History Books

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGruesomely compelling ... A fascinating account -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *Gloriously pulsating ... [Fitzharris] has an eye for morbid detail, visceral imagery and comic potential. From out of this hellish vision, Lister emerges as the cool, modern, scientific saviour to whom we should all give thanks -- Wendy Moore * Guardian *Atmospheric ... The Butchering Art has its share of resplendent gore -- Jennifer Senior * New York Times *Thoroughly enjoyable ... With The Butchering Art, Fitzharris explores the intersection of Lister's life, the development of antiseptic surgery, and the horrors of the wards with an almost surgical precision -- Nicola Davis, 'Book of the Day' * Observer *The Butchering Art is a formidable achievement - a rousing take told with brio, featuring a real-life hero worthy of the ages and jolts of Victorian horror to rival the most lurid moments of Wilkie Collins -- John J. Ross * Wall Street Journal *Brilliant ... Thanks to Lister's dogged pursuit of knowledge and fervent attention to the needs of surgical patients, death rates plummeted. Fitzharris tells this story with an equal attention to detail -- Joanna Bourke * Telegraph *Scintillating and shocking ... A book full of gangrene, pus and hideous pain, which will make you thankful never to suffer the horror of having a tumour removed from your jaw with no pain relief -- Bee Wilson * Sunday Times *Hugely entertaining and informative ... Fitzharris brings [Joseph Lister's] sensibility to life with great energy and elegance, and her account is vivid and entertaining, as well as enjoyably (and sometimes eye-wateringly) graphic. The result is rich with anecdote and intellectual excitement, replete with emotional resonance and narrative pleasure -- Matthew Adams * National *An illuminating and grisly look at the work of hacksaw-wielding surgeons of the 19th century -- Sian Cain * Guardian *Well researched and written with verve... A fine read full of vivid detail, prompting thoughtful reflection on the past, and the challenging future, of surgical practice -- Tilli Tansey * Nature *Bloody, visceral, and fascinating * Entertainment Weekly *A lively read, constantly entertaining ... Fitzharris is an unapologetic showman. I imagine her as a ringmaster, inviting us to roll up and read if we dare * The National *A brilliant and gripping account of the almost unimaginable horrors of surgery and post-operative infection before Lister transformed it all with his invention of antisepsis. It is the story of one of the truly great men of medicine and of the triumph of humane scientific method and dogged persistence over dogmatic ignorance -- Henry Marsh * author of Do No Harm and Admissions *Engaging and extensively researched ... A riveting and sympathetic description of one man's quest to help humanity -- Patricia Fara * Literary Review *Electric. The drama of Lister's mission to shape modern medicine is as exciting as any novel -- Dan Snow * author of Battlefield Britain *Book of the Week * The Week *In The Butchering Art, Lindsey Fitzharris becomes our Dante, leading us through the macabre hell of nineteenth-century surgery to tell the story of Joseph Lister, the man who solved one of medicine's most daunting - and lethal - puzzles. With gusto, Dr. Fitzharris takes us into the operating 'theaters' of yore, as Lister awakens to the true nature of the killer that turned so many surgeries into little more than slow-moving executions. Warning: She spares no detail! -- Erik Larson * bestselling author of Dead Wake and The Devil in the White City *With an eye for historical detail and an ear for vivid prose, Lindsey Fitzharris tells a spectacular story about one of the most important moments in the history of medicine-the rise of sterile surgery. The Butchering Art is a spectacular book-deliciously gruesome and utterly gripping. You will race through it, wincing as you go, but never wanting to stop * Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes *An absolutely fascinating and grisly read that vividly brings to life the world of the Victorian operating theatre -- Catharine Arnold * author of Bedlam and Necropolis *Fitzharris slices into medical history with this excellent biography of Joseph Lister, the 19th-century "hero of surgery." ... She infuses her thoughtful and finely crafted examination of this revolution with the same sense of wonder and compassion Lister himself brought to his patients, colleagues, and students * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *The Butchering Art is medical history at its most visceral and vivid. It will make you forever grateful to Joseph Lister, the man who saved us from the horror of pre-antiseptic surgery, and to Lindsey Fitzharris, who brings to life the harrowing and deadly sights, smells, and sounds of a nineteenth-century hospital -- Caitlin Doughty * bestselling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity *Fascinating and shocking ... [Fitzharris] offers an important reminder that, while many regard science as the key to progress, it can only help in so far as people are willing to open their minds to embrace change * Kirkus (Starred Review) *The Butchering Art, with its attention to detail, its admiration for its subject and its unflinching sympathy for the suffering, proposes a causal chain - running through the history of human sickness and not yet at its end - in which Lister forms a strong and vital link -- Sarah Perry * London Review of Books *

