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Book SynopsisAn analysis of the course of Western intellectual history between AD 400 and 1400. It surveys the comparative modes of thought and varying success of Byzantine, Latin-Christian and Muslim cultures, and then proceeds from the 12th-century revival of learning to the high Middle Ages and beyond.

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Book SynopsisIn the first two volumes of this work, Paul Ricoeur examined the relations between time and narrative in historical writing, fiction, and theories of literature. This final volume, a comprehensive reexamination and synthesis of the ideas developed in volumes 1 and 2, stands as Ricoeur's most complete and satisfying presentation of his own philosophy.

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Book SynopsisThe only way to truly discover a city, they say, is on foot. Taking this to extremes, Mark Mason sets out to walk the entire length of the London Underground - overground - passing every station on the way.In a story packed with historical trivia, personal musings and eavesdropped conversations, Mark learns how to get the best gossip in the City, where to find a pint at 7am, and why the Bank of England won''t let you join the M11 northbound at Junction 5. He has an East End cup of tea with the Krays'' official biographer, discovers what cabbies mean by ''on the cotton'', and meets the Archers star who was the voice of ''Mind the Gap''.Over the course of several hundred miles, Mark contemplates London''s contradictions as well as its charms. He gains insights into our fascination with maps and sees how walking changes our view of the world. Above all, in this love letter to a complicated friend, he celebrates the sights, sounds and soul of the greatest city on Trade ReviewEndlessly fascinating * Spectator *An extraordinary odyssey -- Robert Elms * BBC London *This engaging book puts its best foot forward * Independent *Crammed with delightful facts ... a constantly fascinating journey * Shortlist *Rediscovers the Underground * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIt is the most persistent myth of our time: religion is the cause of all violence. But history suggests otherwise. Karen Armstrong, former Roman Catholic nun and one of our foremost scholars of religion, speaks out to disprove the link between religion and bloodshed.* Religion is as old as humanity: Fields of Blood goes back to the Stone Age hunter-gatherers and traces religion through the centuries, from medieval crusaders to modern-day jihadists.* The West today has a warped concept of religion: we regard faith as a personal and private matter, but for most of history faith has informed people's entire outlook on life, and often been inseparable from politics.* Humans undoubtedly have a natural propensity for aggression: the founders of the largest religions Jesus, Buddha, the rabbis of early Judaism, the prophet Muhammad aimed to curb violence and build a more peaceful and just society, but with our growing greed for Trade ReviewKaren Armstrong's wonderful book certainly cleanses the mind. It may even do a little repair work on the heart -- Ferdinand Mount * Spectator *Karen Armstrong is one of our most perceptive and thoughtful writers on religion... Consistently surprising and illuminating, Fields of Blood should be read by anyone interested in understanding the interaction of religion with violence in the modern world -- John Gray * New Statesman *A fascinating and very accessible book... Fields of Blood is a must read for those who want to work for justice and peace. -- Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, University of OxfordMind-boggling… we feel we are in the hands of an expert. Armstrong is doing us a great service -- David Shariatmadari * Guardian *Elegant and powerful, erudite and accurate...dazzling in its breadth and historical detail * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis''Of ways you may speak, but not the Perennial Way;By names you may name, but not the Perennial Name.''The best-loved of all the classical books of China and the most universally popular, the Daodejing or Classic of the Way and Life-Force is a work that defies definition. It encapsulates the main tenets of Daoism, and upholds a way of being as well as a philosophy and a religion. The dominant image is of the Way, the mysterious path through the whole cosmos modelled on the great Silver River or Milky Way that traverses the heavens. A life-giving stream, the Way gives rise to all things and holds them in her motherly embrace. It enables the individual, and society as a whole, to harmonize the disparate demands of daily life and achieve a more profound level of understanding.This new translation draws on the latest archaeological finds and brings out the word play and poetry of the original. Simple commentary accompanies the text, and the introduction provides further historical and inte

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Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20Trade ReviewHistory as literature, meticulously researched and masterfully written. * New York Times Book Review *A formidable achievement. . . . No historian has attempted to weave together in so subtle a manner the threads of the most complex and turbulent period of Caribbean history. * Times Literary Supplement *Brilliant. . . . Startling. * New Statesman *A remarkable book. . . . Intelligent, humane, brilliantly written. * Book World *

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Book SynopsisThe story of the dramatic two years leading to Napoleon's abdication in 1814 - in which he lost control of his empire and, ultimately, of France itself.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition ... an exciting story and it is one to which Munro Price has devoted himself with consummate skill * Reviews in History *Price's book is well paced, cleanly written and thoughtful. * John Bugg, The Times Literary Supplement *Price has rewritten the history of the decline and fall of Napoleon in a highly original and wholly convincing manner. It is an enthralling story, brilliantly told. * T. C. W. Blanning, Emeritus Professor of European History, University of Cambridge *Price has unearthed a wealth of unpublished material that sheds a fascinating light on the motives of the principle players in this extraordinary drama... * Simon Shaw, Mail on Sunday *Munro Price has pulled off a genuine sensation. * Stephan Speicher, Die Zeit, *Nobody who regards history as matter for serious reflection rather as mere colourful epic can afford to ignore this book. * Gustav Seibt, Süddeutsche Zeitung *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Napoleon and his empire, December 1812 2: Plots and alarms, 1812-1813 3: Russia, Austria and Napoleon, 1812-1813 4: War and diplomacy, spring 1813 5: Napoleon and Metternich 6: The congress of Prague 7: From Dresden to Leipzig 8: The battle of the nations 9: Natural frontiers 10: Challenge from within 11: The congress of Chatillon 12: The beginning of the end 13: Talleyrand 14: The End of Glory Epilogue: The hundred days Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA landmark biography of the charismatic king beloved of fourteenth-century EnglandTrade Review“Mark Ormrod’s Edward III is majestically compelling.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year) -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * The Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year) *“Ormrod has mastered the complex interplay of circumstance, motive, and personality to provide an original and important account not only of a King but of a nation at a critical stage of its history. Edward III is a remarkable achievement and deserves a wide readership, both among professional historians and the general public.”—Scott L. Waugh, Times Literary Supplement -- Scott L. Waugh * Times Literary Supplement *“Ormrod’s sheer mastery of his sources informs every page of his text. Here we have the long-awaited authoritative biography of the king for our generation.”—Nigel Saul, Reviews in History -- Nigel Saul * Reviews in History *'Ormrod presents a picture of Edward III that is complex and convincing. Above all, what emerges is the supreme quality of statesmanship and political skill displayed in the king’s best years. This is a masterly study of a complex reign, with its triumphs in the French wars, and with the eventual tragedy of the final years marred by corruption and failing finances.' - Michael Prestwich, author of The Three Edwards: War and State in England, 1272-1377 -- Michael Prestwich'Mark Ormrod's Edward III is a distinguished contribution to the scholarship of medieval England. At the centre is the development, and eventual decline, of the royal personality; chivalric society and its influence is given its due place, as is the king’s leadership of his country in peace and war. At long last we have a book which does full justice to its subject, and which be read with profit by both scholar and general reader alike.' - Christopher Allmand, author of The Hundred Years War: England and France at War, c.1300-c.1450 -- Christopher Allmand'This is a magnificent study of Edward III and his reign, a broadly conceived, richly textured and deeply humane evocation of the king and his age. It is as colourful and captivating — one imagines — as the tapestries with which Edward adorned his apartments; but it is as solidly built as Windsor Castle.' - Michael Bennett, author of Richard II and the Revolution of 1399 -- Michael Bennett'W. Mark Ormrod sets a new and dazzling standard in the writing of biographies of medieval rulers. He brings Edward III vividly to life and a gripping and taut series of analyses focus on the multiple problems facing the English monarchy, Edward's attempts to impose a new agenda, and the lasting effects this had on the character of English kingship.' - Anthony Goodman, author of John of Gaunt: The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe -- Anthony Goodman“Part of the problem is that Edward III’s respect for the conventional images of kingship has obscured his personality, making him seem like a cardboard cut out. Perhaps the greatest merit of Mark Ormrod’s magnificent new biography, is that it penetrates behind this image…..Ormrod is at his best in describing the personality of the King, and his impact on English political society.”—Jonathan Sumpton, Literary Review -- Jonathan Sumpton * Literary Review *"Ormrod (Univ. of York, UK) has proven himself to be the ideal historian to produce a superlative biography of King Edward. . . . Ormrod gets as close to understanding Edward and his reign as anyone is likely to get."—A.C. Reeves, Choice -- A.C. Reeves * Choice *"A long-awaited addition to the English Monarchs series" Northern History Journal * Northern History Journal *"A dauntingly large but majestically compelling study of one of England’s most successful war leaders. Ormrod’s vivid prose captures wonderfully the personal quality of medieval politics." Sunday Telegraph. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWeâre Number One!?: Americaâs Uncertain Standing in the World compares the respective status of the United States to other countries across a wide variety of social, political, and economic metrics.This book demonstrates conclusively that despite Americaâs wealth, its strong economy, its military might, and its soft power dominance, we have far to go in comparison with other democratic, industrialized nations. We may think weâre Number One, but in too many key areasâhealth care, education, combatting poverty, protecting the family, and so forthâwe fall embarrassingly short. The shock to most readers wonât be on one or more specific policy shortcomings, but on the cumulative rankings, chapter after chapter, showing where the U.S. has come up short. This book presents the facts and leaves to policymakers the challenge: how do we fix our broken health care system, how do we mitigate climate disasters, or how do we rein in gun violence. One answer is to look at successful policies created in other countries as case studies.A refreshingly frank and thorough analysis of the United Statesâs relative position in the world, this book will appeal to students, scholars, and practitioners of comparative politics, comparative sociology, public policy, social justice, and American government.

