European history Books

Book SynopsisOn 17 August 1943, the entire strength of the American heavy bomber forces in England set out to raid two major industrial complexes deep in southern Germany, the vast Messerschmitt aircraft factory and the vital KGF ballbearing plant. For American commanders it was the culmination of years of planning and hope, the day when their self-defending formations of the famous Flying Fortress could at last perform their true role and reach out by daylight to strike at targets in the deepest corners of industrial Germany. The day ended in disaster for the Americans. Thanks to the courage of the aircrews the bombers won through to the targets and caused heavy damage, but sixty were shot down and the hopes of the American commanders were shattered. Historically, it was probably the most important day for the American air forces during the Second World War.While researching this catastrophic raid the Author interviewed hundreds of the airmen involved, German defenders, 'slave workers' and eye witnesses. This took him twice to both the USA and Germany.The result is a mass of fresh, previously unused material with which the author finally provides the full story of this famous day's operations. Not only is the American side described in far greater depth than before but the previously vague German side of the story - both the Luftwaffe action and the civilian experiences in Schweinfurt and Regensburg, are now presented clearly and in detail for the first time. The important question of why the RAF did not support the American effort and follow up the raid on Schweinfurt as planned is also fully covered.Trade ReviewThe author has produced a well reasoned and comprehensively research analysis if this classic USAAF raid and the challenged involved in co-ordinating the RAF and USAAF bombing campaign in its early stages. The text is supported by illustrations and a black and white plate section. By combining research and interviews with US and German veterans, the author has introduced some valuable new material and a fresh perspective. He has also addressed the important question of why the RAD did not support and follow up the raid as originally planned. A very readable analysis that holds the reader's attention. - Firetrench

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Book Synopsis'Highlanders have long been among the most feared soldiers in the world and Tim Newark's book admirably tells their stirring tale. A great read!' Bernard CornwellOn the fields of Waterloo, the deserts of Sudan, the Plains of Abraham and the mountains of Dargai, the trenches of Flanders and the jungles of Burma - the great Highland regiments made their mark. The brave kilted troops with their pipes and drums were legendary, whether leading the charge into the thick of battle or standing fast, the last to leave or fall, fighting against the odds.Acclaimed historian Tim Newark tells the story of the Highlanders through the words of the soldiers themselves, from diaries, letters and journals uncovered from archives in Scotland and around the world. At the Battle of Quebec in 1759, only a few years after their defeat at Culloden, the 78th Highlanders faced down the French guns and turned the battle. At Waterloo, Highlanders memorably fought alongside the Scots Greys against Napoleon's feared Old Guard. In the Crimea, the thin red line stood firm against the charging Russian Hussars and saved the day at Balaclava. Yet the story is also one of betrayal. At Quebec, General Wolfe remarked that, despite the Highlanders' courage, it was 'no great mischief if they fall'. At Dunkirk in May 1940, the 51st Regiment was left to defend the SOE evacuation at St Valery; though following D-Day the Highlanders were at the forefront of the fighting through France. It is all history: over the last decade the historic regiments have been dismantled, despite widespread protest. Praise for The Mafia at War:An engrossing history that reads like a thriller. 'The Godfather' meets 'Band of Brothers'. Andrew RobertsAn engrossing account that has the read-on factor of the finest thriller. James HollandNewark tells an extraordinary tale with pace and conviction, and impressively unravels what really happened from the pervasive myths. History TodayTrade ReviewHighlanders have long been among the most feared soldiers in the world and Tim Newark's book admirably tells their stirring tale. A great read! -- Bernard CornwellFull of colour and fascinating anecdotes . . . Highlander is a fine piece of military history that is 'popular' in the very best sense - erudite but highly accessible. * Military Illustrated *Tim Newark is a remarkably gifted storyteller, and in Highlander he really brings these proud soldiers to life. * The Scotsman *This is an excellent book written with vigour and passion. * Press and Journal (Highland & Islands). *...highly readable. * Defence Focus *Great book. This is where I got my fighting spirit! * Donald Trump *Long overdue. * Contemporary Review *

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.The Battle of Britain is one of the most crucial battles ever fought, and the victory of Fighter Command over the Luftwaffe has always been celebrated as a classic feat of arms. But, as Patrick Bishop shows in this superb history, it was also a triumph of the spirit in which the attitudes of the pilots themselves played a crucial part. Reaching beyond the myths to convey the fear and exhilaration of life on this most perilous of frontlines, Patrick Bishop offers an intimate and compelling account that is a soaring tribute to the exceptional young men of Fighter Command.Trade Review‘I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph ‘A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday ‘As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, “Fighter Boys” is unsurpassed.’ Daily Telegraph ‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can’t be a finer history.’ James Holland, New Statesman ‘Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.’ T. J. Binyon, Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisSixty years after the defeat of the Third Reich, the complexities of Nazi ideology are still being unravelled. This enormously influential book has provided the first serious account of these ideological origins. The book demonstrates the way in which Nazism was influenced by powerful occult and millenarian sects that thrived in Germany and Austria at the turn of the century. These sects (principally the Ariosophists) promoted doctrines of popular nationalism, 'Aryan' racism and occultism to support their advocacy of German world-rule. Their ideas and symbols filtered through to nationalist-racist groups associated with the infant Nazi party, and in time exerted a strong influence on Himmler's SS. Their fantasies were played out with terrifying consequences in the Third Reich: Auschwitz, Sobibor and Treblinka are the hellish museums of the Nazi apocalypse, the roots of which lay in the millennial visions of occult sects. This bizarre and fascinating story contains lessons we cannot afford to ignore.Trade ReviewGoodrick-Clarke's now classic work triumphantly demonstrates that scrupulous scholarship and sound judgement can illuminate a crucial episode in the genesis of Nazism. The political dangers of the new century posed by the mixture of modernity with faith and esoteric mysticism make it particularly timely. -- Professor Roger Griffin, author of The Nature of FacismAn extensive survey of...theology, astrology, and 'ariosophy' (Aryan-racists-occult-theories)... An intriguing study of apocalyptic fantasies... * Times Literary Supplement *If anyone still questions the power which myth exercises over the human mind, he should read The Occult Roots of Nazism. -- Anthony Storr, Fellow, Royal College of PsychiatristsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Illustrations Author's Preface to 2004 Edition Foreword Introduction Part 1: The Background 1. The Pan-German Vision 2. The modern German Occult Revival 1880-1910 Part 2: The Ariosophists of Vienna 3. Guido von List 4. Wotanism and Germanic Theosophy 5. The Armanenschaft 6. The Secret Heritage 7. The German Millennium 8. Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels and Theozoology 9. The Order of the New Templars Part 3: Ariosophy in Germany 10. The Germanenorden 11. Rudolf von Sebottendorff and the Thule Society 12. The Holy Runes and the Edda Society 13. Herbert Reichstein and Ariosophy 14. Karl Maria Wiligut: The Private Magus of Heinrich Himmler 15. Ariosophy and Adolf Hitler Appendix A: Genealogy of Lanz von Liebenfels Appendix B: Genealogy of the Sebottendorff Family Appendix C: The history of Ariosophy Appendix D: New Templar Verse Appendix E: The Modern Mythology of Nazi Occultism Notes and References Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBetween the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642 something happened which completely revolutionized Western civilization. Painting, sculpture and architecture would all visibly change in a striking fashion. Likewise, the thought and self-conception of humanity would take on a completely different aspect. Sciences would be born - or emerge in an entirely new guise.In this sweeping 400-year history, Paul Strathern reveals how, and why, these new ideas which formed the Renaissance began, and flourished, in the city of Florence. Just as central and northern Germany gave birth to the Reformation, Britain was a driver of the Industrial Revolution and Silicon Valley shaped the digital age, so too, Strathern argues, did Florence play a similarly unique and transformative role in the Renaissance.While vividly bringing to life the city and a vast cast of characters - including Dante, Botticelli, Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo - Strathern shows how these great Florentines forever altered Europe and the Western world.Trade ReviewA thought-provoking re-examination of the great Florentine artists, scientists and business wizards of the Renaissance... Strathern has an engaging habit of dwelling on the close connection in the Florentine cultural sphere between art and money, matters seldom so intimately juxtaposed...His prose glimmers with the spark of rekindled discovery. * Wall Street Journal *Strathern keeps readers engaged throughout with a sprinkling of colourful anecdotes, often taken from contemporary (or slightly later) sources... Those coming to the period for the first time will be able to sense the flavour of the social, political and cultural life that shaped a city that still attracts so many tourists. * BBC History Magazine *[Strathern] has a knack for conveying in pleasing prose, spiced with anecdotes, the essentials of an argument, an interesting juxtaposition, or the importance of an episode or person. * Times Literary Supplement *Vivid biographical sketches cast famous Florentines in a more dynamic light than most modern portrayals... Buoyed by incisive details and a brisk pace, this is a welcome introduction to the city and the personalities behind the Renaissance. * Publishers Weekly *If Vanity Fair magazine had existed during the Renaissance, every issue might have brought tales of Florentine A-listers and their power plays, artistic triumphs, sexual exploits, and financial chicanery. Strathern aims to show how such Florentines paved the way for a global humanism focused on people's lives on Earth instead of on the medieval view that existence was only preparation for an afterlife. Strathern is an intellectually agile writer who covers four centuries briskly - and serves up occasional surprises. * Kirkus Reviews *Strathern meticulously guides readers through the lives of famous Renaissance visionaries... this book doesn't just describe each individuals' accomplishments, but also shows how their lives full of shared experiences and unique circumstances were intricately intertwined in a way which positioned them to lead Europe into the Renaissance. Bringing the Renaissance into better focus, this well-researched work is highly recommended for readers with an interest in the era, art history, and Italian history. * Library Journal *Very occasionally we are offered an entirely new perspective on a body of detail with which we already seem entirely familiar but which has the effect of transforming our understanding. Paul Strathern's The Florentines is such a work... Powerfully argued and very carefully researched... A major commentary on the development and evolution of the Renaissance. * Historical Association *A marvelous, wide-ranging, and accessible history of Florence and the historical giants from the city that have influenced the course of western civilization. There should be more history books like The Florentines to delve in specific time periods and geographic locations. It is not just the intrinsically interesting period that Strathern delves into that makes this a truly excellent book, but his skill at understanding and connecting the people and ideas of the time. * The Interim, ‘Book of the Week’ *Well-written and exhaustively researched... It is a page-turner, and on that presents a fascinating new perspective on the stories and people of Florence. * All About History *Table of Contents1: Dante and Florence 2: Wealth, Freedom and Talent 3: A Clear Eye Amidst Troubled Times 4: Boccaccio and Petrarch 5: War and Peace 6: The Dome 7: The Mathematical Artists 8: Those Who Paid the Bills 9: The Renaissance Spreads Its Wings 10: Medici Rising 11: A Medici Artist 12: Il Magnifico 13: Leonardo 14: Shifting Ground 15: Undercurrents 16: The Bonfire of the Vanities 17: Machiavelli 18: Michelangelo 19: Galileo 20: Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the life and world of Bede (c. 673-735), foremost scholar of the early Middle Ages and 'the father of English history'. It examines his notable feats, including calculating the first tide-tables; playing a role in the creation of the Ceolfrith Bibles and the Lindisfarne Gospels; writing the earliest extant Old English poetry and the earliest translation of part of the Bible into English; and composing his famous Ecclesiastical History of the English People, with its single dating system. Despite never leaving Northumbria, Bede also wrote a guide to the Holy Land. Michelle P. Brown, an authority on the period, describes new discoveries regarding Bede's handwriting, his research programme and his previously lost Old English translation of St John's Gospel, dictated on his deathbed.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Boyhood and Monkwearmouth-Jarrow 2. Bede the Monk and Priest 3. Bede the Scholar and Scientist: Cosmos and Logos 4. Bede, Poetry and the Origins of Written English 5. Bede the English Patristic 6. Bede the Historian and Reformer 7. Bede the Scribe of Scripture and the Ceolfrith Bibles 8. Bede and Lindisfarne 9. Bede and His Legacy Appendix: Bede's CV References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisFrom classicist James Romm comes a “striking…fascinating” (Booklist) deep dive into the last decades of ancient Greek freedom leading up to Alexander the Great’s destruction of Thebes—and the saga of the greatest military corps of the time, the Theban Sacred Band, a unit composed of 150 pairs of male lovers.The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. At stake was freedom, democracy, and the fate of Thebes, at this time the leading power of the Greek world. The tale begins in 379 BC, with a group of Theban patriots sneaking into occupied Thebes. Disguised in women’s clothing, they cut down the agents of Sparta, the state that had cowed much of Greece with its military might. To counter the Spartans, this group of patriots would form the Sacred Band, a corps whose history plays out against a backdrop of Theban democracy, of desperate power struggles between leading city-states, and the new prominence of eros, sexual love, in Greek public life. After four decades without a defeat, the Sacred Band was annihilated by the forces of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander in the Battle of Chaeronea—extinguishing Greek liberty for two thousand years. Buried on the battlefield where they fell, they were rediscovered in 1880—some skeletons still in pairs, with arms linked together. From violent combat in city streets to massive clashes on open ground, from ruthless tyrants to bold women who held their era in thrall, The Sacred Band recounts “in fluent, accessible prose” (The Wall Street Journal) the twists and turns of a crucial historical moment: the end of the treasured freedom of ancient Greece.Trade Review"Romm, a Bard College professor, has an unusual knack for writing about ancient history for general readers ... I was most stirred by a parallel narrative examining how the story of the Sacred Band both inspired the beginnings of the struggle for gay acceptance in the 19th century and was also long a source of discomfort for many professional classicists." —The New York Times, New & Noteworthy "[Romm] deftly pieces the story together ... Mr. Romm negotiates artfully in fluent, accessible prose. But he really comes into his own when describing the Sacred Band’s dramatic and elegiac end." —Wall Street Journal "An impressive achievement ... Romm illustrates how fantasies about the Sacred Band have captivated different ages ... [Thebes], late to emerge onto the Greek political scene, dreamed big; just not big enough." —Times Literary Supplement "Romm’s book not only details the history of the Sacred Band, but illuminates this murky and murderously internecine period of Greek history ... Romm has an eye for interesting characters—such as the sociopathic tyrant Jason of Pherae, who made his spear into a god." —The American Scholar "The Sacred Band of Thebes was founded to protect the Boeotian League, the federation of cities that Thebes led. The band was the first professional standing army funded by the state in Greek history ... it was founded on the principle that men so intimately devoted to one another would fight as a cohesive unit ... This fascinating period of Greek history is the subject of classicist James Romm’s new book The Sacred Band." —Humanities: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities "A vivid portrait of ancient Thebes ... A spirited, informative classical history from an expert on the subject." —Kirkus "In this excellent work, Romm ... convincingly argues that Thebes was as important as Athens and Sparta during the last century of its history ... Excellent vignettes of contemporary non-Thebans (particularly Xenophon, an Athenian student of Socrates who was an unabashed partisan for Sparta) enhance the narrative ... [The Sacred Band] is highly recommended and will appeal to fans of Thebes, by Paul Cartledge, as well as readers of LGBTQ+ history." —Library Journal "Romm lucidly describes the era’s complex power struggles and explains how the pro-Sparta bias of Xenophon, who wrote the only surviving contemporaneous account of “the era of Theban greatness,” has colored modern perceptions of Thebes. This is an eye-opening and immersive portrait of a little-known aspect of ancient history." —Publishers Weekly "Striking ... [a] fascinating unit." —Booklist"Lively and captivating ... this first full-length popular account dedicated to the “Sacred Band” performs a vital and overdue service: for classical history buffs, for readers interested in gay history and culture, and for anyone who appreciates a fascinating story, grippingly told." —Daniel Mendelsohn, author of An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic "Bound by love, virtue, and valor, the Sacred Band of Thebes fought for Greek freedom and democracy, for more than a generation in a turbulent era ended by Macedonian conquest in 338 BC. James Romm has delved deep into the history and even the archaeology of this famous, little-understood corps of 300 lover-companions. The result is an exhilarating story of eros and power." —Adrienne Mayor, author of Gods and Robots and The Amazons "There are several famous 300s in human history but few deserve to be commemorated as does the Sacred Band of the ancient Greek city of Thebes — as James Romm, already very well known as a reviewer, translator, commentator and Herodotus expert, so amply demonstrates in this splendid, pioneering, indeed loving book." —Paul Cartledge, author of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece "Using contemporary language and interpreting through an enlightened sensibility, James Romm brings energy and relevance to an epic chapter of ancient history." —Mary Norris, author of Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen "James Romm has written a wonderfully readable book about one of the most fascinating and least known stories from the ancient world. Beginning with the Theban rebellion throwing off Spartan control to the destruction of the city by Alexander the Great, the tale of the rise and fall of Theban freedom resonates even today." —Philip Freeman, author of Alexander the Great "An immersive and deeply atmospheric story of strength and power – a power founded, above anything else, on love and belief. I can think of 300 reasons to recommend this book." —Daisy Dunn, author of The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny

