European history Books

Book SynopsisTHE TIMES BIOGRAPHY OF THE DECADEWINNER OF THE 2013 SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONWINNER OF THE 2013 COSTA BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEARThe story of Gabriele D'Annunzio, poet, daredevil and Fascist.In September 1919 Gabriele D'Annunzio, successful poet and occasional politician, declared himself Commandante of the city of Fiume in modern day Croatia. His intention to establish a utopia based on his fascist and artistic ideals. It was the dramatic pinnacle to an outrageous career.Lucy Hughes-Hallett charts the controversial life of D'Annunzio, the debauched artist who became a national hero. His evolution from idealist Romantic to radical right-wing revolutionary is a political parable. Through his ideological journey, culminating in the failure of the Fiume endeavour, we witness the political turbulence of early 20th century Europe and the emergence of fascism.In The Pike', Hughes-Hallett addresses the cult of nationalism and the origins of political extremism and at the centre of the book stands the charismatic D'Annunzio: a figure as deplorable as he is fascinating.Trade Review‘Hard to beat … a biographical tour de force … a rich, voluptuous treat … a triumph, the biography of the year’ Robert McCrum, Observer, ‘Books of the Year’ ‘[The Pike] dramatically extends biography’s formal range to encompass a daunting theme’ TLS, ‘Books of the Year’ ‘This is a magnificent portrait of a preposterous character … deplorable, brilliant, ludicrous, tragic but above all irresistible, as hundreds of women could testify. His biographer has done him full justice’ Francis Wheen, Daily Mail ‘A cracker of a biography, an extraordinary story of literary accomplishment, passionate war-mongering and sexual incorrigibility… In less skilled hands this could have been a disaster; in fact it works wonderfully well’ Spectator, ‘Books of the Year’ ‘Beautiful, strange and original … an extraordinarily intimate portrait’ New Statesman ‘Hugely enjoyable … Hughes-Hallett has a great talent for encapsulating an era or an attitude …That almost 700 pages flew by bears testimony to how pleasurable and readable those pages were’ Sunday Times ‘A splendid subject for a biography … Hughes-Hallett dances her way through this extraordinary life in a style that is playful, punchy and generally pleasing … In death, as in life, the amazing story of D’Annunzio is painted in primary colours, but with the darkest shadows’ Observer ‘A riveting biography … It must have been so tempting to be judgmental, but Hughes-Hallett allows us to judge for ourselves’ Antonia Fraser, Daily Mail, ‘Books of the Year’ ‘Not only an inspired telling of a life that becomes more repellent with each page, it illuminates early 20th-century Europe in brilliant, unexpected ways’ Observer ‘Electrifying … a fascinating portrait … Hughes-Hallett relates his journey from romantic idealist to Right-wing warmonger with flair and insight’ Daily Express

