History Books
Faber & Faber The River of Lost Footsteps A Personal History of
Book SynopsisBurma is currently ruled by a harsh dictatorship unmoved by Western activists and sanctions. It is also the sight of the longest-running conflict in the world. Drawing both on his own family''s stories and his years of hands-on political experience working with the United Nations, Thant Myint-U has written an illuminating account of how Burma''s rich past informs its violent present, and of how the world might transform the country''s future. In The River of Lost Footsteps, Thant Myint-U tells the story of modern Burma, in part through a telling of his own family''s history, in an interwoven narrative that is by turns lyrical, dramatic, and appalling. His maternal grandfather, U Thant, rose from being the schoolmaster of a small town in the Irrawaddy Delta to become the UN secretary-general in the 1960s. And on his father''s side, the author is descended from a long line of courtiers who served at Burma''s Court of Ava for nearly two centuries. Through their stories aTrade Review"'It is hard to imagine a more thought-provoking or eloquently written elucidation of Burma's afflictions and their causes - nor one more heartfelt.' Sunday Times"
£999.99
University of California Press Deeply into the Bone
Book SynopsisIllustrates the power of rites to help us navigate life's troublesome transitions. This book covers the significant life events of birth, initiation, marriage, and death. It explores innovative rites for important events such as beginning school, same-sex commitment ceremonies, abortion, serious illness, divorce, and retirement.Trade Review"Grimes' combination of scholarly knowledge, anecdotes, literary essays, and observations on modern culture provide a first-class foundation for this thoroughly absorbing foray into a deeply interesting and relevant subject."-NAPRA ReView "Without question, this is one of the finest books I have read in several decades. It is well written, beautifully printed, and deals with passages of life [and] the rituals that people have or have not developed to cope with them."-William Klassen, The Kitchener-Waterloo Record "A thoughtful, insightful examination...a deeply evocative portrait of life-passage rituals and their meaning in a variety of human contexts."-Library JournalTable of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction: Rough Passages, Reinvented Rites 1. Celebrating New Life, Ritually Nurturing the Young 2. Coming of Age, Joining Up 3. Divining Mates, Making Kin 4. Living with the Dead, Exiting Gracefully 5. Passages, Troubled and Uncharted Conclusion: Beyond Passage Notes Sources Cited Index
£27.00
Columbia University Press Asian Place Filipino Nation
Book SynopsisNicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz reconnects the Philippine Revolution to the histories of Southeast and East Asia through an innovative consideration of its transnational political setting and regional intellectual foundations. She charts turn-of-the-twentieth-century Filipino thinkers’ and revolutionaries’ political organizing and proto-national thought.Trade ReviewIn restoring the intellectual history of the Philippine Revolution, at long last, to its pan-Asian context, Nicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz offers a startling new perspective not only on the history of the Philippines in that era but on the evolution of anticolonial modernity in Asia writ large. -- Erez Manela, Harvard UniversityBy merging a rich national historiography with novel transnational trends, CuUnjieng Aboitiz accomplishes a provocative new interpretation of the Philippine revolution of 1896. Through a masterly juxtaposition of the rooted particulars of “place” with an evolving Pan-Asian sensibility, she reveals the revolution’s deep yet long overlooked Asian resonances. In a deftly paradoxical twist, her innovative international focus illuminates this seminal event’s profound import for the Philippine nation. -- Alfred W. McCoy, author of Policing America’s Empire: The United States, the Philippines, and Rise of the Surveillance StateDislodging the Philippine Revolution and Japan-centric Pan-Asianism from the familiar frames of national history and East-West relations, CuUnjieng Aboitiz examines the transnational affinities and networks connecting the Philippines to Japan, Vietnam, and the region and foregrounds the vital work of non-Western thinkers in creating the modern nation-state in Asia. This is a fresh, keenly intelligent contribution to Asian intellectual history. -- Resil B. Mojares, author of Brains of the Nation: Pedro Paterno, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Isabelo de Los Reyes and the Production of Modern KnowledgeThe volume will become an important point of reference for specialists and generalists alike. It would be suitable for adoption in courses on intellectual history, Asian history, Southeast Asian history, nationalism, anti-colonialism, the Philippines, imperial Japan, or World War II. * Global Intellectual History *Aboitiz's book allows us to see the Filipino nation as an Asian place, integral to its developments. It is a salutary achievement. * SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia *An impressive work of global intellectual history...an important addition to graduate courses, and of interest to any scholar of global history, nationalism, and Pan-Asianism. * H-Diplo *I would recommend the inclusion of this text to history AP, honors, undergraduate, and graduate level classes that study the Philippines, Asia, Asian nationalisms, and the Third World. * The Middle Ground Journal *Carefully researched and finely argued...an important intervention into our understanding of where the Philippines are in world history, a wide range of educators would benefit from working her conclusions into their courses. -- Michael G. Vann, California State University * World History Connected *Overall an incisive and illuminating depiction of the Philippine revolution’s Asian dimensions. * Pacific Affairs *One of the potential benefits that Asian Place, Filipino Nation might bring is a revision of the way the history of the 1898 revolution is taught for young Filipino students. * LSE Southeast Asia Blog *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1. A Transnational Turn of the Century in Southeast Asia 2. Constructing Asia and the Malay Race, 1887–1895: Early Attempts to Transnationalize Pan-Asianism3. The Philippine Revolution Mobilizes Asia, 1892–1898: Spanish Imperial Anxieties, the Vietnamese Đông Du Movement, and a Coming Race War 4. The First Philippine Republic’s Pan-Asian Emissary, 1898–1912: Transnational Cooperation, Affective Relations, and the Pacific Empires 5. The Afterlife of the Philippine Revolution: Reverberations from China to India to Third Worldist Futures NotesBibliographyIndex
£27.00
Cambridge University Press The Cambridge Illustrated History of France
Book SynopsisA gripping, superbly illustrated account of the political, social and cultural history of France. Colin Jones places emphasis on the impact of regionalism, class, gender and race in French heritage, and takes us through the shaping of France from the earliest times to the brink of a new millennium.Trade Review'Authoritative, well-written, solidly thought through, this book, which has no equivalent in recent writing about French history, should reach out beyond the British Isles to the English-speaking world in its entirety.' Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie'An awesome range of topics … the book is a veritable tour de force.' French Cultural Studies'Good one-volume histories of France are not all that common, and after this one they might well become less so. This is because it is hard to see how it might be bettered … this book will be the obvious starting point for years to come for anglophones everywhere who want to know about the history of France.' French StudiesTable of ContentsPreface; Foreword E. Le Roy Ladurie; Introduction; 1. France before the Romans; 2. Roman Gaul 55 BC to c. AD 500; 3. From Frankish Gaul to the kingdom of West Francia c. 500 to 987; 4. The Middle Ages 987 to 1328; 5. Valois France: the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance c. 1300 to c. 1600; 6. From Counter-Reformation to Enlightenment c. 1610 to c. 1780; 7. The Revolution and beyond c. 1780 to 1851; 8. From the Second Empire to World War I 1852 to 1914; 9. France in transition: World War I to the Liberation 1914 to 1944; 10. Post-war France: expansion and beyond 1945 to 1981; 11. France after 1981: the Mitterand years; Chronology; Picture acknowledgements; Bibliography; Index.