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Book Synopsis''A landmark piece of non-fiction'' Janet Maslin, The New York TimesFrom the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this is one of the great untold stories of American history: the migration of black citizens who fled the south and went north in search of a better life From 1915 to 1970, an exodus of almost six million people would change the face of America. With stunning historical detail, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson gives us this definitive, vividly dramatic account of how these journeys unfolded. Based on interviews with more than a thousand people, and access to new data and official records, The Warmth of Other Suns tells the story of America''s Great Migration through the lives of three unique individuals: Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping and prejudice in Mississippi for Chicago, where she achieved quiet blue-collar success and, in old age, voted for Barack Obama when he ran for an Illinois Senate seat; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, where he endangered his job fighting for civil rights, saw his family fall, and finally found peace in God; and Robert Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career, the personal physician to Ray Charles as part of a glitteringly successful medical career.Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous and exhausting cross-country journeys, as well as how they changed their new homes forever.''You will never forget these people'' Gay Talese''A brilliant and stirring epic'' John Stauffer, Wall Street Journal ''The mass migration of African Americans out of the US south forever changed the country''s cultural fabric - and Wilkerson''s history of this period is full of sacrifice and hope ... a long overdue account'' Lettecha Johnson, Guardian''A deeply affecting, finely crafted and heroic book. . . .Wilkerson has taken on one of the most important demographic upheavals of the past century and told it through the lives of three people ... lyrical and tragic'' Jill Lepore, New YorkerTrade ReviewA narrative epic rigorous enough to impress all but the crankiest of scholars, yet so immensely readable as to land the author a future place on Oprah's couch. -- David Oshinsky, The New York Times Book ReviewTold in a voice that echoes the magic cadences of Toni Morrison or the folk wisdom of Zora Neale Hurston's collected oral histories, Wilkerson's book pulls not just the expanse of the migration into focus but its overall impact on politics, literature, music, sports -- in the nation and the world. -- Lynell George * Los Angeles Times *Scholarly but very readable, this book, for all its rigor, is so absorbing, it should come with a caveat: Pick it up only when you can lose yourself entirely. * O, The Oprah Magazine *Profound, necessary and an absolute delight to read. -- Toni MorrisonIsabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns is an American masterpiece, a stupendous literary success that channels the social sciences as iconic biography in order to tell a vast story of a people's reinvention of itself and of a nation--the first complete history of the Great Black Migration from start to finish, north, east, west. -- David Levering LewisNot since Alex Haley's Roots has there been a history of equal literary quality where the writing surmounts the rhythmic soul of fiction, where the writer's voice sings a song of redemptive glory as true as Faulkner's southern cantatas. -- The San Francisco Examiner[A] sweeping history of the Great Migration... The Warmth of Other Suns builds upon such purely academic works to make the migrant experience both accessible and emotionally compelling. -- NPR.orgOne of the most lyrical and important books of the season -- David Shribman * Boston Globe *A seminal work of narrative nonfiction. . . . You will never forget these people. -- Gay TaleseA landmark piece of nonfiction...sure to hold many surprises for readers of any race or experience...A mesmerizing book that warrants comparison to The Promised Land, Nicholas Lemann's study of the Great Migration's early phase, and Common Ground, J. Anthony Lukas's great, close-range look at racial strife in Boston...[Wilkerson's] closeness with, and profound affection for, her subjects reflect her deep immersion in their stories and allow the reader to share that connection. -- Janet Maslin * The New York Times *The Warmth of Other Suns is a brilliant and stirring epic, the first book to cover the full half-century of the Great Migration... Wilkerson combines impressive research...with great narrative and literary power. Ms. Wilkerson does for the Great Migration what John Steinbeck did for the Okies in his fiction masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath; she humanizes history, giving it emotional and psychological depth -- John Stauffer * Wall Street Journal *[A] deeply affecting, finely crafted and heroic book...Wilkerson has taken on one of the most important demographic upheavals of the past century-a phenomenon whose dimensions and significance have eluded many a scholar-and told it through the lives of three people no one has ever heard of...This is narrative nonfiction, lyrical and tragic and fatalist. The story exposes; the story moves; the story ends. What Wilkerson urges, finally, isn't argument at all; it's compassion. Hush, and listen. -- Jill Lepore * The New Yorker *[An] extraordinary and evocative work. * The Washington Post *Mesmerizing... * Chicago Tribune *[An] indelible and compulsively readable portrait of race, class, and politics in 20th-century America. History is rarely distilled so finely. Grade: A * Entertainment Weekly *An astonishing work...Isabel Wilkerson delivers!... With the precision of a surgeon, Wilkerson illuminates the stories of bold, faceless African-Americans who transformed cities and industries with their hard work and determination to provide their children with better lives. * Essence *Isabel Wilkerson's majestic The Warmth of Other Suns shows that not everyone bloomed, but the migrants-Wilkerson prefers to think of them as domestic immigrants-remade the entire country, North and South. It's a monumental job of writing and reporting that lives up to its subtitle: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration. * USA Today *[A] sweeping history of the Great Migration... The Warmth of Other Suns builds upon such purely academic works to make the migrant experience both accessible and emotionally. * NPR.org *The Warmth of Other Suns is a beautifully written, in-depth analysis of what Wilkerson calls 'one of the most underreported stories of the 20th century'...A masterpiece that sheds light on a significant development in our nation's history. * The San Jose Mercury News *The Warmth of Other Suns is a beautifully written book that, once begun, is nearly impossible to put aside. It is an unforgettable combination of tragedy and inspiration, and gripping subject matter and characters in a writing style that grabs the reader on Page 1 and never let's go.... Woven into the tapestry of [three individuals] lives, in prose that is sweet to savor, Wilkerson tells the larger story, the general situation of life in the South for blacks...If you read one only one book about history this year, read this. If you read only one book about African Americans this year, read this. If you read only one book this year, read this. * The Free Lance Star, Fredericksburg, Va. *A truly auspicious debut...The author deftly intersperses [her characters'] stories with short vignettes about other individuals and consistently provides the bigger picture without interrupting the flow of the narrative...Wilkerson's focus on the personal aspect lends her book a markedly different, more accessible tone. Her powerful storytelling style, as well, gives this decades-spanning history a welcome novelistic flavor. An impressive take on the Great Migration. -- Kirkus * Starred Review *[A] magnificent, extensively researched study of the great migration...The drama, poignancy, and romance of a classic immigrant saga pervade this book, hold the reader in its grasp, and resonate long after the reading is done. -- Publishers Weekly * Starred Review *Not since Alex Haley's Roots has there been a history of equal literary quality where the writing surmounts the rhythmic soul of fiction, where the writer's voice sings a song of redemptive glory as true as Faulkner's southern cantatas. * The San Francisco Examiner *The Warmth of Other Suns is a sweeping and yet deeply personal tale of America's hidden 20th century history - the long and difficult trek of Southern blacks to the northern and western cities. This is an epic for all Americans who want to understand the making of our modern nation. -- Tom BrokawWith compelling prose and considered analysis, Isabel Wilkerson has given us a landmark portrait of one of the most significant yet little-noted shifts in American history: the migration of African-Americans from the Jim Crow South to the cities of the North and West. It is a complicated tale, with an infinity of implications for questions of race, power, politics, religion, and class-implications that are unfolding even now. This book will be long remembered, and savored. -- Jon MeachamIsabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns is an American masterpiece, a stupendous literary success that channels the social sciences as iconic biography in order to tell a vast story of a people's reinvention of itself and of a nation-the first complete history of the Great Black Migration from start to finish, north, east, west. -- David Levering LewisIsabel Wilkerson's book is a masterful narrative of the rich wisdom and deep courage of a great people. Don't miss it! -- Cornel WestA landmark piece of non-fiction * The New York Times *A briliant and stirring epic * Wall Street Journal *The mass migration of African Americans out of the US south forever changed the country's cultural fabric - and Wilkerson's history of this period is full of sacrifice and hope ...a long overdue account * Guardian *A deeply affecting, finely crafted and heroic book. . . .Wilkerson has taken on one of the most important demographic upheavals of the past century and told it through the lives of three people ... lyrical and tragic -- Jill Lepore * New Yorker *Not since Alex Haley's Roots has there been a history of equal literary quality where the writing surmounts the rhythmic soul of fiction, where the writer's voice sings a song of redemptive glory as true as Faulkner's southern cantatas. * San Francisco Examiner *

