History Books

Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of the Week and Top 10 Bestseller A Times bestseller A Waterstones Paperback of the Year 2024 A Spectator Book of the Year

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Book Synopsis''The most comprehensive history in any language of the disastrous epoch of the Third Reich'' Ian Kershaw, author of Hitler''The most gripping account I''ve read of German life before and during the rise of the Nazis'' A.S. Byatt, Times Literary SupplementThe Coming of the Third Reich: How the Nazis Destroyed Democracy and Seized Power in Germany explores how the First World War, the Weimar Republic and the Great Depression paved the way for Nazi ruleThey started as little more than a gang of extremists and thugs, yet in a few years the Nazis had turned Germany into a one-party state and led one of Europe''s most advanced nations into moral, physical and cultural ruin and despair. In this consummate and compelling history, the first book in his acclaimed trilogy on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, Richard Evans reveals how and why it happened, questions whether the rise of Hitler was inevitable and dramatically re-creates the maelstrom of disorder, economic disaster, violence and polarization that gave rise to the terror of the Third Reich.

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Book SynopsisThe book that explains the whole extraordinary course of Italian history like no other in English The Pursuit of Italy traces the whole history of the Italian peninsula in a wonderfully readable style, full of well-chosen stories and observations from personal experience, and peopled by many of the great figures of the Italian past, from Cicero and Virgil to Dante and the Medici, from Cavour and Verdi to the controversial political figures of the twentieth century. The book gives a clear-eyed view of the Risorgimento, the pivotal event in modern Italian history, debunking the influential myths which have grown up around it.Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities and cuisine and whose inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians, but as Tuscans and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. This is where the strength and culture of Italy still coTrade ReviewDavid Gilmour's elegantly written book is full of impressive insights and can be recommended without hesitation as a stimulating, up-to-date and reliable guide to modern Italian history for the general reader. Gilmour's book displays deep knowledge of Italy and is scholarly but never dense. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *A highly idiosyncratic meander through the peninsula's history led by a witty guide with an elegant prose style and a mind delightfully furnished with anecdotes and dictums, sensual impressions and conversations. This is a clever and erudite book. -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'A rich and readable account of left-wing activism in the West and opposition to Soviet-style communism in the East' Katja Hoyer, The Spectator'A dream, perhaps, but one that still sounds worth fighting for, even beautiful' Stuart Jeffries, The Observer'An ambitious and masterly account of utopian protest in Europe ... Fast-paced, with an eye for telling detail and written with a light touch' Robert GildeaIn post-war Europe, protest was everywhere. On both sides of the Iron Curtain, from Paris to Prague, Milan to Wroclaw, ordinary people took to the streets, fighting for a better world. Their efforts came to a head most dramatically in 1968 and 1989, when mass movements swept Europe and rewrote its history. In the decades between, Joachim C. Häberlen argues, new movements emerged that transformed the nature of protesting. Activism moved beyond traditional demonstrations, from squatting to staging 'happenings' and camping out at nuclear power plants. People protested in the way they dressed, the music they listened to, the lovers they slept with, the clubs where they danced all night. New movements were born, notably anti-racism, women's liberation, gay liberation, and environmentalism. And protest turned inward, as activists experimented with new ways of living and feeling, from communes to group therapy, in their efforts to live a better life in the here and now. Some of these struggles succeeded, others failed. But successful or not, their history provides a glimpse into roads not taken, into futures that did not happen. The stories in Häberlen's book invite us to imagine different futures; to struggle, to fail, and to try again. In a time when we are told that there are no alternatives, they show us that there could be another way.

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Book SynopsisOur lives are more mediated than ever before. Adults in economically advanced countries spend, on average, over eight hours per day interacting with the media. The news and entertainment industries are being transformed by the shift to digital platforms. But how much is really changing in terms of what shapes media content? What are the impacts on our public and imaginative life? And is the Internet a democratising tool of social protest, or of state and commercial manipulation?Drawing on decades of research to examine these and other questions, Understanding Media interrogates claims about the Internet, explores how representations in TV and film may influence perceptions of self, and traces overarching trends while attending to crucial local context, from the United States to China, Norway to Malaysia, and Brazil to Britain. Understanding Media is an accessible and essential guide to the world''s most influential force - the contemporary

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewLeaders rexamines old notions of leadership - especially the outdated view that history is shaped by great men going it alone. General McChrystal shows us that leadership can take many forms, leaders often have different strengths, and great leaders can come from anywhere -- SHERYL SANDBERG * COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org *Leaders is a superb, thought-provoking challenge to conventional understanding of the nature of leadership. An enlightening, entertaining must-read about why we revere so many leaders who are often deeply flawed and even unsuccessful, and the lessons for thinking about and teaching leadership in the future -- ROBERT M. GATES * former US Secretary of Defense *Leadership, we learn, is complex. At a time when Americans yearn for leaders we can admire and respect, this book... will help you think differently about both leadership and our history -- WALTER ISAACSON * author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci *No living American has more convincingly combined the practice and teaching of leadership than General Stanley McChrystal: that's why Yale students flock to his classes. Now, in Leaders, he invites us to join them, with Plutarch as his teaching assistant. No current or aspiring leader can afford to miss this shrewd and surprising book -- JOHN LEWIS GADDIS * Yale University *Leaders is a must-read for all leaders - whether they're just beginning their careers or whether they're already leading an entire organization -- KEN LANGONE * author of I Love Capitalism! *Whenever Stanley McChrystal talks, I take notes. I am so drawn to his ability to cut through pop-culture theories about leadership to get to the core of what actually makes a leader. Leaders takes us deeper than most other leadership books into the true and often messy mechanics of leadership. Anyone who considers themselves a student of leadership must read this book -- SIMON SINEK * optimist and author of Start With Why and Leader Eat Last *