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is beautifully slipcased presented collector’ s edition of the best selling title, The Lost World of Bletchley Park, a comprehensive illustrated history of this remarkable place, from its prewar heyday as a country estate, its wartime requisition and how it became the place where modern computing was invented and the German Enigma code was cracked, to its post-war dereliction and then rescue towards the end of the twentieth century as a museum. Removable memorabilia includes: 1938 recruiting memo with a big tick against Turing’ s name Churchill’ s ‘ Action this day’ letter giving code breakers extra resources Handwritten Turing memos Top Secret Engima decryptions, about the sinking of the Bismark, German High Command’ s assessment of D-Day threat and the message announcing Hitler’ s suicide A wealth of everyday items such as call-up papers, security notices and propoganda posters Newly redesigned interiors with 25% new content, high end slipcase package featuring removable facsimile documents, this is an essential purchase for everyone interested and wanting to experience the place where code-breaking helped to win the war.Trade ReviewIllustrated Book of the Month ‘Less a book than an adventure€¦ Even better, the book covers not only the wartime life of Bletchley Park, but also brings the story right up to date with material on the renovation of the buildings and on famous visitors to the site.’ Illustrated Book of the Month ‘Less a book than an adventure… Even better, the book covers not only the wartime life of Bletchley Park, but also brings the story right up to date with material on the renovation of the buildings and on famous visitors to the site.’ 5*'This collection provides a fascinating insight into [the Bletchley characters’] work… Thumbing through this slipcased collector’s edition will make you feel as if you are holding history in your hands.’‘this fascinating book brings to life the invaluable work done...But there is also an insight into the origins of Bletchley Park itself’‘Unforlding the maps, memos and Enigma decryptions adds a powerful and evocative dimension to this impressive chronicle… This marvelous account makes compelling reading.’‘an introduction to the place and the people who made the magic happen, and how they lived their covert lives.’‘5*. This collection provides a fascinating insight into [the Bletchley characters’] work… Thumbing through this slipcased collector’s edition will make you feel as if you are holding history in your hands.’ * How it Works magazine *'This fascinating book brings to life the invaluable work done...But there is also an insight into the origins of Bletchley Park itself’ * Who do you think you are magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH A NEW FOREWORD FROM WILLIAM DALRYMPLE''A book to read, reread, then read again to your children'' Independent on Sunday ''Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable to turn back'' Sunday Times''A book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place'' The Spectator The legendary story of how one man''s actions led to the birth of New York - and the beginning of the British Empire. In 1616, English adventurer Nathaniel Courthope stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world''s supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater. His heroism set in motion a series of events that led to England owning Manhattan, culminating in the creation of New York and the launch of the British Empire. Beautifully told, Nathaniel''s Nutmeg is a modern classic of adventure, ambition and exploration.Trade ReviewA magnificent piece of popular history . . . This is a book to read, reread, then read again to your children * Nicholas Fearn, Independent on Sunday *Beautifully touching ... To write a book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in his passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place - that, in the end, is something one would give a sack of nutmeg for. * Philip Hensher, The Spectator *Giles Milton tells his adventurous and sometimes grisly tale with relish ... The thoroughness and intelligence of his research underpins the lively confidence with which he deploys it. * John Spurling, Times Literary Supplement *A truly gripping tale... His research is impeccable... Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable... to turn back and abandon it. * Martin Booth, The Sunday Times *Milton has a terrific eye for the kind of detail that can bring the past vividly to life * The Spectator *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFocuses on the Dutch East India Company’s clashes with Tokugawa Japan over diplomacy, violence, and sovereignty.Trade ReviewClulow provides a superb study of the establishment of the relationship between the Dutch East India Company and the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th and early 18th centuries... Well-researched and well-written... Highly recommended. CHOICE Not only a thoroughly researched political and economic history, but... a fascinating maritime adventure as well... Highly recommended. Northern Mariner Well-researched and tightly argued study... Clulow's book makes a most valuable and welcome contribution to a fresh understanding of the history of the VOC and the European presence in Early Modern Asia. -- Michael Facius H-Soz-u-Kult This carefully documented analysis of difficult primary sources is unquestionably a contribution to the field and an important resource for better understanding early modern Japan, its foreign relationships, and the formative years of the joint-stock companies in Asia. American Historical Review Clulow's book makes a most valuable and welcome contribution to a fresh understanding of the history of the VOC and the European presence in Early Modern Asia, as well as to the ongoing debate about the characteristics of the global "early modern." Rezensiert fur geschichte.transnational An engaging, tightly knit, and timely study of the origins of the Dutch East India Company's experience in Tokugawa Japan. Journal of Japanese Studies Both a gold mine for scholars... and a great model for students who take classes on transnational communication... An inspiring study. H-War A provocative achievement in scholarship and one strongly recommended for devoted instructors of world history. Education About Asia Clulow offers an excellent analysis of how the VOC adapted itself... The Company and the Shogun is a welcome contribution to the field of international relations in pre modern East Asia. -- Nam-lin Hur Japan Review A fascinating reassessment of previously held assumptions about international relations in 17th-century Japan. The Japan Times Original, well written, and provocative in the best sense of the word... The Company and the Shogun is a seminal work, one that offers a bold new vision of the intersection of Japanese and global history in the seventeenth century. Monumenta Nipponica Well-written, clearly argued, solidly based on Japanese and Dutch sources...a valuable reminder of the limited influence of European colonial powers in the early modern world. Sixteenth Century Journal A focused and well-researched book... It is a welcome addition to literature. Business History Review This engrossing monograph offers a succinct and original interpretation of the early encounter between the fledging Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Tokugawa Shogunate. Economic History Review Commendable and highly engaging. History: Review of New Books A superb analysis of the VOC's changing relationship with Japan's political and mercantile elites. Low Countries Historical Review A most valuable contribution to Japanese political history. The International Journal of Maritime HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Archival Sources Introduction: Taming the Dutch Part 1. Diplomacy 1. Royal Letters from the Republic 2. The Lord of Batavia 3. The Shogun's Loyal Vassals Part 2. Violence 4. The Violent Sea 5. Power and Petition Part 3. Sovereignty 6. Planting the Flag in Asia 7. Giving Up the Governor Conclusion: The Dutch Experience in Japan Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisRevolution, the fourth volume of Peter Ackroyd's enthralling History of England begins in 1688 with a revolution and ends in 1815 with a famous victory. In it, Ackroyd takes readers from William of Orange's accession following the Glorious Revolution to the Regency, when the flamboyant Prince of Wales ruled in the stead of his mad father, George III, and England was – again – at war with France, a war that would end with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.Late Stuart and Georgian England marked the creation of the great pillars of the English state. The Bank of England was founded, as was the stock exchange, the Church of England was fully established as the guardian of the spiritual life of the nation and parliament became the sovereign body of the nation with responsibilities and duties far beyond those of the monarch. It was a revolutionary era in English letters, too, a time in which newspapers first flourished and the English novel was born. It was an era in which coffee houses and playhouses boomed, gin flowed freely and in which shops, as we know them today, began to proliferate in our towns and villages. But it was also a time of extraordinary and unprecedented technological innovation, which saw England utterly and irrevocably transformed from a country of blue skies and farmland to one of soot and steel and coal.Trade ReviewAckroyd is a fascinating mix of a 19th-century narrative historian and modern social analyst. Elements of thisbook seem very old-fashioned and formal - in a good way. Yet the author eschews the detached third person preferred by stuffy professionals, favouring instead a more intimate "you" that brings the reader into the dark alleys of industrial towns to sniff the urine, vomit and suppurating sores of industrial England. Those perfect sentences are scattered throughout. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of illustrations Chapter - 1: What do you think of predestination now? Chapter - 2: A bull or a bear? Chapter - 3: The idol of the age Chapter - 4: Hay day Chapter - 5: The prose of gold Chapter - 6: Waiting for the day Chapter - 7: The great Scriblerus Chapter - 8: The Germans are coming! Chapter - 9: Bubbles in the air Chapter - 10: The invisible hand Chapter - 11: Consuming passions Chapter - 12: The What D’Ye Call It? Chapter - 13: The dead ear Chapter - 14: Mother Geneva Chapter - 15: The pack of cards Chapter - 16: What shall I do? Chapter - 17: Do or die Chapter - 18: The violists Chapter - 19: A call for liberty Chapter - 20: Here we are again! Chapter - 21: The broad bottom Chapter - 22: The magical machines Chapter - 23: Having a tea party Chapter - 24: The schoolboy Chapter - 25: The steam machines Chapter - 26: On a darkling plain Chapter - 27: Fire and moonlight Chapter - 28: The red bonnet Chapter - 29: The mad kings Chapter - 30: The beast and the whore Chapter - 31: A Romantic tale Chapter - 32: Pleasures of peace Section - ii: Further reading Index - iii: Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow available in a single, abridged paperback, Ian Kershaw''s Hitler is the definitive biography of the Nazi leader. Ian Kershaw''s two volume biography, Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris and Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis, was greeted with universal acclaim as the essential work on one of the most malign figures in history, from his earliest origins to the final days of the Second World War. Now this landmark historical work is available in one single, abridged edition, tracing the story of how a bitter, failed art student from an obscure corner of Austria rose to unparalleled power, destroying the lives of millions and bringing the world to the brink of Armageddon. ''Supersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write''  David Cannadine, Observer ''The Hitler biography for the twenty-first century''  Richard Evans, Sunday Telegraph ''I cannot imagine a better biography of this great tyrant emerging for a long while''  Jeremy Paxman ''Magisterial ... anyone who wishes to understand the Third Reich must read Kershaw, for no one has done more to lay bare Hitler''s morbid psyche''  Niall Ferguson, Sunday Telegraph ''For the present generation, Kershaw''s Hitler stands out as a clear beacon of truth, illuminating a dark age of terror and mendacity''  Mail on Sund ''An achievement of the very highest order''  Michael Burleigh, Financial Times Ian Kershaw (b. 1943) was Professor of Modern History at the University of Sheffield from 1989-2008, and is one of the world''s leading authorities on Hitler. His books include The ''Hitler Myth'', his two volume biography Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris and Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis, and Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941. He was knighted in 2002.Trade ReviewSupersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write -- David Cannadine * Observer *The Hitler biography for the twenty-first century -- Richard Evans * Sunday Telegraph *I cannot imagine a better biography of this great tyrant emerging for a long while -- Jeremy PaxmanMagisterial ... anyone who wishes to understand the Third Reich must read Kershaw, for no one has done more to lay bare Hitler's morbid psyche -- Niall Ferguson * Sunday Telegraph *For the present generation, Kershaw's Hitler stands out as a clear beacon of truth, illuminating a dark age of terror and mendacity -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *The definitive biography of the Führer -- Juliet Gardiner * Sunday Times *An achievement of the very highest order -- Michael Burleigh * Financial Times *Mesmerizing ... presents the twentieth century's most controversial life in a single sweep -- Michael Kerrigan * Scotsman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn authoritative account of Ancient Rome, its political and military history, art, architecture and culture, sumptously illustrated throughout with 1000 photographs and reproductions, chronicling the story of the most important and influential civilisation the world has ever known.Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 Part One The Rise and Fall of Rome 8 The Archetypal Empire 10 Timeline 14 Rome: The World’s First Superpower 18 Chapter I: An Empire of Force and Law 20 Legendary Beginnings 22 The Conquest of Italy 24 The Growth of Empire 26 Victory Abroad, Discord at Home 28 The End of the Republic 30 Peace Restored: The First Emperors 32 The Flavians and “The Five Good Emperors” 34 Crisis and Catastrophe 36 Reconstruction and Revival 38 The Fall of the West 40 Chapter II: Great Romans 42 Great Roman Generals 44 Julius Caesar 48 Pompey 50 Mark Antony 51 The Historians’ View 52 Roman Philosophers 54 Rome’s Enemies 56 Cicero: The Peaceful Roman 60 Chapter III: The Emperors 62 Emperors of Rome 64 Augustus: The First Roman Emperor 66 Organizers of Empire 68 Best of Emperors 70 Evil Emperors 72 Saviours of the Empire 76 Constantine the Great 80 Women Behind the Throne 82 Chapter IV: Governing the Empire 84 A Self-governing Confederacy 86 The Oligarchical Republic 88 Rome’s Ruling Classes 90 The Secret Workings of Roman Politics 94 The Principate: A Monarchy in Disguise 96 Republican Extortion, Imperial Probity 98 Taxation 100 Chapter V: Rome and the Law 102 Law in the Early Republic 104 How the Laws Worked in Times of Crisis 106 The Great Imperial Codifications 108 Police and Secret Police 110 Punishment 112 Chapter VI: Foreign Policy 114 Early Beginnings: The Conquest of Italy 116 Ruler by Default 118 Defensible Frontiers: The Rhine and the Danube 120 Defensible Frontiers: Asia 122 Client and Buffer States 124 Reliance on the Germans 126 At the Empire’s Extremities: Egypt 128 At the Empire’s Extremities: Britain 130 the power of rome 132 Chapter VII: The Roman Army 134 The People’s Army 136 Battle Hardening 138 The Fall of the Republic 140 Legions and Principate 142 Army of the Later Empire 144 Chapter VIII: Inside the Army 146 Organizing the Legion 148 Centurions and Officers 150 Training and Discipline 152 Pay and Conditions 154 Auxiliary Troops 156 Pitching Camp 158 Roads, Canals and Bridges 160 Fleets and Ships 162 Chapter IX: Arms and the Men 164 Armour 166 Arms 168 Artillery 170 Siege Warfare 172 Triumphs and Ovations 174 Permanent Fortifications 176 Great Forts of the Later Empire 178 City Walls 180 Chapter X: The Great Wars 182 Marching and Fighting 184 The Punic Wars 186 Conquering the Greeks 188 Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul 190 The Last Civil Wars 192 Along the Elbe 194 Conquest of Lowland Britain 196 Agricola’s Northern Campaigns 198 Trajan’s Campaigns 200 Chapter XI: Defending the Empire 204 The Dilemmas of Defence 206 Natural Frontiers 208 Colonies and Settlements 214 The Jewish Revolt 216 Siege of Masada 218 Chapter XII: Decline and Fall 220 The 3rd-century Crisis 222 The Eastern Problem 224 Foreign Invasions 226 Loss and Recapture of the East 228 The Splintering Empire 230 The First Recovery 232 The Tetrarchs’ Achievements 234 Constantine 236 Constantine’s Heirs 238 Britain Regained and Abandoned 240 The Gothic Problem 242 The Fatal Winter 244 The Sack of Rome 246 The Fall of Rome 248 Why Rome Fell 250 Part Two The Roman World 254 Rome’s Enduring Legacy 256 Timeline 260 Rome: the first world city 264 Chapter XIII: Building the City of Rome 266 Building Early Rome 268 The Later Republic 270 Augustus and his Heirs 272 Nero and the Flavians 274 Trajan and Hadrian 276 Rome in the Later Empire 278 Rome – The Christian City 280 Chapter XIV: Building Techniques and Styles 282 Building Materials 284 Vaults, Arches, Domes 286 Building Practices and Techniques 288 Architectural Styles and Language 290 Chapter XV: Public Buildings 292 The Forum Romanum 294 The Imperial Forum 296 Rome’s Basilicas and the Senate House 298 Temples: The Republic and the Early Principate 300 Temples: The Pantheon and After 302 Building the Theatres 304 Amphitheatres and the Colosseum 306 Aqueducts and Sewers 310 Imperial Baths 312 Circuses 316 Triumphal Arches 318 Triumphal Columns 320 Churches 322 Chapter XVI: Imperial Palaces 324 The Palaces of Augustus and his Heirs 326 Nero’s Golden Palace 328 The Palatine: Palace of the Emperors 330 Chapter XVII: Housing for Rich and Poor 334 The Domus: Houses of the Rich 336 Insulae: The First Apartments 338 Tiberius’ Villa at Capri 340 Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli 342 Villas of the Rich in Italy 346 Piazza Armerina 348 Diocletian’s Palace at Split 350 Villas of the Empire: British Villas 352 Chapter XVIII: Cities of the Empire 354 Pompeii and Herculaneum 356 Ostia and Portus 360 Contrasting Cities: Carthage and Timgad 362 Lepcis Magna: An Emperor’s Birthplace 364 Athens: A Glorious Past 366 Trier: The Rome of the North 368 Ephesus: Wonder of the World 370 Vanished Cities of the East 372 Nîmes and Arles: Cities of Gaul 374 Romano-British Cities 376 Roman arts and society 378 Chapter XIX: Literature 380 The First Roman Writers 382 Augustus’ Poets Laureate 384 Catullus and the Elegiac Poets 386 Ovid and Later Silver Age Poets 388 Great Prose Writers 390 Novelists and Satirists 392 Late Roman Writers 394 Literature and Literacy 396 Chapter XX: The Arts 398 The Etruscans and the Early Republic 400 Art in the Later Republic 402 Augustus and the Classical Revival 404 The Roman Zenith 406 Hadrian and the Greek Revival 408 Art of the Later Empire 410 Furniture 412 Chapter XXI: Religion and Mythology 414 The Capitoline Gods 416 Venus, Vulcan and Other Gods 420 Emperor Worship and the Goddess Roma 422 Bacchus and Cybele 424 New Gods from the East 426 Cult of the Sun 428 Christianity: Tribulation to Triumph 430 Chapter XXII: Sport and Games 432 Gladiatorial Combats 434 The Great Games 436 Wild Beast Games 438 At the Circus: Chariot Races 440 At the Theatre: Farce, Mime and Pantomime 442 Games and Exercises 444 Chapter XXIII: Science, Technology & the Economy 446 Strabo and Graeco-Roman Geography 448 Astronomy 450 Water Mills 452 Steam Engines 454 Medical Principles and Practice 456 Perils of Urban Life: Plagues, Flood and Fire 458 Trade, Ships and Navigation 460 Passages to India 462 Farming 464 Chapter XXIV: People of Rome 466 Marriage, Divorce and the Power of the Father 468 Roman Women 470 Children: Education and Upbringing 472 Slaves and Freedmen 474 Aspects of Slavery 476 Business and Commerce 478 Leisure and Holidays 480 Dinner Parties 482 Food for Rich and Poor 484 Wine and Vineyards 486 Rome the Great Consumer 488 Tunics and Togas 490 Hairstyles and Cosmetics 492 Erotic Love 494 Funerals and the Afterlife 496 Index 500 Acknowledgements 510

