European history Books
Ebury Publishing 24 Hours at Waterloo
Book SynopsisOne of the lancers rode by, and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, and lay with my face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another, with his firelock and bayonet, gave me a terrible plunge, and while doing it with all his might, exclaimed, Sacré nom de Dieu! 'The truly epic and brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in history a single day, one 24-hour period, defined the course of Europe's future.In March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon in response to his escape from exile and the renewed threat to imperial European rule. Three months later, on 18 June 1815, having suffered considerable losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington's army fell back on Waterloo, some ten miles south of Brussels. Halting on the ridge, they awaited Napoleon's army, blocking their entry to the capital. This would become the Allies' final stand, the infamous battle of Waterloo.In this intimate,Trade ReviewA blow-by-blow account of the fateful day. I couldn't put it down. * Independent *‘Gripping … The hour-by-hour account is packed with fascinating and often poignant vignettes' * Daily Express, 5 stars *Kershaw writes well and makes sense of the battle ... a clear and straightforward military view. * Literary Review *Shows us the battle at its grittiest and bloodiest, but through it all manages to maintain a grip on the bigger picture. * Scotsman *So where does this leave Robert Kershaw’s 24 Hours at Waterloo? Very simply, in a class of its own ... brings the events to life with judiciously chosen first-hand accounts ... there could be no better companion to the battlefield than Kershaw’s. * Spectator *
£11.69
Ebury Publishing The Pathfinders
Book SynopsisWill Iredale is a bestselling author, journalist and media consultant. After a decade working at the Sunday Times, first on the foreign news desk and subsequently the home news desk specialising in domestic news and investigations, he wrote the bestselling book The Kamikaze Hunters. He is currently a media consultant and lives in Kent with his family.Trade ReviewBook of the Year Bronze Award Winner * Military History Matters *They were the bravest of the brave... [an] absorbing history * Daily Mail (Book of the Week) *A sensitive, colourful and moving account... Compelling -- Saul David * Telegraph ***** *Another excellent book by Will Iredale, delving into the story of Bomber Command's Pathfinder Squadrons with drama and pace. The human stories, and the incredible advancements in aerial warfare, leap from the page from start to finish * John Nichol, author of TORNADO - In the Eye of the Storm *Fascinating and utterly gripping ... Will Iredale's painstaking research is impeccable, as is his storytelling. This stunning book is scored with unforgettable characters, reminding us this is a human story of resourcefulness, ingenuity, and above all, extraordinary courage -- James Holland
£14.24
University of Minnesota Press Marta Oulie A Novel of Betrayal
Book Synopsis Marta Oulie, written in diary form, intimately documents the inner life of a young woman disappointed by the conventions of marriage and longing for passion. Set in early twentieth century Kristiania (now Oslo), this is an incomparable psychological portrait of a woman whose destiny is defined by the changing mores of her day—as she descends into an ever-darker reckoning. Trade Review "Like those two other great European novels of adultery, Lady Chatterley's Lover and Anna Karenina, Marta Oulie traces the interior life of a woman from the beautiful and expansive rush of her first love, to her swelling dissatisfaction with her ‘doll's house’ existence constrained by turn-of-the-nineteenth-century values, her growing distance from her adoring husband, her unconsidered entry into an affair, and finally to her ultimate disillusion, self-recrimination, and despair. Thanks to Tiina Nunnally’s nuanced translation, we can experience this strangely compelling novel in all the precise observations of Undset’s original Norwegian text."—Susan Vreeland, author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany and Luncheon of the Boating Party"A vote of gratitude is due to the University of Minnesota Press for bringing us, for the first time in English, this impeccably translated edition of Undset's early and remarkable novella." —John Banville"Most of Undset’s later novels—including the medieval epic “Kristin Lavransdatter,” which earned her the Nobel Prize—took their cue from this blunt début, dealing in various ways with the social and familial constraints of women." —The New Yorker"It’s unsurprising that Undset won a Nobel Prize for Literature, and I’m shocked that it took this long to become more widely known in the United States. I’d compare it to Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, or even The Scarlet Letter in its intensity." —Off the Book"Undset’s writing is vivid, engaging, and fast moving. Never before published in English, this translation by Tiina Nunnally is clear, stark and gripping." —The Chronicle-JournalTable of ContentsContentsIntroductionJane SmileyMarta OuliePart IPart IIPart III
£12.34
The Dovecote Press A Short History of Lyme Regis
Book Synopsis
£8.94
Obelisk Publications Mike and Hilary Wrefords Okehampton Collection II
Book Synopsis
£5.84
Mark Davison Surbiton Bombed Second World War Air Raids in
Book Synopsis
£11.97
Orpington Publishers Crete Theseus and the Minotaur All You Need to
Book SynopsisAbout King Minos, Theseus, the Minotaur, Ariadne, The birth of Zeus in the Diktaon Cave. One of the six 'Put it in your pocket series'.
£5.62
Legare Street Press Evan Roberts ai waith
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£24.65
Headline Publishing Group Elizabeth and Philip
Book Synopsis''A riveting take on an extraordinary relationship'' - Richard Eden, Daily Mail''A fresh and original approach'' - Hugo Vickers, Royal BiographerShe was ''sugar pink'' innocence; he was a handsome war hero. Both had royal blood coursing through their veins. The marriage of Britain''s Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 is remembered as the beginning of an extraordinary, lifelong union but success was not guaranteed. Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy plunges us back into the 1940s when a teenage princess fell in love with a foreign prince. Cue fears of a flirtatious ''Greek'' fortune hunter stealing off with Britain''s crown jewel and Philip''s supporters scrambling to reframe him as a good fit for the Royal Family. Drawing on original newspaper archives and the opinions of Elizabeth and Philip''s contemporaries, historian Dr Tessa Dunlop discovers a post-war world on the cusp of major change. Unprecedented polling on Philip''s suitability was a harbinger of pressures to come for a couple whose marriage was branded the ultimate global fairytale. Theirs was a partnership like no other. Six years after Elizabeth promised to be an obedient wife Philip got down on bended knee at the coronation and committed himself as the Queen''s ''liege man of life and limb.'' Published 75 years after their marriage, this deeply touching history explores the ups and downs, the public appeal and the private tensions that defined an extraordinary relationship. The high stakes involved might have devoured a less committed pair - but Elizabeth and Philip shared a common purpose, one higher even than marriage, with roots much deeper than young love. Happy and Glorious, for better or for worse, how did their union succeed? Monarchy was the magic word.Trade ReviewThe relationship between the Queen and Prince Philip is enlivened by the voices of so many interesting, wonderful contemporaries, which makes for a fresh and original approach. -- Hugo Vickers, Royal BiographerA riveting take on an extraordinary relationship. -- Richard Eden, Diary Editor, Daily MailIt's a story we think we know so well, but in Tessa's charming new book she uncovers illuminating untold stories from the Queen and Philip's youth. -- Emily Andrews, Royal JournalistIf you love royalty you'll love Tessa's book. She writes so well. -- Jo Elvin, Palace Confidential, Daily MailThe symbolism of the Queen's marriage and how it affects a whole generation [Dunlop] illustrates very beautifully in the book . . . Elizabeth and Philip is a very good read. -- Michael Portillo * The Times Radio *A fascinating piece of history -- Ben Sixsmith * The Critic Magazine *one of my books of 2022 . . . the future Queen emerges, as one would expect, as a dignified young woman, but it is Philip's upbringing that fascinated me the most. A worthy tribute. -- Oliver Webb-Carter, Editor * Aspects of History *Wonderfully fresh . . . a glorious book. -- Alan Titchmarsh MBE[An] incisive, crisply written book * Observer *A charming double portrait of Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the early years of their romance and marriage. Enriched by interviews with ordinary Britons of the royal couple's generation, it's a poignant and well-documented study of a couple whose 'matter-of-fact style' and 'extraordinary work ethic' were a balm for their nation. Royal watchers will be pleased. * Publishers Weekly *
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Men of the Battle of Britain
Book SynopsisTells the stories of the men who earned the award of the 1939-1945 Star with Battle of Britain Clasp between 10 July and 31 October 1940.
£36.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Panzer III German Army Light Tank
Book Synopsis10 pages of full colour illustrations depicting 20 different vehicles and their markings.
