History Books

Book SynopsisTrade Review"For those unable to devote the time to reading The Bourgeois Virtues, Bourgeois Dignity, and Bourgeois Equality, McCloskey has teamed here with Carden to write a popular version. While the argument is the same—namely that respect for human liberty is what led to the Great Enrichment—this book is not a Reader’s Digest condensed version of the trilogy. Carden and McCloskey use this opportunity to make the ideas of the trilogy more contemporary. They do so in two ways. Current policy proposals, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposal for a 2 percent tax on the wealthy, are used where appropriate. Modern examples, from changes to the television set as owned by the TV Simpsons family to a long list of failed business ideas that wasted resources, such as the New Coke or Trump Airlines, are added to the mix alongside McCloskey's literary and historical examples. Even readers of McCloskey's three prior volumes will find much to enjoy in this updated reprise. Recommended." * Choice *“At a time when the mood—and reality—of the times is swinging toward state intervention in the economy—and rightly so, given the potentially Hobbesian world to which the combination of market power and pandemic have brought us—it’s all the more important to keep an open mind and take these arguments from economic liberty seriously. . . . The sweep of McCloskey’s historical knowledge is such that the book is just a good read (if you like the tone), and a fraction of the length of the [Bourgeois] trilogy!” -- Diane Coyle * The Enlightened Economist *"This thought-provoking work is recommended for economics faculty and students, and researchers in economics and history to ‘think differently’ about these respected disciplines.” * Library Journal *"For half a century Deirdre McCloskey has been a member of the starting lineup of economic history. The author of numerous books and hundreds of research papers and essays, her magnum opus is the monumental 'Bourgeois Trilogy' that appeared between 2006 and 2016 and laid out her view of economic history and much else in about 2,000 pages. The slim volume here, co-authored with Art Carden, summarizes her views of what she has termed the 'Great Enrichment' and makes it accessible to a wider public. In every way, this comparatively slim volume is vintage McCloskey: written in a rather informal conversational style, she states her views in her inimitable crystal-clear prose." * EH-Net *"Read this book and learn why you must know the truth, what truth you need to know, and why the freedom it brings has made almost everyone better off than their parents and grandparents." -- Vernon L. Smith, Chapman University and 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economics"If you are feeling down about the state of the world or pessimistic about its prospects then this is the book to cheer you up. McCloskey and Carden show how much off everyone is today compared to everyone who lived before, and how this is explained not by the usual suspects such as institutions, or capitalism or the profits of slavery and colonialism, or the exploitation of natural resources, but simply by the practice of liberty, letting people be and allowing them to do their thing (and, crucially, to innovate). They also show how fashionable pessimism about the future is wrong in all its modish variants—as it has been since 1798. This is a work for economists, historians, and anyone who wants to understand why the world has become so much better for human beings in the last two hundred and fifty years and is set to continue doing so." -- Stephen Davies, Institute of Economic Affairs“There is nobody writing today who mixes erudition and eloquence, or wit and wisdom as richly as McCloskey. Together with Carden, she has now found another virtue: brevity. This is the book I want all young people to read to understand how and why they are so much better off than any previous generation.” -- Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works and The Rational OptimistTable of ContentsPreface Part I Poverty Is on the Run 1 Liberalism Liberated 2 It’s the End of the World as They Knew It, and You Should Feel Pretty Good 3 Nostalgia and Pessimism Worsen Poverty 4 Under Liberalism the Formerly Poor Can Flourish Ethically and Spiritually 5 Consider the Possibility That Your Doubts Might Be Mistaken 6 Pessimism Has Been since 1800 a Rotten Predictor 7 Even about the Environment 8 In Fact, None of the Seven Old Pessimisms Makes a Lot of Sense 9 Nor Do the Three New Ones 10 So to Get Better, the World Had Better Keep Its Ethical Wits about It 11 And True Liberalism Celebrates a Life Beyond WealthPart II Enrichment Didn’t Come for the Reasons You Imagine 12 Liberal Ideas, Not European Horrors or Heroism, Explain the Great Enrichment 13 Liberalism Supported Innovism and the Profit Test 14 The Great Enrichment Did Not Come from Resources or Railways or Property Rights 15 Nor Thrift or “Capitalism” 16 Schooling and Science Were Not the Fairy Dust 17 It Wasn’t Imperialism 18 Nor Slavery 19 Nor Wage Slavery Ended by Unions and RegulationPart III It Came Because Ideas, Ethics, Rhetoric, and Ideology Changed 20 The Talk and the Deals Changed in Northwestern Europe 21 That Is, Ethics and Rhetoric Changed 22 “Honest” Shows the Change 23 And “Happiness” Itself Changed 24 The Change in Valuation Showed in English Plays, Poems, and NovelsPart IV The Causes of the Causes Were Not Racial or Ancient 25 Happy Accidents Led to the Revaluation 26 And Then Old Adam Smith Revealed / The Virtues of the Bourgeois Deal Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAn eloquent call to draw on the lessons of the past to address current threats to international orderTrade Review“A brilliant new book.”—Philip Bobbitt, Wall Street Journal "In this spare, almost mathematical primer, Hal Brands and Charles Edel deliver a rebuke to complacency and a defense of constructive pessimism in the service of America’s engagement with the world."—Robert D. Kaplan, author of The Return of Marco Polo’s World: War, Strategy, and American Interests in the Twenty-first Century"Hal Brands and Charles Edel have written a crucial reminder that being so safe for so long has dulled our imagination of how dangerous and destructive the alternatives are to the ‘flawed masterpiece’ of post-World War II order the U.S. created. Read this to relish two fine minds expertly marshaling 5,000 years of western culture to motivate our communal resolve to preserve the liberal international order. What an education!"—Kori Schake, author of Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony"Brands and Edel show that the tragedy of international relations is not, as some would argue, that nations are doomed to war—but rather that war comes when leaders and the public fail to learn from the past how to preserve the peace. This is a compelling account of the dangers of “historical amnesia” at time when many question the need for sustained U.S. global leadership. The Lessons of Tragedy does more than warn of the dangers; it draws on the demonstrable achievements of past U.S. statecraft to chart a more hopeful course for the future."—James B. Steinberg, Professor at Syracuse University and former Deputy Secretary of State“This powerful book by two of America's most brilliant historians and theorists of grand strategy writing at the top of their game provides a timely reminder that the history of international relations has been replete with catastrophes and costly disasters."—Eric Edelman, former Ambassador to Turkey, Finland and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy 2005-2009“This compact, engaging, and evocative volume packs a sharp, lasting punch. Brands and Edel argue persuasively for a return to the “tragic sensibility” that spurred the creation of all previous international orders. Reading The Lessons of Tragedy would benefit politicians, national security professionals, and civilians alike—in the same way that the great theatrical tragedies benefited ancient Greek society. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”—Robert Work, 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

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Book SynopsisHistory is rife with tales of fighting women. More often than not, these stories prove more legend than history. Dating back to the Amazons of ancient Asia Minor, myths of fierce, autonomous women of martial excellence abound. And yet, the only thoroughly documented Amazons in world history are the women warriors of Dahomey, an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Western African kingdom. Once dubbed a "small black Sparta," residents of Dahomey shared with the Spartans an intense militarism and sense of collectivism. Moreover, the women of both kingdoms prided themselves on bodies hardened from childhood by rigorous physical exercise. But Spartan women kept in shape to breed male warriors, Dahomean Amazons to kill them. Originally palace guards, the Amazons had evolved by the 1760s into professional troops armed mainly with muskets, machetes and clubs. Theoretically wives of the king and quartered in his palaces, they were sworn to celibacy on pain of death. In compensation they enjoyed a semi-sacred status and numerous privileges, including the right to own slaves. By the 1840s their numbers had grown to 6,000. The Amazons served under female officers and had their own bands, flags and insignia: they outdrilled, outshot and outfought men, became frontline troops and fought tenaciously and with great valour till the kingdom's defeat by France in 1892. The product of meticulous archival research, Amazons of Black Sparta is defined by Alpern's gift for narrative and will stand as the most comprehensive and accessible account of the woman warriors of Dahomey.Trade ReviewAlpern draws together the available material on this peculiar institution into an interesting and readable book. The author's meticulous literary and archival research indicates that these females were indeed formidable warriors in the turbulent nineteenth-century era of the slave trade and subsequent European colonial conquest ... Alpern's work is an informative study. -- W. Arens, ChoiceAlpern does very well in assembling most of the evidence about these intimidating women whose courage impressed even the Foreign Legion. He produces a very detailed picture from a wide variety of European and African sources. He provides a readable narrative of Dahomean military history from the state's origins to its defeat by France in 1892, ... [and] a mass of information on what these women wore, ate and sang, how they were recruited, trained and mobilised. -- Richard Rathbone, The TimesAlpern has written an impressively comprehensive study covering all aspects of this extraordinary military force - he describes them in fascinating detail - Altogether he has made an important scholarly contribution to the history of nineteenth-century West Africa in which the Amazon achievement has until now been scarcely mentioned. -- Christopher Fyfe, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History… and today they [the Amazons] exist as no more than footnotes to history. Only one scholarly work has been written about these women, Amazons of Black Sparta by Stanley B. Alpern. -- Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s NestA succint, yet comprehensive, survey of the history of Dahomey. ... Alpern is by no means the first writer to give an account of the Amazons of Dahomey. Yet, his is by far the most detailed and most convincing. ... Truly, Alpern's portrait of the Amazons is a well deserved encomium to the courage and dedication of these intrepid women warriors. ... [and] the feather in the cap of this extremely well-written book is [its] remarkable empathy. -- Africa Review of Books

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Book SynopsisIn 1932, England's cricket team, led by the haughty Douglas Jardine, had the fastest bowler in the world: Harold Larwood. Australia boasted the most prolific batsman the game had ever seen: the young Don Bradman. He had to be stopped. The leg-side bouncer onslaught inflicted by Larwood and Bill Voce, with a ring of fieldsmen waiting for catches, caused an outrage that reverberated to the back of the stands and into the highest levels of government. Bodyline, as this infamous technique came to be known, was repugnant to the majority of cricket-lovers. It was also potentially lethal - one bowl fracturing the skull of Australian wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield - and the technique was outlawed in 1934. After the death of Don Bradman in 2001, one of the most controversial events in cricketing history - the Bodyline technique - finally slid out of living memory. Over seventy years on, the 1932-33 Ashes series remains the most notorious in the history of Test cricket between Australia and England. David Frith's gripping narrative has been acclaimed as the definitive book on the whole saga: superbly researched and replete with anecdotes, Bodyline Autopsy is a masterly anatomy of one of the most remarkable sporting scandals.Trade Review'A brilliant book...it goes a long way to being the definitive tome on the subject. Outstandingly researched and extremely well written.' -- David Llewellyn Independent 'In David Frith's Bodyline Autopsy, we relive the crisis of 1932-33 that almost split the Empire...the well-sketched heroes and villains stand out in Frith's history; who says cricket is for gentlemen?' The Times 'Frith's account is packed with fascinating detail and anecdote. His description of the Test matches could hardly be more gripping.' -- Leo McKinstry Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisNew introduction by Ian Rankin_________________________________________‘One of the most playful and entertaining writers of our generation’ Val McDermid, Guardian In an absorbing voyage as interesting to non-drinkers as to true whisky connoisseurs, sci-fi and literary author Iain Banks explores the rich heritage of Scottish whisky, from the most famous distilleries to the most obscure operations. Whisky is more than a drink: it's a culture that binds together people, places and products far across Scotland's rugged terrain. Switching from cars to ferries to bicycles, Banks criss-crosses his homeland, weaving an engrossing narrative full of fascinating traditions, peculiar people, and the downright bizarre places he encounters on his journey down Scotland's great golden road.'The book I return to most often . . . It's is like slipping into a warm bath.'James Graham, THE TIMES (playwright and creator of ITV's Quiz)'Filled withinsightful and witty observations . . . this is a rip-roaringand informative delve into the unique history and enduring appeal of this iconic spirit.'VISIT SCOTLAND, 9 'must read' booksTrade ReviewIt does what every good book should manage to do, and what a hundred other books on whisky (and a thousand other books on Scotland) have signally failed to do: makes you want to go for a drink with the author. * Observer *Studded with bracing shots of pure insight and eloquence. And he's sound on the scotch as well. * Independent *A very readable and hugely informative book, and Bank’s gentle humour permeates the pages. * Time Out *It’s an engaging piece of work, part love letter, part memoir. * Esquire *A very beguiling fusion of memoir, history and current affairs. * Glasgow Herald *

