European history Books

Book SynopsisPreviously published as The Shorter Pepys, Samuel Pepys'' The Diary of Samuel Pepys: A Selection is a collection of scintillating first-hand accounts of Restoration England, from the most tumultuous events to the simplest domestic pleasures, selected and edited by Robert Latham.The 1660s represent a turning point in English history, and for the main events - the Restoration, the Dutch War, the Great Plague, the Fire of London - Pepys provides a definitive eyewitness account. As well as recording public and historical events, Pepys paints a vivid picture of his personal life, from his socializing and amorous entanglements, to his theatre-going and his work at the Navy Board. Unequalled for its frankness, high spirits and sharp observations, the diary is both a literary masterpiece and a marvellous portrait of seventeenth-century life.Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) achieved fame as a naval administrator and a friend and colleague of the powerful and learned. Fo

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Book SynopsisWinston Churchill''s six-volume history of the cataclysm that swept the world remains the definitive history of the Second World War. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable both for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction and is an enduring, compelling work that led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Closing the Ring chronicles the period between June 1943 and July 1944 as the Allies consolidated their gains towards a drive to victory - the fall of Mussolini, Hitler''s ''secret weapon'', the mounting air offensive on Germany, strategies to defeat Japan and the plans for D Day.

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Book Synopsis''The most ingenious, informative, inimitable, individual, innovative, insightful, inspiring, instructive, intelligible, intoxicating, intricate guide to the great city that I have ever seen. Bravo!'' Philip Pullman''A glorious and delightful compendium and guide to London from Above, Below and all the in-betweens'' Neil GaimanCuriocity is a London book unlike any other. Its 26 chapters weave together facts, myths, stories, riddles, essays, diagrams, illustrations and itineraries to explore every aspect of life in the capital. At the heart of each chapter is a hand-drawn map, charting everything from thecity''s islands and underground spaces, to its erogenous zones and dystopian futures. Taking you from Atlas to Zones, via Congestion, Folkmoot, Pearls and Xenophilia, Curiocity will transform the way you see London.''The greatest book about London published in modern times ... an illuminated manuscript for the 21st century city'' Trade ReviewThe most ingenious, insightful, inspiring, intoxicating, and simply interesting guide to the great city that I have ever seen -- Philip PullmanRemarkable ... a nerdy Londoner's paradise ... an exquisite 450-page cross between an encyclopaedia and an artwork * Evening Standard *The greatest book about London published in modern times ... an illuminated manuscript for the 21st century city * Londonist *London's bookshops and libraries are filled with printed guides to the city but few (if any) are as comprehensive as Curiocity * Creative Review *An endlessly fascinating guide to London ... an eccentric lexical juggernaut ... I doubt that anything of such crazy magnitude will be attempted again in a hurry * Evening Standard *A glorious and delightful compendium and guide to London from Above, Below and all the in-betweens -- Neil GaimanHere is something different [...] composed of fresh flashes of insight [...] constructed as a cabinet of curiosities, the literary equivalent of Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The work [the authors] have put into it is formidable, the collaboration they have won from contributors, illustrators and publishers quite breathtaking. * Times Literary Supplement *The authors' delight in London trivia is infectious * Guardian *A great walk for the senses -- Iain SinclairUtterly extraordinary -- Tom HollandA glorious treasure trove * Esquire *A beautifully produced miscellany of fascinating facts about London. Wonderful illustrations are added to intriguing nuggets of information on a huge range of subjects from street cries to earthstars. An object of beauty in itself * The Oldie *Reimagines the 'guidebook' in the same way that Peter Ackroyd's London: the Biography reinvented historical writing about the capital. And just as Ackroyd set a benchmark, every new guide to London will now be viewed with reference to Curiocity. [...] However well you think you know London, you will discover something new on virtually every page, and the things you know well will be seen completely differently. Highly recommended * The London Society *Beautifully illustrated, quirky and irreverent -- Danny DorlingIncredibly clever and gorgeous. It's like a London treasure hunt - an unexpected explorers' map of a city I've lived in all my life and thought I knew -- Bidisha

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

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

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

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Book SynopsisSavage and bloodthirsty, or civilized and peaceable? The Celts have long been a subject of enormous fascination, speculation, and misunderstanding. From the ancient Romans to the present day, their real nature has been obscured by a tangled web of preconceived ideas and stereotypes. Barry Cunliffe seeks to reveal this fascinating people for the first time, using an impressive range of evidence, and exploring subjects such as trade, migration, and the evolution of Celtic traditions. Along the way, he exposes the way in which society''s needs have shaped our visions of the Celts, and examines such colourful characters as St Patrick, Cú Chulainn, and Boudica.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the highly controversial First World War campaign that nearly destroyed Churchill's reputation for good and of his decades-long battle to set the record straight - a battle which ultimately helped clear the way for Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister in Britain's 'darkest hour'.Trade Review'In this highly readable and comprehensive treatment, Christopher M. Bell treats the evidence with forensic care and delivers arguments that are consistently nuanced and fair. The book casts new light both on Churchill himself and on the wider question of civil-military relations during World War I' * Richard Toye, author of The Roar of the Lion *'A book which combines a thoroughly researched, well-written and convincing new assessment of one of the British Empire's most controversial and disputed campaigns with a thoughtful and reflective survey of how the episode has come to be understood since ... one of the best additions to the scholarship on the First World War produced since 2014.' * David G. Morgan-Owen, English Historical Review *'This is quite simply the best naval history book that I have read this year. Christopher Bell may not have written the last word on this still very emotive subject, but I can't imagine that anyone will be able to produce a better, more equitably balanced and authoritative account of the Dardanelles operation than he has done. It is quite superb in virtually every way.' * Malcolm H. Murfett (Kings College, London), The International Journal of Maritime History *'Bell's historical judgements are balanced and fair. He has made a major contribution to British naval history and to a clearer understanding of that towering twentieth-century political figure, Winston Churchill. Bell's book will stand as the definitive study of the Dardanelles campaign and the central role of Churchill for many years to come.' * W. Mark Hamilton, The Mariner's Mirror: The International Quarterly Journal of The Society for Nautical Research *'An authoritative account.' * Paul Ridgeway, Flash: Trinity House Fraternity Review *'A marvellous book.' * Robin Brodhurst, British Journal of Military History *'Bell's conclusions are admirably balanced.' * David French, Journal of Military History *'The blame-shifting, name-calling, and finger-pointing were not stilled by an exhaustive Dardanelles Commission inquiry and its 1919 report, but should now finally come to an end a century later with the publication of this well-researched, very well-written, but above all judiciously objective book by the distinguished naval historian Christopher M. Bell... This excellent book cuts through a century of pro- and anti-Churchill writing to reach remarkably balanced conclusions.' * Andrew Roberts, Weekly Standard *'Impressive and readable... Churchill and the Dardanelles is an important and balanced book... For anyone interested in Gallipoli, or Winston Churchill, it is essential reading.' * Gary Sheffield, Stand To! *'Christopher Bell's outstanding Churchill and the Dardanelles... is a fantastic exposition of how academics can write successfully for a broader audience without compromising at all on the quality of their research, and comes with a hearty recommendation from me.' * David Morgan Owen, Defence in Depth *'Indispensable' * Yusuf Ali Ozkan, Gelibolu'yu Anlamak *'This is a well-written and important book which adds valuably to the literature on Churchill himself and to the strategic history of the First World War.' * David Dutton, International History Review *'Bell explores the subject afresh and does so with such mastery that the tenor of his judgments rings true. [...] In clearing away a mass of historical debris from the scene, Bell has achieved for Churchill and Gallipoli what David Reynolds accomplished for Churchill and the Second World War, the excavation of a man from the myth that he created.' * History Today *'[Churchill and the Dardanelles] is a well-written and important book which adds valuably to the literature on Churchill himself and to the strategic history of the First World War.' * David Dutton, International History Review *'Well-researched study.' * Saul Kelly, Middle Eastern Studies *'A clear and authoritative account about Churchill's role in the Dardanelles offensive. Bell's style is easily accessible for the armchair strategist but is equally thorough and well footnoted for the weathered naval historian. Everyone can appreciate the enormous efforts and herculean tasks Bell undertook to disentangle the reality of the Dardanelles from its various narrative myths.' * Warren Dockter, Churchill Bulletin *'Christopher Bell's knowledge of the sources cannot be bettered, and he has shown himself to be the ideal person to present this important, accessible reassessment' * Eric Grove, Times Literary Supplement *An extremely absorbing and highly readable work which casts new light on not only Churchill himself but on the much wider issues of the relationships between the military and civilian governments during the First World War. * History of War *'Meticulously researched and readable account.' * History of War *'This immaculate study of the First Lord of the Admiralty's disgrace and comeback is ... likely to become the definitive work on the campaign, and Churchill's role in it. What gives the book its edge is not merely Bell's scholarship, which is rigorous, but its highly original analysis of the aftermath ... Unlike most additions to the Churchill bibliography, it is truly valuable.' * Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph *Table of ContentsWinston Churchill and the Dardanelles: A Riddle Wrapped in Myths Inside a Legend 1: Stalemate and Frustration: The First Months of War 2: The Origins of the Naval Offensive 3: 'A Great Experiment': The Naval Plan Approved 4: 'I Will Find the Men': The Plan Remade 5: 'Groping Round Without a plan' 6: From the Dardanelles to Gallipoli 7: Jacky Fisher's Crisis 8: The Duchy of Lancaster Goes to War! 9: Exile 10: The Dardanelles Commission I: The Preliminaries 11: The Dardanelles Commission II: The Naval Staff under Scrutiny 12: The Dardanelles Commission III: An Instalment of Fair Play 13: The Cabinet Minister as Censor: The Official Histories 14: The Battle of the Memoirs 15: From Millstone to Myth: 'The Great Movement of Opinion' Conclusion: What about the Dardanelles? Notes Bibliography

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

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Book SynopsisThe story of Isaac Newton's decades in London - as ambitious cosmopolitan gentleman, President of London's Royal Society, Master of the Mint, and investor in the slave trade.Trade ReviewAnyone interested in a detailed account of the later part of Newton's life, focusing on its social, political, and moral dimensions, will find this an especially illuminating book. * J W Dauben *Fara's story is full of colour... she is not just writing about Newton, she is painting a portrait of the age in which he lived, worked, schmoozed and manoeuvred... she also writes with an elegance and a wit you don't generally associate with history books. * Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail *Science is always part of society, as Fara entertainingly shows. * BBC History Magazine *... fresh, fascinating study of his [Newton's] London career. * Andrew Robinson, Nature *... a highly unorthodox and groundbreaking book... revealing and beautifully written... * Vitali Vitaliev, E&T Magazine *Fara is a pleasingly lively historical guide... the sheer energy of the book shines through, giving readers a messier and more thornily human Newton than the cartoon renditions to which he's so often reduced. * Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor *... impressively broad and multifaceted, making for an interesting, penetrating slice of history, personal and generally. * M A Orthofer, Complete Review *The rich historical background provided... is to be welcomed... this is an excellent account of Newton in London. * Brad Baxter, British Numismatic Journal *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Introduction Prologue Act I: The Theatre: Isaac Newton moves to the Metropolis 1: Living in Style 2: The Tower of London 3: Family Trees 4: The Rise and Rise of John Conduitt Act II: The Audience: Isaac Newton In London society 5: Fortune Hunters 6: The Royal Society 7: Hanover-upon-Thames Act III: The Play: Isaac Newton and English Imperialism 8: Making Money 9: Knowledge and Power 10: Going Global Epilogue Notes Bibliography

