History Books

Book SynopsisAn entertaining, alternative portrait of nudity down the ages.

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Book SynopsisEnglish spas have a long and steamy history, from the thermal baths of Aquae Sulis in Bath to the stews of Southwark, the elegant pump rooms of Cheltenham and Buxton to the Victorian mania for hydrotherapy and Turkish hammams. 'The Secret History of English Spas' is an informative but light-hearted social and cultural history of our obsession with drinking and bathing in spa waters. It tells the stories of the rich, the famous, the poor and the sick, all of whom visited spas in hopes of curing everything from infertility to leprosy and gonorrhoea. It depicts the entrepreneurs who promoted these resorts – often on the basis of the most dubious scientific evidence – and the riotous and salacious social life enjoyed in spa towns, where moral health might suffer even as bodies were cleansed and purged. And yet English spas also offered an ideal of civility and politeness, providing a place where social classes and sexes could mingle and enjoy refined entertainments such as music and dance – all part of the fashionable pastime referred to as ‘taking the waters’.Table of ContentsContents Map Chapter 1: Salus per Aquam: The Origins of English Spas Chapter 2: Taking the Plunge: The Development of Spaws in England Chapter 3: Bladud’s Realm: Beau Nash in Bath Chapter 4: Sense of Humours: Bathing and Drinking the Waters Chapter 5: ‘All the Amusements’: A Season at Bath Chapter 6: The Wells of Scandal: Men (and Women) Behaving Badly Chapter 7: I Do like to be Beside the Seaside: a Dose of Vitamin Sea Chapter 8: The Water Cure: The Victorian Mania for Hydrotherapy Chapter 9: A Lot of Hot Air: Vapour Pumps and Turkish Baths Chapter 10: Leisure and Luxury: The Modern Spa Appendix 1: Definition of Mineral Waters Notes Bibliography Picture Credits Index

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Book Synopsis''Blistering'' Sunday Times''Indispensable'' Observer''Fascinating'' The Times''Brilliant'' Peter Frankopan''Revelatory'' Lindsey HilsumA timely and unprecedented examination of how the modern Middle East unravelled, and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Shortlisted for the Cundhill History Prize 2020''What happened to us?''For decades, the question has haunted the Arab and Muslim world, heard across Iran and Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and in the author''s home country of Lebanon. Was it always so? When did the extremism, intolerance and bloodletting of today displace the region''s cultural promise and diversity?In Black Wave, award-winning journalist and author Kim Ghattas argues that the turning point in the modern history of the Middle East can be located in the toxic confluence of three major events in 1979: the Iranian revolution; the siege of the Ho

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Book SynopsisA STUNNINGLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK REVEALING THE GREATEST MYTHS, LIES AND BLUNDERS ON MAPS 'Highly recommended' - Andrew Marr 'A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read' - Jonathan RossThe Phantom Atlas is an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it. Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes; swindlers, mirages and murderers. Sometimes the stories are almost impossible to believe, and remarkably, some of the errors were sTrade Review‘A bonkers book…Highly recommended’ -- Andrew Marr‘A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read... A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout’ -- Jonathan Ross‘Beautifully illustrated…brain-boggling…an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world’ * Spectator *‘This intriguing book…shows how places that aren’t there can endure, sometimes for centuries, once a map-maker has inked them in’ * The Times *‘Beautiful… Brooke-Hitching [has] an eye for a good story and his book is gloriously illustrated with ancient mistaken maps, each accompanied by a thoroughly researched tale of the men whose errors led to them.’ * Daily Express *‘Extraordinary’ * Historia Magazine *‘Excellent... Arranged alphabetically in fifty-eight short chapters, with lavish deployment of illustrations, the book provides a captivating chronicle of our battle with ignorance’ * Literary Review *‘Unreservedly recommended’ * The Monocle *‘From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia’s inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.’ * The Guardian *‘A rich selection… [that] shows how lively minds made use of limited knowledge, but also how rumour, guesswork and downright lies can persist in the scholarly imagination.’ * The Economist *‘One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen in my life…full of fascinating quirky things.’ -- Jen Campbell, author Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops‘The fascination and beauty of maps both emerge clearly in this well-written, witty and thoughtful book…this is a spirited and enjoyable study’ * Standpoint *‘Exquisitely produced… Gorgeous illustrations of countries and islands that were once thought to exist...For any fans of maps this is a must’ * The Australian *'Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated' -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard *'The Phantom Atlas describes some 50 "myths, lies and blunders" and illustrates them in delightful detail...deserve[s] a place on the coffee table, but only after it's been read: there is as much to absorb as to see.' -- John Ure * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisLucid and damning an absorbing and infuriating tale of complicity, coverup and denial' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE, author of EMPIRE OF PAINA groundbreaking investigation of how the Nazis helped German tycoons make billions from the horrors of the Third Reich and World War II and how the world allowed them to get away with it.In 1946, Günther Quandt patriarch of Germany's most iconic industrial empire, a dynasty that today controls BMW was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration. Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his arch-rival, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, and the courts acquitted him. But Quandt lied. And his heirs, and those of other Nazi billionaires, have only grown wealthier in the generations since, while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best. Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy, owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe. The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz, cofounded Allianz and still control Porsche, Volkswagen and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight until now.In this landmark work, investigative journalist David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany's wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich. Using a wealth of untapped sources, de Jong shows how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses, procured slave labourers and ramped up weapons production to equip Hitler's army as Europe burnt around them. Most shocking of all, de Jong exposes how the wider world's political expediency enabled these billionaires to get away with their crimes, covering up a bloodstain that defiles the German and global economy to this day.Trade Review‘It is impossible to fault de Jong’s fierce indignation in his book. He must be right to urge that the descendants of Hitler’s tycoons should admit their ancestors’ criminality’Max Hastings, Sunday Times ‘Fascinating … de Jong tells the story with the brisk clarity of the good financial journalist he is and lets the fact speak for themselves. It leaves you awestruck at the power of greed’Daily Telegraph ‘The author cleverly weaves his astonishing facts and figures into human stories … Its fascinating detail and engaging style make Nazi Billionaires a forceful book, revealing to a wide audience a vital aspect of Germany’s ongoing discussion with itself’Spectator ‘Lucid, and damning, Nazi Billionaires unearths decades of family secrets and exposes the tainted origins of several of the world's most significant dynastic fortunes. As adept in the archive as he is on the page, de Jong draws on a vast wealth of historical evidence to tell an absorbing – and infuriating – tale of complicity, coverup, and denial, and to unearth the sordid war crimes behind some of today's most vaunted consumer brands’Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Empire of Pain ‘Eloquent, thorough, and profound, David de Jong’s brilliant debut illuminates a dark chapter of the past while also shining a stark and uncanny light onto our present, and, perhaps, our near future – showing how an insidious mix of capitalism and fascism can destroy democracy and countless lives. An absolute must-read’Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed ‘As riveting as it is disturbing. At times, it felt like reading the anti-Schindler's List: instead of secretly helping the Jews, Germany's most powerful tycoons brutally exploited their suffering for personal profit’Bradley Hope, bestselling co-author of Billion Dollar Whale