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Book Synopsis''no one else in our times has attempted to write a universal history''Polybius'' ambitious goal was to describe how Rome conquered the Mediterranean world in less than fifty-three years. This great study of imperialism takes the reader back to Rome''s first encounter with Carthage in 264 and forward to her destruction of that renowned city in 146. Polybius, himself a leading Greek politician of the time, emphasizes the importance of practical experience for the writing of political history as well as the critical assessment of all the evidence. He attributes Rome''s success to the greatness of its constitution and the character of its people, but also allows Fortune a role in designing the shape of world events.This new translation by Robin Waterfield, the first for over thirty years, includes the first five books in their entirety, and all of the fragmentary Books 6 and 12, containing Polybius'' account of the Roman constitution and his outspoken views on how (and how not) to write history. Brian McGing''s accompanying introduction and notes illuminate this remarkable political history. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Review...this new translation of Polybius will be a valuable resource for teachers and students of Polybius and Roman history. The authors deserve no small praise for permitting one of the most highly regarded ancient historians, yet also one of the least read, speak to a new generation. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Waterfield is a veteran translator who is senstive to the idiosyncrasies of ancient originals and chooses the difficult task of rendering them in good, natural English. * Bryn Mawr Clasical Review *

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Book SynopsisThe award-winning biography of William Pitt the Younger by William Hague, the youngest leader of the Tory Party since Pitt himself.William Pitt the Younger was one of the most extraordinary figures in British history. Prime minister at the age of twenty-four, he went on to dominate British politics for two decades, presiding over such complex and treacherous national crises as the madness of King George III, the beleaguered union with Ireland, the fallout from the French Revolution and the trauma of the Napoleonic Wars.With the keen eye of an experienced politician, William Hague examines the enigmatic life and tumultuous times of a man capable of both wit and arrogance, economic genius and financial mismanagement. A rich cast of characters and a vivid backdrop of global conflict make this riveting biography of Pitt the Younger compulsive reading.Trade Review‘A shrewd political biography and a sensitive portrait of one of our most enigmatic heroes.’ Simon Sebag Montefiore ‘One of the most enjoyable biographies for years…if you buy only one political biography this year, make it the one.’ John Major ‘A first-class work of history; informative, well written and captivating.’ The Times ‘What makes the book such an engrossing and stimulating read is the author’s passion for and understanding of politics.’ Sunday Times ‘A weighty and scholarly biography…the empathy, indeed the identification of subject with author, is remarkable. Hague deserves an accolade…he has written a serious, detailed and thoughtful study of one of Britain's greatest prime ministers.’ Shirley Williams, Guardian ‘Truly fine…The need for a distinguished, readable, single-volume work has long been recognised. William Hague has now triumphantly filled this gap.’ Scotsman ‘Narrated with a finely attuned sense of the politically dramatic.’ Andrew Roberts, Evening Standard ‘A reliable and readable account of an unusual politician and a tragic life.’ Spectator ‘A fascinating account.’ Christopher Foyle, Mail on Sunday

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Book SynopsisAbove, a city thriving with life. Beneath, a city filled with the dead. London. A vast, labyrinthine, ever-moving place that shimmers as the jewel of Britain. But what about beneath it? What of it''s history? It''s mishaps? It''s dead? Catharine Arnold invites us on a gloriously macabre tour - across London''s many graveyards, cemeteries and burial plots in a quest to discover whether what has departed can teach us anything about what is to come. It''s an intriguing, occasionally dark, occasionally humorous journey that reaches right back to the Romans and concludes with the most recent display of mass public mourning: Princess Diana''s funeral. Utilising archaeology, anthropology, anecdote and history, Arnold explores the presence of death in people''s lives and the developments and changes in mourning and burial through two millennia. London''s greatest disasters, including the Great Fire and the Black Plague, are explored and analysed for their m

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Book SynopsisJohn Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. His descendant, Sir Winston Churchill, wrote this work as both an act of homage, and as an historical insight into the man behind the statesman.Trade Review"The greatest historical work written in our century, an inexhaustible mine of political wisdom and understanding, which should be required reading for every student of political science." - Leo Strauss, University of Chicago "Rarely in the history of historical writing have author and subject seemed so made for each other." - Henry Steele Commager

