European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisExplores how the haunted, magical world of medieval times still surrounds us

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Historical Studies, American Academy of Religion""Winner of the Jerome E. Singerman Prize, Medieval Academy of America""[Byzantine Intersectionality] quotes Monica Lewinsky in its epigraph and brings an activist’s zeal to its queer-theory close readings of texts and images from the Eastern Roman Empire between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. By scouring legal, medical, and religious sources, and reading misogynist invectives against the grain, Betancourt builds a fascinating picture of more fluid attitudes and practices around sexuality than have been suggested in the mainstream historical record. . . . The details Betancourt excavates can be as illuminating as they are juicy."---Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine"[Byzantine Intersectionality] raises timely and pressing questions about gender, sexuality, marginalized groups, and diversity in the medieval Roman Empire. . . . This indispensable book makes clear that the study of Byzantine art is relevant and pressing today."---Armin Bergmeier, Art Bulletin"This book is for the outcast and for those who inhabit the margins of the past and present. . . . Byzantine Intersectionality provides art historians, archaeologists, and historians with a better theoretical basis for reconstructing the complex lived reality of queerness, sexual violence, consent, and racial profiling. The marginalized biblical figures and saints examined together serve as a new testament to how engrained systematic oppression functions in society."---Sarah E. Bond, Hyperallergic"[The book’s title] refers to the interaction between gender, sexuality and race, how the intersections between these three separate things were understood in Byzantine society and how these understandings endured or shifted across the period of the Empire’s history from (roughly) the fourth century to the 15th. . . . The book is rooted in a huge number of meticulously studied late antique and medieval sources. Importantly, Betancourt allows them the freedom to speak for themselves."---Adele Curness, History Today"[Byzantine Intersectionality] is an insightful and powerful new addition to not only Medieval Studies, but also History of Art, Critical Race Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Queer Studies. . . . An exciting and radical new project with an ethical dimension and urgency, this text challenges the ways scholars have viewed Byzantine society and culture. . . . [This] innovative text provokes from the epigraph by Lewinsky to the final sentence with its ethical imperative for social and racial justice."---Meaghan Allen, LSE Review of Books"A major accomplishment of [Byzantine Intersectionality] is its interdisciplinarity. As opposed to other scholars of the middle ages whose focus is narrowed to a specific discipline, Betancourt’s text covers the large disciplinary gaps between literary studies, art history, and historical studies, to create a wide-ranging view of the period and allowing scholars to create thematic connections previously unknown across the disciplines. . . . Another important aspect of this text is the potential implications for the field moving forward. Betancourt’s recalibration of the definitions of sexuality, gender, and race has opened countless doors for other medievalists to analyze literature, historical documents, and art for the sole purpose of expanding known histories of sex, gender, and race."---Morgan Connor, Pennsylvania Literary Review"Every Byzantinist needs to read this book. . . . A highly stimulating and thought-provoking book. It is also a beautifully produced book."---Shaun Tougher, Medieval Encounters

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Book SynopsisExplores the streets, shops, back alleys, and gardens of Elizabethan London where a boisterous and diverse group of men and women shared a keen interest in the study of nature. This book examines six episodes of scientific inquiry and dispute in sixteenth-century London, bringing to life the individuals involved and the challenges they faced.Trade Review"Harkness's research is revelatory and her taste for the offbeat enthralling."—New Yorker". . . Harkness has written a truly wonderful book, deeply researched, full of original material, and exhilarating to read. Its grown-up realism puts to shame the glamorised pap currently spooned out on film and television as a depiction of 16th-century England."—John Carey, The Sunday Times"Through a deft navigation of printed book and manuscript records . . . Harkness’s book succeeds in evoking a city alive with the pursuit of the natural world, a pursuit infused with objects, ideas and people from foreign lands . . . she listened to the archives, established rapport with these sources, traced the connections between practitioners, and mapped the concepts of science and community in Elizabethan London."–Lauren Kassell, Times Educational Supplement". . . a significant contribution to the history of science, but also to that of London, and an exciting portrait of life in the swarming, spreading city during the reign of the first Elizabeth."—Ronald Hutton, Independent on Sunday"This is an exciting and important book, informed by deep scholarship yet replete with colourful details that make it absorbing to read."—Patricia Fara, BBC History Magazine". . . [an] innovative, imaginative, and well-written study – which is undoubtedly based on many years of research . . . Harkness unites depth and detail with a truly original argument . . . [She] is an expert historian who also knows how to operate as an archaeologist and anthropologist . . . Harkness has [brought back Elizabethan London] with great erudition and imagination."—Florike Egmond, Nuncius, Vol. XXIII, 2"[Harkness] takes us to many previously unexplored nooks and crannies of Elizabethan London, bringing alive a wide range of social and economic connections . . . [she] digs up communities of naturalists . . . [and] instrument makers . . . and meets apothecaries and surgeons who introduced some of the latest techniques from Italy . . . The Jewel House is one of the best [books] in showing how the tight, interlocking communities of the early modern capital city could prove it as vibrant intellectually and commercially as it was dramatically."—Peter Furtado, History Today"This is perhaps the most effective account to date of science in Elizabethan England . . . based on extensive archival research . . . the author has an undoubted gift for bringing her subjects vividly to life through the use of telling detail, while she also relishes the tensions and conflicts that occurred in the intellectual community that she documents."—Michael Hunter, HistoryCo-winner of the 2008 Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies Book PrizeWinner of the 2008 John Ben Snow Foundation Prize for the best book published in any discipline of British Studies covering the period from 1400-1800Winner of the Pfizer Prize for Best Book in the History of Science from 2005-2007, presented by the History of Science SocietyHighly commended for the 2008 Longman/History Today Book of the Year Award"This is the book on Elizabethan science everyone should read. Not only does it offer a convincing reinterpretation of the role of science in society, but it is written in an arresting style, jaunty, full of illuminating anecdotes, and widely accessible."—Ian Archer, Oxford University "This is a wonderful book, full of fascinating detail and stories from a lost world. It will have wide circulation among historians of science and technology, historians of England, and cultural historians in general."—Pamela Smith, Columbia University"The Jewel House of Art and Nature is by far the finest exploration ever undertaken of scientific culture in an early modern metropolis. Vivid, compelling, and panoramic, this revelatory work will force us to revise everything we thought we knew about Renaissance science."—Adrian Johns, author of The Nature of the Book"In this vivid portrait of the scientific practitioners of Elizabethan London, Deborah Harkness draws on extensive archival research to portray the city as a crucial source of social and scientific innovation and inspiration to Francis Bacon."—Ann Blair, Harvard University"Deborah E. Harkness's The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution is a finely written and informative book. . . . No one interested in the life of Elizabethan London . . . will find it less than engrossing."—Gordon Teskey, SEL Studies in English Literature

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Book SynopsisA fully illustrated study of the French armies that were inspired by Saint Jeanne d'Arc, reformed under King Charles VII and eventually victorious over England in the Hundred Years' War. Saint Jeanne d'Arc remains a central figure in France's national legend, having ushered the country's flagging military forces into a period of extraordinary reform and revival that culminated some 22 years after her death in the French emerging triumphant from the Hundred Years' War. France's 1429 victory at Orléans, which was headed by Saint Jeanne, marked the first major setback to a long series of English successes and led directly to the coronation of King Charles VII, who would transform France's fortunes by making peace with Burgundy, gathering foreign allies and creating permanent armed forces under royal control.In this engaging new study, French military historian Philippe Gaillard examines the events and individuals that brought about such a pivotal shift in the

