History Books

Book SynopsisDiscover the 12 crucial moments in Britain''s past that will answer the greatest questions for our future in this richly insightful and fascinating history''A richly entertaining canter through the country''s past. Engrossing'' INDEPENDENT___________What is Britain?Where lie its boundaries?Why are they always changing?Are we a small island or a big idea?What will we look like next?In Small Island: 12 Maps that Explain the History of Britain, Philip Parker answers these and other crucial questions about this country and its peoples.By pondering our intertwined geography and history, he shows how the past has made Britain and how we might yet shape its future.Trade ReviewCharting the formation and then break-up of British rule, Small Island provides a richly entertaining canter through the country's past. An engrossing book, offering stimulating observations about our cultural evolution as well as predictions for Britain's future. * Independent *His rather bouncy style makes this a perfect book for a summer read that informs, engages and entertains * Great British Life *

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Book SynopsisA stunning set of postcards celebrating fifty extraordinary women who have changed the world -- from the team behind the phenomenally successful Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls''Every single rebel girl I know (and some rebel women, too) will be getting this gorgeous box of postcards, with inspiring quotes from extraordinary women, for Christmas'' - Sam Baker, The PoolFrom Malala and Michelle Obama to Ada Lovelace and Zaha Hadid, this set of beautifully designed postcards celebrates some of the most remarkable women featured in Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. With a short bio on each card and inspiring quotes, this is the perfect gift for all the rebels in your life.Featuring:Creators: Frida Kahlo, The Brontë Sisters, Julia Child, Nina Simone, Zaha Hadid, Xian Zhang, Ada Lovelace, Maud Stevens Wagner, Maria Callas, and Millo Castro ZaldarriagaLeaders: Queen Elizabeth I, Fadumo Dayib, Yaa Asantewaa, Jingu, Hatshepsut, Nanny of the Maroons, Lakshmi Bai, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Eufrosina CruzPioneers: Sylvia Earle, Ann Makosinski, Jane Goodall, Alek Wek, Maria Sibylla Merian, Balkissa Chaibou, Wang Zhenyi, Mae C. Jemison, Cholita Climbers, and Maria ReicheChampions: Yursa Mardini, Maya Gabeira, Wilma Rudolph, Serena and Venus Williams, Mary Kom, Alfonsina Strada, Amna Al Haddad, Misty Copeland, Simone Biles, and Ashley FiolekWarriors: Sonita Alizadeh, Claudia Ruggerini, Malala Yousafzai, Manal Al-Sharif, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Anna Politkovskaya, Harriet Tubman, Miriam Makeba, and Irena SendlerowaTrade ReviewEvery single rebel girl I know (and some rebel women, too) will be getting this gorgeous box of postcards, with inspiring quotes from extraordinary women, for Christmas -- Sam Baker * The Pool *Send your favourite patriarchy-busting women these Rebel Girls postcards * Stylist *

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Book Synopsis''No brief survey can do justice to the richness, complexity and detail of Foucault''s discussion'' New York Review of BooksThe second volume of Michel Foucault''s pioneering analysis of the changing nature of desire explores how sexuality was perceived in classical Greek culture.From the stranger byways of Greek medicine (with its advice on the healthiest season for sex, as well as exercise and diet) to the role of women, The Use of Pleasure is full of extraordinary insights into the differences - and the continuities - between the Ancient, Christian and Modern worlds, showing how sex became a moral issue in the west. ''Required reading for those who cling to stereotyped ideas about our difference from the Greeks in terms of pagan license versus Christian austerity'' Los Angeles Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewNo brief survey can do justice to the richness, complexity, and detail of Foucault's discussion ... subtle and penetrating * New York Review of Books *'A man of the same era and Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Lacan, Louis Althusser, Jacques Lacan, Louis Althusser, Jacques Derrida and Jean Baudrillard, he was, in his writings and his life, the most accessible of them all, as well as the most beguiling' -- Richard Gott * Guardian *Always provocative, needling, disconcerting * Washington Times *

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing story of the Sassoons, one of the nineteenth century''s preeminent commercial families and ''the Rothschilds of the East''The Sassoons were one of the great business dynasties of the nineteenth century, as eminent as traders as the Rothschilds were bankers. This book reveals the secrets behind the family''s phenomenal success: how a handful of Jewish exiles from Ottoman Baghdad forged a mercantile juggernaut from their new home in colonial Bombay, the vast network of agents, informants and politicians they built, and the way they came to bridge East and West, culturally as well as commercially. As one competitor remarked, ''silver and gold, silks, gums and spices, opium and cotton, wool and wheat - whatever moves over sea or land feels the hand or bears the mark of Sassoon & Co.''Drawing for the first time on the vast family archives, Joseph Sassoon brings vividly to life a succession of remarkable characters. From a single generation: Flora, t

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Book Synopsis''A roaring tale ... remains as vivid and exciting today as it was on publication in 1697'' GuardianThe pirate and adventurer William Dampier circumnavigated the globe three times, and took notes wherever he went. This is his frank, vivid account of his buccaneering sea voyages around the world, from the Caribbean to the Pacific and East Indies. Filled with accounts of raids, escapes, wrecks and storms, it also contains precise observations of people, places, animals and food (including the first English accounts of guacamole, mango chutney and chopsticks). A bestseller on publication, this unique record of the colonial age influenced Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver''s Travels and consequently the whole of English literature.Edited with an Introduction by Nicholas Thomas

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Book SynopsisA renowned military historian, Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire and the Defence College of Management and Technology in Wiltshire. He wrote several best-selling books on the daily experience of soldiers, and presented programmes for the BBC on subjects including World War II battles and the American Revolution. He died in 2011.

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of the Year ''Three and a half millennia of British Maritime history, from the Middle Bronze Age to the early 20th century ... This book is written with passion and sympathy. It will live with me for a very long time'' Francis Pryor, author of The FensIf Britain''s maritime history were embodied in a single ship, she would have a prehistoric prow, a mast plucked from a Victorian steamship, the hull of a modest fishing vessel, the propeller of an ocean liner and an anchor made of stone. We might call her Asunder, and, fantastical though she is, we could in fact find her today, scattered in fragments across the country''s creeks and coastlines. In his moving and original new history, Tom Nancollas goes in search of eleven relics that together tell the story of Britain at sea. From the swallowtail prow of a Bronze Age vessel to a stone ship moored at a Baroque quayside, each one illuminates a distinct phase of our adventures upon the waves; each brings us close to the people, places and vessels that made a maritime nation. Weaving together stories of great naval architects and unsung shipwrights, fishermen and merchants, shipwrecks and superstition, pilgrimage, trade and war, The Ship Asunder celebrates the richness of Britain''s seafaring tradition in all its glory and tragedy, triumph and disaster, and asks how we might best memorialize it as it vanishes from our shores.Trade ReviewElegantly combining a tour of Britain's ports, coasts and islands with a tour of an imaginary ship that contains fragments acquired across the centuries, Tom Nancollas has written an enchanting and thoughtful account of Britain's rich maritime heritage. -- David Abulafia, author of The Great Sea and The Boundless SeaTom Nancollas takes us aboard eleven historic vessels, covering three and a half millennia of British Maritime history, from the Middle Bronze Age to the early 20th century. Each ship has its own story to tell, which Tom brings to life with astonishing clarity. This book is written with passion and sympathy. It will live with me for a very long time. -- Francis Pryor, author of The FensA fascinating voyage of discovery * Spectator *Vivid... Poignant... Nancollas tells fine tales, rich with that sherrycask fragrance of a world so immediate, yet so very long ago * Tablet *The Ship Asunder is a first-class book. It is superbly readable and entirely serious, questioning not just how Britain thinks of its maritime past, and indeed itself, but how history is written, understood and enacted. It is a work of experiential historiography, if you like - and a delight * Times Literary Supplement *Fizzing with enthusiasm, Nancollas travels the country, exploring the stories of prows, masts, figureheads and propellers and visiting the sites of dockyards and ropehouses ... Sailors and landlubbers alike should love it * The Sunday Times Books of the Year *A gem of a book * The Times *

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Book Synopsis**A Financial Times Best Summer Book of 2025 **''A brave and magnificent book, and a vital intervention: as elegant as it is witty, as erudite as it is wise, and as stylish as it is scholarly. Manu Pillai is fast becoming one of India''s most accomplished and impressively wide-ranging historians'' William DalrympleWhen European missionaries arrived in India in the sixteenth century, they entered a world both fascinating and bewildering. Hinduism, as they saw it, was a pagan mess: a worship of devils and monsters by a people who burned women alive, performed outlandish rites and fed children to crocodiles. But it quickly became clear that Hindu idolatry' was far more layered and complex than European stereotypes allowed, surprisingly even sharing certain impulses with Christianity.Nonetheless, missionaries became a threatening force as European power grew in India. Western ways of thinking gained further ascendancy during the British Raj: while interest in Hindu thought influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire in Europe, Orientalism and colonial rule pressed Hindus to reimagine their religion. In fact, in resisting foreign authority, they often adopted the missionaries' own tools and strategies. It is this encounter, Manu S. Pillai argues, that has given Hinduism its present shape, also contributing to the birth of an aggressive Hindu nationalism.Gods, Guns and Missionaries surveys these remarkable dynamics with an arresting cast of characters maharajahs, poets, gun-wielding revolutionaries, politicians, polemicists, philosophers and clergymen. Lucid, ambitious, and provocative, it is at once a political history, an examination of the mutual impact of Hindu culture and Christianity upon each other, and a study of the forces that have prepared the ground for politics in India today. Turning away from simplistic ideas on religious evolution and European imperialism, the past as it appears here is more complicated and infinitely richer than previous narratives allow.

