European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisA definitive history of the German Peasants' War, the greatest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution, by award-winning historian Lyndal Roper.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the nineteenth century, as Britain became the world''s most powerful industrial empire, Ireland starved. The Great Famine fractured long-held assumptions about political economy and ''civilisation'', threatening disorder in Britain itself. Ireland was a laboratory for empire, shaping British ideas about colonisation, population, ecology and work.Scanlan reinterprets the history of this time and the result is a revelatory account of the Irish Great Famine (1845-1851). In the first half of the nineteenth century, nowhere in Europe - or the world - did the working poor depend as completely on potatoes as in Ireland. To many British observers, potatoes were evidence of a lack of modernity and ''civilization'' among the Irish. Ireland before the Famine, however, more closely resembled capitalism''s future than its past. Irish labourers were paid some of the lowest wages in the British empire, and relied on the abundance of the potato to survive. Scanlan expertly shows how the

Read more less

Book SynopsisA queen on the edge. Anne Boleyn has mesmerised the English public for centuries. Her tragic execution, orchestrated by her own husband, never ceases to intrigue. How did this courtier's daughter become the queen of England, and what was it that really tore apart this illustrious marriage, making her the whore of England, an abandoned woman executed on the scaffold? While many stories of Anne Boleyn's downfall have been told, few have truly traced the origins of her tragic fate. In Thorns, Lust and Glory, Estelle Paranque takes us back to where it all started: to France, where Anne learned the lessons that would set her on the path to becoming one of England's most infamous queens. At the court of the French king as a resourceful teenage girl, Anne's journey to infamy began, and this landmark biography explores the world that shaped her, and how these loyalties would leave her vulnerable, leading to her ruin at the court of Henry VIII. A fascinating new perspective on Tudor history's most enduring story, Thorns, Lust and Glory is an unmissable account of a queen on the edge.

Read more less

Book Synopsis*A THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020*'Brilliant and gripping, here is the full true Renaissance in a history of compelling originality and freshness' Simon Sebag MontefioreThe Italian Renaissance shaped Western culture - but it was far stranger and darker than many of us realise. We know the Mona Lisa for her smile, but not that she was married to a slave-trader. We revere Leonardo da Vinci for his art, but few now appreciate his ingenious designs for weaponry. We visit Florence to see Michelangelo's David, but hear nothing of the massacre that forced the republic's surrender. In fact, many of the Renaissance's most celebrated artists and thinkers emerged not during the celebrated 'rebirth' of the fifteenth century but amidst the death and destruction of the sixteenth century.The Beauty and the Terror is an enrapturing narrative which includes the forgotten women writers, Jewish merchants, mercenaries, prostitutes, farmers and citizens who lived the Renaissance every day. Brimming with life, it takes us closer than ever before to the reality of this astonishing era, and its meaning for today.'Terrifying and fascinating' Sunday Times'Enlightening...exactly the alternative history you might wish for' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewTerrifying and fascinating ... If you thought the Renaissance was all about beautiful pictures and the ‘rediscovery’ of Classical writing, you are quite wrong … The Beauty and the Terror dismantles our assumptions about the Renaissance with the precision of a wheellock arquebus … an ambitious, multifocal book, encompassing more than 150 years [that] shine[s] a light on figures often forgotten in conventional histories -- Mary Wellesley * Sunday Times *Impressive and lucid … Fletcher’s narration excels in such colourful details … a scholarly, but vivid history that shows the impact that the machinations of the great, good and not so good had on the insignificant … a persuasive account of how Italy was brought low even as the culture floated high -- Michael Prodger * The Times *Richly well-informed and admirably well-written, containing material of real interest on every page ... has added a wealth of information that will be new to most of us -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *A story of alliances, betrayals, sacks, sieges, famines, assassinations and gruesomely ingenious tortures … Fletcher navigates this difficult terrain with great skill. She creates atmosphere and drama without any surrendering of clarity... A powerful book -- Charles Nicholl * Guardian *Fletcher’s expertise is enviable … she knows better than anyone else just how treacherous a time and place it was. At its best, The Beauty and the Terror is as enlightening as you might hope: a chapter tracing early modern ambivalence about the rise of handguns … is exactly the alternative history you might wish for, as are the sections on slavery, sexual mores and pornography -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''An excellent book'' David Aaronovitch, The TimesWas the 1960s really that great time of liberation, joyful experimentation and celebration of youth? Growing Up takes an unflinching look at the dark underbelly of the sexual revolution.No era in recent history has been both more celebrated and vilified than the 1960s. For some it was a time when music, fashion and drugs enabled young people to express their individuality and freedom, their hopes and dreams of a different, perhaps better, world. For others, the decade marked the advent of the permissive society, with its undermining of authority, family values and common decency. At the heart of this continuing controversy is sex. For this wide-ranging and eye-opening survey of the sexual landscape of the 1960s Peter Doggett has assembled a dozen little-known stories that reveal how the sexual revolution transformed people''s lives. Growing Up provides an honest, often distur

Read more less

Book SynopsisRobin Hood is England's greatest folk hero. Everyone knows the story of the outlaw who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. Nick Rennison's highly entertaining book begins with the search for the historical Robin. Was there ever a real Robin Hood? Rennison looks at the candidates who have been proposed over the years, from petty...Trade ReviewIf you know nothing about the story of Robin Hood or want to know more about how the story has evolved over the centuries, this book is for you -- Paul Begg * welovethisbook.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe enthralling story of the German Empire, from its violent rise to its spectacular fallTrade ReviewKatja Hoyer’s well-researched and well-written book is the best biography of the Second Reich in years. She cogently argues that what started in Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors need not have ended in the disaster of the Great War, and rightly rescues Bismarck from the ignominy of being a forerunner of Hitler. It will undoubtedly become the essential account of this vitally important part of European history -- Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with DestinySplendidly lucid and readable: Katja Hoyer has managed to compress fifty years of great complexity into a compelling and comprehensible narrative – and it is a story that every European needs to know and to understand -- Dr Neil MacGregor, author of Germany: Memories of a NationExcellent ... Fluently written and convincingly argued, Blood and Iron is a brilliant account of an important period of history, and one that marks the arrival of a major new talent ... Hoyer provides a nuanced and thoughtful discussion of the causes of conflict in 1914 -- Saul David, Daily TelegraphBrisk, thoughtful and thoroughly engaging -- Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesHoyer has mastered an intimidating jungle of material and written a balanced and hugely accessible introduction to the age when Germany became Germany ... Hoyer renders a vivid account of Wilhelm's overweening ineptitude. The Kaiser was so gaffe-prone that his ministers frequently had to issue the press with hastily rewritten transcripts of his improvised speeches -- Oliver Moody, The TimesKatja Hoyer has written an excellent book on the rise and fall of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 that is packed with detail and illuminating insights. She shows very effectively the changes in German foreign policy after Bismarck’s fall from power, and the more provocative stance of Kaiser Wilhelm’s world policy that contributed to the outbreak of the First World War, and brought out Germany’s expansionist aims during the conflict. Overall, this book fills a gap in our understanding of the Second Reich, and it helps us to understand more clearly the reasons for its failure -- Professor Frank McDonough, author of The Hitler YearsHoyer brings this dense period of German history to life with a lightness of touch that complements her impressive scholarship. A deeply satisfying read, highly recommended -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichConcise and incisive, this sparkling examination of the rise and fall of the Second Reich is an excellent introduction to a crucial period of German history -- Professor Tim Blanning, author of Frederick the GreatWe ought all to know more about the rise of the Second German Reich, founded with blood and iron in Otto von Bismarck’s words, because the great catastrophes of the 20th century flow from it. In entertaining prose, Katja Hoyer makes that history highly accessible, and paints lively portraits of the political genius Bismarck and the naive egotist Kaiser Wilhelm II -- Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of BritainEngaging and enlightening in equal measure, Blood and Iron is a brilliant synthesis of a complex history which will be welcomed by students and general readers alike -- Roger Moorhouse, author of First to Fight: The Polish War 1939Anyone, student or general "history buff", in search of a readable but authoritative guide to how modern Germany came into being need look no further than Katja Hoyer’s Blood and Iron. The familiar political and military battlefields are all compellingly described. Bismarck and Co. have their due. However, the author also explores many fascinating and less well-known aspects of German culture and public life during that period – equally important factors in the epic story of how this vibrant, often turbulent, society on the move propelled itself in just a few decades from an underpowered feudal patchwork of semi-connected states to become the cultural, economic and military titan that was Germany in 1914. Hoyer’s account of Germany between the Napoleonic Era and the Great War stands as an admirable achievement of both narrative and analytical history. Highly recommended -- Frederick Taylor, author of 1939: A People's HistoryAn important and complex subject told with clarity and verve -- Catrine Clay, author of The Good GermansThe themes of political fragility, social cleavages and pervasive militarism give an impressive depth and coherence to Hoyer’s tightly written narrative -- Tony Barber, Financial TimesExcellent and entertaining ... Hoyer is no apologist for Prussia, but she convincingly argues that, aside from all the 'blood and iron' bluster, Bismarck's Reich was a halfway house between absolute monarchy and democracy -- Maurice Frank, Literary ReviewThe themes of political fragility, social cleavages and pervasive militarism give a convincing coherence to Hoyer’s tightly written narrative of German history between 1871 and 1918. She is rightly sceptical of the once fashionable idea that Germany was on a “special path” that distinguished its development from that of Britain, France or the US -- Tony Barber, Financial Times Summer Books of 2021An elegant new book on the period -- Oliver Moody * The Times *The German Empire born in 1871 has all too often been seen as the troubled precursor of the terrible Nazi successor. Katja Hoyer helps us to see that the empire held out other possibilities which only the catastrophe of the Great War undermined. Brief and accessible, this should become a standard text for those who want to understand the origins of Germany today -- Richard Overy, author of The Bombing WarIn 1862, Bismarck created a Germany, says Hoyer, “whose only binding experience was conflict against external enemies”. Fearful that its 39 individual states would drift apart again, Bismarck kept Germany on “a constant diet of conflict” – whipping up hostility to internal enemies, like Catholics, socialists and ethnic minorities. Hoyer’s nuanced study shows the long run-up to war in 1914 -- Best BooksI so admired Katja Hoyer’s Blood And Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871-1918, an outstanding, authoritative and gripping, short but deep, history of the Second Reich, rendering its singular flawed nature as part-democracy, part-medieval-autocracy with acute portraits of its cast of heroes and monsters -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, Aspects of History Books of 2021

