History Books

Book SynopsisWilliam L. Shirer ranks as one of the greatest of all American foreign correspondents. He lived and worked in Paris, Belin, Vienna, and Rome. But it was above all as correspondent in Germany for the Chicago Tribune and later for the Columbia Broadcasting System in the late 1930s that his reputation was established. He subsequently wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which is hailed as a classic, and after World War Two he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur. In the post-war years he wrote in a variety of fields, and in his seventies he learned Russian, publishing a biography of Tolstoy at the age of 89. He died in 1994. His Berlin broadcasts were published posthumously by Hutchinson in 1999.Trade ReviewThe standard work by which all others on the subject are still measured . . . Erudite, comprehensive and detailed, always lively and readable, it is the model of what a popular narrative history should be. * Guardian *One of the most important works of history of our time. * New York Times *In this political season, William L. Shirer’s mammoth history of Hitler’s Germany seems a useful guide to how a skilled demagogue can seize and destroy a great nation. * Chicago Tribune *A splendid work of scholarship, objective in method, sound in judgment, inescapable in its conclusions. * New York Times Book Review *A work which everyone should read. -- Hugh Trevor-Roper

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020''The most important non-fiction book of the year'' David HareIn the years just before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people from across the political spectrum in Europe and America celebrated a great achievement, felt a common purpose and, very often, forged personal friendships. Yet over the following decades the euphoria evaporated, the common purpose and centre ground gradually disappeared, extremism rose once more and eventually - as this book compellingly relates - the relationships soured too.Anne Applebaum traces this history in an unfamiliar way, looking at the trajectories of individuals caught up in the public events of the last three decades. When politics becomes polarized, which side do you back? If you are a journalist, an intellectual, a civic leader, how do you deal with the re-emergence of authoritarian or nationalist ideas in your country? When your leaders appropriate history, or pedal conspiracies, or eviscerate the media and the judiciary, do you go along with it?Twilight of Democracy is an essay that combines the personal and the political in an original way and brings a fresh understanding to the dynamics of public life in Europe and America, both now and in the recent past.Trade ReviewApplebaum's reflections on the anti-democratic pandemic sweeping our world offer an extraordinary mix of personal witness and dispassionate historical analysis.... It's unlikely that anyone will ever give us more sensitive or revealing insights on this question -- John Connelly * New Statesman *Heretics make the best writers. ... Applebaum can bring a candle into the darkness of the populist right ... her writing is an arsenal that stores the sharpest weapons to hand. -- Nick Cohen * Observer *Applebaum's progress ...has yielded an enviable supply of raw material for her narrative. She mines her sources doggedly....Twilight of Democracy is a rather penetrating work of ethnography -- Trevor Phillips * The Times *Advancing her arguments with eloquence and personal testimony, Applebaum passionately decries the corrosion of liberal, open-society values in the last three decades. -- Chris Patten * Project Syndicate *written with deep insight, experience and wisdom. Definitely a very important book for understanding our troubled times and the fragility of our democracies -- Elif Shafak * Daily Mail *Anne Applebaum's Twilight of Democracy is the most important non-fiction book of the year because it asks the most urgent question: why is the right wing in the West moving so far to the right? Why is it, at this point in history, so drawn to authoritarianism? Why has it given up on democracy?' -- David Hare * New Statesman Books of the Year *this engrossing account ... is a political book; it is also intensely personal, and the more powerful for it. -- John Kampfner * Guardian *Applebaum, long an authority on the abuses of Communist and post-Communist Eastern Europe, in her new book Twilight of Democracy is unsparing in exposing the moral bankruptcy of Trumpian Republicanism. Her sharp pen is as persuasive as any in presenting the idea of the "west" as a morally serious project-and one whose loss we may come to mourn. -- The world’s top 50 thinkers 2020 * Prospect *A brilliant writer who sheds light on the most disturbing political phenomenon of our era: the rise of rightwing authoritarianism around the world... a cry of alarm and a call to arms.... We have been warned. -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times *readable, eloquent and passionate ... Applebaum knows what the enemy looks like from the inside, and how it thinks. This book may only be a start. We should cherish her. I think she has a lot more she can tell us. -- Francis Beckett * The New European *This richly informed book enlarges her account of the enormous peril in which the democracy we took so casually for granted now stands. -- Philip Pullman * New Statesman Books of the Year *Applebaum's book asks why conservatives in the West have so willingly embraced deceipt, corruption and authoritarianism. She has answers, too. -- David Hare * The Week *From Brexit Britain and Donald Trump's America to the cynical politics of Poland and Hungary, she feels beset by a new chauvinist right that has no regard for rules, truth or institutions. Ms Applebaum evokes an acute sense of betrayal as people she trusted turn against her, quicker than she thought possible. Her personal story is a parable of what can happen to alliances in the absence of a common adversary, and when the hardships such enemies inflicted fade from memory. * Economist *This is an illuminating political memoir about the break-up of the political tribe that won the Cold War. -- David Goodhart * Literary Review *Equal parts memoir, reportage, and history, this sobering account of the roots and forms of today's authoritarianism, by one of its most accomplished observers, is meant as a warning to everyone. ... critically important for its muscular, oppositionist attack on the new right from within conservative ranks-and for the well-documented warning it embodies. The author's views are especially welcome because she is a deliberate thinker and astute observer rather than just the latest pundit or politico. In the spirit of Julien Benda, Hannah Arendt, and Theodor Adorno, Applebaum seeks to understand what makes the new right "more Bolshevik than Burkean."... A knowledgeable, rational, necessarily dark take on dark realities. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisA definitive new biography of General Franco that offers a new insight into his lasting legacy in Spain. From a scrawny, overlooked military graduate to the youngest general in Europe, Francisco Franco was known for his ambition, talent and calculated risk-taking. Yet his reputation remains a topic of fierce debate. Did he destroy Spain and stifle its democracy or rescue the nation from left-wing tumult? In this compelling biography, Giles Tremlett unravels the complex life and legacy of the enigmatic dictator who shaped twentieth-century Spanish history. This book will delve into the complexities of Franco's character, exploring his volatile relationship with a domineering father, his traumatic experiences fighting in Morocco and the formation of his authoritarian ideology. The narrative follows Franco's ruthless leadership during the Civil War, his alignment with Hitler and Mussolini and the subsequent Cold War era that brought him international rehabilitation. Tremlett interrogates Franco's transformation of Spain through a lens that challenges the conventional view of him as a bumbling leader. Instead, arguing that Franco was a deliberate and pragmatic dictator who wielded terror to maintain an iron grip on power, and whose lasting (and most surprising) contribution was the period of peace that allowed Spain to challenge the absolutist spirit he embodied. Nuanced and comprehensive, El Generalísimo offers a fresh perspective that reveals the intricate interplay of ambition and fearlessness of Francisco Franco; and examines his enduring legacy that continues to shape Spain's political and cultural landscape. PRAISE FOR GILES TREMLETT:'Tremlett's work will bring many who think we know Spain to confront what we have hesitated to acknowledge even to ourselves' Matthew Parris'Tremlett writes with humour, modesty and a great affection for his subject' Daily Telegraph'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide' Guardian