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Book SynopsisA guide to the wonders of Venice, conveyed by means of an artist''s sketchbookMatthew Rice is a long-time observer and illustrator of cities, buildings and all those who inhabit them, with an uncanny ability to express the energy of a place through a few lines of ink and splashes of paint. For years, Venice has been a source of deep creative inspiration for him; and now, in Venice: A Sketchbook Guide, he captures the highlights of this most beguiling of Italian cities. Unsurprisingly, given his abiding passion for architecture, Matthew provides a wealth of information about the ''stones'' of Venice, including an illustrated guide to the main building styles of the city - Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern - and exemplars of its balconies, bridges and campaniles. Further sections explore the city''s sestieri - its six residential quarters - as well as its history, paintings, festivals, wildlife and, not least, its cicchetti

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Book Synopsis''Guerrilla warfare is a war of the masses, a war of the people''First published in 1961, following the successful Cuban Revolution, this is Che Guevara''s handbook for guerrilla war.It covers strategy, tactics, terrain, organization of an army, logistics, field medical treatment, intelligence, propaganda and training, and focuses on seven ''golden rules'' of guerrilla warfare. Widely studied both by insurrectionist movements and those who have tried to suppress them, this is the key text to understand how revolutions can be fought and won by ordinary people.

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Book SynopsisExplore the social and cultural history of 100 of the world''s most important cities. From the first towns in Mesopotamia to today''s global metropolises, cities have marked the progress of civilisation. Written in the form of illustrated biographies, Great Cities offers a rich historical overview of each featured city, brought to vivid life with paintings, photographs, timelines, maps, and artefacts.This history book provides a fascinating insight into the events, movements and people throughout history who have shaped the cities where we live. Inside the pages of this visual guide, discover: - The story behind each city - how it was established, critical moments in its development, and why it is considered historically significant - The different types of cities, from the centres of ancient and lost civilisations and great river cities to planned cities and modern metropolises- Beautiful illustrations with large-scale reproductions of paintings, photographs, maps, and other artefacts- Stunning images of city life and key moments in history are complemented by close-ups of revealing details and feature panels that provide additional context From the ancient to the modern, get under the skin of what made cities like Persepolis, Paris, Vienna, Prague, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Dubai tick. This lavish book is about more than history - it explores the art, architecture, commerce, and politics of the great civilisations throughout history. Great Cities provides a unique window into how cities have become markers of human progress. Explore which ancient civilisation founded the precursor to Mexico City, why Venice was the gateway to the East, what the Belle Epoque was, and who the first city to build sewers was. It''s the perfect gift for armchair explorers interested in history, geography, and the arts.

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Book SynopsisA collection of Sojourner Truth''s iconic words, including her famous speech at the 1851 Women''s Rights Convention in Akron, OhioA former slave and one of the most powerful orators of her time, Sojourner Truth fought for the equal rights of black women throughout her life. This selection of her impassioned speeches is accompanied by the words of other inspiring African-American female campaigners from the nineteenth century.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisOne of the best early explorations of Japanese culture and samurai ethics written in the English languageInazo Nitobe's book, the most influential ever written on Bushido, or the samurai Way of the Warrior, argues that the philosophy of Bushido is the true key to understanding the soul of Japan.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book Synopsis''The most honest attempt yet to tell how the Battle of Britain really was'' Andrew Wilson, ObserverHistory is swamped by patriotic myths about the aerial combat fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe over the summer of 1940. In his gripping history of the Battle of Britain, Len Deighton drew on a decade of research and his own wartime experiences to puncture these myths and point towards a more objective, and even more inspiring, truth.''Revolutionised thinking about the Battle of Britain in a way that has not been seriously challenged since'' The TimesTrade ReviewRevolutionised thinking about the Battle of Britain in a way that has not been seriously challenged since. -- Robert Dawson Scott * The Times *Must surely rank as the most honest attempt yet to tell how the Battle of Britain really was. -- Andrew Wilson * Observer *The research was so meticulous that his conclusions, chiefly that the Few were very brave but their leaders were daft, could not easily be set aside. Indeed, they are now part of the orthodoxy. * The Independent *The best, most dispassionate story of the battle I have read and I say that even though the book destroyed many of my illusions and, indeed, attacks the validity of some of what I wrote as an eyewitness. -- Drew Middleton * New York Times Book Review *[We learn] that British anti-aircraft fire was ineffective, that some R.A.F. ground personnel fled under fire, that the Admiralty provoked costly skirmishes ...The book resounds with exploded myths. -- Leonard Bushkoff * Washington Post *Deighton has shown himself to be the most protean of British best-sellers. -- John Sutherland * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisAmerican Whitelash is indispensable. Really. It is. - Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an AntiracistFrom a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a shocking investigation into the cyclical pattern of violence that has marred racial progress in AmericaIn 2008, Barack Obama''s historic victory was heralded as a turning point for the USA. And so it would be - just not in the way that most Americans hoped. The election of the nation''s first Black president fanned long-burning embers of white supremacy, igniting a new and frightening phase in a continuous historical cycle of racial progress and white backlash.In American Whitelash, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Wesley Lowery charts the return of this blood-stained trend, showing how the forces of white power retaliated against Obama''s victory - and both profited from, and helped to propel, the rise of Donald Trump. Drawing oTrade ReviewWesley Lowery chronicles the most existential racial story of our time: the racist political violence that followed Obama's election, fueled Trump's rise, and continues to threaten our very existence. American Whitelash is indispensable. Really. It is -- Ibram X. Kendi, author of HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACISTThe rise of white supremacist violence is one of the most important stories in American life today. In American Whitelash, Wesley Lowery guides the reader through the social, psychological, and historical realities that animate this violence. It is both a brilliant and unsettling examination of a part of America that many Americans would prefer to look away from. This book reminds us that we cannot look away. American Whitelash is an essential text, one that further demonstrates why Lowery is one of our country's most important and gifted journalists -- Clint Smith, author of HOW THE WORD IS PASSEDAn incredibly thoughtful and provocative and interesting book -- Nihal Arthanayake

