History: specific events and topics Books

Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling coauthor of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which “progress” has perverted the way we live—how we eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work, and die—in this “engaging, extensively documented, well-organized, and thought-provoking” (Booklist) book.Most of us have instinctive evidence the world is ending—balmy December days, face-to-face conversation replaced with heads-to-screens zomboidism, a world at constant war, a political system in disarray. We hear some myths and lies so frequently that they feel like truths: Civilization is humankind’s greatest accomplishment. Progress is undeniable. Count your blessings. You’re lucky to be alive here and now. Well, maybe we are and maybe we aren’t. Civilized to Death counters the idea that progress is inherently good, arguing that the “progress” defining our age is analogous to an advaTrade Review"Incredible . . . timely . . . clarifying." —Jack Dorsey, cofounder and CEO of Twitter “Engaging, extensively documented, well-organized, and thought provoking.” —Booklist “Entertaining and provocative.” —Publishers Weekly "Often zingy and colorful . . . Civilized to Death is unquestionably well-timed . . . Ryan is right to highlight the aspects of modern life that have gone off the rails.” —Undark “[A] prescient book about the nature of progress . . . Civilized to Death will make you see our so-called progress in a whole new light.” —Book Riot “This book takes on 'progress' as a guiding ethos—and does so with gusto.” —The Stranger “It is increasingly clear to many of us that the way we have been living is no longer sustainable, at least as long as we want the earth to outlive us. . . . Civilized to Death is an important guide in this conversation.” —Psychology Today "A fascinating read." —Seattle Times"Every great once in a while, a book comes along that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew. Civilized to Death is without question one of them." —Jesse Bering, PhD, author of The Belief Instinct“Christopher Ryan is one of the most interesting and provocative thinkers of our time. Everyone should read him—you might well disagree but you’ll definitely think differently." —Johann Hari, New York Times–bestselling author of Lost Connections

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Book SynopsisThe Exileâs Cookbook brings together 480 recipes, from roasts and breads to condiments and soaps. It offers a fascinating insight into the cuisine of Muslim Spain and North Africa in the period â its regional characteristics and historical antecedents, but also its links to culinary traditions across the Muslim world.

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Book SynopsisIn continuous production for 60 years, the Mini in one of automotive history's most revolutionary cars. Mini: 60 Years celebrates this most iconic of cars.Trade Review"The book is a valentine for all of the enthusiasts who have loved Mini automobiles over the years." * Joe Farace Shoots Cars *"...a very enjoyable read that pleasantly presents the entire model run in historical context." * Classic Motorsports *"Highly recommended. A must-have for any Mini enthusiast or admirer of the marque." * The View Through the Windshield *"...provides all sorts of wonderful detail, photos and sketches that will be enjoyed by Mini owners." * ClassicCars.com *

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Book SynopsisCOMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION -- THE ESSENTIAL HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES''Compellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened'' Irish News''Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement'' Glasgow Herald__________________________First published two decades ago, Making Sense of the Troubles is widely regarded as the most ''comprehensive, considered and compassionate'' (Irish Times) history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Written by a distinguished journalist and a teacher of history in Northern Ireland, it surveys the roots of the problems from 1921 onwards, the descent into violence in the late 60s, and the three terrible decades that followed.In this fully revised and updated version, McKittrick and McVea take into account the momentous events of the ten years that followed their first publication, including the disbanding of the IRA, Ian Paisley''s deal with the Republicans and the historic power-sharing government in Belfast.__________________________''An updated reissue of a collaborative study published 12 years ago to rave reviews as a frank, accurate and authoritative narrative of events which should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand what had been going on in the North'' Irish Independent''I would strongly advocate that it be made compulsory reading for everyone in Northern Ireland because for the first time it is our history, all of it warts and all, presented in a clear and understandable way'' Irish NewsTrade ReviewCompellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened * Irish News *Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement -- Cal McCrystal * Glasgow Herald *Even-handed, clearly written, and set to become one of the definitive works on the subject * Scotland on Sunday *For those looking for a pragmatic understanding of the country known as Northern Ireland it is essential reading -- John Coulter * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisAn accessible PB edition carrying forward the momentum of this gripping readable true life mystery/tragedy, compellingly solved by the author.

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Book SynopsisBased on dramatic first-hand evidence, Deadly Betrayal uncovers why and how a cabal of Pentagon Advisors in the George W. Bush Administration created a fabricated justification to attack Iraq. The book provides a detailed insider account of how a Pentagon cabal strategized to manipulate intelligence, pressure the United Nations, force a Congressional authorization for the use of force through political threats, and scare the American people after 9/11 into supporting an attack on Iraq. Authored by a Pentagon insider and senior enlisted leader of nearly three decades standing, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Retired, Dennis Fritz worked directly for and advised some of the most senior General Officers in the Department of Defense. They included General Richard B. Myers, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the height of the Iraq War. After military retirement, Fritz found himself inside Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon working

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Book SynopsisThe #1 NYT BESTSELLERA personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today's world, written by one of America's most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state.There is priceless wisdom on every page. Kirkus Starred reviewA Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.'The twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions of innocent people dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. In Fascism: A Warning, Madeleine Albright, draws on her own experiences as a child in Trade Review‘Cooly analyses the way countries can descend into tyranny’ Economist, Book of the Year ‘A wise book … such satisfaction that it brings comes from spending time in the company of a sage and admirable person’ The Times ‘A passionate cri de coeur … ‘Fascism’ is a salutary warning written with passion and the ink-blood of personal experience’ Daily Telegraph ‘If Mrs Albright’s learning is to be expected, her way with words is a happy surprise, as is her wisdom about human nature. Free of geopolitical jargon, her deceptively simple prose is sprinkled with shrewd observations about the emotions that underpin bad or wicked political decisions … Bookshops are full of expert guides to spotting a country’s slide into autocracy … This book is broader … She has professorial fun describing despotic tactics with modern-day echoes … Dismissive of hyperbole, the former secretary of state is still nervy about Donald Trump’ Economist ‘Having fled both Hitler’s Germany and Czechoslovakia’s Communist uprising as a child, Albright’s acquaintance with fascism is practically a part of her DNA. With America’s global standing now downgraded from “full democracy” to “flawed democracy” by the Economist Intelligence Unit, this is no time for complacency. Albright outlines the warning signs of fascism and offers concrete actions for restoring America’s values and reputation. There is priceless wisdom on every page’ Kirkus Starred review

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Book SynopsisSELECTED AS A 2018 SUMMER READ BY THE SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER, I-PAPER AND THE BIG ISSUE''Enormously entertaining'' SUNDAY TIMES''Fascinating'' NEW STATESMAN''Excoriating, brilliant'' ALI SMITH''Enthralling'' GUARDIAN''My number one contributor when it comes to US politics'' DAN SNOWThe American dream is dead,' Donald Trump said when announcing his candidacy for president in 2015. How would he revive it? By putting America First'. The American Dream' and America First' are two of the most loaded phrases in America today and also two of the most misunderstood. As divides within America widen, Sarah Churchwell looks to the past to reveal what the surprising history of these two phrases can tell us about today.Trade ReviewA ripping yarn ... Behold, America is an enthralling book ... Passionate, well-researched and comprehensive * Guardian *Excoriating, brilliant -- Ali Smith * Big Issue, Summer Reads *Enormously entertaining. Churchwell is a careful and sensitive reader, writes with great vigour and has a magpie’s eye for a revealing story -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *A fascinating history of the two intersecting tropes of modern America * New Statesman *Lively and eminently readable … Churchwell has produced a timely and clearly argued book that makes a clear case for the intellectual parallels between the first third of the 20th century and our own * Financial Times *[An] enlightening new cultural history … The shadow of the 45th President hangs over all 300 pages of Behold, America, a book designed expressly to demonstrate just how that history rhymes with the present … While it is indeed a history of two phrases, Behold, America is also a history of the people who used them … An American in the UK, [Churchwell] has the benefit of an outside perspective on the country of her birth, which is prone to national self-delusions just as grand as Britain’s, if not more so. Behold, America punctures many of them * The i *The Trump administration has prompted a veritable landslide of books about the current state of US culture and politics. Literary journalist and professor Sarah Churchwell digs a little deeper than most, providing a thoughtful long view on a highly topical subject * BBC History Magazine, Summer Reads *Churchwell takes us on a whirlwind tour of the first decades of the 20th century … We hear the discordant voices of American reformers, immigrants, reactionaries and nativists, satirists and polemicists, Ku Klux Klansmen and ersatz Hitlers … Churchwell is well attuned to the nuances of the national conversation * Literary Review *The figure of Donald Trump looms over Sarah Churchwell’s new history of American national identity, which highlights the ugliest features of the country’s ingrained traditions of intolerance and bigotry. But it is the current president’s father, Fred, who first leaps off the page in a startling cameo appearance ... Churchwell is at her best when she relates in horrific detail the once commonplace public lynching of blacks, both in the North and in the South, and she is astute about the crackpot/booster strains in American culture * Spectator *Churchwell’s thorough, fascinating history of the birth of the America First movement uses the past to throw disturbing light on present-day politics in the US -- What to read in 2018 * i *Churchwell’s thoroughness in delineating America’s decade-by-decade bigotry through primary sources from speeches to newspapers to novels is a marvel. But it is more than a history lesson. She’s constructing the case for how the US elected Donald Trump, a catastrophe many of us struggle to understand * Prospect Magazine *

