History Books

Book SynopsisGenghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known, whose empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East and Russia. So how did an illiterate nomad rise to such colossal power, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon? Credited by some with paving the way for the Renaissance, condemned by others for being the most heinous murderer in history, who was Genghis Khan? His actual name was Temujin, and the story of his success is that of the Mongol people: a loose collection of fractious tribes who tended livestock, considered bathing taboo and possessed an unparallelled genius for horseback warfare. United under Genghis, a strategist of astonishing cunning and versatility, they could dominate any sedentary society they chose.Combining fast-paced accounts of battles with rich cultural background and the latest scholarship, Frank McLynn brings vividly to life the strange world of the Mongols, describes Temujin’s rise from boyhood outcast to become Genghis Khan, and provides the most accurate and absorbing account yet of one of the most powerful men ever to have lived.Trade ReviewThis powerful and comprehensive study of the great Mongol takes your breath away with the sheer scale and fury of the man’s conquests and cruelties. Told with chilling relish -- Melvyn Bragg * Observer Books of the Year *A formidable study of the world’s greatest conqueror. With this compelling history of a brilliant, complex leader and ruthless master of warfare, McLynn has done his man proud -- Justin Marozzi * Sunday Times *McLynn has carefully synthesised the work of hundreds of scholars to create a sensitive and immensely detailed portrait of an extraordinary leader * The Times *A vivid, page-turning biography * Spectator *Fuses classic biography with a colourful study of medieval Mongolian culture … recounts in detailed, elegant prose the life and legacy of one of history’s greatest monsters * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisRead the definitive essay collection from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Adversary, dubbed 'France's greatest writer of non-fiction' (New York Times)'The most exciting living writer' Karl Ove KnausgaardOver the course of his career, Emmanuel Carrère has reinvented non-fiction writing. In a search for truth in all its guises, he dispenses with the rules of genre. For him, no form is out of reach: theology, historiography, reportage and memoir - among many others - are fused under the pressure of an inimitable combination of passion, curiosity and intellect that has made Carrère one of our most distinctive and important literary voices today.97,196 Words introduces Carrère's shorter work to an English-language audience. Featuring more than thirty extraordinary texts written over an illustrious twenty-five-year period of Carrère's creative life, the book shows a remarkable mind at work. Spanning continents, histories, and personal relationships, 97,196 Words considers the divides between truth, reality and our shared humanity, exploring remarkable events and eccentric lives, including Carrère's own.* A New York Times Notable Book *Trade ReviewA superb collection of essays by Emmanuel Carrère, one of the best storytellers around… When Carrère writes a story, he knows how to stir up powerful and conflicting emotions in his reader, which is one of the reasons he’s so good… It’s the best book I’ve read for ages. -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Books of the Year* *The most exciting living writer. -- Karl Ove KnausgaardEmmanuel Carrère is known for the way he bends and breaks genres… [he] is the most celebrated writer of high-end nonfiction in France… the core of Mr Carrère's talent is precisely that he brings readers into sympathetic contact with others, powerful and powerless, insiders and outsiders… It is a masterful illusion. * Economist *Impossible not to fall in love with…Carrere is regarded as a superstar writer… it is a joy to be reminded of all the wonderful things that [creative non-fiction] can do. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Emmanuel Carrère, a man fascinated by crime, eroticism and the oddities of human behaviour, is arguably France’s most original living writer of non-fiction… he creates reportage, that, with its insight and humanity, is closer to literature than journalism. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis‘A masterly work of profound research and reflection, objective and humane’ Hugh Trevor-Roper, Sunday TelegraphWhat would have happened if the Nazis had invaded Britain? How would the British people have responded – with resistance or collaboration? In Madeleine Bunting’s pioneering study, we begin to find the answers to this age-old question.Though rarely remembered today, the Nazis occupied the British Channel Islands for much of the Second World War. In piecing together the fragments left behind – from the love affairs between island women and German soldiers, the betrayals and black marketeering, to the individual acts of resistance – Madeleine Bunting has brought this uncomfortable episode of British history into full view with spellbinding clarity.Trade ReviewMadeleine Bunting is a superb chronicler of what happened - if you want a classic example of the dilemmas of Resistance, here it is. -- Professor Norman Stone * The Times *A masterly work of profound research and reflection, objective and humane -- Hugh Trevor-Roper * Sunday Telegraph *I am full of admiration for this book. By careful research and sensitive use of light and shade, Ms Bunting holds the reader's attention through an uncomfortable passage in our history - and one which we have been most reluctant to inform ourselves -- Alan Clark * Guardian *Excellently researched... This book...is an important historical document, if an uncomfortable one, in the understanding of our national character -- John Mortimer * Sunday Times *[An] excellent book...thoroughly unflinching, fair-minded, humane and sensitive -- Jonathan Keates * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis'Extraordinary' Maaza Mengiste'Exhilarating' Elif BatumanSelam is the youngest child in a large turbulent family. Even before she is born, her omniscience animates life in a Small Town in 1980s southwestern Ethiopia. Selam and her father listen to the radio in secret as the socialist military junta that recently overthrew the government seizes properties and wages civil war in the North. The Asmelashes, once an enterprising, land-owning family, are ostracized under the new regime. In the Small Town where they live, nosy women convene around coffee ceremonies multiple times a day, the gossip spreading like wildfire.As Selam's mother, the powerful and relentlessly dignified Degitu, grows ill, she embraces a persecuted, Pentecostal God and insists her family convert alongside her. The Asmelashes stand solidly in opposition to the times, and Selam grows up seeking revenge on despotic comrades, neighbourhood bullies, and a ruthless God. Wise beyond her years yet thoroughly naive, she contends with an inner fury, a profound sadness, and a throbbing, unstoppable pursuit of education, freedom, and love.The History of a Difficult Child is about what happens when mother, God, and country are at odds, and how one difficult child finds her voice.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary novel. At once a story of a sharp-witted young girl trying to hold herself together during political upheaval, and an achingly tender tale of community, family, grief and forgiveness -- Maaza Mengiste, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of THE SHADOW KINGA major new writing talent. Not only does the novel confront history, masculinity and gender in refreshing but uncompromising ways, it also has a remarkably original voice, fresh and irreverent. Sibhat will soon be one of the most influential voices in the literature of Africa -- Chris Abani, author of GRACELANDA brilliant powerhouse of a novel, an incandescent read from an electrifying writer -- Patricia Hampl, author of THE ART OF THE WASTED DAYSelam, Mihret Sibhat's ferociously witty young narrator, depicts her family's religious and political struggles in Ethiopia in extraordinarily rich and original prose... Deeply moving as well as hilarious. A one-of-a-kind must-read debut -- Julie Schumacher, author of DEAR COMMITTEE MEMBERSAn unexpected and hilarious voice with a velocity all its own... razor-sharp. Tender and merciless, full of human and political insight. I couldn't stop turning the pages -- V. V. Ganeshananthan, author of BROTHERLESS NIGHT

