History: specific events and topics Books

Book SynopsisSunset, 8 June 1982, East Falkland. Eight specially trained Royal Marines infiltrate Goat Ridge, a long rocky hilltop between Mount Harriet and Two Sisters which are occupied by a battalion of 600 Argentine infantry. The next day, from their hiding place just metres away from the enemy, they note and sketch the Argentine positions, then withdraw as stealthily as they had come. Their daring patrol provides essential intelligence that guided the British assault which overwhelmed the Argentine defences two days later.This was just one example of the missions undertaken by the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre during the Falklands War, all of which are described in graphic detail in Rod Boswell's eyewitness account. Using his own recollections and those of his comrades, he describes their operations in the Falklands the observation posts set up in the no man's land between San Carlos and Port Stanley, their role in the raid at Top Malo House, and the reconnaissance patrols t

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Book SynopsisThe true story of the White Queen and more, this is a thrilling history of the extraordinary noblewomen who lived through the Wars of the Roses.The events of the Wars of the Roses are usually described in terms of the men involved: Richard Duke of York, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII. But these years were also packed with women's drama and in the tales of conflicted maternity and monstrous births alive with female energy.In this completely original book, Sarah Gristwood sheds light on a neglected dimension of English history: the impact of Tudor women on the Wars of the Roses. She examines, among others, Cecily Neville, who was deprived of being queen when her husband died at the Battle of Wakefield; Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner who married Edward IV in secret; Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, whose love and ambition for her son knew no bounds.Until now, the lives of these women have remained little known to the general public. Sarah Gristwood tells their Trade Review‘For viewers who plan to settle in with ‘The White Queen’, one recent work of history will guide them through the distaff maze of the Wars of the Roses: ‘Blood Sisters’ by Sarah Gristwood’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent ‘In this gem of a book, she effortlessly weaves the dramatic, often tragic, lives of seven royal women…If you treat yourself to one history book this Christmas, make it this one. It’s the book that I wish I had written’ Alison Weir, Books of the Year, BBC History Magazine ‘Entertaining and vividly drawn … A different way of looking at this complex period and Gristwood weaves the story with considerable skill … highly readable’ Literary Review ‘Gristwood successfully evokes the lives of all these women, and in doing so brings a new and welcome perspective on the Wars of the Roses… [a] very agreeable narrative’ Dan Jones, Sunday Times ‘Gristwood’s sensitive approach marks out Blood Sisters as much more than the narrative of an age. It is an exploration of what it was to be a medieval queen… A compelling portrait of this bloody age, complete with the heartbreak and triumphs that went with it… Like a delicately woven tapestry, threads of evidence have to be gathered and pulled together with care. Gristwood does an excellent job of examining in sensory detail the impact of ermines, cloths of gold, Spanish leather and purple velvet’ Spectator

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Book SynopsisRich with tales of discovery from Galileo to general relativity, a stimulating and timely analysis of how science works and why we need it. ''The best introduction to the scientific enterprise that I know. A wonderful and important book'' David Wootton, author of The Invention of Science It is only in the last three centuries that the formidable knowledge-making machine we call modern science has transformed our way of life and our vision of the universe - two thousand years after the invention of law, philosophy, drama and mathematics. Why did we take so long to invent science? And how has it proved to be so powerful? The Knowledge Machine gives a radical answer, exploring how science calls on its practitioners to do something apparently irrational: strip away all previous knowledge - such as theological, metaphysical or political beliefs - and channel unprecedented energy into observation and experiment. In timesTrade ReviewThe best introduction to the scientific enterprise that I know. Its brevity and simplicity cannot conceal the boldness of its conception, the extraordinary scope of its ambition. A wonderful and important book. -- David Wootton, author of The Invention of ScienceA stylish and accessible investigation into the nature of the scientific method. -- Nigel Warburton * Philosophy Bites *This elegant book takes us to the heart of the scientific enterprise. -- David Papineau, King's College London, author of Knowing the ScoreThis book is a delight to read, richly illustrated with wonderfully told incidents from the history of natural science. -- Nancy Cartwright, University of California San DiegoPowerful, bracingly argued and important. There is something here for everyone -- for the expert, who will be challenged to rethink what science really is; for the layperson, who will rejoice in Strevens's deft and witty storytelling; and for the student, who will find a friendly and authoritative guide to Newton, Einstein, Popper, Kuhn, and all that. -- Jim Holt, author of 'Why Does the World Exist?'Beautifully lucid and accessible. A rare achievement, it is entertaining and edifying all at once. -- Paul Boghassian, New York UniversityAn engaging must-read. -- Manjit Kumar, author of QuantumThe most stunningly illuminating book of the last several decades regarding the all-important scientific enterprise. Not only profoundly insightful but rollicking good fun. -- Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the GoogleplexAs thrilling to read as it is important. Captivating. -- Nathan Heller, New Yorker staff writer

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Book SynopsisTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER''Everything you need to know about one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history'' Bill Gates''Easily our fullest, richest, most panoramic history of the subject'' New York Times Book ReviewIn 1918, the world faced the deadliest pandemic in human history. What can the story of the so-called Spanish Flu teach us about the fight against present day crises, and how to prepare for future outbreaks? At the height of WWI, history''s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease.Magisterial in its breadth of perspectivTrade Review'Everything you need to know about one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history' -- Bill Gates'Easily our fullest, richest, most panoramic history of the subject' -- New York Times Book ReviewMonumental... powerfully intelligent... not just a masterful narrative... but also an authoritative and disturbing morality tale -- Chicago Tribune'A sobering account of the 1918 flu epidemic, compelling and timely' -- Boston Globe'Majestic, spellbinding treatment of a mass killer' -- Kirkus'History brilliantly written... The Great Influenza is a masterpiece' -- Baton Rouge Advocate

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Book SynopsisFor more than 2,500 years, the book, in a wide range of forms, has been used to document, to educate and to entertain. This book explores the rich history of the book, one of the most efficient, influential and enduring technologies ever invented.Trade Review'The perfect book for bibliophiles … elegantly designed and produced' - The Oldie'Admirably international in its scope … fascinating' - Scotsman'Opulently illustrated … a feast for book lovers everywhere, this richly informative volume celebrates the enduring power of books throughout the ages and stakes its claim to a similar role in ages yet to come' - Good Book GuideTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Power and Magic of the Book • 1. Ancient and Medieval World • 2. The New Culture of Print • 3. Enlightenment and the Masses • 4. The Publisher Arrives • 5. Knowledge for All • Conclusion: The New Age of the Book

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Book SynopsisThe lives of 40 men and women behind some of the worldâs most exciting gardens. Throughout history great gardeners have risen from all walks of life. Some have been aristocratic amateur gardeners, others professional designers with an international practice. Some have come to garden-making from sister arts such as sculpture or painting; others have been hands-on nurserymen or botanists. What they all have in common is the ability to take an idea and develop it in a new manner relevant to their times. The book contains four sections. âGardens of Ideasâ moves from the politically allusive gardens of 18th-century England made by men such as William Kent, to Charles Jencksâs Scottish garden inspired by 21st-century cosmography. âGardens of Straight Linesâ explores the lives of the great formalist gardeners, from Le NÃtre at Versailles to the rational English minimalism of contemporary designer Christopher Bradley-Hole. âGardens of Curvesâ begins with that great exponent of the EnglisTrade Review'An entertaining and informative introduction to those who have helped shape our landscapes' - Sunday Times'Engaging … a surprising and enlightening survey of what gardens can be' - Literary Review'A pleasurable, informative, thought-provoking and visually stimulating read' - The Garden'Fascinating' - Woman & Home

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Book SynopsisBOOK 11 OF THE LADYBIRD EXPERT HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, FROM AWARD-WINNING HISTORIAN JAMES HOLLANDFeaturing stunning illustrations from Keith Burns, bringing the story to life in vivid detailWhat was Operation Bagration?Why did the Warsaw Uprising fail?How were the Nazis finally crushed?BRITAIN''S VICTORY IN EUROPE was a pivotal moment in the impending end of WW2, but it was no easy feat.With most of Europe under Axis control, the Allies battled through the brutal winter of 1945 to overcome German forces and finally defeat Hitler.THE PINNACLE MOMENT IN BRITAIN''S WW2 SUCCESSWritten by historian, author and broadcaster James Holland, Victory in Europe is an essential, accessible introduction to Britain''s triumph over the Nazis.__________Discover the full Ladybird Expert WW2 series:BlitzkriegThe Battle of BritainBattle of the AtlanticThe Desert WarThe Eastern FrontThe Pacific WarThe Bomber WarThe War in ItalyThe Battle for NormandyThe War in BurmaVictory in EuropeVictory Against Japan

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Book Synopsis5th July 1943: the greatest land battle of all time began around the town of Kursk in Russia. This epic confrontation between German and Soviet forces was one of the most important military engagements in history and epitomised ''total war''.It was also one of the most bloody, characterised by hideous excess and outrageous atrocities. The battle concluded with Germany having incurred nearly three million dead and the Soviet Union a staggering ten million. It was a monumental and decisive encounter of breathtaking intensity which became a turning point, not only on the Eastern Front, but in the Second World War as a whole. Using the very latest available archival material including the testimonies of veterans and providing strategic perspective alongside personal stories of front line fighting, Lloyd Clark has written a lucid, enthralling and heart-stopping account of this incredible battle.

