History Books

Book SynopsisSettlers is a testament to Jimi Famurewa''s love not just for his lineage, but for the culture. An incisive, intimate and profound work.- Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie and People PersonAs thrilling as it is touching and revealing - this book is an indispensable map to London today.- Ben Judah, Journalist and author of This is London: Life and Death in the World CityJimi brings modern black London alive like no other author. This feels like an important book that is also a total pleasure to read. - Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland: How Modern Britain is Shaped by its Imperial PastThe past, present and future of being Black, African and British in the capital.This is a story that begins with post-1960s arrivals from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Somalia. Today their descendants have unleashed a tidal wave of British creativity from Lambeth to Lagos, IslingtTrade ReviewAs thrilling as it is touching and revealing - this book is an indispensable map to London today. * Ben Judah, Journalist and author of This is London: Life and Death in the World City *Illuminating and fascinating, with humour and some surprises, Jimi Famurewa examines Britain's African communities, past and present. * Stephen Bourne, author of Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War *Jimi brings modern black London alive like no other author. This feels like an important book that is also a total pleasure to read. * Sathnam Sanghera, author of EmpireLand: How Modern Britain is Shaped by its Imperial Past *Settlers is the book I didn’t know I was waiting for. Jimi Famurewa approaches an incredibly complicated topic with a steady hand and fine precision that results in a book that is well researched, rich in nuance and handled with care. It was as enjoyable to read as it was enlightening. * Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory *This is an extraordinary and beautifully written piece of work that deals with a deeply complex and rich history with a remarkable lightness of touch, sensitivity, warmth and insight. It is depressing to reflect on the reality that all too many people continue to question the benefits of immigration. This fine book shows beyond any doubt that London, and this country, is all the better for its Black African population. * James Ramsden *A spellbinding portrait of culture, talent, food and activism. * Stylist Magazine *Settlers is replete with revealing anecdotes… Famurewa’s writing is thoughtful, cogent and admirably even-handed. * theguardian.com *Dazzling. * Waitrose Food Magazine *[Jimi's] voice and the way he writes I just love. * Jamie Oliver *Settlers is a pleasure to read, by turns lyrical, approachable, funny, sensitive and always well-researched… [Famurewa] sweeps you along so thoroughly that you don’t realise until you close the book quite how much you have enjoyed it, how much you have learnt and how much it will stay with you. * The Spectator *Combined with [Jimi's] own family history, this is a sometimes painful but always postivie story of defiance and reclamation. * theguardian.com *Table of ContentsPrologue: The Second Great Wave 1 Farm 2 Market 3 Boat 4 Cell 5 Worship House 6 Restaurant 7 Classroom 8 Suburb Conclusion: The Next Great Wave Further Reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe clue to our future lies in our past and Toye has winkled it out with elegant and devastating precision. Chris Bryant, MP for RhonddaWAS THE ATTLEE GOVERNMENT OF 1945 REALLY THE GOLDEN PERIOD OF LABOUR POWER?2024 marks the centenary of the first Labour government under Ramsay MacDonald. What legacy of the past have they left behind? How far has each Labour administration influenced succeeding administrations? Above all, was the Attlee government of 1945 really the golden period of Labour power?Professor Richard Toye explores Labour's exercise of power as a continuum, setting Attlee's administration in long-term historical context between the first Labour Government of 1924 and the current party under Keir Starmer. Within this context he shows why the Attlee administration matters so much and how successive Labour governments have fashioned it in their own image.Into this story are woven the foundation of the Labour Party in 1900, the First World War, the General StrikTrade ReviewThe clue to our future lies in our past and Toye has winkled it out with elegant and devastating precision. Anyone who wants to find the nuggets of hope in today's Britain as we approach a watershed election needs to read this book and see what pragmatic idealism achieved between 1945 and 1951. -- Chris Bryant, MP for RhonddaThis is a stunningly original revision of the Attlee government and its impact on British society. It's the best book I've read this year. -- Frank Field, former MP for BirkenheadA hundred years since the first Labour Government, Richard Toye’s readable and persuasive study argues that while arguments over the party’s past have often shaped its future, Labour does best when it forgets old battles and finds a way to combine hope with pragmatism. The history of the era is highly contested, but the book does a masterly job of picking through the bitterness to understand what has worked in the past and has a reasonable chance of working in the future. -- Anne Perkins, author of 'A Very British Strike' and 'Red Queen: The Authorized Biography of Barbara Castle'This book illustrates how the key players in the Attlee Government combined their radical idealism and pragmatism to seize their moment and create such a sense of purpose and hope that was truly transformative and set the standard for all subsequent Labour administrations to live up to. -- John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington

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Book Synopsis''Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive . . . an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining'' Matthew Redhead, The TimesDid you know that Hitler took cocaine? That Stalin robbed a bank? That Charlie Chaplin''s corpse was filched and held to ransom? Giles Milton is a master of historical narrative: in his characteristically engaging prose, Fascinating Footnotes From History details one hundred of the quirkiest historical nuggets; eye-stretching stories that read like fiction but are one hundred per cent fact.There is Hiroo Onoda, the lone Japanese soldier still fighting the Second World War in 1974; Agatha Christie, who mysteriously disappeared for eleven days in 1926; and Werner Franz, a cabin boy on the Hindenburg who lived to tell the tale when it was engulfed in flames in 1937. Fascinating Footnotes From History also answers who ate the lTrade ReviewOccasionally, a book comes along that needs remarkably little explanation. Fascinating Footnotes From History is, quite literally, a collection of fascinating footnotes from history. Giles Milton hit the bullseye the day he came up with that title. Milton is a popular historian, in the best sense of those words. He writes incredibly readable narrative histories that tell you stories you didn't know before with a quiet, dry wit that is never allowed to overwhelm the material . . . Milton's delicious book is full of such tasty morsels * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING''Davies''s absorbing study serves up just enough sensationalism - and eccentricity - along with its serious inquiry'' SUNDAY TIMES''[A] revealing account of the jail''s 164-year history'' DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5* review''Insightful and thought-provoking and makes for a ripping good read'' JEREMY CORBYN''A much-needed and balanced history'' OBSERVER''Davies explores how society has dealt with disobedient women - from suffragettes to refugees to women seeking abortions - for decades, and how they''ve failed to silence those who won''t go down without a fight'' STYLISTSociety has never known what to do with its rebellious women. Those who defied expectations about feminine behaviour have long been considered dangerous and unnatural, and ever since the Victorian era they have been removed from puTrade ReviewReadable, compelling and illuminating * The Bookseller *Caitlin Davies writes with warmth, empathy and humour about the women - some brave and rebellious - who spent time in Holloway Prison. Assiduously researched, Bad Girls documents interweaving struggles against prejudice, injustice, ignorance and poverty . . . the real history of Holloway is written in this insightful and thought-provoking book - which makes for a ripping good read * Jeremy Corbyn *Davies's absorbing study serves up just enough sensationalism - and eccentricity - along with its serious inquiry . . . Davies captures the sense of camaraderie that blossomed inside Holloway, occasionally between warder and inmate . . . Davies uses the prison as a prism through which to chart changing attitudes to women over the past 164 years - beginning with the Victorian notion of "double deviance", which suggested that female criminals had broken not only the law of the land, but that of nature by committing "unwomanly" acts -- Helen Davies * SUNDAY TIMES *It's such a great read . . . fascinating * Jo Good, BBC Radio London *A rich, superbly researched, definitive history of Holloway Prison . . . There are so many heartbreaking stories within stories in the book' * The Herald *Meticulously records a much-needed and balanced history of this home to "royalty and socialites, spies and prostitutes . . . Nazis and aliens, terrorists and freedom fighters" and thousands of very ordinary desperate women -- Yvonne Roberts * Observer *Fascinating both for its portrait of larger-than-life women and the ways in which they were regarded by wide society during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries * History Revealed *Offers many great tales of those who called the now-closed Holloway prison their home for either long or short stretches of time . . . comprehensive and much-needed . . . A hefty section of the book examines the place of the prison in the suffragette movement, a welcome addition to this year's centenary celebration of the women's right to vote . . . a must-read * Camden New Journal *An enjoyable and enlightening read, which has much to recommend it * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'Nuanced, human and engaging' Nikesh Shukla, Observer 'Full of life, characters, gossip and all the richness of the local community' Sir David Jason 'A delightful story of growing up 'above the shop'' Nigel Slater, Observer 'Cleverly links her own memories of shop-bound life with the last 50 years of British history' Spectator 'I come from a hidden world: I am the daughter of shopkeepers. I've seen you on a Sunday morning, nipping out to get a pint of milk or to grab a newspaper. I came to know a lot about you; whether your politics leaned to the right or left, whether you were gay or straight, and whether you were plagued by cash-flow problems or had enough disposable income to indulge your penchant for Cadbury's Creme Eggs.' Babita Sharma was raised in a corner shop in Reading, and over the counter watched a changing world, from the clientele to the products Trade ReviewPart memoir, part social history, The Corner Shop is a gentle, charming and at times poignant look at our nation of shopkeepers . . . human, accessible and informative; a nuanced exploration of part of British Asian life that has long been stereotyped - and therein lies this book's strength. * Observer *A delightful story of growing up "above the shop" * Nigel Slater, Observer *An evocative real-life account of her own British Asian family running (and living above) a Reading shop * BBC Culture *One of the best books I've read of the immigrant experience in this country . . . it's the detail that makes it . . . a subtle, enjoyable book. * Daily Mail *A story of assimilation and triumph. * Radio Times *Sharma cleverly links her own memories of shop-bound life with the last 50 years of British history . . . How much we found out about you, says Sharma teasingly, as you dashed in for that last-minute bottle of wine. * Spectator *Full of life, characters, gossip and all the richness of the local community -- Sir David JasonA compelling, full selection box of a story -- Sanjeev KohliI loved it cover to cover. * Angela Clutton, author of THE VINEGAR CUPBOARD *