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

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Book Synopsis''The Ministry of Defence does not comment upon submarine operations'' is the standard response of officialdom to enquiries about the most secretive and mysterious of Britain''s armed forces, the Royal Navy Submarine Service. Written with unprecedented co-operation from the Service itself and privileged access to documents and personnel, The Silent Deep is the first authoritative history of the Submarine Service from the end of the Second World War to the present. It gives the most complete account yet published of the development of Britain''s submarine fleet, its capabilities, its weapons, its infrastructure, its operations and above all - from the testimony of many submariners and the first-hand witness of the authors - what life is like on board for the denizens of the silent deep.Dramatic episodes are revealed for the first time: how HMS Warspite gathered intelligence against the Soviet Navy''s latest ballistic-missile-carrying submarine in the late 1960s;Trade ReviewA tour de force, a valuable resource for naval historians and future generations to wonder at. And I can't help hoping that our current leaders will make themselves aware of some vitally significant issues that it raises. -- Admiral Lord West * Spectator *The lay reader cannot fail to be absorbed by its dramatic tales of cat-and-mouse skirmishes with Soviet hunter-killer submarines, embarrassing spy scandals and lucid accounts of the Falklands War - all enlivened with first-hand testimony from the submariners themselves. -- Richard Blackmore * Independent *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Kitchen’s exhaustively researched, detailed book nails, one by one, the lies of the man who provided a thick coat of whitewash to millions of old Nazis. Its fascinating account of how the moral degradation of the chaotic Nazi regime corrupted an entire nation is a timely warning for today.”—John Harding, “Book of the Month", Daily Mail -- John Harding * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The amount of material Waters has unearthed is impressive, especially given the deliberate invisibility of witchcraft’s practitioners. His book is a salutary reminder that the modern world is not immune to superstition”— Robert Leigh-Pemberton, Daily Telegraph“[The book] is admirably wide-ranging, none the less, offering a survey of magic from the beginning of the 19th century until the present day, clearly demonstrating its ubiquity, its importance, and its persistence” — William Whyte, Church Times“Waters has…produced a magnificent history of 19th and 20th-century British witchcraft.”—Simon Young, Times Higher Education "Waters will certainly get his readers thinking."—Ceri Houlbrook, The Canadian Journal of History“There are many histories of witchcraft and magic, but this one is distinguished by its impressive scholarship, compelling narratives and good writing.”—Fortean Times “A timely account of the ebb and flow of belief in the black arts in modern times. It's fascinating, well-researched and utterly compelling.”—Michelle Paver, author of Wakenhyrst“This is one of those pioneering studies which immediately establishes a mastery of its field. It is broad, adventurous, subtle, painstaking and in places perhaps controversial: at once a glittering debut and a monument of scholarship.”—Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch“Built around numerous intriguing case studies, Cursed Britain charts the continued fear of witchcraft and harmful magic in Britain and beyond over the last two centuries. Authoritative and engaging, Waters’ book explores and explains why we should seek to understand the magical beliefs of our recent ancestors, and also requires us to reflect on the continued belief in malign forces.”—Owen Davies, author of A Supernatural War“An important and timely investigation into how malevolent magic and counter magic has survived, adapted, declined, and revived in the modern age. This is also a very human history of fear, power, influence and imagination. Fascinating.”— Karl Bell, author of The Magical Imagination

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Book SynopsisAlan Johnson was born in May 1950. He is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Johnson was the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle until his retirement from politics in 2017. His first book, This Boy, won the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize in 2013. His second, Please Mister Postman, won the National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year in 2014. His third, The Long and Winding Road, was published in 2016 and won the Parliamentary Book Award for Best Memoir.Trade ReviewThe best political testament I have ever read -- Peter Wilby * New Statesman *This boy can write…there’s nothing second-rate about his writing. He is a natural * The Spectator *A wonderful elegy for a life that has only just passed into history... Beautifully written, affecting and sad -- John Rentoul * Independent on Sunday *A fascinating piece of social history -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *Johnson’s writing style is easy, relaxed, self-deprecating. His recall and eye for detail are impressive -- Chris Mullin * Observer *

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Book SynopsisCharles II was thirty when he crossed the Channel in fine May weather in 1660. His Restoration was greeted with maypoles and bonfires, like spring after long years of Cromwell''s rule. But there was no going back, no way he could ''restore'' the old. Certainty had vanished. The divinity of kingship fled with his father''s beheading. ''Honour'' was now a word tossed around in duels. ''Providence'' could no longer be trusted. As the country was rocked by plague, fire and war, people searched for new ideas by which to live. Exactly ten years later Charles II would stand again on the shore at Dover, laying the greatest bet of his life in a secret deal with his cousin, Louis XIV.The Restoration decade was one of experiment: from the science of the Royal Society to the startling role of credit and risk, from the shocking licence of the court to the failed attempts at toleration of different beliefs. Negotiating all these, Charles II, the ''slippery sovereign'', played odds and too

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Book SynopsisMasterly.' Daily Mail Stunning.' History TodayMagnificent.' Literary ReviewNapoleon's life reached its most extraordinary stage between 1805 and 1810. At war with Britain, Russia, and Austria, he unleashed his magnificent Grande Armée. The first resounding victory at Austerlitz was followed by a whirlwind of campaigns, and by 1810 he had divorced Josephine in order to marry the daughter of the Austrian Emperor. The Spirit of the Age illustrates in vivid detail the five years in which Napoleon appeared to be invincible.

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Book SynopsisThe biography of Franz Stangl, commandant of the Treblinka extermination camp - a classic and utterly compelling study of evilOnly four men commanded Nazi extermination (as opposed to concentration) camps. Franz Stangl was one of the. Gitta Sereny''s investigation of this man''s mind, and of the influences which shaped him, has become a classic. Stangl commanded Treblinka and was found guilty of co-responsibility for the slaughter there of at least 900, 000 people. Sereny, after weeks of talk with him and months of further research, shows us this man as he saw himself, and ''as he was seen by many others, including his wife. To horrify is not Sereny''s aim, though horror is inevitable. She is seeking an answer to the question which beggars reason: How were human beings turned into instruments of such overwhelming evil?Gitta Sereny is of Hungarian-Austrian extraction and is trilingual in English, French and German. During the Second WTrade ReviewAn epic examination of a Nazi war criminal * Guardian *The most gripping and illuminating account of Nazi genocide that I have read, shedding light, as she intended, on "a whole dimension of reactions and behaviour we have never yet understood" -- Stephen Vizinczey * Sunday Telegraph *She takes us sharply and deeply into the hierarchy of the death camps; the methods used; the experiences of the very few survivors, both inmates and guards -- Philip Toynbee * Observer *It is no exaggeration to call it a masterpiece -- Michael Hilton * Daily Telegraph *

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

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Book Synopsis'Agnes Humbert bears devastating witness to her time An insider's account of the germination of the French Resistance' William BoydTrade Review'Sober and testifying, sardonic and humorous A beautiful and powerful work of literature' Michele Roberts, The Times 'Humbert's memoir bears witness to innumerable horrors, presented here with a pugnacious courage What makes this horrific account so affecting is Humbert's sense of humour, her indomitable refusal to submit' Carmen Callil, Guardian 'An astonishing work, almost unbearable to read in places, yet ultimately inspiring A remarkable book by a remarkable and brave woman' Allan Massie, Literary Review 'Her book adds to the small record of how the human mind can preserve the heart and soul intact against all attempts to annihilate it' Linda Grant, Observer

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Book SynopsisRoyal Bargemasters have been serving their monarchs for over 800 years, yet their story has never been told. Always working in close proximity to their sovereigns, they have witnessed and played their part in many of the important events in our country's history. They have been close witnesses to rebellions and coronations, to initial courting and grand royal weddings, and added their colourful presence to the splendour of celebrations and pageants. Painstakingly researched by ex-Royal Bargemaster Robert Crouch and professional researcher Beryl Pendley, this beautifully illustrated book offers a colourful insight into the role of the Bargemasters over the centuries, revealing the part they have played in both the day-to-day lives of the Royal Family and their contribution to great ceremonial occasions from the Plantagenets to our present Queen.

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Book SynopsisHaving fought their way up fifty miles of Hell's Highway and through Nijmegen, XXX Corps was just ten miles from Arnhem and 1st British Airborne Division. The Island is flat land between the Waal at Nijmegen and the Rhine at Arnhem. The situation was increasingly bad with the remainder of II SS Panzer Corps in the area and German counter attacks on Hell's Highway preventing the Allies applying their material superiority. The Guards Armoured and then 43rd Wessex Infantry Division took turns to lead before reaching the Rhine opposite the paratroopers in the Oosterbeek Perimeter.Attempts to cross the Rhine by the Polish Paras and the Dorset Regiment had little success but, meanwhile, the guns of XXX Corps ensured the survival of the Perimeter. After some desperate fighting on the island, 43 Wessex Division evacuated just two thousand members of the elite Airborne Division who had landed eight days earlier.

