General and world history Books

Book SynopsisAn epic history of how the so-called ''barbarians of the steppes'' shaped the modern world. A rollercoaster of historical narration' History Today''This is a history of epic scope that brings together the empires of the steppe land with the caravan cities of the Silk Road and imperial China'' Martyn Rady, author of The Middle Kingdoms''A sweeping account of forty-five centuries of nomadic tribes'' Gillian Tett, Financial Times''Flips the script to present the booted, felt-capped, leather-trousered and kaftan-wearing nomads as the bearers of civilisation . . . Harl''s exhaustively researched book will ensure they rejoin the narrative of world history'' Marc David Baer, GuardianThe barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These tribes produced some of the world's greatest conquerors: Attila the Hun, Geng

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Book SynopsisProfessor Mark Galeotti is one of the foremost Russia-watchers today, who travels there regularly to teach, lecture, talk to his contacts, and generally watch the unfolding story of the Putin era. Based in London, he is Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, having previously headed its Centre for European Security, and was before then Professor of Global Affairs at NYU. A prolific author on Russia and security affairs, he frequently acts as consultant to various government, commercial and law-enforcement agencies.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2017 Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize for nature writingThe natural history of the Western Front during the First World War'If it weren't for the birds, what a hell it would be.'During the Great War, soldiers lived inside the ground, closer to nature than many humans had lived for centuries. Animals provided comfort and interest to fill the blank hours in the trenches - bird-watching, for instance, was probably the single most popular hobby among officers. Soldiers went fishing in flooded shell holes, shot hares in no-man's land for the pot, and planted gardens in their trenches and billets. Nature was also sometimes a curse - rats, spiders and lice abounded, and disease could be biblical.But above all, nature healed, and, despite the bullets and blood, it inspired men to endure. Where Poppies Blow is the unique story of how nature gave the British soldiers of the Great War a reason to fight, and the will to go on.Trade Review'What makes Where Poppies Blow so freshly moving is the picture it paints of the reverence, love and kindness the natural world can engender, even in the most hellish conditions; as Philip Gosse of the Royal Army Medical Corps called it, "medicine for the mind and solace for the soul"' -- Melissa Harrison * Financial Times *'In Where Poppies Blow, the nature writer, historian and farmer presents us with a beautiful and meticulous account of soldiers' relationship with nature . . . This book, which recounts the lives of our frontline soldiers from the ground up, is a truly wondrous and original work with an appeal far beyond military history' -- Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express Christmas Books *'Wonderful, beautifully written and often deeply moving' -- Lawrence James * The Times *'Makes an important contribution to the literature by studying the British soldiers' relationship with Nature . . . Moving, strangely life-affirming' -- Clive Aslet * Country Life *'Manages what might have seemed impossible: to find a new perspective on the Great War' -- Mark Smith * Glasgow Herald *'From traumatized, trench-bound British soldiers caught up in the carnage of the First World War, birdwatching and botany offered solace. So reveals John Lewis-Stempel in this riveting study drawing on verse, letters and field notes by men who served, from zoologist Dene Fry to poet Edward Thomas . . . A remarkable picture of a human bloodbath that took place amid phenomenally rich biodiversity' * Nature *'Deeply moving . . . I finished this book marvelling at nature's healing power' -- Jonathan Tulloch * The Tablet *'But natural history did not go into suspense while war was waged. Where Poppies Blow notes that many of the Edwardian boys who ended up on the Western Front still collected birds' eggs and butterflies' -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *'Memorable' * Spectator *'One of the best nature writers to have come along in many years, John Lewis-Stempel turns his attention here to the relationship between soldiers and nature on the Western Front during the First World War' -- John Preston * Daily Mail Christmas Books *'Nature writer and military historian John Lewis-Stempel has created a eulogy to the flora and fauna that helped men soldier on during the First World War . . . Where Poppies Blow is full of fascinating (sometimes heart-wrenching) information about the role of nature and animals in this brutal war' -- Rachel Stiles * BBC Countryfile *'This charming book reminds us that flora and fauna weren't suspended by the First World War' - 5 stars * The Daily Telegraph *Unmissable...John Lewis Stempel is both a working farmer and a prizewinnig author. In early July, i heard him speak on first world war soldiers and their love of flowers and animals. I went straight off and read his excellent book, Where Poppies Blow, and I defy you not to be moved by its chapters on flowers and dogs. -- Robin Lane Fox * FINANCIAL TIMES *Shows how important birdwatching was to officers in particular, and how this in turn fed back into post-war ornithology. It's an enthralling, and often moving, read, that sets the study and enjoyment of wildlife in a much wider context. * BIRD WATCHING *Ultimately, the depth and power of Where Poppies Blow is impossible to convey. It eludes review, but it begs to be read. -- John Andrews * CAUGHT BY THE RIVER *

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Book Synopsis''Lively'' THE TIMES''Engrossing'' THE SPECTATOR''Stunning'' WOMAN & HOME''Marvellous'' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINEThrough ancient art, evocative myth, intriguing archaeological discoveries and philosophical explorations, Bettany Hughes takes us on a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, and why this immortal goddess is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is both the remarkable story of one of antiquity''s most potent forces, and the story of human desire - how it transforms who we are and how we behave.Trade ReviewErudition, with an erotic frisson ... In this lively, wide-ranging book, Hughes paints a portrait of a darker Venus, a violent, vengeful "shape-shifting" Venus, with salt in her hair and surf at her feet -- Laura Freeman * THE TIMES *An intriguing tale that tracks the gorgeous and omnipresent Venus of western civilisation back 6,000 years ... engrossing -- Charlotte Hobson * THE SPECTATOR *A marvellous biography of a goddess that delves beneath her passive modern image ... Hughes's account of Aphrodite's early evolution forms the most fascinating sections of this superb book -- Catherine Nixey * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Explore the mythological Goddess of Love with this stunning book by historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes. She looks at the origins, archaeological revelations and philosophical implications of the woman known to the Romans as Venus, and to the Greeks as Aphrodite * WOMAN & HOME *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe human mind soaks up the images and narratives conveyed by the press, but they are a highly nonrandom sample of reality: the lurid, the sudden, the photogenic. Smil's title says it all: to understand the world, you need to follow the trendlines, not the headlines. This is a compelling, fascinating, and most important, realistic portrait of the world and where it's going -- Steven PinkerThe best book to read to better understand our world. Once in a while a book comes along that helps us see our planet more clearly. By showing us numbers about science, health, green technology and more, Smil's book does just that. It should be on every bookshelf! -- Linda Yueh, author of The Great EconomistsImportant -- Mark Zuckerberg, on EnergyOne of the world's foremost thinkers on development history and a master of statistical analysis . . . The nerd's nerd * Guardian *A book for anyone confused by statistics or dubious of data in a world where numbers seem to mean everything and nothing. Vaclav Smil's new book reveals why diesel isn't as bad as you think, how much food is really being wasted, what actually makes people happy, and much more. * BBC Science Focus magazine *Outstanding perspectives on the world we live in providing context on mankind's challenges ranging from demographics through globalization, innovation and the environment -- Sarah Riopelle, Senior portfolio manager at RBC Global Asset Management * Bloomberg, 'Best Books of 2022' *

