History Books

Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both; and I believe they both get paid in the end; but the fools first.'Orphaned as a young teenager, Lowlander David Balfour's only relative is his guardian and uncle, Ebenezer. Ill-thought of and disliked by many, it's not long before Ebenezer betrays his nephew and David finds himself trapped aboard a ship.He soon strikes up a friendship with fugitive stranger and Scottish Highlander Alan Breck and becomes embroiled in the fierce Jacobite struggle against English rule. A tale of high-seas adventure, loyalty and fighting, the complex relationship between Alan and David stops Stevenson's novel from becoming just' a boys adventure novel.

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Book SynopsisA masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia''s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine.Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history as detailed by Mark Galeotti in this new book. With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental factors constraining its economy, Russia has been pitched against the pre-eminent military powers of the age across the centuries, and often at a technological disadvantage. To respond to these challenges, it has had to sit heavily on the backs of its people, and so war and the need to be able to fight it has shaped its evolution, from tsars to commissars and presidents.The national identity has been forged in the furnace of war. From the medieval kingdom of Rus battling against a Scandinavian princes and Mongol emperors,

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Book Synopsis Collins Gem Babies Names is number one in the best-selling stakes. Meet its Irish cousin! This detailed guide to more than 2,000 of the most popular Irish first names is the ideal gift for anyone wishing to choose an Irish name for their child, or interested in finding out a bit more about their own name. Irish names are spreading across the world. As well as being more common in Ireland, they now feature in most English-speaking countries of the world. The reason for this spread is not hard to find. Massive emigration, especially during the 19th century famines, left many people of Irish descent in Britain, the U. S., Canada, and Australia. These emigrants often had to give up the Irish language in favor of English, but they took their names with them, gave them to their children, and spread them in the new countries. Indeed some, such as Brian, are now so well-established that they are no longer considered Irish. Others have developed strong associations with their new countries, so that Oscar is sometimes thought of as Scandinavian, Barry and Sheila are associated with Australia, and for most people Darren is American. What then is an Irish name? In this book a very broad view is taken, with special attention paid to what has happened to names after they left Ireland. The names come from Gaelic (and are given in Gaelic and in an anglicized form), from translations from Irish forms of non-Irish names and from Irish surnames and words.

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Book SynopsisA lively picture of multiple operators scrambling to steal a march on the competition . . . Lavishly detailed'FINANCIAL TIMESThis is Shakespearean scholarship at its best, brilliantly researched yet compulsively readable. It''s a book for our times, enduringly fascinating and appealing to both enthusiasts and the general reader. Highly recommended!' ALISON WEIRFINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE SUMMERA BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023?A BBC RADIO 4 FRONT ROW NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023AN AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023The year 2023 marks the 400th anniversary of Mr William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, known today simply as the First Folio. It is difficult to imagine a world without The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter's Tale and Macbeth, but these are just some of the plays that were only preserved thanks to the astounding labour of love that went into creating the first collection.Shakespeare's Book: The Intertwined LiveTrade Review PRAISE FOR SHAKESPEARE’S BOOK ‘A superb evocation of the places, personalities and networks that helped turn the words of William Shakespeare into secular scripture. A brilliant, sinewy, deeply immersive read from a fine scholar and storyteller’ Jessie Childs, bestselling author of The Siege of Loyalty House '[A] significant offering… his mission is admirable: to trace every major step in the collective enterprise, starting from the death of the leading Shakespearean actor Richard Burbage in 1619, which served as a melancholy spur… to collate the Bard's works for posterity… [T]he necessary drama is there' Daily Telegraph ‘Laoutaris’s history of the interlinked careers behind the Folio scheme, brings that network to life . . . His resourceful sleuthing ties the Folio’s birth to the politics of its time’ Economist 'Like Shakespeare's plays, Laoutaris's book revolves around detailed interpersonal relationships. From his pages you will learn about the lives of Heminges and Condell… and many others… trestfy[ing] to the thoroughness of the author's research’ Washington Post 'A must read for anyone with even a slight passing fancy for Shakespeare . . . To say this is a book to be read and reread, and have a place on the library shelf, would be a major understatement’ Judith Reveal, New York Journal of Books ‘[A] brilliant new study of the Folio’s genesis … genuinely thrilling. Shakespeare’s Book offers both wonderful vignettes of Shakespeare’s world and tantalising solutions to long-standing mysteries. Laoutaris compellingly recreates the vital collaborations – and rivalries – behind the printing of ‘Shakespeare’s Book’’ The Tablet ‘Intricately woven, vividly depicted and groundbreaking’ Dr Paul Edmondson of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

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Book SynopsisImportant, comprehensive, and superbly researched. All the more urgent at the present time' BART VAN ES''A terrific, clear-eyed and balanced history that cuts through today's toxic debates'' DAILY TELEGRAPHHow have those who arrived on Britain's shores shaped its history?Refugees seeking to reach Britain today often face perilous journeys, impossible bureaucracy and acidic public opinion. But this hasn't always been the way. For most of our history, Great Britain cherished its outward image as a safe haven for those displaced by religious persecution, political violence or economic crisis an island of stability in the midst of a violent world.In This Land of Promise, migration scholar Matthew Lockwood overturns many popular modern-day misconceptions about Britain's history of immigration. Exiles and refugees have been not only a constant presence in Britain across the centuries but also intrinsic to shaping Britain as it is today. This is a profoundly moving and illuminating history, told through the people who lived it: Frederick Douglass and the formerly enslaved men who followed in his footsteps, fleeing America on the hopes of kinder cultures. Little girls like Liesl Ornstein, who discovered they were Jewish only when Hitler took Austria, who were sent to England and told to call themselves Elizabeth'. Sun Yat-sen, who found sanctuary in London a brief abduction aside before becoming the father of modern China. Freddie Mercury, who at every turn tried to shake Zanzibar from his bones.Almost every time, we see when we look back, Britain has not been an island refuge from the world, but an island refuge for the world. Not a country burdened by refugees, but instead transformed and strengthened by them.

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Book SynopsisDean King is the author of a biography of Patrick O'Brian, 'a model of how these things should be' - Telegraph 'Books of the Year', as well as other historical adventure novels. He lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and two daughters.Trade ReviewKnown for his biography of the elusive Patrick O'Brian...Dean King has emerged from the great man's shadow with a compelling work in his own right... Once ashore, King's narrative, like Riley's leadership, grows in stature and certaintly... As King notes, the understanding, respect and compassion between these representatives of the Christian and Muslim worlds offers a timely example in our own troubled age. * Sunday Times *Genuinely gripping, full of twists and turns of fate ... mesmerising ... The torturous journey, with parched tongues and aching bones, in constant fear of bandits who might capture and enslave them, is described in unsparing detail ... The game of bluff and double bluff kept the crewmen's lives on a knife-edge. If you want to know the ending, the Hollywood movie can't be too far behind. * Daily Mail *Dean King has brought to life one of the great, true-life adventure stories - a riveting tale of suffering and redemption -- Nathaniel Philbrick

