History Books

Book Synopsis Koritha Mitchell analyzes canonical texts by and about African American women to lay bare the hostility these women face as they invest in traditional domesticity. Instead of the respectability and safety granted white homemakers, black women endure pejorative labels, racist governmental policies, attacks on their citizenship, and aggression meant to keep them in 'their place.' Tracing how African Americans define and redefine success in a nation determined to deprive them of it, Mitchell plumbs the works of Frances Harper, Zora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry, Toni Morrison, Michelle Obama, and others. These artists honor black homes from slavery and post-emancipation through the Civil Rights era to 'post-racial' America. Mitchell follows black families asserting their citizenship in domestic settings while the larger society and culture marginalize and attack them, not because they are deviants or failures but because they meet American standards. Powerful and pTrade Review"Brilliant scholar and literary critic, Koritha Mitchell, shows us just how radical the act of successful homemaking was for Black women in the face of the violence it elicited from white people. Analyzing canonical Black women's texts, she shows us just how committed, loving, and defiant Black women have been in creating home in the world and in literature." ―Michael Eric Dyson, New York Times Bestselling author of What the Truth Sounds Like"This project on homemade citizenship will reframe the conversation around anti-blackness by mapping how black women intellectuals, activists and artists continually respond–and with great success–to attacks and infringements upon their collective creative efforts. This work is a needed subtlety, as it approaches categories like 'achievement' and 'success' from the fabric of black cultural production, rather than the font of white supremacy’s violent response to black existence. From Slave Cabins to the White House encourages us to ask new questions, one of which is certainly how did we/do we make a home and sustain it creatively in the midst of ongoing hostilities?"--Sharon Patricia Holland, author of The Erotic Life of Racism"This deeply researched, thoughtful volume made me think in new ways about how Black women have navigated, redefined and articulated concepts of home, domesticity, family, place and citizenship in American culture and politics; it is also a true pleasure to read."--Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation"An essential, scholarly volume for academic and larger public library collections devoted to the literary traditions and history of African American women throughout U.S. history." * Library Journal *"Mitchell sheds light on Black homemaking in the midst of anti-Blackness and oppression." * Ms. *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: House Slaves, Housekeepers, Homemakers Chapter 1. A Home of One’s Own Chapter 2. No, Really: A Home of One’s Own Chapter 3. New Negroes, New Homes Chapter 4. Home as Human Right and Black Power Chapter 5. Still the Master’s House? Chapter 6. The Ultimate Home: Michelle Obama in the White House Coda: From Mom-in-Chief to Predator-in-Chief Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisA clear-eyed analysis of the role the United States should play in the world as it exists todayTrade Review“Lieber provides a magisterial account of American global leadership, from the Cold War to the covid crisis, and the challenges posed by ambitious adversaries, China, Russia and Iran.”—Russell A. Berman, author of Fiction Sets You Free“What is America’s global role in the 21st century? With his usual common sense and cool logic, Robert Lieber cuts to the core and describes a path that is both realistic and principled.”—Elliott Abrams, former Deputy National Security Advisor“The world cannot do without a strong and engaged America, but the United States is losing its way. Drawing on his long career as one of the world’s most prominent scholars of international affairs, Robert Lieber brings wisdom and prudence to a case for the return of American leadership.”—Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise“In recent decades, the emotional impetus behind American foreign policy has vacillated between overoptimism combined with complacency and pessimism combined with resignation. In Indispensable Nation, Robert Lieber makes a strong case for a reasoned and sustainable approach to international challenges and opportunities. As the world witnesses the return of large-scale war in Europe, this book should be read widely and debated.”—H. R. McMaster, author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World