£36.09
The University of Chicago Press The Last Colonial Massacre Latin America in the
Book SynopsisAfter decades of bloodshed and political terror, many lament the rise of the left in Latin America. With Guatemala as the case study, this title argues that the Latin American Cold War was a struggle not between political liberalism and Soviet communism but two visions of democracy.Trade Review"In a series of remarkable biographies Grandin shows how men and women made high politics and high politics made them, demonstrating that the Cold War was waged not only in the airy game rooms of nuclear strategists but 'in the closed quarters of family, sex, and community.'" (London Review of Books) "A searing indictment of U.S. imperialism in Latin America." (Science & Society) "This work admirably explains the process in which hopes of democracy were brutally repressed in Guatemala and its people experienced a civil war lasting for half a century." (International History Review) "A richly detailed, humane, and passionately subversive portrait of inspiring reformers tragically redefined by the Cold War as enemies of the state." (Journal of American History)"
£19.00
The History Press Ltd King and Outlaw
Book SynopsisDiscover the real personality behind the multi-million-dollar Netflix blockbuster Outlaw King
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing USA This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians,
Book SynopsisAhead of the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving, a new look at the Plymouth colony's founding events, told for the first time with Wampanoag people at the heart of the story.In March 1621, when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag sachem (or chief), Ousamequin (Massasoit), and Plymouth's governor, John Carver, declared their people's friendship for each other and a commitment to mutual defense. Later that autumn, the English gathered their first successful harvest and lifted the specter of starvation. Ousamequin and 90 of his men then visited Plymouth for the First Thanksgiving. The treaty remained operative until King Philip's War in 1675, when 50 years of uneasy peace between the two parties would come to an end.400 years after that famous meal, historian David J. Silverman sheds profound new light on the events that led to the creation, and bloody dissolution, of this alliance. Focusing on the Wampanoag Indians, Silverman deepens the narrative to consider tensions that developed well before 1620 and lasted long after the devastating wartracing the Wampanoags' ongoing struggle for self-determination up to this very day. This unsettling history reveals why some modern Native people hold a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving, a holiday which celebrates a myth of colonialism and white proprietorship of the United States. This Land is Their Land shows that it is time to rethink how we, as a pluralistic nation, tell the history of Thanksgiving.
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Rubiyt of Omar Khayyam A New Translation from
Book SynopsisOmar Khayyam (1048 - 1131) was a Persian astronomer and mathematician born in Nishapur in northeastern Iran who lived and worked at the courts of the Seljuk dynasty. Modern scholars agree that there is very little (if any) of the collected work of poetry know as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam that can be certainly attributed to the historical figure. A tradition of attribution grew up in the centuries after Khayyam's death which culminated in Edward Fitzgerald's translation in the 19th Century.Juan Cole is a public intellectual, prominent blogger and essayist, and the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, USA. He is the translator of Broken Wings and The Vision by Khalil Gibran.Trade ReviewWith this new translation of Khayyam and his insightful essays on the historical context, Cole offers a splendid piece of work which offers an alternative to FitzGerald’s epochmaking adaptation of the Rubáiyát, to be placed in the canon of nineteenth-century English poetry, finding imitations in a large number of languages. Perhaps even more important than the poetic nature and message of these quatrains is how Cole successfully brings to the fore the secular faction of Persian culture, of which quatrains attributed to Khayyam are living evidence. * Bibliotheca Orientalis *‘To read Juan Cole’s deft, plain-spoken translation of the Rubáiyát is to find companionship, to rejoin a thousand-year human conversation about how to endure, enjoy, and find a fleeting beauty in everlastingly dire times. The lucid, cogent and mind-opening Epilogue is a kind of grace, a gift freely given, from one of our most astonishing and generous intellects.’ * Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Moonglow (2017) *‘Omar Khayyam is a Persian treasure and Juan Cole’s new translation brings him anew to Western audiences who for centuries have been both delighted and educated by this medieval sage! Reading The Rubáiyát is a thrill – you feel the echoes of the 12th century seamlessly into our 21st, as this is a holy book of wisdom and magic. In another perilous era for Iranians, it’s wonderful to see this enchanting volume make its way through the world yet again!’ * Porochista Khakpour, novelist, essayist and author of Brown Album (2020) *Table of ContentsPreface Note on the Translation Introduction The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Epilogue Notes
£22.79
The History Press Ltd The Unseen Britannic
Book SynopsisNew and updated edition of the successful Unseen Britannic
£21.25
The History Press Ltd 180 Years of Cunard
Book SynopsisCelebrating 180 years of the iconic Cunard Line, the world’s most famous shipping company
£21.25
HarperCollins Publishers The Crossing Place
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC B25 Mitchell vs Japanese Destroyer
Book SynopsisThroughout the first year of the war in the Pacific during World War II the USAAF was relatively ineffective against ships. Indeed, warships in particular proved to be too elusive for conventional medium-level bombing. High-level attacks wasted bombs, and torpedo attacks required extensive training. But as 1942 closed, the Fifth Air Force developed new weapons and new tactics that were not just effective, they were deadly. A maintenance officer assigned to a B-25 unit found a way to fill the bombardier's position with four 0.50-cal machine guns and strap an additional four 0.50s to the sides of the bomber, firing forward. Additionally, skip-bombing was developed. This called for mast-top height approaches flying the length of the target ship. If the bombs missed the target, they exploded in the water close enough to crush the sides. The technique worked perfectly when paired with strafe B-25s. Over the first two months of 1943, squadrons perfected these tactics. Then, in early March,Table of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Strategic Situation The Combatants Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Further Reading Index
£12.59
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Phoney Victory