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Book SynopsisAn inspirational call to arms' DAILY MAILThis book is so sensible, so substantially researched, so briskly written, so clear in its arguments, that one wishes Baroness Cavendish was still whispering into the prime ministerial ear' THE TIMESA thoughtful handbook to help societies age gracefully' FINANCIAL TIMESThis bold, visionary book is a wake-up call to governments. It is a wake-up call to us all' SUNDAY TIMESFrom award-winning journalist, Camilla Cavendish, comes a profound analysis of one of the biggest challenges facing the human population today.The world is undergoing a dramatic demographic shift. By 2020, for the first time in history, the number of people aged 65 and over will outnumber children aged five and under. But our systems are lagging woefully behind this new reality. In Extra Time, Camilla Cavendish embarks on a journey to understand how different countries are responding to these unprecedented challenges.Travelling across the world in a carefully researched and deepTrade Review ‘Extra Time should perhaps be called “About Time” because it is a long overdue and brilliant counterpoint to all those pervasive arguments that our ageing societies will be poorer and sadder. Growing old, as individuals and nations, need not mean growing frailer and duller. Camilla Cavendish has written an empowering and important manifesto for how an older society can be a better society.’ ROBERT PESTON ‘In this remarkable and frequently optimistic book Camilla Cavendish sets out what is part warning and part redefinition of what it is to live longer. Her statistics and her observations of how different rich and poor will age are breathtaking. But it is above all her bravery in challenging our very notions of ageing that makes this a must read book for all those struggling to understand the enormity of change that longer life now brings.’ EMILY MAITLIS ‘Extra Time by Camilla Cavendish is an optimistic, uplifting and practical book about the huge potential for humans to live not just longer lives, but more fulfilling lives. An inspiring and essential read.’ ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FOUNDER & CEO, THRIVE ‘A brilliant analysis of how to live longer better’ SIMON JENKINS ‘As deeply inspirational as it is informative. If you want to know how to live a long, vibrant life, Extra Time is a must read’ DR DAVID SINCLAIR ‘Demographic change is the most neglected shaper of our future. Camilla Cavendish has written the most interesting, perceptive and iconoclastic guide to its many implications. This is a truly important book’ LAWRENCE SUMMERS, President Emeritus and Charles W. Eliot University Professor of Harvard University

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2019 'Anyone who wishes to understand why Brexit is so intractable should read this book. I can think of several MPs who ought to.' The Times For the past two decades, you could cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic half a dozen times without noticing or, indeed, turning off the road you were travelling. It cuts through fields, winds back-and-forth across roads, and wends from Carlingford Lough to Lough Foyle. It is frictionless - a feat sealed by the Good Friday Agreement. Before that, watchtowers loomed over border communities, military checkpoints dotted the roads, and smugglers slipped between jurisdictions. This is a past that most are happy to have left behind but might it also be the future? The border has been a topic of dispute for over a century, first in Dublin, Belfast and Westminster and, post Brexit referendum, in Brussels. Yet, despite the passions of Nationalists and Unionists in the North, neither found deep wells of support in the countries they identified with politically. British political leaders were often ignorant of the conflict's complexities, rarely visited the border, and privately disliked their erstwhile unionist allies. Southern leaders' anti-partition statements masked relative indifference and unofficial cooperation with British security services. From the 1920 Government of Ireland Act that created the border, the Treaty and its aftermath, through the Civil Rights Movement, Thatcher, the Troubles and the Good Friday Agreement up to the Brexit negotiations, Ferriter reveals the political, economic, social and cultural consequences of the border in Ireland. With the fate of the border uncertain, The Border is a timely intervention by a renowned historian into one of the most contentious and misunderstood political issues of our time.Trade ReviewClear-eyed ... It isn't often that writing on Brexit and Ireland is so uniformly unsparing and devoid of lazy moralism. This is a rare pleasure ... Anyone who wishes to understand why Brexit is so intractable should read this book. I can think of several MPs who ought to. -- Patrick Maguire * Times *A clear and concise history ... Ferriter's judicious book shows that Brexiters' recklessness, such "contemptuous arrogance", is nothing new, and that it has always been the ordinary people of Northern Ireland who have paid its price. They deserve better. -- Christopher Kissane * Guardian *A wide-ranging history of Irish partition ... skilfully condenses a vast amount of research into a coherent narrative packed with striking quotes and acerbic commentaries ... erudite and insightful -- Andrew Lynch * Irish Independent *A timely historical essay * Economist *The Border is an invaluable new addition to the growing canon of Border literature... a very readable book ... it has a chronological precision one expects from a historian, yet its pacy and concise narrative runs to just 144 pages and takes readers up to last week's headlines. One can't help wondering if it has the immediacy of a background executive summary for the next round of on-off Brexit negotiations. -- Darach MacDonald * Irish Times *Richly detailed ... Ferriter is scrupulous in striving for historical objectivity -- Andrew Anthony * Observer *Ferriter is particularly interesting on the origins and early history of the border... his timely book explains all this and more, deftly interweaving history and current affairs. -- Cormac Ó Gráda * BBC History Magazine *The Border could hardly be more timely ... Ferriter is particularly lively on the delusion of hardline Brexiteers ... and equally strong on the implications of a return to a hard border ... the most that can be hoped for now is a taking up of the lessons of history, as Ferriter concludes. This book provides a small step, at least, in that direction. -- Catherine Healy * Sunday Business Post *A rat-a-tat of history, forensic in detail, sober and sobering, its timely publication a riposte to all the blather and bluster written and spoken in recent times about Brexit and backstops and borders. -- Donal O'Donaghue * RTE Guide *Ferriter ends with the hope that the oppressive weight of a century of Anglo-Irish history can be lifted ... Reading this book would be a good starting point for all concerned [with Brexit]. -- Colm Larkin, adviser to Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, 1998- 2001 * FT *Succinct and engaging ... Ferriter weaves a lively narrative, cutting briskly from angle to angle. -- Garrett Carr * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisLivy (Titus Livius, 64 or 59 BC–AD 12 or 17), the great Roman historian, presents a vivid narrative of Rome’s rise from the traditional foundation of the city in 753 or 751 BC to 9 BC and illustrates the collective and individual virtues necessary to maintain such greatness. The third decad (21–30) chronicles the Second Punic War of 220–205 BC.Trade ReviewA dramatic narrative of battles, treaties, negotiations, bribes, prisoners captured and other brisk accounts…All public and university libraries should have this collection of Livy’s history to allow students, researchers, and curious members of the public to skim or devour it upon demand. * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This carefully researched book provides a thorough analysis . . . [as well as] a new perspective on the study of Muhammad and makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literature. Recommended." * CHOICE *"This book should be required reading for any scholar or graduate student of early Islam or Late Antiquity." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments The Caliphs, 632–809 Introduction: The Making of the Historical Muhammad PART I. BEFORE THE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE 1. The Earliest Evidence Three Early Non-Muslim Testimonies to Muhammad Revisiting the Doctrina Iacobi The “Keys to Paradise” in Late Antique Religious Discourse The “Keys to Paradise” in Early Islamic Preaching The Doctrina Iacobi and the Historical Muhammad 2. Muhammad the Merchant The Earliest Depictions of Muhammad as a Merchant Muhammad’s Occupation in the Hadīth and Sīrah-Maghāzī Literature Muhammad as a Trader in Arabic Sources Muhammad and the Monk The Merchants of Mecca PART II. THE BEGINNINGS OF HTE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE 3. The Beginnings of the Corpus The Umayyads and the Beginnings of the Sīrah-Maghāzī Tradition `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān and `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr 4. The Letters of `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr The Chains of Transmission for `Urwah’s Letters A Translation of the Letters Attributed to `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr Letter 1. From the Persecutions in Mecca to the Hijrah to Yathrib Letter 2. Khadījah’s death and the Prophet’s marriage to `A'ishah Letter 3. The Battle of Badr Letter 4. On al-Hudaybiyah, a Gloss on Q. Mumtahinah 60:10–12 Letter 5. The Conquest of Mecca and al-Tāʾif Letter 6. On the Hums Letter 7. `A'ishah’s Accusers Letter 8. On Khuwaylah, the wife of Aws ibn al-Sāmit, a Gloss on Q. Mujādalah 58:1–4 Letter 9. On the Prophet’s Marriage to a Sister of al-Ash`ath ibn Qays 5. The Court Impulse Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī and the Umayyads The Corpus of Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī Ibn Ishāq and the Abbasids The Corpus of Ibn Ishāq PART III. LOCATING THE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE IN LATE ANTIQUITY 6. Prophecy and Empires of Faith Prophecy and the Rhetoric of Empire The Vision of Heraclius Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī’s Christian Source Translatio Imperii in the Early Sīrah-Maghāzī Literature 7. Muhammad and Cædmon Cædmon’s Call and The Iqraʾ Narrative From Muhammad’s Call to Cædmon’s Call Mechanisms of Narrative Influence The Iqra' Narrative—Early, but not Historical Excursus: Alternative Accounts of Muhammad’s First Revelation Epilogue: The Future of the Historical Muhammad Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the two centuries before the Norman invasion of England, Anglo-Saxon and Viking forces clashed repeatedly in bloody battles across the country. Repeated Viking victories in the 9th century led to their settlement in the north of the country, but the tide of war ebbed and flowed until the final Anglo-Saxon victory before the Norman Conquest. Using stunning artwork, this book examines in detail three battles between the two deadly foes: Ashdown in 871 which involved the future Alfred the Great; Maldon in 991 where an Anglo-Saxon army sought to counter a renewed Viking threat; and Stamford Bridge in 1066, in which King Harold Godwinesson abandoned his preparations to repel the expected Norman invasion in order to fight off Harald Hard-Counsel of Norway.Drawing upon historical accounts from both English and Scandinavian sources and from archaeological evidence, Gareth Williams presents a detailed comparison of the weaponry, tactics, strategies and underlying military organiza

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Book SynopsisIn World War II Germany''s doctrine of mobile warfare dominated the battlefield. By trial and error, the Germans were the first to correctly combine the strength in tanks and in mobile infantry and artillery. This integration of mobile units, equipment and tactics underpinned Germany''s successes in the first half of the war. As the war dragged on, the Allies sought to copy German tactics but German armies remained supreme in this type of warfare until their losses had seriously degraded their capabilities. This study traces the development of the different types of unit that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the inter-war years through World War II. Using colour plates to display the changes in uniform, equipment and insignia in all theatres of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armoured infantry.

