European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisCOMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION -- THE ESSENTIAL HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES''Compellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened'' Irish News''Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement'' Glasgow Herald__________________________First published two decades ago, Making Sense of the Troubles is widely regarded as the most ''comprehensive, considered and compassionate'' (Irish Times) history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Written by a distinguished journalist and a teacher of history in Northern Ireland, it surveys the roots of the problems from 1921 onwards, the descent into violence in the late 60s, and the three terrible decades that followed.In this fully revised and updated version, McKittrick and McVea take into account the momentous events of the ten years that followed their first publication, including the disbanding of the IRA, Ian Paisley''s deal with the Republicans and the historic power-sharing government in Belfast.__________________________''An updated reissue of a collaborative study published 12 years ago to rave reviews as a frank, accurate and authoritative narrative of events which should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand what had been going on in the North'' Irish Independent''I would strongly advocate that it be made compulsory reading for everyone in Northern Ireland because for the first time it is our history, all of it warts and all, presented in a clear and understandable way'' Irish NewsTrade ReviewCompellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened * Irish News *Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement -- Cal McCrystal * Glasgow Herald *Even-handed, clearly written, and set to become one of the definitive works on the subject * Scotland on Sunday *For those looking for a pragmatic understanding of the country known as Northern Ireland it is essential reading -- John Coulter * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including poetry, histories and religious literature, Eleanor Parker investigates how Anglo-Saxons felt about the annual passing of the seasons and the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature. Many of the festivals we celebrate in Britain today have their roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, and this book traces their surprising history, as well as unearthing traditions now long forgotten. It celebrates some of the finest treasures of medieval literature and provides an imaginative connection to the Anglo-Saxon world.Trade Review'[Parker's] prose is as lyrical as the poetry that she so deftly translates . . . Parker’s larger point is to show how older ways of experiencing the seasons continue to run steadily through our lives, even if we don’t quite register the tug. This lovely book acts as a portal back to an older time, using the poetry of medieval England to unlock a world where the seasons, and the changing weather, are a subject of deep pleasure and renewing wonder.' – The Guardian; 'Eleanor Parker in her fascinating and authoritative new book Winters in the World explains that the original division of the seasons in England before the Conquest was into winter and summer. Even today, we are not quite sure, I think, about how long spring and autumn last . . . Dr Parker, a lecturer at Brasenose College, Oxford, rejoices in two advantages. She has read and understood the original texts and she is superb in explaining them and the world from which they sprang.' – Daily Telegraph; 'Parker takes us through the rhythms of the Anglo-Saxon year, charting its seasons and traditions: its weather and agricultural patterns, its festivals and religious customs . . . Her lyrical, insightful book is being published in a year in which heat records have been broken across the world, and Weland’s winter-cold misery has ceded to a summer-hot equivalent. If heat is now the invading warrior, then it is one we have invited. As the crisis deepens, the texts that survive from Anglo-Saxon England “speak truths that we still need to hear” about the rhythms of nature and our dependency on the bounty of the earth.' – Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough, Times Literary Supplement; 'In this wonderfully poetic journey through the Anglo-Saxon year, Eleanor Parker offers a profound meditation on time and the world, nature and its seasons. Plunging the reader into the glorious cadences of Old English poetry with her supple translations, Parker brings to vivid life the terrors of winter, spring’s promise, the joyful warmth of summer and the melancholy of autumn, powerfully connecting us with a rich and vital past that we have not quite lost.' – Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford; 'A fascinating, informative and hauntingly authentic account of the Anglo-Saxon experience of time; Eleanor Parker shows that understanding the early English calendar is a crucial point of access to Anglo-Saxon spirituality, learning, science, poetry and much more besides.' – Francis Young, author of Magic in Merlin’s Realm: A History of Occult Politics in Britain; 'This book is a treasure and a delight, full of beautiful poetry and prose from the treasure-house of Anglo-Saxon culture. Lucid translations, accessible introductions and explanation, all combine to lead us through the cycle of the seasons . . . Eleanor Parker offers us a vision of time itself made sacred, each month hallowed, and full of unexpected beauty and wisdom.' – Malcolm Guite, poet and life fellow of Girton College, University of Cambridge; 'Eleanor Parker’s Winters in the World is a lyrical journey through the Anglo-Saxon year, witnessing the major festivals and the turning of the seasons through the eyes of the poets . . . we approach an appreciation of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors as we dive into the rhythms of their lives and language, their turns of phrase, and the force of their habits. It is a beautiful, charming, and evocative voyage into what, to many of us, seems a very distant past . . . Parker shows herself to be a master of her subject. Her knowledge is superb; her writing a form of poetry itself . . . Through her enchanting prose, her analogies, her eloquence, Parker convinces her audience of the intelligence, imagination and immense beauty of her subject. No-one can come away from this book still believing the Anglo-Saxons to have lived through the "Dark Ages".' – Get History; 'Both an accessible introduction to the Anglo-Saxon age and an evocative celebration of its seasonal rhythms and links with nature, this book guides readers through the year as captured by the writers of the era.' – History Revealed; 'Anglo-Saxons experienced the turning of the year differently: with most wealth derived from agriculture, and over 90 per cent of the population in the fields, it was the rhythms of sowing, growing and reaping that dominated. That is the focus of Eleanor Parker's delightful and informative book, in which she introduces the workings of an Anglo-Saxon year with verve. Expertly drawing on the Old English poetic corpus, Parker gives a keen sense of how the four seasons were experienced . . . Throughout the book, Parker writes with great empathy, evoking the lost world of pre-Conquest England.' – BBC History magazine; 'With a compendium of textual period sources, Winters in the World offers a unique window into the rhythms of Anglo-Saxon England, which continue in part to this day. Parker eloquently captures the cultural vibrancy of the time with her analysis of the effect of the rhythms of nature on religious, social, and labor patterns . . . Parker illuminates the inner workings of the Anglo-Saxon mind' – The New Criterion; 'a guided tour through the Anglo-Saxon perception and measurement of time – a reckoning that was more closely linked to the rhythms of the natural world than our own today yet from which we still retain aspects of which we may not be aware . . .this book should now be taken up for reading as both edification and entertainment during the long, dark evenings to come.' – The Well-read Naturalist