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Book Synopsis''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily Mail''In Deighton''s best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous'' IndependentMillions of pounds have gone missing, and the Department have sent agent Bernard Samson to Washington to track them down. But this mission is just the start of something far deeper and darker. It will take him from the English suburbs to Berlin, the South of France to Los Angeles and the heart of a maelstrom. In the first part of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, friends become enemies, pursuer becomes victim and no one - not even Bernard himself - is above suspicion.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewIn Deighton's best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous entertainment. * Independent *Vintage, treble-crossing, East-West intrigue ... written with Deighton's usual punch and economy. * Daily Mail *Len Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the captivating work and mystical outlook of the modern artist Remedios Varo, focusing on her years in Mexico City

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Book SynopsisMARKUS ZUSAK is the bestselling author of six novels, including THE BOOK THIEF. His books have been translated into more than forty languages, to both popular and critical acclaim. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.Find Markus on his blog www.zusakbooks.comFacebook /markuszusakInstagram @markuszusak.Trade ReviewExtraordinary, resonant and relevant, beautiful and angry. * Sunday Telegraph *...a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling...Unsettling, thought-provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told. It is an important piece of work, but also a wonderful page-turner. * Guardian *A moving work which will make many eyes brim. * Independent on Sunday *This is a weighty novel worthy of universal acclaim. A sense of dread prevades this beautifully written novel. As The Book Thief draws to a close, Death says: "There's a multitude of stories that i allow to distract me as I work." The story of the Book Thief, who tried to change the world in her own small way, proves one formidable and inspiring distraction. * The Daily Express *Brilliant and hugely ambitious ... the kind of book that could be life-changing * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZEA NEW YORKER BEST BOOKS OF 2025A TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEARA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARONE OF THE CONVERSATION''S 5 BEST NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2024A NEW YORK TIMES ''21 NONFICTION BOOKS TO READ THIS SPRING'' PICK''A truly radical book; radical in subject, radical in form. For the most tragic reasons, it could not feel more immediate; and yet it''s a fluid, fast-paced, hugely enjoyable and engaging read.'' - Andrew Marr''Unforgettable... Non fiction will be different as a result.'' - Jonathan Freedland''This is an extraordinarily original way of writing memoir, history and truth. An enthralling book and a wonderful new writer.'' - Laura Cumming''So fascinating, so enjoyable, and beautifully told through diaries, memoirs, speeches and newspapers.'' - Simon Sebag Montefiore''a remarkable book.'' - Robert MacfarlaneOn June 7th 1907, a ship packed with Russian Jews sets sail not to Jerusalem or New York, as many on board have dreamt, but to Texas. The man who persuades the passengers to go is David Jochelmann, Rachel Cockerell''s great-grandfather. It marks the beginning of the Galveston Movement, a forgotten moment in history when 10,000 Jews fled to Texas in the lead-up to WWI.The charismatic leader of the movement is Jochelmann''s closest friend, Israel Zangwill, whose novels have made him famous across Europe and America. As Eastern Europe becomes infected by anti-Semitic violence, Zangwill embarks on a desperate search across the continents for a temporary homeland: from Australia to Canada, Angola to Antarctica. He reluctantly settles on Galveston, Texas. He fears the Jewish people will be absorbed into the great American melting pot, but there is no other hope.In a highly inventive style, Cockerell uses exclusively source material to capture history as it unfolds, weaving together letters, diaries, memoirs, newspaper articles and interviews into a vivid account of those who were there. Melting Point follows Zangwill and the Jochelmann family through two world wars, to London, New York and Jerusalem - as their lives intertwine with some of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century, and each chooses whether to cling to their history or melt into their new surroundings. It is a story that asks what it means to belong, and what can be salvaged from the past.

