History Books

Book SynopsisHow is The Colour Code different to other books on colour? Well, the short answer is that it is a whole lot more fun - not least because it is extensively illustrated. We don't just get a story about Mummy Brown (the pigment made from Egyptian mummies), we see a painting created with pigments from the remains of French kings. We are reminded of the blue/gold dress that swept Twitter, view paintings by Mondrian (red ones sell for higher prices) and Van Eyck (he invented an enduring green), and inspect the red soles of Louboutin shoes. We see what lumps of Indian yellow look like, while reading what they are made of (strained cow's urine). We get to see the latest most vibrant pigment - YinMn Blue - and have a real estate agent's tour of Frank Sinatra's ranch (he was obsessed by orange). We see William Morris's arsenic-inflected wallpapers and hear about whether wallpaper killed Napoleon. We encounter the pink pussy hats worn on the Women's March and Elvis's pink jackets from Lansky's in Memphis, take in a history of the black dress from Audrey Hepburn to Princess Diana and a rare black chicken (even its eggs are black) from Indonesia. Featuring a cast of actors, artists, chemists, composers, dentists, dictators, fashion designers, film-makers, gods, musicians, mystics, physicists, poets, quacks, tigers and tycoons, The Colour Code will change the way we all perceive the spectrum - and see the world.Trade ReviewSuch fun. An illuminating story for every stitch in your wardrobe and pigment on your wall -- Simon Garfield, author * Just My Type *Fun ... If you want to know about football strips or national flags, why fire engines are red, why the Pope wears white or why the leader of the Tour de France has a yellow jersey you'll find the answer here -- Honor Clerk * Spectator *An entertaining, surprisingly informative piece of work that might even change the way we see the things around us -- Derek Parker * Weekend Australian *

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Book Synopsis'Ian Morris has established himself as a leader in making big history interesting and understandable' Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel 'Morris succeeds triumphantly at cramming 10,000 years of history into a single book' Robert Colvile, Times Geography is Destiny tells the history of Britain and its changing relationships with Europe and the wider world, from its physical separation at the end of the Ice Age to the first flickers of a United Kingdom, struggles for the Atlantic, and rise of the Pacific Rim. Applying the latest archaeological evidence, Ian Morris explores how geography, migration, government and new technologies interacted to produce regional inequalities that still affect us today. He charts Britain's geopolitical fortunes over thousands of years, revealing its transformation from a European satellite into a state at the centre of global power, commerce, and culture. But as power and wealth shift from West to East, does Britain's future lie with Europe or the wider world?Trade ReviewA 'big ideas' gallop ... Morris succeeds triumphantly at cramming 10,000 years of history into a single book -- Robert Colvile * Times *Morris is a jaunty, accessible writer, especially strong on his home field of archaeology, and this is a book brimming with neat slogans and ideas -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *Morris writes with great knowledge and wisdom and a certain panache ... I can't think of a better, more thought-provoking and generally wise introduction to the 'long' history of Britain's changing relations with continental Europe and the wider world than Geography is Destiny, or one that is such a terrific read -- Bernard Porter * Literary Review *Praise for Ian Morris: 'A great work of synthesis and argument, drawing together an awesome range of materials and authorities -- Andrew MarrA fresh perspective ... Ian Morris has established himself as a leader in making big history interesting and understandable -- Jared Diamond, author * Guns, Germs, and Steel *Clever, acute and counterintuitive ... a pleasure to read -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Brilliantly argued across a huge sweep, combining history with human geography, human and natural sciences. It is a magnificent and stimulating read, and should be given to anyone involved in the business of war and peace, or the human fate in any respect - and already a book of the year -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *A provocative and extraordinary contribution to wide-screen comparative history ... a true banquet of ideas -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *This is an astonishing book, full of controversy, brilliantly researched and thoughtfully argued ... one of the most fascinating and thought-provoking histories I've read in years * Daily Telegraph *One doffs one's hat to Morris's breadth, ambition and erudition * Sunday Times *An astonishing work -- David S. Landes, author * The Wealth and Poverty of Nations *An exuberant and wonderfully entertaining tour de force of history, archaeology, anthropology, geography, evolutionary biology and technological and military speculation... a terrific book -- David Crane * The Spectator *It is the book's elegantly succinct prose that will most captivate readers ... filled with lucid explanations of the most recondite questions, with many revealing quotations and witty asides -- Edward Luttwak * Prospect *Remarkable ... historian Morris argues not only that war is a source of technological advance but that it brings peace ... the thesis is disturbingly persuasive -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times *Gleefully provocative yet alarmingly persuasive... one of the most original history books in years * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisWarrior tells the story of forgotten man, a man whose bones were found in an Anglo-Saxon graveyard at Bamburgh castle in Northumberland. It is the story of a violent time when Britain was defining itself in waves of religious fervour, scattered tribal expansion and terrible bloodshed; it is the story of the fighting class, men apart, defined in life and death by their experiences on the killing field; it is an intricate and riveting narrative of survival and adaptation set in the stunning political and physical landscapes of medieval England. Warrior is a classic of British history, a landmark of popular archaeology, and a must-read for anyone interested in the story of where we've come from.

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Book SynopsisYou might have heard the saying 'you're in a pickle' meaning you're in a difficult situation. This is just one example of Rotwelsch, an ancient language of the road influenced by Yiddish and written in rudimentary signs, and spoken by vagrants and refugees, merchants and thieves since the European Middle Ages. Martin Puchner grew up knowing that Rotwelsch was of unusual interest to his family. When he inherited a family achive, it led him on a journey not only into the history of this extraordinary language but also into his family's connections to the Nazi Party, for whom Rotwelsch held a particular significance. The Language of Thieves is a compelling story of the mindset and milieu of Central Europe and of the way language can be used to evade oppression. It is also a deeply moving reckoning with a family's buried past.

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Book SynopsisIn the swinging 1960s, after nearly a century of colonisation, Cambodia had gained its independence and was ready to rock. Young musicians from the countryside flocked to the vibrant cosmopolitan capital city of Phnom Penh. Teenagers cycled along the Mekong River, guitars slung across their backs, on their way to rehearse Khmer covers of The Beatles or Pink Floyd. The city was a melting pot of sound: old fashioned rock'n'roll, early heavy metal, crooners and swooners and love duets. The music stopped on 17th April 1975: the Khmer Rouge army captured Phnom Penh, ending the civil war and beginning the genocide. Around 90% of the musicians died in the killing fields. But a few fled, to the US or France, taking what remained of their music with them. In Away From Beloved Lover, Dee Peyok travels across Cambodia, piecing together the story of the country and its golden era of music. She interviews surviving superstars and their relatives in places as disparate as a traditional house on stilts by a rice paddy, an artist's studio deep in the ancient forests, and a café in the new, divided Phnom Penh. Away From Beloved Lover is a musical travelogue that tells the story of Cambodia, past and present, in a thrilling new way. It is an immersive exploration of a country set to a soundtrack too long silenced, and finally able to play.Trade ReviewEqual parts travelogue and social history, Peyok's evocation of a glamorous rock'n'roll Shangri-La, which was destroyed by the waves of genocide that killed off 90% of the country's musicians, is not only fascinating but deeply poignant -- Will HodgkinsonWithin rock culture the idea of rebellion and resistance is largely gestural and symbolic. In Cambodia resistance was met with Year Zero and the killing fields. In such a chilling context this book is a work of heroic retrieval and restoration -- Rob Chapman[Dee Peyok's] book is a seeking - of Cambodia's music, and the resilient creativity of its people. Utterly brilliant -- Neal Brown

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Book SynopsisThe Special Operations Executive (SOE) was one of the most innovative British creations of the Second World War. Its mission was to export resistance, subversion and sabotage to occupied Europe and beyond, disrupting the German war effort and building a Secret Army which would work in the shadows to help defeat the Nazis. Potential agents were put through intensive paramilitary and parachute training, then taught how to live clandestinely behind enemy lines, to operate radios and write in secret codes. They lived in constant fear of arrest, and of betrayal by treacherous collaborators. This book uses rare images from the collections of The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum to illustrate the lives of the men and women who made up the SOE, their rigorous training, the clever gadgets they used and their lives behind enemy lines.Table of ContentsSet Europe Ablaze / Organisation / Lessons in Ungentlemanly Warfare / Operations / Soe in the Balkans / The England Game / SOE in France / Women in SOE / Post War / Further Reading / Places to Visit / Index

