History Books

Book SynopsisWhat happens when authorities you venerate condone something you know is wrong? Every major religion and philosophy once condoned or approved of slavery, but in modern times nothing is seen as more evil. Americans confront this crisis of authority when they erect statues of Founding Fathers who slept with their slaves. And Muslims faced it when ISIS revived sex slavery, justifying it with verses from the Quran and the practice of Muhammad. Exploring the moral and ultimately theological problem of slavery, Jonathan A.C. Brown traces how the Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions have tried to reconcile modern moral certainties with the infallibility of God’s message. He lays out how Islam viewed slavery in theory, and the reality of how it was practiced across Islamic civilization. Finally, Brown carefully examines arguments put forward by Muslims for the abolition of slavery.Trade Review‘Slavery & Islam hints at some of the great questions that are still outstanding in this field.’ * Literary Review *‘For any system of belief that vests ultimate authority in the past, slavery is a big moral problem… For several reasons, this dilemma is an acute one for Muslims, as emerges in [this] scholarly but digestible new book.’ * The Economist *‘A must-read for students and scholars of slavery in historical and contemporary Islam, as well as for anyone interested in slavery and its relationship to religion… Slavery & Islam is a thoughtful, well-researched, and well-written elucidation of a very difficult problem.’ * Journal of Islamic Ethics *‘This insightful, courageous and comprehensively argued book is bound to constitute a new beginning. It is certain to be as widely debated as it is widely read. And we will all be all the better for it.’ -- Sherman A. Jackson, King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Culture, University of Southern California‘A prodigiously researched, provocatively argued, learned and multi-faceted treatment of a difficult and complex problem. One might not agree with all of Brown’s conclusions, but the book will be a must-read for students and scholars of historical and contemporary Islam, as well as for anyone interested in slavery and its relationship to religion.’ -- Bernard K. Freamon, Professor of Law Emeritus, Seton Hall University School of LawTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Notes on transliteration, dates and citation Introduction: Can We Talk About Slavery? What I Argue in this Book Apology for Slavery? Power and the Study of Slavery Blackness, Whiteness and Slavery 1 Does ‘Slavery’ Exist? The Problem of Definition The Main Argument Definition: A Creative Process Definition to Discourse: A Political Process Defining \ˈslā-v(ə-)rē\: We Know It When We See It Defining Slavery as Status or a Condition Slavery as Unfreedom Slavery as Human Property Patterson & Natal Alienation Slavery as Distinction: The Lowest Rung & Marginality Slavery as Coercion & Exploitation under the Threat of Violence The Problem with Modern-Day Slavery Slavery & Islam – A Very Political Question Conclusion: Of Course, Slavery Exists The Proper Terms for Speaking about ‘Slavery’ 2 Slavery in the Shariah What Islam Says about Slavery – Ideals and Reality Slavery in the Quran & Sunna Inheriting the Near East – Roman, Jewish and Near Eastern Laws versus Islam Islam’s Reform of Slavery Basic Principles of Riqq in the Shariah The Ambiguities of Slavery in the Shariah Riqq & Rights in the Shariah Religious Practice Freedom of Movement Social and Political Roles Marriage and Family Life Right to Property Rights to Life and Physical Protection Summary: Law and Ethics 3 Slavery in Islamic Civilization What is Islamic Civilization? Is there ‘Islamic Slavery’? The Shariah & Islamic Slavery Muslims Enslaving Muslims The Classic Slavery Zone Consuming People & ‘Ascending Miscegenation’ Slave Populations Routes of the Muslim Slave Trade Blackness and Slavery in Islamic Civilization The Roles and Experiences of Slaves in Islamic Civilization The Slave as Uprooted Person and Commodity The Slave as Domestic Labor . . . Even Trusted Member of a Household Slave as Sexual Partner Slave as Saint, Scholar or Poet Slave as Elite Administrator & Courtesan Slave as Soldier – When Soldiers often Ruled Slave as Rebel 4 The Slavery Conundrum No Squaring the Circle: The American/Islamic Slavery Conundrum Slavery is Evil The Intrinsic Wrongs of Slavery Religions and Slavery Minimizing the Unminimizable or Historicizing the Unhistoricizable Slavery is Slavery: The Problem of Labeling ‘Slavery’ with One Moral Judgment The Moral Wrongness of Slavery as Unfreedom The Moral Wrongness of Slavery as Owning Human Property The Moral Wrongness of Slavery as Inequality The Moral Wrongness of Slavery as the Threat of Violence The Bald Man Fallacy and the Wrongness of Slavery When Slavery is ‘Not that Bad’: The Problem with Conditions vs. Formal Categories Do Some People Deserve to be Enslaved? Or, Is Freedom a Human Right? The Past as Moral Authority: Can We Part with the Past? The Natural Law Tradition and Slavery Critics of Slavery and the Call for Abolition The Consequences of Moral Progress Muslim Efforts to Salvage the Past 5 Abolishing Slavery in Islam Is Abolition Indigenous to Islam or Not? Islam as Emancipatory Force – An Alternative History Abolishing Slavery . . . For Whom? Concentric Circles of Abolition ‘The Lawgiver Looks Expectantly Towards Freedom’ – Abolition as an Aim of the Shariah Doubling Down – Progressive Islam & the Axiomatic Evil of Slavery Prohibited by the Ruler but Not by God: The Crucial Matter of Taqyid al-Mubah If You Can’t Do it Right, You Can’t Do it at All – Prohibiting Riqq Poorly Done Same Shariah, Diff erent Conditions – The Obsolescence or Unfavorability of Slavery Slavery: A Moot Point & Bad PR Defending Slavery in Islam 6 The Prophet & ISIS: Evaluating Muslim Abolition Do Muslim Approaches to Abolition Pass Moral Muster? A Consensus on Abolition Could Slavery in Islam ever be Unabolished? Abolition vs. ISIS This Author’s Opinion 7 Concubines and Consent: Can We Solve the Moral Problem of Slavery? Species of Moral Change Moral Disgust at Slavery Today Conclusion & Crisis: Concubinage and Consent Consent and Concubines Disbelief is Unproductive Appendix 1 – A Slave Saint of Basra Appendix 2 – Enlightenment Thinkers on Slavery Appendix 3 – Did the 1926 Muslim World Congress Condemn Slavery? Appendix 4 – Was Māriya the Wife or Concubine of the Prophet? Appendix 5 – Was Freedom a Human Right in the Shariah? Appendix 6 – Enslavement of Apostate Muslims or Muslims Declared to be Unbelievers Select Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the HWA Sharpe Books Non-Fiction Crown AwardA work of investigative history that will completely change the way in which we see the Romanov story. Finally, here is the truth about the secret plans to rescue Russia’s last imperial family.On 17 July 1918, the whole of the Russian Imperial Family was murdered. There were no miraculous escapes. The former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey – were all tragically gunned down in a blaze of bullets. Historian Helen Rappaport sets out to uncover why the Romanovs’ European royal relatives and the Allied governments failed to save them. It was not, ever, a simple case of one British King’s loss of nerve. In this race against time, many other nations and individuals were facing political and personal challenges of the highest order.In this incredible detective story, Rappaport draws on an unprecedented range of unseen sources, tracking down missing documents, destroyed papers and covert plots to liberate the family by land, sea and even sky. Through countless twists and turns, this revelatory work unpicks many false claims and conspiracies, revealing the fiercest loyalty, bitter rivalries and devastating betrayals as the Romanovs, imprisoned, awaited their fate.A remarkable new work of history from Helen Rappaport, author of Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs.Trade ReviewI read The Race to Save the Romanovs in more or less in a single sitting. It’s absolutely marvellous – packed with details, beautifully paced and told me lots of things I didn’t know. -- PETER FRANKOPANWhat I always love about Helen Rappaport’s books is that they appeal to the heart as well as the head. She’s a writer of great compassion. -- LUCY WORSLEYA groundbreaking book... [which] prove[s] that, even as the centenary of their deaths by firing squad at Ekaterinburg approaches... there remain fresh angles and, crucially, unused evidence pertaining to the Romanovs. * The Daily Telegraph *Highly entertaining... Rappaport introduces us to a colourful array of con men, charlatans and fantasists involved in ideas to free the Romanovs... She is a vivid storyteller -- Victor Sebestyen * Sunday Times *Gripping... Rappaport has uncovered many missing pieces in the story, from the diplomatic wrangling over the tsar’s fate to a number of "hare-brained" rescue schemes hatched by monarchist sympathisers. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE TRUTH IS OUT THERE . . . Who was Jack the Ripper? Where did the Nazis stash their gold? Who are the real Men in Black? Did aliens send the 'WOW' signal? And how will the world end? 100 Things They Don't Want You to Know sets out to uncover the truth behind the world's most mysterious cover-ups and unexplained events that have been shrouded in secrecy for generations. From suspicious deaths and disappearances to enigmatic identities, from Cold War cover-ups to puzzling paranormal phenomena and from ancient artefacts to coded documents, 100 Things They Don't Want You to Know takes you on a quest to solve the greatest mysteries, strange disappearances, suspicious cover-ups and conspiracy theories.Including: Black Dahlia, the Marfa Lights, the Turin Shroud, Spontaneous Combustion, Lost Literature of the Mayan Civilisation, Disappearance of Jean Spangler, Shakespeare's True Identity, the Turin Shroud, the Easter Island Glyphs, the Death of Lee Harvey Oswald, the Mothman, The Flying Dutchman, the Secret Mission of Ruldolph Hess, the 'WOW" signal, Lewis Carroll's Lost Diaries, the Man in the Iron Mask and the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

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Book SynopsisOn the eve of International Women's Day in 2015, the Chinese government arrested five feminist activists and jailed them for 37 days. The Feminist Five became a global cause célèbre, with Hillary Clinton speaking out on their behalf, and activists inundating social media with #FreetheFive messages. But the Feminist Five are only symbols of a much larger feminist movement of civil rights lawyers, labor activists, performance artists and online warriors that is prompting an unprecedented awakening among China's urban, educated women. In Betraying Big Brother, journalist and scholar Leta Hong Fincher argues that the popular, broad-based movement poses the greatest threat to China's authoritarian regime today.Through interviews with the Feminist Five and other leading Chinese activists, Hong Fincher illuminates both the challenges they face and their "joy of betraying Big Brother." Tracing the rise of a new feminist consciousness through online campaigns resembling #MeToo, and describing how the Communist regime has suppressed the history of its own feminist struggles, Betraying Big Brother is a story of how the movement against patriarchy could reconfigure China and the world.Trade ReviewFeatured in The Washington Post and Times Higher Education * The Washington Post and Times Higher Education *

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Book Synopsis'London is a giant kaleidoscope, which is forever turning. Take your eye off it for more than a moment and you're lost.' Robert Elms has seen his beloved city change beyond all imagining. London in his lifetime has morphed from a piratical, bomb-scarred playground, to a swish cosmopolitan metropolis. Motorways driven through lost communities, accents changing, skyscrapers appearing. Yet still it remains to him the greatest place on earth. Elms takes us back through time and place to myriad Londons. He is our guide through a place that has seen scientific experiments conducted in subterranean lairs and a small community declare itself an independent nation; a place his great-great-grandfather made the Elms' home over a century ago and a city that has borne witness to world-changing events.Trade ReviewA love letter to the capital . . . Part memoir, part cultural history, it sees him embarking on a voyage through the London of his youth and that of his forebears while assessing the city of today . . . He offers warm and often vivid snapshots of the capital of the '60s and '70s * * Guardian * *[Robert Elms'] observations are fresh, incisive and sometimes revelatory . . . His love of his city shines from every page * * Observer * *London Made Us is a marvellously detailed and wonderfully evocative memoir of London trembling on the border of extinction. Our tears and dreams are made of this -- PETER ACKROYDThis great city of ours has been truly blessed with some notable social and historical chroniclers . . . Robert Elms is a worthy addition in my humble opinion. This book will quite literally give the reader, whether London-born or not, the most fascinating in-depth history lesson of my beloved city (warts an' all) to date. The reading of this book should be made a compulsory addition to the curriculum of every state and private school in the capital -- NORMAN JAY MBERobert Elms's bright, sparky, self-aware homage to his home . . . Elms writes as he speaks . . . His voice surfs on waves of sentimental passion and it, too, conjures up a vanishing world * * Times Literary Supplement * *This is a freewheeling book that revels in the tales it tells - and it tells plenty . . . A delight * * Evening Standard * *A celebration of [London's] utterly vital past, and a stinging critique of present pseudo-posh . . . Elms is good at taking a little piece of our hearts . . . But he gives, too. His stories are funny and memorable * * Spectator * *

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Book SynopsisFull of personal insights and accounts of the long journey to getting a man on the moon, Missions to the Moon is the perfect companion for anyone with a love of space travel, the moon landings, or NASA, CNSA, RFSA, and the rest of the world's space programs. With dozens of stunning photographs and fascinating memorabilia – such as Apollo 11 Mission Reports and Flight Director's Logs – track the birth of the space race and Yuri Gagarin's first space flight, to the many successes and failures of the Apollo mission, all the way to that boots-on-the-ground moment we have come to know so well. Uniquely complemented by ground-breaking digital technology you can become fully immersed in this interactive story of mankind's ongoing journey into the final frontier. Table of ContentsMan and Moon • Vengeance Takes Flight • Sleeping Under a Red Moon • Aiming for the Moon • How to go to the Moon • Soviet Disasters • A Most Complex Machine • The Flight of the Phoenix • Into the Void • Christmas in Space • Flying to the Moon • Dress Rehearsals • Preparing for the Big One • The Voyage of Apollo 11 • 'Contact Light!' • Magnificent Desolation • Laughs From Luna: Apollo 12 • A Successful Failure: Apollo 13 • Shepard Returns • The Lunar Rover • The Genesis Rock • Landing in the Lunar Highlands • Final Moments: Apollo 17 • The Legacy of Apollo • Europe Returns to Space • Asia Ascendant • Moonbase.

