History Books

Book SynopsisThe definitive history of the Middle East, now updated in its fifth edition''The best overall survey of the politics, regional rivalries and economics of the contemporary Arab world'' Washington PostOver the centuries the Middle East has confounded the dreams of conquerors and peacemakers alike. This now-classic book follows the historic struggles of the region over the last two hundred years, from Napoleon''s assault on Egypt, through the slow decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire, to the painful emergence of modern nations. It is now fully updated with extensive new material examining recent developments including the aftermaths of the ''Arab Spring'', the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict and the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars.''An excellent political overview'' Guardian

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Shamelessly engaging, effortlessly scholarly, utterly refreshing''Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler''s Ark''A small treasure''New York Times ''This sweepingly confident overview is more entertainingly told than any previous account''Sunday TelegraphIreland played the central role in maintaining European culture when the dark ages settled on Europe in the fifth century: as Rome was sacked by Visigoths and its empire collapsed, Ireland became ''the isle of saints and scholars'' that enabled the classical and religious heritage to be saved.In his compelling and entertaining narrative, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Irish monks and scrines copied the mauscripts of both pagan and Christian writers, including Homer and Aristotle, while libraries on the continent were lost forever. Bringing the past and its characters to life, Cahill captures the sensibility of the unsung Irish who relaunched civilisation.Trade ReviewHOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILISATION is a shamelessly engaging, effortlessly scholarly, utterly refreshing history of the origins of the Irish soul and its huge contribution to Western culture ... For its portrait of St Patrick alone, it will resonate in the memory. * Thomas Keneally *Lyrical, playful, penetrating and serious ... an entirely engaging, delectable voyage into the distant past, a small treasure * Richard Bernstein in the New York Times *This sweepingly confident overview is more entertainingly told than any previous account ... An elegant book * P.J. Kavanagh in the Sunday Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2013''As taut and richly embroidered as a great novel . . . a masterpiece'' Sunday Telegraph''Dazzling'' Sunday Times ''Magnificent'' Guardian ''Sparkling'' Daily TelegraphA towering history of the first Afghan War by bestselling historian William Dalrymple.In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk.On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain''s greatest military humiliation of the nineteenth century: an entire army of the then most powerful nation in the world ambushed in retreat and utterly routed byTrade ReviewThis sorry saga has been recounted many times, but never that I can recall as well as by Dalrymple. He is a master story-teller, whose special gift lies in the use of indigenous sources, so often neglected by imperial chroniclers -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Enchantingly written . . . In Dalrymple’s usual happy style of historical narrative, applied to a fascinating, neat and highly suggestive series of events, this long and involved book will be a great success, and bring the famous story to a large new audience -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *Of the books swooped into being by his scholarship (to which he himself has applied the adjective “obsessive”), this one is the most magnificent . . . His account is so perceptive and so warmly humane that one is never tempted to break away . . . This book would be compulsive reading even if it were not a uniquely valuable history, which it is, because Dalrymple has uncovered sources never used before -- Diana Athill * Guardian *Brilliant . . . Those who have read his White Mughals and The Last Mughal will know what to expect: a readable style, a deep humanity and, above all, an extraordinary skill in evoking the lost worlds of Mughals and Afghans . . . His pen-portraits are a masterpiece . . . Return of a King is much the fullest and most powerful description of the West's first encounter with Afghan society -- John Darwin * New York Times *A major contribution to the historiography of south-west Asia and of the British empire . . . Return of a King will come to be seen as the definitive account of the first and most disastrous western attempt to invade Afghanistan. Dalrymple's afterword should be put on college syllabuses on both sides of the Atlantic -- Sherard Cowper-Coles * New Statesman *Splendid and absorbing . . . William Dalrymple tells this tragic story with verve, skill, and - unexpectedly in the circumstances - some humor. Using unknown or underused sources from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, he recounts the tale from both sides, shifting the scenes, using eyewitness accounts, quoting at length heroic epic poems . . . A fine book -- David Gilmour * New York Review of Books *William Dalrymple is a master storyteller, who breathes such passion, vivacity and animation into the historical characters of the First Anglo-Afghan war of 1839-42 that at the end of this 567-page book you feel you have marched, fought, dined and plotted with them all: once I had finished I turned straight back to the beginning * Independent *Brilliant . . . even 170 years later, the events described in Return of a King still have the power to shock - and so they should. It is to be hoped that any future British leader contemplating intervention in Afghanistan, or any other part of the Muslim world, will read Dalrymple's book * Financial Times *Mr. Dalrymple's writing is sly, charming and clever. His histories read like novels . . . This latest book delights and shocks as he points the finger at both sides for their deceit treachery and cruelty . . . Magnificent * Wall Street Journal *Definitive . . . Return of a King, like a great classical tragedy, grips the reader's attention from start to finish . . . not just a riveting account of one imperial disaster on the roof of the world; it teaches unforgettable lessons about the perils of neocolonial adventures everywhere -- Piers Brendan * Literary Review *By turns epic, thrilling, suspenseful, and utterly appalling, at once deeply researched and beautifully paced, Return of a King should win every prize for which it's eligible * Bookforum *Dazzling . . . Dalrymple is a master storyteller, whose special gift lies in the use of indigenous sources, so often neglected by imperial chroniclers . . . Almost every page of Dalrymple's splendid narrative echoes with latter-day reverberations -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Outstanding . . . Dalrymple has emerged as a superb historian of the British Raj . . . He excels at character, scene setting, and shifting between multiple points of view . . . His use of sources is stunning, particularly the trove of Persian-language material - epic poems, court histories and other accounts - he found in Kabul. No other western historian has given such a complete account of the other side * National *William Dalrymple's phenomenal achievement is to combine a steady overview of his broad canvas with a magpie's eye for detail and a film-maker's sense of when to shift the mood and focus. His writing is ebullient, but his conclusion is timely and grave. Any attempt to subjugate Afghanistan must, as one witness of that first invasion noted, be 'temporary and transient and terminate in catastrophe' * Intelligent Life *A powerful account of Britain's deluded occupation . . . A superlative achievement * Scotland on Sunday *Dalrymple is something of a secret national treasure; a travel writer and narrative historian of Britain's relations with India . . . an enthralling, definitive account * The Lady *Masterful . . . Dalrymple makes an important contribution by including recently discovered Afghan accounts of the war * Washington Post *This hefty and extraordinary book may be [Dalrymple's] masterwork . . . Dalrymple's assiduous scholarship and travel-writer's ease with language makes this not only an incredibly well-researched book, but something of a page-turner * Big Issue *This is vintage Dalrymple: warp-speed historical narrative, meticulously researched . . . My only regret reading this wonderful history is that it was not published a decade earlier * Evening Standard *Dalrymple is a writer who can make the most recondite historical issues come alive and with each successive book he becomes a more entertaining and enlightening companion . . . Return of a King is simply quite brilliant -- Alexander McCall Smith * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Probably the best known British historian of India . . . this is the book he was born to write * Economist *Sensationally good . . . Dalrymple writes the kind of history few historians can match . . . Drawing on Afghan, Russian, and Indian sources, [Dalrymple] tells a truly epic story of imperial ambition and hubris with profound lessons for our own times . . . I doubt that I'll read a better written or more important history book all year * Scotsman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe bestselling phenomenon - an enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and readingA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2023'Outstanding, universal and unique' NEW YORK TIMES'A literary phenomenon.' TLS'Masterly.' ECONOMIST'Mindboggling' TELEGRAPHLong before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.Trade ReviewA literary phenomenon . . . didactic and daring . . . elegant and richly digressive. * Times Literary Supplement *'Outstanding, universal and unique' * New York Times *[A] bestselling phenomenon... Irene Vallejo recounts the birth of literary culture in the ancient world while interweaving dynamic, thrilling tales that underscore and celebrate the power of words to change the world. * Financial Times, Books of the Year *A mindboggling history of the earliest books... Vallejo is a novelist and she has a storyteller's ability to animate her subjects... and the story she tells is impressively rip-roaring. She draws a six-thousand-year line from the clay tablets of Mesopotamia to the e-reader tablets of today and leaves her readers inspired, invigorated and sincerely grateful for the invention of the book.' * Henry Eliot, Daily Telegraph *Packed with fascinating insights into literacy in the ancient world... Vallejo is a diligent scholar, excelling with her accounts of the human experience of books in the era. * i news *Irene Vallejo, a Spanish journalist and scholar, has a writer's passion for books and a classicist's fascination with the way they came to be. She is also imaginative, lively and contemporary. In her hands written texts are not only a sensual pleasure, but living and frequently disruptive... Ms Vallejo has a notable talent for evoking ancient scenes. Her description, for example, of the poet Martial returning to Spain from Rome, near the end of the book, is masterly. * Economist *This prize-winning Spanish title has a classy jacket and impressive heft, which is only fitting really, since it celebrates the book as an object. More enticingly still, novelist and essayist Vallejo enlivens history with imagination and personal anecdote as she traces the book's lineage from scrolls made of aquatic plant pith to codices and tablets, digressing to show how its development is interwoven with the development of western civilisation. Is Papyrus available as an ebook? Yes, but I'll bet any reader drawn to it is going to want to save up for the hardcover. * Observer *In this generous, sprawling work... Vallejo sets out to provide a panoramic survey of how books shaped not just the ancient world but ours too. While she pays due attention to the physicality of the book... Vallejo is equally interested in what goes on inside its covers. And also, more importantly, what goes on inside a reader when they take up a volume and embark on an imaginative and intellectual dance that might just change their life. As much as a history of books, Papyrus is also a history of reading. * Guardian *An excellent, illuminating celebration... Vallejo's vigorous celebration of book culture excels at illuminating the ancient world through contemporary references - including to Margaret Atwood, Bob Dylan and Taxi Driver - and draws revealing parallels between antiquity and today.' * The Irish Times *[A] masterpiece . . . I am absolutely sure that it will continue to be read when its readers today are already in the afterlife. * Mario Vargas Llosa *