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Book Synopsis''A superb book ... Anybody interested in Scottish history needs to read it'' Andrew Marr, Sunday TimesEighteenth-century Scotland is famed for generating many of the enlightened ideas which helped to shape the modern world. But there was in the same period another side to the history of the nation. Many of Scotland''s people were subjected to coercive and sometimes violent change, as traditional ways of life were overturned by the ''rational'' exploitation of land use. The Scottish Clearances is a superb and highly original account of this sometimes terrible process, which changed the Lowland countryside forever, as it also did, more infamously, the old society of the Highlands.Based on a vast array of original sources, this pioneering book is the first to chart this tumultuous saga in one volume, with due attention to evictions and loss of land in both north and south of the Highland line. In the process, old myths are exploded and familiar assumptions undermined. With many fascinating details and the sense of an epic human story, The Scottish Clearances is an evocative memorial to all whose lives were irreparably changed in the interests of economic efficiency.This is a story of forced clearance, of the destruction of entire communities and of large-scale emigration. Some winners were able to adapt and exploit the new opportunities, but there were also others who lost everything. The clearances created the landscape of Scotland today, but it came at a huge price.Trade ReviewThe definitive word for an academic generation at least on this most controversial of topics in Scottish history ... Dramatic * Herald Scotland *Persuasive... A necessary book * Scotsman *Powerful ... admirable lucidity ... important. -- Ewen A Cameron * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'FASCINATING' Guardian 'WE LOVE THIS BOOK' Blackwells 'THE BEST GIFT BOOK THERE IS' IndependentA GUIDE TO LIVING IN DARK TIMES, FROM PEOPLE WHO REALLY DIDBursting with wisdom and artwork from the Middle Ages, this handy guide will give you time-tested solutions for all of life's biggest problems. Whether it's choosing an appropriate dog name like Garlik or Filthe, becoming an irresistible suitor even though you can't joust, surviving encounters with rabbits and dragons, or coming to terms with your inevitable demise, this book is full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times.Full of quizzes, how-to-guides, diagrams, and flow charts that take you from birth to your gruesome death, this is the ultimate laugh-out-loud read for history buffs.Trade ReviewA gently fascinating insight into the marginalia of a lost era. -- Phil Harrison * The Guardian *Olivia Swarthout prowls the web for little-seen snippets of medieval art and life to share with the world. We love this book that is a result of her work - full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times. * Blackwells *[An] account of the most bizarre illustrations from the Middle Ages * The Art Newspaper *Brilliantly funny… Olivia celebrates the wonderful weirdness of the past… [in this] gleeful book * Simple Things, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *I have pondered meaningful poetry, those that challenge and change our view of the world. I have considered great design and art books, which offer a view of a better world. History that shows how this world came to be or fiction that conjures new ones. But I have settled on the best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts, accurately and straightforwardly titled Weird Medieval Guys. This is the rare book you can judge from its cover, and it’s exactly what it suggests. I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it ... If they enjoy one picture of an army of knights attacking a giant snail then they’ll enjoy the rest of the book; if they don’t, then you should stop being their friend and you’ve solved the problem of buying them a gift either way. -- Andrew Griffin * The Independent 'Best Books to Gift (and gift again)' *The best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts… I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it * Independent, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *Richly illustrated and lightly written… Weird Medieval Guys follows the tradition established by medieval preachers and artists themselves: laughter, wonder and a little shock now and then [that] can spark fascination * Apollo *Weird Medieval Guys is a riot ... It’s bright and colourful and would make a perfect gift for anyone with an interest in history. Full of stunning imagery, interactive maps and quizzes, and brilliant medieval facts, it is enticingly re-readable and will remain a favourite for the non-expert, while also being enjoyable to the specialist. -- Madeleine S. Killacky , PhD Candidate in Medieval Literature at Bangor University * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisThis is the simplest tale in the world. Two people meet and fall in love. But the route which brought Larissa Salmina and Francis Haskell to a backstreet Venetian restaurant in 1962 was anything but straightforward.