Book SynopsisWas World War II really the `Good War''? In the years since the declaration of peace in 1945 many myths have sprung up around the conflict in the victorious nations. In this book, Peter Hitchens deconstructs the many fables which have become associated with the narrative of the `Good War''. Whilst not criticising or doubting the need for war against Nazi Germany at some stage, Hitchens does query whether September 1939 was the right moment, or the independence of Poland the right issue. He points out that in the summer of 1939 Britain and France were wholly unprepared for a major European war and that this quickly became apparent in the conflict that ensued. He also rejects the retroactive claim that Britain went to war in 1939 to save the Jewish population of Europe. On the contrary, the beginning and intensification of war made it easier for Germany to begin the policy of mass murder in secret as well as closing most escape routes. In a provocative, but deeply-researched book, HitcheTrade ReviewHitchens devotes much of his indictment to the war at sea, arguing that the Navy had been starved of resources between the wars and was ill-equipped to fight the all-important Battle of the Atlantic against the Nazi U-boat fleet. He regales the reader with touching stories from his days at boarding school, when he and his friends built plastic models of warships. * Standpoint *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Timeline Introduction 1. The British Guarantee to Poland of March 1939 2. Plucky Little Poland 3. Appeasement and Pacifism from Fulham to Bridgwater, or 'The Left Has Its Cake and Eats It' 4. The War We Couldn't Afford 5. America First 6. The Invasion that Never Was 7. In Peril on the Sea 8. Gomorrah 9. Orderly and Humane Conclusion Notes Select Bibliography Index
£13.29
Penguin Books Ltd Ten Cities that Made an Empire
Book SynopsisFrom Tristram Hunt, award-winning author of The Frock-Coated Communist and leading UK politician, Ten Cities that Made an Empire presents a new approach to Britain''s imperial past through the cities that epitomised itSince the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and the end days of Empire, Britain''s colonial past has been the subject of passionate debate. Tristram Hunt goes beyond the now familiar arguments about Empire being good or bad and adopts a fresh approach to Britain''s empire and its legacy. Through an exceptional array of first-hand accounts and personal reflections, he portrays the great colonial and imperial cities of Boston, Bridgetown, Dublin, Cape Town, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Bombay, Melbourne, New Delhi, and twentieth-century Liverpool: their architecture, culture, and society balls; the famines, uprisings and repressions which coursed through them; the primitive accumulation and ghostly bureaucracy which ran them; the British supremacTrade ReviewA grand history of the British empire ... this is a book about ideas, for all that it is rich in architectural description, economic fact and colourful anecdote ... well-written, cleverly constructed and beautifully balanced -- James McConnachie * Spectator *A fascinating and readable book -- Justin Huggler * Independent *Ingenious and timely ... Hunt skilfully constructs his itinerary to provide a lively and cliché-busting survey of imperial history ... he uses the urban lens to terrific effect -- Maya Jasanoff * Guardian *An original and inventive approach to tackling empire ... This is a book which is experienced through the life on the streets, in the buildings and across the physical layout of large urban centres, where jostled men and women of different races and creeds ... readable and engaging ... It is a work of great ambition ... impressive -- Kwasi Kwarteng * Standpoint *
£13.49
Oxford University Press A Dictionary of British History 2e Oxford Quick
Book SynopsisThis is an invaluable source of information about the people, places, and events that have shaped the history of Britain over the past two millennia. From wars, battles, and the monarchy to Wembley stadium, Robin Hood, and the Black Death - this book contains all the facts you need to know.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition the book is packed with interest to the final page * Independent *the range is impressive...truly (almost) all of human life is here * Observer, reviewing parent volume The Oxford Companion to British History *a solid, well-researched book of reference * Sunday Times, reviewing parent volume The Oxford Companion to British History *Table of ContentsPREFACE; LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS; NOTE TO THE READER; A-Z ENTRIES; CHRONOLOGY; WEB LINKS
£14.84
Harvard University Press Why They Marched
Book SynopsisLively and delightfulzooms in on the faces in the crowd to help us understand both the depth and the diversity of the women's suffrage movement. Some women went to jail. Others climbed mountains. Visual artists, dancers, and journalists all played a partFar from perfect, they used their own abilities, defects, and opportunities to build a movement that still resonates today.Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, author of Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make HistoryAn intimate account of the unheralded activism that won women the right to vote, and an opportunity to celebrate a truly diverse cohort of first-wave feminist changemakers.Ms. Demonstrates the steady advance of women's suffrage while also complicating the standard portrait of it.New YorkerThe story of how American women won the right to vote is usually told through the lives of a few iconic leaders. But movements for social change are rarely so tidy or top-heavy. Why They Marched profiles nineteen womensome famous, many unknownwho worked tirelTrade Review[Ware] places 19 women who've been overlooked because of race, class or sexuality back on the front lines of the fight for the ballot. Their stories provide readers with an intimate account of the unheralded activism that won women the right to vote, and an opportunity to celebrate a truly diverse cohort of first-wave feminist changemakers. * Ms. *Her cast of characters usefully illustrates the geographic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic range of the suffrage movement. Ultimately, though, the diversity of the voting-rights advocates is less shocking than the diversity of voting rights themselves…Demonstrates the steady advance of women’s suffrage while also complicating the standard portrait of it: the right to vote is less a switch than a dial, one that can be turned up or dimmed down. -- Casey Cep * New Yorker *Looks at 19 activists from around the country, from a variety of races and backgrounds, revealing that the movement was made up of a wider and much more diverse group than is typically noted in the history books…It comes at a potent moment as the nation next year will see the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which deals with women’s suffrage, and a presidential election that has drawn a record number of women candidates. * Boston Globe *A smart, eclectic collection of 19 mini-biographies of Americans who worked for women’s suffrage…Ware’s excellent compendium expertly shows there are new ways to tell the suffrage story. This is a must-read for those interested in women’s and American history. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Ware does a wonderful job of highlighting people and subjects often passed over when exploring the fight for women’s rights…[She] does not shy away from some of the controversies often hidden when studying suffragism, namely racism, and is able to give both a broad and detailed look at the movement. * Library Journal (starred review) *Refreshingly, Ware…focuses on many of the lesser-known but equally audacious, talented women who joined the fight, profiling 19 courageous individuals…Important American history that is also timely given recent attempts at voter suppression. * Kirkus Reviews *A complete historical portrait of the suffrage movement. Ware delves into the racism and Eurocentrism of the suffrage movement, as well as portraying suffragists from the South and West, Mormon suffragists, and pockets of suffrage history just brought to light. A tremendous work…this is my newest favorite history book. -- Nancy Snyder * Book Riot *As we see abortion rights attacked so fiercely in the U.S., this book is a reminder that winning the vote was not the end of the fight. It was the beginning of a continuing battle for real equality. -- Jan Nielsen * Socialist Worker *One woman can refuse to pay taxes. A dozen can issue a manifesto. But it takes a multitude to mount a parade. Susan Ware’s lively and delightful book zooms in on the faces in the crowd to help us understand both the depth and the diversity of the women’s suffrage movement. Some women went to jail. Others climbed mountains. Visual artists, dancers, and journalists all played a part. Suffragists tangled with each other as well as with opponents. Far from perfect, they used their own abilities, defects, and opportunities to build a movement that still resonates today. -- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, author of Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make HistoryThis entertaining and lively history of the women’s suffrage movement is full of surprises, featuring accounts of people and events that are not well known and highlighting women from minority groups and from regions other than the Northeast. What a fresh take on the traditional narrative that begins with Seneca Falls and ends with the victory in 1920. I found myself looking forward to each new section. -- Marjorie J. Spruill, author of One Woman, One Vote: Rediscovering the Woman’s Suffrage MovementSusan Ware’s book should be required reading for anyone who cares about our democracy and has forgotten how hard women had to fight for their right to participate in building a better future. She reminds us how far we’ve come—and how far we have yet to go. -- Tanya Selvaratnam, author of The Big LieAn endlessly readable ode to lesser-known—but equally important—women from a variety of backgrounds, all dedicated to the cause of women’s suffrage…Ware is intentional in naming the racism of white suffragists and not backing away from shining a long-overdue light on the imperfections and inequities of the movement…While meticulously researched to satisfy the most seasoned suffrage scholar, the book is written most prominently for the enjoyment of armchair historians. -- Karla J. Strand * Canadian Journal of History *A wonderful use of material history, which students will find engaging and entertaining…A thoroughly researched and fascinating read on a diverse suffrage movement that will help spur interest in the movement well after the Anthony Amendment’s centennial. -- Rachel Gunter * H-Net Reviews *Moving, inspiring, and empowering, this is a testament to political action, the bond between women, and the power of raising your voice. * A Mighty Girl *In this history of women’s suffrage, Ware spends time with the individuals who never received recognition for their efforts in the cause…Ware explores the thousands of ways that the idea of universal suffrage circulated and identifies who allowed it to circulate. We see minds changing, which would eventually lead to laws changing too. -- Gal Beckerman * The Atlantic *
£15.15
HarperCollins Publishers Rites of Peace
Book SynopsisFollowing on from his epic 1812: Napoleon''s Fatal March on Moscow', bestselling author Adam Zamoyski has written the dramatic story of the Congress of Vienna.In the wake of his disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, Napoleon''s imperious grip on Europe began to weaken, raising the question of how the Continent was to be reconstructed after his defeat. There were many who dreamed of a peace to end all wars, in which the interests of peoples as well as those of rulers would be taken into account. But what followed was an unseemly and at times brutal scramble for territory by the most powerful states, in which countries were traded as if they had been private and their inhabitants counted like cattle.The results, fixed at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, not only laid the foundations of the European world we know; it put in place a social order and a security system that lie at the root of many of the problems which dog the world today. Although the defining moments took place in Vienna, anTrade Review‘Deeply researched, elegantly written, gleaming with the political and sexual depravity of the Congress that decided the fate of Europe, Zamoyski's “Rites of Peace” is outstanding – a delicious, triumphant feast of a book.’ Daily Mail ‘Impressively detailed diplomatic history; it deals with the fate of nations and dynasties and the doings of emperors, kings and princes. The author keeps up a strong narrative drive, guiding the reader through the tortuously involved negotiations of the Congress.’ The Economist ‘Zamoyski's…account of the labyrinthine twists of diplomacy is both masterly and exhaustive…I closed the book full of admiration for its author.’ Sunday Times
£12.34
Taylor & Francis Itinerant Potters in the Andes
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£50.34
Orion Publishing Co By Sword and Fire Cruelty And Atrocity In
Book SynopsisA vivid and original account of warfare in the Middle Ages and the cruelty and atrocity that accompanied it.Sean McGlynn investigates the reality of medieval warfare. For all the talk of chivalry, medieval warfare routinely involved acts which we would consider war crimes. Lands laid waste, civilians slaughtered, prisoners massacred: this was standard fare justified by tradition and practical military necessity. It was unbelievably barbaric, but seldom uncontrolled. Such acts of atrocity were calculated, hideous cruelties inflicted in order to achieve a specific end. Sean McGlynn examines the battles of Acre and Agincourt, sieges like Béziers, Lincoln, Jerusalem and Limoges as well as the infamous chevauchées of the Hundred Years War that devastated great swathes of France. He reveals how these grisly affairs form the origin of accepted ''rules of war'', codes of conduct that are today being enforced in the International Court of Justice in the Hague.Trade ReviewGory, but compelling reading * NORTHERN ECHO *a much needed corrective to the view that chivalry definied medieval fighting * CONTEMPORARY REVIEW *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Storm of War
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Masters and Commanders, Andrew Roberts'' The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War has been hailed as the finest single-volume account of this epic conflict. The Second World War lasted for 2,174 days and claimed the lives of over 50 million people. Why did it take the course that it did? Why did the Axis lose? And could they, with a different strategy, have won? Ranging from the Western front to North Africa, from the Baltic to the Far East, he brings the story of the war - and those who fought it - into focus as never before. ''One of the greatest historians of our time ... His masterpiece'' Oliver Marre, Observer ''An undoubted triumph. This, simply, is the best one-volume history of the Second World War currently available'' Laurence Rees ''Magnificent ... Stylish penmanship, gritty research and lucid reasoning, coupled with poignant and hTrade ReviewRoberts's populist approach makes for a rollicking good read and never comes at the expense of accuracy. His mastery of the huge variety of subjects is truly impressive and his ability to marshal these subjects into a single compelling narrative stunning -- Keith Lowe * Daily Telegraph *