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Book SynopsisNOW THE TV SERIES ''THE SERPENT QUEEN'', STARRING SAMANTHA MORTONThe bestselling revisionist biography of one of the great women of the 16th centuryOrphaned in infancy, Catherine de Medici was the sole legitimate heiress to the Medici family fortune. Married at fourteen to the future Henri II of France, she was constantly humiliated by his influential mistress Diane de Poitiers. When her husband died as a result of a duelling accident in Paris, Catherine was made queen regent during the short reign of her eldest son (married to Mary Queen of Scots and like many of her children he died young). When her second son became king she was the power behind the throne. She nursed dynastic ambitions, but was continually drawn into political and religious intrigues between Catholics and Protestants that plagued France for much of the later part of her life. It had always been said that she was implicated in the notorious Saint Bartholomew''s Day MassacreTrade ReviewLeonie Frieda does this remarkable woman full justice. Refusing to play judge, she reveals her to us through the best of means, which is narrative. The skill with which Frieda finds her way through the maze of this confusing period is exemplary. You read on eagerly. An enthralling book -- Allan Massie * Literary Review *This masterful and compelling biography delivers a beautifully written portrait of a ruthless, subtle and fearless woman fighting for survival and power in a world of gangsterish brutality, routine assassination and religious mania. I quickly found I could not stop reading. This is narrative history at its best, both scholarly and as captivating as a thriller. Leonie Frieda has brought a largely forgotten heroine-villainess and a whole sumptuously vicious era back to life again. She is equally at home in the royal court as she is in the blood-reeking gutters of Paris: this is The Godfather meets Elizabeth -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Mail on Sunday *A stunning biography, which brings to life a heroic woman and the tumultuous, cruel and gaudy times in which she lived -- Paul JohnsonAs Leonie Frieda shows in this absorbing biography, Catherine was a well-intentioned woman who resorted to extreme measures only under pressure. With its engaging style and deft handling of complex events, this accomplished account of Catherine's career is an engrossing tale, compellingly narrated -- Anne Somerset * The Spectator *Gorgeous detail and remarkable anecdotes....There is no mistaking the abiding pleasure of this smart and stylish book -- Carol Herman * Washington Times *As Leonie Frieda relates in this well-researched and immensely readable first biography, from her turbulent home in Florence Catherine found herself presiding over perhaps the nastiest period in all French history. Frieda is much to be praised for painting a wonderfully rich canvas -- Sir Alistair Horne * The Times *Leonie Frieda has produced an absorbing, entertaining study of a time when the luxury and depravity of princes went hand-in-hand with power-plotting, assassination and bloody vengeance -- Peter Lewis * Daily Mail *Frieda's confidence in her mission permeates the book, raising what is in any case a fascinating narrative to the level of cogent and powerful argument . . . This intelligent and well-researched biography is a worthy testament to Catherine's formidable strength. Catherine de Medici reveals Frieda, a first-time biographer, to be a writer of tremendous skill and talent -- Dr Amanda Foreman * Observer *Leonie Frieda has handled the history of this complex period with skill. Without skimping on the drama and debauchery of the court of the Valois, she has defended, but not whitewashed, Catherine and produced a fascinating picture of a remarkable woman -- Sarah Bradford * Evening Standard *Frieda's enjoyable and skilfully written biography ... conveys, vividly at times, the outsize style of Renaissance rule: the Loire châteaux, the feasts and balls and masques, the exotic costumes, the elaborate needlework, the pioneering attempts at ballet and opera, the bizarre collection of stuffed objects that ranged from stuffed crocodiles to priceless manuscripts. Catherine's supreme command of the political display is adroitly brought out -- Prof. Blair Worden * Sunday Telegraph *This is a masterly biography and a fascinating one -- John Jolliffe * Independent *In Frieda's scholarly tome, Catherine de Medici is painted not in the dark hues of her critics but using a more colourful palate. Through a prodigious amount of research, that was assisted by the author's versatility in five European languages, all the colour and splendour of Catherine's court is recreated -- Stephen McGinty * Scotsman *In this splendid, detailed and gripping biography, Frieda does Catherine ample justice -- Munro Price * BBC History Magazine *Leonie Frieda has produced a formidable book. Meticulously researched and extremely well-written, this surely will be the definitive biography of Catherine de Medici for many years to come * Medieval History Magazine *Leonie Frieda is clearly already a very professional writer, but this is her first major work of history. It is a most excellent book that should be read by everybody who believes that education for its own sake has value, and that history in particular has cautionary tales to offer. Leonie Frieda, happily for us, manifests an Actonian sense of humour in her writing. The author paints a brilliant picture of the French court and of her subject's private life * Catholic Herald *A well-written and colourful journey through 16th century France, entertaining to read as well as frequently illuminating * Country Life *Frieda succeeds in making her subject interesting and coherent, and shows her operating in a political context that left no room for squeamishness or scruple * Sunday Times *Frieda's richly detailed account . . . paints a most fascinating picture of French court life. The political complexities are kept mercifully clear, the main lines of rivalry sharp, the characters vivid -- Ann Wroe * Daily Telegraph *Dramatic and fascinating - a real page-turner. Thoroughly recommended * Military Illustrated *A triumph . . . she succeeds where some historical biographers fail: she takes an interesting story and makes it live with her writing where the bland prose of others would kill our interest stone dead * Birmingham Post *Sympathetic and gloriously detailed * New Statesman *Interesting and well-written . . . enlightens the reader about a turbulent and fascinating period which still arouses debate and disagreement * The Tablet *An assured and genuinely gripping tale of a woman - 'the Black Queen' - who ruthlessly conspired in 16th-century France and battled against more adversities in a day than most of us have had in a lifetime * ES Magazine *A biography of scrupulous detail * Irish Times *A rich and insightful piece of biographical and historical writing, which not only brings to life the famed Machiavellian queen but also the dramatic events and colourful courtiers (and courtesans) who shaped French history during her reign . . . must-read * Richard Foreman, Waterstones Leadenhall Market *[Catherine de Medici] has often been portrayed as the devil incarnate, but this gripping biography argues that she was actually a skilful politician who brokered peace in France during turbulent times. A real historical treat * Sainsbury’s Magazine *Frieda is passionate about her subject, and her prose is lyrical and exacting. Like a polished stone, it reveals the character depths beneath mere historical detail as she brings to brilliant life one of the most fascinating women of the 16th century. What raises this biography into a tour de force is Frieda's ability to reframe completely our views about Catherine de Medici. This book is a remarkable achievement for Frieda, who has given us a marvellously compelling glimpse into a life led passionately * Toronto Globe and Mail *