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Book SynopsisVivian Lowndes is Professor of Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK.David Marsh is Director of Research, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Australia.Gerry Stoker is Professor at the University of Southampton and Centenary Research Professor, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker PART I: THEORY AND APPROACHES 1. Behavouralism; David Sanders 2. Rational Choice; Andrew Hindmoor and Brad Taylor 3. Institutionalism; Vivien Lowndes 4. Constructivism and Interpretive Theory; Craig Parsons 5. Feminist and Gender Approaches; Meryl Kenny and Fiona Mackay 6. Marxism: A global perspective; Ray Kiely 7. Poststructuralism; Mark Wenman 8. Political Psychology; Frank Mols and Paul 't Hart 9. Normative Theory; Chris Armstrong PART II: METHODS AND RESEARCH DESIGN 10. Ontology and Epistemology in Political Science; David Marsh, Selen A. Ercan and Paul Furlong 11. Meta-Theoretical Issues in Political Analysis; David Marsh 12. Research Design; Dimiter Toshkov 13. Qualitative Methods; Ariadne Vromen 14. Quantitative Methods; Peter John 15. Comparative Methods; Matt Ryan 16. The Experimental Method: Prospects for field and laboratory studies; Helen Margetts and Gerry Stoker 17. Big Data: Methods for collection and analysis; Michael J. Jensen 18. The Relevance of Political Science; B. Guy Peters, Jon Pierre and Gerry Stoker.

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Book SynopsisThe richly illustrated Corvette70 Years is a complete history of America’s only sports car, detailing engineering, design, and key players. Trade Review"...a lavish love letter to a model Prince has cherished since he was a boy...Prince’s detailed approach to the subject yields fresh insights." * Car and Driver *."..it is sure to satisfy the 'Vette buff in your life (even if that person is you)." * Bloomberg.com *Table of ContentsIntroduction Dream Car, 1953 From Desperation to Hope On the Path to Success, 1956–1962 Corvette Goes Racing C1 Styling and Engineering Specials Birth of an Icon: C2 Introduction, 1963 The C2 Matures, 1964–1967 Keeping the Flame Burning: Corvette Racing, 1963–1967 Styling and Engineering Specials of the 1960s Revolutionary Styling: C3 Introduction, 1968 Performance Peak, 1969–1972 Challenging Times, 1973–1982 Styling and Engineering Specials of the 1970s Privateers Keep Racing, 1968–1982 A New Lease on Life: C4 Introduction, 1984 Turning the Corner, 1985–1996 Chevrolet Goes Racing with the C4 Bold Moves: 1987–1991 Callaway and 1990–1995 ZR-1 World Class: C5 Introduction, 1997 The Triumph of Technology, 1998–2004 Chevrolet Goes Racing with the C5 Evolution, Not Revolution: C6 Introduction, 2005 Continuous Development, 2006–2013 The Growing Importance of Racing, 2005–2013 Forward Momentum: C7 Introduction, 2014 Optimization, 2014–2019 Racing the Seventh Generation, 2014–2019 Revolution: Introducing the Mid-Engine C8 Racing the Mid-Engine C8 Looking Ahead Acknowledgments Photo Credits Index

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Book Synopsis'These stories of witchcraft, true and vividly told, demonstrate the potent reality of belief in evil and how in any era or place fear can be weaponised and marginal people, mostly women, labelled as wicked and dangerous. Together they comprise not just a history of witchcraft but a cautionary tale’ Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches   The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt’ in today’s media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft – a stunning hardback with 16 pages of beautiful illustrations – Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell theTrade Review'These stories of witchcraft, true and vividly told, demonstrate the potent reality of belief in evil and how in any era or place fear can be weaponised and marginal people, mostly women, labelled as wicked and dangerous. Together they comprise not just a history of witchcraft but a cautionary tale of the uncomfortably human habits of paranoia and persecution' -- Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches'It is wonderful to come across a book that breathes such fresh life and energy into a well-worked subject, covering a huge range of time and space with a unified, passionate and convincing message. Any expert is going to learn something new from it, any newcomer to be enthralled and motivated' -- Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch'Thought-provoking and timely... Searing' -- Jessie Childs * The Times *'A vital and vivid study on the history of witch trials. Fantastic’ -- Anya Bergman, author of The Witches of Vardo’Thirteen witch trials are brought vividly to life in Gibson’s wide-ranging book’ * Daily Mail *'Inventive and compelling... A work of restitution and historical reparation, an attempt to give voice to those who have been silenced over the centuries' -- Laura Kounine * Times Literary Supplement *'The trials of the accused people in Witchcraft return to us, in detail, lives about which we might otherwise know nothing' * New Yorker *

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Book Synopsis'These stories of witchcraft, true and vividly told, demonstrate the potent reality of belief in evil and how in any era or place fear can be weaponised and marginal people, mostly women, labelled as wicked and dangerous. Together they comprise not just a history of witchcraft but a cautionary tale’Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches   'Thought-provoking and timely... Searing'Jessie Childs, The Times   In Witchcraft,  Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions.Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018.

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Book SynopsisWhy did the international drug regulatory regime of the twentieth century fail to stop an explosive increase in trade and consumption of illegal drugs? This book investigates the histories of smugglers and criminal entrepreneurs in the Netherlands who succeeded in turning the country into the so-called ‘Colombia of Europe’.Increasing state regulations and interventions led to the proliferation of a ‘hydra’ of small, anarchic groups and networks ideally suited to circumvent the enforcement of regulation. Smugglers and suppliers of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs created a thriving underground industry of illegal synthetic drug labs and indoor cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands itself, made possible because of the embedded criminal anarchy in Dutch society.Using examples from the rich history of drug smuggling, Drug smuggler nation investigates the hidden grounds of the illegal drug trade, and its effects on our drug policies.Trade Review'Describing the development of covert networks is among the most daunting of social science projects. Like official corruption and espionage, organized crime prospers by remaining hidden. Snelders (Utrecht Univ.) successfully lifts the veil of secrecy, offering a convincing account of the evolution of drug smuggling in the 20th-century Netherlands. Combining materials drawn from official law enforcement statistics, crime news coverage, and academic journal articles, Snelders exposes drug smuggling in a new light. Rather than describe the handful of large-scale, highly integrated smuggling enterprises directed by criminal masterminds as often portrayed in works of popular culture, Snelders unveils an anarchic universe of small entrepreneurial enterprises connected through shared workplaces and/or culture. Overall, what Snelders strongly suggests is the virtual impossibility of finally suppressing drug smuggling.Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.'CHOICE (May 2022)'This thickly researched well-written book should be of great interest to historians, criminologists, and legal scholars alike. Frankly, I found little to argue with in this excellent book, which is a strong contribution to the intrinsically challenging and relatively new genre of smuggling history. In short, Drug Smuggler Nation is a deeply researched book that almost defines its place as interdisciplinary criminological history.'Paul Gootenberg, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books (March 2022)'All in all, there are very few improvements that one could suggest for Snelders’ superb study.'Peder Clark, European Review of History (May 2022) -- .Table of Contents1 Introduction: the drug regulatory regime vs. criminal anarchy2 The interwar period3 Global perils I: Chinese and Greek drug smugglers4 Cannabis, counterculture, and criminals: The rise of cannabis smuggling5 Global perils II: Chinese triads, Turkish families, and heroin6 The expansion of the cannabis trade after 19767 Global perils III: Colombian syndicates and cocaine8 The floodgates of criminal anarchy: Synthetic drugs and subverting the state9 ConclusionAppendix: Graphs of arrests and seizuresBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisOfficially endorsed by the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this sumptuous book is the fifth title in a decade-by-decade series that is building up into a multi-volume set covering every race since 1923. Each year is exhaustively covered in vivid photographs, a detailed and insightful commentary, full results data and a glorious rendering of the official race poster, the whole work providing coverage that far exceeds any previous books in quality, depth and authority. Compiled by an acknowledgedexpert on this legendary race, this series of books is treasured by all enthusiasts of sports car racing.- Highly detailed year-by-year coverage of the decade''s ten races, giving over 32 pages of information and photographs for each year.- Official status provides a number of unique features, including the reproduction of the full-color race poster artwork for each year and photographs from the ACO''s archives.- The images are entirely in c

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Book SynopsisCharts world history from the dawn of civilisation to the modern culture we live in today. From the origins of homo-sapiens to the release of Nelson Mandela, from the French Revolution to the Space Race, this book presents an exploration of the human timeline up to and including modern Islam, the world wide web, and the global financial crisis.