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Penguin History Of Latin America New Edition
Book SynopsisNow fully updated to 2009, this acclaimed history of Latin America tells its turbulent story from Columbus to Chavez. Beginning with the Spanish and Portugese conquests of the New World, it takes in centuries of upheaval, revolution and modernization up to the present day, looking in detail at Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Cuba, and gives an overview of the cultural developments that have made Latin America a source of fascination for the world. 'A first-rate work of history ... His cool, scholarly gaze and synthesizing intelligence demystify a part of the world peculiarly prone to myth-making ... This book covers an enormous amount of ground, geographically and culturally' Tony Gould, Independent on SundayTable of ContentsThe Penguin History of Latin AmericaPrefacePart One: The Age of Empire1. Discovery and Conquest2. Indians and Iberians3. Spain in America4. The Spanish Indies5. Colonial BrazilPart Two: The Challenge of the Modern World6. Reform, Crisis and Independence7. The Quest for Order: Conservatives and Liberals in the Nineteenth Century8. 'Civilization and Barbarism': Literary and Cultural Developments IPart Three: The Twentieth Century9. Nationalism and Development: An Overview10. Mexico: Revolution and Stability11. Brazil: Order and Progress12. Cuba: Dependency, Nationalism and Revolution13. Argentina: The Long Decline14. Chile: Democracy, Revolution and Dictatorship15. Identity and Modernity: Literary and Cultural Developments IIPart Four: Towards a New Era16. Globalization and Reform: An OverviewStatistical AppendixFurther ReadingMapsGlossary of Key TermsIndex of SubjectsIndex of Names
£16.14
Yale University Press The Hellfire Clubs Sex Satanism and Secret
Book SynopsisThe Hell-Fire Clubs scandalized eighteenth-century English society. This book explores the social and economic context in which the clubs emerged and flourished; their various phases, which first involved violence as an assertion of masculinity, then religious blasphemy, and later sexual indulgence.
£16.14
Yale University Press Ivan the Terrible
Book SynopsisEncompasses the entire life of Ivan the Terrible and views him in the context of his own time. Notorious for a policy of unrestrained terror - and for killing his own son - his reign was devastating for Russia and her people. This book illuminates the reign and the politics, as well as Ivan's marriages and disordered personality.Trade Review"A simply brilliant book... a colossal achievement of magisterial scholarship, beautifully readable prose and superb characterisation... Professor Isabel de Madariaga remains the empress of Russian historians" Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard "Almost every page of de Madariaga's magnificent biography is illuminated by the wisdom gained by its author from a lifetime of learning and reflection about the place of Russia in the wider world." Orlando Figes, New York Review of Books "A significant biography of the 16th-century Russian czar... Likely to become the definitive work on Ivan for some time." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "De Madariaga addresses knowledgeable readers, but the beautiful prose of this great book will tempt all others. Highly recommended." Choice"
£26.12
The University of Chicago Press The Christian Tradition A History of the
Book SynopsisIn this five-volume opus--now available in its entirety in paperback--Pelikan traces the development of Christian doctrine from the first century to the twentieth. "Pelikan's "The Christian Tradition" [is] a series for which they must have coined words like 'magisterial'."--Martin Marty, "Commonweal"
£22.80
Cambridge University Press The Roman Provinces 300 BCE300 CE
Book SynopsisProvincial coinage gives us a unique insight into the Roman world, reflecting the values and concerns of the elites of the many hundreds of cities in the Roman empire. Coins offer a very different perspective from written history, which usually represents the views of the senatorial class, and which was usually composed long after the events that are described. The coins, in contrast, provide evidence without hindsight, and uniquely allow a systematic examination across the whole Roman world. This volume makes it possible for instructors and students and scholars to deploy a complex set of material evidence on many historical topics. It includes over two hundred illustrations of coins with detailed captions, so providing a convenient sourcebook of the most important items, and covers topics such as the motivation for Roman conquest, the revolution of Augustus, the world of the Second Sophistic and the crisis of the third century.
£28.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Women at War in the Classical World
Book SynopsisPaul Chrystal has written the first full length study of women and warfare in the Graeco Roman world. Although the conduct of war was generally monopolized by men, there were plenty of exceptions with women directly involved in its direction and even as combatants, Artemisia, Olympias, Cleopatra and Agrippina the Elder being famous examples. And both Greeks and Romans encountered women among their barbarian enemies, such as Tomyris, Boudicca and Zenobia. More commonly, of course, women were directly affected by war as non-combatant victims, of rape and enslavement as spoils of war and this makes up an important strand of the authors discussion. The portrayal of female warriors and goddesses in classical mythology and literature, and the use of war to justify gender roles and hierarchies, are also considered. Overall it is a landmark survey of how war in the Classical world affected and was affected by women.Trade Review‘Chrystal’s work has given us a study remarkable for its detail and the breadth of its scope, an analysis backed up with ample referencing… a work of considerable scholarship and insight, one that anyone with an interest in ancient warfare will not be able to ignore’. - DR STANLEY IRELAND, DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS & ANCIENT HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK.
£13.49
Cornell University Press The Politics of Coercion
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£18.99
Eglantyne Books The Sacred Geometry of Ancient Greece
Book SynopsisHow the Greek temples and Greek statues were entirely based upon principles of sacred geometry.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd The Little History of Derbyshire
Book SynopsisDerbyshire is a county of dramatic variations and contrasts created by millennia of geological change. Situated in the very middle of England, it is the furthest county from the sea. Its minerals, rivers and landscapes have guided the people of Derbyshire through the centuries, from its first Stone Age cave dwellers, Roman rulers and industrialists to more than 13 million people who visit its Peak District National Park each year.Discover the story of Derbyshire's prehistoric past, its feudal keeps and royal forests, and the fortunes of Bess of Hardwick, Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Florence Nightingale. From lead miners to revolutionaries, cotton mills to coal mines, iron foundries and quarries to motor cars, bouncing bombs and jet engines, learn how the men and women of Derbyshire have helped shape the history of a nation.
