History Books

Book SynopsisLose yourself in this glorious memoir of the island jewel of Corfu by the king of travel writing and real-life family member of The Durrells in Corfu.''In its gem-like miniature quality, among the best books ever written.'' New York TimesIn his youth, before he became a celebrated writer and poet, Lawrence Durrell spent four transformative years on the island jewel of Corfu, fascinated by the idyllic natural beauty and blood-stained ancient history within its rocky shores.While his brother Gerald collected animals as a budding naturalist - later fictionalised in My Family and Other Animals and filmed as The Durrells in Corfu - Lawrence fished, drank and befriended the local villagers.After World War II catapulted him back into a turmoiled world, Durrell never forgot the wonders of Corfu. Prospero''s Cell is his magical evocation of the blazing Aegean landscape, brimming with memories of the places and pTrade Review'Invades the reader's every sense ... Remarkable.' - Victoria Hislop'These days I am admiring and re-admiring Lawrence Durrell.' - Elif Shafak'Our last great garlicky master of the vanishing Mediterranean.' - Richard Holmes'Corfu could not have found a fitter chronicler.' - Daily Telegraph'A charming idyll ... Delightful.' - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisFrom the Swiss Alps to New York's hipster cheese bars, journalist Patrick McGuigan has written about cheesemakers, maturers and cheesemongers around the world for The Telegraph, Delicious and The Financial Times. He is partial to a slice of Kirkham's Lancashire. www.patrickmcguigan.com

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Book SynopsisA journey along the seemingly endless Russian border - from North Korea in the Far East through Russia's bordering states in Asia and the Caucasus, crossing the Caspian Ocean and the Black Sea along the way.Trade ReviewTruly a masterly performance . . . The book has so many qualities that it is impossible to mention them all. Fatland masters the genre to perfection . . . The Border transcends all borders. Reading it is a true delight. * Aftenposten *The strength of Fatland's second travel book lies in its ability to make history come alive through stories . . . Well-informed, precise, astute in its restraint, entertaining, balanced and not without the occasional dose of gentle irony - every chapter written by this border-crosser, who doesn't shy away from any ordeal, is captivating reading. -- Renate Nimtz-Köster * Sueddeutsche Zeitung *Masterly . . . A Norwegian Marco Polo . . . The lines of force of history become clear thanks to this thorough and well-written book by one of our best and most original young nonfiction authors. * Dagbladet *The Border is like a kinderegg, it is a travel book, a history book, and a biography of people we normally do not hear much about but to whom we become close through Fatland's long Odyssey. * V.G. *She weaves her travel narrative with stories of people whose lives have been affected by Russia's geopolitical ambitions. Armchair adventurers and Russian history buffs are in for a treat. * Publishers Weekly *The latest from Norwegian social anthropologist Erika Fatland, who's shaping up to be one of the Nordics' most exciting new travel writers . . . An examination of Russia from its fringes, this is an interesting way to 'see' a country without ever actually going into it. And it offers up some pretty epic peripheral vision. -- Sarah Barrell * National Geographic *Erika Fatland deserves both applause and thanks for this impressive mix of history, reportage and travel memoir -- Michael Dirda * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisThis is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

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Book SynopsisExam Board: OCRLevel: A-LevelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: Summer 2016Target success in OCR A-level History with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam preparation activities and exam-style questions to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.- Enables students to plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidates knowledge with clear and focused content coverage, organised into easy-to-revise chunks- Encourages active revision by closely combining historical content with related activities- Helps students build, practise and enhance their exam skills as they progress through activities set at three different levels- Improves exam technique through exam-style questions with sample answers and

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Book SynopsisIt would be hard to think of a more thoroughly Cornish name than Trelawny: it''s even the unofficial name for the Cornish anthem "Song of the Western Men". But when a mysterious stranger challenged Radio 3''s Petroc Trelawny on the authenticity of his ancestry, it inspired him to return to the lands of his boyhood to see if he can trace "a thin bloodline that would prove the link between my immediate ancestors and the ancient Trelawnys of old", and discover exactly what belonging means. A deeply felt exploration of Cornwall''s past, present and future, Petroc seeks the even stranger truths behind local legends, holds a finger up to the shifting winds of change, and conjures marvellously vivid figures and scenes from the inexhaustible depths of his memory, telling the story of loving family full of mysteries and a landscape still redolent of "Cornish otherness".

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Book SynopsisThe pelvic exam. If you've ever had one, you're probably already wincing. It might be considered a routine medical procedure, but for most of us, it is anything from unpleasant to traumatic.InExposed, noted historian Wendy Kline uncovers the procedure's fascinatingand often disturbinghistory. From gynecological research on enslaved women's bodies to nonconsensual practice on anesthetized patients, the pelvic exam as we know it today carries the burden of its sordid past. Its story is one of pain and pleasure, life-saving discoveries and heartbreaking encounters, questionable procedures and triumphant breakthroughs. Drawing on previously unpublished archival sources, along with interviews with patients, providers, and activists, Kline traces key moments and movements in gynecological history, from the surgeons of the nineteenth century to the OB/GYNs of today. This powerful book reminds us that the pelvic exam is has never been just a medical procedure, an