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Book SynopsisWhat do cacao beans, cowrie shells, paper cards, cigarettes and digital databases all have in common? At some time, they have been used as a form of money. Money is an essential aspect of everyday life and something that we usually take for granted until it all goes wrong. This book traces the role, growth and impact of money and finance on individuals, human civilisation and the type of economy we live in. The financial history of the world reads like a fascinating novel with innumerable twists and turns. We strive for financial stability and security, yet this often proves surprisingly ephemeral. Just as we hope we have reached a new plateau of prosperity, the financial system has a habit of throwing a spanner in the works, forcing us to change and adapt to new circumstances. This book traces the financial system from its birth as a credit system in ancient Mesopotamia, to the financial revolutions of the 20th and 21st centuries. This is the story of money, finance and economics but also its interaction with people, governments and society. Why did the American forces desperately try to destroy money during the American Revolution? Why do we tend to succumb to boom and busts? And if inflation is bad, why is deflation even worse? Also, the book looks at the effect money has on ourselves. Does money make us irrational? Is money really the root of all evil, or should we celebrate money for its potential to create prosperity and overcome poverty? Table of ContentsBefore money - barter/credit/gift economies/debt • The first currencies - how money evolved coins, notes, banks • How money transformed the world - how money facilitated trade, companies, economic growth • Behavioural theory of money - how people relate to money • The industrial revolution, free market economics, stock markets, modern banks, central banks • Finance and economics in the Twentieth Century • Debt throughout history - personal, company and government debt • Financial crash of 2007, Bitcoin, cashless societies • Different views on the financial system • Financial crashes.

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Book SynopsisIn the year of her 100th birthday, Dame Vera Lynn's fascinating and life-affirming wartime memoir from the forces' sweetheart's of her adventures entertaining the troops in far-flung Burma.'I was just twenty-seven years old when I went to Burma. It was an experience that changed my life for ever. Up until that time I had not really travelled anywhere at all, apart from one touring visit to Holland with a band I was singing with before the war, and I had certainly never been in an aeroplane. But I wanted to make a difference, to do my bit.'And she did.Written with her daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones this is a powerful and life-affirming account of the time she spent with troops in wartime Burma. Based, in part on a diary she kept, alongside unpublished personal letters and photographs from surviving veterans and their families, it explores why it was such a life-defining event for her and shows how her presence helped the soldiers, airmen and others who heard her sing.Trade Reviewa book that is valuable to us all…definitely for everyone * Frost Magazine *one of the 15 best music books of 2017 * i Paper *

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Book SynopsisYou may know all about the Easter Rising and the Good Friday Agreement, but did you know that the hypodermic needle was invented in Tallaght? Or that Dublin was the first city in the world to have a woman stockbroker, decades before London or New York? Or that the formula used to create the video game Tomb Raider was sketched on a bridge in Cabra in the nineteenth century? With one entry for every day of the year, this book marks the anniversaries of momentous events in Irish history: in politics, medicine, music, sport and innovation. In this accessible, comprehensive and authoritative book, discover the moments that have helped to shape the national identity of Ireland. Trade ReviewA monumental book. Unputdownable, educational, thoroughly enjoyable and historically accurate. -- Joe Duffythis handsome hardback will be bound to leap onto the gift list when the festive season approaches … once you look up a particular date, it is well-nigh impossible not to read the entry before or after it … it has something for everyone * Tuam Herald *

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Book SynopsisThe end of slavery started in what was then San Domingo. In 1791, the enslaved people of the most prized French sugar plantation colony revolted against their masters. For over twelve years, against a backdrop of the French Revolution, they fought an epic black liberation struggle for control of the island. Theirs was the first and only successful slave revolution. It was the creation of Haiti as a nation, the first independent black republic outside of Africa, and an international inspiration to the persecuted and enslaved. This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture. The text of this graphic novel is a play by C. L. R. James that opened in London in 1936 with Paul Robeson in the title role. For the first time, black actors appeared on the British stage in a work by a black playwright. The script had been lost for almost seventy years when a draft copy was discovered among James's archives. Now this extraordinary drama has been reimagined by artists Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee.Trade ReviewOne of the year's top works of nonfiction. -- Rob Salkowitz, Best Graphic Novels Of 2023 * Forbes *A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution. -- Best Books of 2023 * Comics Grinder *The adaptation is exciting, educational, and the perfect gift for the lefties in your life. -- Hank Kennedy, The Best of 2023 * The Comics Journal *The drawings are fantastic and the energy palpable on every page. -- Joe Sacco, journalist and comic book artist, author of PalestineA marvellous adaptation of one of the most important black history and slave history books ever written. C.L.R. James would be delighted. -- Paul Buhle, authorized biographer of C. L. R. James and editor of more than twenty radical history graphic novelsAn epic work of graphic history - a compelling, dramatic, detailed, delicate, and human rendition of this incredible tale of resistance -- Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa: The Graphic Biography of Rosa LuxemburgThe inspiring spirit of the men, women and children who made the Haitian Revolution has been beautifully and vividly brought to life as never before. This extraordinary work is a wonderful tribute to not only C. L. R. James but also to the greatest ever movement to demand Black Lives Matter. -- Christian Høgsbjerg, co-author of Toussaint Louverture: A Black Jacobin in the Age of RevolutionsA historically important story, cinematic drawings, a powerful work. -- Charles Johnson, author of Middle PassageThe basis for this graphic novel is C. L. R. James' 1934 play, adapted by Watts and Karimjee; readers who don't know what to expect from the graphic-novel adaptation of a play will be pleased with the result...An important piece of history that shouldn't be forgotten. * Booklist *Adapting C.L.R. James's 1934 play, Karimjee and Watts's evocative black-and-white drawings channel the rebellious spirit of the Haitian Revolution in its fight for Black liberation. * The New York Times Book Review *This fiery primer offers education and insights into Haiti's fight for independence. * Publishers Weekly *This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture * Comics Beat *Their illustrations do justice to the original work, beautifully rendered and depicting dynamic characters and exciting drama. * Keith Harris History *The comic book format, constantly zooming out to the big picture and in on the details, proves immensely suited to the complex parallels between personal and universal struggles around which James's play revolves. -- Mark Rappolt * Art Review *This is quite a comic! A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution and yet was treated for centuries as a mere sidebar to world events. Readers will need to think hard, even now, about the reasons why. -- Paul Buhle * Comics Grinder *The caricaturing at work in Toussaint Louverture is impressive. Each character has a distinct, stylized, expressive face ... While the aim of this volume is educational, entertainment is not forgotten. * The Comics Journal *Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee's brilliant graphic novelisation of CLR James own stage adaptation of his book The Black Jacobins will both inspire and convince that, whatever the circumstances, change is possible. * Philosophy Football *