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Book SynopsisThomas Harding is a bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than 16 languages. He has written for the Sunday Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian, among other publications. He is the bestselling author of HANNS AND RUDOLF, which won the JQ-Wingate Prize for Non-Fiction; THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award; BLOOD ON THE PAGE, which won the Crime Writers' Association "Golden Dagger Award for Non-Fiction" and FUTURE HISTORY, which was shortlisted for the German Children's Literature Award 2021. His next book, WHITE DEBT, was published in January 2022. You can follow Thomas on twitter @thomashardingTrade ReviewA passionate memoir about Germany. -- Neil MacGregor, author of A History of the World in 100 Objects and Germany: Memories of a NationA superb portrait of twentieth century Germany seen through the prism of a house which was lived in, and lost, by five different families. A remarkable book. -- Tom HollandIn The House by the Lake, the simple villa loved and lost by Thomas Harding's family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast – victims, villains and ordinary compromisers – struggling not to be crushed by them. Personal and panoramic, heart-wrenching yet uplifting, this is history at its most alive. -- A. D. Miller, bestselling author of Snowdrops and The Faithful CoupleI loved this book. I admire the elegance of it, the hope, the honesty and the generousness with which every resident is given his or her place. It has made me think about our individual parts in the bigger story, and the coming and going-ness of things. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. -- Rachel JoyceDiamond brilliant... the history of modern Germany as seen through the windows of the wooden house beside the lake. This is an extraordinary book. -- John Lewis-Stempel * Sunday Express *A superb work of social history, told with tremendous narrative verve. -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *This is far more than a family memoir: by tracing the lives of the different families who lived there, Harding sheds light on the German 20th century, a tale of war, spies, murder and political, social and racial division . . . His account of the house is a superb work of social history, told with tremendous narrative verve. * Sunday Times *Thomas Harding again pulls off the admirable feat of showing us anew the history of German's troubled twentieth century by focusing on a single story. With the narrative drive of a great novelist and the meticulous research of a great historian, Harding has crafted a moving, instructive and important book. -- Dan Brotzel * The Herald *It would be hard to write an original and moving account of the tortured twentieth-century history of Germany. But, in The House by the Lake, Thomas Harding succeeds remarkably... a tragic and beautifully told history. -- Oliver Kamm * Jewish Chronicle *An unusual, evocative and moving account of modern Germany...The book succeeds remarkably, in providing a fresh and original insight into the twin totalitarian systems that disfigured Germany in the twentieth century. * The Times, 'Books of the Year' *

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Book SynopsisThis is the history of the institutions and individuals who have managed the global economy, from the World Monetary and Economic Conference in the wake of the Great Depression to the present, as leading nations tackle the fallout from Covid-19 and the threats of inflation, food security and climate change. Since the Second World War, organisations created at Bretton Woods - the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development - and afterwards - the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - have left an indelible mark on our contemporary world.Martin Daunton examines the swings of the pendulum over ninety years between the forces of democracy, national determination and globalization. He shows that the structures of economic government have been overwhelmingly shaped by ''first world'' powers, often to the dismay of developing countries. He argues that whilst structures cann

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Book Synopsis''With these vivid, wistful memoirs, he joins the great chroniclers of Europe - the Prousts, Zweigs, Lampedusas, Leigh-Fermors and Bassanis - and shows how some of the things those writers loved persisted as late as 1989.'' (Economist)Selected as a Book of the Year in the TLS and SpectatorIn 1979 Richard Bassett set out on a series of adventures and encounters in central Europe which allowed him to savour the last embers of the cosmopolitan old Hapsburg lands and gave him a ringside seat at the fall of another ancien regime, that of communist rule. From Trieste to Prague and Vienna to Warsaw, fading aristocrats, charming gangsters, fractious diplomats and glamorous informants provided him with an unexpected counterpoint to the austerities of life along the Iron Curtain, first as a professional musician and then as a foreign correspondent.The book shows us familiar events and places from unusual vantage points: dilapidated mansions and boarding-houses, train carriages and cafes, where the game of espionage between east and west is often set. There are unexpected encounters with Shirley Temple, Fitzroy Maclean, Lech Walesa and the last Empress of Austria. Bassett finds himself at the funeral of King Nicola of Montenegro in Cetinje, plays bridge with the last man alive to have been decorated by the Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef and watches the KGB representative in Prague bestowing the last rites on the Soviet empire in Europe.Music and painting, architecture and landscape, food and wine, friendship and history run through the book. The author is lucky, observant and leans romantically towards the values of an older age. He brilliantly conjures the time, the people he meets, and Mitteleuropa in one of the pivotal decades of its history.Trade ReviewIf Oscar Wilde was correct that "history is gossip," then Bassett serves up a delicious cocktail of the very best kind-polite, learned, and insightful, merely leavened with touches of history and geopolitics, making one thirsty for more. ... A memoir can breathe life into history, and this is indeed Bassett's achievement as he breathes new life into shattered kingdoms, their now-moldering cast of characters, and all of the fascinating stories that would otherwise vanish with them. -- Kevin J. McNamara * Kirk Centre *With these vivid, wistful memoirs, he joins the great chroniclers of Europe - the Prousts, Zweigs, Lampedusas, Leigh-Fermors and Bassanis * Economist *A charming, imaginative and elegantly written memoir of his adventures in central Europe -- Victor Sebestyen * Evening Standard *A gem of a book ... a charming and engaging memoir of a world now gone -- Clovis Meath Baker * Standpoint *

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Book Synopsis''Brisk and thoughtful, this book could hardly be more timely'' Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine, Books of the YearFrom a preeminent scholar of Eastern Europe and the prize-winning author of Chernobyl, the essential history of Russian imperialismIn 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and attempted to seize a portion of Ukraine. While the world watched in outrage, this violation of national sovereignty was in fact only the latest iteration of a centuries-long effort to expand Russian boundaries and create a pan-Russian nation. In Lost Kingdom, award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues that we can only understand the merging of imperialism and nationalism in Russia today by delving into its history.Spanning over two thousand years, from the end of the Mongol rule to the present day, Plokhy shows how leaders from Ivan the Terrible to Joseph Stalin to Vladimir Putin have exploited existing forms of identity, warfare and territorial expansion to achieve imperial supremacy. A strikingly ambitious book, Lost Kingdom chronicles the long and belligerent history of Russia''s empire and nation-building quest.Trade ReviewLost Kingdom tells the story of how the history of Russia was being written when that history was being made. . . A singularly fascinating account of Russian nationalism through the ages -- Charles Clover * Financial Times *A sweeping study. . . Not merely an intellectual exercise but one closely linked to contemporary geostrategic debates * Wall Street Journal *Brisk and thoughtful, this book could hardly be more timely -- Dominic Sandbrook * BBC History Magazine *Lost Kingdom is an erudite exploration of the contradictions of Russian nationalism. . . A master historian on top of his game, Serhii Plokhy lays out the challenges this past presents for transforming Russia into a better country for its people and its neighbours -- Odd Arne Westad, author of The Cold War: A World HistoryIn Lost Kingdom, Serhii Plokhy does for Russia what only great historians can do-make the connections between the distant past and vital present feel relevant and alive. . . With Russia everywhere in the news today, and every pundit pretending to be an expert, Lost Kingdom is essential reading for those wishing to understand Russia beyond the headlines -- Garry Kasparov