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW YORKER AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023''An indelible feat of reporting and an urgent read ... It''s a privilege to read books like these'' Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big Numbers''A powerful reminder of the ways in which China''s future depends on who controls the past'' Peter HesslerA documentary filmmaker who spent years uncovering a Mao-era death camp; an independent journalist who gave voice to the millions who suffered through Covid; a magazine publisher who dodges the secret police: these are some of the people who make up Sparks: China''s Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future, a vital account of how some of China''s most important writers, filmmakers, and artists have overcome crackdowns and censorship to challenge the Chinese Communist Party on its most sacred ground - its monopoly on history.In traditional China, dynasties rewrote history to justify their rule by proving that their predecessors were unworthy of holding power. Marxism gave this a modern gloss, describing history as an unstoppable force heading toward Communism''s triumph. The Chinese Communist Party builds on these ideas to whitewash its misdeeds and justify its rule.But in recent years, critical thinkers from across the land have begun to challenge this state-led disremembering. Using digital technologies to bypass China''s legendary surveillance state, their samizdat journals, guerilla media posts, and underground films document a pattern of disasters: from past famines and purges to the ethnic clashes and virus outbreaks of the present.Based on years of research in Xi Jinping''s China, Sparks challenges stereotypes of a China where the state has quashed all free thought, revealing instead a country engaged in one of humanity''s great struggles of memory against forgetting - a battle that will shape the China that emerges in the mid-21st century.Trade ReviewIan Johnson is one of the most experienced and thoughtful Western journalists writing about China. Now he has turned his attention to one of the most important battles in contemporary China: the struggle to control history ... Moving and full of human character and detail. It's a compelling read, beautifully written, and the product of deep research carried out in China over many years ... an exemplary tribute. -- Rana Mitter * Literary Review *Sparks is a work of scholarship, investigative journalism of a kind that rarely happens in the age of slashed budgets, with eyewitness accounts of brutality that will chill your blood ... Johnson’s stories bring these numbers, and this history, chillingly alive. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *A skilful exploration… Johnson’s skill lies in demonstrating the philosophical links between China’s geography and its political and cultural landscape ... It is deeply satisfying to read a book about China that could only have been written after decades of serious engagement with the country. -- Amy Hawkins * The Guardian *A striking account ... This immersive survey combines interviews, firsthand reportage, and historical research to paint a moving group portrait of China’s political dissidents. * Publishers Weekly *Mr Johnson’s ability to evade controls and gain the trust of his subjects is evident in his compellingly written work. The result is a rare insight into the extraordinary risks that some Chinese take to illuminate the darkest corners of communism. -- James Miles * The Economist *An indelible feat of reporting and an urgent read, Sparks is alive with the voices of the countless Chinese who fiercely, improbably, refuse to let their histories be forgotten. It's a privilege to read books like these. -- Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big NumbersA revelation: this historian from overseas spent years penetrating the world of underground Chinese historians, becoming in his own right a recorder of pioneers such as Hu Jie, Ai Xiaoming, and Jiang Xue, who use text and video to record China's lost history. -- Liao Yiwu, author of The Corpse Walker, God is Red and For a Song and a Hundred SongsThis compelling and highly enjoyable book will greatly enhance the general reader's understanding of the subtle counter-currents of resistance at work in Chinese society below the smooth surface of control and compliance. -- Sebastian Veg, author of Minjian: The Rise of China's Grassroots IntellectualsA powerful narrative of how the human spirit has survived the cruel repression of Maoist totalitarianism and is still doing the same against Xi Jinping's determined efforts to impose a new form of digital totalitarianism ... A must read for anyone interested in the Chinese and China. -- Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African StudiesIan Johnson has conducted some of the most important grassroots research of any foreign journalist in China. With Sparks, he turns his attention to history - not the sanctioned, censored, and selective history promoted by the Communist Party, but the independent histories that are being written and filmed by brave individuals across the country. This book is a powerful reminder of the ways in which China's future depends on who controls the past. -- Peter Hessler

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Book SynopsisLearn about the history of India through a treasure trove of visually vibrant timelines packed with information on famous people and key events.Take a journey of the history of the Indian subcontinent from prehistory to the colonial period and the modern era through more than 80 brilliant timelines. Timelines from Indian History navigates the history of India, through the formation of kingdoms, the establishment of empires, the struggle for Independence, and the emergence of a vibrant democracy and republic. Through this journey, the reader will meet the personalities who shaped India''s history, culture, and society. They will learn of the events that shaped the country as we know it today, from the formation of the Mahajanapadas, the first great empire, and the Revolt of 1857, to the first elections and the scientific discoveries that put India on the international map. It will also document the histories of those who have traditionally been excluded from the mainstrea

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Book SynopsisWhether as an epic battleground or a cradle of civilizations, Europe has left an enduring imprint on the history of the world for over two millennia. From megalithic civilizations through ancient times, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of nationalism, two world wars and the years that followed, this book looks beyond a series of distinct national histories to offer the history of Europe as an often shared experience across one continent. This book delves into events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, traces the continents evolution from the collapse of Communism through the Iraq War, global financial crisis, Brexit and Russia''s invasion of Ukraine. And then looking forward, it explores what would be necessary for the continent to remain a global power-player for years to come.

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Book SynopsisJoin Sarah Woods on a mouth-watering celebration of British and South Asian fusion recipes, featuring the Desi communities who created them''Fascinating exploration and celebration of the food that migrants from the Indian sub-continent have brought to the UK. Each chapter shines a spotlight on a region and gives voice to first-, second- and third-generation diaspora. There are dozens of wonderful recipes, each with its own story of origin and adaptation'' BBC GOOD FOOD''These recipes are guaranteed to satisfy your tastebuds'' STYLIST''I''ve longed for a book like this. A fascinating read with glorious recipes'' DIANA HENRY''What a book'' NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE, BBC Radio 5 Live''An evocative visual feast that speaks to your very heart. The mouth-watering recipes leap off the page and I am left wanting to bookmark nearly every dish'' LARA LEE, author of Coconut and Sambal''BeTrade ReviewI've longed for a book like this. A map that locates and explores the culinary heritage of the diaspora of the Indian subcontinent in Britain, how its been maintained and how it's evolving to absorb other influences. A fascinating read with glorious recipes * Diana Henry *Fascinating exploration and celebration of the food that migrants from the Indian sub-continent have brought to the UK. Each chapter shines a spotlight on a region and gives voice to first-, second- and third-generation diaspora. There are dozens of wonderful recipes, each with its own story of origin and adaptation * BBC Good Food *Desi Kitchen is an evocative visual feast that speaks to your very heart. The mouth-watering recipes leap off the page and I am left wanting to bookmark nearly every dish * Lara Lee, author of Coconut and Sambal *A mesmerising cookbook filled with gorgeous recipes from Desi kitchens all over modern Britain * Atul Kochhar *The picture Sarah paints is of a dynamic food culture that is both influenced by its surroundings and, in turn, influences them * Waitrose Weekend 'Book of the Week' *An ode to the unique twists on South Asian cuisine * India Weekly *Included in 'Best New Cookbooks' * Delicious *A rare and privileged glimpse into desi kitchens from all over modern Britain * Asian Express *Effortless storytelling * Asian *Fascinating exploration and celebration of the food that migrants from the Indian sub-continent have brought to the UK. Each chapter shines a spotlight on a region and gives voice to first-, second- and third-generation diaspora. There are dozens of wonderful recipes, each with its own story of origin and adaptation * BBC Good Food *'Beautiful book, great recipes, really well written and original' * Prue Leith *'What a book' * Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5 Live *'These recipes are guaranteed to satisfy your tastebuds' * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisThe first new translation in over 400 years of one of the great works of the Renaissance: an African diplomat''s guide to Africa.In 1518, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan, a Moroccan diplomat, was seized by pirates while travelling in the Mediterranean. Brought before Pope Leo X, he was persuaded to convert to Christianity, in the process taking the name Johannes Leo Africanus. Acclaimed in the papal court for his learning, Leo would in time write his masterpiece, The Cosmography and the Geography of Africa.The Cosmography was the first book about Africa, and the first book written by a modern African, to reach print. It would remain central to the European understanding of Africa for over 300 years, with its descriptions of lands, cities and peoples giving a singular vision of the vast continent: its urban bustle and rural desolation, its culture, commerce and warfare, its magical herbs and strange animals.Yet it is not a mere catalogue of the exotic: Leo also invited his readers to acknowledge the similarity and relevance of these lands to the time and place they knew. For this reason, The Cosmography and Geography of Africa remains significant to our understanding not only of Africa, but of the world and how we perceive it.