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated history of Britain’s coal mines and the lives of the miners who worked in them. Coal heated the homes, fuelled the furnaces and powered the engines of the Industrial Revolution. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the coalfields – distinct landscapes of colliery winding frames, slag heaps and mining villages – made up Britain’s industrial heartlands. Coal was known as ‘black gold’ but it was only brought to the surface with skill and at considerable risk, with flooding, rock falls and gas explosions a constant danger. Coal miners became a recognised force in British political life, forming a vociferous and often militant lobby for better working conditions and a decent standard of living. This beautifully illustrated guide to Britain’s industrial heritage covers not just the mines, but the lives of the workers away from the pits, with a focus on the cultural and religious life of mining communities.Trade ReviewA glossy publication with plenty of full-colour photos and other illustrations. At £7.99, this is great value for illuminating the lives of your coal-mining kin. * Who Do You Think You Are Magazine *Table of ContentsBlack Gold Bell Pits and Horse Whims Deep Mining Going Underground The Pit Village Places to Visit Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisDesigned to dominate the surrounding area, to house powerful garrisons, offer sumptuous quarters for local nobility, and to discourage and repel enemy attacks, castles dominated England and Wales for more than half a millennium. Though some were built before 1066, the Norman Conquest left a lasting legacy in the form of fortifications ranging from small earthworks now barely discernible, to mighty and dominating stone fortresses. This book examines why castles were so essential to medieval warfare, their importance in domestic politics, and the day-to-day lives of those who lived and worked within them. It also shows how the development of new technologies affected their construction and design, and why they eventually fell into disrepair in the late Middle Ages. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photographs, this is the perfect guide for any castle enthusiast seeking to discover more about medieval fortifications and their inhabitants.Table of ContentsCastles of Conquest Castles of Settlement Castle Development Castles of Conflict Building a Castle Life in a Castle Later Years and Decline Further Reading Places to Visit Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThe Rootes Group once dominated the British motor industry, and its legacy lives on in thousands of carefully maintained cars – most notably Hillmans, Humbers, Singers and Sunbeams. In this book, using beautiful images from the Rootes Archive Centre, Richard Loveys details the Group’s history and leading car models, from its creation as a car dealership by William and Reginald Rootes, through its transition into motor manufacture, and expansion by taking companies over and developing their car and commercial vehicle ranges. It was a significant contributor to the war effort in 1939–45, producing large numbers of military aircraft and vehicles, and in its post-war heyday produced such icons as the Sunbeam Alpine and Hillman Imp.Trade ReviewThis excellent and affordable paperback ... is an ideal introduction to the once-vast empire, including its impressive war efforts and not shying away from its rise and fall. * Classic & Sports Car *Table of ContentsIn the Beginning Expansion The Second World War Consolidation Changing Fortunes Difficulties and Decline Places to Visit and Car Clubs Abbreviations Index

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Book SynopsisTapestries have been an enigmatic form of artwork for hundreds of years, with the intricate symbolism of their woven narratives still fascinating viewers today. Unicorns and fantastic beasts rub shoulders with well-heeled aristocrats; famous biblical and saintly stories are played out; allegorical figures, gods and goddesses recline in classical landscapes; and the arms and military achievements of wealthy patrons are depicted in sparkling glory. However, far from being an outdated craft, tapestries continue to be woven to this day, both by talented amateurs in their homes and by highly skilled artisans in studios and workshops around the world. In this beautiful illustrated introduction to the history of tapestries, Rosita Sheen reveals the fascinating story of these masterpieces, exploring their conception, manufacture, and symbolism right up to the present day.Table of ContentsWhat is a Tapestry? Ancient and Medieval Tapestries Patrons and Creations Renaissance Heyday and Decline The Modern Rebirth of Tapestry Glossary Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisHave you ever watched wagon after wagon of a goods train thunder past and wondered where it is heading, what it is carrying, and how it works its way between the passenger services? While goods services now tend to be shrouded in anonymity, in past times they were celebrated, prominently advertised, and in many cases were the raisons d’être for a rail route. Throughout the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, goods trains were the lifeblood of the nation, transporting precious raw materials, construction and industrial items, and fresh produce from coastal areas and farms into the centres of bustling cities. This informative illustrated history shows how rail freight has been carried since Victorian times, and how systems have been organized, from the train itself to the sidings, railway clearing houses, goods sheds and final destinations – whether villages, towns, cities, factories or docks. It also examines the basic rolling stock of these trains, from the humble coal wagon to today’s hi-tech containers.Trade ReviewA remarkably informative work of reference. * Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society *Table of ContentsIntroduction A Brief History of Railway Goods Operation The Development of Goods Trains Goods Infrastructure Wagons and Loads Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisBestselling historian Peter Moore traces how Enlightenment ideas were exported from Britain and put into practice in America - where they became the most successful export of all time, the American Dream'Absorbing... fascinating... eloquent' THE TIMES'Engaging and thoroughly reader-friendly' TELEGRAPH'Wonderfully absorbing and stimulating' SARAH BAKEWELLEnlightenment Britain was ablaze with ambition and energy. Great writers like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Samuel Johnson, John Wilkes and Catharine Macaulay were part of a pioneering generation that shaped and inspired the American Dream. For the first time, bestselling historian Peter Moore vividly traces the transatlantic friendships and revolutionary ideas that inspired the Declaration of Independence.'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' is the best-known phrase from that document, which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in the summer of 1776. Today this line is evoked as a shorthand for that ideal we call the American Dream. But the vision it encapsulates – of a free and happy world – has its roots in Great Britain.This book tells the story of the years that preceded the Declaration. From the accession of King George III to the astonishing tale of John Wilkes, from the notorious Stamp Act to the Boston Tea Party, it shows how Britain and her American Colonies broke apart. Following a star cast of Enlightenment characters, through their letters, arguments and rivalries, it reveals the rise of a rebellious and daring ideology – one that gave rise to the democratic birth of the United States and the principles we live by to this day.'Deft insights and in clear prose' ALAN TAYLOR'A gripping account' STELLA TILLYARD'Rollicking...compulsive readability' WASHINGTON POST'A great read' LADY HALETrade Review[An] absorbing book... Moore has a keen eye for the sort of eloquent detail that enlivens biography, and he expertly evokes Franklin's transformation from proud artisan to member of a new American elite. He's particularly good on the quirkiness of Franklin's early adulthood . . . Moore [is] a crisp writer and adept at narrative sweep -- Henry Hitchings * The Times *[An] engaging and thoroughly reader-friendly book... [Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness] is about how a crazed, paranoid kind of political rhetoric was spread from the England of Wilkes to the America of Franklin and Paine, making rebellion possible. This part of the story is not just convincing but, to a modern reader, positively chilling -- Noel Malcolm * Telegraph *In his engaging narrative history Peter Moore argues that Jefferson's celebrated words provide the key to understanding... a vibrant, enlightened Anglo-American culture of the eighteenth century -- T.H. Breen * TLS *A timely reminder that the origins of the three big ideas in the American Dream lay mainly in Great Britain, with a lively account of the principal actors and episodes in the developing drama, and Benjamin Franklin in the starring role: a great read * LADY HALE *With deft insights and in clear prose, Moore restores the cosmopolitan origins of an American Revolution meant to liberate human potential. In this eloquent book, that revolution becomes more global and enduring and less parochial and limited * ALAN TAYLOR, Pulitzer Prize winning author of American Revolutions *Building on the pioneering work of Bernard Bailyn and John Brewer, Peter Moore offers a gripping account of the way in which British pamphlet wars of the 1760s fuelled American debates about independence. Mixing famous Founders with lesser known figures, especially Franklin's long-time friend the Tory printer and publisher William Strahan, Moore's book brings out the hidden roots of the Declaration of Independence * STELLA TILLYARD, author of The Great Level *Rollicking... The book's compulsive readability is a tribute to Moore's skill at cracking open the pre-revolutionary period and reanimating the contingencies that eventually drove the settlers to embrace independence. Can be read as a refutation of originalism, or the contention that we should still live in a world governed by the putative beliefs of the Founding Fathers * Washington Post *History is best written by the losers. In Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, Peter Moore... shows how Britain exported its highest ideals to the Americans who rejected it -- Dominic Green * Wall Street Journal *Moore offers a rich and immersive intellectual history of the American Revolution... This is a pleasure * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) *Like Jenny Uglow's The Lunar Men and Leo Damrosch's The Club, Moore's vibrant group biography brings to life the intellectual and political currents, in Britain and Colonial America, that gave rise to the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,"... An energetic and meticulously researched history * Kirkus (starred review) *

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Book Synopsis'A delicate, evocative story of strength and survival that turns on one of the most powerful forces in the known universe: a mother's love.' - Jonathan Freedland, author of The Escape Artist A powerful, true story of a Holocaust survivor told by her daughter - a tale that reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal.Born in Czechoslovakia, Mira was only 12 years old when World War II broke out and 17 when the Nazis finally caught up with her. Torn apart from her family, she went on to survive four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March when she was too weak to walk. She lived when almost everyone she knew did not.At 88, living in Australia, Mira is diagnosed with cancer and her daughter, a journalist, decides to interview her to distract her from her illness. As Mira gives her testimony Rachelle comes to understand how Mira's unique perspective - seeing her experiences through the lens of the goodness of the people who helped her - protected her from the depths of humanity's cruelty, and enabled her to go on to live a full and brilliant life.Rachelle also fits together the jigsaw pieces of her own life as a child of a survivor. She comes to understand that however different their lives have been, she and her mother are uniquely united by a fierce inner strength to live, and a mystery of strange things that always seem to happen around them.A beautiful story of love, loss, wonder and the deepest kind of trust in life, A Brilliant Life questions the role that fate, chance and destiny play. It is a tribute to family, a story of incredible resilience, and a chronicle of the deep connection between a mother and a child which not even death can destroy.Trade ReviewA delicate, evocative story of strength and survival that turns on one of the most powerful forces in the known universe: a mother's love. * Jonathan Freedland, author of The Escape Artist *This is a loving and tender book. It has a great simplicity of heart and openness of spirit ... it models the skill of restoration, of building a new life without the need for retribution. The world is currently in deep trauma. Somewhere the pain must end. Indirectly, this book suggests that such an ending is possible ... Mira's story presents a key to the future of humanity. * Sydney Morning Herald *an affirmation of the miraculous nature of the human mind to make sense of humanity's worst inclinations, not just survive them * Rachel Griffiths *If A Brilliant Life were a painting, it would be hanging in a Palazzo in Italy among the classic chiaroscuro paintings of Caravaggio - a technique from the Renaissance era where the contrast of light and dark brushstrokes tells the whole story with some melancholy shades. Unreich has cleverly painted her mother's story in all its shades of glory and despair; a woman who stepped into the canvas of life and painted her own bright fulfilling future. * Harper's Bazaar *