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Book SynopsisAccusatory, libellous, or just bizarre, Penning Poison unveils the history of anonymous letter-writing.''er at number 14 is dirtyReceiving an unexpected and unsigned note is a disconcerting experience. In Penning Poison, Emily Cockayne traces the stories of such letters to all corners of English society over the period 1760-1939. She uncovers scandal, deception, class enmity, personal tragedy, and great loneliness. Some messages were accusatory, some libellous, others bizarre. Technology, new postal networks, forensic techniques, and the emergence of professional police all influence the phenomenon of poison letter campaigns. This book puts the letters back into their local and psychology context, extending the work of detectives, to discover who may have written them and why.Emily Cockayne explores the reasons and motivations for the creation and delivery of these missives and the effect on recipients - with some blasé, others driven to madness. Small communities hit by letter campaigTrade ReviewA well-researched and wide-ranging survey of a fascinating and murky area in the history of letters. * Miranda Seymour, Financial Times *Gripping...full of one engaging story after another * Jonathan Self, Country Life *Emily Cockayne, one of the leading social historians of our times, has written a truly original history of anonymous letter writing. With her unparalleled skills of exploration and empathy, she has provided a brilliant and beautifully written account of neglected phenomenon in all its social complexity. * Emma Griffin, President of the Royal Historical Society *As Emily Cockayne shows in this fascinating history, harassment by anonymous letters has often escalated into criminal proceedings in Britain. Cockayne has an eye for the telling details of everyday life, and her sensitivity to motive and human frailty allows her to see things that the detectives who investigated these cases in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries missed. * Christopher Hilliard, author of The Littlehampton Libels: A Miscarriage of Justice and a Mystery about Words in 1920s England *This book is a great fit for libraries and for private readers who have an interest in such true crime mysteries. * Anna Faktorovich, Pennsylvania Literary Journal *A diligent and fascinating study of a pervasive social phenomenon. * Stephen Bates, Literary Review *[A] fascinating account, not just of poison pen letters themselves, but also of the evolution of the necessary postal networks, technology, forensics and policing. Whether you find the realisation refreshing or dispiriting, it appears that the anxieties of the internet age are merely today's version of a longstanding, spiteful tradition. * Henrietta McKervey, Irish Independent *Emily Cockayne has done a tremendous job in charting [poison pen letters]...the examples contained within are very real, and show that anyone who receives a nameless note from out of the blue is bound to find it at the very least unsettling, if not chillingly sinister. * Alex Johnson, The Idler *Wonderful...If the subject of her book is poison, then Cockayne's treatment of it is the antidote. * Sophie Nicholls, The Critic *[A] revealing history of poison pen letters. * New Statesman *Emily Cockayne takes the reader through the history of the anonymous letter writing from 1760 to 1939, romping through gossip, tip-offs, threats, obscenity, libels and more. They are by turn frightening, scandalous and bizarre, and make for a thrilling read as Cockayne writes with an academic's attention to detail and a novelist's lightness of touch. * Ettie Neil-Gallacher, The Field *An entertaining and original social history of Britain. * Tony Barber, Financial Times *Positively bulging with evidence. * Dennis Duncan, Washington Post *Emily Cockayne, one of the leading social historians of our times, has written a truly original history of anonymous letter writing. With her unparalleled skills of exploration and empathy, she has provided a brilliant and beautifully written account of neglected phenomenon in all its social complexity. * Emma Griffin, LitHub *Fascinating but also subtly affecting ... Penning Poison reveals, there is nothing new under the sun-or between the lines. * Anna Mundow, Wall Street Journal *A lively survey of the practice of sending anonymous letters ... By examining individual cases - the how, when, where and, most important, why - Cockayne has produced something thought-provoking and humane. The opposite of a poison-pen letter, really. * Sadie Stein, New York Times *Penning Poison is a painstaking, energetic history. * Min Wild, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Dear Madam 1: Gossip - Major Eliot's maiden sisters 2: Tip-offs - Undermined coalmasters in Staffordshire 3: Threats - Lord Dorington's in danger 4: Obscenity - Peer's perversion uncovered 5: Libels - 'er at number 14 is dirty 6: Detectives say 7: Media - Herbert Austin robs men's brains 8: Local stories - And Winifred Simner sows discontent Conclusion - unsigned References Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn the state of Texas American football is a religion. And nowhere is more fanatical about its football than the small town of Odessa. There, every Friday night from September to November, a bunch of seventeen-year-old kids play their hearts out for the honour of their high school. In front of 20,000 people. In 1988 H.G. Bissinger spent a season in Odessa discovering just what makes a town pin its hopes on eleven boys on a football field. He lived with the students, coaches and townspeople who dedicate their lives to their team, sharing their joys and triumphs, their pains, injuries and bitter disappointments. He returned with a compassionate but hard-eyed story of a town riven by money, race and class, where a high school can spend more on medical supplies for its athletic program than on its English department. Friday Night Lights is one of the best books about sport ever written. It is the story of how dreams and reality collide, at once glorious and immensTrade ReviewSuperb and disturbing - More than a sports book, it's a search for the America of ordinary people. * Newsday *A remarkable book, fascinating from start to finish, full of surprises. * David Halberstam *Friday Night Lights offers a biting indictment of the sports craziness that grips ... most of American society, while at the same time providing a moving evocation of its powerful allure. * New York Times Book Review *Just about everything you could ask for in a sports book * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily MailWhen Bernard Samson is woken in the middle of the night and discovers an injured man on his doorstep, he knows it will only bring trouble. It is the start of a dangerous journey to Zurich, rural Poland and the heart of a mystery that has tormented both him and his wife Fiona since they left East Berlin. Thrown into conflict with his superiors, and forced to question his job and his marriage, Bernard will learn, in the second part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy, whether treachery can ever be forgiven.''He can still set the nerve ends jangling with a thriller set in the Cold War ... his sense of pace is extraordinary, as is his sense of mood'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewAs fresh and brisk as ever ... a feast to be wallowed in. * Sunday Express *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ people around the world - their struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions.Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience. This diverse, global account explores the most important moments, movements, and phenomena, from the first known lesbian love poetry of Sappho to Kinsey''s modern sexuality studies, and features biographies of key figures from Anne Lister to Audre Lorde.Dive deep into the pages of The LGBTQ + History book to discover: - Thought-provoking graphics and flow-charts demystify the central concepts behind key moments in LGBTQ+ history, from eromenos and erastes in the Ancient World to political lesbianism.- Features insightful quotes from leading historians, philosophers, cultural commentators, economists, anthropologists, sociologists, activists, and politicians.- Inclu