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers a stimulating new perspective on the history of historical studies. Through the prism of ‘scholarly personae’, it explores why historians care about attitudes or dispositions that they consider necessary for studying the past, yet often disagree about what virtues, skills, or competencies are most important. More specifically, the volume explains why models of virtue known as ‘personae’ have always been contested, yet also can prove remarkably stable, especially with regard to their race, class, and gender assumptions. Covering historical studies across Europe, North America, Africa, and East Asia, How to be a historian will appeal not only to historians of historiography, but to all historians who occasionally wonder: What kind of a historian do I want to be?Trade Review'Historians’ identities form the subject matter of this geographically wide-ranging, well-researched and theoretically framed collection of essays.'R. C. Richardson, University of Winchester, Times Higher Education, July 2019 -- .Table of ContentsNotes on contributorsIntroduction. Scholarly personae: what they are and why theymatter – Herman Paul1 The contested persona of the historian: on the origins of apermanent conflict – Ian Hunter2 Ranke vs Schlosser: pairs of personae in nineteenth-centuryGerman historiography – Herman Paul3 Fixing genius: the Romantic man of letters in the universityera – Travis E. Ross4 Generational continuities and composite personae: Frenchhistoriography from the 1870s to the 1950s – Camille Creyghton5 Pasha and his historic harem: Edward A. Freeman, EdithThompson and the gendered personae of late-Victorianhistorians – Elise Garritzen6 Interpretative and investigative: the emergence andcharacteristics of modern scholarly personae in China,1900–30 – Q. Edward Wang7 Coalescence and conflict: historians and their personae in thePortuguese New State – António da Silva Rêgo8 The emergence of the English Marxist historian’s scholarlypersona: the English Revolution debate of 1940–41 – SinaTalachian9 Of communism, compromise and Central Europe: the scholarlypersona under authoritarianism – Monika Baár10 What is an African historian? Negotiating scholarly personae inUNESCO’s General History of Africa – Larissa Schulte Nordholt11 The finitude of personae: Bryce Lyon, François Louis Ganshofand the biography of Pirenne – Henning TrüperIndex

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Book SynopsisDirtbag dreams explores the rise of mountain, ultra and trail running from niche pastime to mainstream sport. Tracing 200 years of history, Carl Morris uncovers eccentric origins, iconic races and vibrant personalities. A must-read for anyone fascinated by the culture, evolution, and endurance of this unique sport. -- .

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Book Synopsis''As powerfully intimate as it is politically incendiary'' VOGUE''Private Revolutions could be a Netflix series, for family, violence and romance abound'' IRISH TIMES ''A portrait of China through four women who refused to accept the life laid out for them. Incredible'' SUNDAY TIMES ''A revelatory, moving and tender tale of hopes, fears and change'' PETER FRANKOPAN*A Sunday Times, Observer & BBC Highlight for 2024*This is a book about the coming of age of four women born in China in the 1980s and 1990s, in a society about to change beyond recognition.It is about Leiya, who wants to escape the fate of the women in her village. Still underage, she bluffs her way on to the factory floor. It is about June, who at fifteen sets what her family thinks is an impossible goal: to attend university rather than raise pigs. It is about Siyue, ranked second-to-

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Book Synopsis*JEWISH CHRONICAL CRITICS' CHOICE: NON-FICTION OF THE YEAR 2022*'A devastatingly affecting book. . . Bunce Court! I keep saying the name to myself because it encapsulates all that is gentle and comically charming about wartime England' The Times 'Emotionally compelling' Observer'All the violence I had experienced before felt like a bad dream. It was a paradise. I think most of the children felt it was a paradise.'In 1933, as Hitler came to power, schoolteacher Anna Essinger hatched a daring and courageous plan: to smuggle her entire school out of Nazi Germany. Anna had read Mein Kampf and knew the terrible danger that Hitler's hate-fuelled ideologies posed to her pupils. She knew that to protect them she had to get her pupils to the safety of England. But the safe haven that Anna struggled to create in a rundown manor house in Kent would test her to the limit. As the news from Europe continued to darken, Anna rescued successive waves of fleeing children and, when war broke out, she and her pupils faced a second exodus. One by one countries fell to the Nazis and before long unspeakable rumours began to circulate. Red Cross messages stopped and parents in occupied Europe vanished. In time, Anna would take in orphans who had given up all hope; the survivors of unimaginable horrors. Anna's school offered these scarred children the love and security they needed to rebuild their lives, showing them that, despite everything, there was still a world worth fighting for.Featuring moving first-hand testimony, and drawn from letters, diaries and present-day interviews, The School That Escaped the Nazis is a dramatic human tale that offers a unique child's-eye perspective on Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. It is also the story of one woman's refusal to allow her beliefs in a better, more equitable world to be overtaken by the evil that surrounded her.Trade Review**Praise for The School That Escaped the Nazis**A devastatingly affecting book. [Cadbury's] chapters alternate between the nightmarish experiences of Jewish children in the Third Reich, and a kind of earthly paradise. . . Bunce Court! I keep saying the name to myself because it encapsulates all that is gentle and comically charming about wartime England. * The Times *Emotionally compelling. . . Cadbury has constructed a lively and compelling narrative * Observer *A stirring account of a German schoolteacher's efforts to build an oasis for children fleeing the Nazi advance across Europe . . . Impressively researched and vividly told, this is a captivating portrait of courage and resilience in the face of unspeakable horror. * Publishers Weekly *Extraordinary . . . Cadbury researched her book meticulously and spoke to many people with first-hand knowledge of the school and the horrors of Nazism. A wealth of references will allow other researchers to explore the same sources and references. * Who Do You Think You Are Magazine *I just loved this book. It's full of hope in terrible times, a recognition of how children develop, and how they experience pain and anxiety, and it tells the story of a remarkable woman who made hope possible and nurtured every child in her school. It's a celebration of what the human spirit can achieve. * BARONESS JULIA NEUBERGER *Anna Essinger's wartime school for Jewish refugees reminds us of the lifelong impact which one person's compassion and imagination can make on others - even in the darkest of times. Cadbury's story packs a real emotional punch. * CAROLINE SHENTON, author of National Treasures *What gives this book its immediacy and freshness is the fact that Deborah Cadbury has spoken to so many of the witnesses to a phenomenal story. The woman who brought an entire school to Kent from Germany, and saved so many children from the Nazis, was a completely heroic figure. This story is an uplifting reminder of how courage, high virtue and intelligence can overcome even the most appalling odds. At many points, with tearful eyes, I cheered - it is a book which stirs up deep emotion, and high admiration, for the author as well as its subject. * A N WILSON *A moving and meticulously documented account of how one woman first rescued and then educated hundreds of Jewish children from the horrors of Nazi Europe. A powerful story of hope at a time of tragedy and one which even though set more than eighty years ago sadly has a resonance today. * ALEX GERLIS, author of Best of Our Spies and Agent in Berlin *An inspiring, well-researched life portrait of a spectacularly heroic teacher * Kirkus *By turns heartbreaking and inspiring, I could not stop reading Deborah Cadbury's remarkable book. -- Josh Ireland, author of CHURCHILL & SONAn astonishing book. It is a both a granular catalogue of unbelievable cruelty and at the same time a testament to the determination of hundreds of thousands of kind, compassionate people of every nationality who stood up to the evils of Nazism in defence of children. But the book is not just that. It describes a woman of great guile and incredible organizational talent who outwitted Eichmann, Himmler and that whole shower of bandits whose talents for murder knew no bounds. * SIR JOHN CARR ***PRAISE FOR DEBORAH CADBURY**A gripping story beautifully told * Jane Ridley on QUEEN VICTORIA'S MATCHMAKING *From the pen of a writer of skill and style, this surprising narrative leaves you wanting more -- Paula Byrne * The Times, on QUEEN VICTORIA'S MATCHMAKING *Irresistible. This is history brought bang up to date in the hands of a master storyteller * Juliet Nicolson on CHOCOLATE WARS *Engaging and scholarly, confident and compassionate -- Kate Colquhoun * Daily Telegraph on CHOCOLATE WARS *An affecting human story, fluent and highly readable * Hilary Mantel on THE LOST KING OF FRANCE *Absolutely stupendous... This is history as it should be. I can't praise it highly enough * Alison Weird on THE LOST KING OF FRANCE *