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Book SynopsisA brilliant portrait of the most famous woman in the world and her place in it, written by the renowned royal biographer and author of Queen of Our Times, Robert Hardman._____________________________'Dazzling, poignant and full of delicious surprises; the true story of how Elizabeth II took on the world - and won. The Crown is fictional. Here is the real thing.' - Andrew Roberts'In Queen of the World Robert Hardman anatomizes from almost every conceivable angle the workings of soft power in creating the present Queen's global role ... His book is a veritable reference work and cornucopia, overflowing with significant anecdotes, people, traditions and incidents.' - Times Literary Supplement_____________________________On recent world history, one leader stands apart. Queen Elizabeth II saw more of the planet and its people than any other head of state, and engaged with them like no other monarch in British history. After her coronation, she visited over 130 countries across the ever-changing globe, acting as diplomat, stateswoman, pioneer and peace-broker, while also managing the responsibilities of a mother and grandmother, and her sixty-four-year marriage to the late Prince Philip.She transformed her father's old empire into the Commonwealth, her 'family of nations', and came to know its leaders better than anyone. In 2018, they would gather in her own home to endorse her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, as her successor.With extensive access to the Queen's family and staff, Hardman tells a true story full of drama, intrigue, exotic and even dangerous situations, heroes, rogues, pomp and glamour - and, at the centre of it all, the woman who genuinely won the hearts of the world for seventy glorious years._____________________________'Superb' - Peter Hennessy'Hardman's book, filled with new details, will be an essential source for any historian of modern Britain. It's also a glorious read' - William Shawcross, SpectatorTrade ReviewHardman’s book, filled with new details, will be an essential source for any historian of modern Britain. It’s also a glorious read * William Shawcross, The Spectator *A magisterial book… Robert Hardman brings together every intriguing detail he’s gleaned about how the Queen reigns. * Daily Mail *This is not only the best biography of the Queen in years, it is also laugh-out-loud entertainment * Daily Express *Dazzling, poignant and full of delicious surprises; the true story of how Elizabeth II took on the world – and won. The Crown is fictional. This is the real thing. -- Andrew RobertsBy far our most authoritative royal specialist, Hardman is a supremely entertaining storyteller and guide as well outstanding political analyst of the Queen's career as international titan of power and tact. Often hilarious, sometimes moving, always as acute as he is fascinating, there's never a dull moment in the untold diplomatic career of the most famous woman in the world, who has known everybody from monsters like Ceaucescu and Amin to heroes like Mandela and JFK. -- Simon Sebag MontefioreWatching The Crown was entertaining but reading Robert Hardman’s Queen of the World was riveting — and true. -- Alice ThomsonSuperb * Peter Hennessy *Rich in anecdotes and insights * Sunday Times *Dazzling, poignant and full of delicious surprises; the true story of how Elizabeth II took on the world – and won. The Crown is fictional. Here is the real thing. -- Andrew RobertsVivid and superlatively well-informed, this is a compelling account of a monarch in perpetual motion * The Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisTom Wolfe's debut collection of essays - a brilliant, form-bending dive into the future of America as it careened through the 1960s In 1965, Tom Wolfe dropped like a bomb onto the American literary scene with his first book, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, an incandescent panorama of American counter-culture, its dances, bouffant hairdos, customised cars and rock concerts. Capturing the energy of the age in its portraits of Phil Spector, Cassius Clay, Las Vegas and the Nanny Mafia – as well as asking, why do doormen hate Volkswagens? – Wolfe’s flamboyant essay collection remains one of the great, revolutionary landmarks of modern non-fiction.'Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewYou only had to look at him… or read such books as The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff to know that Tom Wolfe was like no other -- John Pye * The Scotsman *Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence -- Mick Brown * Daily Telegraph *Effortlessly, elegantly, Tom Wolfe bestrode both fiction and non-fiction… a style at once objective, subjective, and hallucinatory -- Andy Martin * Independent *[Tom Wolfe’s] gleeful use of punctuation and italics, along with entertaining asides and neologisms that often quickly cemented themselves into the English lexicon, helped Wolfe stand out from other journalists * Guardian *[Wolfe] made literature fun and bores don’t like fun -- Freddy Gray * The Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisThe Royal Family of the United Kingdom is one of the most instantly recognized institutions in the world. Since the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned in 1952 it has undergone a huge amount of cultural and social change, but over the course of many decades the Royal Family has continued to play an important role in British society., This book, written by royal expert and correspondent Robert Jobson offers a complete examination of a very British institution, looking behind the scenes at the current heirs of a kingdom that has been ruled nearly uninterruptedly by a monarch since 774AD. Chapters include explanations of the Windsor bloodline, family tree and personalities, their royal residences, palaces and country retreats, military connections, charity work, and annual engagements. Also examined are the royal finances, including facts and statistics on personal incomes, state salaries and business interests. Births, marriages and deaths are also covered, as well as state ceremonies such as the opening of parliament, trooping the colours and the elaborate hosting of foreign dignitaries., The book also includes fascinating behind the scenes details on staff, domestic rituals, personalities, pets, family gatherings and other inside information., Author: Robert Jobson is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has reported on the Royal Family since 1991 as correspondent for UK national newspapers, US TV network ABC News and Australia's breakfast show Sunrise. Robert has written several books on the British royals, including the best-selling 'Diana: Closely Guarded Secret', 'Guarding Diana' and the recently well-received 'Charles at Seventy'.Table of ContentsChapter one: History, setting the royals in context The line of succession: House of Saxe-Coburg and the Stuarts, links to earlier British royal dynasties. The House of Windsor: The story behind name change Renewing the dynasty: royal weddings, coronations, babies and abdication, brief biogs and portraits of current royals major and minor. Regency: What happens in this situation. Back to the last one – George III (the last American King) Include portraits and biographies of the monarchs and their family, past and present. Illustration: Family tree Chapter Two: Realms and dominions The British Empire, and the current extent of influence; The Commonwealth explained. 53 nations up from 52 nations last year. Role in the British constitution Head of state; legal status and rules of office explained. Role of Queen, what would happen in a constitutional crisis. Extent/limitations of power. Meetings with PMs over the years. Dissolving and opening parliament. Could the monarch ever actually interfere with parliament? Precedents. Royal tours abroad, planning and execution, staff members and responsiblities, negotiating security. Chapter Three: Finance and wealth Who owns what: how it is funded. Who pays for what? Income, assets, wealth, crown dependencies, salaries and expenses. Add tax here? Different revenue streams Civil List, Sovereign Grant, Duchy of Lancaster, Duchy of Cornwall, Crown estates. Charitable trusts. Royal patents, charters and patents go here? What do they mean, who benefits? Does the Queen really use Andrex toilet paper and spread Tiptree marmalade on her toast? Chapter Four: The Royal Residences (perhaps this is too much on the buildings, and we could combine this chapter with Ch5 Households) Buckingham Palace, number of rooms, which are open to the public, which ones are the inner sanctums, how many staff does it need to keep in running, what is the pecking order, would be great to have details of how many pounds of suger/eggs/dog poo bags/bottles of champagne/etc the household gets through in a year. What are the unbreakable rules? Windsor Castle, favourite residence, place the family have come here to get married – and be buried. The restoration and comeback, post-fire. Who is there when the family isn’t? Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s hideaway. Include Craigowan Lodge where Queen prefers to stay especially when she only has a few people with her. More relaxed here than other palaces? What’s the daily routine? Birkhall – Charles and Camilla inherit it from the Queen Mother and base themselves there during the summer (and New Year) Delnadamph Lodge, regional official residences: Holyroodhouse and Hillsborough Castle The private homes: Sandringham, Clarence House, Highgrove, Kensington Palace, St James’s Palace. Anmer Hall for William and Kate. Who is in charge of running these residences, who owns them, do they pay council tax?! And there’s a new residence – Frogmore Cottage for Harry and Meghan Box out on the Tower of London, still officially a royal residence. Chapter Five: The Royal Households The offices and the people who work in them. Explaining some of the unusual names and titles, including the most minor as well as the most important. Are there factions and feuds between the households? The Royal Household, Household of Prince of Wales, Household of Duke and Duchess and Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Buckingham Palace for the Queen and her children, except Charles. St. James’s Palace/Clarence House – for Charles and Camilla Kensington Palace for William and Harry and their families. Chapter Six: Royal Transport Cars currently owned and what they are used for. Inside the Royal Mews. Planes and trains Inside the Royal Train, Flights through British Airways or the military Royal Squadron. The Royal Yacht Britannia (out of commission). Inside the Royal Yacht. Carriages. One spread State carriages like those used for the opening of Parliament to those used recently at the weddings of William and Kate and Harry and Meghan. Chapter Seven: Leisure, pastimes and Pets Dogs and horses: life hasn’t changed much since King George VI’s day. Dogs are centre stage. Corgis, list them from Susan (Elizabeth’s first) and how she actually has a lot of Labradors too! Are there dog-related servants? Royal dog walker? Sports: horse racing – Sandringham stud, Earl ‘Porchie” Carnarvon, dressage (Olympian Zara Phillips follows her parents), polo (Philip, Charles, William and Harry), carriage driving.(Philip) The arts: Royal Variety Performance, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House, Royal Ballet, Royal College of Art, are they all just titles? Charities: The Prince’s Trust, the Royal Foundation, Help for Heroes, Heads Together. The royals and fashion; from Margaret in Dior, to the Queen in Hardy Amies and more conventional wear, to Diana and Meghan and Kate and how they use fashion to send signals, support British (and Commonwealth) designers and make covert political statements; has the Queen worn pro EU hats, and anti Trump brooches? Sidebar on the men: Charles and his love for Saville Row, and make-do-and-mend his clothes (he patches them); and William choosing new Saville Row tailors like Spencer Hart The jewellery from hand-me-downs to the new fashions. Chapter Eight: State Occasions and Official engagements Events and annual occasions sponsored, hosted or attended by royal members. How they are run and who does what. How are invitation lists drawn up, who decides on seating plans, what are the absolute must not do rules (Trump walking ahead of QE, Michelle Obama hugging her). How are guests briefed on arrival? Buckingham Palace garden parties, investitures, State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, Changing the guard, Remembrance Day, Swan Upping Royal Ascot, State Banquets. Head of the British Armed Forces. Other links with the armed forces: Household guards, security and military units. Individual military records of members of the royal family. Household Cavalry, Life Guards, the. Blues and Royals, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards. The Crown Jewels, significance, history, symbolism explained. Worth. Security arrangements. Insurance. Chapter Ten: Royals in Church: Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals Queen as head of the Church of England. Brief history explains why. What does the role mean? Is it anachronistic or is there still some purpose? Church every Sunday. Are there chapels and employed clergy in the households? The weddings are the upbeat focal point of the monarchy, but the funerals signal the end of an era and often the beginning of a new one. Recent weddings and surge in support for a new generation of young royals. The different funerals of recent history. A look ahead to what the next ones might be like. Diana’s caught everyone by surprise. Queen Mother’s was the last v. formal one with her lying in state, or the equivalent, at Westminster. A hint towards the future ones. The baptism traditions – the same font, water from the River Jordan and the replica Christening gown. Music and liturgy. Afterword: Royal family of the future Princess Diana’s lasting legacy and the changing face of royals, Meghan’s impact. How it might change further. The Commonwealth in the 21st century.

