History Books

4522 products


  • Titanic Day by Day

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Titanic Day by Day

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisPreviously unpublished illustrations by Nady Gubanova, bringing the history of Titanic to life.

    15 in stock

    £25.00

  • The Dacians and Getae at War

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Dacians and Getae at War

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis intriguing book describes the Romans'' formidably warlike enemies in modern Romania and Bulgaria their ''most illustrated'' opponents, thanks to friezes on Trajan''s Column and carvings on Trajan''s Adamklissi monument.Formidable warriors, able to field tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry and led by a military aristocracy, the Dacians and Getae presented a real threat to Rome''s north-eastern frontier. They inflicted several defeats on Rome, crossing the Danube to invade the province of Moesia, and later stubbornly resisting counter-invasions from their strong mountain fortresses.Historians believe that the Dacians and Getae were essentially the same group of tribes during successive periods, related to Thracian tribes from territory south of the Carpathian Mountains, but their exact relationship in place and time is a subject for debate. Those called the ''Getae'' by ancient Greek sources were actively expanding by at least the 4th century BC; somTrade Reviewwell-produced, extensively illustrated and carefully edited little book. * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION SELECT CHRONOLOGY THE GETAE AND DACI IN ANCIENT SOURCES SOCIAL STRUCTURES ARMIES CAMPAIGNS APPEARANCE MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND USE SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX

    15 in stock

    £11.69

  • Mirrors: Stories Of Almost Everyone

    Granta Books Mirrors: Stories Of Almost Everyone

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn Mirrors, Galeano smashes aside the narrative of conventional history and arranges the shards into a new pattern, to reveal the past in radically altered form. From the Garden of Eden to twenty-first-century cityscapes, we glimpse fragments in the lives of those who have been overlooked by traditional histories: the artists, the servants, the gods and the visionaries, the black slaves who built the White House, and the women who were bartered for dynastic endsTrade ReviewThere is a mysterious power in Galeano's storytelling. He uses his craft to invade the privacy of the reader's mind, to persuade him or her to read and to continue reading to the very end, to surrender to the charm of his writing and the power of his idealism -- Isabel AllendeTo publish Eduardo Galeano is to publish the enemy: the enemy of lies, indifference, above all of forgetfulness. His tenderness is devastating, his truthfulness furious -- John BergerBrightly coloured commonplace book of a kind that was once popular in our culture but has now almost disappeared ... The beauty of Galeano's book lies not just in the eclectic choice of stories he tells, but more especially in his elegant, pared-down prose, sensitively translated by Mark Fried, with never an unnecessary word, nor one out of place ... Galeano's book is pure delight - a cornucopia of wonderful stories. It should be by everyone's bedside - and in every Christmas stocking -- Richard Gott * Guardian *Galeano charts the rise and fall of civilisations with compassion and wry humour ... [He is] an enchanting interpreter of history and its resonances, and a poetic voice of political dissent -- Siobhan Murphy * Metro *In his most ambitious work since Memory of Fire Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano retells the history of the world from the point of view of the powerless, the voiceless and the dispossessed. As in Memory of Fire, he presents his story as a series of short vignettes, one longer than a page and most a good deal shorter; their cumulative effect is shattering * London Review of Books *Galeano's voice lends Mirrors its coherence, transforms the book into a patchwork of particular feats and foibles picked from our long and common history -- Alberto Manguel * Observer *It is no criticism - rather the reverse - to say of Galeano's book that it defies categorisation ... In earlier age, the author might have cast this history as a great epic poem. It has that feel -- Christian Tyler * Financial Times *[In Mirrors] Galeano widens his scope to nothing less than an alternative history of humankind, achieving this monumental task with rare grace, wit and passion for truth ... With a storyteller's flourish, he invites us to look past official history and into our own real nature and past ... Galeano's skill as a writer and his fine sense of historical irony make this both an easy-to-read, funny and profound book -- Marc Lambert * Scotland on Sunday *An endlessly fascinating book, a mirrored cabinet of curiosities in which every item reflects every other -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *Composed of miscellaneous stories about landmark historical events told by people whom the history books have forgotten, this is a book that is bound to grow in stature. It is frequently recommended by customers to us -- Edinburgh Bookshop * Independent on Sunday *Galeano shares with George Orwell the very best of traits: an intellectual honesty and a belief in human values, not to mention a clear writing style. That is why Eduardo Galeano matters -- Andreas Campomar * New Humanist *Remarkable condensed history of the world from the Iron Age to the Information Age -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *Mesmerising, passionate and dazzlingly original. Highly recommended -- David Wood * Waterstone’s Books Quarterly *A storyteller's view of our past that has captivated its original Spanish-speaking audience -- Sue Baker * Bookseller *A constantly dazzling and occasionally witty text that will open eyes and drop jaws -- Brian Donaldson * List *Combining vast knowledge with irresistible story-telling skills (reminds you of Gabriel Garcia Marquez), Galeano's world history is spun out in little cameos that make a mosaic of ordinary lives lived on our "sorry, sparkling planet" ... Galeano exposes the cunning of history and its half-truths; he merely states what he sees or chooses to see that many of us otherwise overlook. And that is "as true as truth's simplicity" * Business Standard (India) *Galeano's stories are sharp, witty and spare. I've never read a book with so many huge ideas written into such tiny capsules -- David Dawkins, Pages Bookshop in Hackney * Bookseller *

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World

    Atlantic Books A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA Splendid Exchange tells the epic story of global commerce, from its prehistoric origins to the myriad crises confronting it today. It travels from the sugar rush that brought the British to Jamaica in the seventeenth century to our current debates over globalization, from the silk route between China and Rome in the second century to the rise and fall of the Portuguese monopoly in spices in the sixteenth. Throughout, William Bernstein examines how our age-old dependency on trade has contributed to our planet's agricultural bounty, stimulated intellectual and industrial progress and made us both prosperous and vulnerable.Trade Review"'A highly entertaining read. Bernstein's enthusiasm for his subject and impressive organisation of a wealth of material enable him to plot with pace and verve... man's trading history.' Hugh Carnegy, Financial Times 'Timely and readable... The strength of Mr Bernstein's book is the analytical rigour that overlays the rollicking history.' Economist 'Superb... The chronological range of Bernstein's book is staggering... Graceful and insightful history with a delicate display of scholarship that conceals a vast erudition.' Paul Kennedy, Foreign Affairs"

    Out of stock

    £17.00

  • Hamas: Unwritten Chapters

    C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Hamas: Unwritten Chapters

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisHamas won an overwhelming electoral victory in January 2006, overturning many assumptions regionally and globally. Branded as terrorist by Israel and the West, it is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organization, formed fifteen years ago at the beginning of the first intifada. Its short-term objective is to drive Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza, an aim it hopes to realize through attacks on Israeli troops and settlers in the Occupied Territories and - more controversially - civilians. It also has the long-term aim of establishing an Islamic state on all of historic Palestine. In the post-Oslo world, Hamas gained power and influence as Israel steadily destroyed the power structure of the avowedly secular Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Authority. A grass-roots organization that commands wide respect among Palestinians for its incorruptibility, Hamas is divided into two main sections, one responsible for establishing schools, hospitals and religious institutions, the other for military action and terror attacks carried out by its armed underground wing the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. This book charts the origins of Hamas among the Muslim Brotherhood, details the influence of its exiled leadership in Syria and elsewhere, and sets out its internal structure and political objectives. This new edition includes an additional chapter covering events since the book's original publication in November 2006.Trade ReviewThis is an important book, and I encourage both Israelis and diaspora Jews to read it. -- Gabrielle Rifkind, Specialist in Conflict Resolution and Human SecurityAn excellent history, deeply researched, the story is dramatic, and Tamimi tells it well... gives access to fascinating detail. -- Victoria Brittain * Palestine News *In this trenchant history spanning from the first days of the 1987 intifada to the sweeping democratic victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian elections of January 2006, London-based scholar Tamimi argues that seeing Hamas as merely another face of Al Qaeda obscures more than it elucidates. A successor to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas comes out of a transnational Islamic reform movement that grew among Palestinians in the 1970s, largely in reaction to Arab nationalism's failure to champion the Palestinian cause. Increasingly, against a string of failed peace processes and the corruption and concessions of the PLO-led secular leadership, Hamas's popular support has rested heavily on its stance as a militant resistance movement wedded to the Palestinian dream of regaining pre-1948 Palestine, and as provider of essential social services. Tamimi draws extensively on the words of insiders in carefully charting and contextualizing the development of Hamas's highly resilient organization, shifting outlook and embrace of various tactics, including the offer of a truce with Israel and, most controversially, suicide bombing. It will be a key resource in English for any serious assessment of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. * Publishers Weekly starred review *Provides facts on Hamas' struggle in Palestine from real sources in the organisation. * Malaysian National News Agency *Tamimi's book is the most authoritative account yet published of the origins, rise and impact of Hamas. -- Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief, Al-Quds Al-Arabi