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY**A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*''No one interested in the history of Europe can afford not to read this stupendous book'' Simon Heffer, Daily TelegraphIron and Blood is a startlingly ambitious and absorbing book, encompassing five centuries of political, military, technological and economic change to tell the story of the German-speaking lands, from the Rhine to the Balkan frontier, from Switzerland to the North Sea. Wilson''s narrative considers everything from weapons development to recruitment to battlefield strategy.Germans'' military impact on the rest of Europe has been immense. If there is one constant it has been the sense of being beset by seemingly more powerful enemies - France or Russia or Turkey - and the need to strike a rapid knockout blow to ensure a favourable result. Almost inevitably, this has in practice meant protracted, relentless and often unwinnable wars, and - in 1939-1945 - moral catastrophe.The author of definitive books on the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years War, Peter Wilson has with Iron and Blood written his masterpiece.''Hugely impressive'' Richard J. Evans, Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewThe scholarship of this book is breathtaking [and] Wilson relates it with a command of his subject that is unparalleled. No one interested in the history of Europe, and of the Germans in particular, can afford not to read this stupendous book. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *Endlessly fascinating ... History has returned to Europe, and Iron and Blood is an excellent place to start getting reacquainted with it. -- Oliver Moody * The Times *Hugely impressive ... By setting his account in the broader context of European history, Wilson launches a sustained attack on the teleological Prussocentrism of the traditional story. -- Richard J. Evans * Times Literary Supplement *Iron and Blood delves into politics, economics, technology and social developments. Its long view of Germany's military history, magisterial detail and acute analysis provide a new understanding of what was once Europe's warring heart. * The Economist *Ambitious ... While Germany cannot leave its past behind, it can learn from it, if it dares to look ... Iron and Blood is a timely book, arguing powerfully that 'German history should not be read backwards'. -- Katja Hoyer * History Today *Formidably erudite ... What is now Germany's shameful past was once Adolf Hitler's vision of the future. Reimagined by Vladimir Putin, that spectral vision now haunts our present. Hence the importance and urgency of Wilson's investigation. -- Daniel Johnson * The Critic *A work of first-rate scholarship ... will become the starting point for all students of military history, not only of Germany but of Europe as a whole. -- Jonathan Boff * BBC History Magazine *An ambitious book which was badly needed ... illuminating on the complicated relationship between Prussia, both state and society, and its army .... required reading for serious military historians. -- Barney White-Spunner * Aspects of History *There is much to admire in this book, from the astounding breadth of its scholarshipto its exceedingly ambitious scope ... a fresh perspective on German history. -- Stephen G. Fritz * Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *

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Book Synopsis''A fast-moving, entertaining and finely written story'' Simon Schama''Masterly ... a remarkable portrait of a brilliant complex and tragic genius'' William Dalrymple, Los Angeles TimesGeorge Nathaniel Curzon''s controversial life in public service stretched from the high noon of the British Empire to the traumatized years following the First World War. As Viceroy of India under Queen Victoria and Foreign Secretary under George V, the obsessive Lord Curzon left his unmistakable mark on the era. David Gilmour''s lucid and elegant biography is a brilliant assessment of Curzon''s character and achievements, offering a rich and dramatic account of the infamous vendettas, the turbulent friendships, and the passionate, reckless love affairs that complicated and enriched his life.''A magnificent work ... entirely convincing in its evocation of Curzon''s extraordinary character ... It is, in short, the definitive life'' Trade ReviewIt is a magnificent work ... entirely convincing in its evocation of Curzon's extraordinary character. It is, in short, the definitive life -- David Cannadine * Observer *A superb new biograpahy ... a tragic story, brilliantly told -- Andrew Roberts * Literary Review *Masterly ... a remarkable portrait of a brilliant, complex and tragic genius -- William Dalrymple * Los Angeles Times *

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Book Synopsis''A work of exhilarating scope and relevance ... What a rare and powerful experience to feel a book in your very body'' Naomi Klein''Health is not something we can attain as individuals, for ourselves, hermetically sealed off from the world around us. An injury to one is an injury to all.''Our bodies, societies and planet are inflamed. In this boldly original book, renowned political economist Raj Patel teams up with physician Rupa Marya to illuminate the hidden relationships between human health and the profound injustices of our political and economic systems. In doing so, they offer a radical new cure: the deep medicine of decolonization.Journeying through the human body - our digestive, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems - Marya and Patel show how inflammation is connected not just to the food that we eat, the air that we breathe and access to healthcare, but is also linked to the traumatic events we experience and the very model of health that doctors practice: one which takes things apart, rather than seeking to bring ideas and lived experiences together.Combining the latest scholarship on globalization and biology with the stories of patients in marginalized communities and the wisdom of Indigenous groups, Inflamed points the way toward a medicine that heals what has been divided and has the potential to transform not only our bodies but the world.Trade ReviewA work of exhilarating scope and relevance to this infected moment in the body politic. Inflamed mixes medicine, argument, and metaphor into a post-pandemic poultice: reading it is the first step in the deep medicine it prescribes. What a rare and powerful experience to feel a book in your very body. -- Naomi Klein * author of On Fire *Provocative and thought provoking. . . a reckoning with modern medicine . . . At each physiological juncture, the co-authors relate the malfunctions of human biology to the inadequacies of our political and economic systems -- Andrew Zaleski * GQ *A compelling book on the social and environmental roots of our poor health... the writers combine their respective expertise to analyse the workings of these cells and organs, and to interrogate how they have been disrupted by our modern constructs of capitalism, colonialism, extractivism and individualism, amongst others -- Rachel Andrews * Irish Times *Urgent, impeccably researched . . . a subversive political analysis . . . remarkably lucid -- Aarathi Prasad * Guardian *A remarkably powerful analysis . . . compelling detail . . . a revolutionary book that calls for courageous action to dismantle those structures that harm the health of people and the planet and to rebuild ones that centre care -- Aletha Maybank * The Lancet *At last! A book about medicine and healthcare that is holistic in the broadest sense in that it integrates histories of colonialism, conflict and inequality with alternative forms of knowledge. And all that while remaining compellingly readable and engaging. -- Amitav Ghosh * author of Jungle Nama and Gun Island *Science and medicine are often treated as fields that are subtracted from social movements, separate from the struggle for power that billions of human beings are embroiled in and abstracted from the material conditions around us. Luckily for us, Rupa Marya and Raj Patel are out here making these connections and encouraging us to see these as processes we all must take ownership of as we fight to have control of our surroundings. This book is on fire. -- Boots Riley * frontperson for The Coup and Writer/Director of Sorry to Bother You *A critique of the wreckage of capitalism and colonialism for our time--beautifully written, storytelling at its best. This book can change your life. -- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz * author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States *Compelling reading... It encourages both clinicians and members of the public to look at their health intrinsically linked to other people, their own community, the environment, as well as the politics and economics of their country, and more broadly, the world -- Dipesh Gopal * BJGP Life *Inflamed takes the reader on a journey deep inside the human body . . . In doing so, it reveals how external inequalities affect these systems and cause serious harm -- Layla Liverpool * New Scientist *