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Book SynopsisIn August 1939, curators at the Louvre nestled the world's most famous painting into a special red velvet-lined case and spirited her away to the Loire Valley as part of the biggest museum evacuation in history. As the Germans neared Paris in 1940, the French raced to move the masterpieces still further south, then again and again during the war, crisscrossing the southwest of France. Throughout the German occupation, the museum staff fought to keep the priceless treasures out of the hands of Hitler and his henchmen, often risking their lives to protect the country's artistic heritage. Saving Mona Lisa is the sweeping, suspenseful narrative of their struggle. Trade ReviewGerri Chanel's account of how France preserved its art from both the destruction of war and the pillaging of the German occupiers reads like a thriller -- Caroline Moorehead * TLS *Fantastic ... At its best this is a story of the inhabitants of a humiliated country doing all in their power to preserve their nation's cultural heritage ... The black-and-white photographs in this book are worth of an art exhibition in themselves. * Daily Mail *Chanel's history is a work of substance and scholarship that should be part of every art history collection and required reading for anyone who cares about Western civilization. * Booklist (starred review) *A brilliant piece of storytelling explaining how the masterpieces of the Louvre escaped Göring's mantelpiece and Himmler's walls ... This is a grippingly written and meticulously researched contribution to the history of the Second World War. * The Tablet *A compelling true account of the men and women who fought to save France's heritage and a fascinating story of art and intrigue. * France Magazine *This book tells a fascinating story. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTHE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED THE NETFLIX FILM THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT. 'Secret missions, brazen deceptions and thrilling, clandestine operations - Red Sea Spies has it all. But it has something more important, too - a genuine human mission that made a difference.' David Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy'[A] thrilling and meticulous account.' The TimesIn the early 1980s on a remote part of the Sudanese coast, a new luxury holiday resort opened for business. Catering for divers, it attracted guests from around the world. Little did the holidaymakers know that the staff were undercover spies, working for the Mossad - the Israeli secret service. Providing a front for covert night-time activities, the holiday village allowed the agents to carry out an operation unlike any seen before. What began with one cryptic message pleading for help, turned into the secret evacuation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews who had been languishing in refugee camps, and the spiriting of them to Israel. Written in collaboration with operatives involved in the mission, endorsed as the definitive account and including an afterword from the commander who went on to become the head of the Mossad, this is the complete, never-before-heard, gripping tale of a top-secret and often hazardous operation.'Red Sea Spies is what really happened. There is none of the Hollywood colouring-in, and yet the book is all the more vivid for it ... part thriller, part dark comedy, all true ... Berg brings out the native drama in an improbable story of a clandestine homecoming.' SpectatorTrade ReviewRaffi Berg has, for the first time, managed to accomplish the herculean task of rendering a complex, manifold, full of human diversity story into a credible, readable, dynamic, passionate and well-documented book. -- Dani * Operation Commander *The true and most accurate story of the Mossad's Ethiopian Jewish rescue operation in Sudan over a period of around a decade has found a gifted and worthy author who deserves high praise for his monumental effort in unearthing so many key aspects that have never been publicly revealed till now. -- Efraim Halevy, Head of the Mossad 1998-2002, from his AfterwordSecret missions, brazen deceptions and thrilling, clandestine operations - Red Sea Spies has it all. But it has something more important, too - a genuine human mission that made a difference. -- David Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar SpyRed Sea Spies is what really happened. There is none of the Hollywood colouring-in, and yet the book is all the more vivid for it ... part thriller, part dark comedy, all true ... Berg brings out the native drama in an improbable story of a clandestine homecoming. * The Spectator *An amazing story of the dogged behind-the-scenes workings of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, from the late 1970s to the '90s ... From the first secret airlift until 1991, writes the author, who includes helpful maps and a list of the significant characters, 28,695 Ethiopian Jews were transported to Israel, "about 80 percent of their entire community." Berg's account of the operation - remarkable due to its duration, execution, and success - reads like a spy novel. * Kirkus *[A] thrilling and meticulous account. * The Times *[An] outstanding debut ... Berg's moving, well-researched book stands as the definitive account of this heroic rescue mission. It deserves a wide readership. * Publishers Weekly *A compelling portrayal ... providing a startling amount of detail of the day-to-day activities - putting the reader right there in the sand with the Mossad agents. * Jewish Chronicle *A tense and extraordinary story. * Choice *A book which should be on every Jewish bookshelf -- Rabbi Michael Laitner, Educational Director, United Synagogue

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Book Synopsis'All the power and intrigue of a cinematic thriller ... immersive, dramatic, and historically edifying' KirkusMoscow in the late 1970s: one by one, CIA assets are disappearing. The perils of American arrogance, mixed with bureaucratic infighting, had left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance.. The Spy in Moscow Station tells of a time when-much like today-Russian spycraft was proving itself far ahead of the best technology the U.S. had to offer.This is the true story of unorthodox, underdog intelligence officers who fought an uphill battle against their government to prove that the KGB had pulled off the most devastating and breathtakingly thorough penetration of U.S. national security in history.Incorporating declassified internal CIA memos and diplomatic cables, this suspenseful narrative reads like a thriller-but real lives were at stake, and every twist is true as the US and USSR attempt to wrongfoot each other in eavesdropping technology and tradecraft. The book also carries a chilling warning for the present: like the State and CIA officers who were certain their "sweeps" could detect any threat in Moscow, we don't know what we don't know.

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Book Synopsis'Staggeringly good... Much like Lisa Taddeo's Three Women, it reads more like a novel than a piece of non-fiction... it does what all great writing should - it puts us into the world of someone else, so completely that days later I find myself missing the couples and wondering how their stories end' Marianne Power, The Times'A profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India' Nikesh Shukla'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today - or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political' Suketu MehtaWhat would you risk for love?Twenty-first century India is a culture on fast forward, a society which is changing at breakneck speed, where two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These young men and women grew up with the internet, smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love, the weight of thousands of years of tradition cannot so easily be set aside.An extraordinary work of reportage, The Newlyweds is a portrait of modern India told through the stories of three young couples, who defy their families to pursue love. The lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. The Hindu woman and Muslim man who must escape under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent mob. And the couple from different castes who know the terrible risk they run by marrying.Writing with great insight and humanity, Mansi Choksi examines the true cost of modern love in an ancient culture. It is a book that will change the way readers think about love, freedom and hope.Trade ReviewA staggeringly good work of literary journalism... Much like Lisa Taddeo's Three Women, it reads more like a novel than a piece of non-fiction... It does what all great writing should - it puts us into the world of someone else, so completely that days later I find myself missing the couples and wondering how their stories end -- Marianne Power * The Times *Compelling, and sometimes heartbreaking -- Nilanjana Roy * Financial Times *A work of non-fiction, but written with such literary flair that you wonder whether the photos of the protagonists are a double bluff and it really is a novel after all... -- Rahila Gupta * New Humanist *If you believe in great love stories, read Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds. In this exemplary work of narrative non-fiction, Choksi follows three Indian couples for six years to bring us the most nuanced, lyrical, and moving book about love and marriage in modern India yet written. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today - or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political -- Suketu Mehta, author of MAXIMUM CITY: BOMBAY LOST AND FOUNDThis is a startlingly good book. The meticulously reported stories of three couples - and the social forces that stand in their way - are intimate, revelatory and as gripping as a novel. I couldn't put it down -- Samira Shackle, author of KARACHI VICE: LIFE AND DEATH IN A CONTESTED CITYMansi Choksi's rigorously reported, beautifully written debut signals the arrival of a major new voice in non-fiction -- Sonia Faleiro, author of THE GOOD GIRLSA profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India -- Nikesh Shukla, author of BROWN BABYChoksi's narrative structure braids the three couple strands cleverly so that, as the stakes keep rising, the tension escalates through cinematic jumps and cuts. Her scenes are alive with singular details, vivid language and crisp dialogue. The net effect is that we become so vested in the lives of these six people - and the collateral damage they leave in their wake - that they linger with us long after reading -- Jenny Bhatt * Star Tribune *A rare insight into modern love in India ... astonishing and unforgettable ... a vibrant observer whose ability lies in capturing the subtleties of life in a way that's nuanced and purposeful -- Dhruti Shah * The New Arab *This is a heart-wrenching and inspiring portrait of love under pressure * Publishers Weekly *Truly lyrical... [A] well-reported account of love in modern India * Kirkus *Love is transformative, even when it fails. That is one of the lessons of The Newlyweds. And just as it is with love, I felt most alive when reading this book -- Amitava Kumar, author of A TIME OUTSIDE THIS TIMEStunning... Mansi Choksi looks at love in modern India with the appealing perspective of both a knowing insider, and a curious, wary outsider. The result is an intimate story of India, and of the perils and pleasures of love, like no other -- Alexis Okeowo, and author of A MOONLESS STARLESS SKYBrave and insightful -- Sunny Singh, author of HOTEL ARCADIA

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of one of the thousands of Polish Families who were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan by the Soviets in 1940. The Glindzicz family had their roots in the Eastern Borderlands of Poland known as Kresy. The family held their lands in this region since before the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1648). The Glindzicz men supported all the major Polish uprisings against Czarist Russia. Mieczysław Glindzicz was a local commander in the 1863 Uprising. Despite having fought loyally side by side with Britain throughout the Second World War, when it ended, the Poles of Kresy lost their homes and lands to the Soviet Union. Kresy was the territory Russia took when she was an ally of Germany. The mother of two young boys, Maria Bitner-Glindzicz as a deportee, escaped the hardships of work on the Akmolinsk-Kartaly railway, made her way to Guzar in Uzbekistan, crossed the Caspian Sea to Persia, and via Teheran journeyed to Palestine where she joined the Polish Arm in 1943. When the war ended she was demobbed in England and met up with her sister Helena Litynska. Helena had fought with the Polish Underground forces since 1940 and in August 1944 took a part in the Warsaw ‘Rising. She was wounded during the fighting, captured by the Germans and imprisoned in various POW camps in Germany. Maria’s husband and her father were killed by the Russians sometime in 1940 around the time the family was deported. Their names are on the controversial Belarusian Katyń List. Maria lost her three brothers in the war; Julian the youngest was arrested with his father and was never hear of again, Roman died during the Polish Campaign in 1939, and Stanisław died after joining the Polish Army in Uzbekistan. When the family arrived in England in 1947 no adult male from either side of Maria’s family had survived the war.