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Book SynopsisIn the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, at the high tide of imperial struggles in North America, an indigenous empire built by Comanche Indians rose to dominate the fiercely contested lands of the American Southwest, the southern Great Plains, and northern Mexico. This book uncovers the lost story of Comanches.Trade Review“An exhaustively researched and strikingly new interpretation of the nomadic group that dominated the Southwest from about 1750 to 1850.”—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times“Hämäläinen succeeds in introducing a new perspective on Southwestern history, mastering Spanish and Mexican historic resources to tell of a horse- and bison-based Comanche empire, Comanchería. . . . Enthusiastically recommended for academic and public libraries.”—Library JournalWinner of the 2010 John C. Ewers Book Award given by the Western History AssociationWinner of the 2009 Award of Merit, sponsored by the Philosophical Society of TexasCo-Silver medal winner of the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Award in the category of HistoryReceived Honorable Mention for the 2008 PROSE Award in the U.S. History and Biography/Autobiography category, sponsored by the Association of American PublishersGold medal winner of the 2008 Book of the Year Award in the category of History, presented by ForeWord magazine“The Comanche Empire is a landmark study that will make readers see the history of southwestern America in an entirely new way.”—David J. Weber, author of Bárbaros: Spaniards and Their Savages in the Age of Enlightenment“This exhilarating book is not just a pleasure to read; important and challenging ideas circulate through it and compel attention. It is a nuanced account of the complex social, cultural, and biological interactions that the acquisition of the horse unleashed in North America, and a brilliant analysis of a Comanche social formation that dominated the Southern Plains. Parts of the book will be controversial, but the book as a whole is a tour de force.”—Richard White, author of The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650–1815“The Comanche Empire is an impressive achievement. That a major Native power emerged and dominated the interior of the continent compels a rethinking of well-worn narratives about colonial America and westward expansion, about the relative power of European and Native societies, and about the directions of change. The book makes a major contribution to Native American history and challenges our understanding of the ways in which American history unfolded.”—Colin G. Calloway, author of One Vast Winter Count: The Native American West before Lewis and Clark“Hämäläinen not only puts Native Americans back into the story but also gives them—particularly the Comanche—recognition as major historical players who shaped events and outcomes.”—Sherry Smith, Southern Methodist University, author of Reimagining Indians: Native Americans Through Anglo Eyes, 1880–1940“Pekka Hämäläinen profoundly alters our understanding of the American Southwest, asserting that Comanche expansion and domination eclipsed European imperialism over the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Readers of this ambitious and discerning ethnohistory learn close-up how the Comanches made colonial as well as native communities the building blocks of their own ascendancy. In a counter-narrative to frontier history and a revision of borderlands study, Hämäläinen features the contingency of historical change and the agency of Indian people.”—Daniel H. Usner, Vanderbilt University

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Book SynopsisThe reign of Mary Tudor has been remembered as an era of sterile repression, when a reactionary monarch launched a doomed attempt to reimpose Catholicism on an unwilling nation. This title argues that Mary's regime was neither inept nor backward looking.Trade Review"'Fires of Faith is a dazzling exercise in historical reappraisal, after which the reign of Mary Tudor will never look quite the same again.' Peter Marshall, Times Literary Supplement 'In this powerful, punchy book he argues that the Marian restoration of English Catholicism was much more than the rather low-profile and sometimes timid attempt to return to the past which even the recent revisionists have portrayed. No, says Duffy (and I must now agree), it was a full-blooded attempt to introduce into England the 'new' Catholicism of the fledgling Counter-Reformation... Once again, Eamon Duffy has changed the landscape of English Reformation history.' J.J. Scarisbridge, The Weekly Standard"

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Book SynopsisW. B. Bartlett, author of Vikings and King Cnut, turns his eye to the legendary Harold Hardrada in this revealing and entertaining new biography of the most famous Viking of them all.