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Book SynopsisCursed Kings tells the story of the destruction of France by the madness of its king and the greed and violence of his family. In the early fifteenth century, France had gone from being the strongest and most populous nation state of medieval Europe to suffering a complete internal collapse and a partial conquest by a foreign power. It had never happened before in the country''s history - and it would not happen again until 1940.Into the void left by this domestic catastrophe, strode one of the most remarkable rulers of the age, Henry V of England, the victor of Agincourt, who conquered much of northern France before dying at the age of thirty-six, just two months before he would have become King of France.Following on from Divided Houses (winner of the Wolfson History Prize and shortlisted for the Hessel-Tiltman), Cursed Kings is the magisterial new chapter in ''one of the great historical works of our time'' (Allan Massie).

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Book Synopsis''Brilliantly written ... evokes the wonder of an entire civilisation.'' Tom Holland, author of Pax and co-host of The Rest is History''A wondrous, gorgeously-written book'' Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred''Splendid - an intimate portrait of the Viking Age. Highly recommended.'' Neil Price, author of The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings''Takes us beyond the familiar into a real, visceral, far more satisfying Viking world.'' Dan SnowImagine a Viking, and a certain image springs to mind: a nameless, faceless warrior, leaping ashore from a longboat, and ready to terrorise the hapless local population of a northern European country.Yet while such characters define the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. This is the history of all the other people - children, enslaved people, seers, artisans, travellers, writers - who inhabited the medieval Nordic world. Encompassing not just Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, parts of the British Isles, Continental Europe and Russia, this is a history of a Viking Age filled with real people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, as told through the traces that they left behind, from hairstyles to place names, love-notes to gravestones.For the first time, you can immerse yourself in the day-to-day lives of extraordinary culture which spanned centuries and spread from the edge of the North American continent to the Russian steppes, from the Arctic wastelands to the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate.

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Book SynopsisA compelling new joint biography of Churchill and de Gaulle that shines new light on two of the greatest figures of the twentieth century.

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Book Synopsis'Compulsively readable' (History), this is the first volume in a series that details the long and violent endeavour of the English to dismember Europe's strongest state, a succession of wars that is one of the seminal chapters in European history. Beginning with the funeral of Charles IV of France in 1328, it follows the Hundred Years War up to the surrender of Calais in 1347. It traces the early humiliations and triumphs of Edward III: the campaigns of Sluys, Crecy and Calais, which first made his name as a war leader and the reputation of his subjects as the most brutally effective warriors of their time. Trial by Battle is an account of the events of a pivotal period in both French and British history, from Wolfson History Prize-winning author and historian Jonathan Sumption. 'A new and immensely impressive history of the war.' Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisCeltic Ireland was a land of tribes and warriors; but a sophisticated & enlightened legal system was widely accepted. The brehons were the keepers of these laws, which dealt with every aspect of life: land disputes; theft or violence; marriage & divorce; the care of trees & animals.

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Book SynopsisThe fifteenth century experienced the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands violently five times as the great families of England fought to the death for the right to rule.Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these chaotic years. Yet efforts were made to maintain some semblance of peace and order, as chivalry was reborn, the printing press arrived, and the Renaissance began to flourish. Following on from Dan Jones''s bestselling The Plantagenets, The Hollow Crown is a vivid and engrossing history of these turbulent times.

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Book SynopsisThe Shadow of the Mine tells the story of King Coal in its heyday, the heroics and betrayals of the Miners’ Strike, and what happened to mining communities after the last pits closed.No one personified the age of industry more than the miners. Coal was central to the British economy, powering its factories and railways. It carried political weight, too. In the eighties the miners risked everything in a year-long strike against Thatcher’s shutdowns. Their defeat doomed a way of life. The lingering sense of abandonment in former mining communities would be difficult to overstate. Yet recent electoral politics has revolved around the coalfield constituencies in Labour’s Red Wall. Huw Beynon and Ray Hudson draw on decades of research to chronicle these momentous changes through the words of the people who lived through them.This edition includes a new postscript on why Thatcher’s war on the miners wasn’t good for green politics.

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Book Synopsis**HOW TO WIN AN INFORMATION WAR: THE PROPAGANDIST WHO OUTWITTED HITLER AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW**''Electrifying.'' Anne Applebaum''Mesmerising.'' Financial Times''Seductive and terrifying in equal measure.'' The Times''Required reading.'' ObserverA journey into the glittering, surreal heart of 21st century Russia: into the lives of Hells Angels convinced they are messiahs, professional killers with the souls of artists, bohemian theatre directors turned Kremlin puppet-masters, supermodel sects, post-modern dictators and oligarch revolutionaries. This is a world erupting with new money and new power, changing so fast it breaks all sense of reality, where life is seen as a whirling, glamorous masquerade where identities can be switched and all values are changeable. It is home to a new form of authoritarianism, far subtler than 20th century strains, and which is rapidly expanding to c

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1942 one of the main issues in the balance was the fate of Malta. The island was still a bastion of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and a constant threat to the supply route for the enemy land forces in North Africa. It bravely resisted every onslaught of the Axis powers, but by the middle of 1942, food supplies were desperately short and fuel oil was running low. In August of that year Operation Pedestal was launched, a last attempt to relieve Malta. Fourteen merchant ships were allocated to it and the Royal Navy provided the most powerful force ever to escort a convoy including four aircraft carriers. Operating from bases in Sardinia and Sicily, the Germans and Italians let fly with their shore-based aircraft on an unprecedented scale. The losses on the British side were sever with more than 500 Merchant and Royal Navy sailors and airmen killed. Whilst only five of the fourteen merchant ships reached the sanctuary of Malta''s Grand Harbour, these included the oi

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Book SynopsisCentring on a 1927 libel trial, this book tells the story of the cosmopolitan London neighbourhood of Seven Dials and its battles with racism and gentrification throughout the 1920s and 1930s, a struggle that would shape the city we know today. -- .