£17.09
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Roman Emperors of Britain
Book SynopsisIn 55 BC, on a stretch of beach near Deal in East Kent, the Romans' first invasion was in great danger of being pushed back into the sea by a host of Britons defending the beach. The eagle bearer of the Tenth Legion jumped into the surf and urged his comrades to follow him, a pivotal moment in Julius Caesar's first invasion. It was to be another ninety years before Claudius finally subdued part of the island and paraded in triumph into the stronghold at Camulodunum. Roman authority quickly expanded, from Vespasian's dramatic campaign against the hillforts of southern Britain to Hadrian's famous Wall in the north.This book will cover not the reign of Emperors but what posts they held in Britain prior to their achieving the throne. Titus served as a tribune directly after the Boudiccan revolt. Pertinax served in three posts: equestrian tribune of the Sixth Legion; praefectus of an auxiliary unit; and finally as a governor of Britannia. It will cover the civil war between Clodius Albinus
£18.70
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Military Air Power in Europe Preparing for War
Book SynopsisThe author explores how the major European nations dealt with the development of their air forces in the lead-up to the Second World War.
£21.25
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Into the Arms of Strangers
Book Synopsis___________________BASED ON THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNING FEATURE DOCUMENTARY___________________''Wonderfully moving ... a noble story, beautifully told'' - Daily MailWith a preface by Lord Richard Attenborough, this is a moving collection of accounts from some of the 10,000 children rescued from the Nazi Regime and brought to the UK by the Kindertransport scheme - and an important contribution to our national conversation about how we treat refugees.In November 1938, international public opinion was shocked by the news of Kristallnacht - the anti-Jewish pogrom that led to the burning of synagogues and the first mass arrests of Jewish men. Twelve days later, the British government implemented the Kindertransport plan, which allowed many children to leave the horrors of the Nazi regime and find temporary refuge within British families and hostels. By the time war was declared in September 1939, this brave undeTrade ReviewWonderfully moving ... a noble story, beautifully told * Daily Mail *
£13.49
Amberley Publishing The Austen Girls
Book SynopsisSisters Jane and Cassandra Austen were inseparable and sought one anothers approval in all important decisions. Helen Amy asks would Jane have become a novelist without Cassandra?Trade Review‘Their affection for each other was extreme; it passed the common love of sisters; and it had been so from childhood. They were everything to each other. They seemed to lead a life to themselves within the general family life, which was shared only by each other. I will not say that their true, but their fullfeelings and opinions were known only to themselves. They alone fully understood what each other had suffered and felt and thought.' -- Anna Austen Lefroy, niece
£17.00
Simon & Schuster Ltd Boris
Book Synopsis THE MAKING OF A PRIME MINISTER 'My biography of the year' Michael Crick 'The scariest thing I've read since Silence of the Lambs' Ken Livingstone A brilliant and definitive biography of Boris Johnson, the politician who risked his career to lead the Brexit campaign, won the referendum, and finally became the new prime minister. In Andrew Gimson's acclaimed biography of the most colourful British politician of modern times, we are given a comprehensive portrait of the man. Despite tabloid controversies which led to him being dismissed from Michael Howard's shadow cabinet, Boris bounced back to win two terms as London mayor. It was a remarkable tribute to his huge personal popularity, and he was at the heart of things when London showcased itself during the 2012 Olympics. This updated edition of the book is a comprehensive insight into the dramatic political events of 2016. ATrade Review'My biography of the year' -- Michael Crick'The scariest thing I've read since Silence of the Lambs' -- Ken Livingstone'Boris is a mational treasure, and Gimson has done him proud' * Sunday Times *'It is all rubbish from start to finish - but well-written rubbish' -- Boris Johnson'Excellent' -- Sebastian Payne'A scintillating eulogy' * Daily Telegraph *'A beautifully written biography ... In Gimson, [Boris] has found a generous biographer who has interviewed Johnson's friends and colleagues in journalism and Parliament. The author admits to being a friend but pulls no punches.' -- Michael White * Guardian *'The trick for politicians is to alchemise their abilities into charisma, as Andrew Gimson shows in his rollicking Boris' * Observer *'Richly entertaining' -- John Rentoul * Independent *'Boris, Andrew Gimson's stylish biography of the nation's buffoon, simply shimmers with good will to all men. The result is an effervescent delight' -- Zenga Longmore * Spectator *'Brilliant' -- Simon Carr * Independent *
£10.44
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Stockport in the Great War
Book SynopsisSource material giving detailed insight into issues and problems faced on the 'Home Front'.
£9.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Poland and the Second World War 19381948
Book SynopsisThe full story of Poland's part in WW2 from failure of pre-war diplomacy and planning, through to betrayal by Allies leading to civil war and Soviet occupation in immediate post-war years.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Grimsby in the Great War
Book SynopsisAn account of the Home Front experience in Grimsby.
£9.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Military History of Late Rome 457518
Book SynopsisDetailed narrative of military events of Roman Empire 457-518, including detailed analysis of several hitherto neglected battles.
£24.00
Orion Publishing Co The King and the Catholics
Book SynopsisThe story of Catholic Emancipation begins with the violent Anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in 1780, fuelled by the reduction in Penal Laws against the Roman Catholics harking back to the sixteenth century. Some fifty years later, the passing of the Emancipation Bill was hailed as a 'bloodless revolution'. Had the Irish Catholics been a 'millstone', as described by an English aristocrat, or were they the prime movers? While the English Catholic aristocracy and the Irish peasants and merchants approached the Catholic Question in very different ways, they manifestly shared the same objective. Antonia Fraser brings colour and humour to the vivid drama with its huge cast of characters: George III, who opposed Emancipation on the basis of the Coronation Oath; his son, the indulgent Prince of Wales, who was enamoured with the Catholic Maria Fitzherbert before the voluptuous Lady Conyngham; Wellington and the 'born Tory' Peel vying for leadership; 'roaring' Lord Winchilsea; the heroic Daniel O'ConnTrade ReviewFraser knows better than anybody how to make political and religious history fun. And as the mob besieges the Palace of Westminster, red-faced politicians rant and rave and George IV tucks in to yet another banquet, her tale flows with such elegance and enthusiasm that you barely stop to notice just how skilfully she does it. -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *Fascinating ... Fraser approaches the subject not as one of arid doctrinal debate, but rather as a story, told by an extraordinary cast of characters. William Pitt, George Canning, the Duke of Wellington, Robert Peel, Percy Bysshe Shelley, [Daniel] O'Connell and two kings named George all played idiosyncratic parts in this drama. Supporting actors included some of Fraser's ancestors, who were active in the opposition to emancipation. The people make this story -- Gerard DeGroot * THE TIMES *Fraser, a convert to Catholicism, as well as a descendant of the Anglo-Irish Protestant Longfords, tells the story with erudition, sprezzatura and a tremendous sense of fun. Every page is shot through with humour and humanity. Columns of bloated, bewhiskered bigots fall to Fraser's skewer, but the many Georgians with rent consciences are handled with great sensitivity. She is excellent on Ireland. She writes beautifully and she includes just the right amount of smut -- Jessie Childs * GUARDIAN *This is a complicated tale with a large cast of characters, making it harder still to maintain the tension that is essential to good, readable history. But Antonia Fraser does it triumphantly. The result is not simply a book that will remind now thoroughly integrated British Catholics of how far we have travelled from being a harassed and despised minority. It also explains, without ever obviously seeming to do so, how implacable prejudices and intractable issues can be tackled and overcome. In other words, it is that rarest of things: a good news story -- Peter Stanford * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The author, now 85, has not lost her skill in writing history principally through the stories of particular people - and for the success of Catholic emancipation the decisions of a few people were essential: the Duke of Wellington and Robert Peel, ideologically and temperamentally anti-Catholic, who changed their minds; George IV, who wavered; and Daniel O'Connell, who resisted the allure of leading violent insurrection in Ireland and instead offered to keep his nation quiet in return for religious tolerance. Fraser's prose is a pleasure to read -- Christopher Howse * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Writing with a historian's skill and a novelist's heart, Fraser shows how O'Connell was able to bring the British government to the point where it felt it had no alternative but to concede emancipation...In many ways this is a book for our Brexit times, a cautionary tale of how a spirit of courage and compromise is necessary when dealing with the political challenge of a generation...Elegant, timely and thought-provoking -- Patrick Geoghegan * IRISH TIMES *Utterly gripping and consistently witty -- Damian Thompson * LITERARY REVIEW *Ripples with colour and is full of