£13.49
Casemate Publishers Expectation of Valor
Book SynopsisGiven the length of time the United States spent in Iraq, there is a perception that there was no consideration before the war of what should be done after coalition forces arrived in Baghdad and removed Saddam Hussein. However as this unofficial history reveals, there was a great deal of planning to address how to achieve the policy objectives for Iraq set by the Bush administration. Kevin Bensondirector of plans for the United States Third Army, the ground forces command headquarters for GEN Franks' Central Command, at the start of the wardetails the development of the invasion plan and its subsequent execution from D-Day in March 2003 until the change of command of operations in Iraq and the departure of Third Army in June 2003.He addresses the persistent trope that the Army did no planning for Phase IV, revealing that extensive plans were proposed, and were met with very little interest in Washington. The book covers the difficulties encountered in dealing with Secretary of Defense
£27.96
Yale University Press Templars
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£11.39
The American University in Cairo Press Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life
Book SynopsisNefertiti’s current world dominion as a cultural and artistic icon presents an interesting contrast with the way in which she was actively written out of history soon after her own death. This book explores what we can reconstruct of the life of the queen, tracing the way in which she and her image emerged in the wake of the first tentative decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs during the 1820s–1840s, and then took on the world over the next century and beyond. During the last half of the fourteenth century BC, Egypt was perhaps at the height of its prosperity. It was against this background that the 'Amarna Revolution' occurred. Throughout, its instigator, King Akhenaten, had at his side his Great Wife, Nefertiti. When a painted bust of the queen found at Amarna in 1912 was first revealed to the public in the 1920s, it soon became one of the great artistic icons of the world. Nefertiti's name and face are perhaps the best known of any royal woman of ancient Egypt and one of the best recognized figures of antiquity, but her image has come in many ways to overshadow the woman herself.Trade Review"[T]he most objective and well-balanced summation of her career to date . . . . This volume is well-produced and sumptuously illustrated and a fine addition to this welcome biographical series."—Morris Bierbrier, Egyptian Archaeology"Writing an overview of Nefertiti’s life and times is essentially an impossible task. . . Only a few people are up to this task, and thank Heavens that one of them is Aidan Dodson. Bravo!! Buy this book." —Stephen Harvey, Stony Brook University"This thoroughly researched, documented, and illustrated book includes maps, a chronology of dynasties, extensive endnotes, and image sources. . . Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals."—CHOICE"Dodson goes beyond prior scholarship by meticulously chronicling her life and offering up new theories about her origins and significance."—AramcoWorldPraise for Aidan Dodson"Professional Egyptology at its best." —Brian Fagan"Highly Recommended."—CHOICE"A masterpiece of meticulous scholarship . . . . ideal for non-specialist general readers with an interest in ancient Egyptian history." —Reviewer's Bookwatch“Intriguing and involving historical study and extrapolation.” —Midwest Book Review“With copious illustrations, this book supplies intriguing insights into pharaonic politics, arrived at through meticulous, knowledgeable research.” —Book News
£28.49
Cameron & Company Inc The Way of Florida A Novel
Book SynopsisRelentless, urgent and above all musical, Russell Persson''s expertly crafted The Way of Florida recasts the tragic story of the failed Narváez expedition. This tale has trickled down through the centuries via La Relación, the official report published in 1542, as well as many other subsequent retellings. A calamitous attempt to establish Spanish colonies along the Gulf Coast, of the 300 crew sent inland to explore, only four survived this eight-year ordeal. In bracing, beautiful language this timely narrative of botched colonialism, now in its first American Edition, radically reimagines the parameters and responsibilities of the historical novel. Linguistically rich, sinuous, and maybe even heroic, The Way of Florida offers historical fiction like you have never read it before.
£999.99
Taylor & Francis China through the Camera Lens
Book SynopsisChina through the Camera Lens combines Chinese language learning with film analysis, offering a unique and comprehensive learning experience beyond traditional methods.The book consists of twelve chapters, each based on a carefully selected short film or video. Each chapter is divided into a presentation section and a practice section. The presentation includes short narratives illustrated with color screen shots, with vocabulary glossed alongside for easy reference. It also introduces relevant film terms to help students focus on filmmaking techniques as well as the content of the films. The practice sections cover word collocations, near synonyms, word meanings, idiomatic phrases, paragraph structure, topics for class discussion, composition practice, and extended reading. By integrating short films, cultural insights, and film analysis, learners not only enhance their language skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between film and content.This book is an innovative and engaging advanced Chinese language textbook that immerses advanced Chinese learners in language and culture through short films and videos.
£128.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Knights Templar
Book SynopsisThe Knights Templar have fascinated us for centuries. They were holy warriors who fought with incredible bravery in the Crusades but were then destroyed by their own side. In battle they were the bravest knights first on the battlefield and the last to quit. Charging towards the enemy with their white cloaks emblazoned with the red cross of martyrdom. Every young man in medieval Europe yearned to be a Knight Templar. The reality, though, could be tough. Battles fought against fearsome foes sometimes resulted in terrible defeat with a huge loss of life. The Templars were always the target of jealousy and hatred because of their military prowess, financial acumen, and strict organisation. Eventually, their enemies got the better of them. Not the Saracens they had fought in the Holy Land, but kings and bishops back home. The Templars were accused of bizarre initiation rituals and heretical beliefs. Many were executed for the sole crime of being a Templar. But their memory was not ext
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Decline and Fall of the Ptolemies
Book SynopsisThe death of Ptolemy VI brought his younger brother Ptolemy VIII to the kingship. This was the start of a prolonged, if intermittent, turbulent period of family strife, punctuated by rebellions, plots and wars. One king, Ptolemy VII, was murdered, Ptolemy VIII's two simultaneous wives plotted and rebelled, and when he died one of these, Kleopatra III, was his effective successor. Ptolemy VIII was in fact not a bad king in some ways, and encouraged the exploitation of the discovery of the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean to develop trade with India, as well as using his (much reduced) navy to maintain contact with the lands of the Mediterranean. Kleopatra III made a renewed effort to reconquer Palestine, but failed (Eighth Syrian War). From the death of Ptolemy IX in 80 BC there were two overriding problems. Ptolemy IX was the last legitimate Ptolemy, and the succession was constantly in dispute from then on. And looming over all was the rising power of Rome. This had been largely absent from the eastern Mediterranean until the Mithradatic wars brought its power repeatedly into the East. Egypt gradually became drawn into the republic's orbit, mainly as a source of cash to fund its wars and the greed of the Roman aristocracy until, choosing the side of Mark Antony, the final Ptolemy, Kleopatra VII, went down to defeat before Octavian's forces.