Read more less

Book SynopsisEd Moloney''s Voices from the Grave follows his highly acclaimed A Secret History of the IRA, the best-informed account yet written of the IRA''s evolution from ruthless guerilla army into governmental party. But reconciliation between political figures who until very recently wished each other dead or in jail has not been accompanied by very much truth-telling about the past. Men who have been to the White House and fraternized with Tony Blair deny that they ever fired a shot in anger, or caused a bomb to be planted.Now, in Voices from the Grave, a truly ground-breaking piece of historical evidence is unearthed. Two former paramilitary leaders - one republican, one loyalist - speak with unprecedented frankness about their role in some of the most appalling violence of the Troubles. The openness of Brendan Hughes of the IRA and David Ervine of the UVF results in a book of shocking and irresistible testimony, their voices set in the context of a narrative by Ed Moloney of their lives and of the society they grew up in.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn authoritative account of political and military history, art, architecture and culture, fully illustrated throughout.Table of ContentsThe Glory that was Greece 8 Part One The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greece 10 Introduction 12 Timeline 14 Classical Greece 18 I: The Greek Awakening, c.2000-500bc 20 II: The Persian Wars, 499bc-478bc 42 III: Athens at its Zenith, 478-431bc 58 IV: World War in Miniature, 431-404bc 72 V: The Greeks: The First Individuals, c.650bc-ad147 88 VI: The Struggle for Supremacy, 404-322bc 112 Alexander the great and his Heirs 132 VII: The Rise of Macedonia, 359-336bc 134 VIII: The Young Alexander, 356-336bc 146 IX: The Great Victories, 334-330bc 164 X: The Lord of Asia, 330-323bc 184 XI: Arms and Armour, c.2000bc-ad138 202 XII: From Alexander to Hadrian, 323bc-ad138 218 Part Two The Ancient Greek World 254 Introduction 256 Timeline 260 Architecture and Art 264 XIII: The Rise of Greek Architecture 266 XIV: Building Styles and Techniques 294 XV: Cities of the Greeks 306 XVI Sculpture 324 XVII Vase Painting 356 XVIII Wall Paintings and Mosaics 368 Greek Society 378 XIX Religion and Mythology 380 XX Theatre 404 XXI Literature 416 XXII Philosophy and Science 430 Chapter XXIII Athletics and Sport 458 Chapter XXIV Work and Leisure 468 Index 500 Acknowledgements 511