contrasting characters, from "roaring" Tory Lord Winchelsea to voluptuous Lady Conyngham and heroic "King Dan" O'Connell. Indeed, it's like an exhilarating literary point to point, with falls at the fences, but the favourite winning by a neck. -- John Martin Robinson * COUNTRY LIFE *Fraser succeeds triumphantly in bringing to life the struggle for Catholic rights. A superb narrative historian, like a modern-day Macaulay, she enlivens her story with vivid character sketches, verve and wit. This is a marvellous book -- Jane Ridley * THE TABLET *This is an absolutely splendid book. With the brio and narrative skill which has been in evidence since her first book - the irreplaceable classic biography of Mary Queen of Scots - Fraser gives us a vivid account of Catholic Emancipation. Some of the most dramatic scenes in our parliamentary history are here brought to life with unmatched verve. -- A. N. Wilson * THE SPECTATOR *Masterly -- Daniel Johnson * STANDPOINT *The widespread violence, excited by a modest Catholic relief Bill, is the start of Fraser's superb account of how British Catholics, over the next 50 years, managed to get their rights back - and how Britain narrowly avoided another civil war * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Meticulously researched and thoroughly engrossing -- Simon Griffith * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Fraser's narrative skilfully interweaves the progress of activism in Ireland - painting a deeply sympathetic picture of the great Daniel O'Connell, "the Liberator" - and pragmatism in England, as emancipation gradually came to appear as the only outcome that offered justice and stability...This book has all the liveliness and clarity of Antonia Fraser's other historical writing. -- Rowan Williams * NEW STATESMAN *Lady Antonia's interest is in the politics of religion, to which she brings all of her remarkable gifts. -- Michael Wheeler * CHURCH TIMES *The fight for Catholic Emancipation in 1829, explored with great skill and elan by a historian who knows how to tell a good story. * SUNDAY TIMES *Expertly written and deftly argued, The King and the Catholics is also a distant mirror of our times, reflecting the political issues arising from religious intolerance. * CATHOLIC TIMES *This is a very fine book indeed. Fraser is an excellent historian. Her research is thorough, her use of it discriminating. The has a dramatic story to tell here, and tells it compellingly, never forgetting that events now in the past were once in the future, and that what now seems inevitable often appeared otherwise at the time...There is no reason why good history should not entertain as well as enlighten. This thoroughly enjoyable book does both. -- Allan Massie * CATHOLIC HERALD *Fraser's book is the first full length history of the emancipation struggle for nearly 20 years and she writes with informed sympathy for both sides, drawing on the experiences of her own Irish Protestant Packenham family history: one ancestor opposed reform and another came to support it. -- Stephen Bates * BBC HISTORY *In The King and the Catholics, Antonia Fraser recounts the saga of the emancipation of British Catholics, who finally achieved equal civil rights in 1829. Hitherto Catholicism had, since the Reformation, been considered 'a form of national treachery', with Catholics blamed for the Great Fire of London -- Simon Heffer * DAILY TELEGRAPH History Books of the Year *[An] intelligent, wide-ranging, elegantly written account -- Peter Stanford * THE TABLET Books of the Year *Proving there's no retirement age for writers, Antonia Fraser brings 50 years of accumulated skill in the writing of gripping history to a book it is impossible to imagine anyone else writing with such liveliness and insight. The King and the Catholics also offers unobtrusive contemporary parallels on issues including xenophobia, terrorism and the long tendency of English politicians to underestimate the complicating issue of Ireland -- Mark Lawson * THE TABLET Books of the Year *
£10.44
Stanford University Press The Paradoxes of Ignorance in Early Modern
Book SynopsisIn the early modern period, ignorance was commonly perceived as a sin, a flaw, a defect, and even a threat to religion and the social order. Yet praises of ignorance were also expressed in the same context. Reclaiming the long-lasting legacy of medieval doctrines of ignorance and taking a comparative perspective, Sandrine Parageau tells the history of the apparently counter-intuitive moral, cognitive and epistemological virtues attributed to ignorance in the long seventeenth century (1580s-1700) in England and in France. With close textual analysis of hitherto neglected sources and a reassessment of canonical philosophical works by Montaigne, Bacon, Descartes, Locke, and others, Parageau specifically examines the role of ignorance in the production of knowledge, identifying three common virtues of ignorance as a mode of wisdom, a principle of knowledge, and an epistemological instrument, in philosophical and theological works. How could an essentially negative notion be turned into something profitable and even desirable? Taken in the context of Renaissance humanism, the Reformation and the "Scientific Revolution"—which all called for a redefinition and reaffirmation of knowledge—ignorance, Parageau finds, was not dismissed in the early modern quest for renewed ways of thinking and knowing. On the contrary, it was assimilated into the philosophical and scientific discourses of the time. The rehabilitation of ignorance emerged as a paradoxical cornerstone of the nascent modern science.Trade Review"Parageau has assembled a rich set of texts, and she reads them with care and nuance, establishing 'ignorance' as a key word in early modern Europe."—Paula Findlen, Stanford University"Was a heightened appreciation of ignorance crucial to the new science of the seventeenth century? That is Parageau's insightful claim, based on new attention to the legacy of medieval negative theology among other sources."—Ann Blair, Harvard University"This is a wonderful history of the humans who went deepest into understanding that we cannot always understand. Philosophy, religion, and science wouldn't have progressed as it has without them. Perhaps we should take time, with Rumsfeld and with Locke, to consider the known unknowns."—Michael M. Rosen, Washington Examiner"Bacon, Boyle, Gassendi, Descartes, Locke, Baxter, and Bunyan, among others, provide multiple examples of paradoxical nuance for Parageau to explicate, which she does gallantly and persuasively.... Recommended."—S. Young, CHOICE"Parageau... contributes a valuable work to our understanding of how English and French theologians and philosophers developed and refashioned ignorance and its many meanings.... A comparison of the two countries' intellectual histories of ignorance is much needed, and her book identifies and illuminates the debates about ignorance that echoed across the Channel."—Catherine Abou-Nemeh, H-AlbionTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Fortunes of Docta ignorantia in Early Modern England and France 2. English Experimental Philosophy and Doctrines of Ignorance 3. Ignorance and the Internal Light 4. Ignorance, Inspiration, and Religious Knowledge 5. Fictions of Ignorance 6. Ignorance and Chance Discovery 7. John Locke's Anthropology of Ignorance Conclusion
£60.75
Pan Macmillan The Glass Wall: Lives on the Baltic Frontier
Book SynopsisThis journey to the edge of Europe mixes history, travelogue and oral testimony to spellbinding and revelatory effect.Few countries have suffered more from the convulsions and bloodshed of twentieth-century Europe than those in the eastern Baltic. Small nations such as the Baltic States of Latvia and Estonia found themselves caught between the giants of Germany and Russia, on a route across which armies surged or retreated. Subjected to foreign domination and conquest since the Northern crusades in the twelfth century, these lands faced frequent devastation as Germans, Russians and Swedish colonisers asserted control of the territory, religion, government, culture and inhabitants. The Glass Wall features an extraordinary cast of characters – contemporary and historical, foreign and indigenous – who have lived and fought in the Baltic and made the atmosphere of what was often thought to be western Europe’s furthest redoubt. Too often it has seemed to be the destiny of this region to be the front line of other people’s wars. By telling the stories of warriors and victims, of philosophers and Baltic Barons, of poets and artists, of rebels and emperors, and others who lived through years of turmoil and violence, Max Egremont reveals a fascinating part of Europe, on a frontier whose limits may still be in doubt.'Fascinating . . . a rich, nuanced account of life on "the Baltic frontier"' - The Times'Excellent' - Daily Mail'Extraordinary' - Literary Review'Exemplary' - EconomistTrade ReviewFascinating . . . a rich, nuanced account of life on “the Baltic frontier” * The Times *Excellent . . . Boasting a fascinating cast of characters, it is a book which reveals a part of Europe with a complex history and an intriguing present -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *Extraordinary . . . a brilliant exploration of how the past infuses the landscape, buildings, art, literature, traditions, food, conversations and lived experience of the Baltic people * Literary Review *Confidently written, featuring reportage interwoven with his own and other writers’ literary and genealogical insights . . . The author also writes sympathetically about the trauma of the second world war . . . Exemplary, bringing together a grand historical narrative, local details, accounts of lives shaped and shattered, and architectural and literary insights * Economist *A restlessly enquiring guide . . . With rare narrative, Egremont offers an elegy for a forgotten land * Financial Times *
£11.69
Pan Macmillan Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of