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Book SynopsisRetaining all the well-loved features, this book explores in depth the key political, economic, social and international changes which helped to mould Britain in the second half of the twentieth century. It focuses on key concepts such as government and opposition, class and cultural change, and covers events and developments with precision.Table of ContentsTimeline Introduction to this book Part one: AS and A Level Building a new Britain, 1951-79 Section 1 The affluent society: Britain, 1951-64 1 Conservative governments 2 Economic developments 3 Social developments 4 Foreign relations Section 2 The Sixties, 1964-70 5 Wilson and the Labour governments 6 Liberal reforming legislation 7 Social and cultural change 8 Foreign affairs Section 3 The end of post-war consensus, 1970-79 9 Heath's government 10 Labour governments of Wilson and Callaghan 11 Society in the 1970s 12 Foreign affairs Part Two: A Level Modern Britain, 1979-2007 Section 4 The impact of Thatcherism, 1979-87 13 The Thatcher governments 14 Thatcher's economic policies and their impact 15 The impact of Thatcherism on society 16 Foreign affairs Section 5 Towards a new consensus, 1987-97 17 The fall of Thatcher and the rise of Major 18 The realignment of the Labour party 19 Social issues 20 Foreign affairs Section 6 The era of New Labour, 1997-2007 21 The Labour governments 22 The Conservative party, 1997-2007 23 Social issues 24 Foreign affairs Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe contribution of the Ancient Greeks to modern western culture is incalculable. In the worlds of art, architecture, myth, literature, and philosophy, the world we live in would be unrecognizably different without the formative influence of Ancient Greek models. Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city - in Greek, the polis, from which we derive ''politics''. It is above all this feature of Greek civilization that has formed its most enduring legacy, spawning such key terms as aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny and - last but by no means least - democracy. This stimulating Very Short Introduction to Ancient Greece takes the polis as its starting point. Paul Cartledge uses the history of eleven major Greek cities to illuminate the most important and informative themes in Ancient Greek history, from the first documented use of the Greek language around 1400 BCE, through the glories of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, to the foundation of the Byzantine empire in around CE 330. Covering everything from politics, trade, and travel to slavery, gender, religion, and philosophy, it provides the ideal concise introduction to the history and culture of this remarkable civilization that helped give birth to the world as we know it.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Paul Cartledge, Cambridge don and doyen of Classicists, once again shows why he is the surest and most engaging guide tot he ancient world. 'Ancient Greece: A history in Eleven Cities' is a tremendously readable tour d'horizon that goes far beyond Athens and Sparta to explore the roots of Greek civilisation. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *Paul Cartledge has here pulled off a remarkably clever feat of compression and organization, and will once again place very many readers in his debt. Brilliantly carried through. * Simon Hornblower, co-editor of ^iThe Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization^r *A wonderfully concise - and witty - introduction to an ever-popular subject. * Sir John Boardman, co-editor of ^iThe Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World^r *A rare work, a compelling historical narrative that is also a useful guidebook * Peter Stothard, Wall Street Journal *Cartledge's success lies in his ability to negotiate a path between similarity and difference; with proper scholarly detachment, he stresses how different the Greeks were; with an eye to broader historical trajectories, he reflects on the grounds for their continuing fascination. * Tim Rood, Times Literary Supplement *A rare work, a compelling historical narrative. * Peter Stothard, Wall Street Journal *Thoroughly stimulating book. * Tom Holland, BBC History *Cartledge is master of his subject. * Peter Jones, Literary Review *Paul Cartledge... once again shows why he is the surest and most engaging guide to the ancient world. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *A tremendously readable tour d'horizon that goes far beyond Athens and Sparta to explore the roots of Greek civilization. * Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard *There are many pleasures to be had along Cartledge's mind-broadening route through time and space. * Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Knossos ; 3. Mycenae ; 4. Argos ; 5. Sparta ; 6. Massalia ; 7. Miletos ; 8. Athens ; 9. Thebes ; 10. Alexandria ; 11. Byzantium ; 12. Conclusion ; Preface ; Glossary ; Timeline

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Book Synopsis ''A fine and deeply affecting work of history and memoir'' Philippe SandsDecades ago, the historian Bernard Wasserstein set out to uncover the hidden past of the town forty miles west of Lviv where his family originated: Krakowiec (Krah-KOV-yets). In this book he recounts its dramatic and traumatic history. ''I want to observe and understand how some of the great forces that determined the shape of our times affected ordinary people.'' The result is an exceptional, often moving book.Wasserstein traces the arc of history across centuries of religious and political conflict, as armies of Cossacks, Turks, Swedes and Muscovites rampaged through the region. In the Age of Enlightenment, the Polish magnate Ignacy Cetner built his palace at Krakowiec and, with his vivacious daughter, Princess Anna, created an arcadia of refinement and serenity. Under the Habsburg emperors after 1772, Krakowiec developed into a typical shtetl, with a jostling populationTrade ReviewA fine and deeply affecting work of history and memoir -- Philippe SandsThis poignant journey of discovery provides some profound insights into how hatred can be incited and manipulated to destroy communities, and is all too relevant to what is happening in the region today. -- Adam Zamoyskiextraordinarily moving ... Though he has been thinking about the story and researching it for decades, the writing feels immediate. The book is part memoir, part history lesson about 'old Europe' as a battleground between four empires, and part lament for the lost world of European Jewry. Perhaps the most valuable thing about it for British readers is its reminder of how lucky we are to have welcomed refugees to our shores and not to have exported them. Wasserstein has a deep understanding of places where borders have violently changed every couple of generations and whole populations have been massacred as a result of ideology, religion or whim. -- Victor Sebestyen * Spectator *This formidable book takes pride of place among the growing corpus of literature coming out of the swampy bloodlands. If you want to understand why hate has been unleashed again in Europe, this is the indispensable guide -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Using the lens of his own family's betrayal, Bernard Wasserstein's A Small Town in Ukraine revisits one of the country's darkest moments ... revelatory and dramatic ... [a] noble, nicely detailed enterprise of historical and familial recovery -- Julian Evans * The Telegraph *he employs a microscope to portray the fates of many through an account of very few. Near the scene of his grandparents' murder, he found a memorial to Ukrainian nationalists executed by the Russians after the Second World War more prominent than a plaque commemorating the vastly larger number of dead Jews, "as if to assert that Ukrainians, not Jews, were the true victims of this history and would have the last word". His anger is just, his book a finer monument than any plaque. -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *This is a deeply moving book, beautifully written, all the sadder now that refugees are again trudging those same roads. -- Lucy Beckett * The Tablet *a compelling history, which pays tribute to his ancestors while raising issues that remain tragically relevant today ... alongside this touching personal material, Wasserstein's book vividly traces how what was once a Polish town became 'a predominantly Jewish one' by around 1800 and is 'now almost entirely Ukrainian'. ... among its many other virtues, this book is a sharp reminder of the dangers of turning history into a simplistic morality tale -- Matthew Reisz * Observer *The personal thread of his own family's experiences lends warmth and tragedy to the facts that he meticulously documents. ... succeed[s] in putting a human face to the suffering of ordinary people trapped in the turmoil of physical conflict and political ideologies ... steadfastly refuse[s] to airbrush the past -- Rebecca Abrams * Financial Times *We believe that we think with our minds. But a part of us - a deep and important part - thinks with the blood. Our sense of self is deeply entwined with the places we came from and the people who formed us. ... For the historian Bernard Wasserstein, that origin story includes the violence, injustice and trauma suffered by his family at the hands of the Nazis. But A Small Town in Ukraine is more than just a family biography. It is Wasserstein's attempt not just to chronicle the suffering experienced by his parents and grandparents but also to understand it. His method is to examine, in minute and forensic detail, the history of the place from which they came, the small town of Krakowiec - 'a little place, you won't have heard of it', as his father used to say. ... Wasserstein offers an evocative and detailed portrait of the world that formed his grandfather's and ancestors' lives. ... his book is a moving chronicle of a lost world, written with eloquence and emotional intelligence but without bitterness -- Owen Matthews * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisIn 1665 Crispina Peres, the most powerful trader in the West African slave trafficking port of Cacheu, was arrested by the Inquisition. Her enemies had conspired to denounce her for taking treatments prescribed by Senegambian healers: the djabakós. But who was Peres? And why was the Portuguese Inquisition so concerned with policing the faith of a West African woman in today's Guinea-Bissau?In The Heretic of Cacheu Toby Green takes us to the heart of this conundrum, but also into the atmosphere of a very distant time and place. We learn how people in seventeenth-century Cacheu built their houses, what they wore, how they worshipped and also the work they did, how they had fun, and how they healed themselves from illness. Through this story, the haunting realities of the growing slave trade and the rise of European empires emerge in shocking detail. By the 1650s, the relationship between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas was already an old one, with slaving entrepots, colonies, an