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Parker’s highly detailed but also immensely readable book has come far closer to that than any previous account of the most enigmatic of Spanish kings."—Anthony Pagden, New York Times Book Review on The Grand Strategy of Philip II"He is at pains to know Philip through the testimony of his friends, foes, courtiers and his own words and this authoritative, intelligently revisionist biography must stand now as the primary reference."—Iain Finlayson, Times"Parker has managed to navigate the archival whirlpools with remarkable flair. His admiration for his subject is evident on almost every page, yet the book is no whitewash. We are constantly made aware of the possibility that Philip might be deceiving us."—Fernando Cervantes, TLS"[T]he world’s outstanding historian of Philip II, his court, his problems and tragedies . . . Imprudent King is readable and broad-minded, as well as being scholarly . . . Parker has given us a really magnificent biography, whose documentation is impeccable while never heavy."—Hugh Thomas, The Spectator"There is no Anglophone historian who knows more about Philip II than Geoffrey Parker. In this soaring biography, which draws on a cache of recently discovered documents as well as the enormous back catalogue of archival deposits, he paints a compelling, even-handed portrait of the most powerful man in 16th-century Europe. Parker informs us that Philip’s handwriting is hard to read. It is no easier to decipher his legacy. It seems that he didn’t kill his son Don Carlos (whatever the Verdi opera tries to tell you) but he was not averse to removing other obstacles. He continues to fascinate –- if you are in the market for a nuanced study bolstered by a lifetime of study, Parker is your man and this is, for me, the historical biography of the year."—Jonathan Wright, The Herald (Scotland)"Geoffrey Parker’s biography of Philip II of Spain is superb."—Jonathan Wright, The Tablet"Highly recommended . . . has plenty of sound content while being highly readable."—Brian Buxton, Journal of the Tyndale SocietySelected as an Outstanding Academic Title 2015 by Choice"The first global empire, a master historian, and a wealth of new archival documents provide the essential elements for this terrific biography of Philip II as both statesman and man. Parker has brought Philip to life and, with him, the challenges of ruling an early modern empire."—Stuart Schwartz, author of All Can Be Saved: Religious Tolerance and Salvation in the Iberian Atlantic World"Geoffrey Parker, one of the world’s leading early modern scholars and, most certainly, the greatest authority on Philip II, has written a remarkable, erudite, thoroughly researched, and thoughtful book. Imprudent King benefits from the exhaustive research undertaken for his monumental, ‘definitive’ study of Philip II published in Spanish, but Parker’s deployment of close to 3,000 new documents permits a very different understanding of Philip II’s successes and failures. This, together with Parker’s unique gift as a historian, makes Imprudent King a profound, original and engaging new interpretation of the king’s life and of the manner in which he wrestled with the almost hopeless task of managing the first truly world empire."—Teofilo F. Ruiz, author of Spanish Society, 1400-1600

Read more less

Book SynopsisA. J. P. Taylor was one of the most acclaimed and uncompromising historians of the twentieth century. In this clear, lively and now-classic account of the First World War, he tells the story of the conflict from the German advance in the West, through the Marne, Gallipoli, the Balkans and the War at Sea to the offensives of 1918 and the state of Europe after the war. Containing photographs and maps, this an essential history of the war that ''cut deep into the consciousness of modern man''.Trade Review'The most readable, sceptical and original of modern historians' - Michael Foot 'Remarkable ... Taylor here manages in some 200 illustrated pages to say almost everything that is important for an understanding and, indeed, intellectual digestion of that vast event' Observer 'It is unlikely that there will be a more satisfactory compact survey of that Armageddon' Newsweek 'What makes Taylor's book outstanding is his capacity to penetrate through the undergrowth of controversy and conflicting interpretation to the central truth' New York Review of Books 'Probably the most controversial historian in the English-speaking world' The Times

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the Houses of Parliament to the Midland Hotel at St Pancras and Strawberry Hill House, Gothic Revival buildings are some of the most distinctive structures found in Britain. Far from a copy of medieval buildings, it was a style full of colour and invention, in which its exponents created a daring new approach to design. Throwing out the old Classical rule book, Gothic Revival architects like Pugin and George Gilbert Scott designed buildings which were asymmetrical in form and visually expressive of their function. The movement went beyond just bricks and mortar and had a strong moral code, the influence of which was still felt into the 20th century. In this illustrated book, Trevor Yorke tells the story of the Gothic Revival from its origins in the whimsical fancies of the Georgian Period through to its High Victorian climax.Table of ContentsThe Gothic Revival Strawberry Hill Gothic Regency Gothic The Pugin and Ruskin Influence High Victorian Gothic Gothic Interiors A Change in Direction Further Reading Places to Visit Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisPreceding and simultaneously with the conquest of England by Duke William, other ambitious and aggressive Norman noblemen (notably the Drengot, De Hauteville and Guiscard families) found it prudent to leave Normandy. At first taking mercenary employment with Lombard rulers then fighting the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy, many of these noblemen achieved great victories, acquired rich lands of their own, and perfected a feudal military system that lasted for 200 years. As news of the rich pickings to be had in the south spread in Normandy, they were joined by many other opportunists typically, younger sons who could not inherit lands at home. Steadily, these Norman noblemen fought their way to local power, at first in Apulia, then across the Adriatic in Albania, and finally in Muslim Sicily, defeating in the process the armies of Byzantium, the German ''Holy Roman Empire'', and Islamic regional rulers. Finally, in 1130, Roger II founded a unified kingdom incorporating southern ITable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology The Road to Power Organization Armour & Weapons Representative Battles Select Bibliography Plate Commentaries Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fascinating story of the so-called “Prayer Book Rebellion” of 1549 which saw the people of Devon and Cornwall rise up against the CrownTrade Review“Stoyle, a professor of history at Southampton University, has pieced together the story of the Western Rising with skill and verve. Richly detailed, authoritative and compelling. A Murderous Midsummer is sure to become the definitive account.”—Mathew Lyons, The Times “Stoyle skilfully provides a connected account. . . . A sympathetic portrayal of communities fighting for all they held dear, and a country torn apart by rival perceptions of the truth.”—Lucy Wooding, Times Literary Supplement “What caused a quarrel between the vicar of a small Devon parish and two local residents to escalate into a rebellion that engulfed two counties and left thousands dead? . . . Mark Stoyle offers an accessible take on the causes, as well as the casualties and consequences—which reached the heart of the political elite.”—BBC History Revealed“[An] authoritative new book. . . . Stoyle's arguments are always well evidenced and carefully weighed and, ultimately, nuance and enrich familiar narratives of the Western Rising.”—Marcus Nevitt, Spectator"Mark Stoyle's compelling new narrative of the Western Rising isn't just academic history at its finest. It is also a gripping and superbly written account that is part-social history, part-political thriller, and part-detective story."—Debbie Kilroy, Get History “Stoyle’s narrative is both magnificent in scope and precise in its detail. Most refreshingly is the empathy with which he treats the rebels, a word he only uses to denote rather than denounce. . . . It is to his infinite credit that the book tackles faith with compassion. . . . Stoyle’s book is an emboldening, if sobering, reminder that from the very beginnings of oppression, ordinary Catholics fought and died for the right to practise freely.”—Fred Kelly, The Tablet “An impressive work combining impressive historical research with an accessible account of a significant event in English history. . . . It will be of interest to everyone trying to understand the dynamics of the English Reformation.”—Martin Empson, Agricultural History Review “Even to someone fairly familiar with the story of the 1549 rebellion in the West, [Stoyle] has opened up new facets of that ‘murderous midsummer.’ This is a ‘must read’ for anyone interested in the mid-Tudor rebellions.”—Local Historian “Stoyle’s re-interpretation of the rising is likely to be the authoritative work on its subject for many years to come.”—Stuart A Raymond, FACHRS Winner of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies Holyer an Gof Cup. Winner of the Devon History Society Book of the Year Awards 2023 “Tells the gripping story of the ill-fated rising in 1549 of the people of Devon and Cornwall against the English government of Edward VI. Full of new insights, the book is beautifully written with great clarity and sensitivity and an unrivalled grasp of the source material. Carrying the reader along with consummate scholarship, terrific storytelling, and an unerring feel for the lives of the people of the past, this book is a real triumph.”—Michael Wood, author of The Story of England “It almost happened. In the summer of 1549, as this book’s gripping and authoritative account proves, a spontaneous rising in Devon and Cornwall came much closer than we have imagined to bringing the whole English Reformation to an abrupt end—and 4000 of them paid for the effort with their lives. Now at last, in Mark Stoyle’s book, they have a fitting scholarly memorial.”—Alec Ryrie, author of Protestants: The Radicals Who Made the Modern World “A fresh and detailed retelling of the Western Rising of 1549, when the people of Cornwall—the little land beyond England—joined forces with the religious traditionalists of neighbouring Devon to resist the newly imposed Prayer Book. Over many years, Professor Mark Stoyle has made the history of early modern Cornwall and Devon his own, and this book, with its sparkling prose and telling insights, adds further to his brilliant repertoire.”—Philip Payton, University of Exeter and Flinders University “Comprehensive in its command of the evidence, judicious in interpretation and salted with a controlled sympathy for place and people, A Murderous Midsummer offers a compelling re-interpretation of the Western Rising of 1549. A rising in defence of traditional religion, its bloody repression, whose ferocity Stoyle skilfully recovers, registered the serious threat it posed to mid-Tudor church and government.”—John Walter, University of Essex “A riveting new account of the Western Rising of 1549. Combining empirical rigour and high narrative powers, Mark Stoyle stylishly recasts our understanding of an episode that has too often been written off as doomed to failure from the start. On the contrary, he shows how close the Cornish and Devonshire rebels came to subverting the Reformation and turning the Tudor world upside down.”—Alexandra Walsham, author of The Reformation of the Landscape

