General and world history Books
Oxford University Press Selected Poems and Songs
Book Synopsis''The Poetic Genius of my Country...bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural pleasures of my natal Soil, in my native tongue.'' Many of the poems and songs of Robert Burns (1759-96) are familiar to readers the world over: lyrical, acerbic, comic, bawdy, democratic. They include ''To a Mouse'', ''John Anderson my Jo'', ''A red red Rose'', ''Auld lang syne'', ''Tam o ''Shanter'' and many more, whose vernacular energy and simple beauty have ensured lasting popularity. This generous new selection offers Burns''s work as it was first encountered by contemporary readers, presenting the texts in the contexts in which they were originally published. It reproduces the whole of Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect published at Kilmarnock in 1786, the volume which made Burns famous; and it reunites a generous selection of songs from The Scots Musical Museum and A Select Collection of Scottish Airs with their full scores. Comprehensive notes describe the circumstances in which other poems and songs found their way into print, both before and after the poet''s death. The edition also includes some important letters, and a full glossary to explain Scots words. 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.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chronology ; Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock 1786) ; from Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Edinburgh 1787) ; Songs from The Scots Musical Museum ; Song from A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs, for the Voice (1798-9) ; Other poems and songs published in Burns's lifetime ; Other poems and songs published posthumously ; Maps ; Appendix 1: from the Letters ; Appendix 2: contemporary reviews of the Kilmarnock Poems ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Index of Titles and First Lines
£8.54
Oxford University Press Sport
Book SynopsisSport is big business; international in nature and the focus of much media and cultural attention. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Cronin charts the history of sport, from its traditional origins in folk football and cock fighting to its position as a global phenomenon today. Looking at a variety of sports from team games such as rugby, cricket, and football to games for individuals such as golf, tennis, and skiing, he considers how these first emerged and captivated the interest of ordinary people, and how sport has been transformed within our daily lives. Exploring the relationship between sport and class, gender, commerce, identity, and ethics, Cronin considers some of the central issues in sport today, including the high pay of professional footballers and the glamour of sports women, as well as fair play standards. Charting sport through the ages and around the world, this is a short guide to the history, development, and place of sport in contemporary global society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewhe has packed a lot of thought-provoking stuff into a small space, laced with telling facts * Independent on Sunday *Table of Contents1. Origins ; 2. Modern sport ; 3. Amateurs and professionals ; 4. The sports business ; 5. International sport ; 6. Sport and society ; Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press Public Health
Book SynopsisPublic health is a term much used in the media, by health professionals, and by activists. At the national or the local level there are ministries or departments of public health, whilst international agencies such as the World Health Organisation promote public health policies, and regional organisations such as the European Union have public health funding and policies. But what do we mean when we speak about ''public health''? In this Very Short Introduction Virginia Berridge explores the areas which fall under the remit of public health, and explains how the individual histories of different countries have come to cause great differences in the perception of the role and responsibilities of public health organisations. Thus, in the United States litigation on public health issues is common, but state involvement is less, while some Scandinavian countries have a tradition of state involvement or even state ownership of industries such as alcohol in connection with public health. In its narrowest sense, public health can refer to the health of a population, the longevity of individual members, and their freedom from disease, but it can also be anticipatory, geared to the prevention of illness, rather than simply the provision of care and treatment. In the way public health deals with healthy as well as sick people it is therefore a separate concept from health services, which deal with the sick population. Drawing on a wide range of international examples, Berridge demonstrates the central role of history to understanding the amorphous nature of public health today.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThis is an easy but thought-provoking read for anyone wishing to understand the scope and origins of public or global health policy. It is well referenced with suggestions for further reading. * Peter Noone, Occupational Medicine *Table of Contents1: What is public health? 2: Current challenges 3: The origins of public health into the 1700s 4: Sanitation to education 1800-1900s 5: The rise of lifestyle 1900-1980s 6: Tropical and international public health 7: Present and future in the light of history References Further Reading
£9.49
Oxford University Press Inc The Silk Road
Book SynopsisTrade Review"As befits the title of the series, The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction succeeds in giving the general audience a view of world history through the lens of biology, technology, commerce, and culture. A must read for any aspiring enlightened global citizen." --Yo-Yo Ma, Grammy award-winning recording artist; artistic director, The Silk Road Project "...offers a deeply informed survey of this storied route, paying attention to the history and legends associated with it, and nicely combining attention to the standard topics, such as the flow of people and goods along it, with a good discussion of its role in the dissemination of artistic practices." -- Jeff Wasserstrom, iLA Review of Books blogTable of ContentsList of illustrations ; Acknowledgments ; Chapter 1: Environment, empires and ecumenes ; Chapter 2: Eras of silk road fluorescence ; Chapter 3: The biological silk road ; Chapter 4: The technological silk road ; Chapter 5: The arts on the silk road ; Chapter 6: Whither the silk road? ; References ; Further Reading ; Index
£9.49
The University of Chicago Press The Venture of Islam Volume 1 The Classical Age
Book SynopsisIn this magisterial study, complemented by detailed charts and maps, Hodgson traces and interprets the historical development of Islamic civilization from before the birth of Muhammad to the middle of the twelfth century. This is a nonpareil work, not only because of its command of its subject but also because it demonstrates how, ideally, history should be written.--The New Yorker
£29.45
The University of Chicago Press The Pursuit of Power
Book SynopsisIn this magnificent synthesis of military, technological, and social history, William H. McNeill explores a whole millennium of human upheaval and traces the path by which we have arrived at the frightening dilemmas that now confront us. McNeill moves with equal mastery from the crossbowbanned by the Church in 1139 as too lethal for Christians to use against one anotherto the nuclear missile, from the sociological consequences of drill in the seventeenth century to the emergence of the military-industrial complex in the twentieth. His central argument is that a commercial transformation of world society in the eleventh century caused military activity to respond increasingly to market forces as well as to the commands of rulers. Only in our own time, suggests McNeill, are command economies replacing the market control of large-scale human effort. The Pursuit of Power does not solve the problems of the present, but its discoveries, hypotheses, and sheer breadth of learning do offer a pe
£23.75
The University of Chicago Press The Worlds of Victor Sassoon
Book Synopsis
£28.50
The University of Chicago Press Walking a Citys History
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£24.70
James Clarke & Co Ltd Render Unto Caesar
Book SynopsisAn innovative analysis of the role of the Church in the political disputes of Queen Anne's reignTrade ReviewRender Unto Caesar is a remarkable study of the religious politics of the reign of Queen Anne, rooted in a profound knowledge of manuscript sources. Barry Levis has revealed how central the Church was to the period of 'the rage of Party'. It is further evidence that the Church was a source of passionate controversy in the early eighteenth century. William Gibson, Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Oxford Brookes University. Using an impressive range of archival and printed sources, Levis details the high politics of ecclesiastical policy politics in the early eighteenth century. Render Unto Caesar offers a reliable guide to the complex debates about the relationship between church and state in post-revolutionary England. Brian Cowan, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Early Modern British History, McGill University'. R.B. Levis grounds this first deep-dive regnal analytical narrative of Queen Anne's struggle to rule with moderation in a thorough exploitation of the extant sources, making especially effective use of the surviving fragments of the diary and correspondence of Anne's figurative confessor, the embattled Anglican moderate John Sharp, Archbishop of York. The result is a definitive study of Church-State politics for Anne's reign for our times and, one anticipates, for many years to come. R.O. Bucholz, Professor of History, Loyola University ChicagoTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. Prologue, 1698-1702 2. The Tory Ascendancy, 1702-4 3. The Shifting Balance of Power, 1705-6 4. Strife in the North: A Case Study of Local Ecclesiastical Politics 5. The Whig Supremacy, 1706-9 6. The Sacheverell Trial, 1709-10 7. The Return of the Tories, 1710-14 8. Epilogue Bibliography Index
£24.70
James Clarke & Co Ltd Orthodoxy and the Imperial Idea
Book SynopsisAn exploration into how the Orthodox Church adapted to survive and flourish under Ottoman rule.