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Book SynopsisWith the concept of the Imperial Mode of Living, Brand and Wissen highlight the fact that capitalism implies uneven development as well as a constant and accelerating universalisation of a Western mode of production and living. The logic of liberal markets since the 19thCentury, and especially since World War II, has been inscribed into everyday practices that are usually unconsciously reproduced. The authors show that they are a main driver of the ecological crisis and economic and political instability.The Imperial Mode of Living implies that people's everyday practices, including individual and societal orientations, as well as identities, rely heavily on the unlimited appropriation of resources; a disproportionate claim on global and local ecosystems and sinks; and cheap labour from elsewhere. This availability of commodities is largely organised through the world market, backed by military force and/or the asymmetric relations of forces as they have been inscribed in international institutions. Moreover, the Imperial Mode of Living implies asymmetrical social relations along class, gender and race within the respective countries. Here too, it is driven by the capitalist accumulation imperative, growth-oriented state policies and status consumption. The concrete production conditions of commodities are rendered invisible in the places where the commodities are consumed. The imperialist world order is normalized through the mode of production and living.Trade ReviewThe highly readable book by Brand and Wissen exposes an internal contradiction fraught with consequences: the imperial mode of living undermines its own operating conditions. Currently, the dominant reaction to this fact consists of desperate attempts to secure the exclusivity of this mode of living even under altered conditions. -- Stephan Lessenich * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *The facts of the "imperial mode of living" are nothing new. The merit of the authors lies in showing its related problems broadly, well founded in theory and substantiated by empirical material. -- Joachim Hirsch * Frankfurter Rundschau *To fight the ecological crisis, the realm of political economics ought to be included as well, because it would clearly show the problems with the global North's globalised norms of production and consumption. -- Jutta Bichl, Paolo Freire Zentrum, AustriaDeveloping a counter-hegemony to the imperial mode of living would mean articulating both structural and everyday alternatives. Brand and Wissen call for seeking out confrontation with the elites in contested societal (nature) relations and countering the imperial mode of living with a solidary one. -- Evelyn Linde * analyse & kritik *Empathy for the worries of people who are situated well above average on a global scale, but are increasingly unsettled in their sphere of life, would be needed for the transformation-oriented left, if it were to take a hegemonic project seriously. -- Andreas Novy * Austrian Journal of Political Science *An explosive book that not only helps in understanding the multiple crises of our times, but also shows approaches for overcoming them. -- Knut Henkel * die tageszeitung *The book shows that a sound analysis of society is not an academic end it itself but has a high relevance for the political discourse. -- Bernd Sommer * GAIA *Using the term "mode of living", the authors succeed in defining the embedding of global power relations in the everyday actions of people in the North without raising moral accusations. [.] The imperial mode of living has the hallmarks of compulsion, but at the same time enables, creates conveniences and expands scopes of action. While it can be sustained only for the price of intensifying economic and ecological crises, it contributes to the stabilization of the societies of the North, including their injustices, and remains attractive for those excluded, whose hope is not pinned on overcoming the imperial conditions, but on participating in the exclusive privileges. -- Gerd Schoppengerd * express *Brand/Wissen conceive the term "mode of living" [...] as a category of systematic connections between action and structure. The term connects the analysis of the everyday practices people use to reproduce social conditions to a critique of social structures that make just these practices appear to be the conditions for a good life [...]. Norms for modes of production and consumption are embedded in these practices just as much as are forms of state regulation that arose from social conflicts. In other words, the imperial mode of living forms part of a hegemonic combination that does not confront the social actors as something external but constitutes them as subjects and conveys a capacity for action to them, which they adopt and reproduce in their everyday practices. -- Jörg Reitzig * Politikum *With their effort to start with the daily normality of the imperial mode of living, Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen managed an important strike, especially in the political realm. -- Klaus Dörre * Sozialismus *If you want to understand the multiple crises of our times and are searching for answers, you must read this book. It is an exceptional proof of the practical value of political science. -- Gerhard Klas * Südwestrundfunk. Die Buchkritik *An essential political read for our times. Spelling out the brutal contradictions of the 'imperial mode of living' and its 'green economy', Brand and Wissen invite the reader to consider a 'solidary mode of living'. Here, sociability and sustainability can be joined, and hopefully celebrate the rich plurality of global cultures. -- Ariel SallehThis lucid articulation of 'the imperial mode of living' as a pathbreaking concept, helps us to better understand the continuing neo-colonial relations of production and consumption between the Global North and South. It shows their devastating social and ecological consequences, and why 'green economy' like approaches will not save us and the planet. Rather, systemic, fundamental alternatives are needed, and this book brilliantly demonstrates why. -- Ashish KothariProudly wearing the cloaks of what they call revolutionary Realpolitik and radical reformism, Brand and Wissen offer both a bracing and radical assessment of the current ecological crisis and a roadmap of the pathways from fossil capitalism. The imperial model of living saturates everyday life resting upon the unlimited appropriation of resources, a disproportionate claim to global and local ecosystems and sinks and cheap labor from elsewhere. Yet the concrete production conditions of consumed commodities and their environmental destructiveness in the Global North and South alike are typically invisible, rarely crossing into critical reflection. The Imperial Mode of Living offers a brilliant analysis of how and why this sense of normality is produced in a time of multiple and overlapping crises, and how such a mode of living simultaneously creates these crises and stabilizes social relations in the countries where its benefits are concentrated. A tour de force. -- Michael Watts, University of California, BerkeleyThe Imperial Mode of Living introduces a much needed addition to our understanding of imperialism by looking at the ways in which global structures of imperial domination, extraction, and production have created consuming classes with imperial lifestyles that threaten the ecological survival of the planet. It also helps make sense of the new phase of imperial domination and extraction of the global South through engendering consuming classes in both the global North and South. By making visible the taken-for-granted daily practices of consumption and production and linking them to imperial structures, Brand and Wissen have produced an indispensable contribution. -- Michelle Williams, Professor of Sociology and Chairperson of the Global Labour University Programme, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South AfricaBrand and Wissen assert that it will only be possible to overcome the destructive global imperial mode of living by changing the current ways of working and of consumption, and by putting solidarity into practice across society. The German-language publication of the book garnered a discussion that was both broad and intensive, precisely because the authors insist on the need to rethink social transformation beyond hitherto concepts of reform or revolution. -- Joachim Hirsch, Goethe University, Frankfurt/M.The Imperial Mode of Living is a very enlightening and also useful conceptual tool to connect the mainstream essentialist criticism of capitalism and a critical analysis of the everyday life of people within it. With the help of it, we can have a better understanding of the political and economic dynamics of contemporary capitalism, a globalized as well as 'universalized' system or hegemonic mode of living, which constitutes a great challenge for the emerging global Green-left politics. -- Qingzhi Huan, Beijing UniversityThis book vividly illuminates what imperialism means today, elucidating the deep structures of social and ecological injustice on which prosperity is currently premised. Eschewing simple moral appeals, the book superbly threads together the cultural and economic forces that make the richer parts of the world feel comfortable with the status quo. Brand and Wissen lay the groundwork for a much-needed shift in the cross-border conversation over alternatives. -- Emma Dowling, author of The Care Crisis (2021)The Imperial Mode of Living is a powerful contribution to the Left's strategic debates worldwide. Its bold and controversial thesis on the everyday implications of global economic and ecological inequality deserves to be discussed widely. -- Marcel van der Linden, International Institute of Social History, AmsterdamA pathbreaking thesis - and a truly essential reading for making sense of the 'global constellations of power' that shape the world we live in. Looking at the socio-ecological contradictions of Western societies from the perspective of their manufactured elsewhere, and the normalized violence of extractive relations - this book magisterially complements the tradition of anti-imperialist, 'revolutionary Realpolitik' (Rosa Luxemburg). -- Stefania Barca, Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, PortugalComing out of the Corona virus crisis, there has to be a radical transformation in the way that we live. This book is an excellent way into the discussion of the mode of living that is destroying the earth. A solidary mode of living or authoritarian neo-liberal corona capitalism: that, the authors suggest, is the choice we face. No debate could be more important. -- John HollowayIn the tradition of debates about imperialism, this book emphasizes its effects on the crucial level of everyday life and, more broadly, interrogates what constitutes our modes of living today. Bringing together consumption, extractivism and production, Brand and Wissen provide an updated reading and multilevel map not only of capitalist exploitation, but also of the underlying political elements behind migration, the rise of the right and the urgent need to rethink class and ecology from the point of view of social reproduction. Through the notion of themode of living as a constellation of elements, this book is a renewal of anti-imperialist theory. -- Verónica Gago, Universidad de Buenos AiresAn accessible and deep examination of imperialism's historical and present construction of a global economy designed to not only dominate the peoples and nations outside the capitalist core, but also to keep that economy's ecological destructiveness in those nations, too. -- Ron Jacobs * CounterPunch *In her great work of 1913, Rosa Luxemburg had shown that the accumulation of capital is only possible if there is an outside that enables the preservation and development of the inner core of the capitalist mode of production. Inevitably capitalism is an imperial order. Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen link this insight of Luxemburg to the fact that the mode of living, including desires, everyday production and consumption patterns such as mobility in the centers of modern capitalism are also imperial. They describe the strategy for an alternative of a solidary mode of living, the emergence of which requires nothing less than a new Great Transformation beyond capitalism. -- Michael Brie, Head of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Rosa-Luxemburg-StiftungThis book is a must read, particularly poignant for scholar working on consumption and sustainability. The concept of an 'imperial mode of living' captures the idea that power relations permeate both everyday life, and political as well as economic spheres. Mundane and routine practices, performed without much reflexivity - such as driving a car or preparing a meal - reveal broader social inequalities and forms of environmental deterioration that become normalized, accepted, even respected, and thus difficult to change. From describing the problem and introducing the concept, the authors then lead us down a promising avenue: that of solidarity and social learning. Such measures are not the sole remit of heroic individuals, however, they require multiple and perhaps messy collective action. Because...Ya basta! -- Marlyne Sahakian, University of GenevaA book for these times ... The Imperial Mode of Living not only offers a novel grasp of the links of everyday life to crises and inequalities on a global scale, but it also takes a stand for the necessity of politics from below. -- Stefan Schoppengerd * LSE Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisNearly 13,000 years ago millions of people and animals were wiped out, and the world plunged abruptly into a new ice-age. It was more than a thousand years before the climate, and mankind, recovered. The people of Gobekli Tepe in present-day southern Turkey, whose ancestors witnessed this catastrophe, built a megalithic monument formed of many hammer-shaped pillars decorated with symbols as a memorial to this terrible event. Before long, they also invented agriculture, and their new farming culture spread rapidly across the continent, signalling the arrival of civilisation. Before abandoning Gobekli Tepe thousands of years later, they covered it completely with rubble to preserve the greatest and most important story ever told for future generations. Archaeological excavations began at the site in 1994, and we are now able to read their story, more amazing than any Hollywood plot, again for the first time in over 10,000 years. It is a story of survival and resurgence that allows one of the world’s greatest scientific puzzles – the meaning of ancient artworks, from the 40,000 year-old Lion-man figurine of Hohlenstein-Stadel cave in Germany to the Great Sphinx of Giza – to be solved. We now know what happened to these people. It probably had happened many times before and since, and it could happen again, to us. The conventional view of prehistory is a sham; we have been duped by centuries of misguided scholarship. The world is actually a much more dangerous place than we have been led to believe. The old myths and legends, of cataclysm and conflagration, are surprisingly accurate. We know this because, at last, we can read an extremely ancient code assumed by scholars to be nothing more than depictions of wild animals. A code hiding in plain sight that reveals we have hardly changed in 40,000 years. A code that changes everything.

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Book SynopsisHeroes and Marvels of the Middle Ages is a history like no other: it is a history of the imagination, presented through two celebrated groups of the period. One group consists of heroes: Charlemagne, El Cid, King Arthur, Orlando, Pope Joan, Melusine, Merlin the Wizard, and also the fox and the unicorn. The other is the miraculous, represented here by three forms of power that dominated medieval society: the cathedral, the castle and the cloister. This imaginative history is a continuing story that presents the heroes and marvels of the Middle Ages as the times defined them: venerated, then bequeathed to future centuries where they have continued to live and transform through remembrance of the past, adaptation to the present and openness to the future.Trade Review"Le Goff explores wonders and oddities that caught the imagination in the past. If you are a parent of an eight-year-old girl you are likely to meet unicorns on a daily basis. Multicolored unicorns with rainbow-hued manes and tails on T-shirts and pyjamas and drawings stuck on the fridge. Your daughter will write stories about unicorns and even have one as pet in some virtual technological world she inhabits with her friends. And when you ask what’s so great about unicorns you'll be told, 'Well, they're magic!' But you still won't get it. To begin to understand, you need to go straight to the unicorn chapter of this first English translation of Heroes and Marvels of the Middle Ages by the French medievalist le Goff. The existence of the unicorn has been attested since classical times, including in Pliny's De Rerum Natura, but the key text, Goff tells us, is a Gnostic treatise written in Greek in Alexandria between the second and fourth centuries AD, and soon translated into Latin, called the Physiologus." -- Philip O Ceallaigh * Irish Times *"At the time of his death in 2014, Le Goff (formerly, School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris) was a leading scholar of medieval Europe. . . . In these 19 short essays—originally published in French in 2005—he offers case studies of "the medieval imaginary" to argue that many creations of medieval culture not only had long lives but are still present today. . . . The erudition is smoothly presented with an implicit argument for the basic similarity between medieval culture and its modern heirs. . . . Recommended." * Choice *"This welcome translation makes Le Goff’s Heros et merveilles du Moyen Age, originally published in 2005, available to an Anglophone audience. The work of this French historian emphasized the multilayered nature of history and the importance of social and economic trends alongside political or diplomatic themes. Le Goff’s contributions to the reassessment of medieval civilization continued throughout his life, and his influence has been far-reaching." * Folklore *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Arthur The Cathedral Charlemagne The Castle Knights and Chivalry El Cid The Cloister The Land of Cockaigne The Jongleur The Unicorn Melusina Merlin Pope Joan Reynard Robin Hood Roland Tristan and Iseult Troubadours and Trouveres The Valkyrie Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Danish aristocrat and astronomer Tycho Brahe personified the inventive vitality of Renaissance life in the sixteenth century. Brahe lost his nose in a student duel, wrote Latin poetry and built one of the most astonishing villas of the period, as well as the observatory Uraniborg, while virtually inventing team research and establishing the fundamental rules of empirical science. This illustrated biography presents a new and dynamic view of Tycho's life, reassessing his gradual separation of astrology from astronomy, and his key relationships with Johannes Kepler, his sister, Sophie, and his kinsmen at the court of King Frederick II.Trade Review"This fascinating and rich biography successfully explains the aims of Tycho's startling and ambitious enterprise, to rebuild the sciences of heaven and earth in a new vision of organized inquiry and the accumulation of nature's treasures. With gripping detail and brilliant illustrations, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the cosmos and culture of early modernity."--Simon Schaffer, Professor of History of Science, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsPreface: Denmark and the Renaissance 1 Birthright Challenged, 1546-70 2 Cloister into Observatory: The New Star, 1570-73 3 Finding a New Life, 1573-6 4 Treasures of the Sea King: Kronborg and Uraniborg, 1576-82 5 Star Castle: Going Down to See Up, 1582-8 6 On the Move, 1588-99 7 The Emperor's Astrologer and His Legacy, 1599-1687 References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisVirginia Woolf's novel famously begins - 'Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.' Of course she would: why would anyone surrender the best part of the day to someone else? Flowers grace our lives at moments of celebration and despair. 'We eat, drink, sing, dance, and flirt with them', writes Kakuzo Okakura. Flowers brighten our homes, our parties, and our rituals with incomparable notes of natural beauty, but the 'nature' in these displays is tamed and conscribed. This book analyzes the transplanted nature of cut flowers - of our relationship with them and the careful curation of their very existence. It is a picaresque, unpredictable ramble through the world of flowers, encompassing paintings, murals, fashion, and public art, glass flowers, pressed flowers, flowery church hats, weaponized flowers, deconstructed flowers, flower power. . . and much more.Trade Review"Examining all things floral from paintings, fashion and pressed flowers to decorative church hats and flower power, this generously illustrated book takes cuttings from one aspect of the human urge to tame and curate nature." * Apollo *"Strange Bright Blooms will convince you that flowers don't just stand there looking pretty. Malamud makes intriguing arguments that flowers not only attract but directly interact with us. While their beauty has inspired great art, blooms have likewise been repurposed as symbols of sexism and racism. Poisonous in warfare, flowers also have been signs of peaceful revolution. Like an unexpected delivery of flowers, this book is a surprise and a delight." -- Marcia Reiss, author of "Lily" and "Apple'""Malamud’s new book explores our endless attraction to cut flowers as a ‘shortcut to beauty’ but also as a medium in which to explore all manner of concerns around love and war, class and race, life and death. Who would have thought that Marie Osmond’s paper roses, Jeff Koons’s tulips, Mae Reeves’s hats, T. S. Eliot’s sleeping dahlias, and Banksy’s Flower Bomber (among many, many other wonderful blooms) would combine to make such a fabulous arrangement?" -- Kasia Boddy, author of "Geranium" and "Blooming Flowers"