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Book SynopsisTimothy Snyder traces the emergence of four rival modern nationalist ideologies from common medieval notions of citizenship.Trade Review“Charting the passages to nationhood and to national reconciliation in this impossibly complex region is the aim of Timothy Snyder’s erudite and engrossing book. . . . An illuminating historical essay. . . . This important book is also elegantly written.”—Charles King, Times Literary Supplement“[A] fresh and stimulating look at the path to nationhood.”—Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs“[Snyder] utilizes poetry, monuments, symbols, and mini-biography, and family-and village-centered micro-history to make his points, and he succeeds in integrating a common-sense, democratic, and tolerant morality into a set of essentially objective, parallel story-lines. . . . A great book for the professional, scholar, student, and curious reader.”—David Goldfrank, The International History Review"Ambitiously conceived and superbly executed. . . . The Reconstruction of Nations isdistinguished by its clear structure, lucid prose, uncompromising judgements, and cogent argument. It marks the debut of a hugely talented historian."—Richard Butterwick, English History ReviewWinner of the 2003 George Louis Beer Prize given by the American Historical AssociationWinner of the 2003 Eastern Review PrizeWinner of the 2004 American Association for Ukrainian Studies Book Award"This is by far the best English-language survey of northeastern Europe’s multicultural past. Snyder offers us an innovative and unconventional re-reading of the broad narrative of Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian history, exploring and explaining issues of national identity without getting trapped within the categories of nationalist historiography. His ambition to cover four centuries of history was a bold move in today’s era of academic specialization, but he has succeeded brilliantly."—Brian Porter, Professor of History, University of Michigan; author of When Nationalism Began to Hate: Imagining Modern Politics in 19th Century Poland"This is an excellent book. The research is impressive. Snyder asks the right questions and then delivers.”—John Micgiel, executive director, East Central European Center, Columbia University"The Reconstruction of Nations isa brilliant and fascinating analysis of the subtleties, complexities, and paradoxes of the evolution of nations in Eastern Europe. Snyder highlights the success of contemporary leaders of Poland in bringing an end to the centuries of war, conquest, and ethnic cleansing, which have plagued that part of the world. His study has major implications for all of us who want to understand the processes of state collapse and nation-building in the world."—Samuel P. Huntington, Chairman, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies"This book is a work of profound scholarship and considerable importance. It represents a highly original approach to a neglected area of Europe—but also has wider implications for all those interested in questions of nationalism and state-building."—Timothy Garton Ash, Director, European Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford, author of The Polish Revolution

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Book Synopsis''Football history at its best'' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY''Hugely moving... a very good book indeed'' FOUR FOUR TWO''Kuper is an original, sophisticated and adventurous writer. The story he has to tell... is fascinating and pressing'' SUNDAY TIMESIn FOOTBALL AGAINST THE ENEMY Simon Kuper crossed the globe in search of the links between football, politics and culture. In AJAX, THE DUTCH, THE WAR he skilfully pieces together an alternative account of World War II. He looks at the lives of the footballers who played for the Dutch club, the officials and the ordinary fans during this tumultuous period and challenges the accepted notion of the War in occupied Europe. With almost 80 per cent of Amsterdam''s Jewish Corner wiped out during the war, the long-held belief that, by and large, half the Dutch population had some kind of link to the Resistance has, of late, come into question. Kuper explores this issue and looks deeper into the role Trade ReviewAt last, the long-awaited follow-up from the author of the classic FOOTBALL AGAINST THE ENEMY... hugely moving... a very good book indeed * FOUR FOUR TWO *An intriguing social history, full of quirky observations and anecdotes, written with winning geniality... Kuper has produced a beguiling book, not only for aficionados of the beautiful game or connoisseurs of Jewish history, but for anyone curious about our not-so-distant past * FINANCIAL TIMES *Passionate and moving * GUARDIAN *Football history at its best * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *His writing combines scholarly graft, a feel for political complexity, and quiet but powerful wit * INDEPENDENT *Kuper is an original, sophisticated and adventurous writer. The story he has to tell... is fascinating and pressing * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the life, major ideas and lasting influence of the Italian militant and political thinker, Antonio Gramsci. Author of the famous Prison Notebooks over 2,000 pages of profound and influential reflections on history, culture, politics, philosophy and revolution and head of Italian Communist Party in the 1920s, Antonio Gramsci is one of the most important European political thinkers of the 20th century. An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci provides an accessible overview of Gramsci's conceptions of culture, politics and philosophy and, crucially, analyses how Gramsci's theories can be applied in the context of 21st-century global politics and to issues such as Brexit, Covid, the rise of populism and the Ukraine crisis.This edition includes: A brand new chapter that considers Gramsci's relevance to contemporary politics and events Expanded and updated sections relating to political theory and political economy An

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Book SynopsisKonrad Morgen pursued Nazi Germany's worst murderers from inside the SS. This is his incredible true story.

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Book SynopsisLithuania is often portrayed as a small nation- state that has survived against the odds of history: together with Estonia and Latvia, it won independence at the end of the First World War, lost it to the Soviet Union in 193940, regained it in 19901, and joined NATO and the EU in 2004, angering the Kremlin. But Lithuania's rich and complex history stretches back much further than these events, and much further than many realise.In the fourteenth century, Europe's last pagan dynasty ruled a vast empire stretching from forests on the Baltic shores to the steppes north of the Black Sea. Forging a remarkable, liberty-based union with the Kingdom of Poland, for 400 years the Grand Duchy of Lithuania blocked Moscow's pretensions to rule all of Rus', particularly Belarus and Ukraine. Yet it was in competition with Poles, and under Russian imperial rule, that the modern ethnic Lithuanian nation emerged in the nineteenth century.This is a lively and accessible history of a fascinating country that was once much larger than it is today; a land where, for centuries, peoples and communitiesincluding Belarusians, Ukrainians, Germans, Poles, Russians, Jews, Karaites and Tatarslived together in concord and discord.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of German esoteric history from prehistory to the present. No country is richer in occult and esoteric traditions than Germany. In this magical journey through the inner history of Deutschland, Christopher McIntosh explores many of these traditions from prehistory to the 21st century. Recounting the longstanding magical tradition of Germany, McIntosh investigates the numerous prehistoric sacred sites that point to a nearly-forgotten ancient shamanic civilization. He examines the survival and revival of the old pre-Christian gods in folklore, customs, and practices as well as witchcraft. He looks at Germany’s rich and many-faceted spiritual heritage and explores Christian mysticism and theosophy as exemplified by Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, and Jakob Boehme. Examining Rosicrucianism, which originated in Germany, the author also looks at other secret societies that flourished in Germany such as speculative Freemaso