Read more less

Book SynopsisHarold Wilson''s famous reference to ''white heat'' captured the optimistic spirit of a society in the midst of breathtaking change. From the gaudy pleasures of Swinging London to the tragic bloodshed in Northern Ireland, from the intrigues of Westminster to the drama of the World Cup, British life seemed to have taken on a dramatic new momentum.The memories, images and colourful personalities of those heady times still resonate today: mop-tops and mini-skirts, strikes and demonstrations, Carnaby Street and Kings Road, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath, Mary Quant and Jean Shrimpton, Enoch Powell and Mary Whitehouse, Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger.In this wonderfully rich and readable historical narrative, Dominic Sandbrook looks behind the myths of the Swinging Sixties to unearth the contradictions of a society caught between optimism and decline.Trade ReviewAn active pleasure to read. This is a deftly written and evocative account of the day before yesterday * Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday, Books of The Year *A substantial contribution to our understanding of the social and political history of modern Britain * Sunday Telegraph *This is history of a commendably inclusive range * Sunday Times *An active pleasure to read. This is a deftly written and evocative account of the day before yesterday ... * Peter Hitchens, MAIL on Sunday, Books of The Year *A substantial contribution to our understanding of the social and political history of modern Britain * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *This is history of a commendably inclusive range * SUNDAY TIMES *This second volume lives up to the promise of the first ... Sandbrook is an inveterate demolisher of myths * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWas the outcome of the First World War on a knife edge? In this major new account of German wartime politics and strategy Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome of the war was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. Using new evidence from diaries, letters and memoirs, he fundamentally revises our understanding of German strategy from the decision to go to war and the failure of the western offensive to the radicalisation of Germany''s war effort under Hindenburg and Ludendorff and the ultimate collapse of the Central Powers. He uncovers the struggles in wartime Germany between supporters of peace and hardliners who wanted to fight to the finish. He suggests that Germany was not nearly as committed to all-out conquest as previous accounts argue. Numerous German peace advances could have offered the opportunity to end the war before it dragged Europe into the abyss.Trade Review'All future historians of the First World War will have to engage with Holger Afflerbach's important and authoritative book, and his powerful and provocative case that the conflict was more of a 'close run thing' than previously thought.' Jonathan Boff, author of Haig's Enemy: Crown Prince Rupprecht and Germany's War on the Western Front'A fascinating and provocative account – Afflerbach argues that the First World War could have ended in a draw and that the German leadership committed serious mistakes to lose it.' Annika Mombauer, author of The Origins of the First World War'Holger Afflerbach provides a comprehensive reassessment of Germany's conduct of the 1914-18 war. Drawing on fresh archival sources and an impressive command of the immense secondary literature, he offers a thought-provoking reappraisal of the entire history of that terrible conflict.' David Stevenson, author of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918'Boldly argued and beautifully written, Holger Afflerbach's On a Knife Edge vividly portrays Germany's strategic desperation in 1914-18 and reveals how the Allies' uncompromising pursuit of total victory radicalised the conflict and destroyed all hope of a lasting peace. Thought-provoking and sure to spark controversy – this is one of the most important and exciting new interpretations of the First World War!' Alexander Watson, author of Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918'WWI scholars and enthusiasts will relish this exhaustive deep dive.' Publishers Weekly'… a highly readable account not only of the German side of the war but to some extent a retrospective on the war as a whole, one both enthusiasts and specialists can enjoy and fruitfully debate.' Avi Woolf, The Washington Examiner'This book is a political study of Germany's war effort, not a campaign narrative, though it tells the 1914–18 story very well … Afflerbach gathers many strands into a coherent argument, and offers a host of details that are likely to be unfamiliar even to veteran students of the conflict.' Max Hastings, The Sunday Times'… a revisionist spin … Afflerbach argues that Germany's defeat in 1918 was not inevitable. It could have gone either way on the battlefield, but internal turmoil was to blame for the defeat, leading to a peace not 'based on justice but instead … too harsh'.' Simon Heffer, Best History Books of the Year, Daily Telegraph'An impressive, well-researched and readable book which advances an important argument.' Military History Magazine'The author's knowledge … is nothing short of stupendous … Highly recommended.' Klaus Schmider, British Army ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Hybris: 1. The Road to War; 2. 'It can hardly go wrong now': The Schlieffen Plan and its Failure; 3. Tannenberg and the Rise of Hindenburg; 4. The European Stalemate; 5. A Strategy of Muddling Through? The War in 1915; 6. 'An Unparalleled Act of Barbarism': The Naval Blockade, Submarine Warfare and the Battle for American Neutrality; 7. 'Potato-bread Spirit': The German Home Front in 1914-16; 8. Squaring the Circle: Falkenhayn and Verdun 1916; 9. Summer 1916: The Allied Attack on all Fronts and its Failure; Part II. Climax: At the apex of war: 10. 'Only a Miracle can Save us Now': Germany and the War in the autumn of 1916; 11. Action Stations, Panic Stations: The Radicalisation of Germany's Strategy under the Third OHL; 12. 'A Stroke of Genius': Tentative Offers of Peace in December 1916; 13. The misjudged stand-off: Unrestricted submarine warfare and the USA's entry into the war; Part III. Nemesis: The defeat of the Central Powers and the destruction of the European Order: 14. Military Developments in the First Half of 1917; 15. The First Russian Revolution and the Opportunity for a Peace Agreement with the Russian Democracy; 16. 'War Psychosis?' The Reichstag's Peace Offer and Bethmann Hollweg's Demission; 17. 'The Unmasking of the Central Powers?' Victory and Peace in the East; 18. 'Glorious, but hopeless': Germany's Position at the Turn of the Year 1917/18; 19. 'Ludendorff's Hammer': The Western Offensive of 1918; 20. 'Now the War was Lost': The Military Collapse of the Central Powers; 21. 'Savage in Victory, Contemptuous in Defeat': Germany's Route out of the War; The Final Reckoning: A Terrible Debt that Must be Paid.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSunday Times History Book of the Year 2014Winner of the 2014 Wolfson History Prize, the 2014 Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History, the Society for Military History''s 2015 Distinguished Book Award and the 2015 British Army Military Book of the YearFor the empires of Germany and Austria-Hungary the Great War - which had begun with such high hopes for a fast, dramatic outcome - rapidly degenerated as invasions of both France and Serbia ended in catastrophe. For four years the fighting now turned into a siege on a quite monstrous scale. Europe became the focus of fighting of a kind previously unimagined. Despite local successes - and an apparent triumph in Russia - Germany and Austria-Hungary were never able to break out of the the Allies'' ring of steel.In Alexander Watson''s compelling new history of the Great War, all the major events of the war are seen from the perspective of Berlin and Vienna. It is fundamentally a history of oTrade ReviewIn a year dominated by memories of the First World War, this supremely accomplished book stands out. Not only does it look at the conflict from the perspective of the losing Central Powers, imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary, but it brings together political, military, economic and cultural history in an enormously impressive narrative. Although Watson's book is based on archival research in Germany, Austria and Poland, his scholarship is never suffocating. His accounts of the terrible struggle on the vast Eastern Front are brisk and well-judged, while he is particularly good at bringing alive the mood on the German and Austrian home fronts, from soldiers' letters to children's nursery rhymes. Above all, his book could not be a more powerful reminder that, as bad as the war was for Britain, it was far, far worse for the losers -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times, History Book of the Year 2014 *Will be revelatory to most British readers -- Simon Heffer * New Statesman BOOKS OF THE YEAR *British historians have tended to view the Great War predominantly from the side of the Allies. Watson has done our understanding an inestimable service by examining these familiar events from the perspective of the Central Powers ... Watson's shift of perspective offers illuminating sidelights ... Watson's balance is at its most strikingly effective in a superlative chapter on Germany's catastrophic decision to launch its U-boat campaign. But it is the lost hordes of East European refugees who create the most haunting images in the immense canvas of this outstanding book -- Miranda Seymour * Telegraph *A truly indispensable contribution . . . It is a mark of talent in a historian to take familiar narratives and open them to new interpretation. Mr. Watson's book is a brilliant demonstration of this skill . . . Ring of Steel is a history as much of the emotions that hardship and war produced as of politics or diplomacy . . . Watson manages to mesh his dense bottom-up description with the grand narrative of the war's key moments of decision -- Adam Tooze * Wall Street Journal *An immensely authoritative new history of Germany and Austria-Hungary between 1914 and 1918. Watson writes fluently and compellingly, and his remarkable command of the sources offers new insight and information on almost every page. Soundly judged on the many controversial aspects of his topic, Watson is particularly ground-breaking in evoking the popular experience of the conflict and when investigating the atrocities that all too frequently were its accompaniment -- David Stevenson (author of 1914-1918)In Ring of Steel Alexander Watson shows us what it was like to be pierced by the sharp end of the Allied juggernaut. He takes us on an illuminating tour of the German and Austrian trenches, their querulous headquarters, their cold, starving towns, and their increasingly desperate government ministries. This is a fascinating account of the Great War from 'the other side of the hill,' but also an explanation for the chaos that followed: communism, fascism, depression, and Europe's plunge into a Second World War -- Geoffrey Wawro (author of A Mad Catastrophe)The Central Powers' Great War was not waged from the top down. Instead, as Alexander Watson's comprehensively researched and clearly presented analysis demonstrates, in both Germany and Austria-Hungary popular support was vital to mobilizing and sustaining an increasingly-futile conflict -- Dennis Showalter (author of Tannenberg: Clash of Empires 1914)An immensely authoritative new history of Germany and Austria-Hungary between 1914 and 1918. Watson writes fluently and compellingly, and his remarkable command of the sources offers new insight and information on almost every page. Soundly judged on the many controversial aspects of his topic, Watson is particularly ground-breaking in evoking the popular experience of the conflict and when investigating the atrocities that all too frequently were its accompaniment -- David Stevenson (author of 1914-1918)This book offers Anglo-Saxon students of the First World War a usefully original perspective -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Alexander Watson's remarkable history of the first world war makes clear as never before how this unparalleled conflict impacted on and changed the societies of central Europe, particularly Germany and Austria-Hungary -- PD Smith * the Guardian *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisColm Tóibín was born in Ireland in 1955. He is the author of several novels, including The Master, Brooklyn, and The Magician, and two collections of stories. He has been three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Tóibín was appointed the Laureate for Irish Fiction 2022-2024.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of modern Italy is characterized by recurrent cultural and political projects of modernity, rejuvenation, and regeneration; projects which often had their roots in a widespread dissatisfaction with social and political reality, and perceived moral corruption. The Risorgimento, the movement leading to Italian Unification in 1861, explicitly linked the quest for national unity to a process of moral regeneration and progress. Later forms of nationalism and the rise of fascism in the first two decades of the twentieth century advocated a spiritual revolution and the moulding of new Italians through war and violence. The tragic outcome of Italian fascism led to the emergence of new visions of progress during the post-war First Republic, in which European integration was embraced with conviction. In the last 25 years a project of of modernization epitomized by Silvio Berlusconi has characterized Italian politics, invoking a mixture of nationalist themes and an uncritical embracing of consumer and media culture. In this Very Short Introduction Anna Cento Bull addresses the question of what modernity means to Italy, and asks what modern Italy stands for. She considers Italy''s political system and style of government, and looks at its economic modernisation and issues with emigration, internal migration and immigration. Bull concludes by looking at the Italian culture and lifestyle, including modern art and architecture, cinema, literature, gastronomy, fashion and sport.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThey say 'good things come in small packages' and this compact tome definitely proves the point. Packed into its 140-odd pages is all any italophile needs to know about the evolution of Modern Italy from the Risorgimento in the mid-1800s to the present day ... this snappy small-format guide is crammed with detail but never dry - the tone easy and accessible. An excellent overview, not to be missed. * Italia! *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; CONCLUSION; REFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