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, The Persians tells the story of this cultured ancient civilization, tracing the unique features of Persian life as well as their influence down the centuries. The book describes the difficulties early Persians encountered and how these contributed to their unique character and the establishment of the Achaemenid Empire. It recounts the keenly fought conflicts with the Greeks for mastery of the Eastern Mediterranean, a contest which was to dominate the geopolitics of the ancient world, and it paints a vivid picture of the many great Persian cities and their spectacular achievements: an efficient road system that linked an empire together; respect for their subject peoples; and advances in irrigation techniques which created a 'paradise' envied by their neighbours.Trade Review'The second in the Lost Civilizations series, The Persians is also a compact, concise history of a whole civilisation - from its nomadic origins in the 1st and 2nd millennia BC to its new role as a tourist destination as modern-day Iran . . . Tellingly, the book's useful chronology ends in 2001 with the destruction of the Twin Towers. Today, Iran's power and influence is far from waning' - Minerva Magazine; 'Anyone looking for a concise overview of Iranian history from pre-Islamic times to the present could do worse than consult this elegantly written volume' - ChoiceTable of ContentsChronology Preface: lost and found Origins: the land and the people The achaemenid dynasty The achievements of the achaemenids Cyrus the Great in history and legend Persepolis: city, throne and power Thus Spake Zarathustra: religion and empire Paradise gained Alexander of Macedon and the Hellenistic interlude Empire revived: the Sasanids Islamic Persia and Persian Islam From Persepolis to Samarkand: the Persian legacy in central Asia Paradise if Bliss: the Persian Legacy in India from the Timurids to the Mughals Cyrus with Golden Caviar: the Last dynasty salutes the first From Shahyad to Azadi: the Islamic Republic and the Ancient Legacy Lost in Translation? The first superpower? Conclusion: power and paradise References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe Illuminated Window is a unique journey through stained-glass installations that spans both time and place. Diverse in technique and style, these windows speak for the communities that created them. From the twelfth to the twenty-first century, we find in the windows stories of conflict, commemoration, devotion and celebration. Virginia Chieffo Raguin is our guide through the cathedrals of Chartres, Canterbury and Cologne, and takes us from Paris's Sainte-Chapelle to Swiss guildhalls, Iran's Pink Mosque, Tiffany's chapel for the World Exposition, Frank Lloyd Wright's houses and more. As she reveals, the art of stained glass relies on not only a single maker, but the relationship between the physical site, the patron's aims, the work's legibility for the spectator and the prevailing style of the era. This is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated volume for anyone interested in stained-glass works.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Patrons and Process 1. Canterbury: A Martyr's Tomb and its Cathedral 2. Chartres: An Iconic Gothic Programme 3. Sainte-Chapelle, Paris: Propaganda for the Monarch 4. Cologne Cathedral: A Building Over Time 5. All Saints, North Street, York: Instructing a Parish 6. Fairford Parish Church, Fairford, Gloucestershire: Surviving Iconoclasm 7. Renaissance Donors in Switzerland: An Art of Exchange 8. Renaissance Roundels: The Transformation of European Image Making 9. Harvard University's Memorial Hall: Honouring the Dead, the Nation and Art 10. The Tiffany Chapel: World's Columbian Exposition 11. The Light Screens of Frank Lloyd Wright 12. The Spirituality of Abstraction References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest and most terrible years in world history.‘This war has now assumed the character’, wrote Benito Mussolini, before 1941 was six months old, ‘of a war between two worlds’, and the Italian dictator had rarely predicted more truly.Before the year had ended, following Hitler’s surprise assault on Russia and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, thirty-seven nations were engaged in an all-out war reminiscent of Armageddon, ‘the battle of that great day of God Almighty’.Richard Collier’s latest narrative spans both this entire, devastating year, as well as the events that led up to it. From the hunting of the Bismarck through the North Atlantic to the triumphs of Rommel’s Afrika Korps, from the horror and heroism of besieged Leningrad to the debacles of Hong Kong, Malaya and the Far East, this is a panorama of truly world-wide proportions.An unputdownable narrative of the most extraordinary year in world history, perfect for readers of Max Hastings, James Holland and Antony Beevor.

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Book SynopsisA oenophile's guide to all things wine.Red, white, sparkling or rosé – arguably no other alcoholic drink has had more impact on our society than wine. From its earliest iterations in earthenware jars all the way to the bottles we find lining supermarket shelves today, it has evolved from its use in religious rites along with culture, diet and society as a whole. And with literally billions of litres drank worldwide, our love of fermented grape juice shows no signs of waning.This little book gets to the heart of our love affair with wine. After taking a tour through a history of its evolution through the centuries, it delves into the nitty-gritty of production before we taste the fruits of all that labour – in moderation of course – and learn all about drinking (and hopefully appreciating) this most esteemed of beverages. As well as a whole caseload of quaffable facts and famous sayings about the nectar of the gods, there is also a glossary of useful wine terminology for the aspiring connoisseur, just in case you need a handy reminder during a particularly arduous tasting session..."A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world." Louis Pasteur"My only regret in life is that I didn't drink more wine." Ernest HemingwayVitis vinifera is the principal wine-producing plant, and the majority of the world's wine comes from varieties of this species, mostly because of its high sugar content.Table of ContentsA Brief History of Wine - Tracing the history of wine from Egypt to the present day • Nectar of the Gods - Everything you need to know about producing wine • Happy Hour - Quirky facts and fun trivia about wine • Wine O'Clock - How to drink and appreciate wine, with tasting notes on some of the most popular varieties • Nunc est Bibendum - Some of the best quotes about wine, from Horace to Hemmingway • An Oenophile's Glossary - Words any serious wine connoisseur should know – and try to remember after a few glasses.

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Book SynopsisRhys ap Gruffydd stands out as a prince of unusual talent, vision and insight. A native ruler, he was an astute politician, a zealous reformer, a sensitive patron of the arts, a distinguished warrior, the architect of peaceful co-existence and one of the most remarkable figures in medieval Wales.

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Book SynopsisThe Soci t Europ enne de Production de l'avion cole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique (SEPECAT) Jaguar and Hawker Siddeley Harrier played critical ground-attack and tactical reconnaissance roles, including in the latter stages of the Cold War. The Jaguar came into service with the RAF in 1974 and flew with eight operational squadrons and an Operational Conversion Unit before finally being retired in 2007. The unique Harrier entered service with the RAF in 1969.It flew operationally with four squadrons, as well as being deployed in Belize and the Falkland Islands and with an Operational Conversion Unit. The second-generation Harrier was prematurely retired in 2011. With over 180 photographs, both black and white and colour, this book, the third in a series on British combat aircraft of the 1970s and '80s, is an essential addition to the libraries of those who flew or worked on these aircraft, aviation historians and enthusiasts, and modellers alike.

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Book Synopsis‘Beautifully written, sumptuously illustrated, constantly fascinating‘ - The TimesOn 26 November 1922 Howard Carter first peered into the newly opened tomb of an ancient Egyptian boy-king. When asked if he could see anything, he replied: ‘Yes, yes, wonderful things.’In Tutankhamun’s Trumpet, acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson takes a unique approach to that tomb and its contents. Instead of concentrating on the oft-told story of the discovery, or speculating on the brief life and politically fractious reign of the boy king, Wilkinson takes the objects buried with him as the source material for a wide-ranging, detailed portrait of ancient Egypt – its geography, history, culture and legacy.One hundred artefacts from the tomb, arranged in ten thematic groups, are allowed to speak again – not only for themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them. Never before have the treasures of Tutankhamun been analysed and presented for what they can tell us about ancient Egyptian culture, its development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting impact.Filled with surprising insights, unusual details, vivid descriptions and, above all, remarkable objects, Tutankhamun’s Trumpet will appeal to all lovers of history, archaeology, art and culture, as well as all those fascinated by the Egypt of the pharaohs.‘I’ve read many books on ancient Egypt, but I’ve never felt closer to its people‘ - The Sunday TimesTrade ReviewBeautifully written, sumptuously illustrated, constantly fascinating and the work of a man who is practised at explaining the past to the present. -- David Aaronivitch * The Times *The cleverness of the book lies in how individual grave goods are used to crack open the mindset of a civilisation . . . This book thrums with life. To the ancient Egyptians, a pharaoh’s tomb was a “resurrection machine” and, in a sense, they were right. The dead cannot be resurrected but, through the artefacts they used, we can sense the lives they lived. I’ve read many books on ancient Egypt, but I’ve never felt closer to its people -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *The Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson takes 100 of the most curious of those finds and uses them to unlock the mysteries of Egyptian history and culture. -- Andrew Holgate and Laura Hackett * The Times '100 Best Books for Summer' *

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Book SynopsisA unique, stunning collection of images of Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a testament to the vibrancy of Palestinian society prior to occupation.This book tells the story, in both English and Arabic, of a land full of people—people with families, hopes, dreams, and a deep connection to their home—before Israel’s establishment in 1948, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.” Denying Palestinian existence has been a fundamental premise of Zionism, which has sought not only to hide this existence but also to erase its memory. But existence leaves traces, and the imprint of the Palestine that was remains, even in the absence of those expelled from their lands. It appears in the ruins of a village whose name no longer appears in the maps, in the drawing of a lost landscape, in the lyrics of a song, or in the photographs from a family album.Co-edited by Teresa Aranguren and Sandra Barrilaro and featuring a foreword by Mohammed El-Kurd, the photographs in this book are traces of that existence that have not been erased. They are testament not to nostalgia, but to the power of resistance.Trade Review"Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba sets out as a reminder of not only the history of the people of Palestine, but also about the undying struggle against its very erasure. It is a tribute to the emotional power of memory, taking us back to the past of the Palestinians before the Nakba, rendering the whole period as an expression of their vibrant culture, traditions, principles and lifestyle, unravelled through spectacular images of their land demonstrating a life of joy and beauty, of perseverance and resistance. The images will haunt many who have yet to grasp the pain and the fear of a living people who once had a fulfilling life." —The Tribune"At a time of an unfolding Israeli genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, enabled as much by racist, dehumanizing propaganda as by Western arms, funds and colonial complicity, it is more important than ever to always remember to see the human behind the number, the oppression behind the violence, and the complicity behind the genocide. This precious book shares a glimpse of Palestinian lives prior to the Nakba, the initial destruction of our beautiful homeland to project an image of a "desert" that needs a white colonial settler to make it bloom. In the face of this excruciatingly painful phase of our ongoing Nakba of ruthless, inherently supremacist settler-colonial conquest, celebrating our heritage, our cultural roots, our love for life, for freedom, for justice becomes more necessary than ever. This book helps us do so.“ —Omar Barghouti, Palestinian human rights defender and co-founder of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights"Against Erasure is a stunning demonstration of Palestinian resistance, joy, and the beautiful persistence of our people. As argument, it documents the thriving existence of families, children, and whole communities before Nakba, illustrating our powerful connection to the homeland, which persists and resists until full liberation. This book is a testament to the schools we once occupied and the orange groves our great-grandfather's planted. Through this book, we look into the past as a means of creating and charging towards a future of return." —Noor Hindi"We live in a moment when Palestinian life is being ruthlessly dehumanized in the service of a looming genocide. A critical defense of humanity amidst this atrocity is the constant assertion that these are a people who had a culture and a land before it was violently stolen. Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba, is not only beautiful and heart wrenching; it is a political reminder that we are fighting not only with Palestinian life but against an erasure of their entire history." —Dave Zirin, Sports Editor, The Nation Magazine“If you are curious about what Palestinians were like before the Nakba, before the 2014 Gaza massacres, and before the current Israeli genocide or, more importantly, if for some peculiar reason, you need further affirmation of Palestinian humanity get Against Erasure and humanize yourself.” —CounterCurrents

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Book Synopsis An incisive history of self-serving white feminists and the inspiring women who’ve continually defied themWomen including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Sanger, and Sheryl Sandberg are commonly celebrated as leaders of feminism. Yet they have fought for the few, not the many. As award-winning scholar Kyla Schuller argues, their white feminist politics dispossess the most marginalized to liberate themselves.In The Trouble with White Women, Schuller brings to life the two-hundred-year counter history of Black, Indigenous, Latina, poor, queer, and trans women pushing back against white feminists and uniting to dismantle systemic injustice. These feminist heroes such as Frances Harper, Harriet Jacobs, and Pauli Murray have created an anti-racist feminism for all. But we don’t speak their names and we don’t know their legacies. Unaware of these intersectional leaders, feminists have been led down the same dead-end alleys generation after generation, often working within the structures of racism, capitalism, homophobia, and transphobia rather than against them. Building a more just feminist politics for today requires a reawakening, a return to the movement’s genuine vanguards and visionaries. Their compelling stories, campaigns, and conflicts reveal the true potential of feminist liberation. An Entropy Magazine Best Nonfiction Book of 2020-2021,The Trouble with White Women gives feminists today the tools to fight for the flourishing of all.

