General and world history Books

Book SynopsisThe History of Human Marriage is a book written by Edward Westermarck, a Finnish philosopher and sociologist. The book is a comprehensive survey of marriage practices and customs throughout human history, drawing on examples from cultures around the world. Westermarck's central thesis is that the institution of marriage is not a universal or natural phenomenon, but rather a product of cultural and historical forces. Throughout the book, Westermarck examines a range of topics related to marriage, including the role of religion, the influence of economic and political factors, and the evolution of family structures. He also discusses the various forms of marriage found in different cultures, from monogamy and polygamy to group marriage and same-sex marriage. One of the key contributions of Westermarck's work is his emphasis on the importance of understanding marriage as a social and cultural institution, rather than simply a biological or moral imperative.

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Book SynopsisEminent historian Patricia Crone defines the common features of a wide range of pre-industrial societies, from locations as seemingly disparate as the Mongol Empire and pre-Columbian America, to cultures as diverse as the Ming Dynasty and seventeenth-century France. In a lucid exploration of the characteristics shared by these societies, the author examines such key elements as economic organization, politics, culture, and the role of religion. An essential introductory text for all students of history, Pre-Industrial Societies provides readers with all the necessary tools for gaining a substantial understanding of life in pre-modern times. In addition, as a perceptive insight into a lost world, italso acts as a starting point for anyone interested in the present possibilities and future challenges faced by our own global society.Table of ContentsPreface 1 Introduction: What is a Complex Society? Part I The Pre-Industrial Pattern 2 Socio-economic Organization 3 The State 4 Politics 5 Culture 6 Society and the Individual 7 Religion Part II The Departure from the Pattern 8 The Oddity of Europe 9 Modernity Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA Book of the Year for The Economist and the Observer Our world seems to be collapsing. The daily news cycle reports the deterioration: divisive politics across the Western world, racism, poverty, war, inequality, hunger. While politicians, journalists and activists from all sides talk about the damage done, Johan Norberg offers an illuminating and heartening analysis of just how far we have come in tackling the greatest problems facing humanity. In the face of fear-mongering, darkness and division, the facts are unequivocal: the golden age is now.Trade Review‘Reminds us that headlines are misleading and that history and data show that life has been getting radically better in every way’. -- Steven Pinker * Observer, Books of the Year *‘A blast of good sense.’ * Economist *‘Norberg has a strong case and he makes it with energy and charm. A pertinent book for grumpy times.’ * Robbie Millen, The Times *'His unfailing optimism and well-argued points generate powerful good-news vibes’. * Esquire *‘An exhilarating book. With the combination of arresting stories and striking data, Progress will change your understanding about where we’ve come from and where we may be heading.’ -- Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature‘Norberg entertainingly presents the case for something every expert knows but most newsreaders will find hard to believe: the world is getting richer, healthier, freer, and more peaceful’. * Observer *‘Johan Norberg chronicles the still largely unknown fact that humanity is now healthier, happier, cleaner, cleverer, freer and more peaceful than ever before. He also explains why in this superb book.’ -- Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything‘At a time of profound pessimism, Johan Norberg is refreshingly, but not glibly, optimistic. His excellent book documents the dramatic improvements in people’s lives and reminds us of the huge potential for further progress – provided we are open to it.’ -- Philippe Legrain, author of European Spring‘In this brightly written, upbeat book, the Swedish author blends facts, anecdotes, and official statistics to describe “humanity's triumph” in achieving the present unparalleled level of global living standards...While acknowledging the mayhem, hunger, and poverty still facing much of the world, the author remains optimistic that human ingenuity will prevail in shaping the future. A refreshingly rosy assessment of how far many of us have come from the days when life was uniformly nasty, brutish, and short.’ * Kirkus *‘Excellent…Norberg’s book comprehensively documents the myriad ways the state of humanity has vastly improved over the past couple of centuries.’ * Reason *

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Book SynopsisEnter The Madman's Gallery - the perfect gift book for any art lover. Discover an eccentric exploration through the curious history of art, to find the strangest paintings, sculptures, drawings and other artistic oddities ever made. From the author of the bestseller The Madman’s Library (SundayTimes Literature Book of the Year 2020, Radio 4 Book of the Week) comes an extraordinary new illustrated collection. This unique exhibition gathers more than a hundred magnificent works, each chosen for their striking beauty, weirdness and captivating story behind their creation. Obscure and forgotten treasures sit alongside famous masterpieces with secret stories to tell. Here are Doom paintings, screaming sculptures, magical manuscripts, impossible architecture, dog-headed saints, angel musketeers and the first portrait of a cannibal. Stolen art, outsider art, ghost art, revenge art, and art Trade Review‘I love this book. Beautifully illustrated, it's a superb cabinet of art curiosities, featuring the true stories of muses and masterpieces, uncovering what artists have really been inspired by, across history and cultures. A coffee table book that you'll actually want to read.' -- Ruth Millington, author of Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History’s Masterpieces‘Welcome to this cabinet of artistic curiosities. Brooke-Hitching has done a marvellous service in highlighting the weird in art history. Too often, Surrealism aside, we fail to embrace the bizarre, feeling it is insufficiently "important" or "serious". Finally there is a book that beautifully embraces this subset of art history with lavish illustrations and thoughtful text about just this. Lay back, pour yourself a teacup full of string, and dive into this brain-tingling collection. The perfect gift for all lovers of the bizarre and the visually arresting.’ -- Dr Noah Charney, author of The Museum of Lost Art'The Madman’s Gallery reminds us that for the first 40,000 years of its existence art was a verb - something that does something. Protects you from demons and plagues, assists in childbirth, casting spells, summoning ghosts, standing over tombs, communing with ancestors, making the crops grow, safeguarding armies, and conjuring God.’ -- Jerry Saltz, Senior Art Critic New York Magazine'Don't miss the extraordinary new illustrated collection from Edward Brooke-Hitching. The Madman's Gallery draws on a depth of research and images to form a book that surprises at every turn.' * Artists & Illustrators *'Brooke-Hitching has the true eye and instinct for the unusual and unexpected that is possessed by only the most dedicated and assiduous connoisseur and collector. I hope this cabinet of artistic curiosities becomes a bestselling book. A handsome volume that deserves to sell like hot cakes.' -- Robert Cumming, author of 'Art: A Visual History'‘…a feast of artistic curiosities’ * The Telegraph *‘A gallery of the gory, the gruesome, the saucy, images familiar and strange.’ * Saga Magazine *‘Following on from books highlighting eccentric offerings from the fields of literature and cartography, Edward Brooke-Hitching sets off in search of similarly outré gems from visual art.’ * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisWhat is a shogun? Who were the samurai and what is the warrior code? What lies behind the Japanese work ethic? From the ancient tea ceremony to the boom and subsequent downturn of its economic prosperity, this uniquely concise introduction to Japan and its history surveys nearly 10,000 years of society, culture, economics and politics. Balancing economic and political information with new insights into the twin spheres of art and religion, Mikiso Hane offers authoritative coverage of all aspects of Japanese life. With a particular focus on the key events of the last 200 years, the author also pays special attention to the changing conditions of those whose history has been so frequently neglected - the women, the peasants, and the lowest order of untouchables. Well-rounded and enlightening, this informative account of Japan and its people will be greatly appreciated by historians, students and all those with an interest in this diverse and enigmatic country.