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Book SynopsisAn ancient Central Asian epic, passed down through generations, carries the reader into a world of nomads, warriors and horselords A Penguin ClassicThis tale from the Manas epic gives the reader startling, brilliantly colored access to the world of the horse-based nomad cultures of Central Asia. Written down in the early twentieth century but drawing on sources of antiquity, The Memorial Feast for Kökötöy Khan is the bravura telling of the story of a new and uncertain khan, Boqmurun, and his decision to hold a great gathering to commemorate the life and death of Kökötoy, his already legendary predecessor. From the Muslim lands to the west to China in the east, great warriors and their turbulent retinues gather in the high grasslands to feast, compete and quarrel. Beautifully translated by Daniel Prior, The Memorial Feast allows the reader to get closer than any other source to a sense of the values, glamour and odditiesTrade ReviewPrior's translation ... is written in clear, idiomatic, and often lively English ... Prior's reliable and well annotated translation ... will certainly help further the popularity of the Kirghiz epic tradition. -- Karl Reichl * Turkic Languages *Prior's translation reads in an appropriately lively and energetic way - and even in this form lends itself to being read aloud ... a fine example of how to present a literary work from a lesser-known culture and tradition to readers. -- M. A. Orthofer * complete review *

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Book SynopsisDiscover one family''s fascinating story in this beautiful, sweeping, multigenerational memoir, spanning 19th century south China to modern day Singapore''A captivating, compelling story of history, family loyalty, and personal sacrifice. A fascinating and richly textured multigenerational tale'' Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake''I would learn that when families tell stories, what they leave out re-defines what they keep in. With my family, these were not secrets intentionally withheld. Just truths too painful to confront . . .''________In the last years of her life, Teresa Lim''s mother, Violet Chang, had copies of a cherished family photograph made for those in the portrait who were still alive. On the back is the place and date: Hong Kong, 1935.Teresa would often look at this photograph, enticed by the fierceness and beauty of her great-aunt Fanny looking back at her. But Fanny never seemed to feature in the told and retold family stories. Why? she wondered.This photograph set Teresa on a journey to uncover her family''s remarkable history. Through detective work, serendipity, and the kindness of strangers, she was guided to the fascinating, extraordinary life of her great-aunt and her world of sworn spinsters, ghost husbands and the working-class feminists of 19th century south China.But to recover her great-aunt''s past, we first must get to know Fanny''s family, the times and circumstances in which they lived, and the momentous yet forgotten conflicts that would lead to war in Singapore and, ultimately, a long-buried family tragedy.________ The Interpreter''s Daughter is a beautifully moving record of an extraordinary family history. For fans of Wild Swans, The Hare With Amber Eyes, and Falling Leaves this is the next classic in the making.Trade ReviewA captivating, compelling story of history, family loyalty, and personal sacrifice... Teresa Lim's quest to uncover a hidden chapter in her family's history makes for a fascinating and richly textured, multigenerational tale * Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake *A captivating family history. Lim vividly recreates Singapore in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and lucidly explains historical matters and cultural traditions * Publisher's Weekly *Rich in the little-discussed history of Singaporean Chinese, this multigenerational memoir offers a timeless tale of the quest for identity, wholeness and truth. An eloquently enlightening family history * Kirkus Reviews *'A wonderful portrait of a family. One for lovers of Wild Swans. Hats off to Teresa Lim' -- Hope Adams

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Book SynopsisThe inspiring, uplifting true story of a group of London girls dispatched to a children''s home in rural England during the Blitz, and meet the formidable nurse and Lady in Waiting who transformed their lives forever . . .''A heartwarming story of hope and kindness'' Daily Express''An engaging war-time tale. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression'' Lucy Fisher__________Bombs were falling all over Britain . . .For one young Londoner in a children''s home - Queenie Clapton - it might have been the end of the world. Yet swiftly evacuated Queenie, along with the other children taken up by the Waifs and Strays Society, escaped the shattered streets.Instead, she found herself invited into the stately home of Dorothy Peyton, a recently widowed Lady in Waiting. There, under the formidable guidance of Matron Bailey, Queenie discovered a nTrade ReviewAn engaging war-time tale about the fortitude of children and the transformative impact of one woman's care for them. These evocative first-person memories conjure a vivid picture of 1940s Britain, leaving a lasting impression. -- Lucy FischerA heart-warming story of hope and kindness * Daily Express *Full of fascinating detail, affectionately told, The Angels of Englemere Wood is by turns a humbling, touching, astonishing and ultimately uplifting read -- Joanna ToyeA winning blend of nostalgic personal narratives with a detailed social history of World War Two. I guarantee you'll be charmed by every one of the cast of waifs and strays, as well as by the "Angels" who took care of them. * Duncan Barrett *An exquisite, meticulously researched account of what happened to Britain's disadvantaged children and all who touched their lives when war came. Gentle, fascinating, nostalgic - I loved being in the company of this beautiful humane book -- Tessa DunlopA well-documented, imaginatively empathetic account of her life * The Times Literary Supplement *The Angels of Englemere is a heart rending and meticulously researched story of love, loss, companionship and bonding through the eyes of a group of disadvantaged children during WW2. When their families couldn't cope with them, doors opened that would transform their lives. This is a beautifully written nostalgic read. -- Ellee Seymour

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Book Synopsis''We shall therefore confine our walk to Central London where people meet on business during the day, and to West London where they meet for pleasure at night. If you will walk about the first City in the British Empire arm in arm with Merriman-Labor, you are sure to see Britons in merriment and at labour, by night and by day, in West and Central London.''In Britons Through Negro Spectacles Merriman-Labor takes us on a joyous, intoxicating tour of London at the turn of the 20th century.Slyly subverting the colonial gaze usually placed on Africa, he introduces us to the citizens, culture and customs of Britain with a mischievous glint in his eye.This incredible work of social commentary feels a century ahead of its time, and provides unique insights into the intersection between empire, race and community at this important moment in history.Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscoveTrade ReviewMerriman-Labor was clearly way ahead of his time with this razor-sharp satire, with many of his observations both painfully accurate and not entirely without humour * Buzz Magazine *A.B.C. Merriman-Labor [is] a pioneer of West African literature who speaks truth to power using irony and wit * The Sierra Leone Telegraph *

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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 ReviewMoore has finally completed one of the most thrilling, comprehensive, fair-minded and elegantly written biographies of modern times. It is full of complex argument, and a very large cast, but it is a joy to read.—Andrew Marr, New StatesmanReviewers are supposed never to use the word "definitive" about a history book or biograph, but with Charles Moore's life of Margaret Thatcher, of which this is the triumphant last volume, one has no other option. ... an absolute masterpiece of the biographer's art.—Andrew Roberts, Daily TelegraphMoore's Margaret Thatcher is one of the truly great biographies. Throughout the three volumes it has been comprehensive and subtle, breaking new ground while being surefooted on familiar terrain. He provides a portrait of Thatcher - her anxiousness and her certainty, her strength and her frailty - that is surprising and fresh while still convincing. This volume completes a historical masterpiece.—Daniel Finkelstein, The TimesNot merely the authorized biography, Moore's is the definitive biography of Thatcher, and perhaps one of the definitive books about Britain in the late twentieth century.—Anne Applebaum, New York Review of BooksThis is a magnificent political biography which takes its place next to Robert Blake's Disraeli and Robert Caro's Lyndon Johnson on the highest level. Outstanding... superb... extraordinarily compelling.—Philip Hensher, Spectator

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Book SynopsisDiscover the story of the Second World War brought to life in full colour by renowned historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns''A fully immersive experience. A comprehensive yet fast-paced and gripping insight into the Second World War. Not just accessible, but riveting. An absolute pleasure to read'' GET HISTORY''A ground-breaking collaboration between bestselling historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns presents the war in full colour, bringing the text vividly to life'' HISTORY OF WAR__________From the great cities of Europe to the jungles of Burma, and from the deserts of North Africa to the remote islands of the South Pacific and the freezing waters of the Arctic, the Second World War touched every continent and ocean on the planet. And from the Blitzkrieg to the atom bomb, the fighting fuelled new technological development on land, at sea and in the air at a ferocious pace. Our futuTrade ReviewA bold attempt to expand the market for military history . . . aimed at a general reader who wants to get an overall grasp of a massive subject . . . this is an impressive achievement * BOOKBRUNCH *A ground-breaking collaboration between bestselling historian James Holland and award-winning artist Keith Burns presents the war in full colour, bringing the text vividly to life * HISTORY OF WAR *Gripping text, masterful imagery and touching personal stories make this a must-buy for anyone with an interest in World War Two * CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLES *The war itself becomes something tangible, a fully immersive experience where the reader is transported to the mosquito-infested, stinking, dripping jungles of Burma, or to the arid, baked expanses of the North African desert . . . Both sides of the book - the written and the drawn - independently are stunning. But together they create something greater: a comprehensive yet fast-paced and gripping insight into the Second World War. This illustrated history ticks every box. For the reasonably uninitiated, there is enough explanation, enough references to films and TV series, and enough action to make the book not just accessible, but riveting. For those familiar with the Second World War, Holland's style, his arguments and his anecdotes, along with the exquisite illustrations of Burns, make The Second World War: An Illustrated History an absolute pleasure to read * GET HISTORY *Epic * HISTORY FIRST *Superb * Damcasters podcast *