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Book Synopsis'Excellent' Financial Times'Stirring, impressively detailed' Time magazineThe Battle for the Falklands is a thoughtful and informed analysis of an astonishing chapter in modern British history from journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings and political editor Simon Jenkins.Ten weeks. 28,000 soldiers. 8,000 miles from home.The Falklands War in 1982 was one of the strangest in British history. At the time, many Britons saw it as a tragic absurdity - thousands of men sent overseas for a tiny relic of empire - but the British victory over the Argentinians not only confirmed the quality of British arms but also boosted the political fortunes of Thatcher's Conservative government. However, it left a chequered aftermath and was later overshadowed by the two Gulf wars.Max Hastings’ and Simon Jenkins’ account of the conflict is a modern classic of war reportage and the definitive book on the conflict.Trade ReviewSkilfully woven with Simon Jenkins' sharp political passages are Max Hastings' wonderful dispatches * Sunday Times *Excellent * Guardian *An excellent account of the war * Financial Times *Stirring, impressively detailed * Time Magazine *Authoritative and very readable * Newsweek *Will probably endure as the standard history of the campaign. * New York Times *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Maps Introduction - ii: Introduction Section - iii: Foreward Chapter - 1: Forgotten Islands Chapter - 2: The Seventeen Years' War Chapter - 3: Galtieri's Gamble Chapter - 4: The Admiral's Hour Chapter - 5: Task Force Chapter - 6: Haig's Doves Chapter - 7: Ascension to South Georgia Chapter - 8: Failure of a Mission Chapter - 9: A War at Sea Chapter - 10: Clearing the Decks Chapter - 11: Operation Sutton Chapter - 12: San Carlos Chapter - 13: Goose Green Chapter - 14: The Politics of the Land War Chapter - 15: Triumph on Kent, Tragedy at Fitzroy Chapter - 16: The Battle for the Mountains Chapter - 17: Aftermath Section - iv: Appendix A: Chronology of Military and Political Events Section - v: Appendix B: The Falkland Islands Task Force Section - vi: The Falkland Honours List Section - vii: Appendix D: The Franks Report Section - viii: Glossary Index - ix: Index

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive, authoritative and highly original portrait of one of history's most unjustly infamous characters.Trade ReviewThe result is a life of Machiavelli that must surely be definitive in its faithfulness to the man and his experience of his time . . . Lee presents a novel interpretation of his subject's thinking. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Detailed, accessible and authoritative . . . an utterly absorbing month-by-month, often day-by-day account of Machiavelli's life and career. -- John Guy * Literary Review *A fine new biography. -- Simon Heffer * Telegraph *A superb work of scholarship, securely grounded in the turbulent Italy of Machiavelli's day, and unflinchingly truthful . . . Lee retells the stories of plagues and brush-offs, of brothels, betrayals and massacres, in a brisk and compelling style. -- Ferdinand Mount * Prospect *[A] weighty and impressively detailed biography -- Michael Prodger * The Times *[T]he definitive book on Machiavelli -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *A wonderfully assured and utterly riveting biography that captures not only the much-maligned Machiavelli, but also the spirit of his time and place. A monumental achievement. -- Jessie Childs, author of God's TraitorsAlexander Lee’s Machiavelli: His Life and Times sets a wholly new standard for English-language biographies of the Florentine thinker, synthesising recent academic research and placing his subject in a vividly described context of Renaissance society and everyday life -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *His life and times are presented in their complex, contradictory fullness, as is Machiavelli himself . . . Lee is to be especially applauded for his even-handed treatment of a controversial historical figure. -- Joanne Paul * BBC History Magazine *From Lee's magisterial biography, rich in detail and light on speculation, the writer emerges as a flawed but markedly fascinating individual -- Nicholas Cranfield * Church Times *[A] fine new biography ... Lee tells his story with verve. -- Lauro Martines * Times Literary Supplement *Immensely readable . . . Machiavelli emerges from Lee’s account as one of the Italian Renaissance’s greatest figures. * Financial Times 'Books of the Summer' *Such is its hefty size that I set out to read Alexander Lee’s Machiavelli at a lick. However, it is so rich in granular detail – not just about the surprisingly hapless man himself, but about Florentine society and the wars that scudded across Renaissance Italy – that I was forced to take it slowly, and was rewarded handsomely. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman 'Books of the Year' *Lee’s exhaustive, balanced and immensely readable work, sets a wholly new standard for English-language biographies of Machiavelli. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times 'Books of the Year' *

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Book SynopsisEdmund Burke was the dominant political thinker of the last quarter of the eighteenth century in England. His reputation depends less on his role as a practising politician than on his ability to set contemporary problems within a wider context of political theory. Above all, he commented on change. He tried to teach lessons about how change should be managed, what limits should not be transgressed, and what should be reverently preserved. Burke''s generation was much in need of advice on these matters. The Industrial Revolution, the American Revolution, and catastrophically, the French Revolution presented challenges of terrible proportions. They could promise paradise or threaten anarchy. Burke was acutely aware of how high the stakes were. The Reflections on the Revolution in France was a dire warning of the consequences that would follow the mismanagement of change. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2023 What does it mean to have 'heritage', and how do we perform or undo it? In these daring and sonorous poems, Anaxagorou conducts a researched unpacking of two countries whose dividing lines of a colonial past are still visible and felt. Uniquely engaged with the complexities of Cyprus and the diasporic experience, these poems map both an island's public history alongside a person's private reckoning. They offer a ferocious and uncompromising look towards the damaging historical structures that have led to now. Fearless, intensely honest and hopeful, Heritage Aesthetics merges Anthony's gift for performance and his brilliant experimentation with form to create a vivid insistence to communicate a self in the world.Trade ReviewOne of the most politically engaged poets of our time... Uncompromisingly inventive, Heritage Aesthetics taps into the discordant music of our time and stops us in our tracks -- Kit Fan, author of Diamond HillAn education in empathy and its limitations, the liminality and porousness of nations, histories, races and memory... This is poetry bordering on pure imagination, one that makes its own conditions for living in the now -- Sandeep Parmar

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times Economics Book of the Year A brilliant narrative of early capitalism's most famous scandal, a speculative frenzy that nearly bankrupted the British state during the hot summer of 1720 – and paradoxically led to the birth of modern finance. The South Sea Company was formed to trade with Asian and Latin American countries. But it had almost no ships and did precious little trade. Instead it got into financial fraud on a massive scale, taking over the government's debt and promising to pay the state out of the money received from the shares it sold. And how they sold. In the summer of 1720 the share price rocketed and everyone was making money. Until the carousel stopped, and thousands lost their shirts. Isaac Newton, Alexander Pope and others lost heavily. Thomas Levenson's superb account of the South Sea Bubble is not just the story of a huge scam, but is also the story of the birth of modern financial capitalism: the idea that you can invest in future prosperity and that governments can borrow money to make things happen, like funding the rise of British naval and mercantile power. These dreamers and fraudsters may have bankrupted Britain, but they made the world rich. Praise for Money For Nothing: 'A scholar who makes complicated and subtle matters not just accessible but fun. Utterly relevant to the 2008 financial crisis and 2020 pandemic' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE 'Thoroughly researched and vibrantly written, Money For Nothing captures those heady, heartbreaking times, which still hold lessons for today' DAVID KAISER 'A gripping story of scientists and swindlers, all too pertinent to our modern world' JAMES GLEICK 'It's easy to look back and think of the South Sea bubblers, like the tulip-mad Dutch of the 1630s, as financially naive – until you remember how many people jumped in on various other more recent crazes (from Beanie Babies to Pets.com and Bitcoin). This is not a new tale, but Levenson tells it with a light touch' SPECTATORTrade ReviewSuperb, fascinating and totally timely, Money for Nothing is a gripping history of the South Sea Bubble by a scholar who makes complicated and subtle matters not just accessible but fun – the story of a world crisis with a flashy cast of grifters, scientists, politicians and charlatans that Levenson makes utterly relevant to the 2008 financial crisis and 2020 pandemic. Essential reading -- Simon Sebag MontefioreDoes a stockmarket crash and a plague sound somehow familiar? Leverson's new book is proof – very cleverly told – of how enlightening history can be. There is no excuse not to learn from the past -- Andrea WulfInspired by Isaac Newton's example, clever schemers sought to conquer the chaos of human affairs by abstracting financial value from tangible goods. Their calculations unleashed the notorious South Sea Bubble, which destroyed fortunes and roiled nations. Thoroughly researched and vibrantly written, Money for Nothing captures those heady, heartbreaking times, which still hold lessons for today -- David KaiserThomas Levenson is a brilliant synthesizer with a grand view of history. Here is the birth of modern finance amid catastrophe and fraud – a gripping story of scientists and swindlers, all too pertinent to our modern world -- James GleickA brilliant history of the South Sea Bubble, an astounding episode from the early days of financial markets that to this day continues to intrigue and perplex historians. Deeply researched and featuring a colorful cast of characters out of 18th century England – mathematical geniuses, unscrupulous financiers, greedy aristocrats, venal politicians – Money for Nothing is narrative history at its best, lively and fresh with new insights -- Liaquat AhamedThis erudite and entertaining history offers a fresh take on high finance * Publishers Weekly *An enthralling account of an economic revolution that emerged from a scandal * Kirkus Reviews *Levenson is very fluent in his descriptions... This is not a new tale, but Levenson tells it with a light touch' * Spectator *The book has helped me better understand a number of different institutions... If you want an embarkation point from which to understand the history of the City of London as a financial rather than simply mercantile or population centre then this book is a useful one, and one to whet your appetite' * London Historian's Blog. *A vivid account of the development of share trading in the coffee shops of Exchange Alley in the City, with fascinating asides such as Newton's extraordinarily modern management techniques when running the Royal Mint... A compelling read' * Financial Times. *Levenson is a talented writer * Money Week *A beautifully written account of the seminal bubble of capitalism * Financial Times *Levenson is a talented writer who does a good job explaining the complicated nature of the South Sea Company and how it paradoxically saved the British state from bankruptcy * Money Week *Levenson explored the murky tale in a wide ranging study of political intrigue, cultural attitudes and – his strength as a historian of science – the emergence of mathematical reasoning about the value of assets * BBC History Magazine *Levenson is very good on the deep history of the bubble... Building on recent scholarship and especially the work of his MIT colleague William Deringer, Levenson proposes instead that we see the era's scientific accomplishments and speculative bubbles as equal manifestations of a newly mathematical way of knowing and being' * TLS *