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Book SynopsisAtlas of Vanishing Places takes you on a voyage to all corners of the world in search of the lost, disappearing and vanished places. Table of ContentsINTRODUCTIONANCIENT CITIES MOHENJO-DARO-PAKISTAN HATTUSA-TURKEY LEPTIS MAGNA-LIBYA XANADU-MONGOLIA/CHINA CIUDAD PERDIDA-COLOMBIA MAHABALIPURAM-INDIA PALENQUE-MEXICO HELIKE-GREECE PETRA-JORDAN TIMGAD-ALGERIA ALEXANDRIA-EGYPTFORGOTTEN LANDS CHAN CHAN-PERU ROANOKE-NORTH CAROLINA, USA THE MOSQUE CITY OF BAGERHAT-BANGLADESH RIVER FLEET-LONDON, UK LION CITY-CHINA OLD ADAMINABY-AUSTRALIA PORT ROYAL-JAMAICA ESANBEHANAKITAKOJIMA-JAPAN THE LOST SEA-CRAIGHEAD CAVERNS, TENNESSEE, USA BODIE-CALIFORNIA, USA FLAGSTAFF-MAINE, USASHRINKING PLACES RIVER DANUBE-EUROPE THE DEAD SEA-JORDAN/ISRAEL SLIMS RIVER-YUKON, CANADA SKIPSEA-YORKSHIRE, UK THE EVERGLADES-FLORIDA, USATHREATENED WORLDS GLACIER NATIONAL PARK-MONTANA, USA CHIHUAHUAN DESERT-MEXICO/USA TIMBUKTU-MALI SKARA BRAE-ORKNEY YAMUNA RIVER-INDIA VENICE-ITALY THE CONGO BASIN RAINFOREST-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF-AUSTRALIA THE GREAT WALL-CHINA TUVALU-SOUTH PACIFIC SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY PICTURE CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe Korean War is journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings’ compelling account of the forgotten war.'The best narrative history of the Korean conflict' – GuardianOn 25 June 1950 the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North launched one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last century. The seemingly limitless power of the Chinese-backed North was thrown against the ferocious firepower of the UN-backed South in a war that can be seen today as the stark prelude to Vietnam.Max Hastings draws on first-hand accounts of those who fought on both sides to produce this vivid and incisive reassessment of the Korean War, bringing the military and human dimensions into sharp focus. Critically acclaimed on publication, republished with an introduction from the author, The Korean War remains the best narrative history of this conflict.'A brilliant tour-de-force' – Times Literary Supplement'Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre' – Daily Mail'This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians.' – New York TimesTrade ReviewThe best narrative history of the Korean conflict * Guardian *Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre * Daily Mail *A brilliant tour-de-force * Times Literary Supplement *A brilliant and compelling book which must rank, even by the standards Max Hastings has set, as a masterpiece. -- Professor Michael Howard * London Review of Books *This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians. * New York Times *A balanced, perceptive reckoning of what was won and lost in an important clash of arms that excited precious little interest or passion on home fronts. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisDocumenting one of the most comprehensive surveys of a shipwreck ever conducted, Simon Mills' new book takes you inside the SS Britannic for a unique dive into the past.The Olympic Class ships were intended to be the greatest liners to ever sail the oceans, but the Britannic sank only four years after her sister ship the Titanic. While the wreck of the Titanic is 2 miles below the surface and rapidly deteriorating, the Britannic is much more accessible (only 400ft down) and remains largely intact. One of the largest passenger ships ever to have sunk, her wreck presents a unique opportunity to explore the interior of the Olympic Class liners, and examine areas which on the Titanic simply no longer exist.Simon Mills bought the wreck of the Britannic in 1996 and has spent more time exploring it than anyone else. Inside the Britannic is the sum of decades of work covering every inch of the shipwreck as he sea

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Book Synopsis70th Anniversary Edition with a New Foreword by Sunday Times Bestselling Author Simon Sebag Montefiore''A classic'' Observer ''A legend'' Washington Post ''The best book you will read this year'' Colonel Tim CollinsPosted to Moscow as a young diplomat before the Second World War, Fitzroy Maclean travelled widely, with or without permission, in some of the wildest and remotest parts of the Soviet Union, then virtually closed to foreigners. In 1942 he fought as a founder member of the SAS in North Africa. There Maclean specialised in hair-raising commando raids behind enemy lines, including the daring and outrageous kidnapping of the German Consul in Axis-controlled Iraq. In 1943 he parachuted into German-occupied Yugoslavia as Winston Churchill''s personal representative to Josip Broz Tito and remained there until 1945, all enemy attempts to capture him proving unsuccessful.Eastern Approaches is Maclean''s classic, grippingTrade ReviewOne of the bravest men in the British army, and one of the funniestAn absorbing mixture of military adventure, political judgement, urbane wit, cool humour and surprising incidentA man of daring character

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Book SynopsisNow an eight-part docuseries on Apple TV+ featuring Kim Kardashian, Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Wanda Sykes, Megan Thee Stallion and more She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “Go ahead, ask your question,” her father urged, nudging her forward. She smiled shyly and said, “You’re my hero. Who’s yours?”  Many people – especially girls – have asked us that same question over the years. It’s one of our favourite topics. HILLARY: Growing up, I knew hardly any women who worked outside the home. So I looked to my mother, my teachers, and the pages of Life magazine for inspiration. After learning that Amelia Earhart kept a scrapbook with newspaper articles about successful women in male-dominated jobs, I started a scrapbook of my own. Long after I stopped clipping articles, I continued to seek out stories of women who seemed to be redefini

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Book SynopsisThe drama of Pompeii's end has been handed down by Roman writers, its paintings and mosaics have astonished visitors since their discovery and its houses and public buildings still present a vivid picture of life, disaster and death in a Roman town. This book includes a comprehensive account of its rise, splendour and fall.Trade Review'Dazzling . . . an excellent companion' - The New York Times'A triumph, a must for everyone interested in the most famous site of the ancient world. Beautifully written and magnificently illustrated, packed with fascinating information … Berry talks about Pompeii’s people, history, religion, society, art, culture and economic activity with a unique vividness, depth and breadth' - Sunday Telegraph'Highly readable and lavishly illustrated … a boon for archaeology buffs' - Publishers Weekly'Closely written, lavishly illustrated and aptly titled … from the moment you open the book you are assailed with images of this doomed city … Now, for an authentic taste of life in Pompeii you don’t need to fly to Italy and visit the site. Just read this book' - Minerva

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Book SynopsisMay We Be Spared to Meet on Earth collects the private correspondence of the officers and sailors who set out in May 1845 on the Erebus and Terror for Sir John Franklin’s fateful Arctic expedition, providing new insights into the personalities of those on board, the voyage’s significance, and the dawning realization that they might never return.Trade Review“Graced with an appropriately light editorial touch, May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth is a worthy enterprise that will be read and used by a growing cohort of scholars and Franklin sleuths on both sides of the Atlantic.” Shane McCorristine, Newcastle University“May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth provides insight into the hopes and fears of the two crews, linking the officers and men to lives already lived: friendships and family connections of considerable complexity, magnetic and other scientific research, career prospects and reputation, and prospective marriages. Though the subject has inspired media interest around the globe, there is no other collection that assembles this material in a single volume, and the book will attract a wide readership.” Andrew Lambert, King’s College London“This is an exceptional collection of letters, offered complete, with exhaustive endnotes for most, explaining terms, expanding on the subject matter, adding details concerning the sender or receiver and tying letters to other letters in this collection and/or other archives. The opening essay is an excellent synopsis of the present historiography of the Franklin Expedition and the numerous efforts to find them. It details the twists and turns in telling the story from the disappearance up to present day. Touching on historical and fictional accounts the essay reminds the reader of the cultural impact the story of this misadventure has had. May We Be Spared To Meet On Earth, is an essential source for future historians and other writers, exploring the Franklin Expedition.” The Canadian Nautical Research Society 2023 Keith Matthews Prize jury“May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth is a labour of love. For those who are seriously interested in Arctic exploration, it is a must-have.” Canada’s History

