History Books

Book Synopsis'A daily taste of eternity in the midst of time'BBC Radio 4 staple Thought for the Day has been running for 50 years, aiming to capture the mood of the country and speak to it in a way that reaches people of all faiths and none.Take a tour of half a century of daily reflections from some of our most prominent and insightful thinkers, including Pope Benedict XVI, Desmond Tutu and Mona Siddiqui. Covering our changing attitudes to sexuality, science, politics, national life, international relations and more, Thought for the Day charts the constant evolution of British society from its uniquely timeless perspective.

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Book SynopsisBargain Hunt is a British institution, entertaining audiences for over 20 years, and encouraging us to look for diamonds in the rough at antique fairs and shops across the country. A Bargain Hunt is more than just a quest for cash, though - from traveller's trunks and tea caddies to walking canes, coins and quirky costumes, each of the items chosen has their own story to tell, forming a small part of our collective social history.The Bargain Hunt Spotter's Guide to Antiques is packed with essential information from the Bargain Hunt experts on identifying quality across a range of antiques. From makers' marks and tell-tale historical styles to details in foils and finials, this will be your one-stop guide to making good choices on your own bargain hunt - while also delving into the fascinating stories behind many of our favourite antiques.With a foreword from Natasha Raskin Sharp, as well as tips, advice, and stories throughout from each of the show's experts (including 'league tables' of best and worst finds), this is the essential companion to all your future Bargain Hunts!Trade ReviewBargain Hunt is a right bobby-dazzler * The Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisOn Easter Sunday, 23 April 1916, the seven members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood’s military council met to proclaim an Irish Republic with themselves as the provisional government. After a week of fighting with the British army on the streets of Dublin, the Seven were arrested, court-martialled and executed. Cutting through the layers of veneration that have seen them regarded unquestioningly as heroes and martyrs by many, Ruth Dudley Edwards provides shrewd yet sensitive portraits of Ireland’s founding fathers. She explores how an incongruous group, which included a communist, visionary Catholic poets and a tobacconist, joined together to initiate an armed rebellion that changed the course of Irish history. Brilliant, thought-provoking and captivatingly told, The Seven challenges us to see past the myths and consider the true character and legacy of the Easter Rising.Trade Review‘In telling the stories of perhaps the most influential of all Irish national heroes…Ruth Dudley Edwards has written a fascinating, balanced and highly readable book based on thorough research.’ * The Times *‘Fascinating and penetrating…innovative and engaging…can be welcomed as an important contribution to the discussion and a serious contribution to our understanding of an extremely complex and challenging period in modern Irish history.’ * Irish Independent *'With its sharp observations…as well as its demystifying impulse and wry alertness to every nuance of 1916-symbolism, The Seven is an important book. It disentangles the strands of motivation and aspiration which previous generations had tended to lump together'. * Times Literary Supplement *'Fascinating' * Catholic Herald *‘Highly entertaining and engagingly irreverent.’ * New York Times Book Review *'Dudley Edwards…clearly knows how to entertain as well as inform. This book feels like the result of a lifetime's research, neatly condensed into a colourful narrative that readers of all political persuasions should be able to enjoy'. * Sunday Business Post *'Dudley Edwards brings a forensic eye to these rebel lives'. * Literary Review *'A first rate read. Moving the narrative along with colour, verve, pace and attitude' * Sunday Independent *'If the Easter Rising was a passion play in which real gore was spilt, Dudley Edwards represents its leading actors as terrorists rather than freedom fighters. But she brings them to life with empathy and zest'. * Sunday Times *'The sketches are succinct, sympathetic and sometimes mordantly funny'. * Evening Standard *'Absorbing and insightful'. * Irish Times *‘Written with great verve and zest, as well as judicious tough-mindedness, Ruth Dudley Edward’s The Seven is an overdue reexamination of the remorseless nationalist faith that led not only to the Easter Rebellion but to the Troubles beyond. For anyone keen on understanding why the question of Irish identity and Irish nationhood remains so vexed, Ruth Dudley Edwards's study is essential… The Easter Rebellion has inspired fine historians, from F. S. L. Lyons and J. J. Lee to Charles Townshend and Lord Bew. Now, to their illustrious company, we can add Ruth Dudley Edwards.’ * The Weekly Standard *‘Ruth Dudley Edwards’ The Seven offers astute pen portraits of the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion. Her analysis of how these complex men, idealistic but also uncompromising, led a rebellion is a superb introduction to this period of momentous change in Irish history.’ -- Colm Tóibín‘[A] detailed examination of the seven signatories to the proclamation that launched the Rising… The author’s deft character studies bring these larger-than-life figures down to Earth and she explores their motivations and failings as well as their deeds. Personal details, such as the fact that one of the seven named his dog Kruger, after the South African leader who fought Britain in the Boer War, show the depth of their resentment of British rule.’ * Chicago Review of Books *‘A provocative, personal, fascinating, and utterly readable contribution to a hugely important debate.’ -- Richard English, author of Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA‘A fine, well-researched and beautifully-written ground-breaking book by a leader in her field.’ -- Andrew Roberts F.R.S.A., bestselling author of Napoleon the Great‘No one has done more to reinvigorate debate about the 1916 Rising than Ruth Dudley Edwards.’ -- Lord Bew, Irish History and Politics, Queen’s University, Belfast‘...a probing and detached appraisal of the seven revolutionaries who placed Ireland on a fateful course in 1916. It seeks to explore and explain rather than condemn or disparage. Connolly, Pearse, Clarke and the others obtain more sympathetic treatment from Ruth Dudley Edwards than many of their hagiographers are likely to provide.’ -- Tom Gallagher – Emeritus Professor in Peace Studies, University of Bradford, author and commentator‘The folly, the courage and the tragedy of the Easter Rebellion have never before been presented with such clarity and brilliance. At times, it reads like the work of fiction that it is not, as Ruth Dudley Edwards, with a novelist’s unerring narrative skill, interweaves the lives of the seven signatories of the Proclamation from their disparate beginnings to their common end. To have brought such dazzling freshness to a very familiar story is an extraordinary achievement. Nothing less than a masterpiece.’ -- Kevin Myers, Sunday Times columnist and author of Watching the Door‘Ruth Dudley Edwards brings a unique perspective to bear on the leaders of the Easter Rising: empathetic, interrogative, and highly conscious of the questions raised and left unanswered by their sacrificial gesture of rebellion. With this book she completes the analysis begun with her path-breaking study of Patrick Pearse nearly forty years ago, providing a group biography of the disparate revolutionary leaders and a clear-eyed consideration of the legacy they left. It should be required reading.’ -- R. F. Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History, University of Oxford‘The leaders of the 1916 Rising are generally regarded by Irish nationalists as heroes and they are honoured as the founding fathers of the Irish Republic. A minority take the view that the Rising was unnecessary and undemocratic. In a timely re-assessment, the respected historian Ruth Dudley Edwards looks at the legacy of seven leaders of the Rising, including the legacy of violence which has blighted Ireland in the century since. Her book deserves a wide readership both by traditional nationalists and by those who believe it is time to reassess the legacy of the Rising.’ -- Seán Donlon, former head of the Irish Diplomatic Service

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Book SynopsisDistinguished Professor Abraham Ascher offers an impressive blend of engaging narrative and fresh analysis in this perennially popular introduction to Russia. Newly updated on the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia: A Short History begins with the origins of the first Slavic state, and continues to the present-day tensions between Russia and its neighbours, the rise of Vladimir Putin, and the increasingly complex relationship with the United States.Trade Review"A brilliant balancing act. A comprehensive introduction for the general reader." * Rusistika *

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Book SynopsisSince Qaddafi’s ousting in 2011, Libya has been beset by instability and conflict. To understand the tumultuous state of the country today, one must look to its past. With great clarity and precision, renowned regional expert Ronald Bruce St John examines Libya’s long struggle to establish its political and economic identity amidst the interference of external actors keen to exploit the country’s strategic importance. This authoritative history spans the time of the early Phoenician and Greek settlements, colonization by Mussolini’s Italy, Qaddafi’s four decades of rule and, in this updated edition, the internal rivalries that have dominated the country in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Essential reading for those seeking a greater understanding of this complex North African state, Libya: From Colony to Revolution is an insightful history, rich in detail and analysis.Trade Review‘An excellent political history of Libya…engaging.’ * Irish Times *‘Of all the books on Libya, Bruce St John’s is easily the most comprehensive and approachable.’ * Washington Post *‘A timely and necessary book…fluid in its writing and measured in its judgements.’ * New Internationalist *‘Excellent… accessible, informative and presented with clarity… You won't find a much better overview of Libya than this.’ * Herald *‘An excellent general overview, accessible, informative and presented with clarity… Until the secret archives in Tripoli have been raked over, you won’t find a much better overview of Libya than this.’ * Libya Herald *‘An excellent and concise history of this complex country.’ -- George Joffé, Centre of International Studies, Cambridge University‘Ronald Bruce St John is a committed scholar of Libya…his book offers the measured and confident tone of someone deeply familiar with the subject matter.’ * Richard Phelps, Quilliam Foundation, Journal of North African Studies *‘An excellent account of Libya’s often contentious history: clear, concise, accurate and balanced. It will be the best general work on the country available for the foreseeable future, very useful to anyone interested in the country.’ -- Lisa Anderson, James T. Shotwell Professor Emerita of International Relations, Columbia University‘For the general reader as well as for those with a good level of knowledge of Libya, there is perhaps no one better situated to...explain the country’s current and future dilemmas than Ronald Bruce St John…[an] admirable history.’ * Diederik Vandewalle, International Affairs *‘Rich in historical detail...containing rare insights into Libyan leader Qaddafi’s thinking, particularly on foreign affairs. Indispensable for every serious student of Libya or North Africa.’ -- Michele Dunne, Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace‘An outstanding book...the best short history of Libya. St John has made us accustomed to first-rate analyses of Libya; this book is no exception and no students of Libya, from undergraduates to experts, could afford not to have it on their shelves.’ -- Yahia H. Zoubir, Professor of International Relations and International Management, and Director of Research in Geopolitics, Euromed Management, Marseille School of ManagementTable of ContentsPreface to Third Edition Preface to Second Edition Preface to First Edition Maps and Illustrations Note on Transliteration Select Chronology of Libyan History 1 Early History Historical Setting Phoenician Settlements in Tripolitania Greek Influence in Cyrenaica Roman Influence in Libya Arab Invasions Fatimids (910–1171) Hilalian Invasion Almoravids, Almohads, and Hafsids in Tripolitania Medieval Cyrenaica and Fezzan Lasting Impressions 2 Ottoman Occupation, 1551–1911 First Ottoman Occupation (1551–1711) Karamanli Dynasty (1711–1835) Barbary Wars Second Ottoman Occupation (1835–1911) Sanusi Order Foreign Schemes and Initiatives Young Turk Revolution Transformation 3 Italian Colonial Era, 1911–43 Misplaced Optimism Early Resistance and Collaboration Nascent Political Movements Tripoli Republic, 1918–22 Riconquista, 1923–32 Italian Colonial Policy Jewish Community Impact of Italian Occupation 4 Struggle for Independence, 1943–51 Liberation and Occupation Wartime Discussions Great Power Gridlock Regional and Domestic Politics Collide American Strategic Interests United Nations Decides Arab Nationalism, Aid, and Base Rights Conflicting Interests 5 United Kingdom of Libya, 1951–69 Socioeconomic Inheritance Palace System of Power Alliance Politics Western Dependence Impact of Oil National Identity Rise of Arab Nationalism Monarchy in Perspective The End 6 One September Revolution, 1969–73 Young Revolutionaries Great Power Denouement Primacy of Oil Socioeconomic Change Freedom, Nationalism, and Unity Popular Revolution Third Universal Theory 7 Revolution on the Move, 1973–86 The Green Book Direct Popular Authority Rush to Socialism Hydrocarbon Policy Confrontation with the West Arab Disunity Third Circle Declining Influence Abroad Confined to the Libyan Playhouse 8 Consolidation and Reform, 1986–98 Revolution within the Revolution Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses Weapons of Mass Destruction Lockerbie European Relations Status Quo in Africa Turn to the Maghrib Rule of International Law Mounting Opposition 9 Libya Resurgent, 1998–2007 Out of Africa Looking East and West European Relations War on Terror Economic Reform Hydrocarbons, the Exception Social Conditions Political Developments Qaddafi’s Libya 10 A New Day Dawns, 2008–11 Socioeconomic Reform Political Reform Human Rights Africa Europe United States Arab Spring February 17 Revolution Military Events Political Developments End of the Beginning 11 Post-Qaddafi Libya General National Congress Elections Islamists Ascendant Constitutional Drafting Process Descent into Chaos Libyan Political Agreement Time for a Reset Europe United States Arab World Africa Who Lost Libya? Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisMary Berg was fifteen when the German army poured into Poland in 1939. She survived four years of Nazi terror, and managed to keep a diary throughout. This astonishing, vivid portrayal of life inside the Warsaw Ghetto ranks with the most significant documents of the Second World War. Mary Berg candidly chronicles not only the daily deprivations and mass deportations, but also the resistance and resilience of the inhabitants, their secret societies, and the youth at the forefront of the fight against Nazi terror. Above all The Diary of Mary Berg is a uniquely personal story of a life-loving girl’s encounter with unparalleled human suffering, and offers an extraordinary insight into one of the darkest chapters of human history.Trade Review"Without qualification, this reviewer recommends Mary Berg's diary to everybody" * The New York Times *"A moving record of terrorism" * Kirkus Reviews *"Berg’s powerful record of those terrible times is astonishingly lucid. The strength of her memories and the intensity of her experiences are naturally heart-breaking. This extraordinary, chilling memoir is essential reading for everyone" * Independent *"One of the most important documents in the age of Hitler" * San Francisco Chronicle *"What makes her account stand out is her novelist's eye: this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read." * Scotsman *"Mary Berg’s diary records the dignity of man, his moral consciousness. Once again we are reminded that amid blazing homes, flame-swept streets and mass murders there were human beings who admitted no defeat." * The New York Times *"Direct, sharp-eyed and full of compelling detail, this Diary is both a major resource for historians and a richly compelling human document" * The Times Literary Supplement *"What makes her account stand out is her novelist's eye: this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read" * Scotsman *"Mary Berg’s diary records the dignity of man, his moral consciousness. Once again we are reminded that amid blazing homes, flame-swept streets and mass murders there were human beings who admitted no defeat." * The New York Times *"Direct, sharp-eyed and full of compelling detail, this Diary is both a major resource for historians and a richly compelling human document." * The Times Literary Supplement *"This powerful testament documents Nazi brutalities. Berg is a remarkably clear-eyed, skillful and heart-breaking recorder of thos terrible years." * Publishers Weekly *"this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read." * Scotsman *"This book […] gave me nightmares. But that is how colourful the writing of Berg is, how intense this one family’s story is and how it can have an impact on the world. A must-read for everyone" * Atlanta Jewish Times *"…book is gripping and reads well. It is hard to put the book down because Berg’s Writings…to share it with the world so many years later is a treasure. I believe it is a must-read for everyone" * Atlanta Jewish Times *"Mary Berg’s diary reminds us, Jewish life under the Nazis consisted of light as well as shade" * Jewish Chronicle *Short announcement of books existence * Detroit Jewish News *"A heartbreaking record of [Mary Berg's] experiences growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto" * The Good Book Guide *"The Richness of Berg’s memories and the intensity of here experiences record for posterity a chilling account of childhood during the Holocaust." * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisMary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Millicent Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Constance Markievicz, Nancy Astor They terrorised the establishment. They fought for the vote. They pushed back boundaries and revolutionised our world. For the hundredth anniversary of the historic moment the franchise was finally extended to women, here is a selection of suffragette and suffragist activists and pioneering MPs from the pages of Jenni Murray’s bestselling A History of Britain in 21 Women. Set against the backdrop of a world where equality is still to be achieved, it is a vital reminder of the great women who fought for change.Trade Review‘Celebrates the defiant spirit of Britain’s groundbreaking heroines’ * Daily Mail *‘The perfect introduction to the female pioneers who spearheaded the women’s movement and the fight for women’s suffrage.’ * Vintage Life *