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the lives and deaths of over 300 men, women and children buried in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery who died due to the War of Independence and Civil War. Detailed research brings their stories together for the first time with first-hand accounts of those who witnessed and participated in these historical conflicts. Through the exploration of seemingly ordinary burial records, extraordinary events are revealed. Unfolded are stories of ambushes, informers, assassinations, spies, executions, raids, mutiny and bombings, together with ordinary members of the public, caught up in extraordinary events.

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Book SynopsisAs fans of Just a Minute know, the key to the game is knowing your way around the English language: how it works, how it's evolved, and how words connect, often in surprising ways. When it comes to the English language (and Just a Minute), Gyles Brandreth has seen it all and now he's ready to put you through your linguistic paces, to become a Just a Minute expert yourself.In this wildly entertaining A to Z of verbal acrobatics, Gyles takes you on a whirlwind tour of our mother tongue from the origins of words and correct grammar and punctuation, to similes, euphemisms and record breaking tongue twisters (try getting your mouth around floccinaucinihilipification!). An idiosyncratic blend of history, word play, anecdote, and hyperbole, all in 60-second instalments, this is Gyles Brandreth at his word-perfect, Just-a-Minute best. You'll never mix your metaphors again...

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Book SynopsisThe slave, Saidiya Hartman observes, is a stranger torn from family, home, and country. To lose your mother is to be severed from your kin, to forget your past, and to inhabit the world as an outsider. In Lose Your Mother, Hartman traces the history of the Atlantic slave trade by recounting a journey she took along a slave route in Ghana. There are no known survivors of Hartman's lineage, no relatives to find. She is a stranger in search of strangers, and this fact leads her into intimate engagements with the people she encounters along the way, and with figures from the past, vividly dramatising the effects of slavery on three centuries of African and American history.Trade ReviewAn original, thought-provoking meditation on the corrosive legacy of slavery ... driven by this writer's prodigious narrative gifts. -- Elizabeth Schmidt * The New York Times *One of our most brilliant contemporary thinkers ... She's a theorist and writer who actually changes what's possible in my thought patterns -- Claudia RankineThis is a memoir about loss, alienation, and estrangement, but also, ultimately, about the power of art to remember ... A magnificent achievement. -- Henry Louis Gates JrBy addressing gaps and omissions in accounts of trans-Atlantic slavery ... Hartman has influenced an entire generation of scholars and afforded readers a proximity to the past that would otherwise be foreclosed. -- MacArthur statement[Hartman writes] with striking intimacy, evoking the feelings and the conditions of Black life -- Alexis Okeowo * New Yorker *Praise for Saidiya Hartman: "She was so smart that I thought the windows were gonna blow out, the quickness of her mind and the sharpness of her critique were breathtaking." -- Judith Butler * on meeting Hartman *She's not an 'angry Black woman. She's not Assata Shakur. But what they don't know is that, where Assata Shakur will blow your head off, Saidiya has just put a stiletto between your ribs. -- Frank B. Wilderson III, Chair of the Department of African-American stucies, UC Irivine