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Book Synopsis* TOLKIEN * Now a major motion pictureAcclaimed as the best book about Tolkien', this award-winning biography explores J.R.R. Tolkien's wartime experiences and their impact on his life and his writing of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil.JoTrade Review"Very much the best book about JRR Tolkien that has yet been written. Even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, I commend this book to you. It is all so interesting in itself, and I have rarely read a book which so intelligently graphed the relation between a writer's inner life and his outward circumstances."A.N.Wilson, Evening Standard “A highly intelligent book exploring Tolkien’s personal experience of the First World War… Garth displays impressive skills both as a researcher and writer.” Max Hastings “Garth’s brilliantly argued study convincinly portrays Tolkien in an entirely different leagues from other, more familiar writers on war.” Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisWas Jesus a Freemason? The discovery of evidence of the most secret rites of Freemasonry in an ancient Egyptian tomb led authors Chris Knight and Bob Lomas into and extraordinary investigation of 4, 000 years of history. This astonishing bestseller raises questions that have challenged some of Western civilisation''s most cherished beliefs: Were scrolls bearing the secret teachings of Jesus buried beneath Herod''s Temple shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman''s? Did the Knights Templar, the forerunners of modern Freemasonry, excavate these scrolls in the twelfth century? And were these scrolls subsequently buried underneath a reconstruction of Herod''s Temple, Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland - where they are now awaiting excavation? The authors'' discoveries shed a new light on Masonic ceremony and overturn out understanding of history.Trade ReviewA breakthrough book. The last four thousand years are never going to look the same again * Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods *

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Book SynopsisBill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. Kenya, generally regarded as the cradle of humankind, is a land of stunning landscapes, famous game reserves, and a vibrant culture, but it also has many serious problems, including refugees, AIDS, drought and grinding poverty. It also provides plenty to worry a nervous traveller like Bill Bryson: hair-raising rides in light aircraft, tropical diseases, snakes, insects and large predators.Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and the resultant diary, though short in length, contains all his trademark laugh-out-loud wit, wry observation and curious insight. All the author's royalties from this book, as well as all profits, will go to CARE International.

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Book SynopsisJoin a cold-case detective as he uncovers the truth about Jesus using the same approach he employs to solve real murder cases.Detective J. Warner Wallace was skeptical of the Bible''s claims about Jesus. But he''d investigated several no-body homicide cases in which there was no crime scene, no physical evidence, and no victim''s body. He wondered if the truth about the historical Jesus could be investigated in the same way.In Person of Interest, cold-case detective and bestselling author J. Warner Wallace describes his own personal investigative journey from atheism to Christianity as he carefully sifts through the evidence from history alone, without relying on the New Testament.In this book, you''ll: Understand like never before how Jesus—the most significant person in history—changed the world and why he still matters today. Learn how to think like a cold-case detective by using an innovative Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1: Events Preceding Jesus 1. The prophecies predicting the coming of the Messiah 2. The first century expectations of a Messiah 3. The pre-existing mythologies that resemble Jesus Part 2: Facts Surrounding the Life and Ministry of Jesus 4. The historical reliability of his existence 5. The reliability of the gospel eyewitness accounts describing him 6. The nature of Jesus based on his statements 7. The nature of Jesus based on his actions 8. The nature of Jesus based on the response he received Part 3: Events Following the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus 9. The response of non-Christian authors in the first and second century 10. The response of the eyewitnesses and their students 11. The response of non-canonical authors 12. The rapid growth of the early Church 13. The continuing impact of Jesus in the lives of believers

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Book SynopsisBread, cash, dosh, dough, loot. Call if what you like, it matters now more than ever. In The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson shows that financial history is the back-story to all history.From the banking dynasty who funded the Italian Renaissance to the stock market bubble that caused the French Revolution, this is the story of booms and busts as it''s never been told before.With the world in the grip of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, there''s never been a better time to understand the ascent - and descent - of money.''Beautifully written ... Breathtakingly clever'' Sunday Telegraph''A lucid and racy account of financial history'' New Statesman ''A fine, readable and entertaining history'' Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year ''The tales he tells of boom and bust, of triumph and disaster, of bubbles that inflate ... are the very essence of financial history'' Bill Emmott, Financial Times''An often enlightening and enjoyable tour through the underside of great events, a lesson in how the most successful great powers have always been underpinned by smart money'' Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Foreign Affairs' Picks for Best of Books 2018""One of Isthmus' Most Important Books of 2018 (Dave Cieslewicz)"

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Book SynopsisWINNER of the International Affairs Book of the Year at the Political Book Awards 2014Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2013 The First World War followed a period of sustained peace in Europe during which people talked with confidence of prosperity, progress and hope. But in 1914, Europe walked into a catastrophic conflict which killed millions of its men, bled its economies dry, shook empires and societies to pieces, and fatally undermined Europe's dominance of the world. It was a war which could have been avoided up to the last moment-so why did it happen? Beginning in the early nineteenth century, and ending with the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, award-winning historian Margaret MacMillan uncovers the huge political and technological changes, national decisions and -- just as important-the small moments of human muddle and weakness that led Europe from peace to disaster. This masterful exploration of how Europe chose its path towards war will change and enrich how we see this defining moment in our history.Trade ReviewThe story of how intelligent, well-meaning leaders guided their nations into catastrophe. Immersed in intrigue, enlivened by fascinating stories, and made compelling by the author's own insights, this is one of the finest books I have read on the causes of World War I -- Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of StateOnce again, Margaret MacMillan proves herself not just a masterly historian but a brilliant storyteller -- Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings InstitutionA masterful explanation of the complex forces that brought the Edwardian world crashing down. Utterly riveting, deeply moving, and impeccably researched, MacMillan's latest opus will become the definitive account of old Europe's final years -- Amanda Foreman

