History Books

Book Synopsis'You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the MacDonalds of Glencoe, and to put all to the sword under seventy.' This was the treacherous and cold-blooded order ruthlessly carried out on 13 February 1692, when the Campbells slaughtered their hosts the MacDonalds at the Massacre of Glencoe. This book describes the terrible events at Glencoe.

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Book SynopsisIf you want to discover the captivating history of the French Revolution, this is the book for you . . .Concise, convincing and exciting, this is Christopher Hibbert''s brilliant account of the events that shook eighteenth-century Europe to its foundation. With a mixture of lucid storytelling and fascinating detail, he charts the French Revolution from its beginnings at an impromptu meeting on an indoor tennis court at Versailles in 1789, right through to the ''coup d''etat'' that brought Napoleon to power ten years later.In the process he explains the drama and complexities of this epoch-making era in the compelling and accessible manner he has made his trademark.''A spectacular replay of epic action'' Richard Holmes, The Times''Unquestionably the best popular history of the French Revolution'' The Good Book GuideTable of ContentsPrologue - court and country; the day of the tennis-court oath, 20 June 1789; the day of the Vainquers de la Bastille, 14 July 1789; the day of the market-women, 5-6 October 1789; the days of the federes and the flight to Varennes, 14-17 July 1790 and 19-26 June 1791; the days of the tuileries, 20 June and 10 August 1792; the days of the September massacres and the execution of the king, 2-7 September 1792 and 21 January 1793; the days of the enrages and the hebertists, 28 May-2 June and 4-5 September 1793; the days of the terror, October-December 1793 and March-July 1794; the days of Thermidor, 22-28 July 1794; the days of Germinal, Prairal and Vendemiaire, 1 April, 20 May and 4-6 October 1795; epilogue - the advent of Bonaparte; appendices.

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Book SynopsisBorn in 1929, John Julius Norwich served in the foreign office for twelve years before resigning in 1964 in order to write. His many publications include his two-book history published by Penguin in one volume entitled The Normans in Sicily; two travel books, Mount Athos (with Reresby Sitwell) and Sahara; The Architecture of Southern England; Glyndebourne; three anthologies of poetry and prose, Christmas Crackers, More Christmas Crackers and Still More Christmas Crackers; A History of Venice; and his three-volume history of the Byzantine empire of which this is the first, Byzantium: The Apogee is the second, and Byzantium: The Decline and Fall is the third. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Geographical Society and the Society of Antiquaries, a Companion of the Royal Victorian Order and a Commendatore of the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.Table of ContentsKrum (800-14); the return of iconoclasm (814-29); Theophilus (829-42); the images restored (842-56); of patriarchs and plots (857-66); double murder (866-7); Basil the Macedonian (867-86); Leo the Wise (886-912); the rise of Romanus (912-20); the gentle usurper (920-48); the scholar emperor (945-63); the white death of the Saracens (963-9); John Tzimisces (969-76); the young Basil (976-89) the Bulgar-Slayer (989-1025); the decline begins (1025-41); the end of the Paphlagonians (1041-2); Constantine Monomachus and the schism (1042-55); prelude to catastrophe (1055-9); Manzikert (1059-81). List of emperors; list of Muslim sultans; list of patriarchs; list of popes.

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Book SynopsisWritten from a consciously anti-enthnocentric approach, this fascinating work is a survey of the civilizations of the modern world in terms of the broad sweep and continuities of history, rather than the event-based technique of most other texts.Table of ContentsList of MapsTranslator's IntroductionBy Way of PrefaceIntroduction: History and the Present DayI. A History of Civilizations1. Changing Vocabulary2. The Study of Civilization Involves All the Social Sciences: Civilizations as geographical areas; civilizations as societies; civilizations as economies; civilizations as ways of thought.3. The Continuity of Civilizations: Periods within civilizations; underlying structures; history and civilizationII. Civilizations Outside EuropePart I. Islam and the Muslim World4. History: Islam as a successor civilization: the Near East in new form; the history of the Near East; Muhammad, the Koran and Islam; Arabia: the problem of a barely urbanized culture.5. Geography: Islam's lands and seas; a continent as intermediary: trade-routes and towns.6. The Greatness and Decline of Islam: No Muslim civilization before the eighth or ninth century; the golden age of Islam: eighth to twelfth centuries; science and philosophy; stagnation or decadence: twelfth to eighteenth centuries.7. The Revival of Islam Today: The end of colonialism and the birth of new nationalist movements; Muslim States in the modern world; Muslim civilization in the twentieth century.Part II: Africa8. The Past: Geography; the dark past.9. Black Africa: Today and Tomorrow: The awakening of Africa; economic and social issues at stake; art and literature.Part III: The Far East10. An Introduction to the Far East: What geography shows; barbarism against civilization: the evidence of history; distant origins: the reasons for cultural immobility.11. The China of the Past: Religion; politics; social and economic affairs.12. China Yesterday and Today: The time of imposed treaties: China as humiliated victim (1839-1949); China renewed; Chinese civilization in the modern world.13. India Yesterday and Today: Ancient India (before the British Raj); British India (1757-1947): an ancient economy at grips with the modern West; Will India be spared a Chinese-style revolution?14. The Maritime Far East: Indo-China; Indonesia; The Philippines; Korea.15. Japan: Japan before Chinese influence; Japan learns from Chinese civilization; modern Japan.III. European CivilizationsPart I: Europe16. Geography and Freedom: Europe takes shape: fifth to thirteenth centuries; liberty and rights: eleventh to eighteenth centuries.17. Christianity, Humanism, and Scientific Thought: Christianity; humanism and humanists; scientific thought before the nineteenth century.18. The Industrialization of Europe: The origins of the first Industrial Revolution; the spread of industrialism in Europe (and beyond); socialism and industrialism.19. Unity in Europe: Outstanding art and culture; economic interdependence; political delay.Part II: America20. Latin America, the Other New World: Geography; nature and society: literature bears witness; racial problems: quasi-fraternity; the economy: civilizations on trial.21. America par excellence: The United States: A reassuring past: opportunities and setbacks; colonization and independence; conquering the West; industrialization and the growth of towns.22. Failures and Difficulties: From Yesterday to the Present: An old nightmare: Black America, an ineradicable colony; capitalism: from the trusts to State intervention and oligopoly; the United States in the world.23. An English-speaking Universe: In Canada: France and Britain; Southern Africa: Dutch, British, and Blacks; Australia and New Zealand, or Britain at last unchallenged.Part III: The Other Europe: Muscovy, Russia, the USSR and the CIS24. From the Beginning to the October Revolution of 1917: Kiev; the Russian Orthodox Church; Greater Russia.25. The USSR After 1917: From Marx to Lenin; Marxism and Soviety civilization; the Congress of October 1961.Index