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling author of The King in the North turns his attention to the obscure era of British history known as 'the age of Arthur'. 'Not just a valuable book, but a distinctive one as well' Tom Holland, Sunday Times 'An accessible and illuminating book' Gerard de Groot, The Times 'A fascinating picture of Britain's new-found independence' This England Somewhere between the departure of the Roman legions in the early fifth century and the arrival of Augustine's Christian mission at the end of the sixth, the kingdoms of Early Medieval Britain were formed. But by whom? And out of what? The First Kingdom is a skilfully wrought investigation of this mysterious epoch, synthesizing archaeological research carried out over the last forty years to tease out reality from the myth. Max Adams presents an image of post-Roman Britain whose resolution is high enough to show the emergence of distinct political structures in the sixth century – polities that survive long enough to be embedded in the medieval landscape, recorded in the lines of river, road and watershed, and memorialized in place names.Trade ReviewNot just a valuable book, but a distinctive one as well -- Tom Holland, Sunday TimesAn engagingly written exploration of these 'fragments', synthesising archaeological and historical research from the last four decades, and applying a critical eye to traditional narratives passed down by medieval chroniclers and later accounts * Current World Archaeology *A remarkable tapestry in which are woven the diverse threads of archaeology, topography, folklore, linguistics, and culture to create a panorama of Early Medieval Britain and its place in the context of European history -- Seán Beattie, Donegal Annual'A worthy synthesis of what little we know' Gerard de Groot, The Times. -- Gerard de Groot, The TimesA fascinating picture of Britain's new-found independence * This England *He writes with empathy and sensitivity in this distinctive and valuable book * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis'For sheer entertainment, this rollicking account of Britain before the Great War is hard to beat, brimming as it is with swindlers, murderers and charlatans, imperialist fantasies and saucy innuendos' 'History Books of the Year', The Times'The very best sort of panoramic portrait' David Kynaston'The Edwardians have long been the lost decade of British history, yet they are that history at its climax. Alwyn Turner sets the record straight, bringing its characters, strains and stresses brilliantly to life' Simon JenkinsWhen Queen Victoria died in 1901 it was the end of an era. Many later remembered the era that followed as the long afternoon of an empire where the sun never set. Yet the Edwardians knew the country was in a state of flux; the seismic change that they felt would transform modern Britain forever.In Little Englanders, Alwyn Turner reconsiders the Edwardian era as a time of profound social change, bringing their history alive through music halls and male beauty contests, the

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Book SynopsisThe follow up to 2022's best-selling Three Castles Burning is here. Historian and Podcaster Donal Fallon returns with this exciting social and cultural history of that most venerable institution, the Dublin pub.

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Book Synopsis'Effortless and compelling, Brooks is a wonderful storyteller. I doubt I will read a better book this year.' Sunday Telegraph Each of Vermeer's paintings tells a story. In one, a military officer leans toward a laughing girl; in another, a woman stands by a window and weighs silver; in a third, fruit spills from a porcelain bowl onto a lavish Turkish carpet. Hiding in plain sight, these details hint at the intricate threads that bound Vermeer's world together - the officer's hat is made from North American beaver, bought with silver extracted from the mines of Peru, while beaver pelts were traded in their thousands for the Chinese porcelain so beloved by the Dutch in the Golden Age. From a view of Delft, Vermeer gives us the world. As a new Vermeer exhibition opens at the Rijksmuseum, the largest of its kind in history, Vermeer's Hat offers a fascinating perspective on how the burgeoning forces of trade and commerce shaped Vermeer's masterpieces.Trade ReviewSpell-binding ... as a guide to the world behind the pictures Vermeer's Hat is mind-expanding -- John Carey * Sunday Times *A brilliant attempt to make us understand the reach and breadth of the first global age -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Brook takes you into the paintings in a way that can be spookily intimate -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Brook is a gifted storyteller... spellbinding... a treasure trove of astonishing pleasures * The Lady *How brilliantly Brook connects all with all * Guardian *Revelatory * Sunday Business Post *Illuminating footnotes to Vermeer's miracles on canvas * Independent *An erudite, surprising book that finds traces of swashbuckling where you'd least expect -- Thomas Marks * Daily Telegraph *Truly mesmerising. In this accessible but authoritative study, he... shows better than anyone I've read so far, the truly subversive power of detail -- Lesley McDowell * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe Colosseum was Imperial Rome's monument to warfare. Like a cathedral of death it towered over the city and invited its citizens, 50,000 at a time, to watch murderous gladiatorial games. It is now visited by two million visitors a year (Hitler was among them). Award winning classicist, Mary Beard with Keith Hopkins, tell the story of Rome's greatest arena: how it was built; the gladiatorial and other games that were held there; the training of the gladiators; the audiences who revelled in the games, the emperors who staged them and the critics. And the strange after story - the Colosseum has been fort, store, church, and glue factory.Trade ReviewBrilliant ... arguably the best so far in Profile's excellent Wonders of the World series ... it brings the Colosseum to life in all its gory splendour. * Geographical *A work of scholarship written with the general reader in mind ... a pleasure to read. * Spectator *What the authors have given us in the proverbial multum in parvo * Sunday Telegraph *Revels in the accretions of detail and myth ... first-class scholarship and an engagingly demotic style * Independent *Stirring stuff! This is a welcome and well-written book ... it reassesses myths, politely debunks many misconceptions about what we know- and what we don't know - to put the fabulous monument in context from its founding to the present. -- Lindsey Davis, author of the Falco seriesA wonderful book, worthy of its subject: horrifying, impressive, blood-soaked, occasionally very funny and always entertaining -- Robert Harris

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Book SynopsisThe first of three volumes of John Neal's collected works. "Not only is the megalithic system largely ignored by archaeologists, it is opposed - even by the numerate among their ranks. This position is now untenable, as it can be shown that the megalithic yard shared an origin with the Sumerian cubit. And the foot-measure used in England - equivalent to a Greek foot - proves to have played a pivotal role in the whole metrological system. It is ironic that just as it is being thrown on the scrap heap of history, its historical importance is beginning to be recognised." Professor Michael Vickers, University of Oxford, review of Neal's work in Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science. 2001.