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Book SynopsisPalaeolithic hunters who learnt how to kill two mammoths instead of one had made progress. Those who learnt how to kill 200 by driving a whole herd over a cliff had made too much. Many of the great ruins that grace the deserts and jungles of the earth are monuments to progress traps, the headstones of civilisations which fell victim to their own success. The twentieth-century´s runaway growth has placed a murderous burden on the planet. A Short History of Progress argues that this modern predicament is as old as civilisation. Only by understanding the patterns of progress and disaster that humanity has repeated since the Stone Age can we recognise the inherent dangers, and, with luck, and wisdom, shape its outcome.Trade ReviewThe author sifts the findings of archaeology and anthropology with thoughtful grace to build a potent argument. * * Guardian * *A compelling work of distilled wisdom. * * The Times * *Rarely have I read a book that is so gripping, so immediate and so important to our times. Jared Diamond will be jealous. -- Robyn WilliamsRonald Wright is both trained academic and an acclaimed novelist and he has used these skills to page-turning effect in this work of non-fiction. * * Morning Star * *

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Book SynopsisFeaturing 60 beautiful and detailed maps, Atlas of Empires tells the story of how and why the great empires of history came into being, operated, and ultimately declined, and discusses the future of the empire in today's globalized world. Atlas of Empires tells the story of how and why the great empires of history came into being, operated and ultimately declined, and discusses the future of the empire in today's globalized world. Featuring 60 beautiful and detailed maps of the empires' territories at different stages of their existence and organized thematically to reflect the different driving forces behind empires throughout history (such as faith, nomadic culture, nationhood and capitalism), each section discusses the rise and fall of the empires that existed in a region: their government and society, wealth and technology, war and military force, and religious beliefs. From the earliest empires of the Sumerians and the Pharaohs to the modern empires of the USSR and the European Union, this is a story that reveals how empires are created and organized, how later empires resolve the problems of governance faced by earlier empires, and how the political and cultural legacies of ancient empires are still felt today.Trade ReviewFrom Broken Teepee History Blog: My degree is in history - European History - but that doesn't mean I don't have a deep and abiding love of that which came before. Researching the rise, and fall of the Great Empires through time has a lot to teach us if we would only bother to learn. This book is not the type of book you just sit down and read as you would a novel or biography. At least I didn't. I just kept it on my reading table and I'd pick it up, choose an era and get myself lost in the history. It is richly illustrated and just deep enough to stir the interest for deeper reading if an empire should intrigue. As it is a book that covers so much you can't expect a deep dive on each period in history but the book offers the most import aspects of the Empire's timeline. It provides what you need to know so that if you want to learn more you now have a grounding and an excellent starting point for moving forward. I truly found it to be very well written and I'm glad to have it. RATING: 5 Booklist: Essentially covering 4,000 years of world history, this new work by History Channel writer Davidson takes a textbook-like approach, using gorgeous and detailed maps and clearly written text to tell the story of the great empires of world history. Thematically, rather than chronologically, organized, each chapter focuses on the rise and fall of a particular empire by examining the motives for expansion (economic, martial, or evangelical), the resistance or collaboration of the colonized, and the overall international situation at the time. Also discussed are the ways in which the legacy of collapsed empires affects the establishment and governance of subsequent empires, resonating up to the present day. Recommended for all types of libraries. --Michael Tosko Roman Times: Davidson does a good job of defining and describing key cultural characteristics of each empire and the inherent challenges their leaders faced. He also astutely defines the strengths and weaknesses of each and how these either helped it to achieve greatness or resulted in its ultimate decline and destruction. I have recently tucked into my travel-slash-history book library the 240-page "Atlas of Empires: The World's Civilizations from Ancient Times to Today" and have already referred to it regarding upcoming trips. Author Peter Davidson has credentials that include directing documentaries for the History Channel and teaching history at the University of London. He also is a restorer of antiquities from around the world. "Atlas of Empires" (Fox Chapel Publishing, Mount Joy, Lancaster County) addresses the rise and fall of empires from the Pharaohs and Sumerians to the USSR and the European Union. The text is compelling, but the more than 60 colorful and detailed maps clearly depict the geographic, political, economic and religious impacts on civilizations and communities. --Charles J. Adams, III, Reading Eagle Newspaper

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize 2013In 1412, Europe was a miserable backwater ravaged by plague, bad sanitation and incessant war, while the Orient was home to dazzling civilizations. Yet, somehow, the West came to dominate the Rest for most of the next half millennium.In this vital, brilliant book, Niall Ferguson reveals the six ''killer applications'' that the Rest lacked: competition, science, property rights, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic. And he asks: do we still have these winning tools? Or is this the end of Western ascendancy?''Brilliantly written, full of wit and virtuosity, stuffed with memorable lines and gorgeous bits of information. A great read'' The Times''A dazzling history of Western ideas ... epic'' Economist''Vivid and fascinating'' Daily Telegraph''Superb ... brings history alive ... dazzling'' Independent''This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson ... twists his knife with great literary brio'' Andrew Marr, Financial TimesTrade ReviewFerguson is the most brilliant British historian of his generation ... he writes with splendid panache * The Times *One of the world's leading historians -- Hamish McRae * Independent *Civilization is another masterpiece ... a pulsing energy suffuses his account [and] fascinating facts burst like fireworks on every page -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *This is sharp. It feels urgent. Ferguson, with a properly financially literate mind, twists his knife with great literary brio -- Andrew Marr * Financial Times *A dazzling history of Western ideas * Economist *

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Book SynopsisAVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOWFrom the multi-million copy bestselling author Demon Copperhead: a true story of female-led resilience during the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983 - now available for the first time in the UK.[Kingsolver] means to save us by telling us stories . . . She comes closer than anyone else I know.' ANNE PATCHETTClear and emotional . . . This is a report from the trenches of where the political meets the personal.' JOHN SAYLESIt was the summer of 1983. Barbara Kingsolver had a day job as a scientific writer spends her weekends cutting her teeth as a freelance journalist when she landed an assignment. Her mission: was to cover the Phelps Dodge mine strike.Over the year that followed Kingsolver stood with those miners and their families, increasingly engaged and heartbroken. She recorded stories of striking miners and their stunningly courageous wives, sisters and daughters. She saw rights