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Book SynopsisCharting the rise and development of Christianity, Carter Lindberg has succeeded in writing a concise and compelling history of the world''s largest religion. He spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student. Ranges from the missionary journeys of the apostles to the tele-evangelism of the twenty-first century. Demonstrates how the Christian community received and forged its identity from its development of the Bible to the present day. Covers topics fundamental to understanding the course of Western Christianity, including the growth of the papacy, heresy and schism, reformation and counter-reformation. Includes an introduction to the historiography of Christianity, a note on the problems of periodization, an appendix on theological terms, and a useful bibliography. An authoritative yet succinct history, written to appeal to a Trade Review"There is much to praise here. Lindberg manages to explore many key events, issues, people and developments in a very concise manner. The text is very strong on theology and institutions with helpful historical context. I particularly appreciated the attention to Roman Catholicism as well as Protestantism in the modern period. The book is brief, but the history of Christianity is vividly portrayed here in all of its drama and complexity." Jeff Tyler, Hope College "This is a wonderful book: accessible, concise, clearly written, and thoroughly absorbing. Lindberg has chosen to present the Christian tradition through the history of its principal ideas, but these ideas are grounded in the flesh-and-blood reality of persons, their struggles for faith and for power, and the social and political worlds they inhabited. Reflecting the author’s erudition and wit, this cogent distillation of a complex past will serve beginners as an ideal introduction and old hands as a thought-provoking synthesis." Christopher Elwood, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Table of ContentsPreface x 1 The Responsibility to Remember: An Introduction to the Historiography of Christianity 1 Tradition and Confession 4 2 The Law of Praying is the Law of Believing 6 The Roman Empire and its Political Achievements 10 Hellenization and its Cultural Achievements 10 Development of the Biblical Canon 12 3 Sibling Rivalry: Heresy, Orthodoxy, and Ecumenical Councils 17 The Structure of Tradition: Confession and Doctrine 18 Doctrine as a Key to Christian Memory and Identity 19 Heresy 21 Jesus’ Relationship to God: The Doctrine of the Trinity 22 From the Council of Nicaea to the Council of Constantinople 26 Jesus and Humankind: Christology 28 4 The Heavenly City: The Augustinian Synthesis of Biblical Religion and Hellenism 35 Augustine’s Path to Conversion 40 Augustine’s Theological Contributions 41 Augustine and Donatism 44 The Pelagian Controversy 47 5 The Development of Medieval Christendom 51 Monasticism to Mission 52 The Emergence of the Papacy 54 Papacy and Empire 59 The Gregorian Reform 61 The Investiture Conflict 66 The Crusades 68 6 Faith in Search of Understanding: Anselm, Abelard, and the Beginnings of Scholasticism 71 Universities and Scholasticism 73 Contributions of Early Scholastic Theology 79 7 The Medieval Church 84 The Cultural and Theological Development of the Sacraments 84 The Rise of the Mendicant Orders 89 The Rise and Decline of Papal Authority 95 The Decline of the Papacy 97 Conciliarism 99 8 The Reformations of the Sixteenth Century 104 Context 105 The Reformation in Germany 108 The Reformation in Switzerland 112 The Reformation in France 116 The Reformation in England 117 Scandinavia and Eastern Europe 120 Early Modern Catholicism 121 The Reformations’ Aftermath 122 9 Pietism and the Enlightenment 125 The Enlightenment 135 The Catholic Church and the Enlightenment 141 10 Challenge and Response: The Church in the Nineteenth Century 143 The Churches and the French Revolution 144 From the French Revolution to the Congress of Vienna 145 Church Reform in Germany: The Prussian Union and its Consequences 146 Inner Mission and the Social Question 147 The Catholic Church in the Nineteenth Century 152 Pope Pius IX and Vatican I 153 From Kulturkampf to the Anti-Modernist Oath 154 Nineteenth-Century Theology 155 The Awakening 157 Theological Currents 158 Liberal Theology 160 11 The Christian Churches since World War I 163 New Formulations in Protestant Theology 164 The Churches during National Socialism 167 Developments in the Catholic Church after World War I 171 The Ecumenical Movement 173 Back to the Future: Christianity in Global Context 179 Appendix: Periodization 181 Glossary 189 Further Reading 195 Index 204

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Book SynopsisBritish rule in India caused millions of deaths, economic devastation, and cultural exploitation. The East India Company's ruthless tactics led to suffering and decline in GDP. Despite claims of benefits, the reality was a brutal and exploitative regime that harmed India in numerous ways.

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Book SynopsisHelen Rappaport is a historian with a specialism in the nineteenth century. She is the author of numerous books, including Four Sisters, Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs and Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death that Changed the Monarchy. She is also the author, with Roger Watson, of Capturing the Light.Trade ReviewRappaport is insightful in her analysis of Alexandra's vulnerability [and] illuminates the precise influence of Grigori Rasputin . . . An astoundingly intimate tale of domestic life lived in the crucible of power. * Observer *[Rappaport] brings to Four Sisters an encyclopedic knowledge of the minutiae of Nicholas and Alexandra's family life . . . Four Sisters is a study in unity. It demonstrates resoundingly the strength of family ties. * The Telegraph *A well-written gem . . . a fascinating, in-depth and comprehensively researched study of the imperial daughters. * Daily Express *Evocative and beautifully researched and told, this is narrative history at its best. * Bookseller *Poignant [and] well written ... Rappaport's sensitive portrayal of the doomed sisters draws the reader into an attachment to each one. * Mail on Sunday *One of the greatest skills a historian can possess is to make readers feel as if they have stepped back in time to witness the characters, places and events they describe. In her stunning composite biography, Helen Rappaport achieves this to dazzling and, at times, almost unbearably poignant effect. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBiggs deftly blends historical research with creative retelling, bringing prison records to full and chilling life. - The New StatesmanCambridge University is renowned worldwide for its academic prowess, but below the surface lurks a murky past. During the nineteenth century, the university became infamous for its dogged determination to cling to ancient laws allowing it to arrest and imprison unchaperoned women found walking the streets of Cambridge after dark.Mistakes were made. Violence and legal action followed until finally an Act of Parliament put an end to the university's jurisdiction over the women of Cambridge.