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Book SynopsisFeatured in Stylist''s guide to 2019''s best non-fiction booksThe true story of the fierce band of women who battled Washington - and Hanoi - to bring their husbands home from the jungles of Vietnam.On 12 February, 1973, one hundred and sixteen men who, just six years earlier, had been high flying Navy and Air Force pilots, shuffled, limped, or were carried off a huge military transport plane at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. These American servicemen had endured years of brutal torture, kept shackled and starving in solitary confinement, in rat-infested, mosquito-laden prisons, the worst of which was The Hanoi Hilton.Months later, the first Vietnam POWs to return home would learn that their rescuers were their wives, a group of women that included Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale, Louise Mulligan, Andrea Rander, Phyllis Galanti, and Helene Knapp. These women, who formed The National League of Families, would never have called themselves Trade ReviewLee [has] uncovered an amazing forgotten history . . . stirring detail . . . thanks to Lee's impressive research, their [the wives'] voices can be heard by those who embraced titles like Hidden Figures (2016) and The Glass Universe (2016). Book clubs should line up for this one; it begs for discussion * Booklist *Inspirational work . . . In this beautifully told history, Lee unearths the contributions of everyday women who not only saved their husbands but influenced military culture * Publishers Weekly *This unputdownable story of strength and determination is a must-read * Library Journal *Exhilarating and inspiring * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST AND ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR''I read it in a fever, swept up in the kind of rapture you fall into when your most audacious friend kicks off on a hilarious, outrageous, but deeply sincere rant'' Torrey Peters, Guardian Books of the Summer''A beautiful novel about an American son and his immigrant father that has echoes of THE GREAT GATSBY'' New York TimesA deeply personal novel of identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, HOMELAND ELEGIES blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of belonging and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part satire, part picaresque, at its heart it is the story of a father and son, and the country they call home.Ranging from the heartland towns of America to palatial suites in Europe to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan, Akhtar forges a narrTrade ReviewAn urgent, intimate hybrid of memoir and fiction, HOMELAND ELEGIES thrusts us into the heart of a father-son relationship and in the process - improbably - does nothing short of laying bear the broken heart of our American dream turned reality TV nightmare... Stunning * A M Homes *A beautiful novel about an American son and his immigrant father that has echoes of The Great Gatsby * New York Times *Ayad Akhtar offers up his heart and life with an honesty that astonishes. Never have I experienced such a reading thrill * Maria Semple *Perhaps the best American novel I have read in several years -- Richard FlanaganA passionate, wrenching portrayal of Americans exiled into otherness by a post 9/11 world * Jennifer Egan *The challenge of remembering one's identity in a racist culture is at the heart of Akhtar's remarkable new book, HOMELAND ELEGIES...It would not surprise me if it wins him a second Pulitzer Prize * Washington Post *A triumph. Akhtar rages, he sings, he indicts, he falls in love, he sorrows, he dreams, he mourns, he transcribes! - and finally he transmutes injustice into the sublimest art * Joshua Ferris *The astonishing work of an absolutely brilliant writer. With exquisite prose and lacerating honesty, Ayad Akhtar reveals the intersections of art, finance, race, religion, academia and empire * Philip Klay *This is the book of the year * Oprah Magazine *Part fiction, part memoir, and all brilliant * Ron Charles *Provocative and urgent... a revelation * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first volume of a ground-breaking new work by Jürgen Habermas on the history of philosophy. In this major new work, Habermas sets out the ideas that inform his systematic account of the history of Western philosophy as a genealogy of postmetaphysical thinking. His account goes far beyond a vindication of the enduring relevance of philosophical reflection founded on communicative reason as a source of orientation in the modern world. He contrasts this conception with prominent diagnoses of the supposed crisis of Enlightenment reason and culture that seeks redemption in the affirmation of traditional religious authority (Schmitt), the timeless validity of Greek metaphysics (Strauss), a numinous conception of nature (Löwith), and an occurrence of being that speaks to us from beyond the mists of pre-Socratic thought (Heidegger). Habermas situates Western philosophy in relation to traditions of thought founded in the major worldviews (Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism) that continue to shape contemporary culture and civilization. At the same time, he lays the groundwork for his analysis in the later volumes of the constitutive role played by the discourse on faith and knowledge in the development of Western philosophy, which is the result of the unique symbiosis that Christianity entered into with Greek thought with the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Far from raising claims to exclusivity, completeness or closure, Habermas’s history of philosophy, published in English in three volumes, opens up new lines of research and reflection that will influence the humanities and social sciences for decades to come.Trade Review‘A wonderful English translation of Jürgen Habermas’s magnum opus tracing 1,300 years of philosophy in the West. This volume is at once a reconstruction of the encounter between faith and reason, so defining of the Western philosophical legacy, and a reflection on philosophy’s role in shaping who we are and how we relate to the world around us. Brilliant, breath-taking in scope, and profound in its assessment of the modern self-understanding, this magnificent work is a vital contribution to contemporary philosophy.’Simone Chambers, University of California, Irvine‘Among all the philosophers and social theorists of our time, Jürgen Habermas has distinguished himself not only for his philosophical acumen, but also for a certain epistemic modesty – a willingness to learn from both his contemporaries and the preceding tradition. In this monumental volume, Habermas shows us how the ideal of philosophy as a learning process can assist in reconstructing our own philosophical history. He guides us through an exhilarating series of past encounters between faith and knowledge that contribute to the rational but fallibilistic model of postmetaphysical thinking today. The result is nothing less than a masterpiece.’Peter E. Gordon, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Translator’s Note Abbreviations Preface I. On the Question of a Genealogy of Postmetaphysical Thinking 1. Crisis Scenarios and Narratives of Decline in Major Twentieth-Century Philosophical Theories (1) Carl Schmitt (2) Leo Strauss (3) Karl Löwith (4) Martin Heidegger (5) The reconstruction of learning processes and the independent legitimacy of modernity 2. Religion as a ‘Contemporary’ Formation of Objective Mind? (1) The sociological controversy over the secularization thesis (2) John Rawls: political reason and religion (3) Karl Jaspers: philosophical and religious ‘faith’ 3. The Occidental Path of Development and the Claim to Universality of Postmetaphysical Thinking (1) The analysis of the formative power of world religions in the theory of civilizations (2) Intercultural understanding, secular mode of thought and concerns about the Eurocentric narrowing of perspective 4. Basic Assumptions of the Theory of Society and Programmatic Outlook (1) The problem of social integration and the stages of social evolution (2) Sketch of the line of thought (3) From world views to the lifeworld II. The Sacred Roots of the Axial Age Traditions 1. Cognitive Breakthrough and Preservation of the Sacred Core (1) The concept of the Axial Age (2) The two elements of religion (3) Excursus on the concept of ‘religion’ 2. Myth and Ritual Practices (1) Performance of rituals and enactment of myths (2) The meaning of ritual practices (3) Excursus on the origins of language 3. The Meaning of the Sacred (1) The self-referential character of ritual behaviour (2) From symbolic to linguistic communication (3) Myth as a response to the cognitive challenge of openness to the world (4) The complementary dangers of exclusion and hyper-inclusion (5) Ritual as a source of solidarity (6) The explosive power of dissonant empirical knowledge 4. The Path to the Axial Age Transformation of Religious Consciousness (1) Pantheon and religious practice in early civilizations (2) Cult of the gods (3) The differentiation of forms of knowledge III. A Provisional Comparison of the Axial Age World Views 1. The Moralization of the Sacred and the Break with Mythical Thought (1) The step of abstraction from the gods to the transcendent divine (2) Essence and appearance (3) Second-order thinking: discourse and dogmatics 2. The Repudiation of ‘Paganism’ by Jewish Monotheism (1) From henotheism to the monotheistic creator, lawgiver and judge (2) The universalistic meaning of the covenant with the transcendent God (3) The overcoming of magical thinking and the disenchantment of ritual (4) On the singular status of monotheism 3. The Buddha’s Teaching and Practice (1) Brahmanism, the Upanishads and meditative practice (2) The Buddha’s life and teachings (3) Aims and paths of salvation in Buddhism and Judaism (4) Meditation 4. Confucianism and Taoism (1) Emergence of Confucianism and the era of the ‘Warring States’ (2) Confucius’s life and teachings (3) Confucianism as ethics and learned religion (4) The counter-model of the Taoist doctrine of salvation 5. From the Greek ‘Natural Philosophers’ to Socrates (1) The very different original context (2) The Presocratics (3) Socrates 6. Plato’s Theory of Ideas – in Comparison (1) The structure of the Platonic system (2) The decoupling of doctrine from cult First Intermediate Reflection: The Conceptual Trajectories of the Axial Age (1) Emergence, dynamics and structural transformation of world views (2) Excursus on the concept of lifeworld (3) The structure of world views and the dogmatic form of thought (4) The concept of the Axial Age Bibliography Detailed Table of Contents Notes Index

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Book SynopsisExam board: AQALevel: 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 Synopsis'His cornucopia of tellers and tales is a delight, a riveting celebration of a genre that revels in its own hybridity and the imaginative riches produced by the crossing of cultural and literary borders' Financial Times'Like a child after the Pied Piper I pursued Jubber into a world both human and full of magic. A carnival of a book, rigorously researched and jostling with life' Amy Jeffs, author of Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain'Magical tales about magical tales and tellers. Jubber, congenially and fascinatingly, explores the land from which the great fairy stories seeped, making the stories more resonant, powerful and important than ever' Charles Foster, author of Being a Human and Being a BeastThe surprising origins and people behind the world's most influential magical tales: the people who told and re-shaped them, the landscapes that forged them, and the cultures that formed them and were in turn formed by them.Who were the Fairy Tellers?In this far-ranging quest, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber unearths the lives of the dreamers who made our most beloved fairy tales: inventors, thieves, rebels and forgotten geniuses who gave us classic tales such as 'Cinderella', 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Baba Yaga'.From the Middle Ages to the birth of modern children's literature, they include a German apothecary's daughter, a Syrian youth running away from a career in the souk and a Russian dissident embroiled in a plot to kill the tsar.Following these and other unlikely protagonists, we travel from the steaming cities of Italy and the Levant, under the dark branches of the Black Forest, deep into the tundra of Siberia and across the snowy fells of Lapland. In the process, we discover a fresh perspective on some of our most frequently told stories. Filled with adventure, tragedy and real-world magic, this bewitching book uncovers the stranger lives behind the strangest of tales.Trade ReviewPrepare yourself for a wild ride -- The TimesHis cornucopia of tellers and tales is a delight, a riveting celebration of a genre that revels in its own hybridity and the imaginative riches produced by the crossing of cultural and literary borders -- Financial TimesEngaging and interesting . . . Jubber's book shows the long-sustained value of these narratives, and should make us wonder what might happen to us if they disappeared from somewhere at the back of our brains. -- The SpectatorLike a child after the Pied Piper I pursued Jubber into a world both human and full of magic. A carnival of a book, rigorously researched and jostling with life -- Amy Jeffs, author of StorylandI love this book - a whole new way into these classic tales. The Fairy Tellers is full of fascinating detail, a must for those intrigued by the traditional tale. Author Nick Jubber is the real thing, a scholar gypsy of courage and skill -- Robert Twigger, award-winning author of Red NileJubber's style is so pervaded with intrigue and adventure that it is impossible not to be swept up by these seven fascinating tales of the neglected tellers of our most treasured stories. The Fairy Tellers brilliantly reveals all the serendipity at the heart of what we think of as eternal, the specific circumstances and individual creativity behind the great archetypes that inform our understanding of our world in childhood and beyond. Enchanting, illuminating, and delightful -- Jennifer Croft, author of Homesick and co-winner of the Man Booker International Prize for FlightsA dazzling treasury of observation, erudition, and folklore - recounted with spellbinding sensitivity and grace -- Tahir Shah, author of In Arabian NightsJubber astutely delves into the origins and deeper meanings of fairy tales and their cultural history - the cooking pot of languages and stories which have continually fed our imagination down the centuries. A fine achievement -- James Crowden, author of The Frozen RiverWondrous. Jubber evokes hidden moments and atmospheres across the world, from smoke-filled dens to exquisite palaces, so beautifully that they will linger long in my memory. A treasure trove of a book -- Zoe Gilbert, author of FolkA fabulous book . . . My favourite kind of nonfiction - skilled writing that takes imaginary worlds and renders them almost tangible -- Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of The Phantom AtlasMagical tales about magical tales and tellers. Jubber, congenially and fascinatingly, explores the land from which the great fairy stories seeped, making the stories more resonant, powerful and important than ever -- Charles Foster, author of Being a Human and Being a BeastIn this rich and sparkling journey, Jubber follows the ink trails of the great storytellers of the past, weaving a tale of his own by turns witty, bawdy, poignant, always eye-opening -- Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough, author of Beyond the NorthlandsFantastic, moreish and utterly original, with The Fairy-Tellers Jubber not only takes us through some wildly eclectic histories and landscapes, he also reminds us of what heights travel writing is capable of -- Caroline Eden, author of Black SeaInsightful, original, and, often, as charming as the tales themselves -- Professor Nancy CanepaA fabulous quest through time in search of the lost tellers of tales of wonder, Nick Jubber is a master storyteller whose endless curiosity, wit and panache brings the lives of key fairy tale tellers to vibrant life -- Kate Forsyth, author of Bitter Greens[Jubber] goes in search of some of the figures responsible for the fairy tales we know today and it pays off, their lives turning out more often than not to be as wild, adventurous and heartbreaking as the stories themselves . . . Importantly these stories are for the people and of the people -- New European