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Book SynopsisIn this long-awaited book (already a major bestseller in Italy) Ginsborg has created a fascinating, sophisticated and definitive account of how Italy has coped, or failed to cope, with the past two decades. Contemporary Italy strongly mirrors Britain - the countries have roughly the same extent, population size and GNP - and yet they are fantastically different. Ginsborg sees this difference as most fundamentally clear in the role of the family and it is the family which is at the heart of Italian politics and business. Anyone wishing to understand contemporary Italy will find it essential to have this enormously attractive and intelligent book.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1964, Ancient Iraq is the classic work on Mesopotamia and the great civilizations that sprung from the region bounded by the Euphrates and Tigris. It remains an invaluable primer for anyone fascinated by the extraordinary ruins and artworks which have emerged from generations of archaeological digs. The book gives a lively, comprehensive account, from the earliest city fragments through the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians through to its decline under Hellenistic rule.Table of ContentsList of PlatesList of IllustrationsList of TablesList of MapsForeword to the Third EditionIntroduction to the First Edition1. The Geographical SettingThe Twin RiversRegional VariationsTrade Routes2. In Search of the PastThe Buried Cities of IraqDating the PastArchaeological Research in Iraq3. From Cave to FarmPalaeolithicMesolithicNeolithic4. From Village to CityThe Hassuna PeriodThe Samarra PeriodThe Halaf PeriodThe Ubaid Period5. Birth of a CivilizationThe Uruk PeriodThe Jemdat Nasr PeriodThe Sumerian Problem6. The Gods of SumerThe Sumerian PantheonTales of CreationLife, Death and Destiny7. An Age of HeroesFrom 'Adam' to the DelugeThe Great FloodDynasties of SupermenThe Story of Gilgamesh8. The Early Dynastic PeriodThe Archaeological ContextThe Sumerian City-statesEarly Sumerian RulersOutline of History9. The AkkadiansThe SemitesSargon of AkkadThe Akkadian Empire10. The Great Kingdom of UrUr-Nammu and GudeaShulgi, Amar-Sin and the Sumerian EmpireThe Fall of Ur11. The AmoritesIsin, Larsa and BabylonEshnunna and AssurMari and the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia12. HammurabiThe StatesmanThe Lawgiver13. In the Days of HammurabiThe God in his TempleThe King in his PalaceThe Citizen in his House14. New PeoplesThe Indo-EuropeansAsia Minor and the HittitesHurrians and MitanniansSyria and Egypt15. The KassitesHammurabi's SuccessorsIraq under Kassite Rule16. Kassites, Assyrians and the Oriental PowersEgypt versus MitanniThe Time of SuppiluliumasAssur and Susa versus Babylon17. The Time of ConfusionIsraelites and PhoeniciansThe Neo-HittitesThe AramaeansThe Dark Age of Mesopotamia18. The Rise of AssyriaGenesis of an EmpireAshurnasirpalShalmaneser III19. The Assyrian Empire/b>Assyrian EclipseTiglathpileser IIISargon II20. The House of SargonSennacheribEsarhaddonAshurbanipal21. The Glory of AssyriaThe Assyrian StateThe Assyrian ArmyAssyrian Arts22. The Scribes of NinevehMesopotamian ScienceMathematics and AstronomyMedicine23. The Chaldaean KingsThe Fall of NinevehNebuchadrezzarThe Fall of Babylon24. The Splendour of BabylonBabylon, the Great CityThe New Year FestivalEconomic Life25. Death of a CivilizationThe Achaemenian PeriodThe Hellenistic PeriodThe Parthian PeriodEpilogueList of AbbreviationsBibliography and NotesChronological TablesMapsIndex

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Book SynopsisIan Kershaw''s Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris charts the rise of Adolf Hitler, from a bizarre misfit in a Viennese dosshouse, to dictatorial leadership.With extraordinary skill and vividness, drawing on a huge range of sources, Kershaw recreates the world which first thwarted and then nurtured Hitler in his youth, from early childhood to the first successes of the Nazi Party. As his seemingly pitiful fantasy of being Germany''s saviour attracted more and more support, Kershaw brilliantly conveys why so many Germans adored Hitler, connived with him or felt powerless to resist him. ''Supersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write''  David Cannadine, Observer Books of the Year ''The Hitler biography for the 21st century ... cool, judicious, factually reliable and intelligently argued''  Richard Evans, Sunday Telegraph ''One of Trade ReviewSupersedes all previous accounts. It is the sort of masterly biography that only a first-rate historian can write -- David Cannadine * Observer Books of the Year *The Hitler biography for the 21st century ... cool, judicious, factually reliable and intelligently argued ... Kershaw triumphantly succeeds in showing that Hitler's rise to supreme power depended not just on his own talents, nor on the nature of German society, but on the interaction of the two -- Richard Evans * Sunday Telegraph *One of the major historical biographies of our times ... Kershaw has written a dazzlingly lucid interpretation of the central dynamics of the Nazi regime which draws on a wide new range of sources and expertly manages a huge cast of accomplices ... a riveting read -- Jackie Wullschlager * Financial Times, Best Biographies of the Year *His analysis of Hitler's extraordinary character has the fascination of a novel, but he places his struggle and rise in the context of meticulously researched history ... Deeply disturbing. Unforgettable -- A.N. Wilson * Daily Mail *A sane, erudite, moral and intellectually honest biography of the 20th century's most destructive politician. Every page is focused on the historical question we would prefer to forget: how did it happen? -- Ruth Scurr * The Times *This new biography is of profound importance and will ... quickly establish itself as the standard work on Hitler and his regime -- Thomas Childers * Boston Globe *Table of ContentsFantasy and failure; drop-out; elation and embitterment; discovering a talent; the beerhall agitator; the "drummer"; emergence of the leader; mastery over the movement; breakthrough; levered into power; the making of the dictator; securing total power; working towards to Fuhrer.

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Book SynopsisA history of the Habsburg monarchy from the end of the Holy Roman Empire to the monarchy''s dissolution in 1918. The book offers an insight into the problems inherent in the attempt to give peace, stability and common loyalty to a hetergeneous population.