Book SynopsisAccording to the great diarist, John Evelyn, Charles II was ‘addicted to women’, and throughout his long reign a great many succumbed to his charms. Clever, urbane and handsome, Charles presided over a hedonistic court, in which licence and licentiousness prevailed.Mistresses is the story of the women who shared Charles’s bed, each of whom wielded influence on both the politics and cultural life of the country. From the young king-in-exile’s first mistress and mother to his first child, Lucy Walter, to the promiscuous and ill-tempered courtier, Barbara Villiers. From Frances Teresa Stuart, ‘the prettiest girl in the world’ to history’s most famous orange-seller, ‘pretty, witty’ Nell Gwynn and to her fellow-actress, Moll Davis, who bore the last of the king’s fifteen illegitimate children. From Louise de Kéroualle, the French aristocrat – and spy for Louis XIV – to the sexually ambiguous Hortense Mancini. Here, too, is the forlorn and humiliated Queen Catherine, the Portuguese princess who was Charles’s childless queen. Drawing on a wide variety of original sources, including material in private archives, Linda Porter paints a vivid picture of these women and of Restoration England, an era that was both glamorous and sordid.Trade ReviewIn telling the story of Charles's mistresses, Porter skillfully interweaves the politics with the passion . . . an enlightening read. -- Tracy Borman * The Sunday Times *The lives of these seven women make a terrific story and Porter tells it well. -- Andrew Taylor * The Times *A fresh look at Charles' reign through the many women who shared his bed. * The Herald *In her [Linda Porter's] hands the lives and characters of the women who shaped the reputation of the Restoration court emerge as far more discrete and individual than the identikit line-up of Lely beauties whose portraits are one of the most recognizable identifiers of the period . . . It is testament to Porter's skill as a historian that by the end of Mistresses the darkness at the heart of the brilliant Restoration court is so bleakly exposed. -- Lisa Hilton * Spectator *Engaging and well-researched . . . One of the book's strengths is Porter's uncompromisingly impartial treatment of the king while discussing the lives of the key women in his life. * Literary Review *A stunning romp through the sexual court politics of the Restoration! Linda Porter's pacy book offers a balanced and revealing account of the mistresses of Charles II, and of his long-suffering wife. It's a vivid historical page-turner with the enigmatic figure of the King at its core, in turns funny, tragic and eye-popping, and a seamless blend of state affairs and scandal. Linda Porter's grasp of the period is masterful. -- Alison WeirTable of ContentsSection - i: Author's Note Section - ii: The Illegitimate Children of Charles II Section - iii: Prologue Unit - 1: Companions in Exile – Lucy Walter, 1630–58 Chapter - 1: 'Mrs Barlow' Chapter - 2: The Trouble with Lucy Chapter - 3: Marking Time Unit - 2: The Lady – Barbara Villiers, 1640–1709 Chapter - 4: ‘That blooming beauty’ Chapter - 5: The Royal Whore Chapter - 6: The Duchess Unit - 3: The Queen – Catherine of Braganza, 1638–1705 Chapter - 7: A Wealthy Wife Chapter - 8: ‘Full of sweetness and goodness’ Unit - 4: ‘His Coy Mistress’ – Frances Teresa Stuart, 1647–1702 Chapter - 9: La Belle Stuart Chapter - 10: The One Who Got Away Unit - 5: The Stage and the Throne – Nell Gwyn, 1651(?)–87 Chapter - 11: From Bawdy House to the King’s Bed Chapter - 12: The Protestant Whore Unit - 6: Baby Face – Louise de Kéroualle, 1649–1734 Chapter - 13: La Bretonne Chapter - 14: Mrs Carwell Chapter - 15: The Exclusion Crisis Unit - The Cardinal’s Niece – Hortense Mancini, 1646–99: 7 Chapter - 16: An Italian Girl in Paris Chapter - 17: The Last Mistress Section - iv: Epilogue Unit - v: Notes Section - vi: Select Bibliography Section - vii: Picture Acknowledgements Index - viii: Index
£11.69
Pan Macmillan Innovation: The History of England Volume VI
Book Synopsis‘Ackroyd makes history accessible to the layman’ – Ian Thomson, Independent Innovation brings Peter Ackroyd’s History of England to a triumphant close. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from the end of the Boer War and the accession of Edward VII to the end of the twentieth century, when his great-granddaughter Elizabeth II had been on the throne for almost five decades. A century of enormous change, encompassing two world wars, four monarchs (Edward VII, George V, George VI and the Queen), the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of the Labour Party, women’s suffrage, the birth of the NHS, the march of suburbia and the clearance of the slums. It was a period that saw the work of the Bloomsbury Group and T. S. Eliot, of Kingsley Amis and Philip Larkin, of the end of the post-war slump to the technicolour explosion of the 1960s, to free love and punk rock and from Thatcher to Blair. A vividly readable, richly peopled tour de force, it is Peter Ackroyd writing at his considerable best.Trade ReviewAckroyd makes history accessible to the layman -- Ian Thomson * Independent *Ackroyd’s prose is, as usual, sublime. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *
£15.29
Hodder Education CCEA A2-level History Student Guide: Clash of
Book SynopsisBuild, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 CCEA specification and brought to you by the leading History publisher, this study and revision guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.- Ensure understanding of the period with concise coverage of all Unit content, broken down into manageable chunks- Develop the analytical and evaluative skills that students need to succeed in A-level History- Consolidate understanding with exam tips and knowledge-check questions- Practise exam-style questions matched to the CCEA assessment requirements for every question type- Improve students' exam technique and show them how to reach the next grade with sample student answers and commentary for each exam-style question- Use flexibly in class or at home, for knowledge acquisition during the course or focused revision and exam preparation
£14.10
Hodder Education Access to History for Cambridge International AS
Book SynopsisThis title is endorsed by Cambridge Assessment International Education to support the Modern Europe 1750-1921 Option from the Cambridge AS History syllabus for first examination from 2021.Develop knowledge and analytical skills with engaging comprehensive coverage of the Modern Europe 1750-1921 Option from the Cambridge AS History syllabus for first examination from 2021. - Trust in the clear and authoritative content written by topic experts- Develop source skills through questions on a wide range of sources- Stay focused on the key issues you need to understand with questions throughout each chapter - Improve study and understanding through detailed chapter summary diagrams- Build confidence with applying your knowledge through exam guidance and exam-style questions
£31.92
Hodder Education Access to History: Democracy and Nazism: Germany
Book SynopsisExam board: AQALevel: 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
£26.97
Hodder Education Access to History: Britain 1783-1885
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
£26.97
Hodder Education Access to History: Revolution and dictatorship:
Book SynopsisExam board: AQALevel: 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
£26.97
University of Minnesota Press Shaving the Beasts: Wild Horses and Ritual in
Book SynopsisA vivid first-person study of a notorious equine ritual—from the perspective of the wild horses who are its targets Wild horses still roam the mountains of Galicia, Spain. But each year, in a ritual dating to the 1500s called rapa das bestas, villagers herd these “beasts” together and shave their manes and tails. Shaving the Beasts is a firsthand account of how the horses experience this traumatic rite, producing a profound revelation about the durability of sociality in the face of violent domination. John Hartigan Jr. constructs an engrossing, day-by-day narrative chronicling the complex, nuanced social lives of wild horses and the impact of their traumatic ritual shearing every summer. His story generates intimate, individual portraits of these creatures while analyzing the social practices—like grazing and grooming—that are the building blocks of equine society. Shaving the Beasts culminates in a searing portrayal of the inspiring resilience these creatures display as they endure and recover from rapa das bestas. Turning away from “thick” description to “thin,” Hartigan moves toward a more observational form of study, focusing on behaviors over interpretations. This vivid approach provides new and important contributions to the study of animal behavior. Ultimately, he comes away with profound, penetrating insights into multispecies interactions and a strong alternative to humancentric ethnographic practices.Trade Review"Deftly pushing against three-quarters of a century of ethnographic tradition, John Hartigan Jr. creates an earnest multispecies anthropology rich with methodological and theoretical promise. He decenters the human, entangles ethological and ethnographic method and first-person narrative, and invites us to imagine a truly multispecies social theory. The horses remain the focus amid the enticing and challenging assertions about how we could (should) be ‘doing’ anthropology with other-than-humans in the Anthropocene."—Agustín Fuentes, Princeton University "In this sympathetic account of Galician wild horses and cultural rituals, John Hartigan Jr. offers an important multispecies intervention into how we conceptualize sociality and subjectivity. His clear and lively prose captures the nuance of horse interactions and relationships, making this book a pleasure to read and teach."—Laura A. Ogden, author of Swamplife: People, Gators, and Mangroves Entangled in the Everglades "Shavings the Beasts makes its fascinating and creative subject matter highly approachable and teachable. Hartigan renders rich philosophical and theoretical considerations in a clear and compelling voice that can support diverse readers to engaging these ideas."—General Anthropology
£19.79
Manchester University Press Making and Remaking Saints in Nineteenth-Century