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Book SynopsisOn 'Lady Day', March 1943 a group of Christian pacifists took possession of a vacant farm in Frating, a hamlet on the Essex Tendring Peninsula. There they established a working community, inspired by their association with The Adelphi journal, where D.H.Lawrence, John Middleton Murry, Vera Brittain, Iris Murdoch, George Orwell and others shared ideas for the future with European religious radicals such as Nikolai Berdyaev, Martin Buber and Simone Weil. Frating Hall Farm provided a settlement and livelihood for individuals and families (as well as a temporary sanctuary for refugees and prisoners-of-war), and over time became a successful arable and livestock land-holding of more than 300 acres. Scorned initially by their neighbours for their anti-war views, the Frating community won respect not only through their farming achievements, but having established a touring theatre company and choir, for bringing new life to the villages and churches around them. The lost story of Frating Hall Farm is based on the reminiscences of those who grew up on the farm, together with photographs, letters and organisational records, never before seen or published. The book is a kaleidoscopic history of a farm during its eleven-year occupation, and an enquiry into the passionate religious and political ideals of the back-to-the-land movement in wartime and post-war rural England.

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Book SynopsisA man commanding unjustly and ruling tyrannically has in that no power from God.When Lex, Rex was written, the Reformation in England and Scotland was in crisis. The English Civil War had just begun after Charles I tried to impose popish rituals on the church and asserted his divine right as king to overrule parliament. Against these grandiose claims the Scottish pastor Samuel Rutherford wrote a book and changed western political philosophy forever as it led to the thinking that enabled the American revolution. In his very learned work, Rutherford shows from Scripture, classical authors, and scholastic theologians that the king is not above the law; and that when the king violates it flagrantly, the people are right to resist him, even to the point of war. The title Lex Rex is Latin for Law is King. Divine right theorists had said that the King was the law, but Rutherford reverses this and shows that natural law is above the king, and thus there are times when citizens can and must obey God rather than man.Rutherford was a practical and pastoral theologian who could soar to great heights of glorious consolation. . . But Rutherford was also a bare-knuckle brawler who was clearly able to hold his own in the theological bar fight that was the seventeenth century. You are now holding in your hands the evidence of that. ~ Introduction by Douglas Wilson

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Book Synopsis Best Food Book of 2014 by The AtlanticLooking at the historic Italian American community of East Harlem in the 1920s and 30s, Simone Cinotto recreates the bustling world of Italian life in New York City and demonstrates how food was at the center of the lives of immigrants and their children. From generational conflicts resolved around the family table to a vibrant food-based economy of ethnic producers, importers, and restaurateurs, food was essential to the creation of an Italian American identity. Italian American foods offered not only sustenance but also powerful narratives of community and difference, tradition and innovation as immigrants made their way through a city divided by class conflict, ethnic hostility, and racialized inequalities.   Drawing on a vast array of resources including fascinating, rarely explored primary documents and fresh approaches in the study of consumer culture, Cinotto argues that Italian immigrants created a dTrade Review"Written with passion and clarity, The Italian American Table represents a stunning achievement. While tackling an irresistible topic--the meaning of food in the lives of Italian immigrants and their children--Simone Cinotto has managed to write a book that should please a wide range of interdisciplinary scholars and readers."--The Journal of American History "Insightful, pathbreaking research. . . . a new perspective on the linkage between food and family. Recommended."--Choice "In clear, bright prose Cinotto focuses on the period spanning from 1920 to 1940, and thus extends beyond the years of intense Italian immigration to include generational change and later cultural reproduction… The book appropriately cleaves between Italian American immigrant's food culture and later attempts at selling 'Italian' food to white Americans… Food is part of a larger cultural economy here, and Cinotto sheds some light on its production as a symbol and commodity over several generations."--American Historical ReviewTable of ContentsCoverTitle PageContentsIllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: The Social Origins of Ethnic TraditionChapter 1: The Contested TableChapter 2: "Sunday Dinner? You Had to Be There!"Chapter 3: An American FoodscapePart II: Producing and Consuming Italian American IdentitiesChapter 4: The American Business of Italian FoodChapter 5: "Buy Italian!"Chapter 6: Serving EthnicityEpilogueNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisA History of Europe in the Modern World delves into how Europe''s history has contributed to the development of the modern world and an increasingly global society.  The twelfth edition of this classic text links specific nations, movements, and landmark events in European history to broader historical themes and problems that have shaped the contemporary era.  Readers of this text will learn about Europe''s past within the context of key historical trends, including the rise of industry and a global economy; the development of science, technology, and new forms of knowledge; social, cultural, and political movements; evolving views of human rights; and the complex relations between European nations and the wider world.  Table of ContentsKramer/Palmer: A History of Europe in the Modern World, 12e List of Chapter IllustrationsList of Chronologies, Historical Documents, Historical Interpretations and Debates, Maps, Charts, and TablesPrefaceGeography, History, and the Modern WorldCHAPTER 1: The Rise of EuropeCHAPTER 2: The Upheaval in Western Christendom, 1300 - 1560CHAPTER 3: The Atlantic World, Commerce, and Wars of Religion, 1560 - 1648CHAPTER 4: The Growing Power of Western Europe, 1640 - 1715CHAPTER 5: The Transformation of Eastern Europe, 1648 - 1740CHAPTER 6: The Scientific View of the WorldCHAPTER 7: The Global Struggle for Wealth and EmpireCHAPTER 8: The Age of EnlightenmentCHAPTER 9: The French RevolutionCHAPTER 10: Napoleonic EuropeCHAPTER 11: Industries, Ideas, and the Struggle for Reform, 1815 - 1848CHAPTER 12: Revolutions and the Reimposition of Order, 1848 - 1870CHAPTER 13: The Consolidation of Large Nation-States, 1859 - 1871CHAPTER 14: Europe's Economic and Political Ascendancy, 1871 - 1914CHAPTER 15: European Society and Culture, 1871 - 1914CHAPTER 16: Europe’s Colonial Empires and Global Dominance, 1871 - 1914CHAPTER 17: The First World WarCHAPTER 18: The Russian Revolution and the Emergence of the Soviet UnionCHAPTER 19: Democracy, Anti-Imperialism, and the Economic Crisis after the First World WarCHAPTER 20: Democracy and Dictatorship in the 1930sCHAPTER 21: The Second World WarCHAPTER 22: The Cold War and Reconstruction after the Second World WarCHAPTER 23: Decolonization and the Breakup of the European EmpiresCHAPTER 24: Coexistence, Confrontation, and the New European EconomyCHAPTER 25: The International Revolt against Soviet CommunismCHAPTER 26: Europe and the Changing Modern WorldAppendix Rulers and RegimesIndexSuggestions for Further Reading