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Book SynopsisA portrait of Jane Austen’s England told through the career paths of younger sons—men of good family but small fortuneTrade Review“Energetic and scholarly.”—Paula Byrne, Times (UK)“A readable book.”—Jonathan Guthrie, Financial Times“Muir gives us plenty of detail—numbers recruited at different periods, premiums paid and salaries earned—he illuminates the hard facts with vignettes of actual lives lived.”—Richard Francis, Spectator“Meticulously researched and eminently readable.”—Fergus Butler-Gallie, Literary Review“Jane Austen’s brothers are among the examples considered here, as the options are explored in fascinating detail.”—Discover Britain“[Rory Muir] writes eloquently and entertainingly about his subject matter, giving anecdotal detail alongside the financial, and so brings these men and their careers to life.”—Matilda Harden, The Georgian“Written with the light, engaging style, and deft balancing of detail, analysis and anecdote. . . . Muir has achieved an admirable mastery of a wider-ranging topic, offering a ground-breaking comparative study of the career options that faced younger sons of the gentry.”—Zack White, Romance, Revolution & Reform

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Book SynopsisThis definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, features decades of unpublished interviews and unparalleled access to members of the group and their associates.This is the definitive biography of rap supergroup and cultural icons, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Heralded as one of the most influential groups in modern music—hip hop or otherwise—WTC created a rap dynasty on the strength of seven gold and platinum albums that launched the careers of such famous rappers as RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and more. During the ‘90s, they ushered in a hip-hop renaissance, rescuing rap from the corporate suites and bringing it back to the gritty streets where it started. In the process they changed the way business was conducted in an industry known for exploiting artists. Creatively, Wu-Tang pushed the boundaries of the artform dedicating themselves to lyrical mastery and sonic innovation, and one would be hard

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive biography of rap supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan (WTC). Widely regarded as one of the most influential groups in modern music--hip hop or otherwise--WTC has released seven albums [including four gold and platinum studio albums, as well as the genre-defining Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)] and has launched the careers of famous rappers like RZA, Ol'' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and more. Beyond the musicians in the group itself, WTC has also collaborated with many of the biggest names in the game-from Busta Rhymes and Redman to Nas and Kanye West), and one is hard pressed to find a group who''s had a bigger impact on the evolution of the hip hop genre.S.H. Fernando, Jr. is a journalist who has interviewed WTC several times over the past several decades for publications like Rolling Stone, Vibe, and The Source. Over the years, he has built up a formidable archive--including over 100 pages of unpublished transcribed

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Book SynopsisSir James Brooke was an extraordinary ''eminent'' Victorian, whose life was the stuff of legend.His curious career began in 1841 when he was caught up in a war in Brunei which had started because a party of local Dayaks had refused to furl their umbrellas in the presence of the Sultan. Brooke was an opportunist who, with the Sultan''s backing, made war on the Dayaks tribespeople and eventually found himself ruling over Sarawak - a kingdom the size of England - as a result. How he achieved it is a romantic, sometimes horrifying story. Brooke is someone that George Macdonald Fraser would scarcely dare to invent. Errol Flynn wanted to play him in a movie, seventy years after his death and his dynasty is remembered throughout South-East Asia.Trade ReviewFascinating reading * LITERARY REVIEW *As a brief, even-handed and witty introduction to this extraordinary man [WHITE RAJAH] is hard to beat * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *WHITE RAJAH is a unique biography of one of the most fascinating and influential men of the British Empire * GEOGRAPHICAL *