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Book Synopsis**A contributing source for the film Richard Jewell, directed by Clint Eastwood**On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Richard Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Richard went from the hero to the FBI's main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let, Eric Rudolph, the true bomber roam free to strike again. What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Jewell himself. The Suspect, the culmination of more than five years of reporting, is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent man's fight to clear his name.Trade ReviewThe Suspect is a fascinating reconstruction of the Neo-Gothic tale of Richard Jewell, the security guard who was memorably and unjustly implicated in the 1996 bombing at the Atlanta Olympic games. Meticulously reported, bracingly written, full of memorable and bizarre characters, the book casts a wary eye on the worlds of law enforcement and journalism, and their multiple failures in this tale. It's a story with no winners - except for readers of this terrific book. -- Jeffrey Toobin * bestselling author, staff writer at the New Yorker, and senior legal analyst at CNN *From questionable FBI tactics to the role of the press, The Suspect lays bare how Jewell became their unwitting victim in the rush to solve the biggest and most public crime of the era. It is a cautionary tale that reminds us that criminal investigations are often lengthy and painstaking, ill-suited for today's media frenzy. The Suspect is an important, highly relevant book. -- Janet Napolitano * President of the University of California and Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security *Domestic terror, white nationalism, FBI profilers, a trial by punchline in the infancy of twenty-four-hour news cycle-what happened in Atlanta's Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics still echoes like a bomb blast today in this engrossing and meticulously researched ticktock about the railroading of Richard Jewell and the killer who almost got away. -- Charles Graeber * New York Times bestselling author of The Good Nurse and The Breakthrough *

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Book Synopsis'An incredible and stirring story . . . a mix of competition, camaraderie as well as a larky sense of adventure . . . Down goes the flag. Smash goes the bottle. Shards of emerald glass and champagne spume catch the light. The race from Peking to Paris has begun' Spectator'And it's Go, Go, Go . . . A captivating history of a seemingly impossible journey and one of the most challenging endurance trials in the history of motoring . . . Skillful researcher and fine storyteller, St Clair's narrative is full of surprises . . . Fabulous . . . she hopes to follow Prince Borghese on his heroic journey and - if you share my absorbed interest in her adventurous narrative you may want to emulate her. See you there?' Miranda Seymour, Literary Review10 June 1907, Peking. Five cars set off in a desperate race across two continents on the verge of revolution.An Italian prince and his chauffeur, a French racing driver, a conman and various journalists battle over steep mountain ranges and across the arid vastness of the Gobi Desert. The contestants need teams of helpers to drag their primitive cars up narrow gorges, lift them over rough terrain and float them across rivers. Petrol is almost impossible to find, there are barely any roads, armed bandits and wolves lurk in the forests. Updates on their progress, sent by telegram, are eagerly devoured by millions in one of the first ever global news stories. Their destination: Paris. More than its many adventures, the Peking-to-Paris provided the impetus for profound change. The world of 1907 is poised between the old and the new: communist regimes will replace imperial ones in China and Russia; the telegraph is transforming modern communication and the car will soon displace the horse. In this book bestselling author Kassia St Clair traces the fascinating stories of two interlocking races - setting the derring-do (and sometimes cheating) of one of the world's first car races against the backdrop of a larger geopolitical and technological rush to the future, as the rivalry grows between countries and empires, building up to the cataclysmic event that changed everything - the First World War. The Race to the Future is the incredible true story of the quest against the odds that shaped the world we live in today.Trade ReviewKassia St Clair has clearly done her research . . . she tells a thrilling tale . . . Torrential rain and choking dust, narrow mountain passes that required literally hewing a passage . . . It's an incredible story * Country Life *An incredible and stirring story . . . a mix of competition, camaraderie as well as a larky sense of adventure . . . Down goes the flag. Smash goes the bottle. Shards of emerald glass and champagne spume catch the light. The race from Peking to Paris has begun * The Spectator *And it's Go, Go, Go . . . A captivating history of a seemingly impossible journey and one of the most challenging endurance trials in the history of motoring . . . Skillful researcher and fine storyteller, St Clair's narrative is full of surprises . . . Fabulous . . . she hopes to follow Prince Borghese on his heroic journey and - if you share my absorbed interest in her adventurous narrative you may want to emulate her. See you there? -- Miranda Seymour * Literary Review *

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Book Synopsis'Bold Ventures resembles a pop version of Iain Sinclair's psychogeography or Out of Sheer Rage, Geoff Dyer's anti-biography of DH Lawrence' Olivia Laing, GUARDIAN'A marvel: a monument to human beings continuing to reach for the skies, even after their plans dissolve in dust' NEW YORK TIMESIn thirteen chapters, Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck goes in search of buildings that were fatal for their architects - architects who either killed themselves or are rumoured to have done so. They range across time and space from a church with a twisted spire built in seventeenth-century France to a theatre that collapsed mid-performance in 1920s Washington, DC., and an eerily sinking swimming pool in her hometown of Turnhout.Drawing on a vast range of material, from Hegel and Charles Darwin to art history, stories from her own life and popular culture, patterns gradually come into focus, as Van den Broeck asks: what is that strange life-or-death connection between a creation and its creator?Threaded through each story, and in prose of great essayistic subtlety, Van den Broeck meditates on the question of suicide - what Albert Camus called the 'one truly serious philosophical problem' - in relation to creativity and public disgrace. The result is a profoundly idiosyncratic book, breaking new ground in literary non-fiction, as well as providing solace and consolation - and a note of caution - to anyone who has ever risked their hand at a creative act.'What a sensible, intelligent and beautiful book' Stefan Hertmans, author of War and TurpentineTrade ReviewBeguiling . . . In our moment of "quiet quitting," resistance to corporate domination and a conviction that capitalism is in decay, Bold Ventures does arrive as a timely interrogation of what, exactly, constitutes success - of how to live -- Alexandra Jacobs * New York Times *Everyone fails every day, but an architect's failure is inescapably visible, a public humiliation, even when it doesn't occasion loss of life . . . That the relationship between creator and creation can become so deleterious is a source of obsession for Charlotte Van den Broeck . . . Bold Ventures resembles a pop version of Iain Sinclair's psychogeography or Out of Sheer Rage, Geoff Dyer's anti-biography of DH Lawrence -- Olivia Laing * Guardian *Bold Ventures is a unique survey of artistic creation, and is full of memorable scenes and insights -- Will Wiles * Literary Review *What a sensible, intelligent and beautiful book -- Stefan Hertmans, author of War and TurpentineA darkly comic meditation on the nature of creativity and the narrow margins between triumph and despair. Part memoir, part travelogue and part reflection, this unique and hugely engaging book takes a fresh look at the tragicomic condition of being human -- Carolyn Steel, author of SitopiaA gorgeous and roving debut . . . Van den Broeck's exploration extends beyond the lives and works of her subjects, turning into both a philosophical meditation on creativity and a brilliant character study of misunderstood artists. The result is a genre-bending work that's sure to fascinate those interested in art and architecture, as well as anyone curious about the dangerous mechanisms of the creative mind * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *While going on essayistic quests that take her around the globe, Van den Broeck traces stories of self-complacency, fear of failure and destiny. Indirectly, she researches the link between building and writing. Isn't every author bold by default, after all? In Bold Ventures she lives up to her ambition * De Morgen *Van den Broeck has a very keen eye. But she also has a great mind, making transitions between philosophical contemplations and journalistic passages seem effortless * De Standaard *

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Book SynopsisTHE TRUTH IS OUT THERE . . . Who was Jack the Ripper? Where did the Nazis stash their gold? Who are the real Men in Black? Did aliens send the 'WOW' signal? And how will the world end? 100 Things They Don't Want You to Know sets out to uncover the truth behind the world's most mysterious cover-ups and unexplained events that have been shrouded in secrecy for generations. From suspicious deaths and disappearances to enigmatic identities, from Cold War cover-ups to puzzling paranormal phenomena and from ancient artefacts to coded documents, 100 Things They Don't Want You to Know takes you on a quest to solve the greatest mysteries, strange disappearances, suspicious cover-ups and conspiracy theories.Including: Black Dahlia, the Marfa Lights, the Turin Shroud, Spontaneous Combustion, Lost Literature of the Mayan Civilisation, Disappearance of Jean Spangler, Shakespeare's True Identity, the Turin Shroud, the Easter Island Glyphs, the Death of Lee Harvey Oswald, the Mothman, The Flying Dutchman, the Secret Mission of Ruldolph Hess, the 'WOW" signal, Lewis Carroll's Lost Diaries, the Man in the Iron Mask and the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