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Book SynopsisMargaret Tudor, the elder sister of her more famous brother Henry VIII, is the single most important Tudor figure of this era that historians have consistently overlooked. Married at thirteen to the charismatic James IV of Scotland, a man more than twice her age, she would learn the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death, and to construct a powerful position in her adopted country of Scotland as she dealt with domestic issues as well as navigating international relations with England and France.Often reviled for her hasty remarriage (and therefore the loss of the regency) the book shows that Margaret was damned if she did remarry and damned if she didn't. Her two subsequent marriages were both disastrous personally, but she never gave up. Her son attained the throne in his own right in 1528, largely through his mother's determination.Margaret's story is also one of fierce sibling rivalry with her younger brother, Henry VIII, a series of matrimonial mishaps, and fighting off an unearned reputation as an over-sexed whinger fixated by clothes and jewels, Margaret was a complex (not always likeable) woman who had the true Tudor attributes of self-expression and a flair for the dramatic. She knew that you had to look like a queen.Drawing on Margaret's extensive correspondence (more of her letters survive than of all the other Tudor queens put together), and contemporary poems and literature, Linda Porter fashions a compelling story of a misunderstood and underestimated Tudor monarch, whose determination to fight for the rights of her son, James V, is at the core of her dramatic life and indeed laid the groundwork for a future British state.

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Book SynopsisEMPIREWORLD IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOWWINNER OF THE 2022 BRITISH BOOK AWARD FOR NARRATIVE NONFICTION***THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE CHANNEL 4 DOCUMENTARY ''EMPIRE STATE OF MIND''***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''The real remedy is education of the kind that Sanghera has embraced - accepting, not ignoring, the past'' Gerard deGroot, The Times_____________________________________________________EMPIRE explains why there are millions of Britons living worldwide.EMPIRE explains Brexit and the feeling that we are exceptional.EMPIRE explains our distrust of cleverness.EMPIRE explains Britain''s particular brand of racism.Strangely hidden from view, the British Empire remains a subject of both shame and glorification. In his bestselling book, Sathnam Sanghera shows how our imperial past is everywhere: from how we live and think to the foundation of the NHS and even our response to the COVID-19 crisis.At a time of great division, when we are arguing about what it means to be British, Empireland is a groundbreaking revelation - a much-needed and enlightening portrait of contemporary British society, shining a light on everything that usually gets left unsaid._______________________________________________________''Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject'' Jonathan Coe''I only wish this book has been around when I was at school'' Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London''This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history'' James O''BrienSathnam Sanghera, Sunday Times bestseller, February 2024Trade ReviewI only wish this book had been around when I was at school -- Sadiq Khan, Mayor of LondonA fascinating reckoning with a history of empire * Guardian, Best Politics Books of 2021 *A balanced and insightful study of the British empire and contemporary attitudes towards it * The Times, Best Paperbacks of 2021 *This immensely readable book is very timely. The account by Sanghera, a former FT writer, is simultaneously personal and scholarly. It addresses many of the questions that are now urgent subjects of public debate - such as Britain's role in the slave trade and the connections between empire and multiculturalism -- Gideon Rachmen * Financial Times, Best Books of 2021: Politics *An important book and that's not a phrase to use lightly. It's an exposé and a reminder of how conveniently the British have rewritten the past and buried the bones of their shame . . . a necessary, uncomfortable and illuminating read -- Kit de Waal * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Robust . . . an illuminating examination of the "toxic cocktail of nostalgia and amnesia" that still hugely influences our life today -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Guardian, Best Books of 2021 *This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history * James O'Brien *[Empireland] should be on the compulsory reading list of every secondary school in the country -- John SimpsonLucid but never simplistic; entertaining but never frivolous; intensely readable while always mindful of nuance and complexity - Empireland takes a perfectly-judged approach to its contentious but necessary subject -- Jonathan CoeEmpireland by Sathnam Sanghera is a salutary reminder of the dark side of our past. I spend my time trying to help resolve armed conflicts from Myanmar to Nigeria that are largely caused by the crass errors of our ancestors. It helps to understand how those came about -- Jonathan Powell * New Statesman, Books of the Year *A gracefully written book, but its real beauty lies in its complete absence of dogmatism ... Empireland is not an angry diatribe. It's a sensitive, often uncomfortable commentary on the stubborn influence of empire ... The real remedy is education of the kind that Sanghera has embraced - accepting, not ignoring, the past -- Gerard deGroot * The Times *This remarkable book shines the brightest of lights into some of the darkest and most misunderstood corners of our shared history. As urgent as it is illuminating . . . Sanghera's meticulous research and passionate advocacy combine to create an irresistible case for reviewing much of what we think we know about the reality and legacy of the British Empire * James O'Brien *In this witty and multi-faceted portrait of our nation, the award-winning journalist and novelist looks with great acuity at how the Empire wrought contemporary Britain * Bookseller *[An] impassioned and deeply personal journey through Britain's imperial past and present ... a moving and stimulating book that deserves to be widely read * The Guardian *Excellent ... he is a good guide to the complexities of the issues ... And he is largely positive about Britain and its future -- Andrew Marr * Sunday Times *The best book on the British empire for a very long time -- Diane AbbottA scorching polemic on the afterburn of empire * FT *A wonderful, wonderful book -- David LammyThis account of how much of our "island story" was written in other countries deserves to be widely read. His decency and talent remind us of how much we owe to all those immigrants from our empire who came to make their lives here and too often (but happily not always) had to face hostility with a racist hue. The racism was frequently sired by our imperial past * The Tablet *A really interesting look at the history of empire - everything we're not taught at school - and how learning that history could change the way we view our country today -- Krishnan Guru-MurthyThis thoroughly engaging and incredibly important book must be read by everyone. The sometimes heartbreaking read is enlightening and transformative. This remarkable work should be included in school curriculum... The informative book will undoubtedly continue to improve the understanding of future generations and perhaps even shape them * Eastern Eye *Empireland argues passionately that our identity has been shaped for the worse by empire, and that we must do more to debunk national myths * Prospect, Books of the Year 2021 *In the wake of personal epiphany we glimpse with Sanghera pathways of transformative potential ... a simple but profound response - this searching introspection and a quest for new horizons, combined with a readiness to sit with the contradictions of it all * Observer *My book of the year so far. A really thoughtful, deeply researched and elegantly written look at the legacy of empire -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times *Very well written ... decent, balanced and wise. His decency and talent remind us of how much we owe to all those immigrants from our empire who came to make their lives here -- Chris Patten * The Tablet *