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Book Synopsis'Every Scot should read it. Scotland now has the lively, provocative and positive history it deserves.' Irvine Welsh, Guardian A dramatic and intriguing history of how Scotland produced the institutions, beliefs and human character that have made the West into the most powerful culture in the world. Arthur Herman argues that Scotland's turbulent history, from William Wallace to the Presbyterian Lords of the Covenant, laid the foundations for 'the Scottish miracle'. Within one hundred years, the nation that began the eighteenth century dominated by the harsh and repressive Scottish Kirk had evolved into Europe's most literate society, producing an idea of modernity that has shaped much of civilisation as we know it. He follows the lives and work of thinkers such as Adam Smith and David Hume, writers such as Burns and Boswell, as well as architects, technicians and inventors, and traces their legacy into the twentieth century. Written with wit, erudition and clarity, The Scottish Enlightenment claims the Scots' rightful place in the history of the western world.Trade Review'Herman's book tells an exciting story with gusto … entertaining and illuminating.' Jenny Uglow, Sunday Times 'Stimulating. A work which deserves to be bought by any interested reader.' Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph 'Compulsively readable.' Paul Henderson Scott, Sunday Herald 'Herman carries his thesis off with brio.' Arnold Kemp, Observer 'A sparkling book. Herman argues his case with an impressive accumulation of evidence.' New Statesman

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Book SynopsisChina Miéville's brilliant reading of the modern world's most controversial and enduring political document: The Communist Manifesto. 'It's thrilling to accompany Miéville... as he wrestles – in critical good faith and incandescent commitment – with a manifesto that still calls on us to build a new world' Naomi Klein 'Read this and be dazzled by its contemporaneity' Mike Davis 'A rich, luminous reflection of and on a light that never quite goes out' Andreas Malm 'Reading with [Miéville] today sharpens our senses to contemporary internationalist movements from below' Ruth Wilson Gilmore '[Written] with diligence and a ruthlessly critical eye worthy of Marx himself' Sarah Jaffe In 1848, a strange political tract was published by two German émigrés. Marx and Engles's apocalyptic vision of an insatiable system, which penetrates every corner of the globe, reduces every relationship to that of profit, and bursts asunder the old forms of production and of politics, remains a picture of our world. And the vampiric energy of that system is once again highly contentious. The Manifesto shows no sign of fading into antiquarian obscurity, and remains a key touchstone for modern political debate. China Miéville is not a writer hemmed in by conventions of disciplinary boundaries or genre, and this is a strikingly imaginative take on Marx and what his most haunting book has to say to us today. Like the Manifesto itself, this is a book haunted by ghosts, sorcery and creative destruction.Trade ReviewThe Manifesto is one of history's most profound prophecies. In Miéville's brilliant interpretation it is like a great comet whose periodic return blinds the sky with its light and urgency. Read this and be dazzled by its contemporaneity -- Mike DavisChina Miéville's elegant book patiently explains composition – style, structure, class – to reveal the Communist Manifesto's spectral energies. Reading with him today sharpens our senses to contemporary internationalist movements from below -- Ruth Wilson GilmoreAn excellent book, very lively and engaging, written in clear and readable prose... For today's readers Miéville does excellent work presenting and reviewing a huge amount of twentieth-century history -- Professor Terrell CarverIt's thrilling to accompany Miéville, one of the greatest living world-builders, as he wrestles – in critical good faith and incandescent commitment – with a manifesto that still calls on us to build a new world -- Naomi KleinVery enjoyable and well done... Properly scholarly and thorough in its apparatus of discussion and issue-identification... Lively, politically driven appreciation -- Professor Gregor McLennanWith diligence and a ruthlessly critical eye worthy of Marx himself, China Miéville expands upon the Communist Manifesto, calling us into renewed struggle for the best of what humanity could be. Against the million little cruelties and death-making of capitalism, this book builds a case for the value of the Manifesto to today's struggles without demanding fealty. It turns long-standing complaints about Marx on their heads to challenge the reader even while seducing with luminous prose. I didn't know I needed this book, but I did -- Sarah JaffeA book about another book might sound boring, but The Communist Manifesto is more than a book: it represents a bulging galaxy of historical struggle, ever moving and shining, even if only on the periphery of our vision. Here, China Miéville opens up the pages of the Manifesto and transmits the energy of communism across the pallid present. Close reading, historical essay, political commentary and a manifesto of sorts: A Spectre, Haunting is a rich, luminous reflection of and on a light that never quite goes out -- Andreas MalmChina Miéville, mind, soul and pen ablaze, guides his readers through Marx and Engels's unignorable, inextinguishable, eternally uncomfortable and always essential Manifesto. This is both a history of critical thought and a magnificent exemplar of reading and thinking critically. Miéville has written a thrillingly lively and lucid exegesis on the Manifesto, its contents and its discontents. He's gathered together an astonishingly heterogenous array of voices and responses, making a case for the Manifesto as a locus of politically engaged analysis and argument for nearly two centuries. Miéville adjudicates and synthesizes with unfailing clarity, wit, courage, decency and passion, writing brilliantly about nationalism, race, gender, literary style, and – my particular favorite section – about the perils and necessity of hate. He gives us a Manifesto that is simultaneously a central artifact of our species and a means for understanding our present, hazardous moment, a historical work that remains absolutely, ferociously alive -- Tony Kushner, author of Angels in AmericaA rare combination, both scholarly and exciting to read * The Prisma *Whatever the reader's position on these questions, A Spectre, Haunting ultimately succeeds. It is a clear, fair, and non-doctrinaire introduction * TLS *

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Book Synopsis''Not only our most distinguished historian but also one of the most valuable contributors to historical theory'' SpectatorIn answering the question, ''what is history?'', E. H. Carr''s acclaimed and influential bestseller shows that the facts of history are simply those which the historian selects for scrutiny. His fluent and hugely wide-ranging account of the nature of history and the role of the historian argues that all history is to some degree subjective, written by individuals who are above all people of their own time. ''Lively and controversial, full of wit and humour, E. H. Carr''s What Is History? played a central role in the historiographical revolution in the 1960s'' Richard J. EvansWith an introduction by Richard J. Evans, author of the Third Reich trilogy.