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Book Synopsis''The most compelling biography I have read in years . . . There has been a host of JFK biographies, but this one excels for its narrative drive, fine judgments and meticulous research . . . makes the story seem a cliffhanger even though we know what is coming'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times''In his utterly absorbingJFK, Fred Logevall reconstructs not only a great man, but also his entire age'' Brendan Simms, author of Hitler: A Global BiographyThe Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes us as close as we have ever been to the real John F. Kennedy in this revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still elusive, thirty-fifth president.________________By the time of his assassination in 1963, John F. Kennedy stood at the helm of the greatest power the world had ever seen. Born in 1917 to a striving Irish American family that had become among Boston''s wealthiest, Kennedy knew political ambition from an early age, and his meteoric rise to become the youngest elected president cemented his status as one of the most mythologized figures in modern history.Beckoned by this gap in our historical knowledge, Harvard professor Fredrik Logevall has spent much of the last decade combing through material unseen or unused by previous biographers, searching for and piecing together the ''real'' John F. Kennedy -- resulting in a masterpiece that reviews have agreed will be the definitive work. This first volume of this sweeping two-part biography spans the first thirty-nine years of his life, revealing his early relationships, his formative and heroic experiences during World War II, and his deeply fascinating romance with Jackie Kennedy. In examining these pre-White House years, Logevall chronicles Kennedy''s extraordinary life and times with authority and novelistic sensibility, putting the reader in every room where it happened. This landmark work offers the clearest portrait we have of a remarkable figure who still inspires individuals around the world.________________''A riveting study of young JFK. Logevall has written a superb book.'' David Runciman, Guardian ''A brisk, authoritative, and candid biography, and a wonderfully compelling history of America''s heady and troubled mid-century rise'' Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States''[Fredrik Logevall] makes JFK as alive and compelling as if you were reading about him for the first time'' George Packer, author of The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America''A powerful, provocative, and above all compelling book'' Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of The Soul of America''In this first volume of Fredrik Logevall''s definitive biography, JFK is all too engagingly and amiably human . . . I hope Logevall''s second volume will follow soon'' Peter Conrad, ObserverTrade ReviewThe most compelling biography I have read in years -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *Excellent . . . shaping up to be the definitive account of JFK's life -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times, Book of the Week *Magisterial . . . an essential read -- Margaret MacMillan, author of War: How Conflict Shaped UsHe makes JFK as alive and compelling as if you were reading about him for the first time -- George Packer, author of The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America and Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American CenturyJFK is biography at its very best -- Andrew Preston * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisA vigorous and timely defense of the state as a force for goodTrade Review“Graeme Garrard…assembles the moral, economic and political reasons why the world of the privatised and outsourced state is over…The title of this book comes as a timely reminder that The Return of the State is here already.”—Polly Toynbee, The Guardian“A masterpiece of analysis—systematically dismantling our current meaningless antiquated political vocabulary, and the fantasy that charities and civil society will bring us salvation. Garrard’s advocacy for the public interest state is convincing and compelling. What else might work for (or appeal to) the next generation?”—Danny Dorling, author of Slowdown“As a global pandemic continues to expose the deep problems with the modern state’s subordination to market forces, Graeme Garrard’s book offers us both an engaging history of how the social democratic welfare state came about and a timely case for the necessity of restraining private power.”—Luke Savage, Jacobin magazine

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Book SynopsisThis biography is a frank account of Charles Kennedy's political career that began in triumph and ended in tragedy.Trade Review'An excellent account of how a highly attractive and popular politician self-destructed' Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer; 'Greg Hurst's admirably thorough and even-handed account of Kennedy's career marshals evidence and is punctuated by shrewd, pithy judgements' Michael White, The Guardian

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative volume has been revised throughout and expanded, with stunning new images and accounts of the major discoveries of recent years. Recent findings have been added to expand our understanding of the Olmecs outside of their heartland, and new research on the legacy of the Maya offers a wider and more cohesive narrative of Mexico's history. New co-author Javier Urcid has added greater coverage of Oaxaca and of Monté Alban, one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica and the center of the Zapotec civilization, and a fully revised Epilogue discusses the survival of indigenous populations in Mexico from the Conquest up to the present. This longstanding classic now features full-colour photos of the vibrant art and architecture of ancient Mesoamerica throughout.Trade Review'Fascinating reading ... an accessible, informed and extremely well-illustrated introductory book' - Popular Archaeology'Packed with interesting detail, it is a superb introduction to a fascinating piece of history, and a valuable synthesis of the latest research in this field ... An absorbing read' - Current World Archaeology

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Book SynopsisA timely and up-to-date account of religion in Roman Britain. Two thousand years ago, the Romans sought to absorb into their Empire what they regarded as a remote, almost mythical island on the very edge of the known world - Britain. The expeditions of Julius Caesar and the Claudian invasion of AD 43, and the continuing Roman presence up to the 5th century AD, brought fundamental and lasting changes to the island. Not least among these was the introduction of a new pantheon of Classical deities and religious systems, along with a clutch of exotic Eastern cults including Christianity. But what of Britannia and her own home-grown deities? What cults and cosmologies did the Romans encounter, and how did they react to them? Under Roman rule, the old gods and their adherents were challenged, adopted, adapted, absorbed and reconfigured. In Britain no inscriptions predate the Roman period, apart from brief coin-legends, and the divine imagery that adorned temples in the Roman world waTrade Review'A treasure-house of learning and a pleasure to read' - History Today'Lively and engaging as ever, Miranda Aldhouse-Green provides a completely fresh picture of the variety of religious life in Roman Britain … this welcome book has a strong contemporary resonance in its challenging insights about cultural identity and religious diversity' - Rowan Williams'Rarely has a book about the ancient world felt as relevant to our present times' - Current Archaeology'A very good overview of religion in the province of Britain' - Archaeological Journal

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Book SynopsisAndrew Robinson is the author of twenty-five books in the arts and sciences, nine of them on aspects of Indian history and culture. They include two definitive biographies: Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye, described by V. S. Naipaul as an extraordinarily good, detailed and selfless book', and the co-authored Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man. He holds degrees from Oxford University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, has been a Visiting Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and is currently a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society.