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Book SynopsisIn 1939, as the Nazis closed in, Alfred Berger mailed a desperate letter to an American stranger who happened to share his last name. He and his wife, Viennese Jews, had found escape routes for their daughters. But now their money, connections, and emotional energy were nearly exhausted. Alfred begged the American recipient of the letter, “You are surely informed about the situation of all Jews in Central Europe.... By pure chance I got your address.... My daughter and her husband will go... to America.... Help us to follow our children.... It is our last and only hope....” After languishing in a California attic for decades, Alfred’s letter ended up in the hands of Faris Cassell, a journalist who couldn’t rest until she discovered the ending of the story. Traveling across the United States as well as to Austria, the Czech Republic, Belarus, and Israel, she uncovered an extraordinary story of heart-wrenching loss and unforgettable love that endures to this day. Did the Bergers’ desperate letter find a response? Did they—and their daughters—survive? Did they leave living descendants? You will find the answers here. A story that will move any reader, The Unanswered Letter is a poignant reminder that love and hope never die.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most famous queens in history, Mary Stuart lived in her homeland for just twelve years: as a dauntless child who laughed at her friends' seasickness as they sailed to safety in France and later, on her return as a 18-year-old widow to take control of a nation riven with factions, dissent and religious strife. Brief though her time in Scotland was, her experience profoundly in?uenced who she was and what happened to her.In this book, Rosemary Goring tells the story of Mary's Scottish years through the often dramatic and atmospheric locations and settings where the events that shaped her life took place and also examines the part Scotland, and its tumultuous court and culture, played in her downfall. Whether or not Mary Stuart emerges blameless or guilty, in this evocative retelling she can be seen for who she really was.Locations included:Linlithgow Palace * Stirling Castle * Dumbarton Castle * Leith * Holyrood Palace * Crichton Castle * Darnaway Castle * Huntly Castle * Spyn

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Book SynopsisFor more than 3,000 years, Egypt was home to the greatest civilization on earth. Illustrated with more than 1,500 photographs and specially commissioned illustrations, The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt is a celebration of the wonders of ancient Egypt, from the mask of Tutankhamun to the Valley of the Kings and the great pyramids of Giza, and from tomb hieroglyphs to golden treasures decorated with ankhs and scarabs. Exploring the history, religion, literature, and art of the ancient Egyptians, as well as the day-to-day experience of ordinary citizens such as pyramid builders, scribes, and craftsmen, this book brings to life the world of the pharaohs in vivid detail, providing a wealth of information about this fascinating and mysterious culture.Table of Contents10 History 12 Egypt, Gift of the Nile 16 Egypt before the Pharaohs 20 The ‘Zero’ Dynasty 22 King Narmer, The First Pharaoh? 24 The Thinite Period (The Early Dynastic Period) 28 The Old Kingdom 32 Pharaoh Djoser 34 Khufu- Builder of The Great Pyramid 36 The Time of Pepy I 38 First Intermediate Period 42 Herakleopolis 44 Nubia and Egypt 46 Fortresses in the South 48 The Middle Kingdom 52 Pharaoh Mentuhotep 2 54 Senusret1- Man of Character 56 Senusret III 60 Amenemhat III 62 The Hyksos 64 Second Intermediate Period 68 The New Kingdom 70 Of Workmen and Tomb Robbers 72 Thutmose 1 74 Thutmose 3 76 Hatshepsut, the Pharaoh Queen 78 Amenhotep III 80 Akhenaten’s Religious Reforms 84 Nefertiti- power and beauty 86 Tutankhamun, the boy King 88 Horemheb 90 Sety I 94 Rameses the Great 96 The battle of Qadesh 98 Sea Peoples 100 The Priest Kings 102 Libyans on the Throne 104 Taharqo, Nubian Pharaoh 106 The Persians in Egypt 108 Psamtek 1 110 Alexander as Pharaoh 112 Cleopatra- the Last Queen 114 Religion 116 The Gods of Egypt 122 The Sun Cult 126 Amun, King of the Gods 130 Osiris- God of the Afterlife 134 The Goddess Isis 138 Seth and Nephthys 142 Horus, God of the Sky 144 Hathor, Goddess of Love 148 Sekhmet: Goddess of Destruction 150 Neith, Goddess of Sais 152 Bastet- the Cat Goddess 154 Min, God of Fertility 156 The Lesser Deities 160 Foreign Gods on the Nile 164 The Creation Myth of Hermopolis 168 The sacred Apis Bull 170 The Animal Necropolises 174 Horus, the King's Protector 178 The Sed Festival 182 The Opet Festival 186 Priests, Servants of the Gods 190 God's Wife of Amun 192 Life After Death 196 The Ka, the Ba and the Akh 198 Embalming the body 202 Canopic Jars 204 Food for the Afterlife 208 The Funeral Cortege 212 The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony 216 The Weighing of the Heart 220 Art 222 Art in Ancient Egypt 224 Painters and Paintings 226 Relief-carving Techniques 232 Stelae, Books of Stone 238 Royal Statues 242 Coffins and Sarcophagi 248 The Magic of Jewels 250 Ceramics 256 Funerary Masks 260 Furniture for the Afterlife 264 Rahotep and Nofret 266 Building the Pyramids 272 The Sphinx 278 The Triad Statues of Menkaure 280 The Statue of Ka-aper 282 Seneb and his Family 284 The Temples of Deir el Bahri 290 Thebes, ‘City of 100 Gates’ 296 The Valley of the Kings 298 The Settlement of Deir el-Medina 304 The Tomb of Nakht 308 The Colossi of Memnon 312 The Temple at Luxor 318 The Art of Akhenaten 322 Tell el-Amarna 324 The Mask of Tutankhamun 326 The Tombs of Horemheb 332 The Monuments of Rameses 2 338 The Temples of Abu Simbel 342 Nefertari’s Tomb 346 The Temple of Khons in Karnak 350 Alexandria, the Royal Dream 356 The Fayum Portraits 362 Everyday Life 364 Childhood in Ancient Egypt 368 Children’s Education 372 Marriage 376 Ancient Egyptian Houses 380 Town and City Life 384 Egyptian Society 388 Divine and Worldly Law 392 The Role of Women 396 Clothes and Fashion 400 Cosmetics and Perfumes 404 Hygiene and Body Care 408 goldsmiths and Jewellers 410 Civil Servants 414 Workers and Patrons 416 Fruits of the Soil 420 Keeping and Breeding Animals 424 The Slaughter of Animals 428 Vines and Wine 432 The Brewing of Beer 436 The Hunt 440 Music in Egyptian Life 442 Life in the Oases 446 The War Chariot 452 The Nilometer 456 Egyptian Astronomy 460 Mathematics and Measurement 464 Ancient Egyptian Numbers 466 Applied Physics 470 The Egyptian Calendar 474 Measuring Time 476 Medicine 480 Textile Production 484 Boats in Ancient Egypt 488 Weapons 492 Metalworking 496 Mining and Quarrying 502 The Rosetta Stone 504 Reading Hieroglyphs 506 Hieroglyphs from Life 510 The Egyptian Alphabet 514 Hieratic Writing 518 Coptic, the Script of the Christians 522 Writing Materials 526 Making Papyrus 530 Temple Inscriptions 534 Coffin Texts 538 Administrative Papyri 540 Index

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Jan Michalski Prize 2021 An Ostarbeiter was an 'Eastern Worker', rounded up by Nazi Germany from the captured territories in Central and Eastern Europe. By the end of the war, it is estimated that approximately 3 million to 5.5. million Ostarbeiter were forced to work in guarded work camps, many of them younger than 16 years old - at which age they would be conscripted for military service. Ostarbeiter worked 12 hours a day on starvation on rations; as ethnic Slavs, they were treated with extraordinary brutality by Nazi guards who considered them 'sub-human' by the standards of the Aryan master race. They were distinguished by the label 'OST' sewn onto their uniforms. OST is based on over two hundred personal accounts, hundreds of hours of interviews, and over 350,000 letters. This important publication will ensure that the voices of the brutalised and displaced Ostarbeiter will not be forgotten.Trade ReviewThanks to the unrelenting efforts of Memorial, the Ostarbeiter are no longer forgotten victims. OST is a valuable and important history; it is, moreover, a testament to revealing and recording uncomfortable truths, at a time when the myth of Russia is once again being remade, and attacks on those who would deny that myth increase * TLS *

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Book SynopsisEvolving from the horse-drawn stage coaches that they soon eclipsed, railway carriages steadily grew in sophistication so that by the end of the nineteenth century the railway passenger travelled in comfortable rolling stock of a design familiar to many until the 1960s. While modern trains look different from those built more than a century ago, even today the facilities are not so dissimilar from those enjoyed by our Victorian ancestors. This book describes the development of the railway carriage from those early days to the present, highlighting some of the key developments in the history, design and construction of carriages. It also looks at the innovations that made life easier for the passenger, such as the introduction of heating, lavatories and restaurant and buffet facilities, as well as the differences in comfort between the various classes of traveller.Table of ContentsIntroduction Railway Carriage Development Passenger Comfort Building Carriages Royal Trains Pullman and Luxury Coaches Other Carriage Stock Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisUniquely imprisoned, most Palestinians in Gaza cannot travel beyond the confines of the Strip, and in times of war escape is impossible. They live under siege – economic and armed – and yet so many remain courageous, outspoken and steadfast. Donald Macintyre lays bare Gaza’s human tragedy and reveals how it became a crucible of conflict and a byword for suffering. He identifies the repeated failings – including those of the international community – that have seen countless opportunities for peace pass by. Yet, against all odds, hope for a better future lingers. Gaza was once a flourishing coastal civilization open to the world. Could it be so again?Trade Review'This is a book which answers a lot of questions, and prompts quite a few more…Donald Macintyre is to be commended for his forthright approach.’ * The Muslim World Book Review *'As head of the Independent’s Jerusalem bureau, Donald Macintyre followed Gaza at a critical time, as he recounts in his highly impressive book Gaza: Preparing for dawn (2017). Macintyre was there when Israel dismantled the settlements, when Hamas won the democratic elections of 2006, and when it took full control in a coup a year later. He was also there when Hamas fired rockets into neighbouring Sderot, and when Israel retaliated with repeated incursions. His first-hand account of the tragedy is even-handed, balanced and devastating.' * Ari Shavit, Times Literary Supplement *‘The inflammable world of Middle Eastern politics is treacherous terrain for those who don’t know it well, and even for those who do: Macintyre navigates it with sensitivity, skill and the diligence of a committed reporter… Along the way he fills readers in on the history that led to today’s impasse.’ * Mail on Sunday *‘Superb…essential reading.’ * Tribune *‘Wise and powerful.’ * The Tablet *‘Donald Macintyre has managed to skillfully write a comprehensive account of the Strip that is faithful to history, humane in its consideration of people, and accurate with respect to events. The lucid style of this commendable journalist makes history and events comprehensible and easy to follow.’ * This Week in Palestine *'Searing, scrupulous reportage.' * Jenny McCartney *‘Highly informative and written in an engaging style, navigating the humanitarian repercussions of diplomacy and impunity well.’ * Middle East Monitor *‘A brilliant and incisive account of this tiny, vibrant, but embattled enclave. With the two million people of Gaza struggling to survive food shortages, electricity cuts, and increasing amounts of sewage in her surrounding seas, this is a must-read.’ -- Jon Snow‘Donald Macintyre skilfully picks his way through the tangle of accusations that surrounds Gaza’s tragedy. This is a lucid, essential guide. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.’ -- Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East editor‘A perceptive first-hand analysis of Gaza’s hell-on-earth.’ -- Martin Bell, author of War and the Death of News‘Donald Macintyre’s Gaza is a deeply informed and elegant portrait of this small but profoundly important and misunderstood part of the world. Not only are Gaza’s history and politics made compellingly accessible, so too are her sight, sound and smell. In this way Macintyre challenges any notion of Gaza’s irrelevance and perhaps more importantly does what few authors writing on Gaza have done: elevates the ordinary in a manner that will endure, helping the reader understand that no matter who we are and where we are from, in Gaza we can recognise ourselves. This book speaks to something greater than Gaza’s pain; it speaks to Gaza’s soul.’ -- Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University‘Donald Macintyre has written a remarkable political panorama about Gaza today. In cool prose he exposes the history of the conflict and the discussion that has surrounded it. Anyone interested in understanding the situation between Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Israel should look at the conclusion of this book. Anyone who wants to feel a little bit how people live in this narrow strip of land on the Mediterranean coast must read the whole work.’ -- Shlomo Sand, Emeritus Professor of History, Tel Aviv University, and author of The Invention of the Jewish People

