History Books
Cornerstone The Mistresses of Cliveden
Book Synopsis''It covers three centuries of high living, high politics and high drama [...] it is so fascinating'' MEL SYKES_____________________________A Sunday Times bestsellerFive women. One house. One extraordinary history.Even today, Cliveden retains its royal mystique - it is where Meghan Markle and her mother spent the night before the royal wedding - but from its construction in the 1660s to its heyday in the 1960s, Cliveden has played host to a dynasty of remarkable and powerful women.Anna Maria, Elizabeth, Augusta, Harriet, and Nancy were five ladies who, over the course of three centuries, shaped British society through their beauty, personalities, and political influence.Restoration and revolution, aristocratic rise and fall, world war and cold war form the extraordinary backdrop against which their stories unfold. An addictive history of the period and an intimate exploration of the timeless relatiTrade ReviewNarratively enthralling … chronicled with scholarship, readability, wit and a fine eye for telling detail. -- Andrew Roberts * Evening Standard *Her scholarship is considerable and yet she wears it lightly, producing a book which is always lively, entertaining and immensely readable. * Daily Express *Natalie Livingstone has written an utterly fascinating and completely beguiling account of three centuries of high living, high politics, and high drama at one of Britain's most famous stately homes. A page turner from start to finish, The Mistresses of Cliveden perfectly illustrates why social history rules the shelves; it's history with all the good stuff left in. -- Amanda Foreman, author of GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIREA wonderful voyage through the fascinating history of Cliveden - this is a brilliant book full of gripping personalities and beautiful detail. -- Kate Williams, author of BECOMING QUEEN and JOSEPHINEWide-ranging and deliciously enjoyable... -- Juliet Nicholson * The Telegraph *
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Age of Alexander
Book SynopsisOffers a collection of ten biographies that spans the period from the start of the fourth century BC to the early third, and covers some of the most important figures in Greek history, such as the orator Demosthenes and Alexander the Great, as well as lesser known figures such as Plato's pupil Dion of Syracuse.
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Mussolinis War
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2021 DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORYA DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020From an acclaimed military historian, the definitive account of Italy''s experience of the Second World WarWhile staying closely aligned with Hitler, Mussolini remained carefully neutral until the summer of 1940. Then, with the wholly unexpected and sudden collapse of the French and British armies, Mussolini declared war on the Allies in the hope of making territorial gains in southern France and Africa. This decision proved a horrifying miscalculation, dooming Italy to its own prolonged and unwinnable war, immense casualties and an Allied invasion in 1943 which ushered in a terrible new era for the country.John Gooch''s new book is the definitive account of Italy''s war experience. Beginning with the invasion of Abyssinia and ending with Mussolini''s arrest, Gooch brilliantly portrays the nightmare of a country with too sTrade ReviewJohn Gooch knows more about 20th-century Italy than perhaps anyone else in Britain ... He paints a record of appalling brutality, epic incompetence ... There are echoes of the madness of Benito Mussolini in outpourings that we hear daily from several world capitals, among them Washington. Listen, and be afraid. -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *A meticulous, skilful account ... it is hard to imagine a finer account, both of the sweep of Italy's wars, and of the characters caught up in them. -- Caroline Moorhead * Guardian *An important book, adding much to our knowledge of Italy's baleful contribution to the conflicts of the 1930s and 1940s ... a work of meticulous scholarship. -- Saul David * The Times *Lucid ... diligently researched ... an exceptionally detailed portrait. -- Ian Thomson * The Spectator *Excellent ... This detailed military history shows the long arc of strategic ineptitude. -- Richard Overy * Times Literary Supplement *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Blitzkrieg
Book Synopsis''Deighton has a desire, unobtrusive but inflexible, to see the truth ... Blitzkrieg is full of insights'' Financial TimesThis is the story of the Nazi conquest of western Europe, from Hitler''s rise to power and ''lightning-fast war'', to his fatal mistake in halting the German advance on Dunkirk in 1940. Drawing on technical mastery and interviews with both Allied and German participants, Blitzkrieg sets out the technical thinking behind the attack and the weapons that made it possible. It is a compelling, detailed account of Europe''s darkest hour. ''What Deighton did for the Battle of Britain in Fighter he has done for the land-war here ... A rattlingly good yarn'' GuardianTrade ReviewWhat Mr Deighton did for the Battle of Britain in Fighter he has done for the land-war here ... A rattlingly good yarn. * Guardian *Deighton has a desire, unobtrusive but inflexible, to see the truth ... Blitzkrieg is full of insights, quietly expressed but as a rule uncomfortably true. * Financial Times *Contains some gems of research and some arresting conclusions. * New Statesman *
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd Spy Line
Book Synopsis''This is vintage Deighton'' Sunday Times''Spy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. And it is always exciting'' Daily MailBernard Samson is a spy on the run. But in the murky streets of Berlin, he knows where to hide. Wanted for an act of treachery he has not committed, he must not only escape the grasp of London Central, but get to the bottom of a tangled conspiracy that is about to change everything. In the thrilling penultimate instalment of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, Bernard''s personal and professional life collide with devastating consequences.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewSpy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. It is always exciting. * Daily Mail *This is vintage Deighton. * Sunday Times *No one can evoke the city of Berlin better than Deighton. * Sunday Telegraph *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 *
£9.49
Yale University Press Accursed Tower
Book SynopsisA thrilling history of the dramatic siege of Acre in 1291, the bloody climax to the two hundred years of the Holy Land Crusades Trade Review"Crowley writes with authority and flair"—Peter Frankopan, Financial Times"Gripping and brilliantly researched [. . .] This is history red in tooth and claw"—Justin Marozzi, author of Islamic Empires“Crowley provides a fast-paced narrative, woven with dexterity, building to a crescendo that describes the siege in all its harrowing detail”— Sophie Therese Ambler, BBC History Magazine“This is an excellent all-encompassing account of the fall of the last Crusader strong-hold in the Holy Land” —Alexander Stilwell, Catholic Herald
£11.99
Yale University Press The Maginot Line
Book Synopsis
£27.00
Amberley Publishing The Last Yorkists
Book SynopsisThrough the lens of the influential de la Pole brothers, this book offers readers a chance to explore some of the lesser known aspects of Henry VII and Henry VIIIâs rule, in particular their foreign wars and often duplicitous dealings with other European monarchs.
£21.25
Arcturus Publishing The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Book SynopsisA giant of Enlightenment literature, Edward Gibbon (1737-94) was born in Putney, a village then near London. He had six siblings all of whom died in infancy. Gibbon attended Magdalen College, Oxford and was later a member of parliament in London. It was on the Grand Tour in 1763 when he first visited Rome and conceived the idea of a grand history centred on the Eternal City and its empire. It is one of the great historical works.