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Book SynopsisTopf and Sons designed and built the crematoria at the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buchenwald, Belzec, Dachau, Mauthausen and Gusen. At its height sixty-six Topf triple muffle ovens were in operation - forty-six of which were at Auschwitz. In five years the gas chambers and crematoria of Auschwitz had been the engine of the holocaust, facilitating the murder and incineration of more than one million people, most of them Jews. Yet such a spectacularly evil feat of engineering was designed not by the Nazi SS, but by a small respectable firm of German engineers: the owners and engineers of J. A. Topf and Sons. These were not Nazi sadists, but men who were playboys and the sons of train drivers. They were driven not by ideology, but by love affairs, personal ambition and bitter personal rivalries to create the ultimate human killing and disposal machines - even at the same time as their company sheltered Nazi enemies from the death camps. The intense conflagration of their very ordinary motives created work that surpassed in its inhumanity even the demands of the SS. In order to fulfil their own `dreams' they created the ultimate human nightmare.

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Book SynopsisThe exquisite sound of a lone chorister singing Once in Royal David’s City amid the candlelit chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, marks the start of the Christmas festivities for millions of people round the globe. Broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Eve, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols provides a precious moment of tranquillity amongst the bustle of the festive season. Take a journey through the fascinating history of carols, from the very first - sung by the angels to the shepherds at Bethlehem - to anecdotes from contemporary King's choristers. Learn how carols have evolved from pagan songs to become one of our nation's most sacred treasures. Accompanied by lyrics and music and compiled in conjunction with Radio 4 and King’s College Chapel, Carols From King’s is the official companion for fans of Christmas and carols alike.

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Book Synopsis__________________________'The universal significance of this historic event becomes ever more relevant in our own turbulent times.' MIKE LEIGH, director of the award-winning film Peterloo__________________________The Peterloo Massacre is a revealing and compelling account of one of the darkest days in Britain's social history.On 16 August 1819, a strong force of yeomanry and regular cavalry charged into a crowd of more than 100,000 workers who had gathered on St Peter’s Field in Manchester for a meeting about Parliamentary reform.Many were killed. This violent, startling event became known as Peterloo, one of the darkest days in Britain’s social history.The Peterloo Massacre provides a revealing narrative account of the events leading up to Peterloo, starkly describes the actions of that fateful day, and examines its aftermath. It offers a new perspective on the political and military activities of the time, and shows how the very nature of society was powerfully influenced by irreversible technological change: a pattern that, two-hundred years later, still has relevance in understanding the forces shaping our world today.__________________________'One of our nation's defining moments.' STUART MACONIE'Vivid and rather brilliant.' THE TIMES'an absorbing analysis of one of the blackest days for civil liberties which this country has ever known. It is a story of heroes and villains, of suffering and carnage and of incompetence, betrayal and brutality, told with the skill of a master craftsman who makes history leap from the page fresh as the morning’s newspapers' EVENING CHRONICLE'There are many accounts of the Peterloo Massacre but none as thoroughly researched as this one. The characters . . . come alive in his easy to read style . . . there is much to be learned from Robert Reid’s description and analysis of the role and effects of technology, and I hope his book will be widely read. It should be in every school library and discussed by all those involved in the continuing search for civilised solutions to the social and political problems currently facing our people.' CAMDEN JOURNALTrade ReviewVivid and rather brilliant. * The Times *The Peterloo Massacre is an absorbing analysis of one of the blackest days for civil liberties which this country has ever known. It is a story of heroes and villains, of suffering and carnage and of incompetence, betrayal and brutality, told with the skill of a master craftsman who makes history leap from the page fresh as the morning’s newspapers . . . Mr Reid’s definitive account of Peterloo is splendidly written. * Evening Chronicle *There are many accounts of the Peterloo Massacre but none as thoroughly researched as this one. The characters . . . come alive in his easy to read style . . . there is much to be learned from Rober Reid’s description and analysis of the role and effects of technology, and I hope his book will be widely read. It should be in every school library and discussed by all those involved in the continuing search for civilised solutions to the social and political problems currently facing our people. * Camden Journal *[A] magnificent volume of dramatic history. * Manchester Evening News *From an awe-inspiring range of sources Dr Reid has constructed a narrative that reads like a political thriller in which numerous threads are drawn together in the bloody climax. Each character is fleshed out with his ambitions, abilities and achievements . . . [A] devastatingly comprehensive epic . . . The book will inform and invigorate anyone with an interest in history, drawing intriguing parallels with contemporary ideology. * Newbury Weekly News *

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Book Synopsis______________________A richly illustrated and wonderfully eclectic collection of THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPEECHES - THE OLD, THE NEW AND THE UNSPOKEN - from the author of the international bestseller, Letters of Note. Discover speeches that altered the course of history, like NELSON MANDELA’s on the day he became South Africa’s first black President, and outpourings of much-needed change, such as the impassioned, impromptu appeal for women’s rights from SOJOURNER TRUTH, an African-American woman born into slavery. Expect the gloriously unexpected, as KERMIT THE FROG takes to the podium, and celebrate lives well-lived, including TILDA SWINTON’s tribute to ‘every alien’s favourite cousin’, DAVID BOWIE. While some speeches are heard by millions, some remain unspoken: the secret draft prepared for QUEEN ELIZABETH II during a military exercise for World War III, and PRESIDENT NIXON’s chilling public announcement should NEIL ARMSTRONG and BUZZ ALDRIN become stranded on the Moon. Surprising, inspiring and shocking; moving, comforting and enlightening. SPEECHES OF NOTE: seventy-five extraordinary ways to step into someone else’s shoes. FEATURING: Malala Yousafzai * Tilda Swinton * Albert Einstein * Nick Cave * Queen Elizabeth II * Kermit the Frog * Pablo Picasso * Harvey Milk * J. M. Barrie * General Dwight D. Eisenhower * Meghan Markle * Sojourner Truth * Salman Rushdie * Panti Bliss * Nelson Mandela * Robert F. Kennedy * Virginia Woolf * Richard Nixon * Socrates * Nelson Mandela * Mark Twain * Marie Curie * George Bernard Shaw * Susan Sontag AND MANY, MANY MORETrade ReviewAnguish, hope, inclusivity, questioning, grief, love – and seemingly all the parameters of human feeling – are quite brilliantly represented. It’s a lovely dip-in collection that’ll leave you both weepy and inspired. * Scotsman *Wonderful and inspirational... [There are] many oratorical delights within this fascinating and well-presented volume... a collection of many efforts that arose emotion, mirth or wonder.... Readable and enlightening. -- WILLIAM HAGUE * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe Jewish Menorah is one of the world’s most sacred artefacts, a man-size lampstand with seven arms, made from a single block of gold, that is an iconic symbol for the Jewish people. King Solomon placed it in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Jerusalem, but by the 5th century AD, all trace of it had disappeared from the official record, and it was assumed lost. Two historical researchers, Corjan Mol and Christopher Morford, now reveal the astounding secret of what happened to the Menorah. Through their meticulous research as well as a jaw-dropping stroke of luck, Mol and Morford discovered that the Menorah was dug up from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the time of the Crusades by the Knights Templar and smuggled to France with the help of the French King Louis IX. From there it was taken to Portugal, to end up in North America after interventions by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The secret was hidden in plain sight in both France and North America, on a scale so big that it took 800 years for it to be discovered.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of the iconic football club: the glory, the scandal, the stars and its enduring influence on Italian life.Juventus utterly dominates the Italian game. Home to some of the biggest names in sport, it has won title after title, trophy after trophy. However, parallel to the success and myth, there's a murkier reality. For one hundred years the club and its billionaire owners, the Agnelli family, have been synonymous with match-fixing, doping, political chicanery and more. While La Vecchia Signora remains Italy's best-supported team, it's also its most despised.Juve! charts the story of Italy's great sporting dynasty, chronicling the triumphs and tragedies of the Agnellis, and of the icons - Boniperti, Del Piero, Ronaldo - who have been their sporting emissaries for almost a century. The pride of Italy or its dark heart? Footballing colossus or vanity project? With this unique institution, as with so much about life in Italy, things are seldom black and white...'Superbly entertaining and incisive' TLS'A compelling case for a football club encapsulating the entire psyche of Italy' Observer

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Book SynopsisSalute the remarkable Irish women who changed history in this beautifully illustrated book. From Irish women who made changes in Ireland to those who made changes abroad. From adventurers to inventors; explorers to warriors; from designers to writers; rebel leaders to presidents, this book is a true celebration of Irish Women.