£80.00
James Clarke & Co Ltd Martin Luthers Bible
Book SynopsisMartin Luther''s 1522 September Testament marked a watershed in Bible translation, making Scripture available to ordinary German people in their own tongue and sparking similar efforts across Europe. Building on the nascent trend of vernacular Bible translations in the early sixteenth century, Luther''s translation quickly became definitive linguistically, theologically and culturally, especially once the complete Bible was published in 1534, with production of New Testaments and Bibles in French, English and other languages keeping pace. Luther and his associates constantly revised and improved their methodology for translation and interpretation over a quarter-century of Bible publishing - efforts that helped shape Bible translation, reading and exegesis, for scholars and ordinary Christians alike, well beyond his lifetime.Martin Luther''s Bible commemorates the September Testament, exploring the Wittenberg Bible project in its context and tracing aspects of its legacy in Europe and
£30.38
James Clarke & Co Ltd Infallibility Integrity and Obedience
Book SynopsisThe doctrinal and structural revolution currently underway in the Roman Catholic Church is alarming for several reasons, not least because of the arbitrary nature of its imposition and the absence of resistance it has encountered. The reluctance of many to challenge the authority of the pope, tied to the increasing personal veneration by the faithful of each successive incumbent of the Holy See, is arguably a symptom of unresolved unclarity surrounding the nature of authority in the Church dating back to the First Vatican Council.In Infallibility, Integrity and Obedience, John Rist unflinchingly exposes the developments that have bred this crisis of understanding - and the resulting rejection of tradition in the papal agenda - over the past hundred and fifty years. Reserving particular attention for the Roman Catholic dilemmas, political and theological, of the 1930s, the mid-twentieth-century debates on reproductive technology, and the advent of ''celebrity autocracy'', he shows how aTrade Review{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang2057{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Verdana;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\hyphpar0\sl288\slmult1\qj\cf1\f0\fs20 'In this invigorating study of the modern papacy, Professor John Rist identifies the conjoining of four elements, which have caused serious damage to the Church: the creeping authority of the Pope stemming from uncertainty surrounding Vatican I; the servility and silence of the bishops in response; a revolutionary aspect on the part of the Jesuit order; and the unthinking obedience of a poorly instructed laity. Rist argues persuasively that the authentic truth of Vatican I, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the successors of St Peter to safeguard the Deposit of Faith, must be restored before things become beyond repair on the human level. Chief among his proposals is that the nineteenth century misuse of the term \lquote infallibility\rquote should be strictly curtailed to its primary meaning, that the Church and the pope must always cling to basic Catholic dogma, and a hierarchy of truths must be recognized.' - John Beaumont, author of The House with a Hundred Gates.\par \pard\sa240\cf0 'One need not necessarily agree with all of Dr. Rist\rquote s account of recent Church history or his proposed solutions to the current crisis in the Church, but one must recognize that he has clearly exposed the root of an important cause of this crisis. He unquestionably documents a dangerous growth of an exaggeration of papal authority and irrational obedience to the papal will. Although these exaggerations can appear welcome when exercised by faithful popes with good intentions, he shows how they can be repurposed to deconstruct the Church and her doctrine. This may be one of the most important books written to wake Catholics up to this danger.' - Brian M. McCall, Orpha and Maurice Merrill Chair in Law, University of Oklahoma\par \pard\hyphpar0\sl288\slmult1\qj\cf1\par \pard\cf0\par } I'm old enough to remember, quite vividly as a child, Pope Pius XII. I pray for him, along with every pope of my lifetime, every day. That includes Pope Francis-wholeheartedly. And yet, while a book like John Rist's is diminished by its flaws, it's not entirely unfair about our current moment. One can't help but wonder if somewhere a young Erasmus has the draft of a new Exclusus in his drawer. The original was withering. We should hope that the Church in our day will have a kinder legacy. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., is the archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia In Public Discourse, October 9, 2023. Rist opens his book with a very through discussion of the debate leading up to the formal proclamation of papal infallibility Vatican I. He explains the ardent desire of Pope Pius IX for unambiguous support of his primacy-which he inelegantly expressed by saying: "I am the Church! I am the tradition!" Rist also explores the argument advanced by opponents of the initiative, such as Ignaz von Dollinger, whose implacable hostility toward the claim of papal infallibility eventually led to his excommunication. Phill Lawler in Catholic Culture, 01/2024.Table of ContentsPreface 1. Toward the Syllabus of Errors 2. From The Syllabus of Errors to Pastor Aeternus (1870) 3. Leo XIII: Top- Down Pastor 4. Saint Pius X and the Modernist Dragon 5. The 1930s: Fascists, Nazis, 'New Theologians', Condoms 6. The End of an Era? Pius XII as Past and Future 7. Who Changed What at Vatican II? 8. The Pope, the 'Pill' and the ' Woman Problem' 9. Celebrity Autocracy: John Paul II 10. Joseph Ratzinger: Poacher Turned Gamekeeper? 11. Perón Meets Ignatius: The Choice Against Tradition 12. Modest Conclusions, Less Modest Suggestions Very Select Bibliography Index
£19.71
Columbia University Press Chronos
Book SynopsisIn Chronos, a leading French historian ranges from Western antiquity to the Anthropocene, pinpointing the crucial turning points in our relationship to time. François Hartog considers the genealogy of Western temporalities, examining the order of times and the divisions of time into epochs.Trade ReviewWith characteristic elegance, wit, and erudition, Hartog, the master thinker of historical time, offers a panoramic view of the past to show how a temporal order (re)fashioned by Christianity endures to this day and shapes our crisis-ridden sense of the present. This is a longue-durée perspective on the Anthropocene that only someone with Hartog's learning and brilliance could have provided. An indispensable guide to the present. -- Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical DifferenceChronos is a magisterial book, breathtaking in scope and precision. I cannot think of another historian who could have written this book in this way. François Hartog uniquely possesses the intellectual expertise and range to lead the reader through a sweeping history of the concept of time in the “West,” beginning with the Greeks in antiquity and ending with our current periodization of the Anthropocene. It is an important work on one of the most pressing topics of our day. -- Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the PastThis book, masterfully translated by S. R. Gilbert, will undoubtedly become a classic. A Christian “revolution in time” led from Greek Chronos, to Augustine’s self, to modern change, and to the Anthropocene. Beautifully written, this is a book for everyone who wants to know why our time is what it is. -- Nitzan Lebovic, Apter Chair of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, Lehigh UniversityIn this brilliant, original, and profound book, François Hartog takes further his critical analyses of the sources and legacies of modern Western assumptions about time. He brings to light their urgent relevance to us today as we face challenges such as climate change, the Anthropocene, and potential global geopolitical catastrophe. -- Sir Geoffrey Lloyd, University of CambridgeMagisterial yet accessible, Chronos can make the rare claim to encompass all of recorded time in a relatively slim [book]. * New York Sun *Hartog's book offers necessary elucidation of how Westerners’ relationships with time brought us to this current moment. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *For those seeking insight into past conceptions of time or questioning how we arrived at our current presentist temporality, Chronos serves as a clear and concise starting point. * H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews *Hartog is a superbly gifted writer who wears his learning lightly and without recourse to jargon, and translator S .R. Gilbert has served his author’s conversational style well in rendering it into eloquent English. . . . An enjoyable tour and a welcome synthesis of current thought on the human experience of temporality. * The Philosopher *Table of ContentsTo Readers of the English EditionPreface: The Undeducible PresentIntroduction: From the Greeks to the Christians1. The Christian Regime of Historicity: Chronos Between Kairos and Krisis2. The Christian Order of Time and Its Spread3. Negotiating with Chronos4. Dissonance and Fissures5. In the Thrall of Chronos6. Chronos Destituted, Chronos RestoredConclusion: The Anthropocene and HistoryNotesIndex
£80.39
Penguin Books Ltd Global Discontents
Book Synopsis''If I were a voter in Britain, I would vote for [Jeremy Corbyn]'' - Noam Chomsky, 2017Global Discontents is an essential guide to geopolitics and how to fight back, from the world''s leading public intellectualWhat kind of world are we leaving to our grandchildren? How are the discontents kindled today likely to blaze and explode tomorrow?From escalating climate change to the devastation in Syria, pandemic state surveillance to looming nuclear war, Noam Chomsky takes stock of the world today. Over the course of ten conversations with long-time collaborator David Barsamian, spanning 2013-2016, Chomsky argues in favour of radical changes to a system that cannot possibly cope with what awaits tomorrow.Interwoven with personal reflections spanning from childhood to his eighth decade of life, Global Discontents also marks out Chomsky''s own intellectual journey, mapping his progress to revolutionary ideas and global prominence.Trade ReviewIf you've never read any Chomsky before, and you want to know what all the fuss is about, this book is a good place to start. Yet more evidence of why Chomsky deserves his position as one of the world's foremost intellectuals * The Times Literary Supplement *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Jungle
Book Synopsis''A bold, ambitious and truly wonderful history of the world'' Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees''A fascinating story and a crucial revision of the momentous importance of tropical forests to human history'' Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins_________________________ Jungle tells the remarkable story of the world''s tropical forests, from the arrival of the first plants millions of years ago to the role of tropical forests in the evolution of the world''s atmosphere, the dinosaurs, the first mammals and even our own species and ancestors. Highlighting provocative new evidence garnered from cutting-edge research, Dr Roberts shows, for example, that our view of humans as ''savannah specialists'' is wildly wrong, and that the ''Anthropocene'' began not with the Industrial Revolution, but potentially as early as 6,000 years ago in the tropics. We see that the relationship between humankind Trade ReviewJungle is a bold, ambitious and truly wonderful history of the world that shows the vital importance of tropical forests to life on Earth -- Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of TreesA fascinating story and a crucial revision of the momentous importance of tropical forests to human history. Spanning from our very evolution as a species, to the early stages of globalisation and how we fill our kitchen cupboards today, we all owe far more to jungles than we realise -- Lewis Dartnell, author of OriginsThere are many books on the history of trilobites and dinosaurs and other animals, but so few on the history of plants. Here the dynamic young scientist Patrick Roberts tackles the history of the tropics, from the coal swamps of 300 million years ago, through the co-evolutionary dance of dinosaurs and mammals and flowers, to how our own human history has been shaped by vegetation. As environments are changing rapidly around us today, this is a timely, readable and highly relevant history that celebrates the wonder and importance of jungles -- Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the DinosaursWelcome to the 'Jungle' - a breath-taking book showing that tropical forests were key to our evolution, provide fossil fuels for our modern carbon-hungry society and ultimately must be protected and restored if we are to have a future. This insightful and captivating book will ensure you never take our jungles for granted ever again -- Mark Maslin, author of How to Save Our PlanetAn enthralling jungle-journey from the origins of life on this planet to the present day, Jungle provides a brilliant new perspective on our interaction with tropical forests, placing them at the centre of human experience - and it delivers a timely warning about our abuse of the environment -- David Abulafia, author of The Great SeaJungle sweeps the reader into the primordial heart of the earth, as if the crucible of life welcomed you to its sanctuary. Its revelations and stories will stir, rearrange and populate your mind for years to come. As a book, it is a joy, pure intellectual chocolate -- Paul Hawken, author of DrawdownFinally, a book on rainforests that does justice to their majesty and importance. Patrick Roberts skilfully and lucidly shows why tropical forests matter. He builds the case that people and tropical forests are intimately linked, whether you live in the rainforest or seemingly a world away. Those intricate links are more important than ever today, with ending deforestation playing a key role in solving the twin climate and biodiversity crises we face this century -- Simon Lewis, co-author of The Human PlanetEnormously ambitious, deeply researched, moves with great skill from ecology and evolution to history and politics -- Michael Marshall * New Scientist *Many European and American books and films imply that tropical forests are incapable of sustainably supporting large human societies. Jungle provides a superbly argued refutation of this long-held view . . . a thrilling reappraisal of our origins and our dependence on tropical forests -- Charlie Pye-Smith * Literary Review *