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Book Synopsis‘Majestic, ambitious’ Literary Review ____________________________________ We are endlessly fascinated by the French. We are fascinated by their way of life, their creativity and sophistication, and even their insistence that they are exceptional. But how did France become the country it is today, and what really sets it apart? Historian Peter Watson sets out to answer these questions in this dazzling history of France, taking us from the seventeenth century to the present day through the nation’s most influential thinkers. He opens the doors to the Renaissance salons that brought together poets, philosophers and scientists, and tells the forgotten stories of the extraordinary women who ran these institutions, fostering a culture of stylish intellectualism unmatched anywhere else in the world. It’Trade Review‘Majestic, ambitious . . . [Peter Watson] deserves admiration for the grace and agility with which he interlinks the development of a vigorous cultural identity and the seismic shifts of French national history, continually lurching between triumph and disaster. Impressive enough in its scope, authority and sprightliness to leave us wondering whether a French writer could have managed the task quite as deftly’ * Literary Review *‘An encyclopaedic celebration of French intellectuals refusing to give up on universal principles . . . while remaining slim, bringing up well-behaved children and falling in love at every opportunity’ * The Times *‘He unfurls his intellectual history in the form of vivid biographies . . . [an] engaging movement through time towards France’s recent reckonings with extremism, exceptionalism and empire . . . perceptive’ * TLS *'A love for France radiates from this book' * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAn epic tale of Vladimir Putin''s path to power, as he emerged from obscurity to become one of the world''s most conflicted and important leaders. Former New York TimesMoscow Bureau Chief Steven Lee Myers has followed Putin since well before the recent events in the Ukraine, and gives us the fullest and most engaging account available of his rise to power. A gripping, page-turning narrative about Russian power and prestige, the book depicts a cool and calculating leader with enormous ambition and few scruples. As the world struggles to confront a newly assertive Russia, the importance of understanding Putin has never been greater. Vladimir Putin rose out of Soviet deprivation to the pinnacle of influence in the new Russian nation. He came to office in 2000 as a reformer, cutting taxes and expanding property rights, bringing a measure of order and eventually prosperity to millions whose only experience of democracy in the early years following the Soviet collapse was instabilityTrade Review'Myers casts valuable light on the nexus of financial dealings involving Putin's St Petersburg cronies' -- John Kampfner * Observer *'Myers has the accuracy and readable style of the best New York Times journalists' -- Donald Rayfield * Literary Review *'Steven Lee Myers’s The New Tsar is not the first biography of Putin, but it is the strongest to date. Judicious and comprehensive, it pulls back the veil… from one of the world’s most secretive leaders. What is most striking, given the aura of steely consistency that Putin cultivates, is how he has changed over the years… The great strength of Myers’s book is the way it shows how chance events and Putin’s own degeneration gradually cleared the path to the Ukraine crisis… Putin emerges as ... a flawed individual who made his own choices at crucial moments and thereby shaped history.' -- Daniel Treisman * Washington Post *'What Steven Lee Myers gets so right in The New Tsar, his comprehensive new biography - the most informative and extensive so far in English - is that at bottom Putin simply feels that he’s the last one standing between order and chaos… What Myers offers is the portrait of a man swinging from crisis to crisis with one goal: projecting strength… A knowledgeable and thorough biography… Putin himself now represents the chaos he so abhors - the chaos that will surely come in his wake.' -- Gal Beckerman * New York Times Book Review *'Personalities determine history as much as geography, and there is no personality who has had such a pivotal effect on 21st century Europe as much as Vladimir Putin. The New Tsar is a riveting, immensely detailed biography of Putin that explains in full-bodied, almost Shakespearean fashion why he acts the way he does.' -- Robert D. Kaplan'The reptilian, poker-faced former KGB agent, now Russian president seemingly for life, earns a fair, engaging treatment in the hands of New York Times journalist Myers… [who] clearly knows his material and primary subject… Myers shows how Putin convinced everyone that this way of operating was part of the Russian soul and how he perpetuated it through an archaic form of Russian corruption… Myers astutely notes how Putin’s speeches increasingly harkened back to the worst period of the Cold War era’s dictates by Soviet strongmen… A highly effective portrait of a frighteningly powerful autocrat.' * Kirkus (starred review) *'Such an understanding of Putin’s early life and the evolution of his leadership is lacking. [Myers’s] methodology is sound and, I believe, the only way to capture such an intimate understanding of Russia’s iron man.' -- Ian Bremmer, author of Superpower'Combining skilled story telling, psychological examination and political investigation, Steven Lee Myers succeeds brilliantly in this biography of Vladimir Putin. Explaining the dangers that Putin’s Russia may and does pose, Myers effortlessly and expertly guides the reader through the complexities of the Russian Byzantine governing style and the country’s politics and identity. In the end, the book provides one of the most comprehensive answers to a puzzling question: despite all the changes that Russia has gone through during communism and post-communism, why is it still an empire of the tsar?' -- Nina Khrushcheva

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Book SynopsisThoroughly updated and revised, the ninth edition of the highly regarded British Civilization: An Introduction continues to be the ideal textbook on Britain, its country and people, religion, politics and government, international relations, legal system, economy, education, media and culture for students of British studies.Examining central structural features of British society, the book provides an introduction to British civilization that highlights its history of cultural, geographical and human diversity. The book includes: Expanded discussion of Britain's current political climate and international relations through an examination of the 2016 Brexit referendum, the subsequent general election and Brexit negotiations up to April 2019 Discussion of the ever-shifting economy from a global perspective Opinion polls and surveys that provide an insight into the attitudes of British people to the conditions in which they live and operate todaTrade Review"British Civilization provides the most profound introduction to contemporary Britain … Oakland presents the most recent information in a very concise and easily accessible writing style. Due to the additional resources, exercises and essay questions the book is perfect for teaching and learning." Isabell Große, Leipzig University, Germany "British Civilization: An Introduction is an excellent overview of a number of elements which students will need to know in order to understand British society. It is well-written, concise, and has attractive full-colour pictures and illustrations. It is especially strong on recent developments in British culture." Mark Marston Norris, Grace College, USA Table of ContentsList of plates List of figures List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Chronology of significant dates in British history 1 The British context 2 The country 3 The people 4 Religion 5 Politics and government 6 International relations 7 The legal system 8 The economy 9 Social services 10 Education 11 The media 12 Leisure, sports and the arts

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Book SynopsisA gripping biography of the Paston family set against the turbulent background of the Wars of the Roses from bestselling historian Helen Castor, author of She-WolvesThe Wars of the Roses turned England upside down. Between 1455 and 1485 four kings, including Richard III, lost their thrones, more than forty noblemen lost their lives on the battlefield or their heads on the block, and thousands of the men who followed them met violent deaths. As they made their way in a disintegrating world, the Paston family in Norfolk family were writing letters - about politics, about business, about shopping, about love and about each other, including the first valentine.Using these letters - the oldest surviving family correspondence in English - Helen Castor traces the extraordinary history of the Paston family across three generations. Blood & Roses tells the dramatic, moving and intensely human story of how one family survived one of the most tempestuous periods in English history.Trade Review"'Sharply written, impeccably documented, structured with the trip and pace of a good thriller' Hilary Spurling Daily Telegraph"

