, Llewelyn must tackle enemies closer to home. Llewelyn''s three brothers all stand in the way of his ambition to create an independent state. The best-loved of the three, David, was brought up at the English court. Restless, charming and torn between loyalties, David is fated to be his brother''s undoing. Despite the support of Llewelyn''s beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution is his own downfall and a tragic death...Here, in one volume, is the entire saga of the Brothers of Gwynedd, including:SUNRISE IN THE WESTTHE DRAGON ATrade ReviewA richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales * Sunday Telegraph *Strong in atmosphere and plot, grim and yet hopeful...carved in weathered stone rather than in the sands of current fashion * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisNo one has done more than Michael Livingston to revive memories of the battle, and you could not hope for a better guide.' BERNARD CORNWELL Bestselling author of The Last Kingdom seriesLate in AD 937, four armies met at Brunanburh. On one side stood the shield-wall of the expanding kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. On the other side, a remarkable alliance of rival kings at least two from across the sea who had come together to destroy the Anglo-Saxons once and for all. The stakes were no less than the survival of the dream that would become England. The armies were massive. The violence, when it began, was enough to shock a violent age. Brunanburh may not today have the fame of Hastings, Crécy or Agincourt, but generations later it was still called, quite simply, the great battle'. For centuries now, its location has been lost but after an extraordinary effort, uniting enthusiasts, historians, archaeologists and linguists the location of these bloodied fields may well have been ideTrade ReviewThis is a terrific introduction to a mysterious battle, by a writer who embraces puzzles, admits when he is speculating and finds ingenious ways to shine a light into one of Britain’s darkest ages. -- Dan Jones * The Sunday Times *Written with both the critical gaze of a military historian and the dramatic verve of a historical novelist, this book brings to vibrant and bloody life the momentous battle of Brunanburh in AD 937. * Robert Woosnam-Savage, FSA, Curator of Armour and Edged Weapons, The Royal Armouries *Never Greater Slaughter raises the bar for what narrative history can do… This book will wow you as it educates you on the fascinating story of one of the most important battles in British history. * Myke Cole, Author of 'Legion versus Phalanx' *Only the most adept of military historians, of writers, can combine combat with context and not lose their readers’ interests. Michael Livingston is one of those. Never Greater Slaughter tells the whole story of the birth of England, from Alfred the Great to Athelstan and Brunanburh. No one tells the history better. * Kelly DeVries, Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland *Combines archaeological detective work and forthright battle narratives to fill a hefty gap in readers' knowledge of England's Dark Ages. * Soldier *Table of ContentsForeword by Bernard Cornwell Preface List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction: A Field of Death, 937 1. The Birth of England, to 865 2. The Vikings Arrive, 837–66 3. Alfred and the Viking Conquest, 866–99 4. The Gathering Storm, 900–24 5. The Rise of Athelstan, 924–34 6. The Great Alliance, 934–37 7. Reconstructing Battles 8. The Search for Brunanburh 9. The Ships and the Saga 10. The Day England Came of Age, 937 11. Wirral Archaeology 12. England, Come of Age Appendix: Objections and Alternate Sites Suggested Reading and Acknowledgements Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisPeople, not abstract ideas, make history, and nowhere is this more revealed than in A. N. Wilson''s superb portrait of the Victorians, in which hundreds of different lives have been pieced together to tell a story - one which is still unfinished in our own day. The ''global village'' is a Victorian village and many of the ideas we take for granted, for good or ill, originated with these extraordinary, self-confident people. What really animated their spirit, and how did they remake the world in their view? In an entertaining and often dramatic narrative, A. N. Wilson shows us remarkable people in the very act of creating the Victorian age.Trade ReviewThe best single-volume work on the Victorian age yet written -- Andrew Roberts * Evening Standard *Huge, entertaining volume of popular history * Sunday Times *A wonderful book * Sunday Telegraph *A masterpiece of popular history -- Frank McLynn * Independent *Wilson is incapable of writing a dull sentence... This is the history of a vanished world brought to vibrant life -- Beryl Bainbridge * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe Origins of the Final Solution is the most detailed, careful, and comprehensive analysis to date of the descent of the Nazi persecution of the Jews into mass murder: the Holocaust. Arguing that genocide was not a preconceived plan but rather a discovered possibility, Christopher Browning explains how Hitler''s decision to murder the Jews en masse emerged in stages and by a process of elimination that gradually foreclosed plans for their expulsion from Europe. Only in the interval between late September and late October 1941 did the desire to remove the Jews intersect with the discovery of acceptable means of killing them on a large scale and with the euphoria of expected victory in Russia, all of which followed on from two years of ''race war'' and ''racial imperialism'' in eastern Europe that prepared ''ordinary Germans'' for this fateful task.Trade ReviewSensitive and nuanced, this is a fine piece of synthesis and analysis * Sunday Times *Superb . . . [Browning] has created an eloquent, painstaking narrative of how the Final Solution evolved -- Joshua Rubenstein * Wall Street Journal *This is a book of exceptional quality - The work of a historian at the peak of his powers, a magisterial study, a profound analysis of how the darkest chapter in human history could come about -- Ian Kershaw, bestselling author of HitlerThis magisterial work... An unrivaled account of how the Nazi leadership ended up with a policy of industrialized mass murder of Jews - Probably no one is better qualified for this task than Christopher Browning. * Mark Mazower, New York Times *Browning is persuasive because he marshals his evidence with unrivalled skill and writes with awesome clarity. * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Cavendish, the father of the first Earl, dissolved monasteries for Henry VIII. Bess, his second wife, was gaoler-companion to Mary Queen of Scots during her long imprisonment in England. Arbella Stuart, their granddaughter, was a heartbeat away from the throne of England and their grandson, the Lord General of the North, fought to save the crown for Charles I.With the help of previously unpublished material from the Chatsworth archives, The Devonshires reveals how the dynasty made and lost fortunes, fought and fornicated, built great houses, patronised the arts and pioneered the railways, made great scientific discoveries, and, in the end, came to terms with changing times.Trade ReviewA vivid read, crowded with characters and colour -- Lucy Lethbridge * Observer *Jostling with the eccentric and engaging characters from a grand family, Hattersley deftly tells a jaunty story about Britishness through the ages -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *A seriously comfortable armchair, a magnificent old duffer of a book that deftly knits together a national story into the fabric of a family drama. It does this with all the warmth and affection for history that mark out a former statesman and a first-class storyteller -- Ian Kelly * The Times *A balanced look at a traditional tale of aristocratic power and prestige -- Hallie Rubenhold * BBC History Magazine *This jaunty magnificent book tells the history of Britain just as much as it does of one family * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe past is a foreign country: this is your guidebook.If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It is the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London; bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II; Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music and Isaac Newton in science - the civil wars are over and a magnificent new era has begun.But what would it really be like to live in Restoration Britain? Where would you stay and what would you eat? What would you wear and where would you do your shopping? The third volume in the series of Ian Mortimer''s bestselling Time Traveller''s Guides answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to seventeenth-century Britain would ask.People''s lives are changing rapidly - from a world of superstition and religious explanation to rationalism and scientific calculation. In many respects the period sees the Trade ReviewIan Mortimer is among the best: a conjuror who is always bright, engaging and well-informed… Any tour of late 17th-century Britain is guaranteed to be exhilarating. And with Mortimer in charge, one always travels first class * Mail on Sunday *Ian Mortimer is a historical truffle hound… The Time Traveller’s Guide to Restoration Britain is just such fun to read… Mortimer writes with real freshness and enthusiasm,... His book is a delightful read. * Sunday Times *This entertaining tourist guide brings the late 17th century alive…The latest Time Traveller’s Guide will entertain and inform anyone with an interest in this extraordinary period * The Times *Thoroughly entertaining… It is crammed with insights, facts and enjoyable anecdotes, which create a sense of the experience of living in Britain between 1660 and 1700… This is a compelling book and one of considerable erudition… This is the book that will provide the most richly colourful account of Britain in this period * History Today *Everything you wanted to know about these fair isles between 1660 and 1700... Exciting times. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisIn the terrible aftermath of the moorland battle of Culloden, the Highlanders suffered at the hands of their own clan chiefs. Following his magnificent reconstruction of Culloden, John Prebble recounts how the Highlanders were deserted and then betrayed into famine and poverty. While their chiefs grew rich on meat and wool, the people died of cholera and starvation or, evicted from the glens to make way for sheep, were forced to emigrate to foreign lands. Mr Prebble tells a terrible story excellently. There is little need to search further to explain so much of the sadness and emptiness of the northern Highlands today' The Times.