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Book SynopsisMeets the requirements of the increasing numbers of school parties, visitor groups and others to Normandy. Offers easy-to-follow tour programme with all necessary historical background and advice.

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Book SynopsisWas the Battle of Hastings a French victory?Non! William the Conqueror was Norman and hated the French.Were the Brits really responsible for the death of Joan of Arc?Non! The French sentenced her to death for wearing trousers.Was the guillotine a French invention?Non! It was invented in Yorkshire.Ten centuries'' worth of French historical ''facts'' bite the dust as Stephen Clarke looks at what has really been going on since 1066 ...From the Norman (not French) Conquest, to XXX, it is a light-hearted - but impeccably researched - account of all out great-fallings out.In short, the French are quite right to suspect that the last 1,000 years have been one long British campaign to infuriate them. And it''s not over yet...Trade ReviewTremendously entertaining * The Sunday Times *Relentlessly and energetically rude about almost every aspect of French history and culture * Mail on Sunday *Anyone who's ever encountered a snooty Parisian waiter or found themselves driving on the Boulevard Peripherique during August will enjoy this book * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed historian and broadcaster Helen Castor tells the story of Joan of Arc as you have never read it before.''Popular history at its best.'' Daily TelegraphHelen Castor brings us afresh a gripping life of Joan of Arc. Instead of the icon, she gives us a living, breathing young woman; a roaring girl fighting the English, and taking sides in a bloody civil war that was tearing fifteenth century France apart.Here is a portrait of a 19-year-old peasant who hears voices from God; a teenager transformed into a warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believed women should not fight. And it is also the story behind the myth we all know, a myth which began to take hold at her trial: that of the Maid of Orleans, the saviour of France, a young woman burned at the stake as a heretic, a woman who five hundred years later would be declared a saint.Joan and her world are brought vividly to life in this refreshing new tak