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Book SynopsisFrom ancient times to the present day, the story of England has been laced with drama, intrigue, courage and passion - a rich and vibrant narrative of heroes and villains, kings and rebels, artists and highwaymen, bishops and scientists. Now, in Great Tales of English History, Robert Lacey captures one hundred of the most pivotal moments: the stories and extraordinary characters who helped shape a nation. This first volume begins in 7150 BC with the life and death of Cheddar Man and ends in 1381with Wat Tyler and the Peasants'' Revolt. We meet the Greek navigator Pytheus, whose description of the Celts as prettanike (the ''painted people'') yielded the Latin word Britannici. We witness the Roman victory celebrations of AD 43, where a squadron of elephants were paraded through Colchester. And we visit the New Forest, in 1100, and the mysterious shooting of King William Rufus. Packed with insight, humour and fascinating detail, Robert Lacey brings the stories that made England brilliTrade ReviewBeautifully written, full of things you didn't know and well worth a read if you want a new view on stories you though you already understood LIVING HISTORY A great introduction to history and legend for children and adults who've forgotten OBSERVER These human high-spots flash past like a newsreel with the leading characters in close-up, leaving you thinking - what an exceptional country ours is to produce so many interesting people Books of the Year, DAILY MAIL Lacey's lively snapshots are always pithy and are delivered with a winning gung-ho enthusiasm Books of the Year, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Book SynopsisThe story of the way Britain has been settled and influenced by foreign people and ideas is as old as the land itself. In this original, important and inspiring book, Robert Winder tells of the remarkable migrations that have founded and defined a nation.''Our aristocracy was created by a Frenchman, William the Conqueror, who also created our medieval architecture, our greatest artistic glory. Our royal family is German, our language a bizarre confection of Latin, Saxon and, latterly, Indian and American. Our shops and banks were created by Jews. We did not stand alone against Hitler; the empire stood beside us. And our food is, of course, anything but British . . . Winder has a thousand stories to tell and he tells them well'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewIf there is one book I would wish onto the school curriculum, this would be it -- Sathnam SangheraSupremely readable * The Times *Totally absorbing and revelatory . . . could not be more timely * Daily Mail *Enlightened and illuminating. Winder goes a long way towards defining what we are as a nation * Independent *He has a good eye for the telling anecdote. There is so much to intrigue and delight * Spectator *A breath of fresh air in a foul and fetid room * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA unique take on women''s history from the bestselling author of British Summer Time Begins ''Witty, clever and warm-hearted'' The Times''Maxtone Graham [has a] unique blend of high comedy and shrewd social observation'' Spectator''Terrific'' Daily TelegraphDrawn from real life, from interviews with women from all sections of society who have ever had a job, this book is a portrait of British women''s working lives from 1950, through cardigans and pearls, via mini-skirts and bottom-pinching, to shoulder pads and the ping of the first emails (early 1990s), never forgetting overalls, aprons and uniforms.Graham conveys the full range of experience: to convey the flavour and atmosphere of workplaces in all their character: the jollities as well as the drudgeries, the good men as well as the vile ones, the nasty women as well as the heroines, the office crushes and romances, the daily