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Book Synopsis'A rich harvest of harrowing adventures recounted in fascinating detail' Daily TelegraphTrade Review'A marvellous book, well researched and beautifully written - a treat for armchair explorers everywhere' * New Statesman *'As vivid and gripping as a John Buchan novel' * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by William Boyd, Checkpoint Charlie is a vivid and poignant exploration of the history surrounding the Berlin Wall through the lens of interwoven first-person experiences.Trade ReviewGripping and revelatory * Tom Holland *MacGregor's intimate knowledge of the soldiers and spies who paid their dues in the forty-year undeclared war whose cockpit was Berlin, makes for some truly remarkable and gripping reading. Highly recommended * Frederick Taylor, author of The Berlin Wall and Dresden *MacGregor has put together a lively, evocative account of the life and death of the world's most notorious wall. In capturing the essence of the old Cold War he may just have helped us to understand a bit more about the new one * The Times *Full of harrowing stories and riveting eyewitness accounts of life in the East, but what lingers in the memory is a sense of human resilience and ingenuity . . . This history is an invaluable reminder of both why the Cold War needed to be fought and why totalitarianism must always be resisted * Mail on Sunday *A fascinating and telling reminder of what was perhaps the most potent symbol of the Cold War . . . MacGregor's book is, as well as being a history of the Wall, an invaluable scene-setter for the status quo ante . . . thorough and engaging . . . Iain MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive . . . a powerful and moving experience * New Statesman *A rich collection of tales from cold war Berlin captures the city's mad complexities . . . Lively . . . the voices [MacGregor] has saved, and the richly researched skill of his narrative at big moments, rescue an echo of one of the many lost Berlins * Observer *Excellent * The Sun *This remarkable book about the Berlin Wall, which has been the subject of everything from diplomatic histories to spy thrillers, is different. Based on extensive, detailed interviews with people on both sides of the wall - soldiers and civilians, communists and anti-communists, spies, intellectuals and ordinary citizens - it offers a riveting panorama of everyday life as it was actually lived at ground zero of the cold war * William Taubman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Khrushchev: The Man and His Era *Fascinating and original... the story not just of the Berlin Wall, but of the people on either side of it * Jeremy Bowen *With its wealth of eyewitness stories, this book proves how understanding the last Cold War is crucial for anyone who wants to understand the new one * Martin Sixsmith *As an aspiring student of modern history in the 1980s, the Berlin Wall and the monstrous regime at its heart, dominated my thinking. It is difficult to believe now - much like the Cold War itself - that we all thought the Wall was so immortal. As a writer of oral history, I have enjoyed MacGregor bringing the stories of the people who populated this barrier to life. We need to remember * Joshua Levine, bestselling author of Dunkirk *A peoples' history of the wall that is tense, exciting and moving, telling us the stories of the families the wall tore apart, the soldiers who faced one another across it, the spies and journalists who operated behind it, and the East Germans who risked everything to break through it to freedom * James Barr, author of Lords of the Desert *MacGregor compellingly portrays Berlin's overarching geo-political story, and brings it alive through the personal experiences of the individuals at its heart * Jonathan Fenby, author of The General *The fall of the Berlin Wall was a seismic event in the story of the 20th century. In Checkpoint Charlie, Iain MacGregor re-creates the drama and meaning of that moment. With a gripping narrative and vivid interviews with those on all sides whose lives were directly affected by that grim symbol of the East-West divide that poisoned Europe for almost half a century, he has made an important contribution to the history of our times * Jonathan Dimbleby *A wonderful approach to the history of the Cold War, tackling the complex legacy of the Berlin Wall through the men and women who lived in its shadow. Weaving together personal testimonies, this book offers a valuable insight into history as it was lived, and shines an illuminating new light on an icon of the twentieth century * Duncan Barrett, New York Times bestselling author of GI Brides *Checkpoint Charlie is emblematic of both the tension and romance of the pivot between a third World War and peace. Iain MacGregor captures brilliantly and comprehensively both the danger and exhilaration that I and other reporters, soldiers, and people experienced intersecting with the wall, and the fears and the eventual hope that flowed through it - a must read for anyone who wants to understand the Europe we have inherited * Jon Snow *

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Book SynopsisA cultural and scientific history of the Moon from prehistoric archaeology to the most recent technological and scientific research today.

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Book SynopsisProfessor Saraiva's multi-volume History of Portugal is a celebrated scholarly standard work. Yet, when he published a one-volume Historia Concisa, it proved a run-away best seller in Portugal, and the television series that went with it became a chart-topper. His latest book, produced especially for Carcanet's Aspects of Portugal series, is a history of his country, brief, acute and illuminating, written with scholarly insight and with non-specialist foreign readers specifically in mind. To this main text Ian Robertson, author of the well-known Blue Guide to Portugal, has added a historical gazeteer, brief biographies, chronological tables, maps and other elements which make this an essential Companion, the sort of book that a reader in need of accurate, brief and lucid reference will find useful, and every visitor to Portugal will find rewarding. The book is generously illustrated.

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Book SynopsisRevolt and upheaval in medieval Britain by a brilliant new narrative historian, Summer of Blood' breaks new ground in its portrayal of the personalities and politics of the bloody days of June 1381.The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 is one of the most dramatic and bloody events in English history. Starting with village riots in the Essex countryside, chaos rapidly spread across much of the south-east of England, as tens of thousands of ordinary men and women marched in fury to London, torching houses, slaughtering their social superiors and terrifying the life out of those who got in their way. The burning down of Savoy Palace, home to the most powerful magnate in the realm, marked one of the Revolt's most violent episodes.The Peasants' Revolt has remained an underexplored period of history. In revisiting the bloody events of 1381, Dan Jones has brought back to glorious life the squalor, drama and complex hierarchies of a society that until now seemed almost too distant to imagine. His examiTrade Review‘Combines zest and flair with an acute historical intelligence. Bold. Surprising. Unputdownable.’ David Starkey ‘Jones has certainly livened up the Middle Ages…Combining scholarly zest with novelistic flair he serves his account hot, brave and reeking with gore for a wide readership.’ The Times ‘Dan Jones seeks to uncover the idealism and brutality of this fateful summer…A fresh look.’ John Guy, Sunday Times ‘Dan Jones relates his tale with relish and zest…If anyone is looking for a racy account of England's “summer of blood” this is it.’ TLS ‘Jones's book is welcome…At his best…his prose rises to the occasion provided by the dramatic showdown between Richard and the rebels at Smithfield.’ Spectator ‘A pacy narrative.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Short, clear history of a long, hot summer.’ Scotsman

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Book SynopsisMoving from the Middle-Eastern campaigns of the First World War to bohemian Berlin in the 1920s, to the horror of the concentration camps and the trials in Belsen and Nuremberg, this book tells the story of two German men whose lives diverged, and intersected, in an unusual way.Trade ReviewThomas Harding has shed intriguing new light on the strange poison of Nazism, and one of its most lethal practitioners... Meticulously researched and deeply felt. -- Ben Macintyre * The Times, Book of the Week *Fascinating and moving...This is a remarkable book, which deserves a wide readership. -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *A gripping thriller, an unspeakable crime, an essential history. -- John Le CarréThis is a stunning book...both chilling and deeply disturbing. It is also an utterly compelling and exhilarating account of one man's extraordinary hunt for the Kommandant of the most notorious death camp of all, Auschwitz-Birkenau. -- James HollandOnly at his great uncle’s funeral in 2006 did Thomas Harding discover that Hanns Alexander, whose Jewish family fled to Britain from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, hunted down and captured Rudolf Höss, the ruthless commandant of Auschwitz, at the end of World War Two. By tracing the lives of these two men in parallel until their dramatic convergence in 1946, Harding puts the monstrous evil of the Final Solution in two specific but very different human contexts. The result is a compelling book full of unexpected revelations and insights, an authentic addition to our knowledge and understanding of this dark chapter in European history. No-one who starts reading it can fail to go on to the end. -- David Lodge

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Book SynopsisStephen R. Platt received his PhD in Chinese history at Yale and teaches Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His work has been supported by the Fulbright program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.Trade ReviewEngaging and exciting ... Finely written * Literary Review *Lucid and gripping ... Highly recommended for anyone interested in China * TES *An impressive, gracefully written account * Wall Street Journal *A splendid example of finely calibrated historical narrative ... It is a tragic and powerful story -- Jonathan Spence, author of The Search for Modern ChinaA refreshing and gripping account ... Powerful, dramatic and unforgettable * San Francisco Chronicle *A marvellous account of a largely forgotten but major event. Combines great scholarship with a driving narrative and sharp characterisation -- Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern ChinaStephen Platt brings to vivid life a pivotal chapter in China's history that has been all but forgotten ... A fascinating work by a first-class historian and superb writer -- Henry Kissinger