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Book Synopsis***Winner of the Booker Prize***''ONE OF THE WORLD''S GREATEST WRITERS'' Spectator''Extraordinary'' Graham Greene ''Powerful'' The Times ''Marvellous'' Sunday TimesThe acclaimed bestselling classic of Holocaust literature, adapted into the award-winning film Schindler''s ListIn the shadow of Auschwitz, as thousands faced death in Nazi-occupied Poland, an unlikely saviour emerged. Oskar Schindler was a heavy-drinking, womanising industrialist who defied and outwitted the SS to save more Jews from the gas chambers than any other single person during World War II.Based on a true story, Schindler''s Ark is an astonishing tale of huge risks and great courage in the face of unspeakable evil.PRAISE FOR THOMAS KENEALLY''A superb storyteller'' Alan Sillitoe''One of the historical novel''s most expert practitioners'' Guardian''A grTrade ReviewAn extraordinary achievement -- Graham Greene, author of BRIGHTON ROCKBrilliantly detailed, moving, powerful and gripping * The Times *Thomas Keneally has done marvellous justice to a marvellous story * Sunday Times *This remarkable book has the immediacy and the almost unbearable detail of a thousand eye witnesses who forgot nothing * New York Times Book Review *Keneally is a superb storyteller. With Schindler's Ark he has given us his best book yet, a magnificent novel which held me from the first page to the last -- Alan Sillitoe, author of SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNINGAn extraordinary tale . . .no summary can adequately convey the stratagems and reverses and sudden twists of fortune . . . A notable achievement * New York Review of Books *A magnificent book, powerful, harrowing and beautifully written * Sunday Express *A fine and moving story * Evening Standard *Fascinating, expertly told and impossible to put down * Bookseller *Magnificent . . . Beautifully written * Mail on Sunday *A masterful account of the growth of the human soul * Los Angeles Times *An astounding story . . . in this case the truth is far more powerful than anything the imagination could invent * Newsweek *

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Book SynopsisAn accessible PB edition carrying forward the momentum of this gripping readable true life mystery/tragedy, compellingly solved by the author.

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford History of Ancient Egypt is the only up-to-date, single-volume history of ancient Egypt available in English. The accessible essays and attractive illustrations portray the emergence and development of the distinctive civilization of the ancient Egyptians, from their prehistoric origins to their incorporation into the Roman Empire, covering the period from c. 700,000 BC to AD 311. The authors - all experts working at the cutting edge of their particular fields - outline the principal sequence of political events, including detailed examinations of the three so-called ''intermediate periods'' which were previously regarded as ''dark ages'' and are only now beginning to be better understood. Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, this Oxford History also examines cultural and social patterns, including stylistic developments in art and literature. The pace of change in such aspects of Egyptian culture as monumental architecture, funerary beliefs, and ethnicity was not necessarily tied to the rate of political change. Each of the authors of this history has therefore set out to elucidate, in both words and pictures, the underlying patterns of social and political change and to describe the changing face of ancient Egypt, from the biographical details of individuals to the social and economic factors that shaped the lives of the population as a whole.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition The approach combines traditional chronological history with cultural and social historical material to produce a well rounded picture ... chapters covering prehistory and the intermediate periods are particularly good, with Seidlmayer on the First Intermediate Period and Bourriau on the Second Intermediate Period outstanding. Bryan's chapter on the 18th Dynasty before the Amarna Period is also particularly good. * Antiquity *If you only want to read one book on Egypt, then read this one ... even people who consider themselves as experts on Ancient Egypt will find much to set them thinking: And while such Egyptologists will have a field day, the casual reader will find plenty to arouse their interest, ranging from the story of the world's first strike ... to the revelation that Scotland Yard possesses a print taken from the hand of a mummy. * The Northern Echo *splendid, lavishly illustrated book ... the only single-volume work to cover 700,000 years of Ancient Egypt from the stone age to Roman conquest ... Lucidly edited by Ian Shaw ... you get the facts without the dust. An excellent choice for enthusiasts and novices alike; even better if you can persuade someone to buy for you as a present. * Roddy Phillips, Aberdeen Press and Journal *From the Stone Age to the Roman occupation in the fourth centry AD, the mighty Egyptian dynasties are brought to life in almost 450 pages ... never anything but deeply informative, without losing sight of the essential attribute of any book - readability ... both stimulating to the casual reader or keen-to-learn holiday maker and the serious student alike. * Peter Leach, North West Evening Mail *brimming with ... intriguing facts ... also provides a first-rate overview of - le progrès Egyptien - from the period when Homo erectus first stalked the land right up to Octavian's triumphant entry into Egypt in 30 BC. * Douglas Kennedy, The Times *Table of ContentsList of Maps; Acknowledgements ; Introduction ; Prehistory: Palaeolithic and Neolithic ; Predynastic Period ; Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic ; The Rise of Eqyptian Civilization ; The Old Kingdom ; The First Intermediate Period ; The Middle Kingdom ; The Second Intermediate Period ; The New Kingdom: Pre-Amarna ; The New Kingdom: Amarna and Post-Amarna ; Egypt and the Outside World ; The Third Intermediate Period ; The Late Period ; The Ptolemaic Period ; The Roman Period ; Further Reading; Chronological Tables; Acknowledgement of Sources; Index