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Book SynopsisImages of the Ice Age, here in its third edition, is the most complete study available of the world''s earliest imagery, presenting a fascinating and up-to-date account of the art of our Ice Age ancestors. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it covers not only the magnificent cave art of famous sites such as Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet, but also other less well-known sites around the world, art discovered in the open air, and the thousands of incredible pieces of portable art in bone, antler, ivory, and stone produced in the same period. In doing so, the book summarizes all the major worldwide research into Ice Age art both past and present, exploring the controversial history of the art''s discovery and acceptance, including the methods used for recording and dating, the faking of decorated objects and caves, and the wide range of theories that have been applied to this artistic corpus. Lavishly illustrated and highly accessible, Images of the Ice Age provides a visual feast and an absTrade Review...a highly recommended read on the alluring yet quietly majestic art of the Ice Age. * Antonio P. Batarda Fernandes, European Journal of Archaeology *The strength of Bahn's book is the vast canon of art it documents. * Paul Pettitt, Current World Archaeology *[A] beautifully illustrated guide to the creative endeavours of our prehistoric predecessors, which provides ample evidence of the former, and goes a long way to ameliorate the latter, combining details discussions of cave paintings and petroglyphs, decorated objects, figurines, and personal adornment with thought-provoking explorations of how they might be interpreted. * Current Archaeology *a very comprehensive guide to the art of the Ice Age * Karekiet and Meander *[In Images of the Ice Age ,Paul Bahn] offers a unique opportunity to appreciate universally important works of art, many of which can never be accessible to the public, and which represents the very earliest evidence of artistic expression. * SALON *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements ; List of Illustrations ; Introduction ; 1. The Discovery of Ice Age Art ; 2. The Oldest 'Art' in the World ; 3. A Worldwide Phenomenon ; 4. Making a Record ; 5. How Old is the Art? ; 6. Fakes and Forgeries ; 7. Portable Art ; 8. Blocks, Rock-Shelters, and Caves ; 9. Art in the Open Air ; 10. What Was Depicted? ; 11. Reading the Messages ; 12. Conclusion ; Notes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"University of Manchester academics Nicholas J Higham and Martin J Ryan reveal the richly textured tapestry woven between the last days of the Roman Empire and the Norman conquest of England. Drawing on a rich array of sources and disciplines such as historical genetics, paleobotany, and numismatics, the authors use primary material, illustrations, maps, photographs and genealogies to bring alive a part of history which 'witnessed the birth of the English people, the establishment of Christianity and the development of the English language.' Superb."—William Yeoman, The West Australian". . . may well establish itself as the standard one-volume study of Anglo-Saxon England for several years to come."—Parergon "Whether you want an accessible introduction to all things Anglo-Saxon, a thorough refresher of key points, or a reliably comprehensive reference tool to dip into, this is a wonderful book. Satisfyingly detailed, the authors assume no specialist knowledge on the part of their readers, but do not talk down to them either. It is an interdisciplinary work, combining lively analysis of written sources with archaeological discoveries, linguistic evidence, landscape archaeology, palaeobotany, genetics, and more. The scope is broad but often zooms in on interesting digressions...Complementing this treasure trove of information is a series of superb maps, we well as generous quantities of big, coloum either.rful photos that vividly illustrate the masterpieces that these supposedly Dark Age peoples were able to create."—Current Archaeology"Higham and Ryan have managed to write a tome that provides a thorough introduction to the complexities of the ‘Anglo-Saxon world’ at a level that will challenge and stimulate informed readers while introducing those new to the subject to what makes it so fascinating." "Of course, it helps that the book weighs in at 447 pages, and that with almost 300 colour illustrations it is a work of beauty: the publishers must be given full credit for investing in the production of such a richly illustrated work on this scale. But this is no picture book. Higham and Ryan do not dumb down for their readers. . . . The authors demonstrate that they are writing about a serious subject worthy of serious consideration." "What is presented right not remains valuable and, indeed, a pleasure to read."—Ryan Lavelle, BBC History Magazine, 1st August 2013"A magisterial new overview the Anglo-Saxon World. . . . Higham and Ryan, marshalling the latest research from archaeology, genetics, paleobotany, and even plain old literary studies... do a superlative job of putting actual day-to-day flesh and bone onto a period that for far too long was rather conveniently labelled ‘The Dark Ages.’ Their efforts – hugely aided by the glorious illustrations with which Yale University Press has packed this pleasingly oversized volume – are comprehensive and successful; the Anglo-Saxon worlds in all their violent splendour come alive in these pages. . . . By its very nature, The Anglo Saxon World represents a factual advance over all similar volumes that have preceded it, but the passion of its enthusiasms is its main recommendation. Our authors have a big, sprawling story to tell – of ornate tombs and sword-hacked skulls, of gorgeous handcrafts and marauding Vikings, and of some remarkable warrior-kings who stitched a country together out of fragments left behind by the most powerful empire the world had ever seen – and they tell it exceedingly well."—Steve Donoghue, Open Letters"The Anglo-Saxon World is a beautifully illustrated overview of the foundational period in British history. . . . It’s a pleasure to peruse, and a mine of fresh insights and new discoveries."—Michael Wood, BBC History Magazine"Full of fresh and original insights, and a delight to peruse, with informative maps and rich illustrations, this is a thought-provoking account that will be of value to specialists but accessible to the much wider range of readers who are fascinated by this formative period in British history. You could hardly have a better, more timely, and more attractive demonstration of why the Anglo-Saxons still matter to us."—Michael Wood, author of In Search of the Dark Ages"This superb book explains clearly and engagingly how the nation of England began. A comprehensive, readable and up-to-date account of an extraordinarily creative period of history."—Francis Pryor, author of Britain AD: The Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons"Higham and Ryan are . . . to be congratulated on their overall achievement. The book is immensely readable, and the new scientific and archaeological evidence it presents is bound to fascinate students."—Catherine E. Karkov, University of Leeds, UK

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Book SynopsisWhy are we speaking English? Replenishing the Earth gives a new answer to that question, uncovering a ''settler revolution'' that took place from the early nineteenth century that led to the explosive settlement of the American West and its forgotten twin, the British West, comprising the settler dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Between 1780 and 1930 the number of English-speakers rocketed from 12 million in 1780 to 200 million, and their wealth and power grew to match. Their secret was not racial, or cultural, or institutional superiority but a resonant intersection of historical changes, including the sudden rise of mass transfer across oceans and mountains, a revolutionary upward shift in attitudes to emigration, the emergence of a settler ''boom mentality'', and a late flowering of non-industrial technologies -wind, water, wood, and work animals - especially on settler frontiers. This revolution combined with the Industrial Revolution to transform settlement into something explosive - capable of creating great cities like Chicago and Melbourne and large socio-economies in a single generation. When the great settler booms busted, as they always did, a second pattern set in. Links between the Anglo-wests and their metropolises, London and New York, actually tightened as rising tides of staple products flowed one way and ideas the other. This ''re-colonization'' re-integrated Greater America and Greater Britain, bulking them out to become the superpowers of their day. The ''Settler Revolution'' was not exclusive to the Anglophone countries - Argentina, Siberia, and Manchuria also experienced it. But it was the Anglophone settlers who managed to integrate frontier and metropolis most successfully, and it was this that gave them the impetus and the material power to provide the world''s leading super-powers for the last 200 years. This book will reshape understandings of American, British, and British dominion histories in the long 19th century. It is a story that has such crucial implications for the histories of settler societies, the homelands that spawned them, and the indigenous peoples who resisted them, that their full histories cannot be written without it.Trade ReviewAstonishing... The book I read this year that will undoubtedly stick in my mind the longest. * Peter Mandler, History Today. *A wonderfully stimulating revisionist account... Provides both rich context and new perspectives for all those interested in understanding the global diaspora of the Scots in recent centuries. * Professor Tom Devine, The Glasgow Herald. *original and intelligent * Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; PART I: SHAPING THE ANGLO-WORLD ; 1. Settling Societies ; 2. The Founding Rupture ; 3. Exploding Wests ; PART II: THE SETTLER REVOLUTION ; 4. The Rise of Mass Transfer ; 5. The Rise of the Settler ; 6. Colonizations ; PART III: TESTING WESTS ; 7. The American West, 1815-60 ; 8. The British West ; 9. Golden Wests? ; 10. Urban Wests ; 11. Last Best Wests ; PART IV: BEYOND THE ANGLO-WESTS ; 12. Re-colonization and the Urban Carnivore ; 13. Beyond the Anglo-World ; 14. Thinking in the Rounds ; Bibliography ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisFor half a century from its publication in 1901 Up from Slavery was the best known book written by an African American. The life of ex-slave Booker T. Washington embodied the legendary rise of the American self-made man, and his autobiography gave prominence for the first time to the voice of a group which had to pull itself up from extreme adversity. This edition includes detailed notes and a fascinating introduction which which puts Washington'sachievement in its historical context.