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Book SynopsisIn the years between 1776 and 1815, grand square-rigged sailing ships dominated warfare on the high seas. Fighting Sail is a tabletop wargame of fleet battles in this age of canvas, cannon, and timbers. Players take on the roles of fleet admirals from one of eight different national fleets: America, Britain, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and Sweden in battles ranging from the American War of Independence to the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. Each fleet has access to different ships, tactics, and command personalities - each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Offering a unique blend between detail and simplicity, the scenarios included enable the recreation of historic actions or ''what-if'' scenarios. Join the battle and experience the adventurous age of the fighting sail!Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Basic Rules/ Optional Rules/ Fleet Lists/ Scenarios/ Counters

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Book SynopsisThe Eastern Front of World War II was a nightmarish episode of human history, on a scale the like of which the world had never seen, and most likely never will see again. This expansive collection of maps offers a visual guide to the theater that decided the fate of the war, spanning the thousands of miles from Berlin to the outskirts of Moscow, Stalingrad, East Prussia and all the way back. The accuracy and detail of the military cartography found in this volume illuminates the enormity of the campaign, revealing the staggering dimensions of distance covered and human losses suffered by both sides.Table of ContentsForeword Introduction 1. Barbarossa 1941 2. Soviet counter-offensive 1941-42 3. Blau-Summer 1942 4. Soviet Stalingrad Offensive '1942-43 5. Summer 1943 6. Soviet offensives 1944 7. Central Europe/Germany 1945 Bibliography Appendices

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Book Synopsis''Hugely enjoyable'' AN Wilson, Sunday Times''Thoughtful, entertaining and enjoyable'' Michael Gove, Book of the Week, The TimesInspired by William Makepeace Thackeray, the first great analyst of snobbery, and his trail-blazing The Book of Snobs (1848), D. J. Taylor brings us a field guide to the modern snob. Short of calling someone a racist or a paedophile, one of the worst charges you can lay at anybody''s door in the early twenty-first century is to suggest that they happen to be a snob. But what constitutes snobbishness? Who are the snobs and where are they to be found? Are you a snob? Am I? What are the distinguishing marks? Snobbery is, in fact, one of the keys to contemporary British life, as vital to the backstreet family on benefits as the proprietor of the grandest stately home, and an essential element of their view of who of they are and what the world might be thought to owe them.The New Book of SnoTrade ReviewHugely enjoyable - Sunday TimesThoughtful, entertaining and enjoyable . . . Taylor has a shrewd eye for the ways in which snobbery evolves over time - The TimesAn intelligent writer - Guardian

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Book Synopsis Hundreds of books have been written about The Beatles. Over the last half century, their story has been mythologized and de-mythologized and presented by biographers and journalists as history. Yet many of these works do not strictly qualify as history and the story of how the Beatles'' mythology continues to be told has been largely ignored. This book examines the band''s historiography, exploring the four major narratives that have developed over time: The semi-whitewashed Fab Four account, the acrimonious breakup-era Lennon Remembers version, the biased Shout! narrative in the wake of John Lennon''s murder, and the current Mark Lewisohn orthodoxy. Drawing on the most influential primary and secondary sources, Beatles history is analyzed using historical methods.Trade Review"Weber’s book should be a set text for a course in popular music studies, lucidly demonstrating an approach transferable to the reception history of any number of artist studies." - Dai Griffiths, Popular Music

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Book SynopsisExplore the fascinating history of America''s bloodiest ever conflict. Combining expert historical insight with the eyewitness accounts of soldiers and civilians, A Short History of the American Civil War offers a brilliant summary of the key events and wider context of the hostilities between North and South. Profiles of influential military and political leaders, and thought-provoking features on themes and experiences, from the evils of slavery to the treatment of wounded soldiers, bring the story dramatically to life. This book also features clear timelines that give an instant overview of the developments during the tumultuous war. Richly illustrated with a wealth of original artefacts, weaponry and equipment, photography, and maps, this unique combination of image provides the most accessible, episode-by-episode account ever.

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Book SynopsisLa Marr Jurelle Bruce ponders the presence of “madness” in black literature, music, and performance since the early twentieth century, showing how artist ranging from Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill to Nina Simone and Dave Chappelle activate madness as content, form, aesthetic, strategy, philosophy, and energy in an enduring black radical tradition.Trade Review“This lyrical and profound tour de force explores the intersection of race and derailment, or ‘madness as methodology.’ We know that the traumatic discordance of slavery's enduring legacy manifests as both private sorrow and public health emergency. Yet that unyielding stress is sometimes also the forge of a radical black creativity vividly exceeding the shapeshifting states of un-Reason into which raced and nonnormative bodies are too relentlessly imagined and compressed. La Marr Jurelle Bruce has given a gift in this powerful recontextualization of black creative ‘madness’ as liberatory demand for expressive life—to wit, an aesthetic practice by which, ultimately, ‘what is stolen is returned, and what is unwritten is at last inscribed.’” -- Patricia J. Williams, columnist for "Diary of a Mad Law Professor" in The Nation"The sheer range of academic discourses that Bruce engages—from disability studies and psychoanalysis to affect theory and black studies—is impressive enough. What Bruce does within their intersections, however, is create a kind of poetics of black madness—a way of looking that is itself a way a making; or maybe it’s the converse—a way of making that is itself a way of looking. . . I can’t predict the future, but it’s so obvious to me that scholars will long be grateful for Bruce’s expansive imagination and the careful attention paid to radical black creativity in this wildly astute and socially and emotionally conscious work." -- Dawn Lundy Martin * 4Columns *"Bruce’s deft and thoughtful touch invites readers to dream loudly among a compendium of radical Black artists that few others would think about collectively. With subjects that range from early-twentieth-century jazz cornet player Buddy Bolden to contemporary rapper and composer Lauryn Hill (and many in between), Bruce’s archive reflects the mindful mayhem at the center of his methodology. . . . Bruce’s work closes with [this] imperative direction: 'Now let go.' But letting go of a book that feels both so present and so prescient may prove impossible." -- Omari Weekes * Bookforum *"In La Marr Jurelle Bruce’s How to Go Mad Without Losing Your Mind, we find ourselves in a dance with the mad. . . . [The] book is an analysis of praxis, a snap, a click, a break, an opening, a closing, the middle, the beyond, the here, the now, the then, and the there." -- Michael Cordov * E3W Review of Books *"A paradigm-shaping book for future scholarship around mental difference. Bruce’s book not only helps announce the emergence of [mad studies] but significantly advances the analytic, cultural, historical, and theoretical sophistication of mad scholarship...As a result, How to Go Mad is a must-read for those of us engaged in the intersectional politics and scholarship of difference." -- Bradley E. Lewis * Journal of Medical Humanities *"Bruce articulates understandings of madness that encompass the lived experiences of Black, queer, and disabled people, putting forth a 'mad methodology' that capsizes dominant notions of social, political, economic normalcy, and ethics, and invites, for me, a new possibility of Afrofuturistic imagining. . . . [A] dynamic critical analysis of madcrazyBlackness that spans genre, medium, and epoch." -- Victoria R. Collins * Electric Literature *"This melodic volume explores relationships between the surreal, impossible conditions (and conditions of impossibility) experienced by Black people and our radical, imaginative 'mad Black creativity.' Showing us 'lessons [we can] learn from those who make homeland in wasteland' as blueprints for freedom dreaming, Bruce picks apart the self-obscuring cultural and political forces that shape understandings of madness to disempower, disenfranchise, and control Black life and Being...It is ratchet. It is unruly. It is gorgeous." -- Kia Darling-Hammond * Nonprofit Quarterly *"With a Walt Whitman-style expansiveness, Bruce wraps his arms around a multitude of creative genres and Black artists and then pulls us into his project of 'radical compassion' with mad subjects. Bruce’s writing is both critical and compelling, analytical and yet intimate. . . . How to Go Mad without Losing Your Mind invites readers to sit with madness for a while, to explore its radical liberatory potential, and to become mad methodologists with radical compassion. Hold tight. Let go. And let this book take you there.” -- Elizabeth Donaldson * Disability Studies Quarterly *"How to Go Mad is a love story, a potent reflection on a few of the many Black creative minds who have innovated art forms and fashioned the trajectory of history, while having their 'sanity' called into question by normative, white, anti-Black, anti-Mad audiences and institutions." -- Liz Miller * Lateral *“How to Go Mad will undoubtedly influence conversations in black studies, science and technology studies, disability studies, and other fields. It is a lyrical, nuanced model of how radical care produces new approaches beyond the rehearsal of pathology.” -- Jacob Hood * Catalyst *"If we imagine Black studies to be a space of creativity where Black scholars break from disciplinary strictures and form, then this text is an exemplary practice...The writing is evocative and accessible for any of us who have felt searing rage and those whose waking hours are haunted by madness." -- Hugo ka Canham * The Black Scholar *"One cannot read this work without also assembling its madness with the mad blue notes of Buddy Bolden, the crazy blues of Bessie Smith, the 'good at' madness of Ntozake Shange’s Hyacinthe, the maddening black genius of Ms. Lauryn Hill, the unruly madness of Kanye West, or the 'mad real world' of Dave Chappelle. Bruce is not simply using these creative artists as case studies of madness dipped in black, but is presenting a terrain where the expanse of madness and blackness can only be read together—in this push and push, the fracture of Reason is revealed." -- Dana Francisco Miranda * Blog of the APA *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix 1. Mad Is a Place 1 2. "He Blew His Brains Out through the Trumpet": Buddy Bolden and the Impossible Sound of Madness 36 Interlude. "No Wiggles in the Dark of Her Soul": Black Madness, Metaphor, and "Murder!" 71 3. The Blood-Stained Bed 79 4. A Portrait of the Artist as a Mad Black Woman 110 5. "The People inside My Head, Too": Ms. Lauryn Hill Sings Truth to Power in the Key of Madness 139 6. The Joker's Wild but That Nigga's Crazy: Dave Chappelle Laughs until It Hurts 172 7. Songs in Madtime: Black Music, Madness, and Metaphysical Syncopation 201 Afterword. The Nutty Professor (A Confession) 231 Notes 239 Bibliography 303 Index 333

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Book SynopsisOctober, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king.But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret''s household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael''s Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her.How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret''s remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.