Read more less

Book Synopsis-- As featured in The Bookseller Buyer''s Guide Seasonal HighlightsA spectacular, vivid, groundbreaking work of history which takes us into the minds and lives of medieval women.What was life really like for women in the medieval period? How did they think about sex, death and God? Could they live independent lives? And how can we hear the stories of women from this period? Few women had the luxury of writing down their thoughts and feelings during medieval times. But remarkably, there are at least four extraordinary women who did. Those women were: Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic and anchoress; Christine de Pizan, a widow and court writer; and Margery Kempe, a no-good wife. In their own ways these four very different writers pushed back against the misogyny of the period. Each of them broke new ground in women's writing and left us incredible insights into the world of medieval life and politics.Hetta Howes h

Read more less

Book SynopsisEvery dog must have his day. There's nothing the British love quite as much as their dogs - but did you know that our canine companions have also shaped the history of this sceptred isle? From hunting to our hearths, and from herding to heavy industry, our dogs have accompanied us through centuries of social and economic change, and our relationship is still evolving today. In this fascinating alternative history of Britain, Clare Balding takes us on a journey across the length and breadth of the home nations, exploring our unique heritage of canine tradition and meeting the people who still live, work and innovate with their dogs. A story of companionship, loyalty and good old-fashioned hard work, Isle of Dogs is an unmissable read for anyone whose life has been transformed by a faithful hound.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, SPECTATOR, NEW STATESMAN, TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR''A richly panoramic exploration of the British experience of India ... hugely researched and elegantly written, sensitive to the ironies of the past and brimming with colourful details'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesThe British in this book lived in India from shortly after the reign of Elizabeth I until well into the reign of Elizabeth II. Who were they? What drove these men and women to risk their lives on long voyages down the Atlantic and across the Indian Ocean or later via the Suez Canal? And when they got to India, what did they do and how did they live?This book explores the lives of the many different sorts of Briton who went to India: viceroys and offcials, soldiers and missionaries, planters and foresters, merchants, engineers, teachers and doctors. It evokes the three and a half centuries of their ambitions and experiences, together witTrade ReviewHugely researched and elegantly written, sensitive to the ironies of the past and brimming with colourful details -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Glorious, human, colourful, teeming and spicy. If you read just one book on imperial India, let it be this -- John Lewis-Stempel * Sunday Express *An exceptional book. It evokes those animated crowd scenes painted by William Frith, full of people going about their workaday lives, or enjoying themselves. ... David Gilmour's canvas is British India and he provides the answers in a penetrating and vivid portrait of the British men and women who ran the show from the mid-18th century to 1947. -- Lawrence James * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe rebirth of Italy after the Second World War is one of the most impressive political transformations in modern European history. In 1945, post-fascist Italy was devastated by war and its reputation in the international arena was nil. Yet by December 1955, when Italy was admitted to the United Nations, the nation had contested three acrimonious but free general elections, had a flourishing press, and was a leader in the re-building of Europe. The contrast with Fascism was stark. This book charts the descent of Italy into Fascism, the scale of the wartime disaster, the Italian resistance to Nazi occupation, and the establishment of the Republic in 1946. The Cold War divided, in 1947, the coalition of parties that had led the resistance to Fascism and Nazism. The book's final chapters deal with the consolidation of Italian democracy and with the statesmanship of Alcide De Gasperi, the premier from December 1945 to August 1953. The book argues, first, that De Gasperi deserves more c

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor over three and a half years, from 1779 to 1783, the tiny territory of Gibraltar was besieged and blockaded, on land and at sea, by the overwhelming forces of Spain and France. It became the longest siege in British history, and the obsession with saving Gibraltar was blamed for the loss of the American colonies in the War of Independence. Located between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, on the very edge of Europe, Gibraltar was a place of varied nationalities, languages, religions and social classes. During the siege, thousands of soldiers, civilians and their families withstood terrifying bombardments, starvation and diseases. Very ordinary people lived through extraordinary events, from shipwrecks and naval battles to an attempted invasion of England and a daring sortie out of Gibraltar into Spain. Deadly innovations included red-hot shot, shrapnel shells and a barrage from immense floating batteries.This is military and social history at its best, a story of soldiers, sailors and civilians, with royalty and rank-and-file, workmen and engineers, priests, prisoners-of-war, spies and surgeons, all caught up in a struggle for a fortress located on little more than two square miles of awe-inspiring rock. Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege in British History is an epic page-turner, rich in dramatic human detail - a tale of courage, endurance, intrigue, desperation, greed and humanity. The everyday experiences of all those involved are brought vividly to life with eyewitness accounts and expert research.Trade ReviewThe siege that changed the course of British History . . . Well-researched and briskly written . . . worthy of the most melodramatic Hollywood blockbuster -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *The Adkins . . . have captured the tortured and contested story of this solitary rock with aplomb . . . The Adkins's page-turning account makes you feel as if you were there amid the smoke, blood and gunpowder * Catholic Herald *A definitive new book . . . it recounts in detail the stirring story of the conflict and Lord Heathfield's key role in ensuring a momentous British victory * Sussex Express *The Adkins bring the siege vividly to life, especially the everyday experiences of all those involved in the struggle . . . An epic page-turner -- Julian StockwinFascinating and timely * Daily Mail *Never loses sight of the human story at the heart of an extraordinary international incident * History Revealed *Fascinating . . . an enthralling and colourful history told with human stories at its heart * Family Tree *Another epic and illuminating look at Britain's past from Roy and Lesley Adkins, masters of the historical narrative. Ordinary mortals in extraordinary circumstances leap off the pages * Quarterdeck *Highly readable . . . With plenty of drama to draw upon and an impressive commitment to research, this is a book to delight the military history enthusiast * History of War *A fascinating, well-crafted account of a siege that defined Britishness -- Andrew Lambert * BBC History Magazine *Well written history, excitingly told. Why not get yourself a copy? -- J J Alcantara * Gibraltar Chronicle *The husband-and-wife historian team once again exhibit their talent for enlivening British history . . . Many readers will wonder why this episode hasn't been made into a movie, with all the heroics of soldiers, civilians, and, especially, families . . . The story is as compelling as it is fantastic - page-turning history of one of the most important eras of Western civilization * Kirkus Reviews *This intense account portrays the heroism and sufferings of the defenders while offering interesting vignettes that cover intriguing personalities on both sides. The Adkinses have created an absorbing examination of an important episode in British and European history -- Jay Freeman * Booklist *The authors adeptly place this siege narrative within the larger context of the war [American War of Independence] in its later years . . . Roy and Lesley Adkins have given us a gripping, well-written account . . . It is an excellent reminder to American readers, especially, that the spread of hostilities beyond the geographical limits of the thirteen rebellious colonies was a determining factor in their successful fight for independence -- Jon Ault, H-Net ReviewsA page-turning tale of one of the era's longest and most significant sieges, described from the perspective of those who lived through it . . . a well organized, fast-paced book * Publishers Weekly *This detailed account of possibly one of the greatest events in British maritime history ... as important to Britain as was the Siege of Stalingrad to the USSR in World War Two ... The authors ... give a superb social history dimension to the official military archives ... This book is thoroughly recommended -- Martin Hazell * South West Soundings *A page turner that vividly recounts the titanic, but little known, behind-the-scenes struggle between England, France and Spain that so dramatically influenced world events during the American Revolution * History 500 *Gripping, dramatically paced and thoroughly researched history of the dogged defense of Gibraltar * Washington Times *Breaks new ground in almost every page ... the book is difficult to put down. It reads like a thriller ... This is a book which you will read and read again -- Sam Benady * Gibraltar Heritage Journal *The Adkins have written a very popular history of the siege . . . the book is informative, clear, lucid, undemanding, and attractively written. Readers lacking prior knowledge will learn much -- John Childs * The Historian *Thoroughly researched and very readable, it draws on military and social history and explains the background to what was endured at every level of society * Devon Life *Splendid . . . As a history of the great siege this work stands out as a major contribution in bringing the atmosphere and challenges of late eighteenth-century warfare to the modern reader, and is highly recommended * Mariner’s Mirror *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRevealing how the men of Waterloo were left to languish after the battle, often homeless and penniless – history’s heroes forgotten are now remembered