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest figures of his age, Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-59) was widely admired throughout his life for his prose, poetry, political acumen and oratorical skills. Among the most successful and enthralling histories ever written, his History of England won instantaneous success following the publication of its first volumes in 1849, and was rapidly translated into most European languages. Beginning with the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and concluding at the end of the reign of William III in 1702, it illuminates a time of deep struggle throughout Britain and Ireland in vivid and compelling prose. But while Macaulay offers a gripping narrative, and draws on a wide range of sources including historical accounts and creative literature, his enduring success also owes a great deal to his astonishing ability to grasp, and explain, the political reality that has always underpinned social change.

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Book SynopsisChris Stringer''s Homo Britannicus is the epic history of life in Britain, from man''s very first footsteps through to the present day. When did the first people arrive here? What did they look like? How did they survive? Who were the Neanderthals? Chris Stringer takes us back to when it was so tropical we lived here alongside hippos, elephants and sabre-toothed tigers or to times so cold we hunted reindeer and mammoth, and to others even colder when we were forced to flee a wall of ice. Here is the incredible truth about our ancestors'' journey over millennia - and a glimpse of the future to see how it might continue. ''A beautiful book on a fascinating subject, written by a world authority''  Richard Dawkins ''Superlative ... Pure stimulation from beginning to end''  Bill Bryson ''Every chapter contains something new, and throws up a fresh location that deserves to become famous''&nbsp

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Book SynopsisRobin Lane Fox''s The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome is a comprehensive and enthralling introduction to Ancient civilization. The classical civilizations of Greece and Rome dominated the world for centuries and continue to intrigue and enlighten us with their inventions, whether philosophy, politics, theatre, athletics, celebrity, science or the pleasures of horse racing. Robin Lane Fox''s spellbinding history, spans almost a thousand years of change from the foundation of the world''s first democracy in Athens to the Roman Republic and the Empire under Hadrian. Bringing great figures such as Homer, Socrates, Cicero, Alexander, Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Augustus and the first Christian martyrs to life, exploring freedom, justice and luxury, this wonderfully exciting tour brings the turbulent histories of Greece and Rome together in a masterly study. ''Epic in the true sense''  The Times BTrade ReviewThe Classical World is a more epic epic than any toga-clad celluloid epic to date... Mr Lane Fox's brilliant book, where soldiers, poets and orators fight for attention in a story that is never cluttered and always stimulating. * The Economist *witty, ferociously learned, enormously well read * Mary Beard, The Independent *an ambitious and exhilarating volume...The Classical World is so replete with insight and anecdote that I would love to see it in every school library. * Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday *we are in the hands of an author who knows that an epic can only be driven by big characters such as Pericles, Demosthenes, Philip, Cicero, Pompey, Caesar and Cleopatra...Here lies the author's mastery, matching a lifelong familiarity with his subject to the basic needs of a newly arrived apprentice * Nigel Spivey, FT *witty, ferociously learned, enormously well read * Mary Beard, The Independent *

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Book SynopsisMoving between Spanish conquest abroad and the court of the astute Charles V, Hugh Thomas''s The Golden Age: The Spanish Empire of Charles V is the second volume in a planned trilogy on the Spanish Empire. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in South America in the sixteenth century, they swept across the continent in a blaze of imperial expansion and brutal savagery. Beginning with the return of the remnants of Magellan''s circumnavigation in 1522 and ending with Charles''s death in 1558, Hugh Thomas''s masterful work brilliantly brings to life one of the most extraordinary periods of the Renaissance, revealing how the Spaniards were able to conquer Guatemala, Yucatan, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru and Chile; how the audacious conquistador Francisco de Orellana sailed down the Amazon, why Cabeza de Vaca walked from Florida to Mexico and what drove Hernando de Soto to pursue worldly riches in Florida, Mississippi and Georgia. While adventurer