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Book SynopsisExplore Dún Laoghaire and its coastal surroundings with local painter, historian and writer Peter Pearson as he reveals the story behind its transformation from rocky granite shoreline to grand Victorian ‘watering place’. Peter Pearson is a Dún Laoghaire man, familiar with every brick and stone of the harbour and town. Here he traces the social, historical and architectural development of Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey, from a stretch of granite coastline with a small fishing village up to the present day. Pearson tells the story of a harbour designed to be a refuge from storms. Begun in 1816, and built in Dalkey granite, it is one of the most attractive artificial harbours in the world. It witnessed one of the world’s first lifeboat services, the fastest mail and passenger boats of the day, and the arrival of the first railway line in Ireland. Pearson also examines the social dimension, from the early settlement and development of houses and villas, with evocative names like Sorrento and Vico, to the slum alleys of Kingstown and the first council housing. With over 250 illustrations, including early maps and many previously unseen photographs and images, this is a fascinating journey through the history and heritage of Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey. Praise for Peter Pearson’s Decorative Dublin: ‘Beautifully illustrated … contains endless riches.’ The Sunday Tribune ‘[Pearson] writes with enthusiasm and knowledge about his subject.’ Frank McDonald, The Irish Times ‘Pearson’s is an infectious passion.’ Books IrelandTrade ReviewOur gift of choice ... it should be on every Christmas list -- Councillor Mary Hanafinhandsome and multifaceted -- RTE Radio 1's Bowman on SundayOn the southern side of Dublin Bay, Peter Pearson in The Granite Coast turns his perceptive focus on a narrative sweep of life in Dun Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey, marshalling a formidable array of information. He examines social change from the settlement and development of villas, with names such as Sorrento and Vico, to the slum alleys of Kingstown and the first council housing. The book is enhanced with more than 250 illustrations, including early maps, rare photographs, watercolours and sketches, a superb accompaniment to the prose -- Irish TimesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments v Maps viii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Dublin Bay’s Granite Coast 7 From Dún to Dunleary 14 Martello Towers and the Napoleonic Threat 18 Chapter 2: The Victorian Harbour – A Masterpiece in Stone 24 From Dunleary to Kingstown 24 The Kingstown Harbour Master 41 The Lifeboat Service 43 Harbour Architecture 46 Lost Activities of Dún Laoghaire Harbour 51 The Irish Lights 52 The Harbour Company 55 Chapter 3: Kingstown: Infant City of the Steam Age 56 Royal Visit 57 Mail and Passenger Services 59 The Dublin-to-Kingstown Railway 66 Chapter 4: Birth of a Seaport Town 70 Housebuilding and the Victorian Style 70 Development of the New Town 80 Churches 85 Chapter 5: An Elegant Victorian Watering Place 94 Yachting and Sailing 94 Chapter 6: Seafront Houses and Terraces: 1840–1860 109 Residential Kingstown – The Victorian Taste 114 Chapter 7: Sandycove and Bullock 123 Sandycove’s Rocky Shoreline 123 Residential Sandycove 125 The Forty Foot 129 Bullock Harbour 130 Bullock Castle 132 Castle Park and Other Houses 136 Chapter 8: Dalkey – A Sense of the Picturesque 139 Dalkey Island 143 The King of Dalkey 146 Medieval Dalkey 146 Dalkey Quarry 151 Eighteenth-century Dalkey 153 Chapter 9: Nineteenth-century Dalkey – the Coastline 156 Sorrento Terrace 164 The Vico Road 167 Dalkey Hill 169 The Railway 172 Chapter 10: Society and Social Change 174 Terraces and Squares: Dún Laoghaire in the 1860s 174 The Royal Marine Hotel 177 Red-brick Decades 180 Charity and Social Change 186 Chapter 11: Civic Dún Laoghaire 192 Township Administration 192 Public Buildings: 1870–1900 196 Chapter 12: Culture and Amenity in Dún Laoghaire 209 Sport in Dún Laoghaire 217 Transport 218 The Coal Trade 222 Gas, Light and Telephone 225 Chapter 13: Modern Times 227 Mid-Twentieth Century 227 The Shopping Environment 229 Recent Times 232 Select Bibliography and Further Reading 240 Index 242

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Book SynopsisIt is twenty-five years since the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi of Rwanda when in the course of three terrible months more than 1 million people were murdered. In the intervening years a pernicious campaign has been waged by the perpetrators to deny this crime, with attempts to falsify history and blame the victims for their fate. Facts are reversed, fake news promulgated, and phoney science given credence. Intent to Deceive tells the story of this campaign of genocide denial from its origins with those who planned the massacres. With unprecedented access to government archives including in Rwanda Linda Melvern explains how, from the moment the killers seized the power of the state, they determined to distort reality of events. Disinformation was an integral part of their genocidal conspiracy. The génocidaires and their supporters continue to peddle falsehoods. These masters of deceit have found new and receptive audiences, have fooled gullible journalists and unwary academics. With their seemingly sound research methods, the Rwandan génocidaires continue to pose a threat, especially to those who might not be aware of the true nature of their crime. The book is a testament to the survivors who still live the horrors of the past. Denial causes them the gravest offence and ensures that the crime continues. This is a call for justice that remains perpetually delayed.Trade Review"The best overall account of the background to the genocide, and the failure to prevent it." -- General Romeo Dallaire * [For Conspiracy to Murder] *An epic and shaming story of culpability and missed opportunities... in the finest traditions of investigative journalism. -- John Pilger * [For Conspiracy to Murder] *Melvern offers a vivid picture of the role of Western nations in abetting, ignoring and allowing Rwanda's genocide. * New York Times Book Review [for A People Betrayed] *An important book by an important investigative journalist. It is thanks to the patience and dedication with which Linda Melvern works and her well earned international reputation for excellence in journalism, that she gained access to new, crucial information. Linda Melvern gets us closer to the truth and the truth gets us closer to a better world. Only when we know how and why genocide happens, can we hope to stop it from happening again. -- Linda Polman, author of We Did Nothing * [For A People Betrayed] *A very sensitive and crucial reading [of the Rwandan genocide]. -- Brad Evans * Los Angeles Review of Books *Exposes wilful deception - on the part of countries and individuals with everything to lose - to manipulate the next generation into revisionists and genocide deniers. These duped academics, journalists and other "experts" continue to propagate self-serving lies onto the victims, aiming to wreak damage as repugnant as that of the earliest colonialists. Her book does not delve in gossip-mongering, hearsay or bias. It presents the facts. And it behoves us every one to remember them. It is our moral imperative. In Intent to Deceive, Melvern clearly and concisely details the indisputable evidence of a planned genocide. -- Lt. General Rome Dallaire, * Globe and Mail *Exposes how genocide deniers have crafted an alternative history of the Rwandan genocide. This first exhaustive analysis of the history of Tutsi genocide denial is an essential resource which helps guide readers through the labyrinth of literature on Rwanda's history. * The Africa Report *Linda Melvern has made it something of a life mission to take on the Rwandan genocide deniers and debunk their poisonous fact-muddying claims. . . A clear, crisp and important contribution to the literature on the genocide. In particular Melvern forensically rebuts attempts by apologists for the genocidaires, including western academics, to suggest a moral equivalence between the parties in Rwanda. -- Alec Russell * Financial Times *A brilliant & incisive book about those who continue to deny the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. -- Simon Adams, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to ProtectA scathing indictment of those 'experts' who feed off of each other's bias and persistently ignore (and perhaps even benefit from) the lack of reflexivity on and awareness of the harm done by Western-centred knowledge on Rwanda. She shows how most of the knowledge and expertise on Rwanda disproportionately favours non-Rwandan voices, along the way distorting the experiences of survivors and victims and ignoring the expertise of Rwandans altogether. -- Alice Musabende * Wasafiri *Linda Melvern is the foremost expert on the Rwandan genocide, and her latest book picks apart the lies propagated about the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi ethnic group. ... This matters in an age when political leaders, aided by their media cronies, sacrifice the truth to enhance their re-election chances. -- Rebecca Tinsley * Independent Catholic News *