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Book SynopsisIn grand ironic elegy, Jan Morris tells the story of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Yamato, most powerful warship of World War II and climax of the samurai tradition.The Battleship Yamato, of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was the most powerful warship of World War II and represented the climax, as it were, of the Japanese warrior traditions of the samurai - the ideals of honor, discipline and self-sacrifice that had immemorially ennobled the Japanese national consciousness. Stoically poised for battle in the spring of 1945 - when even Japan’s last desperate technique of arms, the kamikaze, was running short - Yamato arose as the last magnificent arrow in the imperial quiver of Emperor Hirohito. Here, Jan Morris not only tells the dramatic story of the magnificent ship itself - from secret wartime launch to futile sacrifice at Okinawa - but, more fundamentally, interprets the ship as an allegorical figure of war itself, in its splendor and its squalor, its heroism and its waste. Drawing on rich naval history and rhapsodic metaphors from international music and art, Battleship Yamato is a work of grand ironic elegy. "The short, illustrated book Morris has written about the Yamato is what she calls ''a reverie'' on the varied emotions that war summons up…I think it''s safe to say that Morris has also written a reverie on accepting the inevitability of death… This book itself signals yet another end: Certainly, it will be one of the very last books written about World War II by an author who saw active service in that war. That sobering fact only adds to the elegiac resonance of this magnificent little book." ― Maureen Corrigan, NPR''s Fresh Air. Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the sinking of Yamato (7 April 2025)

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Book SynopsisGet lost in the labyrinthine life of Grigori Rasputin, an enigmatic figure that continues to puzzle historians to this day. Drawing on major new sources hitherto unexamined by western historians, Douglas Smith offers an unparalleled biography that exposes the mysteries and myths surrounding this extraordinary figure.Rasputin. A horse thief and a hard-drinking ruffian in his youth. A devout Orthodox Christian – or a just a fake holy man. This book scrutinises the myths – of his debauchery and sexual exploits, his healing powers and uncanny influence over Russia's empress and emperor, and whether he manipulated the Russian government at his own behest, or under the influence of forces more sinister.Smith scrutinises his murder and the players involved, with focus on Prince Yusupov and his fellow conspirators – questioning broader conspiracy theories involving British secret agents and Freemasons, and discussing the long shadow his murder caTrade ReviewDouglas Smith has delivered the definitive biography that is brilliantly gripping, as hypnotic, wild and erotic in its revelations as the Mad Monk himself, sensitive in its human portrait, astute in its political analysis, superbly researched with rich new material gathered in faraway archives, and populated with the zaniest cast of the deranged Romanovs, depraved bishops, whores, mountebanks, adventuresses, mystics and murderers. -- Simon Sebag MontefioreThe most comprehensive account of Rasputin to date, brimming with complexities and fascinating detail, and stands as an enlightening re-evaluation of this crucial figure in Russian history. * Daily Telegraph *Douglas Smith begins this impressive biography by rubbishing almost everything previously written, stripping away a century of myth, fabrication, gossip and lies . . . a fascinating, often entertaining, biography. * The Times *Utterly fascinating and foreniscally detailed . . .There are plenty of Rasputin biographies already, but its superlative scholarship and attention to detail put this one in a class of its own. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *This brilliantly written, meticulously researched account of the life of Rasputin is the best, most complete and accurate I have ever read. Step by step, day by day, week by week in this life, Douglas Smith tells the story from its humble beginnings, through its obscene sexual chapters, to its violent end. He describes how a peasant became 'Our Friend' to the last emperor and empress of Russia. He explains why this dependency came at terrible cost for the imperial couple, for their children, for Russia, and for the Twentieth Century world. Readers will begin by saying that this is an impossible story to believe. They will read on because, in Douglas Smith's mesmerizing telling, it must be believed. And because it did happen. -- Robert K. Massie, author of Nicholas and AlexandraSome years ago when working on a historical novel I had to read all the existing Rasputin biographies, and they do abound - in all literary styles and in many languages. What a pity that Douglas Smith's Rasputin had not yet been published, it would have saved me a lot of time. If you are interested in the story of the Romanovs' pet prophet this is the book to read. -- Boris AkuninA prodigious piece of scholarship. Doug Smith's exhaustive and forensic examination of a wealth of new and previously unseen evidence finally lays to rest the tired old myth of 'the mad monk' and rightly positions Rasputin as a crucial figure in late Imperial Russian history. -- Helen Rappaport, author of Four SistersDouglas Smith understands that history is not only what happened, but what people think happened. In Rasputin, he deftly unpicks myth, legend and fact, separating and examining each thread, before weaving them back to create a pattern not merely of a man, but of a time, and a place, and a revolution. It is, itself, revolutionary. -- Judith Flanders, author of A Circle of SistersFew figures in 20th century history have been more obscured by myth and legend than Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin, the mystic confident of the last tsar and tsarina. In his research, comprehensive to the nth degree, Douglas Smith has dug up previously unseen archives, followed previously unexplored leads, and connected the dots across the Russian landscape. They're dots of blood. Rasputin reveals the true character of the man without minimizing his malign hold on the loathsome, feckless Romanovs. -- Ken Kalfus, author of The Commissariat of EnlightenmentThe very best biographies illuminate an individual and the time and place in which they lived. In this magisterial, exhaustively-researched work on Rasputin, Douglas Smith paints a rich, detailed portrait of one of history's most fascinating individuals while also chronicling the dramatic last days of the Tsar. It's a wondrous read. -- Neal Bascomb, author of The Winter FortressIt is hard to imagine a historical figure more barnacled with myth than Rasputin. Douglas Smith unravels Rasputin's complex narrative in unprecedented detail, showing how he was a kind of chimera onto which could be hung all the ills of a disintegrating Russia. In the process Smith vividly exposes the astonishing blindness of the ruling class that made its tragic end inevitable. A brilliant achievement. -- Rosemary Sullivan, author of Stalin’s DaughterThe most complete and masterful study of Rasputin that I've read. Douglas Smith's work is not only extraordinarily readable, but rich in detail. -- Robert Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen BoyTable of ContentsSection - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Maps Section - iii: Notes on Dates and Spelling Unit - Part One: HOLY PILGRIM 1869-1904 Chapter - 1: Origins Chapter - 2: The Pilgrim Chapter - 3: Nicholas and Alexandra Chapter - 4: Monsieur Philippe Chapter - 5: Alexei Chapter - 6: The Burning Torch Chapter - 7: The Mad Monk Unit - Part Two: OUR FRIEND: 1905–1909 Chapter - 8: To the Throne Chapter - 9: Rasputin-Novy Chapter - 10: Sects and Whips Chapter - 11: Demons of the Silver Age Chapter - 12: Anna Vyrubova Chapter - 13: The Eyes Chapter - 14: “. . . prayers that purify and protect us.” Chapter - 15: The Investigation: Part I Chapter - 16: The First Test Chapter - 17: “better ten Rasputins . . .” Unit - Part Three: SCANDALS: 1910–1911 Chapter - 18: Trouble in the Nursery Chapter - 19: The Press Discovers Rasputin Chapter - 20: In Search of Rasputin Chapter - 21: Prince Yusupov Chapter - 22: Holy Land Chapter - 23: Rasputin in His Own Words Chapter - 24: Iliodor’s Triumph Chapter - 25: Two Murders Chapter - 26: Confronting the “Antichrist” Unit - Part Four: A TIME OF MIRACLES: 1912–July 1914 Chapter - 27: Germogen’s Fall Chapter - 28: Iliodor, Apostate Chapter - 29: Quousque tandem abutere patientia nostra? Chapter - 30: The Blow to the Alcove Chapter - 31: The Investigation II: Was Rasputin a Khlyst? Chapter - 32: The Miracle at Spala Chapter - 33: War and Celebration Chapter - 34: Gutter Talk, Name-Glorifiers, and Murder Plots Chapter - 35: On the Edge of a Precipice Chapter - 36: The Attack Chapter - 37: “This time it didn’t work . . .” Chapter - 38: Iliodor’s Flight Unit - Part Five: WAR: July 1914–1915 Chapter - 39: A Menacing Cloud Chapter - 40: The Incident at the Yar Chapter - 41: Rasputin’s Women Chapter - 42: Dinner with Rasputin Chapter - 43: The Religious Faces of Rasputin Chapter - 44: A Summer of Troubles Chapter - 45: The Tovarpar Chapter - 46: Nicholas Takes Command Chapter - 47: Rasputin, Favorite Chapter - 48: Fresh Scandal Chapter - 49: The Troika Chapter - 50: Gorokhovaya, 64 Chapter - 51: Dark Forces and Mad Chauffeurs Chapter - 52: Another Miracle Unit - Part Six: THE FINAL YEAR: 1916 Chapter - 53: Revolution in the Air Chapter - 54: The Minister Plots Murder Chapter - 55: Iliodor in America Chapter - 56: With Us or With Them Chapter - 57: Rasputin the Spy? Chapter - 58: Rasputin and the Jews Chapter - 59: “The sun will shine . . .” Chapter - 60: Apotheosis Chapter - 61: Stupidity or Treason Chapter - 62: “Vanya has arrived.” Chapter - 63: “My hour will soon strike” Chapter - 64: The Last Day Chapter - 65: A Cowardly Crime Chapter - 66: The Investigation Chapter - 67: The Body in the Water Chapter - 68: The Romanov Family Drama Chapter - 69: Orgies, Gay Love, and the Secret Hand of the British Chapter - 70: The End of the Tobolsk Yoke Unit - Part Seven: THE AFTERMATH: 1917-1918 Chapter - 71: A Time for Dominoes Chapter - 72: Here Lies the Dog Chapter - 73: The Myth Chapter - 74: Unsettled Business Section - iv: Epilogue Acknowledgements - v: Acknowledgements Section - vi: Bibliography Section - vii: Endnotes Index - viii: Index