£14.70
SPCK Publishing Josephine Butler
Book SynopsisConcise historical introduction to Josephine Butler and her continuing influence on the world and how we see it.Trade Review‘This is an important book about a social reformer of the Victorian era in danger of being forgotten. . . . A story of a woman who defied what was expected of her to make a difference – told in a wonderfully engaging way.’ * Helen Pankhurst *‘Josephine Butler challenged the contempt levelled at women who sold sex, and the unjust laws passed and enforced by men to punish them. Sharp, authoritative and eye-opening.’ * Helen Lewis *‘A brilliantly readable account of the remarkable Josephine Butler, who turned the Victorian patriarchy on its head and changed the world for women at immense personal cost. If there is a canon of feminist heroines, Butler should be right at the top.' * Daisy Goodwin *
£14.39
SPCK Publishing TwiceRescued Child The boy who fled the Nazis
Book SynopsisThe story of Thomas Graumann, rescued first as a child from the Nazis and then a second time when he gave his life to Christ. It would be the start of a lifelong mission.Trade ReviewMoving and inspiring! Twice-Rescued Child shows how one person’s actions can ripple through time. Rescued from the Holocaust by the principled courage of one man and the sacrificial love of his mother, Thomas Graumann was again rescued through faith in Christ—and dedicated his life to missions. Tricia Goyer recounts the amazing life of this incredible man. Not to be missed! * Sarah Sundin, best-selling and award-winning author of The Sea Before Us and The Sky Above Us *"Poignant. Powerful. Achingly real. Twice-Rescued Child is a portrait of suffering and surrender that beckons the reader to examine his or her heart, and ask: ‘Where is God in the midst of darkness?’ From escaping the reach of Hitler’s death camps and surviving the depths of grief and loss in a post-war world, to a fully surrendered life in worldwide missions, Thomas Graumann recounts his life experiences with authenticity, wisdom, and uncommon depth. Holocaust historians will find value in the journey, as will those contemplating the call to ministry— anyone ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a broken world." -- Kristy Cambron, bestselling author of The Butterfly and the Violin and the Lost Castles series"Open the pages of the Twice-Rescued Child and you will be swept into an intimate, first-person account of a Czech Jew who was rescued via the Kindertransport during the early days of the Second World War. His story is told in a way that feels like you’re sharing coffee with him, hunched over a small table; you will see the war through a child’s eyes, feel his confusion and experience each emotion with him. It’s a simple story of a complex time that demonstrates the miracle of being rescued not just once but twice." -- Cara Putman, ECPA bestselling and award-winning author of Shadowed by Grace and Imperfect Justice
£14.24
University of Washington Press Emperor Hirohito and the Pacific War
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is an eye-opening book. . . . Kawamura’s research reveals the real Hirohito." -- Geoffrey Wawro * History Book Club *"Noriko Kawamura’s Emperor Hirohito and the Pacific War provides a convincing reappraisal of Japan’s Hirohito few Westerners would recognize whenever they are reminded of Pearl Harbor and the Pacific conflict." -- Norm Haskett * The Daily Chronicles of World War II *"A well-balanced analysis of the controversial role Emperor Hirohito played during the Pacific War, drawing on previously unavailable primary sources. . . . Kawamura does a fine job of describing Emperor Hirohito’s complex positions and his historical situation." -- Takeshi Suzuki * Pacific Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. The Aftermath of the Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1933 2. Crises at Home and Abroad: From the February 26 Incident to the Sino-Japanese War 3. The Road to Pearl Harbor 4. An Uneasy Commander in Chief 5. Imbroglio: Moves to End the War 6. The “Sacred Decision” to Surrender Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index
£33.98
Yale University Press Libraries in the Ancient World
Book SynopsisThe story of Ancient libraries from their very beginnings, when "books" were clay tablets and writing was a new phenomenon. Lionel Casson explores the royal libraries of the Ancient Near East, the private and public libraries of Greece and Rome, and the first Christian monastic libraries.Trade Review"Which came first, the book or the library? This monograph by the classicist Lionel Casson provides a detailed answer that will appeal not just to bibliophiles but to anyone who enjoys picking up odd bits of intriguing historical information."—Amanda Heller, Boston Sunday Globe"[I]nformative. . . . [A] succinct account of the development of reading, writing and book collecting in Mesopotamia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. . . . The reader can only wish . . . that he follows this short but engaging book with a sequel."—Michiko Kakutani, New York Times"[A] charming and brief narrative history of the birth (and deaths) of libraries in the ancient world."—Robert Messenger, New York Times Book Review"[A] book that many readers will enjoy immensely. Yale has produced a handsome volume, well designed by Mary Valencia (off-white paper stock, inviting layout, abundant illustrations), neither too long nor too short, and written in limpid, understated prose by an expert on ancient civilization. For a quick overview of 3,000 years of book making, selling, care and preservation—from roughly 2,500 B.C. to 600 A.D.—this is the roll, or rather codex, to start with. . . . [D]iverting and instructive."—Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World"A wonderful book for those who love libraries and the books within."—History Magazine"Casson’s book is not limited to where and when important libraries existed, it offers a social history transcending the idea of a library as we know it. . . . As appealing to the archaeologist as the bibliophile."—Publishers Weekly"A wonderful book on a wonderful subject. Casson knows what is interesting and tells us in spellbinding style."—G.W. Bowersock, Institute for Advanced Study
£12.34
Yale University Press Hoax
Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of the Popish Plot and how it shaped the political and religious future of BritainTrade Review“Offers a timely warning. When readers look back at this world of cruel, arbitrary justice, paranoia and sectarianism, they should be wary of indulging in the ‘condescension of posterity.’ . . . As Stater points out, believing in conspiracy theories is a part of human nature. Times change, human nature does not.”—Paul Lay, The Times“Oddly, perhaps, historians often present the Popish Plot with a kind of textbookish colorlessness. Mr. Stater’s achievement is to restore the plot’s fascination and to capture—after more than three centuries—the dread and incredulity felt by those who experienced it. . . . His accounts have the compulsively fascinating quality of a true-crime podcast.”—Jeffrey Collins, Wall Street Journal“A fascinating, entertaining study in its own right—thoroughly researched, full of colourful sketches of the leading characters, brilliant at recreating the feverish atmosphere of the times and wise in its assessment of the long-term consequences for English politics.”—Tony Barber, Financial Times“Victor Stater’s rollicking, imperious prose is both well-told history and a thought-provoking study of a world similar to our own.”—Madoc Cairns, Times Literary Supplement“Stater tells this grim tale with a historian’s command of sources and a thriller writer’s control of narrative. He skilfully weaves the story of the plot into the fabric of England’s religious history, as well as its party-political future. His prose is crisp and his judgement sound. . . . Hoax is deeply rooted in the politics and prejudices of the seventeenth century, but it fires a warning shot across the bow of our own time.”—Jessie Childs, Catholic Herald“Gripping. . . . Reading Hoax one is constantly reminded how vulnerable even powerful institutions are to the determinedly dishonest—perhaps particularly to those who justify their dishonesty to themselves as being for a greater cause—and how readily rationality recedes before the irrational when deep-rooted beliefs are brought into play. Might Hoax, as well as being a first-rate piece of history, help alert us to any latter-day Oates and Shaftesburys among us now?”—Mathew Lyons, The Tablet“A rip-roaring narrative account of the Oates conspiracy. . . . Victor Stater’s lively new book on the so-called ‘Popish Plot’ does a wonderful job of telling this story. . . . Stater is particularly good on the big set pieces—the courtroom drama, the executions, the street pageantry—culling dialogue from trial transcripts and setting the scene with enviable brio.”—Joseph Hone, History Today“Hoax is meant to be a rollicking read, and indeed provides a richly descriptive narrative of one of the darkest chapters in English history.”—Andrea McKenzie, British Catholic History“An extraordinary story of vicious lies manipulated by desperate politicians into a frenzy of disinformation. Stater tells it with verve and a magnificently tight narrative control. It led to more than thirty innocent Catholics being tortured to death. Few conspiracy stories have been quite so lethal.”—John Morrill FBA, Selwyn College, Cambridge“A fascinating study. As well as describing the progress of the ‘plot,’ and the investigation into it, blow by blow, Stater gives us a many-sided picture of seventeenth-century London. For anyone with an interest in seventeenth-century history—this book is unmissable. Let Hoax be a lesson to us!”—Liza Picard, author of Elizabeth’s London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London
£19.00
Yale University Press Blood and Soil A World History of Genocide and