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Book Synopsis''Reads like the script for a Bond film'' Mail on SundayA groundbreaking book, this unprecedented study is the authoritative account of the best-known intelligence organisation in the world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of espionage, the two world wars, modern British government and the conduct of international relations in the first half of the twentieth century, MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949 is a uniquely important examination of the role and significance of intelligence in the modern world.Trade Review‘Extraordinarily useful, endlessly interesting ... Jeffery captured the adventurous, John Buchan side of SIS with as much zest as he revealed the successes and failures of its analysis of events' * John Simpson *'A magisterial account of the two wars in particular, viewed via the prism of secret intelligence. Winningly, it also entertains' * Independent on Sunday *‘Fascinating ... The book is full of examples of the ingenuity and courage shown by all ranks' * Douglas Hurd, Guardian *'Full of episode and personality, without ever succumbing to the swash and buckle that can dazzle those who get close to SIS' * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIn twelfth century Languedoc a subversive heresy of Eastern origin flourished to an extraordinary degree. The Albingenses believed that the world was created by an evil spirit, and that all worldly things - including the Church - were by nature sinful.Jonathan Sumption''s acclaimed history examines the roots of the heresy, the uniquely rich culture of the region which nurtured it, and the crusade launched against it by the Church which resulted in one of the most savage of all medieval wars.''[Sumption] never fails to keep his narrative lively with the particular and the pertinent. He is excellent on the tactics and spirit of medieval warfare.'' Frederic Raphael, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisAn account of wartime Greece, exploring the impact of Nazi Occupation upon the lives and values of ordinary people. It seeks to offer a vividly human picture of resistance fighters and black marketeers, teenage German conscripts and Gestapo officers, Jews and starving villagers.Trade Review"Fascinating. . . . [Mazower] succeeds in getting under the skin of the occupation. . . . [This book] conjures up, in vivid detail, life under an occupation that had shattered old certainties and replaced them with painful choices, cynical compromises and hopes undercut by the daily death toll."—Mark Almond, The Times"[An] important book . . . sharply focused."—C.M. Woodhouse, Times Literary Supplement"Mark Mazower's account of the Italo-German seizure of Greece . . . should make sense to anyone with a feel for truthful documentation. . . . An objective study."—Nigel Spivey, Financial Times"Fascinating. . . . [Mazower] succeeds in getting under the skin of the occupation. . . . [This book] conjures up, in vivid detail, life under an occupation that had shattered old certainties and replaced them with painful choices, cynical compromises and hopes undercut by the daily death toll."—Mark Almond, The Times"This is the first thorough account in English of almost every aspect of life in Axis-occupied Greece. It draws on a mass of material, including Greek wartime newspapers and German military archives. All of this is absorbed into a highly readable narrative and illustrated with sometimes heartbreaking contemporary photographs."—Noel Malcolm, The Sunday Telegraph"Scholarly in its use of sources, yet rich in feeling and full of vivid descriptions. The account of tens of thousands of people starving to death is harrowing and appalling; the civil insurrection which followed and the ensuing acts of brutality on both sides are presented with equal pathos."—Max Davidson, Daily Telegraph"[A] notable study . . . the first of its kind in English."—Publishers Weekly"[Mazower's] elegant prose and meticulous eye for detail cut to the heart of the nature and effects of the occupation on Greek society and political life. . . . With its rich historical detail, vivid accounts, its sheer scope and perceptiveness, it is a must for the professional historian, and an eye-opener for the interested general reader."—Spyros Economides, The European"One is glad to have [this book]. Mazower writes without fuss and takes analysis easily in the stride of his narrative."—Colin Richmond, Jane's Intelligence Review"A vivid and penetrating insight into the political and military confusion of the period. . . . [Mazower's] understanding and grasp of this often contentious area of history has been well served by the fluency with which he relates it. It is a very well-written, readable and often moving book."—Imogen Grundon, Literary Review"[A] sensitive, illuminating and richly textured account of painful, complex experience."—Richard Overy, The Observer "A stupendous feat of personal and original research. . . . He has digested this heterogeneous material so thoroughly that his book is eminently readable. . . . A masterpiece of exposition."—N. G. L. Hammond, Anglo-Hellenic Review"Mazower's book is a stupendous achievement and a work of immaculate scholarship."—History Today"The book's focus on the experiences of everyday life in extreme circumstances gives it an immediacy and emotional impact that few readers will be able to ignore to forget. Mazower wears his scholarship lightly and writes without jargon, with detachment and yet with passion; readers will find themselves responding similarly."—Margaret E. Kenna, Ethnic & Racial Studies"Mazower's work is to be highly commended. . . . This is a book which deserves the widest readership possible."—Martyn Housden, British Journal of Holocaust Education"A book of great interest and originality. . . . Altogether this volume provides us with a refreshing exercise in revisionist history."—M.R.D. Foot, Slavonic ReviewJoint Winner of the 1993 Fraenkel Prize in Contemporary History "One of the very best books in any language, to have been written on wartime Greece. Indeed . . . one of the most significant books to have been written on modern Greece as a whole."—Richard Clogg"Mark Mazower's compelling and scholarly account of the occupation of Greece by the axis is doubly invaluable . . . Dr. Mazower's study of occupied Greece is based on an impressive range of archival and secondary sources in several languages. It is not only both comprehensive and readable but also topical."—Tim Kirk"Mazower's crisp, dramatic presentation of all aspects of life in occupied Greece is a model of clarity and compactness. The politics of occupation, collaboration, resistance, and plain survival are elaborated in vivid detail. There is a brightness of vision in this work, which is as unyielding and unsentimental as the craggy beauty of Greece."—Ivo Banac

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Book SynopsisThroughout Britain''s history, one factor above all others has determined the fate of the nation: its navy. N. A. M. Rodger''s definitive account reveals how the political and social progress of Britain has been inextricably intertwined with the strength - and weakness - of its sea power, from the desperate early campaigns against the Vikings to the defeat of the great Spanish Armada. Covering policy, strategy, ships, recruitment and weapons, this is a superb tapestry of nearly 1,000 years of maritime history.''No other historian has examined the subject in anything like the detail found here. The result is an outstanding example of narrative history'' Barry Unsworth, Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisBooks VI-X of Livy''s monumental work trace Rome''s fortunes from its near collapse after defeat by the Gauls in 386 bc to its emergence, in a matter of decades, as the premier power in Italy, having conquered the city-state of Samnium in 293 bc. In this fascinating history, events are described not simply in terms of partisan politics, but through colourful portraits that bring the strengths, weaknesses and motives of leading figures such as the noble statesman Camillus and the corrupt Manlius vividly to life. While Rome''s greatest chronicler intended his history to be a memorial to former glory, he also had more didactic aims - hoping that readers of his account could learn from the past ills and virtues of the city.Table of ContentsRome and Italy - Livy Translated and Annotated by Betty Radice with an Introduction by R. M. OgilvieTranslator's PrefaceIntroductionSelect BibliographyBook VIBook VIIBook VIIIBook IXBook XMaps:1. Rome2. Central Italy3. Western Central Italy4. The Valley of the Caudine ForksIndex

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award 2011The horrific series of conflicts known as the Thirty Years War (1618-48) tore the heart out of Europe, killing perhaps a quarter of all Germans and laying waste to whole areas of Central Europe to such a degree that many towns and regions never recovered. All the major European powers apart from Russia were heavily involved and, while each country started out with rational war aims, the fighting rapidly spiralled out of control, with great battles giving way to marauding bands of starving soldiers spreading plague and murder. The war was both a religious and a political one and it was this tangle of motives that made it impossible to stop. Whether motivated by idealism or cynicism, everyone drawn into the conflict was destroyed by it. At its end a recognizably modern Europe had been created but at a terrible price.Peter Wilson''s book is a major work, the first new history of the war in a Trade ReviewPeter Wilson is a brave man to undertake a new general survey of one of the most long-lasting, multi-dimensional and controversial wars of all time. It is a joy to report that, at least in this reviewer's opinion, Europe's Tragedy succeeds brilliantly ... His scholarship seems to me remarkable, his prose light and lovely, his judgments fair -- Paul Kennedy * Sunday Times *An ambitious and accomplished account, abreast of modern scholarship, has been overdue, and EUROPE'S TRAGEDY supplies it all admirably -- Blair Worden * Literary Review *A wonderfully comprehensive and detailed account -- Tim Blanning * Daily Telegraph *Magisterial ... a wise, wide-seeking account, tenaciously researched -- Lauro Martines * The Times Literary Supplement *A history of prodicious erudition ... a definitive account has been needed, and now Peter Wilson has provided it -- Jeffrey Collins * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisGypsies have been a part of the British and European social fabric for centuries and have faced prejudice and oppression for nearly as long, since at least the time of Henry VIII. Theirs is a peripatetic existence, dwelling in tents and in caravans and living often precariously at the edges of towns and villages, moving on in search of opportunities or as mainstream society drives them away. Gypsies of Britain explores the history of this unique lifestyle, looking at how Gypsies have maintained their distinctive culture and how they have adapted to the twenty-first century, and shedding light on a range of traditional Gypsy occupations including harvesting, horse-dealing, fortune-telling and rat-catching. Archive illustrations and modern photographs depict their lives, work and ornately carved and painted caravans.Table of ContentsIntroduction / Travelling Groups in Britain / Travelling Patterns and Abodes / Earning a Living / Evangelism and War Work / The Twenty-first Century / Further Information / Index

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Book SynopsisAs an authority on the religion of medieval and early modern England, Eamon Duffy is preeminent. In his revisionist masterpiece The Stripping of the Altars, Duffy opened up new areas of research and entirely fresh perspectives on the origin and progress of the English Reformation.Duffy''s focus has always been on the practices and institutions through which ordinary people lived and experienced their religion, but which the Protestant reformers abolished as idolatry and superstition. The first part of A People''s Tragedy examines the two most important of these institutions: the rise and fall of pilgrimage to the cathedral shrines of England, and the destruction of the monasteries under Henry VIII, as exemplified by the dissolution of the ancient Anglo-Saxon monastery of Ely. In the title essay of the volume, Duffy tells the harrowing story of the Elizabethan regime''s savage suppression of the last Catholic rebellion against the Reformation, the Rising of the Trade ReviewErudite, readable and acerbic ... [a] historian who, almost 40 years after publishing his first book, is still at the very top of his game. * The Tablet *This very readable collection poses some profound questions about the use of the past and the relation between meticulous scholarship and our understanding of the episodes that have contributed so profoundly to the way in which we view the world in our own day. * Rt Revd Lord Chartres, former Bishop of London (Church Times) *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue Part One: Studies in Reformation 1 Cathedral Pilgrimage: The Late Middle Ages 2 The Dissolution of Ely Priory 3 1569: A People's Tragedy 4 Douai, Rheims and the Counter-Reformation 5 The King James Bible 6 Richard Baxter, Reminiscent Part Two: Writing the Reformation 7 Luther Through Catholic Eyes 8 James Anthony Froude and the Reign of Queen Mary 9 A.G. Dickens and the Medieval Church 10 Walsingham: Reformation and Reconstruction 11 Writing the Reformation: Fiction and Faction Notes Index Plates