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Book SynopsisIn 221 BCE, the Qin state conquered its neighbours and created the first unified Chinese empire in history. So began the imperial era, where dynasties claiming divine assent ruled for more than 2,000 years. Borders shifted and emperors struggled to exert control over every region of their diverse territories. Elites held that they were inheritors of a rich, pre-imperial culture, while their society produced world-changing inventions such as the compass, printing, gunpowder and the gun. And imperial China itself was altered as it came into contact with others through trade, exploration and war. For anyone curious about this fascinating period, Peter Lorge introduces imperial China’s major ruling dynasties, religions, arts, thinkers, inventions, military advancements, economic developments and historians.Trade Review‘In short, fast-paced chapters, Peter Lorge provides a fresh look at key elements of China’s imperial past. He invites the reader to ponder what we mean by “China”, how to understand “dynasty”, and whether sources written in literary Chinese overstate unity and continuity and underplay law, the military, and openness to new ideas.’ -- Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Professor of History Emeritus, University of Washington, and author of The Cambridge Illustrated History of China‘A compact but engaging exposition of imperial China over the course of its 2,000-year history. Both accessible and informative, this book challenges a series of commonly held assumptions and reveals the complexity and incredible diversity of the Chinese world.’ -- Imre Galambos, Reader in Chinese Studies, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsMap A Timeline of the Dynasties of Imperial China Introduction Before the Imperial Age Imperial China Master Kong, the Ru, and Confucius Language Conclusion 1 Foundations The Imperial State Law and Morality in Reality Conclusion 2 Dynasties Similarities Differences The Other Dynasties Conclusion 3 Borders Geography Macroregions Localities Conclusion 4 War and the Military Military Technology, Society, and Politics Organization Guns Military Thought Conclusion 5 Discovery The Four Great Inventions Other Technology Contact and Exploration Conclusion 6 Religions Popular Religion Ruism (Confucianism) Buddhism Daoism Conclusion 7 The Imperial Economy The State Money Markets Conclusion 8 The Arts: Literature, Calligraphy, Painting, and Architecture Literature Poetry Prose Calligraphy Painting Architecture Conclusion 9 Popular Arts and Culture Decorative Arts Gardens Public Performance and Theatre Popular Literature Conclusion 10 Constructing China Through History Sima Qian (c.145/135–c.86 BCE) and The Records of the Grand Historian Ban Gu (32–92) and The History of the Han (Hanshu) History Writing in the Tang Dynasty History Writing in the Song Dynasty Conclusion 11 The End of Imperial China? Imperial History Diversity Unity Conclusion Acknowledgments Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisBook of the Year in the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and New Statesman'A powerful illumination of a lost world that is nevertheless part of living memory.' Simon Heffer, 'Books of the Year' , Daily Telegraph'A joyous new book on post-war Britain.' Daily MailWhen Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, Britain had a far-flung empire, Winston Churchill was prime minister, sweets were rationed, mums stayed at home and kids played on bombsites. In the years that followed everything changed utterly. Through original research, interviews with people who were there and his own memories of the time, Matthew Engel traces this transformation of British society as never before. Beginning with the death of King George VI and ending on the eve of Margaret Thatcher's election, Engel not only covers all the major historical events but also explores everyday life - from the food we ate and where we shopped, to what we watched on television and the newspapers we read. In doing so, he brings these three decades to life with his own light touch and a wealth of fascinating, forgotten, often funny detail. Previously published as The Reign - Life in Elizabeth's Britain.Trade ReviewDelivers equally sharp observations of Teddy Boys, hanged murderers, the British Empire, swinging London, National Service and Mrs Thatcher's ascent to power... A powerful illumination of a lost world that is nevertheless part of living memory. -- Simon Heffer * 'Books of the year', Daily Telegraph *Masterly... Consistently entertaining, frequently surprising and sometimes provocative. -- Peter Wilby * 'Books of the Year', New Statesman *A joyous new book on post-war Britain. * Daily Mail *Entertainingly written... An immediately credible, and at times highly personal, picture... Engel brings his own views to bear, usually with wit, and at times with pleasing eccentricity. * Spectator *A pleasingly anecdote filled new social history of the second Elizabethan era... Like the best assortment boxes, it encourages regular dipping, each chapter short and tasty enough to make you say "oh, just one more". -- Patrick Kidd * The Times *Has at least one priceless detail per page. -- Philip Norman * Observer *Full of richly revealing stories and quotidian detail, laced with incisive but humane judgements, and never missing the big picture of a country where the pace of social change was rapidly quickening - Matthew Engel has given us a tour de force about post-war Britain which delights and illuminates on every page. -- David KynastonA pure delight. There is a gem on every page. -- Peter HennessyI really enjoyed this romp through the headlines, partly because Matthew Engel is such an amusing writer and partly because all sixty-one of his chapters come up like three-minute songs on the jukebox - soon over and always time for just one more... Engel thinks like a journalist but writes like a raconteur. * Literary Review *The best feature writer of his generation, Engel really scores in his attention to the minutiae of lived experience... And he has a journalist's eye for the killer detail. * The Tablet *Rich in anecdote and telling detail it's a masterly evocation of a time of great social change. * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFor many in Israel and elsewhere, Benjamin Netanyahu is anathema, an embarrassment; yet he continues to dominate Israeli public life. How can we explain his rise, his hold on Israeli politics, and his outsized role on the world's stage? In Bibi, Anshel Pfeffer reveals the formative influence of Netanyahu's father and grandfather, who bequeathed to him a once-marginal brand of Zionism combining Jewish nationalism with religious traditionalism. In the Zionist enterprise, Netanyahu embodies the triumph of the underdogs over the secular liberals who founded the nation. Netanyahu's Israel is a hybrid of ancient phobia and high-tech hope; of tribalism and globalism -- just like the man himself. We cannot understand Israel today without first understanding the man who leads it.Trade Review'Certain to elicit both consternation and praise, Anshel Pfeffer’s book is a fascinating exploration of the complex ideological and familial foundations that continue to shape the thinking and governing of the man who may soon become Israel’s longest serving Prime Minster. This is a book that will lead both Bibi’s friends as well as his foes to see him a new — and infinitely more nuanced — light.' -- Daniel Gordis, author of 'Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn''An unsparing examination of the Israeli prime minister's rise to power. Journalist Pfeffer, Israeli correspondent for the Economist and senior correspondent for Haaretz, makes his literary debut with a biting portrait of Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu . . . a perceptive history of a beleaguered nation and one deeply flawed leader.''Riveting and passionately critical. . . a must-read for everyone who is interested in the undercurrents of today's Israeli society.''Anshel Pfeffer's biography is superbly timed . . . insightful and readable. . . Bibi, obsessed by hostile "left-wing" media, complained pre-emptively that this biography would be a "cartoon." It is not: It fleshes out a superficially familiar and invariably quotable figure with a wealth of background information and analysis that provide necessary and, of course, often highly critical context.''Anyone who seeks to understand [Netanyahu's] mercurial rise and the way it has shaped modern Israel would do well to read this insightful biography by Anshel Pfeffer . . . a sober and erudite profile of a man who has made himself necessary to his country through sheer force of will.'‘This excellent biography . . . is a dark record of the astute helmsman of Israel’s recent history.’‘Riveting and passionately critical. . . a must-read for everyone who is interested in the undercurrents of today’s Israeli society.’‘A detailed, revealing, and shrewd biography that is packed with fascinating insights . . . taking full advantage of the author’s vantage point as a bilingual journalist, alive to the subtleties of both Israeli and diaspora Jewish life, it is for now the definitive portrait of Netanyahu.’ '['Bibi'] is exhaustively researched … Most damning is Pfeffer’s take on Netanyahu’s relations with leaders of authoritarian regimes.' -- The Guardian'Excellent.' ‘An insightful examination of the most dominant figure in recent Israeli political history . . . both timely and much welcomed. . . . The picture Pfeffer paints of both Bibi and the Netanyahu family is a fascinating one, full of contradictions and paradoxes.’'Benjamin Netanyahu has turned out to be much more than the temporary speed bump in Israeli politics his critics once imagined. In this lively and trenchant biography, Anshel Pfeffer explains why and how Bibi came to dominate and embody the changing face of the remarkable and divided nation he still leads.' -- Aaron David Miller, Vice-President and Middle East Program Director at the Woodrow Wilson Center'Anshel Pfeffer has given us an understanding, even compassionate, portrait of Benjamin Netanyahu -- the family, the formative experiences, the logic of his belligerent ideology -- while keeping his distance from Netanyahu’s stances and exposing many of the unpleasant truths that lie beneath the surface Netanyahu works so hard to polish. Essential reading.' -- Bernard Avishai, author of 'The Hebrew Republic''Weaving together stories from Netanyahu's time in America and Israel, and from his family history, military service, and political career, Anshel Pfeffer's fascinating and insightful biography paints a portrait of the indomitable outsider who became Israel's three-time prime minister. This riveting account illuminates the ways in which the man leading Israel today is both a product and a beneficiary of bitter divides that have shaped the nation's politics from its earliest days.' -- Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow in Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition of the Sunday Times Bestseller Britain's best-known classicist Mary Beard, is also a committed and vocal feminist. With wry wit, she revisits the gender agenda and shows how history has treated powerful women. Her examples range from the classical world to the modern day, from Medusa and Athena to Theresa May and Hillary Clinton. Beard explores the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, considering the public voice of women, our cultural assumptions about women's relationship with power, and how powerful women resist being packaged into a male template. A year on since the advent of #metoo, Beard looks at how the discussions have moved on during this time, and how that intersects with issues of rape and consent, and the stories men tell themselves to support their actions. In trademark Beardian style, using examples ancient and modern, Beard argues, 'it's time for change - and now!' From the author of international bestseller SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.Trade ReviewA modern feminist classic -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *With clearsightedness and wry humour, this self-described 'gobby woman' proves public speech is no longer the preserve of maleness. More power to her. -- Laura Garmeson * FT *... exposes the roots of today's expectations of how a woman should behave ... time for a change, she argues - and now! -- Jenni Murray * Guardian *This book is a treasure, both as a fascinating read in itself and as a fine work of reference to correct our lazy misconceptions about an ancient world that still has much to instruct us today * Herald *An urgent feminist cri de coeur, spot-on in its utterly reasonable plea that a woman 'who dares to open her mouth in public' actually be given a hearing. * Kirkus Reviews *Brilliant -- Jacqueline Rose * Guardian *Enlightening ... explains how misogyny works and why it is so resilient -- Elif Shafak * Guardian *A sparkling and forceful manifesto * New York Times *Clear, rich, subversive and witty * San Francisco Chronicle *An irresistible call for women to speak up, act and redefine their power * People Magazine *Praise for Mary Beard: 'She's pulled off that rare trick of becoming a don with a high media profile who hasn't sold out, who is absolutely respected by the academy for her scholarship ... what she says is always powerful and interesting * Guardian *An irrepressible enthusiast with a refreshing disregard for convention * FT *With such a champion as Beard to debunk and popularise, the future of the study of classics is assured * Daily Telegraph *Dynamically, wittily and authoritatively brings the ancient world to life -- Simon Sebag MontefiorePraise for SPQR: Fast-moving, exciting, psychologically acute, warmly sceptical - Bryan Appleyard -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *Vastly engaging ... a tremendously enjoyable and scholarly read -- Natalie Haynes * Observer *Sustaining the energy that such a topic demands for more than 600 pages, while providing a coherent answer to the question of why Rome expanded so spectacularly, is hugely ambitious. Beard succeeds triumphantly ... full of insights and delights ... SPQR is consistently enlivened by Beard's eye for detail and her excellent sense of humour. * Sunday Times *Masterful ... This is exemplary popular history, engaging but never dumbed down, providing both the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life * Economist *Ground-breaking ... invigorating ... revolutionary ... a whole new approach to ancient history -- Thomas Hodgkinson * Spectator *Selected as one of the 100 best books of the 21st century: An instant feminist classic * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe victors of the First World War created Hungary from the ruins of the Austro-Hungarian empire, but, in the centuries before, many called for its creation. Norman Stone traces the country's roots from the traditional representative councils of land-owning nobles to the Magyar nationalists of the nineteenth century and the first wars of independence. Hungary's history since 1918 has not been a happy one. Economic collapse and hyperinflation in the post-war years led to fascist dictatorships and then Nazi occupation. Optimism at the end of the Second World War ended when the Iron Curtain descended, and Soviet tanks crushed the last hopes for independence in 1956 along with the peaceful protests in Budapest. Even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, consistent economic growth has remained elusive. This is an extraordinary history - unique yet also representative of both the post-Soviet bloc and of nations forged from the fall of empires.Trade ReviewThere is never a dull page ... Stone's book shows a profound knowledge of Hungary and will become indispensable for travellers -- Philip Mansel * Spectator *Stunning ... no one else writes history quite like he does -- Andrew RobertsOne of the outstanding historians of our age * Spectator *Praise for Turkey: A Short History: Arresting ... authoritative and measured ... Stone's Turkey breaks the popular mould and introduces its readers to a place beyond their presumptions * Sunday Times *A vivid, provocative, often funny, always insightful account of how modern Turkey came about * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis'A priceless portrait of one of the least understood and frequently most vilified of people: farmers. It should really be read by all in this country who buys food - i.e. everyone.' Daily Mail 'Highly researched and deeply thoughtful ... Bathurst peers under the bonnet of these lives and reveals things that rarely make it into print.' James Rebanks, The Times 'A fine achievement: describing the indescribable' Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows We think we know what makes Britain's countryside: drystone walls, stiles, sheep on a distant hillside. But for many of us, farmers themselves - the men and women who shape, maintain and care for that land - often remain a mystery: familiar but unpredictable, a secretive industry that's still visible from space. In Field Work, Bella Bathurst journeys through Britain to talk to those on the far side of the fence. From fruit farmers to fallen stock operators, from grassy uplands to polytunnels, she creates a portrait of modern Britain, exposing in the process the inextricable bonds that exist between land and the people who farm it. As farmers find themselves torn between time-honoured methods and modern appetites, these raw, wise and funny accounts reveal an ancient way of life changing beyond recognition.Trade ReviewHighly researched and deeply thoughtful ... Bathurst peers under the bonnet of these lives and reveals things that rarely make it into print. She has a talent for asking the right questions ... Field Work is by turns funny, enlightening, frustrating and deeply sad. -- James Rebanks * The Times *A beautiful hybrid of social history, memoir and nature writing, Field Work manages to bring an entire world out of the shadows. ... Bathurst shows us how interesting all life is if viewed with the correct mixture of sympathy and curiosity -- Alex Preston * Observer *A genuine attempt to get under the fingernails of the people who work in land-based industries and understand why they carry on doing what they do, usually for little financial reward, often in great discomfort and in the face of adversity. And it is a distinguished work of journalism by someone who asks the questions that the reader wants asked [and] sifts the answers perceptively ... This thought-provoking book portrays, with uncomfortable accuracy, life on the green bits beyond the 30-mile limits of Britain's towns -- Jamie Blackett * Telegraph *A priceless portrait of one of the least understood and frequently most vilified of people: farmers. It should really be read by all in this country who buys food - i.e. everyone. If anyone wants to understand farming better, I would press this book into their hands ... The writing is at once tough and lyrical, unsentimental, piercingly truthful and observant ... heart-wrenching as well as dryly funny ... Field Work is a superb testament to that way of life, and richly demonstrates what a terrible loss that would be - for all of us. -- Book of the Week * Daily Mail *A fine achievement: describing the indescribable -- Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of CowsExactly the book I've been longing to read about farming. A proper behind-the-scenes look, fascinating, insightful, compassionate. -- Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley and The Light of Stubborn ThingsA long overdue account of the true nature of farming - written from the ground up. Bella Bathurst really gets under the skin of what it means to farm the land in the 21st century, at a time of unprecedented change. -- Stephen Moss, naturalist and author of Skylarks with RosieField Work is a nuanced book - something that has been lacking in mainstream discussions on food and farming. It's an insightful, compassionate and sometimes funny behind-the-scenes tour of a familiar but little understood world. * Geographical Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Original and illuminating ... what a good book this is' Jonathan Dimbleby 'A love letter to the people of the Old City' Jerusalem Post In Jerusalem, what you see and what is true are two different things. Maps divide the walled Old City into four quarters, yet that division doesn't reflect the reality of mixed and diverse neighbourhoods. Beyond the crush and frenzy of its major religious sites, much of the Old City remains little known to visitors, its people overlooked and their stories untold. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem lets the communities of the Old City speak for themselves. Ranging through ancient past and political present, it evokes the city's depth and cultural diversity. Matthew Teller's highly original 'biography' features the Old City's Palestinian and Jewish communities, but also spotlights its Indian and African populations, its Greek and Armenian and Syriac cultures, its downtrodden Dom Gypsy families and its Sufi mystics. It discusses the sources of Jerusalem's holiness and the ideas - often startlingly secular - that have shaped lives within its walls. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem is an evocation of place through story, led by the voices of Jerusalemites.Trade ReviewHighly perceptive and readable ... combines millennia of Jerusalem's history with insightful interviews with its residents, weaponising that unusual approach to present a subtle portrait of the current reality at the heart of the world's most intractable and divisive conflict ... fascinating -- Ian Black * Observer *Vivid ... as much about the present as the past -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Engaging ... Teller is an informed, enthusiastic guide to one of the most contested sites in the world * FT *[Nine Quarters of Jerusalem] is an effective mixture of history and travel literature, the bright and breezy tone of which belies Teller's seriousness. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem offers the best sort of genre-bending writing * Literary Review *As labyrinthine as the city it describes ... a curious, offbeat biography that comes alive through the many gathered voices * The Critic *Acute social analysis ... an engrossing travelogue ... vibrant * Catholic Herald *Illuminating and deeply researched ... there is a wealth of stories here * Geographical Magazine *A love letter to the people of the Old City * The Jerusalem Post *Original and engaging * Tel Aviv Review of Books *A delight ... one cannot help but be impressed by the interviewees' energy, resourcefulness, originality, persistence, and accomplishments against the odds, as well as by the author's depth of historical knowledge, his mastery of linguistics and choice of subjects. * Jordan Times *A highly original exploration of Jerusalem's cultural diversity * Traveller *Stand out * Asian Review of Books *Teller aims to break down the boundaries and reveal the human complexity that has been ignored ... Nine Quarters serves as a riposte to the denial of Palestinian history ... Teller's stories are informed by dogged detective work ... This telling of history spotlights the characters, communities, and institutions that have given the Old City a heartbeat underneath all the grandeur and mythology * Middle East Eye *Teller writes with affection and compassion for Jerusalem's wide variety of peoples but a sharp-eyed lack of deference for a city whose past and present he explores with insight, sensitivity and wry humour -- Jonathan Dimbleby, author and documentary makerThe Old City of Jerusalem has found an inspired, imaginative, and iconoclastic biographer. Teller set himself the modest task of telling stories. The end result, however, is a highly readable book, a vivid portrait, and a fresh perspective on this infinitely complex city -- Avi Shlaim, emeritus professor at the University of Oxford and author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab WorldThis book peels away the layers of deception to debunk the myth that the Old City is composed of four distinct quarters - a notion that continues to plague the city and underpins the assumption that present-day conflict comes down to age-old hatred between religions ... Teller takes the reader on a trip that reveals the Old City of Jerusalem better than any other book written about the city -- Raja Shehadeh, author of Palestinian WalksA lyrical and electric book, rich and intensely evocative (with a twist of cumin), as the author shares his life-long obsession for one of the most over-documented and misunderstood cities on earth. This is not another biography but an altogether more important book, about the human tapestries that could, possibly, weave together a new Jerusalem -- Louisa Waugh, author and humanitarian activistCaptivating. Teller's language flows lightly but his feelings run deep and it is difficult to pull away from his descriptions of the Old City. -- Noga Tarnopolsky, Jerusalem reporter * LA Times *A marvel. Teller deftly braids the historical, the political and the experiential. His book is at once universal in scope and intimate -- Massoud Hayoun, author of When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Family’s Forgotten HistoryThere has been no book like this written in the last twenty years ... Matthew Teller has resurrected this city -- George Hintlian, author of History of the Armenians in the Holy LandFor any other city, a book that tells the stories of its residents might be unremarkable - but for Jerusalem, so often weighed down by ancient history and the politics of occupation, Teller has produced a book that is borderline radical in its focus on the people who live there -- Zora O’Neill, author of All Strangers Are KinExploding the myths about age-old hatreds between religions, this must-read book lays bare the role of arrogant British colonialists and missionaries in shaping Jerusalem's Old City according to their vision. It challenges the misleading maps that serve the Israeli narrative and encourages visitors to see beyond the facade. A must-read exposé -- Diana Darke, author of Stealing from the Saracens