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Book SynopsisONE OF BARACK OBAMA''S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF THE YEARA NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION''A beautifully readable reminder of how much of our urgent, collective history resounds in places all around us that have been hidden in plain sight.'' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks - those that are honest about the past and those that are not - which offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping a nation''s collective history, and our own.It is the story of the Monticello Plantation in Virginia, the estate where Thomas Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while enslaving more than four hundred people. It is the story of the Whitney Plantation, one of the only former plantations devoted to preservingTrade ReviewA beautifully readable reminder of how much of our urgent, collective history resounds in places all around us that have been hidden in plain sight. Clint Smith chips away at their disguise with lyricism and grace -- Afua HirschBy blending journalistic inquiry with historical insights and poetic descriptions, the author turns a complex and traumatic subject - racism and the legacy of slavery in America - into a beautiful, insightful and even enjoyable journey * Economist Best Books of 2021 *Suffused with lyrical descriptions and incisive historical details, including Robert E. Lee's ruthlessness as a slave owner and early resistance by Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois to the Confederate general's "deification," this is an essential consideration of how America's past informs its present. * Publisher’s Weekly *...a devastating portrait with unforgettable details...a vivid portrait of the extent to which venues have attempted to redress past wrongs...A brilliant, vital work about 'a crime that is still unfolding * Kirkus *Through Smith's clear-eyed storytelling, he illustrates just how deeply the consequences of this intergenerational history manifest in the present day, both politically and personally. * Time *An important and timely book about race in America. -- Drew Faust * Harvard Magazine *Poet and journalist Clint Smith's debut examines the legacy of slavery in modern America, looking at historical monuments and landmarks across the country, ruminating on the ideas they represent in the narrative of our national identity and how that identity is bound to, and requires, anti-Black racism. * Buzzfeed *In this exploration of the ways we talk about-and avoid talking about-slavery, Smith blends reportage and deep critical thinking to produce a work that interrogates both history and memory. -- Kate Tuttle * Boston Globe *Sketches an impressive and deeply affecting human cartography of America's historical conscience...an extraordinary contribution to the way we understand ourselves. -- Julian Lucas * New York Times Book Review *With careful research, scholarship, and perspective, Smith underscores a necessary truth: the imprint of slavery is unyieldingly present in contemporary America, and the stories of its legacy, of the enslaved people and their descendants, are everywhere. * TeenVogue *Clint Smith, in his new book "How the Word Is Passed," has created something subtle and extraordinary. * Christian Science Monitor *Part of what makes this book so brilliant is its bothandedness. It is both a searching historical work and a journalistic account of how these historic sites operate today. Its both carefully researched and lyrical. I mean Smith is a poet and the sentences in this book just are piercingly alive. And it's both extremely personal-it is the author's story-and extraordinarily sweeping. It amplifies lots of other voices. Past and present. Reading it I kept thinking about that great Alice Walker line 'All History is Current'. -- John GreenHow the Word is Passed frees history, frees humanity to reckon honestly with the legacy of slavery. We need this book -- Ibram X. KendiAn extraordinary contribution to the way we understand ourselves -- Julian Lucas * New York TImes Book Review *The detail and depth of the storytelling is vivid and visceral, making history present and real -- Hope Wabuke * NPR *This isn't just a work of history, it's an intimate, active exploration of how we're still constructing and distorting our history -- Ron Charles * The Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge Companion to Media and Human Rights offers a comprehensive and contemporary survey of the key themes, approaches and debates in the field of media and human rights.The Companion is the first collection to bring together two distinct ways of thinking about human rights and media, including scholarship that examines media as a human right alongside that which looks at media coverage of human rights issues. This international collection of 49 newly written pieces thus provides a unique overview of current research in the field, while also providing historical context to help students and scholars appreciate how such developments depart from past practices.The volume examines the universal principals of freedom of expression, legal instruments, the right to know, media as a human right, and the role of media organisations and journalistic work. It is organised thematically in five parts: Communication

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Book SynopsisOne of the leading scholars of Chinese military history offers a definitive guide to the ways in which military strategy and technology shaped the face of ancient Chinese civilization.Trade ReviewP. H. Liotta, author of The Real Population Bomb: Megacities and Global Security "After decades of intense and dedicated scholarship, Ralph Sawyer has produced an astonishing volume. His linguistic and strategic skills--his fierce genius--are everywhere in evidence. Sawyer is a master, and Ancient Chinese Warfare is his masterpiece." Ralph Peters, retired Military Intelligence officer and author of The War After Armageddon "Ancient Chinese Warfare is, paradoxically, a crucial book for the 21st century. As the 'new' China aspires to global power, understanding the foundations of this civilization's way of war helps us grasp Beijing's present psychology and behavior. The Chinese take a very long view of history, and we need to learn to do so. To that end, the brilliant work of Ralph D. Sawyer has long proven unrivalled...and this book is his masterpiece. No work better illustrates the deep (and gnarled) roots of China's contemporary ambitions." Nicola Di Cosmo, Henry Luce Foundation Professor of East Asian History at the Institute for Advanced Study "Ancient Chinese Warfare is an important, informative, and exciting book. Written with panache, brimming with new ideas, and based on a level of knowledge that would challenge any expert, Sawyer's work has transformed single-handedly our understanding of ancient Chinese military history. Readers will find in this book a solidly informed and vivid account of China's ways of warfare from the Shang dynasty to the mid-first millennium BC. Only few of them will appreciate the massive effort of synthesis and analysis that this book represents, and it is to Sawyer's credit that he has succeeded in bringing an extremely difficult topic to a level that everyone can understand, learn from, and enjoy." Edward N. Luttwak, author of The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire "Not unexpectedly, this book enhances Ralph D. Sawyer's reputation as the premier interpreter of Chinese strategy and warfare. The surprise is that with the aid of a flowing style he has written a highly readable, indeed very enjoyable book on a seemingly abstruse subject. In a manner fascinating in itself, Sawyer brilliantly reconstructs the fragmentary archaeological evidence."