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Book SynopsisThe third edition of Writing History provides students and teachers with a comprehensive overview of how the study of history is informed by a broader intellectual and analytical framework, exploring the emergence and development of history as a discipline and the major theoretical developments that have informed historical writing. Instead of focusing on theory, this book offers succinct explanations of key concepts that illuminate the study of history and practical writing, and demonstrates the ways they have informed practical work. This fully revised new edition comprehensively rewrites and updates original chapters but also includes new features such as:- new chapters on postcolonial, environmental and transnational history;- chapter introductions setting them within the context of historiography;- a new substantive introduction from the editors, providing a useful road-map for students;- an expanded glossary.In its new incarnation Writing History is, more than everTrade ReviewBerger, Passmore and Feldner have assembled a remarkable and essential book for our times. It is at once a tour of the discipline of history and its major currents as well as a series of meditations on its future pathways. Students and scholars alike will draw enlightenment and inspiration from it. * Jeremy Adelman, Henry Charles Lea Professor of History, Princeton University, USA *A valuable resource for students seeking a solid historical framework for their own historical inquiries, the updated edition features vital trends in historiography, from animal history and cultural history to the social biographies of material culture objects. Integrating the history of the discipline into assessments of its diverse practices, the authors succeed in making both methodology and theory accessible. * Susan A. Crane, Associate Professor of History, University of Arizona, USA *Writing History: Theory and Practice takes a broad view, attempting to say something about most areas of historiography. It shows the imaginative ways in which different historians use various theoretical tools. * John H. Arnold, Professor of Medieval History, University of Cambridge, UK *Writing History: Theory and Practice was already one of the best collections of essays on historical writing. Now the third edition expands its reach while incorporating the most recent developments. Authored by a seasoned team of experts, this volume leaves few stones unturned as it considers the intellectual roots of the discipline, the engagement of historians with other fields, and the state of contemporary practice. Each of the nineteen chapters is a brilliant standalone contribution reflecting on key aspects of historical scholarship, but they also fit together remarkably well to provide a comprehensive account of Western historiography and the major turns of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The result is an accessible, indispensable survey of history’s complex and fascinating theoretical terrain. * J. Laurence Hare, Associate Professor of History, University of Arkansas, USA *An excellent book, now updated, which is essential for introducing advanced Master’s students to the theory and history of historical research, in an accessible format. * Ian Miller, Ulster University, UK *Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors Preface Introduction - Stefan Berger (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany), Heiko Feldner (Cardiff University, UK) and Kevin Passmore (Cardiff University, UK) Part One 1 The New Scientificity in Historical Writing around 1800 - Heiko Feldner (Cardiff University, UK) 2 The Rankean Tradition in British Historiography, 1840-1950 - John Warren (Birmingham City University, UK) 3 The Professionalization and Institutionalization of History - Peter Lambert (Aberyswyth University, UK) Part Two 4 Marxist Historiography - Geoff Eley (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA) 5 History and the Social Sciences - John Harvey (St Cloud State University, USA) 6 The Annales - Matthias Middell (University of Leipzig, Germany) 7 Cultural History - Kevin Passmore (Cardiff University, UK) 8 Psychoanalysis and History - Garthine Walker (Cardiff University, UK) and Tracey Loughran (Cardiff University, UK) 9 Anthropological Approaches, Jakob Tanner (University of Zurich, Switzerland) 10 Transnational History - Stefan Berger (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany) Part Three 11 Political History - Jon Lawrence (University of Cambridge, UK) 12 Social History - Thomas Welskopp (Bielefeld University, Germany) 13 Economic History - Pat Hudson (Cardiff University, UK) 14 Intellectual History/History of Ideas - Beverley Southgate (University of Hertfordshire, UK) 15 From Women's History to Gender History - Laura Lee Downs (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, France) 16 Race, Ethnicity and History - David Doddingon (Cardiff University, UK) 17 Postcolonial and Subaltern History - TBC 19 Literature and History - TBC 19 Environmental History - Lloyd Price (Cardiff University, UK) 20 Digital History - TBC 21. Material History, Giorgio Riello and Anne Gerritsen (University of Warwick, UK) Conclusion - Stefan Berger (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany), Heiko Feldner (Cardiff University, UK) and Kevin Passmore (Cardiff University, UK) Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisExam board: EdexcelLevel: A-levelSubject: History First teaching: September 2015First exams: Summer 2016Target success in Edexcel AS/A-level History with this proven formula for effective, structured revision. Key content coverage is combined with exam preparation activities and exam-style questions to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.- Enables students to plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidates knowledge with clear and focused content coverage, organised into easy-to-revise chunks- Encourages active revision by closely combining historical content with related activities- Helps students build, practise and enhance their exam skills as they progress through activities set at three different levels- Improves exam technique through exam-style questions with sample answers and commentary from expert authors and teachers- Boosts historical knowledge with a useful glossary and timeline