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Book SynopsisYuval Noah Harari’s bestselling phenomenon now in a beautifully packaged new special edition. Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going. Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind’s extraordinary history – from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age – and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world. 'Unbelievably good. Jaw dropping from the first word to the last' Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2PATTERNS OF LIFE: SPECIAL EDITIONS OF GROUNDBREAKING SCIENCE BOOKSTrade ReviewSapiens is packed with heretical thinking and surprising facts. This riveting, myth-busting book cannot be summarised in any detail; you will simply have to read it -- John Gray * Financial Times *Here is a simple reason why Sapiens has risen explosively to the ranks of an international best-seller. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it! -- Jared DiamondWhat’s unique about Harari’s take is that he focuses on the power of stories and myths to bring people together... I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun, engaging look at early human history... Harari tells our history in such an approachable way that you’ll have a hard time putting it down -- Bill GatesWhat makes it so interesting and provocative is that because it’s such a condensed sweeping history it talks about some core things that have allowed us to build this extraordinary civilisation that we take for granted, but weren’t a given, and it gives you a sense of perspective in how briefly we’ve been on this Earth -- Barack Obama * CNN *Sapiens is the sort of book that sweeps the cobwebs out of your brain. Its author, Yuval Noah Harari, is a young Israeli academic and an intellectual acrobat whose logical leaps have you gasping with admiration...Harari's writing radiates power and clarity, making the world strange and new -- John Carey * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisMeet mythology’s fifty fiercest females in this modern retelling of the world’s greatest legends. From feminist fairies to bloodsucking temptresses, half-human harpies and protective Vodou goddesses, these are women who go beyond long-haired, smiling stereotypes. Their stories are so powerful, so entrancing, that they have survived for millennia. Lovingly retold and updated, Kate Hodges places each heroine, rebel and provocateur fimly at the centre of their own narrative. Players include: Bewitching, banished Circe, an introvert famed and feared for her transfigurative powers. The righteous Furies, defiantly unrepentant about their dedication to justice. Fun-loving Ame-no-Uzume who makes quarrelling friends laugh and terrifies monsters by flashing at them. The fateful Morai sisters who spin a complex web of birth, life and death. Find your tribe, fire your imagination and be empowered by this essential anthology of notorious, demonised and overlooked women.Trade ReviewHodges looks at mythology through a feminist lens, showcasing 50 of the fiercest females in this modern retelling of the world’s greatest legends...Lee-Merrion’s illustrations bring these strong personalities to life. * Publishers Weekly *With subjects ranging from Kali and Baba Yaga to La Llorona and Maman Brigitte, this is an appealing overview of mythical women who have become mainstream icons. * Booklist | ALA *From the famous Greek bringer of misfortune Medusa, to the Jewish demon Lilith and the Japanese supernatural beast Futakuchi-Onna, this collection of tales explores both the myths that saturate Western fame and the legends you’ve yet to hear about — but trust me, after you get to know them, these magical ladies are impossible to forget. * BookTrib *Table of ContentsFOREWORD INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 WITCHES Wise women, soothsayers and healers HECATE Greek: goddess MORGAN LE FAY. British: enchantress and fairy CIRCE Greek: goddess/witch BABA YAGA Slavic: witch CASSANDRA. Greek: prophet THE PYTHIA. Greek: priestess/witch BERCHTA. Southern German/Austrian: goddess WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN Indigenous American/Lakotan: spirit RHIANNON Celtic: goddess/fairy CHAPTER 2 WARRIORS Fighters, strategists and bringers of justice ARTEMIS Greek: goddess ANATH Northwest Semitic: goddess DIVOKA SARKA Bohemian: warrior FREYJA Norse: goddess THE FURIES Roman/Greek: goddesses CIHUATETEO Meso-American: spirits KALT Hindu: goddess YENNENGA Mossi, African: princess JEZEBEL Hebrew/Christian: queen CHAPTER 3 BRINGERS OF MISFORTUNE Destructors, havoc-wreakers, harbingers of doom HEL Norse: goddess MORR.GAN Celtic: goddess THE VALKYRIES Norse: spirits PONTIANAK Malay: ghost BAOBHAN SITH Scottish: vampire LILITH Jewish: demon LOVIATAR Finnish: goddess HARPIES Greek: monsters MEDUSA Greek/Roman: monster LA LLORONA Mexican: spirit BANSHEE Celtic: spirit, fairy FUTAKUCHI-ONNA Japanese: supernatural beast CHAPTER 4 ELEMENTAL SPIRITS Lightning bolt-throwers, commanders of fire and ice, creators of the planet TIAMAT Babylonian: goddess MAMI WATA African/American: goddess PELE Hawaiian: goddess SELKIES Scottish: creatures MARI Basque: goddess THE LADY OF LLYN Y FAN FACH Welsh: fairy THE RAINBOW SERPENT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Australia: gender-fluid goddess/god MAZU Mazuism/Buddhism/Taoism/Confucianism: goddess EGLĖ THE QUEEN OF SERPENTS Lithuanian: woman CHAPTER 5 MUNIFICENT SPIRITS Bountiful deities, generous spirits, domestic goddesses TARA Buddhism/Hinduism: goddess MADDERAKKA Sámi: spirits THE MOIRAI Greek: incarnations of destiny BRIGID Celtic: goddess and saint ERZULIE DANTOR AND ERZULIE FREDA Vodou: goddesses BONA DEA Roman: goddess AME-NO-UZUME Japanese: goddess INANNA Mesopotamian: goddess MA’AT Egyptian: goddess LIEU HANH Vietnamese: goddess MAMAN BRIGITTE Voudou: goddess GLOSSARY FURTHER READING MYTHOLOGICAL WOMEN PLAYLIST ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisScience and religion have always been at each other’s throats, right?Trade Review'This book, though, is surely [Spencer's] magnum opus. It is astonishingly wide-ranging… and richly informed… So much complex history, theology and science could be heavy. What lightens the book is its clarity and the effervescent writing.' —The Sunday Times'With patience, balance and deep learning, Spencer… dismantles the myths that have accumulated around Galileo Galilei, Charles Darwin and other scientific figures… Filled with wit and wisdom.' —Philip Ball, TLS'Fascinating… prepare to read something genuinely fresh in what can be an extremely hackneyed debate.' —New Scientist'Magisterial and brilliant.' —Professor John Milbank‘Easily the best exploration of the complex relation between science and religion I have ever read. As exemplary in his even-handedness as in his patient research… I suspect it will become the classic work on its subject.' —Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and his Emissary'Spencer knows his history of science. He recounts the set pieces of any such story – the trial of Galileo, Huxley vs Wilberforce, the Scopes monkey trial – with bravura.' —Spectator‘A must-read for anyone interested in this vital topic, and outstanding for its destruction of old myths about “the war between religion and science”, and for showing how complex, and various, and often positive relations have actually been.’ —Church Times, BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR'[Spencer] has a lot of interesting things to say about how exactly the often fraught relationship between science and faith has fared over the centuries… Mr. Spencer carefully reconstructs what actually happened. It’s interesting to read how the stories have become simplified and exaggerated over time… Mr. Spencer’s most important corrective is to show that Galileo’s theory raised scientific and theological questions that had not been answered at the time… a fascinating tour through a history of a difficult relationship, the fate of which is still unclear.' —Wall Street Journal'This page-turner of a book compellingly tracks the relation between science and religion, eternally bickering siblings, across two millennia. The ironies of the collaborations and oppositions between the two are brilliantly set out. You don’t have to have religious belief to recognise that science doesn’t always have the right answers. The real question: who has the authority to make statements about the natural world? Nicholas Spencer well shows that this authority – formerly in the hands of religious authorities, now usually scientific ones – has been effortfully constructed and disagreed over across time.' —Chris Wickham, author of The Inheritance of Rome'This sweeping and comprehensive look at the "war" between religion and science lays it bare as a nineteenth-century myth. Studying God’s Works – what we call "science" – was historically as important to Christianity as studying his Word. The battles we’ve mythologised – from the ancient mathematician Hypatia’s murder by a Christian mob, to Galileo kneeling before the Inquisition, to the 1925 Scopes “monkey” trial – were not about ideology, but authority. A compelling act of myth-busting.' —Nancy Marie Brown, author of The Abacus and the Cross'Illuminating… Even (or especially) those readers inclined to disagree with him will find his narrative refreshing… [Spencer] is one of Britain’s most astute observers of religious affairs… He offers an engaging tour of the intersection of religious and scientific history… Mr Spencer insightfully revisits the dust-ups involving Galileo, Darwin and John Scopes (prosecuted in Tennessee in 1925 for teaching evolution). He traces the interaction of the two disciplines in often fascinating detail.' —Economist'Highly readable... Spencer convincingly shows how, until the modern period, religion largely supported the sciences of the day.' —Financial Times'Tremendous… [Spencer's] survey of more than two millennia to the present day is consistently well-informed, witty and merciless to those wanting easy headlines. Every journalist would benefit from reading this substantial but very useful text, but all its readers will emerge better informed—and perhaps even saner.’ —Diarmaid Macculloch, Prospect'Books that attempt to encompass the whole history of science and religion within a single volume are rare. This is one of them, and it is a good one… clearly written, with plenty of humour... this superb volume... is likely to become the standard work on the subject for the general reader for many years to come, and deservedly so.' —Tablet'Nicholas Spencer is always worth reading. In this new book he brilliantly synthesises a mass of scholarly research to provide an authoritative, lucid and, at times, surprising account of the historical relations between Western science and religion. This is easily the most comprehensive and accessible history of these two "magisteria" presently available.' —Peter Harrison, author of The Territories of Science and Religion 'Spencer’s historical portrait is erudite and wide-ranging…[a] necessary [book].' —Literary Review