£21.24
Orion Publishing Co Hugh TrevorRoper
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Sun Rising
Book Synopsis1603. Elizabeth I dies and with her, the Tudor line comes to an end. England is plunged into crisis.Into this time of uncertainty came James I, arriving in London after an unprecedented procession from Scotland. In taking the throne, he established a new dynasty and the first united' kingdom of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales was born. The Stuarts had arrived.But first, this new Great Britain' had to play catch up. Spain and Portugal had entered the New World and begun exploiting it for profit; the discovery of a direct trade route to India had begun to shift trade from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. England was behind, but James's global ambitions began to shift the tide. As ships departed London for America, Russia, Persia, India, and Japan, as the fledgling East India Company began to intertwine ever closer with the crown and as the English began to travel beyond the bounds of their island in greater numbers than ever before, the seeds of the futur
£22.50
Headline Publishing Group The Sweetness of Water
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Booker Prize, a powerful American debut portraying life after slavery in the vein of WASHINGTON BLACKTrade ReviewThe Sweetness of Water is a fine, lyrical novel, impressive at the level of the sentence, and in its complex interweaving of the grand and the intimate, of the personal and political. In presenting two narratives largely overlooked in traditional renderings of the war, Harris breathes new life into a period of history whose stories have grown stale with overtelling * Observer *An insightful first novel... [a] highly accomplished debut * Sunday Times *This debut novel astonished us as much for its wise, lyrical voice as for its dense realisation of a fictional small town in the American South at a rarely written about moment... We were incredibly impressed by the way it probes themes of trans-historical importance - about race, sexuality, violence and grief - through meticulously-drawn characters and a patient examination of their relationships * The Booker Prize Judges *In the right hands, historical fiction can often capture the truth of our own times more successfully than many contemporary attempts. . . Readers will often forget that this is a debut novel; one of Harris's greatest gifts, aside from those beautifully wrought sentences, is his empathy, his ability to slip inside the skins of these men and women . . . in his unsparing examination of both hatred and deep love, Harris will win over the hearts of many readers * Financial Times *Harris is a writer of great lyricism and power . . . an arresting debut * The i *As I read this masterful novel I kept thinking-this young 29-year-old is a first-time author, so how did he do this? As the best writers can do, Nathan takes us back in time, and helps us to feel we are right there with Prentiss and Landry as they get their first taste of freedom. I rooted for them, and feared for them too * Oprah in Associated Press *[An] ambitious debut novel . . . this is impressive stuff * The Times *That this powerful book is Nathan Harris's debut novel is remarkable; that he's only 29 is miraculous. His prose is burnished with an antique patina that evokes the mid-19th century. And he explores this liminal moment in history with extraordinary sensitivity to the range of responses from Black and White Americans contending with a revolutionary ideal of personhood. . . . Harris stacks the timbers of this plot deliberately, and the moment a spark alights, the whole structure begins to burn hot. If this is an era - and a genre - that has no room for encouragement, THE SWEETNESS OF WATER is finally willing to carve out a little oasis of hope * Washington Post *What a gifted, assured writer Nathan Harris is. He does what all novelists are supposed to do-give birth to vivid characters, people worth caring about, and then get out of their way. The result is better than any debut novel has a right to be. With The Sweetness of Water, Harris has, in a sense, unwritten Gone With the Wind, detonating its phony romanticism, its unearned sympathies, its wretched racism -- Richard RussoHarris' lucid prose and vivid characterization illustrate a community at war with itself, poisoned by pride and mired in racial and sexual bigotry. . . Harris' first novel is an aching chronicle of loss, cruelty, and love in the wake of community devastation * Booklist, starred review *As beautiful as it is violent, this moving novel explores how love can bloom even in the most harrowing of circumstances * Buzzfeed *To open Nathan Harris's first novel is to enter a trance. I can't think of any other book out there quite like it. The richness of his language and the exquisite details of the lives he creates produce a kind of waking dream, equally lyrical and threatening -- Luis Alberto Urrea[An] ambitious debut . . . Harris writes in intelligent, down-to-earth prose and shows a keen understanding of his characters . . . Credible and deeply moving * Publishers Weekly, starred review *An impressive debut by a storyteller with bountiful insight and assurance * Kirkus *[The book's] grave beauty is evident immediately * Library Journal *This stunning debut novel probes the limits of freedom in a society where ingrained prejudice and inequality remain the law of the land * Oprah Daily *Harris's tender debut novel captures the yearning for human connection and the risks of departing from social norms * New York Times *A work of great depth and beauty. * Culturefly *An arresting debut * Scotsman *Absolutely stunning, full of vivid descriptions, gripping tension, dynamically complex characters, and a well-woven story -- Yvonne Battle-FeltonAn epic story of love and grief at an incendiary moment in American history * Daily Mail *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton The Romans
£24.00
Birlinn General Exile
Book SynopsisFrom the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in May 1568, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England.Exiletells the story of Mary's English years almost half her life with reference to the latest research and the many locations where she was held captive.
£18.00
Profile Books Ltd The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English
Book SynopsisAn entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. 'A marvelous book' Neil Gaiman 'Wonderful' - Tom Holland 'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan 'Splendid' - David Crystal 'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered gems of words together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.Trade ReviewA wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure, a joyfully clever exploration of early medieval life. -- Edward Brooke-Hitching author * The Madman's Library *Wonderful -- Tom HollandA lovely, lovely read * Lucy Mangan *Splendid -- David CrystalThorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *Eminently giftable ... A book to be dipped in and out of for the riddles and enjoyable factoids -- James Marriott * The Times *Splendid ... It is the perfect way to be introduced to Old English. There is insight on every page, in a beautifully clear and down to-earth style, with lovely humorous asides. -- David CrystalA rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights to dip into during stolen moments. I loved this book-and learnt more from it than from any number of solemn language primers. Hana Videen has created a marvel. -- Nicola Griffith, author of 'Hild'A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *Brilliant. So rich with detail. If you're at all interested in Old English you'll love it. -- History Today * Kate Wiles, senior editor *Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. If you're interested in Old English (and for that matter, even if you're not!) it's an absolute treat. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *A wonderful book that blends linguistics with a survey of everyday life in early Medieval England. If you want to know why music was known as dream-craeft, what was meant by sawel-dreor - 'soul blood' - or the origins of our days of the week, then this is for you. It constitutes a veritable leornung-hus, or 'learning house'' -- Tom Holland * BBC History Magazine *Delightful ... [Videen's] etymological journeys [are] full of satisfying twists ... the book is released in time for Christmas wassailing, and would make a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk ... it's a pleasure just to be reminded of [early Medieval people's] world-craft. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *A treasure trove of forgotten words, their meanings and origins, written with insight and humour, and beautifully designed -- Marshall JuliusWritten in a conversational style that playfully uncovers the meaning of words and their cultural context, [Wordhord] will appeal to all lovers of language and ... serve as an excellent companion to students of Old English literature. Videen unlocks a treasure chest of ancient English ... the result is an accessible, erudite study -- Outstanding Academic Title of the Year * Choice *This book is a treasure trove... [Videen] is a stunning and gifted word detective and writes of her investigations with nimble prose.... At the end [of The Wordhord] you feel the way that you feel when you come to the end of a Sherlock Holmes tale. * Leaf by Leaf *