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Book SynopsisThe longest-reigning monarch in European history! If the news about Harry, William, Kate, Meghan, and the rest of the British royals has you wondering about how this latest generation of princes, princesses, dukes, and duchesses got their start, you're not alone. Queen Elizabeth II For Dummies takes you on a fascinating journey through the life of Great Britain's longest-serving monarch. You'll find revealing stories about Queen Elizabeth II's family background, her childhood, early ascension to the throne, and her role during times of national crisis and triumph. The book combines must-know facts about the monarchy with details of the remarkable woman who has held the crown for over 68 years (and counting). You'll also read about: Where shows like The Crown stay true-to-life and where they take artistic liberties with historical factQueen Elizabeth II's relationship with Prince Charles, the late Prince Phillip, Princess Diana, and the thousands of famous figures she has encountered duTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: the Road to the Throne 5 Chapter 1: Queen Elizabeth II: A Global Icon 7 Carrying the Weight of History 9 Heading up a monarchy 1,500 years in the making 9 Ruling the jig-saw kingdom 11 Being one of the precious few queens 13 Following in the Footsteps of Grandpa and Daddy 16 George V 17 George VI 17 Wearing Many Different Hats 18 Ruling in theory 18 Running the family firm 19 And Being a Mum, Too 20 The Secrets of Elizabeth’s Success 21 She’s been queen for a long time 21 Her style has evolved and adapted 21 She uses more carrot than stick 22 She’s nothing if not discreet 23 Chapter 2: Triumph of Compromise: Constitutional Monarchy 25 From Tribal Leader to King of England 27 Settling down with the Anglo-Saxons 27 Uniting through adversity 29 Ruling by Divine Right? 32 Losing my religion: Henry VIII’s church reforms 33 Entering the first Elizabethan Age 35 Finding Mary (Queen of Scots) 35 Becoming a republic 36 Establishing a Constitutional Monarchy 37 Choosing absolutism or republicanism? 38 Bringing about revolution 38 Appointing a newcomer 40 Learning with George: what monarchs shouldn’t do 41 American Republic, French Republic – Britain next? 42 Chapter 3: Victoria: The Queen Who Defined an Era 43 The Monarchs Who Came Before Victoria 44 The Young Queen 45 Along Comes Albert 46 How Albert helped the British monarchy 47 The royal network 48 From Monarch to Empress 49 Victoria Gives Way to Parliament 50 Britain’s New Empire 51 Death, despair, and republicanism 52 Celebrating Victoria’s Jubilees 53 Golden Jubilee, 1887 53 Diamond Jubilee, 1897 54 After Victoria 54 Edward VII: A playboy king 55 George V: A dull king for a difficult time 55 Chapter 4: The Birth of a Princess 57 Bertie: The Stammering Second Son 58 Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon: A Suitable Match 58 Princess Lilibet is Born 60 Baby Betty steals the limelight 62 Grandma knows best 62 A sister is born 63 Educating a princess 64 Chapter 5: Edward VIII: The King Who Abdicated 65 Edward Prince of Wales 66 A Populist Prince 67 Edward’s other education 67 A trial run 68 Enter Wallis Simpson 68 Accession and Abdication 69 Act I: October 1936 71 Act II: November 1936 72 Act III: December 1936 73 Chapter 6: Preparing for the Throne 75 Bertie Steps up to the Plate 75 Peeking out from behind the glass curtain 77 Building up to war 78 Choosing a premier 80 The Royals at War 82 Royalty on rations 83 Working towards victory 84 Sharing hardship 84 The princesses at war 85 Countdown to the Crown 87 Reaching out to the Commonwealth 88 Courting Philip of Greece 89 Living the family life 90 Part 2: the Young Queen 93 Chapter 7: Coronation: ‘I Present Unto You Queen Elizabeth’ 95 An Occasion of Pomp and Ceremony 96 Glamour in Westminster Abbey 96 The glory of the Crown Jewels 99 Mixing family and politicians on the guest list 99 A Day to Remember 100 Chapter 8: The Queen Goes to Work 101 Working Daily as a Dutiful and Diligent Monarch 102 Dressing the part 103 Heading to work 104 Ploughing through the paperwork 105 Relaxing with some downtime 106 Acting as a Political Figure 107 Understanding the relationship between the Crown and Parliament 107 Meeting with the prime minister 108 Hosting heads of state 109 Carrying On with a Continuous Round of Visits and Ceremonial Duties 110 Touring her realm: visiting, opening, and launching 111 Running ‘The Firm’: the Windsor family business 111 Chapter 9: Back-up: The Royal Household 113 At Home With the Windsors 114 Crown properties 114 The Duchy of Cornwall 115 Private Properties 116 Are You Being Served? Meeting the Royal Household 116 The five key departments of the household 117 The power behind the throne: the Private Secretary’s Office 119 Working for the Royal Family 120 Chapter 10: The Globe-trotting Monarch 121 Taking Those All-important First Steps 122 Travelling Around the World 42 Times (Without a Passport) 124 Touring the Commonwealth of Nations 125 Understanding the Commonwealth’s role 126 Drawing the crowds and spreading joy 127 Bowling them over: Elizabeth and the Aussies 127 The Saviour of the Commonwealth? 128 Acting As a Royal Ambassador 128 Forging special relationships: Elizabeth and America’s presidents 130 Boosting trade 131 Passing the baton to other royals 132 Using Planes, Trains and Automobiles 132 Royal coaches 132 Royal cars 133 The royal train 134 The royal yacht 134 Royal flight 135 Chapter 11: The Queen Mother 137 Creating a New Role for the Former Empress 137 Sharing the Queen’s Duties 139 Flying the royal flag 139 Remaining the Queen’s mother (not just the Queen Mother) 140 Flipping the Coin: The Other Side of the Queen Mother 141 Sharing Royal Duties Around the Family 142 Out and about with Charles and Anne 142 Remaining a working family 143 Part 3: the Need to Adapt 145 Chapter 12: Times They Are a-Changing 147 Witnessing Britain’s Waning Influence in the World 147 No longer ruling an empire 148 No longer ruling the waves 149 No longer ruling the Middle East 149 No longer ruling Africa 150 Joining the European Economic Community 151 Surviving Gossip, Constitutional Complications, and Political Scandal 153 Philip’s solo world tour 153 The princess and the politician 155 Political shenanigans 156 Saying farewell to Winston 158 Ruling Through the Swinging Sixties 159 Satire and the establishment 159 Elvis and four boys from Liverpool 160 Changing social attitudes 162 Being Stuck in a Time Warp? 162 Malcolm Muggeridge 162 John Grigg 163 John Osbourne 163 Reactions from the monarchists 163 Chapter 13: Margaret: Elizabeth’s Troubled Sister 165 Looking at the Early Life of the Lively One 166 Becoming the All-singing, All-dancing Playgirl 166 Falling in Love 168 Introducing Group Captain Peter Townsend 168 Calling it off 170 And (Eventually) Getting Married 171 Being the odd one out 172 Finally a marriage 173 Heading Downhill: Sex, Drink, and Cigarettes 174 Divorce and depression 174 (Just about) Remaining a dutiful royal 175 Margaret’s final years 176 Chapter 14: The Royal Response to Criticism 177 The Raising of Charles and Anne 178 Prince Charles at school and beyond 178 Princess Anne grabs the headlines 179 Heading Towards the 1960s 181 Welcoming Two New Boys to the Family 182 Prince Andrew 182 Prince Edward 183 Living With Unsavory Rumours 184 Living with the Labour Party 185 Opening Up to the World (A Little) 186 The Royal Family documentary 187 The Investiture of Charles 187 The continued need for a little mystery 188 Chapter 15: Celebrating 25 Years: The Silver Jubilee 189 Britain’s Difficult Decade: The 1970s 189 Dealing with trouble and strife 192 Finding reasons to be cheerful 193 Keeping Calm and Carrying On 194 Planning Elizabeth’s Jubilee 196 Entering Jubilee Year 197 Celebrating in June 1977 199 Part 4: Stormy Waters 201 Chapter 16: The Tragedy of Charles and Diana 203 Stepping Out With Charles 204 Charles’s first girlfriends 204 Charles’s number one: Camilla Shand 206 Introducing Lady Diana 207 The early life of Lady Diana 207 Charles and Diana get engaged 209 The Marriage of Charles and Diana 210 Building up to the big day 210 Worrying moments of the wedding 211 Going Steady: The First Few Years of Marriage 212 Heading off on honeymoon 212 Protecting Diana from the press 213 The birth of Prince William 213 The Birth of Prince Harry 214 Fulfilling Royal Duties Together 215 Troubling times beneath the surface 215 Diana’s affairs 217 The whispers get louder 218 Heading Towards the End of The Marriage 218 Remembering Diana’s Final Year 220 Chapter 17: The Queen’s Wealth and the Cost of the Monarchy 221 Understanding Royal Finances Over the Centuries 222 Introducing the Civil List 222 Mixing family and state funding 224 Reforming the System 225 Introducing the Sovereign Grant 226 The growing grant 227 Giving the family some extras 227 Totalling Up the Windsors’ Wealth 228 Paying tax (on a voluntary basis) 228 Bowing to pressure 229 Estimating Royal Value For Money 230 Chapter 18: One Country, Two Women: The Age of Margaret Thatcher 233 Comparing Elizabeth and Margaret 234 The pragmatic Queen and her principled prime minister 234 The mother and the schoolmarm working together for a while 235 Navigating Difficulties and Dangers 236 The assassination of Louis Mountbatten 237 Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe 238 South African apartheid 240 The invasion of Grenada 241 Prince Andrew goes to war: The Falklands 242 Coalminers divide the nation and its rulers 243 More Bombings, a Wedding and a 60th Birthday 244 Chapter 19: Defender of the Faith 247 Understanding the Long Relationship Between Crown and Church 248 Stirring things up: The radical Tudors 248 Calming things down: The Anglican compromise 249 Figuring out Elizabeth’s Faith 251 Delivering the Christmas message 252 Talking religion 253 Checking out Royal Chapels and Churches 253 Balmoral 254 Buckingham Palace 254 Sandringham 254 Windsor Castle 255 Chapter 20: Annus Horribilis 257 Staying Married is Hard to Do 258 What is a royal marriage? 258 The Windsor’s complicated history of marriage 259 Following the Family’s Progress 261 Charles: The tortured one 262 Anne: The gamechanger 262 Andrew: ‘Randy Andy’ 263 Edward: The lost boy 265 Watching a Royal Game Show 265 Smouldering Tension: Fire in Windsor Castle 267 Part 5: Steadying the Ship. 269 Chapter 21: ‘Long to Reign Over Us’: No Sign of Flagging 271 Negotiating the 1990s 272 Dwindling public deference 273 Surviving the songs and satire 274 The Death of Diana 275 Sunday, 31 August 275 Monday 1 September 276 Tuesday 2 September 276 Wednesday 3 September 276 Thursday 4 September 277 Friday 5 September 277 Saturday 6 September 278 The aftermath of Diana’s death 279 Ancient Monarchy meets New Labour 279 Celebrations and Bereavements 281 Elizabeth and Philip’s Golden Wedding 281 The death and funeral of Princess Margaret 282 The passing of the Queen Mother 282 A Queen’s Work is Never Done 283 Reacting to 9/11 283 Heading over to Eire 284 Going online 285 Chapter 22: The Queen’s Animal Friends 287 Horsing Around: The Princess and Her Ponies 288 Following royal equine tradition 288 Learning to ride 289 Being in the saddle 289 Breeding Equine Success 290 Backing the winners 292 Attending Royal Ascot 292 Her Majesty’s notable racehorse winners 294 Keeping Pets and Receiving Presents 294 The corgis 294 The dorgis 295 Exotic animals as gifts 295 Supporting Bloodsports 296 Chapter 23: The Golden and Diamond Jubilees 297 Celebrating 50 Years on the Throne: The Golden Jubilee 297 Making careful preparations 298 Dining with five prime ministers 299 Proving popular at party time 299 Lighting up the Empire State Building 300 Jaunting 40,000-miles around the world 300 Following In the Footsteps of Victoria: The Diamond Jubilee 300 Becoming re-dedicated to a life of service 301 Falling (a little) flat 301 Planning for the Platinum Jubilee 302 Holding unprecedented popularity 303 Unique celebrations for a unique queen 303 Chapter 24: Succession Secured 305 Entering a Brave New World 305 Becoming a Happier Family 307 Charles 307 Anne 308 Edward 308 Opening the London Olympics 309 Making Ripples on the Royal Pond 309 Andrew’s murky goings-on 310 Weathering recession and austerity 311 Going Green: Environmental Efforts 312 Exploring the Difficult Lives of William and Harry 313 The princes at their mother’s funeral 314 The steady one: William’s education and service 315 The wild one: Harry, soldier and playboy 316 Introducing Catherine Middleton 316 A new marriage for a new age 317 Catherine’s non-royal upbringing 318 Changing the Rules of Succession 319 Updating the Monarchy In The New Century 319 Relaxing into the role 320 Welcoming George, Charlotte, and Louis to the family 320 Chapter 25: Home Alone 321 Living Without Philip 322 The Land Rover funeral 322 Tributes and complaints 323 And Elizabeth? 323 Facing Britain’s Current Big Issues 324 Austerity 325 Scottish independence 325 Brexit 326 BLM and culture wars 328 Covid-19 329 Going It Alone: Harry and Meghan 330 Marrying a TV star 330 Heading into American exile 332 Preparing For The Crown: King Charles III 332 What Will History Make of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II? 334 Her reign was not without difficulties 334 She did her duty 335 Part 6: the Part of Tens 337 Chapter 26: Ten Prime Ministers Elizabeth has Worked With 339 Winston Churchill (1952–1955) 340 Harold Macmillan (1957–1963) 340 Harold Wilson (1964–1970, 1974–1976) 341 James Callaghan (1976–1979) 342 Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) 342 John Major (1990–1997) 343 Tony Blair (1997–2007) 344 Gordon Brown (2007–2010) 345 David Cameron (2010–2016) 345 Boris Johnson (2019 to the time of writing) 345 Chapter 27: Ten Tricky Moments for Elizabeth 347 Rumours of Prince Philip’s Infidelity (1948 onwards) 347 The Affair Between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend (1952–1955) 348 Lord Altrincham Criticizes the ‘Priggish School Girl’ (1957) 350 The Unwise Appointment of Lord Home as Prime Minister (1963) 351 Dismissal Crisis: The Governor-General Sacks Australia’s Prime Minister (1975) 352 Michael Fagan Sneaks Into the Queen’s Bedroom (1982) 353 A New Biography Reveals Criticism of Prince Charles’s Upbringing (1994) 353 The Palace is Slow to Capture the Public Mood on Princess Diana’s death (1997) 354 Prince Charles Says he is ‘Impatient’ to Succeed to the Throne (2012) 355 President Trump Pats the Queen on the Back (2019) 355 Chapter 28: Ten Royal Portrayals 357 Jeanette Charles in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) 357 Helen Mirren in The Queen (2006) 358 Barbara Flynn in The Queen docu-drama (2009) 359 Freya Wilson in The King’s Speech (2010) 360 Emma Thompson in Walking the Dogs (2012) 360 Sarah Gadon in A Royal Night Out (2015) 361 Penelope Wilton in The BFG (2016) 361 Claire Foy in The Crown (2016–2017) 362 Olivia Coleman in The Crown (2019–2020) 363 Imelda Staunton in The Crown (2022) 364 Chapter 29: Ten Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren 365 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge 366 Prince George of Cambridge 367 Princess Charlotte 368 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex 368 Princess Beatrice 370 Princess Eugenie of York 370 James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn 371 Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor 371 Peter Phillips 372 Zara Tindall 372 Index 373