Read more less

Book SynopsisColonial and imperial powers have often portrayed arid lands as “empty” spaces ready to be occupied, exploited, extracted, and polluted. Despite the undeniable presence of human and nonhuman lives and forces in desert territories, the “regime of emptiness” has inhabited, and is still inhabiting, many imaginaries. Deserts Are Not Empty challenges this colonial tendency, questions its roots and ramifications, and remaps the representations, theories, histories, and stories of arid lands—which comprise approximately one-third of the Earth’s land surface. The volume brings together poems in original languages, conversations with collectives, and essays by scholars and professionals from the fields of architecture, architectural history and theory, curatorial studies, comparative literature, film studies, landscape architecture, and photography. These different approaches and diverse voices draw on a framework of decoloniality to unsettle and unlearn the desert, opening up possibilities to see, think, imagine it otherwise. With contributions from Saphiya Abu Al-Maati, Menna Agha, Asaiel Al Saeed, Aseel AlYaqoub, Yousef Awaad Hussein, Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Danika Cooper, Brahim El Guabli, Timothy Hyde, Jill Jarvis, Bongani Kona, Dalal Musaed Alsayer, Observatoire des armements, Francisco E. Robles, Paulo Tavares, Alla Vronskaya, and XqSu.Trade Review[Deserts Are Not Empty] is a terrific compilation of essays that allow us to rethink how the desert has been transformed from an actual condition to an idea in service of extractive politics. -- Ali Ismail Karimi * The Atchitect's Newpaper *Table of Contents1. Against the Regime of “Emptiness” Samia Henni2. Desert Futures CollectiveA Conversation with Brahim El Guabli, Jill Jarvis, and Francisco E. Robles3. It Is Not a Desert Where Grandmother SitsMenna Agha4. Drawing Deserts, Making WorldsDanika Cooper5. Imperial Desert Effect: Palestine Is There, Where It Had Always BeenAriella Aïsha Azoulay6. Space Wars: An Investigation into Kuwait's HinterlandA Conversation with Saphiya Abu Al-Maati, Asaiel Al Saeed, Aseel AlYaqoub, and Yousef Awaad Hussein7. The Colonial-Modern Politics of Desertification (Notes on the Past and the Future of the Amazon Forest)Paulo Tavares8. Overland There’s Shorter Time to DreamXqSu9. Archives of ForgetfulnessA Conversation with Bongani Kona10. Anywhere, USA: Aramco’s Housing in Saudi Arabia’s DesertDalal Musaed Alsayer11. The White Sea Canal and the Rhetorical Desertification of KareliaAlla Vronskaya12. Architecture Adrift in the Antarctic DesertTimothy Hyde13. Observatoire des armements