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Book SynopsisJames Riley, author of the cult hit The Bad Trip: Dark Omens, New Worlds and the End of the Sixties, returns with another incisive and thought-provoking cultural history, turning his trenchant eye to the wellness industry that emerged in the 1970s. Concepts such as wellness and self-care may feel like distinctly twenty-first century ideas, but they first gained traction as part of the New Age health movements that began to flourish in the wake of the 1960s. Riley dives into this strange and hypnotic world of panoramic coastal retreats and darkened floatation tanks, blending a page-turning narrative with illuminating explorations of the era's music, film, art and literature. Well Beings delves deep into the mind of the seventies - its popular culture, its radical philosophies, its approach to health and its sense of social crisis. It tells the story of what was sought, what was found and how these explorations helped the 'Me Decade' find itself. In so doing, it questions what good h

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Book SynopsisA BBC History magazine Book of the Year and an amazon.com Best Book of the Month As religion divided sixteenth-century Europe, an extraordinary group of women rose to power. They governed nations while kings fought in foreign lands. They ruled on behalf of nephews, brothers and sons. They negotiated peace between their warring nations. For decades, they ran Europe. Small wonder that it was in this century that the queen became the most powerful piece on the chessboard. From mother to daughter and mentor to protégée, Sarah Gristwood follows the passage of power from Isabella of Castile and Anne de Beaujeu through Anne Boleyn – the woman who tipped England into religious reform – and on to Elizabeth I and Jeanne d’Albret, heroine of the Protestant Reformation. Unravelling a gripping historical narrative, Gristwood reveals the stories of the queens who had, until now, been overshadowed by kings.Trade Review‘Gristwood handles multiple narrative strands with tremendous finesse... Densely packed with fascinating material, this immensely ambitious undertaking succeeds triumphantly.’ * Literary Review *‘A masterpiece that effortlessly and enthrallingly interweaves the amazing stories of women who ruled in Europe during the Renaissance period...and a pacy and illuminating good read.’ * Alison Weir *‘Engaging and highly readable.’ * BBC History Magazine, Books of the Year *‘Gristwood brings them all to life with her usual mix of character study and pacy narrative’. * History Revealed *‘Gristwood interweaves the drama of monarchy with its more domestic moments.’ * Telegraph *‘A fast-paced chronological narrative bursting with intrigue.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Sarah Gristwood’s study of the brilliant, beleaguered and often bloody difficult women who kept Europe going in the sixteenth century is compelling, clear-eyed, beautifully rendered and never-more-timely.’ -- Jessie Childs‘A magnificent exploration of a most remarkable group…Gristwood gives us impeccable research, incisive attention to detail and exquisite writing as she investigates these truly fascinating women and their lives of courage, tribulation and determination. Absolutely unputdownable.’ -- Kate Williams, author of The Storms of War

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE FT & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2018 A Financial Times Book of the Year and an Amazon Top 100 Book of the Year India’s explosive rise has driven inequality to new extremes, with millions trapped in slums as billionaires spend lavishly and dodge taxes. Controversial prime minister Narendra Modi promised ‘to break the grip’ of the Bollygarchs, but many tycoons continue to thrive amidst the scandals, exerting huge influence over business and politics. But who are these titans of politics and industry shaping India through this period of breakneck change? And what kind of superpower are they creating? A vivid portrait of a deeply divided nation, The Billionaire Raj makes clear that India’s destiny – prosperous democratic giant or corrupt authoritarian regime – is something that should concern us all.Trade Review‘Compelling…vivid…Crabtree has given us the most comprehensive and eminently readable tour of economic India.’ * Meghnad Desai, Financial Times *‘An excellent survey of India’s economic and political transformation… Crabtree’s Indian story is a cautionary tale of globalization’s excesses and the consequences for one of the world’s most unequal societies.’ * Washington Post *‘A vivid comparison to America’s late 19th-century Gilded Age drives this account of 21st-century India, with a teeming, colourful cast of the super-rich, the ultra-poor, the politically ambitious and the irredeemably corrupt.’ * Financial Times, Books of the Year 2018 *‘Timely reading…Crabtree’s eye for detail…gives some nice close ups…With so many tasty details, it is the right sort of snack to fill a hole as we watch and wait.’ * The Times *‘The analysis really sings when Mr Crabtree finds new ways to capture the collision of profits, politics and public opinion. His account of India’s cut-throat network-TV industry, through the eyes of a star presenter, is thrilling.’ * The Economist *‘A pacey and perspicacious account… Crabtree’s unique achievement is to probe the peculiarities of Indian cronyism and lay out its structural causes… For sheer chutzpah, India’s billionaires provide tremendous value. All this makes for a thoroughly entertaining book, but also for a sadly enfeebled and unequal nation.’ * Oliver Balch, Literary Review *‘A reporting gem, The Billionaire Raj deserves to be widely read.’ * Ashutosh Varshney, Indian Express *‘An eye-opening book from someone who clearly loves his subject.’ * Oliver Bullough, Prospect *‘[A] stylish, sweeping survey of modern day India.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘A lively and valuable blend of the empirical and the anecdotal… The best parts of Mr. Crabtree’s book, however, aren’t his observations on the civic state of India (although these are certainly valuable and wise). They are his reportage, in which he relates his encounters with several of the men who are emblematic of the billionaire raj.’ * Tunku Varadarajan, Wall Street Journal *‘A nuanced portrait…chock-full of profoundly revealing vignettes from various corners of India’s endlessly diverse society and economy.’ * New York Times *‘James Crabtree, once a hugely-admired star foreign correspondent, has transformed himself into a brilliant writer and analyst of the Indian super-rich. This timely, fascinating and eye-opening book is also – a rarity for a book about money – wonderfully witty and beautifully written.’ -- William Dalrymple‘An enlightening and engaging story of wealth and poverty in India, but also a sad indictment of the power of inequity in subduing and overwhelming its areas of success.’ -- Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics‘Crabtree’s stylish writing and sharp insights bring to life the extremes of a country changing with bewildering rapidity, and one the world will find increasingly hard to ignore. The Billionaire Raj is an essential guide if you want to understand modern India, as you must.’ -- Edward Luce, Chief US Commentator, Financial Times, and author of In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern India‘Billionaire-watching may seem like voyeuristic fun, but it also provides serious insights about where a nation is headed. James Crabtree does just that in The Billionaire Raj, as he traces the incredible rise of India’s new super-rich and everything they reveal about the state of India’s political economy. Mixing colourful anecdotes with serious analysis, Crabtree’s urgent book gives us far more than just vicarious thrills about India’s new Gilded Age.’ -- Ruchir Sharma, author of The Rise and Fall of Nations‘A lucid, detailed and at times epic account of the new India… A must-read for all those interested in the political and economic destiny of the subcontinent.’ -- Robert D. Kaplan, author of Monsoon and The Return of Marco Polo’s World‘A fascinating look into the world of the Indian business elite…shedding considerable light on whether the country will sustain the miracle that is the Indian democracy or go the way of populism and authoritarianism as so many others have.’ -- Dani Rodrik, Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard University, and author of The Globalization Paradox‘James Crabtree distinguished himself as the most insightful journalist writing for the Financial Times from India. It is not surprising therefore that he has now written a book that offers a splendid overview of the issues that have been raised concerning India’s spectacular growth since the reforms began in 1991. It is bound to become a classic.’ -- Jagdish Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization‘In this eye-opening rumination on wealth, power, and those who seek both…Crabtree brings a reporter’s precision and flair to his story… An inside look into the corridors of power, this is an invaluable commentary on Indian democracy and the forces that threaten it.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘A wonderful book! It artfully weaves together lively stories of India’s billionaires while retaining a balanced perspective on the big picture of the rise of India. It is not easy to write contemporary history but Crabtree manages to get to the heart of the matter – the problem of India’s state capacity and the need to reform the institutions of governance.’ -- Gurcharan Das, author of India Unbound and The Difficulty of Being Good‘Who are the Indian nouveau riche and what do they want? James Crabtree’s The Billionaire Raj will prove the defining work on these questions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in wealth, inequality, India, or the evolution of capitalism.’ -- Tyler Cowen, economist, blogger and author of The Great Stagnation

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Book SynopsisIn this readable and highly original book, John J. Curley presents the first synthetic account of global art during the Cold War. Through a careful examination of artworks drawn from America, Europe, Russia and Asia, he demonstrates the inextricable nature of art and politics in this contentious period. He dismantles the usual narrative of American abstract painting versus figurative Soviet Socialist Realism to reveal a much more nuanced, contradictory and ambivalent picture of art making, in which the objects themselves, like spies, dissembled, housed and managed ideological differences.

