History Books

Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] rollicking narrative…[An] absorbing and original book…Superb”—Ben Wilson, Times“There is much in Taylor’s book. It is interesting to see how pragmatically humane the navy could be, particularly in peacetime.”—David Mills, Sunday Times“[A]n accessible, humanistic portrait of a life characterised by hardship and comradeship.”— History Revealed“Episodes [are] gripping to read and fascinating in their particulars”—Ian Garrick Mason, Spectator“Taylor's research, skilful exposition, and elegant integration of text, archive and image has produced a compelling account of the men who made modern Britain, one that supplants all those that has gone before. Essential reading for sailors of the open ocean and the armchair.”—Andrew Lambert, BBC History Magazine“If most of these men's names have seeped into oblivion like so much sea froth, Taylor has brought their experiences back to vivid and exhilarating life: he stitches together the brutality and wonder of their lives with intelligence, judgement and compassion.”—Mathew Lyons, Literary Review“Sons of the Waves is the heir apparent to [John] Masefield's book as the best introduction for the general reader to the lives of eighteenth-century British seamen…Using the full range of available sources, Taylor has brought out the authentic, rarely heard, voice of Jack Tar.”—John B. Hattendorf, Times Literary Supplement“A vivid and engaging 'history from below' which provides a rich and readable demonstration of the ways in which the skills and experiences of seafarers helped to shape our society”—Nautilus Telegraph ‘Book of the Month’“The best introduction for the general reader to the lives of 18th century British seamen … Taylor has brought out the authentic, rarely heard voice of Jack Tar.” —John B. Hattedorff, Times Literary Supplement“Engrossing … suffused with a dark Dickensian melancholy.” —Roger Lewis, Daily Mail,Book of the Week“Fascinating and satisfying … A kaleidoscope of individual personalities and adventures” — N.A.M. Rodger, London Review of Books “Taylor’s experience as a writer of maritime history is evident in his adroit crafting of narrative, vivid portrayal of his characters and clear familiarity with his archival sources.” —Global Maritime History Certificate of Merit, Mounbatten Book Prize awards, 2020"An excellent book, combining an original approach to the subject with original research. Jack Tar, the quintessential British hero, emerges from this collective biography as a self-confident fellow, part of the collective body that sustained national prosperity, security and power.”—Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson"This enthusiastic account gives a vivid picture of life below decks in the era of the sailing navy. It is a classic of its kind, brimful with riotous episodes and gripping anecdotes anchored in detailed research."—Margarette Lincoln, author of Trading in War"The Royal Navy had some great leaders but what made their achievements possible was the thousands of unknown and unheard-from seamen who manned these vessels. This book starts the exploration of those fascinating lives."—Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Times Higher Education's Best Books of 2018""One of the Financial Times' Summer Books of 2019: History"

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Book SynopsisThe perfect starting point for any student new to this fascinating subject, offering a serious yet accessible introduction to anthropology. Across a series of fourteen chapters, Introducing Anthropology addresses the different fields and approaches within anthropology, covers an extensive range of themes and emphasizes the active role and promise of anthropology in the world today. The new edition foregrounds in particular the need for anthropology in understanding and addressing today's environmental crisis, as well as the exciting developments of digital anthropology. This book has been designed by two authors with a passion for teaching and a commitment to communicating the excitement of anthropology to newcomers. Each chapter includes clear explanations of classic and contemporary anthropological research and connects anthropological theories to real-life issues at the local and global levels. The vibrancy and importance of anthropology is a core focus of the book, with numerous interviews with key anthropologists about their work and the discipline as a whole, and plenty of ethnographic studies to consider and use as inspiration for readers' own personal investigations. A clear glossary, a range of activities and discussion points, and carefully selected further reading and suggested ethnographic films further support and extend students' learning. Introducing Anthropology aims to inspire and enthuse a new generation of anthropologists. It is suitable for a range of different readers, from students studying the subject at school-level to university students looking for a clear and engaging entry point into anthropology.Trade ReviewThis new edition of Introducing Anthropology updates a formidable and thought-provoking inquiry into what makes us human, and highlights how students can knowledgeably take part in important but sometimes difficult conversations that help shape a more just and sustainable world.Edward Liebow, Executive Director, American Anthropological Association "A classroom text written by teachers for teachers. I cannot recommend it highly enough."David Shankland, Director, Royal Anthropological Institute "Now, more than ever, we need to gain an empathetic understanding of the peoples with whom we share our planet. This makes anthropology essential to basic education. Fortunately, this book provides an excellent introduction to the subject replete with fascinating illustrations and insights that convey just how absorbing and interesting this task can be. It is one of those books one immediately wishes everyone would read."Daniel Miller, University College London PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION “A lively and comprehensive introduction to a broad range of anthropological themes, peppered with ethnographic examples showcasing the diversity of human lives and societies, this book fills a gap and not only reveals the knowledge contributions of anthropology but also gives a hint of its magic.” Thomas Hylland Eriksen, University of Oslo “A thorough introduction to anthropology which is as engaging as it is informative. A must-read for all students starting in the subject, as well as an excellent book for those who simply want to know more about the subject matter and methods of anthropology.”Dave Latham, Birmingham Metropolitan College

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Book SynopsisThe mutiny on HMS Bounty, in the South Pacific on 28 April 1789, is one of history''s great epics - and in the hands of Peter FitzSimons it comes to life as never before.Commissioned by the Royal Navy to collect breadfruit plants from Tahiti and take them to the West Indies, the Bounty''s crew found themselves in a tropical paradise. Five months later, they did not want to leave. Under the leadership of Fletcher Christian most of the crew mutinied soon after sailing from Tahiti, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 loyal crewmen adrift in a small open boat. In one of history''s great feats of seamanship, Bligh navigated this tiny vessel for 3618 nautical miles to Timor.Fletcher Christian and the mutineers sailed back to Tahiti, where most remained and were later tried for mutiny. But Christian, along with eight fellow mutineers and some Tahitian men and women, sailed off into the unknown, eventually discovering the isolated Pitcairn Island - at t

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Book SynopsisThe rood screen was the visual focus of the medieval parish church, dividing the nave from the chancel. Most were built of wood and were adorned with intricate carved decoration painted in bright colours, often with images of saints. Defaced and often dismantled during the Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century, most surviving screens have been restored to their former glory since the nineteenth century and are now among the most prized treasures of our parish churches. This fully illustrated book explains the symbolic and practical significance of rood screens and describes the ways in which they were constructed and decorated. There is also an extensive list of churches in England and Wales where screens can be found.Table of ContentsThe Pride of the Parish Origins and Development Building a Rood Screen The Structure of Rood Screens Screen Decoration Use of Screens, Lofts and Roods Reformation The Church of England Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the TIME 100 author of the Sunday Times and number 1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a subversive history of white male American identity -- now with a new preface.'One of the most admired writers and "internet yellers" around... [Mediocre is] ever more vital... Oluo's meeting the time -- this movement against white supremacy and systems of oppression. But the question she keeps asking in her work: Are we?' IBRAM X KENDI'Mediocre paints an urgent, honest picture of how white male identity has spawned unrest in the country's political ideology... It's a necessary read for the world we live in' CHIDOZIE OBASI, Harper's Bazaar'[Ijeoma's] books don't come from a place of hate, but of determination to make change... [Mediocre is] another amazing book' TREVOR NOAH on The Daily ShowWhat happens to a country that tells generation after generation of white men that they deserve power? What happens when success is defined by status over women and people of colour, instead of actual accomplishments?Through the last 150 years of American history -- from the post-Reconstruction South and the mythic stories of cowboys, to the present-day controversy over NFL protests and the backlash against the rise of women in politics -- Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy on women, people of colour, and white men themselves. As provocative as it is essential, Mediocre investigates the real costs of white male power in order to imagine a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism.'[An] analytical and compassionate book' New Statesman'Deftly combines history and sociological study with personal narrative, and the result is both uncomfortable and illuminating' Washington Post'Ijeoma's sharp yet accessible writing about the American racial landscape made her 2018 book So You Want to Talk About Race an invaluable resource . . . Mediocre builds on this exemplary work, homing in on the role of white patriarchy in creating and upholding a system built to disenfranchise anyone who isn't a white male' TIME