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Book SynopsisDoes history matter? This book argues not that history matters, but that Islamic history does. This Very Short Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history; the controversies surrounding its study; and the significance that it holds - for Muslims and for non-Muslims alike.Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam, from the seventh to twenty first century, the book charts the evolution of what was originally a small, localised community of believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents. Chapters are also dedicated to the peoples - Arabs, Persians, and Turks - who shaped Islamic history, and to three representative institutions - the mosque, jihad, and the caliphate - that highlight Islam''s diversity over time.Finally, the roles that Islamic history has played in both religious and political contexts are analysed, while stressing the unique status that history enjoys amongst Muslims, especially compared to its lowly place in Western societies where history is often seen as little more than something that is not to be repeated.Some of the questions that will be answered are: How did Islam arise from the obscurity of seventh century Arabia to the headlines of twenty first century media? How do we know what we claim to know about Islam''s rise and development? Why does any of this matter, either to Muslims or to non-Muslims?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 ReviewThe book is extremely lucid, readable, sensibly organised, and wears its considerable learning, as they say, 'lightly'. * BBC History Magazine *I cannot imagine any reader not profiting from this tight-packed and intelligently presented text. * BBC History Magazine *Brilliant little book...This highly approachable text is evidently backed by a deep scholarship and is full of eye-catching perspectives. * Steven Poole, The Guardian *Silverstein, who teaches the subject at Oxford University, is up-to-date, shrewd and often witty...the book's lucidity, intelligence and indeed its brevity make it an ideal introduction to the field of study...The book is a gem, and it deserves a wide readership well beyond the academic community. * David Morgan, TLS *Table of Contents1. The story of Islamic history ; 2. Peoples and cultures ; 3. Institutions ; 4. The sources ; 5. Competing approaches ; 6. Religious significance ; 7. Political significance ; Conclusions ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisBorn almost a hundred years ago in Vienna - the cultural heart of a bourgeois Mitteleurope - Eric Hobsbawm, who was to become one of the most brilliant and original historians of our age, was uniquely placed to observe an era of titanic social and artistic change. As the century progressed, the forces of Communism and Dadaism, Ibiza and cyberspace, would do battle with the bourgeois high culture fin-de-siècle Vienna represented - the opera, the Burgtheater, the museums of art and science, City Hall. In Fractured Times Hobsbawm unpicks a century of cultural fragmentation and dissolution with characteristic verve and vigour.Hobsbawm examines the conditions that created the great cultural flowering of the belle époque and held the seeds of its disintegration, from paternalistic capitalism to globalisation and the arrival of a mass consumer society. Passionate but never sentimental, Hobsbawm ranges freely across his subject: he records the passing of the golden age of tTrade ReviewEric Hobsbawm wrote with extraordinary wit, grace and power, qualities evident in this posthumously published collection -- Richard J Evans * Guardian *Reveals on every page [Hobsbawm's] characteristic boldness of interpretation, astonishing range and versatility * Fractured Times *

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Book SynopsisThis new historical atlas - richly illustrated with photographs, artwork recreations and full-colour maps - explores the world's earliest civilisations from the first farming settlements of Mesopotamia, via Egypt, Greece and Rome, to the civilisations of the Far East, Europe and America. Informatively written, and ideal for both students and the general reader, it plots the rise and fall of empires, the nature of different societies and the evolution of technology.

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Book SynopsisAn unsettling journey through the calamitous consequences of settler colonialism in Patagonia--and the story of the world-renowned scientist who witnessed it.

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Book SynopsisA magisterial, one-volume history of political thought from Herodotus to the present, Ancient Athens to modern democracy - from author and professor Alan RyanThis is a book about the answers that historians, philosophers, theologians, practising politicians and would-be revolutionaries have given to one question: how should human beings best govern themselves? Almost every modern government claims to be democratic; but is democracy really the best way of organising our political life? Can we manage our own affairs at all? Should we even try? In the west, do we actually live in democracies? In this extraordinary book Alan Ryan engages with the great thinkers of the past to show us how vividly their ideas speak to us in today''s uncertain world.ALAN RYAN was born in London in 1940 and taught for many years at Oxford, where he was a Fellow of New College and Reader in Politics. He was Professor of Politics at Princeton from 1988 to 1996, when he reTrade Review[A] magnificent piece of work, clear (even when the ideas he's exploring are obscure) and engaging (even when the theory is forbidding) ... It's a remarkable experience -- Jeremy Waldron * New York Review of Books *A brave and clever book ... crammed with smart observations and wise advice -- John Keane * Financial Times *Concise, lucid ... despite covering huge intellectual terrain, On Politics is a delight both when it explores detail and also when it draws conclusions of a broader perspective -- Justin Champion * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisComprehensive in its scope and brilliantly readable, this is a superb follow-up to the author's bestselling Penguin History of the World. Beginning with prehistory and the early civilizations of the Aegean, The Penguin History of Europe traces the development of European identity in its many guises, through the age of Christendom, the Middle Ages, early Modern history and the old European order.Table of ContentsBook 1 Heritages; Bedrock; Ancient Greece; the making of the Roman world; Imperial Rome and world history. Part 2 Christendom: re-definition; the reshaping of the West; Medieval societies; frontiers and neighbours; the civilization of the Middle Ages; new prospects in the East. Book 3 The launching of modern history 1500-1800: a new age; society and belief; the political organizations of Western Europe; the Ancient regime; the world's new shape. Book 4 The European age: new politics; the world's new rich; a new sort of civilization; a new European order; world hegemony; international order and disorder. Book 5 Europe's 20th century - the era of the European civil war: pressures and strains; the breakdowns of international order; European revolution; crumbling foundations; the last years of the European illusion. Book 6 Europe in the Cold War and after: Europe in the aftermath of war; Europe and global Cold War; the end of the European post-war order; the end of the European post-war order; a new order in the making?

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Book SynopsisIn her first book, popular TikTok historian J Draper uses her characteristic wit and intellect to introduce us to extraordinary figures marginalized by history, and the lessons we can learn from them.