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Naval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians. Each battle is set in context. The background, wider military campaigns, and the opposing forces are discussed, followed by a narrative and analysis of the fighting. Finally, the aftermath of the battles are dealt with, looking at the strategic implications of the outcome for both the victor and the defeated. The battle narratives are supported by maps and tactical diagrams, showing the deployment of the fleets and the wider geographical factors involved in battle. Written in an accessible tone, this book successfully shows that Greek naval warfare did not start and end at the battle of Salamis.

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Book SynopsisGranted extensive official access to the RAF and their archives, the author has been able to create a comprehensive, consolidated history of the Royal Air Force during the 1950s, a dynamic decade of expansion and technological development. This is the first release in a major new series.

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Book SynopsisConcise, accessible, authoritative guide to Kent's family and local history sources

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Book SynopsisExplores the effects of war on the Isle of Thanet

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Book SynopsisAn essential introduction to one of the most rewarding sources for family historians.

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Book SynopsisThe exploits of one of Britain's finest regiments written by a father and son team who are distinguished members.

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Book SynopsisEssential handbook for anyone researching the life of an ancestor who lived in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk or Suffolk.

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Book SynopsisA social history of a fifty year period, spanning the Regency into the Victorian era

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Book SynopsisIndepth look at Merseyside during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisThis is a long overdue study of all aspects of Lucullus life but with heavy emphasis on his military career, strategy and tactics

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Book SynopsisDescribed as one of the greatest mass-murderers in history, Rudolf Hoss, was born in Baden-Baden on 11 December 1901.

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Book SynopsisThe first study of Sunderland during the Second World War. Large focus on the Home Front using source material drawn from local archives and contemporary newspapers.

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Book SynopsisA Secret History of Brands cuts through the rumours and urban legends and paints a picture of the true dark history of famous brands.

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Book SynopsisJohn Breuilly brings together a distinguished group of international scholars to examine Germany's history from 1780 to 1918, featuring chapters on economic, demographic and social as well as cultural and intellectual history. There are also chapters on political and military history covering the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the post-Napoleonic period, the revolutions of 1848-1849, the unification of Germany, Bismarckian Germany and Wilhelmine Germany, and Germany during the First World War.This new edition, which retains the helpful further reading suggestions for each chapter and a chronology, has been completely updated to take account of recent historiography. The statistical data has been expanded, more maps and images have been introduced, and there are two new chapters on transnational approaches and gender history. Finally, the editor has added a conclusion which reflects on the key developments in the history of Germany over the long nineteenth century.Providing clear suTrade ReviewOver the course of the 19th century, the Germans forged a nation. Yet building the nation state was only one part of a process of reorganizing society and reconnecting people nationally and trans-nationally. With great conceptual clarity and a wealth of information, this book charts how the Germans made sense of the modern world that emerged around them. * Benjamin Ziemann, Professor of Modern German History, University of Sheffield, UK *This sparkling collection of essays has a distinguished pedigree, and now it has been thoroughly updated with new authors and new ideas. All chapters address compelling debates about the transformations of German life from the French Revolution to the First World War, putting the lie to lamentations that the 19th century is somehow vanishing from writing on German and European history. Breuilly’s conclusion challenges readers to reconsider the social, economic, cultural and political changes that made Germany into one of the most modern—and restless—nations on earth. * James Retallack, Professor of History and German Studies, University of Toronto, Canada *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables and Graphs Preface (2nd Edition, 2019) Preface (1st Edition, 2001) 1. Introduction, John Breuilly (London School of Economics, UK) 2. The German lands before 1815, Joachim Whaley (University of Cambridge, UK) 3. Germany 1815–1848: Restoration or pre-March?, Christopher Clark (University of Cambridge, UK) 4. 'Relative backwardness’ and long-run development: economic, demographic and social changes, Robert Lee (University of Liverpool, UK) 5. Cultural and intellectual trends, Astrid Kohler (Queen Mary University of London, UK) 6. The revolutions of 1848–1849 and the persistence of the old regime in Germany (1848-1850), Wolfram Siemann (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany) 7. Revolution to unification, John Breuilly (London School of Economics, UK) 8. Bismarckian Germany: State Structure and Political Culture, James M. Brophy (University of Delaware, USA) 9. Demographic growth, industrialization and social change, Volker Berghahn (Columbia University, USA) 10. A Nervous Age? Wilhelmine Germany before the First World War, Mark Hewitson (University College London, UK) 11. Imperial Germany: cultural and intellectual trends, Matthew Jefferies (University of Manchester, UK) 12. The First World War, Roger Chickering (Georgetown University, USA) 13. Gender Orders and Disorders, Ute Frevert (Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany) 14. Transnational Perspectives on 19th Century Germany, Ulrike Lindner (University of Cologne, Germany) 15. Conclusion: Making Connections in 19th Century Germany, John Breuilly (London School of Economics, UK) Appendix 1: Some basic statistics for Germany, 1815 to 1918 Appendix 2: Chronology: Germany, 1780–1918 Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisResearch Methods for History encourages those researching the past to think creatively about the wide range of methods currently in use, to understand how these methods are used and what historical insights they can provide.

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Book SynopsisThe debate on Athenian democratic ideology has long been polarised around two extremes. A Marxist tradition views ideology as a cover-up for Athens' internal divisions. Another tradition, sometimes referred to as culturalist, interprets it neutrally as the fixed set of ideas shared by the members of the Athenian community.

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Book SynopsisExplores the cultural landscapes of the late antique Central Zagros and their long-term transformations

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Book SynopsisThis collection of translated primary sources for Ottoman history shows how the major institutions of Ottoman government developed, and how they functioned in practice. Each text benefits from a brief contextualising introduction, annotations and a glossary explaining technical terminology and problems of interpretation.

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Book SynopsisFrom nomadic peoples to conquering empires, from tales of Amazon women to art nouveau, and from golden grave goods to the formation of countries that still exist today, Ball shows how the steppe has continually shaped Europe's destiny.