£9.49
Sacristy Press Tuscany's Noble Treasures: Conceptualizing Female
Book Synopsis
£14.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Barn: The Lives, Landscape and Lost Ways of
Book SynopsisA revelatory uncovering of a vanished agricultural way of life by bestselling nature writer Sally Coulthard. 'A gem of a book' Country Smallholding 'Engaging and filled with gentle humour and fascinating facts' Get History 'Shows us the beauty and rich history of everyday things' Country Walking Magazine Across the foldyard from Sally Coulthard's North Yorkshire farmhouse, stands an old stone barn. When she discovered a set of witches' marks on one of its internal walls, she began to wonder about the lives of the people who had once lived and worked there. Both the intimate story of a building and its hinterland, and a wider social history, The Barn explores a hidden corner of rural Britain that has witnessed remarkable changes. From the eighteenth-century Enclosures to the Second World War, the fortunes of the Barn have been blown, like a leaf in a gale, by the unstoppable forces of new agriculture and industry. Seismic shifts in almost every area of society were all played out here in miniature – against a backdrop of scattered limestone villages and the softly rolling Howardian Hills.Trade ReviewSally Coulthard's beautiful books have shown us the beauty and rich history of everyday things like sheep, bees, hedgehogs, flowers and snow – and now, the humble barn * Country Walking Magazine *A gem of a book... Not only richly informed about the troubles and tribulations of past lives lived in the shadow of the barn, but of the unstoppable forces of agriculture during a long-gone seismic period of British history -- Country Smallholding[Coulthard] works outwards from small observations and detailed research to create a web of stories, images and ideas about rural history, ancient and modern... This is a history of the 'ordinary' people, peppered with surprising facts and personalised tales * Richmondshire Today *Readable, fascinating... A very human history, focusing on the people whose lives changed over several centuries as times and technology changed around them * Shedworking *Engaging and filled with the gentle humour and fascinating facts that are an integral part of Coulthard's written style * Get History *A thoroughly interesting read * Gazette and Herald *The Dalesman's Recommended Read for February 2022 * The Dalesman *The bestselling author of The Bee Bible uncovers the fascinating history of a North Yorkshire barn from the Enclosures of the eighteenth century to the present day in a masterwork of research and non-fiction storytelling * Waterstones *An affectionate celebration of the enduring charm of rural North Yorkshire and a lost agricultural way of life * Country Living *Author and smallholder Sally Coulthard tracks the history of the ancient stone barn that stands across from her Yorkshire farmhouse and, in turn, the history of the farm, those that have tended it and the country at large across two and a half centuries * Neptune Home *
£10.44
Transworld Walking the Bones of Britain
Book SynopsisSomerville's infectious enthusiasm and wry humour infuse his journey from the Isle of Lewis to southern England, revealing our rich geological history with vibrant local and natural history' ObserverA meticulous exploration of the ground beneath our feet. Glorious' Katharine NorburyA remarkable achievement' Tom ChesshyreHis writing is utterly enticing' Country Walking...............................................................................................................................................The influence Britain's geology has had on our daily lives is profound. While we may be unaware of it, every aspect of our history has been affected by events that happened ten thousand, a million, or a thousand million years ago.In Walking the Bones of Britain, Christopher Somerville takes a journey of a thousand miles, beginning in the far north, at the three-billion-year-old rocks of the Isle of
£10.44
Helion & Company The Battle of Kursk
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£30.00
The History Press Ltd The Cornovii
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£11.69
Atlantic Books Now Then
Book SynopsisRick Broadbent has written for The Times for 20 years and authored and ghost-written 12 books. He has been shortlisted for the William Hill Prize three times and has won a British Sports Book award. His books have included a biography of Emil Zatopek, a Czech Olympic hero and political activist, and That Near-Death Thing, about the most dangerous motorcycle race in the world. Rick was born in Leeds and now lives in Dorset.
£10.44
Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd Virus vs Mankind: The Coronavirus Pandemic 2019
Book SynopsisIt is the year 2019, and fear looms in on the world. A deadly virus, one with the ability and venom to wipe away half of the world's 7.8 billion people, or even extinct humanity forever, has emerged. And now, mankind must summon all the strength, knowledge, experiences, science, technology, resilience, courage, and everything else that they have at their disposal, to combat this dark, mysterious, dangerous disease and all its entities. World War III could just end up being between man and the Coronavirus Disease.Table of Contents1. Introduction viii 2. Chapter 1 - Brief history of pandemics and how they changed the world? 1 3. Chapter 2 - Life before COVID-19 7 4. Chapter 3 - Living in fear 13 5. Chapter 4 - How COVID-19 attacks the body? 24 6. Chapter 5 - Living with Anosmia and Parosmia 33 7. Chapter 6 - UK government's unprecedented stimulus package response 37 8. Chapter 7 - COVID-19 and the rest of the world 43 9. Chapter 8 - The second wave 56 10. Chapter 9 - The vaccines and their problems 63 11. Chapter 10 - The out of control second wave and the new variants 73 12. Chapter 11 - A third deadly wave 85 13. Chapter 12 - Track and trace and privacy concerns 90 14. Chapter 13 - A new global financial crisis 94 15. Chapter 14 - When pandemics collide. COVID-19 and Obesity 103 16. Chapter 15 - COVID-19 and mental health 108 17. Chapter 16 - New Coronavirus UK government's acts 117 18. Chapter 17 - How COVID-19 changed the world? 124 19. Chapter 18 - Learning from the mistakes. WHO and UK government's errors 131 20. Chapter 19 - Is it fair? 139 21. Chapter 20 - COVID-19 conspiracies 145 22. Epilogue - Will COVID-19 ever be eradicated? 152 23. Confirmed cases and death tolls country by country table data 156 24. Country by country vaccine data 172 25. Bibliography 174
£9.49
Stenlake Publishing Mons Meg: a symbol of Scotland
Book Synopsis
£11.35
O'Brien Press Ltd The Guinness Story: The Family, The Business and
Book SynopsisThis 250 year-old story will fascinate lovers of Guinness beer and memorabilia as well as those interested in this remarkable family of brewers and the industrial history of Ireland's most famous export.
£10.44
Atelier Editions Thor Heyerdahl: Voyages of the Sun: The Kon-Tiki
Book SynopsisAn archival delve into the remarkable life, expeditions and voyages of Thor Heyerdahl, author of the bestselling adventure classic The Kon-Tiki Expedition Norwegian archaeologist, anthropologist, migration theorist, author and explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) spent decades substantiating unorthodox migration theories, with equally unconventional research methodologies: namely, practicable experiments that employed the construction of ancient vessels, driven across open oceans and waterways to retrace the movement and settlements of our ancestors. With October 2022 commemorating the 75th anniversary of Thor Heyerdahl’s extraordinary 1947 voyage upon a balsa-wood raft, Kon-Tiki, from coastal South America to Polynesia across the Pacific Ocean, an enviable opportunity arises to reexplore Heyerdahl’s innovative yet frequently contested theories and expeditions. Afforded unprecedented access to Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum’s extensive Heyerdahl archive, Thor Heyerdahl: Voyages of the Sun assembles a wealth of little-known and previously unseen correspondence, expedition logbooks, journals and photographs. Offering readers new and unexamined narratives from an explorer famed for his radical ideas and vehement rejections of abstracted academic theory, Thor Heyerdahl: Voyages of the Sun reviews the enduring relevance of the explorer’s research and assesses it within larger narratives of modern archaeological, anthropological, marine science and migration research; international conservation initiatives; evolving globalization; and essential human–nature symbiosis.