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Book SynopsisChina Miéville's brilliant reading of the modern world's most controversial and enduring political document: The Communist Manifesto. 'It's thrilling to accompany Miéville... as he wrestles – in critical good faith and incandescent commitment – with a manifesto that still calls on us to build a new world' Naomi Klein 'Read this and be dazzled by its contemporaneity' Mike Davis 'A rich, luminous reflection of and on a light that never quite goes out' Andreas Malm 'Reading with [Miéville] today sharpens our senses to contemporary internationalist movements from below' Ruth Wilson Gilmore '[Written] with diligence and a ruthlessly critical eye worthy of Marx himself' Sarah Jaffe In 1848, a strange political tract was published by two German émigrés. Marx and Engles's apocalyptic vision of an insatiable system, which penetrates every corner of the globe, reduces every relationship to that of profit, and bursts asunder the old forms of production and of politics, remains a picture of our world. And the vampiric energy of that system is once again highly contentious. The Manifesto shows no sign of fading into antiquarian obscurity, and remains a key touchstone for modern political debate. China Miéville is not a writer hemmed in by conventions of disciplinary boundaries or genre, and this is a strikingly imaginative take on Marx and what his most haunting book has to say to us today. Like the Manifesto itself, this is a book haunted by ghosts, sorcery and creative destruction.Trade ReviewThe Manifesto is one of history's most profound prophecies. In Miéville's brilliant interpretation it is like a great comet whose periodic return blinds the sky with its light and urgency. Read this and be dazzled by its contemporaneity -- Mike DavisChina Miéville's elegant book patiently explains composition – style, structure, class – to reveal the Communist Manifesto's spectral energies. Reading with him today sharpens our senses to contemporary internationalist movements from below -- Ruth Wilson GilmoreAn excellent book, very lively and engaging, written in clear and readable prose... For today's readers Miéville does excellent work presenting and reviewing a huge amount of twentieth-century history -- Professor Terrell CarverIt's thrilling to accompany Miéville, one of the greatest living world-builders, as he wrestles – in critical good faith and incandescent commitment – with a manifesto that still calls on us to build a new world -- Naomi KleinVery enjoyable and well done... Properly scholarly and thorough in its apparatus of discussion and issue-identification... Lively, politically driven appreciation -- Professor Gregor McLennanWith diligence and a ruthlessly critical eye worthy of Marx himself, China Miéville expands upon the Communist Manifesto, calling us into renewed struggle for the best of what humanity could be. Against the million little cruelties and death-making of capitalism, this book builds a case for the value of the Manifesto to today's struggles without demanding fealty. It turns long-standing complaints about Marx on their heads to challenge the reader even while seducing with luminous prose. I didn't know I needed this book, but I did -- Sarah JaffeA book about another book might sound boring, but The Communist Manifesto is more than a book: it represents a bulging galaxy of historical struggle, ever moving and shining, even if only on the periphery of our vision. Here, China Miéville opens up the pages of the Manifesto and transmits the energy of communism across the pallid present. Close reading, historical essay, political commentary and a manifesto of sorts: A Spectre, Haunting is a rich, luminous reflection of and on a light that never quite goes out -- Andreas MalmChina Miéville, mind, soul and pen ablaze, guides his readers through Marx and Engels's unignorable, inextinguishable, eternally uncomfortable and always essential Manifesto. This is both a history of critical thought and a magnificent exemplar of reading and thinking critically. Miéville has written a thrillingly lively and lucid exegesis on the Manifesto, its contents and its discontents. He's gathered together an astonishingly heterogenous array of voices and responses, making a case for the Manifesto as a locus of politically engaged analysis and argument for nearly two centuries. Miéville adjudicates and synthesizes with unfailing clarity, wit, courage, decency and passion, writing brilliantly about nationalism, race, gender, literary style, and – my particular favorite section – about the perils and necessity of hate. He gives us a Manifesto that is simultaneously a central artifact of our species and a means for understanding our present, hazardous moment, a historical work that remains absolutely, ferociously alive -- Tony Kushner, author of Angels in AmericaA rare combination, both scholarly and exciting to read * The Prisma *Whatever the reader's position on these questions, A Spectre, Haunting ultimately succeeds. It is a clear, fair, and non-doctrinaire introduction * TLS *

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Book SynopsisThe ''Industrial Revolution'' was a pivotal point in British history that occurred between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries and led to far reaching transformations of society. With the advent of revolutionary manufacturing technology productivity boomed. Machines were used to spin and weave cloth, steam engines were used to provide reliable power, and industry was fed by the construction of the first railways, a great network of arteries feeding the factories. Cities grew as people shifted from agriculture to industry and commerce. Hand in hand with the growth of cities came rising levels of pollution and disease. Many people lost their jobs to the new machinery, whilst working conditions in the factories were grim and pay was low. As the middle classes prospered, social unrest ran through the working classes, and the exploitation of workers led to the growth of trade unions and protest movements.In this Very Short Introduction, Robert C. Allen analyzes the key features of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the spread of industrialization to other countries. He considers the factors that combined to enable industrialization at this time, including Britain''s position as a global commercial empire, and discusses the changes in technology and business organization, and their impact on different social classes and groups. Introducing the ''winners'' and the ''losers'' of the Industrial Revolution, he looks at how the changes were reflected in evolving government policies, and what contribution these made to the economic transformation. 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 Reviewa landmark outline of global economic growth and the British Industrial Revolution in alignment with mainstream economic thinking today. * Avner Offer, Economic History.net *An authoritative overview of recent perspectives on the Industrial Revolution which is very clearly written and a pleasure to read. * Nick Crafts, Professor of Economic History, University of Warwick *Table of ContentsREFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisSurveys centuries of folklore about vampires. This book offers an explanation for the origins of the vampire legends, from the tale of a sixteenth-century shoemaker from Breslau whose ghost terrorized everyone in the city, to the testimony of a doctor who presided over the exhumation and dissection of a graveyard full of Serbian vampires.Trade Review"A stimulating, authoritative discourse on the relationship between the historical concepts of vampires in folklore and fiction across the ages and throughout the world."—Library Journal"Barber, a specialist in German language and folklore who has a faintly ghoulish sense of humour, has written a splendid book about the undead, illuminated by the findings of morbid anatomy. . . . The main value of this most interesting book is to remind us how far we have come in our ability to explain the world and how this has released us from at least some terrors."—Anthony Daniels, The Spectator "Since this is essentially a scholarly work on human decomposition and historical attitudes to it, it is remarkable how often Paul Barber manages to be funny. . . . His insights, medical and cultural, hold a chastening fascination."—Hugh Barnacle, Independent "A pioneering work on the role of medicine in unraveling the mysteries of the supernatural. Breaking new ground, it belongs among the significant studies of folklore."—Felix J. Oinas, Indiana University