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Book SynopsisAn engaging, richly illustrated account of parish churches and churchgoers in England, from the Anglo-Saxons to the mid-sixteenth centuryTrade Review“Christmas is the time of year when people are most likely to attend divine service, and Going to Church in Medieval England . . . tells us how they did it 800 years ago. . . . Orme also describes how the churches that punctuate our landscape came about, and who ran them.”—Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph, “2021’s Best Histories”“Nicholas Orme writes with an engaging lightness of touch while clearly laying out the functions, use and management of medieval parish churches. The result is so skilfully, successfully and thoroughly executed that it belies the complexity and scope of the task.”—John Jenkins, Times Literary Supplement“Orme’s book, a vast intricate mosaic resting atop a mountain of research, is often funny, often moving, and always fascinating. You finish it with a real feeling for the lives of normal people (so often absent from history books) in a world of great contrasts . . . a world of humour, and of sadness; a world not entirely unlike our own.”—Duncan Morrison, Daily Telegraph“A thrilling reconstruction of what you might have seen in church 800 years ago, from parishioners licking relics to noblemen punching vicars in the face.”—Daily Telegraph“Eye-opening. . . . Orme deftly shows how church language became part of everyday English.”—Harry Mount, Spectator“Prof Orme’s beady eye for lively human interest makes him very good company.”—Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Country Life“Orme explains in impressive detail what churches (and church-going) were like in the Middle Ages.”—The Week“A distinguished and highly accessible contribution to the unfolding scholarly landscape of this subject. . . . Orme is known for his scholarship on medieval children. Despite the fact that he concludes that they are an elusive presence, he provides some fascinating details.”—Kitty Turley, The Tablet“It is perhaps the particular virtue of this book that its author is every bit as interested in the everyday life of the church as he is in the sacred highpoints of sacred theatre and the beauties of medieval architecture. . . . This is, in other words, a complete picture of a whole world.”—William Whyte, History Today “Orme is an authoritative and accessible guide, and this exhaustive and lavishly illustrated study is a must-read.”—Katherine Harvey, Church Times“Professor Orme’s detailed, but very readable (and affordable) book, brings together recent scholarship to provide an accessible account of how people worshipped and practised religion in their local church. . . . It is definitely a ‘must have’ addition to any medievalist’s bookshelf.”—Richard Halsey, Friends of Friendless Churches“The book provides an accessible account of what happened in the daily and weekly services and how churches marked the seasons of Christmas, Lent, Easter and summer.”—Methodist Recorder“Nicholas Orme provides a vivid and detailed look at what it was actually like to attend church in medieval times—the sights, sounds and smells. He includes delightful details about seating arrangements, how the interior of the church would have looked, what happened to those who didn’t attend church, and much more. . . . An engaging read that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.”—Rachel Bellerby, Family Tree Magazine“Yale has served Orme especially well, with superb colour illustrations integrated straight into this text. . . . His subject is inherently visual in all its aspects, from the architecture of church buildings to the teeming daily activity that went on inside and around them.”—Diarmaid MacCulloch, London Review of Books“Orme’s mastery of the subject shines through soon enough; given his long and distinguished career, this is hardly a surprise. With a light and accessible touch he leads his readers through the give-and-take of churchgoing from the origins of the parish among the newly converted Anglo-Saxons to the role it inevitably played in the implementation of the Reformation at local level. . . . The depth and detail of his work lies in his characters, both saints and sinners with all their wants, needs, foibles, hopes, and fears.”—Serenhedd James, The Critic“This is a wonderful book; I recommend it to everyone who wants to know what actually happened in a medieval church.”—Heather Falvey, Local Historian“Nicholas Orme’s latest book on the buildings, staffing, congregations, and uses of the medieval church offers instead a broad work that is rich in detail, as it draws together geographical, social and religious complexities into a comprehensive and engaging whole.”—British Catholic History, British Catholic History“This truly fascinating book, packed with extraordinary details, was a joy to read and often a revelation.”—Marc Lloyd, Global Anglican“As well as being highly instructive, this is an enjoyable volume to read, and should be on every church archaeologist’s bookshelves.”—Warwick Rodwell, Medieval Settlement Research“The great strength of the book lies in the fact that the author never confines himself to the prescriptive but constantly strives to uncover what actually happened in medieval English parish churches . . . it will surely become essential reading for anyone seriously interested in religion in England in the Middle Ages.”—Clare Cross, Ecclesiology Today“Alert throughout to change across time, the complexities of sources, and the variety of past experience, Nicholas Orme has written a wonderful book. With great clarity and insight, he captures the human and material reality of quotidian Christian worship across the middle Ages.”—John H. Arnold, author of Belief and Unbelief in the Middle Ages“Drawing on both surviving churches and contemporary literature and attentive to gender, status, and geography, Orme explores what ordinary men and women saw, heard, and experienced when they attended church.”—Katherine L. French, University of Michigan“What actually happened in a medieval church? What was medieval worship like? Turn to this book, and you’ll find answers to all the questions you’ll ever ask.”—Nigel Saul, author of Richard II“For many years Nicholas Orme has been enlightening readers with incisive appreciations of the religious and social institutions of medieval England. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this study brings home to readers the reality of formal Christian witness as experienced by England’s medieval parishioners.”—Roger Bowers, University of Cambridge

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Book SynopsisThe definitive account of the Tokyo war crimes trials of 1946-8 and the impact the settlement has had on post-war China and Japan, and on the wider the world right up to the present day.