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Book Synopsis“The best introduction I have ever read to Ancient Greece. The author’s liveliness of mind and style has enabled him to make a mass of information appetizing and digestible” –Ray Mortimer in the Sunday Times The Greeks were extraordinary not least because they evolved a totally new conception of what human life was for. Justifying and elaborating on that claim, H.D.F. Kitto explores the life, culture and history of classical Greece, bringing to his subject the passion, wit and insight that have made this brief introduction a world-famous classic. “Professor Kitto is a model historian – lively, accurate, and fully acquainted with the latest developments in the subject . . . never vague . . . often witty and always full of vigour.”—The Times Educational SupplementTable of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 THE FORMATION OF THE GREEK PEOPLE3 THE COUNTRY4 HOMER5 THE POLIS6 CLASSICAL GREECE: THE EARLY PERIOD7 CLASSICAL GREECE: THE FIFTH CENTURY8 THE GREEKS AT WAR9 THE DECLINE OF THE POLIS10 THE GREEK MIND11 MYTH AND RELIGION12 LIFE AND CHARACTERINDEX

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Book SynopsisA history of Europe since Napoleon, covering all of the main topics of that period.

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Book SynopsisThis book studies the evolution of the family from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century and how the process radically influenced child-rearing, education, contraception, sexual behaviour and marriage.

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Book SynopsisThe concept of an ordered human society, both religious and secular, as an expression of a divinely ordered universe was central to medieval thought. In the West the political and religious community were inextricably bound together, and because the Church was so intimately involved with the world, any history of it must take into account the development of medieval society.Professor Southern's book covers the period from the eighth to the sixteenth century. After sketching the main features of each medieval age, he deals in greater detail with the Papacy, the relations between Rome and her rival Constantinople, the bishops and archbishops, and the various religious orders, providing in all a superb history of the period.Table of ContentsPrefaceList of Abbreviations1. Church and Society2. The Divisions of TimeI. The Primitive Age, c. 700-c. 1050II. The Age of Growth, c. 1050-c. 1300The main developmentThe rise and limits of clerical supremacyThe positive achievementIII. The Age of Unrest, c. 1300-c. 1550The changing environmentPolitical change and reaction3. The Divisions of ChristendomI. The Seeds of DisunityDivergent habitsPolitical separationDoctrinal differencesII. The Two ChurchesIII. The Search for ReunionThe military wayThe political package dealThe way of understandingRegression4. The PapacyI. The Primitive Age, c. 700-c. 1050The Vicar of St. PeterThe supreme temporal lordII. The Age of Growth, c. 1050-c. 1300The Vicar of ChristThe growth of businessThe primacy and temporal powerThe lawyer-popesIII. The Inflationary Spiral, c. 1300-c. 1520IndulgencesInternational politicsThe struggle for benefices5. Bishops and ArchbishopsI. The Carolingian Church Order and Its Break-UpThe formation of a bishopThe break-up of the Carolingian idealII. Bishops in the Service of the PopeAn archbishop in northern FranceAn archbishop in EnglandA bishop in GermanyAn episcopal family in northern Italy6. The Religious OrdersI. The BenedictinesThe RuleThe centuries of greatnessChange and decayII. The New OrdersThe Augustinian canonsThe CisterciansIII. The FriarsThe environmentAims and originsGrowth and achievement7. Fringe Orders and Anti-OrdersI. The General EnvironmentThe behaviour of crowdsThe influence of women in religious lifeII. A Confusion of TonguesThe beguines of CologneThe religious brethren of Deventer and its neighbourhoodEpilogueList of Popes, 590-153Index

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Book SynopsisA portrait of 18th century England, from its princes to its paupers, from its metropolis to its smallest hamlet. The topics covered include - diet, housing, prisons, rural festivals, bordellos, plays, paintings, and work and wages.Table of ContentsContrasts; the social order; power, politics and the law; keeping life going; getting and spending; having and enjoying; changing experiences; towards industrial society; conclusion.

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Book SynopsisIn this major survey, three distinguished historians produce an exciting introduction to the field. Although the Lost Centuries between AD400 and 600 suffer from a scarcity of written sources, and only two writers, King Alfred and the Venerable Bede, dominate our understanding of later times, the authors have created a rich and thought-provoking account of the stormy era when Britain became Christian and sustained several waves of Viking invaders. A single nation, they suggest, slowly emerged from the rivalries and fluctuating fortunes of separate kingdoms like Mercia, Wessex and East Anglia. Major figures such as Offa, Alfred, Edgar and Cnut are discussed in detail, while the stunning illustrations convey the immense achievements of Anglo-Saxon centuries were 'simply a barbarous prelude to better things'.

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Book SynopsisThere is no more haunting, compelling period in Britain's history than the later middle ages. The extraordinary kings - Edward III and Henry V, the great warriors, Richard II and Henry VI, tragic inadequates killed by their failure to use their power, and Richard III, the demon king. The extraordinary events - the Black Death that destroyed a third of the population, the Peasants' Revolt, the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Agincourt. The extraordinary artistic achievements - the great churches, castles and tombs that still dominate the landscape, the birth of the English language in The Canterbury Tales. For the first time in a generation, a historian has had the vision and confidence to write a spell-binding account of the era immortalised by Shakespeare's history plays. The Hollow Crown brilliantly brings to life for the reader a world we have long lost - a strange, Catholic, rural country of monks, peasants, knights and merchants, almost perpetually at war - but continues to defin

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Book Synopsis''The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing''s great projects'' New StatesmanThe Pursuit of Glory brings to life one of the most extraordinary periods in European history - from the battered, introvert continent after the Thirty Years War to the dynamic one that experienced the French Revolution and the wars of Napoleon. Tim Blanning depicts the lives of ordinary people and the dominant personalities of the age (Louis XIV, Frederick the Great, Napoleon), and explores an era of almost unprecedented change, growth and cultural, political and technological ferment that shaped the societies and economies of entire countries.Trade ReviewThe Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects * New Statesman *With five volumes now out, the Penguin History of Europe series ... is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones * Economist *

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Book SynopsisThe Habsburgs have been described as demons - responsible for a 'history of atrocities'; and, as dodos - living fossils unable to adapt to the modern world. This book features figures as mad Queen Juana, progressing through Spain with her husband's decaying body; the 'heroically fertile' Maria Theresa; and, the Maximilian, 'Emperor' of Mexico.Table of ContentsThe Castle of the Hawk 1020-1300; cosa nostra (our cause) 1300-1400; universal empire 1400-1500; el dorado (the golden one) 1500-1550; a war to the last extremity 1550-1660; Felix Austria - the happy state 1660-1790; the last cavalier 1790-1916; finis Austriae - the end? 1916-1995. Family trees - The House of Habsburg 1000-1922.