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Book Synopsis'These two sisters might be some of our final living first-hand witnesses to the horrors of the Holocaust. With this book, they break the silence and give us the immeasurable gift of their story.' Gwen Strauss, author of The NineOn 28 March 1944, Italian sisters Tati (six) and Andra (four) were roused from their sleep and taken to Auschwitz, to the infamous Kinder Block presided over by Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death. By the time Auschwitz was liberated, 230,000 children had been murdered, and the sisters were among only 70 child survivors.Throughout their ordeal in the camp and the liberation of Auschwitz, their long journey from Poland to Czechoslovakia and finally to Lingfield House in Britain, they hung on to their promise to their mother to 'always remember your name'. They never forgot they were Tati and Andra Bucci, and it was this connection to their heritage that brought them miraculously back to their parents, years later and many countries away. The sisters overcame their trauma to live long lives, bearing witness as survivors of the Holocaust.'Always Remember Your Name is heart-breaking and yet utterly uplifting, with the fierce bond of two sisters at its heart, who survived the Holocaust to bear witness, so that none of us will ever forget.' Heather Morris, international bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz'A valuable record of what was suffered by surely some of our youngest survivors. Insightful and illuminating, the road to recovery - with its silences, loyalties, and self examinations - is never what we might suppose.' Esther Freud, bestselling author of Hideous Kinky

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Book SynopsisFor most of human history, we have had a close relationship with the stars. Once they shaped our religious beliefs, power structures, scientific advances and even our biology. But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. And it comes at a cost.The Human Cosmos is a tour of this history: from the Hall of the Bulls in Lascaux to Tahitian sailors navigating by the stars; from medieval monks grappling with the nature of time to Einstein realising that space and time are the same. It shows we need to rediscover the universe we inhabit, its effect on our health, and its potential for inspiration and revelation.Trade ReviewA dazzling cultural account of our enduring and ever-changing relationship to the cosmos. Beginning with cave paintings and stone circles, Marchant traces humanity's epic journey from a sky filled with gods, spirits and celestial events that shaped people's lives and beliefs to the Big Bang and the search for alien life. This book will change the way you look at the night sky -- MANJIT KUMAR, author of QUANTUMVast in scope and meticulously researched this brilliant book traces humanity's enduring relationship with our physical and cultural ancestors: the stars. Full of fascinating stories, Jo Marchant weaves astronomy with astrology, mathematical physics with gods and spirits. It made me question my reality and left me starstruck -- GAIA VINCE * * author of Transcendence and Adventures in the Anthropocene * *Marchant's vast and fascinating story packs in plenty of human detail . . . inspiring and persuasive * * Guardian * *Humans have always been fascinated by the stars. But why are we so drawn to these celestial objects? Jo Marchant reveals this historical relationship through beautifully told stories, of gods and spirits, mathematicians and physicists . . . The Human Cosmos is not just a pleasure to read, it's one you'll want to share with everyone you know who is interested in astronomy * * BBC Science Focus * *Marchant is a deft writer. Her characters are vivid, and her stories flow. The unexpected connections she makes . . . are often quite satisfying . . . A reminder that the forces that shape humanity far precede modern people and will persist long after we're gone * * New York Times * *A thought-provoking look at how fascination with the heavens has shaped human culture, and still does * * Economist, Book of the Year * *An important and delicious book. Jo Marchant, whipsmart, sensitive, and eloquent yet unforced as ever, mines the history of stargazing to show that today's cosmology can't reveal the "intrinsic nature" of anything, whether stars, stardust or human existence, because omitting human consciousness from its equations impoverishes not just our comprehension of the universe, but the notion of understanding itself -- DAVID DOBBSAn extensively researched and fascinating book . . . The reader will find much that is new and intriguing in The Human Cosmos . . . ought to be essential reading * * Journal of the British Astronomical Association * *Science journalist Marchant explores the relationship between humans and the celestial in this luminous and fascinating journey through science, religion, culture and everything in between * * Newsweek * *A unique and mind-expanding enquiry . . . a tour de force on par with Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari * * Booklist (starred review) * *

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Book SynopsisA landmark new history of the great English county of Lancashire, exploring its people’s impact on Britain and beyond. This popular history explores the cultural heritage and identity of Lancashire, stretching from the Mersey to the Lake District. Paul Salveson charts the county’s transformation from a largely agricultural region noted for its religious learning into the Industrial Revolution’s powerhouse, as an emerging self-confident bourgeoisie drove economic growth. This capital boom came with a cultural blossoming, creating today’s Lancashire. Industrialists strongly committed to the arts endowed galleries and museums, producing a diverse world of science, technology, music and literature. Lancashire developed a distinct business culture, but this was also the birthplace of the world co-operative movement, and the heart of democracy campaigns including Chartism and women’s suffrage. Lancashire has generally welcomed incomers, who have long helped to inform its distinctive identity: fourteenth-century Flemish weavers; nineteenth-century Irish immigrants and Jewish refugees; and, more recently, ‘New Lancastrians’ from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. This long-overdue book explores contemporary Lancastrian culture, following modern upheavals and Lancashire’s fragmentation compared with its old rival Yorkshire. What future awaits the 6 million people of this rich historic region?Trade Review'An important account of Labour's traditional, community-based values with many lessons for today'. -- John Prescott, former MP, on Paul Salveson's 'Socialism with a Northern Accent''As Paul Salveson shows throughout this book, love of our Lancashire countryside has always been at the heart of progressive working class politics.' -- Maxine Peake on Paul Salveson's 'Moorlands, Memories and Reflections''The strength of the Lancashire people is within me. You get on and do it. There are no airs and graces.' -- Jane Horrocks, 'The Guardian''Salveson is strong, and offers an alternative history … his meticulous research provides a rich vein for future local amateur and professional historians.' -- Northwest Bylines'In the early morning the mill girls clumping down the cobbled street, all in clogs, making a curiously formidable sound, like an army hurrying into battle. I suppose this is the typical sound of Lancashire.' -- George Orwell, 'The Road to Wigan Pier''Put Lancashire right and you put England right. Settle the factory system, and you solve the social problem of the century. Wash the drooping Red Rose, clear the soot off its polluted petals, give it more soil and more fresh air to grow in, and when the flower of Lancashire is once more blooming England will become a flourishing garden of delight.' -- Allen Clarke, 'The Effects of the Factory System', 1895

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Book SynopsisTHE MYTHS SURROUNDING THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE DISH, DEBUNKED Did Marco Polo bring pasta back from China, or is that a myth? How did the Neapolitan “macharoni” turn into the ubiquitous spaghetti? Is it even an Italian dish? Hundreds of shapes and thousands of recipes give expression to the culture and products of the country’s regions. But spaghetti with tomato sauce remains Italy’s identity dish par excellence. Massimo Montanari goes in search of the dish’s true origins, tracing its history along the multiple, intricate routes taken by its raw ingredients to merge and become a distinctive element of culinary tradition. It took almost two thousand years and input from the Far East, the Arabic world, and the Americas, for the dish to take centre stage. Its development is the result of chance encounters, unplanned exchanges, and unpredictable intersections. As we dig in search of spaghetti’s origins, we find its strands wrap right around the world. “Learned and entertaining.”–Il GiornaleTrade Review“When I tell you that I would travel far for a good ragu, you’ll appreciate why I also devoured Massimo Montanari’s A Short History of Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce, an anatomy of a culture on a plate, and delicious with it." * The Guardian *“Disentangling the serpentine strands of the story can be complicated, like working your way through a mound of spaghetti, but Montanari provides a focused overview. Although compact, the book is stuffed with rich ideas.” * The TLS *"Food historian Montanari reflect[s] on the meaning of roots, identities, and origins in this illuminating examination of one of the world’s most famous culinary pairings. While this scholarly treatise may be better suited for those with big appetites for knowledge, it’s full of delicious details." * Publisher's Weekly *"A very entertaining account of the cultural significance and history of the Italian dish... a fun, knowledgeable and well written book." * NB Magazine *“Cultural historian Montanari has deconstructed pasta’s history and come up with some surprising data.... [His] research will delight readers and provide plenty of fodder for dinner-table discussion.” * Booklist *“Delightful….a brief and hugely entertaining read.” * Buzz Magazine *"An utterly fascinating discourse on food history." * The Daily Beast *"Montanari traces the unstoppable rise of what would become the most famous dish in the whole world." * Robinson *"A learned and entertaining volume." * Il Giornale *

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Book SynopsisIn 490 BCE the indefatigable Athenian herald Philippides made his legendary 26 mile run to deliver to the people of Athens news of their city's victory over the Persians. Each year, all over the world, thousands of athletes and millions of enthusiasts replicate Philippides's marathon.Why do we run? To what end all the effort and pain? The Greeks were the first to ask these questions and to wonder why we choose to measure ourselves against others; they were also the first to suspend war, politics, and the daily workings of the state to enjoy days' long public celebrations of athletic prowess.As the pandemic entered its second year, internationally renownedscholar and best-selling author Marcolongo discovers running. In this spirited, generous, and erudite book, she shares not only her scholarship but her own journey to understanding that a healthy body is a healthy mind.