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Book SynopsisAdam Zamoyski first wrote his history of Poland two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. This substantially revised and updated edition sets the Soviet era in the context of the rise, fall and remarkable rebirth of an indomitable nation.In 1797, Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves, rewriting Polish history to show that they had brought much-needed civilisation to a primitive backwater. But the country they wiped off the map had been one of Europe's largest and most richly varied, born of diverse cultural traditions and one of the boldest constitutional experiments ever attempted. Its destruction ultimately led to two world wars and the Cold War.Zamoyski's fully revised history of Poland looks back over a thousand years of turmoil and triumph, chronicling how Poland has been restored at last to its rightful place in Europe.Trade Review‘Invaluable and eye-opening’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent ‘An excellent book’ Financial Times ‘Fresh, different and brilliantly readable…It is the perfect introduction for those who know nothing about the country, yet will also provide some positive food for thought to those who imagined they knew it all too well’ Spectator ‘A dramatic history of Poland that captures the spirit of its people…Such an extraordinary national trajectory demands an accessible and scholarly accounting. Zamoyski succeeds admirably in providing both’ Daily Telegraph ‘For the past 25 years, thanks to the efforts of Adam Zamoyski, we have been better informed about the history and character of Poland than about any other East European country…Zamoyski’s new perspective on an old culture and its modern political liberty is…presented with a new, confident sense of freedom’ The Times ‘Eminently readable’ TLS ‘Shrewd…an excellent section on the country and its politics since ’89’ Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisWritten four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling the author's ambitious claim that the work was done to last forever. The conflicts between the two empires over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion came to a head in 431 b.c. in Northern Greece, and the entire Greek world was plunged into 27 years of war. Thucydides applied a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling this exhaustively factual record of the disastrous conflict that eventually ended the Athenian empire.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and nTable of ContentsTranslated by Rex Warner with an Introduction and Notes by M. I. FinleyIntroductionTranslator's NoteBook IIntroductionThe Dispute over EpidamnusThe Dispute over CorcyraThe Dispute over PotidaeaThe Debate at Sparta and Declaration of WarThe PentecontaetiaThe Allied Congress at SpartaThe Stories of Pausanias and ThemistoclesThe Spartan Ultimatum and Pericles' ReplyBook IIOutbreak of WarThe First Year of the WarPericles' Funeral OrationThe PlagueThe Policy of PericlesThe Fall of PotidaeaThe Siege of PlataeaVictories of PhormioThrace and MacedoniaBook IIIRevolt of MytileneThe Mytilenian DebateThe End of PlataeaCivil War in CorcyraOperations in Sicily and GreeceEnd of Sixth Year of WarBook IVAthenian Success at PylosFinal Victory at PylosFurther Athenian SuccessesPeace in SicilyFighting at MegaraBrasidas in ThraceAthenian Defeat at DeliumBrasidas Captures AmphipolisArmistice between Athens and SpartaEnd of Ninth Year of WarBook VBattle of AmphipolisPeace of NiciasNegotiations with ArgosAlliance between Athens and ArgosCampaigns in the PeloponneseBattle of MantineaThe Melian DialogueBook VISicilian AntiquitiesLaunching of the Sicilian ExpeditionThe Debate at SyracuseThe Athenians Arrive in SicilyThe Story of Harmodius and AristogitonRecall of AlcibiadesAthenian Victory before SyracuseThe Debate at CamarinaAlcibiades in SpartaMore Athenian Successes at SyracuseBook VIIGylippus Arrives in SyracuseLetter of NiciasFortification of DeceleaAthenian Defeat in the Great HarbourAthenian Defeat at EpipolaeSyracusan Victory at SeaDestruction of the Athenian ExpeditionBook VIIIAlarm at AthensBeginning of Persian InterventionThe Oligarchic CoupAthenian Victory at CynossemaAppendicesBibliographyMapsIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGripping ... Huber tells the shocking stories of ordinary German suicides with literary power and skill, making excellent use of unknown material. -- Richard Evans * The Guardian *All eyes will be opened by the facts on offer in Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself ... Huber follows a cast of real, all-too-human characters as they head into darkness. ... His terrible evidence is priceless, and belongs on every bookshelf. -- James Hawes * The Spectator *Huber retells the self-annihilation of May 1945 in dispassionate, vivid detail ... It's hard not to hear faint echoes in our current plight. -- Andrew Anthony * The Observer *A remarkable book - grim and fascinating. Florian Huber tells the story well. -- Robbie Millen * The Times *An under-represented history that is equal parts terrifying and tragic ... Amid the nearly unbearable darkness, Huber injects notes of hope ... Illuminating yet haunting. -- Ruta Sepetys * Financial Times *Huber tells this terrible history with compassion and care. He writes with an ease that makes the book flow smoothly despite the bleak nature of the subject, aided by a fine translation from the German by Imogen Taylor. -- Laurence Rees * The Telegraph *A harrowing insight into the psyche of everyday German citizens ... Huber's book is extremely well researched ... By drawing on the thoughts, movements and mental state of the diarists, he is able to provide a compelling insight into the minds of everyday Nazi citizens. -- Jacob Farr * The Scotsman *A grimly compelling study of the psychology of fanaticism ... The book hints at a deep truth about war at its dirtiest. * The Economist *Bleak, arresting ... A sobering study of a dark period of Europe's history. -- Matt Elton and Ellie Cawthorne * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe first and only book that covers the whole range of British ex-servicemen’s experiences in the interwar period in a single volumeTrade ReviewAdam Powell’s Soldiering On is a significant addition to a subject area that has received too little scholarly work in the past. Not only is this book a rich and accessible resource for the history of British veterans in the interwar years, the book’s themes will resonate today as we continue to send young men and women to war and deal with personal traumas and stress of its aftermath. Powell provides a wider and broader context – from the pre-war world of Edwardian England to the worldwide impact of the twentieth century’s first global conflict – within which to examine the reality of returning veterans. From individuals’ stories to government policies (or lack thereof), Soldiering On bears powerful witness to the human cost of war. -- Susan Werbe“This meticulously researched and well-written book offers a glimpse into the problems faced by our ancestors as they returned home from war.” -- Mark Simner * Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWho since Weber, or perhaps even Hobbes, has done as much to show why power is such a profound, elusive and treacherous presence throughout our experience? * The Times Higher Education *