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Book SynopsisThe splendid finale to Eric Hobsbawm''s study of the nineteenth century, THE AGE OF EMPIRE covers the area of Western Imperialism and examines the forces that swept the world to the outbreak of World War One- and shaped modern society.Trade ReviewMagnificent * The GUARDIAN *A superb achievment, incisive, illuminating and readable * Sunday TIMES *A superbly rich and erudite portrait of a society which was evolving rapidly under a avriety of pressures - economic, technological and political * TLS *Hobsbawm is a master historian * INDEPENDENT *

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Book Synopsis''A blueprint for how to sustain friendships.'' GUARDIAN''Thought-provoking, open-hearted.'' FINANCIAL TIMES''A brilliant ode to the necessity and complexity of female friendship.'' SPECTATOR''A generous, timely book.'' OBSERVER''Will leave you moved, hopeful and inspired in equal measure.'' DAISY HAY''I urge you to read it.'' SUZANNAH LIPSCOMBA rebellious new history of female friendship and timely reclamation of the ''bad friend''.Move over idealised BFFs, glossy gal pals and indestructible work wives. Meet the bad friends. The dangerously romantic school girls of the 1900s. The office gossips of the 1930s. The mum cliques of the 1950s. The angry activists of the 1970s. The coven women who choose to live together in old age of the present day. These bad' friends broke the rules about femininity they didn't write. Their relationships were controlled, patrolled and judged too intimate, too consuming and in some cases, too powerful.In this history of women''s friendship, celebrated cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith reckons with the ways we understand this complex and vital connection. She takes us from Japan to the Ivory Coast, The Mindy Project to Zadie Smith''s Swing Time, from prisons to film sets to hospital wards and elder communities, untangling the assumptions about good and bad friends we live by. Weaving together history, interviews and memoir, Bad Friend offers what's long overdue: a more expansive, more rebellious vision of friendship fit for twenty-first-century life.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe history of ancient Egypt through 50 artefacts discovered during excavations by the EES since its founding in 1882. Readers will travel through three millennia of Egypt's history from the Early Dynastic to the Graeco-Roman Period uncovering the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians by investigating everyday items, as well as elite objects.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating exploration of the underground world and its history beneath the surface of Edinburgh.Trade Review'Going Underground: Edinburgh is a fascinating tour of the subterranean secrets of our historic city.' -- Edinburgh Life Magazine, November/ December 2023