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Book SynopsisOur unwritten Constitution is past its sell-by date. If the Union is to be preserved we must recognise the UK as a federal country along the lines of Canada and Australia, and soon. Such is the argument made by Brice Dickson in this lucid and timely intervention to the debate on Britain’s political future. A federal structure, he reasons, could maximise the benefits of cooperation between semi-autonomous regions while at the same time paying due respect to the nationalisms that exist within constituent parts of the country. The devolution of powers to the home nations, coupled with the trials and tribulations associated with Brexit and reform of the House of Lords, point to grave risks in the UK’s current constitutional position. Dickson proposes a Constitutional Reform Act which would federalise the nation, provide a modern Bill of Rights, formalise allocation of public expenditure to devolved regions, and contain a clause setting out the 'purpose' of the UK.The UK has an enviable record in rising to a variety of challenges down the centuries, but the fallout from our recent history makes greater certainty and predictability imperative. This urgent analysis by one of our leading constitutional experts points to how that might best be achieved.Trade Review‘Brexit has heated-up the debate about the merits and defects of our constitution, whether we should do something about it, and if so what. Brice Dickson makes a characteristically thoughtful and stimulating contribution to the discussion.’ — Lord Pannick QC‘Brice Dickson argues that now, post Brexit, our constitution needs to cement the Union. He’s right. We don’t need a fully written constitution, but we do need seriously to address and respond to the forces that are pulling the four home nations apart. The United Kingdom’s survival depends on it.’ — Adam Tomkins MSP, Professor of Law, University of Glasgow‘The turmoil surrounding Brexit has caused many to doubt whether the UK’s uncodified constitution is still fit for purpose. Brice Dickson plausibly suggests that a new, federal constitutional settlement may offer a way forward. Here we have a masterly essay by a highly respected constitutional analyst, who possesses the rare gift of elucidating complex issues without ever dumbing them down.’ — Gavin Drewry, Emeritus Professor of Public Administration, Royal Holloway, University of London‘In recent years, a number of jurists and academics have argued that Britain needs to follow almost every other democracy by enacting a codified constitution. Are they right? The debate is likely to intensify after Brexit. Writing the United Kingdom Constitution offers an excellent introduction to the issues.’ — Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government, Kings College London, author of Beyond Brexit: Towards a British Constitution‘Brice Dickson believes that a full-blown written constitution would unleash an endless debate of irreconcilable demands. Instead, he urges a new Constitutional Reform Act to enshrine an acknowledged constitutional federation so as to keep the component parts together in a Union that is looking rather fragile of late. Federalism, well-designed, can help preserve unity to the extent desired but also to respect diversity and distinctiveness appropriate to the parts . If the UK is to survive as such, it needs an acknowledged federal form of government. If the only way to attain that objective is to enact a minimalist model, Dickson's ideas command close attention. The ideas in this book are as important as they are urgent.’ — The Hon Michael Kirby. AC CMG, former Justice of the High Court of Australia -- .Table of Contents1 The Emergence of Our Unwritten Constitution2 Proposals for a Written Constitution3 Lessons from Elsewhere4 The Protection of Rights and a Written Constitution5 Federalisation and a Written Constitution6 The Way ForwardFurther readingReferences

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Book Synopsis*** The New York Times Bestseller ***'Lucy Adlington tells of the horrors of the Nazi occupation and the concentration camps from a fascinating and original angle. She introduces us to a little known aspect of the period, highlighting the role of clothes in the grimmest of societies imaginable and giving an insight into the women who stayed alive by stitching' - Alexandra Shulman, author of Clothes...and other things that matter'Compelling... Adlington tells the stories of the women with clarity and steely precision' - Jewish Chronicle'An utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read' - Judy Batalion, NY Times bestselling author of The Light of Our Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos'Powerful... a fascinating account.' - WomanThe powerful chronicle of the women who used their sewing skills to survive the Holocaust, stitching beautiful clothes at an extraordinary fashion workshop created within one of the most notorious WWII death camps. At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp - mainly Jewish women and girls - were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers. This fashion workshop - called the Upper Tailoring Studio - was established by Hedwig Höss, the camp commandant's wife, and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers. Here, the dressmakers produced high-quality garments for SS social functions in Auschwitz, and for ladies from Nazi Berlin's upper crust. Drawing on diverse sources - including interviews with the last surviving seamstress - The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates of these brave women. Their bonds of family and friendship not only helped them endure persecution, but also to play their part in camp resistance. Weaving the dressmakers' remarkable experiences within the context of Nazi policies for plunder and exploitation, historian Lucy Adlington exposes the greed, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Third Reich and offers a fresh look at a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust.

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Book Synopsis'A moving microhistory of working-class girlhood' BBC History MagazineIt is 1937 in a northern mill-town and a class of twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls are writing about their lives, their world, and the things that matter to them. They tell of cobbled streets and crowded homes; the Coronation festivities and holidays to Blackpool; laughter and fun alongside poverty and hardship. They are destined for the cotton mill but they dream of being film stars. Class of '37 uses the writing of these young girls, as collected by the research organisation Mass Observation, to rediscover this lost world, transporting readers back in time to a smoky industrial town in an era before the introduction of a Welfare State, where once again the clouds of war were beginning to gather. Woven within this rich, authentic history are the twists and turns of the girls' lives from childhood to beyond, from their happiest times to the most heart-breaking of their sorrows. A compelling social history, this intimate reconstruction of working-class life in 1930s Britain is a haunting and emotional account of a bygone age.