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Book SynopsisEggs or Anarchy is one of the great, British stories of the Second World War yet to be told in full. It reveals the heroic tale of how Lord Woolton, Minister for Food, really fed Britain. As a nation at war, with supply routes under attack from the Axis powers and resources scarce, it was Woolton's job to fulfil his promise to the British people, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in particular, that there would be food on the shelves each week. Persuading the public to not resort to the black market and to manage on the very limited ration was one thing, but Woolton had to fulfil his side of the bargain and maintain supplies in time of crisis. A grammar school-educated genius, he was a fish out of water in Churchill's cabinet and the PM himself doubted Woolton would survive due to the unstinting criticism he faced from colleagues, the press and public.   This is the story of how he battled to save his own career while using every trick in his entrepreneuriaTrade Review‘William writes with irresistible wit and energy . . . A compelling portrait of one of the unsung, enigmatic heroes of the Second World War’ -- Michel Roux OBE‘The battles of the Second World War have been pored over in minute detail; not so the battles waged on the Kitchen Front. The food writer William Sitwell’s account of Lord Woolton, the man in charge of the Ministry of Food during the war, is an entertaining corrective to this.’ * The Times *‘Eggs or Anarchy is as much a beguiling study of social mobility as it is a hard war memoir … there is much to enjoy – with barely a powdered egg in sight – in this biography of the man who was responsible for arguably the healthiest national diet of all time’ -- Sinclair McKay * Sunday Telegraph *‘Eggs or Anarchy meticulously completes the backstory of the war. In this absorbing book Sitwell proves Woolton’s genuine intentions, absolves him for his tough line and also presents a portrait of a man whose style and approach to problems is still highly instructive. It is often said that generally the British were never healthier than in the war years. How we need a Woolton now’ -- Rose Prince * The Spectator *‘Fascinating biography’ -- Andrew Marr * Radio 4 Start the Week *‘A wonderful account of how Lord Woolton, Minster for Food, managed to keep Britain fed during World War Two… a riveting read full of delicious historical details about how one unassuming man battled against all odds to keep bellies full and morale high despite the dreaded food rationing. Excuse the pun, but I could have eaten this book up with a spoon’ * Red Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThis history will endure; not only because Sir Winston has written it, but also because of its own inherent virtues its narrative power, its fine judgment of war and politics, of soldiers and statesmen, and even more because it reflects a tradition of what Englishmen in the hey-day of their empire thought and felt about their country''s past. The Daily Telegraph Spanning four volumes and many centuries of history, from Caesar's invasion of Britain to the start of World War I, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples stands as one of Winston Churchill's most magnificent literary works. Begun during Churchill's wilderness years' when he was out of government, first published in 1956 after his leadership through the darkest days of World War II had cemented his place in history and completed when Churchill was in his 80s, it remains to this day a compelling and vivid history. The Great Democracies is the fourth and final volume of Table of ContentsPreface Maps Book X: Recovery and Reform 1. The Victory Peace 2. Canning and the Duke 3. Reform and Free Trade 4. The Crimean War 5. Palmerston 6. The Migration of the Peoples I: Canada and South Africa 7. The Migration of the Peoples II: Australia and New Zealand Book XI: The Great Republic 1. American Epic 2. Slavery and Secession 3. The Union in Danger 4. The Campaign Against Richmond 5. Lee and McClellan 6. Chancellorsville and Gettysburg 7. The Victory of the Union Book XII: The Victorian Age 1. The Rise of Germany 2. Gladstone and Disraeli 3. American "Reconstruction" 4. America as a World Power 5. Home Rule for Ireland 6. Lord Salisbury's Governments 7. The South African War index

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Book SynopsisThe offensive on the Somme took place between July and November 1916 and is perhaps the most iconic battle of the Great War. It was there that Kitchener s famous Pals Battalions were first sent into action en masse and it was a battlefield where many of the dreams and aspirations of a nation, hopeful of victory, were agonizingly dashed. Because of its legendary status, the Somme has been the subject of many books, and many more will come out next year. However, nothing has ever been published on the Battle in which the soldiers own photographs have been used to illustrate both the campaign s extraordinary comradeship and its carnage.

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly researched and vividly written history of the English Civil Wars, from one of Britain''s most prominent Civil War historiansThe sequence of civil wars that ripped England apart in the seventeenth century was the single most traumatic event in this country between the medieval Black Death and the two world wars. Indeed, it is likely that a greater percentage of the population were killed in the civil wars than in the First World War. This sense of overwhelming trauma gives this major new history its title: God's Fury, England's Fire. The name of a pamphlet written after the king's surrender, it sums up the widespread feeling within England that the seemingly endless nightmare that had destroyed families, towns and livelihoods was ordained by a vengeful God that the people of England had sinned and were now being punished. As with all civil wars, however, God's fury' could support or destroy either side in the conflict. Was God angry at Charles I for failing to support the true, protestant, religion and refusing to work with Parliament? Or was God angry with those who had dared challenge His anointed Sovereign?Michael Braddick's remarkable book gives the reader a vivid and enduring sense both of what it was like to live through events of uncontrollable violence and what really animated the different sides. God's Fury, England's Fire allows readers to understand once more the events that have so fundamentally marked this country and which still resonate centuries after their bloody ending.