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Book Synopsis'Without question one of the best books ever written by an Englishman on the Turks' William DalrympleTrade Review'An endless treasure chest of fascinating facts and extraordinary revelations ... a cultural and social history as much as a political and military one, Mansel's outstandingly researched portrait of this intriguing imperial city and its exotic denizens is gripping' * Robert Carver, Scotsman *'The victory, the defeat, the magnificence, the squalor, the cruelty and the tolerance of the Ottoman years are all recorded there, Constantinople is one of those cities to which I always long to return, and the longing grows on every page' * Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph *'Marvellous ... the experience of the whole city grows with the book ... you always feel close to the beat of Constantinople's raffish and mysterious heart' * Michael Ratcliffe, Observer *'A happy blend of shcolarship and panache ... If you have visited Constantinople, read it: if not, buy it before you go' Lawrence James, Evening Standard * Lawrence James, Evening Standard *'Plenty of intrigue and bloodshed. The squeamish should skip the city's solution to the stray dog problem... and focus on the convincingly documented and colourful ebb and flow of economy and society' * Charmaine Chan, South China Morning Post *

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Book SynopsisHarald Jähner (Author) Harald Jähner is a cultural journalist and former editor of the Berliner Zeitung. He was also an honorary professor of cultural journalism at the Berlin University of the Arts. His book Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich was shortlisted for the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in the UK and won the Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Non-Fiction in his native Germany.Shaun Whiteside (Translator) Shaun Whiteside is an award-winning translator from French, German, Italian and Dutch. His most recent translations from German include Aftermath by Harald Jähner, To Die in Spring by Ralf Rothmann, Swansong 1945 by Walter Kempowski, Berlin Finale by Heinz Rein and The Broken House by Horst Krüger.Trade ReviewExemplary [and] important... This is the kind of book few writers possess the clarity of vision to write * Max Hastings, Sunday Times *A masterpiece * The Spectator *Magnificent... There are great lessons in the nature of humanity to be learnt here -- Rupert Christiansen * The Telegraph *Jähner is masterly in telling the tragic, despicable, comedic and uplifting stories of those who were there as he takes his readers on a fascinating tour through rubble-strewn postwar Germany * Katja Hoyer, The Times *Thought-provoking... Jähner's unflinching account is a reminder that historical truths are rarely simple and always nuanced * Daily Mail *Magisterial, fascinating, humane - a brilliant book of the greatest importance and achievement * Philippe Sands, bestselling author of East West Street and The Ratline *I thought I knew the essential story of Germany's immediate post-war years. This book brilliantly adds to, indeed changes, my understanding. One of the best historians and authors of contemporary Germany, Jähner paints an absorbing, human and surprising picture * John Kampfner, bestselling author of Why the Germans Do it Better *This panoramic journey through Germany in the ruins of the Third Reich is unforgettably thought-provoking [and] intensely moving * The Times (21 best history books 2021) *A reminder that the German experience will always stand apart * Economist *An extraordinary book of breathtaking scholarship. Jähner shines a light on a dark and almost forgotten period of German history to find it pulsating with life * Jack Fairweather, bestselling author of The Volunteer *Extraordinary... One of the most evocative pieces of carefully researched history that I have ever read. It's a remarkable piece of work * Misha Glenny, bestselling author of McMafia and The Balkans *What does total defeat mean? Germany 1945-55. Ten years of poverty, ruins, fear, violence, black markets, manic hard work, inventive sex - and always, always, silence about the murdered millions of the Third Reich. A fascinating read. * Neil MacGregor, author of Germany: Memories of a Nation *Absolutely extraordinary. Every page stops you dead with insight and revelation. * James Hawes, bestselling author of The Shortest History of Germany *Aftermath is that rare thing, a history book that turns what you knew completely on its head. It is testament to Harald Jähner's achievement that Aftermath is a book that I will never forget * Dominic Sandbrook *For those who want to understand the Germans, Aftermath is essential reading. An engrossing study on all counts, Jähner's analysis of people's response to the Nazis' monstrous crimes and how perpetrators and victims merged into a new nation is especially compelling. Anyone with even the slightest interest in history and the human condition should read this book. * Julia Boyd, bestselling author of Travellers in the Third Reich *A fascinating account of a forgotten moment in Europe's history, of utter desperation leading to tentative hope. * Simon Jenkins, bestselling author of A Short History of England *A fiercely compelling book that brings vivid illumination to an era of twilight and brutal ruins. Harald Jähner beautifully explores the hinterland of human nature in all its shades * Sinclair McKay, bestselling author of Dresden: The Fire and the Darkness *[Jähner] does double duty in this fascinating book, elegantly marshaling a plethora of facts while also using his critical skills to wry effect. Even though Aftermath covers historical ground, its narrative is intimate, filled with first-person accounts * Jennifer Szalai, New York Times *Aftermath is a transfixing account and subtle analysis. A scrupulous investigation of the past, it reads, constantly, like a prelude to what is still unfolding. * Geoff Dyer, New Statesman (Books of the Year 2021) *Aftermath captures brilliantly the atmosphere of everyday life in the destroyed cities of divided postwar Germany * Financial Times (Best Books of 2021) *Subtle, perceptive and beautifully written * Wall Street Journal *Many consider the years before 1945 to be the most crucial in understanding Germany and the Germans. Wait until you have read this book. * Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich *Harald Jähner's deeply researched, panoramic account of how Germany rebuilt and discovered itself from 1945-1955 is an eye-opening, thrilling read * Bernhard Schlink, bestselling author of The Reader *A magnificent overview of the astonishing decade in Germany that followed the defeat of Nazism * Daily Telegraph (Best Summer Reading) *Eye-opening and often moving... a sobering look at how societies rebuild * BBC History Magazine *Highly readable... Counter-intuitive but thoughtful * Peter Fritzsche, New York Times *[A] thoughtful narrative... filling the yawning gap on bookshop shelves between a growing number of modern German history texts and the oversupply of Nazi studies that end in Hitler's bunker * Irish Times *Aftermath takes in the immediate postwar years where Germany was administered by the Allies... Jähner excels * Giles MacDonogh, Financial Times *Fascinating... Books about Word War II continue to spill out by the ton, but there has been less attention paid to how Germans coped with the country's shameful Nazi past after the conflict was over * Irish Independent (Summer Reads) *Rarely has a non-fiction book so skilfully combined vividness, drama and eloquence. * From the Jury's reasoning for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Non-Fiction 2019 *Jähner's gripping 500-page X-ray-vision tale of an often overlooked and misperceived phase of German history reveals, like all great history books, as much about the first decade after the war as about today. * The German Times *Clearly written, full of empathy for everyday life, which is far too seldom taken into consideration... You devour it like a novel. * Welt am Sonntag *A popular work of non-fiction in the best sense. * Die Zeit *

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive history of the war, with expert commentary on the political and economic factors leading to the conflict, the key turning points during the war and the impact of new technologies.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a hands-on resource for the amateur, student or volunteer as well as a reference for those interested in the world?s greatest archaeological finds and the people who discovered them. Features how-to photographic sequences of field surveys and step-by-step excavations, plus guidance on handling and recording finds and dating artefacts

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Book SynopsisBoth monastic rule and military manual, the Rule is a unique document and an important historical source.Trade ReviewAn important source for the history of the military orders. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *We've got here the most sophisticated rule book, which knocks the road traffic act into the shade. TIME TEAM [Channel 4, at Templecombe] * . *Table of ContentsThe primitive rule; the hierarchical statutes; penances; conventual life; the holding of ordinary chapters; further detail on penances; reception into the order. Appendix: "La Regle du Temple" as a military manual, or how to deliver a cavalry charge, Matthew Bennett.