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Book SynopsisAn invigorating journey through Britain's prehistoric landscape, and an insight into the lives of its inhabitants. 'Highly compelling' Spectator, Books of the Year 'An evocative foray into the prehistoric past' BBC Countryfile Magazine 'Vividly relating what life was like in pre-Roman Britain' Choice Magazine 'Makes life in Britain BC often sound rather more appealing than the frenetic and anxious 21st century!' Daily Mail In Scenes from Prehistoric Life, the distinguished archaeologist Francis Pryor paints a vivid picture of British and Irish prehistory, from the Old Stone Age (about one million years ago) to the arrival of the Romans in AD 43, in a sequence of fifteen profiles of ancient landscapes. Whether writing about the early human family who trod the estuarine muds of Happisburgh in Norfolk c.900,000 BC, the craftsmen who built a wooden trackway in the Somerset Levels early in the fourth millennium BC, or the Iron Age denizens of Britain's first towns, Pryor uses excavations and surveys to uncover the daily routines of our ancient ancestors. By revealing how our prehistoric forebears coped with both simple practical problems and more existential challenges, Francis Pryor offers remarkable insights into the long and unrecorded centuries of our early history, and a convincing, well-attested and movingly human portrait of prehistoric life as it was really lived.Trade ReviewDecades worth of communicating archaeology on TV and a recent foray into crime fiction writing help make this book a highly compelling read * Spectator *An evocative foray into the prehistoric past... Pryor recreates [the prehistoric world] with an effortless narrative style' * BBC Countryfile Magazine *Brings almost impossibly distant times into brilliant focus * Eastern Daily Press Norfolk *Pryor's colourful book makes life in Britain BC often sound rather more appealing than the frenetic and anxious 21st century! * Daily Mail *Vividly relating what life was like in pre-Roman Britain * Choice Magazine *Our prehistoric cousins lie on the other side of a vast expanse of time... Francis Pryor bridges that gap, showing how excavation and analysis can bring their stories to life. Of course, the gap between us and them is matched by the prehistoric era's epic sweep, and Pryor charts the changes witnessed across that time' * BBC History Magazine *Francis Pryor is always good value... He cherrypicks the most interesting recent discoveries about Britain's past before the Romans' * Spectator, Books of the Year *Archaeologists, enthusiasts, and novices alike can turn the page and enter scenes from prehistory, learning what it meant to live in and experience the past * The Past *Such personal insights, alongside the fascinating and wonderfully detailed archaeological narrative, make this book an essential – and hugely enjoyable – read for any enthusiast of British prehistory with an interest in how and why our landscape appears as it does today * Archaeology Worldwide *

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Book Synopsis'This forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality' Telegraph 'Likely to become the standard work of reference on the members of the family that dominated Florence' TLS 'A lucid and beautifully illustrated family history' The Times Wealthy bankers, wise politicians, patrons of the arts, glittering dukes... so runs the traditional telling of the story of the Medici, the family that ruled Florence for two hundred years and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance. In this definitive account of their rise and fall, Mary Hollingsworth argues that the idea that the Medici were wise rulers and enlightened fathers of the Renaissance is a fiction. In truth, she says, the Medici were as devious and immoral as the Borgias – tyrants loathed in the city they illegally made their own and which they beggared in their lust for power.Trade ReviewThis forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality * Telegraph, Book of the Year *Likely to become the standard work of reference on the members of the family that dominated Florence * TLS *A lucid and beautifully illustrated family history * The Times, Book of the Week *A beautifully illustrated and scholarly survey of five centuries of the Medici family * Literary Review *A vital acquisition for anyone who studies the Renaissance and seeks the true role of the Medici in the history of Florence * Kirkus *An excellent study of the Medici... A careful, understated book... [It] is never short on drama' * Telegraph *Drawing on impeccable documentary research [this] is a lively and accessible new account of the House of Medici * Country Life *A well-illustrated history of the rise and fall of the House of Medici * The Times *The Medici family dominated political and cultural life in Florence for three centuries, but the received wisdom, that they were beneficent, enlightened rulers, is challenged by Renaissance scholar Mary Hollingsworth in this engrossing, fully illustrated account * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisHow did the Vikings travel as far afield as modern-day Canada and Baghdad? Why were their most fearsome warriors called berserkers? And what does doomsday have to do with nail hygiene?Readers can discover the truth behind some of the most incredible Viking stories and superstitions and unearth the most fascinating aspects of an ancient culture in this immersive book. With more than 80 lift-the-flaps and flaps under flaps, there's plenty of history to uncover.

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Book SynopsisThis eye-catching hardback guide introduces the great rivers of the world and how they have shaped our society, brought to life with spectacular, full-colour photography. From the majestic waters of the Nile to the mighty Yellow and Yangtze rivers to the immense Amazon river, the great rivers of the world have captured the human imagination and impacted our history. In this fascinating guide, Geordie Torr explores the natural forces that have created these rivers, their impacts on the environment, and the myriad ways they have affected societies and cultures.In this volume, you will:• Explore the natural features of a river from their source in the mountains down to the estuaries where they reach the sea.• See how rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave birth to the first civilizations.• Learn how rivers like the Rhine and the Mississippi have facilitated trade along their lengths.• Discover the importance of rivers to our well-being, through their impacts on agriculture, drought, migration and much, much more.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Visual Reference Library brings together wonderfully illustrated reference guides on scientific and historical topics, made bold and fascinating through full-colour maps, timelines, photographs, feature boxes and other visual elements.