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisInspired by true historical events in the Caribbean, River Sing Me Home will break your heart and then lift you up. A soaring story of courage and sacrifice, this novel reminds us of the remarkable strength of hope. A Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Soon to be adapted as a feature film by AL Films and BBC Film.''Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can''t believe it''s a debut.... Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother''s courage to the page with compassion and tenderness'' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author''I was riveted by Rachel''s story. Like the River of its title, this novel sings. A beautiful debut'' Cherie Jones, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, shortlisted for The Women''s Prize for Fiction''A searing debut full of love and loss... Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgeTrade ReviewEvery once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut novel. RIVER SING ME HOME is just such a book . . . Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion, tenderness and pitch-perfect prose -- Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Riviera HouseAn extraordinary odyssey of pain, love, and homecoming . . . RIVER SING ME HOME is a haunting and powerful debut -- Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond EyeA strong and beautiful novel that stares into the face of brutality and the heart of love -- Jeanette WintersonEpic and lyrical, a story about love and the power it brings us -- Frank Cottrell-BoyceA searing debut full of love, loss, and the shadows of the past . . . Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable. Both a powerful ode to the endless depths of a mother's love and an important meditation on what freedom really means, this is the kind of book that will stay with readers for years to come -- Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling authorAn extraordinary and gripping debut. Rachel's love for her children resonates through each page as she fights for her freedom and theirs. A must-read! -- Chanel CleetonA powerful story, beautifully told. Shearer skilfully depicts the cruelty of the British slave trade, contrasted with one mother's indomitable love for her children, and her burning will to live. An empathic, elegantly rendered and deeply humane novel -- Jessica MoorA powerful novel that explores how freedom and family are truly defined -- Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Personal LibrarianRIVER SING ME HOME is a masterclass in how to speak of unspeakable things. A beautiful read -- Meg ClothierRIVER SING ME HOME slices you open . . . and knits you back up again. A powerful account of love, loss, defiance and the lengths to which a mother will go in order to make herself and her family whole again. Breathtaking -- Chikodili EmelumaduLyrical, heartbreaking, thought-provoking . . . A book about love, motherhood and survival that will stay with you long after you've finished it' -- Costanza CasatiI absolutely loved this book and Eleanor Shearer's lyrical prose kept me gripped as the story moved from Barbados to Demerara and Trinidad . . . a beautifully written debut -- Stacey ThomasPropulsive . . . This compelling premise of a mother in search of her children powers a moving and dynamic novel. The pacing is swift, and Shearer writes in clear, energetic prose. There is an accessibility to the language that is refreshing; it buoys the narrative, giving us intimate access to a complex period in history * Guardian *An immersive debut . . . the heart of the novel lies in its celebration of motherhood and female resilience. A tender exploration of one woman's courage in the face of unbelievable cruelty * Observer *The beautifully written depiction of a mother longing for her children makes this transcendent * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Early readers of RIVER SING ME HOME are evangelical about this story . . . Full of love and compassion, this will be everywhere next year * Stylist *A powerful, gripping and poetic novel about the strength of a mother's love -- Sarra Manning * Red *Such a glorious and compelling story * Prima *A cracking debut * Belfast Telegraph *Hugely profound, hopeful and emotive this is written in lyrical prose that demonstrates Shearer's mastery of language * Glamour *Action-packed, emotionally demanding, richly described, the novel paints an extraordinary portrait of motherly love and hope . . . a thoroughly compelling read * Daily Mail *An intense and absorbing debut * The Times *River Sing Me Home is a fine testament to the women who inspired this debut * The Sunday Times *Lyrical, heart-wrenching and so well crafted -- Goodreads ReviewerA triumph of tragedy and hope -- Goodreads ReviewerAn extraordinary tale of fearlessness, passion, motherly love and hope -- NetGalley ReviewerThis debut novel does exactly what I want historic fiction to do - teach me something while telling me a good story -- Goodreads ReviewerThe most moving, beautiful, heart-breaking yet hopeful book I've read this year. -- Goodreads ReviewerA novel which explored, with courage, care and capability, the illusory nature of freedom at a critical point in West Indian history. I was riveted by Rachel's story and it is a testament to Eleanor's craft that I felt every fraught element of Rachel's journey to finding her children right along with her. Like the River of its title, this novel sings . . . a beautiful debut -- Cherie Jones, Women's Prize for Fiction shortlisted author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House

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Book SynopsisBringing together the work of nine leading historians, and superbly illustrated with contemporary photography and colour maps, The Second World War gives readers a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of history's greatest conflict.The period from 1939 to 1945 saw some of the most devastating and remarkable events in living memory. Labouring beneath a daily burden of fear, sacrifice, deprivation and uncertainty, soldiers and civilians of all nationalities were driven to extremes of selfless loyalty, dogged determination or bitter cruelty by the demands of a world at war. This book tells the stories of the men and women who lived and died during the Second World War, from politicians to factory workers, and from High Command to the conscripted men on the front lines. The experience of war is brought to life through a wealth of contemporary documentation, private writings and historical research, whilst the political, military and historical significance of the war isTrade ReviewA soundly written, well-illustrated, succinct and academically reliable single volume. * The National Army Museum *Table of ContentsEurope 1939–1943 · The War at Sea · The Mediterranean 1940–1945 · The Pacific · The Eastern Front 1941–1945 · Northwest Europe 1944–1945