Book SynopsisPresents the global history of genocide and extermination from ancient times. This book examines outbreaks of mass violence from the classical era to the present, focusing on colonial exterminations and 20th-century case studies including the Armenian genocide, the Nazi Holocaust, Stalin's mass murders, and the Cambodian and Rwandan genocides.Trade Review"Humans have been slaughtering each other for thousands of years, but only now is the field of genocide studies blooming. This grim account of history notes remarkable parallels in the patterns of mass slaughter, from Carthage to Darfur. With references to the genocides sanctioned by the Bible, it's ghastly reading. Yet you also can't help feeling a measure of progress over the centuries. Today, we're still far too passive about stopping genocide, but even those leaders who engage in it tend to be embarrassed, rather than boastful."—Nicholas D. Kristof, New-York Historical Society series "Books That Matter," New York Times Book Review "This grim account of history notes remarkable parallels in the patterns of mass slaughter, from Carthage to Darfur. With references to the genocides sanctioned by the Bible, it's ghastly reading. Yet you also can't help feeling a measure of progress over the centuries."—Nicholas D. Kristof, New-York Historical Society series "Books That Matter," New York Times Book Review "A great advancement has been made by Ben Kiernan's monumental new book, Blood and Soil. . . . The author's perspective is global and he is interested in genocide before the twentieth century. . . . This is a comparative and temporal vision that only the world history approach can provide."—A. Dirk Moses, The Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence"Illuminatingly put together, well-narrated and lucidly discussed. A comparison that comes to my mind is James Frazer's The Golden Bough. As was the case with that great classic, no scholar in the field has previously brought together such a wealth of diverse material and imposed consistent order upon it . . . Kiernan brings order—region by region, era by era, reich by reich—to the appalling catalogue of atrocity that he so impressively commands. Moreover, he does so in plain, straightforward, informative prose. . . . This is pioneering work. . . . He has signposted a way towards a global understanding of the curse of genocide. As such, this book could eventually contribute to the saving of lives—possibly countless lives. No other work in the humanities can aspire to that. This is a major achievement."—Patrick Wolfe, Melbourne Age"Remarkable but harrowing . . . the author is forever splicing unexpected and illuminating primary-source threads."—Stephen Saunders, Canberra Times "Kiernan has put a prodigious amount of research into this book, particularly on the colonial massacres, andhe has made a significant contribution to an increasingly important debate."—Tim Johnson, The Australian"This meticulously researched and voluminous book represents a first of sorts. It is the first synthetic, single-authored global history to connect state power and formation to violence through the willful extermination and attempted extermination of peoples. Its reach is not only global, it is alsotemporal, as the book examines violence through time. . . . [T]his work will be essential not only to genocide scholars, but also to historians and regional specialists. . . . Kiernan absolutely shines in some ways as a historian of ideas [and] does an exemplary job of tracing the justificatory texts. . . . Kiernan's synthesis of this material is most impressive. . . . When one reads this book, there will be conceptual and empirical quarrels, but they do not overshadow the success and tremendous value of this book."—Journal of Asian Studies". . . the first synthetic, single-authored global history to connect state power and formation to violence through the willful extermination and attempted extermination of peoples. Its reach is not only global, it is also temporal, as the book examines violence through time."—Journal of Asian Studies"Masterful."—Norman Naimark, The Conversation"As a narrative history it is well-written, impressively researched, and affords many useful comparative insights. . . . One of the book's great strengths is its truly global sweep . . . One of the services the book performs is to highlight the ubiquity of mass killings in human history. . . . Along the way, there is much revelatory, intriguing and disturbing information to be gleaned. . . . Thorough though he is in cataloguing this history of horrors, Kiernan is careful to draw distinctions among various scales of killing and diverse forms of motivation."—Aviel Roshwald, Nationalities Papers"Kiernan identifies four necessary ingredients in the making of a genocidal situation . . . [Blood and Soil] also recognises the crucial processes that underpin their combination into an explosive mixture. Genocidal phenomena, Kiernan argues insightfully, are actually inherently contradictory occurrences where an anxious perception of a specific trend, or a series of developments, produces sustained counterpoint imaginings. Reality is going, or seems to be going one way, while the imagination proceeds in the opposite direction . . . Kiernan is right: all the atrocities he deals with in his narrative – and he deals with quite a few – display all these elements . . . [A] reliable compilation of genocidal phenomena, their chronology and genealogy . . . Kiernan endeavours effectively to impose a remarkable structuring coherence on an impressive amount of data. At the same time, he convincingly emphasises discursive links and resonances between different epochs and locations. You try and write a book like this."—Lozenzo Veracini, geschichte.transnational and H-Soz-u-Kult, H-Net Reviews"Genocide scholars and those with an interest in world history should be grateful for Kiernan's latest stimulating work."—Donald W. Beachler, Holocaust and Genocide StudiesWinner of the 2008 gold medal for the best book in History awarded by the Independent Publishers AssociationWinner of the 2009 Sybil Halpern Milton Book Prize for the best book in Holocaust Studies published in 2007-2008, given by the German Studies AssociationThe German edition, Erde und Blut: Völkermord und Vernichtung von der Antike bis heute, won first place in Germany’s Nonfiction Book of the Month Prize Die Sachbücher des Monats, sponsored by Süddeutsche Zeitung and NDR Kultur (June 2009)"In exploring the global 'prehistory' of the horrific forms of societal violence usually associated with the twentieth century, Kiernan identifies key factors that have been consistently associated with genocidal episodes. His book makes an original contribution to our understanding of the phenomenon."—Michael Adas, Rutgers University"Ben Kiernan’s Blood and Soil is a major work explaining myths and metaphors that have underwritten genocide for six hundred years—earlier within the bowels of the western tradition; now commonplace practice far beyond that tradition. In seeing genocide as linked to issues of land as well as race, nation, and expansion, Kiernan has opened up social, political, and economic analysis to the struggle for land and the control of property. Such an approach is unique as it is provocative. It is inspired by the author’s profound reading of Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Blood and Soil provides an angle of vision rarely found in those who start (and stop) with a European base of scholarship. The book opens up new questions and formulations on the nature of state inspired murder. It merits a close reading of the dark side of terror, often commented upon, but rarely probed."—Irving Louis Horowitz, Rutgers University "Blood and Soil is a stunning achievement. The idea for the project was clearly a prompting of the heart, but the argument itself is a thing of pure intellect. It surveys thousands of years, visits every corner of the world, and stares with scarcely a blink at the worst horrors the world has ever known. As an act of scholarship, it simply stands alone."—Kai Erikson, Yale University"Ben Kiernan’s book is a major contribution to genocide studies—a first attempt to tell the history of genocidal events, from Sparta to Darfur, Blood and Soil is a well-researched, detailed account of many instances of mass killings and the reasons for their occurrence. It will no doubt give rise to controversy, new research, and new insights."—Yehuda Bauer, Yad Vashem
£23.75
Yale University Press Divergent Worlds
Book Synopsis
£22.80
Yale University Press Bread Winner
Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] compelling re-evaluation of the Victorian economy. . . . Bread Winner is a book with the personal and domestic at its heart, telling a powerful story of social realities, pressures, and the fracturing of traditional structures. . . . The great strength of this book is the assurance with which the author moves from the intimate to the general and back again, using eyewitness recollections as a lens through which the reader can examine a society in flux.”—Wall Street Journal“Deeply researched and sensitive without being sentimental.”—Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph, “Best History Books of 2020”“There is much that is fascinating in Bread Winner about the choices imposed on and faced by those entering the labour market.”—Cormac Ó Gráda, Familia“[T]his book brings the trials and tribulations of the 19th century to life.”—History Revealed“Griffin’s extraordinary collection of more than 650 autobiographies allows her to paint a richly textured portrait of these [working class] lives.”—Helen McCarthy, History Today“[A]n enthralling read and fluently written. . . . What makes the book often heartbreaking is the picture it gives of an era where so many lives were blighted by the sheer struggle for survival.”—Ivan Hewett, Daily Telegraph“[I]n her remarkable new book . . . Griffin [mines] . . . documents with resourcefulness and acumen, unerringly digging out tiny fragments that, when fitted together, enable her to create a brightly coloured mosaic of a society that has all too frequently been depicted in the black and white of charts and statistics.”—Judith Flanders, Literary Review“Griffin’s work is genuinely revisionist—of an economic history too reliant on quantitative methods . . . [and] shows—not just that the male breadwinner norm was damaging to children’s wellbeing and women’s equality, but also that this truth is still news to many. I hope against hope that this book might open their eyes.”—Susan Pederson, London Review of Books“Griffin has a deep empathy for her subjects and a concern to develop a comprehensive bibliography of working-class autobiography. She has an eye for detail and a skill for building patterns in a way that makes the book accessible.”—Erika Rappaport, Cercles“A detailed, well-thought-out contribution to economic and social history that does an excellent job of bringing the domestic into focus, and it is full of stories worthy of Thomas Hardy.”—Jad Adams, New StatesmanShortlisted for the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing “Griffin’s pioneering research shifts our attention from the generalities of economic growth to the realities of lived experience. Her humane and human book is an outstanding contribution to the history of Victorian Britain.”—Martin Daunton, author of Wealth and Welfare“Bread Winner is a love affair with life-writing. The extraordinary voices of the poor, the ambitious, the mobile and the utterly insignificant of Victorian Britain are brought together to tell us how they got by in a precarious world.”—Lucy Delap, author of Knowing Their Place“A sobering—and important—account of the human dimensions of economic life. . . . Makes a powerful case for why attention to the family is indispensable to any understanding of the Victorian economy.” —Deborah Cohen, author of Family Secrets“Griffin’s startling re-evaluation of the Victorian family, powered by the voices and experiences of the poor themselves, is both rigorous and moving in its human detail and searching analyses.”—Peter Mandler, author of The English National Character
£21.38
Yale University Press Empire of Destruction
Book SynopsisThe first integrative history of Nazi mass killing—showing how policies of mass murder were crucial to the regime’s strategy to win the warTrade Review“In this meticulous, vivid, and grim accounting of the deliberate murder of civilians by Nazi Germany, Kay manages to keep a balance between careful analysis of the evidence and reminders of the horrors of the events he is describing, including individuals’ harrowing recollections of surviving by hiding among dead bodies—often those of their own relatives.”—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs“The book’s great contribution is that it coherently brings together a range of findings, offering a single point of reference for innovative research from the past two decades and beyond. . . . A must-read for anyone teaching classes on the history of World War II, the Nazi period, or twentieth-century Germany more broadly, as well as graduate students studying the Holocaust, Germany, the USSR, or war in twentieth-century Europe.”—Maris Rowe-McCulloch, German History“The book hits the mark due to the fact that it is not individual acts of murder but the entirety of the extermination of civilians by Germans and Austrians in the Second World War that is presented and analysed in an academically rigorous manner. Anyone who wants to understand German and Austrian history— and, beyond that, anyone who wants to understand the human condition—should read the book.”—Hans-Heinrich Nolte, Zeitschrift für Weltgeschichte (Journal of World History)“Kay has produced a truly exceptional book that will be of great interest to general readers and students as well as academics. He presents us with a compendium of Nazi mass killing that both illuminates understudied areas and places them in dialog.”—Waitman Wade Beorn, History: The Journal of the Historical Assocation“This thought-provoking integrative history of Nazi mass killing sets up a new standard for books on Germany’s darkest period.”—Sönke Neitzel, coauthor of Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying“Alex Kay performs a great service by juxtaposing the fates of the different population groups who fell victim to Nazi persecution in a way that clarifies the Nazis’ uncompromising drive to domination. The monstrous brutality and vast scale of Nazi mass murder is laid bare here unequivocally, clearly, and unflinchingly.”—Dan Stone, author of The Liberation of the Camps“Building on his earlier insightful work about Nazi policies of destruction, Alex Kay now offers a powerful and empirically convincing account of German war crimes that, for the first time, brings together the history of the Holocaust and genocidal policies against other population groups in a single analytical frame. Lucid and innovative, Empire of Destruction is a major milestone.”—Robert Gerwarth, author of Hitler’s Hangman“A lucid, informative and chronologically well-organized account of Nazi violence, admirable in its effort to integrate the full range of victims of mass killings.”—Mark Roseman, author of Lives Reclaimed: A Story of Rescue and Resistance in Nazi Germany