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Book SynopsisGraham Greene saw the Castros rise; Sarah Rainsford watched them leave. From the street where Wormold, the hapless hero of Greene’s Our Man in Havana, plied his trade, BBC foreign correspondent Rainsford reports on Fidel’s reshaping of a nation, and what the future holds for ordinary Cubans now that he and his brother Raul are no longer in power. Through tales of literary ghosts and forgotten reporters, believers in the revolution and dissidents, entrepreneurs optimistic about the new Cuba and the disillusioned still looking for a way out, Our Woman in Havana paints an enthralling picture of this enigmatic country as it enters a new era.Trade Review‘An unmissable insight into a still hidden world.’ -- Mishal Husain‘[A] colourful and affectionate account of this complex and fascinating place.’ * Literary Review *‘Rainsford confronts a country of enigmatic contradictions with eyes and heart wide open in this fascinating, enlightening read.’ * Booklist *‘Sarah Rainsford has written a lively and detailed account of her time in Havana and evokes the spirit of Graham Greene in delightful and surprising ways.’ -- Thomas P. O’Connor, director of Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene, and Professor Emeritus, James Madison University

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Book SynopsisFor almost two centuries, followers of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority, have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation's ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Baha'is have been barred from entering the nation's universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and hundreds more imprisoned and tortured. Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Baha'is have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.Trade Review‘The sheer scope, breadth, and depth of this history of religious persecution of the beleaguered Babis and Baha’is of Iran is masterful, impressive, and instructive, especially as to its contribution to present-day thought and implications for the future… 175 Years of Persecution is essential reading for any serious study of religious persecution in the Middle East (especially in Iran) and is a valuable contribution to human-rights literature.’ * Reading Religion *‘An exceptional book written in an exceptional time in the modern evolution of an ancient nation… a comprehensive and heart-breaking, infuriating but incisive, eloquent yet scholarly account of a virulent, obsessive hatred that has profoundly shaped the construction of Iran’s modern identity. It is a masterful weaving of abstract historical events with intimate stories of suffering, demonstrating how the choices made by the wielders of power shape the lives of ordinary people going about their lives.’ * Iran Press Watch *‘175 Years of Persecution offers a lucid academic account of the lives of the Baha’is under such intolerable conditions… This book is a must-read for all interested in modern Iran.’ -- Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Professor of History, University of Toronto‘Vahman, a very learned specialist in Iranian studies, offers a significant addition to our understanding of modern Iranian history… Important reading.’ -- Roy Mottahedeh, Gurney Research Professor, Harvard University, and author of The Mantle of the Prophet‘Fereydun Vahman’s book 175 Years of Persecution provides, in accessible narrative vignettes, a sweeping account of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i community. Many articles and reports have documented the persecutions, but usually focusing on a chronologically and geographically confined space, often with a clinical approach. However, like Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee on the genocidal campaign against Native Americans, or James Allen’s Without Sanctuary, a visual history of lynching in the American south, here we have a work that brings the human impact to the fore. Vahman weaves together a larger story from individual, mob, or state-sponsored acts of murder, arson, gravesite desecration, imprisonment, dismissal from jobs, deprivation of pensions and education, etc. In clear and readable prose suitable for students, activists, and the general public, this book memorably describes the beleaguerment of the Baha’i community in Iran since its inception and makes it clear why the situation of Baha’is has been described as a bellwether of the prospects for true political rights and civil society for the entire Iranian polity.’ -- Franklin Lewis, Associate Professor of Persian Language & Literature, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements Introduction: The “Enigma” of the Baha’i Religion in Iran PART ONE: Persecution During the Qajar and Pahlavi Dynasties, 1844–1979 Chapter 1: Why Were the Babi and Baha’i Faiths Suppressed in Iran? Chapter 2: The Violent Repression of the Babis and Baha’is during the Qajar Period Chapter 3: The Baha’is during the Reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 4: Baha’is in the Reign of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 5: The Shahrud Incident Chapter 6: Eighty-One Stab Wounds: The Murder of Dr Berjis in Kashan Chapter 7: True Crime: The Incident at Abarqu Chapter 8: The Events of 1955: Hojjat al-Islam Falsafi, the Ramadan Broadcasts, and the Military Occupation of the Baha’i Center PART TWO: The Islamic Republic in Confrontation with the Baha’i Faith Chapter 9: Baha’i Persecution during the Last Days of the Shah’s Regime Chapter 10: The Baha’is—the First Victims of Oppression in the Islamic Republic Chapter 11: The Persecution of Baha’is under Bazargan and the Revolutionary Council Chapter 12: The Presidencies of Banisadr and Raja’i Chapter 13: Arrests and Executions of the Baha’i Assemblies, 1981–85 Chapter 14: The Destruction of Baha’i Holy Sites and Community Resources Chapter 15: After Ayatollah Khomeini: The Escalation of Persecution Chapter 16: Efforts at Reform under President Khatami Chapter 17: Escalating Repression under President Ahmadinejad (2005–13) Chapter 18: An Obsession with Conspiracy Theories in the Islamic Republic Chapter 19: Systematic Humiliation: Being Labeled Ritually Unclean (Najes) Chapter 20: The Perspectives of Iran’s Grand Ayatollahs on the Baha’i Faith Chapter 21: The Appeals of International Organizations and the Iranian Diaspora Epilogue Postscript Appendix Glossary Select Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisFollowing the 1953 coup that toppled the democratically elected government of Mossadeq and restored the rule of the Shah in Iran, Mostafa Sho‘aiyan became a key figure on the country’s militant left. From a life underground he contributed significantly to the study of Iranian history and politics, and developed a unique theory of revolution. A Rebel’s Journey provides fascinating insights into the life and work of this singular theoretician. Peyman Vahabzadeh sets Sho‘aiyan’s thought in the context of his time and place, and explores how his revolutionary theory might contribute to today’s expanding movements for social justice and liberation.Trade Review‘Through a comprehensive study and analysis of Sho‘aiyan’s writings, Vahabzadeh seeks to revive his work, not merely by demonstrating his contributions to Iranian revolutionaries but by demonstrating his value as an international thinker with continued relevance. Vahabzadeh accomplishes this by engaging with Sho‘aiyan’s revolutionary theories – specifically his concepts of enlighteners, frontal politics, and rebellious thought – to suggest how they could be used by today’s Left in launching resistance against the capitalist world system.’ * Middle East Journal *‘An original intellectual, a prolific writer, a poet, a Marxist theorist, a revolutionary leader, a critical thinker, a visionary of a future that never was – what strange interpreter of dreams has Peyman Vahabzadeh unearthed from the forgotten layers of a people’s history. We once thought Mostafa Sho‘aiyan was a mirage – in this utterly brilliant work of revolutionary love you’ll learn he was for real.’ -- Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature, Columbia University‘This is an elegant and original account of the life, times, and intellectual and theoretical contributions of the Iranian revolutionary Mostafa Sho‘aiyan. It is, in particular, a timely work, emphasising Sho‘aiyan’s continuing relevance in an era of “savage, globalised capitalism”.’ -- Stephanie Cronin, Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Research Fellow, University of Oxford‘An elegiac meditation on one of the most sophisticated revolutionary political theorists of modern Iran. Meticulously researched, A Rebel’s Journey resituates Sho‘aiyan’s long-neglected oeuvre at the center of the Iranian intellectual history and the history of anti-colonial liberation struggles of the Global South.’ -- Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University‘Deeply informed and passionately engaged, this is an exceptional work of scholarship, reconstructing the life and thought of pre-revolutionary Iran’s most exceptional figure on the left… Vahabzadeh has done a wonderful job of intellectual restoration and remembering, while showing an intriguing path forward to the revolutionaries of our time.’ -- Afshin Matin-Asgari, Professor of Middle East History, California State University, Los Angeles‘An outstanding interpretive and critical overview of the vast body of Mostafa Sho‘aiyan’s writings. Peyman Vahabzadeh masterfully reveals Sho‘aiyan’s cosmopolitan and frontal theory of rebellion, and his singular and uncanonical leftism.’ -- Mojtaba Mahdavi, Professor of Political Science, University of AlbertaTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations for Sho‘aiyan’s Major Works Note on Translation and Transliteration Introduction: Reactivating Distorted Histories 1 The Making of a Singular Revolutionary 2 Experiences and Experiments in the 1960s 3 Facing the Fadaiyan 4 On Intellectuals 5 Frontal Politics, Frontal Thinking 6 Rebellious Essence, Rebellious Action Conclusion: The Twenty-First-Century Revolutionary Theory Appendix: The Question of the People Images Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisDemocracy today is widely regarded as an ideal form of government. Yet in practice it sometimes seems a sham, a political puppet show in which hidden elites pull all the strings. As trust in elected representatives around the world plunges, it is no wonder that democratic revolts have erupted – from Cairo to Kiev and beyond – in an effort to ‘take back control’. In this urgent and lively history, James Miller reminds us that democracy has always generated tensions and contradictions. Through philosophical debates and violent uprisings, it has been contested, corrupted, and refined. In different times and different places – from ancient Athens to revolutionary France to post-war America – its meaning has shifted in surprising ways. For over two thousand years, the world has experimented with democracy. But can it really work – especially in complex modern societies?Trade Review‘An attractively broad and accessible account of democracy from the Greeks to the present… Particularly timely.’ * New York Review of Books *‘What makes the book compelling is its focus on colorful thinkers, activists, and political leaders who lived and breathed the democratic moment throughout history… Miller shows that democracy’s ascent is best seen not as a gradual unfolding of a political principle driven by reason and moral destiny but rather as a grand roller coaster ride of struggle, revolution, and backlash. Today’s populist outbursts look quite ordinary alongside this history.’ * Foreign Affairs *‘In this smart, tremendously readable history, Miller tackles the paradox at the centre of the democratic dream… Both challenging and accessible, this title is highly recommended.’ * Booklist, starred review *‘The strength of this book lies…in the exquisite portraits it paints of characters who stand behind the immortalized Pericles, Robespierre, and Thomas Jefferson… [Miller] forces the reader to sit up and realize that history isn’t a definitive greyed parchment beyond reproach, but actually a living force constantly capable of new interpretation and meaning in our current world… Like the ekklesia in Athens, the constituent assembly in Versailles, and the soviet in Petrograd – Can Democracy Work? offers insightful context on how our own body politic will survive these turbulent times.’ * Christian Science Monitor *‘Distinguished historian of ideas James Miller’s short history of democracy and its different meanings is both compulsive and compulsory reading for our sometimes shockingly disenchanted times. Ever optimistic, Miller remains enamoured of his native United States’s striking experiment in cosmopolitan self-governance, and stands proudly and persuasively tall for liberal – and democratic – ideals.’ -- Paul Cartledge, author of Democracy: A Life‘This is a bold, eloquent, and utterly convincing history of what democracy has meant and should mean – from the Assembly of Ancient Greece to the anti-Trump resistance. James Miller has produced one of the wisest reflections on the glories and limits of popular rule I have ever read.’ -- Michael Kazin, author of War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914–1918‘At the very moment of democracy’s apparent endangerment, one of its best friends offers up the most capacious and inspiring history of it ever composed. From the Greeks to the present, Miller’s light touch and profound insight join each other on every page to make this a truly indispensable work for the present crisis.’ -- Samuel Moyn, author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World‘No one is better qualified to wrestle with the riddle of democracy than James Miller, which is why I have been eagerly awaiting this brilliant and necessary book. Can Democracy Work? is an eloquent, clear-eyed account of democracy’s myriad challenges. This concise and compelling history deserves to be read and debated by all of us who still dare to dream of a society of equals. These pages left me feeling better prepared and reinvigorated to work toward a more democratic future.’ -- Astra Taylor, director of What is Democracy? and author of The People’s Platform‘James Miller, who has illuminated democracy’s radical possibilities, now offers some sharp reflections on how those possibilities have fared over the centuries. At a moment when the very meaning of the word is up for grabs, Miller brings us back to philosophical essentials as forged by contingency, contradiction, and human folly. Refreshing and unsettling, here is some political intelligence in a dark and confusing time.’ -- Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy‘This sharp, spirited, engaged intellectual history of democracy, including its recent and often loose coupling with liberalism, combines an appraisal of both inherent and situational pitfalls with an appreciation of redemptive possibilities. If democracy is protean, what matters, this rich work teaches, is the quality of our normative choices and institutional imagination.’ -- Ira I. Katznelson, Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisA BBC History Magazine Book of the Year A writer, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer, Sir Walter Ralegh lived more lives than most in his own time, in any time. The fifth son of a Devonshire gentleman, he rose to become Queen Elizabeth’s favourite, only to be charged with treason by her successor. Less than a year after the death of his Queen, Ralegh was in the Tower, watching as the scene was set for his own execution. Patriot or Traitor is the dramatic story of his rise and fall.Trade Review‘What brings the book to brilliant life is Ralegh’s voice. In conversation with his writing, Beer’s prose soars… It’s hard not to think Sir Walter would have approved.’ * Guardian *‘Beer’s book is a rigorous and readable take on her subject – it captures the full scope of the character of Ralegh, one that remains frustrating, but endlessly fascinating.’ * The Times *‘This beautifully written and impeccably researched biography offers a fresh perspective on one of the most colourful and controversial characters of the Tudor and Stuart age. The hero of Elizabeth I and the scourge of her successor, Ralegh is brought to life as never before.’ -- Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors‘With colourful detail and astute interpretation, esteemed historian Beer follows Ralegh’s dramatic rise and disastrous fall… the full story is well-told here.’ * Booklist *‘Heroic, grasping, gifted, a poet and politician, an explorer, dreamer and schemer – an iconic renaissance man brought vividly to life in this work of maturity, judgement and humanity.’ -- Sarah Fraser, author of The Prince Who Would Be King‘A fascinating investigation of Ralegh – bringing to life this complex, mysterious character, and the beginnings of the Elizabethan Empire in all its brutal reality – showing us the world he travelled and the Queen herself, commanding, frustrating, and unpicks the truth of his shocking and rapid fall from power.’ -- Kate Williams, author of Rival Queens‘A fascinating reappraisal. Beer brings Ralegh to life as a man, as well as providing exceptional detail on the times in which he lived. I highly recommend it.’ -- Elizabeth Norton, author of The Lives of Tudor Women‘Writing with pace and personality, Anna Beer captures Sir Walter Ralegh in all his paradoxical complexity: his bravery and intellectual energy, the man of violence who also wrote passionate poetry, his lust for life competing with a desire for a good death. Sometimes drawn to Ralegh and at other times repelled by him, Anna Beer assays his career with honesty and sharp observation.’ -- John Cooper, author of The Queen’s Agent‘Much of what we think we know about Sir Walter Ralegh – potatoes, tobacco, spreading his cloak over a “plashy place” – is fable. The real story is far more exciting. Here was a man who both achieved and failed extravagantly, who was both hated and loved excessively, and who both lived life and faced death courageously. In this fascinating, eloquent and scholarly new book, Anna Beer reveals the full measure of the man.’ -- Suzannah Lipscomb, author of The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII