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Book SynopsisMargaret Forster''s grandmother died in 1936, taking many secrets to her grave. Where had she spent the first 23 years of her life? Who was the woman in black who paid her a mysterious visit shortly before her death? How had she borne living so close to an illegitimate daughter without acknowledging her? The search for answers took Margaret on a journey into her family's past, examining not only her grandmother''s life, but also her mother's and her own. The result is both a moving, evocative memoir and a fascinating commentary on how women's lives have changed over the past century.

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Book SynopsisIstanbul's history is a catalogue of change, not least of name, yet it has managed to retain its own unique identity. John Freely captures the flavour of daily life as well as court ceremonial and intrigue. The book also includes a comprehensive gazetteer of all major monuments and museums. An in-depth study of this legendary city through its many different ages from its earliest foundation to the present day - the perfect traveller's companion and guide.

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Book SynopsisJoyce Tyldesley lives in Bolton, Lancashire. She gained a first-class honours degree in archaeology from Liverpool University in 1981 and a doctorate from Oxford in 1986. She is now Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics andOriental Studies at Liverpool University and a freelance writer and lecturer on Egyptian archaeology. Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt, is published by Penguin and her next book - a biography of Nefertiti - will be delivered in May 1997.

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Book SynopsisWhen President Habyarimana's jet was shot down in April 1994, Rwanda erupted into a hundred-day orgy of killing which left up to a million dead. Fergal Keane travelled through the country as the genocide was continuing, and his powerful analysis reveals the terrible truth behind the headlines.A tender, angry account As well as being a scathing indictment Keane says the genocide inflicted on the Tutsis was planned well in advance by Hutu leaders this is a graphic view of news-gathering in extremis. It deserves to become a classic' Independent.

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Book Synopsis“For anyone who wants an insight into the nature of Russian society before the revolution, there is no doubt that Professor Pipes has written the book.”—Lionel Kochan, Jewish Chronicle This highly acclaimed study from Richard Pipes analyzes the evolution of the Russian state from the ninth century to the 1880s and its unique role in managing Russian society. The harsh geographical conditions and sheer size of the country prevented the creation of participatory government, and a “patrimonial” state emerged in which Russia was transformed into a gigantic royal domain. Richard Pipes traces these developments and goes on to analyze the political behavior of the principal social groupings—peasantry, nobility, middle-class, and clergy—and their failure to stand up to the increasing absolutism of the tsar. In order to strengthen his powers, legal and institutional bases were set up that led to the creation of a bureaucratic police stateTable of ContentsChapter 1 The environment and its consequences: The geographic setting - vegetation, soils, climate, precipitation and waterways; The influence of Russia's northern location on her economy - short farming season, poor yields, lack of markets, unprofitability of farming, industrial side-occupations (promysly); Influence on population movement; Influence on social organization - joint family, peasant commune (obshchina); Influence on political organization - incompatibility of means and ends, the "patrimonial" system as solution. PART 1 THE STATE: Chapter 2 The genesis of the patrimonial state in Russia: Slav colonization of Russian territory; The Norman (Kievan) state - the commercial nature of the state, succession pattern, assimilation of Normans, origins of the name Rus'-Rossiia, the Norman legacy; The dissolution of the Kievan state - centrifugal forces, north-west - Novgorod, Lithuania and Poland; The appanage (patrimonial) principality of the north-east: the colonization of the Volga-Oka region, new political attitudes, the appanage principality as property, the prince's domain, the princely administration within and without, Boyars and boyar land, "Black land"; The problem of feudalism in appanage Russia - political decentralization, vassalage, conditional land tenure, the political consequences of the absence in Russia of feudal tradition; Mongol conquest and domination - the invasion, character of rule and its influence on Russian politics. Chapter 3 The Triumph of patrimonialism: The rise of Moscow - "monocracy" and "autocracy", the great principality of Vladimir and the Nevsky clan, Ivan I. Kalita, succession by primogeniture; The patrimonial principality - confusion of dominium and imperium, domainial origin of Russia's administration, failure to distinguish crown and state properties; The politicization of Moscow's patrimonial rulers - dissolution of the Golden Horde and collapse of Byzantium, the Mongol-Tatar sources of the Russian idea of kingship, Gosudar' as sovereign; The expansion of Moscow - its psychological effects, the conquest of Novgorod by Ivan III, subsequent acquisitions. Chapter 4 The anatomy of the patrimonial regime: Servitors and commoners; The service estate - Boyars lose-right of free departure, Mestnichestvo as last Boyar weapon, the rise of dvoriane, the oprichnina, terms and forms of service; Commoners - Tiaglo, serfdom - its rise and spread; The administration - Duma, Sobor, bureaucracy; Mechanism of control and repression - denunciation as civic duty, closed frontiers. Chapter 5 The partial dismantling of the patrimonial state: The crisis of the patrimonial system; The military reforms of Peter I - shortcomings of the old army, creation of a standing army, effect on commoners - soul tax and conscription, effect on servitors - compulsory schooling and table of ranks; Construction of St Petersburg; The idea of "public good" and its implications; Creation of a political police under Peter I. (Part contents).

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Book SynopsisMichael Asher has served in the Parachute Regiment and the SAS Regiment. The author of twenty-four books and presenter of six TV documentaries, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1996. For his writing and travels, he has been awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal, the Mungo Park Medal and the Ness Award. He lives in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Book SynopsisThe ''Northern Crusades'', inspired by the Pope''s call for a Holy War, are less celebrated than those in the Middle East, but they were also more successful: vast new territories became and remain Christian, such as Finland, Estonia and Prussia. Newly revised in the light of the recent developments in Baltic and Northern medieval research, this authoritative overview provides a balanced and compelling account of a tumultuous era.Trade Review"The verve and vigour of Eric Christiansen's study illuminates developments vital in the early history of Eastern Europe and brings to life a story that had epic dimensions" —Maurice Keen"For a one-volume history of the Northern Crusades, the reader has but one choice; this is it" —William Urban in the American Historical Review"A fine study of the Baltic conquest" —Hans Eberhard Meyer in the English Historical Reivew"Independent, erudite, lucid and witty … a narrative that never flags" —Christpher Tyerman"A fascinating and elegant book" —Geoffrey Wheatcroft in the London Review of BooksTable of ContentsList of MapsAcknowledgmentsChronological TableNorthern RulersSpelling of NamesIntroduction1. North-East Europe on the Eve of the CrusadesLand and SeaPeoplesInteractions2. The Wendish Crusade in Theory and Practice, 1147-1185The Crusade of 1147Supporters and ChroniclersThe Slav Wars of Henry the Lion and Valdemar the Great3. The Armed Monks: Ideology and EfficiencyVarieties of Monastic Knighthood, 1128-1237The Monastic War-Machine, 1225-13094. The Conquest of the East Baltic Lands, 1200-1292LivoniaPrussiaEstoniaFinland5. The Theocratic Experiment, 1200-1273Popes and LeaguesThe Battle for the ConvertThe War on the Schismatics6. The Lithuanian Crusade, 1283-1410The Roads to Collision, 1203-1309The Morality and Recruitment of the CrusadeWars and Politics, 1304-1409Strategy and Tactics7. The Crusade Against Novgorod, 1295-1378The Debatable LandsThe Making of a Russo-Swedish Frontier, 1295-1326The Crusades of King Magnus8. The Crusading States of North-East EuropeSystems of GovernmentConditions of MenCivilizations9. The Withering of the Crusade, 1409-1525Tannenberg and After, 1409-14Confrontations at Constance, 1414-18The Survival and Extinction of the Order in Prussia, 1418-1525Livonia and the Russians, 1400-1562ConclusionFurther ReadingReferences to SourcesIndex