£23.75
Yale University Press Grave New World
Book SynopsisTrade Review“A well-written and thought-provoking book.”—Economist"[Grave New World] sets out the argument strongly and clearly. . . . King correctly takes aim at the very idea that there is a single international community with an agreed set of aims and ideas, or even a united west when it comes to important issues such as foreign policy and projecting 'Western values' in the Middle East. . . . The truth is, as usual, somewhere between despair and ebullience."—Alan Beattie, Financial Times"Where it succeeds is the ease with which the reader can digest complex ideas. King is a clear, confident guide, weaving his way through history and joining the dots with panache. This story of our time has a cliff-hanger ending. Will it be a grave new world?"—Philip Aldrick, Times"No economist ever lost his reputation by erring on the side of pessimism. In this book, the already much-lauded, HSBC-based thinker, Stephen D. King, warns the West of a host of political-economic horrors on the horizon. . . . This is a book to open that debate, not close it."—Andrew Marr, Sunday Times"A well-argued and credibly pessimistic book."—Martin Wolf, Financial Times"The era of globalisation might be over, warns this gripping and clearly argued guide to the possible future."—Sunday Times, "Summer Reading 2017"“Well-argued and credibly pessimistic.”— Martin Wolf, Books of the Year 2017: Economics, Financial Times"A timely book, Grave New World is an excellent guide to this new global landscape. The combination of up to the minute economic analysis with a long look back at the lessons of economic history is written in an easy to follow and (mostly) jargon free manner."—Duncan Weldon, ProspectLONGLISTED FOR THE FT-MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017"In a powerful and well-written book that draws on important historical insights, Stephen King explains why globalization is not as secure as many would have led you to believe – especially in a world where old and new political forces, as well as disruptive technologies, are aggressively competing to re-shape relationships, institutions and ideas. This is a must-read book for those wondering about the future functioning of the world economy and what it could entail not just for the global economic order but, also, the well-being of individual countries."—Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Adviser, Allianz SE and author of The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability and Avoiding the Next Collapse"Prophetic, brilliant and disturbing. Required reading to prepare for the world of the (very near) future."—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World"King reminds us both that over millennia there have been previous waves of globalization and that, whilst they may have had different drivers, they fall as well as rise. And the falls have not been pretty. As a world , we have benefited greatly from the current wave over the last seven decades, and would if it continued. But that is far from inevitable and we must understand the longer history and the forces which are now putting this wave in serious question. King's analysis is fascinating and fun in its story telling and profoundly important in its substance."—Lord Nicholas Stern, President of the British Academy, I.G.Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the LSE, and cross-bench member of the House of Lords"What will replace the rules-based order of the past seven decades, as the era of globalization – and of prosperity and relative peace – shudders to an end? Stephen King's compelling and sobering exploration of recent trends makes it clear that the most likely outcomes of the crisis of globalization are deeply troubling. A world without a strong EU, WTO, NATO, and without American leadership, is going to be uncertain, dangerous and impoverished."—Diane Coyle, professor of economics, University of Manchester and author of GDP: A Brief But Affectionate History"Stephen King has written a very important book at a crucial time. His vital historical perspective provides a unique contribution to current debates and his arguments deserve broad consideration."—Lawrence H. Summers, former US Treasury Secretary
£11.99
Yale University Press To Rule Eurasias Waves The New Great Power
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Since the ‘Great Game’ emerged in the nineteenth century, Eurasia has long been seen as the focal point for geopolitical competition, and Gresh’s study breaks new ground in its focus on the naval dimension. . . . This intriguing study will be of interest to naval experts as well as scholars with a research interest in international relations in Eurasian, Chinese, Indian, or Russian foreign policy.”—Elizabeth Wishnick, Slavic Review“It is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in the great power competition.”—Yongzheng Parker Li, Pacific Affairs“Inspired by the grand tradition of geo-strategists such as Alfred Thayer Mahan and Nicholas J. Spykman, Geoffrey Gresh’s To Rule Eurasia’s Waves wanders the seas in search of signs of competition between China, Russia and India. . . . Gresh traveled widely for his study, allowing him to enliven the narrative of great-power jousting with first-hand anecdotes from outside China’s first overseas garrison in Djibouti or the infamous Chinese port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.”—John Delury, Global Asia“To Rule Eurasia’s Waves is extremely thought-provoking and well researched.”—Bruce A. Elleman, Russian Review“[T]his is a well-researched, useful and thought-provoking book. The methodology used to examine the growing great power competition at sea is excellent.”—Mark Bailey, Australian Naval Institute“[To Rule Eurasia’s Waves] repeatedly shows the importance of Eurasia’s narrow, strategic maritime choke points, and how this may increase the possibility of future conflicts in a globalised world. Thus, the major importance of the book is its focus on considering the Eurasian landmass as a whole and linking it to the maritime potential of various political actors in a vast and highly complicated region. With so much of the world’s trade reliant on maritime routes—along with the multidimensional nature of seapower and its impact on international relations and politics—it is certainly an important research topic.”—Mihai Murariu, Europolity“Gresh’s thoughtful and important book . . . focuses on the recent engagement by China in particular in a more assertive maritime capability system and ethos, and provides a geopolitical way to consider the resulting dynamics, one in which India and Russia are other key players.”—Jeremy Black, Erasmus Forum“Geoffrey Gresh’s lucid examination of great power competition for the world’s oceans makes clear that a once-romanticized idea of ‘Eurasia’ merits contemporary understanding in geostrategic terms.”—Alexis Dudden, University of Connecticut“To Rule Eurasia’s Waves is well written, clear, and filled with factual detail and strategic insights. Perhaps most importantly, it addresses an enduring issue for both scholars and policy makers not only in the U.S. but across the world.”—Peter Dombrowski, U.S. Naval War College“This is a superb look at the emerging competition between international maritime peers for sea control and power projection—which will be central to national destiny for the U.S., China, India, and Russia. This unfolding ‘great game’ at sea will deeply influence the geopolitics of the twenty-first century.”—Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (retired), 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and author of Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World’s Oceans“A comprehensive, fresh, and penetrating analysis of a changing Eurasia, using its surrounding seas to project economic and strategic influence for the first time in its history.”—John Curtis Perry, author of Singapore: Unlikely Power
£26.12
Yale University Press Star Stories
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Breathtaking, highly entertaining and understandable for non-specialist readers, who will be amazed by the great variety of tales that the book addresses...An excellent book that shows nicely that “every star story is about us”.”—H. Natalia Sánchez, Journal of Skyscape Archaeology“In this book of stories, Aveni introduces readers to the diversity of constellation mythologies. An entirely original, vividly written, and totally absorbing book by a world expert.”—Simon Mitton, University of Cambridge“Aveni is the star of his own luminous book: casting light in the form of stories – about the sky, time, earthly correspondences and concerns, and human imagination.”—Christopher Vecsey, author of Imagine Ourselves Richly: Mythic Narratives of North American Indians"Aveni skillfully guides us around the awesome night sky through the imagination of different peoples around the world, past and present. A wonderful treasury of cultural astronomy."—Jacqueline Mitton, author of Zoo in the Sky““Connections between Earth Mother and Sky Father are universal. The stories in this book are wise and wonder‑filled to encourage humility and mindfulness.”—Sunny Dooley, Diné Traditional Wisdom Keeper
£23.75
Yale University Press The Story of Nature
Book Synopsis
£22.50
Yale University Press Adventurer
Book SynopsisA fast-paced narrative about the world-famous libertine Giacomo Casanova, from celebrated biographer Leo Damrosch Trade Review“The great virtue of Mr. Damrosch’s biography is that, while never losing critical distance, he fully succeeds in communicating that ‘vivid presentness,’ that ‘joyful eagerness’ for life, which is what keeps us reading Casanova—and reading about him.”—Gregory Dowling, Wall Street Journal“Damrosch’s biography is undoubtedly a huge achievement, at once erudite and vivid. By the end I was almost convinced that Casanova was worthy of such prodigious scholarship.”—John Carey, Sunday Times“[A] stern but measured book. . . . In his stylish, insightful and, yes, one must admit, sexy biography, Damrosch gives us the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.”—Laura Freeman, Times (UK)“Colourful and entertaining. . . . The author is clear-eyed about Casanova’s faults.”—The Economist“There have been many biographies of Casanova before, some of them very good, although they have tended to be thesis driven. . . . [Damrosch] is in turn clear that he is writing a post MeToo Casanova. At the same time, he is also keen that we should understand just what a valuable document Histoire is for scholars working on the 18th century.”—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian“Damrosch’s biography condenses a vast trove of Casanoviana into a well-researched, four-hundred-page narrative that is most engaging on its subject’s catholic interests as an intellectual and on the milieus he traversed as an itinerant charlatan.”—Judith Thurman, New Yorker“Leo Damrosch is a professor emeritus of literature with an emphasis on the 18th century. And he reads Casanova post-Weinstein, so to speak—but not sourly or dogmatically, instead confidently, inspired, admiringly and at the same time critically, passionately. And he can write brilliantly too.”—Jean-Martin Büttner, Basler Zeitung (Basel, Switzerland)“Damrosch’s adroit and balanced narration is never less than enthralling.”—Michael Prodger, New Statesman“Casanova rarely describes his surroundings and omits much on contemporary Venice that he simply takes for granted. Damrosch fills in the details, provides comment on Casanova from third parties, identifies those lovers whose identities Casanova attempted to obscure, adds previously unpublished material from Casanova’s later years, and places the libertine’s transgressions in the context of the mores of the time.”—Peter Neville-Hadley, South China Morning Post“Casanova’s life was in the best of hands with Leo Damrosch’s erudition. He follows Casanova’s escapades and escapes as a vertiginous heroic story. Out of Venice we are thrown into an experiment with the eighteenth century, its tastes, and transgressions, revealing a surprising ‘book of life.’”—Pierre Saint-Amand, author of Suite libertine: Vies du XVIIIe siècle“A pleasure to read, remarkably clear and readable, engaging, vivid, informative—in short, an excellent biography that both delights and instructs.”—April Alliston, Princeton University“The name Casanova has become synonymous with serial seduction—hardly a model in the age of #MeToo. The excellence of Leo Damrosch’s energetic biography is that it reveals so many other dimensions of this remarkable man: pioneering autobiographer, questioner of received ideas, traveler through high culture and low.”—Jonathan Bate, author of Radical Wordsworth: The Poet Who Changed the WorldPraise for Leo Damrosch’s The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age “Damrosch brilliantly brings together the members’ voices. . . . As this stellar book moves from one Club member to another, it comes together as an ambitious venture homing in on the nature of creative stimulus.”—Lyndall Gordon, New York Times Book Review “Engaging and illuminating. . . . In The Club, as the actors appear one by one, surrounding Johnson and Boswell on Damrosch’s stage, we are transported back to a world of conversations, arguments, ideas, and writings.”—Jenny Uglow, New York Review of Books “Beginning in 1764, some of Britain’s future leading lights (including Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and Edward Gibbon) met every Friday night to talk and drink. Damrosch’s magnificent history revives the Club’s creative ferment.”—New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice