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Book SynopsisIn July 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to bring an end to the brutal eight-year war with Iraq. Over the next two months, under the orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, political prisoners around the country were secretly brought before a tribunal panel that would later become known as the Death Commission. They were not told what was happening and did not know that one ‘wrong’ answer concerning their faith or political affiliation would send them straight to the gallows. Thousands of men and women were condemned to death, many buried in mass graves in Khavaran Cemetery in the vicinity of Tehran. Through eyewitness accounts of survivors, research by scholars and memories of children and spouses of the deceased, Voices of a Massacre reconstructs the events of that bloody summer. Over thirty years later, the Iranian government has still not officially acknowledged that they ever took place.Trade Review‘Powerfully moving testimonies from prisoners who survived the brutal crackdowns in Tehran in 1988 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini… A wrenching, important work of historical scholarship demanding justice for the victims.’ * Kirkus, starred review *‘A multifaceted record of state violence and its astounding impacts… Nasser Mohajer’s substantial compilation is a vital contribution to the record of this still-suppressed history.’ * World Literature Today *‘Voices of a Massacre is a unique and creative portrayal of [a] tragic reality… International promoters of human rights ought to be grateful to Nasser Mohajer for producing an insightful and invaluable testimony to prove that the Islamic Republic of Iran is guilty of committing crimes against humanity.’ * Mansour Farhang, Center for Human Rights in Iran *‘Once again the lesson must be learned that not all massacres are reported and acknowledged as the brutal and systematic killings that they are. What geopolitical reasons are there for having kept the history of the Great Massacre of 1988 in Iran from being told? This indispensable volume, Voices of a Massacre, takes the reader through that history, exposes the well-constructed oblivion to which this history has been consigned, and assembles the testimonies of political prisoners and those who mourn their losses. It documents the various arduous efforts to appeal to the government, the media, and international authorities to recognize and condemn this crime, and weaves together the acts of resistance among those who are fighting for this history to be told and known. This is an urgent and belated book that draws on multiple archives to establish the systematic death-dealing of the late 1980s in Iran, as well as the unforgivable and complicitous silence on this period of lethal violence. That history is established through many voices and genres, all of which constitute a living testimonial, a collective act of mourning, and a resounding call for justice.’ -- Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor of Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Precarious Life and The Force of Nonviolence‘Nasser Mohajer writes for the same reasons as George Orwell—“desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and to store them up for the use of posterity”. This is an invaluable testimony to the shameful 1988 prison massacres that the authorities denied, regime historians tried to vaporize, and many others either minimized or glossed over its medieval essence. The Inquisition that oversaw the mass executions was not only horrific but also unprecedented in the whole of Iran’s long history.’ -- Ervand Abrahamian, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Iranian and Middle Eastern history and politics, Baruch College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, and author of A History of Modern Iran‘Voices of a Massacre is a testament to the human capacity to resist, survive, remember, and respond ethically to others—even at the very limit of what a person can bear. It is gut-wrenching and difficult to read, and that is precisely why we must read it, as slowly and carefully as necessary to absorb what has happened and to grasp what must be done. The book is a truly amazing achievement.’ -- Lisa Guenther, Queen’s National Scholar in Political Philosophy and Critical Prison Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, and author of Solitary Confinement: Social Death and Its Afterlives‘Voices of a Massacre is an unsparing account of Untold Stories of Life and Death, vital for understanding the cruelty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, yet unique in presenting human qualities of resistance, hope, despair, and fear under the condition of imprisonment. Through insightful narrations one can imagine and sense people’s desire for survival when pushed to life’s extremes. An agonizing, but not-to-be-evaded read.’ -- Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, University of Toronto, and author of Revolutionary Learning: Marxism, Feminism and Knowledge‘Voices of a Massacre is a valuable response to the “duty of memory”. Through both analysis and testimony, it provides a profound series of reflections on the shocking 1988 mass killing of political prisoners that continues to cast a long shadow on the people of Iran. By surfacing the historical truth, this unique collection helps confront the culture of denial and impunity that stands in the way of a better future built on the supremacy of human rights.’ -- Payam Akhavan, Professor of International Law, McGill University, and author of In Search of a Better WorldTable of ContentsAcknowledgments A Note on Translation and Transliteration Foreword Preface Chapter One: In Hindsight The Great Massacre | Nasser Mohajer Chapter Two: Voices of Survival Testimonies (Women’s Prison) This Is a Warning: “We Plan to Kill You” | Mahnaz Saida Summer 1988 | Anahita Rahmani He Held His Head Up | Nazli Partovi A Taste of Mortadella: Reflections on Massacre and Resistance | Shokoufeh Sakhi Reynaldo Galindo Pohl’s Inspection of Evin Prison | Laleh Mastour Testimonies (Men’s Prison) Chronicle of a Crime | Iraj Mesdaghi Life-Bestowing Telephone Call | Mehdi Aslani Awaiting Our Fate | Nasser Kh. A Defining Moment | Mehrdad Neshati Melikiyans Chapter Three: The Massacre in the Provinces Still an Enigma | Fatemeh Jokar Interviewing Ms. Zaher Executions in the Provinces: Summer 1988 | Assad Saif Chapter Four: The Mothers of Khavaran Past and Present | Nasser Mohajer Anoush Brought Me Back to Life | Said Afshar Interviewing Forough Lotfi A Note on Two Letters | Nasser Mohajer Human Rights in Iran | Brigitte Behzadi To the UN Human Rights Commission | Brigitte Behzadi The Mothers of Khavaran: A Unique Movement | Nasser Mohajer Chapter Five: Sons and Daughters of the Perished Speak Out Home | Samad Kiani Thirty Years | Saiid Ismati Open Letter to My Father’s Hangmen | Lale Behzadi Testifying: A Journey into the Past Ahead of Us | Chowra Makaremi My Father, Ahmad Danesh | Stefan Parvis Töpelmann Chapter Six: A Call for Justice The Iran Tribunal: Justice in the Making | Shokoufeh Sakhi The Movement for Seeking Justice in Iran: Which Strategy? | Mojdeh Arasi and Homayoon Ivani Never Again | Jafar Behkish Appendix A: Unearthing a Crime Against Humanity in Bits and Pieces | Kaveh Yazdani Appendix B: Political Parties and Organizations of 1980s Iran Appendix C: Chronology of the Massacre | Fatemeh Jokar Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisOn 8 February 1971, Marxist revolutionaries attacked the gendarmerie outpost at the village of Siyahkal in Iran’s Gilan province. Barely two months later, the Iranian People’s Fada’i Guerrillas officially announced their existence and began a long, drawn-out urban guerrilla war against the Shah’s regime. In Call to Arms, Ali Rahnema provides a comprehensive history of the Fada’is, beginning by asking why so many of Iran’s best and brightest chose revolutionary Marxism in the face of absolutist rule. He traces how radicalised university students from different ideological backgrounds morphed into the Marxist Fada’is in 1971, and sheds light on their theory, practice and evolution. While the Fada’is failed to directly bring about the fall of the Shah, Rahnema shows they had a lasting impact on society and they ultimately saw their objective achieved.Trade Review‘A definitive history of the Iranian People’s Fada’i Guerrillas. Theoretical frameworks are interwoven with historical narrative, and riveting anecdotes are tempered by conceptual discussions. In one volume, Ali Rahnema has compiled a comprehensive guide to understanding the ideology, activities, and legacy of the Fada’is… He has masterfully told the Fada’is’ story, including their writings, their successes, and their failures, leaving readers with the impression of the Fada’is as serious, brave, influential, and ideologically driven patriots.’ * Iranian Studies *‘Ali Rahnema has produced the most comprehensive and deeply engaging narrative to date of the revolutionary left in Iran during the 1970s… A masterwork, a must-read!’ -- Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University‘Meticulous and riveting, this book works like a time-tunnel, taking us back to experience “first-hand” the dramatic heroics and painful tragedy of radical political opposition in 1960s–1970s Iran.’ * Afshin Matin-Asgari, author of Both Eastern and Western: An Intellectual History of Iranian Modernity *‘Delivers like a ray of hope… This book is an act of redemption, not just of the Iranian Marxist revolutionaries but of the spirit of the age that demanded armed uprising against tyranny.’ -- Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature, Columbia University‘Call to Arms is a significant study of Iran’s militant left in the 1960s and 1970s. By exploring a broad range of primary and secondary source material it closely examines the formation and operational dynamics of Iran’s radical opposition during the Cold War.’ -- Ali Gheissari, Professor of History, University of San Diego‘Rahnema has done the staggeringly difficult task of offering us a meticulously researched history of the life and times of the Fadaʾis in late-Pahlavi Iran.’ -- Roham Alvandi, Associate Professor of International History, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Violence as a political option? Demonizing the armed opposition Why resort to political violence? The four Iranian Marxist theoreticians of armed struggle 2 Hasan Zia-Zarifi’s account of why armed struggle The culprit: Absolutist despotic monarchism Reflections from prison 3 Amir-Parviz Pouyan’s account of why armed struggle Literature in the service of politics Armed struggle: Rational or irrational? A necessary theoretical digression Pouyan on the necessity of armed struggle as a rational choice Refutation of the theory of survival Pouyan’s incisive impact 4 Masʿoud Ahmadzadeh’s accounts of why armed struggle Demystifying classical notions of how and when to take up arms The fruitful retreat The Debray factor: From Havana to Tehran via Mashhad Learning from the past Breaking with the old sacred cows Armed struggle by the revolutionary vanguard 5 Bijan Jazani’s accounts of why armed struggle Mysteries around What a Revolutionary Should Know To confront a monarchical military dictatorship Revolutionary intellectuals: The dynamite of the revolutionary movement Jazani’s paradoxical hints Revolutionary agents and the question of leadership in a despotic or democratic Iran 6 The Tudeh Party’s awkward tango with armed struggle Ideological rift over revolution-making Iranian students take sides The Tudeh Party’s reluctant approval of armed struggle The Tudeh Party pushes back against armed struggle Revolution means employing peaceful methods of struggle The Tudeh Party denounces armed struggle What did the revolutionary Marxists think of the Tudeh Party? 7 Monarchists, Maoists, and the Tudeh Party in unison: armed struggle is counterrevolutionary adventurism For Nikkhah the red revolution turned white Kourosh Lashaʾi’s rejection of romanticism and embrace of realism The Tudeh Party: We told you so 8 Armed struggle and Marxist canonists Historical determinism or revolutionary voluntarism? Marx and Engels: Wavering over the role of violence? Lenin on violence, unequivocal? Trotsky: Dissonance between intellectual revolutionary consciousness and backward economic conditions invites violence 9 Armed struggle and Marxist revolutionaries Mao Tse-tung’s revolutionary authority Che Guevara’s revolution-making to overthrow dictators Carlos Marighella: Unleashing violence to end dictatorial violence Marighella in Iran via Baghdad 10 Formative years of the Jazani group Jazani the entrepreneur Whence it came Student political activities First phase of the Jazani Group Jazani and The Message of University Students Second phase of the Jazani Group The political and propaganda branch The operational and military branch The military operation that should have happened but did not Ghafour Hasanpour’s networks: Recruiting behind the scenes 11 Jazani Group compromised First raids The remnants of the Jazani Group under siege Bank robberies The decision to leave the country The final nabs 12 The new Hasanpour, Ashraf, and Safaʾi-Farahani Group: Preparations and operations Picking up the broken pieces Organizing armed struggle: Three teams The first urban operations of the H-A-S Group 13 The Pouyan, Ahmadzadeh, and Meftahi Group The dissimilar but inseparable Pouyan and Ahmadzadeh Enter ʿAbbas Meftahi Pouyan’s circles at Mashhad and Tabriz Ahmadzadeh’s membership in Hirmanpour’s circle Meftahi’s Sari and Tehran circles The P-A-M Group’s military operations before Siyahkal An ethical digression: To press or not to press the trigger 14 Armed struggle in Iran: Rural or urban Theoretical positioning Ahmadzadeh gently parts with the Cuban model Jazani: Rural Iran not the ideal revolutionary base Jazani’s change of heart: Emphasis on rural/mountainous warfare 15 Merger discussions for “Iran’s revolutionary armed movement” The painful and slow process of negotiation Last hurdle: Convincing the P-A-M rank and file The mountain group’s five-month reconnaissance mission Postponements 16 The H-A-S Group hounded The beans are spilled The arrests begin The mountain team compromised 17 The Siyahkal operation Assault on the Siyahkal Gendarmerie Station on 19 Bahman The aftermath of the assault The nineteen-day odyssey of the retreating guerrillas 18 Assessing the Siyahkal strike Objectives of the Siyahkal strike: Ahmadzadeh, Ashraf, Safaʾi-Farahani Siyahkal as a military operation: Fumbles and blunders The regime’s first public response to the Siyahkal strike The Ranking Security Official’s spectacle 19 The Hamid Ashraf factor Schooling Ashraf in the eyes of fellow combatants Three years of guerrilla struggle in perspective Ashraf violent and authoritarian? 20 Hemming the guerrillas or cultivating a guerrilla culture? The Shah declares the end of terrorist activities in Iran The Golesorkhi affair Revolutionaries of the Film School of the Iranian National Television Slaying heroes: Fuel on fire 21 Jazani’s questioning of armed struggle Challenging the theory and practice of the Fadaʾis Looking for new forms of struggle Underlining the role of legal methods of struggle A matter of trade-off 22 Softly disarming armed struggle to regain the trust of the masses Step one: The correct stage in the movement Step two: Walking on two legs Step three: Iran’s paradoxical political condition, democratic and despotic Step four: The guerrillas’ conflicting remits, or unity of opposites Step five: Armed propaganda and the combined method of struggle Two interpretations of armed struggle The issue of objective conditions of revolution How long would it take the masses to join the movement? Saving the armed movement from the unhealthy leftist tendency 23 Jazani’s ideological offensive in prison Spreading the good word Open schism in prison Where did the original members of the Jazani Group stand? The secretive delinking of armed struggle from the movement The misunderstood or conflicted theoretician 24 The Fadaʾi interface, inside, outside prison Indirect interactions between Ashraf and Jazani in 1973 On the correct method of struggle: The Fadaʾis and the Star Group Summer 1974: Armed struggle as strategy and tactic has the upper hand Reading about the correct method of struggle in People’s Combat Familiarity with and reaction to Jazani’s works outside prisons 25 Fadaʾi leadership debating correct methods of struggle A discreet Jazani special issue of People’s Combat Growing a second leg? Political activities in 1976 discussions with the Marxist Mojahedin Does Ashraf take sides in May/June 1976? 26 Bird’s-eye view of armed struggle (1971–1976) The guerrillas’ persistent presence Guerrillas highlighted: Partial transparency The news blackout and the Fadaʾis’ rising success Changing tides: Expansion, exposure, and beleaguered The Fadaʾis’ relations with Libya, Palestinian groups, and the Soviet Union The shock of state terrorism Fadaʾis under attack The Fadaʾis without Ashraf 27 Guerrillas conducting the regime’s requiem Students at home beat on the drums of war University turmoil and campus guards Policy of zero tolerance The student backlash to the Golesorkhi affair Winds of change 28 The regime’s requiem: The players abroad Iranian students abroad rallying against the regime Iranian students abroad take their cue from the guerrillas Radical methods to put the Shah’s regime on the spot 29 Prelude to the Shah’s free fall The Western press reveals secrets Disdain for torture The grand anti-Shah conspiracy A last-ditch effort against the guerrilla–CISNU coalition Beating a fatal retreat Conclusion Chronology Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis‘Beguiling.’ The Times ‘Compelling.’ Wall Street Journal ‘A vivid portrait.’ Daily Mail Buried in the history of our most famous jail, a unique story of captivity, violence and race. It's 1812 – Britain and America are at war. British redcoats torch the White House and six thousand American sailors languish in the world’s largest prisoner-of-war camp, Dartmoor. A myriad of races and backgrounds, some are as young as thirteen. Known as the ‘hated cage’, Dartmoor was designed to break its inmates, body and spirit. Yet, somehow, life continued to flourish behind its tall granite walls. Prisoners taught each other foreign languages and science, put on plays and staged boxing matches. In daring efforts to escape they lived every prison-break cliché – how to hide the tunnel entrances, what to do with the earth, which disguises might pass… Drawing on meticulous research, The Hated Cage documents the extraordinary communities these men built within the prison – and the terrible massacre that destroyed these worlds. ‘This is history as it ought to be – gripping, dynamic, vividly written.’ Marcus RedikerTrade Review‘Beguiling.’ -- The Times‘Meticulously researched… a vivid portrait.’ -- Daily Mail‘Easily the most comprehensive study to date (and probably for quite a long while)… a vivid reconstruction of the experiences of the men who endured Dartmoor, as well as the hundreds who did not survive… a compelling story of human indifference, cruelty and endurance.’ -- TLS‘The Dartmoor Massacre provides the dramatic climax of Nicholas Guyatt’s The Hated Cage, a compelling and compassionate study of the largest overseas contingent of American POWs before World War II… a vivid and convincing reconstruction.’ -- Wall Street Journal‘This is history as it ought to be – gripping, dynamic, vividly written, and altogether brilliant in its interpretation. Nicholas Guyatt has liberated a motley crew of American sailors from the double darkness of Dartmoor Prison and our own poor historical memory.’ -- Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship: A Human History‘A beautifully narrated tale that starts with a forgotten massacre in an English prison and opens out on to a truly epic global canvas. This book illuminates how profoundly Black history underpins the national stories of Britain and the United States – and of the world beyond.’ -- Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent‘Captivating, heartbreaking and uplifting, The Hated Cage takes us on a journey to human creativity and resilience even when violence is lurking on the surface. It shows us the power of togetherness in the midst of suffocating conditions.’ -- Olivette Otele, author of African Europeans‘In this brilliant book, Nick Guyatt tells the fascinating story of a long-forgotten massacre of American sailors in a British prison. While that tale on its own is gripping, The Hated Cage uses this prison drama to unlock a range of insights about life and death across the nineteenth-century Atlantic world. A must-read work.’ -- Kevin M. Kruse, professor of history, Princeton University‘In Britain, American military cemeteries dot the landscape, none more forgotten or haunting than the one at Dartmoor, with 271 American sailors from the War of 1812. Guyatt has written a stunning, revealing history of one of the darkest and most inhumane outposts of the British empire, hidden in plain sight and historical memory in southwest England. The book is a withering tale of race and the suffering fate of seamen in the age of sail. It is also a brilliant reminder of why we do research and why we remember.’ -- David W. Blight, Sterling Professor at Yale, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom‘In Guyatt’s truly extraordinary recovery of Americans imprisoned long ago, he has excavated a most disturbing racial as well as carceral past, one that will feel disturbingly familiar, and one that underscores on every page the imperative of finally reckoning with white supremacy if there is to be a different future.’ -- Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water‘Nicholas Guyatt’s absorbing story of the early nineteenth-century Dartmoor prison “massacre” asks who was an American and could Black men, detained as British as prisoners of war, be citizens? Told by way of archival sleuthing and exacting analysis, The Hated Cage is a fascinating study of how ideas about racism and the state became fused to one another in the early American republic. It is a must-read for anyone concerned with the origins of the anti-Black thought of our own time.’ -- Martha S. Jones, author of Vanguard‘Mostly set in a prisoner-of-war camp located on an otherworldly English moor, Nicholas Guyatt’s The Hated Cage is history at its most beguiling. Guyatt expertly synthesizes critical maritime and prison scholarship to give us a unique window into war, repression, racial violence, and incarceration in early modern American history. Anyone interested in exploring the meaning of the American Revolution would do well to lay off its founding fathers and read Guyatt’s account of long-ignored, tellingly so, events in Dartmoor’s “Black Prison”.’ -- Greg Grandin, Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History, Yale University‘A gripping book that tells the forgotten account of the events that occurred in Dartmoor prison in 1815. In The Hated Cage, Guyatt masterfully centres attention on an intriguing cast of characters to document in clear detail the histories of race, violence and the struggles for survival that sit at the heart of the entangled connections between Britain and the US.’ -- Imaobong Umoren, associate professor of international history, London School of Economics and Political Science‘[A] colorful account… Expertly weaving digressions on the history of incarceration and the racial dynamics of America’s shipping industry into the narrative, Guyatt delivers an engrossing look at an intriguing historical footnote.’ * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA magisterial and sweeping history of modern Africa.The end of the Second World War signalled the rapid end of the European African empires. In 1945, only four African countries were independent; by 1963, thirty African states created the Organization of African Unity. Despite formidable problems, the 1960s were a time of optimism as Africans enjoyed their new independence, witnessed increases in prosperity and prepared to tackle their political and economic problems in their own way. By the 1990s, however, the high hopes of the 1960s had been dashed. Dictatorship by strongmen, corruption, civil wars and genocide, widespread poverty and the interventions and manipulations of the major powers had all relegated Africa to the position of an aid 'basket case', with some of the world's poorest and least-developed nations. By exploring developments over the last fifteen years, including the impact of China, new IT technology and the Arab Spring, the rise of Nigeria as Africa's leading country and the recent refugee crisis, Guy Arnold brings his landmark history of modern Africa up to date and provides a fresh and insightful perspective on this troubled and misunderstood continent.Trade ReviewIt is difficult to imagine a better source for reading up on Africa's history. -- Gordon Brewer * Scotland on Sunday *Vast and brilliant... orderly but still managing to nip down a fascinating byway when necessary... a groundbreaking book. -- Giles Foden * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis'History as you've never seen it before.' Dan SnowDid you know that the history of the beard is connected to the Crimean War; that the history of paperclips is all about the Stasi; and that the history of bubbles is all about the French Revolution? And who knew that Heinrich Himmler, Tutankhamun and the history of needlework are linked to napalm and Victorian orphans? In Histories of the Unexpected, Sam Willis and James Daybell lead us on a journey of discovery that tackles some of the greatest historical themes - from the Tudors to the Second World War, from the Roman Empire to the Victorians - but via entirely unexpected subjects. By taking this revolutionary approach, they not only present a new way of thinking about the past, but also reveal the everyday world around us as never before.Trade ReviewHistory as you've never seen it before. -- Dan SnowIrreverent, witty and fabulously well-informed, Histories of the Unexpected is a blast of historical treats and full to the gunwales of extraordinary connections and trivia from the past. -- James HollandHistory isn't straightforward. It's a complex web of twists and turns. This book will show you how surprising, exciting and downright unexpected history can be. -- Janina RamirezThis is a wonderful, eclectic and entertaining history of everything, full of fascinating, surprising stories. -- Suzannah LipscombFun, witty, and fast-paced, you'll enjoy this innovative approach to telling history * BBC History Weekend *Table of Contents1: The Hand 2: Gloves 3: Perfume 4: The Bubble 5: Shadows 6: Beards 7: Clouds 8: Dust 9: Clocks 10: Needlework 11: The Itch 12: Holes 13: The Bed 14: Dreams 15: Hair 16: The Paper Clip 17: Letters 18: Boxes 19: Courage 20: Mountains 21: Chimneys 22: Tears 23: Lions 24: Rubbish 25: Snow 26: Cats 27: The Smile 28: The Scar 29: The Lean 30: The Signature