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Book SynopsisThe essential history of an iconic European city, by Cambridge academic Elizabeth Drayson. 'An admirable achievement... [Drayson has] expertise as a scholar and command as a storyteller' BBC History Magazine 'A glittering homage to one of the world's most beautiful and storied cities' Dan Jones 'Beauty built on blood and brutality... A fascinating new tome' Daily Mail From the early Middle Ages to the present, foreign travellers have been bewitched by Granada's peerless beauty. The Andalusian city is also the stuff of story and legend, with an unforgettable history to match. Romans, then Visigoths, settled here, as did a community of Jews; in the eleventh century a Berber chief made Granada his capital, and from 1230 until 1492 the Nasrids – Spain's last Islamic dynasty – ruled the emirate of Granada from their fortress-palace of the Alhambra. After capturing the city to complete the Christian Reconquista, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella made the Alhambra the site of their royal court. In Lost Paradise, Elizabeth Drayson takes the reader on a voyage of discovery that uncovers the many-layered past of Spain's most complex and fascinating city, celebrating and exploring its evolving identity. Her account brings to the fore the image of Granada as a lost paradise, revealing it as a place of perpetual contradiction and linking it to the great dilemma over Spain's true identity as a nation. This is the story of a vanished Eden, of a place that questions and probes Spain's deep obsession with forgetting, and with erasing historical and cultural memory.Trade ReviewAn admirable achievement... With her expertise as a scholar and her command as a storyteller, Drayson delivers a fascinating study that is part love letter to a city, part commentary on how memory is a force that impacts each successive age' * BBC History Magazine *Beauty built on blood and brutality! Elizabeth Drayson delves into the history of Granada in a fascinating new tome * Daily Mail *A glittering homage to one of the world's most beautiful and storied cities... Brilliantly and compellingly places Granada at the heart of more than two millennia of Mediterranean history' -- Dan JonesDrayson's book is a labour of love and it tells: there is a passion in her writing, in every detail that she has to offer about the history of the region... A gloriously illustrated book as compelling to look at as it is to read * International Times *For those who have visited Granada and the Alhambra, Drayson's writing will certainly revive pleasant memories, while those who have not yet made the journey will surely be inspired to do so by this evocative, richly illustrated and beautifully produced book * TLS *