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Excellent... Mortimer's erudition is formidable' The TimesA time of exuberance, thrills, frills and unchecked bad behaviour...Ian Mortimer turns to what is arguably the most-loved period in British history - the Regency, or Georgian England.This is the age of Jane Austen and the Romantic poets; the paintings of John Constable and the gardens of Humphry Repton; Britain's military triumphs at Trafalgar and Waterloo. It was perhaps the last age of true freedom before the arrival of the stifling world of Victorian morality.And like all periods in history, it was an age of many contradictions - where Beethoven's thundering Fifth Symphony could premier in the same year that saw Jane Austen craft the delicate sensitivities of Persuasion.This is history at its most exciting, physical, visceral - the past not as something to be studied but as lived experience. This is Ian Mortimer at the height of his time-travelling prowess.'Ian Mortimer has made this kind of imaginative time travel his speciality' Daily MailTrade ReviewMortimer's accessible guidebook format brings...[Regency Britain] vividly to life * History Revealed *Ian Mortimer has made this kind of imaginative time travel his speciality. * Daily Mail *[An] excellent book... Mortimer's erudition is formidable, and he rarely writes a dull sentence * Andrew Taylor, The Times, *Book of the Week* *An entertaining and enlightening read * Choice Magazine *[Mortimer] succeeds, rather brilliantly, in making a mass of information accessible and entertaining * Kate Hubbard, Oldie *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHell's Highway is the dramatic name given to the vital stretch of road that the British 3rd Guards Armoured Division had to advance down rapidly on their route to relieve the American Paras (83rd Airborne) at Nijmegen and the British 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem. It should have been easy as The Screaming Eagles (101st Airborne) had been dropped to hold it. The reasons for the ensuing delay which led to disaster at Arnhem remain controversial and make for gripping reading. Adopting the clear and successful style of Battleground works this book relies on personal accounts to embellish this dramatic story.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 1790s is one of the most critical decades in the history of modern Ireland. The decade witnessed the birth of the modern ideology of separatist Irish republicanism, the creation of the Orange Order, and the greatest bloodletting in modern Irish history in the form of the 1798 rebellion. In the aftermath of the rebellion came the Act of Union that brought Ireland into the United Kingdom for the next 121 years, and the smaller rebellion of Robert Emmet, possibly one of the most famous - and, to later generations, inspirational - of Irish republicans. Now, in the second instalment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, some of the world's leading experts on the 1790s explore the origins, nature and aftermath of the decade from a range of perspectives: from the individuals involved and their international links, to the events of the rebellion and the responses of the government, to the manoeuvres that led to the Act of Union, this volume explore the motives, actions and legacies of the republicans, loyalists, and propagandists who shaped one of the most important decades in Ireland's modern history.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere have been many books on Britain's Roman roads, but none have considered in any depth their long-term strategic impact. Mike Bishop shows how the road network was vital not only in the Roman strategy of conquest and occupation, but influenced the course of British military history during subsequent ages. The author starts with the pre-Roman origins of the network (many Roman roads being built over prehistoric routes) before describing how the Roman army built, developed, maintained and used it. Then, uniquely, he moves on to the post-Roman history of the roads. He shows how they were crucial to medieval military history (try to find a medieval battle that is not near one) and the governance of the realm, fixing the itinerary of the royal progresses. Their legacy is still clear in the building of 18th century military roads and even in the development of the modern road network. Why have some parts of the network remained in use throughout? The text is supported with clear maps and photographs. Most books on Roman roads are concerned with cataloguing or tracing them, or just dealing with aspects like surveying. This one makes them part of military landscape archaeology.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLycurgus, Pericles, Solon, Nicias, Themistocles, Alcibiades, Cimon, Agesilaus, Alexander`I treat the narrative of the Lives as a kind of mirror...The experience is like nothing so much as spending time in their company and living with them: I receive and welcome each of them in turn as my guest.'' In the nine lives of this collection Plutarch introduces the reader to the major figures and periods of classical Greece. He portrays virtues to be emulated and vices to be avoided, but his purpose is also implicitly to educate and warn those in his own day who wielded power. In prose that is rich, elegant and sprinkled with learned references, he explores with an extraordinary degree of insight the interplay of character and political action. While drawing chiefly on historical sources, he brings to biography a natural story-teller''s ear for a good anecdote. Throughout the ages Plutarch''s Lives have been valued for their historical value and their charm. This new translation will introduceTrade ReviewIt is ... a privilege to be offered this sparkling new translation of nine of his Greek Lives by Robin Waterfield. ... It is ... a distinguishing trait of Waterfield's that in the interests of scholarship he will go to endless lengths to find the mot juste; ... the book entirely fulfils the publisher's own criteria for inclusion in the new Oxford World's Classics list, namely to make available 'celebrated writing' in editions equipped with'perceptive commentary and essential back-ground information to meet the changing needs of readers'. To do all that also at a very modest price is an ergon (achievement) indeed. * Paul Cartledge, The Anglo-Hellenic Review *This attractively produced addition to the Oxford World's Classics series. * Daniel Ogden, The Classical Review Vol.XLIX No.2 *Table of ContentsIN ADDITION TO USUAL OWC APPARATUS: 3 MAPS, APPENDIX ON MEASURES OF MONEY, WEIGHT, CAPACITY, LENGTH, INDEX OF LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOURCES CITED BY PLUTARCH, INDEX OF PROPER NAMES

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter studying history at Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania, Jonathan Powell worked for the BBC and Granada TV before joining the Foreign Office in 1979. In 1994 Mr Blair, then Leader of the Opposition, poached him to join his`kitchen cabinet' as his Chief of Staff. When Labour achieved its landslide victory in 1997 Powell was at the heart of the Downing Street machine. He was the only senior member of staff to remain at Blair's side throughout his time at the top of British politics. He has always maintained a low profile and has never before told his story.Trade ReviewIntriguing and engaging book... sets up fascinating parallels that prove there is really nothing new in politics * Financial Times *A gloriously indiscreet political memoir... From a unique vantage point he gives brilliantly observed and witty accounts of the vanity of modern European princes... The merit of Powell's memoir is precisely that it lacks the intrusive ego of the big politician -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *It's a quirky, thoughtful take on the impact of The Prince on modern politics -- Anne McElvoy * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Anyone who wants an insider's account of what makes politicians tick should read this book -- Peter Mandelson * Guardian, Books of the Year *It tells us a great deal about the era that has just passed -- Chris Mullin * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book Synopsis***PRE-ORDER THE SPECIAL COLLECTOR''S EDITION OF PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, NOW. PUBLISHING AUGUST 2024, AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE STOCK LASTS AND EXCLUSIVE TO THE FIRST PRINT RUN***''Impossible to stop reading'' OBSERVER''Thrilling, intricate and hilarious'' DAILY MAILAPRIL 1945: From the ruins of Berlin, a Luftwaffe transport plane takes off carrying secret papers belonging to Adolf Hitler. Half an hour later, it crashes in flames.APRIL 1983: In a bank vault in Switzerland, a German magazine offers to sell more than 50 volumes of Hitler''s secret diaries. The asking price is $4 million.40 years from the alleged discovery, Robert Harris chronicles the gripping tale of one of the biggest frauds in history.''Brilliantly chronicled'' NEW STATESMAN''A masterly account'' LITERARY REVIEWTrade ReviewA stunning and compelling story of human folly, duplicity and wishful thinking. Brilliantly researched and narrated, Selling Hitler is as fascinating and as telling today as it was forty years ago -- William Boyd