£23.75
Yale University Press Latecomer State Formation
Book SynopsisA major contribution to the field of comparative state formation and the scholarship on long-term political development of Latin AmericaTrade Review“This book delivers what Max Weber never did—an empirically convincing positive theory of state formation. You’ll never think about Latin America in the same way again.”—James A. Robinson, University of Chicago “A pathbreaking account of why trade-led state formation in Latin America produced weaker states than those generated by military conflict in Europe and a powerful explanation of divergent trajectories within Latin America. Empirically rich and beautifully written, Latecomer State Formation will be required reading in comparative politics. It is the most important book on state development I have read in many years.”—Steven Levitsky, Harvard University “In this dazzling and conceptually innovative book, Mazzuca distills the core logic of state formation in Latin America. Latecomer State Formation illuminates how global historical forces shape the very size and capacity of modern states. Magisterial and incisive, it is indispensable reading for any comparative scholar of state-building in the post-colonial world.”—Maya Tudor, University of Oxford “Each page explodes with intellectual energy and new insights. It teaches a profound lesson: forming a state is not the same as state-building. Historically rich and conceptually innovative, this is the best book I have read on state-building in over a decade.”—Daniel Ziblatt, Harvard University “Trade makes states, but it makes weaker states than war. Mazzuca sheds new light on why Latin American politicians formed states that were territorially solid yet institutionally incapable. In our collective quest to understand non-European states, Mazzuca’s far-reaching study helps us draw lessons from Latin America as much as from Europe.”—Dan Slater, University of Michigan
£40.38
Yale University Press Palaces of Pleasure
Book SynopsisTrade Review“The author is a serious academic, his researches oceanic and his arguments exhaustive, his subject as much economic as social history [. . .] Readers of this scholarly but intoxicating book will share the author's glee.”—John Walsh, The Sunday Times“Lively and superbly researched history” - Paula Byrne, The Times“As Lee Jackson demonstrates in his beguiling study of the 19th-century entertainment industry, pleasure is, at bottom, a deeply serious business, and the sharply opposed forces at work in Victorian society were just as apparent on the sea-front of England’s south coast as in a House of Commons committee room the great strength of his book lies in its attention to detail.”—D. J. Taylor, Wall Street Journal“This fascinating history shows how . . . new venues flourished, along with music halls and seaside resorts, thanks to a growing middle class, favorable legislation, and shifting morals.”—New Yorker“[An] engaging account of Victorian mass entertainment [. . .] fascinating background on the rise of London’s gin palaces, which created panic in middle-class observers when they noticed that the gaudy decor of these working-class venues – all shiny plate glass and flaring gas jets – was hard to distinguish from their own favourite West End shops” —Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, The Guardian“A fascinating book exploring the history of light entertainment in this country.” – David Leafe, Irish Daily Mail“[Jackson] is wonderfully comprehensive and engagingly readable”— Andrew Lycett, Spectator“Jackson creates an unfamiliar picture: gone are the stern, upright, moral men and women of popular imagination. Instead, the Victorians are revealed with all their foibles and desires.” — Joanne Cormac, BBC History Magazine “Lee Jackson’s authoritative and fascinating book makes a nonsense of the claim that the 21st century is the age of mass instant gratification.”—Alexander Larman, The Observer“Lee Jackson is an expert on the Victorian era and he brings the pleasure palaces of the title ably and vividly to life, recreating a world that is all too often ignored in favour of the stereotype of covered table legs and unsmiling monarchs.” — All About History“This fascinating book is a guide to the pleasure domes of 19th-century England, most of which would have been closed if campaigners for moral improvement had got their way” —Clive Aslet, Country Life“This entertaining book provides a valuable insight into just what our Victorian ancestors got up to in their leisure time when they had more free time and money in their pockets” —Karen Clare, Family Tree Magazine“In this wide-ranging survey of Victorian fun Jackson [. . .] takes the reader on a journey through gin palaces, music halls, seaside resorts and football stadia to counter the narrative that the Victorians were all about moral asceticism and po-faced imperialism.” —Charlie Connelly, The New European“It turns out that the Victorians were very much amused. Lee Jackson's entertaining chronicle of 19th- century entertainment depicts a riot of laughter and hi-jinks.”—Oldie“[A] readable and immensely informative discussion of Victorian popular attractions”—The Victorian Web“Jackson’s focus is predominantly metropolitan but his conclusions about developing London amusements are supported by reference to other towns and cities demonstrating a fascinating overlap of offerings not to mention personnel”— Kathryn Ferry, The Victorian“[A] readable and immensely informative discussion of Victorian popular attractions and venues” – Jacqueline Banerjee, Cercles“There is a sense, throughout Jackson’s book, of the sheer bustling energy of our nineteenth-century forebears when it came to finding ways to spend their leisure time” — Mark Jones, Albion“Jackson writes well, has researched widely, has an eye for telling detail, aided by 26 illustrations, and has something new to add on each of his topics.”—Hugh Cunningham, Cultural and Social History “Jackson’s narrative is appropriately entertaining, adding much colorful detail to a fairly well-known history.”—Robert Snape, Journal of British Studies“The industrialisation of the modern world is, all too often, described entirely in terms of coal, iron and desperate factory lives. In Palaces of Pleasure, by contrast, Lee Jackson has produced a detailed look at the industrialisation of pleasure: how the Victorians turned enjoyment into Big Business.”—Judith Flanders, author of The Victorian City“A treasure-chest of a book. Queen Victoria may not have been amused – but her subjects certainly knew where and how to party.”—Liza Picard, author of Victorian London“It is a pleasure to stagger (in print, of course) from pub to gin-shop to music hall with Lee Jackson as your companion. This is outstanding scholarship that changes our notions of 19th-century entertainment. It is original, thorough, accessible and fully explains the commercial underpinnings of change in this sector across the century. ”—Sarah Wise, author of The Blackest Streets“Inspired and fascinating. Jackson leads the reader on an incredible journey and breaks new ground in our understanding of the pioneering entrepreneurs who created mass entertainment for the Victorians.”—Alex Werner, Lead Curator, Museum of London
£11.99
Yale University Press Yale French Studies Number 139 Photography and
Book SynopsisThe first Yale French Studies issue on photography, examining French photography's place in art, identity, and society through a lens of diversity and interdisciplinary investigation
£52.25
Yale University Press A World Out of Reach Dispatches from Life under
Book SynopsisSelections from the Pandemic Files published by The Yale Review, the preeminent journal of literature and ideasTrade Review“Here diverse contributors, from Zimbabwe to Rikers to Yale itself, discuss their fear for loved ones, their adjustment to new conditions, and their research into historical precedents (AIDS) or structural inequalities behind the pandemic.”—Alexander Wells, Exberliner“We are still making sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. A World Out of Reach gives us a path towards understanding by offering direction from diverse domains: personal vignettes, poetry, law, public health and history. This multicultural compendium is unflinching in depicting what we face while giving hope that the human spirit is resilient and determined.”—Jerome Groopman, M. D., Harvard Medical School, author of The Measure of Our Days “A World Out of Reach is a necessary and illuminating archive. . . . Invaluable and absorbing.”—Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings: An Asian-American Reckoning"'Who are we—who were we—in the pandemic?' Meghan O'Rourke asks in the introduction to this remarkable new anthology. A World Out of Reach is an astonishing look at the early months of COVID-19.”—Jess Row, author of White Flights: Race, Fiction, and the American Imagination “This book will be valuable for decades to come for anyone who wants to study, analyze, or simply contemplate what happened to America and the world in 2020.”—Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life “This absorbing and impressive gathering—broad in cultural and geographic range—beautifully integrates the immediate with long-range views. This is a special collection.”—Langdon Hammer, Yale University
£11.89
Yale University Press Merchants
Book SynopsisA new history of English trade and empire—revealing how a tightly woven community of merchants was the true origin of globalized BritainTrade Review“Wonderfully wide-ranging and deeply-researched.”—William Dalrymple, Financial Times“An assured study of the merchants who changed England’s relationship with the world in the century after 1550. . . . Edmond Smith’s analysis of merchant activity has clear relevance for contemporary debate about Britain’s role in the world, and how to understand global economic change.”—Times Literary Supplement“A very welcome book. . . . The argument that merchants’ cooperation, skills, and adaptable corporate structures were essential to England’s global trade and nascent empire is both compelling and important.”—Eleanor Hubbard, Journal of Modern History“This exceptional, scholarly book is written with verve and style and will immerse readers in a vibrant world glimpsed only occasionally in plays and histories. It will widen their scope of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries not just geographically but culturally and socially. . . . A colourful, witty treat, from the pages of which waft exotic spices and sea salt.”—Steven Veerapen, Aspects of History, “Books of 2021”“Merchants is a fine book, full of humanity and insight. . . . This excellent new book . . . is not economic history as we know it [and] Smith uses his vivid reconstruction of the lives of merchants to make an important point about the birth of capitalism: it depended on culture, on institutions, on people getting together and doing things. The blind force of the market was just one part of the story; the meeting, greeting, schmoozing, learning, counting and thinking undertaken by the merchants themselves were integral to the birth of England as an international trading power.”—Literary Review“This scholarly yet highly readable—indeed, page turning—text is certainly timely. . . . Throughout, Smith demonstrates an exemplary handling of sources, weaving together an enormous variety (both printed and manuscript) into a delightful narrative. The resultant history of the trade—or art—of merchandising becomes a wide and compelling picture of innumerable interesting personalities trading, arguing, and organising their communities across place and time.’”—Aspects of History“The book sets out its stall to demonstrate how the contacts, community, and astonishing confidence of the merchant class were so central to the development of early modern England and its subsequent role on the world stage.”—Helen Tovey, Family Tree Magazine“Packed with detailed archival evidence and brimming with palpable stories of the lives of English merchants, this is a vivid and telling account of what it meant to be a merchant in sixteenth and seventeenth century England, and how that simple fact changed not only England but also the world forever.”—Business History“An invaluable addition to scholarship of the early modern period. Merchants gives a fresh and vital insight into the human relationships behind the vast networks of trade and diplomacy which drove England’s development as a global force.”—Emily Stevenson, Cultural and Social History“Smith makes an important contribution to the field of early modern trade and trading companies, and Merchants should be read by any scholars interested in the history of capitalism, globalization, and corporations.”—Jason C. White, Journal of British Studies“At last an account of early modern merchant communities that balances the cold, hard reality of profit and investment with the intangible capital of trust, sociability and human connection that drove English trade in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sharply observed, innovatively analysed, and always accessible, this is a book that demands the attention of anyone who is interested in the traffic between English trade and imperialism in this early, foundational period.”—Nandini Das, University of Oxford“A terrific achievement. Written with pace and panache, Merchants shows how in the space of 100 years England’s merchants went from a group of largely irrelevant traders on the fringes of Europe to international empire builders. Managing to combine intricate detail of mercantile innovations within a broad sweep of English commercial relations from the Americas to Japan, Smith is brilliant at recording the credits and debits of this most decisive period in English commercial history. A superb book.”—Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps“‘Mere merchants’ as individuals, but as a class they shaped modern English history. This is a rich and deeply fascinating account which addresses fundamental questions about England’s rise to commercial power.”—James Evans, author of Merchant Adventurers“Merchants is an important new study of the men who, for better or worse, laid the foundations of England’s first commercial empire. Drawing on impeccable research, Smith shows how it was corporate institutions and collaborative practices that turned England from European backwater into global power.”—Phil Withington, author of Society in Early Modern England