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Book SynopsisJohn Cornwell is Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, and an award-winning journalist and author. His THIEF IN THE NIGHT: THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL I (1989) was a world bestseller. He has written on Catholic issues for many publications including the Sunday Times, Independent, Observer and the Tablet.Table of ContentsThe Pacellis; hidden life; Papal power games; to Germany; Pacelli and Weimar; the glittering diplomat; Hitler and German Catholicism; Hitler and Pacelli; the Concordat in practice; Pius XI speaks out; darkness over Europe; triumph; Pacelli, Pope of peace; friend of Croatia; the holiness of Pius XII; Pacelli and the Holocaust; the Jews of Rome; saviour of Rome; Church triumphant' absolute power; Pius XII Redivivus. Sources: the "Silence" debate, and Sainthood.

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Book SynopsisFrom 1981 to 2008 Simon Price was a Lecturer at the University of Oxford, where he taught Greek and Roman history for Lady Margaret Hall and St Hugh's College. He has written, co-written, or co-edited books on ancient religions and rituals and also co-edited The Greek City from Homer to Alexander. Peter Thonemann has taught Greek and Roman history at Wadham College, Oxford, since 2007. He has published widely on the history of Asia Minor, and is director of the Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua XI project. His first book, The Maeander, will be published shortly.Trade ReviewThe Birth of Classical Europe combines a strong narrative with sophisticated thematic analysis and reflection ... Despite the immense ground covered, there is no impression of the breathlessness and superficiality which one might have thought unavoidable. -- Simon Hornblower * TLS *The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects * New Statesman *With five volumes now out, the Penguin History of Europe series ... is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones * Economist *

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Book SynopsisThis dazzling overview of a turbulent century explores both dramatic events and underlying trends. Despite a terrible two-stage ''European civil war'' and the traumatic rise and fall of communism, wealth has increased dramatically alongside a four-fold leap in population, women''s lives have been transformed, America has assumed undisputed political and cultural leadership. The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century is powerful, international and definitive.Trade ReviewA book that deserves the widest reading. (The New York Times Book Review)Table of ContentsThe Penguin History of the Twentieth CenturyList of MapsForewordBook 1: The World of 1901: Inheritances1. By Way of IntroductionOur Century — The weight of the past — The different pasts of 1901 — The 'civilized' world — Culture and hegemony — 'One-half of the human species' — Ideas with a future — The scientific legacy — Movers and shakers2. StructuresHuman numbers — The world's wealth —Commerce — States and governments — Monarchy — Non-western government — Islamic empires — The Unites States of America — Latin America — The international order: power and great powers — Potential for change3. The White Man's WorldEmpires and imperialism — The European empires — Idealism, interests and imagination — Settlers and natives — Imperialism and international relations: the 'Scramble for Africa' — Asian and Pacific empire — The imperial Unites States — The South African war4. Shapes of Things to ComeLong-term demography — The divisions of humanity — A century of growing wealth — An industrializing world — New technology — Medical science — Communication — Mass communication — Changing mentalities — Acceleration and integrationBook 2: The Last Years of the European Ascendancy5. European ExceptionalismEuropeans — Privilege and unrest — Socialism — Mass politics and nationalism — Constitutional governments — The German empire — Dynasticism — Religion in European life — Tensions and strains — Women in Europe6. Europe as a System of PowerInternational order — Alliances and entanglements — The dissatisfied and dangerous — The appearance of security — New alignments — Deepening divisions — Young Turks — Russia's changing stance — Agadir and after — The Balkan wars7. Challenges and Challengers in the MakingChange and perceptions of change in Asia — The new Japan — The end of the Chinese empire — The European empires in the Far East — Indo-China and Indonesia — India under the Raj — India enters the twentieth century — Egypt and the other end of Ottoman Africa — Ottoman empire east of Suez — New actors in the imperial drama8. The Great War and the Beginning of the Twentieth-century RevolutionThe last crisis — The end of an age — The Great War — The changing world — 1917 — Revolutionary war — Triumphs of nationality — The Ottoman collapse — The end of the first German warBook 3: The End Of The Old World Order9. A Revolutionary PeaceThe basis of settlement — The League — The international economy — Economic disorder in Europe — Democracy and nationality — Revolution and counter-revolution — The new Germany — International communism — The new Russian empire — A new autocracy — A world divided10. Years of IllusionA last flourish of empire — Kemal Atatürk — Iran — New currents in Europe's politics — An authoritarian wave — New uncertainties — The optimistic years — Locarno and after — An eastern enigma — The United StatesBook 4: World Revolution11. An Emerging Global HistoryThe world depression — Asia in the era of European civil war — The sequel to the Chinese revolution — Japan — The peace settlements and Asia — Chinese communism — Japanese dynamism — Civil war in China — The turning tide in India — The United States — Latin America12. The Path to World WarThe approach to the abyss — The Manchurian crisis — The China 'incident' — Indo-China and Indonesia between the wars — The German problem — Adolf Hitler — The German revolution — The crumbling balance of power — Ideology's contamination of international affairs — Towards a new German war: the Spanish Civil War — Hitler moves beyond the German lands13. The Second World WarFrom Blitzkrieg to Barbarossa — German Europe — World war — The conflation of wars — Global conflict 1941-5 — The meaning of victoryBook Five: A New World14. Appearance and RealityEurope: amid the ruins — The framework of recovery — Reconstruction — Great power realities — Friction — The Truman doctrine and the Marshall Plan15. The Cold War UnrollsRoots of conflict — The Berlin crisis and NATO — New nations: the beginnings of decolonization — Indian independence — The last throes of the Chinese revolution — Imperial realities in 1945 — Indo-China — The running sore of the Ottoman Succession — Cold and hot war in Asia: Korea — Stalin's legacy — A divided Europe in a dividing world16. East Asia ReshapedAfter empire — The Indian sub-continent — The 'Third World' — Indonesia — The new China — China's re-emergence as a world power — The great steersman — Resurgent Japan17. Africa and the Near East: Old and New ProblemsPast history, new facts — Pre-independence Africa — The independence process in Black Africa — South Africa and Rhodesia — Disapppointment and disillusion — Arab and Jew — The Egyptian revolution and after — Algerian independenceBook 6: Shifting Foundations18. Changing MindsNew ways of seeing the world — The management of the natural world — Power — Communications and information technology — The life sciences — Medical science — Space and the public imagination — Promise and misgiving — Facing new issues19. New Economic and Social WorldsIn the long run — Europe's 'golden age' — Eastern Europe — World contrasts — Changing lifestyles — The oil crisis and after — Structural changes — Cultural consequences in a wealthier world — Globalization20. Authority and Its New ChallengersA liberating century — Dissolving certainty — Religion in the later twentieth century — Government, democracy and nationalism — Challenges to the state — Women — The Pill — New waves — Women in the non-western world — YouthBook 7. A Changing World Balance21. The Cold War at Its HeightAfter Stalin — The second Berlin crisis — Latin America enters world politics — Cuba — The aftermath in Latin America — The changing USSR — The changing United States22. Vietnam and AfterThe American entanglement — The changing Asian context — Oil and the Israel problem — The Iranian revolution — Islam in international affairs — An uneasy Latin America23. The Reshaping of EuropeSeeds of unity — The division of Europe — National interests — Ostpolitik — The path to Helsinki — The British crisisBook 8: The End Of An Era24. A World in EvolutionThe last years of Chairman Mao — New patterns — Japan: the new world power — The Indian democracy — Africa's enduring problems25. Crumbling CertaintiesSeeds of doubt — American misgivings — Disordered Islam — The last phase of Cold War — Changing eastern Europe — Polish revolution — The crumbling of the Soviet system — A new Germany26. Post Cold War RealitiesThe Gulf War — Persisting dangers — The end of the Soviet Union — A new Russia — New European security problems — The end of Yugoslavia — Nationality and ethnicity in the new Europe — European integration — Qualified re-orientation: the United Kingdom — Changes in China — Tiananmen27. Fin-de-siècleProblems of peacekeeping — Europe after Maastricht — A common currency — Enlarging Europe — A troubled Far East — The Indian sub-continent — The United States at the end of the century — Pax Americana28. RetrospectHistorical importance — The great upheavals — The mythology of human happiness — Mastery of the material world — The first world civilization — Today's political world — ConclusionAppendix: The Exploration of SpaceIndex