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of Culloden has gone down in history as the last major battle fought on British soil: a vicious confrontation between Scottish forces supporting the Stuart claim to the throne and the English Royal Army. But this wasn''t just a conflict between the Scots and the English, the battle was also part of a much larger campaign to protect the British Isles from the growing threat of a French invasion. In Trevor Royle''s vivid and evocative narrative, we are drawn into the ranks, on both sides, alongside doomed Jacobites fighting fellow Scots dressed in the red coats of the Duke of Cumberland''s Royal Army. And we meet the Duke himself, a skilled warrior who would gain notoriety due to the reprisals on Highland clans in the battle''s aftermath. Royle also takes us beyond the battle as the men of the Royal Army, galvanized by its success at Culloden, expand dramatically and start to fight campaigns overseas in America and India in order to secure British interests; we see the revolutionary use of fighting techniques first implemented at Culloden; and the creation of professional fighting forces. Culloden changed the course of British history by ending all hope of the Stuarts reclaiming the throne, cementing Hanoverian rule and forming the bedrock for the creation of the British Empire. Royle''s lively and provocative history looks afresh at the period and unveils its true significance, not only as the end of a struggle for the throne but the beginning of a new global power.Trade ReviewTrevor Royle is an accomplished military historian of the 17th and 18th centuries, and of the martial Scots generally, and describes the Forty-five with shrewdness and balance . . . His prose is lyrical but hardheaded, and the people-centred narrative is always engaging -- Allan Mallinson * Spectator *[A] refreshing, incisive book . . . Royle's vivid narrative resembles a picaresque novel in which the characters are beset by unexpected strokes of good luck and misfortune -- Lawrence James * The Times *[An] excellent account . . . splendid history * Sunday Telegraph *Even someone tolerably well-acquainted with eighteenth century history is likely to find much that is new . . . Royle tells the story splendidly and makes his argument cogently. His book deserves a wide readership -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *This lovely, exciting book is the perfect introduction to Culloden and why it matters. Trevor Royle is a lucid, elegant writer who excels at explaining the tactics and techniques of warfare and the dynamics of battle * BBC History Magazine *An absorbing, fast-paced chronicle * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisAn order of warrior monks founded to protect pilgrims to Jerusalem, the Templars were among the wealthiest and most powerful bodies in the medieval world. Yet two centuries later, they were arrested, accused of blasphemy, heresy and orgies, and their leaders were burnt at the stake. Part guide, part history, this book investigates the Templar legends and legacy - from the mysteries of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, via nineteenth century development of the Freemasons, through to Templar appearances in Dan Brown and Indiana Jones. This book explains the whole context of Templar history, including the recent evidence discovered by the Vatican that the Templars were not guilty of heresy. It also features a guide to Templar castles and sites.Trade ReviewMichael Haag, in his well-knit narrative gets through an enormous spread of history * Daily Telegraph *An essential guide for anyone who wants a comprehensive guide to the Templars ... a perfect place to begin your quest. * Good Book Guide *Admirably comprehensive and balanced * Birmingham Mail *An intriguing and revealing work that surprises and entertains * Nottingham Evening Post *The true story of the templars, revealed in Haag's book, is even more astonishing than the legends they spawned * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *Michael Haag's comprehensive and considered book covers a multitude of topics related to the group... -- Fachtna Kelly * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BBC DRAMA THE CRIMSON FIELD''On the face of it,'' writes Lyn Macdonald, ''no one could have been less equipped for the job than these gently nurtured girls who walked straight out of Edwardian drawing rooms into the manifest horrors of the First World War ...'' Yet the volunteer nurses rose magnificently to the occasion. In leaking tents and draughty huts they fought another war, a war against agony and death, as men lay suffering from the pain of unimaginable wounds or diseases we can now cure almost instantly. It was here that young doctors frantically forged new medical techniques - of blood transfusion, dentistry, psychiatry and plastic surgery - in the attempt to save soldiers shattered in body or spirit. And it was here that women achieved a quiet but permanent revolution, by proving beyond question they could do anything. All this is superbly captured in The Roses of No Man''s Land, a panorama of hardship, disillTrade ReviewThe tale is allowed to tell itself without any frontal assault on the emotions, and is all the more stirring thereby * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWinner of THE HW FISHER BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZESPECTATOR, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, TLS, FINANCIAL TIMES, GUARDIAN, DAILY MAIL and SUNDAY TELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR''Imagine Wolf Hall rewritten by John le Carré ... gripping ... a rare achievement'' Tom Holland, GuardianIt is 1501. Henry VII has won the throne of England through luck, guile and ruthlessness. But for many he remains a usurper. Now, his elder son is to marry, in a wedding upon which the fate of the country, and the entire Tudor dynasty, will hang ...''A masterpiece. Rich, resonant and utterly compelling'' Helen Castor, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year''Gripping ... brilliant ... The enigmatic Henry is brought thrillingly to life as one of the most unlikely but tenacious kings ever to wear the English crown'' Dan Jones, Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year''Thrilling and sinister'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Daily Trade ReviewA brilliant debut ... this impressive book will certainly become the definitive study of our strangest, most mysterious, king -- Desmond Seward * BBC History Magazine *Stunning ... effortlessly vivid prose ... a revelation. [Penn's] focus is on the last, fear-filled decade of [Henry VII's] reign, but his sinuously coiling chapters seamlessly unfold the past as well as the present of his protagonists ... [He] has pulled off a rare feat: a brilliant and haunting evocation of the Tudor world, with irresistible echoes of the age of fear in which we now live -- Helen Castor * Telegraph *[A] brilliant mash-up of gothic horror and political biography ... a tour de force: both scholarly and a pleasure to read, covering the breadth of the European political scene, while providing the details that allow us to feel intimately the terror at home * Spectator *Remarkable ... Penn brilliantly recreates the sterile atmosphere suffocating Henry's England. His eye for time, circumstance and the telling anecdote is keen. Winter King offers us the fullest, deepest, most compelling insight into the warped psychology of the Tudor dynasty's founder to have appeared since Bacon wrote * Financial Times *[Thomas Penn] is a superb teller of a tale, a reveller in dodgy deeds, a keen observer of the febrile, dissimulating characters of court and embassy, and a splendid limner of the great jousts and entertainments of the age ... with a sharp eye for detail and adroit use of a gifted historical imagination, ... he lets us hear the creak of oars and the scratch of pens, as well as the tubercular king fighting for every breath ... Vigorous and thoroughly enjoyable * Economist *I feel like I've been waiting to read this book a long time ... a fluent and compelling account ... The level of detail is fascinating and beautifully judged ... I think that, for the first time, a writer has made me feel what contemporaries felt as Henry VII's reign drew to an end; the relief, the hope, the sudden buoyancy -- Hilary Mantel, author of 'Wolf Hall'Succeeds brilliantly ... [a] finely drawn portrait ... Penn's deft turn of phrase superbly re-creates the drama and personalities of the court -- Tracy Borman * Sunday Times *An exceptionally stylish literary debut. Henry VII may be the most unlikely person ever to have occupied the throne of England, and his biographers have rarely conveyed just what a weird man he was. Thomas Penn does this triumphantly, and in the process manages to place his subject in a vividly realised landscape. His book should be the first port of call for anyone trying to understand England's most flagrant usurper since William the Conqueror -- Diarmaid MacCullochA definitive and accessible account of the reign of Henry VII that will alter our view not just of Henry, but of the country he dominated and corrupted, and of the dynasty he founded ... [Penn's] point is to show that this is not the "merrie England" of the Tudor myth, but a country forced under the rule of a new king, spied on and policed for any sign of disloyalty, and tyrannised by the use of ancient half-forgotten fines and taxes -- Philippa Gregory * Observer *[Penn] achieves the remarkable feat of making the reign of Henry VII seem more interesting than that of his son. Winter King is well titled: the fingers of the first Tudor king, in Penn's account of his final years, are icy to the touch, and probe into every nook and cranny of the kingdom ... gripping and unexpected -- Tom Holland * Guardian *Penn's scholarly and engrossing life of Henry VII ... gives a complex and exact sense of how power worked in early modern England -- Sam Leith * Spectator (Books of the Year 2012) *

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable story of Myrcna hlÃfdige, the Lady of the Mercians â' Alfred the Greatâs daughter and the only female ruler of a kingdom in Anglo-Saxon history.