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Book SynopsisSelected as the Sunday Times History Book of the Year for 2012, this is a meticulous work of scholarship from the foremost historian of 20th-century Spain.The culmination of more than a decade of research, The Spanish Holocaust' seeks to reflect the intense horrors visited upon Spain during its ferocious civil war, the consequences of which still reverberate bitterly today.The brutal, murderous persecution of Spaniards between 1936 and 1945 is a truth that should have been told long ago. Paul Preston here offers the first comprehensive picture of what he terms the Spanish Holocaust: mass extra-judicial murder of some 200,000 victims, cursory military trials, torture, the systematic abuse of women and children, sweeping imprisonment, the horrors of exile. Those culpable for crimes committed on both sides of the Civil War are named; their victims identified.The Spanish Holocaust' illuminates one of the darkest, least-known eras of modern European history.Trade Review‘A book of extraordinary moral and emotional power, a classic of historical scholarship and a deeply affecting record of man’s inhumanity to man.’ Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'A harrowing and moving account of the immense terror and enormous atrocities, especially perpetrated by General Franco's followers, during and after the Spanish Civil War, meticulously researched and superbly written by an outstanding historian.' Ian Kershaw ‘Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand Spain and its recent history…. Preston’s excellent, spine-chilling narrative explains just how deep Franco’s early investment in terror was….this is an invaluable book that does not shrink from even the harshest of truths’ Guardian ‘Preston’s staggeringly detailed powerful and affecting chronicle of the savagery unleashed during the Spanish civil war….is a history of rare moral and emotional power, which alters forever our view of one of the most symbolic conflicts of the last century’ Sunday Times, History Book of the Year

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Book SynopsisBurke''s seminal work was written during the early months of the French Revolution, and it predicted with uncanny accuracy many of its worst excesses, including the Reign of Terror. A scathing attack on the revolution''s attitudes to existing institutions, property and religion, it makes a cogent case for upholding inherited rights and established customs, argues for piecemeal reform rather than revolutionary change - and deplores the influence Burke feared the revolution might have in Britain. Reflections on the Revolution in France is now widely regarded as a classic statement of conservative political thought, and is one of the eighteenth century''s great works of political rhetoric.Table of ContentsReflections on the Revolution in France AcknowledgmentsIntroductionBiographial NoteBurke's Prefatory NoteReflections on the Revolution in FranceNotesBibliographical Note

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Book SynopsisThe critically acclaimed biography of Lenin by one of the greatest Russian history experts and bestselling author of Trotsky, Stalin and Comrades.

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Book Synopsis''I hope my passion for Rome''s past has not impaired my judgement; for I do honestly believe that no country has ever been greater or purer than ours or richer in good citizens and noble deeds''Livy dedicated most of his life to writing some 142 volumes of history, the first five of which comprise The Early History of Rome. With stylistic brilliance, he chronicles nearly 400 years from the founding of Rome to the Gallic invasion in 386 BC, an era that witnessed the establishment of the Republic, unrest and brutal conflict. Bringing compelling characters to life, and re-presenting familiar tales - including the tragedy of Coriolanus and the story of Romulus and Remus - The Early History is a truly epic work, and a passionate warning that a nation should learn from its history. Translated by Aubrey DE Sélincourt with an Introduction by R. M. Ogilvie and a Preface by S. P. OakleyTable of ContentsTranslated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with a New Preface by Stephen OakleyPrefatory NoteIntroductionTHE EARLY HISTORY OF ROMEBook OneRome under the KingsBook TwoThe Beginnings of the RepublicBook ThreeThe Patricians at BayBook FourWar and PoliticsBook FiveThe Capture of RomeMaps: Latium; RomeAppendixIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Borgias have become a byword for pride, lust, cruelty, avarice, splendour and venomous intrigue. An inspiration for many works of fiction, most famously Mario Puzo's The Godfather, they have aroused abomination and fascination in almost equal measure, while their patronage of the arts created some of the great masterpieces of the Renaissance. From the powerful, merciless Rodrigo Borgia, better known as Pope Alexander VI, to the beautiful Lucrezia and the debauched and murderous Cesare, Mary Hollingsworth's account of the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the heights of Renaissance society forms a compelling tale of brutality, incest, unparalleled corruption and extortionate greed.Table of ContentsFlorins and Ducats. Introduction: The Borgias - a family and its reputation. Alonso de Borja - From royal secretary to servant of Rome, 1414-55. Calixtus III - The first Borgia pope, 1455-58. The Borgia nephews - Cardinals and captain-generals, 1458-71. Rodrigo Borgia - New titles, new relationships, new wealth, 1471-84. Rodrigo Borgia - From eminence to pre-eminence, 1484-92. Alexander VI - The second Borgia pope and his family, 1493-97. Alexander VI, Cesare and Lucrezia - A pope, a warrior and a widow, 1498-1500. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia - Conquests in battle and in love, 1501-03. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia - The duke and duchess, 1503-19. The Borgia descendants - Dukes, cardinals and saints, 1520 and after. Bibliography and Sources. Endnotes. Picture credits. Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1945 Eric Brown led the team from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough which scoured the British Zone of Occupation in post war Germany for captured Luftwaffe aircraft and aeronautical installations. They uncovered an Aladdin''s cave of aviation riches and amazed by the advanced level of technology and production they found, brought back over a hundred aircraft for detailed testing and analysis. Of particular interest were the high-speed wind tunnels, which had allowed the Germans to develop such ground-breaking aircraft as the rocket powered Me 163B and the first production jetfighter, the Me 262. The information gathered by this small group of aviators and scientists has influenced aircraft design to this day.Wings of the Luftwaffe is a unique and definitive appraisal of the background and characteristics of all the major German aircraft of World War II, written by probably Britain''s most outstanding test pilot and the only pilot to have flown them all. Covering 11 manufacturers and 33 types, this new edition with over 250 photographs, colour profiles, cockpit layouts and sectional drawings provides an in-depth assessment of the contribution made to the annals of military aviation in the late 1930s and early 1940s by the innovative German aircraft industry.

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Book SynopsisExamines in detail how General Francisco Franco became dictator and how his leadership led to victory in the Spanish Civil War that consolidated his regime. The authors also explore Franco's role in the great repression that accompanied the Civil War and examine at length his controversial role in World War II.Trade ReviewAn intimate portrait of Franco the man, provoking a lively and necessary debate about the nature of the dictator's regime.""- Julius Ruiz, author of Franco's Justice""This compelling biography of Francisco Franco situates the Caudillo in his Spanish and global context. It covers every aspect of Franco's life- from birth to death, from the political to the personal- displaying a judicious and critical understanding of this very controversial figure.""- Michael Seidman, author of The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War""During and after his life, Francisco Franco garnered more than fifty studies of his life, but Franco: A Personal and Political Biography is quite simply one of the best. At last we are presented with a genuinely objective, balanced, above all dispassionate biography, written by two vastly experienced and distinguished scholars. The book's cool and measured conclusions- always lucidly presented- reflect almost uncannily the meticulously pragmatic approach of the subject himself to the numberless military and political issues his career confronted. From being a twentieth-century pariah of world politics, Franco has now come into his own in terms of serious academic attention.""- Robert Stradling, author of Your Children Will Be Next: Bombing and Propaganda in the Spanish Civil War""Francisco Franco is the only major twentieth-century dictator to die peacefully in his bed- after almost four decades in power. His regime was brutal, despicable, and in many respects ineffectual, yet it did not join the Axis powers in World War II and was a transitional type between traditional military dictatorships and more recent totalitarian regimes. This book, impeccably based on the available sources and displaying sober judgment, could well be the definitive work on the subject.""- Walter Laqueur, author of Fascism: Past, Present, Future""A very thorough and readable biography that masterfully combines research on Franco's life and regime with new and unique sources including Franco's private papers and interviews with Franco's only daughter. It will appeal to a broad readership including anyone interested in the history of twentieth-century Spain, the Spanish civil war, and the Franco regime.""- Joan Maria Thomàs, University Rovira-Virgili, SpainTable of Contents List of Illustrations Preface 1 The Making of a Spanish Officer (1892–1913) 2 The Youngest General in Europe (1913–1926) 3 Director of the General Military Academy (1926–1931) 4 From Ostracism to Chief of Staff (1931–1936) 5 The Destruction of Republican Democracy (1936) 6 Franco Becomes Generalissimo (1936) 7 Forging a Dictatorship (1936–1939) 8 Winning the Civil War (1936–1939) 9 Franco and the Nationalist Repression (1936–1945) 10 From Civil War to World War (1939–1940) 11 The Great Temptation (1940–1941) 12 Surviving World War II (1941–1945) 13 Franco at Bay (1945–1953) 14 Franco at His Zenith (1953–1959) 15 Franco at Home 16 Development Dictator (1959–1964) 17 Facing the Future (1964–1969) 18 Franco and the Modernization of Spain 19 Twilight Years (1969–1974) 20 The Death of Franco (1974–1975) Conclusion: Franco in the Perspective of History Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The freshness and honesty of Mission France make it an ideal book for taking a new look at the secret war, at a time when knowledge of these brave women’s exploits is fading from living memory.”—Vin Arthey, The Scotsman“A well-researched chronicle that intertwines each woman’s journey from ordinary daughters and wives to pioneering figures of the conflict who were adept in everything from parachuting to wireless operation.”—France Magazine“Despite the deserved praise for Special Operations Executive members Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan, many of its other agents are forgotten. Kate Vigurs here attempts to redress the balance, looking at the widely varying experiences of all 39 women who undertook such daring missions.”—Military History“Gripping. . . . Based on new archival research and interviews, these are three-dimensional tales of failure and betrayal, as well as heroism and bravery.”—History Revealed, “Book of the Month”“A fascinating account. . . . It’s a tale of triumph and tragedy, of romance but also ruin: 14 of F Section’s heroines died in hideous circumstances. . . . Mission France stands as a fitting epitaph to their courage and humanity.”—Giles Milton, BBC History MagazineShortlisted for the 2021 Society for Army Historical Research Best First Book Prize“Apart from a few names, those of all the women who became SOE agents in France are largely unknown. But, in her compelling new book, Kate Vigurs has brought together the stories of all the women’s triumphs and tragedies. Stories that should not be missed.”—Susan Ottaway, author of Violette Szabo: The Life That I Have“Thirty-nine ordinary women reacting to extraordinary circumstances. . . . Eschewing the glamorous image so often foisted on to the women of the SOE, Vigurs offers a cooler, more perceptive insight into varieties of courage.”—Siân Rees, author of Lucie Aubrac: The French Resistance Heroine Who Defied the Gestapo“Mission France is an important addition to the story of the female agents of SOE’s F Section. It handles the history of these women by means of compassionate analysis and successfully avoids the hagiographical approach so favoured by other writers.”—Mark Seaman, author of Undercover Agent: How One of SOE’s Youngest Agents Helped Defeat the Nazis“A riveting and brilliantly researched account of 39 women agents of SOE. Vigurs takes us on a journey of intrigue, betrayal, escape and sometimes tragedy. A must-read for all fans of the secret war, it is the definitive account of the secret underworld of occupation.”—Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence