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Book Synopsis''The most detailed, amusing and accurate account ever of the post-war world of the English Establishment'' William Shawcross, Daily Telegraph''Extremely entertaining'' Jane Ridley, Literary ReviewKenneth Rose was one of the most astute observers of the establishment for over seventy years. The wry and amusing journals of the royal biographer and historian made objective observation a sculpted craft. His impeccable social placement located him within the beating heart of the national elite for decades. He was capable of writing substantial history, such as his priceless material on the abdication crisis from conversations with both the Duke of Windsor and the Queen Mother. Yet he maintained sufficient distance to achieve impartial documentation while working among political, clerical, military, literary and aristocratic circles. Relentless observation and a self-confessed difficulty ''to let a good story pass me by'' made Rose a legendTrade ReviewIntimate with the highest levels of society, politics, the arts and the Royal Family, Kenneth Rose has left us one of the most vivid, full and revealing records of the post-war era -- Andrew RobertsA huge treat ... [T]he first volume of Rose's journals, covering 1944-79, will also delight anyone who enjoys the great English diarists - Samuel Pepys, Chips Channon, Harold Nicolson, James Lees-Milne, Alan Clark. Who's In, Who's Out offers a feast of the choicest gossip from highest society -- Lewis Jones * Sunday Telegraph *A fascinating insight into postwar society at the highest level and an intimate view of many of the key players ... Dip into the book at random and you often pull out a plum -- Patrick Kidd * The Times *[A]n astonishing and enjoyable collection of anecdotes, observations and judgements ... D.R. Thorpe, himself a gifted biographer and a friend of Rose for 40 years, has edited the raw materials tactfully and with a light touch ... Thorpe, like Rose, has a well-tuned ear for anecdote; and one can open this volume almost at random and be sure to find a jolly story ... [A]nyone who wants to understand the British establishment in the decades after the war should treat these diaries as their primer. The reader moves effortlessly through embassies and drawing rooms, not to mention palaces ... It is a spectator's diary, albeit written from the best possible seats in the ground -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *An insider's account, this gossipy and acute diary will become the indispensable guide to the Establishment in the years between 1944 and 1979 -- Jane Ridley * The Spectator Books of the Year *The diaries, chronicling the events of previous generations, give a unique glimpse of the personalities and preoccupations of the statesmen of that time. Harold Macmillan, Rab Butler, amongst other figures, are shown in a different and more informal way than their biographers have done and the differences in their approach to politics and each other are amusingly revealed -- Lord Carrington, Foreign Secretary 1979–82The most detailed, amusing and accurate account ever of the post-war world of the English Establishment -- William Shawcross * Daily Telegraph *[S]o full of riveting detail that you can't help wondering how much of the juiciest gossip was left out of the Albany column and saved for the journals -- Andrew M. Brown * Catholic Herald *[G]reat fun to read ... Rose has a good eye for colourful detail ... [The diaries] illuminate history and give it life. If one cannot be there oneself then Rose provides as good an apparatus for eaves-dropping as can well be conceived. He deserves our gratitude -- Philip Ziegler * The Spectator *As a history of the Establishment in the second half of the 20th century, these journals will become indispensable and definitive. They are the equivalent for that period of the journals of Harold Nicolson and Chips Channon for the first half, combining sharp observation and anecdote with political and social insights. They are also extremely entertaining. Rose was right to think that they were his most important and lasting contribution. D. R. Thorpe has done a great job of editing them. He has a light touch. In spite of being an authority on the period, having written great biographies of Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home, he makes no attempt to fill the page with footnotes, but allows Rose to speak directly to the reader -- Jane Ridley * Literary Review *Rose was an impeccably connected biographer and gentleman journalist ('Albany' in the Sunday Telegraph for many years) and the joys of his diaries are choice anecdotes, pithily recounted, and plenty of culinary detail -- Gyles Brandreth * The Oldie *These journals kept by the royal biographer and journalist Kenneth Rose - who liked nothing so much as to dine in a London club with someone in the know about the world of high politics or royalty - make highly amusing and enlightening reading. Rose jotted down the juiciest gossip and the best anecdotes ... The journal entries are never more than a short paragraph long: ideal bedtime reading for anyone who relishes the unguarded utterances of the rich and well-connected -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *What is so good - and is so well brought out in D.R.Thorpe's edition - is that [Kenneth Rose] was master of his material. This was the British establishment ... his diaries compose accurate, fair-minded history ... As Kenneth's editor in the later years of his Albany column, I was irritated by his fault (quite the opposite of most of us journalists) of putting into his articles less than he knew. This is corrected in his Journals. He knew a lot and he put it in; and now we can read it. -- Charles Moore * THE SPECTATOR *

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Book Synopsis''Hugely inspiring . . . A unique tribute to the power of books and the unquenchable human spirit'' MICHAEL PALIN''An inspiring read - humanity at its best'' DAVID NOTT, author of War DoctorDaraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just south west of the Syrian Capital. Besieged by government forces since 2011, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by bombs and missiles, and shot at by snipers. But while the streets above echoed with rifle fire, deep beneath lay a secret library - a haven of peace with books lining almost every wall. Many people had risked their lives to save these precious titles from the devastation of war. Because to them, the secret library was a symbol of hope - of their belief that books would triumph over bombs and help them rebuild their fractured society. This is the true story of an extraordinary place and the people who made it happen.Trade ReviewMike Thomson's relationship with the people of Daraya as they were being systematically smashed to pieces has produced one of the most extraordinary stories to come out of the Syrian conflict. The assembly of a library under almost daily threat of death and destruction is appalling and at the same time, hugely inspiring. A unique tribute to the power of books and the unquenchable human spirit -- MICHAEL PALINAn inspiring read - humanity at its best overcoming adversity at the height of war with the power of love for their secret library -- DAVID NOTTHugely stirring * DAILY MAIL *Compassionate and inspiring * NEW YORK TIMES *In a country devastated by war, this incredible story shows how one library has thrived * WOMAN & HOME *A Syrian tale of cultural resistance ... provides moving testimony to Syrian students' passion for books ... a small band of enthusiasts convinced of the redemptive power of reading ... determined both to keep their minds sharp and do something for their community ... dodged sniper fire daily to salvage whatever volumes they could find from the wreckage of homes and public buildings * TLS *

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Book SynopsisA wise, witty, alternative history of humanity exploring how our relationship with dogs has changed over the centuries - by the author of the bestselling JUST MY TYPETrade ReviewA witty celebration of the long-lasting dog/human relationship . . . There are some extraordinary facts in this book -- Melanie Reid * THE TIMES *From the Queen's corgi named Rozavel Lucky Strike to Donald Trump being terrorised by a poodle, this love letter to our four-legged friends is a delight . . . there is a good joke, an intriguing tale or a fascinating statistic on every page -- Craig Brown * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Garfield exudes a puppyish persona, his prose is bouncy and his dog facts digestible . . . [a] fact-packed history of a 15,000-year relationship -- Jackie Annesley * THE SUNDAY TIMES *A glorious new celebration of man's best friend . . . [a] moving and invigorating study of all things canine -- Roger Lewis * DAILY MAIL *A treat . . . [a] charming and erudite book on the mutually rewarding relationship between Homo sapiens and Canis lupus familiaris -- Helen Brown * DAILY TELEGRAPH *In the latest fun, excursive contribution to an eclectic oeuvre, this author explores the bond between humans and the dogs who love us and walk us, guard and rescue us * SAGA *DOG'S BEST FRIEND is as fascinating, funny and wise as we've come to expect from Simon Garfield. More than that, it's a book that asks profound questions about what it means to be canine -- ANDY MILLER, author THE YEAR OF READING DANGEROUSLYFunny, fascinating and endearing - this is a book that will make your tail wag -- KATE HUMBLEA fascinating, informative and highly entertaining expedition through the highways and byways of dogdom -- JOHN BRADSHAW, author of IN DEFENCE OF DOGSByron, Sassoon, Woolf, Charles Schulz . . . many have managed to express the love we have for our dogs, but until now, no one has adequately explained it. Simon Garfield has written a book every owner will lap up with the same delight and enthusiasm their Fido would a discarded box of fried chicken. That is to say, with great pleasure -- KATE SPICER, author of LOST DOGA wise and witty alternative history of humanity . . . Interesting and somewhat unusual * PLATINUM MAGAZINE *Starting with ancient cave paintings and taking the reader on a journey from Buckingham Palace to the Soviet space program before heading into the genome lab, the book invites testimony from breeders, psychoanalysts, and pooch lovers the world over in its quest to work out the secrets behind the astonishing human-and-beast bond. A joy! * WOMAN & HOME, best non-fiction books of 2021 *A romp through the history of our relationship with dogs, packed with fascinating facts and heart-warming tales of loyalty and derring-do. Discover how our canine companions help heal us, where designer dog trends began and more * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *Witty, probing, and spot-on . . . With emotional acuity, DOG'S BEST FRIEND leaves the reader acknowledging that Canis lupus familiaris will always be a mixed bag of ancestry and characters while maintaining an unflinching connection with us * American Kennel Club *This engaging study, by turns wry, ironic and poignant, goes from prehistory to now. By the end - even though the dog comes when you call - you wonder who really is in charge * SYDNEY MORNING HERALD *In this well-researched and absorbing narrative, written with the same enthusiasm that characterized JUST MY TYPE and ON THE MAP, Garfield explores the human-dog relationship with humor, intelligence, and warmth . . . A dog fancier's delight * KIRKUS REVIEWS *If you have a dog in your life, Simon Garfield's Dog's Best Friend will make you laugh with recognition, cry at the pity of it all, and leave you feeling like you've just had your belly rubbed. As refreshing and restorative as a good walk * D.D. GUTTENPLAN, Editor, The Nation *Garfield is like the schoolteacher who made the time fly, a one-man Blue Peter team for intelligent adults, a great British explainer * OBSERVER *Garfield has a genius for being sparked to life by esoteric enthusiasm and charming readers with his delight * THE TIMES *