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Book SynopsisThis memoir is perhaps one of the most immediate and vivid recollections of life in a Royal Navy battlecruiser to come out of World War I. John Muir, a surgeon, was the senior medical officer aboard HMS Tiger from her commissioning in October 1914 until his departure in the autumn of 1916 when she was then undergoing repairs at Rosyth to the damage incurred at the battle of Jutland in June that year. Vivid, authoritative, empathetic and beautifully written, this memoir takes the reader right to the center of the action in the first years of the war. But more than a narrative of events, his story is also one about the officers and men who were his comrades in those years; about their qualities, their anxieties and the emotional dimension of their experiences. His insights are those of a man trained to understand the human heart, and they bring vividly to life a generation of men who fought at sea more than one hundred years ago. This is a spellbinding and gripping memoir, brought to a n

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Book SynopsisA compelling journey through Gurkha history written with grace and style it is indeed a wonderful read - Field Marshal Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MCIt is 1814 and the Bengal Army of the Honourable East India Company is at war with a marauding Nepal. It is here that the British first encounter the martial spirit of an indomitable foe the Gurkha hillman from that mountainous independent land.Impressed by their fighting qualities and with the end of hostilities in sight the Company begins to recruit them into their own ranks. Since then these light-hearted and gallant soldiers have campaigned wherever the British Army has served - from the North-West Frontier of India through two World Wars to the more contemporary battlefields of the Falkland Islands and Afghanistan's Helmand Province, with well over one hundred battle honours to their name and at a cost of many thousands of casualties.Seen through the prism of his own Regiment and service, General Duffell vividly recounts some of the his

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Book Synopsis''Engrossing and powerful . . . rich and thought-provoking''Fara Dabhoiwala, Guardian''Path-breaking . . . a major rewriting of history''Mihir Bose, Irish Times''Slave Empire is lucid, elegant and forensic. It deals with appalling horrors in cool and convincing prose.''The EconomistThe British empire, in sentimental myth, was more free, more just and more fair than its rivals. But this claim that the British empire was ''free'' and that, for all its flaws, it promised liberty to all its subjects was never true. The British empire was built on slavery.Slave Empire puts enslaved people at the centre the British empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In intimate, human detail, Padraic Scanlon shows how British imperial power and industrial capitalism were inextricable from plantation slavery. With vivid original research and careful synthesis of innovative historical scholarsTrade ReviewEngrossing and powerful . . . rich and thought-provoking. -- Fara Dabhoiwala * Guardian *Slave Empire is lucid, elegant and forensic. It deals with appalling horrors in cool and convincing prose. * The Economist *Path-breaking . . . a major rewriting of history. -- Mihir Bose * Irish Times *Scanlan writes about how the antislavery movement became its own political and economic force: a moralising stance for an empire which continued to profit from the global network of unfree labour. Britain's mills, for example, still processed cotton from the American South long after the slave trade in its colonies was abolished. -- Katrina Gulliver, SpectatorPadraic X. Scanlan has written a sweeping and devastating history of how slavery made modern Britain, and destroyed so much else. Ranging from Europe to the Caribbean, from West Africa to the new United States, Scanlan narrates the rise and fall of Britain's slave empire with an epic concision and an unwavering humanity. He also reveals, with unprecedented clarity and power, how the antislavery movement in Britain largely failed to accept Black equality. When the British parliament finally voted to end slavery in 1833, it paid a fortune in compensation to slaveholders and not a penny to enslaved people. Britain continued to rely on slave-produced cotton (especially from the United States) for decades, while in its own empire it replaced slavery with new forms of coerced labour and racial hierarchy. Most Britons have learned to deny or forget that their wealth was rooted in slavery, while occasionally congratulating themselves on their moral achievement of no longer enslaving people. Slave Empire offers a shattering rebuke to the amnesia and myopia which still structure British history. -- Nicholas Guyatt, author of Bind Us Apart: How Enlightened Americans Invented Racial SegregationPadraic Scanlan is the leading historian of British antislavery in Africa. In Slave Empire, he tells the larger story of the British empire over two centuries, and sets slavery at the heart of political and economic history. The liberal empire of the nineteenth century, he shows, was the outcome of the long encounter of antislavery and economic expansion founded on enslaved or unfree labour. Antislavery was itself the excuse for empire. -- Emma Rothschild, Jeremy and Jane Knowles Professor of History, Harvard UniversityScanlan's book is a fresh and fascinating new telling of the story of Britain's role in slavery and abolition in the Atlantic World. Slave Empire shows how an empire built on slavery became an empire sustained and expanded by antislavery. A stunning narrative, Slave Empire deftly combines rich storytelling with vivid details and deep scholarship. -- Bronwen Everill, author of Not Made By Slaves: Ethical Capitalism in the Age of AbolitionLively and informative . . . there is a clear, almost textbook-like, account of the sugar plantation system . . . particularly good on the ill-fated 'apprenticeship' scheme that was linked to abolition after 1834. -- Krishan Kumar, University Professor and William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, author of Empires: A Historical and Political Sociology * Times Literary Supplement *This accessible synthesis of recent scholarship comes at the right time to help shape current debates about Britain and slavery. -- Nicholas Draper, author of The Price of Emancipation: Slave-Ownership, Compensation and British Society at the End of SlaveryScanlan writes about how the antislavery movement became its own political and economic force: a moralising stance for an empire which continued to profit from the global network of unfree labour. Britain's mills, for example, still processed cotton from the American South long after the slave trade in its colonies was abolished. -- Katrina Gulliver * Spectator *Powerful, often devastating, always compelling. * All About History *Freedom's Debtors interweaves a remarkably broad array of historical themes common to studies of abolition and post-emancipation societies, including contemporary notions of race and civilization, the tension between morality and profitability, and conflicts over land and labour. Scanlan does this remarkably well, in smooth, clear prose and with a keen eye for rich anecdotes and illustrations. These features, along with Scanlan's mastery of the sources and literature, make this book essential reading, not just for Africanists but for anyone interested in antislavery and abolition. -- Sean M. Kelley, Slavery & AbolitionFreedom's Debtors offers a much-needed account of how British abolitionist principles were developed and applied in West Africa . . . Scanlan's study emphasises how British and other non-African actors developed and profited from new forms of coercive labor as a result of the abolition of the slave trade . . . Scanlan's book provides a strong foundation for exploring the connections between the 'abolitionist' laws and policies imposed on Sierra Leone's 'Liberated Africans' and those that were applied to other imperial subjects during this dynamic time of ideological revolution and global expansion. -- Trina Leah Hogg, Journal of African HistoryPadraic Scanlan has not only written an excellent book on Sierra Leone, he has produced one of the most important books ever written on Liberated Africans . . . Freedom's Debtors is essential reading . . . Scanlan powerfully re-centres our understanding of abolitionism and forces us to re-examine its immediate and long-term effects in Africa. -- Matthew S. Hopper, Journal of British StudiesBased on exhaustive research within British missionary and personal papers as well as documents in the Sierra Leone archives, [Freedom's Debtors] . . . breaks conceptual ground and charts a new historiographical direction. Scanlan makes connections between the logic of capitalism and its intersection with colonialism and slavery. He demonstrates how British West Africa was enmeshed with economic systems at a global level and by taking the focus away from Europe, he challenges the prevailing narratives of abolitionism and colonialism. His argues convincingly that without slavery, without colonial 'outposts', capitalism and freedom might have evolved differently. This compelling book makes a huge contribution to our understanding of the processes which led to abolition but has wider implications for the historiography and the paradigms that inform it. * Canadian Historical Association *Freedom's Debtors is timely, original, and lucid. Its analysis of the political, economic, and cultural forces that shaped the development of Sierra Leone challenges celebratory narratives about the abolition of the slave trade and offers a new account of life in this British colony. Padraic Scanlan's attention to the agency of West Africans and to 'British antislavery in practice' makes this work an important contribution to our understanding of the nature and locus of Atlantic history. * American Historical Association *