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Recent decades have seen the yeshiva recreated as an institution for all Jewish men, and in some places for Jewish women as well. Yet in its origin the yeshiva was an elite institution, for men who were prepared to devote themselves to years of Torah study. The most outstanding of the yeshivas were found in Lithuania, and the period between the two World Wars saw important developments in these schools, developments that continue to reverberate in Orthodox society. Ben-Tsiyon Klibansky has made great use not merely of the memoir literature and academic sources, but has immersed himself in archives in order to offer us the first scholarly study of the yeshivas during the interwar years. For those seeking to understand where the yeshivas came from, how they functioned, what ideals guided them, and how unfortunately they came to their end in Eastern Europe, there is no better guide than Klibansky."—Marc B. Shapiro, Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies, University of Scranton"Through a thorough and rigorous study of numerous sources, Ben Tsiyon Klibansky demonstrates that interwar Poland, rightly characterized as an age of decline to Orthodox Judaism, was an age of thriving to one of its major institutions: the Yeshiva. The complete destruction of the Lithuanian yeshivas in World War II, first by the Soviet occupation and then by the Nazi Holocaust, put an end to this thriving institution, but, as Klibansky concludes, they remained a source of inspiration to the renewed yeshivas of the postwar period."—Benjamin Brown, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem"Nowadays the term "Lithuanian Yeshiva" is used for a type of yeshivas that emerged in Lithuania in the nineteenth century and developed a special "school" of learning and a code of living and dressing, which is still existent. Yet, knowledge about yeshivas in Lithuania itself, especially in the twentieth century up till and into the Holocaust, is unknown. Ben-Tsiyon Klibansky's The Golden Age of the Lithuanian Yeshivas bridges this lack in knowledge and uncovers in a fascinating way and based on in-depth research the general picture of this period as well as its particulars. Klibansky successes in depicting and analyzing the renewal and vitality of the Yehiva world vis-à-vis the deep political, social, religious and cultural changes of the first decades of the twentieth century, and by doing so also re-emphasizes the enormous loss to Jewry, Judaism and Yiddishkeit caused by the Holocaust."—Dan Michman, Head, The International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem; Professor (Emeritus) of Modern Jewish History, Bar-Ilan Universit"Few institutions influenced the world of European Jewry as did the yeshivas. The fact that the yeshiva framework was 'emulated' in the United States, Israel, England, France, and elsewhere by newly coalescing traditionalist communities is proof of its lasting significance. At the same time, few institutions were so misunderstood as were the yeshivas. The pious attempts that were written to describe how they functioned missed the key points – usually out of ignorance. Klibansky's magnum opus transforms our understanding of how the traditionalist Jews created structures to maintain adherence. It is no less significant in explaining what the self-conscious modernists in Europe were responding to. In short, it is one of those transformative works that are basic texts for both understanding a world that was destroyed and a new world that was created."—Shaul Stampfer, Sandrow Professor of Soviet and East European Jewish History (emeritus), Hebrew University of Jerusalem"Ben-Tsiyon Klibansky has stepped into a historiographical void of the interwar East European Jewish experience with his The Golden Age of the Yeshivas, a study of all facets of the Lithuanian yeshiva world: leadership, student body, curriculum, economics, and self-image. Through a rare combination of historical empathy and judicious use of sources, Klibansky has reconstructed the interwar Lithuanian yeshivas in all their panoramic commonalities and granular specificities. In so doing, he has parsed the central paradox of the phenomenon of a golden age of the Lithuanian yeshivas, set against the background of Jewish secularization, educational practicality, and political and economic crisis."—Joshua Karlip, Herbert S. and Naomi Denenberg Associate Professor of Jewish History, Yeshiva UniversityTable of ContentsIntroductionSection I: Consolidation and Expansion1. The Renewal of the Yeshiva World after the First World War2. Expansion Trends in the Yeshiva WorldSection II: Aspects of the Yeshiva World3. Economy4. Studies5. Leadership6. The TalmidimSection III: The Beginning of the End7. Return to Wandering8. Under Soviet RuleEpilogueBrief BiographiesGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Notable Books of 2018 Financial Times Book of the Year Award-winning journalist Rania Abouzeid presents reportage of unprecedented scope in this engaging, character-driven investigation that exposes the secret dealings that armed and betrayed an uprising. Taking readers deep into Assad’s prisons, to clandestine meetings and to the highest levels of Islamic militancy, Abouzeid dissects the tangle of ideologies and allegiances that make up the Syrian conflict, and lays bare the tragedy of the Syrian War through the stories of those seeking safety and freedom in a shattered country. Based on more than five years of frontline reporting, No Turning Back is an utterly engrossing human drama that shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the twenty-first century’s greatest humanitarian disasters.Trade Review‘An extraordinary piece of reportage that explains the Syrian war through the stories of individuals caught up in the fighting. Abouzeid’s book has the gripping and tragic qualities of a first-rate novel.’ * Financial Times Book of the Year *'Excellent... Probably the most perceptive journalistic account of the war so far... Abouzeid’s understated bravery and ability to merge into the background speak to the power of immersive eyewitness reporting, foregrounding the experience of the people she meets and writing with modesty.' * New York Review of Books *'An unparalleled account of the Syrian uprising, drawing on six years of immersive reporting.' * New Yorker *'A stunning take on Syria’s tragedy by the veteran Middle East reporter Rania Abouzeid... Abouzeid’s writing is clear, her analysis sharp, her sympathy deep as she answers this key question of our age.' * The Spectator *‘There is no better way to refocus on Syria than to read Rania Abouzeid’s book… What could simply be a standard journalistic device succeeds triumphantly because of the skill and sensitivity of Abouzeid’s writing, the depth of her reporting and the extraordinary nature of the stories she tells. As a result, her book has the compelling qualities of a novel, rather than simply a work of reportage…an extraordinary book that deserves to be read widely.’ * Financial Times *'This is journalism at its very best: brave; personal; written with aching beauty.' * Lyse Doucet, BBC's Chief International Correspondent *‘Painfully gripping.’ * Prospect *'This narrative of the Syrian war from 2011 through 2016 offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and exquisite prose, rendering its individual subjects with tremendous intimacy.' * New York Times Notable Books of 2018 *‘Offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and many flashes of exquisitely descriptive prose… Abouzeid’s remarkable journalistic and literary work has given us, at last, a book worthy of the enormous tragedy that is Syria.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘For those confused by the country's descent into chaos and the myriad factions now battling it out for supremacy, it is indispensable... A masterpiece: a forensic, yet accessible anatomy of how a peaceful uprising was hijacked by external forces who cared less about ridding Syria of dictator Bashar al-Assad than furthering their own agendas… Abouzeid writes compellingly throughout.’ * Big Issue *'[No Turning Back] offers page after page of extraordinary reporting and exquisite prose, rendering its individual subjects with tremendous intimacy.' * New York Times, '8 Books We Recommend this Week' *'Eloquent and devastating … Abouzeid relates the drama of this chaos in gripping prose.' * Christian Science Monitor *'Searing and sparingly beautiful… War, she reminds us, alters the architecture of the city as much as it scrambles the human psyche.' * Los Angeles Review of Books *'Rania Abouzeid has produced a masterpiece.' * Robert F. Worth, author of A Rage For Order *'This is an essential read not only for those interested in Syria and the Middle East, but for anyone who strives to understand the mechanics of a society torn by civil war.' * Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Guardian Middle East Correspondent *‘An astonishing work, in its ambition, its scope and its humanity…these stories are woven with consummate skill by Abouzeid who does not moralize and does not judge. Through their lived experiences she has shown the human faces, the human suffering behind the headlines.’ * New Internationalist *'After No Turning Back, you won’t be able to hear anything more about Syria without feeling that you too know the people who are living (and dying) through it.' * Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea and Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood *'No Turning Back is a monumental achievement. I can think of few other journalists, past or present, who have reported on any war as courageously, analyzed it as trenchantly, or rendered the lives of its participants and victims as movingly, as Abouzeid has done here for the war in Syria. The book will no doubt endure as a work of literature.' * Luke Mogelson, author of These Heroic, Happy Dead *'No Turning Back works both on the level of deeply reported personal narratives of a tragedy that continues to unspool and also as a major work of history.' * Peter Bergen, author of United States of Jihad and Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for Bin Laden *'Rania Abouzeid brings the century's deadliest conflict to life...' * Irish Times, Books to look out for in 2018 *'An intimate portrait of a chaotic war. A must read.' * Deb Amos, author of Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East *'Rania Abouzeid has produced a work of stunning reportage from the very heart of the conflict, daring to go to the most dangerous places in order to get the story.' * Dexter Filkins, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Forever War *‘A fabulous and illuminating account of the Syrian conflict told by a world-class journalist at the height of her powers. This is about real people, their real stories and how they web together to tell the wider story of a nation in crisis. A rich and rewarding book that informs, excites and inspires. A truly first-class piece of high-end reportage.’ * Tim Butcher, author of Blood River *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In his monumental Central Asia, Adeeb Khalid puts the region at the 'crossroads of history'. A laboratory of colonialism, revolution, nation building and telescoped social and cultural transformation, it has experienced 'every achievement of modernity and every one of its disasters'."---Daniel Beer, Times Literary Supplement"Khalid presents a masterful history of modern Central Asia which is at once scholarly, analytical and wonderfully accessible. . . .Adeeb Khalid deserves our gratitude for producing a path-breaking study of modern Central Asian history. One hopes it will pave the way for more."---Scott C. Levi, History Today ​​​​​​​"The book is successful in revealing the two centuries of political, social and cultural history of the peoples of Central Asia, and serves to further progress knowledge about this region."---Mirzokhid Askarov, Ethnic and Racial Studies"One of the newest and comprehensive studies on the region. It is a very broad and, at the same time, concise introduction to Central Asian history."---Marat Iliyasov, The Rest Journal"Formidably detailed, Central Asia is ideal for upper-level students wondering how a chronically misunderstood region has been shaped by broad currents and dominant powers of modern world history, in concert with local actors."---Andrew M. Wender, World History Connected

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Book SynopsisAfropessimism is an unparalleled account of the non-analogous experience of being Black.Trade Review"Wilderson’s ambitious book offers its readers two great gifts. First, it strives mightily to make its pessimistic vision plausible. Anyone unconvinced by the vision may find this a dubious contribution, but enough people have been convinced by the view to make an accessible introduction to it a valuable resource just for understanding contemporary intellectual life. Second, the book depicts a remarkable life, lived with daring and sincerity. Afropessimismshares unvarnished glimpses of Wilderson’s childhood, his undergraduate years, his life as a worker and activist between stints in the academy, his graduate studies and their toll on his mental health, his personal relationships, and his experiences as an increasingly well-regarded academic." -- Paul C. Taylor - The Washington Post"There are crucial books that you don’t agree with, but one still comes to understand the importance of the thought experiment. Afropessimism is one of those books." -- Claudia Rankine, author of Citizen: An American Lyric

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Book SynopsisKing Richard III remains one of the most infamous and recognisable monarchs in English or British history, despite only sitting on the throne for two years and fifty-eight days. His hold on the popular imagination is largely due to the fictional portrayal of him by William Shakespeare which, combined with the workings of five centuries of rumour and gossip, has created two opposing versions of Richard. In fiction he is the evil, scheming murderer who revels in his plots, but many of the facts point towards a very different man. Dissecting a real Richard III from the fictional versions that have taken hold is made difficult by the inability to discern motives in many instances, leaving a wide gap for interpretation that can be favourable or damning in varying degrees. It is the facts that will act as the scalpel to begin the operation of finding a truth obscured by fiction. Richard III may have been a monster, a saint, or just a man trying to survive, but any view of him should be based in the realities of his life, not the myths built on rumour and theatre. How much of what we think we know about England's most controversial monarch will remain when the facts are sifted from the fictions?