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Book Synopsis'An entertaining and insightful human story of obsession about books.' Daily Telegraph'A lively tale of historical innovation, the thrill of the bibliophile's hunt, greed and betrayal.' New York TimesThe never-before-told story of one extremely rare copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and its impact on the lives of the fanatical few who were lucky enough to own it.For rare book collectors, an original copy of the Gutenberg Bible - there are only forty-six in existence - is the undisputed gem of any collection. The Lost Gutenberg recounts five centuries in the life of one particular copy of the Bible from its very creation by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, to its ultimate resting place, in a steel vault under the protection of the Japanese government. Margaret Leslie Davis draws readers into this incredible saga, inviting them into the colourful lives of each of its fanatic collectors along the way. Exploring books as objects of desire across centuries, Davis will leave readers not only with a broader understanding of the culture of rare book collectors, but with a deeper awareness of the importance of books in our world.Trade ReviewA thrilling page turner * Daily Mail *An entertaining and insightful human story of obsession about books, and a telling examination of what inspires those who catch the collecting bug. -- Peter Stanford * Daily Telegraph *A lively tale of historical innovation, the thrill of the bibliophile's hunt, greed and betrayal. * New York Times *Davis makes bibliographic history utterly page-turning and absorbing... Brilliantly told * Booklist (starred review) *The remarkable tale of "Number 45", one of the finest copies of the Gutenberg Bible in existence... Davis does a fine job telling a fascinating story that touches on the origin of books, the passion of collectors, the unseen world of rare-book dealers, and the lives of the super-rich, past and present. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A gripping, well-researched account of the importance of books as cultural artifacts and of one particular work that transformed the world, as well as the lives of those who owned a copy. * Library Journal *A fascinating exploration of the shifting value we place on rare books, and the shifting wealth and power of those who hunt them. -- Michael Blanding, bestselling author of The Map ThiefBibliophiles love books, and none more than the book collector's dream of dreams, a Gutenberg Bible. Davis writes not just with skill but also with sympathy and even love. A richly informative and deeply moving story. -- Jack Miles, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of God: A BiographyA spellbinding read, and Margaret Leslie Davis is a damn good storyteller. -- Noël Riley Fitch, author of Sylvia BeachDavis records the history of this book with enthusiasm and attention to detail. * History Today *Fascinating... An engaging analysis of bibliomania which also throws light on commercial and investment history in Britain and America. * Church Times *What's truly surprising about The Lost Gutenberg is that Davis makes the 500-year journey of this one book more exciting than any spy novel. For the imaginative Hollywood producer, this book's life story could provide the basis for a richly enjoyable big-budget blockbuster. The action travels across centuries and moves from England to Los Angeles to Tokyo, bringing together the avaricious, duplicitous and deeply religious, all driven by the same desire: to own a copy of one of the most famous books in the world. * Catholic Herald *Table of Contents1: The Imperial Century 1: Million-Dollar Bookshelf 2: Treasure Neglected 3: The Bibliophile 4: The Patriot 2: The American Century 5: The Mighty Woman Book Hunter 6: The Lost Gutenberg 7: The Countess and Her Gutenberg 8: The Nuclear Bibliophiles 3: The Asian Century 9: The Unexpected Betrayal 10: The Virtual Gutenberg 11: Final Bows