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Book SynopsisHenry of Huntingdon's History is a major source for events in England and Normandy during his lifetime, including the Battle of Hastings, the reigns of William II, Henry I, and Stephen, written with panache and passion and embellished with anecdotes such as Henry's death from a surfeit of lampreys, and Cnut and the waves.

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Book Synopsis''Men, the enemy troops you can see are all that stands between us and the place we have for so long been determined to reach. We must find a way to eat them alive!''The Expedition of Cyrus tells the story of the march of the Ten Thousand. The exploits of this famous army of Greek mercenaries in modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq were described by one of their leaders, the Athenian historian and philosopher Xenophon. They were recruited at the end of the fifth century BC by a young Persian prince, Cyrus, who rose in revolt against his brother, the king of Persia. After Cyrus'' death, the army was left stranded in the desert of Mesopotamia, a thousand miles from home. Their long march, across mountains and plateaux to the sight of ''The sea! The sea!'', and back to the fringes of the Greek world, is the most exciting adventure story to survive from the ancient world.Xenophon''s gripping narrative offers a unique insight into the character of a Greek army struggling to survive in an alien world. It is also the most sustained eyewitness account of the landscape of the vast and wealthy Persian empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together extracts of the major political writings of Mary Wollstonecraft in the order in which they appeared in the revolutionary 1790s. It traces her passionate and indignant response to the excitement of the early days of the French Revolution and then her uneasiness at its later bloody phase. It reveals her developing understanding of women''s involvement in the political and social life of the nation and her growing awareness of the relationship between politics and economics and between political institutions and the individual.In personal terms, the works show her struggling with a belief in the perfectibility of human nature through rational education, a doctrine that became weaker under the onslaught of her own miserable experience and the revolutionary massacres.Janet Todd''s introduction illuminates the progress of Wollstonecraft''s thought, showing that a reading of all three works allows her to emerge as a more substantial political writer than a study ofTrade Review... this edition does away with the idea of M. W. as Tom Paine in Skirts. Her mind is deepter and richer than his; her transmutation of the turmoil of her experiences during the revolutionary period in France is remarkable. * The Observer *Table of ContentsA Vindication of the Rights of Man ; A Vindication of the Rights of Woman ; An Historical and Moral View of the French Revolution

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Book SynopsisBooks 31 to 40 of Livy's history chart Rome's emergence as an imperial nation and the Romans tempestuous involvement with Greece, Macedonia and the near East in the opening decades of the second century BC; they are our most important source for Graeco-Roman relations in that century. Livy's dramatic narrative includes the Roman campaigns in Spain and against the Gallic tribes of Northern Italy; the flight of Hannibal from Carthage and his death in the East; thedebate on the Oppian law; and the Bacchanalian Episode.Trade ReviewAltogether [Yardley and Heckel] have combined their efforts to produce an exemplary volume which, as the only modern unabridged English translation of Livy 31-40, will do much to promote a renewed interest in this decade of Livy among both students and scholars. * John Jacobs, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

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Book SynopsisAn enthralling account of day-to-day life in a medieval French village. Using records gathered by the Catholic Church in its pursuit of heretics, the book recreates the lives of a rich cast of village characters.Table of ContentsPart 1 The ecology of Montaillou - the house and the shepherd: environment and authority; the domus; a dominant house - the Clergue family; the shepherds; the great migrations; the life of the shepherds in the Pyrenees; the shepherd's mental outlook. Part 2 An archaeology of Montaillou - from body language to myth: body language and sex; the libido of the Clergues; temporary unions; marriage and love; marriage and the condition of women; childhood and other ages in life; death in Montaillou; cultural exchanges; social relationships; concepts of time and space; fate, magic and salvation; religion in practice; morality, wealth and labour; magic and the other world.