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Book SynopsisChange the history that pupils learn at Key Stage 3. Reframe familiar topics, discover forgotten stories and amplify unheard voices.Through an evocative, story-based approach, this ground-breaking course brings together historical scholarship and enquiry, presenting a truly diverse, inclusive and ambitious history curriculum.This is the history we owe to our pupils. This is the past for today and tomorrow.> Establish a strong foundation of British history. A clear, chronological spine underpins each book, empowering pupils with the knowledge they need to understand, question or disrupt national narratives.> Journey far beyond Britain. Move between local and global, between small details and wider developments, as the books blend depth and overview, expanding pupils'' knowledge of people, places and events around the world and the links between them.> Use the power of story to transform your teaching. Captivated by vivid, intriguing narratives, pupils will remember more than they ever have before. See their literacy improve as they encounter a wide vocabulary in context, become immersed in rich, quality texts, and enjoy hearing the book read aloud or reading it themselves.> Teach a diverse curriculum with confidence. Gender, class, race and religion are treated with sensitivity and sophistication, intrinsically woven into the content to create perspective on social, economic, religious and political history.> Stay up to date with historical scholarship. The authors have undertaken extensive reading, so every chapter is informed by current research from historians such as Helen Castor, Ruby Lal and Toby Green.> Deliver the aspirational curriculum that Ofsted expects. The course embodies the requirements for scope, coherence, rigour and sequencing. The Changing Histories curriculum is a progression model. Skills and knowledge are built systematically across each lesson sequence and new material makes sense to pupils because of the content covered earlier.> Trust a meticulously planned approach. Each ''enquiry'' chapter helps pupils to shape an extended answer to the overarching question, with carefully paced ''steps'' that support pupils in processing substantive knowledge. Shorter ''story summary'' chapters keep narratives moving in between the enquiries.> Benefit from some of the best minds in history education. Leaders in history curriculum, practice, research and debate, the authors have poured their expertise into every page, making quality history accessible to all.

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Book SynopsisStep back in time and discover the sights, sounds and smells of London through the ages in this enthralling journey into the capital''s rich, teeming and occasionally hazardous past.Let time traveller Dr Matthew Green be your guide to six extraordinary periods in London''s history - the ages of Shakespeare, medieval city life, plague, coffee houses, the reign of Victoria and the Blitz.We''ll turn back the clock to the time of Shakespeare and visit a savage bull and bear baiting arena on the Bankside. In medieval London, we''ll circle the walls as the city lies barricaded under curfew, while spinning further forward in time we''ll inhale the ''holy herb'' in an early tobacco house, before peering into an open plague pit. In the 18th century, we''ll navigate the streets in style with a ride on a sedan chair, and when we land in Victorian London, we''ll take a tour of freak-show booths and meet the Elephant Man.You''ll meet pornographers and traitors, actTrade ReviewDr Matthew Green, author of London: A Travel Guide Through Time, has a knack for revealing the most unexpected details of London's multifaceted past in fascinating and accessible detail. * Daily Telegraph *Matthew Green's time travelling vehicle's headlights focus on fascinating details, time after time, as it swoops around London. A must for anyone interested in London's history. His research can't be faulted. -- Liza Picard (bestselling author of 'Elizabeth's London' and 'Restoration London')It's a sizeable tome, yet written with such a storyteller's flare that the pages whizz by like a hover-converted Delorean... London: A Travel Guide Through Time is easily the most engaging social history of the capital since the books of Liza Picard a decade ago. * Londonist *London: A Travel Guide Through Time is really excellent; I think it's one of the best London books for a long, long time. Green is a brilliant, brilliant London historian. -- Robert Elms * BBC Radio London *I enjoyed this book immensely. Matthew Green has executed an original idea extremely well. Every page yields fascinating glimpses into the past habits and horrors of our greatest city, bringing to life the detail of daily existence in an unforgettable way. There are many surprises for all of us here about how Londoners lived, at least as much, it turns out, in the 1950s as in the 1390s. An excellent and vivid work of history. -- William HagueDr Matthew Green is hands down the best storyteller I have ever met. His book, London: A Travel Guide Through Time, is endlessly illuminating and engaging. -- George LambLondon: A Travel Guide Through Time, by the hugely talented author Dr Matthew Green, is a masterful evocation of the sights, sounds - and smells - of old London town at various key moments through the last few centuries. -- Tom Hodgkinson (bestselling author of 'How To Be Idle')A brilliantly-observed work...Green starts each chapter by plonking you in a very specific location - richly described - in the London of the year featured. You then visit various parts of the metropolis by both day and night...like a skilled guide or conversationalist, the author succeeds in making the places visited genuinely interesting. A wonderful debut. * London Historians *Green is a superb storyteller. The writing is evocative and witty. It was such an engaging book, that I was loathe to put down at night. Whether you are new to London, a born-and-bred Londoner looking to to rekindle your connection with your city, or a visitor planning to enjoy a trip here, this book is for you. * Medievalists.net *No-one makes history come to life more vividly than the erudite, acclaimed and all-round impressive Dr. Matthew Green. -- Eleanor O'Keefe (co-founder, 5x15)Immersive... an all-sensory travel tour. * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom calls to arms to demands for peace, and from cries of freedom to words of inspiration, this stirring anthology captures the voices of prophets and politicians, rebels and tyrants, soldiers and statesman, placing them in historical context. With over a million copies already sold, this completely revised and updated pocket edition includes speeches by those that have truly shaped the modern world: from Greta Thunberg to Donald Trump, and from Nadia Murad to Oprah Winfrey. A biography of each speaker reveals how they came to stand at the crossroads of history, and each speech is accompanied by an introduction explaining its historical context and how it influenced the momentous events of the day - as well as those that followed. By turns moving and thought-provoking, this new edition reveals a modern world in which freedom of speech remains a powerful agent of change - and gives unique perspectives on key turning points in history. Contents include: Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Jr, Queen Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Emmeline Pankhurst, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle, George S. Patton, Jr, Malcolm X, Vaclav Havel, Mikhail Gorbachev, Indira Gandhi and Winston Churchill to name a few.