    Out of stock

    £19.00

  • Rites of Passage

    Pan Macmillan Rites of Passage

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis'Nobody knows more about everyday life in Victorian Britain than Judith Flanders' - Douglas Robert-Fairhurst, author of Metamorphosis and The Turning PointIn Rites of Passage, acclaimed historian Judith Flanders deconstructs the intricate, fascinating, and occasionally – to modern eyes – bizarre customs that grew up around death and mourning in Victorian Britain.Through stories from the sickbed to the deathbed, from the correct way to grieve and to give comfort to those grieving to funerals and burials and the reaction of those left behind, Flanders illuminates how living in nineteenth-century Britain was, in so many ways, dictated by dying.This is an engrossing, deeply researched and, at times, chilling social history of a period plagued by infant death, poverty, disease, and unprecedented change. In elegant, often witty prose, Flanders brings the Victorian way of death vividly to life.

    Out of stock

    £21.25

  • Gender Sex and the Shaping of Modern Europe

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Gender Sex and the Shaping of Modern Europe

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisAt a time when issues of gender and sexuality are as prominent as they have ever been, Gender, Sex and the Shaping of Modern Europe provides an authoritative exploration of the history of these deeply connected subjects over the last 250 years. Incorporating a blend of history and historiography, Annette F. Timm and Joshua A. Sanborn write engagingly on gender and sexuality in a way that illuminates our understanding of historical change and individual experience throughout Europe.The new and improved 3rd edition of this textbook now includes: Personal vignette textboxes which shed light on key themes through individual life stories Added material on Russia, Eastern Europe, the Holocaust and the 21st century Historiographical updates throughout that bring the text up-to-date with new scholarship 30 new images and mapsThrough 6 thematic chapters that cover democracy, capitalism, imperialism and war, Timm and Sanborn trace the social construction ofTrade ReviewThis revised and expanded version of Joshua Sanborn’s and Annette Timm’s widely acclaimed study is essential reading for students and teachers of modern European history alike. In their thorough examination of how sex and gender have shaped and were shaped by the various social, cultural, and political contexts of modern Europe, the authors bring together broad thematic discussions with a wide range of lively individual vignettes, from Catherine the Great to Idris Elba. The result is an engaging and panoramic overview of Europeans’ experiences as gendered and sexual citizens across the past two and a half centuries. * Dr Siobhán Hearne, Historian of Gender and Sexuality, University of Durham, UK *The third edition of Gender, Sex and the Shaping of Modern Europe improves on what was already an excellent text notable for its clarity, accessibility, and thoughtfulness. The inclusion of individualized vignettes at the beginning of each section brings abstract ideas to life and clearly establishes that personal is political, and vice versa. Also to be emphasized is this edition’s enhanced attention to trans lives and individuals. This updated volume remains a stand-out in the field. * Marko Dumancic, Director of Graduate Studies; Assistant Professor, Western Kentucky University, USA *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prefaces Introduction 1. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity 2. Gendered Capitalism and its Discontents 3. The Imperial Drive and the Colonial World 4. Brothers and Sisters at War 5. The Long Sexual Revolution 6. 21st-Century Europe Conclusion Works Cited Appendix: Further Images Index

    7 in stock

    £23.74

  • Japan: A Short History

    Oneworld Publications Japan: A Short History

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWhat is a shogun? Who were the samurai and what is the warrior code? What lies behind the Japanese work ethic? From the ancient tea ceremony to the boom and subsequent downturn of its economic prosperity, this uniquely concise introduction to Japan and its history surveys nearly 10,000 years of society, culture, economics and politics. Balancing economic and political information with new insights into the twin spheres of art and religion, Mikiso Hane offers authoritative coverage of all aspects of Japanese life. With a particular focus on the key events of the last 200 years, the author also pays special attention to the changing conditions of those whose history has been so frequently neglected - the women, the peasants, and the lowest order of untouchables. Well-rounded and enlightening, this informative account of Japan and its people will be greatly appreciated by historians, students and all those with an interest in this diverse and enigmatic country.

    Out of stock

    £9.49

  • Precolonial Black Africa

    A Cappella Books Precolonial Black Africa

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £15.29

  • Waves of Knowing

    Duke University Press Waves of Knowing

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisKarin Amimoto Ingersoll uses her concept of seascape epistemology to articulate an indigenous Hawaiian way of knowing founded on a sensorial, intellectual, and embodied literacy of the ocean that can provide the means for generating an alternative indigenous politics and ethics.Trade Review"Conveying the beauty and meaning of hee nalu to Hawaiians past and present, with water photos by her husband, Russell J. Amimoto, Waves of Knowing is an impassioned and informative call to surfers to be responsible to ourselves, our community and our shared, beloved sea." -- Mindy Pennybacker * Honolulu Star-Advertiser *"Despite the limitations of writing in the English language, Waves of Knowing is an elegant way of articulating an indigenous Hawaiian epistemology.... This book is a valuable contribution to the literature on indigenous methodology, and will also contribute to the growing literature in critical surf studies." -- Dina Gilio-Whitaker * Fourth World Journal *"Waves of Knowing is an intimate discussion of both external and internal realities found both in the politics of Hawaiʻi and within the author’s perception. Ingersoll eschews a colonial-variety, empirical world (knowledge without the nuance of dreams or intuition) and instead explores a dynamic, place-based, historic memory empowerment which becomes its own living archive. . . . Ingersoll works to re-code this fluid sensibility back into our thinking so feeling and emotion can respectfully re-enter our cognitive reality." -- Manulani Aluli Meyer * Indigenous Knowledge *“This beautifully written book makes a valuable contribution to articulating indigenous epistemologies, and offers concrete suggestions for how Kanaka Maoli ways of knowing can be translated into practices which empower indigenous and local knowledge and skills, affirm cultural identity, and care for both the land and seascapes.” -- Tui Nicola Clery * Pacific Affairs *"Waves of Knowing is an important contribution. . . . It helps us understand what has been lost but which is being recovered; it gives us insight into surfing and how new hybrid forms exist in the present but respect the past; and, most importantly, it helps give understanding of, and momentum to, ways of knowing our environment that provide critical alternatives to dominant epistemologies and the unsustainable and capricious economies they inform." -- John Overton * Asia Pacific Viewpoint *"As a methodological exploration into the ways in which personal history, cultural connectivity, imperial history, and commercialization of recreation can be woven through a story of encounters with (and in) a specific space, Waves of Knowing is a fascinating book." -- Philip Steinberg * Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography *"Although emphasized for practice-based or place-based education, the fields of philosophy, English, and history may also benefit from Ingersoll’s work, which is a brilliant example of an Indigenous way of knowing that is shaped from the epistemological complexity of the movement of the ocean through which insight into an ontologically formed Hawaiian identity is also provided." -- Amy Farrell-Morneau * Native American and Indigenous Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. He'e Nalu: Reclaiming Ke Kai 41 2. Oceanic Literacy: A Politics and an Ethics 79 3. Seascape Epistemology: Ke Kino and Movement 103 4. Ho'okele: Seascape Epistemology as an Embodied Voyage 127 5. Hālau O Ke Kai: Potential Applications of Seascape Epitemology 155 Epilogue 183 Notes 185 References 189 Index 197