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Book SynopsisFull of personal insights and accounts of the long journey to getting a man on the moon, Missions to the Moon is the perfect companion for anyone with a love of space travel, the moon landings, or NASA, CNSA, RFSA, and the rest of the world's space programs. With dozens of stunning photographs and fascinating memorabilia – such as Apollo 11 Mission Reports and Flight Director's Logs – track the birth of the space race and Yuri Gagarin's first space flight, to the many successes and failures of the Apollo mission, all the way to that boots-on-the-ground moment we have come to know so well. Uniquely complemented by ground-breaking digital technology you can become fully immersed in this interactive story of mankind's ongoing journey into the final frontier. Table of ContentsMan and Moon • Vengeance Takes Flight • Sleeping Under a Red Moon • Aiming for the Moon • How to go to the Moon • Soviet Disasters • A Most Complex Machine • The Flight of the Phoenix • Into the Void • Christmas in Space • Flying to the Moon • Dress Rehearsals • Preparing for the Big One • The Voyage of Apollo 11 • 'Contact Light!' • Magnificent Desolation • Laughs From Luna: Apollo 12 • A Successful Failure: Apollo 13 • Shepard Returns • The Lunar Rover • The Genesis Rock • Landing in the Lunar Highlands • Final Moments: Apollo 17 • The Legacy of Apollo • Europe Returns to Space • Asia Ascendant • Moonbase.

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Book SynopsisThe Illuminated Window is a unique journey through stained-glass installations that spans both time and place. Diverse in technique and style, these windows speak for the communities that created them. From the twelfth to the twenty-first century, we find in the windows stories of conflict, commemoration, devotion and celebration. Virginia Chieffo Raguin is our guide through the cathedrals of Chartres, Canterbury and Cologne, and takes us from Paris's Sainte-Chapelle to Swiss guildhalls, Iran's Pink Mosque, Tiffany's chapel for the World Exposition, Frank Lloyd Wright's houses and more. As she reveals, the art of stained glass relies on not only a single maker, but the relationship between the physical site, the patron's aims, the work's legibility for the spectator and the prevailing style of the era. This is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated volume for anyone interested in stained-glass works.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Patrons and Process 1. Canterbury: A Martyr's Tomb and its Cathedral 2. Chartres: An Iconic Gothic Programme 3. Sainte-Chapelle, Paris: Propaganda for the Monarch 4. Cologne Cathedral: A Building Over Time 5. All Saints, North Street, York: Instructing a Parish 6. Fairford Parish Church, Fairford, Gloucestershire: Surviving Iconoclasm 7. Renaissance Donors in Switzerland: An Art of Exchange 8. Renaissance Roundels: The Transformation of European Image Making 9. Harvard University's Memorial Hall: Honouring the Dead, the Nation and Art 10. The Tiffany Chapel: World's Columbian Exposition 11. The Light Screens of Frank Lloyd Wright 12. The Spirituality of Abstraction References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly witty book about the intertwined lives of psychoanalyst Ernest Jones, surgeon Wilfred Trotter and the guru of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Welsh-born psychoanalyst Ernest Jones was Sigmund Freud's closest associate and most fervent disciple. Clever, self-confident and intensely ambitious, Jones promoted psychoanalysis as a kind of secular religion. Meanwhile, his intimate friend Wilfred Trotter – a celebrated surgeon who saved the life of George V, and who took on Freud as a patient during his London exile – refused to yield to the seductions of the new Freudianism. A quintessentially English figure, Trotter was unimpressed by slick medical careerists, distrusted grand theories and lacked pomposity and self-regard. From the first psychoanalytic congress in Salzburg in 1908 to the illness of King George in the late 1920s and the meeting of Freud and Trotter in 1939, Seamus O'Mahony tells the story of these three figures and their intertwined lives with his customary wit and erudition. Not only the story of the development of psychoanalysis, this is a book about the sexual obsessions of intellectual and bohemian circles in London, Cambridge and Vienna, of Bloomsbury, of doctors in pursuit of wealth and fame. It covers a pivotal thirty years in European history, and reveals how and why the writings of a failed neurologist from Vienna became so influential.Trade ReviewRiotously recalls the rise of psychoanalysis... [a] splendid book * The Telegraph *A rich, funny and at times sad story about blind faith, sexual obsession, hubris and the pursuit of fame and wealth * Literary Review *This acerbic group biography takes aim at the ‘guru’ Freud and his acolytes * The Times *O'Mahony's account is not just brilliantly researched and invigorating in its even-handedness but also exhilaratingly readable. * James Hamilton-Paterson *O'Mahony has a great talent for taking the most difficult of subjects – death, the failures of medicine, and now psychoanalysis – and using his gift for storytelling, his eye for the absurd, and his great sense of humour to produce a book that is a joy to read. * Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal *O'Mahony gives an excellent account of the rise of psychoanalysis, and its cult-like nature... immensely entertaining' * New Statesman *In this hugely enjoyable book, O’Mahony describes a seething cesspit of bitterness, folly, and jealous hatred, leavened with unexpected helpings of love, friendship, and curiosity about human nature ... You will laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally feel slightly ill. But in the end, never was it so much fun to watch the Freudians slip. * Professor Brendan Kelly *In this wryly compelling and iconoclastic book Seamus O’Mahony delves into the controversial first half-century of psychoanalysis * Iain Bamforth *O’Mahony ingeniously explores the interrelationships of these three doctors: Freud, who is still considered by many as one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century; Jones, who is now remembered only as Freud’s “bulldog”; and finally, Trotter, a master craftsman and teacher now all but forgotten. * Professor Andrew Lees *Four stars * The Mail on Sunday *A critical but witty examination of early psychoanalytical practitioners and their self-absorbed patients'... ' O'Mahony dispenses caustic judgements about those attracted to psychoanalysis in the interwar years, and about its practitioners * BBC History Magazine *PRAISE FOR SEAMUS O'MAHONY: 'No one writes as clearly and intelligently [...] as Seamus O'Mahony' Sunday Independent. 'What makes this book a delightful, if unsettling read, is not just O'Mahony's scholarly and witty prose, but also his brutal honesty' The Times. 'A searingly honest and humane book that is challenging yet profoundly important' Guardian. 'Mahony leaves no stone unturned, sniffing out cant and hypocrisy wherever he finds it. And his views are as consistently intelligent as they are surprising' Daily Telegraph. 'Sharp and pithy observations' * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisIn December 2005, London lost one its most famous symbols: the Routemaster bus - a bus designed and made in London, by Londoners for Londoners, which was to London what the gondola is to Venice. In terms of postcards, books, films and cheap souvenirs, and in the eyes of the world, the Routemaster represented the city just as much as Big Ben. It was the last bus to be have conductors as well as drivers, the last bus to ring familiar shouts that are at least a century old: 'Fares please,' 'Full up inside but room on top,' 'Next stop the British Museum'! The last bus, in other words, to be a proper bus. In this fond history, Travis Elborough tells the story of the Routemaster's invention, rise and decline, of the people who worked on it and of the enthusiasts who were mad about it. The streets will never be the same again.Trade ReviewRevised to include the Routemaster's Last Run on 9 December 2005 A London best-seller- over 12,000 copies sold in hardback 'Elborough's book will please bus lovers... as well as cultural historians' Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph 'A charming account of the capital's enduring affair with its favourite piece of transport' Daily Mail 'This quirky book looks at the Routemaster in a completely different way to other publications relating to this iconic bus... a light-hearted read that will amuse as well as tell the story of one of London's best loved buses' Bus Fayre 'Elborough's love for the Routemaster bus and all who travel in her is unbounded' Magnus Mills, The Times