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Book SynopsisThe conflict in Northern Ireland was one of the most devastating in post-war Europe, claiming the lives of 3,500 people and injuring many more. This book is a riveting new history of the radical politics that drove a unique insurgency that emerged from the crucible of 1968. Based on extensive archival research, One Man's Terrorist explores the relationship between the IRA, a clandestine army described as 'one of the most ruthless and capable insurgent forces in modern history', and the political movement that developed alongside it to challenge British rule. From Wilson and Heath to Thatcher and Blair, a generation of British politicians had to face an unprecedented subversive threat whose reach extended from West Belfast to Westminster. Finn shows how Republicans fought a war on several fronts, making use of every weapon available to achieve their goal of a united Ireland, from car bombs to election campaigns, street marches to hunger strikes. Though driven by an uncompromising revolutionary politics that blended militant nationalism with left-wing ideology, their movement was never monolithic, its history punctuated by splits and internal conflicts. The IRA's war ultimately ended in stalemate, with the peace process of the 1990s and the Good Friday Agreement that has maintained an uneasy balance ever since.Trade ReviewProvides us with one of the best analyses available of the politics that motivated and drove different currents within insurrectionary Irish republicanism over the past 60 years. Well researched and scrupulously objective, the author is ever academically critical. Nevertheless, he does not suffer from the endemic hostility to his subject that mars so many other works in this genre. -- Tommy McKearney, author of The Provisional IRAThere are numerous current treatments of the modern IRA, its rivals, and its allies. Daniel Finn's stands out for its concise clarity, and because, free of jargon, it is written from the left. -- Brendan O’Leary, Lauder Professor of Political Science, University of PennsylvaniaA fine, subtle analysis of the Provisional IRA's armed campaign and the movement's political development over three decades. Daniel Finn provides sharp insights into the leadership's strategic thinking as it manoeuvred towards a ceasefire in the 1990s. He shows how this militant Republican movement transformed itself into an electorally successful left-wing political party in Ireland North and South. -- Niall Ó Dochartaigh, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland, Galway[Finn is] studious in his research and solid in his writing * Irish Times *A concise yet detailed discussion of the modern Irish Republican movement. -- Ron Jacobs * CounterPunch *This book's account of how Sinn Fein's leaders played an instrumental role in making this possible is an indispensable guide to understanding how this template can - and cannot - be applied to resolving other terrorist conflicts, as well. -- Joshua Sinai * Washington Times *This slim volume packs a resonant, intelligent power. * RTÉ Guide *Given the outpouring of academic books and articles on the Northern Ireland conflict that has occurred since the 1960s...Does Daniel Finn's book represent an oasis in this intellectual and moral desert? The judgement has to be a qualified affirmative. * Dublin Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA riveting study of Africa's demographics – its youth and growth – and what they mean for the continent, today and into the future. 'Essential reading' Guardian 'Intensely researched – and very important!' The Week 'The research in Youthquake is meticulous' Tim Marshall, Reaction 'Attempts to end the hysteria and ignorance surrounding demographic trends' New Statesman 'Meticulously researched, nuanced and brilliant' Mary Harper Africa's population growth in the last 50 years has been unprecedented. By mid-century, the continent will make up a quarter of the global population, compared to one-tenth in 1980. Africa's youth is the most striking aspect of its demography. As the rest of the world ages, almost 60 per cent of Africa's population is younger than 25 years old. This 'youthquake' will have immense consequences for the social, economic and political reality in Africa. Edward Paice presents a detailed, nuanced analysis of the varied demography of Africa. He rejects the fanciful over-optimism of some commentators and doom-laden prophecies of others, while scrutinising received wisdom, and carefully considering the ramifications of the youthquake for Africa and the world.Trade ReviewEssential reading for anyone who wants to understand Africa and its place in the world * Guardian *Paice's attempt to end the hysteria and ignorance surrounding demographic trends, and to remind us that how we respond to them is above all a political question, will increase understanding of the possibilities and challenges facing the world * New Statesman *The research in Youthquake is meticulous – there are more than 70 graphs and hundreds of facts -- Tim Marshall, ReactionAn in-depth look at Africa's population data, while calling for a sense of humility in discussions around this topic * Irish Times *One of the great qualities of this fascinating book is even-handedness... Very sober, very fact-based, non-ideological – cool, calm and collected -- Mark Steyn, GB NewsThe youth bulge heading Africa's way is real, and in the next 30 years it will throw up economic, social and political problems for African states the like of which the world has never before witnessed. This demographic surge is neither a catastrophe nor a boon, but it is a wicked problem: one for which there is no easy or satisfactory solution. In this utterly compelling and important book, Edward Paice disentangles the facts from the fictions, the truths from the falsehoods, and tells us why Africa's future will shape the futures of us all. This is a book none of us should ignore -- David M. Anderson, Professor of African History, University of WarwickThis meticulously researched, nuanced and brilliant book takes apart simplistic, hysterical myths about Africa's population growth and what it means for the continent and the rest of the world. It presents a powerful case for Africa to be viewed as central, not peripheral, to the future, making up a quarter of the world's population by 2050 and providing about one-third of its working-age population -- Mary Harper, Africa Editor, BBC World Service NewsIf there is one book to choose that dissects the demography of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, then this is it. Edward Paice has achieved the feat of assembling the data and examining the trends by country to show the possibilities and challenges that come with fertility trends moving at different speeds. Required reading for those interested in Africa's development -- Kwame Owino, CEO, The Institute of Economic Affairs (Kenya)I greatly admired the author's command of Africa's demography and particularly appreciated his demolition of the demographic dividend -- John Cleland, former Professor of Medical Demography at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Fellow of the British AcademyPaice's text is heavy on statistics, but the goulash of arithmetic is easy to digest, as well as spiced with plenty of numerical eye-poppers * Spectator *Intensely researched – and very important! * The Week *Paice's excellent book [...] convincingly makes the point that African demography is a matter of truly universal importance -- Adam Tooze, Director of the European Institute at Columbia UniversityPaice's book is a monument of industry, a mine of information and invaluable reading for anyone who wants to understand the scale and implications of Africa's demographic growth -- Nick Westcott, African Affairs

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Book SynopsisThough attributed to Hesiod (eighth or seventh century BC) in antiquity, the Catalogue of Women, a presentation of legendary Greek heroes and episodes according to maternal genealogy; The Shield, a counterpoint to the Iliadic shield of Achilles; and certain poems that survive as fragments were likely not composed by Hesiod himself.Trade ReviewIf you already have some familiarity with Hesiod’s two best-known works and you want to know more about the rest of the Hesiodic corpus and about the ancient reception of this canonical figure, then Most’s new Loeb books will be essential. Most makes various important corrections and improvements in his translation… We may look back to Hesiod’s poetry as representative of a cultural Golden Age when it was possible for a single work of literature to encompass the whole of traditional ‘wisdom’: high and low, ancient and modern, philosophical and poetic, practical and metaphysical. Perhaps even our Age of Iron could learn from him. -- Emily Wilson * New Republic *