    15 in stock

    £17.99

  • Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town

    Profile Books Ltd Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2008 'The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy' Laura Silverman, Daily Mail The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; or the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one; or the massive death count, maybe less than ten per cent of the population. An extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's favourite classicist.Trade ReviewThis marvellous book won the Wolfson History Prize and is a model of subtle but accessible writing about the past -- Judith Rice * Guardian *Classicist Mary Beard has had a great time rooting about that ghostly place, and she has brought it quite splendidly back to life. -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *To the vast field of Pompeiiana she brings the human touch... this absorbing, inquisitive and affectionate account of Pompeii is a model of its kind. Beard has caught the quick of what was and, in our lives today, remains the same. -- Ross Leckie * The Times *Very readable and excellently researched... Beard's clear-sighted and accessible style makes this a compelling look into history. -- Alexander Larman * Observer *If you want to know what really happened in the last days of the petrified city, Beard's meticulous reconstruction will fill you in, scraping away many of your preconceptions as it goes, while her evocative writing will transport you back. * Guardian *The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy ... scrutinising and animated in equal measure. -- Laura Silverman * Daily Mail *A brilliant portrait ... this meticulous, vivid study of life in the town rightly and resolutely focuses on the living city. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *

    Out of stock

    £10.44

  • Pigs in Heaven

    Faber & Faber Pigs in Heaven

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisFROM THE WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONTWICE WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONTHE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR''Unforgettable'' CosmopolitanKingsolver blends a fierce and abiding moral vision with benevolent concise humour.'' New York Times Book ReviewWhen six-year-old Turtle Greer witnesses a freak accident at the Hoover Dam, her insistence on what she has seen, and her mother''s belief in her, lead to a man''s dramatic rescue.But Turtle''s moment of celebrity draws her into a conflict of historic proportions. The crisis quickly envelops not only Turtle and her mother, Taylor, but everyone else who touches their lives in a complex web connecting their future with their past.Pigs in Heaven travels the roads from rural Kentucky and the urban Southwest to Heaven, Oklahoma, and the Cherokee Nation, testing the boundaries of family and the many separate truths about the ties th

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • On Architecture Volume II

    Harvard University Press On Architecture Volume II

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn Architecture, completed by Vitruvius sometime before 27 BC and the only work of its kind to survive antiquity, serves not professionals but readers who want to understand architecture. Topics include town planning, building materials, temples, the architectural orders, houses, pavements, mosaics, water supply, measurements, and machines.

    15 in stock

    £23.70

  • Republic Volume II  Books 610

    Harvard University Press Republic Volume II Books 610

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe great Athenian philosopher Plato was born in 427 BC and lived to be eighty. Acknowledged masterpieces among his works are the Symposium, which explores love in its many aspects, from physical desire to pursuit of the beautiful and the good, and the Republic, which concerns righteousness and also treats education, gender, society, and slavery.

    15 in stock

    £23.70

  • The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors The

    Random House Publishing Group The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors The

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis“This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.” With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’ s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history. In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacr

    Out of stock

    £15.29

  • Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World

    Princeton University Press Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisSpans archaic Greece to the Late Roman Empire, and no more than two standard scales (1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000) are used to represent most regions. This title brings the ancient past back to life in an unforgettably vivid and inspiring way.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2000 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Multivolume Reference Work in the Humanities, Association of American Publishers "[The Barrington Atlas] is the best geography of the ancient world ever achieved... [I]t reveals the world inhabited or reached by the Greeks and Romans from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 640 in thrilling detail, and a color code lets us track changes through 16 centuries. The collective learning poured into this project is almost intimidating to contemplate, and the fact that it could be completed testifies to extraordinary planning, dedication and courage... [T]he cartography is luminous, the printing superb and the binding strong and supple... [T]his magnificent book is likely to become a powerful engine of learning and discovery for many years."--D.J.R. Bruckner, New York Times Book Review "I doubt that it will ever be superseded... [T]he clarity and sheer beauty of the maps in the Barrington Atlas, for which Princeton University Press and the printers in Palladio's Vicenza deserve the highest credit and praise, make the main volume a joy to handle. The fold-out of the entire ancient Mediterranean world, Map 1 'Mare Internum,' is to die for... [T]his remarkable atlas ... has made a major contribution to re-establishing cartography as one of the basic sub-disciplines within classical studies."--Paul Cartledge, Times Higher Education Supplement "This atlas is an indispensable tool for historians concerned with ancient times. But it is also a source of great pleasure for the amateur, the lover of literature."--Bernard Knox, Los Angeles Times Book Review "Beautifully produced with an exquisite combination of scholarly precision and the highest level of cartographic art, this atlas is one of the greatest achievements in 20th-century Greek and Roman scholarship--and it probably will never be superseded."--Publishers Weekly "[An] essential tool for anyone interested in classical antiquity... It provides, for the first time in recent history, a single bound volume that maps the entire classical world... Superbly edited."--Library Journal ("Best Reference Sources, 2000") "[A] wonderful guide to the wordless lessons of antiquity. Everyone who studies Greece and Rome owes [the makers of the Barrington Atlas] a personal debt."--Peter Stothard, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, naming the Barrington Atlas "My Book of the Decade" in the Globe and Mail (2009) "[A] remarkable achievement... This unique resource is the most comprehensive atlas published on ancient Greece and Rome."--Booklist "[A] vast achievement... Richard Talbert can be proud of his editorship: the collective effort, academic and technical, that has gone into the realisation of this gigantic project ... almost defies the imagination. It is even more impressive in that his teams had to work virtually from scratch. Their chief goal was to fill a notorious gap, and they have done so with exemplary skill."--Peter Green, London Review of Books "The Barrington Atlas is a major contribution to scholarship, extensive in scale, reliable and up to date, and so laid out as to be really helpful to the user."--Jasper Griffin, New York Review of Books "[N]o decent academic or public library should be without this marvelous work... [A] magnificent achievement."--Guy Halsall, New Scientist "[A] definitive work."--Peter Jones, BBC History "This atlas will be indispensable to scholars in classical studies. My only caution is that, at eight pounds, a sturdy coffee table is required for its use."--Judith A. Tyner, Geographical Review

    15 in stock

    £341.05

  • A History of Modern Lebanon

    Pluto Press A History of Modern Lebanon

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA stunning history of Lebanon over five centuriesTrade Review'Puts Lebanon's long war into a context that makes it comprehensible and, perhaps, inevitable. Everyone who is curious about that beautiful and tormented country should read his history, one of the best yet' -- Charles Glass, author of The Northern Front and The Tribes Triumphant'Skillfully weaving together social, political, cultural and economic history, this deeply informed and penetrating study provides a rich understanding of the vibrant, tragic, but ever hopeful Lebanese 'door to East and West'' -- Noam Chomsky'This is a unique work. Fawwaz Traboulsi provides a compelling account of Lebanon's emergence as a state, a critical appraisal of its autonomy, a pathbreaking analysis of its social origins in the intimate and ever changing relationship of caste and class' -- Irene Gendzier, Professor of History, Boston University'Traboulsi writes what has eluded us for a long time, a history of modern lebanon that includes the civil war and post civil war periods' -- Maya Mikdashi, JadaliyyaTable of ContentsIntroduction Acknowledgements Chronology Glossary Section One: Ottoman Lebanon 1. The Emirate of Mount Lebanon (1523--1842) 2. The Bloody Death of the Muqata`ji System (1842--1861) 3. Grandeur and Misery of the Mutasarrifiya (1861--1915) 4. Beirut, Capital of Trade and Culture (1820--1918) Section Two: State and Society 5. Dialectics of Attachment and Detachment (1915--1920) 6. From Mandate to Independence (1920--1943) 7. The Merchant Republic (1943--1952) 8. The Pro-Western Authoritarianism of Kamil Chamoun (1952--1958) 9. Shihabism and the Difficult Autonomy of the State (1958--1970) 10. The Pre-War Crises (1968--1975) Section Three: the Wars of Lebanon 11. Reform by Arms (1975--1976) 12. The Longest Coup d’Etat (1977--1982) 13. The War Order (1983--1990) 14. Ambiguities and Contradictions of the Taif Agreement Bibliography Notes Index

    15 in stock

    £26.99

  • The Eastern Front

    Penguin Books Ltd The Eastern Front

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis''The First World War from a refreshingly unfamiliar angle . . . masterly'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times ''Compelling . . . The Eastern Front is essential reading'' Margaret Macmillan, Financial TimesA masterwork . . . This is the history of the Eastern Front I've waited all my life to read' Simon Sebag MontefioreThe definitive history of the Eastern Front in the First World War, from the acclaimed military historian and author of Passchendaele and The Western Front***********In the second volume of his landmark First World War trilogy, Professor Nick Lloyd tells the story for the first time of what Winston Churchill once called the ''unknown war'': the vast conflict in Eastern Europe and the Balkans that brought about the collapse of three empires.Much has been written about the fighting in France and Belgium, yet the Eastern Front was no less bloody. Between 1914 and 1917, huge numbers of people - perhaps as many as 16 million soldiers and two million civilians - were killed, wounded or maimed in enormous battles that sometimes ranged across a front of 100 km in length. Through intimate eyewitness reports, diary entries and memoirs - many of which have never been translated into English before - Lloyd reconstructs the full story of a war that began in the Balkans as a local struggle between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, and which sucked in Russia, Germany and Italy, right through to the final collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918.The Eastern Front paints a vivid and authoritative picture of a conflict that shook the world, and that remains central to understanding the tragic, blood-soaked trajectory of the twentieth century, and the current war in Ukraine.