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Book SynopsisAtlas of Improbable Places shows the modern world from surprising new vantage points that will inspire urban explorers and armchair travellers alike to consider a new way of understanding the world we live in.Table of ContentsDREAM CREATIONS FLEVOPOLDERThe region reclaimed from the sea ZHELEZNOGORSKFormer closed Soviet city FREE CHRISTIANIASquatter-city AUROVILLE1960s utopian city SLAB CITYThe squatter metropolis PORTMEIRIONThe Village ZVYOZDNY GORODOKStar City HEARST CASTLERandolph Hearst’s Xanadu-esque home DESERTED DESTINATIONS TEUFELSBERGAbandoned U.S. spy station PRESIDIO MODELO Cuba’s most notorious former penitentiary BATTLESHIP ISLANDDeserted mining settlement NO MAN’S LAND FORTA long shunned coastal bulwark THE LOST CITY OF SAN JUAN PARANGARICUTIROAbandoned after the eruption of 1943 HUMBERSTONE AND SANTA LAURARedundant saltpetre works WONDERLANDAbandoned Disneyland-style theme park ORADOUR-SUR-GLANEVillage left abandoned since the Second World War MUYNAKDrained port WITTENOOMAsbestos-ridden industrial town ANI, KARSRuins of one-time capital of the Armenian Empire CONCRETE CITYGarden city of the anthracite region VAROSHAAbandoned tourist resort ARCHITECTURAL ODDITIES MARYHILL STONEHENGEConcrete Stonehenge SPIJKENISSEThe ‘real’ fictional euro bridges KABAYANThe Ibaloi mummy caves SANTURIO MADONNA DELLA CORONAChapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside LONDON BRIDGE, LAKE HAVASUThe 1831 London Bridge THE AFRICAN RENAISSANCE MONUMENTControversial symbol of independence TEN COMMANDMENTS MOUNTAINThe Fields of the Wood FLOATING WORLDS THE PALM 105An artificial island paradise THE KINGDOM OF REDONDAUninhabited Caribbean island POVEGLIA ISLANDFormer plague quarantine island GREAT BLASKETUninhabited since 1954 HOLLAND ISLANDIsland slowly being eroded by the water PALMERSTONA community formed in its founder’s image WRANGEL ISLANDA place frozen in time MOUNT RORAIMAThe Lost World ROSS ISLANDBritish Indian penal settlement HIRTAThe Edge of the World OTHERWORLDLY SPACES AOKIGAHARAThe Demon Forest COLMACity of the dead LEAP CASTLEThe world’s most haunted residence DARVAZA CRATERDoor to Hell THE HILL OF CROSSESHome to some 100,000 crosses THE ISLAND OF DOLLSA terrifying attraction SUBTERRANEAN REALMS THE UNDERGROUND POSTAL RAILWAYRail Mail COLD WAR SPY TUNNELThe telephone tapping centre BEIJING UNDERGROUNDBunkers to beat the bomb MOOSE JAWIllicit tunnels CINCINNATIAbandoned subway ZKP TAGANSKY, AKA BUNKER 42Cold War communications bunker PUERTO PRINCESASubterranean river

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Book SynopsisNow filmed as INVICTUS directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela. SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2008As the day of the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup dawned, and the Springboks faced New Zealand's all-conquering All Blacks, more was at stake than a sporting trophy. When Nelson Mandela appeared wearing a Springboks jersey and led the all-white Afrikaner-dominated team in singing South Africa's new national anthem, he conquered the hearts of white South Africa. Playing the Enemy tells the extraordinary human story of how that moment became possible. It shows how a sport, once the preserve of South Africa's Afrikaans-speaking minority, came to unify the new rainbow nation, and tells of how - just occasionally - something as simple as a game really can help people to rise above themselves and see beyond their differences.Trade ReviewWonderful... Don't wait for the movie. * New York Times *A triumphant conversion... A portrait of South Africa's answer to George Washington... [It] works because Carlin got so close to Mandela and the people Mandela seduced. -- Simon Kuper * Financial Times *Revelatory... A tight, gripping and powerful book that shines a light on a moment of hope, not just for one nation but the whole world. * Daily Express *A fascinating story... Thirteen years on, it is possible to look back with emotion at a moment which suggested that everything was possible. -- Justin Cartwright * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023**AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY'A splendid book: clearly written, elegantly structured and full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAILSmartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.In Nuts and Bolts, award-winning Shard engineer and broadcaster Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex feats of engineering into seven fundamental inventions: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Each of these objects is itself a wonder of design, the result of many iterations and refinements. Together, they have enabled humanity to see the invisible, build the spectacular, communicate across vast distances, and even escape our planet.Tracing the surprising journeys of each invention through the millennia, Roma reveals how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds.She invites us to marvel at these small but perfectly formed inventions, sharing the stories of the remarkable, and often unknown, scientists and engineers who made them possible. The nuts and bolts that make up our world may be tiny, and are often hidden, but they've changed our lives in dramatic ways.'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS

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Book Synopsis“Any backyard astronomer or space enthusiast would be delighted to have this visual journey on their shelf.” —The Strategist, The Year’s Most Giftable Coffee-Table BooksA Barnes & Noble Best Gift Book of 2022 A Publishers Weekly Holiday Gift Guide 2022 selection6 orbiters, 140 missions, 355 astronauts, 500,000,000 miles—all in one rich and beautiful photographic journeyThe Space Shuttle tells the story of NASA’s amazing Space Shuttle program and its 140 space flights (135 missions, plus five Approach and Landing Tests) in a uniquely designed and covetable way. Long before the James Webb Telescope rekindled our fascination with astronomy and our place in the cosmos, the Space Shuttle began to capture the world’s attention with its first mission (a test launch) on April 12, 1981 and continued to do so until its final mission on July 8, 2011. The program’s six orbiter vehicles are Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Each mission has its own fascinating story, and The Space Shuttle retells these stories, in chronological order, through incredible photos taken by NASA photojournalists, fine art photographers, and the astronauts themselves. Each image is accompanied by a short text that includes quick facts such as crew members, launch date, and landing date, as well as a short overview of highlights and purpose. For example, STS-78’s mission was to study circadian rhythms in space; STS-41G’s mission was to take photographs in-flight, seen in the IMAX movie The Dream Is Alive; and famously, the first untethered space walk, taken by astronaut Bruce McCandless on STS-41B using a self-propelled backpack unit (called a Man Maneuvering Unit [MMU]), allowed astronauts to capture satellites for retrieval and repair and for the planned construction of what became the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to this mission, astronauts were attached to the shuttle with safety lines. The photo of McCandless floating above Earth’s surface is one of the most celebrated and famous space photographs ever. These are just a few of the 140 stories Miller tells in this beautiful volume.Trade Review“‘Sumptuous’ is an adjective too often used to describe beautifully produced books, so, though that word does in fact describe The Space Shuttle, let’s instead call it ‘stellar. . . .’ [T]he reader leaves this book with a deep sense of awe about the program itself and what it accomplished in helping us to better understand what is above us.” —Air MailTable of ContentsContents Preface Introduction CHAPTER 1 Approach and Landing Tests ALT-12 (Free Flight 1) to ALT-16 (Free Flight 5) CHAPTER 2 First Launch—The Challenger Tragedy STS-1 (Mission 1) to STS-51L (Mission 25) CHAPTER 3 New Beginnings—Hubble Deployment STS-26 (Mission 26) to STS-61 (Mission 59) CHAPTER 4 Shuttle-Mir Missions—John Glenn’s Return to Space STS-60 (Mission 60) to STS-95 (Mission 92) CHAPTER 5 The International Space Station Construction Begins—The Columbia Tragedy STS-88 (Mission 93) to STS-107 (Mission 113) CHAPTER 6 A Second Return to Flight—The Final Mission STS-114 (Mission 114) to STS-135 (Mission 135) Afterword Glossary Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisTaking the history of the world as its basis might seem a mammoth task but this fascinating book does just that, breaking the whole lot down into ten enthralling chapters that cover the ages and the world, from the Bronze Age up until the end of the Second World War.With over 5,500 years to choose from, and a whole world of events, you can be sure there is no shortage of intriguing history to explore. From the first empires and civilizations, through the Ancient world of the Middle East and Africa; the Parthian Empire; the Golden Age of India; the ancient dynasties of China; the founding of Rome and the Roman republic; Peruvian cultures; The Middle Ages; the Byzantine Empire; Mayan culture; the Crusades; the rise of the Ottoman Empire; the Renaissance – this far-reaching book will test the knowledge of any history lover and provide the ultimate challenge for even the most knowledgeable historian.With questions ranging through multiple choice, truth or fiction, maps and pictures, you will find there is always something new to learn about the world.

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Book SynopsisIn his bestselling book 1421:The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies revealed that it was the Chinese that discovered America, not Columbus. Now he presents further astonishing evidence that it was also Chinese advances in science, art, and technology that formed the basis of the European Renaissance and our modern world.In his bestselling book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies presented controversial and compelling evidence that Chinese fleets beat Columbus, Cook and Magellan to the New World. But his research has led him to astonishing new discoveries that Chinese influence on Western culture didn't stop there.Until now, scholars have considered that the Italian Renaissance - the basis of our modern Western world - came about as a result of a re-examining the ideas of classical Greece and Rome. A stunning reappraisal of history is about to be published.Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that a sophisticated Chinese delegation visited Italy inTrade Review‘Menzies has come up with something entirely new…it is a startling claim.’ Guardian

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Book Synopsis‘This splendid and often moving work of history… Schama has a gift for combining novelistically colourful detail, serious analysis and wryly amusing asides’ Daily Telegraph   ‘Superb’ Observer   ‘Extraordinary… A meticulous retelling of a terrible yet scientifically innovative period… Makes an urgent case for building a better future on our toxic past’ Guardian   ‘This is history of the best sort – humanly engaged but never sentimental’ Mail on Sunday Cities and countries engulfed by panic and death, desperate for vaccines but fearful of what inoculation may bring. This is what the world has just gone through with Covid-19. But as Simon Schama shows in his epic history of vulnerable humanity caught between the terror of contagion and the ingenuity of science, it has happened before. 

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Book SynopsisSet against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age” - spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s - when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. “Deftly blending scholarship and drama” (Richard Zacks), best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Through engrossing episodes of roguish glamour and extreme brutality, Dolin depicts the star pirates of this period, among them the towering Blackbeard, the ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Black Flags, Blue Waters is a “tour de force history” (Michael Pierce, Midwestern Rewind) of the seafaring outlaws whose raids reflect the precarious nature of American colonial life.Trade Review"An entertaining romp across the oceans that shows how piracy is an inseparable element of our past.... Mr. Dolin has a keen eye for detail and the telling episode. Readers will learn fascinating tidbits of language, habits and cultural assimilation." -- Rinker Buck, Wall Street Journal"Black Flags, Blue Waters is rumbustious enough for the adventure-hungry, but it also hews to the facts as they are known about the pirate lives and activities.... Dolin’s book is not only a fine entertainment, but it draws the pirate in a clear light." -- Peter Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle"A masterly and vivid account of the pirates who operated around America’s coasts in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Using an impressive array of sources, Eric Jay Dolin throws a fresh light on familiar stories, unearths some new and surprising facts, and skillfully sets the exploits of a notorious generation of pirates in their historical context." -- David Cordingly, author of Under the Black Flag"Elegantly written.... Black Flags, Blue Waters is distinctive and an excellent addition to this subdivision of maritime history." -- Louis Arthur Norton, Sea History"Gripping.... Dolin, who has previously written popular narratives about whaling, the fur trade and opium trafficking, finds another can’t-miss subject in the adventures of Kidd, Bonnet, Blackbeard and their ilk. Dolin makes it fresh by focusing on the interaction between pirates and the British colonies. His evidence is irrefutable: pirate cash and stolen goods were invaluable to colonial ports." -- Anne Bartlett, BookPage"If you’ve never read Dolin before, prepare to have a new favorite historian." -- Jeff Guinn, author of The Road to Jonestown"A compelling examination of the economics, geopolitics, and strong?sometimes mad?personalities that fueled the great age of New World piracy. Black Flags, Blue Waters illuminates a fascinating era of maritime history but also the dark actions of desperate men." -- Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara"Eric Jay Dolin has written a tour de force history of this period in American history. Black Flags, Blue Waters brings to life the famous, the not-so-famous, and the infamous of the ranks of American pirates during the... Golden Age [of Piracy]." -- Michael Pierce, Midwestern Rewind"As he did with whales and lighthouses, Eric Jay Dolin gives us another sea-meets-shore epic wrapped in a swashbuckling narrative.... A fascinating adventure story filled with rogues, rascals, and ruthless renegades, this is stirring history that reads like a novel." -- Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide"In Black Flags, Blue Waters, Eric Jay Dolin presents the surprising and enthralling Age of Pirates that was more bloody than golden. In the process, he proves again that skillfully presented narrative nonfiction is even more gripping than swashbuckling mythology. If you’ve never read Dolin before, prepare to have a new favorite historian." -- Jeff Guinn, author of The Road to Jonestown