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Book SynopsisThe Avars arrived in Europe from the Central Asian steppes in the mid-sixth century CE and dominated much of Central and Eastern Europe for almost 250 years. Fierce warriors and canny power brokers, the Avars were more influential and durable than Attila's Huns, yet have remained hidden in history. Walter Pohl's epic narrative, translated into...Trade ReviewWalter Pohl has succeeded in stripping much of this veil of mystery from the Avars.... a heterogeneous group from central Asia who dominated the Byzantine Danube frontier in a complicated relationship that saw raids, wars, trade, and the payment of large annual sums of tribute. In tracing the history of the Avars and the peoples they dominated or fought and traded with, this is an illuminating history of southeast Europe in the early Middle Ages. * Speculum *This volume contains a wealth of information and informed discussion; it will repay careful study by anyone involved in the late Roman and early medieval period, and will remain the standard guide into the foreseeable future. * English Historical Review *Walter Pohl picks his way judiciously though the minefield of primary sources—fragmentary and contradictory—and secondary interpretations of varied value. His solid medievalist training coupled with common sense often balk at the most fanciful interpretations. The documentation assembled by Pohl is impressive; the use he made of it commands respect. Future research on all questions concerning the Avars, henceforth cannot bypass this very important book. * Journal of Asian History *Though the book was first published in German in 1988, this English version includes many revisions and updates and will be the definitive English-language study of the Avar empire for years to come. It will be invaluable for those interested in medieval history or in the impact of nomadic steppe empires on sedentary civilizations. * Choice *The book clearly stands as a monumental starting point of any future research on the Avars. Pohl and Cornell University Press deserve praise for publishing this important work of scholarship in English. * Studies in Late Antiquity *One wonders how it could have taken thirty years for the appearance of this, the first English edition of Walter Pohl's seminal work. But now that it is finally accessible to a much wider readership, it must be made clear that The Avars is more than just a translation. * Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association *Table of ContentsList of Maps Timeline Preface 1. Approaching the Avars 1.1. Marginal Europeans? 1.2. Sources and Prejudices 1.3. Steppe Research and Its Methodological Problems 2. The Avar Migration 2.1. Constantinople 558 2.2. The Empire and the Steppe Peoples 2.3. Fugitives from the East 2.4. Avars or Pseudo-Avars? 2.5. The Advance of the Avars 2.6. Byzantium and the Turks 2.7. The Discovery of Europe 2.8. Decisive Years 2.9. 568: A Turning Point 3. The New Power, 567–90 3.1. The First Attack on Sirmium 3.2. Between Peace and War 3.3. Baian's Alliance with Byzantium 3.4. The Conquest of Sirmium 3.5. 583/84: Avar Raids and Symbolic Politics 3.6. 585/86: Slavic Raids and the Bookolabras Affair 3.7. 587: The War in Thrace 3.8. The Carpathian Basin in the Later Sixth Century: The Archaeological Evidence 3.9. Cultures around Keszthely 4. Avars and Slavs 4.1. Slavs before the Avars: Perceptions and Origins 4.2. The Saint and the Barbarians 4.3. Slavic Campaigns and Memories of Avars on the Greek Peninsula 4.4. The Obor and His Slavs 4.5. Avar Rule and Slavic Expansion 4.6. Becoming Slavs 5. The Balkan Wars of Maurice, 591–602 5.1. Maurice's Campaign and the Date of the Wars 5.2. The Avars on the Offensive 5.3. 593: Attacks on the Slavs North of the Danube 5.4. 594: The Limits of the Slavic War 5.5. 595: The Illyrian War 5.6. The Avars' Western Policy and the Slavs 5.7. 598: Only the Plague Can Stop the Avars 5.8. 599: The Khagan under Pressure 5.9. 600–602: The End of Imperial Politics on the Danube 6. Life and Organization in the Avar Empire 6.1. Nomads, Warriors, Steppe Peoples 6.2. "Their Life Is War" 6.3. The Early Avar Khaganate 6.4. The Avars and Byzantium 6.5. Avar Gold: Prestige, Gifts, Representation 6.6. Logades and Warriors 6.7. Forms of Production and Distribution 6.8. Exchanges and Their Limits 6.9. Religion and Ritual 6.10. The Development of Identities in the Avar Empire 7. The Seventh Century 7.1. Consolidation and New Offensives 7.2. The Surprise Attack on the Emperor 7.3. 626: The Siege of Constantinople 7.4. Samo 7.5. Croat Migrations? 7.6. Alciocus and Kuvrat 7.7. Kuver and Asparukh 7.8. Continuity and Cultural Change 8. The Century of the Griffin 8.1. Ways of Life in Archaeological Evidence 8.2. The Hierarchy of the Late Avar State 8.3. Limes Certus: The Avars and the West 8.4. The Collapse of Avar Power 8.5. Why Did the Avars Disappear? 8.6. Conclusion Appendix: Amount of Subsidies Paid by Byzantiumto the Avars Abbreviations Notes Sources Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow did the United States appoint itself as the world’s supreme military power? Stephen Wertheim delves into the archives of the U.S. foreign policy elite to trace armed dominance to its origin in World War II. He shows how officials and intellectuals suddenly chose to embrace perpetual dominance—at the price of perpetual war.Trade ReviewYou really ought to read it…It is a tour de force…While Wertheim is not the first to expose isolationism as a carefully constructed myth, he does so with devastating effect. Most of all, he helps his readers understand that ‘so long as the phantom of isolationism is held to be the most grievous sin, all is permitted.’ -- Andrew J. Bacevich * The Nation *For almost 80 years now, historians and diplomats have sought not only to describe America’s swift advance to global primacy but also to explain it…Any writer wanting to make a novel contribution either has to have evidence for a new interpretation, or at least be making an older argument in some improved and eye-catching way. Stephen Wertheim’s Tomorrow, the World does both…[An] estimable book. -- Paul Kennedy * Wall Street Journal *The only recent book to explore U.S. elites’ decision to become the world’s primary power in the early 1940s—a profoundly important choice that has affected the lives of billions of people throughout the globe…Contributes to the effort to transform U.S. foreign policy by giving pro-restraint Americans a usable past. Though Tomorrow, the World is not a polemic, its implications are invigorating…Wertheim opens space for Americans to reexamine their own history and ask themselves whether primacy has ever really met their interests. -- Daniel Bessner * New Republic *In writing the history of the country’s decision to embrace a militarist vision of world order—and to do so, counterintuitively, through the creation of the United Nations—Wertheim provides an importantly revisionist account of U.S. foreign policy in the 1940s, one that helps us think anew about internationalism today…The contemporary stakes of Wertheim’s work are plainly apparent…A reminder of just how strange it is that Americans have come to see military supremacy as a form of selfless altruism, as a gift to the world. -- Sam Lebovic * Boston Review *Wertheim delves into an important bit of history to try to pinpoint exactly when and why the United States embraced the global military supremacy that Americans have taken for granted for decades…He is on [firm] ground in arguing that today U.S. global military dominance has outlived its original purpose. -- Jessica T. Mathews * Foreign Affairs *The Trump and Biden administrations have seen a sharp shift away from the United States’ desire to be the preeminent power in the world. But how did it get there in the first place? In painstaking detail, Wertheim draws the battle map of intellectual warfare that went on during World War II between U.S. thinkers who wanted the United States to continue the tradition of British preeminence and those who didn’t. -- Jack Detsch * Foreign Policy *Stephen Wertheim isn’t only a great historian of American foreign policy. He uses history to offer a critique of American foreign policy that Americans desperately need now. -- Peter Beinart, author of The Icarus SyndromeHow did the United States acquire the will to lead the world? How did primacy come to be the natural posture of America’s policy elite? In this groundbreaking new history, Stephen Wertheim overturns our existing understanding of the emergence of American global dominance. A work of brilliantly original historical scholarship that will transform the way we think about the past, the present, and the future. -- Adam Tooze, author of CrashedAmericans now believe global leadership is their birthright; this splendid book uncovers the origins of that conviction. Wertheim’s detailed analysis of strategic planning before and during World War II shows that the pursuit of global primacy was a conscious choice, made by a foreign policy elite that equated ‘internationalism’ with the active creation of a world order based on U.S. military preponderance. Myths about the seductive dangers of ‘isolationism’ helped marginalize alternative perspectives, leaving armed dominance and military interventionism as the default settings for U.S. foreign policy. A carefully researched and beautifully written account, Tomorrow, the World sheds new light on a critical period in U.S. history and reminds us that internationalism can take many different forms. -- Stephen M. Walt, author of The Hell of Good IntentionsHow did the idea of American military supremacy come to be understood as essential and inevitable? In this important and beautifully crafted revisionist history, Stephen Wertheim shows the way a foreign policy consensus in favor of American predominance was forged as Hitler ransacked Europe. It became an assumed necessity after World War II, and later fueled military build-up and ongoing armed conflict. By revealing the contingent path of American global militarism, Wertheim makes an urgent and overdue reassessment possible. -- Mary L. Dudziak, author of War TimeExcellent…An important contribution to the history of U.S. foreign policy, and it is also relevant to contemporary debates about the proper U.S. role in the world. -- Daniel Larson * American Conservative *Forcefully argues that primacy-by-choice has had parlous consequences—for both the United States and the world. -- Susan L. Caruthers * Diplomatic History *One does not need to be universally opposed to all of American policy since the Second World War to see the immense value of this book in showing the ideological lineage we have inherited that distorts how we talk about Grand Strategy through the present. -- Christopher Mott * Global Security Review *Wertheim challenges the longstanding U.S. foreign policy by dismantling a narrative about American ‘isolationism’; in doing so, he provides the intellectual foundations for the reemergence of a truly liberal American grand strategy. -- Jennifer Lind * H-Diplo *He brings into sharp focus the doings of elites…America’s pursuit of global supremacy was, in his engaging and studious retelling, less the final outcome of long-simmering forces or of latent but unreasoned belief systems than a ‘deliberate decision’ made by a numerically small group of individuals at a very specific moment in time. -- Matthew Cantirino * Humanitas *A brisk, deeply researched, and thought-provoking revisionist history of the US foreign policy establishment surrounding World War II, pinpointing the moment when America abandoned its traditional mode of engagement in world affairs in favor of global hegemony underwritten by military force…This is an essential read for understanding how American empire came to seem permanent and inevitable—a topic very much relevant today. -- David Klion * Jewish Currents *Not only a sharp and well-argued historical analysis of American foreign policy, but also a persuasive political argument about America’s place in the world today…The rise of the American Empire was not facilitated by ‘absent-minded’ policy makers. Instead, the drafters of the plan were very much aware of their own ambitions while not necessarily sharing them with the wider public…An exceptionally readable blend of intellectual history, foreign policy and international theory. -- Or Rosenboim * Journal of Strategic Studies *Even readers who question Wertheim’s premises or differ from him on current policy will find much to learn in a concise, jargon-free study grounded on careful research. -- William Anthony Hay * Law & Liberty *Wertheim provides an important historical corrective to the notion that the United States sleepwalked into global supremacy…An important read. -- Charles Dunst * LSE Review of Books *In the wake of [WWII], decision makers regarded military restraint not as a virtue but as a recipe for chaos. Intervention was seen as inevitable, and isolationism became a dirty word. Politicians debated particular engagements, but they rarely questioned America's role as global cop…But as Wertheim reminds us, foreign policy elites chose to take on this role, and they can choose to leave it behind. -- Fiona Harrigan * Reason *Original…A bold and sweeping reinterpretation of history…It is also a tract for our times. As such, its key point is that the United States’ commitment to global military dominance arose from the specific, unforeseen and exceptional circumstances of 1940–41 and represented a departure from the nation’s previous path. -- John A. Thompson * S-USIH: Society for U.S. Intellectual History *A stimulating revisionist view that sees the move to world dominance as a conscious choice. * Choice *Wertheim…details the thinking behind America’s pursuit of global dominance from the 1940s to the present day in this impeccably researched debut history…This fine-grained account sheds new light on an era and a worldview too often obscured by gauzy patriotism. * Publishers Weekly *Influential…Since World War II, the U.S. idea of internationalism has become fatally intertwined with the idea of maintaining the United States’ global military dominance. -- Michael Hirsch * Foreign Policy *