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Book Synopsis''Brilliantly funny'' SHAPARAK KHORSANDI''Immensely enjoyable'' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE''Every page contains delights'' LINDSEY FITZHARRISWhy is Italy called Italy? How old is curry? How fast was the medieval Chinese post system? How do we know how people sounded in the past? Who invented maths?Responding to fifty genuine questions from the public, Greg Jenner takes you on an entertaining tour through history from the Stone Age to the Swinging Sixties, revealing the best and most surprising stories, facts and historical characters from the past. From ancient joke books, African empires and the invention of meringues, to mummies, mirrors and menstrual pads - Ask A Historian is a deliciously amusing and informative smorgasbord of historical curiosities.Trade ReviewA rewarding romp through the highways and byways of the past . . . an immensely enjoyable book, written in a lively, engaging style accessible to a broad audience of all ages. One of Jenner's real achievements is the creation of a genre of public history that fuses scholarly research with humour, and it is intended to entertain as much as it is to educate. For this he is to be congratulated * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Jenner uses all the questions you never dared to ask about history as an excellent excuse to rummage around in some funny, fascinating and downright peculiar corners of the past. Every page contains delights, and you will be illuminated and entertained in equal measure -- LINDSEY FITZHARRIS, author of THE BUTCHERING ARTIf history informs our future, Greg Jenner is one of the best informants out there. He is a natural storyteller, conveying complex ideas and events with pep, verve and wit. For anyone who regularly asks the question 'Why?', this book is for you -- SUSIE DENT, author of WORD PERFECTIn this brilliantly funny book, Greg proves yet again that history is for absolutely everybody -- SHAPARAK KHORSANDIA lively selection, spanning a diverse array of subjects and periods . . . a great way into some of history's biggest themes and concepts * HISTORY REVEALED, Book of the Month *In juggling both the role of ancient Greek scholar and medieval court jester in Ask a Historian, Jenner has delivered an ideal stocking filler that is as enlightening as it is entertaining * REACTION *Endlessly entertaining and utterly addictive, this book provides a cornucopia of historical delights. The eclectic, sometimes bizarre range of questions showcase the author's encyclopaedic knowledge and engaging, humorous style to perfection. The result is everything you need to know about history - and much more besides -- TRACY BORMAN, author of THOMAS CROMWELLHuge fun -- Teddy Jamieson * THE HERALD *

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Book SynopsisDiscover – or rediscover – the major achievements of Chinese culture and civilization. Great Books of China offers concise introductions – each of them accompanied by generous quotation (in English) from the book in question – to sixty-six works in the canon of Chinese literature. The books chosen reflect the chronological and thematic breadth of Chinese literary tradition, ranging from such classics as The Book of Songs and the Confucian Analects, through popular dramas and novels (The Romance of the Western Chamber; The Water Margin), twentieth-century political and biographical works (Quotations from Chairman Mao, the autobiography of the last emperor) and modern novels that are little known in the West (Memories of South Peking, Six Chapters from a Cadre School Life). Frances Wood presents a comprehensive, accessible and richly informative primer for the uninitiated; a box of delights that opens up an entire literary culture to the inquisitive reader.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR FRANCES WOOD'S CHINA'S FIRST EMPEROR AND HIS TERRACOTTA WARRIORS: 'Fascinating book' Mail on Sunday. 'Wry, concise and authoritative' Times Literary Supplement. '[Wood's] close reading of these sources offers fresh insight' Publishers Weekly. '[An] interesting and informative work' Booklist. 'Wonderfully descriptive' * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER ~ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ~ WINNER OF THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 'An astonishing account of love, resilience and survival' Sunday Times 'A remarkable book' New York Times 'An extraordinary tale through the generations' Guardian In 1850s South Carolina, Rose, an enslaved woman, faced a crisis: the imminent sale of her daughter Ashley. Thinking quickly, she packed a cotton bag with a few items. Soon after, the nine-year-old girl was separated from her mother and sold. Decades later, Ashley's granddaughter Ruth embroidered this family history on the sack in spare, haunting language. That, in itself, is a story. But it's not the whole story. How does one uncover the lives of people who, in their day, were considered property? Harvard historian Tiya Miles carefully traces these women's faint presence in archival records, and, where archives fall short, she turns to objects, art, and the environment to write a singular history of the experience of slavery, and the uncertain freedom afterward. All That She Carried gives us history as it was lived, a poignant story of resilience and love passed down against steep odds.Trade ReviewAll That She Carried stands as an astonishing account of love, resilience and survival, one that helps to plug that archival abyss * Sunday Times *All That She Carried finds a way to give voice to the wordless by using a mundane, domestic object - a cloth sack and its contents - to thread an extraordinary tale through the generations * Guardian *A powerful story of love and survival...it takes a visionary mind to do what Miles has done in All That She Carried...a work that stands as a testament to the humanity enslaved people were so brutally denied * Financial Times *A brilliant example of how we can tell the stories of those who have been forgotten or written out of history -- Andrea Wulf * Spectator BOOKS OF THE YEAR *A remarkable book -- Jennifer Szalai * The New York Times *Deeply layered and insightful ... [a] bold reflection on American history, African American resilience, and the human capacity for love and perseverance * Washington Post *Through [Miles's] interpretation, the humble things in the sack take on ever-greater meaning, its very survival seems magical, and Rose's gift starts to feel momentous in scale -- Rebecca Onion * Slate *Deeply and lovingly researched ... a testament to the power of story, witness, and unyielding love * Atlanta Journal-Constitution *Tiya Miles is a gentle genius . . . All That She Carried is a gorgeous book and a model for how to read as well as feel the precious artifacts of Black women's lives -- Imani Perry, author of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a NationA brilliant exercise in historical excavation and recovery ... With creativity, determination, and great insight, Miles illuminates the lives of women who suffered much, but never forgot the importance of love and family -- Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of MonticelloA history told with brilliance and tenderness and fearlessness -- Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United StatesAll That She Carried is a moving literary and visual experience about love between a mother and daughter and about many women descendants down through the years. Above all it is Miles's lyrical story, written in her signature penetrating prose, about the power of objects and memory, as well as human endurance, in the history of slavery. The book is nothing short of a revelation -- David W. Blight, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom[A] powerful history of women and slavery * The New Yorker *[A] brilliant and compassionate account * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *[A] sparkling tale * Oprah Daily *[An] extraordinary story ... unique and unforgettable * Ms. Magazine *This absorbing, heartfelt and beautifully written book traces the story of one family through a simple cotton sack to reveal the determination of one woman, sold into slavery, to protect the next generations from harm. In researching Rose's life, Tiya Miles uncovers the - too often unheard - voices of Black female slaves; and tells of their appalling suffering and remarkable stoicism. -- Clare Hunter, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle and Embroidering Her TruthIt is such a small sack, made of such very rough material. Yet as Tiya Miles shows, this textile given by a mother to her child at a time of greatest peril not only holds within it the whole unforgivable history of Transatlantic slavery, it also contains the greatest thing that anything can contain: love -- Victoria Finlay, author of Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material WorldTiya Miles has crafted a powerful, poignant narrative through a single, wondrous, ordinary object. The bag that Ashley carried stands for hope in the bleakest of times and of love. History writing at its best -- Kate Strasdin, author of The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes: Secrets from a Victorian Woman's WardrobeAshley's Sack, as it is known, with its short and simple message of intergenerational love, becomes a portal through which Tiya Miles views and reimagines the inner lives of Black women. She excavates the history of Black women who face insurmountable odds and invent a language that can travel across time -- Michael Eric Dyson, author of Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in AmericaTiya Miles uses the tools of her trade to tend to Black people, to Black mothers and daughters, to our wounds, to collective Black love and loss. This book demonstrates Miles's signature genius in its rare balance of both rigor and care -- Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her SuperpowerAll That She Carried is a masterpiece work of African American women's history that reveals what it takes to survive and even thrive. Read this book and then pass it on to someone you love -- Martha S. Jones, author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for AllTiya Miles has written a beautiful book about the tragic materiality of black women's lives across three generations, through slavery and freedom. This book is for anyone interested in learning about black people's centrality to American history -- Stephanie Jones-Rogers, author of They Were Her Property