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Book SynopsisWhen our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world.A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes wood' John Carey, The Sunday TimesHow did the descendants of small arboreal primates manage to stand on our own two feet, become top predators and take over the world?In The Wood Age, Roland Ennos shows that the key to humanity's success has been our relationship with wood. He takes us on a sweeping ten-million-year journey from great apes who built their nests among the trees to early humans who depended on wood for fire, shelter, tools and weapons; from the structural design of wheels and woodwinds, to the invention of paper and the printing press.Drawing together recent research and reinterpreting existing evidence from fields as far-ranging as primatology, anthropology, archaeology, history, architecture, engineering and carpentry, Ennos charts for the first time how our ability to exploit wood's unique properties has shaped our bTrade Review‘A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes to wood …Roland Ennos’s knowledge of all things arboreal is vast and intricate. He is a professor of biology at the University of Hull and the author of several books, among them the Natural History Museum’s official guide to trees. But The Wood Age is something different — nothing less than a complete reinterpretation of human history and prehistory, and it is written with enormous verve and pinpoint clarity … No review can match the richness of Ennos’s book. There are chapters or sections on coal and charcoal, pottery kilns, modern wooden buildings, techniques of melting and smelting metals, the history of shipbuilding, wind and watermills, deforestation and much else … I felt like cheering.’ John Carey, The Sunday Times ‘A lively history of biology, mechanics and culture that stretches back 60 million years… A specialist in the mechanics of wood, Ennos has a fierce love for his topic’ Nature ‘Passionate … In this very readable historical survey, Ennos argues that not only do we need to reassess the role wood has played in our history, but by embracing a new age of wood, we can help to reset our broken relationship to the natural world … [A] fascinating ‘wood-centred view’ of our history’ P.D. Smith, Guardian ‘Wonderful’ i news ‘An eye-opening piece of environmental history … Excellent … Comes highly recommended’ The Inquisitive Biologist ‘Ennos, a professor at the University of Hull and a specialist in the mechanical properties of trees, shares his insatiable curiosity with us. He applies his sharp eye for details, and he does so entertainingly’ Washington Post ‘Ennos’s special love and concern is for things made from trees … The principles of every significant technology, from tree-felling and carpentry to shipbuilding and papermaking, are described with a precise, almost mesmerizing detail’ New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisPlease note this title is suitable for any student studying:Exam Board: AQALevel/Subject: AS and A Level HistoryFirst teaching: 2015First exams: June 2017Retaining well-loved features from the previous editions,The Cold War has been approved by AQA and matched to the new 2015 specification. This textbook explores in depth the evolving course of international relations during an era of tension between communist and capitalist powers. It focuses on key ideas such as communism and anti-communism, aggression and détente, and the power of nuclear technology, and covers events and developments with precision. Students can further develop vital skills such as historical interpretations and source analyses via specially selected sources and extracts. Practice questions and study tips provide additional support to help familiarize students with the new exam style questions, and help them achieve their best in the exam.

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Book Synopsis''The who, what, where, when and how of human evolution, from one of the world''s experts on the dating of prehistoric fossils'' Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs ''Fascinating and entertaining. If you read one book on human origins, this should be it'' Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules - For Now 50,000 years ago, we were not the only species of human in the world. There were at least four others, including the Neanderthals, Homo floresiensis, Homo luzonesis and the Denisovans. At the forefront of the latter''s ground-breaking discovery was Oxford Professor Tom Higham.In The World Before Us, he explains the scientific and technological advancements - in radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA, for example - that allowed each of these discoveries to be made, enabling us to be more accurate in our predictions about not just how long ago these other humans lived, but how Trade ReviewFascinating and deeply researched. Higham conveys the thrill of archaeological discovery eruditely and accessibly -- Alexander Larman * Guardian *A gripping account of Earth's other humans -- New ScientistThe remarkable new science of palaeoanthropology, from lab bench to trench -- Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredThe application of new genetic science to pre-history is analogous to how the telescope transformed astronomy. Tom Higham, one of the world's leading scientists in the field, brings us to the frontier of recent discoveries with a book that is both gripping and fun. And the results are astonishing. It matters: understanding our evolutionary origins reveals our innate strengths as a species -- Paul Collier, author of The Bottom BillionA brilliant exposition of the way in which archaeology and science are completely changing our understanding of early humans. This is a fast-moving story written with verve and enthusiasm by one of the scientists deeply involved in tracking down the evidence. Essential reading for all interested in our early ancestors and the sheer excitement of their discovery -- Barry Cunliffe, author of The ScythiansA brilliant distillation of the ideas and discoveries revolutionising our understanding of human evolution. Tom Higham, one of the leaders of the revolution and the cutting-edge science on which it is based, introduces us to a complex world of many human species, whose genes and deeds live on in us today -- Chris Gosden, author of The History of MagicTom Higham has been at the pulsating centre of the close collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists that in the last few years discovered our previously unknown cousins - the Denisovans - and revealed the lost world in which they, Neanderthals and modern humans interacted and interbed. His thrilling book gives us a court-side view of this scientific revolution -- David Reich, author of Who We Are and How We Got HereA bang-up-to-date insider's review of a critical period in the emergence of modern humans. It also provides fascinating, intelligible and authoritative glimpses into a wide variety of new technologies -- Ian Tattersall, co-author of The Accidental Homo sapiens: Genetics, Behavior, and Free Will

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Book SynopsisFrom the outbreak of war, through the Blitz, to fighting on land, sea and in the air, the poems mirror each phase of action in every theatre from the front line to the Home Front.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisNature, money, work, care, food, energy, and lives: these are the seven things that have made our world and will shape its future. In making these things cheap, modern commerce has transformed, governed, and devastated Earth. In A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, Raj Patel and Jason W. Moore present a new approach to analyzing today's planetary emergencies. Bringing the latest ecological research together with histories of colonialism, indigenous struggles, slave revolts, and other rebellions and uprisings, Patel and Moore demonstrate that throughout history, crises have always prompted fresh strategies to make the world cheap and safe for capitalism. At a time of crisis in all seven cheap things, innovative and systemic thinking is urgently required. This book proposes a radical new way of understanding-and reclaiming-the planet in the turbulent twenty-first century.Trade ReviewIf Patel and Moore don't quite make it to Mars, their book still covers an awful lot of ground. They move rapidly between economic analysis, history and political polemic, all in service of the premise that all the cheapness has in fact been catastrophically expensive... the overall impression is one of sweeping erudition, and an impressive ability to synthesise disparate elements. -- Mark O'Connell * Guardian *Their central argument - that the inevitable trajectory of capitalism is a race to the bottom in which we all end as losers - is surely one that needs to be heard. * New Internationalist *By shifting our attention away from the question of global warming to focus on the larger ideological manoeuvrings underpinning the way capitalism seeks to organise nature, Moore and Patel persuasively demonstrate that our responses to the crises of capitalism and climate that we are facing should not be exclusively about preventing catastrophic ecological change by blocking runway expansions. Instead, their work suggests that we are potentially seeing an unravelling of a much more complicated and convoluted set of longer running crises of capital that are becoming increasingly unmanageable, and not just because of heat waves or rising sea levels. -- Andrew Key * New Socialist *[A] highly readable, heavily-sourced book -- John Fullerton * Freedom News *Making the persuasive argument that capitalism is more than just an economic system, Patel and Moore illustrate how it has succeeded in creating an overwhelming planetary ecology, separating humans from the rest of nature, organising every relationship between them and exploiting all available resources to work for it as cheaply as possible. -- Jamie Johnson * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisFrom tall tales of Merlin to the rise of Plaid Cymru, delve into the weird-but-wonderful aspects of Wales!Tracing Welsh history from Roman invasion all the way up to the power of the mining industry, Wales: A Very Peculiar History takes a sideways look at some of the more bizarre aspects of this incredible country. Get ready to explore the home of welsh rarebit, Maelgwn the Dragon, and Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-gogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysilio-go-go-goch!Packed with ups and downs, hills and valleys, and hope and triumph against the odds, this fascinating read is the perfect pocket-sized companion to the Celtic nation. Fascinating facts, quirky comic-style illustrations, a full glossary, timeline and index makes this book great for gifting to all ages!