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Book Synopsis''Who would ever think that a book on cod would make a compulsive read? And yet this is precisely what Kurlansky has done'' Express on SundayThe Cod. Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been triggered by it, national diets have been based on it, economies and livelihoods have depended on it. To the millions it has sustained, it has been a treasure more precious that gold. This book spans 1,000 years and four continents. From the Vikings to Clarence Birdseye, Mark Kurlansky introduces the explorers, merchants, writers, chefs and fisherman, whose lives have been interwoven with this prolific fish. He chronicles the cod wars of the 16th and 20th centuries. He blends in recipes and lore from the Middle Ages to the present. In a story that brings world history and human passions into captivating focus, he shows how the most profitable fish in history is today faced with extinction.Trade ReviewA must-have book for anyone who loves fish. Kurlansky was innovative (and is now much imitated) in writing a book about how a commodity shaped history. * The Week *This is an extraordinary little book, unputdownable, written in the most lyrical, flowing style which paints vivid pictures and, at the same time, punches into place hard facts that stop you dead in your tracks. Who would ever think that a book on cod would make a compulsive read? And yet this is precisely what Kurlansky has done -- Sir Roy Strong * Express on Sunday *An engrossing and timely little epic * Scotsman *To go out and buy a book on the subject (of cod) is to invite glances of suspicion. While a few eccentrics might think this is a good reason to purchase several copies, for the rest of us it requires a certain leap of faith. Cod...amply rewards such a leap. It is compact and beautifully produced * Mail on Sunday *Refreshing and invigorating, full of fascinating facts * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn January 1928 Stalin, the ruler of the largest country in the world, boarded a train bound for Siberia where he would embark upon the greatest gamble of his political life. He was about to begin uprooting and collectivization of agriculture and industry across the entire Soviet Union. Millions would die, and many more would suffer. Where did such great, monstrous power come from? The first of three volumes, the product of a decade of intrepid research, this landmark book offers the most convincing explanation yet of Stalin''s power.Trade ReviewIn its size, sweep, sensitivity, and surprises, Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is a monumental achievement: the early life of a man we thought we knew, set against the world - no less - that he inhabited. It's biography on an epic scale. Only Tolstoy might have matched it -- John Lewis Gaddis (author of THE COLD WAR)Stalin has had more than his fair share of biographies. But Stephen Kotkin's wonderfully broad-gauged work surpasses them all in both breadth and depth, showing brilliantly how the man, the time, the place, its history, and especially Russian/Soviet political culture, combined to produce one of history's greatest evil geniuses -- William Taubman (author of KHRUSHCHEV: THE MAN AND HIS ERA)Stephen Kotkin's first volume on Stalin is ambitious in conception and masterly in execution ... combines biography with historical analysis in a way that brings out clearly Stalin's great political talents as well as the ruthlessness with which he applied them and the impact his policies had on Russia and the world. This is a magisterial work on the grandest scale -- David Holloway (author of STALIN AND THE BOMB)Stephen Kotkin's biography of Stalin, of which this but the first of three volumes, is a most impressive achievement. Based on both archival and printed sources, it treats in meticulous detail the early years of a tyrant who was destined to become one of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century -- Richard Pipes (author of RUSSIA UNDER THE BOLSHEVIK REGIME)

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Book Synopsis'Peter Hopkirk is truly the Laureate of the Great Game' Jan MorrisTrade Review'Brilliant' * Patrick Leigh Fermor, Daily Telegraph *'There can be few more fascinating subjects, or few authors better qualified to write about it' * Fitzroy Maclean, Independent *'Immensely readable and magisterially detached. A gripping and impressive narrative of adventure and war' * Financial Times *'Hopkirk's brilliant and engrossing account remains the classic text on how to handle the various and often dangerous people who inhabit the region, fill of tips and warnings for the Game's current players.' * BBC History Magazine *'Fans of political history and adventure are in for a treat as publishing house John Murray reissues its Peter Hopkirk series' * Siân Gibson, Geographical Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating new take on the world of Shakespeare.

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Book Synopsis''Highly readable, exciting and thought-provoking'' - Hilary Mantel''A gem of blood-and-thunder storytelling'' - Dominic SandbrookIn medieval England, man was the ruler of woman, and the King was the ruler of all. How, then, could royal power lie in female hands?In She-Wolves, celebrated historian, Helen Castor, tells the dramatic and fascinating stories of four exceptional women who, while never reigning queens, held great power: Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou. These were women who paved the way for Jane Grey, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I - the Tudor queens who finally confronted what it meant to be a female monarch.

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Book SynopsisExam board: OCRLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst teaching: September 2015First exams: Summer 2016 (AS); Summer 2017 (A-level)Put your trust in the textbook series that has given thousands of A-level History students deeper knowledge and better grades for over 30 years.Updated to meet the demands of today's A-level specifications, this new generation of Access to History titles includes accurate exam guidance based on examiners' reports, free online activity worksheets and contextual information that underpins students' understanding of the period.- Develop strong historical knowledge: in-depth analysis of each topic is both authoritative and accessible- Build historical skills and understanding: downloadable activity worksheets can be used independently by students or edited by teachers for classwork and homework- Learn, remember and connect important events and people: an introduction to the period, summary diagrams, timelines and links to additional online resources support lessons, revision and coursework- Achieve exam success: practical advice matched to the requirements of your A-level specification incorporates the lessons learnt from previous exams- Engage with sources, interpretations and the latest historical research: students will evaluate a rich collection of visual and written materials, plus key debates that examine the views of different historians

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