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Book SynopsisThe sensational second volume of Charles Moore''s bestselling authorized biography of the Iron LadyIn June 1983 Margaret Thatcher won the biggest increase in a government''s Parliamentary majority in British electoral history. Over the next four years, as Charles Moore relates in this central volume of his uniquely authoritative biography, Britain''s first woman prime minister changed the course of her country''s history and that of the world, often by sheer force of will.The book reveals as never before how she faced down the Miners'' Strike, transformed relations with Europe, privatized the commanding heights of British industry and continued the reinvigoration of the British economy. It describes her role on the world stage with dramatic immediacy, identifying Mikhail Gorbachev as ''a man to do business with'' before he became leader of the Soviet Union, and then persistently pushing him and Ronald Reagan, her great ideological soulmate, to order world affaTrade ReviewOne of the great biographical achievements of our times. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *This is a magnificent piece of work, and when he has completed it with the third volume, Moore will have done the justice she deserves to a great Prime Minister. -- William Waldegrave * Evening Standard *Moore's project is a study of detailed depth, and fine and transparent judgements, which rises to the largeness of a figure and a time that were of world significance. -- John Lloyd * FT *An awesomely thorough and authoritative portrait ... the definitive explanation of the strange person who most shaped modern Britain. -- Andy Beckett * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisEveryone has heard of Ramesses the Great - but what is the truth behind the legend? Joyce Tyldesley''s lively book explores the life and times of Egypt''s greatest king. Ramesses II was the archetypal Egyptian pharoah: a mighty warrior, an extravagant builder and the father of scores of children. His momuments and image were to be found in every corner of the Egyptian empire. This is his amazing story.Trade ReviewIn her new book, 'Tyldesley has added a new, more human dimension' to the picture we have of Ramesses and 'her book should be required reading for Egypt's imaginative tour guides' The Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHalf a century after their deaths, the dictatorships of Stalin and Hitler still cast a long and terrible shadow over the modern world. They were the most destructive and lethal regimes in history, murdering millions. They fought the largest and costliest war in all history. Yet millions of Germans and Russians enthusiastically supported them and the values they stood for. In this first major study of the two dictatorships side-by-side Richard Overy sets out to answer the question: How was dictatorship possible? How did they function? What was the bond that tied dictator and people so powerfully together? He paints a remarkable and vivid account of the different ways in which Stalin and Hitler rose to power, and abused and dominated their people. It is a chilling analysis of powerful ideals corrupted by the vanity of ambitious and unscrupulous men.

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Book SynopsisBefore George R. R. Martin there was Dorothy Dunnett . . . PERFECT for fans of A Game of Thrones. ''She is a brilliant story teller, The Lymond Chronicles will keep you reading late into the night, desperate to know the fate of the characters you have come to care deeply about.'' The Times Literary SupplementPawn in Frankincense is the fourth book in the series -----------------------------''It seems to me that on the whole we run more risks with Mr Crawford''s protection than without it . . .''It is 1552 and the royal galley Dauphine, under the command of Francis Crawford of Lymond, sails the glittering but dangerous Mediterranean looking for a lost son. Yet as the search grows more urgent, Lymond knows he is being drawn deeper into the intricate web of his enemy Gabriel, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St John, who is already weaving a subTrade ReviewPraise for Dorothy Dunnett * - *A storyteller who could teach Scheherazade a thing or two about pace, suspense and imaginative invention * New York Times *Marvellous, breathtaking * The Times *A masterpiece of historical fiction * Washington Post *One of the greatest tale-spinners since Dumas * Cleveland Plain Dealer *Lashings of excitement, colour and subtlety * The Times *Vivid, engaging, densely plotted - are almost certainly destined to be counted among the classics of popular fiction * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis''Paris is the World, the rest of the Earth is nothing but its suburbs'' - MarivauxIn this intelligently-written and supremely entertaining new history, Colin Jones seeks to give a sense of the city of Paris as it was lived in and experienced over time. The focal point of generation upon generation of admirers and detractors, a source of attraction or repulsion even for those who have never been there, Paris has witnessed more extraordinary events than any other major city. No spot on earth has been more walked around, written about, discussed, painted and photographed. With an eye for the revealing, startling and (sometimes) horrible detail, Colin Jones takes the reader from Roman Paris to the present, recreating the ups and downs in the history of the city and its inhabitants. Attentive to both the urban environment and to the experience of those who lived within it, PARIS: BIOGRAPHY OF A CITY will be hugely enjoyed by habitual Paris obsessives, by first-time visitors, and by