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Book SynopsisTLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016FINANCIAL TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2015WINNER OF THE PUSHKIN HOUSE RUSSIAN BOOK PRIZE 2016 ''Magisterial... reveals how much is at stake for world order in Ukraine and Syria.'' Rachel Polonsky''As much as anything, World War I turned on the fate of Ukraine''The decision to go to war in 1914 had catastrophic consequences for Russia. The result was revolution, civil war and famine in 1917-20, followed by decades of communist rule. Dominic Lieven''s powerful and original book, based on exhaustive and unprecedented study in Russian and many other foreign archives, explains why this suicidal decision was made and explores the world of the men who made it, thereby consigning their entire class to death or exile and making their country the victim of a uniquely terrible political experiment under Lenin and Stalin.Dominic Lieven is a Senior Research Fellow of Trinity College,CaTrade ReviewA book of immense scholarship and engaging readability. Through an eastern window rarely opened to Western gaze, it illuminates the end of Europe's old order and the explosive start of the twentieth century. A century later, we are still struggling with this era's epic legacies. -- David Reynolds, author of The Long Shadow: The Great War and the Twentieth CenturyNot just one of the greatest historians on Russia, but also a great writer -- Antony Beevor * The Independent *With its important new evidence about Russia's slide towards war, this is a much-needed account of a how a few clever but foolish men ruined their country and brought disaster on themselves -- Victor Sebestyen * Sunday Times *Aristocratic values, imperial mindsets and the emergence of modern nationalisms are the big themes of this illuminating history of late tsarist Russia by Lieven... he writes with all the clarity, conviction and fluent command of sources that readers have come to expect of him -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *This magnificent book, lively in perceptions and bristling with empirical novelty, traces the origins of the Russian-German rivalry. It is a pleasure to read -- Robert Service * Literary Review *[Lieven's] intimate familiarity with the Russia he describes and his extensive study of the letters, diaries and books of the chief actors in Russia's descent "towards the flames" - many not hitherto accessible to historians - are what render this book so authoritative and readable -- Serge Schmemann * The New York Times *Lieven presents Russia's road to war and revolution as a classical tragedy - a fate driven by the character of both the country and its rulers... [he] recovers a world that has been lost -- William Anthony Hay * The Wall Street Journal *Lieven has a double gift: first, for harvesting details to convey the essence of an era and, second, for finding new, startling, and clarifying elements in familiar stories. This is history with a heartbeat, and it could not be more engrossing -- Robert Legvold * Foreign Affairs *Illuminating history of late tsarist Russia. Lieven writes with all the clarity, conviction and fluent command of sources that readers have come to expect of him -- Tony Barber * FT *

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Book SynopsisWinston S. Churchill (1874-1965) was prime minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955. A prolific writer, whose works include The Second World War and A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.

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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. Closing the Ring chronicles the period between June 1943 and July 1944 as the Allies consolidated their gains towards a drive to victory - the fall of Mussolini, Hitler''s ''secret weapon'', the mounting air offensive on Germany, strategies to defeat Japan and the plans for D Day.

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Book Synopsis''An ambitious and engrossing investigation of the moral legacies which stubbornly refuse to pass'' Brendan Simms As the western world struggles with its legacies of racism and colonialism, what can we learn from the past in order to move forward?Susan Neiman''s Learning from the Germans delivers an urgently needed perspective on how a country can come to terms with its historical wrongdoings. Neiman, who grew up as a white girl in the American South during the civil rights movement, is a Jewish woman who has spent much of her adult life in Berlin. In clear and gripping prose, she uses this unique perspective to combine philosophical reflection, personal history and conversations with both Americans and Germans who are grappling with the evils of their own national histories.Through focusing on the particularities of those histories, she provides examples for other nations, whether they are facing resurgent nationalism, ongoing debates over reparations or controversies surrounding historical monuments and the contested memories they evoke. It is necessary reading for all those confronting their own troubled pasts.Trade ReviewSusan Neiman relates hard truths from which others shrink. Her audacious work is a refreshing change from those, afraid to offend, who leave unsaid things that seem self-evident. * The Guardian *Growing up in the American south during the civil rights era, and spending much of her adult life in and around Berlin as a Jewish woman, Neiman has a keen ear for discomforts and awkwardnesses and the tics of guilt and avoidance -- Anne McElvoy * The Observer *Ambitious and detailed... ranges from the initial reluctance of German citizens to begin the process of truth and reconciliation to small-town Mississippi, and the shooting of nine African American American churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina * The Guardian *

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2022*A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021, AS CHOSEN BY THE TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, TELEGRAPH AND TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ''A big historical advance. Ours, it turns out, is a very un-insular Island Story. And its 17th-century chapter will never look quite the same again'' John Adamson, Sunday Times A ground-breaking portrait of the most turbulent century in English history Among foreign observers, seventeenth-century England was known as ''Devil-Land'': a diabolical country of fallen angels, torn apart by seditious rebellion, religious extremism and royal collapse. Clare Jackson''s dazzling, original account of English history''s most turbulent and radical era tells the story of a nation in a state of near continual crisis. As an unmarried heretic with no heir, Elizabeth I was regarded with horror by Catholic Europe, while her Stuart successors, James I and Charles I, were seen as impeTrade ReviewThe book is a big historical advance. Epic in scale, briskly paced and elegantly written ... Ours, it turns out, is a very un-insular "Island Story". And its 17th-century chapter will never look quite the same again. -- John Adamson * Sunday Times *The story of the rise and fall of the Stuart dynasty in England, as seen through the eyes of our often confused European neighbours ... Wonderfully clear and original. -- Leanda de Lisle * The Times *A bracingly revisionist view of our history in the century after the Armada ... after reading Devil-Land 'this sceptered isle' and 'demi-paradise' is unlikely to look quite the same ever again. -- David Reynolds * New Statesman *Jackson reappraises Stuart England in two distinctive ways ... The result is a richer picture not only of England under the Stuarts and as a republic, but also of its neighbours ... The research is impressive, the writing lucid and every page thought-provoking. It is also tremendously entertaining. -- Jessie Childs * London Review of Books *Wonderful ... So vivid, plunges you into the chaos and the uncertainty, and inevitably has echoes of now. It reminds us that states are not inevitabilities, and that they're formed out of chaos and may go back to the conditions of their formation. -- Fintan O’TooleExtraordinary ... one of those perception-changing books of British history which only come along now and then, every few decades, and this is really one of the big ones. -- Andrew MarrA book to be savoured by students, history aficionados, and anyone who enjoys seeing a scholar at the top of her game diving into stories we think we know well, only to emerge with all manner of surprises. -- Steven Veerapen * Aspects of History *Superb ... a reminder that bitter division is not a permanent condition ... Jackson chronicles events with verve and erudition. -- Brendan Simms * Wall Street Journal *Devil-Land eloquently retells the story of our island's most turbulent century ... England, Jackson shows, was a pariah state, feared, distrusted and ridiculed on the continent. -- Ruth Scurr * Times Literary Supplement *Clare Jackson offers some acute insights on an era of failure and ferment, weaving together an impressive narrative of a time when the English seemed suddenly to have lost their minds. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Fascinating. This Stuart-centred view from across the Channel of the years 1588-1688 offers a fresh, provocative and highly readable take on one of the most formative centuries of English history. -- David Reynolds, author of Island Stories: An Unconventional History of Britain