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Book Synopsis''Superb'' Sunday Times''Revolutionary'' Alice Roberts''Hugely important'' Jim Al-Khalili_______________A radical retelling of the history of science that foregrounds the scientists erased from history In this major retelling of the history of science from 1450 to the present day, James Poskett explodes the myth that science began in Europe.The blinkered Western gaze focusing on individual ''genius'' - Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein - was only one part of the story. The reality was an utterly global, non-linear pattern of cross-fertilization, competition, cooperation and outright conflict. Each rupture in history carved fresh channels for global exchange.Here, for the first time, Poskett celebrates how scientists from Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific were integral to this very human story. We meet Graman Kwasi, the African botanist who discovered a new cure for malaria; Hantaro Nagaoka, the Japanese scientist who first described the structure of the atom; and Zhao Zhongyao, the Chinese physicist who discovered antimatter._______________''Remarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West'' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 Maps''Perspective-shattering'' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, ''Editor''s Choice''''Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science'' Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred''Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity'' Chris Allnutt, Financial TimesTrade ReviewSuperb . . . Poskett rightly highlights the shamefully overlooked contributions of Indian, Chinese and Japanese scientists -- Stephen Bleach * Sunday Times *A fundamental retelling of the story of science . . . Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity -- Chris Allnutt * Financial Times *An honest conversation about the history of science is therefore not just of moral importance - it is part of what makes discovery possible -- Will Dunn * New Statesman *I've been really impressed by Horizons: A Global History of Science by James Poskett. The book is exactly what it says on the cover: it's a way of looking at the world of science and the development of technology from a genuinely global perspective. The narrative starts with the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan [on the site of modern-day Mexico City] and the engineering marvels that were present there, built long before the Spanish turned up during their conquest in the early modern era. Poskett also discusses Arab science, Chinese science and the story of science in the west, which is better known. So it's a truly global and really well-written and engaging account -- Rana Mitter * BBC History Magazine, Books of the Year 2022 *A lively story of global collaboration in the study of nature from 1500 to the present day . . . rich and lucid -- Dmitri Levitin * Literary Review *European scientists for centuries served the political goals of empire building, which was based on slave trading, military power, oppression and violence . . . Poskett hopes for a future where the historic truth about how scientific progress has been made is universally accepted, where all cultures are valued, and where global scientific collaboration unleashes the creativity to solve problems such as climate change -- Sean Duke * Irish Times *Horizons shows that the story of science has always been a planetary one: a non-linear process of cross-fertilisation, competition, cooperation and conflict . . . What makes the book so engrossing is that Poskett's grasp of historical contexts is as firm as his scientific knowledge -- Matthew d'Ancona * Tortoise *Generation after generation, people in western countries have been educated to believe that the history of modern science began primarily in the 17th century in western Europe. In a book of breathtaking range and high quality, Poskett dismantles that narrow version of events and produces a genuinely global history -- Best Summer Books of 2022: History' * Financial Times *This treasure trove of a book puts the case persuasively and compellingly that modern science did not develop solely in Europe. Hugely important -- Jim Al-Khalili, author of ParadoxBrilliant . . . In this revolutionary and revelatory book, James Poskett not only gives us a truly worldwide history of science, but explains how international connections have stimulated scientific advances through time -- Alice Roberts, author of AncestorsScience's internationalism is well recognized. But scientists tend to regard it as a recent phenomenon that arose from the 'big science' of the twentieth century, rather than one with a history of more than 500 years going back to the Islamic science that inspired astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, and beyond, observes historian James Poskett. His revisionary "global history" boldly rebuts this -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *Poskett's book is invaluable, an important and timely reminder that the world we live in has never been small or unknown, but that sharing knowledge, as well as credit, and working together, is the key to a better future -- Matt Lewis * History Hit *From palatial Aztec botanic gardens to Qing Dynasty evolutionary theories, Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science, showing how curiosity and intellectual exploration was, and is, a global phenomenon -- Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredRemarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West -- Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 MapsThis perspective-shattering book challenges our Eurocentric narrative by spotlighting the work of historically neglected scientists -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, 'Editor's Choice' *A useful corrective that brings us closer to a more accurate history of Western science - one which recognises Europe, not as exceptional, but as learning from the world -- Angela Saini, author of SuperiorThe righting of the historical record makes Horizons a deeply satisfying read. We learn about a fascinating group of people engaged in scientific inquiry all over the world. Even more satisfyingly, Horizons demonstrates that the most famous scientists - Copernicus, Darwin and Einstein among them - couldn't have made their discoveries without the help of their global contacts -- Valerie Hansen, author of The Year 1000A provocative examination of major contributions to science made outside Europe and the USA, from ancient to modern times, explained in relation to global historical events. I particularly enjoyed the stories of individuals whose work tends to be omitted from standard histories of science -- Ian Stewart, author of Significant FiguresA wonderful, timely reminder that scientific advancement is, and has always been, a global endeavour -- Patrick Roberts, author of JungleThis is the kind of history we need: it opens our eyes to the ways in which what we know today has been uncovered thanks to a worldwide team effort -- Michael Scott, author of Ancient WorldsAn important milestone * British Journal for the History of Science, on Materials of the Mind *The freshest history of the strangest science -- Alison Bashford, author of Global Population, on Materials of the MindAmbitious, riveting, Poskett tracks the global in so many senses . . . vital reading on some of the most urgent concerns facing the world history of science -- Sujit Sivasundaram, University of Cambridge, on Materials of the MindTerrific . . . [Makes] a substantial contribution to understanding the universalizing properties of science and technology in history -- Janet Browne, Harvard University, on Materials of the MindHorizons forces me to think outside my Eurocentric box and puts science at the centre of world history -- David Reynolds * New Statesman, Books of the Year 2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe past is a foreign country: this is your guidebook.If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It is the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London; bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II; Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music and Isaac Newton in science - the civil wars are over and a magnificent new era has begun.But what would it really be like to live in Restoration Britain? Where would you stay and what would you eat? What would you wear and where would you do your shopping? The third volume in the series of Ian Mortimer''s bestselling Time Traveller''s Guides answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to seventeenth-century Britain would ask.People''s lives are changing rapidly - from a world of superstition and religious explanation to rationalism and scientific calculation. In many respects the period sees the Trade ReviewIan Mortimer is among the best: a conjuror who is always bright, engaging and well-informed… Any tour of late 17th-century Britain is guaranteed to be exhilarating. And with Mortimer in charge, one always travels first class * Mail on Sunday *Ian Mortimer is a historical truffle hound… The Time Traveller’s Guide to Restoration Britain is just such fun to read… Mortimer writes with real freshness and enthusiasm,... His book is a delightful read. * Sunday Times *This entertaining tourist guide brings the late 17th century alive…The latest Time Traveller’s Guide will entertain and inform anyone with an interest in this extraordinary period * The Times *Thoroughly entertaining… It is crammed with insights, facts and enjoyable anecdotes, which create a sense of the experience of living in Britain between 1660 and 1700… This is a compelling book and one of considerable erudition… This is the book that will provide the most richly colourful account of Britain in this period * History Today *Everything you wanted to know about these fair isles between 1660 and 1700... Exciting times. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThe volume comprises lightly annotated translation of a key medieval Arabic text that bears directly on the Crusades and Crusader society and the Muslim experience of them.