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Book SynopsisThe riveting story of a true-life female Indiana Jones: an archaeologist who survived the Nazis and then saved Egypt’s ancient temples. In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time: fifty countries had contributed nearly a billion dollars to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples from drowning in the floodwaters of the gigantic new Aswan High Dam. It was a project of unimaginable size and complexity that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled, stone by stone, and rebuilt on higher ground. But the massive press coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the gutsy French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples would now be at the bottom of a gigantic reservoir. Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. As a brave member of the French Resistance in World War II, she had survived imprisonment by the Nazis. Now, in her fight to save the temples, she had to face down two of the most daunting leaders of the postwar world: Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and French president Charles de Gaulle. After a century and a half of Western plunder of Egypt’s ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt helped preserve a crucial part of its cultural heritage, and, just as importantly, made sure it remained in its homeland.Trade Review‘The subject of Lynne Olson’s excellent biography, Empress of the Nile, isn’t, as you might think, Cleopatra, but rather the “daredevil archaeologist” Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, best known for helping save massive ancient temples from destruction. Olson, whose many previous books spotlight unsung heroes and heroines of that war, is here at her best … Empress of the Nile tells her story well, embedding it in the history of modern Egyptian archaeology. Empress of the Nile is a welcome and needed work of both rescue and reclamation.’ * The Washington Post *‘A vivid reminder of a remarkable individual and an intriguing recreation of the strange times in which she lived.’ -- Robin McKie * The Observer *‘Olson tells this forgotten story with pitch and pace, so that it becomes a real nail-biter.’ -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *‘Lynne Olson’s many fans know her gift for storytelling and bringing to life heroes who may not be well known but demand — indeed, rivet — our attention. Who else but Olson could have found Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a beautiful and brave French resistance fighter who is brazen enough to tell her Gestapo interrogators to stand up when a woman enters the room? Who also happens to be a kind of female Indiana Jones working behind the scenes — alongside Jackie Kennedy! — to save the ancient temples of Egypt? Readers will devour this wonderful book.’ -- Evan Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of First: Sandra Day O’Connor‘An exhilarating, in-depth look at a woman whose courage never faltered, whether facing Nazi interrogators, back-stabbing archaeologist colleagues, or the imminent destruction of the Egyptian monuments and artefacts she held most dear. Olson’s richly detailed biography takes the reader for a magnificent ride in this heart-stopping read.’ -- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace‘Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was one of the leading Egyptologists of the 20th century, yet her remarkable achievements have received little attention. Lynne Olson has done her justice with this comprehensive biography.’ -- Toby Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun’s Trumpet‘Once again, Lynne Olson introduces us to a modern heroine who defied the odds and achieved historic results. Through sheer grit and an indomitable spirit that neither Nazis nor bureaucrats from Paris to Cairo could tame, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt rescued the Egyptian Temples of Nubia and other treasures from drowning. With her signature deep research and compassion for quirky characters, Olsen spins an inspiring tale with a sometimes surprising cast, including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Empress of the Nile is a tonic for our times and a reminder that one unstoppable woman can bend history to her will.’ -- Kati Marton, New York Times bestselling author of The Chancellor‘From facing down Nazis, to fighting to save Egyptian artefacts, to rehabilitating the reputation of Hapshetsut, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt’s remarkable career reads like something out of fiction — but Lynne Olson’s compelling biography makes clear that every word is pure fact. Empress of the Nile is the best sort of micro history: both an intimate portrait of a groundbreaking woman and a whirlwind tour through the major events and personalities of the twentieth century. To anyone who ever tossed a coin into the waters around the Temple of Dendur — you must read this book.’ -- Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters‘Lynne Olson has found yet another fascinating, unsung heroine: a French archaeologist with the moxie to take on the Egyptians, the Americans and the French to save historic Egyptian temples.’ -- Meryl Gordon, author of three biographies including Bunny Mellon: the life of an American style legend‘A well-documented and sensitive portrait of a remarkable woman who shared her passion for Egypt and inspired so many others to find their calling, myself included, while at the same time helping to reinvigorate the Louvre.’ -- Henri Loyrette, honorary president and director of the Louvre Museum‘Bestseller Olson follows up Madame Fourcade’s Secret War with another scintillating biography of a woman who spearheaded “the greatest single example of international cultural cooperation the world has ever known, a campaign in the 1950s and ’60s to save Nubian temples and other antiquities from flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt” … Enriched by fascinating digressions into Egyptian history, museum rivalries, the plundering of archaeological sites, the 1956 Suez Crisis, and more, this is a captivating portrait of a pathbreaking woman. Readers will be enthralled.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Olson provides a gripping account of an extraordinary life.’ -- Booklist, starred review‘The life of an archaeologist who deserves to be better known … The author provides a fine account of Desroches-Noblecourt’s long, distinguished career. An expert biography of the most prestigious Egyptologist of her time.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Fast-paced, highly entertaining ... Olson’s narrative gathers steam in the tense days before the Nazis invaded Poland ... The highlight of Olson’s book is her thrilling account of the rescue of the giant statues of Rameses II and the Abu Simbel temples from inundation by the Aswan High Dam ... Meticulous detail.’ -- Joshua Hammer * The New York Times *‘Follows Desroches-Noblecourt every step along the way. And I mean every step. Deeply researched, it contains in its many detours and side trips a certain amount of historical TMI.’ * Air Mail *‘Egyptologists are certainly familiar with her legacy, but since not all of her many books are translated into English, author Lynne Olson has written an engrossing biography that makes Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt's life and work accessible to a broader audience … [Empress of the Nile] at times reads like a suspenseful political thriller.’ -- Laura McCallum * The Canberra Times *Not enough people will have heard of the subject of this fascinating book - the French archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt who became one of the world's foremost experts on ancient Egypt. In Empress of the Nile, Lynne Olson details how Desroches - small in stature and a woman to boot - was willing to take on any number of powerful men in her field.’ -- Sally Pryor * The Canberra Times *‘Empress of the Nile is an absorbing portrait of an amazing woman.’ -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘Assured … The book follows a welcome trend to recover pioneering women in the social sciences.’ -- Sara Wheeler * The Daily Telegraph *‘Empress Of The Nile is the very readable story of Christiane’s overlooked role and her incredible life, which also saw her imprisoned by the Nazis and bravely standing up to world leaders, including de Gaulle. Fascinating!’ -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly *‘Olson has carried out painstaking research into this woman, who overcame strong misogyny from male archaeologists at the start of her stellar career, but who was never afraif to stand up for what she believed. The result is a riveting account of her years spent in Egypt and her role in the world’s greatest international cultural cooperation.’ -- Jennifer Somerville * Good Reading Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFrom Battle of Britain fighter station to commercial airport, this is the inspiring story of Biggin Hill. Biggin Hill, world-famous as a Battle of Britain fighter station, has had many lives. First used as an airfield in 1917, Biggin Hill saw brutal action in both World Wars, never losing a day’s operations despite devastating enemy attacks. Since 1959 two dynamic figures have kept this historic airfield open against the odds: fighter ace Jock Maitland, creator of the renowned Biggin Hill International Air Fair, and army pilot Andrew Walters, who has turned it into London’s No 1 business airport, with a thriving aviation community that includes air charter companies, engineering firms, flying schools, storage and restoration, and major Formula 1 and Bombardier operations. Meanwhile a new Museum and St George’s Memorial Chapel keep memories of its days as a Royal Force Station alive. The first full history of this great airfield, Nine Lives looks behind the scenes of a busy modern airport, digs deep into its dramatic past, and tells an inspiring tale of enterprise, innovation, teamwork and determination.

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Book SynopsisHuman civilisation was not just created by humans: we had the help of many creatures, and foremost among these were sheep. From Argentina to Australia and from Mesopotamia to Mongolia, just about every country with hills and meadows has adopted and then developed sheep farming as a way of living. And in Wales in particular, sheep played a central role in shaping landscape and culture. Sheeplands outlines the journeys taken by some of these sheep as they voyaged across the world, both by themselves and with human shepherds, from the earliest human settlements to the present day. Along the way, Alan Marshall paints vivid portraits of the roles sheep have played in the development of the modern world, in times of peace and war, and describes how our sheeplands might continue to influence Wales and the wider world in future years.

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Book SynopsisThe predictions of Nostradamus have been continuously in print since his death and count, alongside the Bible, as one of the two best selling books in publishing history. Today, interest has never been higher, with claims that he foretold recent events and fears that even worse is to come. But prophecy is a tricky business at best, and much of what is claimed for Nostradamus is based on mistranslation, over-optimistic interpretation or corrupt texts. This translation by a professional linguist offers a literary verse translation of all the original prophecies and identifies their historical sources. It identifies the original omen books, illustrated from the original sources and offers reports of these omens in contemporary English translations.