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Book SynopsisCelebrates 50 years of LGBTQ rights in Ireland with a collection of lesser-known stories of the movement''s evolution through 14 pivotal moments.Marking fifty years of the founding of an LGBTQ rights movement in Ireland, Reeling in the Queers explores the lesser-known stories of the fight for LGBTQ rights since 1974, beyond decriminalisation and Marriage Equality. From 1990s boy bands to the AIDS priest, Fr Bernárd Lynch, from the Belfast Lesbian Line to proud parenting, from the earliest Pride events to the last days of Alternative Miss Ireland, fourteen distinct moments map the changing social and cultural landscape of Ireland.These stories, from across the island of Ireland ? and further afield ? celebrate a strong community and its allies, and speak across the generations. Together, they tell a new story of the gains, losses, devastation and community rising from the ashes of defeat. It is a hugely enjoyable and insightful read for both those who lived through this movement and for those who enjoy its benefits today.Drawing from oral history as well as archives, Reeling in the Queers brings even more to life the great big queer tapestry in Ireland. Queer history in Ireland is Irish history and acknowledging and celebrating the light and the dark of it protects all of our futures as much as our pasts.

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An essential introduction to Irish politics, Radicals and Realists expertly analyses the political parties that have influenced the history of pre- and post-partition Ireland. Lila Haines' rigorously researched guide provides concise histories of the island's 12 most significant political parties, revealing their ideals and deals, clashes and collaborations, and splinters and mergers. Dispassionate and insightful, Radicals and Realists discusses the achievements, trends and milestones of the contemporary two-jurisdiction island. It also demolishes popular myths and reveals the inconvenient truths about political ineptitude, corruption, authoritarianism or tolerance of terrorism that some parties may prefer to forget or rewrite. Radicals and Realists is an indispensable companion for all who wish to understand how political parties in Ireland have evolved, and how their electoral fortunes are shaping the future of the island they share.

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Book SynopsisEtta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds is the story of a pioneering conservationist who led the campaign against the slaughter of wild birds for extravagantly feathered hats and coaxed the world to care for birds.Trade Review'Boase has done a superb job of linking her personalities, and painting vivid pictures of their life struggles and fighting techniques. This book is an unputdownable account of a forgotten campaign, and of a group of women who have been hidden from history for too long.' * Women's History Review *'A fascinating book...packed with interesting facts. A great read for all people' * Birdwatching Magazine *Table of ContentsPrologue viiPart 1 – Feathers 1 Alice Battershall 2 Inspector Lakeman 3 97 Lever Street 4 Women Undercover 5 ‘Crewe Factory Girl’ 6 The SkylarkPart 2 – Birds 7 Young Etta 8 Young Emmeline 9 The Train Carriage 10 Of Bird-Wearing Age 11 The Tea Party 12 Emily Williamson 13 A Very Ambitious Title 14 Flight 15 Impracticable Dreamers 16 Courting the Men 17 Winifred, Duchess of Portland 18 The Crème de la CrèmePart 3 – Hats 19 Dying to Get Out 20 The Millinery Detectives 21 Queen Alix 22 ‘Egret’ Bennett 23 Deeds Not Words 24 The Frontal Attack 25 Mrs Pattinson 26 The Countess Fabbricotti 27 Royal Approval 28 The ‘Suffragette’Part 4 – Votes 29 Onto the Street 30 The Antis 31 The Feminine Arts 32 The Advice of Men 33 Maternal Weakness 34 Peak Rage 35 The Feeding Tube 36 Dumb CreationPart 5 – Power 37 At War 38 The Ballot Box 39 But What Do Women Care? 40 Etta and Emmeline: Two Portraits 41 The Coup Epilogue Notes Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Index Picture Credits

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Book SynopsisCilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Darkening Age, Heresy is perfect for readers of Tom Holland, Karen Armstrong, Mary Beard and Bettany Hughes.

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Book SynopsisThis accessible English translation of the notorious and highly influential treatise of 1487 offers a glimpse into the mind of a medieval witch hunter. -- .