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Book SynopsisThe Historia Augusta is a biographical collection written by a single author under six pseudonyms that covers the lives of the Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285). While it is our most detailed surviving source for this period, it has more value as an enigmatic work of literary fiction than as history.Trade ReviewThe task of editing and revising the work of another scholar cannot be an easy task. Yet Rohrbacher has handled his endeavour with admirable skill and respect. The result is a welcome and, one might add, needed addition to the Loeb Classical Library, and will surely serve anglophone readers of this most beguiling of texts for years to come. -- Christopher Mallan * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

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Book SynopsisTogether, the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium, and the Institut des Musées Nationaux du Zaire (IMNZ) in the Congo have defined and marketed Congolese art and culture.Trade Review“This masterful study of Belgian and Congolese collecting and exhibitions of African arts, and the murky heritage politics so implied, offers insights for understanding colonial and postcolonial histories of representation anywhere in the world.”“Authentically African successfully shows how colonial tensions between politics and creativity left their imprint on colonial as well as on postcolonial Congo… this book remains a necessary introduction to some key chapters in the rich and complex entrance of arts premiers into world cultural histories.” * American Historical Review *“This is an important book that fills a gap in our knowledge about museums in this geographical area as well as our understanding of the role of political ideologies, a topic which has been well covered in South Africa, for example, but not as much by scholars in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. … An impressive analysis.” * Museum Anthropology Review *“This well-informed book is the result of a careful inquiry carried out ‘on the spot’ in Congo, Belgium, and North America. … Authentically African successfully shows how colonial tensions between politics and creativity left their imprint on colonial as well as on postcolonial Congo. … This book remains a necessary introduction to some key chapters in the rich and complex entrance of arts premiers into world cultural histories.” * American Historical Review *“[An] impressive exploration of how and postcolonial powers in former Zaire utilized ‘cultural guardianship’ to justify their political legitimacy and to establish cultural and political economies nationally and internationally.” * African Studies Quarterly *“Authentically African is an impressively researched study of material culture and its institutions in the construction of Congolese cultural and political projects. Van Beurden’s fascinating examination of objects and collections in cultural and political economies makes a significant contribution to several bodies of scholarship, from those focused on material culture, heritage, and identity politics to those concerned with African cultural institutions as part of the global landscape.”

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Highly recommended. . . This excellent book contributes to the body of work confirming that publicly subsidized sports facilities are unwise investments for taxpayers. . . By telling the story of property tax breaks and other corporate welfare in building the United Center, Dinces reminds readers that their beloved sports teams will take advantage of an adoring public every time. The only thing left to figure out is why people allow it to happen again and again." * Choice *“Dinces effectively uses Jordan and the Bulls to analyze complicated issues surrounding the economics of professional sports in the late twentieth century. . . . Bulls Markets demonstrates how scholars can use sports as a lens to analyze important issues, such as economic inequality, that touch all Americans regardless of whether they root for the home team." * The Journal of American History *“The role of sports teams in revitalizing cities is too often taken for granted by sportswriters and urban commentators alike. In Bulls Markets, Dinces does the invaluable work of taking a no-holds-barred look at what the Michael Jordan Bulls meant to Chicago—both economically and emotionally—to determine once and for all what the city gained from a championship team, and which segment of a changing city reaped these spoils.” * Neil deMause, author of Field of Schemes *“Bulls Markets is a penetrating and provocative account of the role of Michael Jordan and the championship Bulls in Chicago’s cultural and economic development. Dinces brings together a wealth of interesting research that asks important questions about the role of sports in urban growth, spatial evolution, and social inequality. Dinces’s analysis will have resonance for the citizens and politicians in many cities and should be required reading for public servants contemplating investment in sports infrastructure.” * Andrew Zimbalist, author of Circus Maximus *“Bulls Markets is a terrific book: fine sports history, of course, and excellent urban history. Dinces reveals how wealthy owners hijack our beloved teams, and how politicians and league cartels do the bidding of the rich. Drilling deep into the story of the Bulls and Chicago, Dinces shows us that sports are part of the larger transformation of contemporary cities. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is an important book for anyone interested in urban history, politics, and economics.” * Elliott Gorn, Loyola University Chicago *“A must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of sport, politics, and the economy.” * Journal of Urban Affairs *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Bullish on Image: Basketball and the Promotion of Postindustrial Chicago 2 “Normally, Heroes Cost You Money”: Bulls Fans in the New Gilded Age 3 The Bulls as “Good Business”: The United Center and Redeveloping Chicago’s Near West Side 4 Anchor or Shipwreck? The United Center and Economic Development in West Haven 5 “Peanut Envy”: The United Center’s War against Sidewalk Vendors 6 “Nothing but Net Profits”: Public Dollars and Tax Policy at the United Center Conclusion Appendix A: Logistic Regression Analysis of 1993 General Social Survey Data Appendix B: City of Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois State Campaign Contributions by United Center Ownership and Executives, 1980–2016 Appendix C: United Center Property-Tax Savings Appendix D: United Center Amusement-Tax Savings Notes Index

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Book SynopsisFew aspects of Scottish history inspire as fervent an interest as the wars with England. The exploits of not one, but two, national heroes – William Wallace and Robert Bruce – have excited the attention of a host of novelists, filmmakers, artists and songwriters, as well as historians. But few have ventured to examine it in depth from an English perspective. Yet there could have been no Wallace or Bruce, no Stirling Bridge or Bannockburn, without the English kings’ efforts to subjugate their northern neighbour. This book explores how Edward I attempted to bring the Scottish kingdom under his control during the last years of the thirteenth and early years of the fourteenth centuries. Despite England’s overwhelming military might, victory was by no means inevitable, and Scotland’s leaders proved able to create a successful front to repel a far more powerful enemy. Packed with detail, description and analysis, Under the Hammer paints a vivid picture of a key period in the history of both nations.

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Book SynopsisArkady Ostrovsky is a Russian-born, British journalist who has spent fifteen years reporting from Moscow, first for the Financial Times and then as a bureau chief for The Economist. He studied Russian theatre history in Moscow and holds a PhD in English Literature from Cambridge University. His translation of Tom Stoppard's trilogy, The Coast of Utopia, has been published and staged in Russia.Trade ReviewOstrovsky has written a real insiders' story of Russia's post-Soviet "counter-revolution" - an important and timely book. * Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag and Iron Curtain *How post-Soviet Russia got from there to here makes a gripping story, told here brilliantly by a writer who watched it unfolding. -- Tom StoppardA vivid account of the evolution of modern Russia... Ostrovsky shows how the liberal dreams of the Gorbachev era gave way to the authoritarian nationalism of the Putin period. -- Gideon Rachman * 'Books of the Year', Financial Times *Moving and brilliantly detailed -- Rachel Polonsky * 'Books of the Year', TLS *Essential, timely, and always gripping, Arkady Ostrovsky's book explains today's reinvention of Russia, from the fall of the USSR to the rise of Putin, by chronicling the power, the money and the media with the nuanced analysis of a Moscow veteran and the narrative flair of a true chronicler of the mysteries of the Kremlin. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar *For a decade Arkady Ostrovsky has been the most insightful foreign correspondent in Moscow, and in The Invention of Russia he uses his deep understanding of the country he loves to tell the gripping, tragic story of its recent history. A brilliantly original, illuminating and essential book. * A. D. Miller, Booker-shortlisted author of Snowdrops & The Faithful Couple *Russia has always been a place where intellectuals, propagandists, viziers and prophets have played a grand role. All the gangster, KGB and oligarch focused analyses of the country's recent history have overlooked the men of ideas behind the tumultuous changes. Now comes Arkady Ostrovsky, with a detailed, gripping intellectual history of the newspaper editors, ideologues, television gurus and spin doctors who "invented post-Soviet Russia". * Peter Pomerantsev, author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible *Russia's surprisingly free media were once a powerful instrument of reform. In his illuminating and saddening account, Arkady Ostrovsky tells how all but a very few have turned instead - deliberately, cynically, and on behalf of the state - to creating the distorted image of reality which shapes the country today. * Sir Rodric Braithwaite, former British Ambassador to Russia and the USSR *Arkady Ostrovsky's dazzling book flags up the conflicts over ideas, morality and national destiny in Moscow politics from Gorbachev to Putin - a triumph of narrative skill and historical empathy based on personal experience and rigorous research. * Robert Service *For many Russians and most foreign observers the defeat of the coup against Gorbachev in the summer of 1991 seemed to herald an age in which liberty would triumph in Russia and the country would join the Western community of peoples. The turn to authoritarian nationalism at home and confrontation with the West is a source of dismay and even despair. Arkady Ostrovsky traces the descent from the heady days of 1991 with deep local knowledge, a journalist's fluent style and sharp eye for detail, and wit. He places much of the blame on those who owned and dominated the media in the fifteen years after the fall of the Soviet Union. * Dominic Lieven, author of Towards the Flame and Russia Against Napoleon *I was gripped by Arkady Ostrovsky's book. This is essential reading for anyone wishing to be more precisely informed about Russia today. * Ralph Fiennes *Compelling... Expertly told, with an eye for colourful detail and interesting personalities, Ostrovsky fashions a strong argument * The Tablet *A focused, bracing look at how the control of the media has helped plot the Russian political trajectory from dictatorship and back again... Astute, accessible, illuminating * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *Fast-paced and excellently written... A much needed, dispassionate and eminently readable explanation * New York Times *The reader feels as if on a grand tour, with Ostrovsky at the elbow. . . He is particularly good at hearing the nuances and seeing how identity, ideology and personal experience undermined hopes for democracy and reform. * Washington Post *How did Putinism come to pervade the psyche of the nation?... Ostrovsky's sparkling prose and deep analysis provide not only a sweeping tour d'horizon of Russia's malaise, but also a description of the process by which anti-modern ideas combine with postmodern actions to buttress the country's authoritarian kleptocratic system. * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe Elizabethan court was a vibrant and colourful place, where the inherited traditions and technological skill that had characterised the Middle Ages came face to face with the decorative techniques of the Renaissance. This book shows how the Royal Armouries' collections can be studied to gain insight into this creative and dynamic period.