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Book SynopsisEmpires and Barbarians presents a fresh, provocative look at how a recognizable Europe came into being in the first millennium AD. With sharp analytic insight, Peter Heather explores the dynamics of migration and social and economic interaction that changed two vastly different worlds--the undeveloped barbarian world and the sophisticated Roman Empire--into remarkably similar societies and states. The book''s vivid narrative begins at the time of Christ, when the Mediterranean circle, newly united under the Romans, hosted a politically sophisticated, economically advanced, and culturally developed civilization--one with philosophy, banking, professional armies, literature, stunning architecture, even garbage collection. The rest of Europe, meanwhile, was home to subsistence farmers living in small groups, dominated largely by Germanic speakers. Although having some iron tools and weapons, these mostly illiterate peoples worked mainly in wood and never built in stone. The farther east oTrade ReviewAn amiable and learned companion through the centuries of migrations."-Library JournalAn awesomely ambitious work: an attempt, in the heroic tradition of Pirenne, to make sense of nothing less than the reshaping of antiquity, and the origins of modern Europe.... Heather is a wonderfully fluent writer, with a consistent ability to grab hold of his reader's attention.... The result is a book which richly merits reading by those interested in the future of Europe as well as its past. * Tom Holland, BBC History Magazine *Most immediately impressive is Heather's easy command of detail. A jaunty, man of the people prose style masks a sure and scholarly grip on the history and archaeology of the first millenniem A.D. One of Heather's most attractive strengths is his eye for comparision. He neatly sets his thinking about first-millennium migration against modern experiences of the lure of the New World or the desperate flight of Kosovar or Rwandan refugees. * Christopher Kelly, Literary Review *Peter Heather's book is an important contribution to the field -- the first up-to-date book that compares the Germanic and the Slav migrations of the early middle ages. It is lucid and it has a complex argument, but it is grippingly written. * Chris Wickham, author of The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 *This is a major work on the political and ethnic shaping of Europe during the first millennium A.D., embracing not just the Germanic and sub-Roman peoples, but also the Slavs and the Vikings. No one interested in the formation of European states and identities will be able to ignore this book. * Bryan Ward-Perkins, author of The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization *Impressive in its ambition and its scope."-The New YorkerHeather manages to robustly balance the need for both breadth and depth. A superior piece of scholarship."-DiscoverMagazine.comWhile ambitious in scope, one of the delightful aspects of this hefty volume is its eminent readability. Heather's writing is often playful in style. This conversational and sometimes humorous tone, combined with a knack for explaining complex ideas clearly, belies the complexity of his argument and the sheer amount of information conveyed." -Laura Wangerin, World History BulletinIn addition to offering a new way of looking at the broad trends of European history, Heather also makes a major contribution to a long-standing debate about the role of migration in the first millennium…[Empire and Barbarians'] range, its highly important themes, and the boldness and clarity of its writing should stimulate argument and advance debate for years to come." -Edward James, American Historical ReviewEmpires and Barbarians is a significant accomplishment and a welcome gateway for the curious as well as the deeply informed." * HNN.com *Table of ContentsPreface ; Prologue ; Ch 1: Migrants and Barbarians ; Ch 2: Globalization and the Germans ; Ch 3: All Roads Lead to Rome? ; Ch 4: Migration and Frontier Collapse ; Ch 5: Huns on the Run ; Ch 6: Franks and Anglo-Saxons: Elite Transfer or Volkerwanderung? ; Ch 7: A New Europe ; Ch 8: The Creation of Slavic Europe ; Ch 9: Viking Diasporas ; Ch 10: The First European Union ; Ch 11: The End of Migration and the Birth of Europe ; Notes ; Primary Sources/ Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe landmark study of world myth and cultureDraws on myths, rituals, totems and taboos of ancient European and primitive cultures throughout the world. The third edition of this monumental study of folklore, magic, and religion was abridged by the authour into this single volume in 1922.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Outcast from the Islands: Frazer, The Golden Bough and Modern AnthropologyPreface to the 1922 abridgementI. The King of the Wood1. Diana and Virbius2. Artemis and Hippolytus3. RecapitulationII. Priestly KingsIII. Sympathetic Magic1. The Principles of Magic2. Homoeopathic or Imitative Magic3. Contagious Magic4. The Magician's ProgressIV. Magic and ReligionV. The Magical Control of the Weather1. The Public Magician2. The Magical Control of Rain3. The Magical Control of the Sun4. The Magical Control of the WindVI. Magicians as KingsVII. Incarnate Human GodsVIII. Departmental Kings of NatureIX. The Worship of Trees1. Tree-spirits2. Beneficent Powers of Tree-spiritsX. Relics of Tree-worship in Modern EuropeXI. The Influence of the Sexes on VegetationXII. The Sacred Marriage1. Diana as a Goddess of Fertility2. The Marriage of the GodsXIII. The Kings of Rome and Alba1. Numa and Egeria2. The King as JupiterXIV. The Succession to the Kingdom in Ancient LatiumXV. The Worship of the OakXVI.Dianus and DianaXVII. The Burden of Royalty1. Royal and Priestly Taboos2. Divorce of the Spiritual from the Temporal PowerXVIII. The Perils of the Soul1. The Soul as a Mannikin2. Absence and Recall of the Soul3. The Soul as a Shadow and a ReflectionXIX. Tabooed Acts1. Taboos on Intercourse with Strangers2. Taboos on Eating and Drinking3. Taboos on Showing the Face4. Taboos on Quitting the House5. Taboos on Leaving Food OverXX. Tabooed Persons1. Chiefs and Kings Tabooed2. Mourners Tabooed3. Women Tabooed at Menstruation and Childbirth4. Warriors Tabooed5. Manslayers Tabooed6. Hunters and Fishers TabooedXXI. Tabooed Things1. The Meaning of Taboo2. Iron Tabooed3. Sharp Weapons Tabooed4. Blood Tabooed5. The Head Tabooed6. Hair Tabooed7. Ceremonies at Hair-cutting8. Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails9. Spittle Tabooed10. Foods Tabooed11. Knots and Rings TabooedXXII. Tabooed Words1. Personal Names Tabooed2. Names of Relations Tabooed3. Names of the Dead Tabooed4. Names of Kings and Other Sacred Persons Tabooed5. Names of Gods TabooedXXIII. Our Debt to the SavageXXIV. The Killing of the Divine King1. The Mortality of the Gods2. Kings Killed When Their Strength Fails3. Kings Killed at the End of a Fixed TermXXV. Temporary KingsXXVI. Sacrifice of the King's SonXXVII. Succession to the SoulXXVIII. The Killing of the Tree-spirit1. The Whitsuntide Mummers2. Burying the Carnival3. Carrying out Death4. Bringing in Summer5. Battle of Summer and Winter6. Death and Resurrection of Kostrubonko7. Death and Revival of Vegetation8. Analogous Rites in India9. The Magic SpringXXIX. The Myth of AdonisXXX. Adonis in SyriaXXXI. Adonis in CyprusXXXII. The Ritual of AdonisXXXIII. The Gardens of AdonisXXXIV. The Myth and Ritual of AttisXXXV. Attis as a God of VegetationXXXVI. Human Representatives of AttisXXXVII. Oriental Religions in the WestXXXVIII. The Myth of OsirisXXXIX. The Ritual of Osiris1. The Popular Rites2. The Official RitesXL. The Nature of Osiris1. Osiris a Corn-god2. Osiris a Tree-spirit3. Osiris a God of Fertility4. Osiris a God of the DeadXLI. IsisXLII. Osiris and the SunXLIII. DionysusXLIV. Demeter and PersephoneXLV. The Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern EuropeXLVI. The Corn-mother in Many Lands1. The Corn-mother in America2. The Rice-mother in the East Indies3. The Spirit of the Corn Embodied in Human Beings4. The Double Personification of the Corn as Mother and DaughterXLVII. Lityerses1. Songs of the Corn-reapers2. Killing the Corn-spirit3. Human Sacrifices for the Crops4. The Corn-spirit Slain in his Human RepresentativesXLVIII. The Corn-spirit as an Animal1. Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spirit2. The Corn-spirit as a Wolf or a Dog3. The Corn-spirit as a Cock4. The Corn-spirit as a Hare5. The Corn-spirit as a Cat6. The Corn-spirit as a Goat7. The Corn-spirit as a Bull, Cow, or Ox8. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare9. The Corn-spirit as a Pig (Boar or Sow)10. On the Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spiritXLIX. Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals1. Dionysus, the Goat and the Bull2. Demeter, the Pig and the Horse3. Attis, Adonis, and the Pig4. Osiris, the Pig and the Bull5. Virbius and the HorseL. Eating the God1. The Sacrament of First-fruits2. Eating the God among the Aztecs3. Many Manii at AriciaLI. Homoeopathic Magic of a Flesh DietLII. Killing the Divine Animal1. Killing the Sacred Buzzard2. Killing the Sacred Ram3. Killing the Sacred Serpent4. Killing the Sacred Turtles5. Killing the Sacred BearLIII. The Propitiation of Wild Animals by HuntersLIV. Types of Animal Sacrament1. The Egyptian and the Aino Types of Sacrament2. Processions with Sacred AnimalsLV. The Transference of Evil1. The Transference to Inanimate Objects2. The Transference to Animals3. The Transference to Men4. The Transference of Evil in EuropeLVI. The Public Expulsion of Evils1. The Omnipresence of Demons2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils3. The Periodic Expulsion of EvilsLVII. Public Scapegoats1. The Expulsion of Embodied Evils2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle3. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle4. On Scapegoats in GeneralLVIII. Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity1. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Rome2. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Greece3. The Roman SaturnaliaLIX. Killing the God in MexicoLX. Between Heaven and Earth1. Not to Touch the Earth2. Not to See the Sun3. The Seclusion of Girls at Puberty4. Reasons for the Seclusion of Girls at PubertyLXI. The Myth of BalderLXII. The Fire-festivals of Europe1. The Fire-festivals in General2. The Lenten Fires3. The Easter Fires4. The Beltane Fires5. The Midsummer Fires6. The Hallowe'en Fires7. The Midwinter Fires8. The Need-fireLXIII. The Interpretation of the Fire-festivals1. On the Fire-festivals in General2. The Solar Theory of the Fire-festivals3. The Purifactory Theory of the Fire-festivalsLXIV. The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires1. The Burning of Effigies in the Fires2. The Burning of Men and Animals in the FiresLXV. Balder and the MistletoeLXVI. The External Soul in Folk-talesLXVII. The External Soul in Folk-custom1. The External Soul in Inanimate Things2. The External Soul in Plants3. The External Soul in Animals4. The Ritual of Death and ResurrectionLXVIII. The Golden BoughLXIX. Farewell to NemiIndex