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Book Synopsis''A masterly account of this first wicked century of the Roman Empire'' Sunday Times''Holland does not just tell the story of the reign of the Julio-Claudian family. He knits the history of ancient Rome into his narrative - its founding myths, the fall of the republic, the religious superstitions - with a skill so dextrous you don''t notice the stitching. Dynasty is both a formidable effort to compile what we can know about the ancient world and a sensational story'' Observer''A witty and skilful storyteller... He recounts with pleasure his racy tales of psychopathic cruelty, incest, paedophilia, matricide, fratricide, assassination and depravity'' William Dalrymple, New Statesman''A wonderful, surging narrative... [for] anyone interested in history, politics or human nature - and it has never been better told'' Mail on SundayTHE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERTrade ReviewHolland's masterly account of this first wicked century of the Roman empire is, at its heart, a political analysis . . . the story he tells strides onwards across the landscape of grief and horror without pause or stutter . . . Holland is unshockable as he proceeds with breezy, clear-eyed analysis from one degrading display of cruelty and paranoia to the next . . . It is down to his skill as a storyteller that there's no difficulty in imagining that it might all happen again tomorrow * Sunday Times *Deft and skilful . . . Among the many virtues of Tom Holland's terrific history is that he does not shrink from seeing the Roman emperors for what they were: 'the west's primal examples of tyranny' . . . Dynasty is both a formidable effort to compile what we can know about the ancient world and a sensational story * Observer *This is a wonderful, surging narrative - a brilliant and meticulous synthesis of the ancient sources . . . This is a story that should be read by anyone interested in history, politics or human nature - and it has never been better told * Mail on Sunday *This is history in which fact and fiction overlap, rigorously researched and lightened with dashes of humour . . . first-rate ancient history and a compulsively good read * Daily Mail *A swaggering history of the dynastic house that Julius Caesar built. Nothing entertains like excess and the weird cruelties, bloody intrigues and eye-popping depravities of emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero are queasily fascinating * Sunday Express *A witty and skilful storyteller . . . He recounts with pleasure his racy tales of psychopathic cruelty, incest, paedophilia, matricide, fratricide, assassination and depravity * New Statesman *Brilliant, terrifying and compelling * Observer *A thrilling book by one of the country's best popular historians . . . genuinely breathtaking * History Today *Holland has crafted a history of early Rome that has all the gripping detail and narrative momentum of a novel... he gives the reader a startlingly visceral sense of the violence and brutality and wretched excess of ancient Rome -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *[A] dramatic, intrigue-ridden, blood-and-guts tale of Rome's first line of emperors -- Peter Jones * The Times *Dynasty, like its companion volume Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, is a fine example of narrative historical writing. Yet you could also read it as something else entirely: a meditation on the enduring power and possibilities of storytelling -- Richard Miles * Financial Times *Holland writes with all the excitement and immediacy of the gossip-mongers of Rome . . . One senses that if Tom Holland were emperor for the day he would give the crowd not only the bread and circuses but a jolly good education too -- Daisy Dunn * Evening Standard *A richly panoramic picture of Rome in the first century AD -- Allan Massie * Literary Review *Holland's Tacitean vision of the dynasty of Augustus makes for a very compelling read * Times Literary Supplement *Holland is at the top of his game, blending deep scholarly skill with real literary talent -- Dan Jones * Evening Standard *Thrilling, thunderous prose, fully equal to that of the great days of Thermopylae and Salamis * Wall Street Journal *Holland is perhaps Britain's most engrossing historical storyteller. He has a rare gift of combining academic respectability with a great knack as a narrator * Catholic Herald *This is great material, and Holland does it justice with a chiseled prose style and an eye for the luminous detail.... Holland is a master of narrative history. On the strength of Dynasty, he deserves a laurel wreath * Washington Post *A vivid account of five Roman emperors, emphasizing their vices and vicious behavior with less attention to the vast empire, which continued to prosper despite them * Kirkus *Dynasty has Holland's usual novelistic ability to bring a narrative alive, together with his extraordinary command of ancient sources * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisThis unique and delightful map of mainland Scotland and the Hebrides, from the collection of the National Library of Scotland, is a magnificent pictorial map of Scotland. Not just annotated with beautiful calligraphy, it also includes dozens of vignettes of famous Scottish places, from cities and towns to lochs to mountains and castles, as well as people and animals.It was originally published in 1931 by Pratts Oil, which was known as Standard Oil in the US and a few months later as Esso in the UK.1000 piece jigsaw.Irregularly shaped pieces.

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Book SynopsisA beautiful new edition of a classic work of landscape history, in which Alfred Watkins introduced the idea of ancient 'ley lines' criss-crossing the English countryside. First published in 1925, The Old Straight Track described the author's theory of 'ley lines', pre-Roman pathways consisting of aligned stone circles and prehistoric mounds, used by our Neolithic ancestors. Watkins's ideas have intrigued and inspired generations of readers – from historians to hill walkers, and from amateur archaeologists to new-age occultists. This edition of The Old Straight Track, with a substantial introduction by Robert Macfarlane, will appeal to all who treasure the history, contours and mystery of Britain's ancient landscapes.Trade ReviewWatkins re-enchanted the English landscape, investing it with fresh depth and detail, prompting new ways of looking and new reasons to walk -- Robert MacfarlaneA remarkable book... Alfred Watkins [was a] visionary who saw beyond the bounds of his time' -- John MichellRobert Macfarlane in his introduction to this new edition [...] is respectful, finding new relevance in Watkin's writing. The result is to fold Watkins, the counter-cultural mystic-modernist, into the cultural landscape, laying the track for others to follow * TLS *A stimulating historical mediation on landscape * Daily Mail *Careful erudite topography in the grand Enlightenment tradition, which nevertheless presents a vision of Herefordshire that is awe-inspired * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisIn the vineyards, wine caves, and cellars of France as war and occupation came to the country winemakers acted heroically not only to save the best wines but to defend their way of life. These are the true stories of vignerons who sheltered Jewish refugees in their cellars and of winemakers who risked their lives to aid the resistance. They made chemicals in secret laboratories to fuel the resistance and fled from the Gestapo when arrests became imminent. There were treacheries too, as some of the nation''s winemakers supported the Vichy regime or the Germans themselves and collaborated. Donald Kladstrup is a retired American network correspondent. He and his wife Petie have accumulated these fascinating stories, told with the pace and action that will fascinate fiction and non-fiction readers alike.Trade ReviewA sprightly and amusing book, full of spicy anecdotes * Evening Standard *Entertaining and informative * Sunday Telegraph *A vibrant panorama of the different wine-producing regions and how they responded to the challenge * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisAn essential primary source on Roman history and a fascinating achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the EmpireAs private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness accounts) to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in history. The Twelve Caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus, to the decline into depravity and civil war under Nero and the recovery that came with his successors. A masterpiece of observation, anecdote and detailed physical description, The Twelve Caesars presents us with a gallery of vividly drawn—and all too human—individuals. James B. Rives has sensitively updated Robert Graves's now classic translation, reinstating Latin terms and updating vocabulary while retaining the