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Book SynopsisA bold call for the American Left to extend their politics to the issues of Israel-Palestine In this major work of daring criticism and analysis, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Israel-Palestine expert Mitchell Plitnick spotlight how one-sided pro-Israel policies reflect the truth-bending grip of authoritarianism on both Israel and the United States. Except for Palestine argues that progressives and liberals who oppose regressive policies on immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and other issues must extend these core principles to the oppression of Palestinians. In doing so, the authors take seriously the political concerns and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians, demonstrating the extent to which U.S. policy has made peace harder to attain. They also unravel the conflation of advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely and essential intervention by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, including Israel’s growing disdain for democracy, the effects of occupation on Palestine, the siege of Gaza, diminishing American funding for Palestinian relief, and the campaign to stigmatize any critique of Israeli occupation. Except for Palestine is a searing polemic and a cri de coeur for elected officials, activists, and everyday citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.Trade ReviewPraise for Except for Palestine:Winner of the Palestine Book Awards” Counter Current Award“A remarkable little book. . . . Except for Palestine should be read by anyone interested in events in Israel/Palestine—and obviously in particular, anyone claiming to be progressive and liberal.”—Palestine Chronicle “[A] principled cri de coeur to progressives everywhere. . . . Except for Palestine is a crucial and ultimately hopeful tool that better equips progressives to combat injustices within their own political circles.”—Mondoweiss“For too long, many have championed the rights and liberties of oppressed peoples here and abroad, but remained silent on Palestinian freedom, or even worse, supported U.S. policies that render Palestinian humanity and suffering invisible. This clear and courageous book is a clarion call for moral integrity and political consistency.”—Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary“Hill and Plitnick deliver a thoughtful and incisive analysis of how progressive commitments to racial and social justice are undermined by the ‘Palestinian exception.’ Building the civil rights movement for the twenty-first century in America requires an international intersectionality that necessarily includes advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Except for Palestine is timely and vital.”—Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District“Except for Palestine calls on progressives to apply the same principles to Israel-Palestine that they apply to the U.S. It’s a simple, radical, and deeply important argument, which anyone who cherishes justice should not ignore.”—Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism “Hill and Plitnick have produced a timely and powerful indictment of decades of U.S. policy exceptionalizing Israel at the expense of progressive values. Their thorough examination of American progressives’ intellectual and moral hypocrisy when it comes to defending Palestinians’ human rights, civil rights, and right to challenge Israeli occupation is a valuable resource.”—Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace“This book explores some of the most fundamental contradictions confronting liberal spaces in the U.S. and makes a powerful case for the progressive core values of humanity, justice, and dignity to finally include the Palestinian people.”—Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights“Except for Palestine cogently explores the reasons for the silence of so many progressives and liberals when it comes to the unceasing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. Hill and Plitnick dismantle one by one the arguments used to justify this shameful silence, and in doing so provide an eloquent, balanced, and hard-hitting analysis of why ending an egregious exception to accepted norms of justice and equality is so imperative.”—Rashid Khalidi, author of Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East“A timely and compelling treatise on the moral failings of U.S. policy and American politics in relation to Israel/Palestine.”—Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft “An accessible, in-depth analysis that takes U.S. politics to task for normalising both Israel’s colonial violence and, as a result, the oppression of the Palestinian people.”—Middle East Monitor

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This substantially revised second edition of The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion remains the only comprehensive survey in English of methods and methodology in the discipline. Designed for non-specialists and upper undergraduate-/graduate-level students, it discusses the range of methods currently available to stimulate interest in unfamiliar methods and enable students and scholars to evaluate methodological issues in research.The Handbook comprises 39 chapters â 21 of which are new, and the rest revised for this edition. A total of 56 contributors from 10 countries cover a broad range of topics divided into three clear parts:â Methodologyâ Methodsâ TechniquesThe first section addresses general methodological issues: including comparison, research design, research ethics, intersectionality, and theorizing/analysis. The second addresses specific methods: including advanced computational methods, autoeth

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Book SynopsisContains the English translations of Apollodorus' "Library" and Hyginus' "Fabulae" - the two important surviving 'handbooks' of classical mythography. This work discusses the issues of authorship, aim, and influence. It also includes an index of people and geographic locations, and an index of authors and works cited by the mythographers.Trade ReviewTo refer to this volume as just a translation is misleading, because Smith and Trzaskoma have provided much more, most notably the best short introduction to ancient mythography--and these particular authors--available in English. . . . The translations themselves are clear and accurate. [An] admirable volume. Smith and Trzaskoma are to be commended. --Kris Fletcher, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewEvery student and scholar of Greek mythology and the mythographic tradition will want to own this book, and every library should have it on the shelf. Smith and Trzaskoma have produced an indispensable volume that is easy to use and understand. They have invested a tremendous amount of time and scholarship to make this a valuable resource for traditionalists and non-traditionalists alike. Even the general reader can benefit from their judicious essays, thoughtful translations, and concise textual notes. Teachers of mythology will welcome this handbook for its readability and applicability to general mythology books currently in use. Everything about this work will make it the standard handbook for years to come. --Paul Properzio, The Classical JournalThese two translations are excellent, finding a good balance of accuracy and readability. . . . the Apollodorus, which has a few relatively recent competitors, adopts a style that will be much more welcome to readers than other renderings currently available. The translation of the Fabulae will be especially welcome for teaching, since it is difficult to find this in a readable English version. The General Introduction strikes a balance--both informed and informal--that will appeal to instructors and students. There is certainly nowhere else one can go to find such a succinct yet thorough discussion of these major Greek mythographers. . . the discussion remains readable, focused, and pleasantly informal. The maps and genealogical charts are excellent and useful. . . these charts create something truly useful for student readers. --Daniel W. Berman, Pennsylvania State University

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Book SynopsisA classicist best known for his translations of Homer, Sappho, Hesiod, and Callimachus returns to Roman poetry, offering a resonant new Aeneid.Trade ReviewAdapting words of the ancient critic Longinus, [Lombardo] refers to the intense light of noon of the Iliad, the magical glow of the setting sun in the Odyssey, and the chiaroscuro of the Aeneid, a darkness visible. This latter phrase is the title of a famous interpretation of the Aeneid by W. R. Johnson, who contributes a splendid essay to the translation. Whether recited or read, the present volume stands as another fine performance on Lombardo's part. Summing up: Highly recommended. --C. Fantazzi, CHOICELombardo . . . tends to let Virgil be Virgil, and so avoids imposing unwarranted interpretation on the unwary reader. . . . [W.R. Johnson's] introduction is masterful and illuminating. --Hayden Pelliccia, The New York Review of BooksCrisp, idiomatic, and precise, this is a translation for our era. The list of further reading, grounded in the writings of W.R. Johnson (who also wrote the Introduction) and Michael C. J. Putnam, suggests the context that informs the translation: here, as the translator says in the Preface, you will find an Aeneid that works more in the shadows than in the light. . . . This translation would be excellent for classroom use: not only would it incite fascinating discussions about issues of war and empire, but it also reads well aloud. . . . Together with Johnson's Introduction, this volume offers the Aeneid in terms that will resonate strongly with the general reader of today. --Sarah Spence, New England Classical Journal

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Book SynopsisNEW AND UPDATED EDITIONA magisterial and profoundly perceptive survey of Britain's post-war role on the global stage, from Suez to Brexit. 'The fullest long-run political and diplomatic narrative yet of Britain's fateful, tragi-comic road to Brexit.' DAVID KYNASTON'An instant classic . . . Stephens is a master of historical codebreaking.' PETER HENNESSEYAward-winning Financial Times journalist Philip Stephens paints a fascinating portrait of sixty years - from Suez to Brexit - as Britain struggles to reconcile its waning power with its past glory. Drawing on decades of personal contact and interviews with senior politicians and diplomats in Britain, the United States and across the capitals of Europe, Britain Alone is a magisterial and deeply perceptive history of our nation and how we arrived at the state we are in.'Commanding . . . Rarely if ever, in the history of the Britis

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Book SynopsisA full history of the festival of HalloweenTrade ReviewAn excellent and comprehensive exploration of this fascinating subject. -- Philip Carr-Gomm