£21.25
SPCK Publishing Caves Coprolites and Catastrophes
Book SynopsisWilliam Buckland, Victorian fossil-hunter extaordinaire, is widely regarded as the founder of the science of geology. This and his many other achievements are presented here in vivid and entertaining detail.Trade Review‘Allan Chapman has written an irresistible biography of one of Oxford’s most colourful characters, the pioneer and populariser of paleontology William Buckland. A gifted and amusing speaker, Buckland captivated large audiences with lost worlds of prehistoric creatures, reconstructed from fossil fragments. An Anglican priest, Canon of Oxford’s cathedral and eventually, in 1845, Dean of Westminster, Buckland resolutely applied his scientific knowledge in the service of Christian philanthropy. Dr Chapman shares with his subject a proven ability to mix instruction with entertainment, but never to the detriment of two serious aims: to rescue Buckland from caricatures that have allowed his early writings on the scope of Noah’s flood to obscure his many durable contributions to geology and, secondly, to show that, as one standing in a long line of clerical scientists, he saw the earth sciences as magnifying, not threatening, the grandeur of God’s creation.’ * John Hedley Brooke, Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion, University of Oxford (1999–2006) *‘With sustained brio Allan Chapman restores the charismatic William Buckland to his rightful place in the scientific pantheon of the nineteenth century as a key figure in the peculiar genius of English life. As importantly, Chapman expertly navigates the historical currents that swept Buckland and his contemporaries to astonishing new insights into deep time, but never at the expense of their deep Christian conviction.’ * Simon Conway Morris FRS, Emeritus Professor of Paleantology, University of Cambridge *‘William Buckland was a remarkable and fascinating character who played a major part in the development of Geology as a new and important science. Allan Chapman explores the tensions that existed within Victorian Society between the development of scientific ideas and religious beliefs about the creation of the world and the evolution of life, and provides vivid descriptions of the key characters involved in these debates. He also shows the significant role that Buckland played in the cleaning up of Victorian cities and improving the health of those living in them. In all, a very engaging, informative and enjoyable read!’ * Martin Grossel, Emeritus Fellow in Organic Chemistry, University of Southampton *
£18.99
Edinburgh University Press HumanAnimal Relations and the Hunt in Korea and
Book SynopsisThis book is a study of how human-animal relations became increasingly significant to politics, national security, and elite identities during the transitional period in late Kory and early Chosn dynasty Korea from the 1270s until 1506.
£22.49
Princeton University Press Shamanism
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£20.90
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Mannerheim Marshal of Finland
Book SynopsisAn award-winning critical biography of Finland's towering leader, charting his statecraft, his political journey and his strategic bravado, carving out independence between Stalin and Hitler.
£16.14
Cambridge University Press Elements of Archaeological Wood and Woodworking
Book SynopsisWood is, and always has been, one of the most common and versatile materials for creating structures and art. It is therefore also a ubiquitous element of the archaeological record. This discussion of the study of archaeological wood introduces a number of approaches to the analysis of these organic remains, including a brief overview of wood science, factors that impact the survival of wood materials, wood anatomy, and dendrochronology. These sections are intended to help archaeologists and other interested non-specialists prepare to encounter archaeological woods, and to understand the potential scientific data that these remains could contribute to our understanding of the human past. This is followed by additional approaches from the social sciences. The study of woodworking techniques and toolmarks, combined with ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology, can push wood analyses further. A combination of these approaches can help to create a more holistic view of humankind''s relationship to wood.
£17.00
HarperCollins Publishers The Beet Queen
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Big House
Book SynopsisThe highly praised biography of an archetypal great house and the family who lived there for over 250 years.The Big House' is the biography of a great country house and the lives of the Sykes family who lived there, with varying fates, for the next two hundred and fifty years. It is a fascinating social history set against the backdrop of a changing England, with a highly individual, pugnacious and self-determining cast, including: Old Tat' Sykes, said to be one of the great sights of Yorkshire (the author's great-great-great-grandfather), who wore 18th-century dress to the day of his death at ninety-one in 1861. His son was similarly eccentric, wearing eight coats that he discarded gradually throughout the day in order to keep his body temperature at a constant. He was forced to marry, aged forty-eight, eighteen-year-old Jessica Cavendish-Bentick a lively and highly intelligent woman who relieved the boredom of her marriage by acquiring a string of lovers, writing novels and throwingTrade Review‘An unusually entertaining, instructive and engaging book… this book is a treat.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A meticulously researched labour of love.’ Daily Mail ‘Romantic, accessible and absorbing…I cared passionately for every one of these people and wanted the book to continue indefinitely.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Witty, absorbing and touching…a splendid book.’ Sunday Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Peloponnesian War
Book SynopsisThe Stalingrad of the ancient world, this is an immensely readable, brilliant, brutal and vivid history of the greatest and bloodiest war of ancient Greece.The Peloponnesian War, fought 2,500 years ago between oligarchic Sparta and democratic Athens for control of Greece, is brought spectacularly to life in this magnificent study. Kagan demonstrates the relevance of this cataclysmic event to modern times in all its horror and savagery. As two uncompromising empires fight a war of survival from diametrically opposing political, social and cultural positions, the seemingly invincible glory of Athens crumbles in tragedy.Athenian culture and politics was unmatched in originality and fertility, and is still regarded as one of the peak achievements of Western civilisation. Dramatic poets such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes raised tragedy and comedy to a level never surpassed; architects and sculptors were at work on the Acropolis; natural philosophers like Anaxagoras andTrade Review‘It is a lively narrative that moves with immense speed towards its grim conclusion…Recent events have enhanced Kagan’s reputation among American conservatives as a sage.’ Daily Telegraph ‘It is a daunting task to cover the same ground as a great classical historian, but Donald Kagan achieves it splendidly with “The Peloponnesian War”.’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Kagan’s narrative of one of the critical episodes in the history of the ancient world is as good an account of the subject as one could ask for.’ Spectator
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers The Free World Art and Thought in the Cold War