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Book Synopsis‘Majestic, ambitious’ Literary Review ____________________________________ We are endlessly fascinated by the French. We are fascinated by their way of life, their creativity and sophistication, and even their insistence that they are exceptional. But how did France become the country it is today, and what really sets it apart? Historian Peter Watson sets out to answer these questions in this dazzling history of France, taking us from the seventeenth century to the present day through the nation’s most influential thinkers. He opens the doors to the Renaissance salons that brought together poets, philosophers and scientists, and tells the forgotten stories of the extraordinary women who ran these institutions, fostering a culture of stylish intellectualism unmatched anywhere else in the world. It’Trade Review‘Majestic, ambitious . . . [Peter Watson] deserves admiration for the grace and agility with which he interlinks the development of a vigorous cultural identity and the seismic shifts of French national history, continually lurching between triumph and disaster. Impressive enough in its scope, authority and sprightliness to leave us wondering whether a French writer could have managed the task quite as deftly’ * Literary Review *‘An encyclopaedic celebration of French intellectuals refusing to give up on universal principles . . . while remaining slim, bringing up well-behaved children and falling in love at every opportunity’ * The Times *‘He unfurls his intellectual history in the form of vivid biographies . . . [an] engaging movement through time towards France’s recent reckonings with extremism, exceptionalism and empire . . . perceptive’ * TLS *'A love for France radiates from this book' * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAn epic tale of Vladimir Putin''s path to power, as he emerged from obscurity to become one of the world''s most conflicted and important leaders. Former New York TimesMoscow Bureau Chief Steven Lee Myers has followed Putin since well before the recent events in the Ukraine, and gives us the fullest and most engaging account available of his rise to power. A gripping, page-turning narrative about Russian power and prestige, the book depicts a cool and calculating leader with enormous ambition and few scruples. As the world struggles to confront a newly assertive Russia, the importance of understanding Putin has never been greater. Vladimir Putin rose out of Soviet deprivation to the pinnacle of influence in the new Russian nation. He came to office in 2000 as a reformer, cutting taxes and expanding property rights, bringing a measure of order and eventually prosperity to millions whose only experience of democracy in the early years following the Soviet collapse was instabilityTrade Review'Myers casts valuable light on the nexus of financial dealings involving Putin's St Petersburg cronies' -- John Kampfner * Observer *'Myers has the accuracy and readable style of the best New York Times journalists' -- Donald Rayfield * Literary Review *'Steven Lee Myers’s The New Tsar is not the first biography of Putin, but it is the strongest to date. Judicious and comprehensive, it pulls back the veil… from one of the world’s most secretive leaders. What is most striking, given the aura of steely consistency that Putin cultivates, is how he has changed over the years… The great strength of Myers’s book is the way it shows how chance events and Putin’s own degeneration gradually cleared the path to the Ukraine crisis… Putin emerges as ... a flawed individual who made his own choices at crucial moments and thereby shaped history.' -- Daniel Treisman * Washington Post *'What Steven Lee Myers gets so right in The New Tsar, his comprehensive new biography - the most informative and extensive so far in English - is that at bottom Putin simply feels that he’s the last one standing between order and chaos… What Myers offers is the portrait of a man swinging from crisis to crisis with one goal: projecting strength… A knowledgeable and thorough biography… Putin himself now represents the chaos he so abhors - the chaos that will surely come in his wake.' -- Gal Beckerman * New York Times Book Review *'Personalities determine history as much as geography, and there is no personality who has had such a pivotal effect on 21st century Europe as much as Vladimir Putin. The New Tsar is a riveting, immensely detailed biography of Putin that explains in full-bodied, almost Shakespearean fashion why he acts the way he does.' -- Robert D. Kaplan'The reptilian, poker-faced former KGB agent, now Russian president seemingly for life, earns a fair, engaging treatment in the hands of New York Times journalist Myers… [who] clearly knows his material and primary subject… Myers shows how Putin convinced everyone that this way of operating was part of the Russian soul and how he perpetuated it through an archaic form of Russian corruption… Myers astutely notes how Putin’s speeches increasingly harkened back to the worst period of the Cold War era’s dictates by Soviet strongmen… A highly effective portrait of a frighteningly powerful autocrat.' * Kirkus (starred review) *'Such an understanding of Putin’s early life and the evolution of his leadership is lacking. [Myers’s] methodology is sound and, I believe, the only way to capture such an intimate understanding of Russia’s iron man.' -- Ian Bremmer, author of Superpower'Combining skilled story telling, psychological examination and political investigation, Steven Lee Myers succeeds brilliantly in this biography of Vladimir Putin. Explaining the dangers that Putin’s Russia may and does pose, Myers effortlessly and expertly guides the reader through the complexities of the Russian Byzantine governing style and the country’s politics and identity. In the end, the book provides one of the most comprehensive answers to a puzzling question: despite all the changes that Russia has gone through during communism and post-communism, why is it still an empire of the tsar?' -- Nina Khrushcheva

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Book SynopsisA contemporary critic described Ignatius Sancho as “what is very uncommon for men of his complexion, A man of letters.” A London shopkeeper, former butler, and descendant of slaves, Sancho was the first author of African descent to have his correspondence published. He was also a critic of literature, music, and art; a composer; and an advocate for the abolition of slavery. Sancho’s letters reveal an avid reader and prolific author, and his epistolary style shows a sophisticated understanding of both private and public audiences. Even after the abolition of the slave trade, proponents of equal rights on both sides of the Atlantic continued to use Sancho as an exemplar of the intellectual and moral capacity of people of African descent.In addition to the annotated letters by Sancho, this edition includes Laurence Sterne's letters to Sancho, Sancho's surviving autograph writings, and a selection of the many eighteenth-century responses to Sancho and his letters.Trade Review“Vincent Carretta’s Broadview edition of Ignatius Sancho’s letters revises and expands his earlier editions of this important eighteenth-century Black British text. Bringing together both the published and the recently discovered unpublished letters, along with meticulous footnotes, a wealth of scholarly and contextual material, and an illuminating introduction, Carretta allows us to see Sancho more vividly than ever before. But at the heart of this edition are the letters themselves: sparkling, witty, and endlessly readable, they remain a fascinating insight into the life of an African at the heart of eighteenth-century literary London.” — Brycchan Carey, Kingston University“The first man of African descent to publish a book in English, and to vote in a parliamentary election, Ignatius Sancho enjoyed considerable fame in eighteenth-century society. His letters were praised, quite rightly, for their wit, charm, and sensibility—though he was, equally, a trenchant critic of slavery and empire. Vincent Carretta’s edition for Broadview will become the new authoritative text, providing attentive and erudite annotation and a full biographical introduction, alongside all Sancho’s known letters, both in print and manuscript—including those only discovered in the last decade. Sancho is justly served in this excellent edition, which is a full and fitting memorial to his life and writing.” — Markman Ellis, Queen Mary University of LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionIgnatius Sancho: A Brief ChronologyA Note on the TextA Note on MoneyLetters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. In Two Volumes. To which are prefixed, Memoirs of his Life.Volume IVolume IIAppendix A: Ignatius Sancho’s FamilyAppendix B: Ignatius Sancho’s Principal CorrespondentsAppendix C: List of LettersAppendix D: Laurence Sterne’s Correspondence with Ignatius Sancho Sancho to Sterne [21 July 1766] Sterne to Sancho [27 July 1766] Sterne to Sancho [16 May 1767] Sterne to Sancho [30 June 1767] Appendix E: Ignatius Sancho’s Autograph Letters Sancho to William Stevenson (26 November 1776) Sancho to William Stevenson (24 October 1777) Sancho to William Stevenson (22 October 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (14 November 1778) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (5 December 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (5 December 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (14 December 1778) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (19 December 1778) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (4 January 1779) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (14 January 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (11 March 1779) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (1 April 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (16 November 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (4 January 1780) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (18 August 1780) Appendix F: Eighteenth-Century References to Ignatius Sancho, and Responses to Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African The Monthly Review, or, Literary Journal (November 1775) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (January 1776) The Public Advertiser (4 June 1778) Edmund Rack (20 April 1779) A Manuscript Letter Dated 17 September 1779 from the Aspiring Author George Cumberland to His Brother Richard Dennison Cumberland, Vicar of Driffield in Gloucester County, Attests to Sancho’s Reputation as a Literary Critic (17 September 1779) Ewan Clark, Miscellaneous Poems, By Mr. Ewan Clark (1779) John Thomas Smith, Nollekens and His Times (1829) The Gazeteer, and New Daily Advertiser (15 December 1780) Anthony Highmore, Jr., “Epistle to Mr. J. H—, on the Death of his justly Lamented Friend, Ignatius Sancho” (1780-82) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (April 1781) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (May 1781) The Public Advertiser (9 August 1782) William Whitehead, British Poet Laureate Since 1757, in an August 1782 Letter to George Simon Harcourt, second Earl Harcourt (August 1782) A New Review; with Literary Curiosities, and Literary Intelligence (1782) The Gentleman’s Magazine (September 1782) The European Magazine and London Review (September 1782) The New Annual Register, or General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1782 (1783) John Williams, Thoughts on the Origin, and on the Most Rational and Natural Method of Teaching Languages: with Some Observations on the Necessity of One Universal Language for All Works of Science (1783) The Monthly Review: or, Literary Journal (December 1783) The Critical Review: or, Annals of Literature (January 1784) Town and Country Magazine, or Universal Repository of Knowledge, Instruction, and Entertainment (February 1784) Elkanah Watson, Men and Times of the Revolution; or, Memoirs of Elkanah Watson. Including Journals of Travels in Europe and America, from 1777 to 1842 (1856) George Gregory, Essays Historical and Moral (1785) Joseph Woods, Thoughts on the Slavery of the Negroes (1784) James Tobin, Cursory Remarks upon the Reverend Mr. Ramsay’s Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the Sugar Colonies. By a Friend of the West India Colonies, and their Inhabitants (1785) Thomas Clarkson, An Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species, Particularly the African, Translated from a Latin Dissertation, which was honoured with the first Prize in the University of Cambridge, for the Year 1785 (1786) Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1787) Thomas Cooper, Letters on the Slave Trade: First Published in Wheeler’s Manchester Chronicle; and since Re-printed with Additions and Alterations (1787) “Civis,” The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser (5 February 1788) “Civis,” The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser (19 August 1788) The Massachusetts Spy: Or, The Worcester Gazette (4 December 1788) William Mason, An Occasional Discourse, Preached in the Cathedral of St. Peter in York, January 27, 1788, on the Subject of the African Slave-Trade (1788) Peter Peckard, Am I not a Man and a Brother? (1788) Jacques-Pierre Brissot de Warville, A Critical Examination of the Marquis de Chatellux’s Travels in North America ... Principally Intended as a Refutation of his Opinions Concerning the Quakers, the Negroes, the People, and Mankind (1788) The County Magazine, for the Years 1786 and 1787 (1788) “Clericus,” The Country Curate; or, Letters from Clericus to Benevolus (1788) William Dickson, Letters on Slavery (1789) Richard Nisbet, The Capacity of Negroes for Religious and Moral Improvement Considered (1789) Thomas Burgess, Considerations on the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade, upon Grounds of Natural, Religious, and Political Duty (1789) Fortescue; or, The Soldier’s Reward: A Characteristic Novel (1789) Elizabeth Bentley, from “On the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade. July, 1789,” in Genuine Poetical Compositions, on Various Subjects (1791) Clara Reeve, Plans of Education; with Remarks on the Systems of Other Writers. In a Series of Letters between Mrs. Darnford and Her Friends (1792) Alexander Chalmers, A New and General Biographical Dictionary: Containing an Historical, Critical, and Impartial Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation of the World (1795) John Gabriel Stedman, Narrative of a Five Years Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam (1796) William Stevenson in John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century (1815) Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[A] compulsively readable book about bad habits becoming big business…In crisp and playful prose and with plenty of needed humor, Courtwright has written a fascinating history of what we like and why we like it, from the first taste of beer in the ancient Middle East to opioids in West Virginia. -- Micah Meadowcroft * American Conservative *A fascinating history of corporate America’s efforts to shape our habits and desires. -- Sean Illing * Vox *One admires the eclectic sweep of Courtwright’s catalogue of addictions, his sheer wealth of knowledge…As with all addictions, the book offers many pleasures and rewards. -- Lennard Davis * Times Higher Education *A sweeping, ambitious account of the evolution of addiction…This bold, thought-provoking synthesis will appeal to fans of ‘big history’ in the tradition of Guns, Germs, and Steel. * Publishers Weekly *An important addition to Courtwright’s groundbreaking work on the history of substance use disorders, this study of the accelerating ‘weaponization’ of pleasure—and the biological, social, and economic incentives that fuel excess—is compulsory reading for anyone wondering how addiction became the foremost public health problem worldwide. Deeply researched, intensely readable, and a sobering reminder of our vulnerability to bondage marketed as liberation. -- Deborah Rudacille, author of The Riddle of GenderThe delight I took in reading this book can perhaps best be expressed by saying that I read it end-to-end in two sittings and might have done it in one if life hadn’t intruded. Courtwright’s erudition is astonishing, and his wit makes the book fun to read as well as informative. -- Keith Humphreys, author of Circles of RecoveryIs limbic capitalism the tail that wags the dog? Is it a vital cog in a larger and more complex machine? Courtwright offers a powerful and compelling history of the changing forms of pleasure and addiction over the long span of human history. A bold and fascinating book, sure to generate much discussion. -- Daniel Lord Smail, author of On Deep History and the BrainA mind-blowing tour de force that unwraps the myriad objects of addiction that surround us daily. From alcohol to internet gaming, food to gambling, drugs to sex, Courtwright covers the globe over thousands of years. This intelligent, incisive, and sometimes grimly entertaining book will become the standard work on the subject. -- Rod Phillips, author of Alcohol: A HistoryThis rich and rewarding book explores the long history of the global pleasure revolution. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, commercialized food, gambling, and even the internet lean toward addiction, rooted in pleasure centers in the brain. Courtwright shows how today’s capitalism supplies those desires at an often frightful price. -- William Rorabaugh, author of Prohibition: A Concise HistoryCompelling and ingenious, this book deals the reader into a reality game where the crafty biology of pleasure meets what David Courtwright calls limbic capitalism. No one’s leveling up in the high-stakes game that is The Age of Addiction. The question is how you play, whether or not you can stop, and what happens when you do. -- Nancy D. Campbell, author of Discovering AddictionOffers dire warnings about our society…Courtwright has long been America’s leading voice on the history of drugs, and now he has shown how, in the world of limbic capitalism, addiction is promoted as a marketing tool for a wide variety of products, ones that guarantee customers, often for life. -- Emily Dufton * EH.net *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking, informative, and thought-provoking exploration of fur’s fashionable and controversial historyTrade Review“Comprehensively and sensitively researched...An invaluable resource for those interested in materials of all kinds and fascinated by fashion’s ever-shifting transformations.”—Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Selvedge“Fur: A Sensitive History is an exceptionally successful book in that it takes on an incredibly complicated material and provides readers with a solid understanding of the complex history of fur when no other book exists on the topic.”—Carson Poplin, Journal of Dress History“The volume lives up to the sensory nature of the subject and is attractively designed and illustrated with extensive colour and black and white photographs...This makes the book a pleasure to look at and read, while the juxtaposition of images from different time periods and disciplines inspires reflection and comparisons.”—Danielle Sprecher, Journal of Design History