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Book SynopsisFernand Braudel was France's foremost post-war historian. He is best known for The Mediterranean in the Age of Philip II, Civilization and Capitalism and The Identity of France. This will be Braudel's final major posthumous publication.Sian Reynolds has translated all the great Braudel books published in English. She is recognised as one of the leading translators of French on either side of the Atlantic.Table of ContentsPart 1: seeing the sea; the long march to civilization - the lower paleolithic - the first artefacts, the first people, fire, art and magic, the Mediterranean strikes back - the first agrarian civilization, conclusion; a twofold birth - Mesopotamia and Egypt - the beginnings, boats on the rivers, ships on the sea, can the spread of megaliths explain the early history of the Mediterranean?; centuries of unity - the seas of the Levant 2500-1200BC - ever onward and upward?, Crete - a new player in the cosmopolitan civilization of the Mediterranean, accidents, developments and disasters; all change - the 12th to the 8th centuries BC. Part 2: colonization - the discovery of the Mediterranean "far west" in the 10th to 6th centuries BC - the first in the field - probably the Phoenicians, the Etruscans - an unsolved mystery, colonization by the Greeks; the miracle of Greece - Greece - a land of city-states, Alexander's mistake, Greek science and thought (8th to 2nd centuries BC); the Roman takeover of the greater Mediterranean - Roman imperialism, Rome beyond the Mediterranean, a Mediterranean civilization - Rome's real achievement; appendices.

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Book SynopsisThis unprecedented book, by one of Britain''s leading intellectual historians, describes the intellectual impact that the study and consideration of the past has had in the western world over the past 2500 years, treating the practise of history not as an isolated pursuit but as an aspect of human society and an essential part of the cultural history of Europe and America. It magnificently brings to life the work of historians from the Greeks to the present, explaining their distinctive qualities and allowing the modern reader to appreciate and enjoy them. But is also examines subjects as diverse as the new perspectives brought about by the rise of Rome, the interests of medieval chroniclers, the effects of Romanticism and the emergence towards the end of the nineteenth century of an historical profession. It sets out to be not the history of an academic discipline, but a history of choice: the choice of pasts, and the ways they have been demarcated, investigated, presented and even soTrade Review'if historians have a Valhalla, a hall of heroes, he has earned his place with this book' - Dominic Sandbrook, Evening Standard 'a triumphant success. The result is a highly enjoyable book, based on a vast amount of reading, written with attractive simplicity, brimming with acute observations, and often very witty. Anyone who wants to know what historical writing has contributed to our culture should start here' - Keith Thomas, Guardian 'This book is magnificent: a daunting combination of vast range, profound learning and high literary art. In 500 superbly crafted pages (miraculously succinct for the task in hand), Burrow's chapters treat of almost every imporant historian of the last two-and-a-half thousand years' - John Adamson, Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe Pity of It All is a passionate and poignant history of German Jews, tracing the journey of a people and their culture from the mid eighteenth century to the eve of the Third Reich.As it is usually told, the story of the Jews in Germany starts at the end, overshadowed by their tragic demise in Hitler''s Reich. Now, in this important work of historical restoration, the acclaimed historian and social critic Amos Elon takes us back to the beginning, chronicling a 150-year period of achievement and integration that at its peak produced a golden age second only to the Renaissance.

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Book SynopsisY mae John Davies yn frodor o'r Rhondda. Fe'i addysgwyd mewn ysgolion yn Nhreorci, Bwlchllan a Thregaron ac yng Ngholeg y Brifysgol, Caerdydd, a Choleg y Drindod, Caergrawnt. Bu'n ddarlithydd yng Ngholegau Abertawe ac Aberystwyth ac am ddeunaw mlynedd ef oedd Warden Neuadd Pantycelyn, Aberystwyth. Ymhlith ei gyhoeddiadau y mae Cardiff and the Marquesses of Bute, Broadcasting and the BBC in Wales, The Making of Wales, Y Celtiaid a Cardiff: a Pocket Guide. Ef yw golygydd ymgynghorol a chyd-olygydd Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig/The Encyclopaedia of Wales. Yn 1997, ef oedd y prif siaradwr yng nghyfarfod sefydlu y North American Association for the Study of Welsh History and Culture. Mae ei wraig yn frodor o Flaenau Gwent ac mae ganddynt ddwy ferch a dau fab.

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Book SynopsisThe Macdonald sisters -- Alice, Georgiana, Agnes and Louisa -- started life among the ranks of the lower-middle classes, with little prospect of social advancement. But as wives and mothers they made a single family of the poet Rudyard Kipling, the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones, Edward Poynter, President of the Royal Academy, and the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. In telling their remarkable story, Judith Flanders displays the fluidity of Victorian society, and explores the life of the family in the 19th century.

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Book SynopsisPaul Kennedy''s The Parliament of Man: The United Nations and the Quest for World Government is the extraordinary story of the UN - its creation, the threats it has faced, and the possibilities it holds for the future. Can the world be governed by agreement rather than conflict? In 1945 the world''s most powerful nation states came together to ''save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and reaffirm faith in the fundamental human rights''. Over sixty years later, the United Nations still doggedly pursues that mandate. Paul Kennedy''s The Parliament of Man is a timely history that examines the roots and functions of this unique organization, casts an objective eye on its past effectiveness and assesses whether it will meet the challenges of our present world - from supplying aid during humanitarian crises to combating climate change. Ultimately he shows why, despite its fallibility and its foibles, the UN remains utterly indi

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Book SynopsisThis highly original, extremely enjoyable book tells the story of Britain's extraordinary scramble to world power in the 18th century and how, through hubris and incompetence, it lost almost everything it had gained. Whilst Britain was an important European power, few would have expected her global preeminence by 1760, but as Brendan Simms shows with great flair and originality, Britain had a crucial card to play. It was the joining of the British crown to Hanover that gave Britain two empires: one scattered around the world and another the more important of the two - firmly locked into Germany. Having created a new empire Britain then spectacularly lost it, this time because of its chaotic failure to maintain its European alliances. This is an epic and often unexpected story, and Simms tells it brilliantly.