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Book SynopsisAn examination of one of the most famous ships of all time, from a refreshingly different angle. Compiled from authentic period sources with nostalgic illustrations.Launched in May 1911, the triple-screw steamer Titanic was the pride of the White Star Line and at that time the largest passenger ship in the world. Built to carry passengers in comfort and luxury on the lucrative transatlantic route, her design, fittings and on-board facilites epitomised the spirit of the age in terms of elegance and style. Titanic: A Passenger''s Guide is a unique guide to all aspects of the ship, incorporating authentic period literature from sources including White Star Line themselves, Harland & Wolff shipyards, and important publications from the time.Trade ReviewThe Titanic Pocketbook: A Passenger’s Guide is a slim little book chock full of information about the great ship. Written as though it were in fact an informational book for someone considering sailing on board the Titanic ... it is an interesting slant on the ship and one this buff enjoyed. * Historical Novel Society *

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Book Synopsis''A compelling history.'' The Sunday Times''Thought-provoking.'' The Spectator''Interesting and well-researched.'' The Sunday TelegraphA fascinating account of the decline of an army from the triumph of victory in 1918 to defeat in 1940 and why this happened. A salutary warning for modern Britain.The British Army won a convincing series of victories between 1916 and 1918. But by 1939 the British Army was an entirely different animal. The hard-won knowledge, experience and strategic vision that delivered victory after victory in the closing stages of the First World War had been lost. In the inter-war years there was plenty of talking, but very little focus on who Britain might have to fight, and how. Victory to Defeat clearly illustrates how the British Army wasn''t prepared to fight a first-class European Army in 1939 for the simple reason that as a country Britain hadn''t prepar

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Book SynopsisFirst written in response to a JACT survey of over 100 schools, and now endorsed by OCR, this textbook has become a standard resource for students in the UK and for readers across the world who are looking for a clear and thorough introduction to the language of the ancient Greeks. Revised throughout and enhanced by coloured artwork and text features, this edition will support the new OCR specification for Classical Greek (first teaching 2016). Part 1 covers the basics, whilst Part 2 introduces a wider range of grammatical forms and constructions, with a vocabulary of 435 words and reading material from Socrates and the Sophists to the world of myth, and finally to extended passages of lightly adapted Herodotus. Practice passages, exam papers and revision sentences for GCSE complete Part 2, which has a reference section covering the whole course. Written by a long-time school teacher and examiner, this two-part course is based on experience of what pupils find difficult, concentratinTrade ReviewRepresent[s] a lean, pellucid, and expeditious path to a solid mastery and thorough enjoyment of Greek. Volumes 1 and 2 together will provide a fresh year-long introduction for both college and high school levels and expand the menu of choices available. * New England Classical Journal *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Vocabulary and Glossing Map Chapter 7 (the passive voice; the present passive participle; the passive infinitive; this and that; the imperfect passive; comparison of adjectives and adverbs; relative clauses; irregular 3rd-declension nouns; root aorists; result clauses) Chapter 8 (middle-voice and deponent verbs; the aorist middle and passive; the future middle and passive; the genitive absolute; active verbs with middle-form futures; deponent verbs with passive-form aorists; reflexive pronouns; third person possessives; future infinitives; compound negatives) Chapter 9 (more on irregular 3rd-declension nouns; 3rd-declension adjectives; mixed-declension adjectives; epsilon contraction; augment; compound adjectives and negatives; aorist imperative; more imperatives; indirect command; more infinitives; impersonal verbs; infinitive after verbs) Chapter 10 (the indirect statement; the verb to give; result clauses with infinitive; verbs with alpha contraction; irregular comparatives and superlatives; prepositions; compound verbs; direct and indirect questions) Chapter 11 (present and aorist subjunctive and uses; conditional sentences; present, aorist and future optative and uses) Chapter 12 Practice passages Revision sentences GCSE English - Greek Practice Sentences GCSE Practice Papers Reference Grammar and Revision Guide Glossary of Grammar Terms Vocabulary - English to Greek - Greek to English Index