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Book Synopsis'What a fun book! Reading Sea Fever is enticing and intriguing, like watching floating treasure bob past your nose.' Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator Can you interpret the shipping forecast? Do you know your flotsam from your jetsam? Or who owns the foreshore? Can you tie a half-hitch - or would you rather splice the mainbrace? Full of charming illustrations and surprising facts, Sea Fever provides the answers to all these and more. Mixing advice on everything from seasickness to righting a capsized boat with arcane marine lore, recipes, history, dramatic stories of daring-do and guides to the wildlife we share our shores with, even the most experienced ocean-dweller will find something in these pages to surprise and delight.Trade ReviewWhat a fun book! Reading Sea Fever is enticing and intriguing, like watching floating treasure bob past your nose. * Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator *Once you've read it, you'll never feel like a landlubber again. * Carlisle Living *

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Book SynopsisIt is said that the skull is the only human body part that is as powerful dead as it was when living. Skulls takes the reader on an eerie journey through history seen through the hollow eye sockets of this crown jewel of the human skeleton. The book is made up of a series of short illustrated stories laced with fascinating facts, historical and medical references and compelling anecdotes. The testimonials of thirty-plus skull collectors reveal what is known of – or speculated about – the often gruesome history of the skulls, as well as how they were acquired and what makes them so highly prized.

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Book Synopsis'Captivating, a John le Carre-esque yarn' Telegraph'A thoroughly good read' Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of Britain and presenter of Great British Railway Journeys'A compelling story of courage, determination and skill' Terry Waite CBE, author of Taken on TrustThe true story of a retired British army officer's private Somali-hostage rescue missionDuring the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms. All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them. At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car. Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes readers on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man's heroic rescue mission.Trade ReviewFreeman draws from extensive first-hand interviews with survivors to paint a vivid picture of this shadowy world with the clarity and panache of a seasoned reporter ... the story is captivating, a John le Carre-esque yarn. * Telegraph *A compelling story of courage, determination and skill. If any book shows that hostage negotiation is not for the faint hearted this is it. -- Terry Waite CBE, author of Taken on TrustA raw, gripping and profoundly moving book. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea tells the extraordinary story of Somalia's forgotten hostages, the pirates who tortured them for years, and the quietly heroic Britons who refused to give up on them. -- Andrew Harding, author of These Are Not Gentle People and The Mayor of MogadishuA thoroughly good read. -- Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of Britain and presenter of Great British Railway JourneyJohn Steed has led an exemplary retirement as a uniquely skilled volunteer, helping to free the seafarer hostages of Somali pirates who some governments wanted to forget. Colin Freeman's book about him is both wonderful and long overdue. -- Michael Scott Moore, author of The Desert and the Sea'A MUST READ book ... 5 stars, highly recommended!' -- Jordan Wylie, adventurer and author of Citadel: The true story of one man's war against the pirates of SomaliaTruly thrilling and fast moving ... a must read for those who seek to understand the complex history and environment in which piracy exploded in Somalia from 2008 to 2012. * Hiiraan Online *

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Book SynopsisA provocative history of race, empire and myth, told through the stories of men who have been worshipped as gods - from Columbus to Prince Philip. Spanning the globe and five centuries, Accidental Gods introduces us to a new pantheon: of man-gods, deified politicians and imperialists, militants, mystics and explorers. From the conquistadors setting foot in the New World to Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, elevated by a National Geographic article from emperor to messiah for the Rastafari faith, to the unlikely officers hailed as gods during the British Raj, this endlessly curious and revelatory account chronicles an impulse towards deification that persists even in a secular age, as show of defiance or assertion of power. In her bravura final part, Subin traces the colonial desire for divinity through to the creation of 'race' and the white power movement today, and argues that it is time we rid ourselves of the white gods among us.Trade ReviewOften colourful and bizarre, Accidental Gods opens new perspectives, shines light on overlooked corners of our global history, and conveys its powerful messages at first quietly, in subtext, and then more and more explicitly... Always enlightening and engrossing -- Lydia Davis, author of Essays One and TwoRich, witty, acerbic and often astonishing, Accidental Gods reveals how terror and divinity are intertwined - in the colonial enterprise, in present-day strong leader cults and nationalist statecraft. A highly original, revelatory study, entertaining and sobering at once as it identifies a persistent danger: the mythopolitics that fails to distinguish between men and gods. -- Dame Marina Warner, author of Stranger Magic and Fellow of All Souls', OxfordAccidental Gods relates, with tremendous intellectual ingenuity and resourcefulness, a new history of the modern world: how the quest for divine sanction and spiritual transcendence remain at the center of our ostensibly rational and secular political and economic struggles. -- Pankaj MishraWhy do some people become gods? This is the question that Subin asks in an impressive study that travels from the Caribbean to the British Raj and back to the New World. This is no summary analysis, but rather a provocative and innovative study of imperialism, race, and decolonisation. -- Ruth HarrisA bravura performance... a searching study of the relation between the political and the divine written with great panache. Subin returns us to fundamental questions about human beings, their capacity for tyranny and violence, and their desire for transcendence... A book to relish and to argue with, and a writer to watch. -- Alison Light, author of Mrs Woolf and the ServantsThe best new non-fiction book I read this year... A stylish, playfully rigorous intellectual performance worthy of Marina Warner or Roberto Calasso -- Mark O'Connell, Books of the year * Irish Times *Anna Della Subin has lit upon a startling strand in the history of the sacred... The book's strength lies in the sensitivity of her analysis, which homes in on the inter-relations of power and powerlessness, colonialism and nationalism: worship as a response to terror, and a desire to propitiate -- Books of the year * TLS *Phenomenal - erudite, provocative, scandalous, and comic and tragic by turns * Sunday Times *A fascinating slice of history * The Times *Accidental Gods is a playful, ironic and ambiguous book about religion, at a time when religion - outside of Dealey Plaza - has grown as solemn as an owl ... [it] leaves us hankering, like QAnon's unlovely faithful, for a wider, wilder pantheon * Telegraph *A fascinating tour through the endless diversity of the divine... * Spectator *Engaging * The Times *A beautifully written, subtly crafted history... [An] inspiring book * TLS *Fascinating... thoughtful and subtle * The Irish Times *A subversive history * Guardian *Remarkable... exceptional... -- James Hamilton-Paterson * Literary Review *[Subin writes] with a poise and lucidity that allow full play to the comic aspects of her subject, while considering the frequently disastrous consequences... -- Rosemary Hill * London Review of Books *Inventive... Subinexpertly brings out the nuance and ambivalence of deification -- Lola Seaton * New Statesman *So eloquently portrayed... With her sense of the uncanny, the ironic, the profane and the weird, Subin is a charming guide... What Subin helps us to see is that at the very core of modernity lies the white god, sweating in his pith helmet -- James Robins * New Humanist *

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Book SynopsisThe Orient Express hurtles towards the promised land, and Banine is free for the first time in her life. She has fled her ruined homeland and unhappy forced marriage for a dazzling new future in Paris. Now she cuts her hair, wears short skirts, mingles with Russian émigrés, Spanish artists, writers and bohemians in the 1920's beau monde - and even contemplates love. But soon she finds that freedom brings its own complications. As her family's money runs out, she becomes a fashion model to survive. And when a glamorous figure from her past returns, life is thrown further into doubt. Banine has always been swept along by the forces of history. Can she keep up with them now? Told with vivacious wit and a lust for life, this companion to Days in the Caucasus is a bittersweet portrayal of youthful dreams, and the elusive search for happiness.Trade ReviewPraise for Days in the Caucasus'Every so often a voice emerges from the archive so vivid that it seems impossible that it should ever have been forgotten' - Evening Standard'A delightful memoir of an eventful life set against the helter-skelter of the 20th century... Banine herself shines through as an intelligent and independent spirit, longing for her own self-determination' - Financial Times'An enchanting memoir' - Jane Shilling'I started to leaf through the book and was soon engrossed... So vividly and wittily does the author reveal to us an utterly unfamiliar world' - Teffi