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Book SynopsisOn the morning of Saturday 22nd April 1978, members of an Active Service Unit of the IRA hijacked a car and crossed the countryside to the town of Lisburn. Within an hour, they had killed an off-duty policeman in front of his young son. In Anatomy of a Killing, award-winning journalist Ian Cobain documents the hours leading up to the killing, and the months and years of violence, attrition and rebellion surrounding it. Drawing on interviews with those most closely involved, as well as court files, police notes, military intelligence reports, IRA strategy papers, memoirs and government records, this is a unique perspective on the Troubles, and a revelatory work of investigative journalism.Trade ReviewBy homing in on one man's violent death, Ian Cobain tells a riveting and tragic story but, while doing that, he has also written a precise, compelling history of the Troubles. It's one of the best I've read -- Roddy DoyleA remarkable piece of forensic journalism and a worthy addition to the Troubles bookshelf -- Ed MoloneyIan Cobain has provided a superb piece of journalism that avoids any moralising or analysing from his own perspective and that has a powerful impact on the reader, forcing the reader to consider the humanity of the players but also leaving space for the reader to make the final judgment on who was right and who was wrong or if the whole sorry mess could have been avoided -- Malachi O’DohertyAnatomy of a Killing is meticulously researched and the results are arresting. For anyone who grew up in The Troubles, this will be a valuable reminder of just how dark a shadow we lived under. For many others, it will be shocking to discover what people in one part of the British Isles had to endure in recent times -- Timothy PhiliipsIan Cobain has written a brilliant and balanced account of the ugly war of attrition fought between the IRA and the British state. He traces the interwoven lives of an IRA team, revealing the social divisions, injustices and passions that that led to a brutal killing in the late 1970s. His reconstruction of a forgotten assassination and its reverberations offers a compelling microhistory of the Troubles, and explains why Northern Ireland is still a deeply traumatised society -- Ian McBride, Foster Professor of Irish History, University of OxfordAn ambitious social and political history of the Troubles, drawing on court files, interviews, police notes and IRA strategy papers... Cobain leaves no perspective unexamined... A deftly rendered history that refuses to simplify a messy and tragic period * Prospect *A brilliant, captivating, richly illuminating account of a brutal killing. Essential reading for anyone interested in the Northern Ireland conflict * Richard English, author of Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Provocative. . . . A useful corrective to the pervasive and misleading Europe-bashing that often occupies the global press."---Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author Simon Winchester, a human history of land around the world: who mapped it, owned it, stole it, cared for it, fought for it and gave it back.In 1889, thousands of hopeful people raced southward from the Kansas state line and westward from the Arkansas boundary to stake claims on the thousands of acres of unclaimed pastures and meadows. Across the twentieth century, water was dammed and drained in Holland so that a new province, Flevoland, rose up, unchartered and requiring new thinking. In 1850, California legislated the theft of land from Native Americans. An apology came in 2019 from the governor, but what of the call for reparations or return? What of government confiscation of land in India, or questions of fairness when it comes to New Zealand's Maori population and the legacy of settlers?The ownership of land has always been complicated, opaque, and more than a little anarchic when viewed from the outside. In this book, Simon Winchester explores the the stewardship of land, the ways it is delineated and changes hands, the great disputes, and the questions of restoration particularly in the light of climate change and colonialist reparation.A global study, this is an exquisite exploration of what the ownership of land might really mean not in dry-as-dust legal terms, but for the people who live on it.Trade Review‘The intricate vocabulary used to talk about land is one of the many pleasures … The theme could not be more topical … It packs in a wealth of ideas and human drama – and gives a fresh view of centuries of social conflict seen through a geographer’s lens’Financial Times ‘Spend some time with Simon Winchester, and you will sail oceans, survive earthquakes, peer into volcanoes, pore over maps, mine the origins of language and measure the immeasurable world … Poignant … Winchester is good … adding dashes of drama, narrative, indignation and, above all, connection to disparate historical accounts … There is soul in this book … A stirring call for communal imperatives, even if its history recounts the constant allure of private ownership’Washington Post ‘Moving across varied histories and geographies, he offers us one case study after another of how the once seemingly inexhaustible surface of the Earth has devolved into a commodity … Winchester is a master at capturing the Old World wonder and romance … His prose frequently exudes the comfort and charm of a beloved encyclopaedia come to life, centuries and continents abutting through the pages’New Yorker ‘Few authors of narrative nonfiction have ranged across the global landscape more widely … In his latest engrossing voyage, the author turns to the land itself, covering a sizable portion of the 37 billion acres that compose the Earth … [A] unique blend of wide-eyed curiosity, meticulous research, and erudite analysis … Of course, this being Winchester, ‘Land’ abounds with dozens of eye-opening factoids to please any fan of popular history … But this is no mere bathroom book packed with intriguing facts. His storytelling talents on full display … Winchester’s colourfully rendered capsule biographies help to convey the gravity of certain historical milestones, and nearly 60 illustrations and photographs add to the experience … Winchester is, once again, a consummate guide’Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisIn Empire's Crossroads, Carrie Gibson offers readers a vivid, authoritative and action-packed history of the Caribbean. For Gibson, everything was created in the West Indies: the Europe of today, its financial foundations built with sugar money: the factories and mills built as a result of the work of slaves thousands of miles away; the idea of true equality as espoused in Saint Domingue in the 1790s; the slow progress to independence; and even globalization and migration, with the ships passing to and fro taking people and goods in all possible directions, hundreds of years before the term 'globalization' was coined. From Cuba to Haiti, from Dominica to Martinique, from Jamaica to Trinidad, the story of the Caribbean is not simply the story of slaves and masters - but of fortune-seekers and pirates, scientists and servants, travellers and tourists. It is not only a story of imperial expansion - European and American - but of global connections, and alsoTrade ReviewVivid and thought-provoking * Spectator *Carrie Gibson manages to weave 500 years of complex history into a brilliant narrative ... [A] strikingly assured debut. * Observer *Carrie Gibson has written a compelling history of the Caribbean, rightly placing it at the heart of European imperialism. This is a gripping account by a gifted scholar and story-teller -- Tristram HuntA fine introduction to the history of a turbulent and fascinating region * The Times *Carrie Gibson has written a judicious, readable and extremely well-informed account of a part of the world whose history is seldom acknowledged. Too many people know the Caribbean only as a tourist destination; she takes us, instead, into its fascinating, complex and often tragic past. No vacation there will ever feel quite the same again. -- Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's GhostSharp, gripping ... packed with the stories of tyrants and insurgents, and images of violence and beauty ... A great read about some fantastically absorbing - and to many people, little-known - history ... An exceptionally impressive debut. -- Alex von Tunzelman * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisThis is the true story of the greatest special forces' operation of the 20th Century and the first shot in the West's long war against international terrorism. It is a tale of human drama and unbearable tension in which courage, comradeship, fanaticism, incompetence and luck all play their part.Trade ReviewThis is a minute-by-minute narrative of that week by a scrupulous and thorough historian, who has written what will most likely be the definitive work on the subject and produced a tense and riveting account of what has come to be known as the Entebbe raid. By means of extraordinarily deep research, David essentially lets the characters speak for themselves...This is the achievement of a masterly, first-rate historian. * The New York Times Book Review *It's a brilliantly orchestrated book, wonderfully rich in detail, but at the same time roaring along at a heart-thumping pace... I embarked on this book as someone not particularly interested in the Middle East, or in adventure tales of soldiers in action; I finished it in a state of high tension, buzzing through the pages in the need to know what happened next. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Long fuse. Slow burn. Big bang. A Krakatoa of a tale. * Damien Lewis, author of Operation Certain Death *Combining exceptional research with gripping storytelling, Saul David's Operation Thunderbolt is an unputdownable account of perhaps the most extraordinary Special Forces mission in history. I loved it. * Rowland White, author of 'Vulcan 607' *Totally thrilling, totally poignant. Bringing the greatest special forces operation of modern times blazingly to life, David's book, full of new revelations, written with the excitement of an action-movie, the authority of a historian, is great drama, superb storytelling - and yet tells us much about the Middle East today. * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem *A brilliant, breathless account that reads like the plot of an action movie. * Sunday Telegraph *Better than fiction can ever hope to be and true to Saul David's characteristically authentic style, this breathtakingly tense and incredibly moving account of history's most audacious Special Forces operation is one of the best true stories I've ever read. Gritty, visceral and edge-of-the-seat dramatic, Operation Thunderbolt ticks all the boxes and is destined to be one of the military history classics of the decade. - Major Chris Hunter, author of Broadcaster and Former Special Forces Bomb Disposal Operator. * Major Chris Hunter, author of Eight Lives Down *Gripping... will introduce a whole new generation of readers to an extraordinary story... The climax of the rescue itself is brilliantly told; nearly 40 years on, you still heave a sigh of relief when the last when the last Hercules lifts off from the Entebbe runway and lumbers off into the night and a new daw for the hostages - and for Israel. * Jewish Chronicle *For the first time in my reading life I felt physically thrilled by a book... Wonderful. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Literary Review *Gripping... As the hours tick down to the threatened bloody denouement, tension mounts and the atmosphere thickens... A page-turner, with its single clear mission, cast of distinct personalities and very filmic scenes. * The Spectator *Told with the style and pace of TV thrillers such as 24. * The Times *A meticulously researched, skilfully constructed, carefully balanced and absorbing book. * The Observer *A ripping read and a meticulously researched work of history. * Evening Standard *Combines phenomenal research with the paciness of a thriller. * Economist Intelligent Life *Well-researched and highly readable. * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly argued and elegantly written examination of the intricate web of belief, myth and society in the Neolithic period.Trade Review'A literary and scientific tour de force' - Nature'An engaging, well-written and erudite book, which makes many suggestive observations and provides stimulating reading' - British Archaeology'Gives us as clear a picture as I’ve seen of how the people of the New Stone Age thought, of the myths that sustained them and of what they really believed' - Sunday Telegraph'Bold, provocative, scintillating … a brilliant synthesis of archaeology and human neurology … food for thought on every page' - Brian FaganTable of ContentsPreface • 1. The Revolutionary Neolithic • 2. The Consciousness Contract • 3. Seeing and Building a Cosmos • 4. Close Encounters with a Built Cosmos • 5. Domesticating Wild Nature • 6. Treasure the Dream Whatever the Terror • 7. The Mound in the Dark Grove • 8. Brú na Bóinne • 9. Religion de Profundis • 10. East is East and West is West