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Book SynopsisIn this compelling tour of the classical world, Peter Jones reveals how it is the power, scope and fascination of their ideas that makes the Ancient Greeks and Romans so important and influential today. For over 2,000 years these ideas have gripped Western imagination and been instrumental in the way we think about the world. Covering everything from philosophy, history and architecture to language and grammar, Jones uncovers their astonishing intellectual, political and literary achievements.First published twenty years ago, this fully updated and revised edition is a must-read for anyone who wishes to know more about the classics - and where they came from.Trade ReviewWell-argued and engaging * Mary Beard, TLS *If this book doesn't encourage a rebirth in interest in the Classics, nothing will. * Contemporary Review *Fascinating... It is learned but an easy read, a rare combination. * Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph on Memento Mori *An often amusing, always illuminating, guide which offers an intriguing vantage point at which to examine Roman life. * All About History on Memento Mori *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: Classical Connections: 700 bc to ad 500 2: The Survival of Ancient Literature 3: Excavating the Past: Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis 4: Democracy's Brief Day 5: Men on Women 6: Emperor and Empire 7: The City of Lepcis Magna 8: The English Vocabulary 9: The Language of Grammar 10: Stoics and Epicureans 11: Breaking the Ancient Stranglehold

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Book SynopsisA powerful account of the decline of the Cuban Revolution, told through the lives of five ordinary Cuban citizens. 'Masterful... Dore uses oral history to tell a history of Cuba from the bottom up' Professor Linda Gordon 'A vital addition to Cuba's rich oral tradition' Will Grant, BBC Cuba Correspondent 'Opens wide a window on the last forty years of Cuban history' Professor Gerald Martin 'To have gathered these life stories together with such grace, eloquence and trust is a towering achievement' Professor Ruth Behar Cuba is not the country it used to be. The regime is disintegrating, and unprecedented protest marches are challenging the gerontocratic Communist Party leadership. How Things Fall Apart reveals the decay of this political system through the lives of five ordinary Cuban citizens. Born in the 1970s and 80s, these men and women recount how their lives changed over a tumultuous stretch of thirty-five years: first when Fidel opened the country to tourism following the fall of the Soviet bloc; then when Raúl Castro allowed market forces to operate, thinking it would stop the country's economic slide; and finally when President Trump's tightening of the US embargo combined with the Covid-19 pandemic to cause economic collapse. With warmth and humanity, they describe learning to survive in an environment where a tiny minority has grown rich by local standards, the great majority has been left behind, and inequality has destroyed the very things that used to give meaning to Cubans' lives. Born out of the first oral history project authorized by the Cuban government in forty years, Professor Elizabeth Dore gathers these stories to illuminate the slow and agonizing decline of the Cuban Revolution over the past four decades. For over sixty years the government controlled the historical narrative. In this book, Cubans tell their own stories.Trade ReviewMasterful... Dore uses oral history to tell a history of Cuba from the bottom up, accompanied by her own astute commentary. How Things Fall Apart reads like a set of vivid short stories -- Professor Linda GordonAn elegant account of the evolution of a revolution. Writing on a topic which still has the power to provoke the most visceral responses across the political spectrum, Dore has done a rare thing: she has let the Cuban people speak for themselves. Dore handles their stories of triumph and hardship with honesty, compassion and respect, and in the process has held up a mirror to the state of the Cuban Revolution in the twenty-first century. How Things Fall Apart is a vital addition to Cuba's rich oral tradition -- Will Grant, BBC Mexico, Central America and Cuba CorrespondentThese life stories of Cubans are so raw, so honest, so moving, that you feel as if you know each of them personally. To have gathered them together with such grace, eloquence and trust is a towering achievement... This book serves as a testament to the audacity and sorrow Cubans experienced in seeking to change not only their own history but the history of the world -- Professor Ruth Behar, author of Letters from CubaElizabeth Dore's book opens wide a window on the last forty years of Cuban history and allows us to listen, uniquely, to the always vivid memories and conclusions of ordinary Cubans as they look back on the lives they lived during the most arduous and troubled years of the Revolution -- Professor Gerald MartinCuba through human lenses. Dore's impressive book sadly portrays the unraveling of the revolutionary utopian dream -- Professor Susan EcksteinThe chronicle of a death foretold * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAn ambitious history of Britain told through the stories of twenty-five notable structures, from the Iron Age fortification of Maiden Castle in Dorset to the Gherkin. Building Britannia is a chronicle of social, political and economic change seen through the prism of the country's built environment, but also a sequence of closely observed studies of a series of intrinsically remarkable structures: some of them beautiful or otherwise imposing; some of them more coldly functional; all of them with richly fascinating stories to tell. Steven Parissien tells both a national story, tracing how a growing sense of British nationhood was expressed through the country's architecture, and also examines how these structures were used by later generations to signpost, mythologise or remake British history. Rubbing shoulders with some 'expected' building choices – the Roman baths at Aquae Sulis, the early Gothic splendour of Lincoln Cathedral and the Tudor jewel that is Little Moreton Hall – are some striking inclusions that promise to open doors into what will be, for many readers, less familiar areas of social history: these include The Briton’s Protection, a Regency pub close in Manchester city centre and the Edwardian Baroque Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, one of the country's oldest working cinemas. Thus as well as identifying the relevance of certain iconic structures to the unfolding of the national story, Building Britannia finds fascination and meaning in the everyday and the disregarded.Trade ReviewSteven Parissien has an extraordinary ability to present the complex story of buildings with both wisdom and humour; each chapter in this book is a memorable cultural encounter with place, each illuminating in different ways the shifting story of British nationhood. * Jeremy Musson *An ingeniously personal journey through British history written with authority, flair and humour. * Jacqueline Riding *Steven Parissien brings a fresh eye and a new perspective to Britain’s architectural history. A hugely enjoyable read, both erudite and entertaining. * Adrian Tinniswood *This book offers a surgically precise section through the nation to reveal – with great clarity – how people have lived and built in Britain during the last 2,600 years. Erudition and insights coupled with lightness of touch makes Building Britannia as entertaining as it is informative. * Dan Cruickshank *Steven Parissien vividly recaptures the rich variety of life in ancient and historic Britain in just twenty-five buildings, getting to the heart of each structure and revealing what motivated people to create it. The range here is extraordinary, from an Iron Age hill fort to Paul McCartney’s post-war family home in Liverpool. Building Britannia is a remarkable book, full of surprises. * Francis Pryor *Thoroughly enjoyable * Country and Town House *PRAISE FOR STEVEN PARISSIEN: 'The most stunning art books of the year' Sir Roy Strong, Sunday Express. 'An outstanding work of reference and beauty' Interiors Magazine. 'There's plenty here to fuel the petrolhead and the social historian for many miles' Literary Review. 'A read to fascinate anyone interested in the history of the industry' Daily Express. 'A beautiful, highly original book' * Apollo Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe humble chicken has conquered the world. This unlikely descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex is now so ubiquitous there are more than 20 billion chickens pecking, strutting and scratching around the planet at any one time. And yet, of all animals, the chicken perhaps best represents the contradictory way we humans treat other species: both beloved pet and cheap commodity, symbol of a sustainable good life and brutalised object of factory farming. Sally Coulthard charts the chicken’s fascinating journey from dinosaur to domestication, exploring every aspect of the history of Gallus gallus domesticus. As informative as it is entertaining, Fowl Play tells a remarkable tale of evolutionary change, epic global travel and ruthless exploitation – as well as of companionship, ingenuity and the folly of human nature.Trade ReviewCharming and illuminating... A fascinating history, light on moralising but rich in fancythat details. It may put you off your capon nuggets, but it will give you a good story to share with the parson's nose * Mail on Sunday *Wonderfully entertaining and informative -- Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us[A] marvellously complete and utter history of chickens... Hen-like herself, Ms Coulthard, a smallholder, has left no stone unturned in a book as well-researched and wide-ranging as it is written. From the first page to the last, Fowl Play is as smooth as chicken supreme * Country Life *My first reaction was that this was an extraordinary book to have been written, but then I came to wonder how it had not been written before, so interesting is the subject -- Michael PortilloA playful, entertaining and satisfyingly informative study of this humble bird and the integral and varied roles it played thoughout human history accross the world... Thoroughly researched and engagingly written... A great read * Archaeology Worldwide Magazine *PRAISE FOR SALLY COULTHARD: 'Full of fascinating social history' Independent. 'Global in scope, with fascinating vignettes from the ancient world to the present day' BBC History Magazine. 'A snappy, stimulating book' Mail on Sunday. 'Many wonderful tales unearthed by Coulthard... A smart little book' BBC Countryfile Magazine. 'One of our favourite books of the year' * Yorkshire Post *...a beautifully written and accessible interdisciplinary synthesis on this most remarkable bird -- Professor Bob Davis, University of GlasgowA fascinating read * This England *'I always look forward to reading Coulthard's work. Not only is she exceptionally well-read, but she communicates extremely well. Fowl Play is no exception' * Get History *A beautifully written and accessible interdisciplinary synthesis on this most remarkable bird * Professor Bob Davis, University of Glasgow *Sally Coulthard’s fascinating new book…charts humanity’s relationship with the chicken down the centuries * Yorkshire Post *