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Book SynopsisA fully-outfitted edition of Prokopios' late Antique masterpiece of military history and ethnography--for the 21st-century reader."At last . . . the translation that we have needed for so long: a fresh, lively, readable, and faithful rendering of Prokopios' Wars, which in a single volume will make this fundamental work of late ancient history-writing accessible to a whole new generation of students." --Jonathan Conant, Brown UniversityTrade Review"[A] fluent and accurate rendering of an often complex text . . . of central importance to late Roman and Byzantine history. Prokopios will finally take his rightful place alongside historians of the ancient world such as Thucydides and Polybius." --John F. Haldon, Princeton University"Kaldellis is a gifted translator and a talented historian. . . [His] introduction situates the Wars very well, summarizing the latest scholarship, much of it Kaldellis' own. Kaldellis writes with authority on the author, his writings, and the armies of Justinian; he also directs the reader to the classical authors--Thucydides, Herodotus and Xenophon--whose methods and works shaped Procopius' narrative and from which he chose templates to structure his set pieces, most famously an account of the plague of 542. This is an impeccable work of the greatest value. Its many maps are superb. It will certainly be used by scholars, even those with good Greek, for its copious erudite notes, both historical and literary. Most impressive are the countless references to classical sources, making this also an elucidation of Byzantine learning in the sixth century." --Paul Stephenson, Radboud University Nijmegen"I used a pre-publication version of Anthony Kaldellis’s translation of Prokopios’ Wars last spring for my class at Georgetown on the reign of Justinian. We read the whole translation cover to cover, and the students benefitted greatly from having a single handy volume of the Wars (vs. having to buy all the Loebs or, worse, an abridged translation). Our unanimous conclusion in the class was that Kaldellis’s translation is accurate, readable, and authoritative. The notes are invaluable helps to understanding the details of the more technical sections, especially in their lucid explanations of the warfare, geography, and complex political machinations of the late Roman state. One great benefit of Kaldellis, over the Dewing translation, is that he sees clearly the elements of the Wars that could be stumbling blocks for students. He focuses his notes on what is most important to know so that they can read with fluency one of the great histories of the ancient world. Kaldellis obviously cares deeply, based on years of teaching experience, that students actually enjoy Prokopios, as much students in past generations have enjoyed Herodotus and Thucydides. In other words, Kaldellis’s translation puts Prokopios in his rightful historiographical company within the classroom. The maps are masterful and serve as a necessary and elucidating complement to the translation. Likewise, the diagrams of battles, crisp in-text images (of coins and monuments), and the lavish appendices, with genealogies and chronological lists of rulers, fill this volume to the brim with useful tools for both teacher and student. The index is also remarkably copious and detailed. All in all, this is a volume that is specifically designed, by a master of the discipline, to inspire students to relish Late Antiquity and Byzantium. I can think of no better single translation to hook readers on the captivating world of late antique historiography and, especially, on Prokopios as its most talented exemplar." --Scott Johnson, Georgetown University

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Book SynopsisThis cohesive account of Egypt’s millennia-long past offers readers a sure guide through the corridors of Egypt’s past, from the mysterious predynastic kingdoms to the nation-state of the twenty-first century. The author addresses central issues such as how Egyptian history can be treated as a whole and how the west has shaped prevailing images of it, both through direct contact and through the lens of western scholarship. Drawing on current historical scholarship and his own research, Jason Thompson has written a remarkable work of synthesis and concision, offering students, travelers, and general readers alike an engaging one-volume narrative of the extraordinarily long course of human history by the Nile. This updated paperback edition contains new material on the 25 January Revolution, the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the new era of President Sisi.Trade Review"“Intended to offer travelers especially a basic background in Egyptian history, Thompson’s survey fluidly relates thousands of years of time. . . . An excellent introduction to Egyptian history.”—Gilbert Taylor, Booklist, ""A remarkable work of synthesis, cohesion, and understanding.""—Al-Ahram Weekly, ""[An] excellent summation of the flow of Egyptian history.""—Egyptian Archaeology, ""[The] dearth of comprehensive histories is answered handsomely by Thompson's survey.""—Saudi Aramco World"Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface Chronology Maps 1. The Gift of the Nile 2. The Birth of Egyptian Civilization: Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt 3. The Old Kingdom 4. The First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom 5. The Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom 6. The Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period 7. Ptolemaic Egypt 8. Egypt in the Roman Empire 9. Coptic Egypt 10. The Advent of Islam 11. The Fatimids and Ayyubids 12. The Mamluks 13. Egypt in the Ottoman Empire 14. The Birth of Modern Egypt 15. Mid-Nineteenth-Century Egypt 16. The British Occupation of Egypt 17. The Parliamentary Era 18. Nasser 19. Sadat 20. Mubarak 21. Postscript to Revolution Notes Recommended Reading Image Sources

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Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR**Alev Scott's odyssey began when she looked beyond Turkey's borders for contemporary traces of the Ottoman Empire. Their 800-year rule ended a century ago - and yet, travelling through twelve countries from Kosovo to Greece to Palestine, she uncovers a legacy that's vital and relevant; where medieval ethnic diversity meets 21st century nationalism, and displaced people seek new identities.It's a story of surprises. An acolyte of Erdogan in Christian-majority Serbia confirms the wide-reaching appeal of his authoritarian leadership. A Druze warlord explains the secretive religious faction in the heart of the Middle East. The palimpsest-like streets of Jerusalem's Old Town hint at the Ottoman co-existence of Muslims and Jews. And in Turkish Cyprus Alev Scott rediscovers a childhood home. In every community, history is present as a dynamic force.Faced by questions of exile, diaspora and collective memory, Alev Scott searches for answers from the cafes of Beirut to the refugee camps of Lesbos. She uncovers in Erdogan's nouveau-Ottoman Turkey a version of the nostalgic utopias sold to disillusioned voters in Europe and the U.S. And yet - as she relates with compassion, insight and humour - diversity is the enduring, endangered heart of this fascinating region.Trade ReviewA lovely, lyrical and always insightful account that is as much about the present as the past. A joy from start to finish * Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads *Beautifully written with clear-eyed judgements and a sharp ear for fascinating anecdote and memorable characters. Exhilarating and often eye-opening, it shows this crucial region of the world from a new perspective. Essential reading for anyone interested in Turkey and its history * Michael Wood *Alev Scott approaches the crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean by side roads and unfrequented channels. Her book is clear, bright, humane and never disheartened. * James Buchan *Brilliantly written with a real feel for character, the book is a pleasure to read and an erudite lesson in a fascinating chapter of Modern History. An indispensable addition to our understanding of the Middle East today. * Roger Scruton *This is a book full of fun, "I never knew that" moments . . . Scott's mission is not to tell the history of the calamitous way the British and French dismantled the empire. Her aim is to find out whether the bits left behind as Ottoman imperialists became Turkish nationalist have common threads . . . She is fascinated by the survival and difference of forgotten, represses and otherwise threatened minorities -- Richard Spencer * The Times *Moving and amusing * Financial Times *Beautifully written - combines history, travel writing and personal discovery . . . Scott's writing is lyrical . . . She writes with a maturity and insight that belies her age, and is surely a rising star of the literary world. Her overall message is one of optimism. -- Saul David * Telegraph *Despite the bloody histories and ugly contemporary realities she seeks to investigate, Scott is always entertaining. She regales her reader with witty pen portraits. -- Alev Adil * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisBook VII of Lucan''s De Bello Ciuili recounts the decisive victory of Julius Caesar over Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus on 9 August 48 BCE. Uniquely within Lucan''s epic, the entire book is devoted to one event, as the narrator struggles to convey the full horror and significance of Romans fighting against Romans and of the republican defeat. Book VII shows both De Bello Ciuili and its impassioned, partisan narrator at their idiosyncratic best. Lucan''s account of Pharsalus well illustrates his poem''s macabre aesthetic, his commitment to paradox and hyperbole, and his highly rhetorical presentation of events. This is the first English commentary on this important book for more than half a century. It provides extensive help with Lucan''s Latin, and seeks to orientate students and scholars to the most important issues, themes and aspects of this brilliant poem.Table of Contents1. Book VII; 2. Battle; 3. The gods and religion; 4. Stoicism and epicureanism; 5. Pompey and Caesar; 6. Sources, models, intertexts; 7. Viewing, seeing, spectatorship; 8. States of mind: madness, hope, fear, anger, joy; 9. Paradox and hyperbole; 10. Apostrophe; 11. Sententiae; 12. Diction, word order, metre; 13. Transmission and text; 14. Manuscripts cited; M. Annaei Lvcani De Bello Civili Liber Septivs; Commentary.