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Book SynopsisUsing specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the victory at Kulikovo in 1380 that heralded the birth of Russian statehood.The 13th-century Mongol conquest of the Rus''--the principalities of Russia--was devastating and decisive. Cities were lain waste, new dynasties rose, and for a hundred years the Russians were under unquestioned foreign rule. However, the Mongols were conquerors rather than administrators and they chose to rule through subject princes. This allowed the Rurikid dynastic princes of Moscow to rise with unprecedented speed. With the famed ''Mongol Yoke'' loosening, Grand Prince Dmitri of Moscow saw in this an unparalleled opportunity and rebelled. On September 7 1380, his 60,000 troops crossed the Don to take the battle to Mamai''s 125,000, which included Armenian and Cherkessk auxiliaries and Genoese mercenaries.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A gripping and revelatory biography of Britain's Danish conqueror."— Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Week“Yale’s invaluable English Monarchs series receives an impressive addition with this life of Cnut, the Danish warlord who conquered England in the first half of the 11th century. Bolton, a Stockholm-based scholar, restores Cnut’s image by drawing on a full range of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sources.” —Tony Barber, Financial Times“How did Cnut win this power and how did he use it? Timothy Bolton is a formidable scholar who endeavours to answer these questions.”—Lawrence James, The Times, 11th February 2017“It is evident that Timothy Bolton masters the English written sources of the period to perfection. We get a finely tuned history of the means and ways in which Cnut wielded power through the machinery of government, carried out by the personnel in the English church. It is also apparent that Bolton has a fine ear for the complexities of utilising the few, limited and late written sources from Scandinavia… it is an invaluable introduction for cultural historians and archaeologists to what a proper political historian fostered in the English tradition can wring out of source material.”—Karen Schousbe, Medieval HistoriesTimothy Bolton’s book is a timely reminder that seas connect as much as they separate, and that even a thousand years ago it was common to hear different languages on English streets... It is pleasing to see an early medieval king given the same attention as his successors.”—Lesley Abrams, TLS“Bolton has made an exhaustive study of the available sources, both texts and artefacts. His narrative has the virtues of a well-told story.”—Dr. Nicholas Orme, Church Times“This is a very readable and serviceable overview of the reign of Cnut, and a useful recapitulation, at a reasonable price, of many aspects of Bolton’s important original study” —Barbara Yorke, The English Historical Review"Smart, pithy, scholarly biography of one of England's least-understood but most intriguing kings. Another excellent volume in the authoritative Yale Monarchs series."—Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets and The Wars of The Roses"Through judicious use of Northern sources Timothy Bolton gives us a Cnut firmly rooted in Scandinavia, and a nuanced portrait of an English monarch and Scandinavian ruler active on a European stage."—Pauline Stafford, author of Queen Emma and Queen Edith "Drawing on a range of rich resources from Old Norse sagas and poetry to charters, chronicles and laws from England, Timothy Bolton presents a fresh and engaging account of the compelling figure of Cnut in all his diverse glory."—Rory Naismith, King’s College London, author of Money and Power in Anglo-Saxon England"In this stimulating and timely study, Timothy Bolton illuminates a king and an age of supreme importance. Cnut's forging of an Anglo-Scandinavian Empire and England's place within it are explored in original and thought-provoking ways - fresh evidence is put forward and well-known material considered anew. Bolton is a confident guide through the tangled thicket of sources that surround Cnut, handling English and Scandinavian texts with insight and sensitivity."— Martin J. Ryan, co-author of The Anglo-Saxon World

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Book SynopsisAn epic new history . . . a work of epic scholarship, breathtaking range, and piercing originality' Daily ExpressAn astonishing achievement of narrative history . . . I think the word is magisterial.' SpectatorExcellent, thorough, detailed and combatively argued.' Sunday Times______________________________________Sing As We Go is an astonishingly ambitious overview of the political, social and cultural history of the country from 1919 to 1939.It explores and explains the politics of the period, and puts such moments of national turmoil as the General Strike of 1926 and the Abdication Crisis of 1936 under the microscope. It offers pen portraits of the era''s most significant figures. It traces the changing face of Britain as cars made their first mass appearance, the suburbs sprawled, and radio and cinema became the means of mass entertainment. And it probes the deep divisions that split the natio

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Book SynopsisIncredible detail on every aspect of the infantrymans daily life, from weapons drill and unit organization to hygiene and cooking regulations, field punishments and hair styles etc.

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Book SynopsisThis is a unique study of the conflict of 1914-18 on land, sea and in the air, through maps, diagrams and illustrations. Within the scope of some 250 maps, Arthur Banks has presented both broad general surveys of political and military strategy, and the most closely researched details of major individual campaigns and engagements. These are supplemented by comprehensive analysis of military strengths and command structures and illustrations.

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Book SynopsisAn English translation, with accompanying introduction, commentary, and notes, of the medieval treatise on astrological magic known as Picatrix, a guide for constructing magical talismans, mixing magical compounds, summoning planetary spirits, and determining astrological conditions.Trade Review“Attrell and Porreca have performed a great service by giving us a carefully considered and scholarly English translation of this wide-ranging work, based on the authoritative edition established by David Pingree in 1986. . . . As Picatrix was no doubt of interest to a variety of medieval and early modern readers for an array of reasons, so too it should attract a broad readership now, from scholars of medieval magic to those more directly interested in philosophy, science, and medicine.”—Michael D. Bailey The Medieval Review“The Picatrix, of Arabic origin, is the most complete handbook of the theory and practice of magic of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Here is a very welcome English translation of the Latin version that was read by Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Porreca and Attrell have made the text a pleasure to read and have provided useful notes to explain everything that is obscure or exotic.”—Charles Burnett,Professor of Arabic/Islamic Influences in Europe, Warburg Institute“A detailed medieval handbook of magic, Picatrix has been a focus of scholarly attention for a century, even though its early history remained obscure and it lacked a reliable English translation. Attrell and Porreca's contribution offers a proper remedy: the introduction gives new insight into the origins of this mysterious book, and the translation reflects the true nature of its exciting text. A word of caution, though: don’t try the recipes!”—Benedek Láng,author of Unlocked Books: Manuscripts of Learned Magic in the Medieval Libraries of Central Europe“The Picatrix reemerged in the mid-fifteenth century, almost two centuries after the Latin version of the Ghâyat al-Hakîm had been produced. Thank goodness that this learned and living English translation of such an important Latin book of astral magic will reach its twenty-first-century audience of scholars and inquisitive spirits much more quickly!”—Nicolas Weill-Parot,École Pratique des Hautes ÉtudesTable of ContentsContentsList of Tables Acknowledgments IntroductionA Prehistory of the Latin PicatrixA Brief History of the Latin TextOn Knowledge, Wisdom, and Self-Legitimacy in the Picatrix On Nigromancia Th e Cosmology of the Picatrix Th e Picatrix, Social History, and Material Culture Psychoactive and/or Poisonous Substances in the PicatrixTranslators’ NotesPicatrixPrologueBook 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Notes Bibliography Index of Terrestrial NamesIndex of Celestial Names and Magical WordsIndex of Subjects and Materials

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Book SynopsisThe Vikings maintain their grip on our imagination, but their image is too often distorted by myth. It is true that they pillaged, looted, and enslaved. But they also settled peacefully and traveled far from their homelands in swift and sturdy ships to explore. The Age of the Vikings tells the full story of this exciting period in history. DrawingTrade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in European & World History, Association of American Publishers One of The New York Post's Best Books of 2014 "[Winroth] has an impressive knowledge of the sources, the archaeology, and the modern historical literature... Winroth really knows what he is writing about, and has done the research... I recommend the work to anyone with little knowledge of the subject and a wish to learn more."--Eric Christiansen, New York Review of Books "Winroth really knows what he is writing about... I recommend the work to anyone with little knowledge of the subject and a wish to learn more."--Eric Christiansen, New York Review of Books "Mr. Winroth's account is superior to all its most recent competitors. He avoids what has become the traditional chronological narrative, centering his chapters instead on themes: violence first, regrettably; but then emigration, trade, state-formation and eventually, with some relief, life 'home on the farm.' He also has the happy knack of seizing on a fascinating detail to open each chapter."--Tom Shippey, Wall Street Journal "[I]nsightful, informative ... delightful chapters that flesh out our understanding of the Norsemen's world in a way that no bare narrative could... The Age of the Vikings is a wonderfully compact and fascinating companion to many facets of the Viking world... This book should prove a fascinating and rewarding read for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the Viking world."--Philip Parker, Literary Review "[T]his book is obviously where to start for anyone fed up with MGM's 'Vikings' and even remotely interested in the real story behind."--Karen Schousboe, Medieval Histories "If a person wants to approach the Viking Period for the first time or get a refresher on where scholarship is standing right now, then I am happy to recommend this fine book."--Martin Rundkvist, Aardvarcha "There was more to this seafaring civilization."--Michael Kane, New York Post "I loved this book... His prose is sharp and compelling, and often left me wanting more (in a good way)... Age of the Vikings captures the wanderlust of its subjects, placing the Vikings all over Europe and the Middle East. Winroth's Norse aren't just raiders or farmers, they are merchants, poets, warriors, and sailors... The lives of the Vikings often make for romantic fonder and good television shows, but their lives were far more complicated than those mediums let on."--Jason Mankey, Patheos "Winroth has penned a fast-paced, slender volume on the Viking Age designed for general readers...With a style that is vivid, engaging, and brilliant in detail, Winroth skillfully summarizes an impressive body of scholarship not available to most readers. He re-creates the drudgery of farm work to the far-ranging trade in exotic goods, evoking daily life in Viking Age Scandinavia."--Choice "[T]his is a detailed and scholarly work, with the full paraphernalia of notes, references and bibliography, but is very well-written and provides a most accessible and readable introduction to the Viking era, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the topic."--Jon Grimr, Magonia blog "This book ... remains such an enjoyable read that readers will find themselves carried along quickly from chapter to chapter."--Kerstin Hundahl, Scandia "Vivid, engaging, and brilliant in detail."--ChoiceTable of Contents1 Introduction: The Fury of the Northmen 1 2 Violence in a Violent Time 15 3 Roriks at Home and Away: Viking Age Emigration 45 4 Ships, Boats, and Ferries to the Afterworld 71 5 Coins, Silk, and Herring: Viking Age Trade in Northern Europe 99 6 From Chieftains to Kings 131 7 At Home on the Farm 157 8 The Religions of the North 181 9 Arts and Letters 213 10 Epilogue: The End of the Viking Age 241 Further Reading 249 Acknowledgments 253 Abbreviations 255 Notes 257 Bibliography 275 List of Illustrations 289 Index 293