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Book Synopsis''The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing''s great projects'' New StatesmanThe world known as the ''Dark Ages'', often seen as a time of barbarism, was in fact the crucible in which modern Europe would be created.Chris Wickham''s acclaimed history shows how this period, encompassing peoples such as Goths, Franks, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, was central to the development of our history and culture. From the collapse of the Roman Empire to the establishment of new European states, and from Ireland to Constantinople, the Baltic to the Mediterranean, this landmark work makes sense of a time of invasion and turbulence, but also of continuity, creativity and achievement.Trade ReviewA work of tremendous authority and breadth. With this book, as with Charlemagne's empire, one feels that an extraordinary range of things have been brought together -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *Intensely rewarding -- Jonathan Sumption * Spectator *Almost every page is full of arresting details and insights ... and a sharp eye for a revealing anecdote, illuminating even the murkiest corners of the so-called Dark Ages -- Dominic Sandbrook * Daily Telegraph *The Penguin History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects * New Statesman *With five volumes now out, the Penguin History of Europe series ... is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones * Economist *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn extraordinary book, a work of scholarship and history salted with the author's excitement as he conducts us among the great libraries of Western civilization. It is full of delights -- Tom StoppardThe intellectual expedition of a lifetime ... This is an endlessly fascinating and enjoyable book. -- Neil MacGregorA book of marvels -- John Banville * Financial Times *Entrancing ... De Hamel's learned adventures amid some of the West's greatest manuscript treasures effortlessly outclass Eco's The Name of the Rose in elegance and excitement. They are also much funnier. -- Diarmaid MacCullochReading is my life, but only about once a decade do I find a book that seems to tilt the world, so afterwards it appears different. -- Fiammetta Rocco * The Economist '1843' *De Hamel's book, scholarly but unfailingly readable, is the beginning of wisdom in all things scribal and scriptural - Ian Thomson, The Observer * Ian Thomson, The Observer *

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Book Synopsis''As powerfully intimate as it is politically incendiary'' VOGUE''Private Revolutions could be a Netflix series, for family, violence and romance abound'' IRISH TIMES ''A portrait of China through four women who refused to accept the life laid out for them. Incredible'' SUNDAY TIMES ''A revelatory, moving and tender tale of hopes, fears and change'' PETER FRANKOPAN*A Sunday Times, Observer & BBC Highlight for 2024*This is a book about the coming of age of four women born in China in the 1980s and 1990s, in a society about to change beyond recognition.It is about Leiya, who wants to escape the fate of the women in her village. Still underage, she bluffs her way on to the factory floor. It is about June, who at fifteen sets what her family thinks is an impossible goal: to attend university rather than raise pigs. It is about Siyue, ranked second-to-bottom of her English class, who decides to prove her teachers wrong. And it is about Sam, who becomes convinced that the only way to change her country is to become an activist even as the authorities slowly take her peers from the streets. With unprecedented access to the lives, hopes, homes, dreams and diaries of four ordinary women over a period of six years, Private Revolutions gives a voice to those whose stories go untold. At a time of rising state censorship and suppression, it unearths the identity of modern Chinese society and, through the telling, something of our own.

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Book SynopsisA TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARWhat if Chernobyl was just the beginning?The acclaimed winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize returns to Chernobyl to tell the gripping story of thirty-five days of warOn 24 February 2022, the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, armoured vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. It was the most direct way for them to reach the capital - and an extraordinarily reckless plan after the disaster that had taken place there three decades earlier. Russian occupation of the plant had begun. It would last thirty-five days.Closely reported and narrated from multiple perspectives, this is the story of the Ukrainians who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days to spare the world a new nuclear accident. We meet Valentyn Heiko, the foreman who had also been there for the clean-up of the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and turned sixty during the occupation; plant workers who found a way to celebrate International Women's Day despite all odds; Russian officers who had no knowledge of nuclear reactors; and four stalkers who were caught in the middle and stood in for the overworked cook.Gripping and unforgettable, Chernobyl Roulette sounds the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in an unprecedented time, when plant workers are left to fight on their own while the world holds its breath. In a book that reads like a thriller, Serhii Plokhy tells a remarkable story about human nature, uncertainty and courage.

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Book SynopsisMisha Glenny''s acclaimed account of the war in former Yugoslavia contains substantial new material that discusses the end of the five-year conflict and looks ahead to an uneasy future in this turbulent region. Writing in the Evening Standard, Fitzroy Maclean said Misha Glenny's deeply disturbing book is, to my mind, essential reading for anyone trying to understand, or even just follow, events in what was once Yugoslavia'.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of night - the nocturnal world, insomnia, the creative potential of the dark hours, the work that happens at night to keep the modern world moving - by Sunday Times bestselling author Dan Richards

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Book SynopsisIn the middle of the First World War, the British War Cabinet approved and issued a statement in the form of a letter that encouraged the settlement of the Jewish people in Palestine. Signed by the Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, the Balfour Declaration remains one of the most important documents of the last hundred years. Jonathan Schneer explores the story behind the declaration and its unforeseen consequences that have shaped the modern world, placing it in context paying attention to the fascinating characters who conceived, opposed and plotted around it - among them Lloyd George, Lord Rothschild, T.E. Lawrence, Prince Faisal and Aubrey Herbert (the man who was Greenmantle''). The Balfour Declaration brings vividly to life the origins of one of the world''s longest lasting and most damaging conflicts.Trade Review'Splendid ... A marvellously well-researched, balanced, and clear-sighted guide to this hideously controversial territory' * Dominic Sandbrook, Evening Standard *'Jonathan Schneer's lively new account is very much a tale for our times ... his book is interspersed with delightful vignettes' * David Cesarini, Literary Review *‘Why did Britain offer the Jews a home in Palestine? Had they not already offered Palestine to the Arabs, two years earlier? This extraordinarily well-documented and revealing book gives the answers' * Martin Gilbert, Mail on Sunday *‘An excellent and compelling portrait of the intrigues, characters and diplomacy that created the modern Middle East' * Simon Sebag Montefiore *

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Book SynopsisThe history of a bewilderingly exotic city, rarely written about: five hundred years of clashing cultures and peoples, from the glories of Suleiman the Magnificent to its nadir under Nazi occupation.Salonica is the point where the wonders and horrors of the Orient and Europe have met over the centuries.Written with a Pepysian sense of the texture of daily life in the city through the ages, and with breathtakingly detailed historical research, Salonica evokes the sights, smells, habits, songs and responses of a unique city and its inhabitants. The history of Salonica is one of forgotten alternatives and wrong choices, of identities assumed and discarded. For centuries Jews, Christians and Muslims have succeeded each other in ascendancy, each people intent on erasing the presence of their predecessors, and the result is a city of extraordinarily rich cultural traditions and memories of extreme violence and genocide, one that sits on the overlapping hinterlands of both Europe and the EastTrade Review‘A necessary masterpiece…a pleasure to read and curiously moreish.’ Louis de Bernieres, The Times ‘A tremendous book about a city unique not just in Europe, but in the entire history of humanity. Mazower…has done the old place proud…and has celebrated once and for all the mighty and fateful heritage of its citizens.’ Jan Morris, Guardian ‘[Mazower] sensitively analyses the internal debates and divisions which could be found within all the major communities.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘[Mazower] has produced a brilliant reconstruction of one of Europe’s great meeting places between the three monotheistic faiths.’ Economist ‘Mazower is a formidable historian…He has produced a majestic work: the biography of a city, complete with soul and ichor.’ Independent ‘Enthralling…brilliant…tragic, hopeful, beautifully written.’ Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE GREATEST SPY STORIES OF ALL TIME Nothing can stop an enemy from picking wireless messages out of the free air - and nothing did. In England, Room 40 was born . . .In January 1917, with the First World War locked in terrible stalemate and America still neutral, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman gambled the future of the conflict on a single telegram.But this message was intercepted and decoded in Whitehall''s legendary Room 40 - and Zimmerman''s audacious scheme for world domination was exposed, bringing America into the war and changing the course of history.The story of how this happened, and the incalculable consequences are thrillingly told in Barbara Tuchman''s brilliant exploration.Trade ReviewA most exciting book, full of vivid pen portraits and curious episodes * Sunday Times *As thrilling as a John Buchan novel * Times Literary Supplement *Its 200 pages are worth more than all the thrillers and whodunits of the fiction writers put together * Herald *A fine exciting book told with intense drama. A thriller of real life * Observer *Brilliant. Told with great literary and dramatic talent * New York Times *All the ingredients of an Eric Ambler spy thriller * Saturday Review *Dazzling -- Max Hastings on 'Guns of August'Magnificent. A masterpiece of the historian's art -- on 'Guns of August' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisHighly illustrated history of the Italian Front during the Great War with over 130 rare archive photographs of the campaign and the battlefields.