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Book SynopsisThis brilliant and concise account of the lives and ideas of the world''s great philosophers—Plato, Aristotle, Bacon, Spinoza, Voltaire, Kant, Schopenhauer, Spencer, Nietzsche, Bergson, Croce, Russell, Santayana, James, and Dewey—is a delight (The New York Times) and remains one of the most important books of our time.Will Durant chronicles the ideas of the great thinkers, the economic and intellectual environments which influenced them, and the personal traits and adventures out of which each philosophy grew. Durant’s insight and wit never cease to dazzle; The Story of Philosophy is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand the history and development of philosophical ideas in the Western world.Trade ReviewThe New York Times A delight.Table of ContentsContentsPREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITIONINTRODUCTION: ON THE USES OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER IPLATOI. The Context of PlatoII. SocratesIII. The Preparation of PlatoIV. The Ethical ProblemV. The Political ProblemVI. The Psychological ProblemVII. The Psychological SolutionVIII. The Political SolutionIX. The Ethical SolutionX. CriticismCHAPTER IIARISTOTLE AND GREEK SCIENCEI. The Historical BackgroundII. The Work of AristotleIII. The Foundation of LogicIV. The Organization of Science1. Greek Science before Aristotle2. Aristotle as a Naturalist3. The Foundation of BiologyV. Metaphysics and the Nature of GodVI. Psychology and the Nature of ArtVII. Ethics and the Nature of HappinessVIII. Politics1. Communism and Conservatism2. Marriage and Education3. Democracy and AristocracyIX. CriticismX. Later Life and DeathCHAPTER IIIFRANCIS BACONI. From Aristotle to the RenaissanceII. The Political Career of Francis BaconIII. The EssaysIV. The Great Reconstruction1. The Advancement of Learning2. The New Organon3. The Utopia of ScienceV. CriticismVI. EpilogueCHAPTER IVSPINOZAHistorical and Biographical1. The Odyssey of the Jews2. The Education of Spinoza3. Excommunication4. Retirement and DeathII. The Treatise on Religion and the StateIII. The Improvement of the IntellectIV. The Ethics1. Nature and God2. Matter and Mind3. Intelligence and Morals4. Religion and ImmortalityV. The Political TreatiseVI. The Influence of SpinozaCHAPTER VVOLTAIRE AND THE FRENCH ENLIGHTENMENTI. Paris: ŒdipeII. London: Letters on the EnglishIII. Cirey: The RomancesIV. Potsdam and FrederickV. Les Délices: The Essay on MoralsVI. Ferney: CandideVII. The Encyclopedia and the Philosophic DictionaryVIII. Ecrasez l'InfameIX. Voltaire and RousseauX. DénouementCHAPTER VIIMMANUEL KANT AND GERMAN IDEALISMRoads to Kant1. From Voltaire to Kant2. From Locke to Kant3. From Rousseau to KantII. Kant HimselfIII. The Critique of Pure Reason1. Transcendental Esthetic2. Transcendental Analytic3. Transcendental DialecticIV. The Critique of Practical ReasonV. On Religion and ReasonVI. On Politics and Eternal PeaceVII. Criticism and EstimateVIII. A Note on HegelCHAPTER VIISCHOPENHAUERI. The AgeII. The ManIII. The World as IdeaIV. The World as Will1. The Will to Live2. The Will to ReproduceV. The World as EvilVI. The Wisdom of Life1. Philosophy2. Genius3. Art4. ReligionVII. The Wisdom of DeathVIII. CriticismCHAPTER VIIIHERBERT SPENCERI. Comte and DarwinII. The Development of SpencerIII. First Principles1. The Unknowable2. EvolutionIV. Biology: The Evolution of LifeV. Psychology: The Evolution of MindVI. Sociology: The Evolution of SocietyVII. Ethics: The Evolution of MoralsVIII. Criticism1. First Principles2. Biology and Psychology3. Sociology and EthicsIX. ConclusionCHAPTER IXFRIEDRICH NIETZSCHEI. The Lineage of NietzscheII. YouthIII. Nietzsche and WagnerIV. The Song of ZarathustraV. Hero-moralityVI. The SupermanVII. DecadenceVIII. AristocracyIX. CriticismX. FinaleCHAPTER XCONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHERSHenri Bergson1. The Revolt Against Materialism2. Mind and Brain3. Creative Evolution4. CriticismII. Benedetto Croce1. The Man2. The Philosophy of the Spirit3. What Is Beauty?4. CriticismIII. Bertrand Russell1. The Logician2. The Reformer3. EpilogueCHAPTER XICONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERSIntroductionI. George Santayana1. Biographical2. Scepticism and Animal Faith3. Reason in Science4. Reason in Religion5. Reason in Society6. CommentII. William James1. Personal2. Pragmatism3. Pluralism4. CommentIII. John Dewey1. Education2. Instrumentalism3. Science and PoliticsConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom prize-winning, bestselling author Colson Whitehead, a magnificent, wrenching, thrilling tour de force chronicling a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum SouthTrade ReviewIt has invaded both my sleeping and waking thoughts . . . Each character feels alive with a singular humanity . . . Whitehead is on a roll, the reviews have been sublime -- Bim Adewunmi * Guardian *An engrossing and harrowing novel * Sunday Times *[A] brutal, vital, devastating novel...This is a luminous, furious, wildly inventive tale that not only shines a bright light on one of the darkest periods of history, but also opens up thrilling new vistas for the form of the novel itself -- Alex Preston * Observer *This thrilling tale of escape from a deep south plantation takes in terror, beauty and the history of human tragedy..This uncanny novel never attempts to deliver a message - instead it tells one of the most compelling stories I have ever read. Cora's strong, graceful hands touch on the greatest tragedies of our history * Cynthia Bond, Guardian *It's so good it's hard to praise it without whipping out the cliches: it's an elegant, devastating powerhouse of a book, following a young black woman all over America as she tries to escape the horrors of slavery. When it was published with Oprah's imprimatur, in August, it was universally acclaimed. It deserved it -- Michelle Dean * Guardian *One of the best, if not the best, book I've read this year . . . Whitehead never exploits his subject matter, and in fact it's the sparseness of the novel that makes it such a punch in the gut -- Sarah Shaffi * Stylist *My book of the year by some distance...It's a profound and important novel, but more than anything it's an absurdly good read, gripping you in its tightly wound plot, astonishing you with its leaps of imagination. If Whitehead doesn't win every prize going next year, I'll appear on Saturday Review in my underpants -- Alex Preston * Observer, Best Fiction of 2016 *Whitehead is a superb storyteller . . . [he] brilliantly intertwines his allegory with history . . . writing at the peak of his game . . . Whitehead's achievement is truly remarkable: by giving the Underground Railroad a new mythology, he has found a way of confronting other myths, older and persistent, about the United States. His book cannot have enough readers * Telegraph *It is an extraordinary novel, a rich, confident work that will deservedly win - on the basis of literary merit as well as moral purpose . . . History and human experience as well as an artist's obligation to tell the truth have shaped a virtuoso novel that should be read by every American as well as readers across the world. And it will be, it should be -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *An utterly transporting piece of storytelling -- Alex Heminsley * The Pool *Bestselling author Colson Whitehead's novel is a searing indictment of slavery with a detailed inventory of man's inhumanity to man - and Cora's flight is a harrowing and shocking trip for the reader * Daily Mail *A stunning, brutal and hugely imaginative book. It's a favourite of both Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. It is painful history re-imagined in a powerful and brilliant way * Emerald St *Recommended by none other than Obama AND Oprah, The Underground Railroad arrives deserving every last drop of hype that's come its way . . . There are many twists and turns in Cora's long, treacherous journey towards freedom and while The Underground Railroad is at times brutal and disturbing, it's also hopeful and an addictive, compulsive read. After reading it, a corner of your heart will always belong to Cora. An instant classic -- Sarra Manning * Red *Reaches the marrow of your bones, settles in and stays forever . . . a tour de force -- Oprah WinfreyThis bravura novel reimagines that same network as a real subterranean railway, upon which a girl named Cora flees the slave-catcher Ridgeway. Throughout, horrific experiences are rendered in lapidary prose, but it's Cora's daring that provides the story's redemptive oomph * Mail on Sunday *Inventive and hard-hitting * Metro *It is a bold way of reimagining the slave experience and, in the capable hands of Whitehead, succeeds triumphantly * Mail on Sunday *Brutal, tender, thrilling and audacious -- Naomi Alderman * Guardian *An enchanting tale . . . full of vivid images, learned allusions and astute observations . . . The most important and acclaimed American novel of the past year * London Review of Books *I stayed up way too late to finish this... It will be haunting me in the best way * Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You *A fantastical picaresque through the dark side of American history * Daily Telegraph *Thrilling and unsentimental * Scotsman *The Underground Railroad is a noble descendant of the great narratives of slavery, and among the very finest of its novels -- Wesley Stace * Times Literary Supplement *An audaciously imagined and profoundly moving novel -- Eithne Farry * Express *Stunning and unsentimental . . . required reading -- Jenny Niven * Herald *A charged and important novel that pushed at the boundaries of fiction -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Best Books of 2016 *Leaves the reader with a devastating understanding of the terrible human costs of slavery . . . with echoes of Toni Morrison's Beloved, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and with brush strokes borrowed from Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka and Jonathan Swift . . . Colson Whitehead has told a story essential to our understanding of the American past and the American present -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *The Underground Railroad isn't the modern slave narrative it first appears to be. It is something grander and more piercing, a dazzling antebellum anti-myth...Whitehead's prose is quick as a runaway's footsteps * New York Review of Books *A book that resonates with deep emotional timbre. The Underground Railroad reanimates the slave narrative, disrupts our settled sense of the past and stretches the ligaments of history right into our own era . . . The story charges along with incredible power . . . The canon of essential novels about America's peculiar institution just grew by one -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *[The Underground Railroad] is really good - good, in fact, in just about every way a novel can be good . . . a grave and fully realized masterpiece, a weird blend of history and fantasy that will have critics rightfully making comparisons to Toni Morrison and Gabriel García-Márquez * Boston Globe *This book should be required reading in classrooms across the country alongside Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird. If this isn't Colson Whitehead's masterpiece, it's definitely the best book of the year and maybe the most important work of the decade * Chicago Tribune *Masterful, urgent . . . one of the finest novels written about our country's still unabsolved original sin -- Charles Finch * USA Today *The Underground Railroad has serious ambition, especially within the tradition of literary satire . . . With deadpan virtuosity and muted audacity, Whitehead integrates the historical details of slavery with the present * Los Angeles Review of Books *Whitehead is a fantastic novelist, one of the best in America today. (Certainly better than Franzen.)... Oprah is right: The Underground Railroad is Whitehead's best book yet... This is the rare critically acclaimed bestseller that deserves every ounce of its adoration, and more. The hype is real. You can believe Oprah, and its scores of other fans, including some guy who took The Underground Railroad on summer vacation and can't stop talking about its "terrific... powerful" portraiture of race in America. That fan's name is Barack Obama * Seattle Times *Magnetizing and wrenching . . . Each stop Cora makes along the Underground Railroad reveals another shocking and malignant symptom of a country riven by catastrophic conflicts, a poisonous moral crisis, and diabolical violence. Each galvanizing scene blazes with terror and indictment as Whitehead tracks the consequences of the old American imperative to seize, enslave, and profit . . . Hard-driving, lasersharp, artistically superlative, and deeply compassionate, Whitehead's unforgettable odyssey adds a clarion new facet to the literature of racial tyranny and liberation * Booklist *Startlingly original . . . Whitehead continues the African-American artists' inquiry into race mythology and history with rousing authority and razor-sharp ingenuity; he is now assuredly a writer of the first rank * Kirkus *In powerful, precise prose, at once spellbinding and ferocious, the book follows Cora's incredible journey north, step by step . . . the story is literature at its finest and history at its most barbaric. Would that this novel were required reading for every American citizen * Publishers Weekly *Colson Whitehead's staggering, haunted new novel . . . [is] a book that is fully expected to win all the awards this year - Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, National Book Award, etc - and it deserves every last one * Chapter 16 *Hard-driving, laser-sharp, artistically superlative, and deeply compassionate, Whitehead's unforgettable odyssey adds a clarion new facet to the literature of racial tyranny and liberation * Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence, shortlist announcement *