Read more less

Book SynopsisA TLS AND GQ BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF A SOMERSET MAUGHAM AWARDFINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZESAnnouncing the arrival of a major new talent, an astonishing work of social history which captures Black gay Britain as never before.''A fascinating, lively and illuminating social history . . . remarkable.''BERNARDINE EVARISTO, TLS (Books of the Year)''Extraordinary.'' SHON FAYE''Groundbreaking.'' GUARDIAN''Beautifully woven.'' i NEWS''Gorgeous, gossipy.'' EVENING STANDARD''A rich, vital story.'' FRIEZE''A triumph.'' GAY TIMES***In this landmark work, Jason Okundaye meets an elder generation of Black gay men and finds a spirited community full of courage, charisma and good humour, hungry to tell its past of nightlife, resistance, political fights, loss, gossip, sex, romance and vulgarity. Through their conversations he seeks to reconcile the Black and gay narratives of Britain, narratives frequently cleaved as distinct and unrelated.Tracing these men's journeys and arrivals to South London through the seventies, eighties and nineties from the present day, Okundaye relays their stories with rare compassion, listening as they share intimate memories and reflect upon their lives. They endured and fought against the peak of the AIDS epidemic, built social groups and threw underground parties; they went to war with institutions (and with each other) and created meaning within a society which was often indifferent to their existence.Revolutionary Acts renders a singular portrait of Britain from the perspective of those buffeted by the winds of marginalisation and discrimination. It is a portrait marked by resilience and self-determination, inspired by the love and beauty Black men have found in each other.***A sparkling book that is all the more remarkable for being the author''s first. Okundaye is an outstanding guide to what it means to be black and gay in Britain, providing a perspective to the last four decades that is as revelatory as it is important.'PETER FRANKOPAN''In this seminal book Okundaye gives us juicy dialogue, tears and laughter, and vivid landscapes of memory.'MENDEZ, author of Rainbow MilkThis groundbreaking debut tells the stories of seven radicals who were among the first out Black gay men in Britain . . . Okundaye's research and interviews completely recast key moments in Black British history . . . We should be grateful that he has managed to capture a vital moment that at so many points could have been lost for ever.'LANRE BAKARE, GUARDIAN

Read more less

Book SynopsisTo Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie; to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, granddaughter-in-law. This is the story of Princess Juliane-Henriette-Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the Rebel Romanov.  Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany, Julie's quiet life took a fairy-tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family - the Romanovs. But this world of baroque splendour, of opulent palaces and grandeur, was no happily ever after. Taken to Russia at just fourteen, her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe-Coburg duchy from financial ruin. Her husband, Grand Duke Konstantin, was cruel and abusive, Julie was uprooted from her home, family, language and culture. As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon, Julie finally made her escape back to Germany, where she lived for two decades as a social pariah, denied a divorce by the Imperial Fam

Read more less

Book SynopsisA series of interviews with Noam Chomsky, the world's greatest living public intellectual, about the pressing issues of our time'One of the greatest, most radical public thinkers of our time' Arundhati RoyIn this illuminating collection of interviews, Noam Chomsky shares his insights on the pressing challenges facing humanity. A Liveable Future is Possible addresses artificial intelligence and the potential for such programs to surpass humans in cognitive awareness; what lies ahead for a world engulfed in a deadly climate crisis; the rise of neo-fascism internationally, and why we should organize across borders to confront it and the striking similarities between Trump and Biden's foreign policies. Noam Chomsky has been an incomparable model of moral clarity and intellectual courage during his many decades as a scholar, political activist and social critic. A Liveable Future Is Possible is not only an urgent and informative book, it is a call-to-action for those hoping to help carry the torch of one of history's greatest minds. Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet' The New York Times Book Review

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Packed with vivid character sketches and lyrical description, Tremlett has told a gripping story, full of beauty and darkness'' The TimesWINNER OF THE 2018 ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZEIn 1474, a twenty-three year old woman ascended the throne of Castile, the largest and strongest kingdom in Spain. Ahead of her lay the considerable challenge not only of being a young, female ruler in an overwhelmingly male-dominated world, but also of reforming a major European kingdom that was riddled with crime, corruption, and violent political factionism. Her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon was crucial to her success, bringing together as it did two kingdoms, but it was a royal partnership in which Isabella more than held her own. Her pivotal reign was long and transformative, uniting Spain and laying the foundations not just of modern Spain, but of the one of the world's greatest empires. With authority and flair, acclaimed historian Giles Tremlett Tremlett relates the story of this lTrade ReviewMagisterial ... Tremlett’s contention, which he supports with a sublime presentation of facts and interpretation, is that Isabella represents the first member in the exclusive club of great European queens who exercised sovereign power in their own hand -- Starred Review * Booklist *Richly enjoyable … He seeks to understand his subject, while never underplaying the appalling impact of some of her decisions. Packed with vivid character sketches and lyrical description, Tremlett has told a gripping story, full of beauty and darkness * The Times *A triumphant and chilling account of the rise of Spain and its New World conquests * Daily Telegraph *Magnificent * Sunday Telegraph *This is a most enjoyable book – a lively, intense page-turner written in straight-forward, unpretentious prose … Tremlett balances academic scholarship with journalistic flair to produce an enthralling biography -- Rebecca Rist * Tablet *Magnificent * Daily Telegraph *Tremlett uses his gifts as a writer on Spain’s history to offer us a voluminous biography with fluent and evocative narrative that fully exploits the romantic aspects of the age * Times Literary Supplement *Splendid ***** * Daily Telegraph *The reign of Isabella of Castile and her partnership with Ferdinand of Aragon saw the beginning of the transformation of Spain into a major global power. Tremlett offers a detailed assessment of a woman who to her supporters, was a great Christian monarch, but to her detractors was a fanatical tyrant * Mail on Sunday, Best Paperbacks *Brings to life “Europe’s first great queen” – in reality, “a usurper” – who began the unification of Spain and, less attractively, the expulsion of both Jews and Muslims, in an early example of ethnic cleansing * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplore the world''s most famous battles by their geography as you uncover the most ancient, medieval and modern combats in history.If you''re interested in finding out more about the biggest battles fought throughout the ages, then this war book is perfect for you. Battles Map by Map puts you in the seat of famous generals and commanders such as Rameses II, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great who expertly planned their attacks by studying the plains on which they would take place. So what are you waiting for? Journey back in time to learn more about wars such as the Battle of Alesia, Napoleonic Wars, and World War II and follow the geography of these epic battles in this brilliant book on the history of the world. Journey into past like never before as you explore: - 80 easy-to-follow maps showcasing the most famous battles in history- Timelines that showcase battles in chronological order, ideal for visual learners- Informative easy-to-read text explains the events of the battles- Features provide additional contextual information on key technologies, leaders, armies, and moreBursting with striking illustrations and full of fascinating detail, this history book is the ultimate gift for map lovers, military history enthusiasts, and armchair generals everywhere. Battles Map by Map takes you right to the heart of the action, where you can discover the profiles of famous commanders and military leaders and reveal the impact of groundbreaking weapons and battlefield innovations. Additionally, historic maps, paintings, photographs, and objects take you to the heart of the action whereby the impact of groundbreaking weapons and battlefield innovations is revealed. Broadcasting journalist and historian, Peter Snow, provides a foreword for this marvellous history book for adults. From ancient to modern battles, he provides context for the world''s most famous wars, both won and lost. See for yourself how tactics, technology, vision, and luck have all played a part in the outcome of wars throughout history.At DK, we believe in the power of discovery.So why stop there? The Map by Map series includes other titles such as History of the World Map by Map and World War II Map by Map, each detailing historical events and placing them in the context of geography. DK''s luxurious Map by Map books are fantastic history gifts, packed with fascinating facts, high-quality photography, and detailed profiles and descriptions of people and events.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR''Monumental and vividly imagined . . . a fitting tribute to a city that has survived, changed and grown for so many centuries''Daily Telegraph''Wonderfully entertaining . . . written with vim and vigour''Sunday Times''Lively and engrossing . . . Issa has brilliantly illuminated the history of a great city''Literary ReviewA city drawn in sand. Inspired by the tales of Homer and his own ambitions of empire, Alexander the Great sketched the idea of a city onto the sparsely populated Egyptian coastline. He did not live to see Alexandria built, but his vision of a sparkling metropolis that celebrated learning and diversity was swiftly realised and still stands today.Situated on the cusp of Africa, Europe and Asia, great civilisations met in Alexandria. Together, Greeks and Egyptians, Romans and Jews created a global knowledge capital of enormous influence: the inventive collaboration of its citizens shaped modern philosophy, science, religion and more. In pitched battles, later empires, from the Arabs and Ottomans to the French and British, laid claim to the city but its independent spirit endures. In this sweeping biography of the great city, Islam Issa takes us on a journey across millennia, rich in big ideas, brutal tragedies and distinctive characters, from Cleopatra to Napoleon. From its humble origins to dizzy heights and present-day strife, Alexandria tells the gripping story of a city that has shaped our modern world.''A multifaceted history of an enthralling city''Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of Persians: The Age of the Great Kings''A cornucopia of fascinating details, every page revealing a new delight''Paul Strathern, author of The Medici