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Book SynopsisThe epic bestselling biography of Catherine the Great and Prince Potemkin, her outrageous lover and co-rulerTrade ReviewOne of the great love stories of history in a league with Napoleon and Josephine and Antony and Cleopatra ... Excellent, with dazzling mastery of detail and literary flair * THE ECONOMIST *A rather wonderful book ... -- Mick Jagger * SUNDAY TIMES *If you want a good racy historical read, CATHERINE THE GREAT & POTEMKIN certainly provides it! Book of the Year -- Antonia FraserIt is a wonderful story, and Simon Sebag Montefiore tells it with joyful verve. He evidently warms to Potemkin's overblown personality and relishes the adventurers who swarmed around him. He has a firm grasp of the politics at the Russian court and of the diplomatic context, which is not easy, since the centre of gravity of this story shifts between St Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin and Istanbul. He is very good on the relationship between Potemkin and Catherine. His explanation of the day-to-day mechanics of the unusual ménage is light-handed, movingly told and psychologically credible -- Adam Zamoyski * THE TIMES *This well researched and highly ambitious biography has succeeded triumphantly in re-creating the life of an extraordinary man of mixed moods... Sebag Montefiore also provides a remarkably good panorama of the period -- Antony Beevor * SUNDAY TIMES *Clearly what fascinates Sebag Montefiore is the man himself - his personality, his achievements, his lifelong relationship with his sovereign/lover - and that fascination shines through every page of this book. Although more than 500 pages long, it could easily have been double the length, so enjoyable is it to read * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *With great industry and huge enthusiasm he has combed the archives to give us a detailed account of a gigantic but, until now, almost forgotten figure. The writing is fluent, the sympathy obvious * SUNDAY EXPRESS *This exhaustive and beautifully-written biography... Montefiore vividly brings to life his supporting cast of envious conspirators, aristocratic mistresses, dandies, diplomats and adventurers * DAILY MAIL *The contradictions in Potemkin's character are beautifully brought out in this magnificent biography * INDEPENDENT *Montefiore's reputation so far has been for lively journalism and a couple of novels. With this lavish biography he has announced himself as a historian who deserves to be taken seriously * EVENING STANDARD *This splendid biography, as sprawling, magnificent and exotic as its subject, provides for the first time in English a fully researched, accurate and immensely readable history of this extraordinary man * LITERARY REVIEW *Magnificent ... Montefiore's passionate and committed revisionism on behalf of his hero is just one of a host of excellent things about this book. Massively researched in Russian archives, it is a work of fine scholarship ... This is a superb biography and it is hard to see how it can ever be superseded * FINANCIAL TIMES *Exhilarating ... In describing Potemkin's career, Sebag Montefiore succeeds admirably in capturing its scale and ambition -- Stella Tillyard * MAIL ON SUNDAY *This gripping and richly researched biography ... CATHERINE THE GREAT & POTEMKIN makes it easy to see why novelists are often seduced away from fiction to write biography - where, just sometimes, implausible reality exceeds plausible fantasy many times over * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *An example of how to make a page-turner out of the most profound scholarship * NEW STATESMAN *Impeccably researched, beautifully written and handsomely presented, it takes us at an unslackening pace through the colourful life of one of the most legendary of all Russians, a war hero, consummate politician, visionary and lover of Catherine the Great * DAILY MAIL *A triumph of research and a joy to read -- Antony Beevor * INDEPENDENT *This book is a conspicuous achievement. The author's researches have been extensive and his command of his subject exemplary. His writing has the quality of a vivid soap-opera of the highest class, more than equal to his subject. He brings out Potemkin's personality perfectly... Potemkin is depicted in this work as the giant he undoubtedly was, and the biography will secure him a new audience, and a renewed place in history * COUNTRY LIFE *This irresistible biography is history from above. To write this stupendous, engaging tour de force, the first biography of Potemkin in any language since 1891, Montefiore has devoted many hours in the archives of Moscow and Petersburg and covered thousands of miles of the former Russian empire * SPECTATOR *One of the great love stories of history in a league with Napoleon and Josephine and Antony and Cleopatra ... Excellent, with dazzling mastery of detail and literary flair * Economist *A rather wonderful book ... -- Mick Jagger * Sunday Times *If you want a good racy historical read, CATHERINE THE GREAT & POTEMKIN certainly provides it! Book of the Year -- Antonia FraserIt is a wonderful story, and Simon Sebag Montefiore tells it with joyful verve. He evidently warms to Potemkin's overblown personality and relishes the adventurers who swarmed around him. He has a firm grasp of the politics at the Russian court and of the diplomatic context, which is not easy, since the centre of gravity of this story shifts between St Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin and Istanbul. He is very good on the relationship between Potemkin and Catherine. His explanation of the day-to-day mechanics of the unusual ménage is light-handed, movingly told and psychologically credible -- Adam Zamoyski * The Times *This well researched and highly ambitious biography has succeeded triumphantly in re-creating the life of an extraordinary man of mixed moods... Sebag Montefiore also provides a remarkably good panorama of the period -- Antony Beevor * Sunday Times *Clearly what fascinates Sebag Montefiore is the man himself - his personality, his achievements, his lifelong relationship with his sovereign/lover - and that fascination shines through every page of this book. Although more than 500 pages long, it could easily have been double the length, so enjoyable is it to read -- Anne Applebaum * Sunday Telegraph *With great industry and huge enthusiasm he has combed the archives to give us a detailed account of a gigantic but, until now, almost forgotten figure. The writing is fluent, the sympathy obvious -- Nigel Jones * Sunday Express *This exhaustive and beautifully-written biography... Montefiore vividly brings to life his supporting cast of envious conspirators, aristocratic mistresses, dandies, diplomats and adventurers -- Christopher Hudson * Daily Mail *The contradictions in Potemkin's character are beautifully brought out in this magnificent biography -- Petronella Wyatt * Independent *Montefiore's reputation so far has been for lively journalism and a couple of novels. With this lavish biography he has announced himself as a historian who deserves to be taken seriously -- Victor Sebestyen * Evening Standard *This splendid biography, as sprawling, magnificent and exotic as its subject, provides for the first time in English a fully researched, accurate and immensely readable history of this extraordinary man -- Nikolai Tolstoy * Literary Review *Magnificent ... Montefiore's passionate and committed revisionism on behalf of his hero is just one of a host of excellent things about this book. Massively researched in Russian archives, it is a work of fine scholarship ... This is a superb biography and it is hard to see how it can ever be superseded -- Frank McLynn * Financial Times *Exhilarating ... In describing Potemkin's career, Sebag Montefiore succeeds admirably in capturing its scale and ambition -- Stella Tillyard * Mail on Sunday *This gripping and richly researched biography ... CATHERINE THE GREAT & POTEMKIN makes it easy to see why novelists are often seduced away from fiction to write biography - where, just sometimes, implausible reality exceeds plausible fantasy many times over -- Peter Nasmyth * TLS *An example of how to make a page-turner out of the most profound scholarship * New Statesman *Impeccably researched, beautifully written and handsomely presented, it takes us at an unslackening pace through the colourful life of one of the most legendary of all Russians, a war hero, consummate politician, visionary and lover of Catherine the Great -- Simon Heffer * Daily Mail *A triumph of research and a joy to read -- Antony Beevor * Books of the Year, Independent Weekend Review *This book is a conspicuous achievement. The author's researches have been extensive and his command of his subject exemplary. His writing has the quality of a vivid soap-opera of the highest class, more than equal to his subject. He brings out Potemkin's personality perfectly... Potemkin is depicted in this work as the giant he undoubtedly was, and the biography will secure him a new audience, and a renewed place in history * Country Life *POTEMKIN opened up a whole world ... to me. Book of the year -- Alain de Botton * Independent *This irresistible biography is history from above. To write this stupendous, engaging tour de force, the first biography of Potemkin in any language since 1891, Montefiore has devoted many hours in the archives of Moscow and Petersburg and covered thousands of miles of the former Russian empire ... -- Philip Mansel * Spectator *