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdward Gibbon's six-volume History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) is among the most magnificent and ambitious narratives in European literature. Its subject is the fate of one of the world's greatest civilizations over thirteen centuries - its rulers, wars and society, and the events that led to its disastrous collapse. Here, in volumes one and two, Gibbon charts the vast extent and constitution of the Empire from the reign of Augustus to 395 ad. And in a controversial critique, he examines the early Church, with fascinating accounts of the first Christian and last pagan emperors, Constantine and Julian.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductio

Read more less

Book SynopsisReginald Jones was nothing less than a genius. And his appointment to the Intelligence Section of Britain''s Air Ministry in 1939 led to some of the most astonishing scientific and technological breakthroughs of the Second World War.In Most Secret War he details how Britain stealthily stole the war from under the Germans'' noses by outsmarting their intelligence at every turn. He tells of the ''battle of the beams''; detecting and defeating flying bombs; using chaff to confuse radar; and many other ingenious ideas and devices.Jones was the man with the plan to save Britain and his story makes for riveting reading.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinston Churchill''s six-volume history of the Second World War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn optimistic exploration of how, through radical economic reform, the United Kingdom can prosper and flourish in the new global economyTrade Review“A rollicking (and highly readable) account of Britain’s remaining and undersung strengths in high technology, financial services, universities, pharmaceuticals and the creative industries”—Will Hutton, The Guardian ‘Book of the Day’ “A clearly argued case...There are many good ideas here and food for thought for politicians.”—Jonathan Portes, Financial World “In a wide-ranging and upbeat analysis, Alex Brummer paints an ambitious outlook for the UK.”—Christine Shields, 'Reading Room' for The Society of Professional Economists "Brummer provides an inspiring list of reasons to be optimistic about British business."—John Kay, co-author of Radical Uncertainty "Thank goodness for Alex Brummer, someone who closely follows what is happening in the bowels of British business and brings back a mainly uplifting account of the dynamic and innovative core that will see the country prospering in the post-Brexit era."—David Goodhart, author of Head, Hand, Heart "Alex Brummer’s powerful vision of a positive post-Brexit UK future is heartening – but as he himself acknowledges, it depends on singlemindedly protecting, building on and enhancing current strengths. I hope for all our sakes that this can indeed be done."—Vicky Pryce, former Joint Head, UK Government Economic Service

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the Vikings to the EU the Baltic has been a Nordic Mediterranean, a shared maritime zone with distinct patterns of trade, cultural exchange, and conflict. Covering a thousand years in a part of the globe where seas are more connective than land, Michael North’s overview transforms the way we think about one of the world’s great waterways.Trade ReviewThe book shines when the author writes about the region’s cultural history, particularly in medieval times… North’s book provides a valuable service in underlining the centrality of the Baltic region to Europe’s past. The way things are going, it may determine the continent’s future, too. -- Edward Lucas * Wall Street Journal *In this book, North does for the Baltic Sea what Fernand Braudel did for another crucial body of water in his 1949 classic, The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II; he treats the sea and the lands surrounding it as an intersection of cultures, armies, economic trends, political formations, and trade routes and as a playing field for the ambitions of major powers… Its manageable length allows North to provide a panoramic view that transcends mere regional history. -- Robert Legvold * Foreign Affairs *[North] presents readers with a sweeping Braudelian-style narrative of how the Baltic Sea functioned as a place of exchange and encounter for all the territories around its shores… The Baltic: A History constitutes a solid benchmark in the writing of a regional history of the territories surrounding the Baltic Sea. It is an engaging and accessible read. -- Catherine Gibson * Slovo *Virtually no aspect of this long story is neglected. All the various major Baltic capitals get their turn in the spotlight, and North covers not only the progress of architecture, warfare, and the herring market but also social and literary life (the chapter ‘Nordic Romanticism’ is a stand-out overview) and the vying fads that swept the area from Bremen to Riga. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *This work by North is ambitious [and] erudite… Richly detailed and ably translated from the original German, it generally eschews a narrowly political narrative in favor of a unified history of ‘exchange and encounter’ in the Baltic Sea area. Specialists will appreciate this impressively researched history for its breadth, informed generalizations…and illuminating examples, charts, and illustrations. -- K. C. O’Connor * Choice *Michael North’s The Baltic is a tour de force. The history of the region is an important story that isn’t well known, but should be. North’s book fills a real gap. It is hugely enjoyable, highly instructive—a wonderful work of history. -- Joachim Whaley, University of Cambridge[A] praiseworthy survey of the history of the Baltic Sea region… To write a history of the entire Baltic Sea region from the ninth century to the present must seem like an overwhelming task, but North has accomplished this with admirable aplomb… North’s signal contributions are in tracing the interconnectedness of the region in terms of trade and culture and in viewing the region more as a coherent whole rather than lands simply buffeted by the historical winds blowing from elsewhere. -- Bradley D. Woodworth (reviewing the German edition) * Journal of Baltic Studies *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNorman Davies C. M. G., F. B. A. is a Professor Emeritus of the University of London, a Supernumerary Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, and the author of several books on Polish and European history, including God's Playground, Europe and The Isles.Trade Review'Norman Davies's book is a permanent contribution to historical knowledge and international understanding.' A.J.P. Taylor

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Britain we have lost touch with the Great War. Our overriding sense now is of a meaningless, futile bloodbath in the mud of Flanders -- of young men whose lives were cut off in their prime for no evident purpose. But by reducing the conflict to personal tragedies, however moving, we have lost the big picture: the history has been distilled into poetry. In TheLong Shadow, critically acclaimed author David Reynolds seeks to redress the balance by exploring the true impact of 1914-18 on the 20th century. Some of the Great War''s legacies were negative and pernicious but others proved transformative in a positive sense. Exploring big themes such as democracy and empire, nationalism and capitalism and re-examining the differing impacts of the War on Britain, Ireland and the United States,TheLong Shadowthrows light on the whole of the last century and demonstrates that 1914-18 is a conflict that Britain, more than any other nation, is still struggling to comprehend. Stunningly bro

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis textbook is endorsed by OCR and supports the specification for AS and A-Level Ancient History (first teaching September 2017). It covers the whole of Component 1, both the compulsory Period Study and the three optional Depth Studies:Period Study: Relations between Greek states and between Greek and non-Greek states, 492404 BC by Steve Matthews and James RenshawDepth Study: The Politics and Society of Sparta, 478404 BC by Charlie CottamDepth Study: The Politics and Culture of Athens c. 460399 BC by David L. S. Hodgkinson and James RenshawDepth Study: The Rise of Macedon, 359323 BC by Lucy NicholasHow and why did a small group of city states defy the might of the Persian Empire? Why did the same city states subsequently descend into 60 years of conflict among themselves? Were Sparta and Athens very different? How did Alexander later redefine the Greek world?These are the sort of questions that you are required to consider for A-LevTable of ContentsIntroduction How to Use This Book Period Study: Relations between Greek and non-Greek states, 492–404 BC Depth Study Option 1: The Politics and Society of Sparta, 478– 404 BC Depth Study Option 2: The Politics and Culture of Athens, c.460– 399 BC Depth Study Option 3: The Rise of Macedon, 359–323 BC Glossary Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis atlas covers the history of the British Isles from earliest times to the present day.The first hunter-gatherers,who crossed into what would become our familiar islands by the land-bridge, and later followed by more familiar peoples the Celts,Angles, Saxons,Vikings and Normans,who together would create our islands unique history. Each contributed ideas which shaped our lands, languages and thoughts that are at the core of our identities to this day. This story is illustrated with 150 full-colour maps and plans that range across many topics, such as agricultural, political and industrial revolutions. The expansion of our islands peoples across the oceans and the lasting legacy that movement left on the world and on our home islands. We show the fluctuating fortunes of the states we now identify ourselves by, from an Anglo-Scottish imperium to devolved power, independence and the often painful process by which the modern map of our islands evolved.The forces of history and religion