    4 in stock

    £11.69

  • Empireworld

    Penguin Books Ltd Empireworld

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERIn his ground-breaking new book, Sathnam Sanghera traces the legacies of British empire around the world. A wonderful book' Rory StewartNuanced and deeply researched' Financial TimesNot just a welcome corrective but a book for our times' Peter Frankopan_____________________________________________________The British empire was built on slavery, but it also pioneered abolition. It spread democracy, but it also seeded geopolitical instability. It devastated nature but it also gave birth to modern notions of environmentalism. In this urgent sequel to Empireland, award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera extends his examination of British imperial legacies beyond Britain to the wider world. Travelling across outposts of the former empire from Barbados and Mauritius to India and Nigeria and beyond, Sanghera puts to bed the conventional balance-sheet view of imperial history where the good is merely weighed up against the bad. In Empireworld, Sanghera instead seeks out nuance to reveal how contradictory forces of the British empire have shaped our world and what they mean for our place within it today. _____________________________________________________An absolute masterpiece' James O'BrienPuts Sanghera in the firmament of great imperial historians' Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, i Profoundly moving' Elizabeth Day

    15 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Hundred Years War Volume 1 Trial by Battle

    Faber & Faber The Hundred Years War Volume 1 Trial by Battle

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis'Compulsively readable' (History), this is the first volume in a series that details the long and violent endeavour of the English to dismember Europe's strongest state, a succession of wars that is one of the seminal chapters in European history. Beginning with the funeral of Charles IV of France in 1328, it follows the Hundred Years War up to the surrender of Calais in 1347. It traces the early humiliations and triumphs of Edward III: the campaigns of Sluys, Crecy and Calais, which first made his name as a war leader and the reputation of his subjects as the most brutally effective warriors of their time. Trial by Battle is an account of the events of a pivotal period in both French and British history, from Wolfson History Prize-winning author and historian Jonathan Sumption. 'A new and immensely impressive history of the war.' Daily Telegraph

    Out of stock

    £20.90

  • The Archaeology of Disease

    The History Press Ltd The Archaeology of Disease

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries that humans suffered from in antiquity. In order to give a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma the authors present the results of the latest scientific research and incorporate information gathered from documents, from other areas of archaeology and from art and ethnography. This comprehensive approach to the subject throws fresh light on the health of our ancestors and on the conditions in which they lived, and it gives us an intriguing insight into the ways in which they coped with the pain and discomfort of their existence.

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Penguin History of Modern Vietnam

    Penguin Books Ltd The Penguin History of Modern Vietnam

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION''S JOHN K. FAIRBANK PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE CUNDHILL HISTORY PRIZE 2017''This is the finest single-volume history of Vietnam in English. It challenges myths, and raises questions about the socialist republic''s political future'' Guardian''Powerful and compelling. Vietnam will be of growing importance in the twenty-first-century world, particularly as China and the US rethink their roles in Asia. Christopher Goscha''s book is a brilliant account of that country''s history.'' - Rana Mitter''A vigorous, eye-opening account of a country of great importance to the world, past and future'' - Kirkus ReviewsOver the centuries the Vietnamese have beenboth colonizers themselves and the victims of colonization by others. Their country expanded, shrunk, split and sometimes disappeared, often under circumstances far beyond their control. Despite these often overwhelming pressures,Trade ReviewChallenges myths, and raises questions about the socialist republic's political future... groundbreaking... Goscha manages the (not easy) task of showing Vietnam's complexity without losing the reader with too much detail... quite simply the finest, most readable single-volume history of Vietnam in English' -- Joshua Kurlantzick * Guardian *A vigorous, eye-opening account of a country of great importance to the world, past and future. * Kirkus Reviews *For those who have wanted a distinct and comprehensive overview of Vietnam's history, this is it. Christopher Goscha has an eye for how history connects through generations and how a country can rise from disasters in a new form, without losing sight of its past -- Odd Arne Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750A splendid achievement. Christopher Goscha is one of our leading historians of modern Vietnam, and he shows it in this nuanced, fair-minded, deeply humane book. Destined to be a standard work on the subject -- Fredrik Logevall, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s VietnamPowerful and compelling. Vietnam will be of growing importance in the twenty-first-century world, particularly as China and the US rethink their roles in Asia. Christopher Goscha's book is a brilliant account of that country's history. Paying careful attention to Vietnamese voices as well as those of colonizers, he constructs a narrative that sets Vietnam in context, and makes it for western readers so much more than a half-remembered event in the Cold War -- Rana MitterA perceptive and much needed contribution to our understanding of Vietnam. Christopher Goscha's prodigious research is equaled only by his intimate understanding of Vietnamese culture, people, and history -- Larry Berman, author of Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent

    4 in stock

    £17.09

  • Stalin Vol. I

    Penguin Books Ltd Stalin Vol. I

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn January 1928 Stalin, the ruler of the largest country in the world, boarded a train bound for Siberia where he would embark upon the greatest gamble of his political life. He was about to begin uprooting and collectivization of agriculture and industry across the entire Soviet Union. Millions would die, and many more would suffer. Where did such great, monstrous power come from? The first of three volumes, the product of a decade of intrepid research, this landmark book offers the most convincing explanation yet of Stalin''s power.Trade ReviewIn its size, sweep, sensitivity, and surprises, Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is a monumental achievement: the early life of a man we thought we knew, set against the world - no less - that he inhabited. It's biography on an epic scale. Only Tolstoy might have matched it -- John Lewis Gaddis (author of THE COLD WAR)Stalin has had more than his fair share of biographies. But Stephen Kotkin's wonderfully broad-gauged work surpasses them all in both breadth and depth, showing brilliantly how the man, the time, the place, its history, and especially Russian/Soviet political culture, combined to produce one of history's greatest evil geniuses -- William Taubman (author of KHRUSHCHEV: THE MAN AND HIS ERA)Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is ambitious in conception and masterly in execution ... combines biography with historical analysis in a way that brings out clearly Stalin's great political talents as well as the ruthlessness with which he applied them and the impact his policies had on Russia and the world. This is a magisterial work on the grandest scale -- David Holloway (author of STALIN AND THE BOMB)Stephen Kotkin's biography of Stalin, of which this but the first of three volumes, is a most impressive achievement. Based on both archival and printed sources, it treats in meticulous detail the early years of a tyrant who was destined to become one of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century -- Richard Pipes (author of RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIK REGIME)