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Book Synopsis&b>Taking readers on a global journey through human history, Natasha Tidd examines how lies can change the world around us, from Julius Caesars deceptive PR machine to the cover-ups that caused Chernobyl.&/b>

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Book SynopsisDiscover the remarkable birth of modern medicine. When we imagine Renaissance medicine, the cliché is dreadful - unsterile instruments, a total lack of anaesthetics and shocking levels of infant and maternal mortality. And that’s before you get into astrology, bloodletting and a litany of bizarre ‘treatments’, more likely to kill than cure… As ever, the true picture is somewhat different. Here, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, modern medicine began to take shape. Medical education was being formalised for the first time. Through dissections and hands-on experience in war, surgeons were documenting the intricacies of the human body and distributing their work across the continent. And, as European powers expanded their reach into the New World, new medicines and treatments were being discovered and cultivated. Historian Alanna Skuse ventures into the bustling medical marketplace of Renaissance England - a world of travelling surgeons, prosthetics’ craftsmen, faith healers and, of course, snake oil salesmen. There’s the domestic healer, her kitchen stocked with all manner of herbs, tonics and elixirs, ready to dole out to ailing neighbours; the expert midwife, called upon when the physician and surgeon failed; the trusted apothecary, shop stocked with remedies for every ailment and ingredients from each corner of the globe. Humane and entrancing, The Surgeon, The Midwife, The Quack reveals the miraculous birth of modern medicine.

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Book SynopsisFascism was the major political invention of the twentieth century and the source of much of its pain. How can we try to comprehend its allure and its horror? Is it a philosophy, a movement, an aesthetic experience? What makes states and nations become fascist?Acclaimed historian Robert O. Paxton shows that in order to understand fascism we must look at it in action - at what it did, as much as what it said it was about. He explores its falsehoods and common threads; the social and political base that allowed it to prosper; its leaders and internal struggles; how it manifested itself differently in each country - France, Britain, the low countries, Eastern Europe, even Latin America as well as Italy and Germany; how fascists viewed the Holocaust; and, finally, whether fascism is still possible in today''s world.Offering a bold new interpretation of the fascist phenomenon, this groundbreaking book will overturn our understanding of twentieth-century history.

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Book SynopsisThe children of the 1960s flourished in an increasingly wealthy, and permissive world. Entertained by the Stones, the Beatles and Dr Who, the childhood of the baby boomers helped shape the world we live in today.