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Book SynopsisA STUNNINGLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK REVEALING THE GREATEST MYTHS, LIES AND BLUNDERS ON MAPS 'Highly recommended' - Andrew Marr 'A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read' - Jonathan RossThe Phantom Atlas is an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it. Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes; swindlers, mirages and murderers. Sometimes the stories are almost impossible to believe, and remarkably, some of the errors were sTrade Review‘A bonkers book…Highly recommended’ -- Andrew Marr‘A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read... A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout’ -- Jonathan Ross‘Beautifully illustrated…brain-boggling…an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world’ * Spectator *‘This intriguing book…shows how places that aren’t there can endure, sometimes for centuries, once a map-maker has inked them in’ * The Times *‘Beautiful… Brooke-Hitching [has] an eye for a good story and his book is gloriously illustrated with ancient mistaken maps, each accompanied by a thoroughly researched tale of the men whose errors led to them.’ * Daily Express *‘Extraordinary’ * Historia Magazine *‘Excellent... Arranged alphabetically in fifty-eight short chapters, with lavish deployment of illustrations, the book provides a captivating chronicle of our battle with ignorance’ * Literary Review *‘Unreservedly recommended’ * The Monocle *‘From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia’s inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.’ * The Guardian *‘A rich selection… [that] shows how lively minds made use of limited knowledge, but also how rumour, guesswork and downright lies can persist in the scholarly imagination.’ * The Economist *‘One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen in my life…full of fascinating quirky things.’ -- Jen Campbell, author Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops‘The fascination and beauty of maps both emerge clearly in this well-written, witty and thoughtful book…this is a spirited and enjoyable study’ * Standpoint *‘Exquisitely produced… Gorgeous illustrations of countries and islands that were once thought to exist...For any fans of maps this is a must’ * The Australian *'Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated' -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard *'The Phantom Atlas describes some 50 "myths, lies and blunders" and illustrates them in delightful detail...deserve[s] a place on the coffee table, but only after it's been read: there is as much to absorb as to see.' -- John Ure * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisAtlas of Vanishing Places takes you on a voyage to all corners of the world in search of the lost, disappearing and vanished places. Table of ContentsINTRODUCTIONANCIENT CITIES MOHENJO-DARO-PAKISTAN HATTUSA-TURKEY LEPTIS MAGNA-LIBYA XANADU-MONGOLIA/CHINA CIUDAD PERDIDA-COLOMBIA MAHABALIPURAM-INDIA PALENQUE-MEXICO HELIKE-GREECE PETRA-JORDAN TIMGAD-ALGERIA ALEXANDRIA-EGYPTFORGOTTEN LANDS CHAN CHAN-PERU ROANOKE-NORTH CAROLINA, USA THE MOSQUE CITY OF BAGERHAT-BANGLADESH RIVER FLEET-LONDON, UK LION CITY-CHINA OLD ADAMINABY-AUSTRALIA PORT ROYAL-JAMAICA ESANBEHANAKITAKOJIMA-JAPAN THE LOST SEA-CRAIGHEAD CAVERNS, TENNESSEE, USA BODIE-CALIFORNIA, USA FLAGSTAFF-MAINE, USASHRINKING PLACES RIVER DANUBE-EUROPE THE DEAD SEA-JORDAN/ISRAEL SLIMS RIVER-YUKON, CANADA SKIPSEA-YORKSHIRE, UK THE EVERGLADES-FLORIDA, USATHREATENED WORLDS GLACIER NATIONAL PARK-MONTANA, USA CHIHUAHUAN DESERT-MEXICO/USA TIMBUKTU-MALI SKARA BRAE-ORKNEY YAMUNA RIVER-INDIA VENICE-ITALY THE CONGO BASIN RAINFOREST-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF-AUSTRALIA THE GREAT WALL-CHINA TUVALU-SOUTH PACIFIC SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY PICTURE CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX

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Book Synopsis70th Anniversary Edition with a New Foreword by Sunday Times Bestselling Author Simon Sebag Montefiore''A classic'' Observer ''A legend'' Washington Post ''The best book you will read this year'' Colonel Tim CollinsPosted to Moscow as a young diplomat before the Second World War, Fitzroy Maclean travelled widely, with or without permission, in some of the wildest and remotest parts of the Soviet Union, then virtually closed to foreigners. In 1942 he fought as a founder member of the SAS in North Africa. There Maclean specialised in hair-raising commando raids behind enemy lines, including the daring and outrageous kidnapping of the German Consul in Axis-controlled Iraq. In 1943 he parachuted into German-occupied Yugoslavia as Winston Churchill''s personal representative to Josip Broz Tito and remained there until 1945, all enemy attempts to capture him proving unsuccessful.Eastern Approaches is Maclean''s classic, grippingTrade ReviewOne of the bravest men in the British army, and one of the funniestAn absorbing mixture of military adventure, political judgement, urbane wit, cool humour and surprising incidentA man of daring character

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by William Boyd, Checkpoint Charlie is a vivid and poignant exploration of the history surrounding the Berlin Wall through the lens of interwoven first-person experiences.Trade ReviewGripping and revelatory * Tom Holland *MacGregor's intimate knowledge of the soldiers and spies who paid their dues in the forty-year undeclared war whose cockpit was Berlin, makes for some truly remarkable and gripping reading. Highly recommended * Frederick Taylor, author of The Berlin Wall and Dresden *MacGregor has put together a lively, evocative account of the life and death of the world's most notorious wall. In capturing the essence of the old Cold War he may just have helped us to understand a bit more about the new one * The Times *Full of harrowing stories and riveting eyewitness accounts of life in the East, but what lingers in the memory is a sense of human resilience and ingenuity . . . This history is an invaluable reminder of both why the Cold War needed to be fought and why totalitarianism must always be resisted * Mail on Sunday *A fascinating and telling reminder of what was perhaps the most potent symbol of the Cold War . . . MacGregor's book is, as well as being a history of the Wall, an invaluable scene-setter for the status quo ante . . . thorough and engaging . . . Iain MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive . . . a powerful and moving experience * New Statesman *A rich collection of tales from cold war Berlin captures the city's mad complexities . . . Lively . . . the voices [MacGregor] has saved, and the richly researched skill of his narrative at big moments, rescue an echo of one of the many lost Berlins * Observer *Excellent * The Sun *This remarkable book about the Berlin Wall, which has been the subject of everything from diplomatic histories to spy thrillers, is different. Based on extensive, detailed interviews with people on both sides of the wall - soldiers and civilians, communists and anti-communists, spies, intellectuals and ordinary citizens - it offers a riveting panorama of everyday life as it was actually lived at ground zero of the cold war * William Taubman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Khrushchev: The Man and His Era *Fascinating and original... the story not just of the Berlin Wall, but of the people on either side of it * Jeremy Bowen *With its wealth of eyewitness stories, this book proves how understanding the last Cold War is crucial for anyone who wants to understand the new one * Martin Sixsmith *As an aspiring student of modern history in the 1980s, the Berlin Wall and the monstrous regime at its heart, dominated my thinking. It is difficult to believe now - much like the Cold War itself - that we all thought the Wall was so immortal. As a writer of oral history, I have enjoyed MacGregor bringing the stories of the people who populated this barrier to life. We need to remember * Joshua Levine, bestselling author of Dunkirk *A peoples' history of the wall that is tense, exciting and moving, telling us the stories of the families the wall tore apart, the soldiers who faced one another across it, the spies and journalists who operated behind it, and the East Germans who risked everything to break through it to freedom * James Barr, author of Lords of the Desert *MacGregor compellingly portrays Berlin's overarching geo-political story, and brings it alive through the personal experiences of the individuals at its heart * Jonathan Fenby, author of The General *The fall of the Berlin Wall was a seismic event in the story of the 20th century. In Checkpoint Charlie, Iain MacGregor re-creates the drama and meaning of that moment. With a gripping narrative and vivid interviews with those on all sides whose lives were directly affected by that grim symbol of the East-West divide that poisoned Europe for almost half a century, he has made an important contribution to the history of our times * Jonathan Dimbleby *A wonderful approach to the history of the Cold War, tackling the complex legacy of the Berlin Wall through the men and women who lived in its shadow. Weaving together personal testimonies, this book offers a valuable insight into history as it was lived, and shines an illuminating new light on an icon of the twentieth century * Duncan Barrett, New York Times bestselling author of GI Brides *Checkpoint Charlie is emblematic of both the tension and romance of the pivot between a third World War and peace. Iain MacGregor captures brilliantly and comprehensively both the danger and exhilaration that I and other reporters, soldiers, and people experienced intersecting with the wall, and the fears and the eventual hope that flowed through it - a must read for anyone who wants to understand the Europe we have inherited * Jon Snow *