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SOCIETY FOR MILITARY HISTORY''S DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARD 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE GILDER LEHRMAN PRIZE FOR MILITARY HISTORY AND THE BRITISH ARMY MILITARY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD A BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019, AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020''A masterpiece. It deserves to become a classic of military history'' Lawrence James, The TimesFrom the prize-winning author of Ring of Steel, a gripping history of the First World War''s longest and most terrible siegeIn the autumn of 1914 Europe was at war. The battling powers had already suffered casualties on a scale previously unimaginable. On both the Western and Eastern fronts elaborate war plans lay in ruins and had been discarded in favour of desperate improvisation. In the West this resulted in the remorseless world of the trenches; in the East all eyes were focused on the old, beleagTrade ReviewThe vividly written and well-researched The Fortress is a masterpiece. It deserves to become a classic of military history. -- Lawrence James * The Times *If you read one military history book this year, make it Alexander Watson's The Fortress. -- Tony Barber, Financial Times Summer Books of 2020Superb, revelatory, haunting ... he brings the suffocating, cataclysmic siege burningly alive ... It is excellent history, a marvellously readable, though tragic, story of its time and of how the clock can be made to turn backwards under siege conditions. -- Julian Evans * Daily Telegraph *Alexander Watson tells this story beautifully, giving the reader a vivid sense of the city ... His exposure of the breathtaking incompetence of the Austrian high command is both shocking and hilarious; his wit and keen sense of the ridiculous alternate with his evident compassion in describing this black farce ... This is a hugely enjoyable book that anyone seeking to make sense of the dark side of 20th-century Europe would do well to read. -- Adam Zamoyski * Literary Review *Brilliantly researched and superbly written ... Pryzemysl offered a bleak preview of what was coming: nationalism, anti-Semitism and a whirlwind of hatred. Grim stuff, but magnificently done. -- Dominic Sandbrook * BBC History Magazine *Marvellous ... Watson uses the fortress city like a jeweller's glass to show how war distorted and transformed the pre-war civilian world ... Watson's splendid book combines great evocative power (and flashes of sharp humour) with the ethical authority of the best history writing. -- Christopher Clark * The Guardian *Gripping ... Watson's book is an impressive telling of a story almost entirely unknown, and it makes clear how much we have yet to learn about the first world war away from the western front. -- Mark Mazower * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis''Impressive ... It is a complicated story that still reverberates, and Gingeras narrates it with lucid authority'' New StatesmanThe story of the fall of the Ottoman Empire, published to coincide with the centenary of its dissolutionThe Ottoman Empire had been one of the major facts in European history since the Middle Ages. By 1914 it had been much reduced, but still remained after Russia the largest European state. Stretching from the Adriatic to the Indian Ocean, the Empire was both a great political entity and a religious one, with the Sultan ruling over the Holy Sites and, as Caliph, the successor to Mohammed.Yet the Empire''s fateful decision to support Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914, despite its successfully defending itself for much of the war, doomed it to disaster, breaking it up into a series of European colonies and what emerged as an independent Saudi Arabia.Ryan Gingeras''s superb new book, published for the centenary of the last Sultan''s departure into exile, explains how these epochal events came about and shows how much we still live in the shadow of decisions taken so long ago. Would all of the Empire fall to marauding Allied armies, or could something be saved? In such an ethnically and religiously entangled region, what would be the price paid to create a cohesive and independent new state? The story of the creation of modern Turkey is an extraordinary, bitter epic, brilliantly told here.Trade ReviewThis epic account of Ottoman decline and the birth of modern Turkey is a tour de force of accessible scholarship. -- Fara Dabhoiwala * The Guardian *Gingeras takes an even-handed approach to each issue, while never making light of the horrendous tally of human suffering that emerges on every side. Turks have long been treated to an over-simplified account of their modern history. This book teaches the beginning of wisdom, which is that most human history, as it actually happened, was a terrible, bewildering mess. -- Noel Malcolm * The Telegraph *In his impressive centenary history, Ryan Gingeras recounts not just the death throes of the old realm but the painful emergence of Turkey as a nation state ... It is a complicated story that still reverberates under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Gingeras narrates it with lucid authority. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *Dispassionate and well-researched ... Gingeras sets out the twisting, turning story of decline through the later part of the 19th century. -- Peter Frankopan * Financial Times *Fruitful reflections on the enduring cultural legacy of the Ottomans, how their empire ended and what was lost when it did ... brings a welcome human lens to the story of the empire's disintegration. -- Vanessa H. Larson * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis''Superb'' David Aaronovitch, The Times ''A punchy account that is a proper page-turner'' Financial Times ''The last days of the Third Reich have often been told, but seldom with the verve, perception and elegance of Volker Ullrich''s rich narrative'' Richard Overy, author of The Bombing War 1 May 1945. The world did not know it yet, but the final week of the Third Reich''s existence had begun. Hitler was dead, but the war had still not ended. Everything had both ground to a halt and yet remained agonizingly uncertain. Volker Ullrich''s remarkable book takes the reader into a world torn between hope and terror, violence and peace. Ullrich describes how each day unfolds, with Germany now under a new Führer, Admiral Dönitz, based improbably in the small Baltic town of Flensburg. With Hitler dead, Berlin in ruins and the war undoubtedly lost, the process by which the fighting would end remained horrifyingly unclear. MTrade ReviewSuperb ... excellent and admirably succinct. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Ullrich delivers a punchy account that is a proper page-turner ... there is still plenty to say about immediate postwar Germany. -- Giles MacDonogh * Financial Times *Strongly written and deeply researched ... a vital and often vibrant account of eight days when people all across Europe were suspended in confusion and chaos. * Kirkus *The last days of the Third Reich have often been told, but seldom with the verve, perception and elegance of Volker Ulrich's rich narrative. For Western nations that have never faced comprehensive and destructive defeat, this is an instructive lesson in how societies cope with the devastating reality of a surrender that they grimly await. -- Richard OveryA fast-paced, brilliant recounting of the turbulent last days of the Third Reich. With all the energy and chaos of a Jackson Pollock canvas, Eight Days in May evokes the complete and utter chaos of a collapsing society. -- Helmut Walser Smith, author of Germany: A Nation in its TimeThe last chapter of the Nazi regime, just before its fall, is perhaps the most interesting. And Volker Ulrich manages to cover the days after Hitler's suicide with brilliant prose, and excellent original research. -- Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in the Third ReichUllrich's compact, gripping narration brings to life the death throes of the Nazi regime as individual acts of delusion, desperation and resignation. This vivid mosaic of German reactions to defeat is a suspenseful account and original depiction of the ambivalence and disbelief of those who had been spellbound by Hitler. -- Wendy Lower, author of The Ravine