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Book SynopsisCOMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION -- THE ESSENTIAL HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES''Compellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened'' Irish News''Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement'' Glasgow Herald__________________________First published two decades ago, Making Sense of the Troubles is widely regarded as the most ''comprehensive, considered and compassionate'' (Irish Times) history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Written by a distinguished journalist and a teacher of history in Northern Ireland, it surveys the roots of the problems from 1921 onwards, the descent into violence in the late 60s, and the three terrible decades that followed.In this fully revised and updated version, McKittrick and McVea take into account the momentous events of the ten years that followed their first publication, including the disbanding of the IRA, Ian Paisley''s deal with the Republicans and the historic power-sharing government in Belfast.__________________________''An updated reissue of a collaborative study published 12 years ago to rave reviews as a frank, accurate and authoritative narrative of events which should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand what had been going on in the North'' Irish Independent''I would strongly advocate that it be made compulsory reading for everyone in Northern Ireland because for the first time it is our history, all of it warts and all, presented in a clear and understandable way'' Irish NewsTrade ReviewCompellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened * Irish News *Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement -- Cal McCrystal * Glasgow Herald *Even-handed, clearly written, and set to become one of the definitive works on the subject * Scotland on Sunday *For those looking for a pragmatic understanding of the country known as Northern Ireland it is essential reading -- John Coulter * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisMatthew Dennison's elegant and magisterial biography of Her late Majesty, updated following the death of Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III. 'A worthy and balanced overview of the Queen's life. Dennison is especially good on her childhood... quietly, tactfully, tastefully reverent.'The Times The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 was more than just a moment of profound sadness; her passing marked the end of an era in our national life – and the final closing of the Elizabethan Age. For millions of people, both in Britain and across the world, Elizabeth II was the embodiment of monarchy. Her long life spanned nearly a century of national and global history, from a time before the Great Depression to the era of Covid-19. Her reign embraced all but seven years of Britain's postwar history up to the accession of her son King Charles III; she was served by fifteen UK prime ministers from Churchill to Truss, and witnessed the administrations of fourteen US presidents from Truman to Biden. In this brand-new biography of the longest-reigning sovereign in British history, Matthew Dennison traces her life and reign across an era of unprecedented and often seismic social change. Stylish in its writing and nuanced in its judgements, The Queen charts the joys and triumphs as well as the disappointments and vicissitudes of a remarkable royal life; it also assesses the achievement of a woman regarded as the champion of a handful of 'British' values endorsed – if no longer practised – by the bulk of the nation: service, duty, steadfastness, charity and stoicism.Trade ReviewA worthy and balanced overview of the Queen's life. Dennison is especially good on her childhood... Quietly, tactfully, tastefully reverent' * The Times *Anyone who wants a rapid, lucid, well-organised dash through the Queen's seven decades on the throne couldn't do better * Daily Telegraph *An elegant new biography * OK! Magazine *Dutiful and modest – a superb portrait of Her Majesty * Sunday Telegraph *An engaging retelling of a remarkable life of selflessness and service * Choice Magazine *[It] deftly weaves together a wealth of sources, painting the late monarch as a dedicated and humble public servant, with a pragmatic approach to her work * Independent *This balanced and brilliantly written biography is an extremely detailed depiction of the Queen's life * Harper's Bazaar *

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including poetry, histories and religious literature, Eleanor Parker investigates how Anglo-Saxons felt about the annual passing of the seasons and the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature. Many of the festivals we celebrate in Britain today have their roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, and this book traces their surprising history, as well as unearthing traditions now long forgotten. It celebrates some of the finest treasures of medieval literature and provides an imaginative connection to the Anglo-Saxon world.Trade Review'[Parker's] prose is as lyrical as the poetry that she so deftly translates . . . Parker’s larger point is to show how older ways of experiencing the seasons continue to run steadily through our lives, even if we don’t quite register the tug. This lovely book acts as a portal back to an older time, using the poetry of medieval England to unlock a world where the seasons, and the changing weather, are a subject of deep pleasure and renewing wonder.' – The Guardian; 'Eleanor Parker in her fascinating and authoritative new book Winters in the World explains that the original division of the seasons in England before the Conquest was into winter and summer. Even today, we are not quite sure, I think, about how long spring and autumn last . . . Dr Parker, a lecturer at Brasenose College, Oxford, rejoices in two advantages. She has read and understood the original texts and she is superb in explaining them and the world from which they sprang.' – Daily Telegraph; 'Parker takes us through the rhythms of the Anglo-Saxon year, charting its seasons and traditions: its weather and agricultural patterns, its festivals and religious customs . . . Her lyrical, insightful book is being published in a year in which heat records have been broken across the world, and Weland’s winter-cold misery has ceded to a summer-hot equivalent. If heat is now the invading warrior, then it is one we have invited. As the crisis deepens, the texts that survive from Anglo-Saxon England “speak truths that we still need to hear” about the rhythms of nature and our dependency on the bounty of the earth.' – Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough, Times Literary Supplement; 'In this wonderfully poetic journey through the Anglo-Saxon year, Eleanor Parker offers a profound meditation on time and the world, nature and its seasons. Plunging the reader into the glorious cadences of Old English poetry with her supple translations, Parker brings to vivid life the terrors of winter, spring’s promise, the joyful warmth of summer and the melancholy of autumn, powerfully connecting us with a rich and vital past that we have not quite lost.' – Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford; 'A fascinating, informative and hauntingly authentic account of the Anglo-Saxon experience of time; Eleanor Parker shows that understanding the early English calendar is a crucial point of access to Anglo-Saxon spirituality, learning, science, poetry and much more besides.' – Francis Young, author of Magic in Merlin’s Realm: A History of Occult Politics in Britain; 'This book is a treasure and a delight, full of beautiful poetry and prose from the treasure-house of Anglo-Saxon culture. Lucid translations, accessible introductions and explanation, all combine to lead us through the cycle of the seasons . . . Eleanor Parker offers us a vision of time itself made sacred, each month hallowed, and full of unexpected beauty and wisdom.' – Malcolm Guite, poet and life fellow of Girton College, University of Cambridge; 'Eleanor Parker’s Winters in the World is a lyrical journey through the Anglo-Saxon year, witnessing the major festivals and the turning of the seasons through the eyes of the poets . . . we approach an appreciation of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors as we dive into the rhythms of their lives and language, their turns of phrase, and the force of their habits. It is a beautiful, charming, and evocative voyage into what, to many of us, seems a very distant past . . . Parker shows herself to be a master of her subject. Her knowledge is superb; her writing a form of poetry itself . . . Through her enchanting prose, her analogies, her eloquence, Parker convinces her audience of the intelligence, imagination and immense beauty of her subject. No-one can come away from this book still believing the Anglo-Saxons to have lived through the "Dark Ages".' – Get History; 'Both an accessible introduction to the Anglo-Saxon age and an evocative celebration of its seasonal rhythms and links with nature, this book guides readers through the year as captured by the writers of the era.' – History Revealed; 'Anglo-Saxons experienced the turning of the year differently: with most wealth derived from agriculture, and over 90 per cent of the population in the fields, it was the rhythms of sowing, growing and reaping that dominated. That is the focus of Eleanor Parker's delightful and informative book, in which she introduces the workings of an Anglo-Saxon year with verve. Expertly drawing on the Old English poetic corpus, Parker gives a keen sense of how the four seasons were experienced . . . Throughout the book, Parker writes with great empathy, evoking the lost world of pre-Conquest England.' – BBC History magazine; 'With a compendium of textual period sources, Winters in the World offers a unique window into the rhythms of Anglo-Saxon England, which continue in part to this day. Parker eloquently captures the cultural vibrancy of the time with her analysis of the effect of the rhythms of nature on religious, social, and labor patterns . . . Parker illuminates the inner workings of the Anglo-Saxon mind' – The New Criterion; 'a guided tour through the Anglo-Saxon perception and measurement of time – a reckoning that was more closely linked to the rhythms of the natural world than our own today yet from which we still retain aspects of which we may not be aware . . .this book should now be taken up for reading as both edification and entertainment during the long, dark evenings to come.' – The Well-read Naturalist