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Tessa Dunlop...succeeds in weaving a rich tapestry of experiences.' Independent‘A warm-hearted and engaging read, The Century Girls is replete with wonderful characters.’ Sunday Express'A delightful book... all about women and women's lives.' Jane Garvey, Radio 4 Woman's Hour 'It’s a brilliant book… It’s fantastic!' Chris Evans, Radio 2 Breakfast ShowA celebration of the one-hundred years since British women got the vote, told, in their own voices, by six centenarians: Helena, Olive, Edna, Joyce, Ann and Phyllis – The Century Girls?In 2018, Britain celebrated the centenary of some women getting the vote. The intervening ten decades have witnessed staggering change, and The Century Girls features six women bTrade Review'Tessa Dunlop made pains to select women from broad walks of life and succeeds in weaving a rich tapestry of experiences. Dunlop is playful and probing in her questioning, covering everything from sex and relationships to feminism – and it’s clear she formed a lasting friendship with each of the women they interviewed.' * The Independent *'It’s a brilliant book… It’s fantastic!' -- Chris Evans, Radio 2 Breakfast Show'A delightful book... all about women and women's lives.' -- Jane Garvey, Radio 4 Woman's Hour'It features among others my teacher and mate, 99 year old Joyce Reynolds, going super strong and still a stern and helpful critic.' -- Mary Beard‘A deeply personal and moving account of the last 100 years of British history.’ * The Bookseller *‘A warm-hearted and engaging read, The Century Girls is replete with wonderful characters.’ * Sunday Express *'The book offers a highly personal insight into British society over the past century... The frank, probing style of Dunlop’s interview technique allows us access to a series of revealing and enlightening stories which would otherwise have been lost... Dunlop manages to capture these unique personalities in her book with a touching intimacy that never strays into sentimentality.' * The Scotsman *'Tessa Dunlop has found a uniquely personal touch… Dunlop has pulled off an impressive feat of oral history, weaving the women’s memories of their long lives into a coherent narrative and setting it in the context of events at the time… They recount their memories in incredible detail, creating a moving portrait of a world that is now lost forever. If you have older female relatives this book will inspire you to capture their stories.' * Who Do You Think You Are? *‘This year is the centenary of women getting the vote in Britain... Tessa Dunlop has had one of those ideas that belong firmly in the ‘simple-but-brilliant’ category: speaking to six women who’ve been alive for all those hundred years... The result is a wonderful blend of British history with individual stories – and for any reader under about 90, an often startling reminder of how much things have changed.’ * Reader’s Digest *‘What better way to mark the centenary of some British women getting the vote than to read about inspirational women who witness revolutionary changes? Six centenarians reminisce on their incredible century. A history lesson to savour.’ * The Lady *'The book's atmosphere of intimacy, enhanced by a generous selection of evocative photographs, is compelling and Dunlop's attention to her subjects' day-to-day lives renders this an absorbing alternative to grander views of recent history.' * TLS *'Fascinating... a deeply personal account of British history over the past 100 years.' * Countryside Magazine, BOOK of the MONTH *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn which day was history''s shortest war waged and won (in roughly 40 minutes)? How was Napoleon bested by a group of rabbits in 1807? Why did a dispute about beer in an Oxford pub lead to over 100 deaths and 470 years of penance? Why in 1752 did Britain go to bed on 2nd September and wake up on the 14th? How did a women''s march in 1917 set off the Russian Revolution?On This Day in History brings to life a key event that happened on each day of the year.From the most important British battle that you''ve never heard of (20 May 685) to the first meeting of Lennon and McCartney (6 July 1957), and from why Julius Caesar should have been wary of the Ides of March (15 March 44BC) to the day Jeanne de Clisson became a pirate and single-handedly declared war on the King of France (2 August 1343), history is full of unlikely heroes and fascinating turning points.In this book Dan Snow shows us how each day offers a different and unexpected insight into Trade Review3,000 years of very surprising facts * Metro *Fascinating * Independent *Eclectic and eye-opening * Sunday Express S Magazine *Great for dipping into . . . It's full of great stories and fascinating slants on epoch-changing events * Choice *Eclectic and eye-opening * Sunday Express S Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExam board: AQA; 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