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Book SynopsisNicknamed The ‘Wooden Wonder’ for its timber frame and superb performance, the de Havilland Mosquito ranks alongside the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster as one of the RAF’s greatest-ever flying machines. Novel in design, operationally flexible and exceptionally fast, it inflicted mayhem on the German war machine as night-fighter, fighter-bomber and pathfinder. Mosquito Men traces the contrasting careers of the young men of 627 Squadron, including that of Ken Oatley – last surviving member of an illustrious group – who flew twenty-two operations in Mosquitos as a navigator. Rich in technically authoritative accounts of individual missions, David Price’s atmospheric narrative interweaves individual stories with events in the wider war as the Allies closed in on Germany from the summer of 1944. For those fans of the Mosquito aircraft recently described by Rowland White, Mosquito Men will add the human element to this iconic plane.Trade ReviewDavid Price's outstanding book reminds us why and provides superb detail about the human factor in its success – the crew – whose skill, courage and teamwork ensured that a first-class aircraft became a great one -- Lloyd Clark, author of Blitzkreig: Myth, Reality and Hitler's Lightning WarRichly detailed and superbly evocative in the telling – this is a compelling account of the wartime RAF's most glamorous plane and some of the brave men who flew it. Gripping individual episodes are set in context brilliantly, to produce a history that's both satisfyingly rounded and appropriately intimate, too -- Duncan Campbell-Smith, author of Jet ManHis book is a tribute as much as a history, written with real passion and enthusiasm for these mechanical marvels * Mail on Sunday *PRAISE FOR THE CREW: 'Price has given the bomber offensive a human face... A sensitive account' The Times. 'His eyewitness account is frank about the dangers of the role' The i. 'A fascinating and fast-paced account of the exploits of an Avro Lancaster bomber crew... A poignant epilogue [in a] riveting book' Herald. 'A sobering and poignant book' Daily Mail. 'A remarkable insight into the bravery, determination and skill of British Bomber Command crews during WWII' * Waterstones *

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Book SynopsisAt the outset of the twentieth century, the management of the British countryside was the preserve of powerful aristocratic estates, the ground worked by labourers toiling in time-honoured tradition.Scattering Plenty tells of the birth of modern farming through wartime, post-war reconstruction and four decades embroiled in European countryside policies. It follows the stories of key figures driving change; as the face of the countryside evolves, it charts their fight for nature and natural beauty, and traces the gradual control that the state and democratic agents had on the land.Their stories evoke the landscape of Britain, and take the reader inside the corridors of power in Whitehall and Brussels, where farmers and environmentalists jostled for influence. Who were the people scattering plenty across our land, and who made the modern countryside?In Scattering Plenty, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the profound legacy o

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Book SynopsisVladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of the October 1917 uprising, is one of the most misunderstood leaders of the twentieth century. In his own time, there were many, even among his enemies, who acknowledged the full magnitude of his intellectual and political achievements. But his legacy has been lost in misinterpretation; he is worshipped but rarely read.Tariq Ali explores the two major influences on Lenin's thought - the turbulent history of Tsarist Russia and the birth of the international labour movement - and explains how Lenin confronted dilemmas that still cast a shadow over the present. Is terrorism ever a viable strategy? Is support for imperial wars ever justified? Can politics be made without a party? Was the seizure of power in 1917 morally justified? Should he have parted company from his wife and lived with his lover?In The Dilemmas of Lenin, Ali provides an insightful portrait of Lenin's deepest preoccupations and underlines the clarity and vigour of his theoretical and political formulations. He concludes with an affecting account of Lenin's last two years, when he realized that "we knew nothing" and insisted that the revolution had to be renewed lest it wither and die.Trade ReviewReading this book on your vacation will make your life better and your mind broader. -- Branko Milanovic, * author of Global Inequalities *Ali encourages the reader to take a fresh look at Lenin's choices in the context of a repressive autocracy, the poverty and misery of the bulk of the population under tsarism and the industrialised slaughter of the first world war. What underpins his book is the view that October was an "innocent and utopian birth" that was subsequently "twisted" into Stalinism by three devastating years of civil war. -- Daniel Beer * Guardian *A powerful tool for those wanting to understand the real Lenin and therefore the real politics behind those revolutionaries who fought so hard but ultimately failed in their goal. -- Lindsey German * Counterfire *

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Book SynopsisThe world's largest democracy and second-most populous country, 21st century India is a dynamic nation with a thrusting economy, made up of a variety of beliefs and peoples united under one flag. Its history is a unique story of ancient empires and civilisations, some dating back to humankind's earliest times. Ancient India was home to myriad kingdoms with boundaries that were ever changing while a variety of cultures and religions have flourished over the millennia as the influence of foreign invaders and occupiers has come and gone. The country was under foreign rule from the early 1800s until the demise of the British Raj and independence in 1947. With countless languages and cultures and many religions, India is one of the world's most diverse nations. From the late 1980s, India has opened itself to the outside world, encouraging economic reform and foreign investment and is now courted by the world's leading economic and political powers, including its one-time enemy, China. It is now a major power with a burgeoning middle class, having made substantial strides in areas such as information technology. It has launched a space programme and, famously, boasts a massive film industry, its 'Bollywood' films being amongst the most-watched in the world. Meanwhile, India still has major issues with poverty and illiteracy and campaigns have been launched to alleviate these problems. A Short History of India traces the fascinating path from the India of ancient empires and powerful kingdoms to the flourishing, vibrant nation that it is today.

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Book SynopsisThe Fearless Benjamin Lay chronicles the transatlantic life and times of a singular and astonishing man-a Quaker dwarf who became one of the first ever to demand the total, unconditional emancipation of all enslaved Africans around the world. He performed public guerrilla theatre to shame slave masters, insisting that human bondage violated the fundamental principles of Christianity. He wrote a fiery, controversial book against bondage that Benjamin Franklin published in 1738. He lived in a cave, made his own clothes, refused to consume anything produced by slave labour, championed animal rights, and embraced vegetarianism. He acted on his ideals to create a new, practical, revolutionary way of life.Trade ReviewBenjamin Lay was a Quaker, a philosopher, a sailor, a commoner and a revolutionary abolitionist. Crossing the seas from Colchester to Philadelphia and beyond he spoke truth to power and, as a little person, waged a politics of the body in his everyday life. His antinomian radicalism has been wonderfully excavated by Marcus Rediker in this eloquent testament. -- Catherine Hall, author of Legacies of British Slave-Ownership and Civilising SubjectsAdmirers of Marcus Rediker’s splendid The Slave Ship will be delighted by this historian’s new book. Sailor, pioneer of guerrilla theater, and a man who would stop at nothing to make his fellow human beings share his passionate outrage against slavery, Benjamin Lay has long needed a modern biographer worthy of him, and now he has one. -- Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost

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Book SynopsisInternationally acclaimed Israeli historian Shlomo Sand made his mark with books such as The Invention of the Jewish People and The Invention of the Land of Israel. Returning here to an early fascination, he turns his attention to the figure of the French intellectual. From his student years in Paris, Sand has repeatedly come up against the "great French thinkers." He has an intimate knowledge of the Parisian intellectual world and its little secrets, on which he draws to overturn certain myths attaching to the figure of the "intellectual" that France prides itself on having invented. Mixing reminiscence and analysis, he revisits a history that, from the Dreyfus Affair through to Charlie Hebdo, seems to him that of a long decline. As a long-time admirer of Zola, Sartre and Camus, Sand is staggered to see what the French intellectual has become today, in such characters as Michel Houellebecq, Eric Zemmour and Alain Finkielkraut. In a work that gives no quarter, and focuses particularly on the Judeophobia and Islamophobia of the elites, he casts on the French intellectual scene a gaze that is both disabused and mordant.Trade ReviewIn a book that is both scholarly and autobiographical, political and polemical, the historian Shlomo Sand traces a story of decline and fall. And yet, this son of a scarcely literate housewife and a Communist militant who failed to finish school had long sought to join the privileged band. As an adolescent, he even dreamed of becoming one of the 'mandarins' portrayed by Simone de Beauvoir. Their troubling reaction to Nazi occupation, their blindness towards Stalinism, and their emotional outpourings to Mao Zedong, have all caused the statue of the French intellectual to crumble. * Le Monde *Ever since his student years in Paris, Sand has regularly come up against the 'great French thinkers'. He has an intimate knowledge of the Parisian intellectual world and its little secrets, on which he draws to overturn certain myths attaching to the figure of the 'intellectual' that France prides itself on having invented. Mixing reminiscence and analysis, he revisits a history that, from the Dreyfus Affair through to Charlie Hebdo, seems to him that of a long decline. As a long-time admirer of Zola, Sartre and Camus,Sand is staggered to see what the French intellectual has become today, in such characters as Michel Houellebecq, Éric Zemmour and Alain Finkielkraut. In a work that gives no quarter, and focuses particularly on the Judeophobia and Islamophobia of the 'elites', he casts on the French intellectual scene a gaze that is both disabused and sarcastic. * Ouest France *This brilliant essay is not just another history of intellectuals in France. It is rather a critique of those figures 'caught in the torment of the twentieth century', following the models of Zola, Sartre or Camus whom Sand so admired in his youth, yet whose ambiguities he recalls here, from Zola's attacks on the Paris Commune to Sartre's lack of courage under the Occupation, or Camus's position during the Algerian war. Sand emphasizes how a large section of the dominant intellectuals during the Dreyfus Affair were not in fact Dreyfusards, but championed an ethno-biological conception of the nation, excluding all those whom they did not consider of 'French stock'. This enables him to draw up a detailed and rigorous charge-sheet against our contemporary media intellectuals, Finkielkraut, Houellebecq, Zemmour, Bruckner, Bernard-Henri Lévy and Philippe Val who, often with a past in Stalinism or Maoism, and having undergone a belated and easy anti-totalitarianism (long after Orwell, Souvarine or Castoriadis), invoke the old demons of xenophobia, in their case an Islamophobia that suits the spirit of the time and 'stabilizes the existing hierarchical order'. The very opposite of the function that intellectuals should perform in a democratic society thatis today in crisis. -- Olivier Doubre * Politis *Fourteen years after Daniel Lindenberg's pioneering essay, it is Shlomo Sand's turn to target this family of conservative and declinist thinkers or polemicists, running from Michel Houellebecq to Renaud Camus by way of Alain Finkielkraut and Éric Zemmour - the two latter both sons of Jewish immigrants (Polish in the first case, Berber in the second) yet who constantly champion French identity and roots, mythologizing a 'stable and homogeneous past that actually never existed'. -- Juliette Cerf * Télérama *Shlomo Sand has produced a stimulating book, combining erudition and historical perspective. Under the title 'The end of the French intellectual? From Zola to Houellebecq', this Israeli historian interrogates the figure of the intellectual in France. -- Hassina Mechaï * Mediapart *The title's question mark will not deceive anyone: the end of the French intellectual is proclaimed in a book that is not charitable towards everyone. But we can expect no less from Shlomo Sand, a committed historian who is highly critical and controversial in his own country, Israel. The first part of the book, and much the longest, runs from Zola (even if it refers back to Voltaire) to Sartre, Foucault and Bourdieu. This story has been told in many books and articles by other authors. But Sand usefully recalls how the notion of an intellectual by definition 'on the left' after the model of Zola is a myth, even for the Dreyfus Affair. Political lucidity was often far from meeting the challenges of the day. But this part is interesting above all for its reflections on French intellectual specificity and on theories of the role of intellectuals in relation to institutions (governments and parties), as well as to the 'people' whom they are supposed to enlighten. * Esprit *Shlomo Sand, a specialist on nationalism and a fine connoisseur of our French ideological scene, is well qualified to tackle the place of the 'intellectual' in our national history and promote a fresh approach. This promise is basically fulfilled. -- Marc Riglet * Lire *