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Book Synopsis''A superb book ... Anybody interested in Scottish history needs to read it'' Andrew Marr, Sunday TimesEighteenth-century Scotland is famed for generating many of the enlightened ideas which helped to shape the modern world. But there was in the same period another side to the history of the nation. Many of Scotland''s people were subjected to coercive and sometimes violent change, as traditional ways of life were overturned by the ''rational'' exploitation of land use. The Scottish Clearances is a superb and highly original account of this sometimes terrible process, which changed the Lowland countryside forever, as it also did, more infamously, the old society of the Highlands.Based on a vast array of original sources, this pioneering book is the first to chart this tumultuous saga in one volume, with due attention to evictions and loss of land in both north and south of the Highland line. In the process, old myths are exploded and familiar assumptions undermined. With many fascinating details and the sense of an epic human story, The Scottish Clearances is an evocative memorial to all whose lives were irreparably changed in the interests of economic efficiency.This is a story of forced clearance, of the destruction of entire communities and of large-scale emigration. Some winners were able to adapt and exploit the new opportunities, but there were also others who lost everything. The clearances created the landscape of Scotland today, but it came at a huge price.Trade ReviewThe definitive word for an academic generation at least on this most controversial of topics in Scottish history ... Dramatic * Herald Scotland *Persuasive... A necessary book * Scotsman *Powerful ... admirable lucidity ... important. -- Ewen A Cameron * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Penguin Modern Classics edition of Ryszard Kapuscinski''s The Emperor is translated by William R. Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand, with an introduction by Neal Ascherton.After the deposition of Haile Selassie in 1974, which ended the ancient rule of the Abyssinian monarchy, Ryszard Kapuscinski travelled to Ethiopia and sought out surviving courtiers to tell their stories. Here, their eloquent and ironic voices depict the lavish, corrupt world they had known - from the rituals, hierarchies and intrigues at court to the vagaries of a ruler who maintained absolute power over his impoverished people. They describe his inexorable downfall as the Ethiopian military approach, strange omens appear in the sky and courtiers vanish, until only the Emperor and his valet remain in the deserted palace, awaiting their fate. Dramatic and mesmerising, The Emperor is one of the great works of reportage and a haunting epitaph on the last moments of a dying regime.Ryszard Kapuscinski (1932-2007) was born in Pinsk, now in Belarus. Kapuscinski was the pre-eminent writer among Polish reporters. His best-known book is a reportage-novel of the decline of Haile Selassie''s anachronistic regime in Ethiopia - The Emperor, which has been translated into many languages. Shah of Shahs, about the last Shah of Iran, and Imperium, about the last days of the Soviet Union, have enjoyed similar success. If you enjoyed The Emperor, you might like Norman Mailer''s The Fight, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''Stunning ... a magical eloquence''John Updike, New Yorker''[The Emperor] transcends reportage, becoming a nightmare of power ... An unforgettable, fiercely comic, and finally compassionate book''Salman Rushdie''Kapuscinski trascends the limitations of journalism and writes with the narrative power of a Conrad or Kipling or Orwell''Blake Morrison