Read more less

Book Synopsis** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **'This book is a must' Peter HennessyOn Boxing Day 1962, when Juliet Nicolson was eight years old, the snow began to fall. It did not stop for ten weeks.The threat of nuclear war had reached its terrifying height with the recent Cuban Missile Crisis, unemployment was on the rise, and yet, underneath the frozen surface, new life was beginning to stir.From poets to pop stars, shopkeepers to schoolchildren, and her own family's experiences, Juliet Nicolson traces the hardship of that frozen winter and the emancipation that followed. That spring, new life was unleashed, along with freedoms we take for granted today.'An absolutely mesmerising book' Antonia FraserTrade ReviewNicolson makes social history feel like reading the best and most gripping novel. A beautiful, wholly original book -- India KnightA brilliant concept transformed into a brilliant and revelatory book. Completely fascinating and engrossing -- William BoydAs gripping as any thriller, Frostquake is the story of a national trauma that came out of nowhere and changed us forever. Brilliantly written and almost eerily relevant to our current troubles -- Tony ParsonsAn engagingly written mixture of social history and memoir -- Trevor Phillips * Sunday Times *Fascinating, quirky and evocative . . . Nicolson takes us right back to that muffled, snowbound world -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten to address the CCEA GCE History specification for Unit A2 2: Option 4: Partition of Ireland 1900–25, renowned historian Dr Russell Rees has comprehensively updated his authoritative Ireland 1900–25. The book is a detailed and insightful exploration of this critical period in Irish history. It takes a chronological approach, looking initially at Ireland in the first decade of the twentieth century before focusing on the Ulster Crisis of 1911–14. The author also examines the impact of the First World War and the Easter Rising on Irish politics as well as the events leading up to partition in 1921, including the Anglo-Irish War. The final chapters explore the impact of the Irish Civil War in the Irish Free State and the first years of the state of Northern Ireland. The text is complimented by historiographical sections, three indexes, maps, election tables and over 40 photographs. Students of A2 History will find this an invaluable resource by an established and well-known author of Irish history. Contents: 1 Ireland 1900–1910; 2 The Ulster Crisis; 3 The Path to Separation; 4 The emergence of the Irish Free State, 1919–25; 5 Northern Ireland and its Problems, 1920-25; Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisImmerse yourself in the vanished world inhabited by Austen's contemporaries. Packed with detail, and anecdotes, this is an intimate exploration of how the middle and upper classes lived from 1775, the year of Austen's birth, to the coronation of George IV in 1820. Sue Wilkes skilfully conjures up all aspects of daily life within the period, drawing on contemporary diaries, illustrations, letters, novels, travel literature and archives. Were all unmarried affluent men really 'in want of a wife?' Where would a young lady seek adventures? Would 'taking the waters' at Bath and other spas kill or cure you? Was Lizzy Bennet bitten by bed-bugs while travelling? What would you wear to a country ball, or a dance at Almack's? Would Mr Darcy have worn a corset? What hidden horrors lurked in elegant Regency houses?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe acclaimed first English-language biography of the great European novelist and journalist, Joseph Roth, author of The Radetzky March, a writer who captured life in Europe between the wars like no other. The mercurial, self-mythologising novelist and journalist Joseph Roth, author of the 20th-century masterpiece The Radetzky March, was the finest observer and chronicler of his age. Endless Flight travels with Roth from his childhood in the town of Brody on the eastern edge of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to an unsettled life spent roaming Europe between the wars, including spells in Vienna, Paris and Berlin. His decline mirrored the collapse of civilised Europe: in his last peripatetic decade, he opposed Nazism in exile from Germany, his wife succumbed to schizophrenia and he died an alcoholic on the eve of WWII. Exploring the role of Roth's absent father in his imaginings, his attitude to his Jewishness and his restless search for home, Keiron Pim's gripping account of Roth's chaotic life speaks powerfully to us in our era of uncertainty, refugee crises and rising ethno-nationalism. Published as Roth's works rapidly gain new readers and recognition, Endless Flight delivers a visceral yet sensitive portrait of his quest for belonging, and a riveting understanding of the brilliance and beauty of his work.Trade ReviewFascinating, sophisticated, meticulous: this biography of Joseph Roth catches his cosmopolitan spirit, turbulent nature and literary genius amidst the melancholy of a darkening age -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin the court of the red tsarUtterly engrossing. Endless Flight is a biography of deep humanity, one that captures the individual, the place and the times with acute and affecting brilliance. I loved it -- Philippe SandsA novelist of genius, an anti-nationalist prophet in the wilderness, a human being capable of the monstrous: Endless Flight does humane and painstaking justice to all these aspects, and more, of Joseph Roth's short, utterly compelling life. Anyone who reckons The Radetzky March one of the supreme twentieth-century novels will devour Keiron Pim's biography avariciously -- David KynastonA superb biography - fascinating, shrewd, insightful. Finally, Joseph Roth's extraordinary life is recounted for his multitude of English readers in compelling detail... Enthralling -- William BoydIt's incredible that it's taken this long for an English-language biography of Joseph Roth to appear-and incredibly fortunate that Keiron Pim has been the one to do it, evoking with compassion and depth the work and the world of one of the greatest of modern writers -- Benjamin MoserA remarkable and penetrating study of Roth's life and times. Today, even more of the world finds itself in endless flight. As such, this beautiful, timely and critically important book introduces English readers to an indispensable guide both to Roth's past and to our present -- Devorah BaumPim has told this vital and singular story with the deft tenacity and the passionate flexibility of attitude and tone that it requires, and his book is a mighty achievement -- Patrick MackieKieron Pim combines admirably lucid prose with exhaustive research and a great affection for his subject... A thoughtful, absorbing and assured account of a great author's complex, rootless and ultimately tragic life... [Endless Flight is] an indispensable guide to [Roth's] life and work, and essential reading for admirers and newcomers. -- David CollardAlmost unbearably affecting. Make no mistake, this biography is a masterpiece -- Neel MukherjeeThis wonderful biography is a major contribution to the appreciation of Joseph Roth in the English-speaking world. Roth's unique genius is richly portrayed, as are the turbulent times that formed him. A propulsive journey through European, Jewish, and literary life between the wars -- Adam FouldsThis resplendent biography not only opens for us a window into a life unknown, but serves up a mirror inviting us to take a look at our own lives. We are left in no doubt that the forces that rended Roth's world are still active in ours * The Times *Absorbing... This is a thoughtful, thorough, and sympathetic book, and a necessary one... Endless Flight is a welcome aid for people like me who can't read Roth, or his critics and biographers, in German, and for any English-language readers who might want an introduction to his work. And now, more than ever, is the time to read him -- Hermione Lee * NYRB *[Roth's] fiction may rob us of our illusions, but he singlehandedly, and with an extraordinary story-teller's gift of elegance and wit, cleared Europe's literary decks of their 19th-century hangovers and readied it for modernity. This fine biography, with its spirited, shrewd, thorough understanding of its times, shows us exactly what that cost its subject -- Julian Evans * Telegraph *Thrilling... Pim's detective work, untangling Roth's tortured (sometimes maddening) contradictions, is enormously impressive, and his analysis of Roth's work is incisive and sometimes revelatory. But what really drives this biography is Pim's deep sympathy for Roth, which he sustains without ever glamorising or sentimentalising his subject * Literary Review *Thankfully, with Endless Flight, we finally have an English language biography of Roth. And biographer Pim is worthy of the mammoth task at hand, chronicling the complex story of Roth's ultimately tragic life with sensitivity, intelligence, and some serious and revelatory research... an important biography * Big Issue *Pim's... effort to understand the man in full is profound and the result feels definitive. His research empowers him to be rigorously sceptical... Pim steadily builds the case that Roth's vagabond life - he lived out of three suitcases and was happiest in hotels - was his animating paradox -- Dorian Lynskey * The Guardian *Keiron Pim... brings all the details of this consistently creative but wretched life together in an engrossing fashion, giving all the historical context we might need... His analysis of Roth's novels is clear and convincing, clear of any fanciful conjecture * The Irish Times *Deeply considered, rigorously researched and brimming with fascinating details and insights, it situates the man and his work in their wider political and social context, ably showing how Roth "drew from his multiple traumas to create works that endure owing to their conscience, percipience [and] ironic humour" * Financial Times *Pim's masterstoke is to view Roth first and foremost as a writer... Pim is scrupulous in his research and fair in his assessments, but he goes beyond observing such biographer's duties... The further Pim delves, the richer the picture becomes -- Rachel Seiffert * Prospect *Vivid... convincing... It is Keiron Pim's substantial achievement in Endless Flight to have shown us the magnitude of Roth's struggle in a turbulent era that has alarming parallels with our own -- George Prochnik * TLS *Really sympathetic and gets [Roth's] contradictions... Couldn't be more relevant -- Samantha Ellis * BBC Radio 4 Front Row *Pim is particularly good on Roth's Jewishness... A dark story, movingly told * Jewish Chronicle *Timely... Keiron Pim's is the first English-language biography of Roth, and what a superb book it is - impeccably researched, extremely readable and, it must be said, grimly relevant... Unfailingly well-written and informative, Endless Flight is a grand tribute to one of the most discomfiting literary geniuses of the 20th century -- Ian Thompson * Observer *With the publication of Keiron Pim's Endless Flight, it's as if the shutters have been flung open and the lights switched on. English readers finally have a comprehensive, detailed and supremely empathetic account of Roth's whole life, researched with breathtaking thoroughness and told with a transparency and a compassion worthy of Roth's own writing... A masterly and moving biography, and anyone interested in the fate of European culture in the 20th century will want to read it. And then, as with Roth's own work, to return and re-read it in mounting gratitude, pity and wonder * The Critic *Capably carried out -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *A fitting account of one of Europe's great, troubled literary geniuses * New European *Richly detailed, insightful and compendious, this biography supplies all the information on Roth's tormented, rootless, inebriated life: good and bad, noble and shameful. We have the work - now we have the man. A great deal is explained and clarified as a result -- William Boyd * TLS *Reading Pim's sparkling, effervescent study of Roth's life, it seems his gifts flourished not in spite of his suffering but because of it -- Madoc Cairns * Oldie *Keiron Pim is a determined, persistent biographer. There are no easy subjects in his eye; instead, he focuses on figures we know little about, who we want to know more about, and then, in a meticulous, no-stone-unturned pursuit of their lives, tells us a fascinating story about even more fascinating characters * Eastern Daily Press *Keiron Pim joins Roth on his rackety grand European tour and with him recaptures that age -- Laura Freeman * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR The year is 1851. It's a time of radical change in Britain, when industrial miracles and artistic innovations rub shoulders with political unrest, poverty and disease. It's also a turbulent time in the life of Charles Dickens, as he copes with a double bereavement and early signs that his marriage is falling apart. But this year will become the turning point in Dickens's career, as he embraces his calling as a chronicler of ordinary people's lives. The Turning Point transports us into the foggy streets of Dickens's London, closely following the twists and turns of a year that would come to define him, and forever alter Britain's relationship with the world.'Sparklingly informative' Guardian'Wonderfully entertaining' Observer'It is hard to imagine a better book on Dickens' New StatesmanTrade ReviewThis tremendous book dazzles and delights... it's full of discoveries. A glorious book; revealing and unravelling Charles Dickens before our very eyes, melding his life and his work, using scholarship, wit and passion - a triumph. * Miriam Margolyes *This immersive biography, by the author of the Costa-shortlisted The Story of Alice, had me hooked... published in a sumptuous package, with illustrations throughout. * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice *Clever and witty, packed with fiercely academic research and erudite analysis, but written in featherlight, elegant prose. -- Natalie HaynesThe Turning Point...builds incrementally towards Bleak House...[and] makes for a very satisfying finale... Robert Douglas-Fairhurst has taken pains of his own and this wonderfully entertaining book is the result. -- Anthony Quinn * Observer *Douglas-Fairhurst is a shrewd, amusing and original guide... [he] gives you fascinating facts... [and] a brisk and brilliant analysis of Bleak House. -- Laura Freeman * The Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A remarkable oral history of black postwar British life… Homecoming is an extraordinary and compelling book' Daily TelegraphHomecoming draws on over a hundred first-hand interviews, archival recordings and memoirs by the women and men who came to Britain from the West Indies between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. In their own words, we witness the transition from the optimism of the first post-war arrivals to the race riots of the late 1950s. We hear from nurses in Manchester; bus drivers in Bristol; seamstresses in Birmingham; teachers in Croydon; dockers in Cardiff; inter-racial lovers in High Wycombe, and Carnival Queens in Leeds. These are stories of hope and regret, of triumphs and challenges, brimming with humour, anger and wisdom. Together, they reveal a rich tapestry of Caribbean British lives. Homecoming is an unforgettable portrait of a generation, which brilliantly illuminates an essential and much-misunderstood chapter of our history.** A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week****A Daily Telegraph Book of the Year**Trade ReviewA remarkable oral history of black postwar British life… Homecoming is an extraordinary and compelling book in which the memories of bus drivers, civil servants, engineers, nurses, RAF and army recruits, teachers, shop stewards and seamstresses jostle with those of journalists, musicians, novelists and poets... The recovered memories in Homecoming are a formidable challenge to those still nostalgic for a lost empire, to all who cling to narrow and parochial definitions of Britishness... The voices in Homecoming sing throughout the book but they also reverberate pain, for so many are recounting stories they do not want to remember. -- Hazel V Carby * Daily Telegraph *Grant is the writer to do justice to [the Windrush Generation’s] lives… he has conducted dozens of interviews, dug into the Mass Observation archives, and combed through semi-forgotten oral histories from the 1960s to produce this anthology of submerged lives that prickles with beautiful, comic and brutal details. * Observer *Homecoming by Colin Grant is...by turns sad, painful, warm, revelatory and utterly fascinating. I think we would live in a slightly kinder and better country if everyone read [it]. -- Mark Haddon * New Statesman *Books of the Year* *Drawing on scores of first-hand accounts, Colin Grant offers oral history at its finest. -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *Hundreds of first hand interviews, archive footage and memoir extracts of the Windrush Generation, beautifully edited into a patchwork quilt of experience and heritage. It's so powerful hearing these voices direct, making for a hopeful and angry, joyful and tear-jerking read. * Grazia *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of us - without hesitation, repetition or deviation.Join national treasure and Just a Minute regular Gyles Brandreth on a hilariously addictive romp through British history. This isn't just another history book - there's a catch! From Stonehenge and Boudicca to Megxit and Brexit, each topic is written in 60-second installments, without hesitation, repetition, or deviation.A History of Britain in Just a Minute celebrates key moments, people and places from our past: kings and queens, heroes and villains, triumphs and disasters, inventions and events, battles and bonnets, art, science, literature, entertainment, sport, gossip, and more. Some entries are uninterrupted minutes, while others feature challenges for repetition and even, er...hesitation. You'll even find other Just a Minute panellists occasionally grabbing the pen to regale us with their witty takes on history.You've never heard the history of Britain told quite like this. You'll enjoy every uproarious minute of it.