Read more less

Book SynopsisJuliet Gardiner''s critically acclaimed book - the first in a generation to tell the people''s story of the Second World War - offers a compelling and comprehensive account of the pervasiveness of war on the Home Front. The book has been commended for its inclusion of many under-described aspects of the Home Front, and alongside familiar stories of food shortages, evacuation and the arrival of the GIs, are stories of Conscientious Objectors, persecuted Italians living in Britain and Lumber Jills working in the New Forest. Drawing on a multitude of sources, many previously unpublished, she tells the story of those six gruelling years in voices from the Orkney Islands to Cornwall, from the Houses of Parliament to the Nottinghamshire mines.Trade ReviewJuliet Gardiner's 'Wartime' provides a marvellously rich, and often entertaining, recreation of life on the Home Front, 1939-45, drawing on an enormous range of oral testimony and memoir. * The Scotsman *From lost loves to crabby children to the sorrow of receiving the worst possible news, this is a remarkably personal picture of wartime life at home. * The Good Book Guide *Irresistably unputdownable * Scotland On Sunday (Angus Calder) *Danger, courage, deprivation, exhaustion, fear, humour and that old enemy 'boredom' were endured for six years. This exhilarating book is the voice of these people. * Despatches *humorous and deeply moving * Despatches *In a book replete with treasures, everyone will find a special jewel. * The Times Literary Supplement (David Stafford) *Juliet Gardiner's book is ...wonderfully readable * BBC History Magazine *after the torrents of film and forests of print devoted to her subject over the last four decades, it is exhilarating that Gardiner finds so many under-described aspects of the Home Front to document through her fresh witnesses. * BBC History Magazine *utterly gripping * The Spectator *Gardiner explores every aspect of the British home front, and presents these deeply moving moments superbly. I have no doubt that 'Wartime' will become the seminal work on Britain at war. * Daily Mail (Max Arthur) *Plenty of nostalgia and war-time spirit in this comprehensive account of life on the Home Front * The Veteran *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe third in Peter Watson's spiritual trilogy, including THE GERMAN GENIUS and THE FRENCH MIND: a masterful and epic intellectual history of Britain

Read more less

Book SynopsisExam Board: AQA, Edexcel, OCR & WJECLevel: A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Endorsed for Edexcel.Give your students the best chance of success with this tried and tested series, combining in-depth analysis, engaging narrative and accessibility. Access to History is the most popular, trusted and wide-ranging series for A-level History students.This title:- Supports the content and assessment requirements of the 2015 A-level History specifications- Contains authoritative and engaging content- Includes thought-provoking key debates that examine the opposing views and approaches of historians- Provides exam-style questions and guidance for each relevant specification to help students understand how to apply what they have learntThis title is suitable for a variety of courses including:Edexcel: The Brit

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis study investigates the development, manufacture, decoration and use of the Roman infantry helmet, a vital piece of personal protection equipment of both legionary and auxiliary troops. The protective headgear worn by Roman foot soldiers of the Republican period was adopted directly from the Etruscans, who had in turn adapted helmets from neighbouring European cultures within and beyond the Italian peninsula. In this study, a renowned authority explains how its form remained largely unchanged until the Late Republic, when contact and conflict with a wider variety of cultures introduced new influences. The dynamic forces at work during civil wars and transition from the Republic to the Principate at the end of the 1st century BC saw a whole range of types introduced which then evolved until new influences prompted further changes. M.C. Bishop shows how this culminated in contact with Eastern cultures leading to completely new types being introduced, which simplified manufacture and led to a variety of post-Roman helmet types. Many new finds have ensured that much has changed in the narrative of Roman helmets in recent scholarship and the time is ripe for this accessible examination of the development, manufacture and use of the Roman infantry helmet. The text is complemented by carefully chosen illustrations, many in colour, and eight plates of specially commissioned artwork.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA unique account of the opening weeks of history's largest, most brutal conflict, told through the eyes of those who were there and based on original source material from across Europe.

Read more less

Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD*The Rhine is one of the world''s greatest rivers. Once forming the outer frontier of the Roman Empire, it flows 800 miles from the social democratic playground of the Netherlands, through the industrial and political powerhouses of Germany and France, to the wealthy mountain fortresses of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. For five years, Ben Coates lived alongside a major channel of the river in Rotterdam, crossing it daily, swimming and sailing in its tributaries. In The Rhine, he sets out by bicycle from the Netherlands where it enters the North Sea, following it through Germany, France and Liechtenstein, to its source in the icy Alps. He explores the impact that the Rhine has had on European culture and history and finds out how influences have flowed along and across the river, shaping the people who live alongside it. Blending travelogue and offbeat history, The Rhine teTrade ReviewAmong the finest multi-destination books is The Rhine . . . Coates's itchy feet paddle him steadily (after a disaster in a rowing boat) on two wheels from Holland (sleeping in dunes), past Utrecht to the German border (Arnhem redolent of war in A Bridge Too Far) to sleepier Bonn. History shimmers across his hinterland, contested in two world wars, and his curiosity - Coates's great strength - unearths the ways in which the river shaped the destinies of those who made its ever changing banks their home. * Scotsman - Books of the Year *A captivating mixture of travel and history. * Compass *A piece of nonfiction that's both a travelogue and historic account of how the river shaped Europe. * Smithsonian magazine - Books of the Year *Ben Coates discovers how the Rhine influenced history. * Daily Express *He conveys well the role of the Rhine in European culture and history: how it has been seen at different times as a "free-flowing conduit for goods, people and ideas" and as a battleground and frontier. * Daily Telegraph *We might question the Rhine being considered 'Europe's greatest river'. But Ben Coates makes a persuasive and entertaining argument for the accolade . . . My eagerness to devour each chapter was dependent less on the overall theme of the book, but almost entirely on Coates' engaging writing style and the playful way he reveals the history of this part of Europe. * Geographical *What a wonderful surprise. Amazingly talented, Ben Coates fluently uses his metaphoric skills to paint a vibrant portrait of this river's influence in weaving the tapestry of European life. [A] fascinating and compelling story. * Seattle Book Review *He conveys well the role of the Rhine in European culture and history: how it has been seen at different times as a "free-flowing conduit for goods, people and ideas" and as a battleground and frontier. * The Telegraph *The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018A piece of nonfiction that's both a travelogue and historic account of how the river shaped Europe. * Smithsonian Mag *we might question the Rhine being considered 'Europe's greatest river'. But Ben Coates makes a persuasive and entertaining argument for the accolade...My eagerness to devour each chapter was dependent less on the overall theme of the book, but almost entirely on Coates' engaging writing style and the playful way he reveals the history of this part of Europe. -- Chris Fitch * Geographical *Also among the finest multi-destination books is The Rhine... his curiosity - Coates's great strength - unearths the ways in which the river shaped the destinies of those who made its ever changing banks their home. * The Scotsman *The history is fascinating but it's the author's anecdotes and turns of phrase that keep you entertained as he progresses by bike, boat and (briefly) on the back of a cow. * Cycle Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA major new biography of the Black Prince. 'A clear-eyed and thrilling vision of the man behind the legend' DAN JONES. 'Pacy, vivid and extremely readable' TLS. In 1346, at the age of sixteen, he won his spurs at Crécy; nine years later he conducted a brutal raid across Languedoc; in 1356 he captured the king of France at Poitiers; as lord of Aquitaine he ruled a vast swathe of southwestern France. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, but better known to posterity as 'the Black Prince'. Michael Jones tells the remarkable story of a great warrior-prince – and paints an unforgettable portrait of warfare and chivalry in the late Middle Ages.Trade ReviewPacy, vivid and extremely readable... its extensive research and questioning approach also make it an important work for specialists to consult' * TLS *It is not often that a work of medieval history provokes a news story in the Daily Mail * The Oldie *The Black Prince is one of the great romantic heroes of the Hundred Years War and in Michael Jones he has a worthy biographer. This is a clear-eyed and thrilling vision of the man behind the legend and a splendid introduction to one of the most fascinating periods in medieval history -- Dan JonesJones has done an excellent job... It is not easy to make somebody so far back in history really come alive, but this book has pulled it off extremely well. It is supplemented with several pages of maps, battle plans and a detailed timeline' * The Bookbag *Michael Jones superbly brings to life the campaigns and battles which made the Black Prince's name... The hero and the villain were one man and Jones does justice to this complexity' * The Times *Splendid... Jones convincingly argues that Edward should not be too readily condemned [...] with great skill and lightly worn erudition... Will enthral a wide audience' * Spectator *Get to know the heir of Edward III in all his guises in this accomplished volume * Historical Trips UK *Fascinating... restores one of our great heroes to his rightful position' * Daily Mail *Sure to enlighten and entertain thanks to the author's use of new archival research and his pacy, atmospheric writing style * History Revealed. *Offers a thoughtful, rounded picture of a man who led not solely by virtue of birth, but through personality and achievement, too * The Tablet *A gripping read; it has that 'just one more chapter' quality that keeps you going late into the night... A compelling and humane portrait of a medieval warrior, bringing the Black Prince and his world triumphantly to life' -- David SantiusteA thoroughly riveting biography of Edward of Woodstock * Military History Monthly *Pacy, vivid and extremely readable, Jones's book [...] will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers, but its extensive research and questioning approach also make it an important work for specialists to consult * TLS *A fascinating biography of England's greatest king that never was... Jones brings to life the achievements of a man whose contemporary popular appeal has been dimmed by time' * BBC History Magazine Book of the Year (2017) *Essential reading for those who prefer fact to fantasy * Historical Novel Society *The author is set on uncovering the man behind the myth of the Black Prince. It is an endeavour in which he largely succeeds, convincingly portraying the Prince as an exemplary military commander who is undeserving of the bad reputation he has received... This book will undoubtedly become the first port of call for anyone interested in the Black Prince for years to come' * Royal Studies Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLucid and damning an absorbing and infuriating tale of complicity, coverup and denial' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE, author of EMPIRE OF PAINA groundbreaking investigation of how the Nazis helped German tycoons make billions from the horrors of the Third Reich and World War II and how the world allowed them to get away with it.In 1946, Günther Quandt patriarch of Germany's most iconic industrial empire, a dynasty that today controls BMW was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration. Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his arch-rival, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, and the courts acquitted him. But Quandt lied. And his heirs, and those of other Nazi billionaires, have only grown wealthier in the generations since, while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best. Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy, owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe. The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz, cofounded Allianz and still control Porsche, Volkswagen and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight until now.In this landmark work, investigative journalist David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany's wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich. Using a wealth of untapped sources, de Jong shows how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses, procured slave labourers and ramped up weapons production to equip Hitler's army as Europe burnt around them. Most shocking of all, de Jong exposes how the wider world's political expediency enabled these billionaires to get away with their crimes, covering up a bloodstain that defiles the German and global economy to this day.Trade Review‘It is impossible to fault de Jong’s fierce indignation in his book. He must be right to urge that the descendants of Hitler’s tycoons should admit their ancestors’ criminality’Max Hastings, Sunday Times ‘Fascinating … de Jong tells the story with the brisk clarity of the good financial journalist he is and lets the fact speak for themselves. It leaves you awestruck at the power of greed’Daily Telegraph ‘The author cleverly weaves his astonishing facts and figures into human stories … Its fascinating detail and engaging style make Nazi Billionaires a forceful book, revealing to a wide audience a vital aspect of Germany’s ongoing discussion with itself’Spectator ‘Lucid, and damning, Nazi Billionaires unearths decades of family secrets and exposes the tainted origins of several of the world's most significant dynastic fortunes. As adept in the archive as he is on the page, de Jong draws on a vast wealth of historical evidence to tell an absorbing – and infuriating – tale of complicity, coverup, and denial, and to unearth the sordid war crimes behind some of today's most vaunted consumer brands’Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Empire of Pain ‘Eloquent, thorough, and profound, David de Jong’s brilliant debut illuminates a dark chapter of the past while also shining a stark and uncanny light onto our present, and, perhaps, our near future – showing how an insidious mix of capitalism and fascism can destroy democracy and countless lives. An absolute must-read’Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed ‘As riveting as it is disturbing. At times, it felt like reading the anti-Schindler's List: instead of secretly helping the Jews, Germany's most powerful tycoons brutally exploited their suffering for personal profit’Bradley Hope, bestselling co-author of Billion Dollar Whale