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Book Synopsis'FASCINATING' Guardian 'WE LOVE THIS BOOK' Blackwells 'THE BEST GIFT BOOK THERE IS' IndependentA GUIDE TO LIVING IN DARK TIMES, FROM PEOPLE WHO REALLY DIDBursting with wisdom and artwork from the Middle Ages, this handy guide will give you time-tested solutions for all of life's biggest problems. Whether it's choosing an appropriate dog name like Garlik or Filthe, becoming an irresistible suitor even though you can't joust, surviving encounters with rabbits and dragons, or coming to terms with your inevitable demise, this book is full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times.Full of quizzes, how-to-guides, diagrams, and flow charts that take you from birth to your gruesome death, this is the ultimate laugh-out-loud read for history buffs.Trade ReviewA gently fascinating insight into the marginalia of a lost era. -- Phil Harrison * The Guardian *Olivia Swarthout prowls the web for little-seen snippets of medieval art and life to share with the world. We love this book that is a result of her work - full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times. * Blackwells *[An] account of the most bizarre illustrations from the Middle Ages * The Art Newspaper *Brilliantly funny… Olivia celebrates the wonderful weirdness of the past… [in this] gleeful book * Simple Things, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *I have pondered meaningful poetry, those that challenge and change our view of the world. I have considered great design and art books, which offer a view of a better world. History that shows how this world came to be or fiction that conjures new ones. But I have settled on the best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts, accurately and straightforwardly titled Weird Medieval Guys. This is the rare book you can judge from its cover, and it’s exactly what it suggests. I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it ... If they enjoy one picture of an army of knights attacking a giant snail then they’ll enjoy the rest of the book; if they don’t, then you should stop being their friend and you’ve solved the problem of buying them a gift either way. -- Andrew Griffin * The Independent 'Best Books to Gift (and gift again)' *The best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts… I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it * Independent, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *Richly illustrated and lightly written… Weird Medieval Guys follows the tradition established by medieval preachers and artists themselves: laughter, wonder and a little shock now and then [that] can spark fascination * Apollo *Weird Medieval Guys is a riot ... It’s bright and colourful and would make a perfect gift for anyone with an interest in history. Full of stunning imagery, interactive maps and quizzes, and brilliant medieval facts, it is enticingly re-readable and will remain a favourite for the non-expert, while also being enjoyable to the specialist. -- Madeleine S. Killacky , PhD Candidate in Medieval Literature at Bangor University * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisSteven Veerapen was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Mauritian father and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII's six wives. He is the author ofThe Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I, and lives in Glasgow.

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Book SynopsisFrom the invaders of the dark ages to the aftermath of the coalition, one of Britain's most respected journalists, Simon Jenkins, weaves together a strong narrative with all the most important and interesting dates in a book that characteristically is as stylish as it is authoritative. A Short History of England sheds light on all the key individuals and events, bringing them together in an enlightening and engaging account of the country's birth, rise to global prominence and then partial eclipse.There have been long synoptic histories of England but until now there has been no standard short work covering all significant events, themes and individuals. Now updated to take in the rapid progress of recent events and beautifully illustrated, this magisterial history will be the standard work for years to come.Trade ReviewA lucid and handsomely illustrated narrative, from the Saxon dawn of England to the Cameron Government * The Times *Full of stand-out facts ... Absolutely fascinating ... I've learnt an awful lot -- Richard Bacon, BBC Radio 2Let Jenkins sweep you through England's history, painting a vivid picture of this country's green and pleasant land * City AM *Where Jenkins excels is in his very journalistic approach ... The historical events are joined up, and work as narrative * Time Out *Immediately accessible * Prospect *This is traditional, kings-and-things, great-men history with all its dates and famous quotations in place ... it's jolly good ... Jenkins has a newspaper columnist's aphoristic verve ... judgements are crisp * Spectator *Entertaining * Sunday Times *Full of good writing and lively anecdotes ... worth perusing for pleasure and food for thought * New Statesman *A characteristically bold, wry, fluent, combative gallop through English history -- Max Hastings