£37.80
Motilal Banarsidass, The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty: Memoirs
Book Synopsis
£30.39
Bloomsbury USA The Hump 194245
Book SynopsisA comprehensively illustrated history and analysis of ''The Hump'' campaign in World War II, the huge and treacherous airlift over the Himalayas to keep China fighting.In World War II, the war in China tied down much of the Japanese Army, and it was crucial to keep China fighting and supplied. But when the Burma Road fell, the only way left was by air, in piston-engined transports, over the Himalayas from India. As Japan captured new bases and stationed fighters to intercept, the possible routes over ''The Hump'' became increasingly treacherous. In this book, aviation historian Mark Lardas explains how the campaign was fought. While the effort started with only 25 transports and its original organization was ad hoc, by July 1945 it had grown into a vast and organized air armada, with new airfields, specialized navigation aids, and a force of 640 aircraft. The cost was high, with 594 aircraft lost, and over 1,300 killed. But during the war it hauled nearly 700,000 tons of supplies, keeping China in the war. The India-China Wing of the Air Traffic Command earned a Presidential Unit Citation for its efforts, the first ever awarded to a non-combat unit. Packed with illustrations and maps, this is the story of the first successful strategic airlift in history. The lessons of the Hump fed into the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, and it was the essential forerunner behind the United States'' capability to project power in the Cold War.
£20.25
Princeton University Press On Pedantry A Cultural History of the KnowitAll
£22.50
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Killing Hope
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA very valuable book. The research and organization are extremely impressive. * A.J. Langguth, author and former New York Times bureau chief *A valuable reference for anyone interested in the conduct of US foreign policy. * Choice (American Library Association) *I enjoyed it immensely. * Gore Vidal *Each chapter I read makes me more and more angry. * Helen Caldicott *The single most useful summary of CIA history. * John Stockwell, former CIA officer and author *Far and away the best book on the topic. * Noam Chomsky *I bought several more copies to circulate to friends with the hope of shedding new light and understanding on their political outlooks. * Oliver Stone *A marvelous job of bringing together a lot of loose ends from many sources. * Philip Agee, former CIA officer and author *I am impressed. It is a valuable contribution. * Ramsey Clark, former Attorney General of the United States *Blum has performed a very important service in collecting this information in one place, and the documentation is praiseworthy. * Teresa Pelton Johnson, Assistant Managing Editor, International Security, Harvard University *A very useful piece of work, daunting in scope, important. * Thomas Powers, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist *Table of ContentsAuthor's note Introduction to the new edition Introduction to the original edition 1. China 1945 to 1960s: Was Mao Tse-Tung just paranoid? 2. Italy 1947-1948: Free elections, Hollywood style 3. Greece 1947 to early 1950s: From cradle of democracy to client state 4. The Philippines 1940s and 1950s: America's oldest colony 5. Korea 1945-1953: Was it all that it appeared to be? 6. Albania 1949-1953: The proper English spy 7. Eastern Europe 1948-1956: Operation Splinter Factor 8. Germany 1950s: Everything from juvenile delinquency to terrorism 9. Iran 1953: Making it safe for the King of Kings 10. Guatemala 1953-1954: While the world watched 11. Costa Rica mid-1950s: Trying to topple an ally, Part one 12. Syria 1956-1957: Purchasing a new government 13. The Middle East 1957-1958: The Eisenhower Doctrine claims another backyard for America 14. Indonesia 1957-1958:War and pornography 15. Western Europe 1950s and 1960s: Fronts within fronts within fronts 16. British Guiana 1953-1964: The CIA's international labour Mafia 17. Soviet Union late 1940s to 1960s: From spy planes to book publishing 18. Italy 1950s to 1970s: Supporting the Cardinal's orphans and techno-fascism 19. Vietnam 1950-1973: The Hearts and Minds Circus 20. Cambodia 1955-1973: Prince Sihanouk walks the high-wire of neutralism 21. Laos 1957-1973: L'Armee Clandestine 22. Haiti 1959-1963: The marines land, again 23. Guatemala 1960: One good coup deserves another 24. France/Algeria 1960s: L'etat, c'est la CIA 25. Ecuador 1960-1963: A textbook of dirty tricks 26. The Congo 1960-1964: The Assassination of Patrice Lumumba 27. Brazil 1961-1964: Introducing the marvellous new world of death squads 28. Peru 1960-1965: Fort Bragg moves to the jungle 29. Dominican Republic 1960-1966: Saving democracy from communism by getting rid of democracy 30. Cuba 1959-1980s: The unforgivable revolution 31. Indonesia 1965: Liquidating President Sukarno…and 500,000 others. East Timor 1975: and 200,000 more 32. Ghana 1966: Kwame Nkrumah steps out of line 33. Uruguay 1964-1970: Torture - as American as apple pie 34. Chile 1964-1973: A hammer and sickle stamped on your child's forehead 35. Greece 1964-1974: 'Fuck your Parliament and your Constitution,' said the President of the United States 36. Bolivia 1964-1975: Tracking down Che Guevara in the land of coup d'etat 37. Guatemala 1962 to 1980s: A less publicised 'final solution' 38. Costa Rica 1970-1971: Trying to topple an ally, Part two 39. Iraq 1972-1975: Covert action should not be confused with missionary work 40. Australia 1973-1975: Another free election bites the dust 41. Angola 1975 to 1980s: The Great Powers Poker Game 42. Zaire 1975-1978: Mobutu and the CIA, a marriage made in heaven 43. Jamaica 1976-1980: Kissinger's ultimatum 44. Seychelles 1979-1981: Yet another area of great strategic importance 45. Grenada 1979-1984: Lying - one of the few growth industries in Washington 46. Morocco 1983: A video nasty 47. Suriname 1982-1984: Once again, the Cuban bogeyman 48. Libya 1981-1989: Ronald Reagan meets his match 49. Nicaragua 1981-1990: Destabilisation in slow motion 50. Panama 1969-1991: Double-crossing our drug supplier 51. Bulgaria 1990: Teaching Communists what democracy is all about 52. Iraq 1990-1991: Desert holocaust 53. Afghanistan 1979-1992: America's Jihad 54. El Salvador 1980-1994: Human rights, Washington style 55. Haiti 1986-1994: Who will rid me of this man? 56. The American Empire: 1992 to the present. Notes Appendix I: This is how money goes round Appendix II: Instances of use of United States Armed Forces abroad, 1798-1945 Appendix III: US Government assassination plots
£18.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Greatest Knight
Book Synopsis‘A rip-roaring new life of Marshal … [a] splendid account of a great medieval life' Dan Jones, author of Crusaders‘A thoroughly entertaining account of England’s most colourful and courageous medieval knight’ Sunday Times Drawing upon an array of contemporary evidence, renowned historian Thomas Asbridge’s authoritative and dramatic account brings to life the often overlooked figure of William Marshal, a man who not only served at the right hand of five English monarchs but also helped negotiate the terms of Magna Carta. Charting the unparalleled rise to prominence of a man bound to a code of honour, yet driven by unquenchable ambition, this knight's tale lays bare the brutish realities of medieval warfare and the machinations of the royal court, and draws us into the heart of a formative period of our history: when the West emerged from the Dark Ages
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower