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Book Synopsis''A fascinating story about a religion in a surprisingly precarious position'' Dan Jones, Sunday Times''Superb storytelling ... captivating and profound'' Literary Review''A page-turner'' The SpectatorIn the fourth century AD, a new faith exploded out of Palestine. Overwhelming the paganism of Rome, and converting the Emperor Constantine in the process, it resoundingly defeated a host of other rivals. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion, ingrained within culture and society, exercised a monolithic hold over its population. But, as Peter Heather shows in this compelling history, there was nothing inevitable about Christendom''s rise to Europe-wide dominance.In exploring how the Christian religion became such a defining feature of the European landscape, and how a small sect of isolated congregations was transformed into a mass movement centrally directed from Rome, Heather shows how Christendom constantly battled against both so-called ''heresies'' and other forms of belief. From the crisis that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire, which left the religion teetering on the edge of extinction, to the astonishing revolution in which the Papacy emerged as the head of a vast international corporation, Heather traces Christendom''s chameleon-like capacity for self-reinvention and willingness to mobilize well-directed force.Christendom''s achievement was not, or not only, to define official Christianity, but - from its scholars and its lawyers, to its provincial officials and missionaries in far-flung corners of the continent - to transform it into an institution that wielded effective religious authority across nearly all of the disparate peoples of medieval Europe. This is its extraordinary story.Trade ReviewHeather's sweeping and engaging history of the making of Christendom over a thousand years is full of reinterpretations and new insights... his approach makes for a startlingly fresh look at a familiar story, a non-triumphalist history of the triumph of Christianity, and his book is all the more powerful for it. -- Jane Shaw * Financial Times *Heather casts his eye across the whole medieval period as he unfolds a fascinating story about a religion in a surprisingly precarious position. -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *It is more pressing than ever to understand how exactly Christianity came to dominate in Europe. Heather's account cuts through the myth of an innately Christian, culturally monolithic Europe... [and] sheds light on the mechanics of state coercion and intermittent violence which led to the birth of Christendom. It's no light reading - but there's enough drama to make it a page-turner. -- Eleanor Myerson * Spectator *A brilliant exercise in disenchantment ... superb storytelling ... Heather more than delivers. While Christendom is fabulously rich in telling detail, Heather is always mindful of the big picture. The book is at once captivating and profound. -- Costica Bradatan * Literary Review *One of the many delights of this weighty book is the abundance of little-heard but illuminating and intriguing stories that he weaves into the narrative to show how Christianity endlessly reinvented itself to maintain a winning formula .... the tale of how Christianity, from unlikely beginnings, became one of the great mass-member institutions of the world is expertly and entertainingly told. -- Peter Stanford * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThirteen words, thirteen protagonists, thirteen stories. This special journey crosses different regions and tells of mastery, know-how, emotions, and characters that honor ancient Italian traditions. Gaggia, the brand that invented espresso machines for bars and homes, wanted to represent Italian creativity in 13 stories. To achieve this, it selected the same number of contemporary artisans, including a blacksmith, a motorcycle restorer, a ceramist, a hatter, a tailor, and a creator of floral sets, and depicted them in the pages of the book through the images of Stefania Giorgi and the words of Laura Maggi. In this tale, coffee is an often invisible link; it represents the irreplaceable value of reflection, of time rediscovered, of having a break.

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Book SynopsisMoomin Classics Set of 3 Mini Notebooks features a collection of three mini, foiled notebooks, each with a different beautiful design. With alternating lined and blank pages, a sturdy cover and rounded corners, they are perfect to be carried everywhere! Tove Jansson was a Finnish-Swedish writer and artist who created the Moomin family and their friends. She first started painting Moomintrolls in 1935 and her last Moomin book was published in 1970; but her stories live on and continue to be adapted and enjoyed by many generations. Flame Tree: The Art of Fine Gifts.

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Book Synopsis1000-PIECE PUZZLE featuring the world of the Tudors in incredible detail. Finished puzzle measures 680 x 485mmSPOT FAMOUS FIGURES, castles and pastimes as you build the puzzle and travel through time from the Battle of Bosworth to Queen Elizabeth I''s funeral paradeINCLUDES A FOLD-OUT POSTER featuring fun facts about the Tudor periodSTURDY & ATTRACTIVE BOX perfect for gifting and storageFrom the Wars of the Roses through plagues, cunning plots, executions and more, the Tudor period is the most dramatic and turbulent in English history. Journey through time to find Henry VIII''s six wives, Shakespeare, Sir Francis Drake and other famous figures as you build this detailed 1000-piece puzzle.

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