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Book SynopsisBrought to you by Penguin.Discover who we are and how we got here by pre-ordering comedian and student of history David Mitchell''s UNRULY: A History of England''s Kings and Queens - a thoughtful, funny exploration of the founding fathers and mothers of England, and subsequently Britain.Think you know your kings and queens? Think again.In UNRULY, David Mitchell explores how England''s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects'' destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.Taking us right back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn''t exist), David tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies). It''s a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut, as the population evolved from having their crops nicked by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed king.How this happened, who it happened to and why it matters in modern Britain are all questions David answers with brilliance, wit and the full erudition of a man who once studied history - and won''t let it off the hook for the mess it''s made.A funny book about a serious subject, UNRULY is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here - and who is to blame.Read by David Mitchell.2023 David Mitchell (P)2023 Penguin AudioTrade ReviewUnruly is part Horrible Histories part jolly romp guided by Alan Bennett. Perhaps this is how history should be done: not by patient scholars, but by free-swearing actor-comedians cramming more ideas and jokes into their pages than many professionals have committed to print in their careers. * Guardian *Full of jokes and canny insights, 100 per cent sparkier and more revernt than your school textbooks * I *An enjoyable, rollicking read, definitely not a conventional history book * Sunday Times *I don’t think anyone other than David Mitchell could have written this book. It’s clever, funny and makes you think quite differently about history we thought we knew * DAN SNOW, HISTORIAN AND BROADCASTER *By turns fascinating and funny - there is a jewel of an insight or a refreshing blast of clarifying wit on every page. David brings a delightfully contrary and hilariously cantankerous eye to the history of the English Monarchy. Informative, illuminating and very very funny * JESSE ARMSTRONG, CREATOR OF SUCCESSION AND PEEP SHOW *Mitchell clearly knows his history, with a book that owes as much to Monty Python as it does to Simon Schama * Andrew Marr *A Peep Show history of England * Sunday Times *Clever, amusing, gloriously bizarre and razor sharp. Mitchell - a funny man and a skilled historian - tells stories that are interesting and fun. His rants alone are worth the price of the book. And amid all the jokes and delightful nonsense, Mitchell sneaks in a serious message about English identity. Here is Horrible Histories for grownups - stripped of their finery, devoid of reverence, UNRULY's monarchs emerge as mortals with ordinary flaws. I learnt a lot and laughed a lot, and people who have never before picked up a history book will read and enjoy this one. That's an accomplishment * Gerard DeGroot, The Times *Chatty, irreverent and liberally sprinkled with gags and opinions. Horrible Histories with added swearing. * Guardian *I can’t recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting, it is above all a proper work of history * Charlie Higson *A Punch-and-Judy show of awful people doing terrible things to one another. There is refreshing candour in how it calls out the bastards, bullies and brats who have donned England’s highest-carat hats. Above all, it’s a funny read, playful and well-meaning . . . told in a fizzing and indignant style, rammed with entertaining tangents. A sleek rod of Mitchell, fired from a rail gun, passing straight through the reader’s skull * Daily Telegraph *Who knew a history of England's rulers could be this hilarious? A brilliantly entertaining romp through monarchs. * i *Provocative, energeticlly comical, unortodox. Stuffed full of comical scenes and anecdotes, which only an author with a fine sense of the absurd could give us. * Mail on Sunday *A riotously funny romp through one thousand or so years of English history. I cannot remember the last time I laughed as much as I did listening to Unruly. Mitchell’s take on history is unremittingly funny as well as insightful. There are so many exquisite turns of phrase. I had to stop listening whilst cooking for fear I’d drop red-hot pans, I was shaking with laughter so much. * Entertainment Focus *I relished a crash course in English history with comedian David Mitchell’s ambitious Unruly. * Daily Express, Books of the Year *A historical tour of English rulers in a book that is like no history lesson you've had to endure before. A semi-serious book full of weird and wonderful spectacle, scandal, and brutality. * Luxury London *He brings his typically wry style to an exploration of England's monarchy * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the key events in the war that shaped the modern world - moment by moment.An accessible overview of the moments and milestones of the Second World War, Timelines of World War II offers a fresh angle on the subject, bringing the conflict to life through contemporary photos, documents, maps, and artefacts of importance.This World War II book offers an accessible and visually engaging overview of the key events of the Second World War. Each page outlines key moments that comprise the timeline from before the war, during and after. Entries also include details of important people, battles, tactics, and technologies.In this world war book, you can find: An introduction to the Second World War that explores the key events of the conflict through visual timelines Profile boxes bring to life the people, new technology, and milestone events that altered the course of history. Entries that explore the key even

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR''A dazzlingly brilliant book'' Hannah Dawson''Fascinating, often exhilarating ... Albinia is an intrepid, imaginative guide'' TLSThe Britannias tells the story of Britain''s islands and how they are woven into its collective cultural psyche.From Neolithic Orkney to modern-day Thanet, Alice Albinia explores the furthest reaches of Britain''s island topography, once known (wrote Pliny) by the collective term, Britanniae. Sailing over borders, between languages and genres, trespassing through the past to understand the present, this book knocks the centre out to foreground neglected epics and subversive voices.The ancient mythology of islands ruled by women winds through the literature of the British Isles - from Roman colonial-era reports, to early Irish poetry, Renaissance drama to Restoration utopias - transcending and subverting the moTrade ReviewA dazzlingly brilliant book. Travelling by boat, swimming through kelp, riding on a fishing trawler, Alice Albinia takes us on an extraordinary journey around the British isles, revealing a liquid past where women ruled and mermaids sang and tracing the sea-changes of her own heart. -- Hannah DawsonAn artful book of waterways and wildernesses, monastic havens and tax havens. A fascinating demonstration that Britain ‘singular’ is shorthand for something tectonically, volcanically plural. -- Amy Jeffs, author of Storyland and WildThere are books crafted from research, worthy and informative. And there are books that happen. That need to happen. That feel inevitable. As if they have always, somehow, been there waiting for us. The voyages of Alice Albinia around our ragged fringes range through time, recovering and resurrecting the most potent myths. A work of integrity and vision. -- Iain SinclairA passionate rich work of historical scholarship and poetic imagination. -- Xiaolu Guo, author of Radical: A Life of My OwnBewitching and illuminating, glinting with possibilities… I’ll be thinking about The Britannias for a long time. -- Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the BarleyBy looking more closely at the periphery, we might learn something new about the centre ... Albinia’s prose is impressive ... the main impression given by The Britannias is the uniqueness of our outlying islands, each one entire unto itself. -- Guy Stagg * Financial Times *Fascinating, often exhilarating ... By the end of her survey readers may wonder how the term “island mentality” ever became a disparagement. It should connote not small-mindedness but radical, progressive, sometimes magical thinking. ... Albinia is an intrepid, imaginative guide, an adventurer for our more environmentally conscious age. -- Miranda France * Times Literary Supplement *Islands always intrigue, hovering on the horizons of our imaginations ... [Albinia] makes memorable connections, meets some engaging people and offers some salutary observations. -- Derek Turner * The Spectator *Spellbinding... an impressive achievement. * New Statesman *PRAISE FOR CWEM: 'A wild, original, surefooted feminist reimagining of the present and the past that brushes up against the mythical. It reminds us, eloquently and passionately, what is or can be possible, and in its depiction of a revolutionary becomes revolutionary itself. Beautiful work' -- Neel MukherjeeA wild ride! She sees Graves' White Goddess and raises 50 with female magic and transformations. -- Margaret AtwoodMagical, rich and magnificent. -- Maxine Peake