Book SynopsisThis book examines the place of 'saints' and sanctity in a self-consciously modern age, and argues that Protestants were as fascinated by such figures as Catholics were. Long after the mechanisms of canonisation had disappeared, people continued not only to engage with the saints of the past but continued to make their own saints in all but name. Just as strikingly, it claims that devotional practices and language were not the property of orthodox Christians alone. Making and remaking saints explores for the first time how sainthood remained significant in this period both as an enduring institution and as a metaphor that could be transposed into unexpected contexts. Each of the chapters in this volume focuses on the reception of a particular individual or group, and together they will appeal to not only historians of religion, but those concerned with material culture, culture of history, and the reshaping of British identities in an age of faith and doubt.Trade ReviewThe editor of this book, a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, has brought together a strong team of scholars who address a fascinating subject.Church Times, November 2016‘This splendid collection provides abundant evidence to support Clyde Binfield’sdictum that the nineteenth century was ‘hagiology’s high noon’.’Robin Gill, Theology February 2017‘Making and Remaking Saints in Nineteenth-Century Britain will most certainly be a success for readers interested in the ways in which religious thought shaped and was shaped by the intellectual currents of the period.’Devon Fisher, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Journal of British Studies‘The editor is to be congratulated for having brought together such a selection of scholars, and for having presented a major contribution to the understanding of the religious and historical tensions of the period.’Serenhedd James, St Stephen’s House, Oxford, British Catholic History‘This book does an excellent job of exploring the ways in which hagiography was rewritten and ecclesiastical history was contested. It does very valuable work in drawing attention to the interaction of Protestant and Catholic traditions and even occasionally gets into some daring and interesting territory in the course of discussions of the use of saints by freethinkers, atheists and spiritualists.’Dominic Janes, Keele University , Journal of Ecclesiastical History -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: Thinking with saints - Gareth Atkins 1. Paul - Michael Ledger-Lomas 2. The Virgin Mary - Carol Engelhardt Herringer 3. Claudia Rufina - Martha Vandrei 4. Patrick - Andrew R. Holmes 5. Thomas Becket - Nicholas Vincent 6. Thomas More - W. J. Sheils 7. Ignatius Loyola - Gareth Atkins 8. English Catholic martyrs - Lucy Underwood 9. Richard Baxter - Simon Burton 10. The Scottish Covenanters - James Coleman 11. John and Mary Fletcher - David R. Wilson 12. William Wilberforce and 'the Saints' - Roshan Allpress 13. Elizabeth Fry and Sarah Martin - Helen Rogers 14. John Henry Newman's Lives of the English Saints - Elizabeth Macfarlane 15. Thérèse of Lisieux - Alana Harris Index
£26.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The French Air Force in the First World War
Book SynopsisThe French air force of the First World War developed as fast as the British and German air forces, yet its history, and the enormous contribution it made to the eventual French victory, is often forgotten. So Ian Sumner's photographic history, which features almost 200 images, most of which have not been published before, is a fascinating and timely introduction to the subject. The fighter pilots, who usually dominate perceptions of the war in the air, play a leading role in the story, in particular the French aces, the small group of outstanding airmen whose exploits captured the publics imagination. Their fame, though, tends to distract attention from the ordinary unremembered airmen who formed the body of the air force throughout the war years. Ian Sumner tells their story too, as well as describing in a sequence of memorable photographs the less well-known branches of the service the bomber and reconnaissance pilots and the variety of primitive warplanes they flew.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd For King and Kaiser: Scenes from Saxony's War in
Book SynopsisFollowing on from their pioneering account of the Saxon army in the First World War -Fighting the Kaiser's War - Andrew Lucas and J rgen Schmieschek have compiled this remarkable sequel which covers Saxony's war in Flanders in much greater detail. Once again they draw on vivid extracts from personal accounts and letters as well as regimental and documents from the Saxon archives, and they illustrate their powerful study with hundreds of previously unpublished personal photos which show every aspect of wartime experience in the front line and the rear areas. The role of the Saxon army in the three battles of Ypres is recorded in graphic detail, and rare photographs offer fresh perspectives on famous wartime locations on the Western Front including Ploegsteert Wood, the Menin Road, Bellewaarde, Wytschaete and Passchendaele. The historic photographs - and the insights provided by the accompanying text - give us a fascinating inside view of the Saxon soldiers and their relations with the local population who were obliged to host them. The quality of the evocative personal material - text and images - collected by Andrew Lucas and J rgen Schmieschek makes this exceptional work a major contribution to the literature on the German forces on the Western Front.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Killing Fields of Provence: Occupation,
Book SynopsisIn the South of France, the most memorable event of the Second World War was the sea and airborne invasion of 15 August 1944. Perhaps because it went relatively smoothly, this “Second D-Day” was soon relegated to the back pages of history. Operation Dragoon and the liberation is however only a small part of the story. The arrival of the Allies was preceded by years of oppression and strife. Provençal people still struggle to come to terms with the painful past of split-allegiances and empty stomachs which epitomize les années noires (the dark years). The author’s blend of local and social history enables the English-language reader to discover the parallel universe which exists alongside these idyllic shores. In every corner of Provence, the mindful traveller will come across words, chipped into stone, which exhort: Passant, souviens-toi (passer-by, remember). These sacred places of memory tell a story of duplicity, defiance, and ultimately, deliverance. Whether the stuff of legends, or the everyday experiences of lesser mortals, humanity is used to explain the Franco-American experience of wartime Provence, as seen through an Anglo-Saxon prism.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Seleukid Empire of Antiochus III, 223-187 BC
Book SynopsisThe second volume in John Grainger's history of the Seleukid Empire is devoted to the reign of Antiochus III. Too often remembered only as the man who lost to the Romans at Magnesia, Antiochus is here revealed as one of the most powerful and capable rulers of the age. Having emerged from civil war in 223 as the sole survivor of the Seleukid dynasty, he shouldered the burdens of a weakened and divided realm. Though defeated by Egypt in the Fourth Syrian War, he gradually restored full control over the empire. His great Eastern campaign took Macedonian arms back to India for the first time since Alexander's day and, returning west, he went on to conquer Thrace and finally wrest Syria from Ptolemaic control. Then came intervention in Greece and the clash with Rome leading to the defeat at Magnesia and the restrictive Peace of Apamea. Despite this, Antiochus remained ambitious, campaigning in the East again; when he died in 187 BC the empire was still one of the most powerful states in the world.
£18.32
Pen & Sword Books Ltd British Naval Weapons of World War Two: The John
Book SynopsisJohn Lambert was a renowned naval draughtsman, whose plans were highly valued for their accuracy and detail by modelmakers and enthusiasts. By the time of his death in 2016 he had produced over 850 sheets of drawings, many of which have never been published. These have now been acquired by Seaforth and this is the third of a planned series of albums on selected themes, reproducing complete sheets at a large page size, with an expert commentary and captioning. The initial volumes concentrate on British naval weaponry used in the Second World War, thus completing the project John Lambert was working on when he died. His interest was always focused on smaller warships and his weapons drawings tend to be of open mountings - the kind that present a real challenge to modelmakers - rather than enclosed turret guns, but he also produced drawings of torpedo tubes, underwater weapons, fire-control directors and even some specific armament-related deck fittings. Following the earlier volumes on destroyer and escort armament, this one covers the multitude of weapons carried by Coastal Forces, many of which were improvised, ad hoc or obsolescent, but eventually leading to powerful purpose-designed weaponry. An appendix covers the main deck guns carried by British submarines of this era. The drawings are backed by introductory essays by Norman Friedman, an acknowledged authority on naval ordnance, while a selection of photographs adds to the value of the book as visual reference. Over time, the series will be expanded to make this unique technical archive available in published form, a move certain to be welcomed by warship modellers, enthusiasts and the many fans of John Lambert's work.
£32.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Cholera: The Victorian Plague
Book SynopsisDiscover the story of the disease that devastated the Victorian population, and brought about major changes in sanitation. Drawing on the latest scientific research and a wealth of archival material, Amanda Thomas uses first-hand accounts, blending personal stories with an overview of the history of the disease and its devastating after-effects on British society. This fascinating history of a catastrophic disease uncovers forgotten stories from each of the major cholera outbreaks in 1831-3, 1848-9, 1853-4 and 1866. Amanda Thomas reveals that Victorian theories about the disease were often closer to the truth than we might assume, among them the belief that cholera was spread by miasma, or foul air.