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Book SynopsisNovember 1932. With the German economy in ruins and street battles raging between political factions, the Weimar Republic is in its death throes. Its elderly president Paul von Hindenburg floats above the fray, inscrutably haunting the halls of the Reichstag. In the shadows, would-be saviours of the nation vie for control. The great rivals are the chancellors Franz von Papen and Kurt von Schleicher. Both are tarnished by the republic's all-too-evident failures. Each man believes he can steal a march on the other by harnessing the increasingly popular National Socialists - while reining in their most alarming elements, naturally. Adolf Hitler has ideas of his own. But if he can't impose discipline on his own rebellious foot-soldiers, what chance does he have of seizing power?Trade ReviewA sharply focused study of the many poor decisions that ended with Hitler's taking power. * Kirkus *Startling ... What comes clear in the authors' account is how few understood the extent of the abyss that lay ahead ... The more the reader knows about the horrors to come, the darker The Last Winter seems. -- Andrew Stuttaford * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Moore Prize 2020 In Going Home, Orwell Prize winning author Raja Shehadeh travels Ramallah and records the changing face of the city. Walking along the streets he grew up in, he tells the stories of the people, the relationships, the houses, and the businesses that were and now are cornerstones of the city and his community. This is, in many ways, an elegy. Green spaces - gardens and hills crowned with olive trees - have been replaced by tower blocks and concrete lots; the occupation and the settlements have further entrenched themselves in every aspect of movement-from the roads that can and cannot be used to the bureaucratic barriers that prevent people leaving the West Bank. The culture of the city has also shifted with Islam taking a more prominent role in people's everyday and political lives and the geography of the city. As he grapples with ageing and the failures of the resistance, Shehadeh notes the ways that the past still invades the presence from the ruins of the compound that was Yasser Arafat's home to the power of emigrated families to reshape neighbourhoods by selling their long-abandoned homes. This is perhaps Raja Shehadeh's most painfully visceral book.Trade ReviewPalestine's greatest prose writer * Observer *Going Home cements the author's reputation as the best-known Palestinian writing in English -- Ian Black * Guardian *Going Home is about searching for the meaning of 'home' when living in a city under occupation ... In this book, the bonds that bind Palestinians to the land are exposed. Personal and political, human and geographical histories are beautifully intertwined and preserved. -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * Spectator *An insightful, illuminating book -- Paddy Kehoe * RTE *Shehadeh's descriptive powers are balanced by the acuity of his political insights * The Big Issue *Praise for Where the Line is Drawn: Brilliantly evokes the Palestinian tragedy by way of a complex friendship. This is a fiercely intelligent and honest account. -- Ian McEwanShehadeh [...] is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise. -- Colm ToibinA courageous and timely meditation on the fragility of friendship in dark times, illuminating how affiliation and love[...]can have a profound political power. -- Madeleine ThienWritten with fierce clarity and unusual compassion, this book touches the human heart of a political tragedy. -- Gillian SlovoThe question of how and if friendships can survive across political divides is a resonant one - and I can think of no one better than Raja Shehadeh to treat it with the wisdom, toughness and humanity that it deserves. -- Kamila ShamsieIn the dark agony of the Palestine-Israel conflict, Raja Shehadeh offers a rare gift: a lucid, honest, unsparing voice. His humanity and wisdom are invaluable. -- Claire MessudThe wisdom and elegance of Raja Shehadeh's thinking and writing are more necessary than ever. This book...appeals to - and speaks of - an insistence on dignity, regardless of borders and of endless war. Raja Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness. -- Rachel KushnerThis is one of the most intensely human and humane books one is likely to read in a very long while, replete with an elevating dignity and suffused with deep melancholy. -- Trevor Royle * Edinburgh Sunday Herald *Praise for Palestinian Walks: 'Few Palestinians have opened their minds and their hearts with such frankness * New York Times *Shehadeh writes beautifully, his language infused with a lyrical, melancholic sense of loss. An important record of a land marked by conflict that is changing every day * Sunday Telegraph *Shehadeh describes how the destruction of a beloved landscape mirrors the damage to Palestinian identity ... lyrical nature writing with understated political passion * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis‘An insightful, nuanced account that highlights the present multitude of currents at play in Europe' - Peter Pomerantsev The Baltics are vital democracies in North-Eastern Europe, but with a belligerent Vladimir Putin to their east – plotting his war on Ukraine – and ‘expansionist’ NATO to their west, these NATO members have increasingly been the subject of unsettling headlines in both Western and Russian media. But beyond the headlines, what is daily existence like in the Baltics, and what does the security of these frontline nations mean for the world? Based on her extensive research and work as a journalist, Aliide Naylor takes us inside the geopolitics of the region. Travelling to the heart of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania she explores modernity in the region, investigates smuggling and troop movements in the borderlands, and explains the countries’ unique cultural identities. Naylor tells us why the Baltics have been vital to the political struggle between East and West, and how they play a critical role in understanding the long running tensions between Russia and Europe.Trade ReviewIn this riveting debut, Naylor combines lyrical personal observations with insightful political analysis to offer a timely and comprehensive picture of the complex societies, economies, and political landscapes of this frequently overlooked region. * The Moscow Times *[A] captivating depiction of the relationship between domestic politics, geopolitics, socioeconomic issues and generational differences. * New Eastern Europe *An insightful, nuanced account that highlights the present multitude of currents at play in Europe, while showing how Russia has used the near-abroad as a laboratory for methods later deployed elsewhere. A mix of travelogue, social and political analysis, Naylor tells the stories and dynamics of the region from the inside, which is really the only way to understand them. * Peter Pomerantsev, author of This is not Propaganda and Nothing is True and Everything is Possible *Over the last six years, as Russia showed the world that it could, at will, seize territory on its Western border, the Baltic states were thrust into limbo, perpetually braced to become the next Ukraine. Aliide Naylor offers us a much-needed look at the netherworld that is the Baltics, an in-between space where anti-Putin intellectuals and shadowy money have sought shelter. Naylor, whose own relatives escaped West from Estonia, is an engaging companion, guiding us through pagan rites, cigarette smugglers' routes, and the lingering secrets of the Nazi occupation. Naylor takes us inside a swath of Europe in a state of suspended animation, forced to serve as a testing ground for a war that may never come. * Ellen Barry, Chief International Correspondent at The New York Times *Table of ContentsChapter 1: The past in the present Chapter 2: Tangible evidence Chapter 3: The view from Russia Chapter 4: Russia in the Baltics Chapter 5: The Baltics in the 21st century Chapter 6: The Baltic states in Europe Conclusion Index

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Book SynopsisA short, brilliant and controversial new interpretation of arguably the most important revolution of all time: the event that made the rights of man and the demand for liberty, equality and fraternity central to modern politics. In this miraculously compressed, incisive book David Andress argues that it was the peasantry of France who made and defended the Revolution of 1789. That the peasant revolution benefitted far more people, in more far reaching ways, than the revolution of lawyerly elites and urban radicals that has dominated our view of the revolutionary period. History has paid more attention to Robespierre, Danton and Bonaparte than it has to the millions of French peasants who were the first to rise up in 1789, and the most ardent in defending changes in land ownership and political rights. 'Those furthest from the centre rarely get their fair share of the light', Andress writes, and the peasants were patronised, reviled and often persecuted by urban elites for not following their lead. Andress's book reveals a rural world of conscious, hard-working people and their struggles to defend their ways of life and improve the lives of their children and communities.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR DAVID ANDRESS: 'David Andress's important new book is a major contribution in our efforts to rethink the French Revolution' Timothy Tackett, on The Terror. 'Andress writes with verve, never allowing the pace to slacken, moving swiftly from one character or episode to another. The result is exhilarating' Tim Blanning, Sunday Telegraph, on 1789. 'To understand our current political situation, this excellent book is recommended as a handy primer' * Spectator, on Cultural Dementia *

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Book SynopsisA passionate and imaginative exploration of wood – the material that shaped human history. Wood – humankind's long-term partner in our evolution from woodland foragers to engineers of our own destiny – has no equal in strength, resilience, adaptability and availability. The Museum of the Wood Age investigates the influence of basic devices – wedge, inclined plane, screw, lever, wheel, axle and pulley – to reveal the myriad ways in which wood has been worked throughout human history. From the simple bivouacs of hunter-gatherers to sophisticated wooden buildings such as stave churches; from the decorative arts to the humble woodworking of rustic furniture; Max Adams fashions a lattice of interconnected stories and objects that trace a path of human ingenuity across half a million years of history.Trade ReviewA refreshing paean to the power of both nature and human ingenuity * History Revealed *'The Museum of the Wood Age really does achieve something different...Both Max Adam's wealth of experience - as archeologist and craftsman - and his passion are irresistible.' * TLS *PRAISE FOR MAX ADAMS: "Adams' enthusiasm is beguiling, his knowledge as bountiful as a beech-mast, and his appreciation of the utility of trees is a pointer to a better world" - The Times "This book is a celebration of the plant from which it is made" - i, on The Wisdom of Trees "An elegant book packed with information... Adams is a true woodsman so speaks with authority" - Country Life, on The Wisdom of Trees "Gripping, hugely enjoyable and deeply scholarly" * History Today Books of the Year, on The King in the North *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the bestselling Motherfoclóir, Non-fiction Irish Book of the Year. A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR. What do we talk about when we talk about Irish? When we talk about saving or supporting a language do we mean the musical combination of syllables, or something more profound? How do new words enter a language, and what is the relationship between that strange dialect called Hiberno-English and its parent language? Craic Baby picks up exactly where Motherfoclóir left off and explores the very new and very old parts of the Irish language from a personal perspective. While Motherfoclóir was steeped in memory and a father-son relationship, Craic Baby hinges on the beginnings of a father-daughter relationship, and how watching a child learn to communicate changes how you think about language. Craic Baby will share more Irish words and issues connected to the language, in the same style as Motherfoclóir, but treated with greater confidence and more depth.Trade ReviewDarach Ó Séaghdha's observations and reflections are intelligent and interesting * Irish Times *Ó Séaghdha wasn't keen on learning traditional Irish language when he was young. Inspired by his dad, he later made it his goal to help preserve it * The Big Issue *A wonderful blend of rudeness and erudition * TLS Books of the Year *I'd stray away from my beloved fiction for [Craic Baby] Darach O'Seaghdha's follow up to the brilliant Motherfoclóir * Irish Times Books of the Year *Darach Ó Séaghdha has a gift for bringing Irish to life, through humour and through fascinating stories of why it is the way it is * Irish Daily Mirror *In Craic Baby, Ó Séaghdha wants to address fundamental points about language in Ireland on a longish agenda. And he does it brilliantly * Irish Examiner *