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of India: A Portrait, Patrick French''s Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land has been acclaimed as the book that showed the real Tibet for the first time. Tibet has long fascinated the West, but what really lies beyond our romantic image of a Buddhist mountain kingdom of peace and spirituality? Travelling through the country, French meets warrior monks, nomads and a nun secretly fighting Chinese communist rule, but also young Tibetans with a more pragmatic attitude to their situation. Interweaving these encounters with little-known stories of war and turmoil from Tibet''s past, he reveals a more nuanced, fascinating and surprising picture of this complex place than any other book has done. ''Mixes a compelling subject, magnificent prose and deep understanding''   The Times ''Inspired and heartfelt ... shows that Tibet was never the peace-loving paradise so many generations of Trade ReviewMixes a compelling subject, magnificent prose and deep understanding * The Times *Inspired and heartfelt ... shows that Tibet was never the peace-loving paradise so many generations of well-wishers have longed for it to be * Los Angeles Times *Tibet, Tibet, so good they named it twice ... French is a writer of generous talents * Sunday Times *French has produced something very different from what he calls "Tibetophile" literature, something greatly superior in its honesty and lack of false sentiment * Spectator *A gripping mix of history, travel writing and personal memoir... vividly told. * Observer *An accomplished writer and a keen observer (French) reports his findings vividly... French's reporting is excellent and this is an enjoyable and informative tour of Tibet. * The Guardian *First hand accounts of everyday experiences gleaned from close contact with Tibetan priests, politicians and peasants illuminate this moving book of modern day Tibet. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisLiberty or Death is Patrick French''s vivid and surprising account of the chaotic final years of colonial rule in India, acclaimed as the definitive book on this subject. At midnight on 14 August 1947, Great Britain''s 350-year-old Indian Empire was broken into three pieces. The greatest mass migration in history began, as Muslims fled north and Hindus fled south, and Britain''s role as an imperial power came to an end. Journeying across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Patrick French brings to life a cast of characters including spies, idealists, freedom fighters and politicians from Winston Churchill to Mahatma Gandhi. The result is a compelling story of deal-making, missed opportunities, hope and tragedy. ''A fine, lucid book ... vividly drawn with novel-like touches''   Hanif Kureshi ''Extraordinarily able and nuanced ... a brilliant book on an important subject ... French is the most impressive Western historian of modern India currently at work''   Herald ''Beautifully written''   Sunday Times ''French is a natural storyteller ... a delightful tale of intrigue, ham-handedness and just plain blundering''   India Today Patrick French is the author of India: A Portrait, Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer, which won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Royal Society of Literature W. H. Heinemann Prize, Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land, The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul, which was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Hawthornden Prize.Trade ReviewA remarkable achievement ... a huge, crowded and kaleidoscopic canvas, which the author handles with remarkable authority ... It is also enormous fun to read * Daily Telegraph *A fine, lucid book ... vividly drawn with novel-like touches -- Hanif KureshiBeautifully written * Sunday Times *French is a natural storyteller ... a delightful tale of intrigue, ham-handedness and just plain blundering * India Today *

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Book SynopsisEdited by Niall Ferguson, Virtual History applies ''counterfactual'' arguments to decisive moments in modern history.What if Britain had stayed out of the First World War?What if Germany had invaded Britain in 1940?What if Nazi Germany had defeated the Soviet Union?How would England look if there had been no Cromwell?What if there had been no American Revolution?And what if John F. Kennedy had lived?In this acclaimed book, leading historians from Andrew Roberts to Michael Burleigh challenge the complacency of traditional accounts, exploring what might have been if nine of the most decisive moments in modern history had never happened.''Quite brilliant, inspiring for the layman and an enviable tour de force for the informed reader ... A wonderful book ... lucid, exciting and easy to read'' - Literary Review''Ferguson constructs an entire scenario starting with Charles I''s defeat of the Covenanters, running through three revolutions that did not happen and climaxing with the collapse of the West, ruled by an Anglo-American empire, in the face of a mighty transcontinental, tsarist Russian imperium ... A welcome, optimistic assault on an intellectual heresy'' - Sunday Times''A talented and imaginative team who tackle with counterfactual verve a series of turning points'' - Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewQuite brilliant, inspiring for the layman and an enviable tour de force for the informed reader ... A wonderful book ... lucid, exciting and easy to read * Literary Review *Ferguson constructs an entire scenario starting with Charles I's defeat of the Covenanters, running through three revolutions that did not happen and climaxing with the collapse of the West, ruled by an Anglo-American empire, in the face of a mighty transcontinental, tsarist Russian imperium ... A welcome, optimistic assault on an intellectual heresy * Sunday Times *A talented and imaginative team who tackle with counterfactual verve a series of turning points * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisMaking the Future is the latest collection of essays from Noam Chomsky, one of our most vital and provocative voices of political dissent. Taking up the thread from 2007''s Interventions, these penetrating and compelling articles examine numerous topics, including the financial crisis, Obama''s presidency, WikiLeaks and the on-going conflicts in the Middle East.Restating and refining his commitment to democracy and finding inspiration in the popular uprisings of the Arab Spring, Making the Future is Chomsky''s fiercely-argued and timely comment on a fast-changing world.Praise for Noam Chomsky:''Chomsky is one of a small band of individuals fighting a whole industry. And that makes him not only brilliant, but heroic'' Arundhati Roy''Noam Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet today'' New York Times BTrade ReviewChomsky is one of a small band of individuals fighting a whole industry. And that makes him not only brilliant, but heroic -- Arundhati RoyNoam Chomsky is an inspiration all over the world - to millions I suspect - for the simple reason that he is a truth-teller on an epic scale -- John PilgerNoam Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet today * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisAn unmissable book that explores the brutal, heroic and extraordinary final days of the First World WarOn the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in November 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent.The Armistice, which brought the Great War to an end, marked a seminal moment in modern European and World history. Yet the story of how the war ended remains little-known. In this compelling and ground-breaking new study, Nick Lloyd examines the last days of the war and asks the question: how did it end? Beginning at the heralded turning-point on the Marne in July 1918, Hundred Days traces the epic story of the next four months, which included some of the bloodiest battles of the war.Using unpublished archive material from five countries, this new account reveals how the Allies - British, French, American and Commonwealth - managed to beat the German Army, by now crippled by indiscipline and ravaged by influenza, and force her leaders toTrade ReviewThis is a powerful and moving book by a rising military historian. Lloyd's depiction of the great battles of July-November provides compelling evidence of the scale of the Allies' victories and the bitter reality of German defeat -- Gary Sheffield (Professor of War Studies)Lloyd enters the upper tier of Great War historians with this admirable account of the war's final campaign * Publishers Weekly *Writing about the last 100 days of the war on the Western Front, Lloyd asks whether the Allies had learnt anything from the previous years of conflict and whether the Germans were really defeated in 1918 -- Joanna Bourke * The Telegraph *Lloyd's brisk and thoroughly engrossing book leaves no doubt that the Germans were beaten fair and square where it really mattered - on the battlefield -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Evening Standard *There is a grim fascination to the endgame, as the hopes still nursed by the Germans were finally extinguished and the Allies won a victory that in seemed inevitable in retrospect * Metro *Gives the reader an insight into the raw emotions of the period and lends immediacy to the more sober narrative * The Oxford Times *Compelling, very readable * Books Monthly *As Nick Lloyd's account of the great Allied counter-offensives of summer 1918 convincingly shows, the Allies had learned (if painfully slowly) how to win battles . . . the German army was absolutely, totally defeated in the field -- John Lewis-Stempel * The Express *Hundred Days is a bracing re-dramatization of the horrors that were most fresh in the minds of all concerned when those days were over -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *Very well-researched and well-written. Reminds us just how important this crushing endgame was -- Andrew RobertsConveys the epic sweep of events, as the allied troops relentlessly pushed the German divisions back, with staggering losses . . . Lloyd also gives the worm's eye-view of what it was like for the men on the ground. He is expert at bringing to life, in a few lines, the characters of the top brass -- Brandon Robshaw * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisIn Home Francis Pryor, author of The Making of the British Landscape, archaeologist and broadcaster, takes us on his lifetime''s quest: to discover the origins of family life in prehistoric BritainFrancis Pryor''s search for the origins of our island story has been the quest of a lifetime. In Home, the Time Team expert explores the first nine thousand years of life in Britain, from the retreat of the glaciers to the Romans'' departure. Tracing the settlement of domestic communities, he shows how archaeology enables us to reconstruct the evolution of habits, traditions and customs. But this, too, is Francis Pryor''s own story: of his passion for unearthing our past, from Yorkshire to the west country, Lincolnshire to Wales, digging in freezing winters, arid summers, mud and hurricanes, through frustrated journeys and euphoric discoveries. Evocative and intimate, Home shows how, in going about their daily existence, our prehistoric ancestors

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of George VI, the hero of The King''s SpeechGeorge VI reigned through taxing times. Acceding to the throne upon his brother''s abdication, he was immediately confronted with the turmoil in European politics leading up to the Second World War, then the War itself, followed by a period of austerity, social transformation and loss of Empire. George was unprepared for kingship, suffering from a stammer which could make public occasions very painful for him. Moreover he had grown up in the shadow of his brother, a man who had been idolized as no royal prince has been, before or since. However, as Sarah Bradford shows in this sympathetic biography, although George was not born to be king, he died a great one.''A triumph ... Sarah Bradford looks set to inherit Lady Longford''s mantle as royal biographer supreme'' Mail on Sunday''Lucid, convincing and admirably fair ... George VI has been fortunate in his biographer'' Philip Zie