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Book Synopsis'Fifteen years ago, the internet felt like a special place my friends and I had built for each other; by 2020, we were standing on its ruins, wondering if we'd played a part in its destruction.'Journalist Marie Le Conte was born in 1991, the same year the World Wide Web was invented. She had her first blog at twelve, a successful music website at fifteen, a Wikipedia page at seventeen and now, at thirty, over 80,000 followers on Twitter. From MSN, Tumblr and MySpace, to chat rooms, forums and blogs; Marie is part of the millennial generation that grew up while the internet was growing up with them.Where did it go all wrong? How did the internet go from a place where you went to escape real life to where real life is shaped? A place where you could be yourself and find like-minded people to a world of filters and ads? A place we are all now desperately trying to escape from?Escape is a fascinating exploration of the rise and demise of the internet. It's a look back on the platforms, the people and the online places. It's an analysis of the lessons being online has taught us, how the internet has changed us - and a celebration of the tools it gives us to feel less alone. The online generation have forever altered the world we live in, but is the internet still a place for the people that shaped it?Trade Review'Marie Le Conte is one of the most compelling thinkers we have on the internet age and what it's doing to us. She's truly lived it, and her scars are memorably and fascinatingly described in Escape.' -- WILL STORR'A great dissection of how the internet fundamentally messed up the generations.' -- MOLLIE GOODFELLOW'A sharply intelligent, funny and necessary look at how the internet is affecting us all. Whether you're extremely online or hate Twitter (or both), this is a fascinating read.' -- STEVIE MARTIN'Marie Le Conte is the voice of the generation. Escape is exposing, enthralling and deeply personal reading for all of us who grew up online. Capturing the joy and pain of teenage angst against the freedom and horror of the World Wide Web, this book is urgent reading for anyone trying to understand their own past, and the internet's future.' -- FERN RIDDELL'An enjoyable book that hits on an interesting question.' * Financial Times *'A thoughtful book' * New Scientist *'[Escape] reads like a long and clever email from a friend' * The Canberra Times *'Escape is a smart and funny analysis of a very modern phenomenon.' * New Humanist *

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Book SynopsisFor those that survive, the traumas of military conflict can be long lasting. It might seem astonishing that archaeology, with its uncovering of the traces of the long-dead, of battlefields, of skeletal remains, could provide solace, and yet there is something magical about the subject. In archaeology there is a job for everyone; from surveying and drawing, to examining the finds, to digging itself. Often this is in some of the most beautiful and restful of landscapes and with talks around a campfire at the end of the day.Operation Nightingale is a programme which was set up in 2011 within the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom to help facilitate the recovery of armed forces personnel recently engaged in armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, using the archaeology of the British Training Areas. Over the following decade, the project has expanded to include veterans of older conflicts and of other nations – from the United States, from Poland, from Australia and elsewhere.This book is the story of those veterans, of their incredible discoveries, of their own journeys of recovery – sometimes one which can lead to a lifetime of studying archaeology. It has taken them to the crash sites of Spitfires and trenches of the Western Front in the First World War, through to burial grounds of Convicts, camp sites of Hessian mercenaries, and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries. Lavishly illustrated, this work shows the reader how the discovery of our shared past – of long-forgotten houses, of glinting gold jewellery, of broken pots, can be restorative and help people mend otherwise damaged lives.The book features a foreword and illustrations by Professor Alice Roberts, presenter on BBC's The Big Dig, Digging for Britain and Coast, alongside superb photography by Harvey Mills.Trade ReviewUplifting and inspirational, it is a book we need to keep returning to, to remind us all of those who serve and the damage they endure. Heroes – one and all. * Professor Dame Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome *Richard Osgood’s superb book is the story of the healing power of archaeology – of compassion, team-building and self-discovery gained in pursuit of a common goal. Broken Pots, Mending Lives is a thought-provoking celebration of our humanity and a reminder of what a remarkable profession archaeology will always be. * Barry Cunliffe *I’m in awe of Richard Osgood. His passion is infectious. He believes in exploring the past as much as he believes in living healthy, happy lives; and he shows how the two are linked. * Dan Snow *It’s been a privilege to work with Operation Nightingale over the years and witness the positive impact that getting your hands dirty on a dig can have on mental health. Talking with veterans has really brought the power of archaeology to heal home to me. * Sir Tony Robinson *Table of ContentsForeword by Professor Alice Roberts Introduction Chapter 1: Origins at the Midden: The beginnings of Operation Nightingale at an Iron Age feasting site Chapter 2: The Phoenix and the Eagle: Searching for Hessians and the Band of Brothers Chapter 3: Legends: The convict burials of Rat Island Chapter 4: Mud, Blood and Green Fields Beyond: Digging for Tank 796 and the traces of the First World War Chapter 5: Tally Ho!: archaeology and the Battle of Britain Chapter 6: Facing Beowulf – excavating remains of Anglo Saxon England Chapter 7: Locking the House: finding and reconstructing a Bronze Age roundhouse Chapter 8: Homes of the Dead: discoveries at a burial mound on Salisbury Plain Chapter 9: Conclusions Index Acknowledgements Further Reading

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly witty book about the intertwined lives of psychoanalyst Ernest Jones, surgeon Wilfred Trotter and the guru of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Welsh-born psychoanalyst Ernest Jones was Sigmund Freud's closest associate and most fervent disciple. Clever, self-confident and intensely ambitious, Jones promoted psychoanalysis as a kind of secular religion. Meanwhile, his intimate friend Wilfred Trotter – a celebrated surgeon who saved the life of George V, and who took on Freud as a patient during his London exile – refused to yield to the seductions of the new Freudianism. A quintessentially English figure, Trotter was unimpressed by slick medical careerists, distrusted grand theories and lacked pomposity and self-regard. From the first psychoanalytic congress in Salzburg in 1908 to the illness of King George in the late 1920s and the meeting of Freud and Trotter in 1939, Seamus O'Mahony tells the story of these three figures and their intertwined lives with his customary wit and erudition. Not only the story of the development of psychoanalysis, this is a book about the sexual obsessions of intellectual and bohemian circles in London, Cambridge and Vienna, of Bloomsbury, of doctors in pursuit of wealth and fame. It covers a pivotal thirty years in European history, and reveals how and why the writings of a failed neurologist from Vienna became so influential.Trade ReviewRiotously recalls the rise of psychoanalysis... [a] splendid book * The Telegraph *A rich, funny and at times sad story about blind faith, sexual obsession, hubris and the pursuit of fame and wealth * Literary Review *This acerbic group biography takes aim at the ‘guru’ Freud and his acolytes * The Times *O'Mahony's account is not just brilliantly researched and invigorating in its even-handedness but also exhilaratingly readable. * James Hamilton-Paterson *O'Mahony has a great talent for taking the most difficult of subjects – death, the failures of medicine, and now psychoanalysis – and using his gift for storytelling, his eye for the absurd, and his great sense of humour to produce a book that is a joy to read. * Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal *O'Mahony gives an excellent account of the rise of psychoanalysis, and its cult-like nature... immensely entertaining' * New Statesman *In this hugely enjoyable book, O’Mahony describes a seething cesspit of bitterness, folly, and jealous hatred, leavened with unexpected helpings of love, friendship, and curiosity about human nature ... You will laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally feel slightly ill. But in the end, never was it so much fun to watch the Freudians slip. * Professor Brendan Kelly *In this wryly compelling and iconoclastic book Seamus O’Mahony delves into the controversial first half-century of psychoanalysis * Iain Bamforth *O’Mahony ingeniously explores the interrelationships of these three doctors: Freud, who is still considered by many as one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century; Jones, who is now remembered only as Freud’s “bulldog”; and finally, Trotter, a master craftsman and teacher now all but forgotten. * Professor Andrew Lees *Four stars * The Mail on Sunday *A critical but witty examination of early psychoanalytical practitioners and their self-absorbed patients'... ' O'Mahony dispenses caustic judgements about those attracted to psychoanalysis in the interwar years, and about its practitioners * BBC History Magazine *PRAISE FOR SEAMUS O'MAHONY: 'No one writes as clearly and intelligently [...] as Seamus O'Mahony' Sunday Independent. 'What makes this book a delightful, if unsettling read, is not just O'Mahony's scholarly and witty prose, but also his brutal honesty' The Times. 'A searingly honest and humane book that is challenging yet profoundly important' Guardian. 'Mahony leaves no stone unturned, sniffing out cant and hypocrisy wherever he finds it. And his views are as consistently intelligent as they are surprising' Daily Telegraph. 'Sharp and pithy observations' * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis‘A tale of kings and conquests and high-sea adventures … A must-read for those interested in the history of spices.’ – Shrabani Basu, author of Victoria and Abdul and Curry: The Biography of the Nation’s Favourite DishHumans have crossed the oceans and traversed the unknown in search of spice and flavour for thousands of years. Mustard has been found at Neolithic sites in Iran, Germany and Denmark; the Romans’ love affair with black pepper was insatiable; pepper, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, galangal and grains of paradise were ordered in large quantities for Richard III’s coronation feast; and vanilla was credited as helping 342 eighteenth-century men become ‘astonishing lovers’.Although the Romans had imported black pepper, and Eastern spices had trickled through to the West for centuries, it was only after Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape that huge quantities of spices were brought back from India and the Far East, starting vicious trade wars between the Portuguese, Dutch and English as they established their colonial empires. Spices came from the West too: when Columbus reached the Americas in the fifteenth century, he brought back chilies to Europe, and from there they spread rapidly across the globe.The History and Natural History of Spices looks at spices from both a botanical and historical perspective, from their uses and classification to their influence on trade, war and global events. Both comprehensive and entertaining, it is the story of how our passion for spices helped to change the world.Trade Review‘A tale of kings and conquests and high-sea adventures … A must-read for those interested in the history of spices.’ SHRABANI BASU, author of Victoria and Abdul and Curry: The Biography of the Nation's Favourite Dish

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment the iceberg was spotted to the moment Titanic’s fate was realised, it was a race against time for the 2,208 souls on board.At 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912, Titanic collided with an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic. Less than three hours later, it had disappeared completely beneath the waves.From the second the iceberg hove into view, the ship was on a collision course with destiny, those on board embarking on a race against time to inspect the damage and determine their fates.11:40: Analysis of Evasive Manoeuvres & Damage Assessment on RMS Titanic is a comprehensive new study that breaks down and forensically analyses every event on that fateful night, order by order, moment by moment. With the backing of an exhaustive collection of both historical and modern data, along with over twenty years of personal research, Brad Payne separates fact from myth, revealing the truth about what really happened on board Titanic during its critical last moments.Trade ReviewSerious Titanic researchers will welcome [this] book as being an important contribution to the subject. -- George Behe * Titanic expert, author and historian *This book explains those fateful manoeuvres that decided her fate. I have never seen a book so thoroughly go through these actions and the actions that followed the fateful collision. I enjoyed this book, and I think you will too. -- Cameron Houseman * Titanic researcher and wreck historian *

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Book SynopsisThe story of the British Empire is a familiar one: Britain came, it saw, it conquered, forging a glorious world empire upon which the sun never set. In fact, far from being the tale of a single nation imposing its will upon the world, the British Empire found itself reshaped by the tenacious resistance of the powerful Indigenous and non-European people it encountered. From ill-advised ventures in Ireland to the failure to curtail North African Corsair states all the way to the collapse of commercial operations in East Asia, British attempts to create an imperial enterprise often ended in embarrassment and even disaster.In this book, David Veevers looks beyond the myths of triumph and into the realities of British misadventures in the early days of Empire, meeting the extraordinary people across the world who were the real forces to be reckoned with. From the Emperors who determined the expansion of the English East India Company, to the West African kings who resisted Englis

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Book SynopsisOne of the last great memoirs of World War II, Into the Cold Blue is a riveting account of the air war over Europe, when hell was four miles above the earth. A born daredevil, John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the Pearl Harbor attack. By 1944, he was co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, raining death and destruction on the enemy. This first-person account of his harrowing missions—chronicling deadly flights through skies of red-hot flak bursts and airmen bailing out with parachutes aflame—will leave readers staggered by the determination and grit of World War II aviators. Fighting a fierce enemy in the air seemed the perfect way for Homan to channel his restless, energetic spirit in wartime, but he could never have imagined the horrors that awaited him. During a vast operation over Nazi-occupied Holland in September 1944, his plane was punched full of holes, its left tail shot away, and a tire blown to bits. Homan wondered

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