Read more less

Book SynopsisMay We Be Spared to Meet on Earth collects the private correspondence of the officers and sailors who set out in May 1845 on the Erebus and Terror for Sir John Franklin’s fateful Arctic expedition, providing new insights into the personalities of those on board, the voyage’s significance, and the dawning realization that they might never return.Trade Review“Graced with an appropriately light editorial touch, May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth is a worthy enterprise that will be read and used by a growing cohort of scholars and Franklin sleuths on both sides of the Atlantic.” Shane McCorristine, Newcastle University“May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth provides insight into the hopes and fears of the two crews, linking the officers and men to lives already lived: friendships and family connections of considerable complexity, magnetic and other scientific research, career prospects and reputation, and prospective marriages. Though the subject has inspired media interest around the globe, there is no other collection that assembles this material in a single volume, and the book will attract a wide readership.” Andrew Lambert, King’s College London“This is an exceptional collection of letters, offered complete, with exhaustive endnotes for most, explaining terms, expanding on the subject matter, adding details concerning the sender or receiver and tying letters to other letters in this collection and/or other archives. The opening essay is an excellent synopsis of the present historiography of the Franklin Expedition and the numerous efforts to find them. It details the twists and turns in telling the story from the disappearance up to present day. Touching on historical and fictional accounts the essay reminds the reader of the cultural impact the story of this misadventure has had. May We Be Spared To Meet On Earth, is an essential source for future historians and other writers, exploring the Franklin Expedition.” The Canadian Nautical Research Society 2023 Keith Matthews Prize jury“May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth is a labour of love. For those who are seriously interested in Arctic exploration, it is a must-have.” Canada’s History

Read more less

Book SynopsisRevolt and upheaval in medieval Britain by a brilliant new narrative historian, Summer of Blood' breaks new ground in its portrayal of the personalities and politics of the bloody days of June 1381.The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 is one of the most dramatic and bloody events in English history. Starting with village riots in the Essex countryside, chaos rapidly spread across much of the south-east of England, as tens of thousands of ordinary men and women marched in fury to London, torching houses, slaughtering their social superiors and terrifying the life out of those who got in their way. The burning down of Savoy Palace, home to the most powerful magnate in the realm, marked one of the Revolt's most violent episodes.The Peasants' Revolt has remained an underexplored period of history. In revisiting the bloody events of 1381, Dan Jones has brought back to glorious life the squalor, drama and complex hierarchies of a society that until now seemed almost too distant to imagine. His examiTrade Review‘Combines zest and flair with an acute historical intelligence. Bold. Surprising. Unputdownable.’ David Starkey ‘Jones has certainly livened up the Middle Ages…Combining scholarly zest with novelistic flair he serves his account hot, brave and reeking with gore for a wide readership.’ The Times ‘Dan Jones seeks to uncover the idealism and brutality of this fateful summer…A fresh look.’ John Guy, Sunday Times ‘Dan Jones relates his tale with relish and zest…If anyone is looking for a racy account of England's “summer of blood” this is it.’ TLS ‘Jones's book is welcome…At his best…his prose rises to the occasion provided by the dramatic showdown between Richard and the rebels at Smithfield.’ Spectator ‘A pacy narrative.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Short, clear history of a long, hot summer.’ Scotsman