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Book SynopsisAndy Beckett writes for the Guardian. He has also written for the Economist, The New York Times magazine, the London Review of Books and the Independent on Sunday. His previous books are When the Lights Went Out and Pinochet in Piccadilly.Trade ReviewAn anthology of an age . . . A book that offers so much pleasure and insight -- Ian Jack * Guardian *Austin Metros and Chariots of Fire, cricket balls and petrol bombs, Sloane Rangers and Boys from the Blackstuff . . . Andy Beckett's lively and even-handed account of two years in the life of modern Britons is bracingly anti-nostalgic. Focusing sharply on key players and events, he teases out the paradoxes of those sharp-elbowed and irony-free times, and leaves the reader with provoking questions about how we got here from there -- Hilary MantelPromised You a Miracle is intelligent, entertaining, readable, convincing and timely. It is history well told and properly done -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *Beckett is a lucid, focussed writer . . . There is a wry, shrewd humanity to his historical interests -- Richard Davenport-Hines * Observer *A breezy and very intelligent anatomy of the years 1980-82 . . . This is not conventional political history - and is all the better for it. Beckett is as interested in the flowering of independent television production companies and the regeneration of London's Docklands as he is in monetarism, the Falklands War and the assault on the trade unions -- Jonathan Derbyshire * Prospect *[A] gripping mixture of contemporary history and vivid reportage -- John Campbell * Independent *Those who lived through the early eighties - who spent all that time wondering what the hell was going to happen next - will enjoy Beckett's work because it validates what at times seemed like a waking dream, or sometimes a waking nightmare. For those too young, the book is valuable as a reminder that there were other times in recent history when it seemed everything was beginning to slide -- Jamie Kenny * Big Issue *Beckett has a fine eye for detail -- Andrew Neather * Evening Standard *[Beckett] mixes history, journalism and autobiography. He has a strong sense of place -- Richard Vinen * Literary Review *The appeal of Beckett's book is that he succeeds in showing rather than merely telling us why his chosen period was pivotal in the life of the nation. For those who lived through all the turbulence, as I did, it reawakens memories and helps reconnect you with the person you once were. For those who did not, or who cannot remember, it recounts well how an old nation roused itself from slumber and dared to change the course on which it seemed set -- Jason Cowley * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisYang Jisheng''s Tombstone is the book that broke the silence on of one of history''s most terrible crimesMore people died in Mao''s Great Famine than in the entire First World War, yet this story has remained largely untold, until now. Still banned in China, Tombstone draws on the author''s privileged access to official and unofficial sources to uncover the full human cost of the tragedy, and create an unprecedented work of historical reckoning.''A book of great importance'' Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans''The first proper history of China''s great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang China''s Solzhenitsyn'' Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag: A HistoryTrade ReviewA book of great importance -- Jung Chang, author of 'Wild Swans'The first proper history of China's great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang "China's Solzhenitsyn" -- Anne Applebaum, author of 'Gulag: A History'In 1989 hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Chinese died in the June Fourth massacre in Beijing, and within hours hundreds of millions of people around the world had seen images of it on their television screens. In the late 1950s, also in Communist China, roughly the inverse happened: thirty million or more died while the world, then and now, has hardly noticed. If the cause of the Great Famine had been a natural disaster, this double standard might be more understandable. But the causes, as Yang Jisheng shows in meticulous detail, were political. How can the world not look now? -- Perry Link, University of California, RiversideThough a sense of deep anger imbues Yang Jisheng's book, it is all the more powerful for its restraint ... Tombstone meticulously demonstrates that the famine was not only vast, but manmade; and not only manmade but political, born of totalitarianism -- Tania Branigan * Guardian *Tombstone is not just a history but a political sensation ... rich with details ... there is no doubting Yang Jisheng's immense political courage in compiling and writing it ... His book is not just a tombstone for his father and other famine victims, but for the reputation of the Communist party's leadership at a time when they should have acted -- Rana Mitter * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisMidnight in Peking is a gripping true murder mystery by Paul FrenchTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4''A first-rate murder story, a thrilling narrative. Hurtles along from one cliffhanger to the next'' SpectatorPeking, 1937:The teenage daughter of a British consul is brutally slaughtered. The police investigation is botched; as war looms British and Chinese authorities close ranks. A grieving father vows to uncover the truth - alone.Seventy-five years later, historian Paul French uncovers a stash of forgotten documents revealing the killer''s identity . . .For those who loved The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil this is a riveting and evocative true crime classic.''Gripping, spellbinding . . . drawing the reader from the very first pages into an unwholesome, macabre world'' Guardian''Part historical docudrama, part tragic opera Trade ReviewAn instant true crime classic. Grips from the first page to the last -- David Peace, author of Red Riding and The Damned UnitedFascinating and irresistible. I couldn't put it down -- John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilWritten in the style of a gripping murder mystery, but all the facts are true -- Kirsty Lang * BBC Radio 4 (Book of the Week) *Engrossing true crime whodunnit... A terrific read -- Andrew Holgate * Sunday Times *Not only does Mr French succeed in solving the crime, he resurrects a period that was filled with glitter as well as evil * The Economist *French has an easygoing prose style... well chosen quotes bring a new vigour and crispness... [He] succeeds in giving voice to a tragic quest for justice * Sunday Telegraph *It is the storytelling flair that marks Midnight in Peking so highly above the run-of-the-mill true crime stories: with its false leads and twists, it sucks the reader in like the best fiction * The Scotsman *The shocking true tale, combined with prose you can't drag yourself away from, makes Midnight in Peking a work of non fiction as compulsive as any bestselling crime novel. It also brings justice at last for a young woman whose murder nearly went unsolved * Sunday Express *Terrific, engrossing ... a gruesome tale of a hitherto forgotten case, and of the sheer tenacity of a grieving father -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE CUNDHILL HISTORY PRIZE 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2017, THE PUSHKIN HOUSE RUSSIAN BOOK PRIZE 2017 AND THE LONGMAN-HISTORY TODAY BOOK PRIZE 2017THE TIMES, SPECTATOR, BBC HISTORY and TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR''Masterful, gripping ... filled with astonishing, vivid and heartbreaking stories of crime and punishment, of redemption, love and terrifying violence. It has an amazing cast of despots, murderers, whores and heroes. It''s a wonderful read'' Simon Sebag MontefioreIt was known as ''the vast prison without a roof''. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Russian Revolution, the tsarist regime exiled more than one million prisoners and their families beyond the Ural Mountains to Siberia. The House of the Dead, brings to life both the brutal realities of an inhuman system and the tragic and inspiring fates of those who endured it. This is the vividly told hisTrade ReviewExcellent... an expansive work that neatly manages to combine a broad history of the Romanovs' Gulag with heart-rending tales of the plights of individual prisoners -- Douglas Smith * Literary Review *A splendid example of academic scholarship for a public audience. Yet even though he is an impressively calm and sober narrator, the injustices and atrocities pile up on every page. -- Dominic Sandbrook * The Sunday Times *An absolutely fascinating book, rich in fact and anecdote. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *In many ways Siberia truly was a House of the Dead - as Daniel Beer, who borrows the title of Fyodor Dostoevsky's prison novel for his masterful new study, recounts in horrific and gripping detail. Because of its far greater scale and brutality, the Soviet gulag has eclipsed the memory of the Tsarist penal system in the popular imagination. Beer redresses that imbalance by bringing the voices of the million-plus victims of katorga vividly to life. -- Owen Matthews * Spectator *Although Beer's subject is grim, his writing is not. Grace notes of metaphor elevate The House of the Dead above standard histories; it is also ground-breaking and moving -- Oliver Bullough * The Telegraph *If the scale of the Siberian penal exile inspires a sense of dreadful awe, then the detail is tragic, heart-breaking and marked with individual horror. The vast, Steppe-like sweep of Daniel Beer's work is impressive, sustaining a narrative that ranges from 1801 to 1917, and involves more than one million exiled souls into an area that is one and a half times bigger than the continent of Europe ... An extraordinary, powerful and important story -- Hugh MacDonald * Herald *[This] masterly new history of the tsarist exile system... makes a compelling case for placing Siberia right at the centre of 19th-century Russian-and, indeed, European-history. But for students of Soviet and even post-Soviet Russia it holds lessons, too. Many of the country's modern pathologies can be traced back to this grand tsarist experiment-to its tensions, its traumas and its abject failures. * Economist *Daniel Beer's The House of the Dead is a detailed, rich and powerful account of the inhumane system of imprisonment and exile in Tsarist Siberia that shows how little changed between Tsarism and Stalinism. Both were built on the bones of ordinary Russians -- Neil Robinson * Irish Examiner *An eye-opening, haunting work that delineates how a vast imperial penal system crumbled from its rotten core * Kirkus Reviews *Impeccably researched, beautifully written -- Donald Rayfield * Guardian *Masterful, gripping and deeply researched. It's filled with astonishing, vivid and heartbreaking stories of crime and punishment, of redemption, love and terrifying violence. It has an amazing cast of despots, murderers, whores and heroes, and takes place in godforsaken mines, Arctic villages and beautiful taiga. It's a wonderful read. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * BBC History Magazine *The wretched existence of those banished to Russia's freezing expanses east of the Urals is vividly described in this excellent study... if you want to read the most remarkable recent study of Siberian exile under the Tsars, [read] Beer -- Paul Dukes * History Today *Daniel Beer's The House of the Dead: Siberian exile under the Tsars (Allen Lane) is both a gripping read and an extraordinary feat of scholarly analysis, delivered with the scope and empathy of a novelist - appositely, as both Dostoevsky and Chekhov are part of Siberia's story. The microhistories as well as the grand narrative illuminate a terrible swathe of Russian (and Polish) history. -- Roy Foster * TLS *