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Book SynopsisChocolate the food of the Gods' has had a long and eventful history. Its story is expertly told here by the doyen of Maya studies, Michael Coe, and his late wife, Sophie. The book begins 3,000 years ago in the Mexican jungles and goes on to draw on aspects of archaeology, botany and socio-economics. Used as currency and traded by the Aztecs, chocolate arrived in Europe via the conquistadors, and was soon a favourite drink with aristocrats. By the 19th century and industrialization, chocolate became a food for the masses until its revival in our own time as a luxury item. Chocolate has also been giving up some of its secrets to modern neuroscientists, who have been investigating how flavour perception is mediated by the human brain. And, finally, the book closes with two contemporary accounts of how chocolate manufacturers have (or have not) been dealing with the ethical side of the industry.Trade Review'A splendid treat' - New York Review of Books'A true classic' - Literary Review'Genuinely scholarly and highly entertaining ... erudite and delightful' - Sunday Telegraph'Begins with the origins of the cacao tree and follows the story up to today’s mass-produced chocolate … A pleasure, not just for chocoholics but for anyone who enjoys lively, thorough historical sleuthing via the printed page' - Gourmet'A beautifully written, indexed and illustrated history of the Food of the Gods, from the Olmecs to present-day developments' - Chocolatier'Just like a tasty bar of chocolate, this hugely entertaining book is a real treat and deserves to be devoured' - All About History'An attention-grabbing account … an engaging and entertaining story about something that is extraordinarily delicious!' - Books Monthly Review'A beautiful book for anyone interested in how chocolate got to be one of the world’s most popular food stuffs' - Prosecco Diaries'An in-depth, meticulously researched and cited, hugely interesting piece of historical research … fascinating' - I Can Only Blame My Shelf'Beautifully designed … full of amazing facts and stories' - Inspired in the City'Beautifully designed … If you have a book-lover in your life, I cannot think of a better gift to give this Easter' - Of Beauty and Nothingness'If historical food books float your boat, then this is definitely the book for you' - Art of Healthy Living'A perfect Easter read' - Mummy Pages'In this definitive and exhaustive study, Sophie and Michael Coe examine every aspect of chocolate from chemistry to culture' - Eden Magazine

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Book SynopsisDiscover the stories of 100 women and men whose activities in the 19th century laid the foundations of modern China. Through telling the lives of one hundred significant individuals, this book explores how China transformed from dynastic empire to modern republican nation during the period 1796 to 1912. Both famous and surprisingly little-known women and men are brought together in eight thematic sections that bring to life the complexities of Chinaâs path to modernity. Featured figures include the Dowager Empress Cixi, the power behind the throne of the Qing dynasty for fifty years; Yu Rongling, the aristocratic daughter of a Qing diplomat who trained in Paris with Isadora Duncan and is now seen as one of the founders of modern dance in China; Shi Yang, the most powerful woman pirate in the world, celebrated in popular culture as a female icon; the Manchu-Chinese Duanfang, a lynchpin of late Qing government and an avid collector of international art, murdered by his own troops iTrade Review'Engagingly written and beautifully illustrated … Like being invited to a huge party full of interesting (if sometimes unpleasant or even dangerous) people from all walks of life. Indeed, this is a retrospective panorama of a fascinating period in Chinese history, packed with information and providing an entrance into a forgotten world. Harrison-Hall and Lovell have shone a bright light on a neglected area of Chinese (and world) history, and for that the highest praise is due' - Asian Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction by Jessica Harrison-Hall and Julia Lovell 1. The Court – Emperors, Empresses, Eunuchs, Courtiers and Entertainers Jessica Harrison-Hall 2. Religious Figures - Daoists, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians Julia Lovell 3. Militarists - Soldiers, Martyrs, Mercenaries and Pirates Julia Lovell 4. Artists – Calligraphers, Epigraphers, Painters, Illustrators and Photographers Jessica Harrison-Hall 5. Observers - Writers, Poets, Translators and Travellers Julia Lovell 6. Business People - Commodity Traders, Financiers, Entrepreneurs and Media Tycoons Jessica Harrison-Hall 7. Statesmen - Campaigners, Reformers, Diplomats and Philosophers Julia Lovell 8. Makers - Craftspeople, Folklorists and Scientists Jessica Harrison-Hall