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE GREATEST SPY STORIES OF ALL TIME Nothing can stop an enemy from picking wireless messages out of the free air - and nothing did. In England, Room 40 was born . . .In January 1917, with the First World War locked in terrible stalemate and America still neutral, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman gambled the future of the conflict on a single telegram.But this message was intercepted and decoded in Whitehall''s legendary Room 40 - and Zimmerman''s audacious scheme for world domination was exposed, bringing America into the war and changing the course of history.The story of how this happened, and the incalculable consequences are thrillingly told in Barbara Tuchman''s brilliant exploration.Trade ReviewA most exciting book, full of vivid pen portraits and curious episodes * Sunday Times *As thrilling as a John Buchan novel * Times Literary Supplement *Its 200 pages are worth more than all the thrillers and whodunits of the fiction writers put together * Herald *A fine exciting book told with intense drama. A thriller of real life * Observer *Brilliant. Told with great literary and dramatic talent * New York Times *All the ingredients of an Eric Ambler spy thriller * Saturday Review *Dazzling -- Max Hastings on 'Guns of August'Magnificent. A masterpiece of the historian's art -- on 'Guns of August' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThis is the history of the institutions and individuals who have managed the global economy, from the World Monetary and Economic Conference in the wake of the Great Depression to the present, as leading nations tackle the fallout from Covid-19 and the threats of inflation, food security and climate change. Since the Second World War, organisations created at Bretton Woods - the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development - and afterwards - the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - have left an indelible mark on our contemporary world.Martin Daunton examines the swings of the pendulum over ninety years between the forces of democracy, national determination and globalization. He shows that the structures of economic government have been overwhelmingly shaped by ''first world'' powers, often to the dismay of developing countries. He argues that whilst structures cann

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Book SynopsisRetaining all the well-loved features, this book explores in depth the key political, economic, social and international changes which helped to mould Britain in the second half of the twentieth century. It focuses on key concepts such as government and opposition, class and cultural change, and covers events and developments with precision.Table of ContentsTimeline Introduction to this book Part one: AS and A Level Building a new Britain, 1951-79 Section 1 The affluent society: Britain, 1951-64 1 Conservative governments 2 Economic developments 3 Social developments 4 Foreign relations Section 2 The Sixties, 1964-70 5 Wilson and the Labour governments 6 Liberal reforming legislation 7 Social and cultural change 8 Foreign affairs Section 3 The end of post-war consensus, 1970-79 9 Heath's government 10 Labour governments of Wilson and Callaghan 11 Society in the 1970s 12 Foreign affairs Part Two: A Level Modern Britain, 1979-2007 Section 4 The impact of Thatcherism, 1979-87 13 The Thatcher governments 14 Thatcher's economic policies and their impact 15 The impact of Thatcherism on society 16 Foreign affairs Section 5 Towards a new consensus, 1987-97 17 The fall of Thatcher and the rise of Major 18 The realignment of the Labour party 19 Social issues 20 Foreign affairs Section 6 The era of New Labour, 1997-2007 21 The Labour governments 22 The Conservative party, 1997-2007 23 Social issues 24 Foreign affairs Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisA vigorous and timely defense of the state as a force for goodTrade Review“Graeme Garrard…assembles the moral, economic and political reasons why the world of the privatised and outsourced state is over…The title of this book comes as a timely reminder that The Return of the State is here already.”—Polly Toynbee, The Guardian“A masterpiece of analysis—systematically dismantling our current meaningless antiquated political vocabulary, and the fantasy that charities and civil society will bring us salvation. Garrard’s advocacy for the public interest state is convincing and compelling. What else might work for (or appeal to) the next generation?”—Danny Dorling, author of Slowdown“As a global pandemic continues to expose the deep problems with the modern state’s subordination to market forces, Graeme Garrard’s book offers us both an engaging history of how the social democratic welfare state came about and a timely case for the necessity of restraining private power.”—Luke Savage, Jacobin magazine

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive history of the war, with expert commentary on the political and economic factors leading to the conflict, the key turning points during the war and the impact of new technologies.

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Book SynopsisBoth monastic rule and military manual, the Rule is a unique document and an important historical source.Trade ReviewAn important source for the history of the military orders. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *We've got here the most sophisticated rule book, which knocks the road traffic act into the shade. TIME TEAM [Channel 4, at Templecombe] * . *Table of ContentsThe primitive rule; the hierarchical statutes; penances; conventual life; the holding of ordinary chapters; further detail on penances; reception into the order. Appendix: "La Regle du Temple" as a military manual, or how to deliver a cavalry charge, Matthew Bennett.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis'Very beautiful and illuminating' Mariella Frostrup Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of the international bestseller The Phantom Atlas delivers an atlas unlike any other. The Devil’s Atlas is an illustrated guide to the heavens, hells and lands of the dead as imagined throughout history by cultures and religions around the world. Packed with colourful maps, paintings and captivating stories, the reader is taken on a compelling tour of the geography, history and supernatural populations of the afterworlds of cultures around the globe. Whether it’s the thirteen heavens of the Aztecs, the Chinese Taoist netherworld of ‘hungry ghosts’, or the ‘Hell of the Flaming Rooster’ of Japanese Buddhist mythology (in which sinners are tormented by an enormous fire-breathing cockerel), The Devil’s Atlas gathers together a wonderful variety of beliefs and reprTrade Review'A funny and phantasmagoric tour of humanity’s attempts to survey the afterlife, both high and low. If you’d like to know which author wrote about the bordellos in hell, where to find a tree that grows devil heads, or what angels’ houses might smell like, this book is for you.' -- Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses'Stunning and utterly fascinating' -- Dan Schreiber – No Such Thing As A Fish'A sumptuous collection of artworks, from all over the world, and through the ages, depicting visions of heaven and hell.' * Booktime magazine *‘In this world of mental exploration, Edward Brooke-Hitching is a delightful and indispensable guide…For all their horrors, Brooke-Hitching’s hells are ultimately comforting because their solid boundaries keep the dead away from us.’ -- Diane Burkiss * Literary Review *‘The Devil’s Atlas entertainingly gathers the hells and underworlds of numerous ages and schools of belief, together with limbos and purgatories, and – at last – the heavens, paradises and utopias. Written in sparkling scholarship studded with glittering trivia, abundant education and monstrous images.’ * Strong Words *'The perfect shelf-mate to The Madman's Library, brimming with vibrant imagery - from the Book of the Dead to Islamic manuscripts to William Blake, and, of course, an entire section devoted to Dante. Clever writing and astonishing illustrations.' * Fine Books magazine *

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