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis century's most compelling theorist of racism and colonialism -- Angela DavisFanon is our contemporary because when he psychoanalysed the way the French coloniser looked at Arabs, he is also describing the way the police looked at Stephen Lawrence. In clear language, in words that can only have been written in the cool heat of rage, Fanon showed us the internal theatre of racism, and how some of us have been staged in its psychodrama -- Deborah Levy * Independent *A brilliant, vivid and hurt mind, walking the thin line that separates effective outrage from despair. . . He demonstrates how insidiously the problem of race, of color, connects with a whole range of words and images. . . It is Fanon the man, rather than the medical specialist or intellectual, who makes the book so hard to put down -- Robert Coles * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis''A stone-cold Cold War classic'' Toby Litt, GuardianA high-ranking scientist has been kidnapped. A secret British intelligence agency must find out why. But as the quarry is pursued from grimy Soho to the other side of the world, what seemed a straightforward mission turns into something far more sinister. With its sardonic, cool, working-class hero, Len Deighton''s sensational debut The IPCRESS File rewrote the spy thriller and became the defining novel of 1960''s London.''Changed the shape of the espionage thriller ... there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewThey don't, as they say, write them like this anymore. You will be entertained, informed, thrilled and dazzled. Long may he, and his creations, live on. -- Jeremy Duns * The Guardian *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellDeighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *The Ipcress File helped change the shape of the espionage thriller ... the prose is still as crisp and fresh as ever ... there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read, or re-read. * Daily Telegraph *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible ... stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *To read it today is like taking a ride in a time machine, so accurate and astute are its evocations of its era ... Deighton knows how to pinch the ephemera that stick in our souls ... Never not a joy to read. It is also a book that changed the way we see the world. -- Peter Millar * The Times *The IPCRESS File has lost none of its nerve-tingling fascination ... [and] the pleasure of engaging with a master of his craft. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *A wonderful mixture of the exciting and the amusingly humdrum ... James Bond may be thinner, but so is his dialogue. -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *Deighton is a fearless observer of the deceptive human world. -- John Gray * New Statesman *A dazzling performance. The verve and energy, the rattle of wit in the dialogue, the side-of-the-mouth comments, the evident pleasure taken in cocking a snook at the British spy story's upper-middle-class tradition - all these made it clear that a writer of remarkable talent in this field had appeared. -- Julian Symons * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisRenowned Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe's groundbreaking work on the formation of the State of Israel. 'Along with the late Edward Said, Ilan Pappe is the most eloquent writer of Palestinian history.' NEW STATESMAN Between 1947 and 1949, over 400 Palestinian villages were deliberately destroyed, civilians were massacred and around a million men, women, and children were expelled from their homes at gunpoint. Denied for almost six decades, had it happened today it could only have been called 'ethnic cleansing'. Decisively debunking the myth that the Palestinian population left of their own accord in the course of this war, Ilan Pappe offers impressive archival evidence to demonstrate that, from its very inception, a central plank in Israel’s founding ideology was the forcible removal of the indigenous population. Indispensable for anyone interested in the current crisis in the Middle East. *** 'Ilan Pappe is Israel's bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.' JOHN PILGER 'Pappe has opened up an important new line of inquiry into the vast and fateful subject of the Palestinian refugees. His book is rewarding in other ways. It has at times an elegiac, even sentimental, character, recalling the lost, obliterated life of the Palestinian Arabs and imagining or regretting what Pappe believes could have been a better land of Palestine.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'A major intervention in an argument that will, and must, continue. There's no hope of lasting Middle East peace while the ghosts of 1948 still walk.' INDEPENDENTTrade Review'A major intervention in an argument that will, and must, continue. There's no hope of lasting Middle East peace while the ghosts of 1948 still walk.' * Independent *'Along with the late Edward Said, Ilan Pappe is the most eloquent writer of Palestinian history.' * New Statesman *'Pappe has opened up an important new line of inquiry into the vast and fateful subject of the Palestinian refugees. His book is rewarding in other ways. It has at times an elegiac, even sentimental, character, recalling the lost, obliterated life of the Palestinian Arabs and imagining or regretting what Pappe believes could have been a better land of Palestine.' * Times Literary Supplement *'Ilan Pappe is Israel's bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.' * John Pilger - director of The War on Democracy and author of Freedom Next Time *'Superb account of how, and why, Palestinians were driven out of their homes.' * Socialist Review *'Pappe’s book is an essential read for anyone trying to understand the politics and history of the Middle East.' * Frontline Magazine (an Independent Marxist review from Scotland) *'Leading Israeli historian Ilan Pappe delves into his country's bloodied past in search of answers in the present.' * Morning Star *'Pappe is one of the brave few voices to stand up and be counted in the oppressive atmosphere of Israeli society. Pappe's book is a searing account of the horrific brutality perpetrated during the birth of the state of Israel.' * Morning Star *'Pappe is well positioned to lob a grenade such as this one into the twin worlds of Middle Eastern studies and politics. Pappe's book should shock and shame the academic world' * Arab Banker *'Pappe's ethical clarity and humane vision permeate The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine... Given the meticulous research and compelling moral imperative embodied in The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Zionism itself may be in trouble.' * Race and Class *'Pappe offers a scorching indictment of Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people in The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.' * Metro *'A bold expose of Israel's purge of its Arab population in the early years of its existence. It should be read by anyone wanting to grasp the seemingly unfathomable background to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Pappe himself should be supported and applauded.' * Morning Star *'Ilan Pappe's The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine is a vital contribution to the scholarship from these new historians… Pappe forever puts to rest any doubt that Palestinians were systematically and brutally expelled from their homeland.' * Against the Current (An independent socialist organisation) *'Pappe’s book will command attention.' * Washington Report on Middle East Affairs *'Superb account of how, and why, Palestinians were driven out of their homes. Pappe explains why there can be no peace until this crime has been acknowledged and redressed.' * Scottish Review *'The organization of the material in this book leaves almost nothing to be desired. The twelve sections substantially challenge and considerably undermine the ostensibly convincing Israeli discourse on the refugees question and the 1984 events.' * Arab Studies Quarterly *'Shocking, telling and illuminating.' * Emel *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations, Maps and Tables Acknowledgements Preface 1. An 'Alleged' Ethnic Cleansing? 2. The Drive for an Exclusively Jewish State 3. Partition and Destruction: UN Resolution 181 and its Impact 4. Finalising a Master Plan 5. The Blueprint for Ethnic Cleansing: Plan Dalet 6. The Phony War and the Real War over Palestine: May 1948 7. The Escalation of the Cleansing Operations: June--September 1948 8. Completing the Job: October 1948--January 1949 9. Occupation and its Ugly Faces 10. The Memoricide of the Nakba 11. Nakba Denial and the 'Peace Process' 12. Fortress Israel Epilogue Endnotes Chronology Maps and Tables Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSupporting great history teaching: developing confident, articulate and successful historians. Our new resources* include 16 Student Books – one for every option in the Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History specification – for first teaching from September 2016.

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Book SynopsisThis is the simplest tale in the world. Two people meet and fall in love. But the route which brought Larissa Salmina and Francis Haskell to a backstreet Venetian restaurant in 1962 was anything but straightforward.