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Book SynopsisThis completely updated second edition of the best-selling beer resource features the most current information on beer styles, flavor profiles, sensory evaluation guidelines, craft beer trends, food and beer pairings, and draft beer systems. You’ll learn to identify the scents, colors, flavors, mouth-feel, and vocabulary of the major beer styles — including ales, lagers, weissbeirs, and Belgian beers — and develop a more nuanced understanding of your favorite brews with in-depth sections on recent developments in the science of taste. Spirited drinkers will also enjoy the new section on beer cocktails that round out this comprehensive volume.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and hilarious gallop through twentieth-century British history, by comedian Al Murray.An awful lot has happened in the last 100 years or so. In fact, when you look at how much went on in the 20th century, it's amazing it didn't take longer than that.And what have we learnt? A few obvious lessons include: megalomaniac men with moustaches in charge of countries tend to turn out to be BAD; anyone who thinks they can explain let alone sort out the Middle East is WRONG; France simply cannot be relied upon; America may or may not be the cause of everything GOOD and BAD in the world (depending on who you ask).This isn't your bog-standard history book. We all know that history books (Which Shall Not be Questioned because they ARE ALL TRUE according to our History Teachers of Yore) are dry and dull, and they go on as if there's only ONE version of history (spoiler: it's all about perspective). Enter Al Murray, alter-ego of everyone's favourite Pub Landlord.Al knows his way around 20th century Britain, and he's good enough to illuminate it for you. From the Big Bang of the 20th Century, DOUBLEYOUDOUBLEYOU ONE, to the eve of the new Millennium (when all the computers in the World DIDN'T stop working and the Queen had to do the Hokey Cokey with Tony Blair) and all the forgotten tales in between, this is a brilliantly funny, irreverent and eye-opening whistle-stop tour of Britain since 1914.

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Book SynopsisA GUARDIAN, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A superb book' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'An empowering story of human ingenuity' Economist 'Full of curious facts' The Times Causes of death have changed irrevocably across time. In the course of a few centuries we have gone from a world where disease or violence were likely to strike anyone at any age, and where famine could be just one bad harvest away, to one where in many countries excess food is more of a problem than a lack of it. Why have the reasons we die changed so much? How is it that a century ago people died mainly from infectious disease, while today the leading causes of death in industrialised nations are heart disease and stroke? And what do changing causes of death reveal about how previous generations have lived? University of Manchester Professor Andrew Doig provides an eye-opening portrait of death throughout history, looking at particular causes – from infectious disease to genetic disease, violence to diet – who they affected, and the people who made it possible to overcome them. Along the way we hear about the long and torturous story of the discovery of vitamin C and its role in preventing scurvy; the Irish immigrant who opened the first washhouse for the poor of Liverpool, and in so doing educated the public on the importance of cleanliness in combating disease; and the Church of England curate who, finding his new church equipped with a telephone, started the Samaritans to assist those in emotional distress. This Mortal Coil is a thrilling story of growing medical knowledge and social organisation, of achievement and, looking to the future, of promise.Trade ReviewYou might expect a book on this morbid theme to be forbidding or sombre. This one is neither. Instead Mr Doig, a biochemist at the University of Manchester, tells an empowering story of human ingenuity * Economist *Surprisingly upbeat . . . The chapters on plague are the most interesting in the book, perhaps because they are so resonant and show how lucky we are to live in the age of the vaccine . . . Each chapter looks at a cause of death, ranging from scurvy to car safety, alcoholism to yellow fever . . . Full of curious facts . . . Although the book is about death, Doig is optimistic. Look at how life expectancy has soared across the world and infant mortality rates have plummeted * The Times *An absorbing read . . . A gripping and fascinating book; informative and seasoned with dry humour * Mail on Sunday *Told in five acts like a Shakespearean tragedy, Andrew Doig’s book considers our vulnerabilities and vices, from typhoid to tobacco . . . A compelling story that is made admirably accessible * Financial Times *Fascinating, clear-eyed . . . Woven through are a series of brilliant anecdotes of individual experiments, inventions and lethal misfortunes . . . Doig’s attention to detail, personable style and clear explanations make the book easily accessible . . . The obvious beauty of This Mortal Coil is that in being a history of death, it is also a history of life, and a brilliant, fascinating one at that * Scotsman *An utterly fascinating history of death, this masterful volume traces changes in the causes of mortality over the centuries -- WaterstonesRather than being a depressing read, the book actually gives a wonderful long-term perspective on our current situation, discussing plagues and famines of the past, living conditions and social organisation, and even looking at how causes of death might change in the future . . . This intriguing and detailed discussion of death and its causes provides a bedrock of context to look at how we might tackle mortality going forward . . . Oddly life-affirming * Big Issue *From the black death to small pox, Andrew Doig’s This Mortal Coil reminds us that some of humankind’s most miraculous innovations – including vaccines, statistics and gene sequencing – arose from society’s attempts to thwart death . . . It’s hard to imagine a book with more relevant insights into how societies fail and succeed when navigating threats to life * City AM *This is a book that deserves a wide and appreciative audience * Oldie *The way we humans have died has changed profoundly over history: from famine and pestilence, to modern lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In this gripping book, Andrew Doig explores the fascinating biology of our own mortality and, crucially, what death can teach us about life -- Prof. Lewis Dartnell, author of ORIGINS: HOW THE EARTH SHAPED HUMAN HISTORYWry, insightful and optimistic, This Mortal Coil brings a compassionate yet amused eye to one of the last great taboos. Essential reading for us all -- Matthew Cobb, Baillie Gifford Prize-shortlisted author of THE IDEA OF THE BRAINAndrew Doig tackles the complex and unsettling history of mortality with matter of fact and clarity but also with tenderness and humanity. This is a remarkable debut interspersing history with science to create a mille feuille of what it means to be human -- Helen Carr, author of THE RED PRINCE and WHAT IS HISTORY, NOW?This is a wonderful book: a history of life expectancy, of disease, of death, and of medicine all rolled up into one. An exceptional instance of a book with lots of statistics which is throughout an enthralling read. For anyone who wants to understand how we have come to live so long, and what we are likely to die of, this is a must read – and, since birth and death are the only things we all have in common, no subject could be more important to understand who we are and what will become of us -- David WoottonThe story of how we die is deeply entwined with all of science, technology, economics, global health, sociology and human behaviour – in other words, pretty much everything. Which amounts to a book that is profound and original -- Daniel M. Davis, author of THE BEAUTIFUL CURE and THE SECRET BODYBig history meets biology in this meticulous chronicle of how death has shaped us, and how we have shaped it. Doig illuminates the historical and scientific idiosyncrasies behind our most universal experience explaining how, by trading plants and plagues, discovering continents and life-saving drugs, our collective past has determined our individual futures. If you're expecting a fascinating insight into why we die, This Mortal Coil delivers – but you'll also get an eye-opening account of how we've lived -- Andrew Steele, author of AGELESSThe most fascinating book I’ve read in a long time. As much about how we live as how we die -- Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRLIn this detailed exploration of the many different ways in which human life can end, Andrew Doig takes us on a killer ride from the earliest systematic records of death, through the tremendous toll infection has had over history, to the ways in which we kill ourselves and others through drugs, pollution and motor vehicles. If you are dying to know how we die, this is the book for you -- John Tregoning, author of INFECTIOUS