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Book SynopsisNaming a boat is as personal as naming a baby (even if few male skippers would risk telling the wife that). The culmination of many years of dreaming and penny pinching, the purchase of a boat of any size is a huge event for any sailor, and with that comes serious naming pressure. Many boatowners have a secret fear that someone else got their brilliantly original name first or ruined it for ever by reducing its reputation to snigger-worthy opprobrium. Sometimes it's so difficult to name a boat that skippers are desperate enough to ask the sorts of people who think Boaty McBoatface would be a good choice The perfect gift for any skipper or would-be skipper, and featuring hundreds of common and uncommon names, this entertaining little book will answer perhaps the most important question new owners should ask themselves: what will this name say about me? And as everyone knows, once you've named a boat, you never ever change it, so it also answers the question: what is myTrade ReviewBOOK OF THE MONTH: Underpinned by history, psychology and a large dash of humour, his latest book is a witty guide to boat naming. * Coast magazine *Offers an A-Z of boat names both good and bad, common and uncommon, and answers the all-important question of what the name of your vessel says about you. * Welsh Coastal Life *An essential guide including an interesting history, a fair bit of psychology and a lot of humour. * All at Sea *

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Book SynopsisKeith Dowen tells the absorbing story of the arms and armour of the English Civil Wars, and demonstrates how emerging weaponry contributed to one of the greatest political and social upheavals in British history.

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Book SynopsisThe TSR2 is one of the greatest what-if aircraft of the Cold War, whose cancellation still generates anger and controversy among aviation fans. It was a magnificent, cutting-edge aircraft, one of the most striking of the Cold War, but fell victim to cost overruns, overambitious requirements, and politics. Its scrapping marked the point when Britain''s aerospace industry could no longer build world-class aircraft independently. After the demise of TSR2 the RAF''s future jets would be modified US aircraft like the Phantom and pan-European collaborations like Tornado and Typhoon.In this book the eminent air power analyst and ex-Vulcan bomber pilot Andrew Brookes takes a fresh, hard-headed look at the TSR2 project, telling the story of its development, short career, and cancellation, and evaluating how it would have performed in Cold War strike roles as well as in the recent wars in the Middle East.Table of ContentsIntroduction Origins Political Backdrop Project Overview Avionics Flight Test Cancellation What if TSR2 Survived? Comparisons with F-111 and Tornado Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe Roman centurion, holding the legionaries steady before the barbarian horde and then leading them forward to victory, was the heroic exemplar of the Roman world. This was thanks to the Marian reforms, which saw the centurion, although inferior in military rank and social class, superseding the tribune as the legion''s most important officer. This period of reform in the Roman Army is often overlooked, but the invincible armies that Julius Caesar led into Gaul were the refined products of 50 years of military reforms. Using specially commissioned artwork and detailed battle reports, this new study examines the Roman legionary soldier at this crucial time in the history of the Roman Republic from its domination by Marius and Sulla to the beginning of the rise of Julius Caesar.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Recruitment Training Appearance Equipment Conditions of service Belief and belonging On Campaign The experience of battle Aftermath Glossary Further reading, websites etc Index

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Book SynopsisAlthough not as well-known as the V-1 buzz bomb and the V-2 missile, the first German missiles to see combat were anti-ship missiles, the Henschel Hs.293 guided missile and the Fritz-X guided bomb. These began to see extensive combat in the Mediterranean in 1943. In their most famous use, the Italian battleship Roma was sunk by a Fritz-X attack in September 1943 when Italy attempted to switch sides. The serious threat posed by these missiles led to a vigorous but little known Wizard War' by the Allies to develop electronic counter-measures, the first effort of its kind. Besides the anti-ship missiles, the other major category of German missiles were the air-defence missiles. Germany suffered extremely heavy losses from Allied strategic bombing attacks, and German fighter and flak defences proved increasingly unsuccessful. As a result, the Luftwaffe began an extensive programme to deploy several families of new air defence missiles to counter the bomber threat, includ

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Book Synopsis“Magnificent [and] wondrous.” The Spectator "Rich and illuminating." Literary Review "Phenomenally accurate." History Today "Stunning." The Morning Star "Sweeping." The New European "A wonderful book." Current World Archaeology "In a class of its own." The Caspian Post A landscape of high mountains and narrow valleys stretching from the Black to the Caspian Seas, the Caucasus region has been home to human populations for nearly 2 million years. In this richly illustrated 2-volume series, historian and explorer Christoph Baumer tells the story of the region’s history through to the present day. It is a story of encounters between many different peoples, from Scythians, Turkic and Mongol peoples of the East to Greeks and Romans from the West, from Indo-European tribes from the West as well as the East, and to Arabs and Iranians from the South. It is a story of rival claims by Empires and nations and of how the region has become home to more than 50 languages that can be heard within its borders to this very day. This first volume charts the period from the emergence of the earliest human populations in the region – the first known human populations outside Africa - to the Seljuk conquests of 1050CE. Along the way the book charts the development of Neolithic, Iron and Bronze Age cultures, the first recognizable Caucasian state and the arrival of a succession of the great transnational Empires, from the Greeks, the Romans and the Armenian to competing Christian and Muslim conquerors. The History of the Caucasus: Volume 1 also includes more than 200 full colour images and maps bringing the changing cultures of these lands vividly to life.Trade ReviewBaumer sets out the wonders of the past, sometimes doing so valley by valley… This is a real treat: a rare book whose images do justice to the text and vice versa. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Peter Frankopan * The Spectator *This grand and encyclopedic volume will surely become the standard work on this beguiling and important region. -- Bijan Omrani * Literary Review *The Caucasus has long attracted mountain climbers, bird watchers and lovers and medieval architecture: its appeal, thanks to Baumer’s book, will reach a wider audience, from tourists to academics who want to study languages of a region that Arabs called ‘the Mountain of Tongues’. The first volume takes us from the dawn of history to the 11th century. It is a miracle of both concentration and clarity. -- Donald Rayfield * History Today *The largely unknown and historically neglected Caucasus emerges as a land of never-ending fascination… This is writing on a vast his­torical scale… Filled with awe-inspiring photography, clear and relevant maps, useful timelines and pic­tures of hundreds of artefacts. -- Steve Andrew * The Morning Star *Sweeping [and] beautifully illustrated. * The New European *To perform a historical survey of such a long time span, from prehistory to the collapse of the Soviet Union, of a region containing several dozen nations and intersecting with so many of the great world empires would seem to be a foolhardy undertaking… [Baumer] pulls this off through dogged erudition and enthusiasm for his subject. * Asian Review of Books *This huge sweep of history is handled deftly and intelligently through Baumer’s vivid and lucid prose and the accompaniment of magnificent photographs, many taken by the author, which amply illustrate the archaeological discoveries through the ages, from ruined fortifications to wondrous works of art… A wonderful book full of great scholarship. -- John Hare * Current World Archaeology *“Lavishly illustrated with the author’s colour photos taken on various visits to the region over the past decade, the heavy gloss paper gives the feel of a coffee table book. However, the content is that of a rich, old-school history text, fact-heavy and chronologically ordered with a suitably bewildering cast of kings and battles… Baumer’s work [is] in a class of its own.” -- Mark Elliot * The Caspian Post *While the book would be worth having for the images alone, the text provides a mostly reliable overview of the vast sweep of human history in the Caucasus and adjacent regions from the earliest signs of hominin habitation more than 1,7 million years ago up to the 13th century. * Iran and the Caucasus *Impressively informative, profusely illustrated, exceptionally well organized and presented, History of the Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Empires by historian Christoph Baumer is an extraordinary work of regional history that will have enormous appeal for the non- specialist general reader and the academician alike—making this an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Asian history collections in general, and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists in particular. * Midwest Book Review *Baumer's book is a milestone in the long, complex and hitherto obscure history of the Caucasus: he deals adroitly and convincingly with questions of palaeontology, archaeology, myth, legend as well as the historical records to be retrieved from Armenian, Georgian, Latin and Greek sources. He shows due scepticism about national legends and etymological claims. Baumer writes with admirable clarity. His book is magnificently illustrated, and all the reader can want is for volume 2, covering the next thousand years, to appear as soon as possible. * Professor Donald Rayfield, Emeritus Professor of Russian, Queen Mary University of London, UK *A fascinating book with glorious photography. * Irish Tech News *Table of ContentsI At the edge of Europe and Asia - An Introduction 1. A Time of Conflict 2. A Special Geography 3. Peoples and Languages 4. Objectives and Sources II The Formation of the Landscape and Early Humans of the Palaeolithic 1. The Origin of the Caucasus Mountains and the History of the Adjacent Seas - Black Sea and Caspian Sea Excursus: Did the Flood take place near the Black Sea? 2. Homo Georgicus: First Early Humans Outside Africa 3. Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens in the North and South Caucasus III Prehistoric Cultures: From the Neolithic to the Iron Age 1. The Southern Caucasus 1.1 The Shulaveri-Shomu-Aratashen culture 1.2 The Chalcolithic cultures of Sioni and Leila Tepe 1.3 The Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes Culture 1.4 The Kurgan Cultures of the Middle Bronze Age Excursus: The invention of wheel and cart 1.5 Late Bronze Age and Iron Age 1.6 Early Tribal Organizations, War Alliances and Confederations 1.7 The Colchis in Prehistoric Times 2. The Northern Caucasus 2.1 Chalcolithic Settlements and Early, Flat Tumuli 2.2 The Early Bronze Age Cultures of Maikop 2.3 The Middle and Late Bronze Age Dolmen Culture 2.4 The Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Pri-Elbrus Culture IV. A First Caucasian state, Greek Empires and Northern Equestrian Peoples 1. Urartu/Biainili: The First Caucasian State 1.1 The Creation of Biainili 1.2 Biainili Struggles with Assyria for Supremacy in the Middle East 1.3 Rise of Assyria and Weakening of Biainili 1.4 Biainili's Decline 2. Equestrian Peoples from the North and Greek Trading Colonies 2.1 The Cimmerians 2.2 Immigrant Scythians and Autochthonous Maiotes 2.3 Greek Emporia in the North-western Caucasus 2.4 Sarmatians, Alans and the Hun Invasion V. The South Caucasus under Achaemenid Sovereignty, Armenian Kingdoms and Pontos 1 The Achaemenid Sovereignty 2 The Hellenization of the Colchis 3. Early Kingdoms of Armenia 3.1 Armenian Dynasties of the Orontides/Yervanduni and Early Artaxiad 3.2 Tigranes the Great, Pontos and the Mithridaic Wars Excursus: The eight deities of the Armenian pantheon 3.3 Late Artaxiad: Armenia between Rome and Parthia 3.4 Roman Patronage of Pontos VI Roman-Parthian Condominiums in the South Caucasus 1. Comments on Early Historiography in the Southern Caucasus 2. The Kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and Lazica 2.1 Legendary Ancestors and the Parnavazids 2.2 Iberia in the Orbit of Rome 3. Caucasian Albania in pre-Islamic Time 4. Armenia 4.1 Armenia as a Roman-Parthian Condominium 4.2 Armenia between Sasanid and Roman Sovereignty VII The Introduction of Christianity as a State Ideology and the Political Division of the South Caucasus 1. Legends of Apostolic Missionary Work 2. Armenia and the Tradition of Gregori the Enlightener 2.1 Syrian-Mesopotamian and Greek-Cappadocian Impulses 2.2 King Trdat IV and Gregori the Illuminator 2.3 Characteristics of Early Armenian Christianity 2.4 A power struggle between King and Catholics and the division of Armenia Excursus: Mesrop Mashtots and the invention of the Armenian script 3. Kartli: From King Mirian III to the Abolition of the Monarchy 3.1 The Legend of St. Nino and the Christianization of Kartli 3.2 Kartli Under Persian Sovereignty 4 The Conversion of Albania and the Apostolic Church of Caucasian Albania 5 Lazica and a First Christianization of the North Caucasian Alans 5.1 The Lazican Wars 5.2 The Christianization of Lazica, Alania and Svanetia and the veneration of military saints 6. The Persian Hegemony in Armenia, Georgia and Albani 7. The Alienation Between the Caucasian Church Hierarchies VIII Between Caliphate, Byzantium and Khazars 1. Southern Caucasian Principalities under Islamic Rule until the Battle of Bagravand in 772 2. The Rise of the Bagratid dynasties 2.1 The Emergence of the Armenian Kingdom Excursus: Paulikians and Tondrakians 2.2 The Formation of the Georgian Kingdom of Sakartvelo 3. The Empire of the Khazars in the Northern Caucasus 4. The Kingdom of Alanya in the North-western Caucasus 5. Muslim Dynasties of Albania and the Invasion of the Seljuks 5.1 The Sayids 5.2 The Sallarids 5.3 The Rawwadids 5.4 The Shaddadids 5.5 The Yazidids and Hashimids 6. The Kingdoms of Armenia, Byzantium and the Seljuk Conquest 6.1 The Armenian Kingdoms 6.2 The Byzantine Annexation of Armenia 6.3 The Seljuks Conquer Armenia 6.4 Ani under the Rule of the Shaddadids IX. Outlook Appendices I. Population statistics by country II Ancient established languages of the Caucasus by language families III Chronology of the most important Caucasian dynasties Notes Bibliography List of Maps Photo credits Acknowledgements Index Concepts People Places