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing''s great projects'' New StatesmanThe world known as the ''Dark Ages'', often seen as a time of barbarism, was in fact the crucible in which modern Europe would be created.Chris Wickham''s acclaimed history shows how this period, encompassing peoples such as Goths, Franks, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, was central to the development of our history and culture. From the collapse of the Roman Empire to the establishment of new European states, and from Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean, this landmark work makes sense of a time of invasion and turbulence, but also of continuity, creativity and achievement.Trade ReviewA work of tremendous authority and breadth. With this book, as with Charlemagne's empire, one feels that an extraordinary range of things have been brought together -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *Intensely rewarding -- Jonathan Sumption * Spectator *Almost every page is full of arresting details and insights ... and a sharp eye for a revealing anecdote, illuminating even the murkiest corners of the so-called Dark Ages -- Dominic Sandbrook * Daily Telegraph *The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects * New Statesman *With five volumes now out, the Penguin History of Europe series ... is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones * Economist *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn extraordinary book, a work of scholarship and history salted with the author's excitement as he conducts us among the great libraries of Western civilization. It is full of delights -- Tom StoppardThe intellectual expedition of a lifetime ... This is an endlessly fascinating and enjoyable book. -- Neil MacGregorA book of marvels -- John Banville * Financial Times *Entrancing ... De Hamel's learned adventures amid some of the West's greatest manuscript treasures effortlessly outclass Eco's The Name of the Rose in elegance and excitement. They are also much funnier. -- Diarmaid MacCullochReading is my life, but only about once a decade do I find a book that seems to tilt the world, so afterwards it appears different. -- Fiammetta Rocco * The Economist '1843' *De Hamel's book, scholarly but unfailingly readable, is the beginning of wisdom in all things scribal and scriptural - Ian Thomson, The Observer * Ian Thomson, The Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARWhat if Chernobyl was just the beginning?The acclaimed winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize returns to Chernobyl to tell the gripping story of thirty-five days of warOn 24 February 2022, the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, armoured vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. It was the most direct way for them to reach the capital - and an extraordinarily reckless plan after the disaster that had taken place there three decades earlier. Russian occupation of the plant had begun. It would last thirty-five days.Closely reported and narrated from multiple perspectives, this is the story of the Ukrainians who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days to spare the world a new nuclear accident. We meet Valentyn Heiko, the foreman who had also been there for the clean-up of the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and turned sixty during the occupation; plant workers who found a way to celebrate International Women's Day despite all odds; Russian officers who had no knowledge of nuclear reactors; and four stalkers who were caught in the middle and stood in for the overworked cook.Gripping and unforgettable, Chernobyl Roulette sounds the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in an unprecedented time, when plant workers are left to fight on their own while the world holds its breath. In a book that reads like a thriller, Serhii Plokhy tells a remarkable story about human nature, uncertainty and courage.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the middle of the First World War, the British War Cabinet approved and issued a statement in the form of a letter that encouraged the settlement of the Jewish people in Palestine. Signed by the Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, the Balfour Declaration remains one of the most important documents of the last hundred years. Jonathan Schneer explores the story behind the declaration and its unforeseen consequences that have shaped the modern world, placing it in context paying attention to the fascinating characters who conceived, opposed and plotted around it - among them Lloyd George, Lord Rothschild, T.E. Lawrence, Prince Faisal and Aubrey Herbert (the man who was Greenmantle''). The Balfour Declaration brings vividly to life the origins of one of the world''s longest lasting and most damaging conflicts.Trade Review'Splendid ... A marvellously well-researched, balanced, and clear-sighted guide to this hideously controversial territory' * Dominic Sandbrook, Evening Standard *'Jonathan Schneer's lively new account is very much a tale for our times ... his book is interspersed with delightful vignettes' * David Cesarini, Literary Review *‘Why did Britain offer the Jews a home in Palestine? Had they not already offered Palestine to the Arabs, two years earlier? This extraordinarily well-documented and revealing book gives the answers' * Martin Gilbert, Mail on Sunday *‘An excellent and compelling portrait of the intrigues, characters and diplomacy that created the modern Middle East' * Simon Sebag Montefiore *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of a bewilderingly exotic city, rarely written about: five hundred years of clashing cultures and peoples, from the glories of Suleiman the Magnificent to its nadir under Nazi occupation.Salonica is the point where the wonders and horrors of the Orient and Europe have met over the centuries.Written with a Pepysian sense of the texture of daily life in the city through the ages, and with breathtakingly detailed historical research, Salonica evokes the sights, smells, habits, songs and responses of a unique city and its inhabitants. The history of Salonica is one of forgotten alternatives and wrong choices, of identities assumed and discarded. For centuries Jews, Christians and Muslims have succeeded each other in ascendancy, each people intent on erasing the presence of their predecessors, and the result is a city of extraordinarily rich cultural traditions and memories of extreme violence and genocide, one that sits on the overlapping hinterlands of both Europe and the EastTrade Review‘A necessary masterpiece…a pleasure to read and curiously moreish.’ Louis de Bernieres, The Times ‘A tremendous book about a city unique not just in Europe, but in the entire history of humanity. Mazower…has done the old place proud…and has celebrated once and for all the mighty and fateful heritage of its citizens.’ Jan Morris, Guardian ‘[Mazower] sensitively analyses the internal debates and divisions which could be found within all the major communities.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘[Mazower] has produced a brilliant reconstruction of one of Europe’s great meeting places between the three monotheistic faiths.’ Economist ‘Mazower is a formidable historian…He has produced a majestic work: the biography of a city, complete with soul and ichor.’ Independent ‘Enthralling…brilliant…tragic, hopeful, beautifully written.’ Times Literary Supplement

Read more less

Book Synopsis'An excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall' BEN KANE'A fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book!' MATTHEW HARFFY 'A heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling!' PETER GIBBONSAn epic, spellbinding Viking fantasy of blood and battle, weaving together history, fantasy and ancient myth. Perfect for fans of The Northman and Game of Thrones. Byzantium, 718ADThe great siege is over.Crippled warrior, Erlan Aurvandil, is weary of war. But he must rally his strength to lead a band of misfit adventurers back to the North, to reclaim the stolen kingdom of his lover, Lilla Sviggarsdottir. For this, they need an army. To raise an army, they need gold.Together they plot a daring heist to steal the Emperor's tribute to his ally. Barely escaping with their lives, they voyage north, ready for the fight. But when fate strands them in a foreign land already riven by war, Erlan and Lilla are drawn inexorably into the web of a dark and gruesome foe.As blades fall and shadows close in, only one thing for them is certain: a savage moon is rising. And it demands an ocean of blood.Praise for Theodore Brun:'A masterly debut... If Bernard Cornwall and George R.R. Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel' THE TIMES'Gripping. Gut-wrenching' ERIC SCHUMACHERTrade ReviewA Savage Moon is a full-blooded and superbly descriptive novel, bringing to vivid life the Byzantine empire and the Viking world. Along with its rich themes of treachery and intrigue, love and sacrifice, loyalty and honour, there is plenty of bloodshed for Viking fans. It is an excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall. -- Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Spartacus seriesA heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling! -- Peter Gibbons, author of the Blood and Blade trilogy on A Savage MoonA thrilling read filled with dark twists and strange fates -- Donovan Cook, author of the Ormstunga Saga series on A Savage MoonA fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book! -- Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles on A Savage MoonA Savage Moon is vast in scope, but the ending is personal and climactic, a tale of friendship, love, trust and, for one of the characters, renewal, set against a backdrop of almost indescribable savagery. It's sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction and historical fantasy. -- M J Porter, author of Eagle of Mercia, on A Savage MoonSuperb. A Burning Sea is another vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. * Giles Kristian on A Burning Sea *Brilliant. Theodore Brun might just be historical fiction's next big thing. * Adam Lofthouse on A Burning Sea *Gripping. Gut-wrenching. Visceral. Highly recommended * Eric Schumacher on A Burning Sea *A masterly debut. ... If Bernard Cornwell and George RR Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel. * Antonia Senior on A Mighty Dawn *Evocative prose and the brutality of the Viking world, it's all here, woven with a deft touch into a tremendous tale. * Giles Kristian on A Mighty Dawn *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Story of Scandinavia, political scholar Stein Ringen chronicles more than 1,200 years of drama, economic rise and fall, crises, kings and queens, war, peace, language and culture.  Scandinavian history has been one of dramatic discontinuities of collapse and restarts, from the Viking Age to the Age of Perpetual War to the modern age today. For a thousand years, the Scandinavian countries were kingdoms of repression where monarchs played at the game of being European powers, at the expense of their own populations. The brand we now know as 'Scandinavia' is a recent invention. During most of its history, Denmark and Sweden, and to some degree Norway, were bloody enemies. These sentiments of enmity have not been fully settled. Under the surface of collaboration remain undercurrents of hatred, envy, contempt and pity.  What does it mean today to be Scandinavian? For the author, whose identity is Scandinavian but his life European,

Read more less

Book SynopsisProvides an account of the bitter fighting by the Hampshires and Dorsets in the villages of Eterville and Maltot with Tiger tanks and SS panzergrenadiers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia''s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine.Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history as detailed by Mark Galeotti in this new book. With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental factors constraining its economy, Russia has been pitched against the pre-eminent military powers of the age across the centuries, and often at a technological disadvantage. To respond to these challenges, it has had to sit heavily on the backs of its people, and so war and the need to be able to fight it has shaped its evolution, from tsars to commissars and presidents.The national identity has been forged in the furnace of war. From the medieval kingdom of Rus battling against a Scandinavian princes and Mongol emperors,