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Book SynopsisNew volume of the best-selling review of the year made up of the wry and astute observations of the unpublished Telegraph letter writers. Table of ContentsIntroduction Family trials and tribulations A year in politics That’s entertainment Travel in lockdown Britain Home thoughts on abroad Sporting triumph and disaster Royal blushes Use and abuse of language Dear Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisFerrari—perhaps the most storied car manufacturer in existence—celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022. Ferrari: 75 Years chronicles the company's legendary story with a special emphasis on the production and sporting cars from 1947 to today.Trade Review“Ultimately, Ferrari: 75 Years provides an inspiring and illuminating look back at Enzo Ferrari and the company that became his legacy. The forward by Luigi Chinetti Jr. is especially illuminating; it’s a mini history all by itself.” * Supercars.net *Table of ContentsForeword by Luigi Chinetti, Jr Introduction: Cisitalia—Realization of the Modern Sports Car Chapter 1 Zero to Seventy-Five Years—The Evolution of Ferrari Chapter 2 Enzo Ferrari’s Venture—An Independent Decision Chapter 3 Early Road and Race Cars—Building an Image on Road and Track. Chapter 4 Road Cars of the 1950s Chapter 5 The Dino—A Tribute to Enzo’s Son Chapter 6 Coming of Age in America—Ferraris of the 1960s and 1970s Chapter 7 The North American Connection Chapter 8 The 1970s and a New Look Chapter 9 Ferrari Road Cars—1980s and 1990s Chapter 10 The Twenty-First-Century Ferrari Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisExposes the political and ideological links and dovetailing ethnonationalist projects of India and IsraelTrade Review‘Today’s Israel and Modi’s India are natural partners, sharing values of racist ethnocracy and illegal annexation, and for Israel, offering a market for military and other advanced technology. This valuable study traces the complex evolution of their relationship from their independence to its recent blossoming as the societies and the international context changed, providing particularly rich insights into India’s development through this period’ -- Noam Chomsky‘A brilliant and courageous book ... the definitive treatment of the overlooked alliance between the far-right wing governments of India and Israel. Essential reading for the escalating neo-fascist forces in our turbulent times’ -- Cornel West, American philosopher‘Extraordinary ... exposes a powerful alliance, hidden from the global attention and media, that will affect the lives of many of us. This crucial contribution challenges the distorted Western discourse on democracy, rights and justice, offers a new genealogy and a brave interpretation of these crucial human concerns’ -- Ilan Pappe, Historian and Social Activist‘Formidable and timely. Azad Essa lays bare the historically malignant roots of an often overlooked and underestimated kinship between two ideologies, Zionism and Hindutva, hungry for land and hungrier for dominance’ -- Mohammed El-Kurd, Author of 'Rifqa'‘A call for global solidarity. Essa reveals the mutual agenda of the unholy India-Israeli ethno-nationalistic alliance, showing just why both those states are a danger to progessive internationalism. In dealing with the rise of Zionism, along with Modi's capture of state power in India, he deals with their ramifications on Kashmir and Palestine, on Indian diaspora and Israel's role in Africa’ -- Ronnie Kasrils, former South African Intelligence Minister, author and activist‘For decades, India’s leaders spoke in hushed tones about their relationship with Israel. Essa reveals the long history of their alliance and shows how it is built on shared supremacist ideological projects whose devastating and inhumane consequences are borne by Palestinians and Kashmiris living under occupations. An essential, must-read book’ -- Mohamad Junaid, Anthropologist and Kashmiri writer‘A necessary and urgent account’ -- Siddhartha Deb, author of the 'Beautiful and The Damned: New Life in India'‘An authoritative study of the past and present of India-Israel relations. Essa reveals a troubling convergence of Hindu nationalist and Zionist worldviews. Equally, Hostile Homelands is a useful primer for thinking about how and why illiberal, authoritarian and Islamophobic forces are building alliances, globally’ -- Somdeep Sen, Associate Professor & Head of Studies, Global & Development Studies, Roskilde University, Denmark‘A revealing exposé … Challenges the typical understanding of Zionism as an exclusively European phenomenon and Hindu nationalism as a provisional Indian experience. An essential read’ -- Ramzy Baroud, author of 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders & Intellectuals Speak Out'‘Forces us to confront the grotesque end-game of colonial violence - Modi's India and Zionist Israel. The enduring and shape-shifting connections between these ethnonationalist entities offer a profound wake-up call, a realization that today, the most vocal among the world's purported democracies are, at their core, the most profoundly anti-democratic’ -- Nazia Kazi, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anthropology, Stockton University, NJ‘Meticulously researched and well-crafted ... Examines the under-covered subject of the ever-evolving relationship between India and Israel. Essa insightfully explores what happens when a nation negotiates the tension between principles and interests — and what happens when, particularly under the ethnonationalism of Narendra Modi, they converge’ -- Laila Al-Arian, Journalist, Al Jazeera English‘The definitive book on Indian-Israel relations that we have been waiting for. Hostile Homelands is not only an intellectual tour de force. It will also help foster new solidarities and anti-imperialist organizing’ -- Jasbir Puar, author of 'The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Debility'‘A vital read … offers detailed insights into the politics of Zionism and Hindutva’ -- Ramona Wadi, ‘Middle East Monitor’‘Hostile Homelands has courage and integrity. It traces the beginning of India-Israel ties, unmasks successive governments, and carries a warning for the future’ -- Achin Vanaik, ‘The Wire’‘An important work ... Essa’s scholarship allows us to question the post-colonial national model which has allowed India and Israel to commit legal violence against those they deem inferior’ -- ‘Washington Report on Middle East Affairs’'Essa’s work is not only original but also well-researched and presented in a fluid style' -- ‘The New Arab’'Hostile Homelands is a supreme act of solidarity to help human rights activists around the world understand the forces aligned against two of the most important anti-colonial struggles in the world today' -- ‘Muslim Matters’‘Offers insights into the politics of Zionism and Hindutva’ -- ‘The Hindu’‘Brilliant’ -- ‘Jacobin’Table of ContentsForeword – Linah Alsaafin 1. A Story of Two Partitions 2. The Military-Industrial Complex 3. Hindutva and Zionism: A Story of Kinship 4. The Indian Diaspora and the Israeli Lobby in the United States 5. Kashmir and Palestine: A Story of Two Occupations Acknowledgements and Postscript

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Book SynopsisAt every stage of her career, Barbra Streisand''s genius finds its fullest measure in screen song, first in Emmy-winning TV specials, then in Hollywood blockbusters from Funny Girl to Funny Lady. She goes on, as emerging auteur, to direct her own musical concepts in A Star Is Born-before reconceiving the big-screen musical altogether in the writing as well as directing of her own starring role in Yentl (A Film with Music). In this intensive reading of the actress-who-sings, Garrett Stewart notes the gender and ethnic stereotypes that Streisand shattered as the first openly Jewish superstar, while concentrating not just on the cultural difference she made but on the internal differentials of her unholy vocal gift-whose kinetic volatility shapes a kind of cinematic terrain all its own. Down through her filmed return to the concert stage, Stewart elicits the sinuous phonetic text of Streisand''s on-screen musical delivery in a keenly attentive mode o

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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 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 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 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 SynopsisTrade Review'Robinson's enthusiasm for the subject is so infectious that you might find youreself trying to crack Etruscan in your spare time' - Archaeology'If you hate unsolved mysteries this parade of incomprehensible texts will drive you nuts with frustration. But if you're a wannabe linguist, and perhaps the world's next Michael Ventris, you'll definitely want to read this book' - Focus

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Book SynopsisMagnificent history of the common British soldier from 1700 to 1900 by one of Britain's best-known and accomplished military writers and broadcasters. Red Coat is non-fiction Sharpe, filled with anecdote and humour as well as historical analysis.Redcoat is a wonderful book. It is not just a work of history but one of enthusiasm and unparalleled knowledge.'' BERNARD CORNWELLRedcoat is the story of the British soldier from c.1760 until c.1860 surely one of the most enduring and magnetic subjects of the British past. Solidly based on the letters and diaries of the men who served and the women who followed them, the book is rich in the history of the period. It charts Wolfe''s victory and death at Quebec, the American War of Independence, the Duke of York''s campaign in Flanders, Wellington''s Peninsular War, Waterloo,the retreat from Kabul, the Sikh wars in 1845-9, the Crimean war and the Indian Mutiny.The focus of Redcoat, however, is the individual recollection and experience of the oTrade Review'I have never met Richard Holmes, but I am deeply jealous of him for Redcoat opens with the re-enactment of a Napoleonic battle that I wish I had written myself… The redcoat and his family were never appreciated, but Richard Holmes has written them a marvellous memorial. Redcoat is a wonderful book, full of anecdote and good sense. Anyone who has enjoyed a Sharpe story will love it, anyone who likes history will want to own it and anyone who cherishes good writing will read it with pleasure.' BERNARD CORNWELL, Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisTo some it''s antisocial anathema, to others it is a harmless way to relax, or provides relief from crippling pain. Some fear it is a dangerous drug that leads to ''reefer madness'' and addiction; to others still it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, pot, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganja - incites debate at every level. In this definitive study, Martin Booth - author of the acclaimed OPIUM: A HISTORY - charts the history of cannabis from the Neolithic period to the present day. It is a fascinating, colourful tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians, hippies and pot-heads.Booth chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis, a relatively harmless substance, became outlawed tTrade ReviewEnlightening...a very engaging history. * Daily Telegraph *Booth tells this story with admirable restraint...this book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in human freedoms and bad laws. * Independent *So good no one will need to do another for at least fifty years...mesmerizing detail, fantastical digressions, lots of jokes and wry asides. -- James Delingpole * Literary Review *A testament to the late Booth that he could make such a boring subject so interesting. * Sunday Times *A colourful tale ... Chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis became outlawed throughout the Western world, and the devastating effect such legislation has had on the global economy. * Sunday Telegraph *Table of ContentsTo some it's anathema, to others it provides relief from crippling pain: to others still, it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganga - incites debate at every level and its impact on the world's cultures and economies is undeniable. Dating back to the Neolithic period, the history of cannabis is a tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, cunning smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians and happy-go-lucky hipples and pot-heads.