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Book SynopsisA long-overdue book honouring the remarkable achievements of key black British individuals over many centuries, in collaboration with the 100 Great Black Britons campaign founded and run by Patrick Vernon OBE.Trade ReviewThis book is timely and so important. Especially now during the Black Lives Matter movement, people all over the country are looking to expand their knowledge of Black British historical figures and this book will help people to do just that. It is never too late to do the right thing - recognition is long overdue. I am sure you will see this book on many bookshelves and I would encourage everyone to buy it!An empowering read . . . it is refreshing to see somebody celebrate the role that black Britons have played in this island's long and complicated history. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn Search of the Greeks offers an engaging introduction to the societies of Classical Greece. Making extensive use of ancient sources and illustrated with some hundred and fifty photographs, drawings, maps and plans, many now for the first time in colour, the book introduces key topics of ancient Greece. The new edition opens with a new chapter that provides an historical overview of the key events, figures and eras, and continues with updated chapters on key topics in Greek history: religion and thought, Athenian democracy, Athenian society, Athenian drama, the Olympic Games and Sparta. Activity boxes and further reading lists throughout each chapter aid students'' understanding of the subject. Appendices provide further information on Greek currency values, Greek musical instruments and the Greek calendar.Review questions throughout this book challenge students to read further and reflect on some of the most important social, political and cultural issues of classical Greece. Trade Review[A] big handsome book, beautifully presented and lavishly illustrated ... Everything is done to facilitate the introduction of the non-specialist to key aspects of the ancient Greek world ... This is surely the most comprehensive introduction to Greek civilisation on the market ... [and] the most attractive. * Classics For All Reviews *Any teacher of Classical Civilisation, or, indeed, Ancient Greek will wish to have a copy of this book to hand for easy reference. I have no doubt that it should be the standard classroom text for some time to come ... There is in this volume, and the accompanying website, more than enough resources for any teacher to choose from. * The Classical Review *In search of the Greeks offers readers a cogent and engaging overview of the ancient Greek world. James Renshaw manages to make complex aspects of Greek society such as religion and class easily accessible, without reducing the richness and endless variety of life in ancient Greece. The book is handsomely produced, with a number of helpful tables and appendices, as well as an excellent range of supporting illustrations that help bring the ancient world to life. Students and general readers alike will learn much about the social, political and cultural life of ancient Greece in this splendid book. -- Jan Haywood is Teaching Fellow in Ancient History at Leicester University, UKThis is probably the most user-friendly textbook-type account of the Ancient Greeks currently on the market. Do not hesitate to join in James Renshaw's open-minded search, in a true spirit of historia, enquiry - the characteristic attitude of the very best of the ancient Greeks themselves. * Paul Cartledge, A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, Cambridge University, UK *This book has something for everyone: it will be used with profit by school students and undergraduates. Every page shows the hand of a gifted and experienced teacher. Excellent and plentiful colour pictures, maps and text boxes make the new edition a visual treat for the reader. * John Taylor, University of Manchester, UK, formerly Tonbridge School *Table of ContentsPreface Notes on the Text Introduction 1. A History of Archaic and Classical Greece 2. Greek Religion 3. The Ancient Olympic Games 4. Greek Thought 5. Athenian Society 6. Athenian Democracy 7. Athenian Drama 8. Sparta Appendixes 1. Greek Currency Values 2. The Greek Calendar 3. Greek Musical Instruments Chronology Acknowledgements Sources of Quotations Sources of Illustrations Index

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Book SynopsisBritain’s first Labour government took office on 22 January 1924. Its centenary provides an opportunity to reassess the party's performance over the last 100 years, and with an election pending, the character and purpose of the modern party. Labour defined the dominant political settlement of much of the Twentieth Century: the welfare state. It has achieved much in pursuit of material change, social reform and equality. It has challenged patriarchy, racism and the legacy of imperialism, promoted human rights and delivered democratic and constitutional renewal. Yet any honest assessment must acknowledge a century littered with failures and missed opportunities. In this compelling book, Jon Cruddas, one of the country's foremost experts on Labour politics, details the vivid personalities and epic factional battles, the immense achievements and profound disappointments that define a century of Labour. Uniquely framed around competing visions of socialist justice within the Party, he provides a way to rethink Labour history, the divisions and factions on the left and to reassess key figures at the helm of the movement from Keir Hardie through to Keir Starmer.Trade Review‘This dense history of ideas is not a breezy read – but it adds up to a heartfelt plea for pluralism from a Labour thinker whose parliamentary career is drawing to a close just as his party enters a new chapter.’The Guardian'Jon Cruddas is a member of that relatively rare species, an active politician who is also an intellectual.'Chris Mullin, The Spectator ‘If the Labour Party is to win office and govern effectively, it should study A Century of Labour, and embrace the deep lessons it offers about success built on tolerance, respect and pluralism.’Neal Lawson, Director of Compass‘Cruddas’ clear-eyed analysis gets to the very heart of the ideas and the personalities that have united and divided the Labour Party. A must-read from one of Labour’s most insightful and original thinkers.’Lisa Nandy MP‘A brilliantly bold and bracing journey through Labour’s rich yet troubled history.’Adrian Pabst, author of Postliberal Politics‘An outstanding dissection and celebration of the modern Labour movement. Jon Cruddas is that rarest of breeds, a genuine scholar-politician.’Jesse Norman MP, author of Adam Smith: What He Thought, and Why it Matters‘Quite simply the best history of the Labour Party I have read. Cruddas’ retrieval of the ethical tradition will serve as a guide to the Labour Party’s future.’Lord Glasman, Labour Peer ‘An incisive, original, and thought-provoking account of the different political strands that have defined the Labour party’s outlook over the decades. This book will be required reading, not only for those engrossed in the party’s past, but for those concerned about its future under Keir Starmer.’Mark Wickham-Jones, University of Bristol‘In this absorbing new history of the Labour party Jon Cruddas analyses the party’s successes and failures…An important contribution to the debate on Labour’s future.’Andrew Gamble, University of Sheffield‘important and authoritative’ Labour Hub‘a thorough and enlightening analysis of Labour’s strengths and weaknesses’Professor Pat Thane, Society‘timely […] full of excellent analysis’Morning StarTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Chapter 1: History Chapter 2: Justice Chapter 3: Origins Chapter 4: Minorities: 1924-1931 Chapter 5: Thirties: 1931-1939 Chapter 6: Jerusalem: 1939-1951 Chapter 7: Waste: 1951-1964 Chapter 8: Strife: 1964-1979 Chapter 9: Wilderness: 1979-1987 Chapter 10: Revival: 1987-1997 Chapter 11: Landslides: 1997-2010 Chapter 12: Isolation: 2010-2024 Chapter 13: Purpose Appendices Notes Index

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Book SynopsisExam board: AQA; Pearson Edexcel; OCRLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2015First exams: Summer 2016 (AS); Summer 2017 (A-level)Put your trust in the textbook series that has given thousands of A-level History students deeper knowledge and better grades for over 30 years.Updated to meet the demands of today's A-level specifications, this new generation of Access to History titles includes accurate exam guidance based on examiners' reports, free online activity worksheets and contextual information that underpins students' understanding of the period.- Develop strong historical knowledge: in-depth analysis of each topic is both authoritative and accessible- Build historical skills and understanding: downloadable activity worksheets can be used independently by students or edited by teachers for classwork and homework- Learn, remember and connect important events and people: an introduction to the period, summary diagrams, timelines and links to additional online resources support lessons, revision and coursework- Achieve exam success: practical advice matched to the requirements of your A-level specification incorporates the lessons learnt from previous exams- Engage with sources, interpretations and the latest historical research: students will evaluate a rich collection of visual and written materials, plus key debates that examine the views of different historians

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Book SynopsisWhat were the cultural factors that held the British world together? How was Britishness understood at home, in the Empire, and in areas of informal British influence? This book makes the case for a ‘cultural British world’, and examines how it took shape in a wide range of locations, ranging from India to Jamaica, from Sierra Leone to Australia, and from south China to New Zealand. Eleven original essays explore a wide range of topics, including images of nakedness, humanitarianism, anti-slavery, literary criticism, travel narratives, and household possessions. The book argues that the debates around these issues, as well as the consumer culture associated with them, helped give the British world a sense of cohesion and identity. The cultural construction of the British world will be essential reading for historians of imperialism and globalisation, and includes contributions from some of the most prominent historians of British imperial and cultural history.Trade Review'This volume brings together some of the most eminent scholars of British imperial history, and provides a thought-provoking showcase for a range of innovative approaches to the cultural history of empire. The essays set new agendas for future research, and offer fascinating insights into the cultural connectedness of a once-British world.'Simon J. Potter, Reader in Modern History at the University of Bristol'"Culture" here knows no bounds. It hails politics, the popular, military, capital and the body – not simply to show their interconnections but to track the ways that empire itself both integrated and compartmentalised the terrains it aimed to colonise.'Antoinette Burton, Professor of History and Bastian Professor of Global and Transnational Studies at the University of Illinois -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: The cultural construction of the British world – Barry Crosbie and Mark Hampton1. Naked natives and noble savages: the cultural work of nakedness in imperial Britain – Philippa Levine2. British radicals in Asia and the persistence of empire c.1820–1950 – C.A. Bayly3. Sugar wars: the culture of free trade versus the culture of antislavery in Britain and the British Caribbean, 1840–50 – Philip Harling4. At home in the Ottoman Empire: humanitarianism and the Victorian diplomat – Michelle Tusan5. A semi-exclusionary empire?: the use of British colonial ideals in Trinidad and Bengal – Martin J. Wiener6. The curious case of the chabutra-wallahs: Britons and Irish imperial culture in nineteenth-century India – Barry Crosbie7. Sorting out China: British accounts from pre-opium war Canton – John M. Carroll8. John Stuart Mill’s other island: the discourse of unbridled capitalism in post-war Hong Kong – Mark Hampton9. Scrutiny abroad: literary criticism and the colonial public – Christopher Hilliard10. Mr. Hickey’s pictures: Britons and their collectibles in late eighteenth-century India – Tillman Nechtman11. Material culture and Sierra Leone’s civilising mission in the nineteenth century – Bronwen EverillIndex

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Book SynopsisFew in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist.As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830.From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from, and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear.

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Book SynopsisThe Picts were an ancient nation who ruled most of northern and eastern Scotland during the Dark Ages. Despite their historical importance, they remain shrouded in myth and misconception. Absorbed by the kingdom of the Scots in the ninth century, they lost their unique identity, their language and their vibrant artistic culture. Amongst their few surviving traces are standing stones decorated with incredible skill and covered with enigmatic symbols - vivid memorials of a powerful and gifted people who bequeathed no chronicles to tell their story, no sagas to describe the deed of their kings and heroes. In this book Tim Clarkson pieces together the evidence to tell the story of this mysterious people from their emergence in Roman times to their eventual disappearance.Trade Review 'Very interesting and very readable' * Facts and Fiction *'A valuable resource' * Scottish Genealogist *

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Book SynopsisIt shows the variety and depth of the men sent into harms way during World War II, something emphasised by the population of Stalag Luft III. Most of the Allied POWs were flyers, with all the technical, tactical and planning skills that profession requires. Such men are independent thinkers, craving open air and wide-open spaces, which meant than an obsession with escape was almost inevitable'- John D Gresham Between dusk and dawn on the night of March 24th-25th 1944, a small army of Allied soldiers crawled through tunnels in Germany in a covert operation the likes of which the Third Reich had never seen before. The prison break from Stalag Luft III in eastern Germany was the largest of its kind in World War II. Seventy nine Allied soldiers and airmen made it outside the wire - but only three made it outside Nazi Germany. Fifty were executed by the Gestapo. Jonathan Vance tells the incredible story that was made famous by the 1963 film, The Great Escape. The escape is a classic tale of prisoner and their wardens in a battle of wits and wills.The brilliantly conceived escape plan is overshadowed only by the colourful, daring (and sometimes very funny) crew who executed it - literally under the noses of German guards. From their first days in Stalag Luft III and the forming of bonds key to such exploits, to the tunnel building, amazing escape and eventual capture, Vance's history is a vivid, compelling look at one of the greatest 'exfiltration' missions of all time.