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Book SynopsisAnton de Kom’s We Slaves of Suriname is a literary masterpiece as well as a fierce indictment of racism and colonialism. In this classic book, published here in English for the first time, the Surinamese writer and resistance leader recounts the history of his homeland, from the first settlements by Europeans in search of gold through the era of the slave trade and the period of Dutch colonial rule, when the old slave mentality persisted, long after slavery had been formally abolished. 159 years after the abolition of slavery in Suriname and 88 years after its initial publication, We Slaves of Suriname has lost none of its brilliance and power.Trade ReviewA New Statesman Book of the Year Selected as a Best Book of 2022 by Public Books “one of the most important works of twentieth-century anticolonial literature.” LSE Review of Books “De Kom is to Suriname what Mandela is to South Africa: a heroic patriot, an advocate of the oppressed, and a symbol of resistance against colonialism.” Unherd “Heart-breaking... he succeeds in bringing to painful life the savagery of what is now widely considered the most vicious colonization project ever.” New Internationalist “Almost ninety years after its first appearance, We Slaves of Suriname is still an exemplary description and analysis of Suriname’s history, which has not lost its power of expression. From micro to macro situations, De Kom displays phenomenal psychological insight and an acute sense of the driving forces of class and race.” Gloria Wekker, Professor Emerita, Utrecht University "We Slaves of Suriname is both an analysis of Suriname’s postcolonial predicament and an insurgent commentary on the archives of Dutch writing about Suriname… By interrogating the crater left by colonialism in the landscape of modernity, De Kom produces a text that speaks, avant la lettre, directly to postcolonial concerns." Postcolonial Studies Journal “An astounding work of lyrical fury … De Kom is a towering radical and anticolonial figure, and this book a painful masterpiece.” China Miéville, New Statesman “a classic of anticolonial Black leftist thought” Public Books"The plantation-dominated past that Suriname shares with the wider Caribbean is vividly brought to life in a 'new' book ... Books in English on Suriname are rare, and this one — We Slaves of Suriname — is a gem."Caribbean BeatTable of ContentsTranslator’s NoteIntroductionsFrimangron by Tessa LeuwshaThe Breath of Freedom by Duco van OostrumWhy Anton de Kom Still Inspires Generation after Generation by Mitchell EsajasForeword by Judith de KomWe Slaves of Suriname“Sranan,” our fatherlandThe era of slaveryThe arrival of the whitesEl DoradoThe first settlementsThe Dutch regimeThe slave tradeThe marketEnslavedThe slave womanThe mastersThe punishmentsThe History of Our NationVan Aerssen van Sommelsdyck (1683–1688)The brutesThe forest expeditionsJohan Jacob Mauricius (1742–1751)Governor Crommelin (1752–1768)Governor Nepveu (1770–1779)Buku (decayed into dust)The final chapter for the resistanceSuriname under British ruleThe great fireThe fate of the ethicalWhite settlementFighting the currentGovernors on paradeThe abolition of slaveryFreedom?The great selloutThe era of freedomHow we liveThe essence of autonomyFin de siècleIndentured laborFree laborIn search of goldThe major cropsWhat becomes of those millions?ResultsReunion and farewellNotesGlossary of Surinamese termsIndex

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Book SynopsisThe reader is introduced to a little-known side of Custer - a deeply personal side. George Custer grew up in an expanding young country and his early influences mirrored the times. Two aspects of this era dominate most works about him: the Civil War, and the war with the Indians, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. When mentioned, if at all, his early life and years as a cadet at West Point are brief, and then only enough to set some background for discussion of the mystery of the Little Bighorn. This is the first Custer biography to focus on these lesser-known parts of his life in great detail.The approach uses all of Custer’s known writings. Letters, magazine articles, his book, My Life on the Plains, and his unfinished memoirs of the Civil War, along with materials and books by his wife, Elizabeth Custer, and reflections of others who knew him well.The five chapters are; Early Life (growing up and as a West Point cadet); The Civil War; The Indian Fighter; The Little Bighorn and Conclusion. The theme of the book is not so much new historical information but the depth of his character development and lesser-known influences of his life. Custer draws together these elements in a succinct and accessible read.The book also includes illustrations (primarily from Harper’s Weekly), and photos, such as Matthew Brady’s Civil War collection, to accompany the text.Trade Review...this is a readable and well-paced book. […] Any wargame of the Little Bighorn needs to include some debate on Benteen’s dilemma. A gripping and enjoyable read, Recommended. * Miniature Wargames - John Drewienkiewicz *Exceptional in comprehensiveness and presentation… * Midwest Book Review *The narrative is flawless from a military perspective. […] a fresh and unbiased look at the man and his military career. * Old Barbed Wire *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Early Years 2. The Civil War 3. The Indian Fighter 4. The Little Bighorn 5. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn Give Me Winter, Give Me Dogs, Arctic historian Kenn Harper takes readers alongside Knud Rasmussen's spearheading Fifth Thule Expedition. From 1921 to 1924, Rasmussen trekked across Canada's Arctic to study Inuit there and record their stories, and perhaps most importantly to him, to immerse himself in their culture and to know them. With the support of his colleagues and Inuit guides, Rasmussen recorded the cultural practices of various Inuit groups, from taboos and shamanism to the introduction of Christianity; traditional stories and practices, and adventures and misadventures that only an Arctic landscape can provide.Including historic photographs and illustrative maps, this book is a great resource for anyone interested in a momentous journey into Inuit culture.

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Book SynopsisOver several centuries, England imposed itself by force and by treaty on the other three nations of the Hiberno-British Isles to form its own English Empire. For much of its life, the United Kingdom has only endured out of shared interest in overseas territorial expansion--a British Empire built on slavery. In his new history, Victor Bulmer-Thomas charts the slow rise and rapid decline of English imperialism at home, from the fourteenth century to the present. When independence movements in the colonies began challenging the British Empire, a Commonwealth was constructed to hold together both former imperial possessions--including the Irish Free State-- and the four nations of the internal empire. The Commonwealth was later supplanted by the European Economic Community, but Europe's potential as a long-term source of cohesion for the UK was dashed when the English voted to leave the EU in 2016, dragging the whole UK with them. With Empire, Commonwealth and Europe all gone, British unity is more fragile than ever. Facing the prospect of an independent Scotland, a reunited Ireland and an increasingly autonomous Wales, England may yet have to acknowledge its forgotten history as an aggressive imperial force on Britain's own, often unwilling, soil.Trade Review‘This is a remarkable book, remarkable in the considerable period it covers, from the early Middle Ages virtually to last year, for the immense complexity of the issues discussed and the clarity with which they are expounded, for the manner in which the four nations are addressed in turn, and finally remarkable for the boldness with which recent controversies such as Brexit are approached. . . [This is] a brave and formidable book, enterprisingly exploring the nature of identities in all four nations of the Hibernian and British Isles.’ — John M. MacKenzie, The Round Table