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Book SynopsisThe attack on London between 1939 and 1945 is one of the most significant events in the city's modern history, the impact of which can still be seen in its urban and social landscapes. This title includes an introduction to the historical context.Trade Review'Though there is no florid prose or gripping anecdotes, these maps are not mute. This A-Z of destruction tells a powerful story' - The Times'An amazing visual record of what happened to London in the war … fascinating' - Timeout'This A-Z of atrocity - which includes 70 stunning photographs of the ruined City - has a terrible beauty' - Evening Standard, Books of the Year'A handsome folio … [the maps'] utility has been hugely enhanced by presentation in this new format, spacious, scholarly and visually compelling' - Times Literary Supplement'Beautifully designed, with all illustrations, be they the maps, old documents or the photographs reproduced to the absolute highest standard … a pleasure to handle' - Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsIntroduction • The Attack on London • Architects and District Surveyors • Recording Ruin • Researching War Damage at the London Metropolitan Archives • Incidents • Statistics • The Maps • Photographing War Damage in the City of London

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A fascinating tale." * New York Times Book Review *"A gripping portrayal of [Billy] Garland’s marathon campaign to get the Games." * Los Angeles Times *“Wonderfully written narrative. . . . Recommended." * CHOICE *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Author’s Note Prologue: Billy’s Parade 1 Billy’s Migration 2 LA on the Cusp 3 The Quest 4 A Foot in the Door 5 The Hand of Man 6 Rome, 1923 7 The Great Migration 8 Protecting the Image 9 A Bolt from the Blue 10 Planting a Seed 11 Then Came the Crash 12 Berlin, 1930 13 A Sacred Duty 14 Desperate Hours 15 Competing Narratives 16 Playing His Cards 17 A Lush New World 18 A Parallel Universe 19 The Games 20 A Footing in the World Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes and Sources Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Parliamentary Book Award, best memoir by a Parliamentarian, 2016From the condemned slums of Southam Street in West London to the corridors of power in Westminster, Alan Johnson's multi-award-winning autobiography charts an extraordinary journey, almost unimaginable in today's Britain. This third volume tells of Alan's early political skirmishes as a trades union leader, where his negotiating skills and charismatic style soon came to the notice of Tony Blair and other senior members of the Labour Party.As a result, Alan was chosen to stand in the constituency of Hull West and Hessle, and entered Parliament as an MP after the landslide election victory for Labour in May 1997. But this is no self-aggrandizing memoir of Westminster politicking and skulduggery. Supporting the struggle of his constituents, the Hull trawlermen and their families, for justice comes more naturally to Alan than do the byzantine complexities of Parliamentary procedure. But of cTrade ReviewJohnson writes with his usual warmth, wit and modesty. * The Sunday Times *Immensely engaging. * The Times *Searingly honest... moving. * Mail on Sunday *Remarkable. * The Observer *It's not often that one must reach for the phrase 'heart-warming' about the life of a politician, but Johnson is exceptional. It's rare to find such decency and likeability in public life. * Mail on Sunday *Very nicely told... Johnson is sharp on period detail. -- William Leith * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisSpring 1958: a mysterious individual believed to be high up in the Polish secret service began passing Soviet secrets to the West. His name was Michal Goleniewski and he remains one of the most important, yet least known and most misunderstood spies of the Cold War. Even his death is shrouded in mystery and he has been written out of the history of Cold War espionage - until now. Tim Tate draws on a wealth of previously-unpublished primary source documents to tell the dramatic true story of the best spy the west ever lost - of how Goleniewski exposed hundreds of KGB agents operating undercover in the West; from George Blake and the ''Portland Spy Ring'', to a senior Swedish Air Force and NATO officer and a traitor inside the Israeli government. The information he produced devastated intelligence services on both sides of the Iron Curtain.Bringing together love and loyalty, courage and treachery, betrayal, greed and, ultimately, insanity, Trade ReviewThe larger than life story of one of the West's most productive Cold War counter-intelligence agents - a man who to the CIA's embarrassment turned out also to be a bigamist and a romancer who claimed publicly to be the last descendent of the Russian Czar and heir to his fortune. A made for Hollywood page turner, it's a fascinating read and highly recommended. -- SIR DAVID OMAND, author of How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in IntelligenceTotally gripping . . . a masterpiece. Tate lifts the lid on one of the most important and complex spies of the Cold War, who passed secrets to the West and finally unmasked traitor George Blake. -- HELEN FRY, author of MI9: A History of the Secret Service for Escape and Evasion in World War TwoA brilliant and gripping exploration of one of the last great espionage enigmas of the twentieth century. Unputdownable. -- TREVOR BARNES, author of Dead DoublesA wonderful and at times mind-boggling account of a bizarre and almost forgotten spy - right up to the time when he's living undercover in Queens, New York and claiming to be the last of the Romanoffs. -- SIMON KUPER, author of The Happy TraitorA highly readable and thoroughly researched account of one of the Cold War's most intriguing and tragic spy stories. -- OWEN MATTHEWS, author of An Impeccable Spy