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Book SynopsisWere the 1960s really a great time of liberation and joyful experimentation? 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. And at the heart of all that controversy - the music, drugs, fashion, hopes, dreams and political movements - is sex.In 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 - for better or worse.'An important reappraisal of a decade that changed us, for good and ill' Sunday Times'Fascinating...shows rather conclusively that the sixties was not a sexual paradise' Evening Standard'Creates an account of the 1960s that, unlike most popular histories, does not edit out the grim bits' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewThe case to rethink our assumptions about the period is one Doggett makes with verve and controlled passion ... An excellent book -- David Aaronovitch * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] fascinating...new book about the decade [the 60's] -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Refreshingly undogmatic, well-researched and highly readable -- David Kynaston * Spectator *I very much enjoyed the ride. Growing Up's strengths lies not so much in it being an expert guide to the seedier side of the 1960s (which it certainly is) but in the question Doggett has woven in every chapter, but just manages to leave unsaid: just how much has changed? -- Kate Lister * Daily Telegraph *In rich and playful prose, Growing Up knits together material from newspapers, women's magazines, films, television and pop music to create an account of the 1960s that, unlike most popular histories, does not edit out the grim bits -- Louise Perry * Mail on Sunday *An important reappraisal of a decade that changed us, for good and ill -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *Peter Doggett's fascinating new book Growing Up shows rather conclusively that the sixties was not a sexual paradise -- Tomiwa Owolade * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisThe Colour of Ireland: County by County 1860-1960 is a photographic celebration of the history, culture, people and places that make up a century of life in Ireland. Covering all 32 counties, this beautiful, meticulously researched collection takes a past only ever viewed before in black and white and - in glorious colour - breathes fresh energy and emotion into it.With close to 200 colourised photographs set alongside their black and white counterparts, here is a world seen for the first time: a treasure trove to fire the imagination and reignite our connection to the past as it was actually lived. From the thatched cottages of Meath to the libraries of Trinity College, from 1920s sunseekers in Dun Laoghaire to women spinning and carding wool in County Mayo, all of Ireland is vividly brought to life. Along with key moments from the Irish War of Independence and the turbulent history of the 32 counties, these images capture rural landscapes, villages, towns and cities. Endlessly, uniquely fascinating, The Colour of Ireland offers a wealth of perspectives on the bygone ages of an ever-changing land.

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Book Synopsis'Astonishing... In the American journalist Andrew Nagorski this tale has found its ideal narrator'SEBASTIAN FAULKS, Sunday Times'[A] thrilling book, as edge-of-your-seat gripping as any heist movie'Kathryn Hughes, Guardian Book of the Day'A gripping masterpiece'BRETT KAHR, Freud Museum LondonMarch 1938: German soldiers are massing on the Austrian border, on the cusp of fulfilling Hitler's dream of absorbing the country into the Third Reich. Many Jews make frantic plans to flee to safety. But one of the most famous men in the world, unable to contemplate leaving his beloved Vienna, is not among them. His name is Sigmund Freud.Saving Freud is the story of a great man's life, and of the extraordinary people who managed to prolong it, by convincing him to escape to London: the Welsh physician who brought psychoanalysis to Britain; Napoleon's great-grandniece; an American ambassador; Freud's devoted daughter, Anna; and the doctor who risked his own life by staying at Freud's side.In examining the histories of both Freud and his closest circle, Andrew Nagorski brilliantly evokes the story of Europe in the first half of the Twentieth Century. This is a tale of a great city, a collapsing empire, a rising terror - and of a man who would change the way we think.Trade ReviewThe astonishing story of Sigmund Freud's last-minute escape from Vienna... In the American journalist Andrew Nagorski this tale has found its ideal narrator: clear, objective and keen to keep things moving. -- Sebastian Faulks * Sunday Times *Andrew Nagorski has written a gripping masterpiece about one of the greatest figures in history, whose insights about human beings as "savage beasts" could not be more timely -- Professor Brett Kahr, Honorary Director of Research, Freud Museum London, and author of FREUD'S PANDEMICS[A] thrilling book, as edge-of-your-seat gripping as any heist movie, tells the story of how a "rescue squad" was marshalled to get Freud out of danger before it was too late -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian Book of the Day *Unabashedly gripping and enjoyable, taking on the characteristics of a thriller as it builds to its denouement... Nagorski vividly evokes the atmosphere of [Vienna] in the 1930s, and especially the sudden and violent transition, after decades of resentful tolerance towards its Jewish citizens, to a mood of genocidal hostility. He also offers a tightly controlled, tension-filled account of the inexorable fall of Austria into the abyss of Nazi control -- Josh Cohen * Times Literary Supplement *Nagorski tells a riveting new story, one that shows just how narrow Freud's escape from the Nazi genocide was... The narrative pace and Nagorski's fluid writing give this book the character of an adventure story. It is an engrossing but sobering read that reminds us how many others without the resources of the Freud family had no similar options to make an exodus -- Rachel Newcomb * Washington Post *Fascinating... As Nagorski illustrates with cultural insight and a careful pacing of events, his flight to safety in order to 'die in freedom' amounts to a tale of unlikely resistance at a time of appalling tragedy. -- Simeon House * Mail on Sunday **** *In his fascinating new book Saving Freud, American author Andrew Nagorski pieces together the story of an eccentric bunch of friends and admirers of Freud -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, Book of the Day *An insight-filled group portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis and his followers. It is also a psychobiographical thriller about the limits of genius -- Diane Cole * Wall Street Journal *Nagorski mixes the pacing of a historical thriller (think Alan Furst, but nonfiction, and starring therapists instead of spies) with a meditation on the limits of insight and what it means to be attached to a specific place and to live in a given moment in time...The result is hard to put down, poignant, and distressingly timely -- Patrick Blanchfield * New Republic *In a time in which the standing and integrity of psychoanalysis continues to be questioned, [Saving Freud] manages to show the extent to which people were entranced by Freud, how much this led some of them to love him, and how in doing so they revealed the deep ethical core of his person and his ideas -- Stephen Frosh * Jewish Chronicle *An intimate, touching portrait of a genius as an old man. Ill, myopic, in denial and terribly vulnerable, this Freud is more human than any I've encountered before. Andrew Nagorski has an artist's eye for revealing detail and a novelist's ability to bring to life a long lost world and its myriad denizens. -- Sylvia Nasar, author of A BEAUTIFUL MINDThis non-fiction work crackles like a novel... Saving Freud seems to have been written for the silver screen, and one can only hope that someone like Steven Spielberg finds his way to this book -- Kitty Kelley * Washington Independent Review of Books *Fascinating, eminently readable... A fresh look at Freud... Freud was magnetic, mythic, and Nagorski's lively and suspenseful biographical history will, it is hoped, recreate interest in this unique figure -- Joan Baum * NPR *Nagorski tells this little-known story in comprehensive and compassionate fashion. -- Sheldon Kirshner * Times of Israel *A richly contextual look at Freud's escape to London... Nagorski delivers a riveting page-turner... a fine biography * Kirkus starred review *Sigmund Freud's vibrant life in Vienna and narrow escape from the Gestapo are recounted in this entertaining history... The result is an invigorating look at a lesser-known chapter of Freud's well-documented life. * Publisher Weekly *As exciting and suspenseful as a spy novel, Andrew Nagorski's masterful narrative reveals how an eclectic group of Sigmund Freud's friends, ranging from an American ambassador to a French-born princess, came together to do the seemingly impossible: engineer his rescue from Nazi-controlled Austria as the Gestapo were closing in. Their successful efforts underscore how powerful love, loyalty, and friendship can be, even in the midst of overwhelming evil -- Lynne Olson, author of MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WARA riveting analysis of exile, old-age and friendship, Nagorski uses his characteristic clarity to tell an untold story about a well-known man. Highly exciting and no less historically ambitious for it; John Le Carré meets Ian Kershaw -- Emma Szewczak, author of THE OFFSETWith his characteristic clarity and meticulous research, Nagorski has once again produced a masterful work. Saving Freud is a page-turner, mixing biography and escape narrative, with a powerful reminder that historians need to pay attention not just to words, but to relationships -- Rebecca Erbelding, author of RESCUE BOARDPart engrossing biography of the father of psychoanalysis, part vivid group portrait of the circle of notables who rescued Sigmund Freud from the Nazis, Saving Freud ... captures the power of self-delusion and denial among even the most brilliant minds -- Kati Marton, author of THE CHANCELLORThe astonishing story of Sigmund Freud's last-minute escape from Vienna... In the American journalist Andrew Nagorski this tale has found its ideal narrator: clear, objective and keen to keep things moving. -- Sebastian Faulks * Sunday Times *Andrew Nagorski has written a gripping masterpiece about one of the greatest figures in history, whose insights about human beings as "savage beasts" could not be more timely -- Professor Brett Kahr, Honorary Director of Research, Freud Museum London, and author of FREUD'S PANDEMICS[A] thrilling book, as edge-of-your-seat gripping as any heist movie, tells the story of how a "rescue squad" was marshalled to get Freud out of danger before it was too late -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian Book of the Day *Unabashedly gripping and enjoyable, taking on the characteristics of a thriller as it builds to its denouement... Nagorski vividly evokes the atmosphere of [Vienna] in the 1930s, and especially the sudden and violent transition, after decades of resentful tolerance towards its Jewish citizens, to a mood of genocidal hostility. He also offers a tightly controlled, tension-filled account of the inexorable fall of Austria into the abyss of Nazi control -- Josh Cohen * Times Literary Supplement *Nagorski tells a riveting new story, one that shows just how narrow Freud's escape from the Nazi genocide was... The narrative pace and Nagorski's fluid writing give this book the character of an adventure story. It is an engrossing but sobering read that reminds us how many others without the resources of the Freud family had no similar options to make an exodus -- Rachel Newcomb * Washington Post *Fascinating... As Nagorski illustrates with cultural insight and a careful pacing of events, his flight to safety in order to 'die in freedom' amounts to a tale of unlikely resistance at a time of appalling tragedy. -- Simeon House * Mail on Sunday **** *In his fascinating new book Saving Freud, American author Andrew Nagorski pieces together the story of an eccentric bunch of friends and admirers of Freud -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, Book of the Day *An insight-filled group portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis and his followers. It is also a psychobiographical thriller about the limits of genius -- Diane Cole * Wall Street Journal *Nagorski mixes the pacing of a historical thriller (think Alan Furst, but nonfiction, and starring therapists instead of spies) with a meditation on the limits of insight and what it means to be attached to a specific place and to live in a given moment in time...The result is hard to put down, poignant, and distressingly timely -- Patrick Blanchfield * New Republic *In a time in which the standing and integrity of psychoanalysis continues to be questioned, [Saving Freud] manages to show the extent to which people were entranced by Freud, how much this led some of them to love him, and how in doing so they revealed the deep ethical core of his person and his ideas -- Stephen Frosh * Jewish Chronicle *An intimate, touching portrait of a genius as an old man. Ill, myopic, in denial and terribly vulnerable, this Freud is more human than any I've encountered before. Andrew Nagorski has an artist's eye for revealing detail and a novelist's ability to bring to life a long lost world and its myriad denizens. -- Sylvia Nasar, author of A BEAUTIFUL MINDThis non-fiction work crackles like a novel... Saving Freud seems to have been written for the silver screen, and one can only hope that someone like Steven Spielberg finds his way to this book -- Kitty Kelley * Washington Independent Review of Books *Fascinating, eminently readable... A fresh look at Freud... Freud was magnetic, mythic, and Nagorski's lively and suspenseful biographical history will, it is hoped, recreate interest in this unique figure -- Joan Baum * NPR *Nagorski tells this little-known story in comprehensive and compassionate fashion. -- Sheldon Kirshner * Times of Israel *A richly contextual look at Freud's escape to London... Nagorski delivers a riveting page-turner... a fine biography * Kirkus starred review *Sigmund Freud's vibrant life in Vienna and narrow escape from the Gestapo are recounted in this entertaining history... The result is an invigorating look at a lesser-known chapter of Freud's well-documented life. * Publisher Weekly *As exciting and suspenseful as a spy novel, Andrew Nagorski's masterful narrative reveals how an eclectic group of Sigmund Freud's friends, ranging from an American ambassador to a French-born princess, came together to do the seemingly impossible: engineer his rescue from Nazi-controlled Austria as the Gestapo were closing in. Their successful efforts underscore how powerful love, loyalty, and friendship can be, even in the midst of overwhelming evil -- Lynne Olson, author of MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WARA riveting analysis of exile, old-age and friendship, Nagorski uses his characteristic clarity to tell an untold story about a well-known man. Highly exciting and no less historically ambitious for it; John Le Carré meets Ian Kershaw -- Emma Szewczak, author of THE OFFSETWith his characteristic clarity and meticulous research, Nagorski has once again produced a masterful work. Saving Freud is a page-turner, mixing biography and escape narrative, with a powerful reminder that historians need to pay attention not just to words, but to relationships -- Rebecca Erbelding, author of RESCUE BOARDPart engrossing biography of the father of psychoanalysis, part vivid group portrait of the circle of notables who rescued Sigmund Freud from the Nazis, Saving Freud ... captures the power of self-delusion and denial among even the most brilliant minds -- Kati Marton, author of THE CHANCELLORThe astonishing story of Sigmund Freud's last-minute escape from Vienna... In the American journalist Andrew Nagorski this tale has found its ideal narrator: clear, objective and keen to keep things moving. -- Sebastian Faulks * Sunday Times *Andrew Nagorski has written a gripping masterpiece about one of the greatest figures in history, whose insights about human beings as "savage beasts" could not be more timely -- Professor Brett Kahr, Honorary Director of Research, Freud Museum London, and author of FREUD'S PANDEMICS[A] thrilling book, as edge-of-your-seat gripping as any heist movie, tells the story of how a "rescue squad" was marshalled to get Freud out of danger before it was too late -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian Book of the Day *Unabashedly gripping and enjoyable, taking on the characteristics of a thriller as it builds to its denouement... Nagorski vividly evokes the atmosphere of [Vienna] in the 1930s, and especially the sudden and violent transition, after decades of resentful tolerance towards its Jewish citizens, to a mood of genocidal hostility. He also offers a tightly controlled, tension-filled account of the inexorable fall of Austria into the abyss of Nazi control -- Josh Cohen * Times Literary Supplement *Nagorski tells a riveting new story, one that shows just how narrow Freud's escape from the Nazi genocide was... The narrative pace and Nagorski's fluid writing give this book the character of an adventure story. It is an engrossing but sobering read that reminds us how many others without the resources of the Freud family had no similar options to make an exodus -- Rachel Newcomb * Washington Post *Fascinating... As Nagorski illustrates with cultural insight and a careful pacing of events, his flight to safety in order to 'die in freedom' amounts to a tale of unlikely resistance at a time of appalling tragedy. -- Simeon House * Mail on Sunday **** *In his fascinating new book Saving Freud, American author Andrew Nagorski pieces together the story of an eccentric bunch of friends and admirers of Freud -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, Book of the Day *An insight-filled group portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis and his followers. It is also a psychobiographical thriller about the limits of genius -- Diane Cole * Wall Street Journal *Nagorski mixes the pacing of a historical thriller (think Alan Furst, but nonfiction, and starring therapists instead of spies) with a meditation on the limits of insight and what it means to be attached to a specific place and to live in a given moment in time...The result is hard to put down, poignant, and distressingly timely -- Patrick Blanchfield * New Republic *In a time in which the standing and integrity of psychoanalysis continues to be questioned, [Saving Freud] manages to show the extent to which people were entranced by Freud, how much this led some of them to love him, and how in doing so they revealed the deep ethical core of his person and his ideas -- Stephen Frosh * Jewish Chronicle *An intimate, touching portrait of a genius as an old man. Ill, myopic, in denial and terribly vulnerable, this Freud is more human than any I've encountered before. Andrew Nagorski has an artist's eye for revealing detail and a novelist's ability to bring to life a long lost world and its myriad denizens. -- Sylvia Nasar, author of A BEAUTIFUL MINDThis non-fiction work crackles like a novel... Saving Freud seems to have been written for the silver screen, and one can only hope that someone like Steven Spielberg finds his way to this book -- Kitty Kelley * Washington Independent Review of Books *Fascinating, eminently readable... A fresh look at Freud... Freud was magnetic, mythic, and Nagorski's lively and suspenseful biographical history will, it is hoped, recreate interest in this unique figure -- Joan Baum * NPR *Nagorski tells this little-known story in comprehensive and compassionate fashion. -- Sheldon Kirshner * Times of Israel *A richly contextual look at Freud's escape to London... Nagorski delivers a riveting page-turner... a fine biography * Kirkus starred review *Sigmund Freud's vibrant life in Vienna and narrow escape from the Gestapo are recounted in this entertaining history... The result is an invigorating look at a lesser-known chapter of Freud's well-documented life. * Publisher Weekly *As exciting and suspenseful as a spy novel, Andrew Nagorski's masterful narrative reveals how an eclectic group of Sigmund Freud's friends, ranging from an American ambassador to a French-born princess, came together to do the seemingly impossible: engineer his rescue from Nazi-controlled Austria as the Gestapo were closing in. Their successful efforts underscore how powerful love, loyalty, and friendship can be, even in the midst of overwhelming evil -- Lynne Olson, author of MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WARA riveting analysis of exile, old-age and friendship, Nagorski uses his characteristic clarity to tell an untold story about a well-known man. Highly exciting and no less historically ambitious for it; John Le Carré meets Ian Kershaw -- Emma Szewczak, author of THE OFFSETWith his characteristic clarity and meticulous research, Nagorski has once again produced a masterful work. Saving Freud is a page-turner, mixing biography and escape narrative, with a powerful reminder that historians need to pay attention not just to words, but to relationships -- Rebecca Erbelding, author of RESCUE BOARDPart engrossing biography of the father of psychoanalysis, part vivid group portrait of the circle of notables who rescued Sigmund Freud from the Nazis, Saving Freud ... captures the power of self-delusion and denial among even the most brilliant minds -- Kati Marton, author of THE CHANCELLOR