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Book SynopsisScotland''s Clans & their Tartans offers an authoritative exploration of the origins and evolution of Scotland''s unique clan system, tracing its roots back to the 5th century in Ireland, where the Scots originally lived. From the Abercrombies to the Wemyss clan, this comprehensive book provides detailed entries on the history of each clan, including their geographical origins, notable clansmen, and the evolution of their distinctive tartan patterns.With over 150 tartans beautifully displayed in full colour images, this guide serves as both a visual celebration and an exhaustively researched reference for historians, enthusiasts, and anyone with an ancestral connection to Scotland alike.Whether you''re a proud Scot or simply fascinated by the intricacies of Scottish heritage, Scotland''s Clans & their Tartans will make an essential addition to your collection.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis''Epic history as it is meant to be written!'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''A sweeping and panoramic account of the first great superpower rivalry a definitive account.'' Tom HollandThe Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale.Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the region Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest that tantalized Greeks and Romans alike. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together. Despite their endless clashes, trade between the empires enriched them both, and a mutual respect prevented both Rome and Persia from permanently destroying t

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Book SynopsisThe most important written work in English before the Norman Conquest, newly translated.Made up of annals written in the monasteries of Winchester, Canterbury, Peterborough, Abingdon, and Worcester, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle marks the beginning of the unmannered simplicity of English prose. Immediately striking are the accounts of the Danish invasions and the unhappiness of Stephen's reign, together with the lyrical poem on the Battle of Brunanburh. Ranging from the start of the Christian era to 1154, the uniqueness of the chronicle as an historical and literary document makes it of compelling interest throughout. The historical, linguistic and literary importance of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is without parallel.

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Book SynopsisA compendium of fascinating information about the great waters that cover two-thirds of our Earth and the men and women that sailed them.Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is about ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or the downright extraordinary. Someone most of us do not know, Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson. Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist. And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor, the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. Readers will be stimulated to read more about the remarkable men - explorers, admirals and trawlermen - who have shaped our world. The sea has had a remarkable effect upon our language. We hear the terms 'steer clear of', 'hit the deck', 'don't rock the boat', 'to harbour a grudge' and the like, and give little thought to them. In the pages of this book, the reader will find the origin of 'bumpkin', a 'brace of shakes', 'born with a silver spoon', 'booby prize', 'to take on board', 'above board', 'bombed' (in the sense of being drunk), the 'blues', 'blind-side', 'blind drunk', 'the pot calling the kettle black', 'reach the bitter end', 'wasters', 'ahoy', 'all at sea', 'to keep aloof', 'piss-artist', 'taken aback', 'barbecue'' and 'bamboozle'. Other colourful terms, which have passed out of common usage, such as 'bring one's arse to anchor' (sit down), 'belly timber' (food) and 'bog orange' (potato) are also included, as well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles, maritime inventors and ship speed records.Table of ContentsIntroduction. An A-Z of Sea Slang. Sea Conditions and Weather: Wind and rain; Skies and sea; Under the weather. Life at Sea: The parts of a ship; Types of ship and boat; Ships of special significance; Who did what and who does what at sea?; Clothing at sea; Marine entertainments; Illness and injury at sea; Food at sea; Drink and the mariner; Punishment at sea; Slaves and slavery. Death at Sea: Sea battles, wars and landings; Maritime attacking tactics; Maritime weapons; Famous warships; Mutiny!; Tragedies at sea and on rivers; The Merchant Navy. Heroes, Heroines, Sea People and Navigation: Sea heroes; Other interesting sea people; Navigators, navigation, explorers and maps. Villains of the Seas: The world of pirates and buccaneers; Famous pirates and pirate commanders; Pirate haunts and targets; Something about treasure. Islands, Ports, Harbours and Capes: Islands; Ports, harbours, bays and capes. Animals of the Sea: Interesting things that live in the sea; Apex predators; Sea mammals of interest; Whaling; Birds of the seas; Fish; Molluscs and invertebrates; Other marine wonders. The Ocean Environment: Seas and oceans, races and records; Are we doomed?; Environmental issues; Sea structures; Sea fishing. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisTakes you on a sideways journey across the county to weird, wacky and wonderful destinations. This book showcases 20 classically bizarre Sussex venues, (and a few strange minor ones) and reveals quirky churches, bizarre tombs, extraordinary buildings, strange festivals, and whimsical follies. It is aimed at the connoisseur of the peculiar.

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Book SynopsisThe Aeronauts is the true story behind the forthcoming Major Motion Picture, telling the daring life and death escapades of pioneering Victorian balloonist James Glaisher. In 1862, Glaisher set out to do the impossible: ascend higher into the skies than ever before. A pioneer of weather forecasting and of photography, he wanted to take ground-breaking research measurements from different altitudes. Before aeroplanes, the only unpredictable available method of air transportation was the hot air balloon. This is his memoir, detailing death-defying air ballon journeys in his own words.

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Book SynopsisGuidebook to walking the whole of the England Coast Path from the River Exe to the River Severn, covering the coastlines of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Avon.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA nostalgic celebration of the golden age of aviation

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Book SynopsisEloise Moss is Professor of Modern British History at the University of Manchester, UK. She is the author of Night Raiders: Burglary and the Making of Modern Urban Life in London, 1860-1968 (2019). Her television work includes the BBC's Murder, Mystery and My Family, The Real Peaky Blinders, Uncanny, and the Channel 5 series Great Hotels Through Time. She has also worked as historical advisor on the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? and Sister Boniface Mysteries.

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