    3 in stock

    £17.09

  • Landscape and Memory

    HarperCollins Publishers Landscape and Memory

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe forest primeval, the river of life, the sacred mount read Landscape and Memory' to have these explainedLandscape and Memory' is a history book unlike any other. In a series of journeys through space and time, it examines our relationship with the landscape around us rivers, mountains, forests the impact each of them has had on our culture and imaginations, and the way in which we, in turn, have shaped them to answer our needs.This is not a conventional history book, but a book that builds up its argument by a series of poetic stories and impressions which cumulatively have the effect of a great novel. The forest primeval, the river of life, the sacred mount at the end of this wonderful book we understand where these ideas have come from, why they are so compelling and how they still lie all around us.Trade Review‘One of the most intelligent, original, stimulating, self-indulgent, perverse and irresistibly enjoyable books I have ever read.’ Philip Ziegler ‘This is a tour de force of vivid historical writing…It is astonishingly learned, and yet offered with verve, humour and an unflagging sense of delight.’ Michael Ignatieff, IOS ‘Simon Schama is a giant, a great thinking machine and a golden lyricist as well. He takes us beyond geololgy and vegetation into myth and memory, to unravel the ancient connections which bring mountain, forest and river into our soul.’ Brian Masters, MoS ‘Schama long ago established himself as one of the most learned, original and provocative historians in the English speaking world…Unclassifiable, inimitable, fascinating, “Landscape and Memory” will inform and haunt, chasten and enrage. It is that rarest of commodities in our cultural marketplace – a work of genuine originality.’ Anthony Grafton, New Republic

    1 in stock

    £29.75

  • A Genocide Foretold

    Seven Stories Press UK A Genocide Foretold

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £13.49

  • Archaeology

    Oxford University Press Archaeology

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThis entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology - a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past.In this new edition, Paul Bahn brings the text up to date, including information about new discoveries and interpretations in the field, and highlighting the impact of developments such as the potential use of DNA and stable isotopes in teeth, as well the effect technology and science are having on archaeological exploration. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Very lively indeed and remarkably perceptive - a quite brilliant and level-headed look at the curious world of archaeology. * Barry Cunliffe, University of Oxford *It is often said that well-written books are rare in archaeology, but this is a model of good writing for a general audience. [The] chapters rattle along, packed with information by never getting bogged down in too much details. The book is full of jokes, but its serious message-that archaeology can be a rich and fascinating subject-it gets across with more panache than any other book I know. * Simon Denison, editor of British Archaeology *Table of ContentsFURTHER READING; INDEX

    Out of stock

    £9.49

  • One State Two States

    Yale University Press One State Two States

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA renowned historian eludes the pitfalls of partisanship and tackles one of the world’s most perplexing and divisive issuesTrade Review"Gloomy, concise, and spot-on."—Commentary“I urge you, in the strongest terms, to read One State, Two States. . . I very much hope that it will ignite a freer, more honest, radically different conversation on the left, one informed by historical knowledge and current realities rather than the fantasies—alternately sentimental, infantile and grandiose—for which such a high price has been paid by all sides.”—Susie Linfield, TruthDig.com“Morris is one of the most authoritative historians of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In his new book, he presents and up-to-date interpretation and suggestions for its solution.”—Walter Laqueur“What is so striking about Morris’s work as a historian is that it does not flatter anyone’s prejudices, least of all his own.”—David Remnick, New Yorker"Gloomy, concise, and spot-on."—Commentary * Commentary *“I urge you, in the strongest terms, to read One State, Two States. . . I very much hope that it will ignite a freer, more honest, radically different conversation on the left, one informed by historical knowledge and current realities rather than the fantasies—alternately sentimental, infantile and grandiose—for which such a high price has been paid by all sides.”—Susie Linfield, TruthDig.com -- Susie Linfield * TruthDig.com *“Morris details the various proposals for a ‘one-state’ or ‘two-state’ solution to the conflict that should have followed the UN General Assembly division of the territory and termination of the [British Mandate]. In a final chapter, he considers correctly that neither solution is practical or realistic. The best option, he feels, would be a West Bank-Gaza-Jordan confederation with Israel. . . . Recommended.”—W. Spencer, Choice -- W. Spencer * Choice *“Morris is one of the most authoritative historians of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In his new book, he presents and up-to-date interpretation and suggestions for its solution.”—Walter Laqueur -- Walter Laqueur“What is so striking about Morris’s work as a historian is that it does not flatter anyone’s prejudices, least of all his own.”—David Remnick, New Yorker -- David Remnick * New Yorker *"A rich and persuasive account of just how deep-seated and historically rooted the antagonism is between Israelis and Palestinians."--Ira Smolensky, Magill's Literary Annual 2010 -- Ira Smolensky * Magill's Literary Annual 2010 *

    1 in stock

    £16.99

  • The Last Embassy

    Princeton University Press The Last Embassy

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    4 in stock

    £18.00

  • World Civilizations

    Cengage Learning, Inc World Civilizations

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTable of ContentsUnit I: FROM HUMAN ORIGINS TO AGRARIAN COMMUNITIES, c. 100,000�����500 B.C.E. 1. The Earliest Human Societies. 2. Mesopotamia. 3. Early Africa and Egypt. 4. Central Asia and India's Beginnings. 5. Ancient China to 221 B.C.E. 6. Settlement of the Americas and the Pacific Island. Worldview I: From Human Origins to Agrarian Communities, 100,000���500 B.C.E. Unit II: CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD, 500 B.C.E.���800 C.E. 7. New Civilizations and Empires in Western and Central Asia. 8. The Greek Adventure. 9. Greek Humanism, 800���100 B.C.E. 10. Rome: From City-State to Empire. 11. The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity in the West, 31 B.C.E.���800 C.E. 12. Iran, India, and Global" Trade. 13. Imperial China in Its Golden Age. Worldview II: Classical Civilizations of the World, 500 B.C.E.���800 C.E. Unit III: THE POST-CLASSICAL ERA, c. 650���1500 C.E. 14. The Americas to the Fifteenth Century. 15. Islam. 16. Mature Islamic Civilization and the First Global Civilization. 17. Africa from Axum to 1400. 18. The Mongols Unify Eurasia. 19. Japan and Southeast Asia. 20. The European Middle Ages, c. 800���1500. 21. The Late European Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Worldview III: The Post-Classical Era, 800���1400 C.E. Unit IV: EXPANDING WEBS OF INTERACTION, c. 1400���1800. 22. A Larger World Opens. 23. Religious Division and Political Consolidation in Europe. 24. The Gunpowder Empires of Western and Southern Asia. 25. Africa in the Era of Expansion. 26. China from the Ming Through the Early Qing Dynasty. 27. Japan and Southeast Asia in the Era of European Expansion. 28. From Conquest to Colonies in Hispanic America. Worldview IV: Expanding Webs of Interaction, 1400���1700 C.E. Unit V: REVOLUTIONS, IDEOLOGY, THE NEW IMPERIALISM, AND THE AGE OF EMPIRE, 1700���1920. 29. The Scientific Revolution and Its Enlightened Aftermath. 30. Liberalism and the Challenge to Absolute Monarchy. 31. The Early Industrial Revolution. 32. Europe: New Ideas and New Nations. 33. Advanced Industrial Society. 34. The Islamic World, 1600���1917. 35. India and Southeast Asia Under Colonial Rule. 36. European Imperialism and Africa During the Age of Industry. 37. China in the Age of Imperialism. 38. Latin America from Independence to Dependent States. 39. Modern Science and Its Implications. Worldview V: Revolutions and the Age of Empire, 1600���1914. Unit VI: TOWARD A GLOBALIZED WORLD, 1916���Present. 40. World War I and Its Disputed Settlement. 41. A Fragile Balance: Europe in the Twenties. 42. The Soviet Experiment to World War II. 43. Totalitarianism Refined: The Nazi State. 44. East Asia in a Century of Change. 45. World War II. 46. The Cold World War. 47. Decolonization of the Non-Western World. 48. The New Asia. 49. Africa's Decolonization and Independence. 50. Latin America in the Twentieth Century. 51. The Reemergence of the Muslim World. 52. Collapse and Reemergence in Communist Europe. 53. A New Millennium. Glossary. Index."