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Book SynopsisJourney through time and space with this graphic novel history of the science fiction genre, from Jules Verne, Jonathan Swift, and Mary Shelley to William Gibson and Philip K. Dick to Ken Liu and Ted Chiang, and beyond. Trace the progress of SF through modern times and learn why key figures and inventors like Thomas Edison have looked to science fiction to predict the future.For the first time in illustrated form, this comprehensive history of science fiction traces its origins and, in fascinating detail, charts its history from its beginnings as a “schlock” genre to its respected status today. Join author/historian Xavier Dollo and artist Djibril Morissette-Phan (All-New Wolverine, X-Men: Gold, Star-Lord) in their visual journey into the expansive universe of science fiction. Who is considered the world’s first science fiction author? How did American science fiction begin? What sci-fi novel is the alltime best-seller? What were the “Pulps” and how did they predict with uncanny accuracy the 21st century world around us? The answers are here, along with detailed chapters dedicated to the founders of the genre and their modern-day successors. Discover the origins of your favorite page-to-screen science fiction movies. Marvel at the behind-the-scenes stories of some of literature’s most imaginative writers. Find out why science fiction so effortlessly captures our imaginations and makes us dream of new worlds. Far more than just a list of facts, The History of Science Fiction is a roaring analytical reflection on the genre that continues to shape our world, presented in a stunning 8” x 11” hardcover sure to stand out on any bookshelf or serve as the coffee-table conversation starter for all things sci-fi!

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Book SynopsisLiberia was in the headlines in 1990 when thousands of teenage fighters, including young men wearing women's clothing and bizarre objects of decoration, laid seige to the capital, Monrovia. In response to the crisis, a West African peacekeeping force, ECONMOG, was sent to stabilize the country and prevent the main warlord, Charles Taylor, from coming to power. Seven years later, however, Taylor was elected President. The country had a fragile peace but the war had spread to its neighbour Sierra Leone. This book traces the history of the civil war that has blighted Liberia in recent years and looks at its roots in the way governments have been established in West Africa during the 20th century.Trade Review'The first half of this outstanding study of Liberia's civil war (1989-97) reviews the conflict's political, economic, military and international features, drawing on a comprehensive array of sources. the second half is a fascinating and profound exploration of what Ellis sees as Liberian's deep spiritual anarchy, manifested during the war in extreme brutality, incidents of cannibalism, and the fighters' bizarre sartorial affections. these things tend to boggle Western minds, as did the overwhelming support among Liberian voters for the unprincipled warlord Charles Taylor in the country's 1997 presidential election. But Ellis' persuasive analysis of Liberian religious ideology and culture does more than make sense of these strange phenomena. It offers rare insight into the political, physical, and spiritual power can be linked and legitimized in the popular imagination-and how each can run amok in the absence of durable institutional checks and balances. A model of lucid writing, thorough research, and penetrating interpretation, this is one of the best books on Africa in recent years.' -Foreign Affairs, Washington, DCTable of ContentsA death in the night; the first of the warlords; lean and hungry years; the mechanics of war; business and diplomacy; a nation long forlorn; men and devils; false prophets. Appendix: war deaths, 1989-1997.

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Book SynopsisTo this day, the perception persists that China was a civilisation defeated by imperialist Britain's most desirable trade commodity, opium - a drug that turned the Chinese into cadaverous addicts in the iron grip of dependence. But, as this new edition of Narcotic Culture brilliantly shows, the real scandal in Chinese history was not the expansion of the drug trade by Britain in the early nineteenth century, but rather the failure of the British to grasp the consequences of prohibition. They reveal that opium actually had few harmful effects on either health or longevity; in fact, it was prepared and appreciated in highly complex rituals with inbuilt constraints preventing excessive use. Opium was even used as a medicinal panacea in China before the availability of aspirin and penicillin. But as a result of the British effort to eradicate opium, the Chinese turned from the relatively benign use of that drug to heroin, morphine, cocaine, and countless other psychoactive substances. The transition from a tolerated opium culture to a system of prohibition produced a 'cure' that was far worse than the disease. Delving into a history of drugs and their abuses, Narcotic Culture is part revisionist history of imperial and twentieth-century Britain and part sobering portrait of the dangers of prohibition.Trade Review'[An] informative, scholarly and dispassionately fascinating book. ... Narcotic Culture explodes various myths surrounding the use of opium in nineteenth and early twentieth century China.' * Justin Wintle, The Independent *

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Book SynopsisHOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years is the official illustrated history of automotive enthusiasts’ favorite magazine.Trade Review"What I really dig about the HOT ROD Magazine: 75 Years. Is the way they broke it out by decades. I can dig deep into the historical figures of the 1940s. Or when the mood hits, get groovy over the crazy cars and dragsters of the 1960s. If you have a garage library like I do, then this is a MUST-HAVE on your shelf. A timeless tome that you will share with your brothers over pizza after installing that new intake" * Blacktop Magazine *"At times, the writing so captures the scene at the moment that it’s almost possible to smell oil, and there’s even a temptation to look back for greasy fingerprints after a page is turned." * ClassicCars.Ride-CT.com *"For the hot rod enthusiast, especially fans of Hot Rod Magazine, this is the essential ‘coffee table’ book to share with friends, or put in your waiting room to entertain clients, if you trust them not to walk away with it." * Sun Cruiser Media *Table of ContentsContents 5 Foreword: 75 Years of Influence, by David Freiburger 01 ] The 1940s: Where It All Began 02 ] The 1950s: Boom Times 03 ] The 1960s: Swingin’ 04 ] The 1970s: Performance Is Dead. Long Live Performance 05 ] The 1980s: Dare to Be Different 06 ] The 1990s: In It for the Long Haul 07 ] The 2000s: A New Look for the Next Century 08 ] The 2010s: Discovering a New Direction 09 ] The 2020s: Where It’s Going Acknowledgments About the Author Index