Read more less

Book SynopsisViviana Durante is considered to be one of the greatest, most dramatic ballerinas of her generation. Born in Rome, she became The Royal Ballet's youngest principal dancer at 21 and was also principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, Teatro alla Scala, and Japan's K-Ballet. Viviana holds a Diploma of Dance Teaching from The Royal Ballet School and a Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning from Trinity College, London. She coaches and teaches internationally.Trade ReviewA heavy kaleidoscopic tome, a beautifully produced coffee table book [...] Ballet: The Definitive Illustrated Story is a welcome addition to any balletomane's library. * British Theatre Guide *If you are looking for a present for a ballet lover, it is an excellent buy, lots of lovely photographs, accessible language and published at a very reasonable price. Dancelovers could happily curl up and browse this well-presented book that offers such aneclectic choice of material. * Seeingdance.com *A luxurious and substantial book - it needs its own table where it can be left open and adored. * The Lady *For balletomanes of all ages, this hefty, richly illustrated book traces the history of 'a dance executed by the human soul', as Pushkin expressed it, from its beginnings in the court of Henri II and Catherine de' Medici in 16th-century France, to the present day. From romantic and classical to modern ballet, here is everything you could want to know, with profiles of the greats, dancers, ballets and more. * Saga Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA clear, intelligently-written guide to a crucial period of Spanish historyWritten in the same tradition as John Julius Norwich's engrossing accounts of Venice and Byzantium, Richard Fletcher's Moorish Spain entertains even as it enlightens. He tells the story of a vital period in Spanish history which transformed the culture and society, not only of Spain, but of the rest of Europe as well. Moorish influence transformed the architecture, art, literature and learning and Fletcher combines this analysis with a crisp account of the wars, politics and sociological changes of the time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNot – as often imagined – of a culture apart, but of a Jewish world immersed in and imprinted by the peoples among whom they have dwelled, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, from the Arabs to the Christians.Which makes the story of the Jews everyone’s story, too.Trade ReviewSchama at his best, a labour of love, as full of memorable incident as a Bellow novel and wittier than a Woody Allen movie * The Times *Schama has written a proud and personal story of his people, one that will make a good starting point for those interested in one of history’s most fascinating and tragic tales -- Josh Glancy * Sunday Times *Inspiring… Schama tells it with panache, weaving facts and anecdotes into a vivid history * Observer *Unforgettable…a delicious cacophony of conversations and clamorous arguments echoing across history * Daily Telegraph *A spirited, immensely enjoyable and wide-ranging account… [expresses] both the triumphs and the tragedies with irrepressible enthusiasm and his customary eloquence * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA lively and engaging narrative history showing the common threads in the cultures that gave birth to our own.Trade Review"Bauer guides readers on a fast-paced yet thorough tour…a wonderful starting point for the study of the ancient world." -- Publishers Weekly"[A]n attractive introduction to a subject vast in time and geography.…Bauer's survey will spark the imagination." -- Booklist