    1 in stock

    £59.84

  • Sovereignty and Struggle Africa And Africans In The Era Of The Cold War 19451994 African World Histories

    Oxford University Press Sovereignty and Struggle Africa And Africans In The Era Of The Cold War 19451994 African World Histories

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisSovereignty and Struggle: Africa and Africans in the Era of the Cold War, 1945-1994 provides students with a deeper insight into African history during the period of decolonization and the Cold War.Trade ReviewThis is a fantastic little book. It is smart, engaging, and thought-provoking in its coverage of sovereignty * and its many possibilities and variationsin Cold War era Africa. I particularly appreciate its efforts to move beyond well-trodden discussions of political and economic developments and to look at the various ways in which sovereignty was marketed, performed, defined, and embraced in 'unofficial' realms like the stage, newspapers, and airplanes. It is very well-conceived and carried out.Nate Plageman, Wake Forest University *The focus on decolonization, the debt crisis, and new cultural expressions and music will help students to appreciate the complex nature of Africa's relation with the external world. Reynolds is able to maintain a strong balance between the impact of the Cold War on Africa and how Africans responded. * Saheed Aderinto, Western Carolina University *Jonathan Reynolds has created another fine work relating to Africa and its peoples. He does an outstanding job exploring the relationship between Africa and the Cold War, and brings Pan-Africanism, women, and music effectively into the conversation. * Kenneth Wilburn, East Carolina University *Table of ContentsMaps and Figures ; Acknowledgments ; About the Author ; Series Introduction ; Introduction ; Chapter 1. A World Set Free? African Decolonization In The Era of Liberation ; Chapter 2. Development and Debt ; Chapter 3. A Tropical Cold War ; Chapter 4. Cultural Epicureanism: Music, Morality, and the African Nation ; Chapter 5. The Decolonization of Distance: Ghana Enters the Jet Age ; Index

    15 in stock

    £23.99

  • Sources of Japanese Tradition Abridged  1600 to

    Columbia University Press Sources of Japanese Tradition Abridged 1600 to

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA collection of English-language readings on Japan. Containing materials on history, society, politics, education, philosophy, and religion, this book features an introduction to Japanese civilization. It covers the Tokugawa period to 1868 and addresses the spread of neo-Confucianism and Buddhism and the initial encounters of Japan and the West.Table of ContentsPreface Explanatory Note Chronology Contributors Part V. Japan, Asia, and the West 35. The Meiji Restoration, by Fred G. Notehelfer 36. Civilization and Enlightenment, by Albert Craig 37. Popular Rights and Constitutionalism, by James Huffman 38. Education in Meiji Japan, by Richard Rubinger 39. Nationalism and Pan-Asianism 40. The High Tide of Prewar Liberalism, by Arthur E. Tiedemann 41. Socialism and the Left, by Andrew Barshay 42. The Rise of Revolutionary Nationalism, by Marius Jansen 43. Empire and War, by Peter Duus Part VI. Postwar Japan 44. The Occupation Years, 1945-1952, by Marlene Mayo 45. Democracy and High Growth, by Andrew Gordon Part VII. Aspects of the Modern Experience 46. The New Religions, by Helen Hardacre 47. Japan and the World in Cultural Debate 49. Thinking with the Past: History Writing in Modern Japan, by Carol Gluck Bibliography Index

    3 in stock

    £32.30

  • Landmarks

    Penguin Books Ltd Landmarks

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZEFrom the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS''Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly'' Independent Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature, and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to describe land, nature and weather.Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms, and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it.''Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving. A bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place'' Financial Times''A book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over'' GuardianTrade ReviewPublisher's description. The number one bestselling book from the author of The Old Ways. This is a celebration of the unique relationship between language and place; a field guide to nature writers from Roger Deakin to Nan Shepherd; and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable, poetic, funny, peculiar and endangered words to describe the natural world. * Penguin *Thoughtful and lyrical writing . . . It's gorgeous -- Katy Guest * Independent on Sunday *Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving . . . Landmarks is both a bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place * Financial Times *His writing has a confidence and enjoyment, a passionate purpose . . . he celebrates our vast, but evaporating, vocabulary for the landscape * Daily Telegraph *A story like this is salutary...Landmarks is a book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over. * Guardian *The writing is full of clarity and internal reflections and the chapters ripple over into each other like a linked chain of mountain pools.... What is remarkable about these words is how precise they are, and how deeply local. They feel as if they somehow grew out of the land itself. A delight. * Sunday Times Magazine *The mood is one of celebration... [Landmarks is] the product of an active academic intelligence and emotional generosity, irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly * Independent *

    15 in stock

    £11.69

  • Guns Germs and Steel The Fates of Human Societies

    WW Norton & Co Guns Germs and Steel The Fates of Human Societies

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize • New York Times Bestseller • Over Two Million Copies Sold “One of the most significant projects embarked upon by any intellectual of our generation” (Gregg Easterbrook, New York Times), Guns, Germs, and Steel presents a groundbreaking, unified narrative of human history.Trade Review"Artful, informative, and delightful.... There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done." -- William H. McNeil - New York Review of Books"An ambitious, highly important book." -- James Shreeve - New York Times Book Review"A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." -- Colin Renfrew - Nature"The scope and the explanatory power of this book are astounding." -- The New Yorker"No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel. In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition." -- Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University"Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so. . . . Now [Guns, Germs, and Steel] must be added to their select number. . . . Diamond meshes technological mastery with historical sweep, anecdotal delight with broad conceptual vision, and command of sources with creative leaps. No finer work of its kind has been published this year, or for many past." -- Martin Sieff - Washington Times"[Diamond] is broadly erudite, writes in a style that pleasantly expresses scientific concepts in vernacular American English, and deals almost exclusively in questions that should interest everyone concerned about how humanity has developed. . . . [He] has done us all a great favor by supplying a rock-solid alternative to the racist answer. . . . A wonderfully interesting book." -- Alfred W. Crosby - Los Angeles Times"An epochal work. Diamond has written a summary of human history that can be accounted, for the time being, as Darwinian in its authority." -- Thomas M. Disch - The New Leader

    7 in stock

    £12.55

  • Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

    Dover Publications Inc. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThis autobiographical account by a former slave is one of the few extant narratives written by a woman. Written and published in 1861, it delivers a powerful portrayal of the brutality of slave life. Jacobs speaks frankly of her master''s abuse and her eventual escape, in a tale of dauntless spirit and faith.

    Out of stock

    £6.28

  • Reinventing Knowledge

    W. W. Norton & Company Reinventing Knowledge

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis“It has the power to wrench familiar aspects of history into new and surprising shapes.”—Laura Miller, SalonTrade Review"An impressively cohesive story that is full of delightful characters and fascinating details." -- Austin Chronicle"An inspiring read." -- New Scientist"A sprightly, stimulating and surprising study." -- The Scotsman"A magnificent overview of the history of knowledge production in the West." -- Times Higher Education

    2 in stock

    £18.90

  • Ataturk

    John Murray Press Ataturk

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis biography of Atatürk aims to strip away the myth to show the complexities of the man beneath. Born plain Mustafa in Ottoman Salonica in 1881, he trained as an army officer but was virtually unknown until 1919, when he took the lead in thwarting the victorious Allies'' plan to partition the Turkish core of the Ottoman Empire. He divided the Allies, defeated the last Sultan and secured the territory of the Turkish national state, becoming the first president of the new republic in 1923. He imposed coherence, order and mordernity and in the process, created his own legend and his own cult.Trade ReviewSurely definitive ... I enjoyed every page and recommend this book highly * Simon Sebag Montifiore, Mail on Sunday *A fluent, thorough and enjoyable biography, which for comprehensiveness, balance and deftness of touch outclasses all the alternatives for the English reader * Mark Mazower, New Statesman *The best concise account I have ever seen of the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The narrative is gripping. It does not merely present all the facts of Ataturk's career but paints a credible picture of the whole man * Geoffrey Lewis *The profundity of Mango's analysis and his empathy with the years of national regeneration lift Ataturk to a higher level of biography than any previous account * Alan Palmer, Literary Review *Takes its place at the top * Norman Stone, Sunday Times *