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Book SynopsisJohn Donne: In the Shadow of Religion explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the English Renaissance. The book not only provides an overview of Donne’s life and work, but connects his writing and thinking to the ideas, institutions and networks that influenced him. The book shows how Donne’s faith underpinned his career, from aspirational courtier to phenomenally successful clergyman and preacher, when he became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Donne emerges as a figure obsessed with himself, tormented by the fear that his transgressions may have condemned him to eternal damnation. This fine new account uses Donne’s correspondence, writing and poetry to give a rounded portrait of a bold, experimental thinker, who was never afraid of taking risks that few others would have countenanced.Trade Review"Hadfield evidently has wide knowledge of the period." * Sunday Times *“The great achievement of Hadfield’s book, and what sets it apart, is how convincingly it connects the seemingly disparate strands of Donne’s life and work—his lifelong struggle with matters of the soul, his paradoxical erotic and religious poetry, his marriage, his friendships, his sermons—allowing us to see above all Donne the brilliant and restless thinker.” -- James Shapiro, author of "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare"“Hadfield’s exemplary study of John Donne—a notoriously ‘difficult’ writer—is lucid and informative, yet always ready to probe towards new interpretations. Exploring lesser-known corners of Donne’s extensive output, he celebrates the ‘capacious and interconnected’ imagination of this complex, charismatic figure.” -- Charles Nicholl, author of “The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street”

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Book SynopsisPart-goat, part-man, Pan bridges the divide between the human and animal worlds. In exquisite prose, Paul Robichaud explores how Pan has been imagined in mythology, art, literature, music, spirituality and popular culture through the centuries. At times, Pan is a dangerous, destabilizing force; at others, a source of fertility and renewal. His portrayals reveal shifting anxieties about our own animal impulses and our relationship to nature. Always the outsider, he has been the god of choice for gay writers, occult practitioners, and New Age mystics. Though ancient sources announced his death, he has lived on through the work of Arthur Machen, Gustav Mahler, Kenneth Grahame, D. H. Lawrence and countless others. Pan: The Great God’s Modern Return traces his intoxicating dance.Trade Review‘A fascinating account of a strange god with meme-like reach across the ages, and a study in the temporal shape-shifting of mythology itself.’ — The Spectator; ‘Paul Robichaud’s Pan: The Great God’s Modern Return tracks the god from his origins as a guardian of Arcadian shepherds to his modern forms of trickster god primarily in the young adult genre of fiction. Along the way Robichaud examines the artwork, poetry, literature, and even music with Pan as the central figure. His prose paints a gorgeous picture of the misunderstood god and how changes in societal norms have erased or enhanced various aspects of the god over time.’ — Folklore; ‘The multiple identities and reincarnations of Pan are eloquently examined by Paul Robichaud in this fascinating book. Every age has its own version of Pan that echoes his Greek origins . . . This book is probably the most extensive study of Pan attempted. And it’s very well written. Robichaud is not only an academic but a published poet and it shows in the elegance of his sentences - sensitive and careful attention is given to the shades of meaning attached to Pan . . . And it’s not just the words but the images that captivate. The book has a generous number of colour illustrations . . . If you are looking for a pleasurable source book on everything about Pan than Paul Robinchaud’s is it. An important and self-recommending study. I loved it.’ — Alan Price, Magonia Review of Books; ‘If you are interested in Pan in any way, from his presence in literature or art to his magical presence in myth and vision, and the myriad ways that his shape flits throughout human history, be it on the edges or in our midst, then Pan: The Great God’s Modern Return is simply a must-purchase. It is, without doubt, the most wide-ranging treatment of the goat-foot god I’ve ever read, combining thorough attention to detail and research, yet at the same time highly accessible to a general reader . . . This book is a tremendous achievement and deserves a treasured place on the bookshelf of anyone who hearkens to the call of Pan.’ — Enfolding.org; ‘Simply the most wide-ranging and up-to-date exploration of the impact of Pan on the Western imagination yet written.’ — Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon; ‘We get the pleasure of seeing this goat-like god pop up everywhere from classic children’s literature to romantic novels to early environmentalist tracts . . . The result is a tour de force.’ — Pericles Lewis, author of The Cambridge Introduction to Modernism

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Book Synopsis‘England’ and ‘Englishness’ have received much attention in the twenty-first century, not least in debates over Brexit. About England explores how these concepts have been imagined since the 1960s, covering themes including politics, popular culture, geography, art, architecture, film and music. David Matless navigates the country’s complex cultural terrain, revealing the ways in which the national is entangled with the local, the regional, the European, the international, the imperial, the post-imperial and the global. He also addresses physical landscapes, from the village and country house to the urban, suburban and industrial, and reflects on the ‘English modern’. About England uncovers the genealogy of recent cultural and political debates in England, showing how twenty-first-century concerns and anxieties have been moulded by events over the previous sixty years.Trade Review'Few people know more about England and Englishness than David Matless. Read About England, and treat yourself to a magical mystery tour of all that you thought you knew.' – Robert Colls, Professor Emeritus of History, De Montfort University

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Book SynopsisRomany Gypsies have been variously portrayed as exotic strangers or as crude, violent delinquents; this book is the first real history of the Romany people, from the inside. Jeremy Harte vividly portrays the hardships of the travelling life, the skills of woodland crafts, the colourful artistic traditions, the mysteries of a lost language and the flamboyant displays of weddings and funerals, which are all still present in this secretive culture. Travellers through Time tells the dramatic story of life on the margin of society from Tudor times to today, offering vivid insights into the hidden world of England’s large Gypsy population. It will appeal to those who are curious about other cultures, as well as those who want to understand the reality behind the prejudice.

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Book SynopsisMaking the Renaissance Man explores the images, objects and experiences that fashioned men and masculinity in the courts of fifteenth-century Italy. Across the peninsula, Italian princes fought each other in fierce battles and spectacular jousts; they seduced mistresses, flaunted splendour in lavish rituals of knighting and demonstrated prowess through the hunt, in ostentatious performances of masculinity and rule. Hardly frivolous pastimes, these activities were essential displays of privilege and virility; indeed, violence underlay the cultural veneer of the Italian Renaissance. Timothy McCall investigates representations and ideals of manhood and provides a historically grounded and gorgeously illustrated account of how male identity and sexuality proclaimed power, in a century crucial to the formation of early modern Europe.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION: Making Renaissance Men CHAPTER 1: Chivalry and the Fashioning of Courtly Masculinity CHAPTER 2: Aristocratic Animals and Men at Court CHAPTER 3: Courtly Mistresses: Representation and Power CHAPTER 4: The Girl with an Ermine Between Men: Cecilia Gallerani, Leonardo da Vinci and Ludovico Sforza CHAPTER 5: Borso d'Este, Courtly Masculinity and the History of Lordly Sexuality REFERENCES SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PHOTO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn the 1880s and 1890s, Walter Besant was one of Britain’s most lionized living novelists. Like many popular writers of the period, Besant suffered from years of critical neglect. Yet his centrality to Victorian society and culture all but ensured a revival of interest. While literary critics are now rediscovering the more than forty works of fiction that he penned or co-wrote, as part of a more general revaluation of Victorian popular literature, legal scholars have argued that Besant, by advocating for copyright reform, played a crucial role in consolidating a notion of literary property as the exclusive possession of the individuated intellect. For their part, historians have recently shown how Besant – as a prominent philanthropist who campaigned for the cultural vitalization of impoverished areas in east and south London – galvanized late Victorian social reform activities. The expanding corpus of work on Besant, however, has largely kept the domains of authorship and activism, which he perceived as interrelated, conceptually distinct. Analysing the mutually constitutive interplay in Besant’s career between philanthropy and the professionalization of authorship, Walter Besant: The Business of Literature and the Pleasures of Reform highlights their fundamental interconnectedness in this Victorian intellectual polymath’s life and work.Trade Review'This dedication to the complex network of ideas and lived practice makes Walter Besant more than a mere love letter to a forgotten Victorian. Rather, it provides an integral contribution to the history of publishing and of literary production, and to studies of libralism and reform as they appeared at the end of the century.' Peter Katz, Victorians Institute Journal‘Kevin A. Morrison’s recent volume of essays, Walter Besant: The Business of Literature and the Pleasures of Reform, offers a timely and important meditation on the restoration of authors who have fallen out of favor or slipped into obscurity… The essays in this volume offer nuanced reflections on Besant’s marginal status, thoughtful speculations about his fall from popularity, and compelling arguments for bringing him back into the Victorian studies.’ Heidi Kaufman, Victorian StudiesTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Walter Besant Now Kevin A. Morrison Part One: Literary Collaborations 2. Besant and Collaboration Kirsty Bunting 3. ‘Another like me’: The Literary Partnership of Walter Besant and James Rice Richard Storer 4. ‘I have altered nothing’: Walter Besant’s Completion of Blind Love Maria K. Bachman and Don Richard Cox Part Two: Reforming Authorship 5. Walter Besant and Copyright Reform Mary Ann Gillies 6. The Author Function in Walter Besant’s Fiction: the Notion of Artistic Value in the Wake of Copyright Law and the Nationalist Restructuring of the Trade Alberto Gabriele 7. Besant, Chatto and Watt: a Literary Income in the 1890s Simon Eliot 8. Workers as Artists: From Copyright to the Palace of Delight in Besant’s Writings Ayşe Çelikkol Part Three: Authoring Reforms 9. Altruism and The Monks of Thelema: Ideals and Realities Geoffrey A.C. Ginn 10. The Ethics of Perception and the Politics of Recognition: Walter Besant’s All Sorts and Conditions of Men Kevin Swafford 11. From Happy Individuals to Universal Sisterhood: Affective Reforms in All Sorts and Conditions of Men and Children of Gibeon Vicky Cheng and Haejoo Kim Part Four: Literary Relations 12. Moral Perfectionism, Optatives, and the Inky Line in Besant’s All in a Garden Fair and Gissing’s New Grub Street Tom Ue 13. Walter Besant: A Latter-Day Dickens? Andrzej Diniejko

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary true story of survival and courage through the Holocaust.Poland, 1943. It was the last refuge of the desperate, a warren of sewers underneath their city. Above, as the Nazis destroyed the ghetto of the city of Lvov, a small band of Jews escaped into a grim network of tunnels, living for fourteen months with the city's waste, the sudden floods, the fumes and the damp, the rats, the darkness, and the despair.Their only support was a lone sewer worker, an ex-criminal who constantly threatened to leave them. Many died; some falling into the rushing waters of the river, some simply of exhaustion. At one point the survivors found themselves trapped in a chamber, filling to the roof with storm-water.Yet survive they did, even infiltrating the camps above to find their missing relatives. When the Russians liberated Lvov, they emerged from the sewers filthy, bent double, emaciated, unrecognizable... but alive.This powerful story based on a long series of interviews, and a hitherto private diary, creates a blazing testimony to human faith and endurance.