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Book SynopsisExam board: OCRLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2015First exams: Summer 2016 (AS); Summer 2017 (A-level)Put your trust in the textbook series that has given thousands of A-level History students deeper knowledge and better grades for over 30 years.Updated to meet the demands of today's A-level specifications, this new generation of Access to History titles includes accurate exam guidance based on examiners' reports, free online activity worksheets and contextual information that underpins students' understanding of the period.- Develop strong historical knowledge: in-depth analysis of each topic is both authoritative and accessible- Build historical skills and understanding: downloadable activity worksheets can be used independently by students or edited by teachers for classwork and homework- Learn, remember and connect important events and people: an introduction to the period, summary diagrams, timelines and links to additional online resources support lessons, revision and coursework- Achieve exam success: practical advice matched to the requirements of your A-level specification incorporates the lessons learnt from previous exams- Engage with sources, interpretations and the latest historical research: students will evaluate a rich collection of visual and written materials, plus key debates that examine the views of different historians

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Attractively illustrated and easy to use, the book explains difficult scientific and philosophical issues in brief and often surprisingly clear terms. . . . The field of history of science has been calling out for a book just like this one."--Science "A real landmark. Finally, two first-rate academic historians--one a specialist in biological and earth sciences, one in physical sciences--both firmly committed to sociological, contextual approaches, offer an overview of their discipline for the beginning student."--Times Higher Education Supplement "An impressively comprehensive, clear, and accessible survey of the history of science since the Scientific Revolution that tells students not only what they should know, but also how and how not to think about the history of science."--Annals of Science "An accessible, well-written book, with many nuanced and fascinating stories of individual sciences and the communities of science. . . . An ambitious and successful introduction to the history of science."--International Studies in the Philosophy of Science "The breadth of knowledge represented here is remarkable. There is nothing on (or off) the market that equals what Bowler and Morus have accomplished."--Richard Burkhardt, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Book Synopsis''A superb book ... Anybody interested in Scottish history needs to read it'' Andrew Marr, Sunday TimesEighteenth-century Scotland is famed for generating many of the enlightened ideas which helped to shape the modern world. But there was in the same period another side to the history of the nation. Many of Scotland''s people were subjected to coercive and sometimes violent change, as traditional ways of life were overturned by the ''rational'' exploitation of land use. The Scottish Clearances is a superb and highly original account of this sometimes terrible process, which changed the Lowland countryside forever, as it also did, more infamously, the old society of the Highlands.Based on a vast array of original sources, this pioneering book is the first to chart this tumultuous saga in one volume, with due attention to evictions and loss of land in both north and south of the Highland line. In the process, old myths are exploded and familiar assumptions undermined. With many fascinating details and the sense of an epic human story, The Scottish Clearances is an evocative memorial to all whose lives were irreparably changed in the interests of economic efficiency.This is a story of forced clearance, of the destruction of entire communities and of large-scale emigration. Some winners were able to adapt and exploit the new opportunities, but there were also others who lost everything. The clearances created the landscape of Scotland today, but it came at a huge price.Trade ReviewThe definitive word for an academic generation at least on this most controversial of topics in Scottish history ... Dramatic * Herald Scotland *Persuasive... A necessary book * Scotsman *Powerful ... admirable lucidity ... important. -- Ewen A Cameron * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisAn electrifying narrative history of the Mediterranean from Ancient Egypt to 1919, from the bestselling author of The Popes and Sicily: A Short HistoryThe Mediterranean has nurtured three of the most dazzling civilisations of antiquity, witnessed the growth of three of our greatest religions and links three of the world's six continents. John Julius Norwich has visited every country around its shores; now he tells the story of the Middle Sea - a tale that begins with the Pharaohs and ends with the Treaty of Versailles - in a dramatic account of the remarkable civilisations that rose and fell on the lands of the Mediterranean.Expertly researched and ingeniously executed, Norwich takes us through the Arab conquests of Syria and North Africa; the Holy Roman Empire and the Crusades; Ferdinand and Isabella and the Spanish Inquisition; the great sieges of Rhodes and Malta by the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent; the pirates of the Barbary Coast and the Battle of Lepanto; Nelson and Napoleon; the Greek War of Independence and the Italian Risorgimento.The Middle Sea is colourful, character-driven history at its most enjoyable and is the culmination of John Julius Norwich’s distinguished career as one of the greatest enthusiasts for anecdotal history.‘An expertly paced, exhilarating read….a landmark in popular history-telling...a splendid achievement for its memorable scope and vitality... This wonderfully riveting history reveals our favourite holiday destination in all its glorious, epic depth’ Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewNorwich is a superb narrative historian...With Norwich on the Mediterranean we sense that we are accompanied by an old friend. You can take your Blue Guide, or your Rough Guide, anywhere you like; but if you are planning to go anywhere south of the Alps and north of the Sahara...this is your book -- Jason Goodwin * Literary Review *An expertly paced, occasionally exhilarating read. It may even prove a landmark in popular history-telling...a splendid achievement for its memorable scope and vitality... This wonderfully riveting history reveals our favourite holiday destination in all its glorious, epic depth -- Jeremy Seal * Sunday Telegraph *He spices his narrative liberally with entertaining anecdotes, deft portraits and brisk judgements... Lord Norwich's control of his vast and complex subject matter is masterly. And the subject matter itself is a colourful as history can get * The Economist *Infectiously enthusiastic * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisJulia Hauser explores the global history of vegetarianism from the mid-nineteenth century to the early Cold War. She demonstrates that vegetarians in India and the West shared notions of purity, which drew some toward not only internationalism and anticolonialism but also racism, nationalism, and violence.Trade ReviewVegetarianism’s political and ecological imperatives have long wanted for a historian capable of excavating their roots. Julia Hauser offers an electric, wholly original account of the nationalist and international politics, racial paradigms, and unexpected encounters between German, Swiss, American, and Indian thinkers as they crafted modern vegetarianism’s moral stance. -- Benjamin Siegel, author of Hungry Nation: Food, Famine, and the Making of Modern IndiaCentral today to many modern lifestyles and movements, vegetarianism is in fact rooted in a deep history, now masterfully explored by Julia Hauser. Rich in detail, often surprising, and written in clear prose, this study is sure to challenge established notions of West and East, modern and traditional, left and right. Much food for thought! -- Paul Nolte, Free University BerlinTable of ContentsIntroduction1. In Search of Purity: European Vegetarians and Their Spheres of Projection2. Evolution, Cows, and Communalism: Vegetarianism and the Colonial Encounter in India, ca. 1880–19123. The Chicago Effect: Internationalizing Vegetarianism4. Between Buddha, Gandhi, Sufism, and Militant Masculinity: Relating to South Asia in Interwar German and Swiss Vegetarianism5. Race, Nation, and Peace: (Re-)Internationalizing Vegetarianism After the Second World WarEpilogueAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDiscover and Delight in Old-Fashioned Board Games from the PastDiscover the world of old-fashioned board games from Wall Street Journal acclaimed Adrian Seville, an international expert on the cultural history of printed board games.The golden age of board games. Explore the world of vintage board games in this lavishly illustrated book that traces their evolution and cultural significance. From geography and moral lessons to just fun, discover the diverse array of old-fashioned board games from a bygone era.Step back in time. Delve into a bygone era of gaming with this remarkable illustrated board game book. It showcases the exquisite artistry and ingenuity of these games, which covered themes ranging from educational to gambling to simply pure entertainment. Learn all about the moral board games that aimed to instill proper behavior or immerse yourself in the excitement of lottery board games, a

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Book SynopsisLike many a great product, Lamborghini began when one man was dissatisfied with the options available in the market. Lucky for us, that man was Ferruccio Lamborghini and the car he sought to best none other than Enzo’s Ferrari! Lamborghini Supercars: 60 Years reveals the entire story. Trade Review"Lamborghini 60 Years is a fabulous book and should be found on the shelves of any decent gearhead, whether you’re into Lambos or not. The fact it looks great on your coffee table is a bonus." * Automoblog *Table of ContentsContents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD by Valentino Balboni INTRODUCTION Birth of the Bull CHAPTER 1 MIURA: The World’s First Mid-Engine Supercar CHAPTER 2 GOING MAINSTREAM: Supercar Performance for the Family CHAPTER 3 COUNTACH: Supercar Poster Boy CHAPTER 4 RAISING THE ROOF: Coming to America CHAPTER 5 DIABLO: The Supercar Refined CHAPTER 6 MURCIÉLAGO: Audi Flexes Its Muscle

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