£13.49
Pan Macmillan Who Are We Now?: Stories of Modern England
Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Paperback of the Year 'I can’t tell you how refreshing it is in these polarised times to read a book on politics that doesn’t have an axe to grind . . . an essential read.' - The Sunday TimesJason Cowley, editor-in-chief of the New Statesman, examines contemporary England through a handful of the key news stories from recent times to reveal what they tell us about the state of the nation and to answer the question Who Are We Now?Spanning the years since the election of Tony Blair’s New Labour government to the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, the book investigates how England has changed and how those changes have affected us. Cowley weaves together the seemingly disparate stories of the Chinese cockle-pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay, the East End Imam who was tested during a summer of terror, the pensioner who campaigned against the closure of her GP’s surgery and Gareth Southgate’s transformation of English football culture. And in doing so, Cowley shows the common threads that unite them, whether it is attitudes to class, nation, identity, belonging, immigration, or religion.He also examines the so-called Brexit murder in Harlow, the haunting repatriation of the fallen in the Iraq and Afghan wars through Wootton Bassett, the Lancashire woman who took on Gordon Brown, and the flight of the Bethnal Green girls to Islamic State, fleshing out the headlines with the very human stories behind them.Through these vivid and often moving stories, Cowley offers a clear and compassionate analysis of how and why England became so divided and the United Kingdom so fragmented, and how we got to this cultural and political crossroads. Most importantly, he also shows us the many ways in which there is genuine hope for the future.Trade ReviewI can’t tell you how refreshing it is in these polarised times to read a book on politics that doesn’t have an axe to grind . . . It is wonderfully written, the pages littered with poetic and literary references, as you might expect from an outstanding journalist . . . an essential read. * The Sunday Times *Subtle, sophisticated . . . compellingly told . . . This is a gentle and intelligent book, refreshingly unpolemical and reflective. -- Julian Coman * Observer Book of the Week *First-rate . . . [Cowley] is a broad-minded observer, a true liberal if that description may still be applied, and his elegance is all the more attractive for its absence of gloss . . . If you open this book for instruction, you may find much of value in the author’s selection of snapshots from his life and the lives of others. You will certainly read it with pleasure. -- Michael Henderson * The Times *Interesting . . . there is a certain Orwellian (in the best sense) curiosity and insightfulness * Sunday Telegraph *As someone who zips around England — and the wider UK every week — this book really resonates with me. Wonderfully written with colourful and incisive accounts of contemporary England -- Chris Mason, Presenter of BBC Radio 4's Any Questions?A beautiful piece of storytelling – the British eyed from unexpected places, from China to the middle of the middle of the middle. The question will never go away but these answers help us a lot -- Andrew MarrA balanced, insightful analysis of the past 30 years of English politics and identity, taking in New Labour, immigration, Brexit and the pandemic. -- Andrew Holgate and Laura Hackett * The Times '100 Best Books for Summer' *The New Statesman editor goes back to his Essex roots in this intelligent book about patriotism, which confronts Orwell’s puzzle: why is “England perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality”? -- Philip Johnston * The Daily Telegraph 'Best Books for Summer' *Fascinating . . . a pleasure to read. Cowley has an eye and an ear for the small details that add emotional depth to his reports. -- Robert Shrimsley * Financial Times *Urgent and timely . . . Cowley powerfully demonstrates how these vivid, half-forgotten stories have contributed to a fragmented England, and offers a vision for how we can embrace the lessons learned to build a bright new future. -- Scarlett Sangster * Breaking News Ireland *A liberal and humane analysis informed by quiet patriotism. [Cowley] doesn’t try to define what England “is” or represents but searches instead for its emotional and cultural underpinnings . . . ruminative and reflective, informed by observation and without polemics. -- John Freeman * Reaction magazine *National identity is at the heart of Who Are We Now? Stories of Modern England . . . It is told through a series of stories, merging the personal and the political – stories of conflict and division but also ultimately of hope. -- Tom Gatti * New Statesman 'What to read this year: non-fiction' *A lyrical blend of the personal and the political, with echoes of Orwell, this book uncovers the hidden story of a fragmented nation. -- Helen Lewis, journalist, broadcaster and author of Difficult WomenJason Cowley’s well-researched reports and excellent analysis of modern England lead to two inexorable conclusions. "We" – the people of England – are certainly not who we once were; and "we" are far from agreeing who we mean when we talk of "us." Fascinating, disturbing and brilliantly insightful, especially on towns like Harlow in Essex which are not so much left behind, as overlooked and ignored. -- Gavin Esler, author of How Britain EndsJason Cowley’s humane and sharply observed book aims to piece together what the Victorians called "the condition of England question", through meditations on Blair’s Britain through to Brexit, from civil war in Syria to Covid-19. Who Are We Now? is blessed by curiosity and emphathy for the many overlapping stories from Margate to Morecambe and beyond. The traps of the metropole are avoided and the result is a work of unobtrusive and softly spoken patriotism, written to stand the test of time -- John Bew, author of the Orwell Prize-winning Citizen Clem: A Biography of AttleeCowley offers a haunting 'condition of England' masterpiece, the multiple Englands of his intimate stories elusive, at the mercy of forces far beyond any individual's hopes, somehow enduring. This is a beautifully written meditation of the recent English past and what understanding the plurality of Englishness demands of the English. -- Helen Thompson, co-host of the Talking Politics podcastBehind every electoral statistic, every social and political change is an evocative human story. With his characteristic clarity and flair Jason Cowley pulls out such particularly poignant, and redolent of the spirit of our times, stories. In doing so, he adds a crucial and often overlooked layer to our narratives of modern Britain and the historical tides of the last few decades. The lives of real people jump from these pages to form a rich tapestry, from the extremely dramatic to the most mundane, to shed light on what divides and what unites us, and what makes us the society we are today. -- Maria Sobolewska, co-author of Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics.I really recommend [Who Are We Now?], a wonderfully thoughtful, melancholy and moving read -- Dominic Sandbrook, historian and co-host of The Rest is History Terrific. Absolutely fascinating - highly recommended by me. -- Iain Martin, editor of Reaction A trenchant, but also moving, personal analysis of why England has become so divided, which finds hope for the future in the compassion for others that characterized the pandemic. -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller Ones to Watch *Engaging . . . This is an important and readable book - a rare combination. -- Neill Denny * BookBrunch *Despite the sadness and the concern, Cowley’s story is no jeremiad. He finds more grounds for hope than despair . . . The writing is excellent throughout, with an engagingly allusive literary quality. -- Brendan Simms * Engelsberg Ideas *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing The Interest: How the British Establishment
Book SynopsisDiscover how the campaign to end slavery divided Britain and was almost thwarted by some of the most powerful and famous figures of the era.**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING**In 1807, Parliament outlawed the slave trade in the British Empire. But for the next 25 years more than 700,000 people remained enslaved, due to the immensely powerful pro-slavery group the 'West India Interest'.This ground-breaking history discloses the extent to which the 'Interest' were supported by nearly every figure of the British establishment - fighting, not to abolish slavery, but to maintain it for profit. Gripping and unflinching, The Interest is the long-overdue exposé of one of Britain's darkest, most turbulent times.A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR'Scintillating . . . compulsively readable' Guardian'A magnificent book . . . riveting' Evening Standard'A critical piece of history and a devastating exposé' Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious Empire'Thoroughly researched and potent' David Lammy MP'Essential reading' Simon Sebag MontefioreTrade ReviewAn outstanding and gripping revelation ... essential reading -- Simon Sebag MontefioreImpressively researched and engagingly written -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *A magnificent book ... riveting -- Ian Thomson * Evening Standard *Powerful ... engrossing ... Taylor's potent book shows why slavery took root as an essential part of British national life -- Martin Chilton * Independent *Taylor can tell a story superbly and has a fine eye for detail ... His argument is a potent and necessary corrective to a cosy national myth * Economist *Michael Taylor's well-researched The Interest is ... about abolition, but it focuses on the grandees who fought against it, mostly for reasons of greed ... those seeking a catalogue of the country's old iniquities need look no further -- Simon Heffer * Telegraph Books of the Year *A thoroughly researched and potent historical account, The Interest exposes the truth behind the longstanding narrative of Britain as a leading abolitionist force and makes a powerful case for reparations -- Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for JusticeScintillating ... In twenty brisk, gripping chapters, Taylor charts the course from the foundation of the Anti-Slavery Society in 1823 to the final passage of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. Part of what makes this a compulsively readable book is his skill in cross-cutting between three groups of protagonists. On one track, we follow the abolitionist campaigners on their lengthy, uphill battle ... This well-known story is reanimated by some brilliant pen-portraits ... A second strand illuminates the fears and bigotries of white British West Indians ... The main focus of the book, however, is on the colonists' powerful domestic allies, the so-called West India Interest ... Taylor paints a vivid picture of their outlook, organisation and superior political connections ... As this timely, sobering book reminds us, British abolition cannot be celebrated as an inevitable or precocious national triumph. It was not the end, but only the beginning -- Fara Dabhoiwala * Guardian *One achievement of Taylor's fascinating book is that, for the first time in a book about abolition, it gives equal weight to the force of pro-slavery ... Taylor's political analysis is first-rate and riveting ... He argues that emancipation was neither inevitable nor altruistic; party politics in Westminster