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Book SynopsisThe First World War killed around eight million men and bled Europe dry. In this provocative book Niall Ferguson asks: was the sacrifice worth it? Was it all really an inevitable cataclysm and were the Germans a genuine threat? Was the war, as is often asserted, greeted with popular enthusiasm? Why did men keep on fighting when conditions were so wretched? Was there in fact a death wish abroad, driving soldiers to their own destruction? The war, he argues, was a disaster - but not for the reasons we think. Far worse than a tragedy, it was the greatest error of modern history.''The most challenging and provocative analysis of the First World War to date'' Ian Kershaw ''Must take a permanent place at the top of the War''s historiography. It is one of the very few books whose own scale matches that of the events it describes'' Alan Clark, Daily Telegraph''Possibly the most important book to appear in years both on the originsTrade ReviewThe most challenging and provocative analysis of the First World War to date -- Ian KershawMust take a permanent place at the top of the War's historiography. It is one of the very few books whose own scale matches that of the events it describes -- Alan Clark * Daily Telegraph *Brilliant and stimulating ... radical, readable and convincing * The Times *Possibly the most important book to appear in years both on the origins of the First World War ... Ferguson can confidently claim to have inherited A. J. P. Taylor's mantle -- Paul Kennedy * New York Review of Books *At one massive stroke, Niall Ferguson has transformed the intellectual landscape * Economist *

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Book SynopsisSebald''s On the Natural History of Destruction explores German writers'' silence about a moment of mass destructionIn the last years of World War II, a million tons of bombs were dropped by the Allies on one hundred and thirty-one German towns and cities. Six hundred thousand civilians died, and three and a half million homes were destroyed. When it has cast such a very dark shadow over his life and work, Sebald asks, how have so many writers allowed themselves to write it out of their experience and avoid articulating the horror? W.G. Sebald''s On the Natural History of Destruction sparked a wide-ranging debate in the German press.''Sebald makes exquisite art out of vile history'' Boyd Tonkin, Independent''One of the most important writers of our time'' A.S. Byatt, New Statesman ''Demands to be read for its grand emotional power ... it absorbs and horrifies and illuminates'' Scotsman''Brilliant and disturbing'' Antony Beevor, The TimesW . G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allgäu, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1996 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Campo Santo, Unrecounted, For Years Now and A Place in the Country. His selected poetry is published in a volume called Across the Land and the Water.

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Book SynopsisNaval intelligence agents working the most dangerous beat in the world the narco-state of Panama in the late 1980s struggle to penetrate Noriega's organization and protect their families on the eve of invasion.

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Book SynopsisYou might think of pyramids as old, but this book is about news! After his successful Netflix documentary Unknown: The Lost Pyramid, Zahi Hawass (the most famous Egyptologist in the world), updates us on the newest discoveries relating to the pyramids! Each chapter includes maps, floor plans, reconstructions, and specially commissioned photographs, accompanied by insights from a major archaeologist and researcher capable of an account so rich it makes history come alive!This book throws new light on the world that existed around the pyramids, on the lives of the workers who built them, and on the court dignitaries who were granted the privilege of burial place near that of their king. Dive in!

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Book SynopsisThe story of Emma and Carl Jung''s highly unconventional marriage, their relationship with Freud, and their part in the early years of Psychoanalysis.Emma Jung was clever, ambitious and immensely wealthy, one of the richest heiresses in Switzerland when, aged seventeen, she met and fell in love with Carl Jung, a handsome, penniless medical student. Determined to share his adventurous life, and to continue her own studies, she was too young to understand Carl's complex personality or conceive the dramas that lay ahead.Labyrinths tells the story of the Jungs' unconventional marriage, their friendship and, following publication of Jung's The Psychology of the Unconscious, subsequent rift with Freud. It traces Jung's development of word association, notions of the archetype, the collective unconscious, the concepts of extraversion and introversion and the role played by both Carl and Emma in the early development of the scandalous new Psychoanalysis movement.In its many twists and turns, tTrade Review‘Clay navigates the maze-like story with perspicacity and ease … It's a gripping story of two talented individuals, their fascinating, often troubled, but ultimately enduring partnership, and how together they shaped the brave new world of psychoanalysis’ Observer ‘Clay remains a clear, unostentatious narrator … Emma's voice – as well as her insight and daring – is loud and clear … admirable’ Daily Telegraph ‘Clay's book is a warm-hearted tribute to Emma's wisdom and tenacity’ Sunday Times ‘Labyrinths finally gives a voice to Emma … Clay's story is riveting because the patients’ stories are so gripping … Clay creates a wonderful atmosphere in her writing and … negotiates the labyrinth with aplomb’ The Times ‘Catrine Clay's absorbing new biography charts the twists and turns in some of the key lives involved in that historical moment, in particular those of Emma Jung and her more famous husband Carl’ Financial Times ‘Engaging … acute … For Clay, Emma Jung's quiet growth to dominance over the psychoanalytic establishment her husband had constructed seems the more significant’ Literary Review ‘This book will fascinate you’ Psychologies magazine

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.The better part of valour is discretion.'King Henry IV's son, Prince Harry is quick-witted yet idle and irresponsible and lives a roguish existence keeping dubious company. However, when the kingdom is threatened, Prince Harry shows his true worth and heroism and begins a journey of transformation from layabout to noble leader.