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Book Synopsis''As fascinating as it is beautifully written'' JARED DIAMOND, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and SteelRivers, more than any road, technology or political event, have shaped the course of civilization. Rivers have opened frontiers, defined borders, supported trade, generated energy and fed billions. Most of our greatest cities stand on river banks or deltas, and our quest for mastery has spurred staggering advances in engineering, science and law. Rivers and their topographic divides have shaped the territories of nations and the migration of peoples, and yet - as their resources become ever more precious - can foster cooperation even among enemy states. And though they become increasingly domesticated, they remain a formidable global force: these vast arterial powers promote life but are capable of destroying everything in their path.From ancient Egypt to our growing contemporary metropolises, Rivers of Power<Trade ReviewSmith takes readers on a tour of the world's great rivers. The result is fascinating, eye-opening, sometimes alarming, and ultimately inspiring. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth ExtinctionA tour de force - a narrative as powerful as the rivers he documents. He is up there with Jared Diamond - a storyteller with real craft. From Herodotus musing on the Nile to the dam makers of modern China, this is their story. -- Fred Pearce, author of When The Rivers Run DryThis book about rivers is as fascinating as it is beautifully written -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel, and UpheavalPassionate... and infectiously enthusiastic ... an eclectic journey through several millennia. -- Victor Mallet * The Financial Times *Instructive and entertaining. Smith's prose is clear and he explains scientific concepts well. * The Times *A hymn to hydrology ancient and modern. * The Spectator *With scholarship, literary flair, and a personal touch, Smith takes the reader on a fascinating and surprising voyage of discovery. He also sounds a clarion call for all of us to invest in protecting our rivers as a means of improving our own lives. -- Eric Jay Dolin, bestselling author of Black Flags, Blue WatersHow can one write a world history of rivers? Laurence C. Smith triumphantly meets the challenge, fluently comparing the role of rivers in wartime, in trade, in water management, in floods and droughts, and, looking to the future, in a world of rising temperatures. -- David Abulafia, author of The Boundless SeaEngaging, informative, magisterial in its coverage, intimidating in the scope of its command of the material, there's no end to the good things to be said about this book. * Geography Realm *Absorbing. Smith is not only an excellent storyteller, he is also perhaps the world's leading scientist using satellites to unlock the secrets of the planet's rivers. His deep understanding will inspire readers to see rivers in wholly new and surprising ways. -- Paul Bates, Professor of Hydrology, University of BristolSmith demonstrates compellingly and engagingly that rivers have played a key role in the development of nations and, indeed, of humankind itself. -- Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Scott Centre for Polar Research, University of Cambridge

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Book Synopsis''Magisterial ... Immensely readable'' Douglas Alexander, Financial Times''Insightful, productively provocative and downright brilliant'' New York Times A compelling history of catastrophes and their consequences, from ''the most brilliant British historian of his generation'' (The Times) Disasters are inherently hard to predict. But when catastrophe strikes, we ought to be better prepared than the Romans were when Vesuvius erupted or medieval Italians when the Black Death struck. We have science on our side, after all. Yet the responses of many developed countries to a new pathogen from China were badly bungled. Why? While populist rulers certainly performed poorly in the face of the pandemic, Niall Ferguson argues that more profound pathologies were at work - pathologies already visible in our responses to earlier disasters. Drawing from multiple disciplines, including economics and network science, Trade ReviewMagisterial reach ... immensely readable ... Ferguson [applies] his prodigious intellect to placing the present pandemic on a wider historic canvas. -- Douglas Alexander * Financial Times *This is not just about a virus but a collision of politics, panic, digital media, human behaviour and incompetence. Niall Ferguson's Doom looks at each of these aspects, putting them into historical perspective in a book of dazzling range and rigour. -- Fraser Nelson * The Spectator *Niall Ferguson's Doom is often insightful, productively provocative and downright brilliant. * New York Times *A superb history of the lost art of handling a crisis. * The Telegraph *Stimulating ... Each chapter of this thought-provoking book is worth reading for the ideas, perceptiveness and well-told stories of landmark events ... It's a useful reminder that what may feel like having unprecedented restrictions imposed on our lives today is nothing new... readers will find much to relish. -- Martin Bentham * Evening Standard *Elegant, pacey, gripping ... a wealth of deep research. * The Economist *Doom covers an impressive sweep of history at a lively narrative clip and weaves a lot of disparate strands together into an engaging picture. -- Rafael Behr * The Guardian *Timely and refreshing ... An informative, amusing and thought-provoking read that is full of steadying good sense for these troubled times. -- Peter Neville-Hadley * South China Morning Post *Performs a crucial public service ... Doom is far more than just a page-turner, though that it certainly is: it's that most precious of things in a history book - an account of the past that truly helps us understand where we are today. -- Ryan Bourne * CapX *

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Book SynopsisCrusading fervour gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most extraordinary, vivid episodes in world history. Whether the Crusades are regarded as the most romantic of Christian expeditions, or the last of the barbarian invasions, they have fascinated generations ever since, and their legacy of ideas and imagery has resonated through the centuries, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. Even today, to invoke the Crusades is to stir deep cultural myths, assumptions and prejudices.Yet despite their powerful hold on our imaginations, our knowledge of them remains obscured an distorted by time. Were the Crusaders motivated by spiritual rewards, or by greed? Were the Crusades an experiment in European colonialism, or a manifestation of religious love? How were they organized and founded?With customary flair and originality, Christopher Tyerman picks his way through the many debates to present a clear and lively discussion of the Crusades; bringing together issues of colonialism, cultural exchange, economic exploitation, and the relationship between past and present. 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 ReviewSmall but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of Contents1. Definition and Scope ; 2. Sources and Perspectives ; 3. Holy War ; 4. Holy lands ; 5. The Business of the Cross Conclusion ; Conclusion ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisIn their pursuit of social justice, revolutionaries have taken on the assembled might of monarchies, empires, and dictatorships. They have often, though not always, sparked cataclysmic violence, and have at times won miraculous victories, though at other times suffered devastating defeat.This Very Short Introduction illuminates the revolutionaries, their strategies, their successes and failures, and the ways in which revolutions continue to dominate world events and the popular imagination. Starting with the city-states of ancient Greece and Rome, Jack Goldstone traces the development of revolutions through the Renaissance and Reformation, the Enlightenment and liberal constitutional revolutions such as in America, and their opposite--the communist revolutions of the 20th century. He shows how revolutions overturned dictators in Nicaragua and Iran and brought the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and examines the new wave of non-violent color revolutions--the Philippines'' Yellow Revolution, Ukraine''s Orange Revolution--and the Arab Uprisings of 2011-12 that rocked the Middle East.In this new edition, Goldstone also sheds light on the major theories of revolution, exploring the causes of revolutionary waves, the role of revolutionary leaders, the strategies and processes of revolutionary change, and the intersection between revolutions and shifting patterns of global power. Further, he explores the role social media and nonviolence play in modern revolutions. Finally, he examines the reasons for diverse revolutionary outcomes, from democracy to civil war and authoritarian rule, and the likely future of revolution in years to come.Table of ContentsList of illustrations Acknowledgments Chapter 1: What is a revolution? Chapter 2: What causes revolutions? Chapter 3: Revolutionary processes, leadership, and outcomes Chapter 4: Revolutions in the ancient world Chapter 5: Revolutions in the Renaissance and Reformation Chapter 6: Constitutional revolutions: America, France, Europe (1830 and 1848), and Meiji Japan Chapter 7: Communist revolutions: Russia, China, and Cuba Chapter 8: Revolutions against dictators: Mexico, Nicaragua, and Iran Chapter 9: Color revolutions: The Philippines, Eastern Europe and the USSR, and Ukraine Chapter 10: The Arab revolutions of 2011: Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria Chapter 11: The future of revolutions References Further reading Index