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Book SynopsisSavage and bloodthirsty, or civilized and peaceable? The Celts have long been a subject of enormous fascination, speculation, and misunderstanding. From the ancient Romans to the present day, their real nature has been obscured by a tangled web of preconceived ideas and stereotypes. Barry Cunliffe seeks to reveal this fascinating people for the first time, using an impressive range of evidence, and exploring subjects such as trade, migration, and the evolution of Celtic traditions. Along the way, he exposes the way in which society''s needs have shaped our visions of the Celts, and examines such colourful characters as St Patrick, Cú Chulainn, and Boudica.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.

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Book SynopsisFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Morrill''s Very Short Introduction to Stuart Britain sets the Revolution into its political, religious, social, economic, intellectual, and cultural contexts. It thus seeks to integrate what most other surveys pull apart. It gives a graphic account of the effects of a century-long period during which population was growing inexorably and faster than both the food supply and the employment market. It looks at the failed attempts of successive governments to make all those under their authority obedient members of a unified national church; it looks at how Charles I blundered into a civil war which then took on a terrifying momentum of its own. The result was his trial and execution, the abolition of the monarchy, the house of lords, the bishops, the prayer book and the celebration of Christmas. As a result everything else that people took for granted came up for challenge, and this book shows how painfully and with what difficulty order and obedience was restored. Vividly illustrated and full of startling detail, this is an ideal introduction to those interested in getting into the period, and also contains much to challenge and stimulate those who already feel at home in Stuart 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. Society and economic life ; 2. Government and law ; 3. The early Stuarts ; 4. The Civil Wars ; 5. Commonwealth and Protectorate ; 6. Restoration monarchy ; 7. Intellectual and religious life ; Further reading ; Chronology ; Index

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Book SynopsisHighly acclaimed and thoroughly updated, Return to Diversity, Fourth Edition, provides a comprehensive political history of East Central Europe from World War II to the present. An engaging and straightforward political narrative, the book is organized chronologically in a country-by-country format that students can easily navigate. Each section summarizes and examines the most important themes in Eastern Europe during the rise and fall of Communism. The text features balanced discussions of relevant political events, along with a detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of Communism from the perspective of post-Communist regimes. Nancy M. Wingfield has revised the fourth edition to incorporate additional social and economic history into the text''s strong discussions of political history. She also provides expanded coverage of the resurgence of nationalism in the 1980s, the role of dissident movements in the shift to democracy, and the problems of Communism. To make the regioTrade ReviewFor twenty years, Return to Diversity has been recognized as the best text in its field. Now in its fourth edition, the text is better than ever. Updated throughout, this text provides a reliable, clear, and scholarly narrative of the major events, persons, and trends in East Central Europe since World War II. Written with a non-specialist American audience in mind, Return to Diversity presents a sophisticated narrative of political and economic change in the region. * Theodore R. Weeks, Southern Illinois University *This text fills a special niche, providing a succinct and accessible summary of a complex political history. For a concise yet scholarly political history of East Central Europe, there is nothing comparable. This clear and intelligent book will be useful to students and general readers alike. * Perspectives on Political Science *Essential reading for both students and their professors to obtain a balanced account of the nations of East Central Europe since the Second World War. * Peter Black, George Mason University *Table of ContentsPreface to the Fourth Edition Preface to the Third Edition Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition 1. The Interwar Background 2. World War II 3. The Communists Come to Power 4. The Dialectics of Stalinism and Titoism 5. The Revenge of the Repressed: East Central Europe Reasserts Itself 6. A Precarious Stalemate 7. The Various Endgames 8. The Return to Europe Notes Suggested Readings Index