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Book Synopsis'Important, compelling, and detailed . . . a superb analysis of the West’s policy missteps and the tragic consequences of them.' - General David PetraeusIn Assad: The Triumph of Tyranny, Con Coughlin, veteran commentator on war in the Middle East and author of Saddam: The Secret Life, examines how a mild-mannered ophthalmic surgeon has transformed himself into the tyrannical ruler of a once flourishing country.Until the Arab Spring of 2011, the world’s view of Bashar al-Assad was largely benign. He and his wife, a former British banker, were viewed as philanthropic individuals doing their best to keep their country at peace. So much so that a profile of Mrs Assad in American Vogue was headlined ‘The Rose in the Desert’. Shortly after it appeared, Syria descended into the horrific civil war that has seen its cities reduced to rubble and thousands murdered and displaced, a civil war that is still raging over a decade later.In this vivid and authoritative account Con Coughlin draws together all the strands of Assad's remarkable story, revealing precisely how a young doctor ensured not only that he inherited the presidency from his father, but has held on to power by whatever means necessary, continuing to preside over one of the most brutal regimes of modern times.Trade ReviewEngrossing . . . Coughlin, as this fine book proves, is a careful judge of situations, and what might be hyperbole from another writer is a damning indictment of a man whose name should join the ranks of those who linger in infamy, including Hitler, Stalin and, more recently, another of this author’s most recent subjects: Saddam Hussein . . . [it is] meticulously researched and even-handed – as far as such an account can be – and has the vice-like grip of a thriller -- Alexander Larman * The Daily Telegraph *Useful, clear and interesting . . . a biography, but also an indictment -- Jason Burke * Literary Review *An important, compelling, and detailed examination of the failure of Western powers to act decisively in the early years of the Syrian Civil War and to prevent one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the early twenty-first century. In this significant new book, Con Coughlin provides a superb analysis of the West’s policy missteps and the tragic consequences of them. -- General David PetraeusFascinating, timely and sharp, Con Coughlin delivers a lucid portrait of the brutal power games and byzantine conspiracies of Syria's Assad dynasty. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: a Family HistoryCon Coughlin's Assad curdles the blood from beginning to end and is always underpinned by superb foundations in analysis. A must-read for everyone who wants to understand the Middle East today. -- Robert ServiceCon Coughlin examines how a quiet eye surgeon could have turned into one of the world’s most vicious blood-stained dictators. No one could be better qualified than Coughlin to write this thought-provoking and penetrating book. -- Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destinty

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Book SynopsisThe murder of the Princes in the Tower is the most famous cold case in British history. Traditionally considered victims of their ruthless uncle, there are other suspects too often and too easily discounted. There may be no definitive answer, but by delving into the context of their disappearance and the characters of the suspects, Matthew Lewis examines the motives and opportunities afresh, as well as asking a crucial but often overlooked question: what if there was no murder? What if Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York, survived their uncle’s reign and even that of their brother-in-law Henry VII?In this new and updated edition, compelling evidence is presented to suggest the Princes survived, which is considered alongside the possibility of their deaths to provide a rounded and complete assessment of the most fascinating mystery in history.

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Book SynopsisAt the dawn of the twentieth century, a small but determined band of barrel jumpers risked their lives in one of the world’s most wondrous waterfalls. Only a few survived. By turns a family drama and an action-adventure story, The Age of Daredevils chronicles the lives of the men and women who devoted themselves to the extraordinary sport of jumping over Niagara Falls in a barrel—a death-defying gamble that proved a powerful temptation to a hardy few. Internationally known in the 1920s and ‘30s for their barrel-jumping exploits, the Hills were a father-son team of daredevils who also rescued dozens of misguided thrill seekers and accident victims who followed them into the river. The publicity surrounding the Hills’ spectacular feats ushered in tourism, making Niagara Falls the nation’s foremost honeymoon destination, but ultimately set Red Hill Jr. on a perilous path to surpass his father’s extraordinary leaps into the void. Like the works of Jon Krakauer and David McCullough, The Age of Daredevils explores the primal force of fear and the thirst for adventure that drive humans to the brink of death to see if they can somehow escape.

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Book SynopsisInspired by recent approaches to the field, the book reexamines the field of Renaissance art history by exploring the art of this era in the light of global connections. It considers the movement of objects, ideas and technologies and its significance for European art and material culture, analysing images through the lens of cultural encounter and conflict.Trade Review‘This book offers important new insights into the history of Renaissance arts by rethinking key objects and themes through the lens of cross-culturality. Its contribution is especially welcome as it demonstrates how exactly the idea of the Renaissance was formed by its global contacts and through acculturation of arts and ideas from beyond Europe.’ Sussan Babaie, Andrew W. Mellon Reader in the Arts of Iran and Islam, The Courtauld Institute of Art 'Art history has become increasingly engaged with global connections, but to date no study has filled the need for a synthetic overview of the early modern period. We can never again see the 'Renaissance' in the same, isolated way after reading these chapters.’ Larry Silver, Farquhar Professor of Art History, University of Pennsylvania‘Bringing together essays synthesizing recent scholarship on Renaissance art and material culture, Christian and Clark (both, Open Univ., UK) have created the first undergraduate-level treatment of the global nature of Renaissance art. The editors' goal is to illuminate “commonalities” between Europe and non-Western, non-Christian cultures. Two of the essays, Christian's on Renaissance altarpieces and Clark's on European collections of non-Western objects, consider indirect influences on art that came from luxury goods traded into Europe. The other two essays—one on art and architecture of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian inhabitants of Spain, and of Amer-Indians of the New World, the other on Venice as a palimpsest of Italian, Byzantine, and Islamic art and culture—are particularly successful in revealing direct connections between different cultures and the hybrid art that developed from close proximity.’ J. B. Gregory, formerly, Delaware College of Art and Design, CHOICE, Vol. 56, No. 2 (October 2018)‘This welcome volume is a textbook, and a very good one. It is first in a series of four titled Art and Its Global Histories that surveys the manifold cross-cultural influences between Western Europe and the world from the Pax Mongolica to postmodernism, supplemented by an anthology of seminal essays and primary sources for the entire period. The full series offers a suite of much-needed pedagogical materials for teaching early modern and modern art history from an inclusive, global-studies perspective […] Clear and comprehensive, it is written in a serious but lively style, appropriately theoretical without becoming abstruse or jargon ridden. The introduction and essays read like particularly pithy and eloquent class lectures, and the bibliographies following each chapter are worth the price of admission, with thorough and up-to-date coverage that provides a solid starting point for both student and scholarly researchers.’James M. Saslow, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Winter 2018) -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction – Kathleen Christian and Leah Clark1 Renaissance altarpieces: the far in the near – Kathleen Christian2 Cultural crossings in Spain and the New World c. 1350–c.1550 – Kim Woods3 Collecting the world: art, nature, and representation – Leah Clark4 Aspects of art in Venice: encounters with the East – Paul Wood with Kathleen Christian and Leah ClarkConclusion – Kathleen Christian and Leah Clark Index