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Book Synopsis'An excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall' BEN KANE'A fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book!' MATTHEW HARFFY 'A heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling!' PETER GIBBONSAn epic, spellbinding Viking fantasy of blood and battle, weaving together history, fantasy and ancient myth. Perfect for fans of The Northman and Game of Thrones. Byzantium, 718ADThe great siege is over.Crippled warrior, Erlan Aurvandil, is weary of war. But he must rally his strength to lead a band of misfit adventurers back to the North, to reclaim the stolen kingdom of his lover, Lilla Sviggarsdottir. For this, they need an army. To raise an army, they need gold.Together they plot a daring heist to steal the Emperor's tribute to his ally. Barely escaping with their lives, they voyage north, ready for the fight. But when fate strands them in a foreign land already riven by war, Erlan and Lilla are drawn inexorably into the web of a dark and gruesome foe.As blades fall and shadows close in, only one thing for them is certain: a savage moon is rising. And it demands an ocean of blood.Praise for Theodore Brun:'A masterly debut... If Bernard Cornwall and George R.R. Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel' THE TIMES'Gripping. Gut-wrenching' ERIC SCHUMACHERTrade ReviewA Savage Moon is a full-blooded and superbly descriptive novel, bringing to vivid life the Byzantine empire and the Viking world. Along with its rich themes of treachery and intrigue, love and sacrifice, loyalty and honour, there is plenty of bloodshed for Viking fans. It is an excellent read, a page-turner of real quality. Raise your drinking horns in a toast! Theodore Brun has earned his place in the mead hall. -- Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Spartacus seriesA heart pounding mix of action, adventure and historical detail. The prose is riveting and the battle scenes thrilling! -- Peter Gibbons, author of the Blood and Blade trilogy on A Savage MoonA thrilling read filled with dark twists and strange fates -- Donovan Cook, author of the Ormstunga Saga series on A Savage MoonA fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book! -- Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles on A Savage MoonA Savage Moon is vast in scope, but the ending is personal and climactic, a tale of friendship, love, trust and, for one of the characters, renewal, set against a backdrop of almost indescribable savagery. It's sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction and historical fantasy. -- M J Porter, author of Eagle of Mercia, on A Savage MoonSuperb. A Burning Sea is another vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. * Giles Kristian on A Burning Sea *Brilliant. Theodore Brun might just be historical fiction's next big thing. * Adam Lofthouse on A Burning Sea *Gripping. Gut-wrenching. Visceral. Highly recommended * Eric Schumacher on A Burning Sea *A masterly debut. ... If Bernard Cornwell and George RR Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel. * Antonia Senior on A Mighty Dawn *Evocative prose and the brutality of the Viking world, it's all here, woven with a deft touch into a tremendous tale. * Giles Kristian on A Mighty Dawn *

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Book SynopsisThe final chapter in the definitive, three-volume history of the world''s first known stateArchaeologist John Romer has spent a lifetime chronicling the history of Ancient Egypt, and here he tells the epic story of an era dominated by titans of the popular imagination: the radical iconoclast Akhenaten, the boy-king Tutankhamun and the all-conquering Ramesses II. But ''heroes'' do not forge history by themselves. This was also a time of international trade, cultural exchange and sophisticated art, even in the face of violent change.Alongside his visionary new history of this, the most famous period in the long history of Ancient Egypt, Romer turns a critical eye on Egyptology itself. Paying close attention to the evidence, he corrects prevailing narratives which cast the New Kingdom as an imperial state power in the European mould. Instead, he reveals - through broken artefacts in ruined workshops, or preserved letters between a tomb-builder and his son - a cul

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Book SynopsisIn The Story of Scandinavia, political scholar Stein Ringen chronicles more than 1,200 years of drama, economic rise and fall, crises, kings and queens, war, peace, language and culture.  Scandinavian history has been one of dramatic discontinuities of collapse and restarts, from the Viking Age to the Age of Perpetual War to the modern age today. For a thousand years, the Scandinavian countries were kingdoms of repression where monarchs played at the game of being European powers, at the expense of their own populations. The brand we now know as 'Scandinavia' is a recent invention. During most of its history, Denmark and Sweden, and to some degree Norway, were bloody enemies. These sentiments of enmity have not been fully settled. Under the surface of collaboration remain undercurrents of hatred, envy, contempt and pity.  What does it mean today to be Scandinavian? For the author, whose identity is Scandinavian but his life European,

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''A master at setting the pulse racing'' Daily Mail''A fine feat of storytelling . . . will surely become the last word on the subject'' Telegraph_____________________________FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SAS: ROGUE HEROESColditz Castle: a forbidding Gothic tower on a hill in Nazi Germany. You may have heard about the prisoners and their daring and desperate attempts to escape, but that''s only part of the real story.In Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, bestselling historian Ben Macintyre takes us inside the walls of the most infamous prison in history to meet the real men behind the legends. Heroes and bullies, lovers and spies, captors and prisoners living cheek-by-jowl for years in a thrilling game of cat and mouse - and all determined to escape by any means necessary.Deeply researched and full of incredible stories, this is a tale of

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Book SynopsisProvides an account of the bitter fighting by the Hampshires and Dorsets in the villages of Eterville and Maltot with Tiger tanks and SS panzergrenadiers.