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Book SynopsisThe inspiration behind the powerful new film starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson, this is the story of Dido Belle, whose adoption by an aristocratic family challenged the conventions of 18th century England.In one of the most famous portraits in the world, a pretty girl walks through the grounds of Kenwood House, a vision of aristocratic refinement. But the eye is drawn to the beautiful woman on her right. Pointing at her own cheek, she playfully acknowledges her remarkable position in eighteenth-century society. For Dido Belle was the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy captain and a slave woman, adopted by the Earl of Mansfield. As Lord Chief Justice of England he would preside over the notorious Zong case the drowning of 142 slaves by an unscrupulous shipping company. His ruling provided the legal underpinning to the abolition of slavery in Britain.From the privileged yet unequal lives of Dido and her cousin Elizabeth, to the horrific treatment ofTrade Review‘A touching account … artfully constructed’ Sunday Times ‘The theatrical zest of the narrative, which is a tie-in with a movie of the same name, holds it all together’ The Times Praise for film previews of ‘Belle’: ‘A lovely, female-centric romance that completely reinvents the period movie in a way that will resound for quite some time’ Empire ‘Elegant and emotionally satisfying … this handsome period piece tells a continually fascinating, unusually layered story’ Variety Praise for Paula Byrne’s ‘The Real Jane Austen’: ‘The portrait of Austen that emerges is sparklingly multi-faceted, catching the light in intriguing ways … her Jane is far less likely to go for a quiet walk in the garden than she is to be whisked into town in search of a velvet cushion, a necklace or a smart new dress’ Mail on Sunday ‘Engaging, compelling, a delightful and engrossing book. Of course we all know that the "real" Jane Austen will forever be a mystery, but most 21st century Janeites will adore this one. Byrne's passion is nothing if not persuasive’ Sunday Times ‘Brilliantly illuminating … riveting. By focusing, chapter by chapter, on one thread or another of Austen's experience, Byrne allows us to grasp the richness of her inner life’ Simon Callow, Guardian

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Book SynopsisThis book is a fascinating look at a history rarely told. The Guardiana fascinating look at a history rarely told The ObserverIn his new book Around the World in 200 Globes (Luster), he spot-lights some of the most significant and interesting, shpwing that a globe is more than a map on a ball.Wall Street Journal...a superb illustrator of changing boundaries and national self-regardStrong Words...exquisite examples that speak to our species' ever-shifting ideas of who we are and where we live National Geographic Traveler...beautifully put together and the photographs of the globes are straightforward but show off the magnificence of the collection admirablyAmateur PhotographerThe Dutch architect Willem Jan Neutelings (co-founder of Neutelings Riedijk Architects) is known as the architect of, among other things, the MAS in Antwerp and the Gare Maritime in Brussels'' Tour & Taxis district. Few people know, however, that Neutelings is also an avid collector who, over the years, has built up a very extensive and also very specific collection of hundreds of globes, made between 1900 and 2000. In this book, he presents his collection to the public for the first time. He selected 200 globes, each telling a very individual and interesting story about the time and place when and where they were created. Some globes bear witness to technological innovations by the way they were made, some show how advanced people's knowledge of space was at the time, some were intended as navigational aids. Neutelings'' collection includes globes in cast iron, steel, wood and even paper; some look very old and fragile, others are very colourful, and some even give off light. Each one is a beautiful and intriguing object that teaches us a lot about the ever-changing world view of mankind. This beautiful and skillfully crafted book is an ode to these stories, to the unique objects often anonymous craftsmen produced in the last century, and to the special dedication of collectors.

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Book SynopsisThere are few spirits that command such dedication, interest and affection as whisky. The purpose of this book is to provide a pathway through the whisky maze, to demystify it and to provide a platform from which a lifetime's hobby can be launched.Whisky expert Dominic Roskrow explores all aspects of this popular drink, delving into its history, dispelling the myths surrounding it and highlighting individualities of the many varieties that exist.Includes:Origins and history of whiskyHow whiskies are made todayGuide to Scottish distilleriesSingle malt whiskiesHow to drink and appreciate whiskySections on whiskies of the world, including Irish whiskey and bourbonDebunking mythsTypes of whiskyBuying whisky

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Book SynopsisErwin Rommel was the outstanding Axis field commander of the Second World War, respected, even admired, by his opponents. Here it seemed to the Allies, was a supremely professional soldier: chivalrous, decent, largely untainted by the crimes of the Nazi regime, carrying out his duty with often dazzling success.David Fraser's definitive study brings to Rommel's career not only the insights of an acclaimed biographer, but also those of a distinguished soldier. He shows how inspiringly spontaneous and superficially haphazard Rommel's style of leadership could be; how his hallmarks of boldness of manoeuvre, ferocity in attack and tenacity in pursuit, which characterised his great campaign in North Africa, were evident from his earliest battles in the First World War. Knight's Cross is first and foremost hte biography of a soldier, but Rommel reached a position in which he almost inevitably became embroiled in politics, including his alleged involvement in the plot to kill Hitler, which conTrade Review‘Many books have been written about Rommel. None has been more thoroughly researched or examines his personality and character in more detail than this one… Fraser gets under the skin of this man as well as any biographer ever can.’The Economist

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Book SynopsisThe vibrant new novel from Isabel Allende takes her back to her homeland of Chile, and tells the story of the first Spanish woman to arrive on its shores with the Conquistadors in the 1500s.A real historical figure, Inés Suarez came to Chile with the Conquistadors in 1540, helping to claim the territory for Spain and to found the first Spanish settlement in Santiago. In this remarkable novel, Isabel Allende one of the world''s most spellbinding storytellers re-imagines Inés''s life and that of the two men who become her lover and husband respectively.Inés of My Soul' evokes the conflict and drama of the Conquistadors'' arrival in Chile, as well as helping restore the reputation of Inés, a powerful woman long neglected by history and a patriarchal society. It also finds Allende returning to territory beloved of her and her readers imaginative historical fiction, evocatively told and to the familiar landscape of her native country.The novel gives Inés the recognition and glory that aTrade Review‘In “The House of Spirits”, Allende constructed an allusional tale for the fate of modern Chile. Now she has repeated the trick for the foundation of the country. The result is perhaps her best book since that debut.' Independent 'Allende's version of events sees Ines Suarez as the puppeteer pulling the strings of the influential men she's involved with. She is quick-witted, militarily astute and has a deep understanding of "the enemy". Allende does not attempt to rewrite the past. Instead, she provides a colourful glimpse into the life of a daring Spanish woman whose vital role has been forgotten by history.' Daily Express 'Fresh and provocative looks at this fascinating period of history.' New Statesman 'Writing about her homeland and its history, she brings to her work a passion and commitment worthy of her vividly drawn characters.' Glasgow Herald