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Book SynopsisThis textbook is endorsed by OCR and supports the specification for GCSE Ancient History (first teaching September 2017). It covers the whole of Component 2, both the compulsory longer Period Study and the three optional Depth Studies:Longer Period Study: The Foundations of Rome: From Kingship to Republic, 753440 BC by Paul FowlerDepth Study: Hannibal and the Second Punic War, 218201 BC by Paul FowlerDepth Study: Cleopatra: Rome And Egypt, 6930 BC by James Melville Depth Study: Britannia: From Conquest to Province, AD 43c. 84 by Christopher GrocockHow did reactions to the exploitation of women and the poor make Rome great? How did Rome survive a fourteen-year invasion? Was Cleopatra a great queen? What was the impact of Roman invasion on Britain's diverse and prosperous culture?This book raises these and other key questions. GCSE students and their teachers will explore the foundation of Rome, the rise of its empire, and its interactions with nTable of ContentsIntroduction How to Use This Book Period Study: The Foundations of Rome: From Kingship to Republic, 753–440 BC Depth Study Option 1: Hannibal and the Second Punic War, 218– 201 BC Depth Study Option 2: Cleopatra: Rome and Egypt, 69–30 BC Depth Study Option 3: Britannia: From Conquest to Province, AD 43–c. 84 Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisQueer premises provide vital social and cultural infrastructure a queer infrastructure connecting different generations and locations, facilitating the movement of resources, across and beyond the city.Queer Premises offers evidence for how London's diverse LGBTQ+ populations have embedded themselves into urban space, systems and resources. It sets out to understand how, across their different material dimensions, bars, cafés, nightclubs, pubs, community centres, and hybrids of these typologies, have been imagined, created and sustained. From the 1980s to the present, Campkin asks how, where, and why these venues have been established, how they operate and the purposes they serve, what challenges they face and why they close down.Trade ReviewThis terrific book deftly unpicks the shifting and unequal forces – from LGBTQ+ activism to clunky planning processes and neo-liberal urban redevelopment – that have affected the survival or closure of London’s queer venues since the 1980s. Professor Campkin’s fine-grained and authoritative analysis illuminates our understanding of London’s queer nightlife and will reshape queer urban studies. * Alison Oram, Institute of Historical Research, University of London, UK *In these pages lives a network of places that scale up into structures of urban governance, planning, and “queer infrastructure” in London. The clever move to examine the heritage values of these LGBTQ+ venues enables Campkin to show the collectivist project of placemaking initiatives. An absolute tour de force. * Amin Ghaziani, Professor of Sociology, University of British Columbia *Table of ContentsTable of contents List of figures List of abbreviations Queer Premises Chapter 1 Queer infrastructure Chapter 2 Perverted purposes Chapter 3 Mainstreaming pride Chapter 4 Rupture and repair Chapter 5 Seeking closure Chapter 6 Sui generis Chapter 7 Macho city Chapter 8 Pandemic premises About the author Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisSecret Stroud explores the lesser-known history of the town of Stroud in Gloucestershire through a fascinating selection of stories, unusual facts and attractive photographs.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe centuries that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476 saw the formation of numerous Romano-Germanic kingdoms from the fusion between different Germanic communities and the Roman population. In time the Frankish Kingdom came to dominate over all the others and conquered most of continental Europe under the guidance of the famous Carolingian royal family. In the book we will follow the military ascendancy of the warlike Franks from 613 to 987. The greatest protagonist of this bloody period was Charlemagne, probably the greatest military commander of the Early Middle Ages. He transformed the Frankish kingdom into a large state the Holy Roman Empire that dominated most of continental Western Europe for almost a century. Charlemagne spent his long reign (768-814) fighting against a multitude of warlike enemies who lived on the frontiers of his dominions: Arabs, Basques, Bretons, Frisians, Vikings, Saxons, Thuringians, Slavs, Avars, Bavarians and Lombards. He obtaine

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Book Synopsis''The classic book on Black people in Georgian London'' DAVID OLUSOGA''Deeply researched, lucidly written and utterly fascinating . . . If you ever thought Black British history started with Windrush, read this book'' GREG JENNERGeorgian England had a large and distinctive Black community. There were special churches, Black-only balls, many became famous and respected. But all, whether prosperous citizens or newly freed slaves, lived under the constant threat of kidnap and sale to plantations. Black England tells their stories, bringing their triumphs and tortures to vivid life, revealing a dramatic forgotten chapter of our shared past.''Black England taught me more history than I ever learned at school. Gretchen Gerzina tells it as it was, so we know how it is . . . a book that will be relevant for ever'' BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAHTrade ReviewIn the 1990s, an assistant in a London bookshop informed the African American historian Gretchen Gerzina that there "were no black people in England before 1945". Gerzina effectively disproved that assertion by going on to write the classic book on black people in Georgian London, Black England -- DAVID OLUSOGA * Guardian *Wonderfully vivid, multifaceted and engrossing . . . this book brings history alive -- BERNARDINE EVARISTOBlack England taught me more history than I ever learned at school. This book helped me to understand the history that my generation are making now. To say that it is groundbreaking is stating the obvious. Black England is part of our canon. With books like this to guide us, we are unstoppable. Gretchen Gerzina tells it as it was, so we know how it is. Black England is a book that will be relevant for ever -- BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAHA classic that deserves to be read . . . indeed, needs to be read, Black England is deeply researched, lucidly written and utterly fascinating. If you ever thought Black British history began with Windrush, read this book - this is a story we should all know -- GREG JENNERGerzina brings the world of the Black Georgians to intriguing life, introducing us to the era's most fascinating individuals while placing them in the wider story of the struggle against enslavement. It is a treat to have a pioneer of the field bring together all the latest scholarship to tell this important part of British history for a wide audience -- MIRANDA KAUFMANN, author of Black TudorsThe admirable clarity of Black England should win it many admirers. Gerzina's book should take its rightful place alongside the work of her predecessors -- CARYL PHILLIPSBlack England is well-researched, with interesting quotes throughout and has a number of 'I didn't know that!' moments as Gerzina throws up surprising snippets of information, such as the existence of an entirely black brothel in London catering for the nobility . . . charting the progress of the anti-slavery moment in England, Gerzina highlights the mixed and often murky motives held by white abolitionists who are often less altruistic than might be expected. This is echoed in Zadie Smith's passionate and insightful foreword * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisA stunning and bloody history of nineteenth-century India and the reign of the Last Mughal by the bestselling author of White MughalsTrade Review'Dalrymple is an outstandingly gifted travel writer and historian who excels himself in his latest work' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'Vivid unmatched revolutionary humane No previous book has delved so deeply into the history of Delhi in those days, nor painted such a vivid portrait of the late Mughal court' Sunday Telegraph 'Brims with life, colour and complexity outstanding one of the best history books of the year' Evening Standard 'Magnificent shames the simplistic efforts of previous writers' Spectator