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book sensitively tells the powerful history of Black hair foryounger readers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Hebrides hold a remarkable place in the imaginations of Scotland and England. On the outer edge of the British Isles and facing the Atlantic Ocean, these iconic islands form part of Europe's boundary. Because of their unique position, they have been at the centre of a network of ancient shipping routes which has led to a history of cultures colliding and merging. Home to a long and rich Gaelic tradition, they have attracted saints and sinners, and artists and writers, inspiring awe and dread as well as deep attachment. Over six years, Madeleine Bunting travelled to the Hebrides, exploring their landscapes, histories and magnetic pull. With great sensitivity and perceptiveness, she delves into the meanings of home and belonging, which in these islands have been fraught with tragedy as well as tenacious resistance. She finds that their history of dispossession and migration played a part in the British imperial past. And perhaps more significant still is the extent of the islands' influence on ideas of Britishness. Love of Country shows how the islands' history is a backdrop for contemporary debates about the relationship between our nations, how Britain was created, and what Britain has meant - for good and for ill.Trade Review[An] excellent book... [Bunting's] depth of engagement gives authenticity to the writings and substance to the arguments... Almost the perfect marriage of physical travelogue to the inner landscape of political ideas and cultural reflections that makes this such a super read. I cannot think of a more intellectually challenging or rewarding travel book in recent years... Love of Country is in every way a richer, more mature work than Bunting's award-winning 2009 memoir, The Plot. I expect it to bring her prizes and fame -- Mark Cocker * New Statesman *[Bunting's] crisp and luminous prose is the ideal medium to capture the ambiguities and dichotomies of the landscape; between ever-shifting sea and unfathomably old rock... Bunting has a keen eye for a story... [and her] great achievement with this book is to weave these elements together rather than concentrate on particular examples... When writing about the natural world - particularly the ocean - her prose reaches its own kind of lyrical epiphany. It seems to me that if the "new nature writing" [...] is to be something more than Fotherington-Thomas from the Molesworth books swooning over tormentil and machairs, then it requires Bunting's engagement with questions of politics, religion history, culture and our emotional responses... [A] splendid, precise and gracious book -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *Rich in detail, richer in writing: the elegiac Love of Country is one of the year's best, taking Madeleine Bunting through her old Hebridean haunts * Wanderlust magazine *A heroic journey that takes us as far into the regions of the heart as into the islands of the north-west -- Richard HollowayMadeleine Bunting's pilgrimages to the farthest edge of Britain are revelations of place, language and perspective - uncovering a world rich in story; a world where the ambitious have often foundered, but where the quietly observant visitor can discover self-sufficiency, in the people, their unforgiving land - and in themselves -- Ted NieldMadeleine Bunting's thoughtful, question-asking journey through the Hebrides makes Love of Country an indispensable guide to the past and present of one of the most inspiring landscapes in Europe -- Ian JackMadeleine Bunting writes with both heart and brain at full throttle, weaving together history, geography, literature as she travels the islands she has loved all her life. Love of Country is personal, erudite and quirky - through the history of the Hebrides she has hit on an original and timely exploration of what home means, of what Britain was, and what it has become. -- Lucy KellawayBunting has expertly combined history, literature and travel in a book that certainly taught me much that I was unaware of about these islands, which lie so close to the Scottish mainland but have a history and identity all of their own -- Russell Leadbetter * National (Glasgow) *In the course of this lively, insightful, highly readable travelogue, [Bunting] blends history, geography, literature and nature writing... A modern pilgrim, one of the overriding interests is politics and especially hot future Britishness must be open to a sense of multiple identities -- Brian Maye * Irish Times *Exquisitely-written * New European *Madeleine Bunting writes evocatively about the Hebrides... The best thing about it is that it made me want to revisit the islands I know, as well as visit the ones I haven't been to yet. The book has a lovely balance of autobiography, literary references, history, politics, religion and culture -- Travel book gift ideas * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisEXPERIENCE THE EPIC BLOOD FEUDS OF ANCIENT GREECE WITH MASTER STORYTELLER CONN IGGULDEN''Vivid, atmospheric, gritty . . . you''ll believe you''re on the battlefield fighting for your life'' 5***** Reader Review''An epic piece of historical fiction, full of political intrigue and vivid action'' Robert Fabbri''Iggulden doesn''t just describe the ancient world, he takes you there'' 5***** Reader ReviewTWO LEGENDARY BATTLES. ONE FEARLESS WARRIOR . . .________Themistocles stands as the battle-scarred leader of Athens. Yet he is no nobleman. The elite distrust him.But those conspiring against him cannot argue with his victories on the battlefield. Or the vast Persian army that is coming . . .And so Themistocles must fight.Fight the invaders.Fight the allies who despise him.Fight to save his city.As the Persians draw close, he must prove himself again and agaiTrade ReviewBrings war in the ancient world to vivid, gritty and bloody life. I'm blown away. Protector stand alongside the best of Mary Renault - an epic with the learning of the classics' 'Brings war in the ancient world to vivid, gritty and bloody life. I'm blown away. Protector stand alongside the best of Mary Renault - an epic with the learning of the classics -- Anthony RichesI was transported. I felt the Mediterranean sun on my face, smelled the sea on the air . . . Here is a master at work. There is no one better at this -- Giles KristianAn epic piece of historical fiction, full of political intrigue and vivid action, and so evocative of the world of ancient Greece. A novel of the highest quality -- Robert FabbriBring[s] the Greco-Persian Wars to life in brilliant detail. Thrilling * Daily Express *Praise for Conn Iggulden * - *Iggulden tells an absolutely cracking story...the pace is nail-biting and the set dressing magnificent * The Times *One of our finest historical novelists * Daily Express *Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction * Daily Mirror *Pacy...and packed with action * Sunday Times *Breathes new life into the darkest and most dramatic of times * Star *Compelling reading * Woman and Home *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAdam Tooze''s The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy provides a groundbreaking new account of how Hitler established himself in power, mobilized for war - and led his country to annihilation. Was the tragedy of the Second World War determined by Nazi Germany''s terrifying power, or by its fatal weakness? This gripping and universally-acclaimed new history tells the real story of the cost of Hitler''s plans for world domination - and will overturn everything you thought you knew about the Third Reich. ''A tour de force'' Niall Ferguson ''Masterful ... smashes a gallery of preconceptions'' The Times ''This book will change the way we look at Nazi history ... nothing less than a masterpiece. Rejoice, rejoice, for a great historian is born'' Sunday Telegraph ''A remarkable and gripping revision of the history of Nazi Germany'' New Statesman Books of the Year ''A powerful and provocative reassessment of the whole story'' Richard Overy