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Book SynopsisVoltaire''s description of the Holy Roman Empire as ''neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire'' is often cited to underline its worthlessness. German historians traditionally despised it because it had allegedly impeded German unification. Since 1945 scholars have been more positive but the empire''s history and significance is still largely misunderstood.In this Very Short Introduction Joachim Whaley outlines the fascinating thousand-year history of the Holy Roman Empire. Founded in 800 on the basis of Charlemagne''s Frankish kingdom, its imperial title went to the German monarchy which became established in the ninth and ten centuries. They claimed Charlemagne''s legacy, including his role as protector of the papacy and guardian of the Church. Around 1500 the title Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was adopted. An elective monarchy, the empire gradually developed from a feudal monarchy into a legal system that pacified the territories and cities of German-speaking Europe. By 1519 it had a supreme court and a regional enforcement system ended feuding. Throughout its lifetime, the empire''s growth and history was shaped by the major developments in Europe, from the Reformation, to the Thirty Years War, to the French revolutionary wars, which led to Napoleon destroying the empire in 1806. The sense of a common history over a thousand years and the legal traditions established by the empire have shaped the history of German-speaking Europe ever since. Joachim Whaley analyses the empire''s crucial impact and role in the history of European power and politics, and shows that there has never been a more durable political system in German history. 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.Trade ReviewBy analysing and narrating the essentials of one of the most complex and long-lived of all European institutions, and moreover doing it lucidly and entertainingly, Whaley has performed something of a miracle. * Tim Blanning, University of Cambridge *A crisp, authoritative and notably accessible introduction to the Holy Roman Empire, which occupied a central place in Europe's history for an entire millennium before its dissolution in 1806. * Professor Hamish Scott, FBA, Jesus College, Oxford. *Table of ContentsIntroduction - What was the Holy Roman Empire? 1: Roman Empire and German Kingdom: From Charlemagne to the Ottonians 2: The High Medieval Empire: From the Salians to the Hohenstaufen 3: The Later Medieval Empire: The emergence of the Habsburgs 4: The Early Modern Empire (1): From Maximilian I to the Thirty Years War 5: The Early Modern Empire (2): From the Peace of Westphalia to 1806 Conclusion: The Legacy of the Holy Roman Empire Maps Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe People''s Peace: Britain since 1945 is the first comprehensive study by a professional historian of British history from 1945 to the present day. It examines the transformation of post-war Britain from the planning enthusiasm of 1945 to the rise of New Labour. Its themes include the troubles of the British economy; public criticism of the legitimacy of the state and its instruments of authority; the co-existence of growing personal prosperity with widespread social inequality; and the debates aroused by decolonization, and Britain''s relationship to the Commonwealth, the US and Europe. Changes in cultural life, from the puritanical ''austerity'' of the 1940''s, through the ''permissiveness'' of the 1960s, to the tensions and achievements of recent years are also charted.Using a wide variety of sources, including the records of political parties and the most recently released documents from the Public Records Office, Kenneth Morgan brings the story right up to date and draws comparisons with the post-war history of other nations. This penetrating analysis by a leading twentieth-century historian will prove invaluable to anyone interested in the development of the Britain of today.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition an outstanding work: comprehensive, lucid and judicious. * Ben Pimlott, Sunday Times *Table of ContentsI. The Era of Advance, 1945-1961 1: The Facade of Unity 2: Labour's High Noon, 1945-1947 3: The Collectivist Retreat, 1948-1951 4: The Conservative Compromise, 1951-1956 5: The Zenith of One-Nation Toryism, 1957-1961 II. The Years of Retreat, 1961-1979 6: The Stagnant Society, 1961-1964 7: Labour Blown Off Course, 1964-1967 8: Years of Hard Slog, 1968-1970 9: The Heath Experiment, 1970-1974 10: Challenge to Consensus, 1974-1976 11: The Years of Discontent, 1977-1979 III. Thatcherism and its Aftermath, 1979-1998 12: The Foundations of Thatcherism, 1979-1983 13: High Noon for the New Right, 1983-1990 14: Fin de Siècle: New Labour in Power, 1990-2001 15: Millennial Perspectives, 2001 - 2008 16: From Crash to Brexit, 2008 - 20 Select Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis''Four years of war turned Ypres into a ghost town. Not a leaf grew on a tree. Scarcely one stone stood upon another. From the battered ramparts the eye swept clean across a field of rubble to the swamp-lands beyond . . .'' The Third Battle of Ypres, ending in a desperate struggle for the ridge and little village of Passchendaele, was one of the most appalling campaigns in the history of warfare. A million Tommies, Canadians and Anzacs assembled at the Ypres Salient in summer of 1917, mostly raw young troops keen to do their bit for King and Country. This book tells their tale of mounting disillusion amid mud, terror and increasingly desperate attacks, yet it is also a story of immense courage, comradeship, high spirits and hope. In Passchendaele, Lyn Macdonald lets over 600 soldiers speak for themselves. In doing so, she portrays events from the only point of view that really matters.Trade ReviewLyn Macdonald writes splendidly and touchingly * Sunday Telegraph *It is rare to find a history of the First World War which manages to convey the front-line soldiers' experiences and to describe what it was that enabled those who survived to get through it. Lyn Macdonald has done just that * Sunday Times *Her basic inspiration is compassion, her technique is scrupulously painstaking. And her application in finding, interviewing and editing innumerable contributions can only be admired * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NAZI MIND AND PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY''S MOST-READ BOOK, HITLER AND STALIN''By far the clearest book ever written about the Holocaust, and also the best at explaining its origins and grotesque mentality, as well as its chaotic development'' Antony Beevor''Groundbreaking. You might have thought that we know everything there is to know about the Holocaust but this book proves there is much more'' Andrew Roberts, Mail on SundayTwo fundamental questions about the Holocaust must be asked:How did it happen? And why?More completely than any other single work of history yet published, Laurence Rees''s Holocaust definitively answers them.''Rees provides an exemplary account of how the greatest crime in modern history came about'' The Times''Rees has distilled 25 years of research into this compelling study, the finest single-volume account of the Holocaust . . . demands to be read'' Saul David, Telegraph''Anyone wanting a compelling, highly readable explanation of how and why the Holocaust happened, drawing on recent scholarship and impressively incorporating moving and harrowing interviews need look no further than Laurence Rees''s brilliant book'' Professor Ian Kershaw, bestselling author of HitlerTrade ReviewAnyone wanting a compelling, highly readable explanation of how and why the Holocaust happened, drawing on recent scholarship and impressively incorporating moving and harrowing interviews need look no further than Laurence Rees's brilliant book -- Professor Ian KershawYou might have thought that we know everything there is to know about the Holocaust but this book proves there is much more... * Daily Mail *Absorbing, heart-breaking...he has drawn skilfully on speeches, documents and diaries of the Third Reich, and on the vast library of secondary literature, to weave together a powerful, inevitably harrowing revelation of the 20th century's greatest crime * Sunday Times *This is by far the clearest book ever written about the Holocaust, but also the best in explaining both its origins and grotesque mentality, as well as its chaotic developmentA fine book. Rees is a gifted educator, who can tell a complex story with compassion and clarity, without sacrificing all nuances...it comes alive through the voices of victims, killers and bystanders. * Guardian *The interview material is largely compelling, always illuminating and on occasion, very moving . . . Like all of Rees's work, it is accurate and carefully researched * New Statesman *Rees has distilled 25 years of research into this compelling study, the finest single-volume account of the Holocaust. It is not a book for the faint-hearted. Some of the first-hand testimony is both shocking and heart-rending. Yet it has important things to say about human nature - what our species is capable of doing if not prevented by civilized laws - and demands to be read * Telegraph *A masterpiece. Laurence Rees's best book yet . . . In compelling prose, Rees tells the full story of the most shameful period in the story of MankindWith The Holocaust he has set himself the task of writing an accessible chronological account of the murder of six million Jews in conditions of scarcely imaginable horror. He's done it excellently. There is no shortage of books on the Holocaust but Rees's stands out as a readable and authoritative exposition of how and why it happened, and the barbarous methods by which it was pursued. The amount of ground it covers in 500 pages is remarkable - from the anti-Semitism of popular German literature of the 19th century to Hitler's suicide and the surrender of his regime. It's excellently written and skilfully interweaves narrative history, sound interpretation and the recollections (through interviews, listed in the notes as "previously unpublished testimony") of survivors. Rees provides an exemplary account of how the greatest crime in modern history came about. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA vibrant, diverse history of Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples in the age of RomanticismTrade Review“Best of all, Volcanic succeeds by showing the enduring draw of Vesuvius. . . . This is a polyphonic chorus of different voices and stories guided by such a stylish documentarian. . . . Momentous and spellbinding.”—Caroline Eden, Financial Times “A splendid work of historical archaeology. . . . Mr. Brewer writes as a literary and art critic as well as a historian—and he writes beautifully.”—Jeffrey Collins, Wall Street Journal“An entertaining social history. . . . [Brewer’s] account rests on the rare survival of a visitors’ book from 1826–8. . . . A fascinating and complex story, reflected by the mountain, itself an icon of destruction and renewal.”—Suzi Feay, The Guardian“[An] endlessly fascinating microhistory. . . . [Brewer’s] baroque prose is perfectly apt for his romantic subjects, all of whom were obsessed with the sublime.”—Pratinav Anil, Times (UK)“Vigorous and vividly detailed . . . deep scholarship sparked by serendipity.”—Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Times Literary Supplement“Brewer offers a series of lively pen portraits, interspersed with sociological sketches and glimpses of politics, science, painting, antiquarianism and more. . . . An extremely learned and companionable guide.”—Seamus Perry, Literary ReviewListed in New Statesman’s Best Books of the Academic Presses, 2023“An absorbing study by a master historian, Volcanic chronicles our fleeting attempts to comprehend, control and shape an unmasterable force of nature.” —Jeffrey Collins, The Australian“[A] brilliant study. . . . Such humility and respect for the natural world has never felt more apt nor urgent.”—Jacqueline Riding, Country Life“Brewer’s sweeping account is an enjoyable read rich in rigorous original research, thoughtful analysis and engaging storytelling. Like those travellers scaling the slopes under the watchful eyes of Salvatore Madonna, we couldn’t hope for a better guide.”—Emily Brand, BBC History Magazine“This is an exceptional book, a master class of historical writing, imagination and insight.”—John A. Davis, author of Naples and Napoleon“Vesuvius was a dramatic natural curiosity few travellers engaged in the Grand Tour could resist. By tracing the steps of visitors, guides and naturalists, Brewer writes a fascinating history of marvel and knowledge, strong emotions and leisure.”—Pietro Corsi, author of Science and Religion“In Volcanic, John Brewer animates the Vesuvius of the Romantic era, from the tourist throngs and guides who made the volcano their business, to the movers, shakers, savants and scientists whose works and lives intersected around this grand, natural laboratory. This is a rich, entertaining and illuminating account of the cultural milieu of continental Europe’s liveliest volcano.”—David Pyle, author of Volcano: Encounters Through the Ages“In this magnetic, densely populated, account of Vesuvius, Brewer moves at ease between the intensely close-focus and the universal. The volcano, nerve-wracking yet thrilling in its unpredictability, mesmerised individuals and even mirrored political reverberations in Europe and beyond. Brewer has captured Vesuvius in its Romantic entirety: he has written a remarkable book.”—Gillian Darley, author of Vesuvius: The Most Famous Volcano in the World