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Book SynopsisWas World War II really the `Good War''? In the years since the declaration of peace in 1945 many myths have sprung up around the conflict in the victorious nations. In this book, Peter Hitchens deconstructs the many fables which have become associated with the narrative of the `Good War''. Whilst not criticising or doubting the need for war against Nazi Germany at some stage, Hitchens does query whether September 1939 was the right moment, or the independence of Poland the right issue. He points out that in the summer of 1939 Britain and France were wholly unprepared for a major European war and that this quickly became apparent in the conflict that ensued. He also rejects the retroactive claim that Britain went to war in 1939 to save the Jewish population of Europe. On the contrary, the beginning and intensification of war made it easier for Germany to begin the policy of mass murder in secret as well as closing most escape routes. In a provocative, but deeply-researched book, HitcheTrade ReviewHitchens devotes much of his indictment to the war at sea, arguing that the Navy had been starved of resources between the wars and was ill-equipped to fight the all-important Battle of the Atlantic against the Nazi U-boat fleet. He regales the reader with touching stories from his days at boarding school, when he and his friends built plastic models of warships. * Standpoint *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Timeline Introduction 1. The British Guarantee to Poland of March 1939 2. Plucky Little Poland 3. Appeasement and Pacifism from Fulham to Bridgwater, or 'The Left Has Its Cake and Eats It' 4. The War We Couldn't Afford 5. America First 6. The Invasion that Never Was 7. In Peril on the Sea 8. Gomorrah 9. Orderly and Humane Conclusion Notes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Stalingrad of the ancient world, this is an immensely readable, brilliant, brutal and vivid history of the greatest and bloodiest war of ancient Greece.The Peloponnesian War, fought 2,500 years ago between oligarchic Sparta and democratic Athens for control of Greece, is brought spectacularly to life in this magnificent study. Kagan demonstrates the relevance of this cataclysmic event to modern times in all its horror and savagery. As two uncompromising empires fight a war of survival from diametrically opposing political, social and cultural positions, the seemingly invincible glory of Athens crumbles in tragedy.Athenian culture and politics was unmatched in originality and fertility, and is still regarded as one of the peak achievements of Western civilisation. Dramatic poets such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes raised tragedy and comedy to a level never surpassed; architects and sculptors were at work on the Acropolis; natural philosophers like Anaxagoras andTrade Review‘It is a lively narrative that moves with immense speed towards its grim conclusion…Recent events have enhanced Kagan’s reputation among American conservatives as a sage.’ Daily Telegraph ‘It is a daunting task to cover the same ground as a great classical historian, but Donald Kagan achieves it splendidly with “The Peloponnesian War”.’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Kagan’s narrative of one of the critical episodes in the history of the ancient world is as good an account of the subject as one could ask for.’ Spectator

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Book SynopsisFrom the foremost historian of 20th century Spain, A People Betrayed is the story of the devastating betrayal of Spain by its political class, its military and its Church. This comprehensive history of modern Spain chronicles the fomenting of violent social division throughout the country by institutionalised corruption and startling political incompetence. Most spectacularly during the Primo de Rivera and Franco dictatorships, grotesque and shameless corruption went hand-in-hand with inept policies that prolonged Spain's economic backwardness well into the 1950s.A People Betrayed looks back to the years prior to 1923 when electoral corruption excluded the masses from organized politics and gave them a choice between apathetic acceptance and violent revolution. Bitter social conflict, economic tensions and conflict between centralist nationalism and regional independence movements then exploded into the civil war of 1936-1939.It took the horrors of that war and the dictatorship that foTrade Review Praise for A People Betrayed 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 ‘The work of a very great historian who knows all there is to know about his often sanguinary subject and who,beyond that, can impart his knowledge in swift muscular prose. His bias towards the underdog is humane and tonic’ Daily Telegraph ‘The scope of the narrative and the obvious depth of research are impressive. Likely to be the go-to history of modern Spain for many years to come.’Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe way Robert Peal describes Georgian England, you'd be mad not to want to live there yourself' GUARDIANAnne Bonny and Mary Read, pirate queens of the CaribbeanTipu Sultan, the Indian ruler who kept the British at bayOlaudah Equiano, the former slave whose story shocked the worldMary Wollstonecraft, the feminist who fought for women's rightsLadies of Llangollen, the lovers who built paradise in a Welsh valleyMad, bad and dangerous to know' is how Lord Byron, the poet who drank wine from a monk's skull and slept with his half-sister, was described by one of his many lovers. But mad, bad and dangerous' serves as a good description for the entire Georgian period: often neglected, the hundred or so years between the coronation of George I in 1714 and the death of George IV in 1830 were years when the modern world was formed, and changes came thick and fast.Across this century, new foods pineapples, coffee and pepper suddenly became available in the shops. Fashion exploded into a riot of colour, frilly shirts and wigs. Gin was drunk like it was water. Demands for women's rights were heard, and it became possible to question the existence of God without fear of prompt execution.These exciting new developments came, of course, from the expanding British Empire. Britain's wealth and its sudden access to chocolate, chillies and spices, was entirely bound up with the conquest of overseas territories and the miserable suffering of enslaved workers.This is the backdrop to Robert Peal's new book, which introduces the Georgian era through the diverse lives of twelve magnificent if not moral' people who defined it.Trade Review‘The way Robert Peal describes Georgian England, you’d be mad not to want to live there yourself … He does make us think about the extraordinary breadth of experience on show in a period that tends to get written off in popular history … Peal has a sharp awareness of the best scholarly work on the subject and where to find it … An excellent entry point’KATHRYN HUGHES, GUARDIAN ‘[A] lively portrait of 12 notable Georgians … This book will keep you awake. Steering clear of pompous, soporific vocabulary … There are some good life stories here, gutsily told’DAILY MAIL ‘Peal brings the era to vivid, outrageous life, writing chattily, with a scattering of slang that wouldn’t have made the Georgians turn a hair’CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL ‘This is a form of history book that I very, very much enjoy … A really good, fun, interesting read. It’s very accessible. It’s very irreverent and witty, laughing at the madness of the Georgian period … I would definitely recommend it’BOOKS AND THINGS ‘I wish Robert Peal had been around when I did A-level history … I feel that Peal would have inspired me to achieve grade A stardom. The sheer energy and enthusiasm he brings to his subject is thrilling … Meet the Georgians uncovered in a wild and witty romp through the long 18th century’JANE AUSTEN’S REGENCY WORLD ‘Really interesting … I learnt some interesting facts I didn't already know, and enjoyed the way the author told the stories of their lives. I would recommend, and hope the author considers writing more like this, but set in other eras also’NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5/5 STARS ‘A most enjoyable, witty and let's not forget educational read! I think this book can be a great way to attract teens to history. But it is definitely not only a read for teens … I would love to see this made into a series(patiently waiting for 'Meet the Victorians' to be made a reality)’NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 4/5 STARS

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