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Book SynopsisIn the Middle Ages, it was thought that praying at the right shrine could save you from just about anything, from madness and famine to false imprisonment and even shipwreck. Kingdoms, cities, and even individual trades had patron saints who would protect them from misfortune and bring them wealth and prosperity, and their feast days were celebrated with public holidays and pageants. With saints believed to have the ear of God, veneration of figures such as Saint Thomas Becket, Saint Cuthbert, and Saint Margaret brought tens of thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life to sites across the country. Saints, Shrines and Pilgrims takes the reader across Britain, providing a map of the most important religious shrines that pilgrims would travel vast distances to reach, as well as descriptions and images of the shrines themselves. Featuring over one hundred stunning photographs and a index of places to visit, it explains the history of pilgrimage in Britain and the imporTrade Review“Rosewell crams an impressive amount into this handsomely illustrated book, from the processes of saint-making and the care lavished on shrines, to the chaos and destruction wrought by the Reformation.” * Catholic Herald *Table of ContentsIntroduction Sainthood Shrines Christ and the Virgin Mary Saints in Daily Life Legends and Miracles Pilgrimages Reformation Glossary of Well-known Saints Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA riveting story of dislocation, survival, and the power of stories to break or save usWhen Clemantine Wamariya was six years old, her world was torn apart. She didn't know why her parents began talking in whispers, or why her neighbours started disappearing, or why she could hear distant thunder even when the skies were clear.As the Rwandan civil war raged, Clemantine and her sister Claire were forced to flee their home. They ran for hours, then walked for days, not towards anything, just away. they sought refuge where they could find it, and escaped when refuge became imprisonment. Together, they experienced the best and the worst of humanity. After spending six years seeking refuge in eight different countries, Clemantine and Claire were granted refugee status in America and began a new journey.Honest, life-affirming and searingly profound, this is the story of a girl's struggle to remake her life and create new stories - without forgetting the old ones.____________________________________'Extraordinary and heartrending. Wamariya is as fiercely talented as she is courageous' JUNOT DIAZ, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'Brilliant ... has captivated me for a couple of years' SELMA BLAIRTrade ReviewExtraordinary * The Guardian *Sharp, moving memoir . . . Wamariya tells her own story with feeling, in vivid prose. She has remade herself, as she explains was necessary to do, on her own terms * New York Times *Her introspection, honesty and humanity in sharing her story and exploring these questions are thoughtful and moving to read * Culture Fly *A riveting story and one that, somehow, gives hope too * Stylist, Spring Picks *Clemantine Wamariya has written a defining, luminescent memoir that shines a sharp light on the dark forces that roil our age . . . Her gripping and brutally honest reflections inspire us to count our blessings and summon us to follow her fierce and unrelenting example to try to help build the world we wish to see -- Samantha Power, author of A Problem from Hell

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Book SynopsisThis book will be warmly welcomed by local historians interested in the history of Norwich, while its attractive style and presentation will ensure its popularity with the general reader, whether resident or visitor.

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Book SynopsisSensational new biography - using the discovery of long lost contemporary documents - of the Russian peasant mystic whose malign influence helped lead to the downfall of the Romanovs.An unprecedented insight into the most enigmatic of men thanks to the use of previously unavailable sources and interviews.

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Book SynopsisNoisy popular liberal interventionism? Or a more conservative, diplomatic approach concentrating on co-operation between nations? This is the debate that lies at the heart of modern politics and Hurd traces its most interesting and influential exponents.He starts with Canning and Castelreagh in post Waterloo Britain; to a generation later, the victory of the interventionist Palmerston over Aberdeen; then to Salisbury (Imperialism) and Grey (European balance of power); and finally to Eden and Bevin who combined to lay the foundations of a post-war compromise.That delicate balance has served its purpose for over half a century, but as we enter a new era of terrorism and racial conflict, the old questions and divisions are re-surfacing . . .Trade ReviewA book of authority and insight -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *Unexpectedly enjoyable...it's a spry account with some vivid vignettes. -- Ian Pindar * GUARDIAN *A fascinating insight into the second most powerful job in British politics. * HUDDERSFIELD DAILY EXAMINER *

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Book SynopsisKEVIN SHILLINGTON trained history teachers at the University of Botswana in the 1980s. His years of teaching experience in Africa have included African History at school and university level. He holds an MA and PhD in African History from the University of London, UK, is the author of many books on African history and is a renowned authority in this field.Trade ReviewHistory of Africa remains the best introductory textbook on the market. This comprehensive and engaging overview of African history takes the reader on a fascinating journey from human origins to the present. * Professor Alicia Decker, Pennsylvania State University, USA *One of the most comprehensive and incisive treatments of African history. Lucid and coherent, it conveys the complexities and diversity of the African historical experience. Students, scholars and general readers will find this narrative engaging and compelling. * Dr Bonny Ibhawoh, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada *A clear, readable narrative of the entire span of the continent's history, augmented by the best maps and illustrations of any textbook. * Professor Lisa A. Lindsay, University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill, USA *Shillington's History of Africa remains as relevant as ever. Starting with the origins of humankind and authoritatively guiding readers to the present day, this is a superb account of a vast story, tenaciously placing Africa's peoples at its centre. * Dr Wayne Dooling, SOAS, University of London, UK *The standard textbook on the subject. Readable and comprehensive, the latest edition has numerous colour photos, and has been thoroughly updated. * Professor Hakim Adi, University of Chichester, UK *The best edition of Shillington yet. * Professor Paul Landau, University of Maryland at College Park, USA *Table of ContentsIntroduction SECTION ONE: EARLY AND LATER PRE-HISTORY 1 Early prehistory of Africa 2 Later prehistory: farming and pastoralism in tropical Africa and Ancient Egypt SECTION TWO: EARLY IRON AGE 3 The impact of iron in north and west Africa 4 The Early Iron Age in central, eastern and southern Africa SECTION THREE: RELIGION AND EMPIRE IN NORTHERN AND WESTERN AFRICA 5 North Africa to 1000 CE 6 Trans-Saharan trade and the kingdom of ancient Ghana 7 Islam and the Sudanic states of west Africa SECTION FOUR: RELIGION, TRADE AND CHIEFTAINCY IN EASTERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA 8 Eastern Africa to the sixteenth century 9 Later Iron Age states and societies of central and southern Africa to the sixteenth century 10 Trading towns of the east African coast to the sixteenth century SECTION FIVE: WEST AFRICA IN THE ERA OF THE SLAVE TRADE 11 The Atlantic slave trade, sixteenth to eighteenth century 12 West African states and societies, to the eighteenth century SECTION SIX: STATE RENEWAL AND FORMATION IN NORTH, EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA 13 North and north-east Africa to the eighteenth century 14 Central and eastern Africa to the eighteenth century 15 Southern Africa to the eighteenth century SECTION SEVEN: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY BEFORE THE EUROPEAN ‘SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA’ 16 West Africa in the nineteenth century 17 The ending of the Atlantic slave trade 18 Christian Missions, new States and pre-colonial ‘nationalism’ 19 Central and east Africa in the nineteenth century 20 Pre-industrial southern Africa in the nineteenth century 21 North and north-east Africa in the nineteenth century SECTION EIGHT: THE CHALLENGE OF CULTURAL AND POLITICAL IMPERIALISM, LATE-NINETEENTH CENTURY 22 Colonial conquest and African resistance in east, north-central and west Africa 23 Industrialisation, colonial conquest and African resistance in south-central and southern Africa SECTION NINE: THE IMPACT AND NATURE OF COLONIAL RULE, 1890-1945 24 Consolidation of empire: the early period of colonial rule 25 Africa between the wars: the high tide of colonial rule 26 The Second World War and Africa SECTION TEN: THE OVERTHROW OF COLONIALISM 27 The winning of independence (1) 28 The winning of independence (2) 29 The winning of independence (3) SECTION ELEVEN: AFRICA SINCE INDEPENDENCE 30 African responses to the colonial legacy 31 The challenges and dilemmas of development: debt and international aid 32 Contemporary Africa Further Reading Index.

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Book SynopsisWales had a rich gallery of magical specialists (prophets, cunning-men, physicians etc), including many who were suspected of harmful witchcraft. Richard Suggett examines all types of magical specialists, including those regarded as beneficial as well as harmful. Popular belief in witchcraft in Wales did not decline with the abolition of the Witchcraft Act in 1736. Indeed belief in witchcraft beliefs became darker in form and was transformed into a novel form of cursing the use of cursing wells, many of which are still in existence in Wales.

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Book SynopsisIn 1945 Britain was the world''s leading designer and builder of aircraft - a world-class achievement that was not mere rhetoric. And what aircraft they were. The sleek Comet, the first jet airliner. The awesome delta-winged Vulcan, an intercontinental bomber that could be thrown about the sky like a fighter. The Hawker Hunter, the most beautiful fighter-jet ever built and the Lightning, which could zoom ten miles above the clouds in a couple of minutes and whose pilots rated flying it as better than sex.How did Britain so lose the plot that today there is not a single aircraft manufacturer of any significance in the country? What became of the great industry of de Havilland or Handley Page? And what was it like to be alive in that marvellous post-war moment when innovative new British aircraft made their debut, and pilots were the rock stars of the age?

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Book SynopsisWho were the first Britons, and what sort of world did they occupy?In A History of Ancient Britain, much-loved historian Neil Oliver turns a spotlight on the very beginnings of the story of Britain; on the first people to occupy these islands and their battle for survival. There has been human habitation in Britain, regularly interrupted by Ice Ages, for the best part of a million years. The last retreat of the glaciers 12,000 years ago brought a new and warmer age and with it, one of the greatest tsunamis recorded on Earth which struck the north-east of Britain, devastating the population and flooding the low-lying plains of what is now the North Sea. The resulting island became, in time, home to a diverse range of cultures and peoples who have left behind them some of the most extraordinary and enigmatic monuments in the world.Through what is revealed by the artefacts of the past, Neil Oliver weaves the epic story - half a million years of humTrade ReviewThis is a fascinating piece of little-explored history * Catholic Herald *A fine introduction, and an excellent encouragement to get out and see some of the places under discussion * BBC History Magazine *[Oliver] uses his archaeological training to good effect in a text that is both appealing and interesting - nay, fascinating - to those who have little or no training in scientific research * Contemporary Review *[Oliver] succeeds - brilliantly - in making people who lived thousands and tens of thousands of years ago human. In doing so he connects us to our distant past with a vividness and immediacy that catches both your imagination and at times your breath. Buy and read -- John Clare * Family Tree Magazine *Oliver, an archaeologist whose long black hair and piercing gaze has earned him a superstar status, is a fascinating guide * The Lady *Above all, Oliver is a great storyteller, and what a tale it is * Choice *

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