and rebellion from the West Indies played as much a role as moral outrage. Taylor's achievement [is to] show that, thanks to the power of the Interest, being pro-slavery was seen as a respectable, even popular, position in British politics until the day of its demise. Above all, he reminds us of the role of those who have been unsung in this story - of Mary Prince, Samuel Sharpe and Quamina -- Ben Wilson * The Times *Taylor superbly brings to life all the intrigue, machinations, heavy-lifting, rigmarole and chance of the tortuous path to abolition -- H Kumarasingham * Literary Review *Impressive ... Taylor tells a compelling story, graced with anecdotes but driven by argument, that moves the reader to and fro between London and the Caribbean, and between aristocratic houses and anti-slavery rallies ... with fierce moral passion ... Taylor vividly evokes the slave revolts ... reveals some of the atrocities perpetrated by slave-owners ... Yet the book's primary focus is political because, as Taylor emphasises, the abolition of slavery turned to a large extent on events at Westminster ... Yet votes were not enough; bribery was also vital ... The writing of British history must encompass slave-power, not just sea-power - as Taylor's scorching book makes clear -- David Reynolds * New Statesman *Skilfully written with a powerful and passionate narrative, this is a seminal work that carries the burden of phenomenal relevance. It shows how the enslavers' battle to protect their trophy became the most dramatic public affair in early 19th century Britain -- Sir Hilary Beckles, Chair of the Caribbean Community Reparations CommitteeAs Michael Taylor demonstrates in this highly original, passionate, deeply researched and beautifully written book, opposition to slavery abolition was rooted deeply in British culture and values, which permeated the thinking of many contemporary radicals as well as conservatives. A disturbing story but a very important one -- Boyd Hilton, Professor of Modern British History, University of CambridgeOffer[s] [a] fresh perspective on the story of reform and challenge[s] many of the prevailing, at times self-congratulatory, narratives of abolition ... Taylor assesses how far earnings from slavery permeated British society. He names the banks, universities and industries that all benefited directly from the trade ... lessons for today -- Kofi Adjepong-Boateng * Financial Times *This fascinating history of Britain's approach to slavery makes short work of the argument that Britain's main role in the atrocities of the slave trade was to abolish it. In debunking this argument, Taylor writes with vivid clarity about one of history's greatest crimes, introducing us to people and places that have long since been consigned to the past and yet loom over the present. Meticulously researched and timely, The Interest is a critical piece of history and a devastating exposé of a misleading colonial narrative -- Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious EmpireTaylor skillfully weaves careful research, astute judgements and elegant writing into a vital new interpretation of the efforts to prevent emancipation in the British Caribbean. In doing so, he shows just how the defence of slavery was pursued as a national interest before its abolition was claimed as a national achievement -- Dr Richard Huzzey, Durham UniversityMichael Taylor's The Interest is an absorbing and unsparing account of a wilfully distorted episode in British history and a vital antidote to the Rees-Moggification of the national past. As readable as it is timely, the book will appeal to the academic and the lay reader alike in contributing significantly to current reappraisals of Britain's relationship with its colonial past -- Simon Skinner, Associate Professor, University of OxfordOne of the pleasures of teaching modern historians about ancient Rome is that they go on to write great books like this -- Mary BeardReads like a murder mystery ... Taylor challenges nostalgic politicians' desire to resurrect a sanitised, 'civilizing mission' version of our imperial past, perpetuating the myth of Britain as an anti-slavery nation -- Colin Grant * Writers Mosaic *[An] excellent new book... The scale of what the abolitionists were up against is only now becoming clear ... Taylor's book is one of the few studies to give it equal time * London Review of Books *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Noble Ambitions: The Fall and Rise of the
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Long Weekend: a wild, sad and sometimes hilarious tour of the English country house after the Second World War, when Swinging London collided with aristocratic values.'Preposterously entertaining' Observer'Brilliant' Daily Telegraph'Rollicking' Sunday TimesAs the sun set slowly on the British Empire in the years after the Second World War, the nation's stately homes were in crisis. Tottering under the weight of rising taxes and a growing sense that they had no place in twentieth-century Britain, hundreds of ancestral piles were dismantled and demolished.Yet - perhaps surprisingly - many of these great houses survived, as dukes and duchesses clung desperately to their ancestral seats and tenants' balls gave way to rock concerts, safari parks and day trippers. From the Rolling Stones rocking Longleat to Christine Keeler rocking Cliveden, Noble Ambitions takes us on a lively tour of these crumbling halls of power.* A Daily Telegraph Book of the Year ** Longlisted for the William MB Berger Prize for British Art History *Trade Review[A] preposterously entertaining history of the postwar country house... reading it is rather like leafing through an old leather-bound Smythson address book whose well-connected owner has helpfully added waspish notes, gossip and the odd family tree. In other words, it's heaven. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Adrian Tinniswood's rollicking study perfectly captures the combination of decadence, pathos and brazen cheek that kept the English country house alive when it faced disaster. -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *[A] brilliant new history of the country house since 1945... Tinniswood tells...[the] story superbly, his racy anecdotes mined not just from the usual memoirs, but from a studious trawl of endless local papers. -- Marcus Binney * Daily Telegraph *Beautifully orchestrated... a compulsive read, deliciously voyeuristic and yet a triumph of meticulous social and cultural scholarship. * Country Life *A vastly entertaining account of the crisis that befell England's stately homes in the decades immediately after the war. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year* *
£11.69
Vintage Publishing The Broken House: Growing up Under Hitler – The
Book Synopsis'Exquisitely written... haunting... Few books, I think, capture so well the sense of a life broken for ever by trauma and guilt' Sunday Times 'An unsparing, honest and insightful memoir, that shows how private failure becomes national disaster' Hilary MantelTwenty years after the end of the war, Horst Krüger attempted to make sense of his childhood. He had grown up in a quiet Berlin suburb. Here, people lived ordinary lives, believed in God, obeyed the law, and were gradually seduced by the promises of Nazism. He had been 'the typical child of innocuous Germans who were never Nazis, and without whom the Nazis would never have been able to do their work'. With tragic inevitability, this world of respectability, order and duty began to crumble.Written in accomplished prose of lingering beauty, The Broken House is a moving coming-of-age story that provides a searing portrait of life under the Nazis.Trade ReviewExquisitely written... haunting... Few books, I think, capture so well the sense of a life broken for ever by trauma and guilt -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *A masterpiece. An astonishing piece of literature. Complex, heartfelt, vibrant, intense, urgent. A must read. I read it straight through to the last page and then wanted to read it all over again -- Thomas Harding, bestselling author of Hanns and RudolfThe major rediscovery of a forgotten treasure. No book has ever so honestly evoked the wretched terror of life in Nazi Germany -- James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of GermanyI often think that the key to a successful memoir is to find the right place to stand, the effective distance. Writing in the sixties, Kruger had enough clarity to see where his story fitted into the big picture, but he can still make the reader feel the passion, danger and grief. It is an unsparing, honest and insightful memoir, that shows how private failure becomes national disaster. There is no mercy from the author and no false hope, but he fills a gap in the historical imagination -- Hilary MantelA book of hard-won simplicity and quite beautiful precision * The Times *
£9.49
Amazon Publishing Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies
Book SynopsisA bold new analysis of one of history’s most misrepresented women. History has lied. Anne Boleyn has been sold to us as a dark figure, a scheming seductress who bewitched Henry VIII into divorcing his queen and his church in an unprecedented display of passion. Quite the tragic love story, right? Wrong. In this electrifying exposé Hayley Nolan explores for the first time the full, uncensored evidence of Anne Boleyn’s life and relationship with Henry VIII, revealing the shocking suppression of a powerful woman. So leave all notions of outdated and romanticised folklore at the door and forget what you think you know about one of the Tudors’ most notorious queens. She may have been silenced for centuries, but this urgent book ensures Anne Boleyn’s voice is being heard now. #TheTruthWillOutTrade Review“This book is an exposé revealing for the first time, uncensored evidence that shows the truth about Anne Boleyn’s life and the suppression and censorship of a powerful woman…So much passion has been poured into this book by Hayley Nolan in a need to rewrite some wrongs…If history is your thing, you’ll be hooked. There’s so much to sink your teeth into.” —Fat Cats and Good Books “Fluently written, and full of a lot of humour…This book was fully engaging, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history. It’s also very accessible, so regardless of your prior knowledge of the period, you will learn a lot from Nolan’s work.” — Stacked Shelves “The way we understand history affects the way we understand the world. Minimising and even romanticising domestic abuse through history sends harmful messages about what is acceptable and what is a serious crime. Women’s Aid is raising awareness of this with Hayley Nolan, who is examining Henry VIII’s harassment and murder of his wife Anne Boleyn, and challenging the way that her story has been told in history.” —Adina Claire, acting co-Chief Executive of Women’s Aid
£8.54
Smithsonian Books Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga
Book SynopsisReplete with color photographs, drawings, and maps of Viking sites, artifacts, and landscapes, this book celebrates and explores the Viking saga from the combined perspectives of history, archaeology, oral tradition, literature, and natural science. The book''s contributors chart the spread of marauders and traders in Europe as well as the expansion of farmers and explorers throughout the North Atlantic and into the New World. They show that Norse contacts with Native American groups were more extensive than has previously been believed, but that the outnumbered Europeans never established more than temporary settlements in North America.