Read more less

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 *Shunning simplifications and panegyrics, Hazeldine's book is particularly strong on the postwar period, during which both Labour and Tory governments wrestled with the northern question and failed to provide an answer -- ProspectDeserve[s] a place on the bookshelves of any historian concerned with England. * New Welsh Review *Brilliant ... [a] gripping, important, infuriating history -- Review31 * http://review31.co.uk/essay/view/90/england's-house-divided *A confident, synoptic book, taking on a thousand years of England's North/South divide -- Owen Hatherley * Tribune *Compelling, rigorous and ambitious * Jacobin *Hazeldine painstakingly recounts how successive twentieth-century governments sacrificed the North on the altar of sterling and the South East. * Times Literary Supplement *A historical travelogue not for the politically faint-hearted. -- Mark Perryman * Philosophy Football *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE IRISH BESTSELLER 'Ferriter has richly earned his reputation as one of Ireland's leading historians' Irish Independent 'Absorbing ... A fascinating exploration of the Civil War and its impact on Ireland and Irish politics' Irish Times In June 1922, just seven months after Sinn Féin negotiators signed a compromise treaty with representatives of the British government to create the Irish Free State, Ireland collapsed into civil war. While the body count suggests it was far less devastating than other European civil wars, it had a harrowing impact on the country and cast a long shadow, socially, economically and politically, which included both public rows and recriminations and deep, often private traumas. Drawing on many previously unpublished sources and newly released archival material, one of Ireland's most renowned historians lays bare the course and impact of the war and how this tragedy shaped modern Ireland.Trade ReviewSimply outstanding ... Between Two Hells takes us closer to the messy truth behind independent Ireland's birth pangs than ever before -- Andrew Lynch * Irish Independent *Original and arresting -- Henry Patterson * Sunday Times Ireland *Meticulously researched, judiciously balanced and unflinching ... breaks new ground -- Dermot Bolger * Sunday Business Post *Excellent ... Diarmaid Ferriter, Ireland's best-known and most prolific historian ... enriches lucid and judicious accounts of events and personalities with fresh archival evidence -- Cormac Ó Gráda * BBC History Magazine *Fascinating ... absorbing -- Eunan O'Halpin * Irish Times *Praise for A Nation and Not a Rabble: 'Very illuminating detail...simply setting violent events in context is a step forward. Thoughtful, balanced, even handed * Irish Times *Ferriter's book is of such comprehensive and original scope...immensely readable and impressive * Sunday Business Post *...The mighty mind this book comes from... rightly renowned for his voracious learning * Sunday Times *Tugs at the tapestry of myths surrounding the independence struggle and the civil war that followed...A tremendous feat of documentation * The Independent *

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Everything about Venice,’ observed Lord Byron, ‘is, or was, extraordinary – her aspect is like a dream, and her history is like a romance.’ Dream and romance have conditioned myriad encounters with Venice across the centuries, but the city’s story embodies the hard reality of an independent state built on conquest, profit and entitlement and on the toughness and resilience of a free people. In this new study of key moments in Venice’s history, from its half-legendary founding amid the collapse of the Roman empire to its modern survival as a fragile city of the arts menaced by saturation tourism and rising sea levels, Jonathan Keates shows us just how much this remarkable place has contributed to world culture and explains how it endures as an object of desire and inspiration for so many.Trade Review[A] sumptuous and authoritative history of Venice * The Art Newspaper *..his love of the city radiates from every page * The Economist *Celebrating its peerless contributions to world culture, it's a complex history, but ultimately inspiring * Italia! *PRAISE FOR JONATHAN KEATES: 'Keates is an enthusiastic, serious and careful writer, and this delightful book, though designed up to the hilt, contains a lot to muse over' Guardian. 'As well as having magisterial critical judgements, this is a book rich in dry humour and telling anecdote' Spectator. 'Keates appraises his works with passionate scrutiny' Sunday Times. 'A beautifully paced and meticulously detailed narrative' Literary Review. 'Admirably concise and evocative' * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisStuart Hall was one of the most insightful and incisive critics of the Thatcher era. In this essential selection of his essays during the period, he elaborates both how Thatcher's rise to power exploited weakness in the left, but also how the left itself can refresh itself in the shadow of defeat. This collection is as vital today as it was in 1988. Through the essays Hall shows how Thatcher has exploited discontent with Labour's record in office and with aspects of the welfare state to devise a potent authoritarian, populist ideology. This ranges through the formation of the SDP, inner city riots, the Falklands War and the signficance of Antonio Gramsci. He suggests that Thatcherism is skillfully employing the restless and individualistic dynamic of consumer capitalism to promote a swingeing programme of 'regressive modernization'.In response he elaboraties a new politics for the Left as it is with the project of the Right. Hall insists that the Left can no longer trade on inherited politics and tradition. Socialists today must be as radical as modernity itself. Valuable pointers to a new politics are identified in the experience of feminism, the campaigns of the GLC and the world-wide response to Band Aid.Trade ReviewHall's metier was to tease out the competing histories, the contradictory political, economic, and social forces condensed within a particular historical moment, an excavation of ideology he called 'conjunctural analysis.' . . . [H]is work is all too timely, for the haphazard project of neoliberalism, justified retroactively by nonsensical appeals to the 'free market,' is as advanced as the decades-long economic decline it magics away with bubbles and rhetoric -- Michael Robbins, Bookforum * [For Selected Political Writings] *Hall's work has become especially resonant as Britain has voted for a narrower identity and a more isolationist attitude to the rest of the world.... There is a generosity and literary imagination in his writing-a recognition that humans are complex, contradictory creatures shaped by, among other things, what they believe, where they live, how they shop, and who they sleep with -- New Republic * [For Selected Political Writings] *He has left us a vital legacy of intellectual passion, analytical rigor, and political prescience that should be heeded, especially now, by progressive scholars and activists -- Angela Y Davis * [For The Fateful Triangle] *Hall is a key thinker. His analysis remains profound. In these days of Brexit we need his nuanced view of identity more than ever. -- New Statesman * [For Familar Stranger] *The most significant figure on the British intellectual left over the course of the last 50 years. -- Guardian * [For Familar Stranger] *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first volume in Tim Robinson's phenomenal Connemara Trilogy - which Robert Macfarlane has called 'One of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English'. In its landscape, history and folklore, Connemara is a singular region: ill-defined geographically, and yet unmistakably a place apart from the rest of Ireland. Tim Robinson, who established himself as Ireland's most brilliant living non-fiction writer with the two-volume Stones of Aran, moved from Aran to Connemara nearly twenty years ago. This book is the result of his extraordinary engagement with the mountains, bogs and shorelines of the region, and with its folklore and its often terrible history: a work as beautiful and surprising as the place it attempts to describe.Chosen as a book of the year by Iain Sinclair, Robert Macfarlane and Colm Tóibín'One of the greatest writers of lands ... No one has disentangled the tales the stones of Ireland have to tell so deftly and retold them so beautifully' Fintan O'Toole 'Dazzling ... an indubitable classic' Giles Foden, Condé Nast Traveller'He is that rarest of phenomena, a scientist and an artist, and his method is to combine scientific rigour with artistic reverie in a seamless blend that both informs and delights' John Banville'One of contemporary Ireland's finest literary stylists' Joseph O'Connor, GuardianTrade ReviewMany landscape writers have striven to give their prose the characteristics of the terrain they are describing. Few have succeeded as fully as Robinson. -- Robert Macfarlane * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNeil Hegarty's bestselling history of Ireland is a story crowded with the drama of complex characters, shifting allegiances and changing identities. Revisiting the major turning points in the Irish story, Hegarty looks not only at the dynamics of what happened in Ireland, but also at the role of events abroad. With a new afterword that covers the dramatic events of 2011 - including the multi-billion-euro international bailout of Ireland's economy, Fianna Fáil's electoral meltdown, and the first ever visit by a British sovereign to the Irish Republic - Story of Ireland is the history of a country shaped by and helping shape the world around it. Accompanying a landmark series coproduced by the BBC and RTE, and with an introduction by series presenter, Fergal Keane, Story of Ireland is an epic account of Ireland's history for an entire new generation.Trade ReviewAn engrossing and highly readable account of the sweep of Irish history. * Sunday Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA both controversial and comprehensive historical analysis of how the British Empire worked, from Wolfson Prize-winning author and historian John DarwinThe British Empire shaped the world in countless ways: repopulating continents, carving out nations, imposing its own language, technology and values. For perhaps two centuries its expansion and final collapse were the single largest determinant of historical events, and it remains surrounded by myth, misconception and controversy today.John Darwin's provocative and richly enjoyable book shows how diverse, contradictory and in many ways chaotic the British Empire really was, controlled by interests that were often at loggerheads, and as much driven on by others' weaknesses as by its own strength.Trade ReviewA breadth of perspective few other imperial historians can boast. The British Empire really does look different in the light of it ... Breadth of vision, fizzing ideas and a brilliant style as well as superb scholarship ... It deserves to supplant every other book on this topic, including - though my publisher and bank manager won't thank me for saying this - my own. It is British imperial history at last without hang-ups; the one we've been waiting for -- Bernard Potter * History Today *A brilliantly perceptive analysis of the forces and ideas that drove the creation of an extraordinary enterprise ... Bringing together his huge erudition, scrupulous fairness and elegant prose, Mr Darwin has produced a wonderfully stimulating account of something that today seems almost incredibly yet was, in historical terms, only yesterday. It is also a much-needed antidote both to the leftish consensus of the past 50 years that Britain's empire was unrelievedly awful ... and the recent triumphalist revisionism of more conservative historians * Economist *Engrossing ... What Darwin adds to this insight is a rare, wonderful capacity for comparison. Empire here is a jigsaw of dreams and anxieties, conquests and loss of faith ... Seeing the imperial experience in the round like this does gives us a clearer, more subtle appreciation of the range of power and violence at play. It raises the historical writing on empire to another level * BBC History Magazine *How incredibly refreshing it is when as distinguished an historian as John Darwin ... writes something as thoughtful, well-researched and persuasive as Unfinished Empire, which explains the half-millennium-long expansion of Britain across the globe in terms that genuinely make sense ... The author's deep familiarity with all the key sources of this vast subject allows him to pluck examples for his arguments from across the centuries and continents ... Best of all ... is the thought that Darwin's book might at long last herald the victory of the post-Marxist phase of imperial historiography, and not a moment too soon -- Andrew Roberts * Sunday Telegraph Book of the Week *Balanced, original and impressive ... Subtle ... intelligent * Literary Review *Comprehensive ... Darwin's erudition allows him to skirt around the narrow orthodoxies of apologist v critic and provide an insightful account of Britain's unlikely period of global hegemony * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJames Connolly (1868-1916) was one of the leaders in Ireland's quest for freedom from British rule in 1916. This biography is an accurate and well-researched portrayal both of the man and the uprising. Part of the Sixteen Lives series of biographies of all sixteen men executed for their role in the rebellion.

Read more less