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Book SynopsisFifty years ago Enoch Powell made national headlines with his 'Rivers of Blood' speech, warning of an immigrant invasion in the once respectable streets of Wolverhampton. This local fixation brought the Black Country town into the national spotlight, yet Powell's unstable relationship with Wolverhampton has since been overlooked. Drawing from interviews and archival material, this book offers a rich local history through which to investigate the speech, bringing to life the racialised dynamics of space during a critical moment in British history. What was going on beneath the surface in Wolverhampton and how did Powell's constituents respond to this dramatic moment? The research traces the ways in which Powell's words reinvented the town and uncovers highly contested local responses. While Powell left Wolverhampton in 1974, the book returns to the city to explore the collective memories of the speech which continue to reverberate. In a contemporary period of new crisis and national divisions, revisiting the shadow of Powell allows us to reflect on racism and resistance from 1968 to today.Trade Review‘Enoch Powell made his notorious Rivers of Blood speech in the Midland Hotel in Birmingham on 20 April, 1968. At the time he was the Conservative MP for the constituency of Wolverhampton South West. In her book In the Shadow of Enoch Powell Shirin Hirsch examines the impact of Powell’s speech in the Wolverhampton of 1968 and analyses its significance 50 years later. Hirsch draws on archival material as well as her own contemporary interviews.’Vivek Lehal, Socialist Review, Vol. 444 (March 2019)As the extensive list of secondary sources in the book’s bibliography suggests, Enoch Powellhas been the subject of considerable research. Shirin Hirsch’s short but powerful bookstands out by offering insight into the experience of those both facing and fighting theramifications of Powell’s speech and the attitudes it represented. Hirsch’s masterful commandof contemporary newspapers and oral accounts presents the reader with an excellentperception of the prevailing societal ideas.Midland History -- .Table of ContentsForeword by Patrick VernonIntroduction1 ‘The Commonwealth is much too common for me’: another 19682 The world in Wolverhampton3 Reverberations from ‘Rivers of Blood’4 Resistance in the schools and on the buses5 ‘A monstrous reputation’: remembering Enoch PowellConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book is a record of the Black music culture that emerged in post-colonial London at the end of the twentieth century; the people who made it, the racial and spatial politics of its development and change, and the part it played in founding London’s precious, embattled multiculture. It tells the story of the linked Black musical scenes of the city, from ska, reggae and soul in the 1970s, to rare groove and rave in the 1980s and jungle and its offshoots in the 1990s, to dubstep and grime of the 2000s. Melville argues that these demonstrate enough common features to be thought of as one musical culture, an Afro-diasporic continuum. Core to this idea is that this dance culture has been ignored in history and cultural theory and that it should be thought of as a powerful and internationally significant form of popular art.Trade Review‘This book is rare and special. It combines loving appreciation of London’s overlooked black music scenes with a richly detailed social history of their place in the evolving life of our city. There really is no other book like it. Caspar Melville knows because he was there.’ Paul Gilroy is a recovering vinyl junkie who teaches at UCL ‘I've waited decades for a book like this to be written. Turning each page is like digging through the crates. Important connections, intersections and black sonic samples are weaved throughout the text like a seamless mix. Black British music deserves this kind of attention. It's an important piece of the puzzle of DJ and Club culture that has yet to be assembled in its entirety.’ Lynnée Denise is a renowned DJ and lecturer in African American studies at UCLA ‘Caspar goes in deep! I am so proud to be part of the London clubland story he tells.’ Gilles Peterson is a club and BBC radio DJ and founder of Brownswood Recordings and Worldwide FM'It’s a London Thing is a compelling exploration of dance music history, inviting us to keep our eyes and ears glued to where the music comes from and what it can teach us.'Ivan Mouraviev, Popular Music -- .Table of ContentsList of figuresList of platesPrefaceAcknowledgements Introduction: London’s sonic space 1 Hostile environment: London’s racial geography, 1960-80 2 Warehouse parties, rare groove and the diversion of space 3 From Ibiza to London: Brixton acid and rave 4 ‘A London Sum’ting Dis’: diaspora remixed in the urban jungle Epilogue: music and the multicultural city Appendix: interviews for the book Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis is the first major attempt to view the break-up of Britain as a global phenomenon, incorporating peoples and cultures of all races and creeds that became embroiled in the liquidation of the British Empire in the decades after the Second World War. A team of leading historians are assembled here to view a familiar problem through an unfamiliar lens, ranging from India, to China, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Falklands, Gibraltar and the United Kingdom itself. At a time when trace-elements of Greater Britain have resurfaced in British politics, animating the febrile polemics of Brexit, these essays offer a sober historical perspective. More than perhaps at any other time since the empire’s precipitate demise, it is imperative to gain a fresh purchase on the global challenges to British identities in the twentieth century.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The anatomy of break-up – Stuart Ward1 Maintaining racial boundaries: Greater Britain in the Second World War and beyond – Wendy Webster2 Cut loose: the British in China and the aftermath of empire – Robert Bickers3 Entangled citizens: the afterlives of empire in the Indian Citizenship Act, 1947–1955 – Kalathmika Natarajan4 ‘How come England did not know me?’: the ‘rude awakenings’ of the Windrush era – Stuart Ward5 Indians of Durban, South Africa and the break-up of Greater Britain – Hilary Sapire6 The birth of 'white' republics and the demise of Greater Britain: the republican referendums in South Africa and Rhodesia – Christian D. Pedersen7 ‘King’s men’, ‘Queen’s rebels’ and ‘last outposts’: Ulster and Rhodesia in an age of imperial retreat – Donal Lowry8 The tale of two Commonwealths? The (British) Commonwealth of Nations, decolonisation and the break-up of Greater Britain – Andrew Dilley9 Greater Britain and its decline: the view from Lambeth – Sarah Stockwell10 From Pax Britannica to Pax Americana? The end of empire and the collapse of Australia’s Cold War policy – James Curran11 Boundaries of belonging: differential fees for overseas students in Britain, c. 1967 – Jodi Burkett12 Persistence and privilege: mass migration from Britain to the Commonwealth, 1945–2000 – Jean P. Smith13 ‘The mouse that roared’: the Falklands and Gibraltar in Thatcher’s (Greater) Britain – Ezequiel Mercau14 Falling Rhodes, building bridges, finding paths: decoloniality from Cape Town to Oxford, and back – Stephen Howe Index

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Book SynopsisOver recent years, the issues of Brexit, COVID and the ‘migrant crisis’ put Kent in the headlines like never before. Images of asylum seekers on Kent beaches, lorries queued on motorways and the crumbling white cliffs of Dover all spoke to national anxieties, and were used to support ideas that severing ties with the EU was the best – or worst – thing the UK has ever done. In this coastal driftwork, Phil Hubbard – an exiled man of Kent – considers the past, present and future of this corner of England, alighting on a number of key sites which symbolise the changing relationship between the UK and its continental neighbours. Moving from the geopolitics of the Channel Tunnel to the cultivation of oysters at Whitstable, from Derek Jarman’s feted cottage at Dungeness to the art-fuelled gentrification of Margate, Borderland bridges geography, history, and archaeology, to pose important questions about the way that national identities emerge from contested local landscapes.Trade Review'Borderland deftly combines thorough research and objective analysis with the author’s intimate first-hand knowledge of place, as he revisits sites on foot in an extended field trip. Hubbard’s unflinchingly questioning approach to the contested spaces he encounters is written with the ease of an armchair traveller’s guide. The result is a peregrination peppered with gems of descriptive detail and astute personal reflections. Ultimately, Borderland isn’t just about Kent. It’s a book that scrutinises how – wherever we live – we perceive, shape, reimagine and reinvent place to suit our own uses and desires.' Sonia Overall, author of Heavy Time 'It's been called the "frayed edge" of England, but our coastline is by no means just wearing out. As emerges from this highly revealing excursion around the coast of Kent, it is also being restitched and fortified as the frontline of an "exclusionary nationalism" thanks to which even insects and oysters are being asked to prove they're not aliens. Although horrifying in places, as the times demand, Borderland is full of contrary energy too.' Patrick Wright, author of The Sea View Has Me Again: Uwe Johnson in Sheerness 'A timely interrogation of the connection between place and identity in the post-Brexit era. Hubbard's Kentish borderland is an ever-shifting space, rife with contradictions, culture clashes, and eco-anxiety.' Gareth E. Rees, author of Car Park Life 'With an impressive mix of erudition and accessibility, Phil Hubbard’s Borderland shines the light on an English South East that is rarely apprehended – let alone comprehended – by Middle England and the London establishment. Venturing into a Kentish coastal terrain transformed into a new debatable land by Brexit and recurrent migrant crises, Hubbard manages to combine sympathy for the plight of refugees with great sensitivity in exploring wider questions of twenty-first century citizenship, national identity, and political representation. This is a book which asks all the right questions with immense eloquence and remarkable understanding of a people and a place.' Alex Niven, author of New Model Island'A brilliant book. Superficially, a story of part of the Kent coast. However, under its surface Borderland, is a search for England’s soul – and soullessness.' Danny Dorling, author of Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire 'A powerful, poignant and beautifully written journey through the frontier lands of Brexit Britain. This is travel writing with a purpose, charting an anxious and often hostile landscape with care and passion.' Alastair Bonnett, author of The Age of Islands: In Search of New and Disappearing Islands'Borderland is a hugely engaging read and offers some profound insights into the past and present of Kent’s coastline and, by extension, of England as a whole. Hubbard examines the myths we summon up to explain our national past together with the malleability of memory and how some will seek to exploit that. This is neither an academic textbook nor a straightforward travel guide. Instead, in a short but cogent review of what he terms the ‘new nature writing’, he clearly seems to wish to ally himself with this approach.'Bobby Seal, Psychogeographic Review 'Overall, Phil Hubbard’s latest book is certainly one of the most inspiring and cogent contributions to critical border studies published in the past years.' Dimitri Almeida, Ethnic and Racial Studies -- .Table of Contents1 The new edge of Europe?2 Natives3 Albion on sea4 Defending the nation5 The white horse6 Boat people7 The strange coastAfterword: The Kent variantList of figuresAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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