£26.95
The New York Review of Books, Inc The Crisis Of The European Mind
Book SynopsisPaul Hazard’s magisterial, widely influential, and beloved intellectual history offers an unforgettable account of the birth of the modern European mind in all its dynamic, inquiring, and uncertain glory. Beginning his story in the latter half of the seventeenth century, while also looking back to the Renaissance and forward to the future, Hazard traces the process by which new developmentsin the sciences, arts, philosophy, and philology came to undermine the stable foundations of the classical world, with its commitment to tradition, stability, proportion, and settled usage. Hazard shows how travelers’ tales and archaeological investigation widened European awareness and acceptance of cultural difference; how the radical rationalism of Spinoza and Richard Simon’s new historical exegesis of the Bible called into question the revealed truths of religion; how the Huguenot Pierre Bayle’s critical dictionary of ideas paved the way for Voltaire and the Enlightenment, even as the empiricism of Locke encouraged a new attention to sensory experience that led to Rousseau and romanticism. Hazard’s range of knowledge is vast, and whether the subject is operas, excavations, or scientific experiments his brilliant style and powers of description bring to life the thinkers who thought up the modern world.
£19.55
Bellwether Media Germany
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£12.34
Bellwether Media Ireland
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£12.34
Brandeis University Press Belonging and Betrayal – How Jews Made the Art
Book SynopsisThe story of dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder. Since the late-1990s, the fate of Nazi stolen art has become a cause célèbre. In Belonging and Betrayal, Charles Dellheim turns this story on its head by revealing how certain Jewish outsiders came to acquire so many old and modern masterpieces in the first place – and what this reveals about Jews, art, and modernity. This book tells the epic story of the fortunes and misfortunes of a small number of eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe to the United States and in the triumph of modern art. Beautifully written and compellingly told, this story takes place on both sides of the Atlantic from the late nineteenth century to the present. It is set against the backdrop of critical transformations, among them the gradual opening of European high culture, the ambiguities of Jewish acculturation, the massive sell-off of aristocratic family art collections, the emergence of different schools of modern art, the cultural impact of World War I, and the Nazi war against the Jews. Trade Review"(An) exceptional work of scholarship. A brilliant account of Nazi pillage and the ongoing efforts at restitution." * Kirkus (starred review) *“A hefty, deeply researched book . . . A compelling portrait of the Jewish families who, unexpectedly, became arbiters of taste in Europe, beginning in the late 19th century and ending with Nazi plunder. Read if you’re into: thinking about art history, Jewish history and where they intersect.” * Alma *"Readers of Dellheim’s book will learn more about the history of modern art and European cultural history during times of upheaval and turmoil. Those who enjoy history and art history will enjoy this deep dive.” * Library Journal *"In the book, Dellheim writes about dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder, sharing the epic fortunes and misfortunes of those eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe and Britain to the United States." * Arts and Collections *“A comprehensive tale of the artwork that appeared throughout Europe and then was absconded with in one of the largest heists ever. The various characters featured in this fascinating account hustle, sell and backstab." * Manhattan Book Review *"With its twists and turns, Dellheim’s book reads like a Realist novel. Despite the seriousness of its subject matter, it is a thrilling read, divided into wittily titled sections… The book is a veritable tour de force and an outstanding addition to scholarly research on art, Modernism, and Jewish studies." * Hyperallergic *"Belonging and Betrayal seeks to explain how Jews found significant, if precarious, success in the European art world... [It] reveals the complex negotiations, spoken and unspoken, that structured social, economic, and political life for Jews in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century western Europe." * ARTNews *"Dellheim's 600-plus-page tour de force [is] well-illustrated with paintings that its cast of characters collected and sold... [and] primary sources that reveal the extent of Nazi looting..." * JewishBoston *"a wonderful achievement, beautifully written, a magnificent work of art in itself, a fabulous book.” * LitHub's Keen On *"Highly recommended. This well-researched volume, with copious notes, two sections of color plates, and interspersed black-and-white figures, will interest those studying art history, provenance research, art markets, museums and repatriation, cultural studies, and Jewish studies.” * Choice *"European Jews on a fairly considerable scale drifted into the visual arts world as collectors and dealers in the 19th century and became, against all odds, arbiters of taste. Once regarded as outsiders on the margins of high culture, they were suddenly thrust into positions of prestige and influence. Charles Dellheim, a professor of history at Boston University, charts their entry into this field in his masterful and magisterial book, Belonging and Betrayal: How Jews Made The Art World Modern, published by Brandeis University Press....Dellheim has written a highly readable, substantive and engaging account of the entry of Jews into art. It may well be the definitive work on this topic." * Times of Israel *"Dellheim’s rich, deeply engaging, compulsively readable study .... combines business history, social history, and cultural and intellectual history, offers a fresh and exciting approach to ethnic studies that moves far beyond the three dominant paradigms... .If we are to truly understand the history and nature of group prejudices, the structural and systematic barriers to success, and collective strategies for economic advancement and civil rights, let’s resist the temptation, at the gen ed level, to relegate the study of ethnicity to distinct enclaves. Inclusive, comparative, and historical perspective are essential." * Inside Higher Ed *"Belonging and Betrayal is a brilliantly etched portrayal of the family firms that maneuvered, battled, adapted, persevered, and prospered over decades and centuries. What underlies all of Charles Dellheim’s painstaking research lies a loving devotion to the subject matter. That means, above all, that his discussion of cultural and aesthetic matters rests on a bedrock of economic and business history. The element so often missing from studies of Jewish participation in Western culture here properly takes center stage. In this masterwork, Dellheim shows how to understand the business of culture." * Jewish Review of Books *"Dellheim’s book is the first to present a collective portrait of the businessmen – and occasionally businesswomen, like Berthe Weill – who thrived in fashionable and avant-garde circles. ...This is a huge work of historical synthesis, which manages to weave together an enormous cast of characters and locations with flair and sympathy." * Ars Judaica *“This is a book that seeks and deserves a large audience. It has met enthusiasm across the art press and Jewish press in the English-speaking world, but it merits a broader readership. Those interested in modern European cultural or business history, art history, or Jewish studies—but also a general readership—will find the narrative compelling to follow. . . . In short, this history of Jewish involvement and achievement in the art world is history writ large and springs from the author’s often intimate grasp of the professional and private lives and efforts of the progressive dealers and collectors, reanimated here by one of the history profession’s master storytellers.” * Austrian History Yearbook *"This is a magisterial book. Wide-ranging yet closely focused, detailed yet suspenseful, it should be required reading for all who make art or collect it. Gracefully written and sumptuously illustrated throughout, Belonging and Betrayal is an important--even indispensable--contribution to the field." -- Nicholas Delbanco, author of Why Writing Matters"A major contribution to understanding a profound Jewish goal to belong and succeed, only to be betrayed by willful acts by Nazis and their collaborators. This impressive book will engage you, surprise you, anger you, and above all, enrich you." -- Richard I. Cohen, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author, Jewish Icons"Brilliantly evocative and deeply researched, Charles Dellheim’s Belonging and Betrayal is a superb addition to the ongoing discussion on art ownership, theft, and restoration." -- David H. Lynn, editor emeritus of The Kenyon ReviewFinalist, 2021 National Jewish Book Award -- Finalist * National Jewish Book Award, History Category *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue: Reframing the PicturePart I. The Old Masters’ New Masters1. Horse Dealer to Art Dealer2. Treasure Island3. Assimilating Art4. Acquiring Eyes5. Metropolitan ManPart II. Was Modernism Jewish?6. Madman and Sons7. Was Modernism Jewish?8. First Impressionists9. Berlin Calling10. Between Bohemian and Bourgeois11. The Right BankerPart III. In The Middle12. The Wheel of War13. Brothers-in-Arms14. Custody Battles15. In the Market of Love16. Brothers-in-Law17. Gentlemen and PlayersPart IV. To Have And Have Not18. Artful Jews19. Artless Jews20. Next Year in Paris?21. After the Fall22. The Dispossessed23. The Exiles and the KingdomEpilogue: A Crack in Everything
£30.40