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Book SynopsisA TIMES POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEARA LONGMAN/HISTORY TODAY BOOK OF THE YEARThe award-winning history of the British Welfare State now fully revised and updated for the 21st Century.A masterpiece' Sunday TimesGiant Want. Giant Disease. Giant Ignorance. Giant Squalor. Giant Idleness.These were the Five Giants that loomed over the post-war reconstruction of Britain. The battle against them was fought by five gargantuan programmes that made up the core of the Welfare State: social security, health, education, housing and a policy of full employment.This book brilliantly captures the high hopes of the period in which the Welfare State was created and the cranky zeal of its inventor, William Beveridge, telling the story of how his vision inspired an entire country. The pages of this modern classic hum with the energies and passions of activists, dreamers and ordinary Britons, and seethe with personal vendettas, forced compromises, awkward contradictions, and the noisy rows of the succeeding seventy years. The Five Giants is a testament to a concept of government that is intertwined with so many of our personal histories, and a stark reminder of what we might stand to lose.Trade Review‘Why make a book that was first published in 1995 one of the political books of the year? Because this third edition of the classic history of the welfare state adds 16 years to the previous account. Anyone who hasn’t read Five Giants will want to start at the beginning, particularly for the excellent account of the founding of the NHS. But those with previous editions will find, for instance, the explanation of how the Lansley health reforms went wrong riveting’ Danny Finkelstein, The Times ‘For years now, old copies of The Five Giants have been changing hands in Westminster for dizzying sums – and for a simple reason. Other books just offer fragments of the story of British government, only this gives you the full picture. I lend my copy to new recruits at The Spectator not as history but as a guide to what they will encounter – and how the same problems keep surfacing again and again. The facts and the figures, the jokes and one-liners, the power and the personality – The Five Giants has it all. It's possible to understand modern Britain without reading this book, but it's just a lot harder (and a lot less fun)’ Fraser Nelson, Spectator ‘Nicholas Timmins has done something extraordinary: he has made a masterpiece of contemporary history even better. Updated, extended and more relevant than ever, this book is quite simply indispensable’ Matthew d'Ancona ‘A tour de force – thoroughly researched and vividly written’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHe knew nothing of celestial navigation or of the existence of the Pacific Ocean. He was a self-promoting and ambitious entrepreneur. His maps were a hybrid of fantasy and delusion. When he did make land, he enslaved the populace he found, encouraged genocide, and polluted relations between peoples. He ended his career in near lunacy.But Columbus had one asset that made all the difference, an inborn sense of the sea, of wind and weather, and of selecting the optimal course to get from A to B. Laurence Bergreen''s energetic and bracing book gives the whole Columbus and most importantly, the whole of his career, not just the highlight of 1492. Columbus undertook three more voyages between 1494 and 1504, each designed to demonstrate that he could sail to China within a matter of weeks and convert those he found there to Christianity. By their conclusion, Columbus was broken in body and spirit, a hero undone by the tragic flaw of pride. If the first voyage illustrates the rewards of exploration, this book shows how the subsequent voyages illustrate the costs - political, moral, and economic.Trade Review"Laurence Bergreen's Columbus was brillliant, audacious, volatile, paranoid and ruthless. What emerges in this biography, a worthy addition to the literature on Columbus is a surprising and revealing portrait of a man who might have been the title charcater in a Shakespearan tradegy." — The New York Times"Laurence Bergreen's ambitious new biography, Columbus: The Four Voyages [is] a spellbinding epic that's simultaneiously a profoundly private portrait of the most complex, compelling, controversial creature ever to board a boat. This scrupulously researched, unbiased account of four death-defying journeys to The New World reveals the Admiral's paradoxical personality." — USA Today"A compelling new book [that] details the explorer's trips to the New World, including three you haven't heard about." — Salon"Once you have read this superb acount of Columbus' four voyages, you will never be content with the cliche about the Italian-born explorer's sailing the ocean blue in 1492. Author of many prize-winning popular history books on topics as diverse as Marco Polo and Al Capone. Laurence Bergreen is a New York-based scholar whose portrayal of the life and times of Christopher Columbus is a tour de force." — Winnipeg Free Press"Laurence Bergreen's new book, refreshingly, is fluid in style in its style and comprehensive in its research. Richly illustrated and enhanced with maps that are as legible as they are relevant. Columbus: The Four Voyages is complex in its themes, intriguing in its substance and sparkling with suprises." — The Washington Times"In this scrupulously fair and often thrilling account of his four vorages to the "New World," Bergreen reveals Columbus as brilliant, brave, adventurous, and deeply flawed . . . A superb reexamination of the character and career of a still controversial historical agent." — Booklist

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Book SynopsisWidely considered to be the most important biography of Nelson Mandela, Antony Sampson's remarkable book has been updated with an afterword by acclaimed South African journalist, John Battersby.Long after his presidency of South Africa, Nelson Mandela remained an inspirational figure to millions both in his homeland and far beyond. He has been, without doubt, one of the most important figures in global history. His death, on 5 December 2013 at the age of 95, resonated around the world.Mandela's opposition to apartheid and his 27 year incarceration at the hands of South Africa's all-white regime are familiar to most. In this utterly compelling book, eminent biographer Anthony Sampson draws on a fifty year-long relationship to reveal the man who rocked a continent and changed its future.With unprecedented access to the former South African president the letters he wrote in prison, his unpublished jail autobiography, extensive conversations, and interviews with hundreds of colleagues, Trade Review‘A magisterial, detailed and invaluable account of one of this century’s greatest figures … it is hard to believe that a better biography will ever be written.’ Justin Cartwright, Sunday Telegraph ‘Warmly to be welcomed, not least because it is more substantial and revealing than Mandela’s bestselling autobiography…a great leap forward in our understanding of a man who is both enigmatic and private…Anthony Sampson has carried out his difficult commission with skill and sensitivity’ Independent ‘This will be the last word on Mandela for years to come…it will be hard to improve upon this crowning conclusion to Sampson’s long career as a loving and expert chronicler of South Africa’ Evening Standard ‘Measured, detailed without a moment of tedium, incisive in its perceptions and at times, profoundly moving’ Observer

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Book SynopsisThe authorised life story of the king who gave up his throne for love, by one of our most distinguished biographers.In this masterly authorized biography, Philip Ziegler reveals the complex personality of Edward VIII, the only British monarch to have voluntarily renounced the throne.With unique access to the Royal Archives, Ziegler overturns many myths about Edward and tells his side of the story from his glamorous existence as Prince of Wales to his long decline in semi-exile in France. At the heart of the book is an unflinchingly honest examination of Edward's all-consuming passion for Wallis Simpson, which led to his dramatic abdication.Elegant and devastating, this is the most convincing portrait of Edward ever published.Trade Review‘Philip Ziegler is a master of biographical narrative …Seldom has such exhaustive research been made so compellingly readable’ Michael Holroyd ‘Ziegler has told Edward’s story with consummate skill’ Sarah Bradford, Sunday Times ‘Beautifully written and constructed’ Michael Bloch, Sunday Telegraph ‘Ziegler writes with urbanity and generosity but is unflinching in his judgements … an exemplary biography’ Richard Davenport-Hines, Times Literary Supplement ‘A splendid book of impeccable scholarship, admirably written, moving, ironical and at times very amusing …’ Robert Blake, Country Life ‘A book of such compelling interest and frankness that it is difficult to put down … a very fine book’ New York Times Book Review ‘I found Ziegler’s book riveting’ Paul Barker, Listener ‘He writes brilliantly’ Christopher Hudson, Evening Standard

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