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, ECONOMIST, DAILY TELEGRAPH, EVENING STANDARD, OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR''Undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesA magnificently fresh and unexpected biography of Churchill, by one of Britain''s most acclaimed historiansWinston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century British history. By the time of his death at the age of 90 in 1965, many thought him to be the greatest man in the world.There have been over a thousand previous biographies of Churchill. Andrew Roberts now draws on over forty new sources, including the private diaries of King George VI, used in no previous Churchill biography to depict him more intimately and persuasively than any of its predecessors. The book in no way conceals Churchill''s faults and it allows the reader to appreciate his virtues and character in full: his titanic capacity for work (and drink), his ability see the big picture, his willingness to take risks and insistence on being where the action was, his good humour even in the most desperate circumstances, the breadth and strength of his friendships and his extraordinary propensity to burst into tears at unexpected moments. Above all, it shows us the wellsprings of his personality - his lifelong desire to please his father (even long after his father''s death) but aristocratic disdain for the opinions of almost everyone else, his love of the British Empire, his sense of history and its connection to the present.During the Second World War, Churchill summoned a particular scientist to see him several times for technical advice. ''It was the same whenever we met'', wrote the young man, ''I had a feeling of being recharged by a source of living power.'' Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt''s emissary, wrote ''Wherever he was, there was a battlefront.'' Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Churchill''s essential partner in strategy and most severe critic in private, wrote in his diary, ''I thank God I was given such an opportunity of working alongside such a man, and of having my eyes opened to the fact that occasionally such supermen exist on this earth.''Trade ReviewThis terrific book, which bursts with character, humour and incident on almost every page ... is undoubtedly the best single-volume life of Churchill ever written -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *The best single-volume life imaginable -- Simon Heffer * Sunday Telegraph *It's the sort of biography that, one feels, Churchill himself would have wanted. Colossal, energetic, deeply knowledgeable, properly critical, but also sympathetic and, in places, deliciously funny -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *An original portrait of an all-too-familiar figure ... He enriches the saga with wonderful examples of Churchill's aristocratic eccentricity, glittering oratory and wit -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *Roberts has produced a more complete picture of his subject than any previous biography. His certainly knocks into a cocked hat Boris Johnson's boisterously self-referential effort of a few years ago * Economist *A stupendous achievement: lucid, erudite, intelligent, but also inspiring. Roberts catches the imperishable grandeur of Churchill's life as no other historian has done -- Daniel Johnson * Standpoint *As Andrew Roberts reminds us in this epic biography ... Churchill's career provides ample proof that fact can be far more extraordinary than fiction -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *A work of unequalled scholarship. Read it and you will not have to bother with the previous 1,000 biographies -- Paul Routledge * Tablet *A heroic biography, appropriately matched to the ambition, egotism and undoubted achievement of the life it describes -- John Campbell * Finest Hour *Brilliant, breathtaking, unputdownable ... All Roberts's past life has been but a preparation for this hour and this work, and this brilliant book is a fitting crown to his own career -- Michael Gove * Evening Standard *In a single volume, Andrew Roberts has captured the essence of one of the world's most impactful, most memorable statesmen. It is the crowning achievement of his career - and will become the definitive biography of its subject. -- Henry Kissinger

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Book Synopsis''The classic and gripping spy novel of Cold War Berlin'' Guardian1963 Berlin is dark and dangerous. The anonymous hero of The IPCRESS File has been sent to help arrange the defection - in an elaborate mock coffin - of a leading Soviet scientist. But, as he soon discovers, this deception hides an even deadlier truth. One of the first novels written after the construction of the Berlin Wall, Funeral in Berlin revels in the murky, chilling atmosphere of a divided city. ''A ferociously cool fable'' The New York TimesTrade ReviewA ferociously cool fable. * New York Times *A most impressive book in which the tension, more like a chronic ache than a sharp stab of pain, never lets go. * Evening Standard *Deighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellLen Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible ... Stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisCursed Kings tells the story of the destruction of France by the madness of its king and the greed and violence of his family. In the early fifteenth century, France had gone from being the strongest and most populous nation state of medieval Europe to suffering a complete internal collapse and a partial conquest by a foreign power. It had never happened before in the country''s history - and it would not happen again until 1940.Into the void left by this domestic catastrophe, strode one of the most remarkable rulers of the age, Henry V of England, the victor of Agincourt, who conquered much of northern France before dying at the age of thirty-six, just two months before he would have become King of France.Following on from Divided Houses (winner of the Wolfson History Prize and shortlisted for the Hessel-Tiltman), Cursed Kings is the magisterial new chapter in ''one of the great historical works of our time'' (Allan Massie).

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Book SynopsisA unique homage to the fighter aircraft that won the Battle of Britain, marrying the story of how the author an aeronautical obsessive built a replica Spitfire in his back garden with an account of the development and operational history of an aeroplane that became a national icon and design classic.

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Book SynopsisA powerful meditation on political resistance and the global search for justice