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

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive study of the connection between Calvinist missions and Dutch imperial expansion during the early modern periodTrade Review“This study is an important contribution to our understanding of the cultural and intellectual impact of the global Calvinist diaspora.”—Charles Littleton, Huguenot Society Journal“A masterly synthesis of archival and secondary sources, this is a tour de force offering the reader the best study of global Calvinism in the realms of the Dutch East India Company. Recommended for all students of early modern history.”—Ronnie Po-Chia Hsia, editor, Calvinism and Religious Toleration in the Dutch Golden Age“In this landmark and riveting publication, Charles Parker demonstrates the importance of Calvinism in the making of the Dutch Empire. Missionaries and their encounters with indigenous societies significantly reshaped Dutch intellectual life, inspiring Enlighted ideas about religion in Europe.”—Ulinka Rublack, Cambridge University“A splendid addition to the literature on Christian missions outside Europe during early modern times.”—Jonathan Israel, author of The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477–1806

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Seapower States presents, along with a fascinating geopolitical chronicle, ‘the history of an idea, and its transmission across time’ . . . [with] many provocative insights. . . . A superb survey of the perennial opportunities and risks in what Herman Melville called ‘the watery part of the world.’”—William Anthony Hay, Wall Street Journal“Seapower States is an intriguing series of stories of communities thinking seriously about how to stand their own ground when outpowered, how to do so in ways that are consistent with their values, and sometimes how to negotiate the descent from being a great power when the cards just aren’t in their favour any more.These are timely questions.”—Sarah Kinkel, Times Higher Education Supplement“Compelling . . . both scholarly and readable.”—Gary Anderson, Washington Times“I admire the author’s ambition and verve, the fluency of his writing, the audacity of some of his insights, the unquenchability of his commitment and the brilliance with which he uses art as evidence.”—Felipe Fernandez Armesto, Literary Review“Utterly brilliant. It goes back to the Phoenicians, the Venetians, Carthaginians and all the way up to the British and Dutch. Beautifully written, a lifetime’s research” — Andrew Roberts, The Guardian“Lambert is, without a doubt, the most insightful naval historian writing today. His range is immense and his sensitivity to his subject profound. This is, however, a very serious book. . . . It will become a standard text at universities for decades to come. . . . I found this book admirable.“—Gerard DeGroot, Times (UK)“Andrew Lambert’s magisterial new book offers a provocative yet persuasive account of how five historical seapowers—Athens, Carthage, Venice, the Dutch republic and Britain—shaped our global social, economic and political identity.”—Jerry Brotton, BBC History Magazine“Seapower States is a powerful, compelling work by an historian who is absolutely at the top of his game.”—Nick Hewitt, Military History Magazine“Seapower States will prove to be an essential addition to the shelves of anyone interested in the relationships between culture, power, and strategy.”—Rob Cullum, Intelligence and National Security magazine“[A] gripping account”—Businesslife Magazine“An ambitious book that interweaves liberal politics, maritime strategy, and culture into a single account explaining the continuities among various policies across the sweep of Western history.”—Rob Cullum, Intelligence and National SecurityWinner of the sixth annual Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History, sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History“Seapower States offers a wide-ranging analysis of how and why different seapowers have emerged and declined. In crisp and assertive prose, Lambert points out parallels and congruences between different states, arguing that they chose to construct ‘seapower’ identities. An impressive and important contribution.”—James Davey, author of In Nelson’s Wake“An excellent much needed long-view historical narrative of the ideas of seapower and sea power. It shows how the classical heritage of the histories of the Peloponnesian and Punic wars have informed the rhetoric, grammar, metaphors and iconography of international politics for 500 years. It is well-written and well-structured, and leads to an important and provocative discussion of seapower and sea power in contemporary international relations.”—Richard Harding, author of Modern Naval History

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The amount of material Waters has unearthed is impressive, especially given the deliberate invisibility of witchcraft’s practitioners. His book is a salutary reminder that the modern world is not immune to superstition”— Robert Leigh-Pemberton, Daily Telegraph“[The book] is admirably wide-ranging, none the less, offering a survey of magic from the beginning of the 19th century until the present day, clearly demonstrating its ubiquity, its importance, and its persistence” — William Whyte, Church Times“Waters has…produced a magnificent history of 19th and 20th-century British witchcraft.”—Simon Young, Times Higher Education "Waters will certainly get his readers thinking."—Ceri Houlbrook, The Canadian Journal of History“There are many histories of witchcraft and magic, but this one is distinguished by its impressive scholarship, compelling narratives and good writing.”—Fortean Times “A timely account of the ebb and flow of belief in the black arts in modern times. It's fascinating, well-researched and utterly compelling.”—Michelle Paver, author of Wakenhyrst“This is one of those pioneering studies which immediately establishes a mastery of its field. It is broad, adventurous, subtle, painstaking and in places perhaps controversial: at once a glittering debut and a monument of scholarship.”—Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch“Built around numerous intriguing case studies, Cursed Britain charts the continued fear of witchcraft and harmful magic in Britain and beyond over the last two centuries. Authoritative and engaging, Waters’ book explores and explains why we should seek to understand the magical beliefs of our recent ancestors, and also requires us to reflect on the continued belief in malign forces.”—Owen Davies, author of A Supernatural War“An important and timely investigation into how malevolent magic and counter magic has survived, adapted, declined, and revived in the modern age. This is also a very human history of fear, power, influence and imagination. Fascinating.”— Karl Bell, author of The Magical Imagination