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Book SynopsisThe first account of Britain’s convoys during the Napoleonic Wars—showing how the protection of trade played a decisive role in victoryTrade Review“A delightful book. . . . Knight describes the nature of life on the convoys in intricate detail, but always in simple, accessible prose. Points are made through delightfully allegorical anecdotes, rather than cumbersome argument. We feel the waves, smell the sea, rub shoulders with long-suffering seamen.”—Gerard DeGroot, Times (UK)“The story of these men and their ships . . . is recounted brilliantly and deserves to be read as both a pleasure and a tribute.”—David Childs, Naval ReviewEach year, in memory of Dr Roger Charles Anderson, a distinguished naval scholar and founder member of the Society, the Society awards the Anderson medal for a book on maritime history published during the previous year.“Naval history at its best. A challenging text that examines the critical role of the British convoy system in the Napoleonic era, a partnership that bound the state, trade, the Royal Navy and the insurance industry, and foreshadowed the better-known but no less vital convoy systems of the World Wars of the twentieth century.”—Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson: Britannia’s God of War“This is an outstanding study of a vital and too-long neglected element of British power during the Napoleonic War. Knight takes us into the daily lives of those who worked on these dangerous missions, explodes many old myths and makes an important contribution to developing our understanding of life at sea in this period.”—Richard Harding, author of Naval Leadership in the Atlantic World“Outstanding. Roger Knight brilliantly tells the forgotten story that underpinned Britain’s survival and ultimate victory in the war against Napoleon. Authoritative and original, this will appeal to all readers with an interest in the Napoleonic Wars.”—Rory Muir, author of Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769–1814

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Book SynopsisDuring the Second World War, a secret department was formed at Britain's Air Ministry to co-ordinate a strategy to defeat German bombing by means of deception. This is a study of Britain's bombing decoys, both at war, through their design, locations and operations, and at peace, through their fragmentary survival.