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Book SynopsisThe definitive companion for anyone seeking to delve beneath the surface of Naples. Naples is an Italian city like no other. Drama and darkness are often associated with the Naples, which rests beneath active Mount Vesuvius and is the home of the Camorra - its version of the mafia. But beyond this, Naples reveals itself to be one of the most historically and culturally vibrant cities in Europe. From its origins in Homer's Odyssey and its founding nearly 3,000 years ago, Naples has long attracted travellers, artists and foreign rulers - from the visitors of the Grand Tour to Goethe, Nelson, Dickens and Neruda. The stunning beauty of its natural setting coupled with the charms of its colourful past and lively present - from the ruins of Pompeii to the glittering performances of the San Carlo opera house - continue to seduce all those who explore Naples today. In the Shadow of Vesuvius is a sparkling portrait of the city - the definitive companion for anyone seeking to delve beneath its surface.Trade ReviewThis is a study not only of Pompeii but of the whole Golfo di Napoli, which Jordan Lancaster feels to be her spiritual home. She takes us from Hercules and Odysseus to Virgil and Spike Milligan . . . take Lancaster as a handbook. -- Jane Gardam * The Spectator *Rich with well known events and tasty anecdotes. A delight for the soul. * Il Matino *This is a fascinating history of an enchanting city. Jordan Lancaster takes us on an entertaining journey that brings history to life. An ideal guide for anyone visiting Naples. * Italy Magazine *Despite the huge scope of the subject matter, Lancaster keeps things lively, ensuing the pace never sags. * The Italian Magazine *If you are planning to travel to south Italy, then reading Jordan Lancaster’s In the Shadow of Vesuvius will stand you in good stead. * The Lady *Table of ContentsPreface Maps Introduction: In the Shadow of Vesuvius 1. Ancient Naples 2. Medieval Naples 3. Spanish Naples 4. Bourbon Naples 5. Italian Naples Appendix 1. Neapolitan Monarchs Appendix 2. La Smorfia Napoletana Neapolitan History: An Essential Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisStarting with the most meagre resources, Philip made his kingdom the greatest power in EuropeThe Greek historian Diodorus of Sicily is one of our most valuable sources from ancient times. His history, in forty volumes, was intended to range from mythological times to 60 BCE, and fifteen of The Library''s forty books survive. This new translation by Robin Waterfield of books 16-20 covers a vital period in European history. Book 16 is devoted to Philip, and without it the career of this great king would be far more obscure to us. Book 17 is the earliest surviving account by over a hundred years of the world-changing eastern conquests of Alexander the Great, Philip''s son. Books 18-20 constitute virtually our sole source of information on the twenty turbulent years following Alexander''s death and on the violent path followed by Agathocles of Syracuse. There are fascinating snippets of history from elsewhere too - from Republican Rome, the Cimmerian Bosporus, and elsewhere.Despite his obvTable of ContentsIntroduction Select Bibliography Maps Synopsis of Books 16-20 The Library Book 16 Book 17 Book 18 Book 19 Book 20 Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Glossary Appendix 1: Diodorus' Sources for Books 16-20 Appendix 2: Roman Consuls of Books 16-20 Index of Proper Names

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Book Synopsis‘A must read for anyone interested in the future of Europe and the world as a whole.’ Serhii Plokhy, author of The Last Empire An essential insight into Russia’s relations with Ukraine, the US and beyond Why did Vladimir Putin launch his catastrophic invasion of Ukraine in February 2022? And how much are failures of Western policy towards Russia since the end of Communism to blame for the bloodiest war on European soil since 1945? These are the questions at the heart of Who Lost Russia?, an updated edition of which Oneworld will be publishing this July. In the original version of this book, critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic when it appeared in 2017, Peter Conradi, Europe Editor of The Sunday Times, analysed the series of mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. This new edition contains 15,000 words of original material that brings the story bang up to date, examining the events leading to the invasion and setting out what the conflict will mean for the future of Europe and the world.Trade Review‘Engrossing.’ * Mail on Sunday *‘Authoritative and readable.’ * Daily Mail *‘A timely account of the diplomatic history of what increasingly looks like a new Cold War… Nervous Europeans might like to send Conradi’s book to the White House.’ * The Times *‘Fast-paced, comprehensive, solidly researched and, most importantly, essential reading for anyone who wants to understand one of the great crises of our times…uncannily up-to-the-minute…this book couldn’t be better timed.’ * Owen Matthews, Literary Review *‘Conradi wisely examines the forest’s contours, avoiding the trees. He writes engagingly and enlivens his smart, balanced analysis with colorful anecdotes.’ * New York Times Book Review *'Essential reading.' * The Herald *‘Manages to tell a complex story…with a much-needed sense of balance. The author’s skill in seamlessly linking historical events to present-day international relations makes this book an insightful and rewarding read.’ * Prospect *‘Seamlessly written…it is fascinating to read the author’s summary of Russia’s actions in Syria in the context of recent events.’ -- Wall Street Journal‘Elegantly written, informed…provides many valuable insights into our times.’ * Evening Standard *‘Skilfully constructed.’ * Sunday Times *‘Profoundly important.’ * Country Life *‘Peter Conradi is a cool-headed and even-handed guide to the past 25 years of Western-Russian relations...It is refreshing to read so well-written and dispassionate an account.’ * New Statesman *‘A fine narrative of postcommunist Russia's relations with the United States and Europe.’ * Library Journal *‘Fast-moving and utterly compelling and spans the decades revealingly.’ * Irish Independent *‘Balanced and timely…a smooth narrative that provides welcome context for Russia’s recent revanchist behavior and insight into prospects for ongoing U.S.-Russian relations.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘To understand what went wrong in Russia over the last few decades and the impact it has had on the world, one can’t find a better guide than this well researched and argued book – a must read for anyone interested in the future of Europe and the world as a whole.’ -- Serhii Plokhy, author of The Man with the Poison Gun and The Last Empire‘Nuanced yet fast-paced, this is the essential guide to our rocky relationship with a country we ignored at our peril. Russia is back at the top of the news: and this book couldn’t be more timely.’ -- Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: Adventures in Modern Russia‘Clear, thought-provoking, disturbing. Anyone who wants to understand the rise of Vladimir Putin and the resurgence of Russian nationalism should read Peter Conradi’s impeccably researched and impressive book.’ -- Victor Sebestyen, author of 1946: The Making of the Modern World‘The West has always struggled to comprehend the byzantine workings of Russia, not just during the Cold War but even more so in the post-communist era. This important book presents a crucial analysis of the rise of Putin and our continuing inability to read him. Few people are as well placed as Peter Conradi, who witnessed the collapse of Communist Russia 25 years ago first hand as a Moscow correspondent, to present such an important and revealing study as we approach the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. This is a book to which we all need to pay attention.’ -- Helen Rappaport, author of Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd 1917‘As NATO and the West come to terms with a Russia which, in the words of Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Moscow Carnegie Centre, believes it has been at war with the West since 2014, the risks of miscalculation and the potential for catastrophe have not been higher since the end of the Cold War. Who Lost Russia? lays out, with startling clarity and precision, the steps that have led us to the present situation. Understanding is the pre-requisite for the development of strategy. This book provides that essential understanding and should be compulsory reading for our political leadership, and the policymakers who support them, together with the general reader.’ -- General Sir Richard Shirreff, author of War with Russia‘How the world careened from one cold war into another with a friendly but all too brief pit stop between them is the subject of this quite wonderful book. Bringing to bear his seven years as a Moscow correspondent, and a gift for clear, sparkling prose, Peter Conradi’s spirited, well-informed narrative brings to life the ups and downs, colourful characters, and turning points that didn’t turn along the way.’ -- William Taubman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Khrushchev: The Man and his Era‘Peter Conradi takes a calm, considered look at developments in East–West relations that threaten to divide the world. In an era of inflamed partisan debate, he provides the historical context vital for a rational assessment of where we stand and where we are headed.’ -- Martin Sixsmith, author of Russia: A 1,000-Year Chronicle of the Wild East‘A systematic account of Russia’s emergence from the wreckage of the Soviet Union with a renewed sense of authoritarian mission… A cold-eyed examination of recent Russian history that seems to show that there was never a solid plan to integrate Russia into the West.’ * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisCarmina Burana, the largest surviving collection of secular Medieval Latin verse, features poems on subjects ranging from sex and gambling to crusades and corruption. This new, two-volume presentation of the medieval classic makes the anthology accessible in its entirety to Latin lovers and English readers alike.Trade Review[Traill] brings to this ambitious project deep knowledge of medieval Latin poetry and the Carmina Burana manuscript…These are, indeed, translations worth having…The DOML Carmina Burana is a wonderful resource. -- Thomas C. Moser, Jr. * Speculum *