    5 in stock

    £13.49

  • Chinas Cosmopolitan Empire

    Harvard University Press Chinas Cosmopolitan Empire

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Tang dynasty is often called China’s “golden age.” Mark Lewis captures a dynamic era in which the empire reached its greatest geographical extent under Chinese rule, painting and ceramic arts flourished, women played a major role both as rulers and in the economy, and China produced its finest lyric poets in Wang Wei, Li Bo, and Du Fu.Trade ReviewThis is an impressive survey history of the Tang dynasty, concise and accessible. China's Cosmopolitan Empire is written so succinctly and clearly that it provides, to my knowledge, the best summary of the Tang period yet available in English. It will make an excellent source for the general student of Chinese or East Asian history. -- David L. McMullen, University of Cambridge[A] readable introduction to the Tang Dynasty. -- J. K. Skaff * Choice *This series on China, brilliantly overseen by Timothy Brook, is a credit to Harvard University Press. Above all, it encourages us to think of China in different ways. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Literary Review *In China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty, Mark Edward Lewis has done a superb job of synthesizing the scholarship on the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and rendering it into a readable account. Professor Lewis's general narrative of Tang history, chapters two and three of the book, is the best overview of Tang history in any language, and would be a good starting point for anyone interested in the dynasty...There is a large corpus of scholarship in English on Tang dynasty history and culture. China's Cosmopolitan Empire is an admirable addition to that corpus. It will undoubtedly become the standard survey in English for the foreseeable future. -- Peter Lorge * Journal of Military History *With clarity and rich details, sustained by quotes, anecdotes, poems, and visual images, Lewis brings to life the vitality of a transforming China in geography, politics, urban life, rural society, the outer world, kinship, religion, and writing, all in comparison with previous times...Lewis's nuanced details of a changing Tang are direct challenges to the dated but still influential views of China as an unchanging Sinocentric empire, uninterested in commerce and foreign contact. -- Yihong Pan * China Review International *Lewis' book will be of great interest and utility to general readers as well as students who are looking for a lucid overview of Tang history and culture. -- Michael R. Drompp * Journal of Asian History *Mark Edward Lewis has produced an impressive volume on the history of the Tang dynasty...Its greatest contribution is its integration of the latest secondary scholarship into interesting arguments about the evolution of Chinese society between the seventh and tenth centuries...This book remains an excellent place to see the latest insights into Tang history. It is a thought-provoking effort to synthesize that work and reflect on the significance of the Tang for China's history. If it inspires the next generation of students to pursue Tang history seriously, Lewis will have made a real contribution to Tang studies. -- Anthony DeBlasi * Journal of Asian Studies *Table of Contents* Introduction * The Geography of Empire * From Foundation to Rebellion * Warlords and Monopolists * Urban Life * Rural Society * The Outer World * Kinship * Religion * Writing * Conclusion * Dates and Dynasties * Pronunciation Guide * Notes * Bibliography * Acknowledgments * Index

    15 in stock

    £19.76

  • Gertrude Stein

    Faber & Faber Gertrude Stein

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £17.00

  • Churchill Hitler and The Unnecessary War

    Random House Publishing Group Churchill Hitler and The Unnecessary War

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWere World Wars I and II inevitable? Were they necessary wars? Or were they products of calamitous failures of judgment? In this monumental and provocative history, Patrick Buchanan makes the case that, if not for the blunders of British statesmen– Winston Churchill first among them–the horrors of two world wars and the Holocaust might have been avoided and the British Empire might never have collapsed into ruins. Half a century of murderous oppression of scores of millions under the iron boot of Communist tyranny might never have happened, and Europe’s central role in world affairs might have been sustained for many generations. Among the British and Churchillian errors were: • The secret decision of a tiny cabal in the inner Cabinet in 1906 to take Britain straight to war against Germany, should she invade France • The vengeful Treaty of Versailles that mutilated Germany, leaving her bitter, betrayed, and receptive

    Out of stock

    £14.39

  • Cambridge University Press The Ruins of Rome

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    4 in stock

    £30.00

  • Portraiture

    Oxford University Press Portraiture

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThis fascinating new book explores the world of portraiture from a number of vantage points, and asks key questions about its nature. How has portraiture changed over the centuries? How have portraits represented their subjects, and how have they been interpreted? Issues of identity, modernity, and gender are considered within a cultural and historical context.Shearer West uncovers much intriguing detail about a genre that has often been seen as purely representational, featuring examples from African tribes to Renaissance princes, and from ''stars'' such as David and Victoria Beckham to ordinary people. In the process, she shows us how to communicate with the past in an exciting new way.Trade Reviewa fascinating book...gorgeous examples * Independent *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. What is a Portrait? ; 2. Functions of Portraiture ; 3. Power and Status ; 4. Group Portraiture ; 5. The Stages of Life ; 6. Gender and Portraiture ; 7. Self-Portraiture ; 8. Portraiture and Modernism ; 9. Identities ; Notes ; Annotated Bibliography ; Index ; Museums and Websites

    Out of stock

    £19.97

  • The History Book

    Dorling Kindersley Ltd The History Book

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisCharts world history from the dawn of civilisation to the modern culture we live in today. From the origins of homo-sapiens to the release of Nelson Mandela, from the French Revolution to the Space Race, this book presents an exploration of the human timeline up to and including modern Islam, the world wide web, and the global financial crisis.

    15 in stock

    £16.99

  • The Travels

    Penguin Books Ltd The Travels

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisA sparkling new translation of the most famous travel book ever writtenMarco Poloâ??s voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China. Afterward, he served Kublai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions in the Far East. His subsequent account of his travels offers a fascinating glimpse of what he encountered abroad: unfamiliar religions; new customs and societies; the spices and silks of the East; the precious gems, exotic vegetation, and wild beasts of faraway lands. Evoking a remote and long-vanished world with color and immediacy, Marco Poloâ??s book revolutionized Western ideas about the then-unknown East and remains one of the greatest travel accounts of all time. Nigel Cliffâ??s new translation, based on the original medieval sources, is a fresh, authoritative rendering, with a lively introduction and notes.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin CTrade ReviewThe translation is excellent. The English is clear and modern, but preserves the flavour of the original ... It will doubtless become a standard work and will deservedly take its place as one of the best English translations of Marco Polo's account of his travels -- Stephen G. Haw

    10 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Cartoon History of the Modern World Part 2

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Cartoon History of the Modern World Part 2

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIlluminating with the Enlightenment, this title presents the French Revolution, followed by Napoleon's conquests. It covers things from the Opium Wars to the post-Napoleonic world, industrialisation and the working class, World Wars I and II, the Cold War era, religious fundamentalism, and the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.Trade Review"Full of facts and wisdom, horror and humor...Gonick's one-two punch of pictures and words isn't just a gimmick; it makes it much easier to remember the facts of history. If we really wanted kids (or adults!) to learn history, we'd throw away our textbooks, and teach Gonick." -- Bryan Caplan, The Library of Economics and Liberty EconLog "With limber pen and nimble mind, Larry Gonick completes a cartoon journey that started at the dawn of time. Brisk, informative, and hilarious, The Cartoon History Of The Modern World fills us in on exactly how we got so screwed up on a global scale." -- K. Thor Jensen, author of Red Eye, Black Eye "Like any good historian, Larry Gonick seasons his facts with a good dose of perspective, and like any good cartoonist, he mixes his drama with a good dose of humor." -- Jeffrey Brown, author of Clumsy and Funny Misshapen Body "Gonick makes history fun for comic book nerds and comics readable for history nerds. If you've ever looked around this modern world and wondered how we got into this mess, it's time to curl up with his latest book. You won't even realize you're learning-histo-tainment at its best." -- Alex Robinson, Eisner Award winner and author of Box Office Poison "Lively cartooning and pretension-puncturing wit." -- Booklist "The final installment of Gonick's deeply funny and impeccably researched series has finally arrived... Brilliantly funny, the series finds the inherent humor in history..." -- Publishers Weekly "Funny, informative, and comprehensive, Gonick's history concludes with this second volume. His unique wit, sense of irony, and passion for humanity's complex story of triumphs, compromises, and disasters are as evident here as they are in his previous books... An insightful review of history." -- School Library Journal

    Out of stock

    £15.99

  • Histories

    Harvard University Press Histories

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTacitus (ca. AD 55–120) is an essential historian of the early Roman empire. Agricola narrates its subject's career in Britain. Germania is a description of German tribes as known to the Romans. Dialogus concerns the decline of oratory and education.