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Book SynopsisHere, name by name, parish by parish, province by province, Kevin Myers details Ireland’s intimate involvement with one of the greatest conflicts in human history, the First World War of 1914 to 1918, which left no Irish family untouched. With this gathering of his talks, unpublished essays and material distilled from The Irish Times and elsewhere, Myers lays out the grounds of his research and findings in Connaught, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. He revisits the main theatres of war in Europe – The Somme, Ypres and Verdun, the war at sea and Gallipoli. He documents these bloody engagements through the lives of those involved, from Dublin to Cork, Sligo to Armagh, to the garrison towns of Athy, Limerick, Mullingar and beyond. In Ireland’s Great War Myers uncoils a vital counter-narrative to the predominant readings in nationalist history, revealing the complex and divided loyalties of a nation coming of age in the early twentieth century. This remarkable historical record pieced together the neglected shards of Ireland’s recent past and imparts a necessary understanding of the political process that saw Sinn Féin’s electoral victory in 1918 and the founding of the Irish Free State. By honouring Ireland’s forgotten dead on the centenary of the Great War. Myers enables a rediscovery of purpose that will speak to future generations.

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Book SynopsisThis is the go-to volume on bushido ("the way of the warrior"), drawing on a wide range of historical sources to paint a vivid picture of the samurai in action and separating the truth from the myth of samurai chivalry. It offers a long-overdue update to the attractive but inaccurate portrait of the samurai painted in Bushido: The Soul of Japan, which has been a bestseller ever since its publication in 1905, and the equally idealistic Hagakure (c.1716). In The Book of Bushido, Antony explores the reality of warrior behaviour versus the idealistic depiction created for an Edwardian audience by the author of Bushido: The Soul of Japan. He reveals the truth of how the samurai really behaved and of what they considered to be a warrior ethos. He replaces the image of the perfect eastern warrior with the much more interesting reality of hardened, bloodstained military leaders with human failings and a complex set of ideas about the world, who engage in ritual, magic and ceremony, who lead their followers in war and peace and who, above all, are fighting a battle between addiction to power and morality. This is the story of bushido – the way of the samurai.

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Book Synopsis"I was not prepared for how deeply this book captivated me ... Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India is exemplary of what a book can be, how it can operate. It's a bridge across space, time, and language" -Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore An encyclopedia of evil entities and folkloric fiends from across India, from Ladakh to Kerala, Lakshadweep to Nagaland, Naraka to Tuchenkwaka, complete with 60 spooky illustrations. Inside this book you will find ... Killer robots built with stolen Roman engineering technology that once guarded the relics of the Buddha The ghost of a 21-year-old motorcyclist whose Enfield Bullet is venerated at a highway temple in Rajasthan A Himalayan drum-playing spirit-teacher whose wife is a fearsome Yeti Diabolical entities conjured into existence by the simultaneous deaths of seven tigers Triple-rooted night-flying Vedic necromancers Call-centre employees from beyond the grave The dreaded Ngalei Ahmaw of Maraland, whose victims' heads detach themselves from their bodies at night and go wandering in search of blood ... AND MORETrade Review"[The authors] have done an astounding job of documenting, in vivid and highly entertaining detail, the imaginative ways in which people from the Indian subcontinent relate to, and make sense of their lives, relationships, and the world they inhabit ... a thrilling romp through the annals of what goes bump in the Indian night." - Helen Nde, Mythological Africans "Ghosts, Monsters and Demons of India is a must-read entry in the literary search for human meaning. It’s a trek through the dark corners of India’s cultural imagination populated with nightmarish creatures, demons, dark forest stalkers and all manner of grisly entities. It’s also a fantastic read." - Exquisite Terror Magazine

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Book SynopsisThis landmark work contains a remarkable selection of 560 of the thousands of songs and poems created during, and reflecting upon, the most extraordinary decade of Ireland’s history. This opened with the Dublin Lockout of 1913 and ended with the post-independence civil war, embracing World War I, the Rising of 1916, and the Anglo-Irish war. The Indignant Muse also includes 177 musical airs and 136 illustrations.Trade Review‘Terry Moylan’s compilation surpasses in scale, variety and historical interest anything that’s been attempted to date … the glory of the collection is the large number of items published here for the first time … a herculean effort by a lifetime collector of songs with an encyclopaedic knowledge of his material.’ — from the Foreword by Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh

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Book SynopsisAn entertaining collection of true stories that feature just a few of the products manufactured by the Austin Motor Company from 1906 until the outbreak of the Second World War, including the people who helped to make them, those who drove them, and even those who flew them. Although the history of the Austin Seven and Taxicabs have been covered before in much greater detail elsewhere, you will find within these pages the stories of many other Austin creations: the Austin 12/6 which could be won by smoking Kensitas cigarettes; the Austin 20 which competed in the 1914 Austrian Alpine Trial; the remarkable racing car named `Pobble' which went on to serve as an ambulance during the First World War, and the Australian couple who, in 1926, decided to drive their Austin Twelve right around Australia. The Music Hall artist, George Clarke, who performed on stage with his Austin Seven, and the `Austin Unity Song,' a recording of which was presented to guests at the Company's Annual dinner, are just two more fascinating stories which go to make up this Austin Anthology.Trade ReviewLovers of motoring history, especially when imparted in such a charming manner, will adore this little hardback book. In a mere 112pp, it tells an Austin fan's most engaging shirt stories about products emerging from the lines at Longbridge, Birmingham, the sometime home to the British car brand once owned by Herbert Austin. In a timeline that covers the origins of the company in 1905, up to the end of the Greta War and a little bit beyond, the tales of local murder, the bi plane compact enough to park in a domestic garage, the Austin Twelve that lapped Australia in 1926 and just what did happen to pensioned off taxi cabs are covered in cheery details, complete with humorous recollections and intriguing conclusions. It exceptionally well written and accompanied by a wealth of monochrome plates and period illustrations. It is not intended to be a history book, although much of its content is historically relevant. There is as much local detail, as international intrigue and it is not a model by model encyclopaedia of Austin but it does provide a valuable insight to the British firm's enterprise at an early stage of its existence. It is one of those books that is as easy to put aside, as it is to pick up and read, but you will come back to it, because of its sheer readability. - Iain P W Robertson. As a reader I have an interest in Pre War cars and owning an Austin Seven, Austin is of particular interest. James; new book is a well written selection of some of the less known history surrounding Austin, some of the history I was aware of, but the book cleared up some of the detail for me. The book not only covers the automotive side of Austin but also covers some of the side history around the people and other forms of their production such as planes. The book features a number of photos which have not been seen for some time and help to bring the history alive, along with the authors notes which as a reader I found informative and in some cases amusing. Well worth reading for anyone interested in Austin or Pre War Cars. – Dorset Austin 7 Club Magazine. James Stringer's little book is packed with tales documenting those early days if Austin history and is bound to provide enjoyable reading for those with a penchant for an altogether more leisurely era of motoring. – Speedscene.Table of Contents1. Mr Harry 2. The Austin Whippet 3. A flight into the unknown 4. An Austin named `Pobble' 5. Herbert Austin and the Mckenna duties 6. George Clarke. The silly ass 7. The 40hp Austin 8. Murder at the village 9. Testing the Austin 12/4 10. The Austin Unity Song 11. The Kensitas car 12. The ubiquitous Ausitn Seven 13. The pantomime 14. Vernon Austin 15. Touring around Australia in an Austin 12/4 16. Albert Ball V.C. 17. The Wedge 18. TAXI 19. The 1914 Austrian Alpine Trial

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Book SynopsisWith an original approach, this book chronicles every model and lists every chassis number ever produced by Alvis, one of the great British manufacturers. It details famous owners and drivers, notable number plates, and is illustrated with original period photographs, and depictions of Alvis cars in the humorous cartoons of the day. The Alvis car has always seemed to appeal to a type of buyer who has made their mark upon society in a variety of ways. This 'social history' aspect of the book looks at the many Alvis owners from the world of politics, stage and screen, sport, the armed forces, medicine, and the arts. These range from a King to a serial killer, and every variation in between. The book has been written with full cooperation and approval of the Alvis Company, and is the result of much research by the author and other enthusiasts, who have managed to allocate a very large number of registration marks to chassis, by trawling County Archive Record Offices up and down the country, thus creating a unique record that will be a valuable resource for owners and collectors.Table of Contents1. The vintage period (1920-1932) 2. The post-vintage period (1932-1940) 3. The post-war period (1945-1967) Alivs Humour - a short postscript of Alvis-related cartoons, quotes etc.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1964, twenty-one-year-old Gillies MacBain arrives in Dublin off the ferry from England with only his bicycle, a suitcase and a tent to his name. Young, handsome and charismatic, he begins work as a footman in one of the houses of the `dying aristocracy'. Thus begins his foray into the upper echelons of Irish society. The Adventures of an Irish Footman is an irresistible narrative which describes a fading part of Irish society that MacBain subverts with wry humour. MacBain finds himself in a precarious niche: the borderland in between `upstairs' and `downstairs'. Here, he rubs shoulders with a cast of characters from the bohemian socialites to the chancer `Sketchly' and the hippes with their dewy-eyed `morals'. MacBain's memoirs run the gamut of Irish social classes, from his friendship with County Monaghan small farmers and tenants, to working with a dubious cast of actors and producers on a film set at Castle Leslie, to eventually marrying into the circle of the `idle rich'. An irresistible story told by a charming storyteller, this memoir sheds light on an era of Irish domestic industry, and Irish social history, that has all but been forgotten.Trade ReviewThe Last Footman, is a very funny, often bizarre account of life above and below stairs in some of Ireland’s great houses in the 1960s and 1970s. -- Orna Mulcahy * The Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisOn Dangerous Ground is the revolutionary period memoir of Republican Máire Comerford (1893–1982). This striking memoir, one of the last of its era, includes Comerford’s original text, written mainly in the 1940s and ’50s, and new material unearthed from her extensive archive that also contains a wealth of photographs and memorabilia from the period. The memoir begins with Comerford’s recollection of Sunday strolls to Avondale, former home of Charles Stewart Parnell, who was a neighbour of her father, the mill owner James Comerford. As a young woman, she experiences a ‘political awakening’ at the hands of a fierce Unionist woman in a secretarial college in London. Máire Comerford (the only Catholic in the class) begins to engage with Irish history books to counterbalance this brush with religious sectarianism. On her return to County Wexford to live with her mother’s people – a move necessitated by the family’s change of fortune – she re-enters the genteel world of fox hunting and luncheon parties. The memoir paints an intriguing picture of rural life of the time heralding the arrival of the motorcar, social and economic conditions, the rise of the Gaelic League, debates about Home Rule, and the First World War. While the description of her surroundings as a young adult is intriguing and often charming, change is in the air in Ireland and a sharp and wide-ranging political analysis is ever present throughout her writing. Following Comerford’s witness account of Dublin during the 1916 Rising, she begins a life of political engagement, joining Cumann na mBan, Sinn Féin and the Gaelic League. In 1919, she moves permanently to Dublin to live with and work for renowned historian and nationalist, Alice Stopford Green. There, she becomes immersed in Republican politics and the War of Independence. Comerford’s memoir gives voice to the experience of Republican women during revolutionary times, highlighting the immense contribution of women in the struggle for an Irish Republic. She works all over the country, moving arms, carrying dispatches, finding safe houses, researching atrocities and working assiduously for Ireland. She experiences raids, prison vigils, funerals of her comrades and dangers of all kinds, but nothing cuts as deep as the sense of utter betrayal following the signing of the Treaty in 1922. Comerford takes the anti-Treaty side, is imprisoned a number of times and endures a 27-day hunger strike. Following her release, she leaves Ireland on a tour of east coast American cities to raise funds for the Republican cause at the behest of de Valera. She returns to a harsh, poverty-stricken and lonely existence, eking out a living on a hilltop poultry farm in Wexford. But while her memoir ends in bleak times, her overarching vision suggests an unquenchable optimism – and that the fight will go on. An epilogue by the editor chronicles the years between 1927 and her death.Trade ReviewDescribed as the last comprehensive witness account of the revolutionary period, it is an absorbing read. In 1923, a Daily Mail report called her the Jeanne d’Arc of the Republican cause, the most daring woman working for the Republican movement. -- Mary Burke * The Tuam Herald *This first-hand account includes Comerford’s original text, written mainly in the 1940s and ’50s, and new material unearthed from her extensive archive. * The Journal *This is a fascinating diary written by a republican ‘true believer’. -- J. Anthony Gaughan * The Irish Catholic *In this decade of centenaries, some of those who made their mark 100 years ago have had their lives and contributions critically examined. However, there has also been an acceptance that a number of women who lived through those times had not heretofore been recognised for their contributions. Máire Comerford is one such woman and her recently published memoir is probably the last first-person account we are likely to see written by a witness and participant in extraordinary times. -- The Mick Clifford Podcast * Irish Examiner *This book does something important: it adds new insights and understanding to events in Ireland, 1916-mid 20s, the most analysed and described epoch in modern Irish history. -- John Kirkaldy * Books Ireland *Máire Comerford’s words are truly inspiring and no Republican home should be without this book. * An Phoblacht *Comerford’s memoir places the reader in the lived reality of the time, showing how ordinary lives crossed over with history. Editor Hilary Dully not only has access to original documents, photos and stories, but can also see the direct personal impact Comerford has on the lives of people around her. While Máire’s memoir ends in bleak times, her overarching vision suggests an unquenchable optimism. * Wexford Local *Having access to original documents, photos and stories, Hilary also knows directly personal impact Comerford had on the lives of people around her. -- Cathy Lee * The Independent *These memoirs took more than forty years to be published and are well written and most interesting for any student of Irish history. -- Eva Ó Cathaoir * National Graves Association *'Meticulously edited by Hilary Dully from the original typescript, it’s a terrific read, a page-turner … illustrated with richly evocative photos … Of all the first-person memoirs I’ve read, this is by far the most inspiring. Comerford has an unforgettable, idiosyncratic voice, her language rich with imagery, full of physical movement. Both astute and tender, she feels modern. I could identify with her. Was it her sense of humour? Her honesty? Her lack of self-aggrandisation? Her intense love for animals? I was certainly drawn to all of these qualities. And her characters hum with life.' Martina Evans, Irish Times