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Book SynopsisIn her own words, the life of the beautiful young model and dancer who helped to bring down the Tory government of Harold Macmillan - the 'Profumo Affair' remains the greatest political sex scandal in recent British history.Following Christine Keeler's death in December 2017, it is now possible to update her book to include revelations that she did not wish to be published in her lifetime. The result is a revised and updated book containing material that has never been officially released, which really does lift the lid on just how far the Establishment will go to protect its own.Published to coincide with the BBC's major new six-part TV drama series, The Trial of Christine Keeler, starring Sophie Cookson as Keeler and James Norton as Stephen Ward

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE___'A moving microhistory of working-class girlhood' BBC History Magazine___It is 1937 in a northern mill-town and a class of twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls are writing about their lives, their world, and the things that matter to them. They tell of cobbled streets and crowded homes; the Coronation festivities and holidays to Blackpool; laughter and fun alongside poverty and hardship. They are destined for the cotton mill but they dream of being film stars. Class of '37 uses the writing of these young girls, as collected by the research organisation Mass Observation, to rediscover this lost world, transporting readers back in time to a smoky industrial town in an era before the introduction of a Welfare State, where once again the clouds of war were beginning to gather. Woven within this rich, authentic history are the twists and turns of the girls' lives from childhood to beyond, from their happiest times to the most heart-breaking of their sorrows. A compelling social history, this intimate reconstruction of working-class life in 1930s Britain is a haunting and emotional account of a bygone age.___Praise for Class of '37'A treasure trove of childhood' - i paper'A fascinating account' - Bolton News'We're used to Mass Observation revealing adult treasures, but to have them from these irrepressible children is doubly rewarding. An engrossing and gently heart-breaking insight into this chatter of still lives before everything changed, and a wonderful rear-view glimpse of their vanishing world' - Simon Garfield'Characters [...] shine brightly from every page' - Daily Mail

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Book Synopsis'Highly entertaining' - The Times'A hymn book to the London street' - TLSFrom the Roman marching along the ancient Old Kent Road to the rattling newspaper presses of Fleet Street, from Dickensian iron and fog to the neon lights of the twenty-first century, the game of Monopoly has painted London's story across cheerful coloured tiles. But those Monopoly streets live and breathe - they open up whole new ways of thinking about our history. The mobs have taken to our streets. The overlords have taken them back. Wars have spilled out into them. Lovers have snuck around them, and fires have raged through them. In a city of rags and riches, where folk hero Dick Whittington believed the streets were paved with gold, anything could happen - and everything has. You may think you know the history of London. You don't. Or at least, not entirely. This is the story of the capital as you've never, quite, heard it before.

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Book SynopsisThe bloody history of Britain through the stories of its most notorious traitorsA History of Treason details British history from 1351 to 1945, covering major historical moments in a fascinating and innovative way, using the history of high treason and deception as its theme.Appealing to a range of audiences, it covers over 750 years of momentous history through the use of both famous and lesser known events which shaped Britain. Using original documents and detailed research undertaken by TNA's record specialists, it will cover moments in history which led to fundamental changes in eras. It will also include unique discoveries from TNA's archives, uncovering mysteries and stories of how dealing with treason have brought about the changes which have influenced and shaped Britain throughout the centuries. Among these are:the trial and execution of Anne Boleyn on the orders of her husband, Henry VIIIseveral major acts of sedition, including the Popish Gunpowder Plot and the revolution plotted in the Cato Street conspiracythe evidence brought against the Irish patriot Sir Roger Casement, executed at Pentonville and his remains later exhumed and given a state funeral in Irelandthe trial and execution of the William Joyce who, as 'Lord Haw-Haw', broadcast Nazi propaganda from Berlin during the Second World WarThe book covers many stories that explore the nature of treason and how the crown and state reacted to it - from the introduction of the Treason Act in 1352 right through to the twentieth century.Written by experts from among the historians at the National Archives, the book is copiously copiously illustrated with images from TNA's unrivalled collections.

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Book Synopsis'An ambitious, riveting and essential book that has much to teach us about the recent history of this region, and about the human impulse towards populism that continues to shape the world' Ben Rhodes, bestselling author of The World As It Is 'A REVOLUTION IS A STRUGGLE TO THE DEATH BETWEEN THE FUTURE AND THE PAST.' FIDEL CASTRO For more than six decades, Fidel Castro's words have echoed through the politics of Latin America. His towering political influence still looms over the region today. The swing to the Left in Latin America, known as the 'Pink Tide', was the most important political movement in the Western Hemisphere in the 21st century. It involved some of the biggest, most colourful and most controversial characters in Latin America for decades, leaders who would leave an indelible mark on their nations and who were adored and reviled in equal measure. Parties became secondary to individual leaders and populism reigned from Venezuela to Brazil, from Central America to the Caribbean, financed by a spike in commodity prices and the oil-backed largesse of Venezuela's charismatic socialist president, Hugo Chávez. Yet within a decade and a half, it was all over. Today, this wave of populism has left the Americas in the hands of some of the most authoritarian and dangerous leaders since the military dictatorships of the 1970s.Trade Review¡Populista! is action-packed with a large cast of characters, but Grant's lively style never sags under the weight of the detail he manages to pack into the book * Guardian *This is an astute account of how the left in Latin America gained and then lost power * The Times *Grant's reporting is detailed and enlightening. He puts the leaders and their reigns in their historical context while asking the movements they fronted worked * Spectator *A tour-de-force of reportage and analysis that makes sense of historic, complex forces that shook Latin America... A lucid, important book' -- Rory Carroll, author of ComandanteAn ambitious, riveting and essential book that has much to teach us about the recent history of this region, and about the human impulse towards populism that continues to shape the world -- Ben Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of The World As It IsA valuable and timely guide... Grant's ¡Populista! describes how the playbook of charismatic autocrats and chronic cronyism can unfold anywhere' -- John Paul Rathbone, author of The Sugar King of HavanaWill Grant moves deftly from palaces where he heard presidents claiming they embodied the will of the people to the barrios where their policies had most impact -- Maurice Walsh, former BBC Latin America correspondentWill Grant writes with close knowledge, admirable balance, and the verve of a natural storyteller. A must-read for today's volatile world -- Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary LifeWill Grant is one of the BBC's great scholar-correspondents, and without peer when it comes to explaining Latin America. In Populista, he marries the depth of knowledge of a fine historian, with the elegant storytelling of a gifted journalist -- Nick Bryant, BBC New York CorrespondentThe best piece of non-fiction writing on Latin America that I have read in a long time. Will Grant meets everyone from presidents to the impoverished, and explains it all beautifully -- Giles Tremlett, author of Ghosts of SpainWill Grant has written an elegant and vivid account of Latin America's strongmen that radiates from the pages like bursts of Cuban sunshine. He skilfully weaves together reportage, startling modern history, and his own personal testimony, to chart the rise to power of some of the most brutal, but fascinating, authoritarian leaders of modern times. He invites us into a world of dripping jungle hideouts, dusty urban warfare. At times, it is as if the reader has slipped into the pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez -- Paul Kenyon, author of DictatorlandGrant expertly traces how the actions and views of his subjects played out on ordinary lives, for better or worse, from women like Cristina Chuquijanca de Soria, 'Maduro diet' of inflation and food shortages under the country's current president * ArtReview *The portraits of each character (which Grant calls 'Shakespearean' and 'colorful') are very interesting, with a lot of historical and personal information... It provides tools which allow the reader to accept or refute the author's positions in the preface and in the epilogue with numerous arguments and good information... An enjoyable read and highly recommended for those who wish to understand Latin America' * The Sentinel *