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for NonfictionThe Cold War was not just a contest of power. It was also about ideas, in the broadest sense economic and political, artistic and personal.InThe Free World, the acclaimed Pulitzer Prizewinning scholar and critic Louis Menand tells the story of American culture in the pivotal years from the end of World War II to Vietnam and stresses the rich flow of ideas across the Atlantic.How did elitism and an anti-totalitarian scepticism of passion and ideology give way to a new sensibility defined by experimentation and loving the Beatles? How was the ideal of freedom' applied to causes that ranged from anti-communism and civil rights to radical acts of self-creation via art and even crime? With the wit and insight familiar to readers ofThe Metaphysical Club,Menand takes us inside Hannah Arendt's Manhattan, the Paris of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir and the post-war vogue for FreTrade Review‘The Free World sparkles. Fully original, beautifully written’ New York Times ‘Like a great novelist, he creates a world’ Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books ‘Elegantly written, entertaining and bursting with information . . . [Menand] has undertaken what few writers of intellectual history would dare to do’ Marjorie Perloff, TLS ’The Free World is a finely balanced book: not a history of culture as a reflection of cold war ideology, but a history of the culture that happened all around it. A starry cast of characters – from George Orwell and John Lennon to Betty Friedan and Malcolm X, Hannah Arendt and Jack Kerouac – bring personality to one of the most fascinating periods in western culture whose ideas of freedom are still felt profoundly today’ Alex von Tunzelmann, Financial Times ‘The Free World is an engrossing and often revelatory book, a capacious, ambitious, and wonderfully crafted synthesis of intellectual and cultural histor’ Jack Hamilton, Slate ‘Menand is a genial hand-holder and amazingly good company’ Leo Robinson, Prospect ‘Masterful, and exhibits such brilliant writing and exhaustive research . . . I learned so much’ Mark Greif, The Atlantic ‘An engrossing and impossibly wide-ranging project . . . In The Free World, every seat is a good one’ Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers How MumboJumbo Conquered the World
Book SynopsisAn entertaining, impassioned polemic on the retreat of reason in the late 20th century. An intellectual call to arms, Francis Wheen's Sunday Times bestseller is one of 2004's most talked about books.In 1979 two events occurred that would shape the next twenty-five years. In Britain, an era of weary consensualist politics was displaced by the arrival of Margaret Thatcher, whose ambition was to reassert ''Victorian values''. In Iran, the fundamentalist cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini set out to restore a regime that had last existed almost 1,300 years ago. Between them they succeeded in bringing the twentieth century to a premature close. By 1989, Francis Fukuyama was declaring that we had now reached the End of History.What colonised the space recently vacated by notions of history, progress and reason? Cults, quackery, gurus, irrational panics, moral confusion and an epidemic of mumbo-jumbo. Modernity was challenged by a gruesome alliance of pre-modernists and post-modernists, medieTrade Review'A brilliant, eccentric book.' Observer Book of the Year ‘Wheen has a Swiftian relish for exposing the cant that attends the 'new rationality'…bullshit's enema number one.' Tim Adams, Observer 'Hugely enjoyable…delightful reading.'Ferdinand Mount, Sunday Times 'Lightly and often hilariously told as it is, this book does make it clear that respect for truth and reason is retreating and mumbo-jumbo has a new confidence everywhere…This amusing, intelligent and elegantly argued book is as good a demonstration of the values it defends as could be imagined.'Philip Hensher, Spectator ‘This book is a manifesto for rescuing the greatest philosophical movement of the past millennium. You have a choice: either read it or, pre-emptively shred your brain in anticipation of the coming darkness.' Independent on Sunday
£10.79
HarperCollins Publishers Edge of Empire Conquest and Collecting in the
Book SynopsisTalented historian Maya Jasanoff offers an alternative history of the British Empire. It is not about conquest but rather a collection of startling and fascinating personal accounts of cross-cultural exchange from those who found themselves on the edges of Empire.A Palladian mansion filled with Western art in the centre of old Calcutta, the Mughal Emperor's letters in an archive in the French Alps, the names of Italian adventurers scratched into the walls of Egyptian temples: in this imaginative book, Maya Jasanoff delves into the stories behind artefacts like these to uncover the lives of collectors in India and Egypt who lived on the frontiers of European empire. Edge of Empire' traces their exploits to tell an intimate history of imperialism.Written and researched on four continents, Edge of Empire' tells a story about the making of European empires, ones that break away from the grand narratives of power, exploitation, and resistance, to delve into the personal dimensions of imperTrade Review‘Maya Jasanoff…triumphs in this memorable debut. This is partly because, mirroring her subject, she has adopted a vivacious methodology that defies category. Jasanoff’s investigation of the world that made her evokes the midday sun, the unforgettable stench and blare of the East, but populates it with characters to whom the reader can relate, as strange as fiction, but actually found in real life.’ Robert McCrum, Observer ‘This is a very clever and wonderfully researched and written book which illuminates French as well as British imperial existence, artifacts and culture, and which looks at all the actors invoved in a vivid and nuanced fashion. An original new voice.’ Linda Colley ‘This is an extraordinary debut. Maya Jasanoff is one of the most exciting historians to emerge in years. Her crackling prose and outstanding research have resulted in a ground-breaking book. “Edge of Empire” is a “must-read”.’ Amanda Foreman, author of ‘Georgina Duchess of Devonshire’
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers House of Stone
Book SynopsisA powerful and intensely human insight into the civil war in Zimbabwe, focusing on a white farmer and his maid who find themselves on opposing sides.One bright morning Nigel Hough, one of the few remaining white farmers in Mugabe's Zimbabwe, received the news he was dreading a crowd were at the gate demanding he surrender his home and land. To his horror, his family''s much-loved nanny Aqui was at the head of the violent mob that then stole his homestead and imprisoned him in an outhouseBy tracing the intertwined lives of Nigel and Aqui rich and poor, white and black, master and maid through intimate and moving interviews, Christina Lamb captures not just the source of a terrible conflict, but also her own conviction that there is still hope for one of Africa's most beautiful countries.Trade Review‘Lamb is a careful observer, and her anguished refrain is the terrible schizophrenia of people who fiercely love their land but do nothing to save it…the strength is in the storytelling…it is a good piece of reportage…her book deserves to be read.' Daily Telegraph ‘A perceptive account of Zimbabwean history since the colonial days.’ Times Literary Supplement 'Riveting…Lamb's book tells a disaster story on a massive scale.' Daily Mail 'Compelling…Lamb has a remarkable pair of stories to tell, and does so extremely well.' The Spectator
£11.69