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A landmark in social thought. Henrich may go down as the most influential social scientist of the first half of the twenty-first century'' MATTHEW SYEDDo you identify yourself by your profession or achievements, rather than your family network? Do you cultivate your unique attributes and goals? If so, perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic. Unlike most who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, nonconformist, analytical and control-oriented. How did WEIRD populations become so psychologically peculiar? What part did these differences play in our history, and what do they mean for our collective identity? Joseph Henrich, who developed the game-changing concept of WEIRD, uses leading-edge research in anthropology, psychology, economics and evolutionary biology to explore how changing family structures, marriage practices and religious beliefs in the Middle Ages shaped the Western mind, laying the foundations for the world we know today. Brilliant, provocative, engaging and surprising, this landmark study will revolutionize your understanding of who - and how - we are now. ''Phenomenal ... The only theory I am aware of that attempts to explain broad patterns of human psychology on a global scale'' Washington Post''You will never look again in the same way at your own seemingly universal values'' Uta Frith, Professor of Cognitive Development, University College LondonTrade ReviewA masterpiece. Staggering in range, intricate in detail, thrilling in ambition, this book is a landmark in social thought. Henrich may go down as the most influential social scientist of the first half of the twenty-first century. -- Matthew Syed * bestselling author of 'Black Box Thinking' and 'Bounce' *Illuminates a journey into human nature that is more exciting, more complex and ultimately more consequential than has previously been suspected. * Nature *A massively ambitious work that explains the transition to the modern world ... Significantly contributes to our understanding -- Francis Fukuyama, author of The Origins of Political OrderEngagingly written, excellently organized and meticulously argued . . . This is an extraordinarily ambitious book, along the lines of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel ... We will all have to change our perspective. -- Daniel C. Dennett * New York Times *The most absorbing, provocative and compelling book I have read in a long time. Joseph Henrich's thrilling exposé of cultural variety and evolution is grounded in meticulous science, and his arguments go beyond the milestone of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel. You will never look again in the same way at your own seemingly universal values. -- Uta Frith * Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development, University College London *Phenomenal ... The only theory I am aware of that attempts to explain broad patterns of human psychology on a global scale. -- Coren Apicella, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania * Washington Post *This anthropology-meets-big-data approach is not merely innovative, but underpins a fascinating and creative book, brimming with provocative ideas. * Financial Times *There's nothing so fascinating as a social anthropologist's analysis of his own tribe. Henrich shows how strange and exceptional Western society is when compared with most of the world -- John Barton, author of A History of the BibleHenrich has thought more deeply about cultural evolution than anybody alive. His fascinating insights into just how weird people like he and I are, with our western lifestyles, and what the implications of that are for better and for worse, are a great contribution to scholarship. -- Matt Ridley * author of 'How Innovation Works' *Propelled by a bold vision, this landmark study is required reading for anyone curious about the origins of modernity -- Walter Scheidel, author of The Great LevelerHenrich and his colleagues are shaking the foundations of psychology and economics - and hoping to change the way social scientists think about human behaviour and culture. * Pacific Standard *[A] sweeping and magisterial book, likely to become as foundational to cultural psychology as the WEIRD acronym [Henrich] and his colleagues coined a decade ago. -- Alex Mackiel * Quillette *Joseph Henrich's The WEIRDest People in the World . . . makes for stunning reading. (It is also written with such wit and humor, and luminous clarity.) Probably an understatement to say that it is one of the most important books of the year. -- Cass Sunstein * author of Nudge *One of the most interesting books I've read this year. -- James Marriot (via Twitter)A brilliant performance - accessible, playful and scholarly, turning conventional history on its head and approaching it in a new way. -- Simon Sebag-Montefiore * BBC History Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe best history of Greece around... Beautifully written and packed with insights about the culture and the people. I will be dipping into this book for the rest of my life. -- Victoria Hislop * The Week *His new book - judicious, well-researched and commendably up-to-date - deserves to be the standard general history of modern Greece in English for years to come. * Financial Times *This book explores the history, not of a Greece of romantic or philhellenic imagination, but the reality of the country as it has become today. The empathy it evokes for the survival of modern Greek statehood against a recurring pattern of often existential crisis is all the more compelling, subtle and above all human in its many-sidedness. Beaton's account instantly becomes the single most outstanding treatment of its subject and shows us why - as Lord Palmerston expressed it succinctly for his own times - 'Greece' is an emotional word that still matters to contemporary society. -- Professor Robert HollandA wonderfully engaging narrative ... It is a superb achievement and to be recommended to anyone with even the most rudimentary interest -- Professor Kevin FeatherstoneA perceptive analysis of Greece's financial crisis, the embers of which continue to threaten to derail the single currency project of the EU * Country Life *Praise for Byron's War: Indispensable * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe American South is a distinctive place with a dramatic history, and has significance beyond its regional context in the twenty first century. The American South: A Very Short Introduction explores the history of the South as a cultural crossroads, a meeting place between western Europe and West Africa. The South''s beginnings illuminate the expansion of Europe into the New World, creating a colonial slave society that distinguished it from other parts of the United States but fostered commonalities with other colonial societies. The Civil War and civil rights movement transformed the South in differing ways and remain a part of a vibrant and contested public memory. More recently, the South''s pronounced traditionalism in customs and values was in tension with the forces of modernization that slowly forced change in the twentieth century. Southerners'' creative responses to these experiences have made the American South well known around the world in literature, film, music, and cuisine. Charles Reagan Wilson argues for the significance of creativity in the South, emerging from the diversity of peoples, cultures, and experiences that the regional context fostered. The South has now become the new center of immigration, adding to the complexity of the region''s cultural, social, economic, and political life. In this book, the burdens and tragedies of southern history are placed beside the creative achievements that have come out of the region, producing a portrait of a complex American place.Trade ReviewWilson's account, at 126 pages of text, encompasses a lifetime of knowledge in the subject. * William A. Link, University of Florida , The Journal of Southern History *This is a deftly woven history of the region, spanning from when indigenous southerners shaped the region to when Black activists orchestrated the removal of Confederate monuments from city centers. Charles Reagan Wilson has captured the driving foundational tensions of regionalism — whiteness and otherness, urbanity and rurality, religiosity and secularism — that have long animated our national consciousness. The South remains a mirror and creation of the nation, and Wilson's portrait of America's reflection over time is a precise invitation to look anew at who we have been, who we are, and who we might want to be in a more unified future. * Zandria F. Robinson, author of This Ain't Chicago: Race, Class, and Regional Identity in the Post-Soul South *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Beginnings to 1830 Chapter 2: Civil War Era Chapter 3: Tradition and Modernization Chapter 4: Transformation of Southern Society, 1940-1970 Chapter 5: Contemporary South Chapter 6: Literature Chapter 7: Music Chapter 8: Foodways References Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''The plotting is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb ... absolute bliss'' Sunday TelegraphSummer 1987, the final years of the Cold War. Bernard Samson has been sent to East Germany to make contact with a KGB defector, codename VERDI, who claims to have access to top intelligence secrets. But something goes wrong, and Bernard must struggle to stay in the game. Fighting to keep his job and rebuild his shattered marriage, kept in the dark by London Central, he has no one he can trust, and nothing to depend on but his own faith. This is the first part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy.''A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks'' The TimesTrade ReviewLike lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss ... The plotting in Faith is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb. * Sunday Telegraph *A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks. * The Times *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 *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible; bear in mind that the man was almost single-handedly responsible for brinfging coffee culture to the British Isles. Stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautiful 60th anniversary special edition of the first George Smiley novel, now with a new introduction by John le CarréAfter a routine security check by George Smiley, civil servant Samuel Fennan apparently kills himself. When Smiley finds Circus head Maston is trying to blame him for the man's death, he begins his own investigation, meeting with Fennan's widow to find out what could have led him to such desperation. But on the very day that Smiley is ordered off the enquiry he receives an urgent letter from the dead man. Do the East Germans - and their agents - know more about this man's death than the Circus previously imagined? Le Carré's debut novel, Call for the Dead, introduced the tenacious and retiring George Smiley in a gripping tale of espionage and deceit. 'The greatest spy novelist of all time' Jake Kerridge, Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewIntelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard. * Sunday Telegraph *Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense. * Observer *The greatest spy novelist of all time ... astounding works of the imagination. -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *Brilliant, popular, intelligent, thrilling, suspenseful, angry, original, masterful writing. Can't be topped. -- Armando IannucciAn extraordinary writer who brought literary lustre and lived insight to the spy yarn. -- Ian RankinOne of those writers who will be read a century from now. -- Robert HarrisHis Smiley novels are key to understanding the mid-20th century. -- Margaret AtwoodWhat Joseph Conrad started, John le Carré enshrined and made modern. That is the real achievement of his great novels and why they will endure ... we should see him as our contemporary Dickens. -- William Boyd * New Statesman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe "illuminating and inspiring" (Los Angeles Times) bestseller that reveals a "lost" golden age of medieval Spain, when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance and literature and science flourished.Trade Review' An illuminating and even inspiring work..By showing us what was lost Menocal reminds us of what might be.' - LOS ANGELES TIMES

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn 'entertaining and enlightening' deep dive into the alcohol-soaked origins of civilization—and the evolutionary roots of humanity's appetite for intoxication (Daniel E. Lieberman, author of Exercised).While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place.Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically-grounded explanation for our love of alcohol. Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, social psychology, literature, and genetics, Drunk shows that our taste for chemical intoxicants is not an evolutionary mistake, as we are so often told. In fact, intoxication helps solve a number of distinctively human challenges: enhancing creativity, alleviating stress, building trust, and pulling off the miracle of getting fiercely tribal primates to cooperate with strangers. Our desire to get drunk, along with the individual and social benefits provided by drunkenness, played a crucial role in sparking the rise of the first large-scale societies. We would not have civilization without intoxication.From marauding Vikings and bacchanalian orgies to sex-starved fruit flies, blind cave fish, and problem-solving crows, Drunk is packed with fascinating case studies and engaging science, as well as practical takeaways for individuals and communities. The result is a captivating and long overdue investigation into humanity's oldest indulgence—one that explains not only why we want to get drunk, but also how it might actually be good for us to tie one on now and then. 