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Book SynopsisFounded in 1884 to promote Irish identity and revive the traditional sports of hurling, football and handball, the GAA enjoyed an intimate relationship with the nationalist movement from the turn of the twentieth century onwards. In 1914, the Irish Volunteers drilled with hurley sticks in the absence of rifles; after the 1916 Rising many of those interned by the British were GAA members; and on 21 November 1920, a Gaelic football match between Dublin and Tipperary at Croke Park was interrupted by a raid by British crown forces that left fourteen dead in Ireland's first 'Bloody Sunday'. With affection and authority, Tim Pat Coogan traces the stirring story of an institution which, from modest beginnings as a grass-roots sporting organisation, has grown into a cornerstone of Irish society both North and South. The Gaelic Athletic Association is, Coogan argues, the most socially valuable organisation in Ireland, whose ideal of voluntarism has contributed to a distinctive sense of national identity that flourishes wherever green is worn.Trade ReviewA new book has charted the 'intimate' connection between the GAA and Irish freedom. Historian Tim Pat Coogan has investigated the influential role played by the association in the revolution * Irish Independent *Tim Pat Coogan's new book underlines the association's huge role in galvanising people against British rule, and how it acted as an important unifying force * Irish Examiner *With his usual erudition and readability, he considers the border campaign of the 50s, The Troubles, and the Hunger Strikes * Irish News *In The GAA and the War of Independence there is little room for doubt. The book knows what it is for, and knows who it is against. It asks few questions, and even fewer to which it doesn't already have an answer * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThe story of Aelfred the Great, his war against the Vikings and the foundations of modern Britain. In AD 865, a 'great host' of battle-hardened Norse warriors landed on England's eastern coast, overwhelmed East Anglia with terrifying swiftness and laid the North to waste. Ghosting along estuaries and inshore waters, in 871 they penetrated deep into the southern kingdom of Wessex, ruled over by a new and untested king, Ælfred son of Æðelwulf. It seemed as though the End of Days was come. Max Adams tells the story of the heroic efforts of Ælfred, his successors and fellow-kings of Britain, to adapt and survive in the face of an apocalyptic threat; and in so doing, to lay the foundations of the nations of modern Britain in all their regional diversity.Trade ReviewThis engrossing history of the British people between the first Viking raids in 865 and the expulsion of the Vikings from York in 954 is notable for being a more nuanced portrait of that era... Lands other than Wessex come into fascinating new focus' * The Bookseller *An evocative look at a period that continues to grab the popular imagination * History Revealed *This is much more than a book about the Vikings versus King Alfred... [Adams'] great achievement is to cover events throughout the whole of Britain with some excursions into Ireland and Europe as well' * TLS *A beautifully crafted and impeccably compiled book, and one that is certainly a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in the events and figures that moulded Britain during the reign of the Vikings * All About History *Essential reading for all those interested in late Anglo-Saxon Britain * Historical Novel Society *Adams very usefully drops from the macro-narratives to detailed examples of what all this meant to people at ground level, using the evidence of coins and charters and, especially, archaeology – much of which exposes the written chronicles and histories as propaganda... A great virtue of his book – in following the archaeologists and the geographers, the reconstructors and the genealogists, Adams never forgets to ask what it looked like to the people on the ground' * London Review of Books *Brilliantly combining history and archaeological research with an eye for the terrain [Aelfred's Britain is] a compelling read that is as knowledgeable on warfare in the Middle Ages as it is on civic life in Saxon London and Viking York * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating history of poetry anthologies and their influence on British society and culture over the last four centuries. For centuries, poetry anthologies shaped the way that generations of British readers encountered literature. Eighteenth-century young women were introduced to the permissible bits of Shakespeare and Swift in censored collections. Working-class Victorians enrolled to be taught from The Golden Treasury at adult learning colleges. Pop-loving teenagers in the 1960s got their first taste of the counterculture from the bestselling The Mersey Sound. InThe Treasuries, Clare Bucknell reveals anthologies to be a unique window into social history. This is the story of some of the most widely read books ever published, and the cultural conversations – around politics, gender, class and nationhood – they sparked.Trade ReviewAnthologies are the sleepers of the bookshelf, loaded with the hidden ideals and prejudices of their compilers. Clare Bucknell reads expertly between their lines to reveal a remarkable alternative history of literature. -- Rosemary HillThe delight of this book is its expert toggling of scale. Bucknell dissects large issues - politics, class, taste, education - via small vignettes: Palgrave collecting his poems with scissors, war poems falling like bombs, poetry on prescription. Her panoramic history throws up unexpected parallels - the Exclusion Crisis and the Spanish Civil War, Keats and working men’s eduction, ballads and pop. Treasuries is smart and learned but unpatronising: it sparkles with appreciation for the anthologist and their always-partial act of selection. -- Emma Smith * author of Portable Magic *Impressive in its coverage of social history, teeming with anecdotes, The Treasuries arrives just as Britain is once more rearranging its literary heritage and 'retelling favourite stories about itself at a moment of national crisis'. -- Peter ConradClare Bucknell is a compelling storyteller as well as a deep and cheerful scholar. A riveting read, The Treasuries changes how a reader approaches the designing and sometimes devious anthologists and the books they sell us. -- Michael SchmidtThis book is a wonderful celebration and examination of anthologies as the cornerstone of our literary culture. -- Ian McMillan

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Renaissance city and palace of Urbino, and the life of the extraordinary man who created it: Federico da Montefeltro. 'Painstakingly researched and yet unfailingly readable' Ross King 'An insight into one of Renaissance Italy's most glamorous courts' Catherine Fletcher 'The perfect tour guide to the past' Literary Review 'A fabulous merging of seductive design with bravura scholarship' Alexandra Harris 'A superior study... Packed with detail' TLS The one-eyed mercenary soldier Federico da Montefeltro, lord of Urbino between 1444 and 1482, was one of the most successful condottiere of the Italian Renaissance: renowned humanist, patron of the artist Piero della Francesca, and creator of one of the most celebrated libraries in Italy outside the Vatican. From 1460 until her early death in 1472 he was married to Battista, of the formidable Sforza family, their partnership apparently blissful. In the fine palace he built overlooking Urbino, Federico assembled a court regarded by many as representing a high point of Renaissance culture. For Baldassare Castiglione, Federico was la luce dell'Italia – 'the light of Italy'. Jane Stevenson's affectionate account of Urbino's flowering and decline casts revelatory light on patronage, politics and humanism in fifteenth-century Italy. As well as recounting the gripping stories of Federico and his Montefeltro and della Rovere successors, Stevenson considers in details Federico's cultural legacy – investigating the palace itself, the splendours of the ducal library, and his other architectural projects in Gubbio and elsewhere.Trade ReviewSumptuous illustrations... Jane Stevenson's loving biography [is] the perfect tour guide to the past' * Literary Review *An insight into one of Renaissance Italy's most glamorous courts. The lords of Urbino are not nearly so well-known as the Medici or Borgias, but their architectural and art patronage, and book-collecting, deserve to be recognised – as do their military skills and bloodthirsty intrigues -- Catherine FletcherIn a narrative matching her book's sumptuous illustrations, Jane Stevenson celebrates Urbino as an essential place of pilgrimage for all lovers of Italian art and literature -- Jonathan KeatesJane Stevenson shows us the man – warts, battle scars, collapsed vertebrae and all – behind the myth of one of the most fascinating characters in Renaissance Italy... Painstakingly researched and yet unfailingly readable' -- Ross KingA fabulous merging of seductive design with bravura scholarship -- Alexandra HarrisA revelatory study of Federico da Montefeltro * Choice Magazine *A fascinating account of the patrons and artists behind the creation of one of Italy's hidden treasures -- Mary HollingsworthStevenson conjures the marvellous, intoxicating, brutal and beautiful world of Renaissance Italy with a lightness of touch and an eye for complexity and contradiction, bringing to life the battered, potent and panegyricised figure of a Christian prince, Renaissance patron and ruthless mercenary * Tablet *A splendid series of illustrations ... A superior study packed with detail * TLS *

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Book Synopsis'Gripping and all too timely' James Hawes 'A brilliant mix of detailed research and vivid storytelling' Julia Boyd 'History at its very best – and a fabulous translation, too' Graham Hurley In March 1930, after the collapse of the coalition that had ruled Germany since 1928, President Hindenburg asked Heinrich Bruning, bespectacled and scholarly leader of the Catholic Centre Party, to form a government. Some three years later, in January 1933, Hindenburg appointed as chancellor the demagogic, virulently anti-Semitic leader of the National Socialist party. Within weeks, Adolf Hitler has begun the process of dismantling the flawed democracy of the Weimar Republic and replacing it with a one-party totalitarian state. Darkness Falling depicts in compelling fashion the serial crises and mounting violence of a febrile era. Peter Walther examines the slow death of Weimar through the prism of nine colourful protagonists, including leading German politicians of right, left and centre, the clairvoyant and occultist, Erik Jan Hanussen and the formidable American journalist Dorothy Thompson. He profiles these heterogeneous characters in intriguing detail, pulling together the threads of their lives to chart the demise of German parliamentary democracy and the rise of National Socialist tyranny. Along the way we gain fascinating insights into the machinations in the corridors of power to keep the 'Bohemian corporal' from the chancellorship, and the venality of the Nazi elite and its fellow travellers from the demi-monde of early 1930s Berlin. Walther evokes the louche nightlife of the German capital – 'a playground for charlatans and prophets, madmen and crooks' – memorably and atmospherically. A masterly fusion of meticulously researched historical writing and vividly propulsive storytelling, Darkness Falling is a distinctive and enthralling account of Germany's slide from democracy to dictatorship. Translated by Dr Peter Lewis.Trade ReviewGripping both as German history and as a timely warning for us all of how otherwise sane people can fatally overestimate the survivability of democracy, and keep scrabbling for petty advantage even as the darkness gather -- James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of GermanyA brilliant mix of detailed research and vivid storytelling, this intriguing account of Germany's terrifying slide from democracy to dictatorship is truly hard to put down -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichAn astonishing achievement, meticulously researched, beautifully written, full of surprises both terrifying and deeply revelatory. This is history as its very best – and a fabulous translation, too -- Graham Hurley, author of Last Flight to Stalingrad

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Book SynopsisThe untold history of the British occupation of Germany, told through the eyes of the people who were there.In the spring of 1945, a British civilian and military force arrived in northwestern Germany, the former industrial heartland of a defeated nation. They were tasked with building democracy from the ruins of Hitler's Reich, and winning the peace' by eradicating Nazism from German hearts and minds. Using a battery of source materials from newspaper reports to feature films, and from declassified Foreign Office documents to interviews with veterans Daniel Cowling presents a vivid narrative of the four years of the British occupation. He explores the day-to-day experiences of the Britons who worked for the Control Commission for Germany between 1945 and 1949 and who soon found themselves on the front line of the Cold War, as irreconcilable tensions divided Europe between East and West.