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Book Synopsis'It's a little book of wonder, it's fantastic' Chris Evans 'A fabulously sparky, wide-ranging and horizon-broadening little study ... joyously unboring' Sunday Times Friends do it, strangers do it and so do chimpanzees - and it's not just deeply embedded in our history and culture, it may even be written in our DNA. The humble handshake, it turns out, has a rich and surprising history. So let's join palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi as she embarks on a funny and fascinating voyage of discovery - from the handshake's origins (at least seven million years ago) all the way to its sudden disappearance in March 2020. Drawing on new research, anthropological insights and first-hand experience, she'll reveal how this most friendly of gestures has played a role in everything from meetings with uncontacted tribes to political assassinations - and what it tells us about the enduring power of human contact. Because the story of the handshake ... is far from over.Trade ReviewAl-Shamahi's beguiling book has a more general claim to attention than merely being an account of the crisis in manners that Covid has made ... cheerful, witty and well-researched. -- Stephen Bayley * Spectator *Witty and wide-ranging -- PD Smith * Guardian *It's a little book of wonder, it's fantastic -- Chris EvansA fabulously sparky, wide-ranging and horizon-broadening little study ... joyously unboring * Sunday Times *Having not particularly missed shaking hands over the past year, I ended this very engaging little book so desperate to get started again that I'm in danger of becoming a super-spreader. * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of a woman who was not a royal, not rich, not famous; someone who simply worked hard and enjoyed her life. But while Georgina Landemare saw herself as ordinary, her accomplishments were anything but. Georgina started her career as a nursemaid and ended it cooking for one of the best-known figures in British history: Winston Churchill. To him, food was central, not only as a pleasure but as a diplomatic tool at a time when the world was embroiled in war. With this eager eater and his skilled cook, ranging from rural Berkshire to wartime London, via Belle Epoque Paris and prohibition-era New York, Annie Gray shows how life in service - and food - changed during the huge upheavals of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewDeliciously entertaining * Daily Mail *Engaging ... appeals to three national obsessions: the preparation and presentation of food; the lost world of great households, above and below stairs; and the private life of a national hero, Churchill * The Times *Gray is an inventive researcher ... she likes to get close up to the everyday past * Spectator *The queen of food historians -- Lucy WorsleyAnnie Gray is a brilliant writer and scholar who brings a glorious combination of enthusiasm and greed to every subject she tackles. In the field of food history she leads the pack -- Jay RaynerPopular history at its very best * Daily Mail *Victory in the Kitchen ... recreates a corner of early 20th-century domestic life * Spectator *Gray writes with great authority, verve and confidence * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Shortlisted for the André Simon Food and Drink Book Awards for 2019 'A beautifully textured tour around the cheeseboard' Simon Garfield 'Full of flavour' Sunday Times 'A delightful and informative romp' Bee Wilson, Guardian 'His encounters with modern-day practitioners fizz with infectious delight' John Walsh, Sunday Times Every cheese tells a story. Whether it's a fresh young goat's cheese or a big, beefy eighteen-month-old Cheddar, each variety holds the history of the people who first made it, from the builders of Stonehenge to medieval monks, from the Stilton-makers of the eighteenth-century to the factory cheesemakers of the Second World War. Cheesemonger Ned Palmer takes us on a delicious journey across Britain and Ireland and through time to uncover the histories of beloved old favourites like Cheddar and Wensleydale and fresh innovations like the Irish Cashel Blue or the rambunctious Renegade Monk. Along the way we learn the craft and culture of cheesemaking from the eccentric and engaging characters who have revived and reinvented farmhouse and artisan traditions. And we get to know the major cheese styles - the blues, washed rinds, semi-softs and, unique to the British Isles, the territorials - and discover how best to enjoy them, on a cheeseboard with a glass of Riesling, or as a Welsh rarebit alongside a pint of Pale Ale. This is a cheesemonger's odyssey, a celebration of history, innovation and taste - and the book all cheese and history lovers will want to devour this Christmas.Trade ReviewA delightful and informative romp through centuries of British cheesemaking ... it would make a fine Christmas present, along with a wedge of Sparkenhoe red leicester' * Guardian *Palmer writes with pace and passion, and his encounters with modern-day practitioners fizz with infectious delight ... Full of flavour * Sunday Times *Part history, part travelogue and part tasting menu ... an utter delight, rousing, infectiously impassioned and inspiring * Stephanie Sy-Quia, The Spectator *We are taught in school that history is about kings and queens and posh people sitting on horses, but Ned Palmer teaches us that in fact, correctly understood, history is mainly about cheese. I hugely enjoyed his engaging, learned, funny, surprising book. Palmer wears his extraordinary range of knowledge lightly, but he is serious too. His book is history from below, from the perspective of daily life; it talks about the food and the life and the needs of unfamous people. A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles is the best kind of social history, the kind you can eatA beautifully textured tour around the cheeseboard.A fabulous, fascinating Cheese Odyssey.Following the history of cheese from its neolithic beginnings right up to the modern day, Ned takes you on an entrancing journey through cheese and British history itself, meeting dozens of dedicated cheesemaker's along the way. Ned Palmer is a erudite, charming guide to all things cheese - and his book will make you want to eat nothing but cheese all day long.As an author of historical fiction, I was impressed by Ned's command of history but also delighted by his light, fluid and professional writing style - which was, in turn, funny, fascinating, and sometimes even profound. From Medieval monastic cheese-making to the horrors of the Milk Marketing Board, Ned charts a gripping and often mouth-watering course through the culture behind bacterial cultures. He has the true food-writer's gift of inspiring wild cravings in the reader. Reading late into the night, I constantly had to fight the urge to raid the cheese box in the fridge. Not always successfully. This book is a triumphant paean to the fine art of cheese-making, past and present, and a must-buy for anyone who appreciates good food - and good history. A truly cheese-mongous achievement!Palmer's writing is loquacious; it is as if he has leant across the counter to regale you with tales of when he was a 'younger monger'. His history is an utter delight, rousing, infectiously impassioned and inspiring of pride * Spectator *Palmer is both a cheesemonger and a cheese historian - encyclopedic, forensic and geekily obsessed with the stuff. He writes in a jolly patter: warm, wry and deliciously digressive. * Financial Times *Ripe with fascinating facts and anecdotes * Sunday Telegraph *The book is a treasure trove of amusing asides and anecdotes, such as the one about the 17th-century Welsh justice of the peace who assessed a defendant's guilt by his ability to swallow "enchanted" cheese. * The Times *One of the best cookery books to get you through lockdown... fab -- The Scotsman

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Book SynopsisThings matter. So why are we losing touch with them? From the former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York comes a timely and passionate case for the role of the well-designed object in the digital age. In this delightful exploration of craft in its many forms, curator and scholar Glenn Adamson explores how raw materials, tools, design and technique come together to produce objects of beauty and utility. A thoughtful meditation on the value of care and attention in an age of disappearing things, Fewer, Better Things invites us to reconnect with the physical world and its objects.Trade ReviewA powerful and personal account of the meaning and wonder of craft by one of its leading voices. Through a compelling mix of family lore and cultural history, Adamson explores the practice and purpose of craft with elegance and insight * Tristram Hunt, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum *Inspiring . . . Fewer, Better Things is deeply personal, full of stories about Adamson’s family that are by turns funny, eye-opening, and moving . . . Adamson invites readers to follow along on a series of thought experiments about the objects in our lives, our relationships to them, what they mean, and how we might go about distilling them so that our material footprint is greatly reduced. And this isn’t just an exercise -- the future of humanity might depend on it. * Architectural Digest *[Adamson] makes a powerful case for limiting our purchases to things (including food) that we find to be beautiful, meaningful, or useful. * Psychology Today *Adamson, a former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and author of several books on craft, views the suffering of the natural world through the prism of our increasingly tortured relationship with it. * New York Review of Books *Genial and elegant writing . . . Combining elements of memoir, reportage, material history, and curatorial studies, Fewer, Better Things is an erudite but accessible global survey of the contemporary material landscape and how we can be better informed to shape it . . . For the design-inclined, Fewer, Better Things will sharpen the way you think about the world around you. * Modern Magazine *If we are to navigate out of our cluttered and over-accessorized worlds, we need the kind of critical thinking that Fewer, Better Things beautifully and succinctly delivers. Reflecting a lifetime of study on material intelligence, Glenn Adamson’s remarkable book asks us to radically reconsider the objects we choose to surround ourselves with. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see it becoming a manifesto for modern living. * Alexander Langlands, author of CROEFT: AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGINS AND TRUE MEANING OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTS *Rich with examples and stories of objects and their makers . . . Adamson’s crafty enthusiasm is infectious. * Kirkus Reviews *In Fewer, Better Things, scholar and former museum curator Glenn Adamson inspires readers to reflect on the physical items they encounter . . . Adamson argues that objects cross cultural barriers . . . and provide a shared understanding of culture and history. By creating meaningful connections to objects, we can move towards a sustainable world where we surround ourselves with fewer, but better, things. * Shelf Awareness *This new attention to craft, to work done through some close contact between hand and thing, has been enriched by the publication of The Craft Reader . . . Even readers who think they're not interested in craft will be more engaged than they expected, if they give the anthology half a chance. * Barry Schwabsky, The Nation on THE CRAFT READER *At a time when technical skill has been widely dismissed or outsourced in the production of art, Glenn Adamson crucially adds an entire spectrum of hand-crafted objects to the creative history of the post-war era. * Thomas Crow, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University on THINKING THROUGH CRAFT *[Adamson] is the best writer on craft since Peter Dormer . . . From the politics of labour to the intricacies of lacemaking, this is a superb book that covers a huge territory and is stuffed full of ideas and unexpected associations. * Edwin Heathcote, Icon Magazine on THE INVENTION OF CRAFT *

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