Read more less

Book Synopsis''An irresistible page-turner that reads like the most compelling, sleep defying fiction'' TIME OUT One was an architect. The other a serial killer. This is the incredible story of these two men and their realization of the Chicago World''s Fair of 1893, and its amazing ''White City''; one of the wonders of the world. The architect was Daniel H. Burnham, the driving force behind the White City, the massive, visionary landscape of white buildings set in a wonderland of canals and gardens. The killer was H. H. Holmes, a handsome doctor with striking blue eyes. He used the attraction of the great fair - and his own devilish charms - to lure scores of young women to their deaths. While Burnham overcame politics, infighting, personality clashes and Chicago''s infamous weather to transform the swamps of Jackson Park into the greatest show on Earth, Holmes built his own edifice just west of the fairground. He called it the World''s Fair Trade ReviewFuses history and entertainment to give the dramatic effect of a novel...this truth really is stranger than fiction * The New York Times *Erik Larson tracks [H H Holmes] with practised journalistic skill...Highly readable * Sunday Telegraph *Captures the spirit of an America bursting with pioneering drive...a gripping book * Independent on Sunday *An irresistible page-turner that reads like the most compelling, sleep defying fiction * Time Out *Bursting with so much vitality you half expect it to jump right out of your hands * Yorkshire Evening Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe extraordinary true story of the Stasi's poetry club: Stasiland and The Lives of Others crossed with Dead Poets Society.Engrossing.' ObserverRemarkable.' The TimesMagnificent.' Phillipe SandsGripping.' Literary ReviewA history so outlandish and unlikely that you feel it must be true . . . [A] grippingly well-written book.' Anthony Quinn, Observer Book of the WeekIn 1982, East Germany's fearsome secret police convinced that writers were embedding subversive messages in their work decided to train their own writers, weaponising poetry in the struggle against the class enemy. Once a month, a group of soldiers and border guards gathered in a heavily guarded military compound in East Berlin for meetings to learn how to write lyrical verse.Journalist Philip Oltermann spent five years rifling through Stasi files,Trade Review'A magnificent book. I could not put it down. It is at once touching, exquis-ite, devastating and extraordinary - it's a wonderful narrative, with impeccable detective work, and beautifully written. It manages to be under-stated and thrilling, a kind of literary page turner. I loved it. It deserves to be very widely read and then turned into a movie.' - Philippe Sands, author of EAST WEST STREET and THE RATLINE

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first study of how a group of diverse women spread, built and sustained a national network of branches supporting the militant suffrage campaign in Britain in the years before the First World WarTrade Review'Cowman's work is to be welcomed for the fresh perspective it brings to bear on the WSPU's activities. Her focus on the movement's organisers allows her to integrate the local and national dimensions of the women's suffrage campaaign into a coherent and engaging account.'Kathryn Rix, History of Parliament -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Becoming an organiser2. ‘They wanted me here’: organisers and the itinerant life3. ‘There was only one member… when I arrived’: working as a district organiser4. Life at headquarters5. ‘I urge you not to run the risk of arrest’: organisers and militancy 6. ‘There is [no] person living who, as an organiser, would entirely satisfy some people!’: Organisers and dissent7. WSPU organisers and the warConclusionBiographical appendixSelect bibilographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew essays exploring Jewish cultural trends of the past two decades, interspersed with choice material from the Jewish Renaissance magazine archiveTrade Review"To celebrate the anniversary, JR has published a stimulating book containing some of its most distinctive articles from past issues linked by five essays on various aspects of what its editor Rebecca Taylor and former publisher and now trustee David Benmayer term in their introduction “the new Jewish culture wave”.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy. From intimate memories of his childhood to his contributions to half a century of debates on war and social policy, we see how Churchill used words for different purposes: to argue for moral causes; to advocate action in the national and international spheres, and to tell of his own struggles, setbacks and achievements. Martin Gilbert's informed choice of extracts and his illuminating explanations linking them together create a compelling biography of Churchill as recounted in the great man's own inimitable words.

Read more less

Book SynopsisKen Livingstone is a product of the political changes that have already taken place in the Labour Party. As Leader of the Greater London Council he has provided a voice and a vision for tens of thousands of party activists and Labour supporters, in the process implementing a set of measures that indicate the possibilities of a real alternative to Thatcherism. His determined opposition on the Falklands War, subsidised public transport, Ireland, the 1984 miners strike, sexual liberation and racism has made him a far more effective spokesperson for Labour than the shadow luminaries who occupy the front benches in the House of Commons.In these fascinating conversations with Tariq Ali, the Marxist writer and activist debarred from the Labour Party by Kinnock/Hattersley, the two men discuss the future of Labour and socialist politics in Britain. What emerges is a picture of Livingstone as a formidable socialist politician and an adroit tactician, who displays a refreshing ability to

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis series is for the Cambridge International AS History syllabus (9489) for examination from 2021.Table of ContentsHow to use this book; Introduction; Chapter 1. The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–1861; Chapter 2. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877; Chapter 3. The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s-1920 ; Chapter 4. The Great Crash, The Depression and the New Deal policies, 1920-1941; Chapter 5. Preparing for Assessment; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Oxford AQA History series has been developed by a team of expert history teachers and authors with examining experience. Written to match the new AQA specification, this edition covers AS and A Level content together in one book. Updated as part of our commitment to the inclusive presentation of diverse histories.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA love letter to the pioneers of solidarity and coalition, Shoulder to Shoulder by author and journalist Jake Hall sheds light on the astounding untold lives of marginalised activists across the world.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Gripping history that also informs the present'' Sunday Times''Fascinating . . . Wilford writes engagingly with a telling eye for colourful detail'' The Spectator''A spectacular achievement . . . I loved it'' Dominic Sandbrook How the CIA became an instrument of a new covert empire both in America and overseas. In 1947, the United States created the CIA to analyse foreign intelligence, but within a few years the Agency was engaged in other operations - bolstering pro-American governments, overthrowing nationalist leaders, and surveilling domestic dissent - before transforming during the Cold War. Drawing on decades of research, celebrated intelligence historian Hugh Wilford shows how the Agency created a new Western empire, as successive US presidents used the covert powers of the Agency to hide overseas interventions from postcolonial foreigners and anti-imperial Americans alike. Even the CIA''s post-9/11 global hunt for terrorists was haunted by the ghosts of empires past. Original, and gripping, The CIA tells how America adopted unaccountable power and created a new imperial order.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith a hundred haikus, each accompanied by a wonderful full-page illustration and enlightening commentary, this book is perfect for those looking for a more poetic exploration of the Roman Empire.Trade Review‘Anyone seeking a truly original take on the Roman Empire will find much to enjoy here.’ -- World-Archaeology.com