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Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning author of The Dictators, Richard Overy's The Battle of Britain: Myth and Reality is the best introduction available to a defining moment in British history. The extraordinary struggle between British and German air forces in 1940 was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War. How close did Britain really come to invasion during this time? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? And what was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war? 'It is harder to imagine a sounder and more succinct account of the Battle of Britain' Max Hastings, Evening Standard 'No individual British victory after Trafalgar was more decisive in challenging the course of a major war than the Battle of Britain ... the best historical analysis in readable form which has yet appeared on this prime subject' Noble Frankland, The Times Literary Supplement 'The Battle of Britain is hard to beat' Saul David, Sunday Telegraph 'Exemplary ... a compelling account' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'Succeeds brilliantly ... along the way a lot of myths bite the dust' Time 'A captivating and brilliant analysis of the fragile circumstances of Britain's victory' Observer Richard Overy has spent much of his distinguished career studying the intellectual, social and military ideas that shaped the cataclysm of the Second World War, particularly in his books 1939 - Countdown to War, Why the Allies Won, Russia's War and The Morbid Age. Overy's The Dictators: Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia won the Wolfson Prize for History and the Hessell Tiltman Prize.Trade ReviewAs an objective reassessment of this most critical of struggles, cogently argued and concisely written, The Battle of Britain is hard to beat -- Saul David * Sunday Telegraph *A captivating and readable analysis of the fragile circumstances of Britain's victory * Observer *Succeeds brilliantly ... puts the battle in context, and along the way a lot of myths bite the dust -- Robin Knight * Time *Brilliant * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisOutwardly Nella's life was probably seen as ordinary; but behind this mask were a lively mind and a persistent pen - a pen that never gave up over almost three decades, reporting, describing, pondering, and disclosing. Nella, 55 when the war ends, writes of what ordinary people felt during those years of privation, hope and the re-building of Britain, providing a moving and inspiring account of the years that shaped the society we live in today. Her diary offers a detailed, moving and humorous narrative of the changing experiences of ordinary people at this time, and thoughts on the aftermath of war and whether 'peace' really meant peace, for everyone.Trade ReviewA vivid, intimate account of life in austerity Britain. Superb. -- David Kynaston, author of Austerity BritainA touching and startlingly frank portrait of adapting to life in post-war Britain. Truly fascinating. I enjoyed it as much as Nella Last's War. * Gilda O'Neill *Nella Last's Peace is extraordinary - tender, intimate, striking, heartbreaking and witty - it grants us the lovely and dignified privilege of knowing a stranger's heart. * A. L. Kennedy *Compassionate, gossipy, observant - Nella Last's long-awaited Peace Diaries deserve to be read not only for their intimate insight into the dislocated post-war world, but also for their continued portrayal of Nella herself. She is brave, lovable and a born writer. * Virginia Nicholson *Nothing could have been more 'ordinary' than the life of Nella Last, a middle-aged woman living in the north-west of England in the Attlee years, ground-down by ration books, post-war exhaustion and an uncertain future, and yet her eye for detail and penetrating interest in the people around her make her diary a social document of extraordinary interest and value. -- D. J. Taylor * Advance quote *Nella's eye for detail and penetrating interest in the people around her make her diary a social document of extraordinary interest and value. * D J Taylor *The diary has a certain universal quality that transcends the particular time and circumstances. My gut feeling is that Nella will come to be seen as one of the major twentieth-century English diarists. -- David Kynaston * Woman's Hour *It's not necessary to read Last's first volume to become immediately absorbed by her honest and heartfelt story. -- Nora Krug * The Washington Post *Nella Last may be the most prolific writer you've never heard of. It's not necessary to read Last's first volume to become immediately absorbed by her honest and heartfelt story. -- Nora Krug * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed account of the English people, now updated with two new chapters'Masterful, an enormously readable narrative of the English people from the Anglo-Saxons to the present' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times, Books of the YearIn The English and their History, the first full-length account to appear in one volume for many decades, Robert Tombs gives us the history of the English people, and of how the stories they have told about themselves have shaped them, from the prehistoric 'dreamtime' through to the present day.'As ambitious as it is successful . . . Packed with telling detail and told with gentle, sardonic wit, a vast and delightful book' Ben MacIntyre, The Times, Books of the Year'A stupendous achievement ... a story of a people we can't fail to recognize: stoical, brave, drunken, bloody-minded, violent, undeferential, yet paradoxically law-abiding ... I found myself gripped' Daniel Hannan, Spectator'Original and enormously readable, this brilliant, hugely engaging work has a sly wit and insouciance that are of themselves rather English' Sinclair MacKay, Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe Neolithic village known as Skara Brae was continuously occupied for about 300 to 400 years, before being abandoned around 2500 BC. Despite severe coastal erosion, eight houses and a workshop have survived largely intact, with their stone furniture still in place. This is the best-preserved settlement of its period in northern Europe, and thousands of artefacts were discovered during excavations of the site. Who lived here? How did they live? And why did they ultimately abandon the village? In this lively account, Dr David Clarke, who led major excavations at Orkney's Skara Brae, describes the details of the site and explores some of the enigmas posed by this extraordinary survival.

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Book SynopsisAmazing and Extraordinary Facts: Wales takes you on an absorbing journey around Wales to unearth the adventures, inventions, legends, firsts and birthplaces that have shaped the unique history of Wales. From the ancient mines of the Great Orme to the Severn crossing, the tsunami of the 1600s to the Turlough Lake, from bog snorkelling to Tom Jones' phone box, this intriguing compendium of facts and stories will give you a captivating insight into the Land of Song and the ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of this remarkable country. Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.Table of Contents Introduction 08 Archaeology 10 A Cast of Mistaken Identity 10 Pontnewydd Cave 11 Cantre'r Gwaelod 12 A Monumental Neolithic Building Project 14 Architecture 18 The Castle Capital of Europe 18 The Severn Crossing 23 'High'ways 26 The Big Apple 28 Culture and Customs 33 Saint David 33 Welsh Lovespoons 36 The Red Dragon 39 Mari Lwyd 41 National Costume 43 Nicknames 45 Cawl, Welshcakes and Bara Brith 47 Laugharne 50 Wonderland 52 National Parks 52 S.O.S. Save Our Sands 54 Island Life 57 The Great Deluge 62 Going Underground 64 Movers and Shakers 66 The Legend of Madoc 66 The Flying Welshman 68 CQD 70 The Stepney Spare Wheel 74 Robert Recorde 76 Art, Literature and Language 78 Land of Song 78 Cofiwch Drywerin 80 The Mabinogion 82 The Treachery of the Blue Books 84 Art Underground 86 Famous Last Words 88 Salem 90 National Eisteddfod of Wales 92 Hall of Fame 95 Gwyr-Y-Bwelli-Bach 95 Gelert 98 The Life of Brian 100 Hywel Dda 102 Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan 104 Tom Jones' Telephone Box 106 Hub of Industry 112 The Great Orme 112 Roman Occupation 114 Black Gold 116 Little Hell 118 The Penydarren Loco 120 Rebecca and Her Daughters 122 Women's Role in a Dangerous Industry 125 Fun and Games 128 Cnapan, Bando, and Pêl-Law 128 Weird Sports 130 Llanelli 9 - New Zealand 3 131 The Great Orme Tramway 134 Arthur Linton 135 Index 138

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Book SynopsisBetween 58 and 50BC Caesar conquered most of the area now covered by France, Belgium and Switzerland, and twice invaded Britain. This is the record of his campaigns.Caesar''s narrative offers insights into his military strategy & paints a fascinating picture of his encounters with the inhabitant of Gaul and Britain, as well as offering lively portraits of a number of key characters such as the rebel leaders and Gallic chieftains. This can also be read as a piece of political propaganda, as Caesar sets down his version of events for the Roman public, knowing that he faces civil war on his return to Rome.Table of ContentsThe Conquest of GaulIntroduction1. Roman politics in the late Republic2. Gaul and its inhabitants3. The course of the war4. Caesar the man5. Caesar as author6. Preface to second editionSuggestions for Further ReadingCaesar the Conquest of GaulBook I: The Expulsion of Intruders1. Repulse of the Helvetii (58 B.C.)2. Expulsion of Ariovistus from Gaul (58 B.C)Book II: The Conquest of the Belgic Tribes1. Collapse of the Belgic coalition (57 B.C.)2. Piecemeal conquest of the Belgic tirbes (57 B.C.)Book III: The First Rebellion1. Unsuccessful campaign in the Alps (57 B.C.)2. The fight on the Atlantic coast (56 B.C.)3. Victorious campaign in Aquitania (56 B.C.)4. Indecisive campaign against the Morini (56 B.C.)Book IV: Invasions of Germany and Britain1. Massacre of the Usipetes and Tenctheri (55 B.C.)2. The first crossing of the Rhine (55 B.C.)3. The first invasion of Britain (55 B.C.)Book V: The Second Rebellion1. The second invasion of Britain (54 B.C.)2. Destruction of Sabinus' army by the Eburones (54 B.C.)3. Attack by the Nervii on Cicero's winter camp (54 B.C.)4. Widespread revolts in northern and central Gaul (54-53 B.C.)Book VI: Operations Near the Rhine1. The Treveri routed (53 B.C.)2. The second crossing of the Rhine (53 B.C.)3. Customs and institutions of the Gauls4. Customs and institutions of the Germans5. Devastation of the country of the Eburones (53 B.C.)Book VII: The Rebellion of Vercingetorix1. The opening stage (52 B.C.)2. Siege and capture of Avaricum (52 B.C.)3. Roman reverse at Gergovia (52 B.C.)4. Vercingetorix's defeat in open warfare (52 B.C.)5. Siege and capture of Alesia (52 B.C.)Book VIII: The Final Rebellion1. Hirtius' preface2. Revolts of the Bituriges, Carnutes and Bellovaci (52-51 B.C.)3. The last encounters; capture of Uxellodunum (51 B.C.)4. Civil war impendsNotesAppendicesI. The TextII. The Roman ArmyIII. Chronological Outline of the Career of CaesarGlossary of Persons and PlacesIndex to MapsMaps:1. Northern Gaul2. Southern Gaul3. Principal tribes of South-east Britain4. The siege of Alesia