£26.12
Yale University Press Saudi Arabia A Modern History
Book Synopsis
£22.50
Yale University Press Race and the Scottish Enlightenment
£47.50
Yale University Press The Bhutto Dynasty
Book SynopsisA major new investigation into the Bhutto family, examining their influence in Pakistan from the colonial era to the present dayTrade Review“In this intimate portrait of both the Bhutto family and Pakistani politics, BennettJones delivers a complex Shakespearean tale of loyalty and feuding, insecurity and arrogance, and jealousy and solidarity spanning three generations.”—Foreign Affairs, Best Books of 2020“Bennett-Jones masterfully weaves together the disparate strands of the modern, cosmopolitan, and urbane Bhutto with his strong nationalistic streak on the one hand and a socialist yearning on the other.”—Shuja Nawaz, Friday Times“Fluently written, impeccably researched and never short of extraordinary insights, this is a landmark publication.”—Farzana Shaikh, Literary Review“Many readers will turn with anticipation to Bennett-Jones’s assessment of the Bhutto dynasty’s future, to which he devotes the whole of his concluding chapter.”—Commonwealth Lawyer“An excellent study that is far more than a chronicle of the Bhutto family, although that history is fascinating enough. Bennett-Jones’ book provides the reader with a superb case study of civil military relations in the modern state.”—R. Gerald Hughes and Ryan Shaffer, Intelligence and National Security“A gripping and timely take on a family and a country—past, present and future.”—Mishal Husain, broadcaster for BBC News“Bennett-Jones has repeatedly shown himself to be one of the most perceptive, impartial and knowledgeable journalists reporting Pakistan. Rigorous, authoritative and readable, full of both insights and investigation, this new work is an important addition to the literature of a very important, and often very misunderstood, state.”—Jason Burke, author of Al-Qaeda“Blending the Bhutto family’s eventful history with that of the broader political developments, Bennett-Jones’ exploration is riveting and thought-provoking in equal measure.”—Sarah Ansari, author of Boundaries of Belonging
£999.99
Yale University Press Blooming Flowers
Book SynopsisTrade Review“It’s not about gardening, nor is it about the structure or origins of plants, but a sort of engaging miscellany . . . There is much to be learnt on almost every page.”—Richard Eyre, Sunday Times“This lively and well-researched book is a garland of delights . . . Even among familiar flowers Boddy finds unexpected stories and connections.”—Peter Parker, Spectator“This joyful, elegant study of how poets, philosophers and politicians have seen meaning in various types of flowers—from the Cold War symbol of “Daisy Girl” to D H Lawrence’s verdict on the daffodil (“ruffled birds on their perches”)—is a tour-de-force.”—Iona McLaren, Daily Telegraph“This illustrated guide unearths the history and influence of iconic flowers from across the globe, from Spring daffodils to autumn chrysanthemums.”—Sophie Hannam and Caroline Wheater, Homes & Antiques“A book to dip into little and often, which serves up a year’s worth of intellectual stimulation [and] sensual pleasure . . . the breadth of references is quite simply breathtaking”—Jodie Jones, Garden Illustrated“There is something of interest for everyone, and it is charmingly illustrated too . . . [I]t gives joy to be ‘locked down’ with this book.”—Margaret Barrie, Flora Magazine“From the meaning of carnations in Sex and the City to the use of sunflowers in the cleanup of Chernobyl, from Henry VIII’s ban on saffron dye in Ireland to the modernist reinventions of roses, this is no ordinary flower book, and Kasia Boddy is no ordinary writer.”—Ali Smith, author of Spring“Unlike any book I have read on flowers. We get a superb range of cultural information and imagery from ancient times right through to the very modern, and from all parts of the world. Fascinating.”—Margaret Willes, author of The Gardens of the British Working Class“There is no doubt that anyone perusing the pages will view afresh the blooming flowers in their garden . . . A compelling, contextualising tapestry written with both vivacity and analytical rigour.”—Chris Beardshaw, Garden Designer and Broadcaster“Blooming Flowers is a gorgeously lush evocation of twelve different flowers, each one steeped in its own stories, cultural associations and botanical wonder. It is not just a sunny celebration of everything floral—we learn how intimately flowers are entwined with global warming, transatlantic slavery, US imperialism and nuclear radioactivity—but this is a beautifully written book, full of exquisite detail, startling facts and laced with just the right amount of poetry.”—Peter Fiennes, author of Oak and Ash and Thorn
£12.00
Yale University Press Adventurer
Book SynopsisA fast-paced narrative about the world-famous libertine Giacomo Casanova, from celebrated biographer Leo Damrosch Trade Review“The great virtue of Mr. Damrosch’s biography is that, while never losing critical distance, he fully succeeds in communicating that ‘vivid presentness,’ that ‘joyful eagerness’ for life, which is what keeps us reading Casanova—and reading about him.”—Gregory Dowling, Wall Street Journal“Damrosch’s biography is undoubtedly a huge achievement, at once erudite and vivid. By the end I was almost convinced that Casanova was worthy of such prodigious scholarship.”—John Carey, Sunday Times“[A] stern but measured book. . . . In his stylish, insightful and, yes, one must admit, sexy biography, Damrosch gives us the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.”—Laura Freeman, Times (UK)“Colourful and entertaining. . . . The author is clear-eyed about Casanova’s faults.”—The Economist“There have been many biographies of Casanova before, some of them very good, although they have tended to be thesis driven. . . . [Damrosch] is in turn clear that he is writing a post MeToo Casanova. At the same time, he is also keen that we should understand just what a valuable document Histoire is for scholars working on the 18th century.”—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian“Damrosch’s biography condenses a vast trove of Casanoviana into a well-researched, four-hundred-page narrative that is most engaging on its subject’s catholic interests as an intellectual and on the milieus he traversed as an itinerant charlatan.”—Judith Thurman, New Yorker“Leo Damrosch is a professor emeritus of literature with an emphasis on the 18th century. And he reads Casanova post-Weinstein, so to speak—but not sourly or dogmatically, instead confidently, inspired, admiringly and at the same time critically, passionately. And he can write brilliantly too.”—Jean-Martin Büttner, Basler Zeitung (Basel, Switzerland)“Damrosch’s adroit and balanced narration is never less than enthralling.”—Michael Prodger, New Statesman“Casanova rarely describes his surroundings and omits much on contemporary Venice that he simply takes for granted. Damrosch fills in the details, provides comment on Casanova from third parties, identifies those lovers whose identities Casanova attempted to obscure, adds previously unpublished material from Casanova’s later years, and places the libertine’s transgressions in the context of the mores of the time.”—Peter Neville-Hadley, South China Morning Post“Casanova’s life was in the best of hands with Leo Damrosch’s erudition. He follows Casanova’s escapades and escapes as a vertiginous heroic story. Out of Venice we are thrown into an experiment with the eighteenth century, its tastes, and transgressions, revealing a surprising ‘book of life.’”—Pierre Saint-Amand, author of Suite libertine: Vies du XVIIIe siècle“A pleasure to read, remarkably clear and readable, engaging, vivid, informative—in short, an excellent biography that both delights and instructs.”—April Alliston, Princeton University“The name Casanova has become synonymous with serial seduction—hardly a model in the age of #MeToo. The excellence of Leo Damrosch’s energetic biography is that it reveals so many other dimensions of this remarkable man: pioneering autobiographer, questioner of received ideas, traveler through high culture and low.”—Jonathan Bate, author of Radical Wordsworth: The Poet Who Changed the WorldPraise for Leo Damrosch’s The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age “Damrosch brilliantly brings together the members’ voices. . . . As this stellar book moves from one Club member to another, it comes together as an ambitious venture homing in on the nature of creative stimulus.”—Lyndall Gordon, New York Times Book Review “Engaging and illuminating. . . . In The Club, as the actors appear one by one, surrounding Johnson and Boswell on Damrosch’s stage, we are transported back to a world of conversations, arguments, ideas, and writings.”—Jenny Uglow, New York Review of Books “Beginning in 1764, some of Britain’s future leading lights (including Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and Edward Gibbon) met every Friday night to talk and drink. Damrosch’s magnificent history revives the Club’s creative ferment.”—New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice
£16.99
Hachette Books Island of the Blue Foxes
Book SynopsisThe story of the world''s largest, longest, and best financed scientific expedition of all time, triumphantly successful, gruesomely tragic, and never before fully told The immense 18th-century scientific journey, variously known as the Second Kamchatka Expedition or the Great Northern Expedition, from St. Petersburg across Siberia to the coast of North America, involved over 3,000 people and cost Peter the Great over one-sixth of his empire''s annual revenue. Until now recorded only in academic works, this 10-year venture, led by the legendary Danish captain Vitus Bering and including scientists, artists, mariners, soldiers, and laborers, discovered Alaska, opened the Pacific fur trade, and led to fame, shipwreck, and one of the most tragic and ghastly trials of suffering in the annals of maritime and arctic history.
£24.30
Hachette Books Unremitting
Book SynopsisFrom the former USA Today journalist and author of The Chosen Few, the untold story of The Battle of Ramadi, which led to a war that would last seven years, claim thousands of lives and evolve into a traumatic legacy for the US military and its veterans. Their nickname was the Magnificent Bastards and they were warriors without a war. Kept stateside after 9/11 and left floating in the Pacific during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the thousand Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment were told they were bench-warmers as America sent troops into combat. But war was waiting. Iraq would explode in violence exactly one year after a U.S. led Coalition swept into Baghdad and the Magnificent Bastards would find themselves at the epicenter. When the battalion first arrived in the provincial capital of Ramadi, Iraq, in February of 2004, they were thrust into a savage battle where hundreds of insurgents organized a three-day offensive aimed at driving the Marines out of their city of 400,000. In Unremitting, journalist Gregg Zoroya tells the fast-paced, dramatic, and meticulously-researched story of the battle that truly began the Iraq War. Capturing the heroism, courage, and brutality of battle, Zoroya explores this vital part of American military history and beyond, showing how Ramadi was not just a game-changer for the Iraq War, but also for the marines, sailors, and soldiers who fought it, the trauma remaining with survivors more than two decades later.