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Book SynopsisPotted history, quirky facts, sayings, hints and tips about Ireland's celebration and the saint it commemorates.The Little Book of St Patrick's Day will tell the story of St Patrick and how the holiday began, share the craic with a collection of sayings and describe how the festival is marked around the world (and in outer space).Separate the myths from the facts, find out how to celebrate at home and be dazzled by quirky facts and stats. Why is the shamrock the symbol of the day, did St Patrick really drive snakes out of Ireland and what should you eat and drink on March 17th?Find out in this pocket-sized guide to this Irish celebration that has enchanted people of all backgrounds across the globe.'For the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth o' March!' The Irish-American poet Thomas Augustine Daly, as seen on Bustle.comOn St Patrick's Day 2011, the Irish-American astronaut Catherine Coleman played a 100-year-old flute belonging to the Irish band The Chieftains, while floating weightless in the space station. Her performance was later included in a track called The Chieftains in Orbit. Table of ContentsWe need to talk about Patrick • A shot of history • Magic and myths • Having the Craic (quotes) • Global Gaelic gaiety (St Patrick's Day around world and in space) • How to celebrate

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Book SynopsisForging our identities, setting our moods and impacting our culture, any music admirer understands there's a sheer breadth of musical tastes. From the classical era to modern day, here you will discover a curation of lines from composers, musicians and writers. You will find out what music means to those who love it most, the classical musicians, composers and the music devotees around the world.Illuminating, accessible and wholly delightful, this will remind you of the might of music and the importance music holds in our lives.Whether you're looking to be inspired to play, listen or simply to explore new music, A Little Book About Music will hit all the right notes and rock your world.Sample Quotes: 'I would rather write 10,000 notes than a single letter of the alphabet.' - Ludwig Van Beethoven'Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.' - Sergei Rachmaninoff'Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.' - Maya Angelou'If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know.' - Louis Armstrong'One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.' - Bob MarleyTable of ContentsPictures on Silence • The Literature of the Heart • The Modern Era: Part 1 • A Powerful Instrument • The Modern Era: Part 2.

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Book SynopsisMichael Nelson accentuates the discrimination prevalent in the colonial period of Africa, Asia, and America. She highlights how black people suffered under colonization. They were deprived of rights, no fair play, no justice. She regrets on the concept of racism which deprives equality to black people. There was a difference between the white and black community under which the Negroes were victimized.

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Book SynopsisOne of the last criminal trials using the 1735 Witchcraft Act was, improbably, in London in 1944. The accused was Helen Duncan, a middle-aged Scotswoman. This is her extraordinary story.Helen Duncan - known since childhood as 'Hellish Nell', for her uncontainable nature - was one of the most popular mediums of the twentieth century, holding seances around the country where she was believed to manifest the spirits of the dead.What happens when we die? It was the question of the age for a generation which had endured one world war and now was living through another. Mrs Duncan's seances offered an answer. But when she started foretelling naval disasters, she also attracted the unwelcome attention of the secret service. And so just weeks before the Normandy landings, absurdly, anachronistically, she was prosecuted for witchcraft and jailed. Was Nell a conjurer, a martyr or a security risk?Hellish Nell was first published in 2001 to widespread acclaim. It remains in this revised edition a fascinating window into the unsettled spiritual and psychological mood of the times: a sensational tale of spectacle, credulity and cruelty, and of Britain's last witch.Trade ReviewMalcolm Gaskill’s brilliant book ... not only offers an indelible account of a paranoid country at war with enemies tangible and supernatural, but teasingly invites us to take our own position on witchcraft, and its unlikely practitioner. -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *A fascinating book. * Daily Mail *A great strength of Malcolm Gaskill’s book is that it provides ... a piece of working-class history: he makes Spiritualism comprehensible in the context of the utter bleakness of the lives he describes. -- Hilary Mantel * London Review of Books *Malcolm Gaskill has researched the whole story of Helen Duncan’s life with exemplary thoroughness: his account sparkles with dry humour, but it is not without sympathy too. -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *Full of quirky detours into Spiritualism’s uniquely odd hall of fame. But its chief fascination, I think, lies in the way it shows how the Spiritualist movement, for a certain group of women, proved to be more liberating than winning the vote. -- Rachel Cooke * New Statesman *Malcolm Gaskill’s book is full, admirably researched, and in parts reads as if it had been dictated from the other world. * Daily Telegraph *Extremely readable ... full of trenchant phrases and vivid analogies. It is balanced, fair and a salutary reminder, in our secularised society, that belief in the supernatural is still endemic. * Literary Review *A tremendous story ... The human relationship with magic is one in which tragedy and farce are constantly intermixed, and Malcolm Gaskill shows how vividly this was true in early twentieth-century Britain. -- Ronald Hutton * Times Literary Supplement *The colourful story of Britain’s last witch trial ... Superbly researched, densely written but mostly entertaining. * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisAt the peak of Britain''s first generation tramways, it was possible to travel by tram all the way from Pier Head at Liverpool to the Pennines in Rochdale. Amongst the chain of tramways that formed these links were the services that operated in Bolton, St Helens, Wigan and the company lines controlled by South Lancashire Tramways.

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Book SynopsisA compact, accessible guide to 37 of Wales''s celebrated castles detailing their construction, ownership and uses. Each entry is accompanied by superb photography of the castle, key points of interest and character and their position in the landscape.

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Book SynopsisWhat lies beneath the surface of the ocean has mystified humankind for millennia.We have explored more of the surface of the Moon than we have of the deep sea. From vampire squid to giant spider crabs, and from hydrothermal vents to bioluminescence, its watery depths are both fascinating and terrifying.Deep Water explores, through spectacular images and expert text, how this unique habitat came into being, what lives there and why, how it has evolved and what the future will bring for this dark and mysterious environment.Table of ContentsTimeline of Discovery • Introduction • Zones of the Ocean • How Much of the Deep Sea is Unexplored? • Nutrient Cycling • Bioluminescence • Biogenic Sediment • Megamouth Shark • Coelacanths • Azoic Hypothesis • Cambrian Creatures • Giant Spider Crab • Ophthalmosaurus • Vampire Squid • Nautilus • Stromatolites • Bathysphere • Diel Vertical Migration • Goblin Shark • Giant Squid • Cookie-Cutter Shark • Giant Oarfish • Lanternfish • Big Red Jelly • Viperfish • Whalefalls • Hagfish • Gulper Eels • Orange Roughy • Brachiopods • Anglerfish • Hydrothermal Vents • Yeti Crabs • Methanogenic Bacteria • Giant Tube Worms • Chimaeras • Blubber • Cuvier’s Beaked Whale • Paleodictyon • Foraminiferans • DSV Alvin • Abyssal Plain • Sea Squirts • Sea Spiders • Dumbo Octopus • Giant Isopods • HMS Challenger • Crinoids • Trieste • Mariana Trench • Glossary • Index • Credits