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Book SynopsisIn Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations, Martin Goodman explores the history of a titanic struggle whose repercussions are still felt today. In 70CE, after four years of Jewish rebellion, Roman legions devastated the great city of Jerusalem. Sixty years later, its ruin was completed when Emperor Hadrian built a new city on top of it that Jews were forbidden even to enter. In this highly acclaimed book, Martin Goodman examines the background and course of this titanic conflict - from the political ambitions of Roman military leaders to the spread of Christian influence through the empire - and its lasting consequences. ''In this remarkable book Martin Goodman casts a truly fresh eye over well-known figures and events''  History Today ''Important and powerfully expressed ... The best available general account of a turning point not just in the history of the Roman Empire but also in the develop

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Book SynopsisGitta Sereny is one of the world''s most respected journalists and historians. This book gathers together the best of her writing on Germany from over sixty years. It amounts to an extraordinary portrait of the country and its people, how they have come to terms with their Nazi past, both collectively and in specific instances - and how the burden of their guilt has altered the national identity. She writes about key individuals - Stangl, Speer - and the questions which their lives raise. Thepenetration and conviction of her writing throughout is startling and she constantly reminds us why it is important to consider the questions she addresses - war guilt, holocaust denial and the temptations of obedience.Table of ContentsBeginnings; my friend, a heroine of France; stolen children; generation without a past; colloquy with a conscience; men who whitewash Hitler; the Hitler wave; fakes and hoaxes - the Hitler diaries; the great Globocnik hunt; private lives; the three sins of Syberberg; "the truth is, I loved Hitler"; Leni; Kurt Waldheim's mental block; the man who said "no"; Albert Speer; children of the Reich; the case of John Demjanjuk; a last witness to Hitler; final reflections.

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Book SynopsisOctavian was a young soldier training abroad when he heard news of Julius Caesar''s brutal assassination?and discovered that he was the dictator''s sole political heir. With the opportunism and instinct for propaganda that were to characterize his rule, Octavian rallied huge financial, military and political backing to take autocratic control of a state devoted to Republicanism. He became Augustus, Rome''s first Emperor and founder of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. In this monumental biography, translated into English by Anthea Bell, Jochen Bleicken tells the story of the man who found himself a demi-god in his own lifetime. This sweeping history starts with the traumatic assassination of Julius Caesar, and goes on to depict the civil wars that tore the Roman world and the final fall of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, before exploring theambivalent glory of Augustus''s reign.Trade ReviewAn unequalled biography -- Harry Mount * Spectator *Masterful ... a breathtaking panorama of Roman politics at a crucial turning point in history -- Simon J. V. Malloch * Literary Review *Jochen Bleicken's biography of Rome's first emperor is excellent on the young Octavian and his wheeling and dealing -- Natalie Haynes * Independent *A superb account ... It should become standard reading for everyone interested in the foundations of the Roman empire -- Peter Jones * BBC History Magazine *Worthy, authoritative, magisterial and impressive * The Times *

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Book SynopsisHistorians relying on written records can tell us nothing about the 99.9% of human evolution which preceded the invention of writing. It is the study of genetic variation, backed up by language and archaeology, which provides concrete evidence aboutthe spread of farming, the movements of peoples across the globe, the precise links between races - and the sheer unscientific absurdity of racism. Genes, Peoples and Languages offers an astonishing investigation into the past 100,000 years of human history and a rare, firsthand account of some of the most significant and gripping scientific work of recent years. Cavalli-Sforza is one of the great founding fathers of archaeogenetics, and in this book he maps out some of its grand themes.Table of ContentsGenes and history; a walk in the woods; of Adam and Eve; technological revolutions and gene geography; genes and languages; cultural transmission and evolution.

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Book SynopsisRenaissance diplomat and part-time spy, William Hakluyt was also England''s first serious geographer, gathering together a wealth of accounts about the wide-ranging travels and discoveries of the sixteenth-century English. One of the epics of this great period of expansion, The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation describes, in the words of the explorers themselves, an astonishing era in which the English grew rapidly aware of the sheer size and strangeness of their world. Mingling accounts of the journeys of renowned adventurers such as Drake and Frobisher with descriptions by other explorers and traders to reveal a nation beginning to dominate the seas, Hakluyt''s great work was originally intended principally to assist navigation and trade. It also presents one of the first and greatest modern portraits of the globe.

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Book SynopsisEdward Gibbon was one of the world''s greatest historians and a towering figure of his age. When he died in 1794 he left behind the unfinished drafts of his Memoirs, which were posthumously edited by his friend Lord Sheffield, and remain an astonishing portrait of a rich, full life. Recounting Gibbon''s sickly childhood in London, his disappointment with an Oxford ''steeped in port and prejudice'', his successful years in Lausanne, his first and only love affair and the monolithic achievement of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he distils his genius for history into a remarkable gift for autobiography. Candid and detailed, these writings are filled with warmth and intellectual passion.

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Book SynopsisTravelling on horseback through southern England in the early 19th century, William Cobbett provides evocative and accurate descriptions of the countryside, colourful accounts of his encounters with labourers, and indignant outbursts at the encroaching cities and the sufferings of the exploited poor. Ian Dyck''s new edition places these lively accounts of rural life in the context of Cobbett''s political and social beliefs and reveals the volume as his platform for rural radical reform.

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Book SynopsisThe History of Mary Prince (1831) was the first narrative of a black woman to be published in Britain. It describes Prince''s sufferings as a slave in Bermuda, Turks Island and Antigua, and her eventual arrival in London with her brutal owner Mr Wood in 1828. Prince escaped from him and sought assistance from the Anti-Slavery Society, where she dictated her remarkable story to Susanna Strickland (later Moodie). A moving and graphic document, The History drew attention to the continuation of slavery in the Caribbean, despite an 1807 Act of Parliament officially ending the slave trade. It inspired two libel actions and ran into three editions in the year of its publication. This powerful rallying cry for emancipation remains an extraordinary testament to Prince''s ill-treatment, suffering and survival.Table of ContentsThe History of Mary Prince AcknowledgmentsIntroductionFurther ReadingChronologyA Note on the TextTHE HISTORY OF MARY PRINCENotesAppendix OneAppendix TwoAppendix ThreeAppendix Four

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