£25.20
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc The Amusement Park 900 Years of Thrills and
Book SynopsisStep right up! The Amusement Park is a rich, anecdotal history that begins nine centuries ago with the pleasure gardens of Europe and England and ends with the rise and fall and rise again of some of the most elaborate parks in the world. It''s a history told largely through the stories of the colorful, sometimes hedonistic characters who built them and features, among many, showmen like Joseph and Nicholas Schenck and Marcus Loew, railroad barons such as Andrew Mellon and Henry E. Huntington, and the men who ultimately destroyed the parks including Robert Moses and Fred Trump. The many gifted artisans and craftspeople who brought these parks to life are also featured, along with an amazing cast of supporting players from Al Capone to Annie Oakley. And, of course, there are the rides, whose marvels of engineering and heart-stopping thrills are celebrated at full throttle. The parks and fairs featured include the 1893 Chicago World''s Fair, Coney Island, Steeplechase Park, Dreaml
£25.50
Hodder & Stoughton Trafalgar
Book SynopsisTwo hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte dominated Europe and threatened Britain with invasion. Against him stood the Royal Navy and the already legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson.On 21 October 1805, a massive naval battle off the coast of Spain decided mastery of the seas. Then, over the following days and nights, the battleships and their exhausted crews endured a gale of awesome fury. As Captain Charles Tyler wrote to his wife Margaret, ''the wind blew a perfect storm''.The authors of the bestselling FINEST HOUR tell this story not only through the diaries, letters and memoirs of the men who wrestled with the enemy and the elements, but also through the eyes of their wives and children. Whether you are already familiar with this period of history or are coming to it for the first time, TRAFALGAR is a book that will enthral as it illuminates an event whose repercussions still echo today.Trade ReviewIf you want just one book that will show how this flood of new material can transform a story you thought you knew, while at the same time keeping you gripped like a page-turner novel, buy TRAFALGAR by Tim Clayton and Phil Craig. * Observer *Excellent...comprehensively researched, vividly written and judiciously argued. Wonderfully detailed pen portraits...Much new material from French and Spanish sources gives a rounded picture...compelling. Clayton and Craig have written about conflict before and it shows. * Saul David, Daily Telegraph *One of the book's greatest strengths is the attention paid to the "perfect storm" that began only hours after the fighting had stopped and gave rise to incredible acts of heroism and self-sacrifice. * Glasgow Herald *Clayton and Craig...have found, among a great trove of participants' vivid letters and diaries, support for a revisionist approach to the Trafalgar legend * The Sunday Times *The most fluent account of Trafalgar for a generation * Ships Telegraph *Vivid and compelling...an account of significant importance. * Naval Review *A magnificent account of the battle itself, including a detailed analysis of the storm that might well have wiped out the British fleet after victory had been won, had it not been for superb seamanship. * Guardian *'My book of the year is TRAFALGAR ... a gripping account of the events of l805. The characters from both the British and Combined fleets are drawn with such understanding and sympathy that the full horror of the battle became all the more vivid as many of those I'd come to admire were sliced in half by cannon balls or disembowelled by chain-shot and splinters. the story that followed was as monstruos as the fighting that preceded it. The tactics and movements of sea battles are notoriously difficult to explain, but the authors draw the geography of the action with expert clarity.' * Harry Enfield's in Mail on Sunday *
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group Life Among the Pirates
Book SynopsisWhat were pirates really like? How much, if any, of the piratical stereotype - of a dashingly handsome man with an eye-patch, peg-leg and a parrot on his shoulder - is based on the documented fact.In this revealing and highly original study David Cordingly sets out to discover the truth behind the piracy myth, exploring its enduring and extraordinary appeal, and answering such questions as: why did men become pirates? Were there any women pirates? How much money did they make from plundering and looting? And were pirates really dashing highwaymen of the Seven Seas or just vicious cut-throats and robbers?From Long John Silver to Henry Morgan, Robert Louis Stevenson to J.M. Barrie, LIFE AMONG THE PIRATES examines all the heavyweights of history and literature and presents the essential survey of this fascinating phenomenon.Trade ReviewA comprehensive and colourful account of seafaring life. * MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS *Readable, wideranging and entertaining * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Fascinating * GUARDIAN *Entertaining and popular but also serious in its intent * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Splendidly illuminates the blurred distinctions between pirates, privateers and those who attacked ships in the name of their sovereigns * EVENING STANDARD *Excellent * TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT *Cordingly knows all there is to know about his subject * DAILY TELEGRAPH *There is much to entertain and fascinate in all sections of Cordingly's readable book * GLASGOW HERALD *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Edwardians
Book SynopsisFollowing on from the success of A N. Wilson's THE VICTORIANS, Roy Hattersley's major new appraisal of Edwardian Britain is his finest book to dateTrade ReviewInformative and always easy to read . . . Hattersley has done a fine job * Andrew Lycett, SUNDAY TIMES *Well written and wide ranging book . . . his account of the period is consistently enjoyable * Piers Brendon, DAILY TELEGRAPH *Hattersley makes a riveting case . . . a bold, sweeping synthesis . . . full of gleaming nuggets and offbeat points redolent of hours hunched over neglected papers. It is no surprise to readers of his journalism that it is superbly written, gleefully but wryly highlighting the absurdities and pomposities of the age . . . Hattersley's prose flows smooth as the port at a Sandringham shooting party. What makes this book is not just the quality of its social and political analysis, but the breadth of detail and the quality of its gossipy anecdotes * Colin Donald, HERALD *[A] solid book . . . Hattersley writes entertainingly . . . He is a clear and vigorous writer * Anne Chisholm, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group Human Frontiers
Book Synopsis''A fascinating book . . . Bhaskar is a reassuringly positive and often witty guide''Observer''A fascinating, must-read book covering a vast array of topics from the arts to the sciences, technology to policy. This is a brilliant and thought-provoking response to one of the most critical questions of our age: how we will come up with the next generation of innovation and truly fresh ideas?''Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind and Google VP''Have big ideas and big social and economic changes disappeared from the scene? Michael Bhaskar''s Human Frontiers is the best look at these all-important questions.''Tyler Cowen, author of The Great Stagnation and The Complacent Class''Michael Bhaskar explores the disturbing possibility that a complacent, cautious civilization has lost ambition and is slowly sinking into technological stagnation rather than accelerating into a magical future. He is calling foTrade ReviewA fascinating, must-read book covering a vast array of topics from the arts to the sciences, technology to policy. This is a brilliant and thought-provoking response to one of the most critical questions of our age: how we will come up with the next generation of innovation and truly fresh ideas? -- Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder, DeepMind; Google VPHave 'Big Ideas' and big social and economic changes disappeared from the scene? Michael Bhaskar's HUMAN FRONTIERS is the best look at these all-important questions -- Tyler Cowen, author of THE GREAT STAGNATION and THE COMPLACENT CLASSMichael Bhaskar explores the disturbing possibility that a complacent, cautious civilisation has lost ambition, and is slowly sinking into technological stagnation, rather than accelerating into a magical future. He is calling for bold, adventurous innovators to go big again. A fascinating book -- Matt Ridley, author of HOW INNOVATION WORKSMichael Bhaskar deftly delivers big ideas about big ideas ... HUMAN FRONTIERS is an admiring stroll through the history of ideas and an impressive display of innovation erudition -- Safi Bahcall, author of LOONSHOTS: NURTURE THE CRAZY IDEAS THAT WIN WARS, CURE DISEASES, AND TRANSFORM INDUSTRIESMichael Bhaskar's HUMAN FRONTIERS is a greatly welcome contrast to both doom-and-gloom and overly boosterish views of humanity's future. It combines a masterful breadth of social perspective with an impressive grasp of our problems and potential solutions. Visionary and convincing -- Christine Peterson, co-founder, Foresight InstituteBhaskar wants us to believe that big ideas, sometimes seized upon in an instant, propel humankind's progress. The thesis is boldly and elegantly stated; the examples work in its favor. This important book demands our answer -- Margaret C. Jacob, University of California, Los AngelesSweeping in scope and thought-provoking throughout, HUMAN FRONTIERS is vital for understanding every aspect of Big Ideas: their origins, their role in societal progress, and how we can make more of them ... A paean to curiosity, HUMAN FRONTIERS is essential reading for understanding how science and progress works, and how it can work in the future -- Samuel Arbesman, Scientist in Residence, Lux Capital; author of OVERCOMPLICATED and THE HALF-LIFE OF FACTSThe world's big ideas are slowing down, but it needn't be that way. Bhaskar brilliantly shows how we can do better. If you loved books like HUMANKIND and SAPIENS, you'll love HUMAN FRONTIERS -- David Bodanis, author of EINSTEIN’S GREATEST MISTAKE and THE ART OF FAIRNESSIdeas through history often reconfigure our world. But is this vital process slowing down and stagnating? With infectious enthusiasm and verve, Michael Bhaskar addresses these questions by taking us on an exhilarating grand tour of the history and future of big ideas. Bhaskar's inspiring call to arms, shining a bright and unflinching light on the challenges we face, is itself a reason to feel hopeful -- Ziyad Marar, author of JUDGED: THE VALUE OF BEING MISUNDERSTOODFull of fascinating stories and surprising insights, HUMAN FRONTIERS is one of the most exciting and thought-provoking books I've read in years. Only a genuine polymath like Michael Bhaskar could write a book as big and bold as this -- Roman Krznaric, author of THE GOOD ANCESTOR: HOW TO THINK LONG TERM IN A SHORT-TERM WORLDthe most important book that I have read in a long time. With a broadside of explosive arguments, superb examples that effortlessly jump from big science to literature and back again, and an unputdownable writing style, Michael Bhaskar explains why our civilization appears to have run out of big ideas. An essential read -- Mark Piesing, journalist and author of N-4 DOWN: THE HUNT FOR THE ARCTIC AIRSHIP ITALIAA brilliant, and brilliantly readable, survey of the frontiers of human ingenuity and how we might, just, think our way through the big challenges of the century ahead -- Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan, UCLA fascinating book . . . Bhaskar is a reassuringly positive and often witty guide * Observer *
£10.99
Taylor & Francis International History of the Twentieth Century
Book SynopsisNow in its fourth edition, this highly successful global history of the twentieth century is written by four prominent international historians for first-year undergraduate level and upward.Using their thematic and regional expertise, the authors have produced an authoritative yet accessible and seamless account of the history of international relations in the last century, covering events in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. They focus on the history of relations between states and on the broad ideological, economic and cultural forces that have influenced the evolution of international politics over the last 120 years. The fourth edition is thoroughly updated to take account of the most recent research and global developments, including new material on the impact of the Trump administration on international politics, the rise of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping and the origins of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.The book is supported by a fully revised companion website including links to further resources and self-testing material, which can be found at www.routledgelearning.com/internationalhistory20c.
£34.99
Taylor & Francis Warfare in the Global Middle Ages
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£37.99