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Book SynopsisA provocative account showing that “China”—and its 5,000 years of unified history—is a national myth, created only a century ago with a political agenda that persists to this dayTrade Review“This highly readable book is a fascinating primer on how the Qing Great State, reflected in a hall of mirrors formed of western ideas, reflects back a founding narrative which serves current Chinese political objectives. Contemporary Chinese policy is contextualised and thus somewhat demystified for the reader.”—Christopher Ruane, Asian Affairs“For scholars and students, the book provides fresh perspectives on age-old issues.”—Enzo Miguel M. De Borja, Philippine Political Science Journal“China is never out of the news, but we need to stop and think why our conventional wisdom about the country may need rethinking. Whether it’s the name of the country itself, or the maps that underpin its territorial claims, Hayton is a sure, informed and often witty guide to understanding how this major state came to imagine itself.”—Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War“Immensely readable. . . . As China becomes increasingly nationalistic and aggressive, how Party leaders view their national identity and destiny grows ever more critical. This is a valuable porthole into that important subject.”—Orville Schell, author of Wealth and Power“A remarkable tour de force. This prodigious, highly readable book enhances our understanding of the origins and possible future of China’s ethnic conflicts, territorial disputes, and great power aspirations.”—Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver“Engaging. . . . Historians, poets, film-makers inside and outside China have built, demolished and rebuilt a multidimensional country/culture object that is more shaped by than shaping the aspirations and anxieties of humanity.”—Pamela Kyle Crossley, author of The Wobbling Pivot, China since 1800“Hayton’s work challenges readers to remember that ideas defining ‘China’ today are no more exceptional than those underpinning any state or nation. Assertions about rising from humiliation and immutable positions existing ‘since ancient times’ are in fact creations of an ongoing, modernist state-building project.”—Ja Ian Chong, assistant professor, National University of Singapore

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Book Synopsis* Uniquely complete account of the British Empire - Jan Morris' great Penguin trilogy PAX BRITANNICA only starts from 1837, rather than the 16th Century.* A modern classic of narrative history, updated to include the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.Trade ReviewA masterpiece * A N Wilson *...with this superb history of a mammoth subject his writing career has reached its apogee. * Andrew Roberts, THE TIMES *James never loses sight of his grand design, yet he still finds room for the telling detail which illuminates and enriches a narrative" Philip Ziegler, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH * 'A stimulating book… intelligent and making no concessions to current cliché.’ *IRISH TIMES * 'With dispassion and erudition James restores it to us mixing a pacy, lucid narrative with enlivening detail taken from political, cultural and populist sources.’ *His feeling for historical detail cannot be faulted and is made more engaging by his scholarship and infectious enthusiasm for the subject ... A thumping good read * Scotland on Sunday *James' epic is not only a first-rate narrative, but also a penetrating portrait of the British ... Having largely, if often inadvertently, selfishly or ham-fistedly, engineered the world we live in, we need the courage now to face up to our record as coolly and intelligently as Lawrence James has done * John Spurling, TLS *Outstanding ... An intelligible introduction to a grand subject * M.R.D. Foot, THE SPECTATOR'S BOOK OF THE YEAR *

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Book SynopsisMigrants cuts through the toxic debates to tell the rich and collective stories of humankind's urge to move. 'Fascinating... Miller's perspective may be just what we need' Daily Telegraph 'Enjoyable, provocative and timely' Spectator 'Timely and empathetic: a rare combination on this most controversial issue' Remi Adekoya, author of Biracial Britain 'Tremendous: blends the personal and the panoramic to great effect' Robert Winder, author of Bloody Foreigners Humans are, in fundamental ways, a migratory species, more so than any other land mammal. For most of our existence , we were all nomads, and some of us still are. Houses and permanent settlements are a relatively late development - dating back little more than twelve thousand years. Borders and passports are much more recent. From the Neanderthals, Alexander the Great, Christopher Columbus and Pocahontas to the African slave trade, Fu Manchu, and Barack Obama, Migrants shows us that it is only by understanding how migration and migrants have been viewed in the past, that we can re-set the terms of the modern-day debate about migration.Migrants presents us with an alternative history of the world, in which migration is restored to the heart of the human story. And in which humans migrate for a wide range of reasons: not just because of civil war, or poverty or climate change but also out of curiosity and a sense of adventure. On arrival, migrants are expected both to assimilate and encouraged to remain distinctive; to defend their heritage and adopt a new one. They are sub-human and super-human; romanticised and castigated, admired and abhorred. Migrants tells us that this is not a new narrative; this is the history of us all, part of everybody's backstory - for those who consider themselves migrants and those who do not.

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Book SynopsisA. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men's Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.Trade ReviewThe story of Truman’s accession to the presidency is worthy of a Hollywood melodrama, and A J Baime’s zippy, well-judged and hugely readable book more than does it justice . . . although there are plenty of good biographies of Truman, few are as entertaining as Baime’s. -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *Intimate and absorbing, A.J. Baime's biography uses new sources to paint Harry Truman as a complex and thoroughly American figure. A sharply-drawn portrait of an era as well as a man. -- STEPHAN TALTY, bestselling author of The Black HandA.J. Baime is a master. His reporting and storytelling are woven to hypnotic effect. Opening the first page of The Accidental President is like pulling up a chair to Truman’s White House desk where we sit engrossed as world events unfold in the most intimate manner, titanic in scale. Baime brings us as close as we are likely to get to this completely surprising, quirky, wily, and transformational president. This is history and humanity in lush, vivid colour. -- DOUG STANTON, bestselling author of In Harm's Way and Horse SoldiersAn entertaining new history of Truman’s first months in office . . . filled with events that are strikingly proportionate to what the Trump administration has weathered since January. * THE DAILY BEAST *A fast-paced, well-detailed chronology of Truman's transformation from an official with little administrative responsibility into a politically astute and ultimately beloved leader . . . a warmly human portrait of an unlikely president. * KIRKUS REVIEWS *A.J. Baime is a master storyteller, and The Accidental President contains everything a reader could ever want from a work of history: characters that jump off the page, tension that makes your pulse pound, and smooth, smart writing that makes you think. Amazing! -- JONATHAN EIG, bestselling author of Luckiest ManPeople sometimes ask me if I’ve ever considered running for office. My answer is usually, “Sober? No.” All it would take is to recall what my grandfather went through in the first four months of his presidency. No president in history – particularly one who came in without having been briefed by his predecessor – has faced such monumental decisions. A.J. Baime has put a spotlight on those four months, recounting them faithfully and with heart, so that you come away with not only a sense of history, but a sense of the man, Harry Truman, as well. As Grandpa himself said a few years later, “It’s hell to be President of the Greatest Most Powerful Nation on Earth”. -- CLIFFORD TRUMAN DANIEL, Harry S. Truman's grandson.An attractive tale for fans of both presidential and WWII history . . . Baime opens a clear . . . window on a pivotal moment in history. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Baime is a master story-teller who appears to have invented a time machine. His carefully crafted narrative transports the reader back in time . . . each sentence is carefully constructed and colourfully packed with details that makes Harry Truman and this period in history come alive. The Accidental President reads more like a captivating novel than non-fiction. -- PRESIDENTIALREVIEW.COM

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