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Book Synopsis''A chilling look at Nazi Germany in collapse'' Globe and Mail''Excellent'' Evening Standard ''Fascinating'' Ben MacintyreRaze Paris to the ground. Burn the bridges. Destroy all industry.These were just a few of the insane orders issued by Hitler in the closing months of the Second World War, as the Allies made their unstoppable advance on Germany.Had it not been for the determination and bravery of a few Germans officers and ordinary civilians who disobeyed Hiter, Europe might have been a scorched ruin. Many paid with their lives.Might Rommel have opened the Western Front to the Allies on 20 July 1944 had he not been shot at a few days earlier? Did Albert Speer single-handedly prevent the destruction of bridges, factories and towns? Did a Prussian general save Paris?In this compelling book, distinguished historian Randall Hansen explores the extraordinary phenomenon of disobedience-as

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Book SynopsisA highly-atmospheric and readable exploration of John Dee and other charismatic magicians of the Tudor and Renaissance courts, vividly reimagining their journeys through the courts of Europe and the wives and families who kept the whole magical show on the road...

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Book SynopsisAN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERCHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TIMES * SUNDAY TIMES * TELEGRAPH * SPECTATOR * PROSPECT''Utterly brilliant . . . Authoritative, lively and profoundly human, it is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand post-World War II Europe'' Julia Boyd''One of the best young historians writing in English today. . . Well-researched, well-written and profoundly insightful, Beyond the Wall explodes many of the lazy Western cliches about East Germany'' Andrew RobertsIn 1990, a country disappeared. When the iron curtain fell, East Germany simply ceased to be. For over forty years, from the ruin of the Second World War to the cusp of a new millennium, the GDR presented a radically different German identity to anything that had come before, and anything that exists today. Socialist solidarity, secret police, central planning, barbed wire: this was a Germany forged on the fault lines of ideology and geopolitics.In Beyond the Wall, acclaimed historian Katja Hoyer offers a kaleidoscopic new vision of this vanished country. Beginning with the bitter experience of German Marxists exiled by Hitler, she traces the arc of the state they would go on to create, first under the watchful eye of Stalin, and then in an increasingly distinctive German fashion. From the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, to the relative prosperity of the 1970s, and on to the creaking foundations of socialism in the mid-1980s, Hoyer argues that amid oppression and frequent hardship, East Germany was yet home to a rich political, social and cultural landscape, a place far more dynamic than the Cold War caricature often painted in the West.Powerfully told, and drawing on a vast array of never-before-seen interviews, letters and records, this is the definitive history of the other Germany, the one beyond the Wall.LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2023: THE TIMES * SUNDAY TIMES * FINANCIAL TIMES * INDEPENDENT * TELEGRAPH * NEW STATESMAN

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Book SynopsisPutting the Women Back into Roman History

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Book Synopsis''A brilliant work of intellectual interpretation by our foremost historian of Enlightenment ideas. Whatmore rescues the Enlightenment from today''s circular debates and places it where it belongs: in the pulsing, chaotic era of its genesis and demise'' Christopher de BellaigueThe Enlightenment is popularly seen as the Age of Reason, a key moment in human history when ideals such as freedom, progress, natural rights and constitutional government prevailed. In this radical re-evaluation, historian Richard Whatmore shows why, for many at its centre, the Enlightenment was a profound failure.By the early eighteenth century, hope was widespread that Enlightenment could be coupled with toleration, the progress of commerce and the end of the fanatic wars of religion that were destroying Europe. At its heart was the battle to establish and maintain liberty in free states and the hope that absolute monarchies such as France and free states like Britain might even subs

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Book SynopsisBrimming with life and drama, this is a magnificent journey into two thousand years of history, from the acclaimed historian of Europe'All roads lead to Rome.' It's a medieval proverb, but it's also true: today's European roads still follow the networks of the ancient empire, stitching together our histories and continuing to inspire our imaginations. Over the two thousand years since they were first built, the roads have been walked by crusaders and pilgrims, liberators and dictators, but also by tourists and writers, refugees and artists. As channels of trade and travel, and routes for conquest and creativity, Catherine Fletcher shows how the roads forever transformed the cultures, and intertwined the fates, of a vast panoply of people across Europe and beyond. Reflecting on his own walk on the Appian Way, Charles Dickens observed that here is a history in every stone that strews the ground.' Based on outstanding original research, and brimming with life and drama, this is the first book to explore two thousand years of history through one of the greatest imperial networks ever built.