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Book SynopsisToo many popular histories seek to establish heroes, pioneers and martyrs but as Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller argue, the past is filled with queer people whose sexualities and/or dastardly deeds have been overlooked. We all remember Oscar Wilde, but who speaks for Bosie? What about those 'bad gays' whose un-exemplary lives reveals more than we might expect?Part-revisionist history, part-historical biography and based on the hugely popular podcast series, Bad Gays subverts the notion of gay icons and queer heroes and asks what we can learn about LGBTQ history, sexuality and identity through its villains and baddies. From the Emperor Hadrian to notorious gangster Ronnie Kray, the authors excavate the buried history of queer lives. This includes fascist thugs, famous artists, austere puritans and debauched bon viveurs, Imperialists, G-men and architects. Together these amazing life stories expand and challenge the mainstream assumptions of sexual identity. They show that homosexuality itself was an idea that emerged in the nineteenth century and that its interpretation has been central to major historical moments of conflict from the ruptures of Weimar Republic to red-baiting in Cold War America.Amusing, disturbing and fascinating, Bad Gays puts centre stage the queers villains and evil twinks in history.Trade ReviewWhy must liberatory history be populated by heroes? And what if it isn't? Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller confront the shadowy side of queer history, a seamy underworld populated by evil twinks and psychopathic villains. Delectable gossip aside, this revelatory book is really an account of toxic power relations, always with an eye to a better, stranger, wilder future. -- Olivia Laing, author of EverybodyA wry, rigorous account of centuries of gay villainy. Lemmey and Miller's historiography sparkles with salacious details and delights in showing us that there is nothing new under the sun. -- Shon Faye, Author of The Transgender IssueA smart, funny (and, just occasionally, catty) tour through the darker side of LGBTQ+ history. Far from being an excoriation, this book is a sign of confidence in a community that no longer has to present its antecedents as saints and martyrs but as real people: some of these gays were well-meaning but flawed; some of them were complicated; and some of them were just bloody awful. -- Juliet Jacques, author of VariationsAn antidote to assumptions that anyone oppressed must be the good guy. -- Catherine Fletcher * History Today, Books of the Year *What a great way to do history/think about identity/consider the history of homosexuality. By turns uncomfortable, outrageous and hilarious, this book, taken from the podcast of the same name, was one of my unputdownables of 2022. Looking forward to the next edition already -- Julia Bell * White Review, Best Books 2022 *In examining the lives of these notorious 'bad gays,' the authors examine the ways queerness has been perceived throughout history, and gives modern-day LGBTQ+ people an opportunity to see what the possibilities are going forward. (Also, everyone loves a villain origin story, so who can resist?!) -- David Vogel * Buzzfeed *The historical perspective is fascinating, and the bits of salty gay humor sprinkled throughout liven the proceedings considerably. * Booklist *Bad Gays succeeds in its goals in every way, offering an infuriating, thoughtful, deliciously judgmental history of the very worst we had to offer. -- Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez * Washington Post *Fascinating-and very funny-deep dives into the lives of the most dastardly queer people in history...Bad Gays offers a riveting look back at historical figures whom the present-day LGBTQ+ community might be less eager to reclaim. -- Liam Hess * Vogue *The authors cruise the wilder and darker side of queer history....Well-researched, humorous, they illustrate how the interpretation of homosexuality itself influenced history. -- E. B. Boatner * Lavender Magazine *A provocative argument, one they put forth in a way that's both thorough and entertaining....a who's who of queer nasties through history. -- Michael Hays * The Gay & Lesbian Review *Succeeds in radically rethinking queer history...Bad Gays is ultimately an act of love-most criticism is, after all-and this is made clear in how compellingly Lemmey and Miller write about their vision for the future. -- Eleni Vlahiotis * PopMatters *Dizzyingly eclectic ... offers a wealth of interesting facts and wide-ranging references -- Sarah Sachs-Eldridge * Socialism Today *

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Book SynopsisTwo-time Pulitzer prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars – Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American presidency.War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history. We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power. With unrivalled, inside-the-room reporting, Woodward shows President Biden’s approach to managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II, and his tortured path to contain the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Woodward reveals the extraordinary complexit

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Book Synopsis''Brilliantly written ... evokes the wonder of an entire civilisation.'' Tom Holland, author of Pax and co-host of The Rest is History''A wondrous, gorgeously-written book'' Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred''Splendid - an intimate portrait of the Viking Age. Highly recommended.'' Neil Price, author of The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings''Takes us beyond the familiar into a real, visceral, far more satisfying Viking world.'' Dan SnowImagine a Viking, and a certain image springs to mind: a nameless, faceless warrior, leaping ashore from a longboat, and ready to terrorise the hapless local population of a northern European country.Yet while such characters define the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. This is the history of all the other people - children, enslaved people, seers, artisans, travellers, writers - who inhabited the medieval Nordic world. Encompassing not just Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, parts of the British Isles, Continental Europe and Russia, this is a history of a Viking Age filled with real people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, as told through the traces that they left behind, from hairstyles to place names, love-notes to gravestones.For the first time, you can immerse yourself in the day-to-day lives of extraordinary culture which spanned centuries and spread from the edge of the North American continent to the Russian steppes, from the Arctic wastelands to the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA compelling new joint biography of Churchill and de Gaulle that shines new light on two of the greatest figures of the twentieth century.

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2025**SHORTLISTED FOR THE PUSHKIN HOUSE BOOK PRIZE 2025**ONE OF HISTORY TODAY'S BEST BOOKS OF 2024**'A TIMELY AND IMPORTANT BOOK' - ORLANDO FIGES**'SPELLBINDING' - ANDREI KURKOV*For more than a millennium, the Russian Orthodox Church has shown astonishing survival skills - from the Mongol yoke to tsarist demagoguery and enlightenment, from Soviet atheism to the chaotic 1990s. Now again, it is at the right hand of power, sanctifying Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In this provocative new book, Lucy Ash reveals how, under Putin, religion is being stripped of its spiritual content and used as a weapon to control the population. Orthodox clerics and their acolytes distort theology as they preach Slav Christian supremacy and drag Russia backwards into a new Middle Ages. Combining historical research with vivid present-day reportage, The Baton and the Cross explores the impact the Church is having on millions of lives - from the tower blocks of big cities to far-flung villages in Siberia. Delving into the underbelly of politics, state security and big money, Ash shows how these forces have formed an unholy alliance with Orthodoxy in the dystopia of twenty-first century Russia.

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

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