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Book SynopsisA profound account and analysis of the Gestapo.Trade ReviewThis fascinating and absorbing new book, drawing on original Gestapo files, provides a wide range of vivid and fascinating stories that explore the tragic human plight of victims of Nazi terror, and the motives of the German citizens who denounced them. By examining in depth how the Gestapo dealt with Jews, Communists, religious dissidents and those on the margins of society, McDonough has produced a brilliant, readable and deeply significant examination of Hitler's notorious secret police. * Andrew Roberts *A compelling and crisply written new history of the Third Reich's central instrument on domestic terror between 1933 and 1945. McDonough moves beyond the administrative history of the Gestapo to examine the key target groups not just political and religious opponents, but social outsiders and Jews He provides a nuanced account via Gestapo files and courtroom testimony. In setting a range of victims' life stories revealed in these neglected Gestapo case files against long standing historical views of either an all pervasive surveillance or total reliance on public denunciations, The Gestapo provides an original and welcome perspective on this often misunderstood symbol of Nazi repression and enforced conformity. Impressive, illuminated by real victim stories, this book is strongly recommended. -- Matthew Feldman, Professor in Contemporary History at Teesside University and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bergen, NorwayIn this thoroughly researched and elegantly written book, Frank McDonough confronts decades of myth-making to uncover the complex realities of Hitler's notorious secret police. The Gestapo is as surprising as it is illuminating, and it sets a new standard for this vitally important subject. -- Roger Moorhouse, leading Third Reich historian and best-selling authorSuperbly scholarly and just as readable. A chilling, meticulous record of state brutality that is more compelling than any novel. -- Dan Snow, Award-winning TV historian and best-selling authorProfessor Frank McDonough has unearthed much, drawn from recent research and his own work in the Gestapo's surviving archives and has blended it in this lucid, authoratative study of the institution and its servants. As for those servants' villiany, he lets them and their victims speak for themselves: this is a chilling as well as a compelling read...In telling the story of the how the Gestapo worked, McDonough has provided fascinating insights into the experiences of Germans in a fickle and frightening world. -- Lawrence James * The Times *It seems incredible that humane qualities could be exhumed from such evil, but that is one achievement of Frank McDonough's nuanced study...The contribution of McDonough's illuminating account - based on the 73,000 files at Düsseldorf, the largest surviving collection of Gestapo records - is to reveal that the organisation was neither faceless nor monolithic....Too often historians present material of this vile kind in emotive prose, forcing the reader into uneasy agreement with whatever argument they are presenting. Here, by combining a calm tone with a lucid, factual approach, McDonough has convincingly portrayed a system that was highly efficient and profoundly pernicious, but not unequivocally wicked. -- Miranda Seymour * The Sunday Telegraph *A myth-busting study exposes how ordinary Germans ran rings round the secret police...[McDonough] offers real insight into the methods, motives and backgrounds of the men who tried... to police the thoughts of the inhabitants of the Third Reich...Another remarkable point that McDonough makes is that judges often threw out cases brought by the Gestapo. Many were old-fashioned conservatives... with a prickly sense of their own independence. -- Marcus Ranner * The Independent *McDonough's penetrating study of the Gestapo, which challenges established myths- for instance that the Gestapo was everywhere, an Orwellian 'thought police' that kept everyone in check and fear, listening for every knock on the door in the middle of the night. In reality, it had fewer than 16,000 active officers to police the loyalty of a nation of 70 million. Its investigations were fuelled by informants, tell-tales in the community, of whom there were no shortage in Hitler's paranoid Reich... McDonough's book also reveals, thousands of other Nazi thugs and killers simply kept their heads down, slid back into society and were never properly brought to book. At the Nuremberg war crimes trials, the Gestapo was branded a 'criminal organisation' responsible or 'crimes against humanity. Yet no major collective Gestapo trial was held in the post war period. * Daily Mail *This year has produced a slew of important books relating to the Second World War and this informative study of the Gestapo is one of the best. The author tries to dismantle some of the common myths about Hitler's secret police. He does so with style and intelligence * Catholic Herald *McDonough has an instinct for good stories and, for example, when he writes about the policing process aimed at the outlawed Communist Party, he finds a bewildering array of people, among them some who converted to Nazism or joined the Wehrmacht. -- Professor Robert Gellately * The Times Higher Education Supplement *A very important and rigorous study based on original research from German archives. * Corriere della Sera (leading Italian newspaper) *Highly illuminating. It sets the Gestapo in historical context. McDonough also gives a detailed account of the Gestapo's day to operations and assists us in our efforts to understand the work done by the Gestapo. -- Dr. Richard Mullender, Newcastle University * Journal of Law and Society *

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Book SynopsisLondontown is a love letter in pictures to this bustling world capital. Photographer Susannah Conway takes us beyond the familiar sights to capture an authentic local experience of the city. Readers will travel with her as she crisscrosses London, shooting all the hippest, most exciting, and most historic neighborhoods, and sampling the city''s effortless cool, vibrant street life, and timeless know-how. Mixing signature Polaroid shots with modern digital photos, this insider''s slice of London life will appeal both to those living half a mile from Big Ben and Anglophiles anywhere.

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

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Book SynopsisThe Stones of Britain is about how rocks make places. The connection between geology and landscape, between the stones beneath the surface and the history that has played out above it. About the varied character of the British landscape, and the rich variety of places that result. The shattered granite landscape of Dartmoor is different from the soft red sandstone hills of east Devon; the rolling chalk downs distinct from the gritty moors of Yorkshire. Each of these landscapes has a different historical story to tell; that story is rooted in the characteristics of the rocks beneath the surface. The Stones of Britain interprets these stories. It explains the nature of place on the island of Britain, revealing the landscape as the joint product of geology and man: a history rooted in stone.

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Book SynopsisFEATURING A BRAND NEW CHAPTER ON KING CHARLES III AND HIS CORONATION''Fascinating'' The Times''Tantalising'' TelegraphThe gripping account of how the royal family really operates. Valentine Low, royal correspondent for The Times, asks the important questions: who really runs the show and, with Charles now crowned as King, what will happen next?Today, as ever, a vast team of people hidden from view steers the royal family''s path between public duty and private life. The question of who is entrusted to guide the royals has never been more vital, and yet the task those courtiers face has never been more challenging.With the departure of both Harry and Meghan and the disgraced Prince Andrew from royal life, the complex relationship between modern courtiers and royal principals has been exposed to global scrutiny. William and Kate - equipped with a very twenty-first-century approach to prTrade ReviewLow's enjoyable account... chronicles, and explains, the role of those courtiers whose role comes closest to public accountability... [and] there are tantalising unattributed snippets from private interviews... Low's conclusion is a valuable one * The Telegraph *Fascinating * The Times *This book is riveting. Extraordinarily well written, it canters along, packed with impeccable inside information. Low . . . is one of the exceptional minds writing about the British monarchy today -- Thomas Blaikie * Literary Review *Courtiers is an excellent royal romp based on fact. -- SphereCourtiers is a suave history of the monarchy over the past century, seen through the prism of those who serve it . . . a remarkable insight . . . and an important addition -- Mark Bolland * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisA history of America''s small but gallant World War II warships, which were at the forefront of the battle against U-boats and kamikazes, and fought some of the most dramatic actions of the war.The Destroyer Escort was the smallest ocean-going escort built for the United States Navy--a downsized destroyer with less speed, fewer guns, and fewer torpedoes than its big brother, The Fleet Destroyer. Destroyer escorts first went into production because the Royal Navy needed an escort warship which was larger than a corvette, but which could be built faster than a destroyer. Lacking the shipyards to build these types of ships in Britain, they ordered them in the US. Once the US unexpectedly entered World War II, its navy suddenly also needed more escort warships, even warships less capable than destroyers, and the destroyer escort was reluctantly picked to fill the gap.Despite the Navy''s initial reservations, these ships did yeoman service during World War II, fighTable of ContentsIntroduction Design and Development Operational History Variants Statistics Bibliography Index

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