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Book SynopsisSELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 BY THE TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, LONDON EVENING STANDARD, DAILY MAIL AND BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE''Magisterial ... If anyone wants to know what has been happening to Britain since the 1950s, it is difficult to imagine a more informative, or better-humoured guide ... a Thucydidean coolness, balance and wisdom that is superb.'' - AN Wilson, The Times ''Who Dares Wins captures the period with clairvoyant vividness. Compulsively readable, the book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand these pivotal years.'' - John Gray, New Statesman''Immaculately well-researched, breathtakingly broad and beautifully written ... Sandbrook leaves the reader impatient for the next volume.'' - Simon Heffer, Daily TelegraphThe acclaimed historian of modern Britain, Dominic Sandbrook, tells the story of the early 1980s: the most dramatic, colourful and controversial years in our recent history. Margaret Thatcher had come to power in 1979 with a daring plan to reverse Britain''s decline into shabbiness and chaos. But as factories closed their doors, dole queues lengthened and the inner cities exploded in flames, would her radical medicine rescue the Sick Man of Europe - or kill it off?Vivid, surprising and gloriously entertaining, Dominic Sandbrook''s new book recreates the decisive turning point in Britain''s recent story. For some people this was an age of unparalleled opportunity, the heyday of computers and credit cards, snooker, Sloane Rangers and Spandau Ballet. Yet for others it was an era of shocking bitterness, as industries collapsed, working-class communities buckled and the Labour Party tore itself apart. And when Argentine forces seized the Falkland Islands, it seemed the final humiliation for a wounded, unhappy country, its fortunes now standing on a knife-edge. Here are the early 1980s in all their gaudy glory. This is the story of Tony Benn, Ian Botham and Princess Diana; Joy Division, Chariots of Fire, the Austin Metro and Juliet Bravo; wine bars, Cruise missiles, the ZX Spectrum and the battle for the Falklands. And towering above them all, the most divisive Prime Minister of modern times - the Iron Lady.Trade ReviewLike its predecessors, Who Dares Wins is a rich mixture of political narrative and social reportage. It is scholarly, accessible, well written, witty and incisive. It fizzes with character and anecdote ... Superb. -- Piers Brendon * The Sunday Times *Magisterial ... If anyone wants to know what has been happening to Britain since the 1950s, it is difficult to imagine a more informative, or better-humoured guide ... a Thucydidean coolness, balance and wisdom that is superb. -- AN Wilson * The Times *Superb ... Immaculately well-researched, breathtakingly broad and beautifully written. One defies anyone, even a specialist, not to learn something from it ... Sandbrook leaves the reader impatient for the next volume. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *Painstaking, enjoyable, even-handed ... you may feel a nice balance of piquancy and poignancy in having those years brought to life by the historian's magic wand. -- Anthony Quinn * The Observer *Brilliant ... The political manoeuvrings of 1979-82 are traced with a novelistic verve that would have done credit to House of Cards. -- Tom Holland * BBC History Magazine *Dominic Sandbrook's great chronicle of Britain locates the big political narrative always in a wider social context than just by-election swings and Westminster roundabouts ... It all comes flooding back. -- Charles Moore * The Spectator *This is vividly panoramic history, ranging from high affairs of state to the tiniest textural details of everyday life ... His sources are joyously eclectic ... We wait impatiently for the next course of this richly satisfying historical feast. -- Francis Wheen * Literary Review *A magnificent history ... Who Dares Wins captures the period with clairvoyant vividness. Compulsively readable, the book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to understand these pivotal years. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Masterful, mammoth ... rich and rewarding ... One of the book's great strengths is that although we know how the story will end we are still kept in suspense - not because of doubts over the outcome, but because Sandbrook situates the reader firmly back in those crucial years ... The result is a full and rich account of the period. -- John McTernan * Financial Times *Worth every penny, an enjoyable romp ... It's a great read. -- Paul Donnelley * The Daily Express *A magisterial history of three momentous years ... the author succeeds triumphantly. -- Patrick Heren * The Article *You don't have to have grown up with the Mini Metro, Lymeswold cheese and the Sinclair Spectrum v BBC Micro to adore this brilliant history of the Eighties. It slides compellingly from socialism to Soft Cell's Tainted Love and made me want to be 10 again, bewildered by the Falklands War on TV. -- Julian Glover * London Evening Standard *Praise for THE GREAT BRITISH DREAM FACTORY: Delightfully good ... an exuberant and learned celebration of British culture. -- Nick Cohen * The Observer *Not only thoroughly entertaining, but crammed with as many serious insights as a shelf-full of academic studies. -- Alwyn W Turner * The Telegraph *Relentlessly entertaining. -- Daisy Goodwin * The Sunday Times *I read it in less than two days, my attention never flagging ... It is dramatic, perceptive and often extremely funny. -- John Preston * The Spectator *Terrific fun ... Sandbrook isn't like other historians ... He heads off down strange, neglected byways, teasing out unexpected connections, with the results often proving far more illuminating - and enjoyable - than conventional narratives ... I defy you not to be swept up in a narrative that's as colourful as it is dramatic. -- John Preston * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn June 1941 the Ark Royal won one of Britain''s most famous naval victories. The German destroyer, Bismarck, had been ravaging the British fleet in the Atlantic. Sailing through a ferocious storm the Ark Royal tracked the Bismarck. A dozen swordfish bombers took off from her deck and pounded shell after shell into the German battleship, sending her to the ocean floor. It was a signal victory that resonated around the world. Hitler, furious at the loss of the German fleet''s flagship, demanded that the Ark Royal be destroyed at whatever cost.HMS Ark Royal is one of the Royal Navy''s most iconic ships. When she was launched in 1938 she was one of the most sophisticated weapons at the disposal of British military command. The aircraft carrier was the latest, and soon to be one of the most feared, developments in naval warfare. In her first two years of operation the Ark Royal survived countless attacks, and was considered one of

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