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Book SynopsisA chilling medieval ghost story, retold by bestselling historian Dan Jones. Published in a beautiful small-format hardback, perfect as a Halloween read or a Christmas gift. One winter, in the dark days of King Richard II, a tailor was riding home on the road from Gilling to Ampleforth. It was dank, wet and gloomy; he couldn't wait to get home and sit in front of a blazing fire. Then, out of nowhere, the tailor is knocked off his horse by a raven, who then transforms into a hideous dog, his mouth writhing with its own innards. The dog issues the tailor with a warning: he must go to a priest and ask for absolution and return to the road, or else there will be consequences... First recorded in the early fifteenth century by an unknown monk, The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings was transcribed from the Latin by the great medievalist M.R. James in 1922. Building on that tradition, now bestselling historian Dan Jones retells this medieval ghost story in crisp and creepy prose.Trade ReviewDan Jones is best known for his epic histories, which makes his first foray into fiction a surprising but effective change of direction. He has adapted a medieval tale of the supernatural (which was transcribed from the Latin by MR James in 1922); his tight, chilling account of an unsuspecting tailor and the terrifying shenanigans in which he is embroiled compares favourably with James's own ghost stories, the author's grasp of historical detail giving it welcome verisimilitude * Observer *An interesting glimpse into a world that almost reads as Fantasy today. I found that the origins and background to the story were as intriguing as the story itself, which creates a nice little shiver and then allows the reader to move on. One for readers looking for a brief, classic read at Halloween * SFF World *Atmospheric chamber piece * BBC History Magazine *Put another log on the hearth (or its nearest 21st-century equivalent) and settle in for Dan Jones's eerie, evocative retelling of a medieval ghost story * History Revealed *A chilling yarn * The Tablet *This is a great story and has grown in the telling * The Ampleforth Journal *

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Book SynopsisIn eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived ''off the land'' in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived ''on the land'' as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority of the population outside the north-east of the country. Land was vital. But most of it was owned by a class of Protestant, English and often aristocratic landlords. The dream of having more control over their farms, even of owning them, drove many of the most explosive conflicts in Irish history. Rebellions against British rule were rare, but savage outbreaks of murder related to resentments over land ownership, and draconian state repression, were a regular feature of Irish rural life. The struggle for the land was also crucial in driving support for Irish nationalist demands for Home Rule and independence.In this epic narrative, Myles Dungan examines two hundred years of agrarian conflict from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War

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Book SynopsisBook Band: Dark Red (ideal for ages 10+) A riveting pirate tale set in the eighteenth century during the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean, perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Jacqueline Wilson. It’s 1718: pirate ships sail the oceans and brutal slave masters control the plantations. Eleven-year-old Abigail Buckler lives with her father in the Caribbean. Her clothes are made of finest muslin so she can’t play in them, not that there’s anyone to play with anyway. She isn’t even allowed to go out alone. But when pirates attack Abigail’s life will change forever. Suddenly her old certainties about right and wrong, good and bad start to unravel. Maybe Abigail doesn’t have to be so ladylike after all… Packed with historical detail about the Atlantic slave trade, the ravages of empire and human cost of providing luxuries like sugar, cotton and tobacco to Europe, Blackbeard’s Treasure is a page-turning, swashbuckling adventure which takes a look at the real pirates of the Caribbean.Trade ReviewThis is children's fiction at its best ... Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson. * The Lady *Your 8-12 year olds need to get their hands on this swashbuckling adventure by the brilliant Iszi Lawrence. * Natalie Haynes, author of Stone Blind and A Thousand Ships *You’ve rarely met a heroine as fearless, brilliant and passionate as 11-year-old Abigail. This action-packed tale introduces real pirates and tackles important topics. Think of Pirates of the Caribbean only grounded in real historical detail. A treasure trove indeed! * Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries *... a fun, swashbuckling adventure, full of historical figures brought to life [....] It is a book that adds to a little-known bit of history and it is a fascinating adventure story that I can see will be enjoyed by all. * Reading Zone *The story is rich in details throughout. * Through the Bookshelf *PRAISE FOR THE UNSTOPPABLE LETTY PEGG Letty and her friends and rivals are great characters, as are the real life people she comes across at different times in her adventures. Thoroughly recommended. -- Andrea Reece * Books for Keeps *PRAISE FOR BILLIE SWIFT TAKES FLIGHT It is brimming with historical detail and really highlights the heroic nature of some very inspirational women. It would be an excellent class story that would provide children with a tale about a thrilling war-time adventure * Reading Zone *

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Book SynopsisEver wondered how fat Henry VIII really was? Or what made Mary I ‘Bloody’? Over many hundreds of years, British royalty has had its fair share of accidents, rumours, scandals, misrepresentations and misconceptions. For instance, could Richard III be innocent of the deaths of the ‘Princes in the Tower’? And what really happened between Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown?In today’s world, where newspapers clamour to report new revelations about the Royal Family, this informative and quirky book gives the inquisitive reader an in-depth look at the secrets of our past royals. For anyone curious about what went on behind the palace walls, Raymond Lamont-Brown answers those intriguing, confusing and mysterious questions we might have about our monarchs.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1914 Scotland prepared for war.Steel and Tartan charts the adventures of the 4th Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders from their training in Bedford with the Highland Division through to five major engagements in France, including the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Battle of Loos, to eventual break-up in March 1916 at the hands of the British Army administrators. Of the 1,500 men who fought with the Battalion, over 250 were killed and either buried in one of the many British war cemeteries in France or else left where they fell, their names etched on one of the memorials to the missing.Using previously unpublished diaries, letters and memoirs together with original photographs and newspaper accounts, Patrick Watt tells the story of the gallant officers and men of the 4th Camerons: those Saturday night soldiers' who went so eagerly to war in August 1914.

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Book SynopsisDeft and era-spanning . . . Uta Seeburg compresses a vast culinary history into a collection that's equal parts lively and illuminating. Mayukh Sen, author of Taste Makers What foods did ancient Egyptians think worthy of accompanying pharaohs into the afterlife? How could canned meat have doomed the 1845 Franklin expedition? Why did a king have to order his subjects to eat potatoes? Why did a sixteenth-century cookbook author argue that beavers should be considered fish? A revelatory romp through the history of humanity, this collection of fifty snackable essays answers all of these baffling culinary enigmas and more. Packed to the brim with juicy tidbits and cultural insights, How Would You Like Your Mammoth? is a fascinating look at how the food we eat defines us and always has.

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Book SynopsisLegendary treasures. Mythical robberies. Lost riches. Buried plunder and fabulous wealth. Hidden dangers. Ancient curses and deathbed jinxes. Captivating tales of lost fortunes, hidden caches, the eternal allure of wealth, and the heartbreak of mysterious curses!Read about the pursuit of riches turning to grief in this mesmerizing story collection! A thrilling exploration of the world''s most intriguing and dangerous treasure hunts, Lost Loot: Cursed Treasures and Blood Money collects dozens of fascinating stories of reward, riches, greed, and ruin, including ? Curses, deaths, and centuries old treasure on Oak IslandSearchers hunted down and killed before finding a gangster?s stolen richesThe eternal quest for D. B. Cooper and his hijack ransomElaborate booby traps protecting ill-gotten gainsCursed Aztec wealth lost as it journeyed to SpainMysterious caves holding secrets in the Grand CanyonMontezuma?s revengeThe train-robbing Robin Hood myth of the Sam Bass GangJean Lafitte and the Galveston HoardThe lost Dutchman mineCivil War coins hurriedly stashed after a brutal reign of terrorThe missing Fabergé eggsJohn Dillinger?s suitcaseKing Kamehameha?s burial chamberCaptain Kidd''s buried treasureAnd more stories of doomed pursuits of plundered riches.Tales of bewitching riches and hunts gone wrong, yet hope springs eternal. Lost Loot unfolds like a treasure map?but beware of the hidden, deadly obstacles!

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Book SynopsisTruman and Picasso were contemporaries and were both shaped by and shapers of the great events of the twentieth century - the man who painted Guernica and the man who authorised the use of atomic bombs against civilians.But in most ways, they couldn’t have been more different. Picasso was a communist, and probably the only thing Harry Truman hated more than communists was modern art. Picasso was an indifferent father, a womaniser, and a millionaire. Truman was utterly devoted to his family and, despite his fame, far from a rich man. How did they come to be shaking hands in front of Picasso’s studio in the South of France? Truman’s meeting with Picasso was quietly arranged by Alfred H. Barr Jr, the founding director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art and an early champion of Picasso. Barr knew that if he could convince these two ideological antipodes, the straight-talking politician from Missouri and the Cubist painter from Malaga, to simply shake hands, it would send a powerful message, not just to reactionary Republicans pushing McCarthyism at home, but to the whole world: modern art was not evil. Truman author Matthew Algeo retraced the Trumans’ Mediterranean vacation and visited the places they went with Picasso, including Picasso’s villa, Picasso’s ceramics studio in Vallauris, and Chateau Grimaldi, a museum in Antibes. A rigorous history with a heartwarming centre, When Harry Met Pablo intertwines the biographies of Truman and Picasso, the history of modern art, and twentieth century American politics, but at its core it is the touching story of two old men who meet for the first time and realise they have more in common - and are more alike - than they ever imagined.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Art with a Capital “A” 1. The Nelson Gallery 2. Insults to Classical Ideals 3. A Beautiful Circle 4. MoMA Part II: The Gentleman from Michigan 5. Advancing American Art 6. A Stalwart Republican 7. Gallery on Wheels 8. Termites and Vermin 9. The Patriotic Council Part III: Harry Truman’s European Adventure 10. Sam and Dorothy 11. “Come on Up” 12. Distracting Visitors 13. The Independence 14. Naples 15. Genoa 16. Le Fermier 17. Madame Privat 18. Sightseeing with Picasso 19. The French Communist Caricaturist Epilogue Index

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