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Book SynopsisBy considering the folklore of Cornwall in a Northern European context, this book casts light on a treasury of often-ignored traditions. Folklore studies internationally have long considered Celtic material, but scholars have tended to overlook Cornwall’s collections. The Folklore of Cornwall fills this gap, placing neglected stories on a par with those from other regions where Celtic languages have deep roots. The Folklore of Cornwall demonstrates that Cornwall has a distinct body of oral tradition, even when examining legends and folktales that also appear elsewhere. The way in which Cornish droll tellers achieved this unique pattern is remarkable; with the publication of this book, it becomes possible for folklorists to look to the peninsula beyond the River Tamar for insight. A very readable text with popular appeal, this book serves as an introduction to folklore studies for the novice while also offering an alternative means to consider Cornish studies for advanced scholars. The comparative analysis combined with an innovative method of The Folklore of Cornwall is not to be found in other treatments of the subject.Trade ReviewIn making available and drawing our attention to folklore which has too often been left unnoted and unanalyzed, this volume is a gift to Cornish studies, an easy-to-read, scholarly work, which provides historic and theoretic perspective along with its valuable body of cultural information. -- Elissa R. Henken * Journal of Folklore Research *In short, we have here a truly grown-up and up-to-date study, supported by a preface from the pen of Philip Payton of Flinders University. As an appendix we have a much-needed type-index for Cornish narrative, bringing together references to tales from many parts of north-west Europe. As James points out, the list can and should be augmented by additional research. Take for instance ML 6055, ‘Fairy Cows’, where much remains to be discovered about the relationship between Hunt’s variant and the much longer one provided by Bottrell, let alone about the place in the system of congeners from farther afield. There are copious and detailed notes, and a wide-ranging bibliography that will be welcomed not least by students wedded to a comparative approach. ...The study of Cornish folklore has well and truly entered the twenty-first century. -- J. B. Smith * Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries *The author brings an unrivalled level of scholarship to the subject and shares this with the reader in plain, easily understood language. He provides a clear introduction to the science that helps us understand folklore. We quickly learn how to differentiate between myths, legends, memorates, and the importance of understanding 'folkways' as a window into the world of our predecessors. -- Merv Davey * Old Cornwall *Endorsements: 'Our first real book on Cornish folklore since 1890 … and, my goodness, it has been worth the wait. You can count the great names in Cornish folklore studies on the fingers of one hand: Bottrell, Courtney, Hunt, Tregarthen … and now, a century after Tregarthen put down her pen, Ron James. He has confirmed his membership of the club with this remarkable new work. The Folklore of Cornwall will prove an inspiration not only for Cornish scholars, but for folklorists more generally.' Simon Young, University of Virginia (Siena, CET) 'Professor James is extraordinarily well-versed in European folklore, having a seemingly exhaustive array of legends to draw upon for his comparative analysis. His explication of folktale origins is convincing as well as interesting, and his explication of their meanings as a way of explaining pre-modern beliefs is especially intriguing.' Kevin J. Gardner, Professor and Chair, Department of English, Baylor University, USA ‘His detailed research in the United States, for example, reveals how emigrant Cornish men and women took their folklore to the mining frontier of the American West, adapting it to local conditions (as in the ‘tommyknockers’), yet further evidence of the tradition’s continuing vitality and relevance. ‘Cornish folklore has been literally global in its impact and extent, and in this important book Ronald M. James encourages us to look at this fascinating subject in new and innovative ways. It is sure be the standard volume for many years to come.’ Philip Payton, Professor of History, Flinders University, Australia ‘Exploring a wealth of interesting and enjoyable tales, James sets the rich folklore of Cornwall – from the indigenous piskie to the emigrant tommyknocker – within a much wider historic and geographic context. This book is both highly informative and a real pleasure to read.’ Dr Ceri Houlbrook, Researcher in the History Group, University of Hertfordshire An important reference book -- William Orchard * Folklore *Beautifully written… While being a work of deep scholarship, this book is very accessible and eminently readable. -- Linda-May Ballard * Folk Life: Journal of Ethnological Studies *What joy! ...It is a treat to have West Country tales, legends, and traditions comprehensively covered, and be shown distinctive ways in which folklore can be contextualised, made relevant and retold. -- Helen Cornish, Fortean TimesTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface by Philip Payton Introduction Chapter 1 The Collectors Chapter 2 The Droll Tellers Chapter 3 Folkways and Stories Chapter 4 Piskies, Spriggans, and Bucca Chapter 5 Piskies and Migratory Legends Chapter 6 Seeking the Companionship of People Chapter 7 Mermaids Chapter 8 The Spectral Bridegroom Chapter 9 Giants Chapter 10 Knockers in the Mines Chapter 11 Tommyknockers, Immigration, and the Modern World Conclusion Appendix: Type Index for Cornish Narrative Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThrough a close reading of the lives and works of some of the greatest intellectuals of recent times, Adam Shatz asks: do writers have an ethical imperative to question injustice? How can one remain a dispassionate thinker when involved in the cut and thrust of politics? And, in an age of horror and crisis, what does it mean to be a committed writer?Shatz interrogates the major figures of twentieth and twenty-first century thought and finds within their lives and work the roots of our present intellectual and geopolitical situation. Charting the role of the committed intellectual through the work of Jean-Paul Sartre on the Algerian War and Edward Said's lifelong solidarity with the Palestinian people, to Fouad Ajami's role as the "native informant" for pro-intervention cause in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, alongside philosophers and critics Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida and Claude Lévi-Strauss and the novelists Michel Houllebecq and Richard Wright, each struggled to reconcile their writing and their politics, their thought and their commitments. Writers and Missionaries is an erudite and incisive work of intellectual elucidation and biographical enquiry that demands that we interrogate anew the relation of thought and action in the struggle for a more just world.Trade ReviewWhat strikes the reader immediately is Adam Shatz's range, that of his subjects and that of his learning. It tells us that these essays come from a very free and strong mind. His independence of spirit is part of the intellectual tradition of the wonderfully written work that beguiles us into contemplation, further thought. We follow his questions into the past and return with better understandings of the present. A gifted soul for our times. -- Darryl PinckneyAstounding. The range, strength and intricate connectedness of these essays by Adam Shatz offers great intellectual nourishment for the reader, and his patient engagement with the work and life of the authors he follows to illustrate his ideas is staggering. What pleasure it was to read his thoughtful essays when they were first published, and what a great boost and singular satisfaction to read them altogether in this superb book. -- Raja Shehadeh, author of We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian MemoirFor over two decades, Adam Shatz has re-animated the old Anglo-American model of the man of letters, bringing a cosmopolitan flair and moral urgency to de-politicised realms of literary criticism and intellectual journalism. His refusal of conventional pieties is consistently bracing; these selected essays brilliantly showcase his broad and extraordinarily cohesive sensibility. -- Pankaj MishraThis carefully-orchestrated compendium of Adam Shatz's essays makes a gem of a book. A keen ear and attentive eye have infused his eloquent writing with humane insight and a refined political sensibility. -- Paul GilroyThe art of literary criticism lies in combining, in a condensed form, the beauty of style and the sharpness of thought. The essays gathered in Writers and Missionaries are a model of the genre. They accomplish the difficult task of balancing political commitment with critical distance, a passion for texts with an analytical gaze. They sketch an intellectual landscape made of literary, philosophical, and filmic productions through the prism of colonialism and race, war and antisemitism, emigration and exile, and humanism and structuralism. Adam Shatz's approach to French culture as a crossroads is unconventional and refreshing. This is the art of essay at its best, and a true pleasure for readers. -- Enzo Traverso, Author of Revolution: An Intellectual HistoryReminiscent of an interview, Shatz sets up his opening question, sits back, and simply lets his subjects talk. At its heart [Writers and Missionaries] is an extended exercise in listening. -- George Adams * Oxford Review of Books *The book is infused with life-to read it is almost an antidote to the cynicism that indeed does develop from too many book reviews obviously written as favors, or strategic plays on the part of the reviewer. -- Ann Manov * Los Angeles Review of Books *Indispensable for anyone trying to think seriously about the ethical demands of writing and journalism against the backdrop of dark and even catastrophic times. -- Joshua Leifer * Jewish Currents *These probing essays on writers and artists-such as Richard Wright, Edward Said, Jacques Derrida, and Kamel Daoud-reflect Adam Shatz's abiding interests: the intellectual life of the Francophone and the Arab worlds, leftist politics, and the nature of political art. * New Yorker *A sustained and unflinching exploration of the role and formation of the intellectual in our society. -- Isabel Stevens * Sight & Sound *Lucid and stimulating. -- Thomas Lordan * Irish Times *A brilliant collection of political essays by one of our sharpest literary journalists. -- Nathan Thrall * Observer *

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Book SynopsisFirefox is down and on thin ice…The unputdownable thriller from a modern masterBadly damaged and rapidly losing fuel after a brutal dogfight, stolen Cold War super-plane Firefox is forced to land on a frozen lake twenty miles from the Norwegian frontier. When the ice breaks, pilot Mitchell Gant has no choice but to abandon the aircraft and run for his life.As NATO races against the Soviets to recover Firefox from its icy tomb, Gant is hunted across Russia by the KGB. With international tension between East and West mounting, Gant must evade capture and get Firefox back into the sky before it’s too late…Strap in for the ride of your life.The extraordinary sequel to the bestselling techno-thriller Firefox, perfect for fans of Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum.

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Book SynopsisWas Hitler 'the greatest strategic genius of all time' as Nazi propaganda had it, or just an amateur?Why was the startling success of his campaigns in Poland and France followed by the blundering mistakes in Russia, North Africa and France? Might Germany even have won the war without Hitler's continual and disastrous interference?In this extraordinary history, John Strawson answers these and other questions by showing how Hitler's insatiable preoccupation with war and conquest was translated into reality. While the power of a revitalized German army came from Hitler, Strawson examines the Fuhrer's eccentric use of the most formidable war machine the world had ever seen.This lucid story of fire and incompetence is brought alive by the accounts of those who served Hitler both on his staff and as field commanders. Perfect for readers of Ian Kershaw and Anthony Beevor.

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