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Book SynopsisAn epic adventure: from the Vikings to the Enlightenment, from barbaric outpost to global hub, this book tells the dazzling history of northern Europe''s transformation by sea.''Pye writes like a dream. Magnificent'' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps______________This is a story of saints and spies, of anglers and pirates, traders and marauders - and of how their wild and daring journeys across the North Sea built the world we know.When the Roman Empire retreated, northern Europe was a barbarian outpost at the very edge of everything. A thousand years later, it was the heart of global empires and the home of science, art, enlightenment and money. We owe this transformation to the tides and storms of the North Sea.Boats carried food and raw materials, but also new ideas and information. The seafarers raided, ruined and killed, but they also settled and coupled. With them they brought new tastTrade ReviewIt's fascinating to understand [these] historical trends and ideas -- Jeremy CorbynAn utterly beguiling journey into the dark ages of the north sea. A complete revelation . . . Pye writes like a dream. Magnificent -- Jerry Brotton, author of 'A History of the World in Twelve Maps'A closely-researched and fascinating characterisation of the richness of life and the underestimated interconnections of the peoples all around the medieval and early modern North Sea. A real page-turner -- Chris Wickham, author of 'The Inheritance of Rome: A History of Europe from 400 to 1000'Elegant writing and extraordinary scholarship . . . Miraculous -- Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of 'Periodic Tales' and 'Anatomies'Splendid. A heady mix of social, economic, and intellectual history, written in an engaging style. It offers a counterpoint to the many studies of the Mediterranean, arguing for the importance of the North Sea. Exciting, fun, and informative -- Michael Prestwich, Professor of History, Durham UniversityBrilliant. Pye is a wonderful historian . . . bringing history to life like no one else. Who knew that the Irish invented punctuation? -- Terry JonesA masterly storyteller * Vogue *Pye has a great journalist's eye for a story and the telling anecdote as well as a great historian's ability to place it in the bigger picture. Here he fuses those talents in a hugely eclectic study of the very first stirrings of modernity in northern Europe -- Alexander McCall SmithPye draws on a dizzying array of documentary and archaeological scholarship, which he works together in surprising ways . . . He advances on several fronts at once, following the overlapping currents of customary, religious and empirical ways of thinking. He writes about difficult concepts with vivid details and stories, often jump-cutting from exposition to drama like a film. It's complicated, but fun * Economist *Hugely enjoyable. it is the measure of Pye's achievement that he can breathe life into the traders of seventh-century Frisia or the beguines of late-medieval Flanders as well as into his more celebrated subjects . . . Grey the waters of the North Sea may be; but Pye has successfully dyed them with a multitude of rich colours -- Tom Holland * Guardian *A dazzling historical adventure * Daily Telegraph *An extraordinary book . . . Pye makes astonishing discoveries. Brevity is the bane of the reviewer; the best books are impossible to summarise in just 900 words. That's especially true with a treasure chest like this one . . . The end result is brilliantly illuminating. Pye's creativity brings light to this once dark time * The Times *A multi-layered book that demands time to read and be digested but rewards by giving one plenty to chew on * Observer *Excellent. The Edge of the World does what good non-fiction should, in making the reader see the world in a different light * Scotland on Sunday *An inspiring book, full of surprises . . . this is the kind of book that can open up new vistas. It might just rekindle a sense that Britain really is a North Sea nation and not just a rootless post-Imperium searching for a niche in the global emporium * Independent *Bristling, wide-ranging and big-themed ... Pye's view of the North Sea and European history succeeds in reorienting our thinking about the past * New York Times Book Review *A joy to read and reread. Pye challenges all our notions of the Dark Ages and shows the vast accomplishments completed long before the Renaissance. This book must be ranked right up there with the works of Mark Kurlansky and Thomas Cahill as a primer of the steps that led to modern civilization * Kirkus, starred review *An eye-opening reexamination of of Europe during the Dark Ages, and delightfully accessible. Pye's style is leisurely yet authoritative, scholarly but engaging; his approach resembles that of a docent leading a group through a vast museum, with each section devoted to a different aspect of society * Publishers Weekly *Refreshing. Pye excels at painting a unique portrait of the political, economic, and cultural transformation that has occurred on the shores of the North Sea. His frequent use of primary sources as well as fictional literary works gives the work an ethereal nature * Library Journal *Wonderful - well researched and beautifully written; he weaves in glorious anecdotes that show the Viking world as it should be seen -- Dr Peter Frankopan, Director, The Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research

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Book SynopsisSurvivor on the River Kwai is the heartbreaking story of one of the last survivors of the Burma Railway.February 1942. A young British soldier is caught up in the worst defeat in the history of the British Army, the fall of Singapore. Reg Twigg spends the next three years in hell, moving from jungle camp to jungle camp and building the Burma Railway for the all-conquering Japanese. Beaten, tortured, starving and forced to watch his comrades die, Reg fights for his survival, stealing from his captors, trapping animals and even making his own tobacco. That Reg survived is testimony to his own courage and determination, his will to beat the alien brutality of camp guards who had nothing but contempt for him and his fellow POWs. He was a risk taker whose survival strategies sometimes bordered on genius. As moving and harrowing as The Last Fighting Tommy, with the drama of David Lean''s The Bridge Over the River Kwai and the heart of Trade ReviewOne of the finest accounts yet of life in the jungle PoW camps, at once humbling, heartwarming and enraging -- Allan Mallinson * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ''Magnificent, vivid, moving, superb'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times______________This is the closest you will ever get to war - the taste, the smell, the noise and the fearThe Normandy Landings that took place on D-Day involved by far the largest invasion fleet ever known. The scale of the undertaking was awesome and what followed was some of the most cunning and ferocious fighting of the war. As casualties mounted, so too did the tensions between the principal commanders on both sides. Meanwhile, French civilians caught in the middle of these battlefields or under Allied bombing endured terrible suffering. Even the joys of Liberation had their darker side.Antony Beevor''s inimitably gripping narrative conveys the true experience of war. He lands the reader on the beach alongside the heroes whose stories he so masterfully renders in their full terrifying glory.______________''A thrilling story, with all Beevor''s narrative mastery'' Chris Patten, Financial Times''Beevor''s D-Day has all the qualities that have made his earlier works so successful: an eye for telling and unusual detail, an ability to make complex events understandable, and a wonderful graphic style'' Ian Kershaw, Guardian, Books of the Year''D-Day''s phenomenal success is both understandable and justified'' James Holland''D-Day is a triumph . . . on almost every page there''s some little detail that sticks in the mind or tweaks the heart. This is a terrific, inspiring, heart-breaking book'' Sam Leith, Daily MailTrade ReviewA knockout reassessment of one of the Second World War's great set-piece battles. Swoops from the vicious close-quarter fighting in the hedgerows to the petrified French onlookers and onwards to the political leaders wrestling with monumental decisions * Sunday Times *Beevor has succeeded brilliantly. D-Day can sit proudly alongside his other masterworks on Stalingrad and the fall of Berlin. Superbly brings the events of that summer to life again -- Patrick Bishop * Daily Telegraph *As near as possible to experiencing what it was like to be there. . . It is almost impossible for a reader not to get caught up in the excitement -- Giles Foden * Guardian *Impeccable, splendid, thoroughly researched and gripping. Beevor is master of narrative, expertly blending the grand sweep with the telling anecdote -- Dominic Sandbrook * Observer *Beevor can be credited with single-handedly transforming the reputation of military history -- David Edgar * Guardian *His singular ability to make huge historical events accessible to a general audience recalls the golden age of British narrative history, whose giants include Gibbon, Macaulay and Carlyle -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *

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