    1 in stock

    £23.70

  • Beware of Small States

    Faber & Faber Beware of Small States

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Beware of Small States'' wrote Mikhail Bukanin in 1870. He could have meant Lebanon: a sectarian state no bigger than Wales that has become battleground for one of the defining conflicts of twentieth-century history. Throughout its short existence, it has been attacked, invaded, occupied or interfered with to serve the political interests of foreign powers, resulting a series of devastating wars and crises. To understand Lebanon''s history is to understand the history of the entire region - and, with the rise of Hizbullah, it has come to assume a disproportionate, dangerous power of its own. Iran and Israel now face each other in the hills of south Lebanon.David Hirst, author of The Gun and the Olive Branch, is a hugely respected commentator on the Arab-Israeli crisis. In a masterly narrative, he gives a much-needed, comprehensive history of the country and its conflicts, culminating with the recent war in Gaza and its fallout in Lebanon. Powerful and often moving,

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy

    Harvard University Press The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAs the rest of the world worries about what a future might look like under Chinese supremacy, Luttwak worries about China’s own future prospects. Applying the logic of strategy for which he is well known, he argues that the world’s second largest economy may be headed for a fall unless China’s leaders check their military ambitions.Trade ReviewNational security strategist Edward Luttwak's provocative and insightful analysis of the 'logic of strategy' provides a well-documented, contrarian assessment of whether China's 'rise' will be peaceful or polarizing. He stresses the paradox that China's economic strength and territorial aggrandizement are inciting opposition by a growing coalition of states determined to weaken Beijing's power and influence. Luttwak asserts that only by maintaining Deng Xiaoping's policy of 'low posture' development, and downplaying military modernization, can China avoid international 'geo-economic resistance' and attain the domestic growth and global stature it seeks. -- Richard H. Solomon, former President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Senior Fellow at the RAND CorporationLuttwak presents a rich, persuasive, and lucid analysis of the strategic implications of China's rise and of the anxieties it generates. China's foreign policy and military investments are raising concerns that require the sort of well-informed, precise argumentation that Luttwak delivers. Based on a long-term view of China's strategic inclinations and extensive research on current developments, this book offers medium-term predictions of the likely outcomes that the 'logic of strategy' may dictate, and thus explains with great clarity the issues at stake. Luttwak's work is a must-read for laymen and specialists alike, and an essential contribution to the political debate. -- Nicola Di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study, PrincetonWith muscular behavior and rhetoric on the uptick and China pouring money into its military, political strategists have begun to consider Chinese military dominance of the Pacific and a concurrent American decline as foregone conclusions. So it is refreshing to see Edward Luttwak take a different tack in The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy and argue that Chinese military dominance in the Pacific is 'the least likely of outcomes.' China can't simultaneously enjoy a burgeoning economy and a rapidly growing military, he contends, because countries will band together to protect themselves, using military coalitions and trade protectionism to counter China's rise. -- Mary Kissel * Wall Street Journal *Most commentators on China focus on its seemingly inexorable rise and the threat that this poses to other world powers. In this well-argued book, Luttwak takes a different view. He questions whether China's rising power is sustainable. China's continued and rapid growth in economic capacity and military strength and regional and global influence cannot persist, he argues, because of the mounting opposition it is evoking. -- Frank Dillon * Irish Times *Luttwak detects a fundamental conflict between China's search for continuing economic growth, which the Communist Party has made its prime claim to rule, and its quest for military expansion combined with increased foreign policy assertiveness...Luttwak's book, which includes a refreshing put-down of the supposed superiority of traditional Chinese statecraft so admired by Henry Kissinger among others, is timely, coming as it does amid the current maritime confrontations in East Asia. -- Jonathan Fenby * Times Higher Education *The Rise of China vs. The Logic of Strategy is a sober book. Staying with the evidence, it avoids flights of fancy but grips readers' attention all the way through. Here, finally, is an expert on China who knows what he's talking about. -- Caleb Nelson * World *Luttwak's contribution to the China debate is to be welcomed. We need informed outsiders to weigh in with their views, and he has spent years visiting the country and talking to the Chinese, including the People's Liberation Army. Written with his customary panache, his vigorous and highly readable contribution will challenge congealed thinking. -- George Walden * Bloomberg.com *Over the past few decades, Edward Luttwak has gained a reputation as the bad boy of strategic theory and historical scholarship. This time, he has outdone himself. He has debunked Sun Tsu, the Clausewitz of the East and much beloved by teachers of military theory for decades...In The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy, Luttwak goes beyond an attack on Sun Tsu. He argues that the dominant strategic and cultural arrogance of the Han people--the largest ethnic group in China--could undermine efforts to lift the Middle Kingdom to the ranks of true superpower status. Luttwak further argues that this assumption of cultural and intellectual superiority is driving China's neighbors into a camp of strategic containment similar to what Germany created for itself in the years leading up to World War I...It will be interesting to see whether the book is read with interest or banned once it is translated and made available on the Chinese mainland. It is a cautionary tale that deserves Chinese attention. -- Gary Anderson * Washington Times *[Luttwak's] thesis is sensible and not to be discounted lightly. * The Economist blog *Edward Luttwak's book on the limitations of China's ascent to power blends careful observation of recent events with an understanding of its past...The explanatory innovation that lifts Luttwak's book above the ruck of recent books on China's rise is his use of geo-economics--an expression he coined in 1980--to explain global resistance to Beijing's march. He argues that countries across the world, without explicit coordination, will resist China's export-oriented strategy to generate wealth and military power. This "invisible hand" explanation is in refreshing contrast to the usual containment and other political explanations about what may happen in East China in the coming years. -- Siddharth Singh * Mint *Entertaining and provocative...A bold book that flatly predicts that China won't successfully rise as a superpower, indeed that it cannot in its current incarnation...If accurate, Luttwak's theory means Americans don't have to worry too much. China will essentially self-destruct, at least diplomatically. And the list of problems facing China make it seem that this could well be happening right now. -- Ian Johnson * New York Review of Books *[A] though-provoking book. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Prospect *

    15 in stock

    £20.66

  • The Gentrification of the Mind

    University of California Press The Gentrification of the Mind

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisRecalls how much of the rebellious queer culture, cheap rents, and a vibrant downtown arts movement vanished almost overnight to be replaced by gay conservative spokespeople and mainstream consumerism.Trade Review"This bracing, powerful, and well-reasoned work reaffirms the author's stature as a distinctive American woman of letters... Highly recommended." -- Richard Drezen Library Journal "The book that's inspired me more than any other this year is Sarah Schulman's Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination, a razor-sharp memoir of New York in the heyday of the AIDS crisis." -- Jason King Slate "Teeming with ideas, necessary commentary, refreshing connections and examination of the status quo." Lambda Literary "A brilliant critique of contemporary culture... This is the most important book of the year." -- Jeff Miller Cult MTL "Schulman's personal recollections... are sharp and vivid." Gay & Lesbian Review/Worldwide "This is a very good, very sad book about the aftershock of the AIDS crisis in New York. Schulman is a truly gifted thinker." -- Alex Frank Fader Magazine "The author, a true woman of letters, makes a persuasive case." -- Roberto Friedman Bay Area Reporter "This is why the book is so successful and demands our attention: through a focus on the pulse of the queer community (of the 80s), it touches upon the individual condition (of today)." -- Marcie Bianco Velvetpark "A polemic, a passionate, provocative ... account of disappearance, forgetfulness and untimely death." -- Olivia Laing New Statesman "No book has rocked my world in recent times more than Sarah Schulman's 'The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination' ... [it ranks] among the best alternative histories published in the last 50 years." -- Don Shewey Culturevulture.net "A galvanizing account of the transformation, both external and mental, in New York City life." -- Emily Douglas Los Angeles Review Of Books "The essence of what Schulman calls gentrification is to pretend that privilege and difference do not exist and that any attempt to remember that they do is mere 'political correctness' rather than facing up to the reality to who does what to whom. To forget these things, is to deceive ourselves-and Schulman's harsh, bitter prose is a useful way of waking ourselves up." -- Roz Kaveney Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "It's a beautifully written screed (not a bad word in my books)... Schulman shines when she taps her deep knowledge of the AIDS movement... She can be brilliant." -- Susan G. Cole NowTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Making Record from Memory Part I. Understanding the Past 1. The Dynamics of Death and Replacement 2. The Gentrification of AIDS 3. Realizing That They're Gone Part II. The Consequences Of Loss 4. The Gentrification of Creation 5. The Gentrification of Gay Politics 6. The Gentrification of Our Literature Conclusion: Degentrification--The Pleasure of Being Uncomfortable

    1 in stock

    £17.09

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