Book Synopsis'A revolutionary book' Sunday Times 'A pulsating account' Peter Frankopan *A SPECTATOR AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR* How did the People’s Republic of China transform from a backwater economy in the 1970s into the world superpower of today? Drawing on hundreds of previously unseen archival documents, award-winning historian Frank Dikötter recasts our understanding of an era that both the regime and foreign admirers alike celebrate as an economic miracle. In a fascinating tale spanning five decades, he examines the country’s economic transformation alongside the regime’s determined suppression of dissent, its increasing hostility towards the West and its development into a thoroughly entrenched dictatorship led by Xi Jinping – one equipped with a sprawling security apparatus and the most sophisticated surveillance system in the world. ‘Essential reading for anyone who wants to know what has shaped today’s China and what the Chinese Communist Party’s choices mean for the rest of the world’ New Statesman ‘A blow-by-blow account of the uneven, reactive and sometimes chaotic course of economic policies . . . An important corrective’ Financial Times ‘Dikötter has been mining Chinese primary sources for decades . . . A clear-eyed and detailed account’ ObserverTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE PEOPLE'S TRILOGY: Together, these three books constitute a major contribution to scholarship on modern China, one that is unequalled, certainly in the English language * Literary Review *Harrowing and brilliant ... This is the book that changes your life -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *Dikötter's achievement in this book is remarkable * Sunday Times *A brilliant and powerful account ...This excellent book is horrific but essential reading for all who want to understand the darkness that lies at the heart of one of the world's most important revolutions * Guardian *Powerful ... Bold and startling ... Dikötter must be admired for the manner in which he puts a human scale on the enormous barbarities of the communist takeover of China. We cannot begin to understand modern China without being aware of the blood-drenched tale Dikötter so ably relates -- Kwasi Kwarteng * Evening Standard *A mesmerizing account of the communist revolution in China, and the subsequent transformation of hundreds of millions of lives through violence, coercion and broken promises. The Chinese themselves suppress this history, but for anyone who wants to understand the current Beijing regime, this is essential background reading -- Anne ApplebaumDikötter performs here a tremendous service by making legible the hugely controversial origins of the present Chinese political order -- Tim Snyder A remarkable work of archival research. Dikötter rarely, if ever, allows the story of central government to dominate by merely reporting a top-down directive. Instead, he tracks down the grassroots impact of Communist policies ... In so doing, he uncovers astonishing stories of party-led inhumanity and also popular resistance ... Dikötter sustains a strong human dimension to the story by skillfully weaving individual voices through the length of the book * Financial Times *Startling ... Dikötter's work has aimed to demolish almost every claim to truth or virtue the Chinese Communist party ever made. He combines a vivid eye for detail with a historian's diligence in the archives. Powerful ... Dikötter is unsparing in his account of the effects of the communist rule * Observer *Magnificent ... This brilliant book leaves no doubt that Mao almost ruined China and left a legacy of paranoia that still grips its modern dictatorship under the latest autocrat, Xi Jinping -- Michael Sheridan * Sunday Times *
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Age of Migration
Book SynopsisHein de Haas, PhD, is Professor of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He is a founding member and former director of the International Migration Institute (IMI) at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and now directs the IMI at its current home at the University of Amsterdam. Dr. de Haas is also Professor in migration and development at Maastricht University /United Nations UniversityMERIT. His research focuses on the linkages between migration and broader processes of social transformation and development in origin and destination countries.Stephen Castles, DPhil, was Honorary Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney, Australia, before retiring in 2017, and served as the first director of the International Migration Institute at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. His research has focused on international migration dynamics, global governance, migration and development, and migration trends in Africa, Asia, and EuroTrade ReviewThe Age of Migration offers the most comprehensive guide to understanding global migration patterns, both historically and in the present day, and the latest edition only confirms this assessment. Drawing expertly on the latest theories and evidence, the authors illuminate the causes of international migration as well as the consequences for the societies that send and receive the resulting flows of people. Their critical assessment of the policies by which nations attempt to manage these flows is a must-read for policy makers and the public alike. * Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University, USA *At a time when migration has become profoundly integral to social, economic and political change across the global stage, The Age of Migration gives us an incisive, state-of-the-art, yet accessible account of migratory processes and their implications for increasingly interconnected and diversifying societies. Updated with recent statistics and expanded to include forms of mobility linked to education, marriage, retirement and temporary labour migration, the sixth edition confirms its longstanding place on the book shelves of scholars and students of global migrations. * Brenda Yeoh, National University of Singapore *For scholars and students alike, The Age of Migration remains the most comprehensive guide to global mobility. The authors bring clarity to this complex phenomenon by addressing key theories and debates, regional patterns and histories, and emergent developments. The sixth edition, simply outstanding, updates this essential resource with new sections on emigration and migration governance, among others. * Kristin Surak, SOAS, UK *The latest edition of The Age of Migration provides an expanded and detailed assessment of global migration patterns within a comparative context. It provides a sophisticated account of how these patterns speak back to and are informed by theories of migration. This will make a great addition to scholars and students of migration. * Vince Marotta, Deakin University, Australia *Theoretically sophisticated and empirically wide-ranging, The Age of Migration keeps on getting better with each edition. With new, revised and updated chapters this is essentially a new book. Whether as core or background reading, using this textbook in your migration course is a no-brainer. * Maarten Vink, Maastricht University, the Netherlands *Migration is a transformative force. At a time when it seems that everybody has an opinion on international migration, The Age of Migration remains the go-to reference to learn about international migration in many of its aspects – it reliably informs and solidly sobers a field of knowledge that is often riddled with prejudice. The sixth edition combines consistency of argument with exposition of data that broadens beyond an exclusive Western-centric perspective and is more expansive on a variety of theoretical lenses woven through the chapters through which learning about and understanding of international migration can be approached. The Age of Migration occupies a central place in migration studies. * Christina Oelgemoller, Loughborough University, UK *By now a classic text on international migration, this sixth edition of The Age of Migration is the best so far. Understanding cross-border mobility is one of the major challenges of the 21st century, and this volume sets the gold standard for studies of migration across both the Western and the non-Western world. A must read for students, scholars, and policymakers alike. * Gerasimos Tsourapas, University of Birmingham, UK *The authors have updated the fifth edition to produce this definitive text on migration. New sections ensure that the book offers a rigorous and critical analysis of migration covering migration theories, patterns of migration, gender and migration and much more besides. Consequently, it will be useful to students, researchers and policymakers alike. The book challenges popular myths about migration, including that it is a peculiarity to the modern age, offering robust evidence to dispel such misconceptions. I strongly recommend The Age of Migration. * Ruth McAreavey, Newcastle University, UK *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Categories of Migration 3. Theories of Migration 4. Migration, Ethnicity and Identity 5. International Migration before 1945 6. Migration in Europe since 1945 7. Migration in the Americas 8. Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region 9. Migration in Africa and the Middle East 10. The State, Politics and Migration 11. The Evolution and Effectiveness of Migration Policies 12. Migrants and Minorities in the Labour Force 13. New Ethnic Minorities and Society 14. Migration and Development in Origin Societies 15. Conclusion: Global Migration Futures.