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWhen 25-year old Private Johnson Beharry won the Victoria Cross in 2005 for bravery under fire in Iraq, he was the first person to win Britain's highest military honour since the Falklands war in 1982 and the first living recipient since 1969, when two Australians were given the award for action in Vietnam.Born out of the squalor of the Crimean War in 1856 and the fragility of the monarchy at that time, the VC's prestige is such that it takes precedence over all other orders and medals in Britain. But while many books have been written about specific aspects of the VC and its recipients, none have asked why so many brave men who deserved the medal were denied it, and why no women have ever been awarded the VC, even though they are entitled. Military historian Gary Mead's vivid and balanced account of the VC's life and times exposes the hypocrisy behind one of the UK's last sacred cows, and explores its role as a barometer for the shifting sands of political and social change during the last 150 years.Trade ReviewThis highly revisionist, hard-hitting book will I predict be highly controversial. Yet no-one will deny Gary Mead's scholarship, deep research and ability to express an argument with lucidity and passion, as well as his readiness to name names. The Ministry of Defence must now listen to his arguments, and profoundly reform the way we reward - or more often fail to reward - our heroes * Andrew Roberts *Victoria's Cross is a highly original, judicious book, which questions our long-held assumptions about Britain's highest honour. In beautifully lucid prose, Gary Mead reminds us of the complex background to the creation of the VC. More importantly, he reveals how this decoration, originally a means of recognizing exceptional individual gallantry, has, almost imperceptibly, come to be a potent political tool, far removed from its roots. This is a "must-read" book for anyone interested in military and social history. * Peter Hart *A thorough, cogent and almost unarguable case -- Allan Mallinson * Spectator *This book is not simply another collection of heroic VC stories. It is, rather, a critique of the criteria by which the medal is awarded, and its conclusions about the arbitrary nature of many VC awards are quite disturbing. -- Nigel Jones * Daily Telegraph *Mead pulls no punches in asserting that the kind of behaviour necessary to gain a VC today is not so much courage as "madness". -- Book of the Month * Military History Monthly *

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Book SynopsisA spellbinding new book by the much-acclaimed writer, a journey to South Africa in search of the lost people called the /Xam - a haunting book about the brutality of colonial frontiers and the fate of those they dispossess.In spring 2020, Julia Blackburn travelled to the Karoo region of South Africa to see for herself the ancestral lands that had once belonged to an indigenous group called the /Xam.Throughout the nineteenth century the /Xam were persecuted and denied the right to live in their own territories. In the 1870s, facing cultural extinction, several /Xam individuals agreed to teach their intricate language to a German philologist and his indomitable English sister-in-law. The result was the Bleek-Lloyd Archive: 60,000 notebook pages in which their dreams, memories and beliefs, alongside the traumas of their more recent history, were meticulously recorded word for word. It is an extraordinary document which gives voice to a way of living in the world which we have all but lost. 'All things were once people', the /Xam said.Blackburn's journey to the Karoo was cut short by the outbreak of the global pandemic, but she had gathered enough from reading the archive, seeing the /Xam lands and from talking to anyone and everyone she met along the way, to be able to write this haunting and powerful book, while living her own precarious lockdown life. Dreaming the Karoo is a spellbinding new masterpiece by one of our greatest and most original non-fiction writers.'An astounding, disarming book, full of grief and beauty' Olivia Laing'Blackburn's wise, wonderfully idiosyncratic books are poetic, informed by a...genius for serendipity' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, New StatesmanTrade ReviewAn astounding, disarming book, full of grief and beauty. It's a requiem for a lost world, but also a powerful dream of an alternative to our own age of extinction. -- Olivia Laing, author of EVERYBODYTravelling to the landscapes of the Karoo, yet remaining tied to a corner of the English countryside, Blackburn explores the ruthlessness of colonial frontiers... Here is a work of astonishing breadth, clarity and power. Again and again, as I read, I gasped at the intense relevance and importance, as well as the beauty of this book. -- Hugh Brody, author of THE OTHER SIDE OF EDENA miraculous act of retrieval and restitution. -- William Atkins, author of EXILESA fascinating, poetic response to our contemporary age. -- Joanna Kavenna * Literary Review *[Blackburn's] wise, wonderfully idiosyncratic books are poetic, informed by a drily downbeat humour and a genius for serendipity... Blackburn doesn't give us answers. Instead she works a miracle. In this book dead people talk in a dead language, describing a culture and way of life which is also dead, and yet, thanks to...Blackburn's tactful, beautifully-framed extrapolations, those dead come before us and speak. -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * New Statesman *Parallels [with the present] bring complexity and immediacy to the book... Blackburn powerfully evokes the Karoo... Her observations of her fellow travellers are insightful. -- Barnaby Phillips * Times Literary Supplement *[Blackburn's] writing of history and memory - both personal and public - is so deft as to seem effortless. This elliptical and bewitching book is a delight. * Spectator *Dreaming the Karoo is at once a mesmerising meandering into the near-extinct language and sensibility of the /Xam, and a diary of that intangible sense of loss and loneliness that so many of us felt during lockdown. * Tablet *It is such a wonderful book. It made me stretch my hand to my lover. It made me want to show my children the footprints, scars and stones under our feet. It made me want to sit down to look at the sea... It made me deeply grateful that I am alive. * Max Porter (Praise for Time Song) *Both Wordsworthian and Woolfian ... This book is a wonder. * Adam Nicolson (Praise for Time Song) *

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Book SynopsisInstant History pulls together all the pivotal moments in modern history into one concise volume. Each page contains a discrete 'cheat sheet', which tells you the most important facts in bite-sized chunks, meaning you can become an expert in an instant. From the Boston Tea Party to the Cold War, the Grand Tour to the Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution to the Russian Revolution, every key event, character or turning point is expressed in succinct and lively text and graphics. Perfect for the knowledge hungry and time poor, this collection of graphic-led lessons makes history interesting and accessible. Everything you need to know is here. Table of ContentsThe Renaissance in Europe • The Kings and Queens of England • The Wives of Henry VIII • The Works of Shakespeare • The Defeat of the Spanish Armada • The US Constitution • The Presidents of the USA • The British East India Company • The French Revolution • The Battle of Waterloo • Queen Victoria's Reign • The American Civil War • The Abolition of Slavery • Charles Darwin and The Voyage of the Beagle • The Industrial Revolution • Louis Pasteur Finds a Cure • The Discovery of Antarctica • The Causes of the American Civil War • Captain James Cook and Australia • The Invention of the Light Bulb • The Invention of the Car • The Wright Brothers' First Flight • Women's Suffrage • The Sinking of the Titanic • The Causes of World War I • The Battle of the Somme • The Russian Revolutions • Mussolini and the Rise of Fascism • The Hindenburg Airship Crash • The Great Depression • The Causes of World War II • The Evacuation of Dunkirk • The Attack on Pearl Harbor • The D-Day Landings • VE Day Celebrations • Hiroshima • Atomic Bomb • India and Pakistan Gain Independence • Mao and Communist China • The Start of the Korean War • Pele's World Cup Performance • The Cuban Missile Crisis • Martin Luther King's Speech • The Vietnam War • The Assassination of JFK • Beatlemania • The Moon Landings • The Famine in Ethiopia • The Explosion of Challenger Spacecraft • Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster • Tiananmen Square Massacre • The Fall of the Berlin Wall • The Release of Nelson Mandela • The Death of Princess Diana.

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Book SynopsisIn this highly original and now classic text, Ian Buruma explores and compares how Germany and Japan have attempted to come to terms with their violent pasts, and investigates the painful realities of living with guilt, and with its denial.As Buruma travels through both countries, he encounters people whose honesty in confronting their past is strikingly brave, and others who astonish by the ingenuity of their evasions of responsibility. In Auschwitz, Berlin, Hiroshima and Tokyo he explores the contradictory attitudes of scholars, politicians and survivors towards World War II and visits the contrasting monuments that commemorate the atrocities of the war.Buruma allows these opposing voices to reveal how an obsession with the past, especially distorted versions of it, continually causes us to question who should indeed pay the wages of guilt.Trade Review"'A comparative study of great subtlety and intelligence' Spectator * 'A profound book' Hugh Trevor-Roper, Sunday Telegraph 'Absorbing and sometimes surprising' A. C. Grayling, Financial Times 'Buruma's sensitive account... is most disturbing to read. I strongly recommend [this] unusual book.' Sunday Times"

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Book SynopsisThe memoir of a trainee nurse at one of the world's most famous children's hospitals.

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Book SynopsisBased on the landmark Radio 4 series, this beautifully illustrated modern history of the connections between science and art offers a new perspective on what that relationship has contributed to the world around us. __________ Throughout history, artists and scientists have been driven by curiosity and the desire to experiment. Both have wanted to make sense of the world around them, often to change it, sometimes working closely together, certainly taking inspiration from each other's disciplines. The relationship between the two has traditionally been perceived as one of love and hate, fascination and revulsion, symbiotic but antagonistic. But art is crucial to helping us understand our science legacy and science is well served by applying an artistic lens. How exactly has the ingenuity of science and technology been incorporated into artistic expression? And how has creative practice, in turn, stimulated innovation and technological change?The Art of Innovation is a history of the past 250 years viewed through the disciplines of art and science. Through fascinating stories that explore the sometimes unexpected relationships between famous artworks and significant scientific and technological objects - from Constable's cloudscapes and the chemist who first measured changes in air pressure, to the introduction of photography and the representation of natural history in print - it offers a new way of seeing, studying and interpreting the extraordinary world around us.Trade ReviewA timely and compelling history of the springs of thought. * Melvyn Bragg *A wonderful insight into the way art and science can be interwoven. * Cornelia Parker *

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Book SynopsisThe work that launched the picturesque movement and changed our ways of looking at landscape forever. A witty, elegant, opinionated pilgrimage of taste. Complete with 17 aquatints drawn by William Gilpin as examples of perfected landscape. Introduced by Richard Humphreys, who was Curator of Programme Research at Tate Britain and lead curator of their A Picture of Britain exhibition.

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Book Synopsis

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