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Book SynopsisBritain has scarcely begun to come to terms with its recent upheavals, from the crisis over Brexit to the collapse of Labour's 'red wall'. What can explain such momentous shifts?In this essential work, Tom Hazeldine excavates the history of a divided country: North and South, industry versus finance, Whitehall and the left-behind. Only by fully registering these deep-seated tensions, he argues, can we make sense of the present moment.Hazeldine tracks the North-South divide over the longue durée, from the formation of an English state rooted in London and the south-east; the Industrial Revolution and the rise of provincial trade unions and the Labour party; the dashed hopes for regional economic renewal in the post-war years; the sharply contrasting fates of northern manufacturing and the City of London under Thatcher and New Labour; to the continuing repercussions of financial crisis and austerity.The Northern Question is set to transform our understanding of the politics of Westminster - its purpose, according to Hazeldine, to stand English history on its head.Trade ReviewA lively, provocative and richly researched book. Tom Hazeldine shows that far from being marginal to British politics and culture, northern England has played a pivotal role in British history - and must be given serious consideration by the politicians of the future. Well-written and absorbing. -- Selina Todd, author of Tastes of Honey and The PeopleThe definitive account of the historical importance of the North-South Divide. A masterly history of the shifting social forces shaped by this enduring fault-line. -- Geoffrey Ingham, author of The Nature of Money and Capitalism Divided?The disparity between the North of England and the South East is a rich and tangled history. Hazeldine's account is persuasive, and his long view is valuable. With real acuity, he highlights key differences in people's ideas of political possibility. -- John Harris * Guardian *The first serious study of the social and historical fissure to appear in more than 30 years. * Big Issue *An expansive account of the north-south divide -- Lynsey Hanley * Financial Times *Traces London's parasitic rise to prominence on the back of industry and the provincial poor, which it briskly cast off once they became unprofitable * New Welsh Review *Hazeldine convincingly asserts a northern reality. His point is that Brexit, and the collapse of Labour's Red Wall, are just the latest consequences of a divide written into England's political and economic geography. -- Rory Scothorne * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisIn this, the last book published during his lifetime, renowned historian of the English Revolution Christopher Hill uses the literary culture of the seventeenth century to explore the immense social changes of the period as well as the expressions of liberty, the law and the hero-worship of the outlaw defiance. As well as chapters on gypsies and vagabonds, Hill analyzes class, religion and the shift away from the importance of the church after the Reformation. Liberty against the Law is a late classic of Hill's work and essential reading for anyone interested in the history and politics of the seventeenth-century.Trade ReviewBarely twenty per cent of the population, Hill estimates, could have been content with the law, and he celebrates the energetic dissenters, like poachers, highwaymen, smugglers, pirates - and the antinomians, who claimed sexual liberty on the creative grounds that the godly were exempt from moral law -- Keith Thomas * Guardian *He deconstructs what was until recently the received version of English history, and leaves it tattered ... In celebrations of the vagabond life, in Robin Hood ballads and the romances of piracy, in meditations on the noble savage, and especially in the poems of John Clare, Hill finds a culture of dissent from the grim canon of progress -- Derek Hirst * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisArchaeology isn’t just for academics and television presenters – it’s for everyone. And it is all around us. Get your boots on and explore Britain’s national and local archaeology sites for yourself with this revised and updated, easy-to-read, fully illustrated guide.Follow our islands’ history in this step-by-step introduction. Discover what life was like from the earliest days of human habitation right through to the world wars. Then get out to visit the best sites and see what features each era left behind for us to find – and find out how to spot archaeology for yourself in the most surprising places.Be warned: you may never look at an empty field, a stone monument or an old building in the same way again!