Read more less

Book SynopsisImportant, comprehensive, and superbly researched. All the more urgent at the present time' BART VAN ES''A terrific, clear-eyed and balanced history that cuts through today's toxic debates'' DAILY TELEGRAPHHow have those who arrived on Britain's shores shaped its history?Refugees seeking to reach Britain today often face perilous journeys, impossible bureaucracy and acidic public opinion. But this hasn't always been the way. For most of our history, Great Britain cherished its outward image as a safe haven for those displaced by religious persecution, political violence or economic crisis an island of stability in the midst of a violent world.In This Land of Promise, migration scholar Matthew Lockwood overturns many popular modern-day misconceptions about Britain's history of immigration. Exiles and refugees have been not only a constant presence in Britain across the centuries but also intrinsic to shaping Britain as it is today. This is a profoundly moving and illuminating history, told through the people who lived it: Frederick Douglass and the formerly enslaved men who followed in his footsteps, fleeing America on the hopes of kinder cultures. Little girls like Liesl Ornstein, who discovered they were Jewish only when Hitler took Austria, who were sent to England and told to call themselves Elizabeth'. Sun Yat-sen, who found sanctuary in London a brief abduction aside before becoming the father of modern China. Freddie Mercury, who at every turn tried to shake Zanzibar from his bones.Almost every time, we see when we look back, Britain has not been an island refuge from the world, but an island refuge for the world. Not a country burdened by refugees, but instead transformed and strengthened by them.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Brisk and thoughtful, this book could hardly be more timely'' Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine, Books of the YearFrom a preeminent scholar of Eastern Europe and the prize-winning author of Chernobyl, the essential history of Russian imperialismIn 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and attempted to seize a portion of Ukraine. While the world watched in outrage, this violation of national sovereignty was in fact only the latest iteration of a centuries-long effort to expand Russian boundaries and create a pan-Russian nation. In Lost Kingdom, award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues that we can only understand the merging of imperialism and nationalism in Russia today by delving into its history.Spanning over two thousand years, from the end of the Mongol rule to the present day, Plokhy shows how leaders from Ivan the Terrible to Joseph Stalin to Vladimir Putin have exploited existing forms of identity, warfare and territorial expansion to achieve imperial supremacy. A strikingly ambitious book, Lost Kingdom chronicles the long and belligerent history of Russia''s empire and nation-building quest.Trade ReviewLost Kingdom tells the story of how the history of Russia was being written when that history was being made. . . A singularly fascinating account of Russian nationalism through the ages -- Charles Clover * Financial Times *A sweeping study. . . Not merely an intellectual exercise but one closely linked to contemporary geostrategic debates * Wall Street Journal *Brisk and thoughtful, this book could hardly be more timely -- Dominic Sandbrook * BBC History Magazine *Lost Kingdom is an erudite exploration of the contradictions of Russian nationalism. . . A master historian on top of his game, Serhii Plokhy lays out the challenges this past presents for transforming Russia into a better country for its people and its neighbours -- Odd Arne Westad, author of The Cold War: A World HistoryIn Lost Kingdom, Serhii Plokhy does for Russia what only great historians can do-make the connections between the distant past and vital present feel relevant and alive. . . With Russia everywhere in the news today, and every pundit pretending to be an expert, Lost Kingdom is essential reading for those wishing to understand Russia beyond the headlines -- Garry Kasparov

Read more less

Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY**A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*''No one interested in the history of Europe can afford not to read this stupendous book'' Simon Heffer, Daily TelegraphIron and Blood is a startlingly ambitious and absorbing book, encompassing five centuries of political, military, technological and economic change to tell the story of the German-speaking lands, from the Rhine to the Balkan frontier, from Switzerland to the North Sea. Wilson''s narrative considers everything from weapons development to recruitment to battlefield strategy.Germans'' military impact on the rest of Europe has been immense. If there is one constant it has been the sense of being beset by seemingly more powerful enemies - France or Russia or Turkey - and the need to strike a rapid knockout blow to ensure a favourable result. Almost inevitably, this has in practice meant protracted, relentless and often unwinnable wars, and - in 1939-1945 - moral catastrophe.The author of definitive books on the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years War, Peter Wilson has with Iron and Blood written his masterpiece.''Hugely impressive'' Richard J. Evans, Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewThe scholarship of this book is breathtaking [and] Wilson relates it with a command of his subject that is unparalleled. No one interested in the history of Europe, and of the Germans in particular, can afford not to read this stupendous book. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *Endlessly fascinating ... History has returned to Europe, and Iron and Blood is an excellent place to start getting reacquainted with it. -- Oliver Moody * The Times *Hugely impressive ... By setting his account in the broader context of European history, Wilson launches a sustained attack on the teleological Prussocentrism of the traditional story. -- Richard J. Evans * Times Literary Supplement *Iron and Blood delves into politics, economics, technology and social developments. Its long view of Germany's military history, magisterial detail and acute analysis provide a new understanding of what was once Europe's warring heart. * The Economist *Ambitious ... While Germany cannot leave its past behind, it can learn from it, if it dares to look ... Iron and Blood is a timely book, arguing powerfully that 'German history should not be read backwards'. -- Katja Hoyer * History Today *Formidably erudite ... What is now Germany's shameful past was once Adolf Hitler's vision of the future. Reimagined by Vladimir Putin, that spectral vision now haunts our present. Hence the importance and urgency of Wilson's investigation. -- Daniel Johnson * The Critic *A work of first-rate scholarship ... will become the starting point for all students of military history, not only of Germany but of Europe as a whole. -- Jonathan Boff * BBC History Magazine *An ambitious book which was badly needed ... illuminating on the complicated relationship between Prussia, both state and society, and its army .... required reading for serious military historians. -- Barney White-Spunner * Aspects of History *There is much to admire in this book, from the astounding breadth of its scholarshipto its exceedingly ambitious scope ... a fresh perspective on German history. -- Stephen G. Fritz * Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe contribution of the Ancient Greeks to modern western culture is incalculable. In the worlds of art, architecture, myth, literature, and philosophy, the world we live in would be unrecognizably different without the formative influence of Ancient Greek models. Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city - in Greek, the polis, from which we derive ''politics''. It is above all this feature of Greek civilization that has formed its most enduring legacy, spawning such key terms as aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny and - last but by no means least - democracy. This stimulating Very Short Introduction to Ancient Greece takes the polis as its starting point. Paul Cartledge uses the history of eleven major Greek cities to illuminate the most important and informative themes in Ancient Greek history, from the first documented use of the Greek language around 1400 BCE, through the glories of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, to the foundation of the Byzantine empire in around CE 330. Covering everything from politics, trade, and travel to slavery, gender, religion, and philosophy, it provides the ideal concise introduction to the history and culture of this remarkable civilization that helped give birth to the world as we know it.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Paul Cartledge, Cambridge don and doyen of Classicists, once again shows why he is the surest and most engaging guide tot he ancient world. 'Ancient Greece: A history in Eleven Cities' is a tremendously readable tour d'horizon that goes far beyond Athens and Sparta to explore the roots of Greek civilisation. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *Paul Cartledge has here pulled off a remarkably clever feat of compression and organization, and will once again place very many readers in his debt. Brilliantly carried through. * Simon Hornblower, co-editor of ^iThe Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization^r *A wonderfully concise - and witty - introduction to an ever-popular subject. * Sir John Boardman, co-editor of ^iThe Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World^r *A rare work, a compelling historical narrative that is also a useful guidebook * Peter Stothard, Wall Street Journal *Cartledge's success lies in his ability to negotiate a path between similarity and difference; with proper scholarly detachment, he stresses how different the Greeks were; with an eye to broader historical trajectories, he reflects on the grounds for their continuing fascination. * Tim Rood, Times Literary Supplement *A rare work, a compelling historical narrative. * Peter Stothard, Wall Street Journal *Thoroughly stimulating book. * Tom Holland, BBC History *Cartledge is master of his subject. * Peter Jones, Literary Review *Paul Cartledge... once again shows why he is the surest and most engaging guide to the ancient world. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *A tremendously readable tour d'horizon that goes far beyond Athens and Sparta to explore the roots of Greek civilization. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *There are many pleasures to be had along Cartledge's mind-broadening route through time and space. * Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Knossos ; 3. Mycenae ; 4. Argos ; 5. Sparta ; 6. Massalia ; 7. Miletos ; 8. Athens ; 9. Thebes ; 10. Alexandria ; 11. Byzantium ; 12. Conclusion ; Preface ; Glossary ; Timeline

Read more less