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Book Synopsis80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte CassinoThe six-month battle for Monte Cassino was Britain''s bitterest and bloodiest encounter with the German army on any front in World War Two.At the beginning of 1944 Italy was the western Allies'' only active front against Nazi-controlled Europe, and their only route to the capital was through the Liri valley. Towering over the entrance to the valley was the medieval monastery of Monte Cassino, a seemingly impenetrable fortress high up in the ''bleak and sinister'' mountains. This was where the German commander, Kesselring, made his stand.MONTE CASSINO tells the extraordinary story of ordinary soldiers tested to the limits under conditions reminiscent of the bloodbaths of World War One. In a battle that became increasingly political, symbolic and personal as it progressed, more and more men were asked to throw themselves at the virtually impregnable German defences. It is a story of incompetence, hubris

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of warfare told by Britain's foremost military historian.John Keegan’s masterpiece is a work of breath-taking scope that not only chronicles the history of warfare, but unearths lessons on the nature of humanity. Stretching across centuries and continents, from the Empire of Babylon to the Somme, A History of Warfare studies civilisations, psychology, archaeology, genetics, history and strategy with an expert’s eye. John Keegan’s unmissable and epic journey through military history has been widely acclaimed and remains vital reading today.Trade ReviewJohn Keegan is at once the most readable and the most original of military historians... His book is a work of massive sweep...the most remarkable study of warfare that has yet been written. -- Michael Howard * New York Times Review of Books *Masterpiece...one of those rare books which could still be required reading in its field a hundred years from now. * The New Yorker *Our finest military historian has produced a book of breathtaking scope...A tour de force. -- Niall Ferguson * Daily Mail *The best book I read in 1993 was A History of Warfare...a dazzling display of historical pyrotechnics. -- Paul Johnson * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *Magnificent * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA Country Life 'Best Book of the Year' 2023The Times Book of the Week * * * 'I could read Martin Williams all day. He is a staggeringly communicative historian; this book throws shafts of light on recent history almost repeating itself, giving vivid glimpses into monarchy and the way things were, and are. Compulsory reading.' --- Dame Joanna Lumley'A social historian and gifted storyteller, Williams is by turns moved and amused as he reflects on the poignancy and rituals of a nation united (pretty much) in grief...' --- The Times'adroitly-written...[told by Williams] so skilfully, and with such silken prose, that it's a pleasure to spend the time inside his head' --- The Oldie'delightful details...to rekindle this vanished epoch' --- Country Life'Vivid, panoramic, skilfully written, this gripping book is an insight into a time and an age'. --- Kate Williams'Martin Williams has written a fascinating and absorbing account of the Edwardian era, the demise and funeral of the King, and the iconic Black Ascot that followed it. He has brought a lost age grippingly to light'. --- Hugo Vickers'witty, informative and immensely readable... captures the spirit of the times'. --- Miranda Seymour'A tour de force'. --- Dr Kate Strasdin'We tend to think that Cecil Beaton single-handedly invented the Edwardian Age. Martin Williams shows us succinctly and elegantly that perhaps it was the King himself.' --- Nicky Haslam'... moves with unflagging wit and style. A fresh perspective on a brilliant life and a lost era beautifully evoked, it is impossible not to be swept away by this gem of a book. Pure pleasure.' --- Robin Muir'a must-have... a wonderful and thought-provoking read.' --- The Historian'...a book about a changed and changing world trying to cope with even more change...beautifully written [and] timely' --- The Catholic Herald'...resonates powerfully with our own recent experience of collective mourning...Williams describes the king's gradual demise in evocative detail.' --- Air MailUnforgettable as it was, the public response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 was not without precedent. When her great-grandfather King Edward VII - glamorous, cosmopolitan and extraordinarily popular - died in May 1910, the political, social and cultural anxieties of a nation in turmoil were temporarily set aside during a summer of intense and ritualised mourning.In The King is Dead, Long Live the King! Martin Williams charts a period of tension and transition as one era slipped away and another took shape. Witnessed by a diverse but interconnected cast of characters - crowned heads and Cabinet ministers, debutantes and suffragettes, artists and murderers - here is the swansong of Edwardian Britain. Set against a backdrop of bereavement and parliamentary crisis overshadowed by the gathering clouds of war, we see a people caught between past and future, tradition and modernity, as they unite to bid farewell to a much-loved monarch who had personified his age. From Buckingham Palace to Bloomsbury, and from the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall to a now legendary Royal Ascot enveloped in black, this is a vivid evocation of a world on the brink of seismic upheaval.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pushkin House Book Prize 2023*A Telegraph Book of the Year* A Times Best Book of Summer 2023*Shortlisted for the Parliamentary Book Awards*An astonishing investigation into the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war from the corridors of the Kremlin to the trenches of Mariupol.The Russo-Ukrainian War is the most serious geopolitical crisis since the Second World War and yet at the heart of the conflict is a mystery. Vladimir Putin apparently lurched from a calculating, subtle master of opportunity to a reckless gambler, putting his regime and Russia itself at risk of destruction. Why?Drawing on over 25 years' experience as a correspondent in Moscow, as well as his own family ties to Russia and Ukraine, journalist Owen Matthews takes us through the poisoned historical roots of the conflict, into the Covid bubble where Putin conceived his invasion plans in a fog of paranoia about Western threats, and finally into the inner circle around Ukrainian president and unexpected war Trade Review‘Not merely the first full account of the war in Ukraine, but may set the standard for some time to come … a remarkable achievement, with Matthews’s expert eye like an all-seeing drone, buzzing from one side of the conflict to the other’ 5* Telegraph ‘A vivid and revealing first draft of history … The strength of his account lies in his ability to tell the story from many angles, weaving them into a single, fast-paced narrative … fascinating’ Financial Times ‘The best current analysis of the countdown to war’ Serhii Plokhy, TLS ‘There will be many more books on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but Owen Matthews’ extraordinary perspective has produced an interim account of special value.’ Daily Mail ‘A wave of hurriedly written books about the Russo-Ukrainian war is about to crash over our bookshops and overburdened shelves, but it is hard not to feel sorry for most of their authors. Owen Matthews has already come out with what is not only one of the fastest, but also likely to be the best, setting a painfully high benchmark for those who follow.’ Times ‘The best new book on Russia … a classic as enduring as Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia’ Literary Review ‘Superb … a true page-turner’ Andrew Roberts, BBC History

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Book SynopsisDiscover for yourself the pleasures of philosophy! Written both for the seasoned student of philosophy as well as the general reader, the renowned writer Roger Scruton provides a survey of modern philosophy. Always engaging, Scruton takes us on a fascinating tour of the subject, from founding father Descartes to the most important and famous philosopher of the twentieth century, Ludwig Wittgenstein. He identifies all the principal figures as well as outlines of the main intellectual preoccupations that have informed western philosophy. Painting a portrait of modern philosophy that is vivid and animated, Scruton introduces us to some of the greatest philosophical problems invented in this period and pursued ever since. Including material on recent debates, A Short History of Modern Philosophy is already established as the classic introduction. Read it and find out why.Trade Review'Dr Scruton writes with an unusual clarity and fluency, and is always a pleasure to read . . . this is certainly a book which you could give to anyone who was curious about philosophy and expect them to learn a lot from it.' - Alan Ryan, author of Bertrand Russell: A Political Life'Anyone seeking a short and intelligible introduction to the ideas and intentions of Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Marx, among others, need look no further.' - Good Book Guide'Anyone seeking a short and intelligible introduction to the ideas and intentions of Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Marx, among others, need look no further.' - Good Book Guide'In his work as a philosopher and aesthetician he's an exhaustive reducer to first principles, while in his books for the interested non-specialist he's as first-rate a popularizer as David Attenborough and John Keegan.' - Salon'Dr Scruton writes with an unusual clarity and fluency, and is always a pleasure to read . . . this is certainly a book which you could give to anyone who was curious about philosophy and expect them to learn a lot from it.' - Alan Ryan, author of Bertrand Russell: A Political Life' - A Short History of Modern Philosophy could hardly be done much better than Dr Scruton has done it.' - Gordon Graham, author of The Internet: A Philosophical EnquiryTable of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1 History of Philosophy and History of Ideas; Chapter 2 The Rise of Modern Philosophy; Part 1 Rationalism; Chapter 3 Descartes; Chapter 4 The Cartesian Revolution; Chapter 5 Spinoza; Chapter 6 Leibniz; Part 2 Empiricism; Chapter 7 Locke and Berkeley; Chapter 8 The Idea of a Moral Science; Chapter 9 Hume; Part 3 Kant and Idealism; Chapter 10 Kant I: The Ckitique of Pure Reason; Chapter 11 Kant II: Ethics and Aesthetics; Chapter 12 Hegel; Chapter 13 Reactions: Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche; Part 4 The Political Transformation; Chapter 14 Political Philosophy from Hobbes to Hegel; Chapter 15 Marx; Chapter 16 Utilitarianism and After; Part 5 Recent Philosophy; Chapter 17 Frege; Chapter 18 Phenomenology and Existentialism; Chapter 19 Wittcenstein;

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Book SynopsisA Short History of Ethics has over the past thirty years become a key philosophical contribution to studies on morality and ethics. Alasdair MacIntyre writes a new preface for this second edition which looks at the book 'thirty years on' and considers its impact. A Short History of Ethics guides the reader through the history of moral philosophy from the Greeks to contemporary times. MacIntyre emphasises the importance of a historical context to moral concepts and ideas showing the relevance of philosophical queries on moral concepts and the importance of a historical account of ethics.A Short History of Ethics is an important contribution written by one of the most important living philosophers. Ideal for all philosophy students interested in ethics and morality.Trade Review'Very powerful ... this book is an impressive contribution to our endless argument about the meaning of ethical concepts.' -- The ObserverTable of Contents1 The Philosophical Point of the History of Ethics 2 The Prephilosophical History of “Good” and the Transition to Philosophy 3 The Sophists and Socrates 4 Plato: The Gorgias 5 Plato: The Republic 6 Postscript to Plato 7 Aristotle’s Ethics 8 Postscript to Greek Ethics 9 Christianity 10 Luther, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Spinoza 11 New Values 12 The British Eighteenth-Century Argument 13 The French Eighteenth-Century Argument 14 Kant 15 Hegel and Marx 16 Kierkegaard to Nietzsche 17 Reformers, Utilitarians, Idealists 18 Modern Moral Philosophy

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