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Book SynopsisThe Greek statesman Polybius (c.200118 BC) wrote his account of the relentless growth of the Roman Empire in order to help his fellow countrymen understand how their world came to be dominated by Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he vividly records the critical stages of Roman expansion: its campaigns throughout the Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal and the final destruction of Carthage. An active participant of the politics of his time as well as a friend of many prominent Roman citizens, Polybius drew on many eyewitness accounts in writing this cornerstone work of history.Table of ContentsThe Rise of the Roman EmpireList of MapsIntroductionTranslator's NoteBook I: Introduction; The First Punic WarBook II: Affairs in Spain; The Romans in Illyria; Affairs in Spain; Rome and the Gauls; Affiars in Spain; Events in Greece: the Achaean LeagueBook III: Introduction; The Second Punic War; The Second Illyrian War; The Second Punic War; The Second Illyrian War; The Second Punic WarBook IV: Affairs in Greece; Civil War in Cynaetha; Byzantium and the Black SeaBook V: Affairs in Egypt: The Death of Cleomenes; Affairs in Greece: Philip and the GreeksBook VI: From the Preface; On the Forms of States; On the Roman Constitution at Its Prime; The Roman Military System; The Roman Republic Compared with Others; ConclusionBook VII: Affairs in Sicily; Affairs in Greece: The Treaty between Hannibal and Philip of Macedon, The Character of PhilipBook VIII: Affairs in Sicily: The Siege of Syracuse; Affairs in Greece: Philip of Macedon; Macedon; Affairs in Italy: The Siege of TarentumBook IX: Introduction; Affairs in Italy: The Seige of Capua; On Generalship; The Character of HannibalBook X: The Character of Scipio; Affairs in Spain: The Capture of New Carthage, Scipio and the SpaniardsBook XI: Affairs in Italy: The Battle of the Metaurus; The Character of HannibalBook XII: Criticisms of Timaeus and His Approach to History: Errors on the Fauna of Africa and Corsica, Errors Concerning Sicily, Intentional and Unintentional Falsehoods, Timaeus on Callisthenes, Demoshares of Athens, Agathocles of Sicily, Timaeus' Criticisms of Other Writers, Timaeus on the Bull of Phalaris, Timaeus' Methods in Composing Speeches, Comparison of History and Medicine, Timaeus' Lack of Political and Military Experience and Unwillingness to Travel, The Causes of Timaeus' Faults and Qualities of the Good HistorianBook XIV: Affairs in Africa: Scipio's CampaignsBook XV: Affairs in Africa: The Final Campaign; The End of the Second Punic War; Affaris in Macedonia, Syria and Egypt; Affairs in Egypt: A Palace RevolutionBook XVIII: Affairs in Greece: Flamininus and Philip; On Treachery; On the Phalanx; Affairs in Greece" Flamininus and the Peace SettlementBook XXIV: Affairs in Greece: Philopoemen and AristaenusBook XXXI: Affairs in Rome and Syria: The Escape of Demetrius; Affairs in Italy: Aemilius Paullus, Scipio and PolybiusBook XXXVI: Affairs in Rome and Carthage: The Third Punic War; On Fate and ChanceBook XXXIX: From the EpilogueMapsChronological TableIndex

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Book SynopsisFor those living outside Scandinavia, the Viking Age effectively began in 793 with an attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, a characteristically violent harbinger of what was in store for Britain and much of Europe from the Vikings for the next 300 years, until the final destruction of the heathen temple to the Norse gods at Uppsala around 1090. Robert Ferguson is a sure guide across what he calls ''the treacherous marches which divide legend from fact in Viking Age history''. His long familiarity with the literary culture of Scandinavia - the eddas, the poetry of the skalds and the sagas - is combined with the latest archaeological discoveries and the evidence of picture-stones, runes, ships and objects scattered all over northern Europe, to make the most convincing modern portrait of the Viking Age in any language. The Hammer and the Cross ranges from Scandinavia itself to Kievan Rus and Byzantium in the east, to Iceland, Greenland and the north American settlemenTrade ReviewFerguson adds another layer to our perception of our origins in this compelling and often poignant account of a pagan warrior society faced with Christianity on the march * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThe second volume in Tim Robinson''s phenomenal Connemara Trilogy - which Robert Macfarlane has called ''One of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English''. The first volume of Tim Robinson''s Connemara trilogy, Listening to the Wind, covered Robinson''s home territory of Roundstone and environs. The Last Pool of Darkness moves into wilder territory: the fjords, cliffs, hills and islands of north-west Connemara, a place that Wittgenstein, who lived on his own in a cottage there for a time, called ''the last pool of darkness in Europe''. Again combining his polymathic knowledge of Connemara''s natural history, human history, folklore and topography with his own unsurpassable artistry as a writer, Tim Robinson has produced another classic.A native of Yorkshire, Tim Robinson moved to the Aran Islands in 1972. His books include the celebrated two-volume Stones of Aran. Since 1984 he has lived in Roundstone, Connemara.''The Proust & Ruskin of modern place-writing, deep-mapper of Irish landscapes, visionary thinker, and human of exceptional intellectual generosity & kindness. He was an immense inspiration to & encourager of me & my work'' Robert Macfarlane''A masterpiece of travel and topographical writing and a miraculous, vivid and engrossing meditation on landscape and history and the sacred mood of places'' Colm Tóibín, Irish Times''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 Trade ReviewAn astonishing and almost infinitely provocative work ... it is a rare pleasure to be among those engaged in the salvage of so rich a treasure -- John Burnside * Irish Times *One of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English -- Robert Macfarlane * Spectator *A masterpiece of travel and topographical writing and a miraculous, vivid and engrossing meditation on landscape and history and the sacred mood of places -- Colm Tóibín * Irish Times Books of the Year *Reading Tim Robinson on Connemara is almost as good as being there - better in some ways * Irish Examiner *An imperishable monument to the West * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisPaul Kennedy is among the world's best-selling and most influential historians. Raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he took his doctorate in Oxford and began work shortly afterwards for the first great historian of WW2, Sir Basil Liddell Hart. He now teaches at Yale, and is the author or editor of nineteen books, including The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (translated into over twenty languages), and Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned the Tide in the Second World War.Trade ReviewConsistently original ... An important contribution to our understanding -- Michael Beschloss * The New York Times Book Review *His refreshing study ... asks the right questions, disposes of clichés and gives a rich account of neglected topics -- David Edgerton * Financial Times *Colourfully and convincingly illustrates the ingenuity and persistence of a few people who made all the difference * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BARBARA JELAVICH BOOK PRIZE''Sean McMeekin has written a classic of First World War history ... This superb and original book is the reality behind Greenmantle'' Norman StoneThe Berlin-Baghdad Express explores one of the big, previously unresearched subjects of the First World War: the German bid for world power - and the destruction of the British Empire - through the harnessing of the Ottoman Empire. McMeekin''s book shows how incredibly high the stakes were in the Middle East - with the Germans in the tantalizing position of taking over the core of the British Empire via the extraordinary railway that would link Central Europe and the Persian Gulf. Germany sought the Ottoman Empire as an ally to create jihad against the British - whose Empire at the time was the largest Islamic power in the world.The Berlin-Baghdad Express is a fascinating account of western interference in the Middle East and its lamentablTrade ReviewIn this excellent, well-researched and fascinating book, Sean McMeekin has given us a welcome and stimulating perspective on a highly important but neglected part of the First World War. His account of the Turco-German war effort is a tale of high adventure, ambition and political chicanery with a cast of colourful, brave and sometimes ruthless characters. -- Lawrence James * Literary Review *An exciting new book by a talented young historian -- Niall Ferguson * Observer *McMeekin adds a wealth of documentation...[t]he result is a captivating new history of the Eastern Front in the first world war -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written an engaging history peopled with larger-than-life characters in exotic settings -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written a powerful, overdue book that for many will open up a whole new side to the first world war. -- George Walden * Observer *In addition to bringing to life a fascinating episode in early 20th-century history, The Berlin-Baghdad Express contains several timely lessons and cautionary tales. * Wall Street Journal *Sean McMeekin's account possesses the large merit that it tells a story little known to Western readers, drawing extensively upon German sources. It depicts a splendid cast of characters heroic in their endeavors if absurd in their lack of accomplishments. -- Max Hastings * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe triumphant conclusion to Tim Robinson''s extraordinary Connemara trilogy, which Robert Macfarlane has called ''one of the most remarkable non-fiction projects undertaken in English''. Robinson writes about the people, places and history of south Connemara - one of Ireland''s last Gaelic-speaking enclaves - with the encyclopaedic knowledge of a cartographer and the grace of a born writer. From the man who has been praised in the highest terms by Joseph O''Connor (''One of contemporary Ireland''s finest literary stylists''''), John Burnside (''one of the finest of contemporary prose stylists''), Fintan O''Toole (''Simply one of the best non-fiction prose writers currently at work'') and Giles Foden (''an indubitable classic''), among many others, this is one of the publishing events of 2011 and the conclusion of one of the great literary projects of our time.''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''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, Guardian''The Proust & Ruskin of modern place-writing, deep-mapper of Irish landscapes, visionary thinker, and human of exceptional intellectual generosity & kindness. He was an immense inspiration to & encourager of me & my work'' Robert Macfarlane''A masterpiece of travel and topographical writing, and an incomparable and enthralling meditation on times past ... This perfectly pitched work opens readers up to the world around them'' Sunday Times ''Will endure into the far future ... He knows this world as no one else does, and writes about it with awe and love, but also with measured grace, an artist''s eye and a scientist''s sensibility'' Colm Toibin, Sunday Business Post Books of the Year ''Anyone willing to get lost in this book will be left with indelible mental images of places they may never have visited but will now never forget'' Dermot Bolger, Irish Mail on SundayTrade ReviewA masterpiece of travel and topographical writing, and an incomparable and enthralling meditation on times past ... This perfectly pitched work opens readers up to the world around them * Sunday Times *Robinson is a marvel ... the supreme practitioner of geo-graphy, the writing of places -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer (Books of the Year) *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 * Guardian *Remarkable * The Times *He is the nearest thing we have to a living legend, this side of Famous Seamus - one of the few people from our world whose name will still be known a century on * Irish Times *Tim Robinson is the Proust of the western seaboard, a Ruskin of the isles * New Statesman *Will endure into the far future ... He knows this world as no one else does, and writes about it with awe and love, but also with measured grace, an artist's eye and a scientist's sensibility -- Colm Tóibín * Sunday Business Post (Books of the Year) *An extraordinary monument * Irish Independent *Anyone willing to get lost in this book will be left with many indelible mental images of places they may never have visited but will now never forget -- Dermot Bolger * Irish Mail on Sunday *Captivating * Independent *Breathtaking ... the West of Ireland has found its ultimate laureate -- Patricia Craig * TLS *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL AND THE GILDER LEHRMAN PRIZE FOR MILITARY HISTORY 2022''A terrific read ... McMeekin is a superb writer'' David Aaronovitch, The Times ''Gripping, authoritative, accessible and always bracingly revisionist'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Impressive ... A new look at the conflict, which poses new questions and provides new and often unexpected answers to the old ones'' Serhii Plokhy, The Guardian In this remarkable, ground-breaking new book Sean McMeekin marks a generational shift in our view of Stalin as an ally in the Second World War. Stalin''s only difference from Hitler, he argues, was that he was a successful murderous predator. With Hitler dead and the Third Reich in ruins, Stalin created an immense new Communist empire. Among his holdings were Czechoslovakia and Poland, the fates of which had first set the West against the Nazis and, of course, China and North Korea, the ramifications of which we still live with today. Until Barbarossa wrought a public relations miracle, turning him into a plucky ally of the West, Stalin had murdered millions, subverted every norm of international behaviour, invaded as many countries as Hitler had, and taken great swathes of territory he would continue to keep. In the larger sense the global conflict grew out of not only German and Japanese aggression but Stalin''s manoeuvrings, orchestrated to provoke wars of attrition between the capitalist powers in Europe and in Asia. Throughout the war Stalin chose to do only what would benefit his own regime, not even aiding in the effort against Japan until the conflict''s last weeks. Above all, Stalin''s War uncovers the shocking details of how the US government (to the detriment of itself and its other allies) fuelled Stalin''s war machine, blindly agreeing to every Soviet demand, right down to agents supplying details of the atomic bomb.Trade ReviewA terrific read ... McMeekin is a superb writer. There isn't a boring page in the book. His breadth of approach, taking in events from Manchuria to Greece, as well as the main fronts, is refreshing ... When he is angry McMeekin can be magnificent. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Gripping, authoritative, accessible and always bracingly revisionist. -- Simon Sebag MontefioreMcMeekin's approach in Stalin's War is both original and refreshing and the book is written with a wonderful clarity. -- Antony BeevorImpressive, well researched and very well written ... McMeekin invites the reader to look at the history of the war from a vantage point rarely taken and appreciate the many tragedies and sad ironies of the grand alliance as it took shape and functioned during the war ... A new look at the conflict, which poses new questions and provides new and often unexpected answers to the old ones. -- Serhii Plokhy * The Guardian *An accomplished, fearless and enthusiastic "Myth-buster", McMeekin hunts out the mistaken explanations of the past ... The story of the war itself is well told and impressive in its scope, ranging as it does from the domestic politics of small states such as Yugoslavia and Finland to the global context ... McMeekin is right that we have for too long cast the second world war as the good one. His book will make us re-evaluate the war and its consequences. -- Margaret MacMillan * Financial Times *A sweeping reassessment of World War II seeking to "illuminate critical matters long obscured by the obsessively German-centric literature" on the subject ... Yet another winner for McMeekin ... Brilliantly contrarian history. * Kirkus *McMeekin draws from recently opened Soviet archives to shed light on Stalin's dark reasoning and shady tactics ... Packed with incisive character sketches and illuminating analyses of military and diplomatic maneuvers, this is a skillful and persuasive reframing of the causes, developments, and repercussions of WWII. * Publishers Weekly *Brilliantly inquisitive ... This book makes the case that Adolf Hitler was within a whisker of winning the Second World War and failed to do so only because President Roosevelt came to the rescue of Joseph Stalin, Hitler's nemesis. -- David Pryce-Jones * National Review *This book is a mammoth achievement in every sense. -- Michael Brendan Dougherty, author of My Father Left Me IrelandSean McMeekin's new book fills a massive gap in the historiography of World War II. Based on exhaustive researches in Russian and other archives, his examination of Stalin's foreign policy explores fresh avenues and explodes many myths, perhaps most significant being that of unwittingly exaggerated emphasis on 'Hitler's war'. He shows conclusively that the two tyrants were equally responsible, both for the outbreak of war and the appalling slaughter which ensued. -- Nikolai TolstoyStalin's War is above all about strategy: the failure of Roosevelt and Churchill to make shrewd choices as World War II played out. McMeekin brilliantly argues that instead of weighting the European and Pacific theatres to favour their own interests - and weaken the inevitably antagonistic Soviet Union - FDR and Churchill left the most critical parts of Asia unguarded while they ground down the German army, a decision that favoured Stalin's interests far more than their own. -- Geoffrey Wawro