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Book SynopsisVenice was a major center of art in the Renaissance: the city where the medium of oil on canvas became the norm. The achievements of the Bellini brothers, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese are a key part of this story. Nowhere else has been depicted by so many great painters in so many diverse styles and moods. Venetian views were a speciality of native artists such as Canaletto and Guardi, but the city has also been represented by outsiders: J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Howard Hodgkin, and many more.Then there are those who came to look at and write about art. The reactions of Henry James, George Eliot, Richard Wagner, and others enrich this tale. Nor is the story over. Since the advent of the Venice Biennale in the 1890s, and the arrival of pioneering modern art collector Peggy Guggenheim in the late 1940s, the city has become a shop window for the contemporary art of the whole world, and it remains the site of important artistic events.In this elegant volume, Gayford?who has visited Venice countless times since the 1970s, covered every Biennale since 1990, and even had portraits of himself exhibited there on several occasions?takes us on a visual journey through the past five centuries of the city known La Serenissima, the Most Serene. It is a unique and compelling portrait of Venice that will delight lovers of the city and lovers of its art.Trade Review'Venice isn’t just the most painted city in the world, it is probably the most written about too. Finding a fresh angle from which to view it is a challenge. Gayford’s answer is to understand the city and its history through the splendid and varied art it has inspired. Packed with potted histories and informed anecdotes, this is a tome to pack on a visit to La Serenissima' - Waldemar Januszczak, Art Books of the Year, The Sunday Times'Impressive' - New European'Clear, vividly well written and deeply original ... a very bold, far reaching analysis of this much discussed city ... to offer an original perspective on this important city is a very significant achievement' - David Carrier, Counterpunch'Engaging, sumptuously illustrated … This is the present influencing the past and vice versa, living history' - Country & Town House'A compelling portrait of Venice capturing the work of great painters from Titian and Canaletto to Monet and Turner' - Traveller'Elegant, insightful ... Gayford is the perfect cicerone - observant, original and energetic. This isn’t a straight history of Venice or Venetian art, but a book about how artists and writers have pictured Venice and shaped the way visitors see Venice in turn. From Jacopo de' Barbari’s seabird's-eye map of the lagoon to Anselm Kiefer’s’ takeover of the Doge’s Palace, via Veronese, Canaletto, Ruskin, Manet, Monet, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire and Yayoi Kusama: discover Venice anew' - Laura Freeman, Books of the Year, The Times'I didn’t think it would be possible to write a new, fresh and original book about Venice, but Martin Gayford has managed it ... I can’t think of a better way of introducing Venice and it makes me want to get on a plane at once' - Sir Charles Saumarez Smith'Gayford vaults the psychological crevasse between the 15th century and the present with élan, recovering the vitality, energy and thrilling modernity of its innovations … The freshness and precision of his vision reanimates even the most familiar Venetian masterpieces. A Titian scholar, his evocation of the disarming, almost hallucinatory sensuality produced by the dash and flutter of brushstrokes is positively gleeful' - Lisa Hilton, Spectator'The scale of the book is dazzling, spanning 500 years of history, opera, sculpture and buildings, religion, philosophy – and, of course, art. Along the way, elegant prose introduces a fascinating cast … All told, this is a wonderful lesson in Venetian paintings, and how to look at them. It made me desperate to return to Venice and rush to the Frari Basilica to contemplate Titian’s Assunta' - The Tablet'Martin Gayford points out, with learning and discrimination, the hidden-in-plain-sight' - Michael Prodger, Country Life'The book is conversational, amiable; the effect is that of wandering around the city, its museums, churches and confraternities, its calli and campi, its limping bell towers and scene-stealing façades, its duelling bridges and blind alleys, with a thoughtful and well-read friend … [Gayford’s] book is a celebration that sidesteps some of the clichés of a more heritage-driven approach … he roots the project in the elementary pleasure of standing in front of, looking at and thinking about beautiful and interesting things' - Keith Miller, Times Literary Supplement'This is a book to immerse yourself in and to let your imagination run freely' - The Artist

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Book SynopsisThe first book in nearly a century to explore and satisfactorily explain how and when the Irish people came into being, now available in B-format paperback.Trade Review'So important ... It was very difficult to put down ... Wonderful' - History Today'Mallory’s wry, convivial style makes this complex account an effortless and enjoyable read' - Current Archaeology'Mallory brilliantly synthesizes the complexities of geology, archaeology, historical/mythical sources, genetics and linguistics ... I urge you to read this brilliant book' - Minerva'Superb and witty … as a tour d’horizon, it is unmatched' - The Irish TimesTable of ContentsPreface • Introduction • 1. The Origins of Ireland • 2. First Colonists • 3. First Farmers • 4. Beakers and Metal • 5. The Rise of the Warriors • 6. The Iron Age • 7. The Native Version • 8. Skulls, Blood and Genes • 9. The Evidence of Language • 10. The Origins of the Irish

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Book SynopsisFor twenty years, Ireland''s economic miracle was supposed to be the envy of the world. Low taxes, light regulation and an ''anything goes'' attitude seemed to have created boundless prosperity. And then, as in Iceland, the glittering palaces vanished in the heat of the global financial meltdown. For years, those with economic power had been investing in a gigantic property bubble.In Ship of Fools Fintan O''Toole tells the story of this dizzying rise and sickening fall. Ireland may have had a tiger economy, but those in charge of it had not lost their taste for sweetheart deals, back-handers and bribery. This is the essential analysis of Ireland''s economic suicide.

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Book SynopsisAlmost a quarter of a million lives were lost as King and Parliament battled for their religious and political ideals in the English Civil War. England was divided between Cavaliers and Roundheads engaged in bitter struggles from Preston to Lostwithiel, Pembroke to York. Armies were on the march, villages were decimated and great dynasties destroyed: fathers and sons, uncles and cousins were pitted against each other in defence of their loyalties. The civil war led to the execution of a king, the beginnings of sectarian division in Ireland, savage clan warfare in Scotland and the roots of English socialism.Tristram Hunt avoids adding to the many, mostly transitory interpretations of the civil war and instead offers a timeless narrative based on the first-hand accounts of those who witnessed these traumatic events. In doing so he brings out the voices of the civil war generation - those who lost sons, who witnessed massacres and who fought for an ideal. In this book we see th

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Book SynopsisNo British social movement captured contemporary imaginations as Chartism did. This unique book is the only history to offer complete, in-depth coverage of the full chronological spread of its activities (1838-58), based throughout on detailed research. -- .Table of ContentsIllustrationsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1 May-September 1838: ‘I have in my hand a charter – the people’s charter’Chartist lives: Abram and Elizabeth Hanson2 October-December 1838: ‘The people are up’Chartist lives: Patrick Brewster3 January-July 1839: ‘The People’s Parliament’Chartist lives: Thomas Powel4 July-November 1839: ‘Extreme excitement and apprehension’ Chartist lives: John Watkins5 November 1839-January 1840: After NewportChartist lives: Samuel Holberry6 February 1840-December 1841: ‘The Charter and nothing less’Chartist lives: Elizabeth Neesom7 1842: ‘Toasting muffins at a volcano’Chartist lives: Richard Pilling8 1843-1846: Doldrums YearsChartist lives: Ann Dawson9 July-1846-April 1848: ‘A time to make men politicians’Chartist lives: William Cuffay10 April 1848-1852: ‘Decent revolutionaries’?11 Chartist Lives: ‘Ever present to the progressive mind’Money, prices and wages: a noteA note on sources and further readingIndex

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