£33.29
Pan Macmillan Four Sisters The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand
Book SynopsisHelen Rappaport is a historian with a specialism in the nineteenth century. She is the author of numerous books, including Four Sisters, Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs and Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death that Changed the Monarchy. She is also the author, with Roger Watson, of Capturing the Light.Trade ReviewRappaport is insightful in her analysis of Alexandra's vulnerability [and] illuminates the precise influence of Grigori Rasputin . . . An astoundingly intimate tale of domestic life lived in the crucible of power. * Observer *[Rappaport] brings to Four Sisters an encyclopedic knowledge of the minutiae of Nicholas and Alexandra's family life . . . Four Sisters is a study in unity. It demonstrates resoundingly the strength of family ties. * The Telegraph *A well-written gem . . . a fascinating, in-depth and comprehensively researched study of the imperial daughters. * Daily Express *Evocative and beautifully researched and told, this is narrative history at its best. * Bookseller *Poignant [and] well written ... Rappaport's sensitive portrayal of the doomed sisters draws the reader into an attachment to each one. * Mail on Sunday *One of the greatest skills a historian can possess is to make readers feel as if they have stepped back in time to witness the characters, places and events they describe. In her stunning composite biography, Helen Rappaport achieves this to dazzling and, at times, almost unbearably poignant effect. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *
£13.49
Quercus Publishing Unseen Scotland
Book SynopsisJourney through the unique beauty of Scotland, with 100+ stunning photographs of the magical places and hidden gems.For centuries people have been beguiled and inspired by the imposing cloud-scattered mountains and tranquil lochs of Scotland''s landscape. Aside from its breath-taking beauty, this country is steeped in a rich and violent history, alongside tales of fearless giants and mischievous fairies.In Unseen Scotland, photographer and travel guide Bryan Millar Walker takes us on an adventure through the rugged landscapes, hidden castle ruins and captivating folklore of his home country. Filled with atmospheric photography of Scotland''s most beautiful places, the book is divided into 4 sections including:- West Coast: walk among giants, drive winding roads and reflect by the remote cottages of Glencoe and beyond- Hebrides: explore the white sands and turquoise waters of world-class beaches, and nearby remot
£24.00
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press Red Star Over China: The Classic Account of the
Book SynopsisThe first Westerner to meet Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist leaders in 1936, Edgar Snow came away with the first authorised account of Mao's life, as well as a history of the famous Long March and the men and women who were responsible for the Chinese revolution. Out of that experience came Red Star Over China, a classic work that remains one of the most important books ever written about the birth of the Communist movement in China.This edition includes extensive notes on the military and political developments in China, further interviews with Mao Tse-tung, a chronology covering 125 years of Chinese revolution and nearly a hundred detailed biographies of the men and women who were instrumental in making China what it is today.Trade ReviewThe remarkable thing about Red Star Over China was that it not only gave the first connected history of Mao and his colleagues and where they had come from, but it also gave a prospect of the future... This book has stood the test of time on both these counts - as a historical record and as an indication of a trend. * From the Introduction by John K. Fairbank *It truly was a book that shook the world. * China Daily *Irreplaceable... by far the most important single source regarding [Mao's] life * Stuart R. Schram *Scoop of the century * Foreign Affairs *
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers Kings and Queens
Book SynopsisA copiously illustrated guide to the monarchs of the British Isles and Ireland from pre-Saxon times to the present, complete with concise genealogical charts and details of key historical events.The book is divided into five sections, together with a Compendium at the end.Part One, presents information about Pre-Saxon rule, including details about ancient British chiefs, Roman rulers and the Roman Conquest. Part Two provides information about Scotland, Ireland and Wales, with sections on Robert I and the Wars of Independence, The Union of the Crowns, the Princes of Wales and the High Kingship of Ireland.Part Three discusses the Saxons, Normans and Plantagenets. Part Four gives details about the Tudors and Stuarts. Part Five presents an in-depth discussion of the houses from Hanover to Windsor.Parts Two to Five provide all the essential information you will need to know about Kings and Queens including details of birth, parents, accession to the throne, coronation, authority, personal sTrade Review‘A must-have resource for writers, teachers, everyone! Everything you need to know about the Kings and Queens of England is right here in this tiny volume. If you can’t keep your Edwards or Henrys straight, you need this pocket book’.Amazon
£6.99
Penguin Books Ltd The World of the Cold War
Book Synopsis
£21.25
Pan Macmillan Nostalgia
Book SynopsisA dazzling history of that most slippery of emotions: nostalgia, by an acclaimed young historian.
£10.44
Michael O'Mara Books Ltd Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret
Book Synopsis28 January 1457. England is in the grip of the Wars of the Roses. Inside the walls of Pembroke Castle a thirteen-year-old girl gives birth to a boy. The ordeal nearly kills them both, forging a powerful bond that will see mother and son work together to found the most famous dynasty in British history: the Tudors.___________‘A compelling portrayal of a woman of extraordinary courage, vision and passion. A must read.’ – Tracy Borman‘A pacy narrative, written with a clear love for and detailed knowledge of her subject.’ – Spectator ___________As the battle for royal supremacy raged between the houses of Lancaster and York, Margaret Beaufort, who was descended from Edward III and proved to be a critical threat to the Yorkist cause, was forced to give up her son – she would be separated from him for fourteen years. Surrounded by conspiracies in the enemy Yorkist court, Margaret remained steadfast, only just escaping the headman’s axe as she plotted to overthrow Richard III and secure her son the throne. Against all odds, in 1485 Henry Tudor was victorious on the battlefield at Bosworth. Margaret’s unceasing efforts and royal blood saw her son crowned King Henry VII, and Margaret became the most powerful woman in England.Nicola Tallis unmasks the many myths that have attached themselves to Margaret and reveals the real woman: an independent and vibrant character, who would risk everything to become Queen in all but name.Trade ReviewA compelling portrayal of a woman of extraordinary courage, vision and passion. A must read. -- Tracy BormanStunning – informed, assured and compulsively readable. -- Sarah GristwoodA pacy narrative, written with a clear love for and detailed knowledge of her subject. * Spectator *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Kindred
Book Synopsis** WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE 2021 **''Beautiful, evocative, authoritative.'' Professor Brian Cox''Important reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity.' Yuval Noah HarariKindred is the definitive guide to the Neanderthals. Since their discovery more than 160 years ago, Neanderthals have metamorphosed from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins.Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland. She reveals them to be curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable. Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval.Much of what defines us was also in Neanderthals, and their DNA is still inside us. PlTrade ReviewImportant reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity. - Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens * The New York Times *Beautiful, evocative, authoritative. Kindred is a beautifully written exploration of our fast-developing understanding of Neanderthals and their culture and a compelling insight into how modern science is revealing the secrets of an extinct species who, for 350 thousand years before Homo Sapiens became dominant, inhabited a world “as wide and rich as the Roman Empire.” -- Professor Brian Cox, Physicist and TV presenterRebecca Wragg-Sykes's fact-packed but highly readable book puts us right with a superbly authoritative guided tour of much new evidence. It's tempting to say, "If you read only one book about the Neanderthals, read this one" -- except that if the next 20 years provide as many revelations about our ancestors as the past 20 have done, she will need to produce just as weighty a second volume. -- Richard Morrison * The Times *Blending cutting-edge science with lyrical storytelling, Rebecca Wragg Sykes paints a detailed portrait of our enigmatic relatives. -- Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, author and broadcasterWritten with such pleasing, elegant prose, Kindred is a captivating ode to the subtle complexities of palaeoanthropology – the thrill of discovery, the frustrating gaps in the evidence, the tantalising question marks hovering above our favourite ideas. Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes balances admirable scientific caution with her joyous enthusiasm, and the result is a generous, enthralling history of how we first came to know our ancient cousins, and how we’re still getting to know them today. -- Greg Jenner, historian and author‘Kindred is a thrillingly full account of what we currently know about the Neanderthals… Wragg Sykes' project is to write about Neanderthals as an end in themselves, not as a failed version of humanity.’ * London Review of Books *Rebecca Wragg Sykes’s book paints a vivid portrait of our adaptable ancient relatives ... immersive. -- Josie Glausiusz * Nature *Kindred is a tour de force. A rich and beautiful synthesis of all that is known about Neanderthal biology and culture, it should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of humanity. -- Dr Tori Herridge, palaeontologist and TV presenter‘The knowledge condensed here is certainly impressive … Rebecca Wragg Sykes has studied their landscapes, territories and tools and emerges as an expert and enthusiastic character witness for Neanderthals and their way of life. Neanderthals probably didn’t have PR, but they do now.’ * Guardian *Wragg Sykes paints a fascinating picture of a field transformed almost beyond recognition over the past 30 years. -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *Current, compelling, well researched, beautifully written and poetical, Kindred is like no other book you've read on Neanderthals. -- Professor Lee. R. Berger, University of WitwatersrandTable of ContentsA Note on Names Introduction Chapter 1: The First Face Chapter 2: The River Fells the Tree Chapter 3: Bodies Growing Chapter 4: Bodies Living Chapter 5: Ice and Fire Chapter 6: The Rocks Remain Chapter 7: Material World Chapter 8: Eat and Live Chapter 9: Chez Neanderthal Chapter 10: Into the Land Chapter 11: Beautiful Things Chapter 12: Minds Inside Chapter 13: Many Ways to Die Chapter 14: Time Travellers in the Blood Chapter 15: Denouements Chapter 16: Immortal Beloved Epilogue Acknowledgements Index
£10.79
Profile Books Ltd Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-89
Book SynopsisRussia's invasion of Afghanistan, told by a former British Ambassador Twenty-five years ago, when the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan after a gruelling nine-year occupation, they left a legacy obscured by distortion and distrust. Fuelled by Cold War propaganda and the myths of the nineteenth-century Great Game, in many ways it remains so. The USSR entered the country in 1979 as part of efforts to quash growing anti-Soviet feeling in Kabul. What followed was a particularly brutal and bloody episode in world history - and one that is often credited as setting the stage for the Taliban's takeover in 1996. Basing his account on Russian sources and interviews, Rodric Braithwaite shows the conflict through the eyes of the Russians who fought it - politicians, officers, soldiers, advisers and journalists - moving seamlessly from the high politics of the Kremlin to lonely Russian conscripts in isolated mountain outposts. This is a powerful and sweeping history of the Soviets in Afghanistan, told with the unique insights of a former Ambassador to Moscow.Trade ReviewThis book finally dispels many of the Cold War myths surrounding the Soviet-Afghan war. It offers the most nuanced, sympathetic and comprehensive account yet. -- Rory StewartAn outstanding book ... these accounts provide a fascinating insight not only into the war but also into Soviet society * THES *A splendid read, full of interesting material, and essential for anyone trying to understand the Russians * BBC History Magazine *This bids fair to become the standard history, but it is a kind of parable too. Here is a battery of facts, intervoven with human stories, soldiers' tales and a thousand flashes of individual experience gathered in interview. For the mountain of evidence he has assembled before a generation passes away, historians (including Russian historians) will always be grateful; but Braithwaite's immense, urgent project offers more than a history, but a cool and deadly assessment of the mess that Power can get itself into. He never overstates; there is more tragedy here than villainy, more confusion than conspiracy; and the abiding impression is not so much shocking as unutterably sad. The read-across to other nations' wars leaps at you from every page. -- Matthew Parris
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Northern Wind
Book SynopsisThe early sixties in Britain told as only David Kynaston (''the most entertaining historian alive'' Spectator) can. Running from 1962 to 1965, A Northern Wind is the anticipated new volume in the landmark Tales of a New Jerusalem' series.''From Daleks and dingy tower blocks to nuclear threats, this addictively readable book charts dizzying change . . . Sometimes moving, often comic, always fascinating''DOMINIC SANDBROOK, SUNDAY TIMESHow much can change in two and a half years? In the case of Britain in the Sixties, the answer is: almost everything. From the seismic coming of Liverpool''s the Beatles to a sex scandal that rocked the Tory government to the arrival at No 10 of Harold Wilson, a Yorkshireman utterly different from his Old Etonian predecessors.A Northern Wind, the keenly anticipated next instalment of David Kynaston's acclaimed Tales of a New Jerusalem series, brings to vivid life the period betw
£13.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd 1971 - Never a Dull Moment: Rock's Golden Year
Book Synopsis*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER*As seen on Apple TV - 1971: The Year That Music Changed EverythingThe Sixties ended a year late - on New Year's Eve 1970, when Paul McCartney initiated proceedings to wind up The Beatles. Music would never be the same again.The next day would see the dawning of a new era. 1971 saw the release of more monumental albums than any year before or since and the establishment of a pantheon of stars to dominate the next forty years - Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, the solo Beatles and more.January that year fired the gun on an unrepeatable surge of creativity, technological innovation, blissful ignorance, naked ambition and outrageous good fortune. By December rock had exploded into the mainstream. How did it happen? This book tells you how. It's the story of 1971, rock's golden year.Trade ReviewDavid Hepworth's argument is simple: 1971 was "the most febrile and creative time in the entire history of popular music". It's an enormous assertion but he makes his point with infectious enthusiasm . . . Whether you agree is beside the point. This is a compelling love letter to a year of timeless music. * Q *A clever and entertaining book . . . Hepworth proves a refreshingly independent thinker. His style is pithy and his eye for anecdotal detail sharp . . . a thoroughly provoking delight * Daily Telegraph *This is no ‘my generation is cooler than yours’ nostalgia trip. Just as movements in art, jazz or TV undeniably had Golden Ages then so too with the long-playing record and its seismic effect on subsequent generations. David Hepworth’s forensic sweep of this astonishing twelve months is thoroughly absorbing and appropriately rollicking, expertly guiding us through one miraculous year in all its breathless tumble of creation. -- Danny BakerA good mix of entertainment, insight and odd facts. Hepworth’s thesis is largely convincing * Mojo *An engaging and thought-provoking read. It’s a dry-eyed but deeply felt love note to the date when rock was still busy inventing itself. Hepworth points out more than once that at the time he had no idea how lucky he hwas. He knows now – and so do we * Mail on Sunday *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Thomas Cromwell
Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, FINANCIAL TIMES, GUARDIAN, BBC HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR''This is the biography we have been awaiting for 400 years'' Hilary Mantel''A masterpiece'' Dan Jones, Sunday TimesThomas Cromwell is one of the most famous - or notorious - figures in English history. Born in obscurity in Putney, he became a fixer for Cardinal Wolsey in the 1520s. After Wolsey''s fall, Henry VIII promoted him to a series of ever greater offices, and by the end of the 1530s he was effectively running the country for the King. That decade was one of the most momentous in English history: it saw a religious break with the Pope, unprecedented use of parliament, the dissolution of all monasteries. Cromwell was central to all this, but establishing his role with precision, at a distance of nearly five centuries and after the destruction of many of his papers at his own fall, has been notoriously difficult.Diarmaid MacCulloch''s biography is much the most complete and persuasive life ever written of this elusive figure, a masterclass in historical detective work, making connections not previously seen. It overturns many received interpretations, for example that Cromwell was a cynical, ''secular'' politician without deep-felt religious commitment, or that he and Anne Boleyn were allies because of their common religious sympathies - in fact he destroyed her. It introduces the many different personalities of these foundational years, all conscious of the ''terrifyingly unpredictable'' Henry VIII. MacCulloch allows readers to feel that they are immersed in all this, that it is going on around them.For a time, the self-made ''ruffian'' (as he described himself) - ruthless, adept in the exercise of power, quietly determined in religious revolution - was master of events. MacCulloch''s biography for the first time reveals his true place in the making of modern England and Ireland, for good and ill.Trade ReviewSir Diarmaid MacCulloch is one of finest historians in the English-speaking world and preeminent in the area of the English Reformation. He has combined his expertise in 16th-century history with a compelling literary style in his latest book ... the definitive work on Henry VIII's great minister and an extraordinary insight into the politics and religion of the age, and of any age for that matter. Thomas Cromwell's somewhat dark reputation was given a new and bright shine by Hilary Mantel in the Wolf Hall trilogy and this life takes us from the fictional into the authentic; its triumph is that it is just as thrilling and equally stimulating and challenging. A profoundly important book. -- Rev. Michael Coren * Spectator *Meticulous and magisterial ... If this is not the definitive biography, I don't know what that would look like -- Peter Marshall * Literary Review *Triumphant and definitive ... a masterpiece of documentary detective-work, which buzzes with the excitement of a great historian immersed in archives -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *A model of classical historical biography at its finest -- Rowan Williams * New Statesman *The definitive biography ... exhaustively researched and superbly written -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times (Books of the Year) *The Tudor minister brought to fictional life in Wolf Hall is given a definitive scholarly treatment in this long-awaited, masterful, wry biography -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year) *
£17.09
Pan Macmillan Foundation
Book SynopsisPeter Ackroyd is an award-winning novelist, as well as a broadcaster, biographer, poet and historian. He is the author of the acclaimed non-fiction bestsellers, Thames: Sacred River and London: The Biography. He holds a CBE for services to literature and lives in London.
£15.29
Transworld Publishers Ltd The War in the West A New History
Book SynopsisFrom the top ten bestselling author of Normandy 44 and Sicily 43The Second World War is the most cataclysmic and violent sequence of events in recent times. But for the past seven decades, our understanding of it has relied upon conventional wisdom, propaganda and an interpretation skewed by the information available. James Holland has spent over twelve years conducting new research, interviewing survivors, visiting battlefields and archives that have never before been so accessible and challenging too-long-held assumptions about the war that shaped our world. In Germany Ascendant, the first part of this ground-breaking new history, James Holland introduces the war, beginning with the lead-up to its outbreak in 1939 and taking us up to mid-1941 as the Nazis prepared to unleash Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. To tell the real story, he weaves together the experiences of dozens of individuals, from civilians and soldiers, to sailors, Trade Review"A marvellously readable book" -- Gary Sheffield BBC History Magazine - Books of the Year 2015 "Impeccably researched and superbly written ... Holland's fascinating saga offers a mixture of captivating new research and well-considered revisionism. The next two volumes should be unmissable." -- Alexander Larman Observer "Holland's history is a work of revisionism with a vengeance. Through his emphasis on logistical support and technology, he continually demolishes cherished myths about the war ... This is a magnificent, authoritative contribution to the study of the Second World War." -- Leo McKinstry Literary Review "This brilliant, lucid and intimate history is a game-changer, the Second World War will never seem the same again. If you think you know the real history of the Second World War this book will astonish you: it renders other popular histories redundant" -- Professor David Edgerton King's College, London "The most refreshing and engaging book about the Second World War that I have read in a long time. The absorbing narrative is laced with a passion and enthusiasm and stands head and shoulders above the current crop of titles in the genre" Soldier Magazine "James Holland is the best of the new generation of WW2 historians. His epic new venture convincingly challenges many received ideas about the war and draws some exciting new conclusions" -- Sebastian Faulks "James Holland's War in the West takes a fresh look at the familiar and finds much food for thought - turning several conventions on their heads in a compelling and revelatory way" -- Al Murray "This book stands apart and for all the right reasons: Holland has something new to say. Every page is alive with a level of excitement and enthusiasm. Here is a perspective that turns on its head what I thought I understood about those astonishing years - filled with insight and detail" -- Neil Oliver "With this magnificent, hugely readable debut, James Holland's War in the West is set fair to become one of the truly great multi-volume histories of the Second World War" -- Andrew Roberts "James Holland has produced a gripping multi-layered study of the War in West. It weaves together accounts from all levels of those caught up in the opening stages of the war and provides an accessible and captivating narrative. More importantly still it offers a challenging reappraisal that forces us to rethink our attitudes to the conduct of the most destructive and important war in history. Essential reading" -- Professor John Buckley, Professor of War Studies, Wolverhampton University & author of Monty's Men
£12.34
Transworld Publishers Ltd Hidden History: a compelling and captivating
Book SynopsisThink you know about British history and the causes of the First World War? Think again. This fascinating and gripping study of events at the turn of the Twentieth Century is a remarkable insight into how political and social factors that we widely accept to be the causes of The Great War, were really just a construct put together by a very small, but powerful, political elite...'Thought-provoking . . . Docherty and Macgregor do not mince their words . . . their arguments are powerful' -- Britain at War'Simply astonishing' -- ***** Reader review'Very illuminating' -- ***** Reader review'You simply MUST read this book' -- ***** Reader review'This is a page-turner' -- ***** Reader review***********************************************************************************Hidden History uniquely exposes those responsible for the First World War. It reveals how accounts of the war's origins have been deliberately falsified to conceal the guilt of the secret cabal of very rich and powerful men in London responsible for the most heinous crime perpetrated on humanity. For ten years, they plotted the destruction of Germany as the first stage of their plan to take control of the world. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was no chance happening. It lit a fuse that had been carefully set through a chain of command stretching from Sarajevo through Belgrade and St Petersburg to that cabal in London.Our understanding of these events has been firmly trapped in a web of falsehood and duplicity carefully constructed by the victors at Versailles in 1919 and maintained by compliant historians ever since. The official version is fatally flawed, warped by the volume of evidence they destroyed or concealed from public view.Hidden History poses a tantalising challenge. The authors ask only that you examine the evidence they lay before you . . .Trade ReviewThought-provoking . . . Docherty and Macgregor do not mince their words . . . their arguments are powerful * Britain at War *
£19.80
Penguin Books Ltd A Grain of Wheat
Book SynopsisKenyan novelist and playwright Ngugi wa Thiong'o is the author of WEEP NOT CHILD (1964), THE RIVER BETWEEN (1965), and PETALS OF BLOOD (1977). Ngugi was chair of the Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi from 1972 to 1977. He left Kenya in 1982 and taught at various universities in the United States before he became professor of comparative literature and performance studies at New York University in 1992.
£9.49