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Book SynopsisA landmark illustrated history of rural church monuments - the forgotten national treasures of England and WalesDeep in the countryside, away from metropolitan abbeys and cathedrals, thousands of funerary monuments are hidden in parish churches. These artworks - medieval brasses and elegant marble effigies, stone tomb chests and grand mausoleums - are of great historical and cultural significance, but have, due to their relative inaccessibility, faded from accounts of our art history.Over twenty-five years, C. B. Newham FSA has visited and photographed more than eight thousand rural churches, cataloguing the monumental sculptures encountered on his quest. In Country Church Monuments, he presents 365 of the very best, each accompanied by detailed photographs, biographies of both the deceased and their sculptors and a wealth of contextual material. Many of these works commemorate famous historical figures, from scheming Tudor courtier Richard Rich to VictTrade ReviewA magnificent book - a tremendous achievement, a thing of beauty and a volume that should have a place on every church lover's shelves -- Nigel Andrew * Literary Review *Astonishing and beautifully photographed... The 365 examples chosen for full-page illustration and commentary here are the clotted cream of the milk of human mortality. Newham has visited 9,000 country churches in the past few years for his stupendous project of photographing every rural church in England. His travels with a camera make Cobbett's Rural Rides seem like a bank-holiday jaunt... Newham's pictures are a revelation -- Christopher Howse * Telegraph *This is a true labour of love and one of the most wonderful books I have ever seen -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *A tour de force... Erudite... Church monuments may at first appear niche, but the subject matter deserves an audience beyond church crawlers or taphophiles. Funeral art provides a powerful insight into the culture and beliefs that they sprang from... Country Church Monuments is a treasure trove of sites just waiting to be discovered. -- Emma J Wells * The Times *Brilliant -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *A life-affirming survey -- Rose Washbourn * House and Garden *An excellent book... Its outstanding quality, however, is its photographs. Only someone who has craned theirneck in semi-darkness to discern the contours of an effigy lying at eye level can appreciate, even if they cannot explain, the expertise of Cameron Newham's technique. In many cases perfect images are provided of recumbent figures taken from directly overhead, often defying the actual space above them.... A wonderful selection, warmly recommended -- Timothy Connor * The Tablet *The wonderful result of 25 years of meticulously chronicling over 8,000 rural English and Welsh churches - and the effigies, marbles, monuments and brasses inside them. Newham has picked out 365 of the best monuments he has found - a feast of the celebrated and the obscure and an enthralling map of our aesthetic and social history -- Lucy Lethbridge * The Oldie *What fortunate isles are these, to boast thousands of local sculpture galleries scattered through towns and villages, nearly all accessible for free: churches that host funeral monuments and memorials spanning more than a millennium. Newham's book is an incomparable means of sampling the very best across England and Wales - a personalised visit for every day of the year, in superb photography and informed commentary * Diarmaid MacCulloch *This beautifully produced gazetteer invites us to look inside our extraordinary wealth of parish churches and see afresh the impressive, the touching, the beautiful and the downright sinister in their monuments, from the fourteenth-century obsession with mortality and the cadaver or the flourishes of baroque new men to the vainglorious fanfares or sentimental doggerel of the nineteenth century. Knights lying with their faithful dogs or wives, busts coolly neoclassical or lavishly periwigged are all accommodated in miniature showhouses in the architectural style of their period. A happy bedfellow for Nicholas Pevsner -- Matthew RiceAn enthralling testament to our ceaseless human striving for eternity -- Editor's Choice * Bookseller *Antiquarian CB Newham's book might seem more melancholy than merry. But it is a life-affirming survey of Britons through the ages * House and Garden *