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew B-format paperback edition. How Hitler used the murder of a Nazi diplomat to blame the Jews for WW2, based on new archive sources.Trade Review‘A riveting tale’ -- Wall Street Journal‘In a work of fact that reads like fiction, with a novelist’s relish for incident and character, he brings his troubled, troubling protagonist to life’ -- The Wall Street Journal‘A powerful book about justice, outrage and the preservation of truth’ -- The Spectator‘This book reads like a thriller’ -- New York Journal of Books‘Gripping’ -- Daily Mail Book of the Week

Read more less

Book SynopsisA 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: Sunday Times * Irish Times * Spectator * Financial Times * Telegraph * Aspects of History ‘The history book you need if you want to understand modern Russia' ANNE APPLEBAUM ‘A magnificent, magisterial thousand year history of Russia . . . by one of the masters of Russian scholarship' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE ‘A great historian at the peak of his powers' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE '[An] excellent short study’ MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMES ‘If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account’ ANTONY BEEVOR 'A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present’ OBSERVER 'A valuable, instructive overview' INDEPENDENT ------------------------- From the great storyteller of Russia, a spellbinding account of the stories that have shaped the country’s past – and how they can inform its present. No other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. None has changed its story so often. How the Russians came to tell their story, and to reinvent it as they went along, is a vital aspect of their history, their culture and beliefs. To understand what Russia’s future holds – to grasp what Putin’s regime means for Russia and the world – we need to unravel the ideas and meanings of that history. In The Story of Russia, Orlando Figes brings into sharp relief the vibrant characters that comprise Russia’s rich history, and whose stories remain so important in making sense of the world’s largest nation today – from the crowning of sixteen-year-old Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral, to Catherine the Great, riding out in a green uniform to arrest her husband at his palace, to the bitter last days of the Romanovs. Beautifully written and based on a lifetime of scholarship, The Story of Russia is a major and definitive work from the great storyteller of Russian history: sweeping, suspenseful, masterful. ------------------------- PRAISE FOR ORLANDO FIGES ‘An outstanding historian and writer, he brings distant history so close that you could feel its heartbeat’ KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD 'Figes knows more about Russia than any other historian' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMESTrade ReviewFiges’s book is an absorbing and enlightening read, a triumph of concision, analysis and insight * Daily Mail *A deeply impressive and deeply immersive book . . . The author sets out to reveal Russia’s history, its people’s perception of their past and the manifold ways in which those in power manipulate both events and legend to shape the present. It is a saga of multi-millennial identity politics * Spectator *To understand Putin's paranoia, read this book on Russia's history * Telegraph *A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present * Observer *If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account in The Story of Russia -- Antony BeevorFiges’s book is an absorbing and enlightening read, a triumph of concision, analysis and insight * Daily Mail *An indispensable survey of more than 1,000 years of history shows how myth and fact mix dangerously in the tales this crucial country tells about itself * Guardian *A magnificent, magisterial thousand year history of Russia . . . its tsars and tyrants, wars and massacres, ideas and dreams vividly drawn, its analysis of Russian power and empire essential reading today -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of THE ROMANOVS and STALIN: THE COURT OF THE RED TSARAn expert on Russia delivers a crucially relevant study . . . A lucid, astute text that unpacks the myths of Russian history to help explain present-day motivations and actions * Kirkus (starred review) *Urgent and revelatory and brilliantly told, it’s all the things you pray a book will be when you first pick it up -- Peter MorganExcellent short study -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *The historian’s latest work on Russia is a lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present -- Angus Macqueen * Observer *Figes skilfully assesses the evolution of the forms of government and society that inhibited the development of controls of the tsar * BBC History Magazine *Accessible and epic . . . A great introduction to an enthralling subject * History Revealed *An impressive account of the ideas, myths and ideologies that have shaped that country and the way its people interpret the past . . . Figes’s book offers a valuable, instructive overview * Independent *Anyone who wants to detox from Putin’s mythomanic claims about Russia’s history and what it means for today’s world will find some relief in The Story of Russia . . . Figes presents Russia’s history in a straightforward manner * Irish Independent *Valuable book * Irish Times *[An] imaginative sweep and a capacity to encapsulate in a memorable way * TLS *Orlando Figes provides valuable lessons about the importance of mythologizing the country’s past in his sweeping new survey of Russian history * New York Times *Sweeping and concise . . . It is a skilled piece of compression * Tablet *This is a brilliant condensation – his analysis of Soviet Russia is superb – of a seriously complex tale * Spectrum *The Story of Russia combines profound knowledge and understanding of the longer, deeper structural processes of history with the personal experience of an author seeking to understand what is happening on the ground today * Financial Times *Orlando Figes’s latest book provides fascinating insights into this contemporary conundrum. The Story of Russia is a truly incisive and important dissection of Russia’s troubled past, both real and mythical, but it also provides a crucial context for understanding the present * Jewish Chronicle *This book is a timely reminder of the malign uses to which history can be put * Politics Home *A brilliantly concentrated meditation on the power of myth and history, and the ability of both to form and deform and guide and misguide the present. Thoughtful, nuanced and above all persuasive, it shows how we are all trapped in the loops and coils of myth, memory and forgetting, and demonstrates the urgent need for historians to remember, and insist on the truth -- William Dalrymple, Books of the Year * Spectator *Beautifully brief, The Story of Russia shows centuries of regimes that revisit their past to manipulate the future, and eternally start from the wrong place acting in venal self-interest rather than the true national interest -- Best Books of 2022 * Financial Times *Given the news, Orlando Figes’s short book could hardly be better timed ... His story abounds in strange and memorable characters, from emperors to writers. But it’s the sheer sweep that impresses most, as he turns a potentially grim and overwhelming subject into a delightfully brisk and enjoyable read -- Best History Books of 2022 * Sunday Times *To understand Russia’s autocratic present, you must examine its past – although Russia’s perception of that past is ever-shifting. Its founding myths have shaped its history right up to the present. “Russia is a country held together by ideas rooted in its distant past, histories continuously reconfigured and repurposed to suit its present needs -- Best Non-fiction of 2022 * Irish Times *The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes (Bloomsbury, £25) looks 900 years earlier, to the national myths that Putin exploited in his invasion of Ukraine. “The country’s past will be reinvented by the Russian state as its needs change,” Figes observes -- Best History Books of 2022 * Telegraph *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less