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Book Synopsis‘This splendid and often moving work of history… Schama has a gift for combining novelistically colourful detail, serious analysis and wryly amusing asides’ Daily Telegraph   ‘Superb’ Observer   ‘Extraordinary… A meticulous retelling of a terrible yet scientifically innovative period… Makes an urgent case for building a better future on our toxic past’ Guardian   ‘This is history of the best sort – humanly engaged but never sentimental’ Mail on Sunday Cities and countries engulfed by panic and death, desperate for vaccines but fearful of what inoculation may bring. This is what the world has just gone through with Covid-19. But as Simon Schama shows in his epic history of vulnerable humanity caught between the terror of contagion and the ingenuity of science, it has happened before. Trade Review‘Superb' * Guardian *'A splendid and often moving work of history . . . Schama has a gift for combining novelistically colourful detail, serious analysis, and wryly amusing asides’ * The Telegraph *‘The histories Schama weaves together in this very personal and rather wonderful book should encourage us to know what is possible, in astonishingly short periods of time, if compounding human talent is channelled to good and universal ends’ * Literary Review *‘This is history of the best sort – humanly engaged but never sentimental’ * Mail on Sunday *'With the aplomb of a young A. J. P. Taylor, Schama neatly balances the obligation to disparage empire with the historian’s love of valorous action. He pricks the pretensions of the Raj, whose grandees thought they had materially bettered the lives of Indians; but he handsomely acknowledges the human efforts expended, in crowded slums and roadside clinics, pursuing that fond vision' * Financial Times *'Schama’s now-familiar approach, with its over-the-shoulder perspective and deluge of local detail, gives a pleasing verisimilitude to his stories of jostling individuals, ideas and institutions. It is Haffkine’s political fall that provides the book’s strongest passages. The colonial administration – a bureaucratic machine for misery, terrified of resistance – was willing to mobilise against what it saw as a foreign threat, even with millions of lives, and its own legitimacy, in the balance. We see the reactionary drive towards both self- and collective harm repeat on the scale of the nation, institution and individual, in Haffkine’s world as well as our own. History suggests there are other paths, imperfect and difficult though they might be, if we could only recognise them' * New Statesman *'A fascinating story of vaccines’ spread' * The Economist *‘Do yourself a favour, buy this book . . . it’s vast and terrifying and somehow beautiful, and it reads like a Ted Talk all-timer, but instead of a blank screen you’re left with this beautiful bow to untie and book to read’ * Irish Times *‘Delves into the history of pandemics and their cures, through the gripping personal narratives of some fascinating individuals’ * Radio Times *’Schama’s account makes the case for learning from history and opening our minds to ideas that come from strange places. Whether we like it or not, we’re all connected, now more than ever' * The Times *'His account of the individuals who have helped curb the devastating effects of widespread infections – often defying medical hierarchies and courting controversy in the process – ultimately presents an inspiring and hopeful read' * Perspective *'Schama’s skill as a narrator makes for an effortless ride between the minutiae of particular diseases, their spread throughout communities, and the story of the forces of biology in shaping global history’ * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisBrimming with verve and dramatic incident, Singapore: A Biography offers fresh insights into the life story of this island city-state through the personal experiences of the workers, adventurers, rulers and revolutionaries who have shaped its history over the last seven centuries. The authors, drawing on research undertaken in collaboration with the National Museum of Singapore, have woven together ancient chronicles, eyewitness accounts, oral histories and even modern radio and television broadcasts to create a vivid and compelling narrative that brings the past back to life. Grounded in scholarship yet fired by the imagination, this book reveals the Singapore story to have been as rich, diverse and multilayered as the city-state is prosperous, ordered and successful today.

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Book SynopsisThoroughly updated and revised, the ninth edition of the highly regarded British Civilization: An Introduction continues to be the ideal textbook on Britain, its country and people, religion, politics and government, international relations, legal system, economy, education, media and culture for students of British studies.Examining central structural features of British society, the book provides an introduction to British civilization that highlights its history of cultural, geographical and human diversity. The book includes: Expanded discussion of Britain's current political climate and international relations through an examination of the 2016 Brexit referendum, the subsequent general election and Brexit negotiations up to April 2019 Discussion of the ever-shifting economy from a global perspective Opinion polls and surveys that provide an insight into the attitudes of British people to the conditions in which they live and operate todaTrade Review"British Civilization provides the most profound introduction to contemporary Britain … Oakland presents the most recent information in a very concise and easily accessible writing style. Due to the additional resources, exercises and essay questions the book is perfect for teaching and learning." Isabell Große, Leipzig University, Germany "British Civilization: An Introduction is an excellent overview of a number of elements which students will need to know in order to understand British society. It is well-written, concise, and has attractive full-colour pictures and illustrations. It is especially strong on recent developments in British culture." Mark Marston Norris, Grace College, USA Table of ContentsList of plates List of figures List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Chronology of significant dates in British history 1 The British context 2 The country 3 The people 4 Religion 5 Politics and government 6 International relations 7 The legal system 8 The economy 9 Social services 10 Education 11 The media 12 Leisure, sports and the arts

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Book SynopsisFrom brilliant young polymath Andrew Rader – an MIT-credentialled scientist, popular podcast host and SpaceX mission manager – an illuminating chronicle of exploration that spotlights humans’ insatiable desire to continually push into new and uncharted territory, from civilisation’s earliest days to current planning for interstellar travel. For the first time in history, the human species has the technology to destroy itself. But having developed that power, humans are also able to leave Earth and voyage into the vastness of space. After millions of years of evolution, we’ve arrived at the point where we can settle other worlds and begin the process of becoming multi-planetary. How did we get here? What does the future hold for us? Divided into four accessible sections, Beyond the Known examines major periods of discovery and rediscovery, from Classical Times, when Phoenicia

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Book SynopsisStudying any subject at degree level is an investment in the future that involves significant cost. Now more than ever, students and their parents need to weigh up the potential benefits of university courses. That's where the Why Study series comes in. This series of books, aimed at students, parents and teachers, explains in practical terms the range and scope of an academic subject at university level and where it can lead in terms of careers or further study. Each book tries to both enthuse the reader about its subject and answer the crucial questions that a college prospectus does not. This volume is for students and potential students of history - it answers the question why study history - and also how to study it, where to study it, what it can do for you in your future worklife, for your personal development, and for the public good. This short guide busts a lot of myths and offers practical advice based on an unparalleled understanding of how history is actually taught on both sides of the Atlantic, in schools and universities.Trade Review"As this book sets out in lucid detail, the study of history is not only a fascinating personal endeavour but a profound public good, essential for policy-making, scientific inquiry and cultural progress. The skills I learnt at university have accompanied me throughout my career, and I would recommend history to all." -- Will Tanner, BA History (2010), University College London, founding Director of the think tank Onward and formerly Deputy Head of Policy in 10 Downing Street; "This book is a really important read for history students in key stages 4 and 5. It clearly and accessibly dispels the notion that the only career options for a historian are as a teacher or a lecturer. I look forward to seeing both an upsurge in history degree applications from my students and a diversification of their career choices after reading this book!" -- Annabelle Larsen, Head of Humanities, Moat Community College, Leicester; "An excellent user's guide for students of history - why study history, how to study it, where to study it, what it can do for you in your future worklife, for your personal development, and for the public good. This short guide busts a lot of myths and offers practical advice based on an unparalleled understanding of how history is actually taught on both sides of the Atlantic, in schools and universities." -- Peter Mandler, University of Cambridge; "... an invaluable guide to "everything you wanted to know about studying history, but were perhaps afraid to ask." This useful handbook leads the prospective student and aspiring historian through every conceivable step in the process from the first glint of interest in a student's eye, to the selection of a course of study, to life as a professional academic. Yet for all its sober and sensible practicality, the authors successfully convey the joy of history." -- Mary Lindemann, Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Miami; "This brief volume is packed with wisdom and practical advice. Students of history -- young and old -- will find much of value in its pages." -- Sam Wineburg, author of Why Learn History When It's Already on Your Phone; "At last, we have a volume that directly challenges the doubts and apprehensions many students have about studying history. Much needed and highly recommended." -- Robert B. Townsend, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

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Book SynopsisNapoleon's attack on Egypt in 1798 was the first on a Middle Eastern country by a Western power in modern times. With 335 ships and 40,000 men, it was the largest long-distance seaborne force the world had ever seen. Napoleon's assault was intended to be much more than a colonial adventure, however, for he took with him over one hundred and fifty scientists, mathematicians, artists and writers - a 'Legion of Culture' - with a view to bringing Western civilization to 'backward' Egypt.Ironically, what these intellectuals discovered in Egypt would transform our knowledge of Western civilization and form the basis of Egyptology. But there were also setbacks. Nelson's destruction of the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile apparently put an end to Napoleon's secret plans to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and invade India. Napoleon was just twenty-eight when he invaded Egypt and it was an episode which contained in embryo many seminal events of his later career and set the standard for his brilliant, ambitious and ultimately disastrous career.Trade ReviewPaul Strathern's enthralling description of this bizarre imperial adventure reads like Conrad's Heart of Darkness...as a piece of storytelling, it is a masterpiece * Daily Telegraph *To begin with, the book leaps off the shelf-display into the hands: the dustjacket is a remarkably fine reproduction of a painting of Napoleon...This is an illuminating and most engaging book * Spectator *Superb... Strathern tells the appalling tale of the forced marches across endless deserts...with commendable gusto -- Andrew Roberts * Sunday Telegraph *An ambitious and wonderfully detailed saga * Financial Times *This is popular narrative history at its best * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAt the end of 1941, Imperial Japan targeted The East Indies in an attempt to secure access to precious oil resources. The Netherlands East Indies Campaign featured complex Japanese and Allied operations, and included the first use of airborne troops in the war. This highly illustrated study is one of the less well-known campaigns of the Pacific War.Imperial Japan''s campaigns of conquest in late 1941/early 1942 were launched in order to achieve self-sufficiency for the Japanese people, chiefly in the precious commodity of oil. The Netherlands (or Dutch) East Indies formed one of Japan''s primary targets, on account of its abundant rubber plantations and oilfields--the latter, in particular, was highly prized, given that the colony was the fourth-largest exporter of oil in the world. Japan itself lacked any form of domestic production. The Japanese dispatched an enormous naval task force to support the amphibious landings over the vast terrain of the NetherlandTable of ContentsOrigins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders Opposing Forces and Orders of Battle Opposing Plans The Campaign Aftermath Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisRavaged by civil war and pressure from the Huns to the east, in late summer AD 376 the Gothic tribe of the Theruingi up to 200,000 people under their leader Fritigern gathered on the northern bank of the River Danube and asked the Eastern Roman emperor, Valens, for asylum within the empire. After agreeing to convert to Arian Christianity and enrol in the Roman Army, the Goths were allowed to cross the Danube and settle in the province of Thrace. Far more people crossed the Danube than the Romans expected, however, and with winter approaching, the local Roman commander, Lupicinus, lacked the resources to feed the newcomers and did not possess sufficient troops to control them. Treated poorly and running out of food, the Goths very quickly lost faith in the Roman promises. Meanwhile, other Gothic tribes also sought permission to cross the Danube. The Greuthungi were refused permission, but soon learned that local Roman garrisons had been depleted to supervise the march of thTable of ContentsIntroduction The Opposing Sides Marcianopolis, AD 376 The Willows, AD 377 Adrianople, 9 August AD 378 Analysis Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA masterful account of a vital four months in the bloody battle for the Pacific, giving fresh insights into the Guadalcanal and Solomons campaign, a key turning point in both the Pacific Theater and the wider Second World War.From popular Pacific Theater expert Jeffrey R. Cox comes this insightful new history of the critical Guadalcanal and Solomons campaign at the height of World War II. His previous book, Morning Star, Rising Sun, found the US Navy at its absolute nadir with the fate of the Enterprise, the last operational US aircraft carrier at this point in the war, unknown. This new volume completes the history of this crucial campaign, combining detailed research with a novelist''s flair for the dramatic to reveal exactly how, despite missteps and misfortunes, the tide of war finally turned. By the end of February 1944, thanks to hard-fought and costly American victories in the first and second naval battles of Guadalcanal, the battleTrade ReviewThis is naval history at its best. * Neil Baird, Baird Maritime *Jeffrey R. Cox offers an authoritative account of the Solomon Islands campaign. * History of War *For students of the Pacific campaigns, these books are essential reading. * The Armourer *Table of ContentsList of Maps Prologue: Rumblings 1. The Storms before the Storm 2. Barfight in the Dark 3. The Morning After 4. The Reckoning Begins 5. Just When You Think 6. Delay, Linger, and Wait 7. Turn Around and Advance 8. Pappy’s Folly Epilogue: Previews Notes Bibliography Index

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