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Book SynopsisIn this follow up to the author’s hugely popular History of Newcastle, John Grundy turns his attention to the vast and beguiling history of Northumberland. Drawing on his experience as a Listed Buildings Man, John traces the county’s turbulent history with particular focus on the castles, mansions, houses and streets where people lived their lives and fought for survival. Whether it be civil wars, invading armies, plague or poverty, the people of Northumberland have toughed it out throughout the centuries against all kind of challenges. However, one thing that has remained constant is the wild beauty of the place. From its glorious coastline to the splendid market towns with their monuments, grand houses and fortifications, this vast county has the ability to both evoke the past while bringing pleasure to its current inhabitants ‑ as well as millions of tourists every year. Featuring new attractive colour photographs this book will give you a greater appreciation of the place, its buildings and its people and provides the perfect companion to further explore the county. John’s journey to get to the heart of what it means to experience Northumberland has taken decades and, in this book, he wants to share with you a very personal take on why the county means so much to him.Table of Contents1. Prehistory 2. The Romans 3. Anglo-Saxons 4. The Vikings 5. The Normans 6. 13th Century 7. Border Wars 8. The 1500s 9. 17th Century 10.Three 17th Century Women 11.18th Century Homes and Gardens 12.1715 Onwards 13. Ordinary Buildings 14. Industrial Age 15. The Tyne 16. 19th Century Mansions and Churches 17. Keeping the county Nice

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Book Synopsis"A total delight, a brilliant vignette of 17th-century Rome, the Baroque and the Catholic church – warts and all – rolled into an erudite narrative.... with an ease of writing that is rare in art history." - Simon Jenkins By 1650, the spiritual and political power of the Catholic Church was shattered. Thanks to the twin blows of the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years War, Rome, celebrated both as the Eternal City and Caput Mundi (the head of the world) had lost its pre-eminent place in Europe. Then a new Pope, Alexander VII, fired with religious zeal, political guile and a mania for building, determined to restore the prestige of his church by making Rome the must-visit destination for Europe's intellectual, political and cultural elite. To help him do so, he enlisted the talents of Gianlorenzo Bernini, already celebrated as the most important living artist: no mean feat in the age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Together, Alexander VII and Bernini made the greatest artistic double act in history, inventing the concept of soft power and the bucket list destination. Bernini and Alexander's creation of Baroque Rome as a city more beautiful and grander than since the days of the Emperor Augustus continues to delight and attract.Trade Review"A total delight, a brilliant vignette of 17th-century Rome, the Baroque and the Catholic church – warts and all – rolled into an erudite narrative.... with an ease of writing that is rare in art history." - Simon Jenkins

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Book Synopsis The early twentieth-century advent of aerial bombing made successful evacuations essential to any war effort, but ordinary people resented them deeply. Based on extensive archival research in Germany and France, this is the first broad, comparative study of civilian evacuations in Germany and France during World War II. The evidence uncovered exposes the complexities of an assumed monolithic and all-powerful Nazi state by showing that citizens' objections to evacuations, which were rooted in family concerns, forced changes in policy. Drawing attention to the interaction between the Germans and French throughout World War II, this book shows how policies in each country were shaped by events in the other. A truly cross-national comparison in a field dominated by accounts of one country or the other, this book provides a unique historical context for addressing current concerns about the impact of air raids and military occupations on civilians.Trade Review “This work adopts an innovative transnational and comparative approach…Because of the richness of the sources it complements very usefully the history of refugees and the exodus in Europe during the Second World War, a history that for several decades has often been forgotten by historians.” · Francia “With [this] publication Julia Torrie has established herself as a significant scholar of the home front during World War II...Dr. Torrie has written a fascinating book based on in-depth research in [more than twenty] French and German archives. She introduces younger and older scholars to aspects of World War II that have received little attention. She has also mastered the skills needed to carry out an excellent comparative study.” · Canadian Journal of History/Annales canadiennes d’histoire “Torrie has written an interesting and thoroughly researched book that considerably deepens our knowledge of the relationship of the “Third Reich” to its own population and to that of occupied France. She shows that the evacuations within Germany as well in occupied France were problematic.” · Historische Zeitschrift “The book makes an extensive use of French and German archives and has generally demonstrated a good knowledge of the existing secondary literature…Overall Torrie’s text is a welcome contribution to the literature on World War Two.” · H-France Review “Torrie has accomplished a great deal, a rich analysis of the significance of evacuations to national identity, the relationship between rulers and ruled, as well as the ambiguous mix of competition and sharing among enemies.” · Central European History “Overall, this is an impressively researched study…In revealing the need to examine opposition to evacuation policies, Torrie’s book is an important addition to the literature on wartime civilian evacuation.” · American Historical Review “…a useful, well-crafted book…any bi-national comparison will face difficulties of the incomparable. It is skilful to attempt one, and Torrie’s succeeds. .. we are more enlightened as to the relations between people and state in authoritarian regimes, and have developed ideas of belonging, rights and privileges. The book is a worthy contribution to a growing literature on the civilian experience of air war in Europe.” · Reviews in History “The strength of Torrie’s monograph is certainly its comparative analysis of German and French evacuations and relationship between them…A highly readable and convincing study.” · Choice "[The book] is well written and well constructed...A high quality work." · Robert Gildea, Oxford UniversityTable of Contents List of Illustrations Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Preparing for Air War Chapter 2. Order or Chaos Chapter 3. Organizing Evacuations Chapter 4. Our Stay Gives Us No Pleasure Chapter 5. If Only Family Unity Can Be Maintained Chapter 6. On the Basis of Selection Chapter 7. Responding to Chaos Chapter 8. Evacuation's Aftermath Notes Note on Sources Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBy the sixth century of the common era the Roman Empire already had many hundreds of years of accumulated ceremonial embedded in its government, and practical science embodied in its army. The transition from Republic to Imperium and the more hierarchical structure that entailed, and the absorption of Christianity into state processes, had pushed the development of court ceremonial apace, and particularly driven its embodiment and display in ever more opulent regalia. The regalia embraced not only garments of distinctive form and decoration, but also both dress and non-dress accessories. It was crucial in displaying rank and function on an everyday basis, yet was also varied considerably for special occasions. Military dress largely reflected forms current amongst ordinary men, but with an emphasis on functionality, eschewing the excesses of fashion. Detailed literary and artistic sources, archaeology and insights derived from reconstruction and practical experience has gone into creating an incredibly lavish picture of the clothing of the longest-enduring political entity in history.

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Book SynopsisChosen as a Book of the Year in the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail'A masterpiece' Frederick Forsyth 'Beautifully written... unlikely to be surpassed' Simon Heffer'Superb' Daily Mail, Book of the Week'Terrific' ObserverThroughout history there have been many long-running rivalries between party leaders, but there has never been a connection like that between Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill, who were leaders of their respective parties for a total of thirty-five years. Brought together in the epoch-making circumstances of the Second World War, they forged a partnership that transcended party lines, before going on to face each other in two of Britain's most important and influential general elections. Based on extensive research and archival material, Attlee and Churchill provides a host of new insights into their remarkable relationship. From the bizarre coincidence that they shared a governess, to their explosive wartime clashes over domestic policy and reconstruction; and from Britain's post-war nuclear weapons programme, which Attlee kept hidden from Churchill and his own Labour Party, to the private correspondence between the two men in later life, which demonstrates their friendliness despite all the political antagonism, Leo McKinstry tells the intertwined story of these two political titans as never before. In a gripping narrative McKinstry not only provides a fresh perspective on two of the most compelling leaders of the mid-twentieth century but also brilliantly brings to life this vibrant, traumatic and inspiring era of modern British history.Trade ReviewSuperb... A timely parable about the necessity for cooperation, concession and compromise in politics. * Daily Mail, 'Book of the Week' *This book stands out in the sea of Churchilliana with its highly original portrait of Winston's close wartime partnership with the Labour leader. * Daily Telegraph, '50 Best Books of 2019' *Dual biographies are a tricky endeavour. McKinstry rises to the challenge brilliantly. His account is elegantly structured, his prose is lucid, he explains complex events with clarity, his anecdotes are telling and often funny, his judgments are assured and he brings to gripping life the characters of the leading men and the rest of the cast. -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer *Excellent... McKinstry shows how the two men's contrasting talents and personalities combined at their nation's time of greatest need. * Daily Mail, Books of the Year *In this superb dual biography Leo McKinstry brilliantly describes both men, what they did and how they reacted to each other... Most of us know quite a lot about Churchill. Attlee, calm, soft-spoken, an MC-winner in World War I, self-effacing, remains for many a forgotten man. Until now... A masterpiece. * Frederick Forsyth *Until now, arguably the most significant political relationship of the twentieth century has awaited its definitive study. Leo McKinstry, through exhaustive research and detailed analysis, has provided an intensely scholarly and beautifully written account of it that is unlikely to be surpassed. * Simon Heffer, author of The Age of Decadence *Leo McKinstry's fine book on the relationship between Churchill and the Labour leader Clement Attlee is a subtle and nuanced work full of illuminating insights.... First-class * Literary Review *Attlee and Churchill really does get to the heart of a complicated but fascinating relationship. * Scotsman *Leo McKinstry's biographical pairing of Attlee and Churchill serves to hymn a vanished golden age of bipartisan collaboration and respectful rivalry. * New Statesman *Leo McKinstry is a first-class historian who has produced a scholarly and very well-written account of the fascinating relationship between arguably the two most significant premiers of the twentieth century. His recognition of the mutual respect - indeed admiration - that lay at its core is highly insightful. Never in our world of fractious, contempt-driven politics has a book like this been needed more. * Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny *A masterful account of the collaboration, rivalry and conflict between two remarkably different leaders who shaped Britain's fate in the second half of the twentieth century. * Tom Bower, author of Dangerous Hero *A superb account of two utterly different men whose lives entwined to preserve freedom. * Joshua Levine, author of Dunkirk *By turns fascinating and illuminating, this is a gripping exploration of the intertwined lives of these two great men - so fundamentally different and yet as McKinstry demonstrates, perhaps in some ways not quite so far apart as all that... In the course of following Attlee and Churchill's parallel progressions from youth to maturity, from bloodied battlefields to the corridors of Number 10, McKinstry affords us beguiling new angles and new insights - with vivid, powerful stories, admirable balance and flashes of terrific humour. * Sinclair McKay, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park *From start to finish, an enthralling and original story of two great statesmen from an age when political giants still walked the earth. * Emeritus Professor Tim Blanning, University of Cambridge *I can count on the fingers of one hand history books which are both superbly researched and sublimely written - I have just discovered another. * Emeritus Professor David Wilson, Birmingham City University *In this highly readable and well-researched volume, McKinstry reveals the length, complexity and nuance of the relationship between these two great figures. * Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre *A delight to read... This is an entrancing book. Yet it is also a melancholy one. Comparing these titans, both devoted to the service of country and nation, with the pygmies of today is to be constantly reminded of our national decline. -- Allan Massie * Catholic Herald *Studying each of these men goes a long way towards enlightening us, and some preconceptions are neatly pricked along the way... McKinstry offers much to inform and intrigue. -- Sonia Purnell * The Oldie *Table of Contents1: Contenders 1: Blenheim and Putney 2: Lancashire and Stepney 3: Sidney Street 4: Gallipoli 5: Plugstreet and Kut 6: Limehouse and Dundee 7: Treasury 8: India 9: Germany 10: Fort Belvedere 11: Munich 12: Admiralty 2: Comrades 13: Norway 14: Dunkirk 15: Empire and Commonwealth 16: Atlantic 17: Washington and Singapore 18: Russia and Egypt 19: Downing Street 20: Conference and Cabinet 21: Normandy and Italy 22: Britannia 3: Competitors 23: Campaign 24: Potsdam and Palace 25: Fulton and Zurich 26: New Jerusalem 27: Woodford and Walthamstow 28: Europe and Korea 29: Abadan 30: Summit 31: Commons 32: St Paul's and Temple

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