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Book Synopsis''This vital history shatters many myths about the Nazi genocide . . . . surprising . . . provocative . . . fizzes with ideas. Even if you think you know the subject, you''ll probably find something here to make you think'' Sunday Times''Erudite...remarkable'' The Observer''Outstanding'' The TelegraphAn authoritative, revelatory new history of the Holocaust, from one of the leading scholars of his generationThe Holocaust is much-discussed, much-memorialized and much-portrayed. But there are major aspects of its history that have been overlooked.Spanning the entirety of the Holocaust and across the world, this sweeping history deepens our understanding. Dan Stone reveals how the idea of ''industrial murder'' is incomplete: many were killed where they lived in the most brutal of ways. He outlines the depth of collaboration across Europe, arguing persuasively that we need to stop thinking of the Holocaust as an exclusively German project. He also considers the nature of trauma the Holocaust engendered, and why Jewish suffering has yet to be fully reckoned with. And he makes clear that the kernel to understanding Nazi thinking and action is genocidal ideology, providing a deep analysis of its origins.Drawing on decades of research, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History upends much of what we think we know about the Holocaust. Stone draws on Nazi documents, but also on diaries, post-war testimonies and even fiction, urging that, in our age of increasing nationalism and xenophobia, we must understand the true history of the Holocaust.Trade ReviewThis vital history shatters many myths about the Nazi's genocide . . . Drawing on the latest scholarship in English and German, Stone's brisk, energetic book fizzes with ideas. Indeed, even if you think you know the subject, you'll probably find something here to make you think . . . surprising . . . provocative . . . an excellent book -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Relays many carefully chosen and deeply haunting stories... an engaging and accessible read that never hurries or shields the reader from its dark subject matter... outstanding -- Angus Reilly * Telegraph *A timely corrective to a shifting narrative ... erudite ... this remarkable book offers both a narrative overview and an analysis of the events, challenging many common assumptions and often returning to how this terrible history remains "unfinished"... a brisk, compelling and scholarly account of the Nazi genocide and its aftermath. But never for one moment does it let us believe that the events are now safely in the past -- Matthew Reisz * Observer *Deep insights into horror... drawing on his extensive own research and a vast range of work by historians from across the last eight decades, Stone sets about showing how our mental picture of the Holocaust is dangerously wrong.... his own passion for his subject and its importance is compelling, as is his willingness to confront both moral and historical questions... the breadth of Stone's work across borders and languages shines through... a vital and provocative book -- Chris Kissane * The Irish Times *A holocaust history for our times, passionate as well as scholarly, and written with a sharp eye to the growing threat of the radical right in the present. Stone is not afraid to question the verities that have become attached to this most catastrophic epoch of modern history, and he challenges readers to confront its scope and enormity anew -- Jane Caplan, Emeritus Professor of European History, University of OxfordA brilliant study, lucid, powerful, moving, and full of original insights. Few general studies of the Holocaust have so successfully integrated the international, indeed global, dimensions of the Nazi genocide and its aftermath -- Mark RosemanA candid, historically rooted, and timely account of the Holocaust and its many consequences . . . troubling and thought-provoking for a world in which post-war certainties are now dissolving. It deserves the widest possible readership -- Richard OveryA stunning, original, concise analysis, culling the latest research and the most observant eyewitness accounts of the time. The parallels to fascism today are extremely unsettling. Stone analyzes the latest research on the thousands of persecution sites that turned Europe into a continent of camps; he explains the mystical power of Nazi racial antisemitism and he grants the aftermath history of displacement, trauma and reckonings the fuller treatment it merits. Few scholars could write this masterful synthesis and even fewer would take on a closer examination of its darkest features and unsettling questions about the broader significance of Holocaust education today -- Wendy LowerIlluminating ... Dan Stone demonstrates the important role played by locals ... He writes with authority and an eye for the human story not always evident in Holocaust historiography * Economist *One of the best new publications presenting more complicated narratives of the Holocaust ... Dan Stone's The Holocaust: An Unfinished History, is an outstanding survey that updates the history of the European genocide of the Jews in a thought-provoking and informative way ... powerful -- Jeffrey Veidlinger * Times Literary Supplement *Significant… A painfully revealing, vital history * Kirkus Reviews *Thought-provoking, a present-day reckoning ... an important and challenging work -- Colin Shindler * Jewish Chronicle *The Holocaust is very much open to further research and Dan Stone is well placed to provide an informed overview, having spent decades immersed in this subject. He is extremely well read, and ... is no dry academic: he is determined to ensure that the brutality of the violence and the suffering of the victims are conveyed vividly, with emotive quotations ... a powerful survey -- Mary Fulbrook * Literary Review *Suprising… timely… a concise and accessible history that extends beyond the death camps * The New York Times *A book that turns on their head some of the widely-held notions about that terrible era of genocide 80 years ago -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *Excellent and engrossing ... this is a history with empathy, insight and depth at its core, all backed up by brave analysis ... This is a vital and provocative book, impressively covering a seismic event in little more than 300 pages, making it accessible to the general reader as well as those in academia -- NJ McGarrigle * Irish Independent *An incisive analysis of the genocidal endgame that unfolded from Nazi antisemitism in the early 20th century * Wall Street Journal *A deeply felt and awesomely learned book -- Christopher Bray * Tablet *Stone's new book is as up-to-date an overview as you are likely to find ... he presents a strong argument that the Holocaust should be understood as the result of ideological beliefs [and] ... illuminates with great sympathy and insight a history of continuing suffering and prejudice ... This is an outstanding book: well written, deeply felt, always perceptive and exhibiting considerable knowledge of decades of Holocaust scholarship. It will become the standard work in English on the subject for some time to come -- Bill Niven * History Today *Stone's deeply humane account draws on an array of testimonies from some of the most observant and perceptive victims, and he uses these to devastating effect ... a well-written history of the Holocaust and its aftermath, with accomplished use of eyewitness accounts ... Dan Stone remains an important and eloquent voice in the field of Holocaust studies -- Alex J Kay * Prospect *A timely study of the holocaust that indicates the dangers of selectively misremembering it ... vital ... offers a detailed examination of the many roots of Nazism -- Gordon Parson * Morning Star *Instead of presenting Holocaust history as a tidy affair wrapped in a bow with neat moral messages, Stone proposes that we examine its unfinishedness, its unknowability, and its very incompleteness… confronts uncomfortable truths * New Republic *

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Book SynopsisFollowing the Armada, there was the bloodless invasion of 1688, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s march south, the remarkable American John Paul Jones’ attack on Whitehaven during the American War of Independence, the German occupation of the Channel Islands and – the great what if of British, perhaps world history – the threat of Operation Sealion.

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Book SynopsisBritain's early royal history brought to life with 200 contemporary and historical illustrations, maps, shields and comprehensive genealogical tables.

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Book SynopsisA Guardian Best Book of 2020 A History Today Book of the Year, 2020Renowned historian Olivette Otele uncovers the untold history of Europeans of African descent, from Saint Maurice who became the leader of a Roman legion and Renaissance scholar Juan Latino, to abolitionist Mary Prince and the activist, scholars and grime artists of the present day. Tracing African European heritage through the vibrant, complex, and often brutal experiences of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary, she sheds new light not only on the past but also on questions very much alive today - about racism, identity, citizenship, power and resilience. African Europeans is a landmark celebration of this integral, vibrantly complex slice of European history, and will redefine the field for years to come.Trade ReviewThis is a book I have been waiting for my whole life. It goes beyond the numerous individual black people in Europe over millennia, to show us the history of the very ideas of blackness, community and identity on the continent that has forgotten its own past. A necessary and exciting read -- Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)This is a book that all must read now. This story has been lived not just for centuries but for millennia, all the while being consistently suppressed, denied or untold. Searing scholarship and heightened humanity combine to illuminate, appal, explore and ultimately inspire -- Bettany Hughes, historian and broadcasterFascinating . . . One of the book's great pleasures is its cast of memorable characters [and] though this is a work of synthesis, it's an unusually generous and densely layered one -- The GuardianPeople of African heritage have contributed greatly to Europe's music, literature and more. But their achievements have long been overlooked . . . African Europeans works to bring more of this past to public attention -- Wall Street JournalFascinating. Otele reconnects us with the men and women who came from Africa to shape European history: rulers, diplomats, slaves and soldiers-above all, our ancestors -- Dan Snow, historian and broadcasterSuperbly researched . . . This richly layered history brims with stories of how African Europeans contributed to the culture, politics and language in the countries they lived in . . . This book is more than just the stories of interesting lives; it is also a careful study of the scholarship on these individuals -- ProspectA thrilling, informative read -- LSE Review of BooksA brilliant, important and beautifully written book that forces us to think about the past differently -- History TodayYoking together the ''African'' and the ''European'', too often treated as entirely separate categories, Otele skilfully invites her reader to navigate the multiple intersecting worlds inhabited by her characters. This is fundamentally reparative writing that undoes the cultivated ignorance around race and blackness in Europe and shows us what is irrefutably true that black history is European history, indeed, world history -- Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent EmpireOlivette Otele is a scholar with a vivid intellect and a deep sense of right and wrong. African Europeans forces us to reassess the past so that we can imagine a different future -- Fiammetta Rocco, chief culture writer, The EconomistImportant, exciting and illuminating. Otele takes us through centuries of history we think we know, but shifts the lens onto those have been deliberately excluded from traditional historical narratives. This book will change how you look at the past and introduce you to wonderful characters with rich and revealing lives -- Janina Ramirez, historian and TV presenterRich in storytelling, discovery, question-making and a way forward, African Europeans covers no old ground. This is new and European history itself is not complete without this book -- Bonnie Greer, playwright, novelist and broadcasterA magisterial book brilliant, humane and gripping, and a call to arms for an end to violence and subjugation. Otele explores the individual lives of African Europeans against great shifts of history, and the result is a masterpiece -- Kate Williams, historian and broadcasterThe scope of Otele's research is awesome, as is her unflinching analysis of the shifting prisms through which African Europeans particularly women have had to contest their identities. Full of powerful stories with deep roots and livid scars, African Europeans is scholarly, revelatory and important -- Jessie Childs, author of God's Traitors and Henry VIII's Last VictimThe first survey this century of the fascinating 2,000-year-long history of Africans in Europe. Otele's masterful narrative weaves together the lives of prominent figures St Maurice, Jacobus Capitein, Manga Bell, Paulette and Jane Nardal with those of everyday people -- Hakim Adi, author of Pan-Africanism: A HistoryA nuanced, thoughtful retelling of the stories of African Europeans, with extraordinary scope. Otele triumphs in her commitment to countering the experiences of the privileged with those of the enslaved. This is a learned, impassioned and searingly important history -- Suzannah Lipscomb, historian and broadcasterAn extensive rendition of African European history from the third century to the 21st... A thorough, dynamic, accessible narrative that pulls together disparate strands into a unique, fresh history -- Kirkus ReviewsA dazzling history of Africans in Europe, revealing their unacknowledged role in shaping the continent . . . African Europeans is a landmark celebration of this integral, vibrantly complex slice of European history, and will redefine the field for years to come -- BookAuthorityMeticulously researched and beautifully written, this is an essential work of historical scholarship that is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisNew paperback edition - A re-examination of Henry VIII's eldest daughter, Mary, and her relationship with her father.Trade Review'This scholarly and highly engaging book offers a genuinely fresh perspective on Mary Tudor, presenting her as far more than the tragic and ‘Bloody’ queen of legend. By exploring Mary through the lens of her relationship with her father, Henry VIII, the author provides a compelling new portrait of this much-misunderstood woman which is at once more sympathetic and believable than many established accounts. A stunning achievement.' -- Dr Tracy Borman, Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and author of numerous books'A wonderful début. Melita Thomas brilliantly explores the early life of Mary Tudor against a European backdrop. She traces the young princess’s relationship with her father Henry VIII, and convincingly argues that Mary was very much her father’s daughter – not just the pious girl but also the political animal. A powerful narrative filled with new insights.' -- Dominic Pearce author of Henrietta Maria'In addition to a very comprehensive selection of portraits and relevant buildings in the colour plates section, we are very well served in this book with a very detailed yet clear timeline of British and European events between 1485 and 1547 and a genealogical table at the front, plus to appendices at the back, one of European states and the other a Who's Who of important contemporaries. A reader could probably not ask for more.' -- The Bookbag"Melita Thomas’ research is impeccable, her arguments and theories are backed up by primary sources, including memoirs, letters and treaties. The focus is entirely on Mary, her relationships with her family and courtiers and the way her father’s policies and marriages affected her life. It examines every aspect of Mary’s life in impeccable detail; her education, court life, her relationships, health and daily routine. It is a sad tale, of a father who demanded absolute obedience, and never considered the consequences of his actions on the mental well-being of his children." -- www.historytheinterestingbits.com

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Book SynopsisAberdeen was the most frequently bombed city in Britain suffering 32 raids and 364 air raid warnings. As a result, Aberdeen was nicknamed the Siren City'.

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