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Book SynopsisOn 1st May 1915, the luxury ocean liner Lusitania sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool. Her passengers were anxious. Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone and its submarines were bringing terror to the Atlantic.Trade ReviewGripping, superbly well-researched...he ratchets up the tension as the doomed ship speeds towards the inevitable. Though you know it’s going to happen, you keep praying that it won’t, right up until the moment when the torpedo strikes. You feel this way because Larson makes you care...Thanks to Larson’s vivid narrative, you are there with those passengers in the thick of it. It may have happened 100 years ago, but this masterpiece made it feel like yesterday. -- James Delingpole * MAIL ON SUNDAY *A fascinating, well-researched read. * Kate Atkinson *With practised skill Larson confronts the emotional pathos of wartime tragedy. -- Iain Finlayson * THE TIMES *Vivid...Larson tells his story well. -- Andrew Holgate * SUNDAY TIMES *Larson's irresistibly pacey narrative moves between the various scenes of action, conjuring them up in vivid detail...the sources are remarkable...[his] detailed conversational endnotes are an added bonus. -- Lucy Moore * LITERARY REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisA LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEARA riveting journey into the psyche of Britain through its golden age of television and film; a cross-genre feast of moving pictures, from classics to occult hidden gems, The Magic Box is the nation's visual self-portrait in technicolour detail. 'The definition of gripping. Truly, a trove of wyrd treasures.'BENJAMIN MYERS'A lovingly researched history of British TV [that] recalls the brilliant, the bizarre and the unworldly.'GUARDIAN'A reclamation, not just of a visual 'golden age', but of Britain as a darkly magical place.'THE SPECTATOR'A feat of argument, description and affection.' FINANCIAL TIMES'Young unearths the ghosts of TV past - and Britain's dark psyche.' HERALD'Highly entertaining . . . [A] fabulous treasure trove.' SCOTSMAN'Young is a phenomonal sc

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Book SynopsisWe''re living in an age of division. From abortion rights to immigration, gun control to climate change, civil debate has gone out the window. Manners, order, and respect are being eroded. Why can''t we all be reasonable? The trouble is, what''s ''reasonable'' to one person is outrageous to another. Is it okay to let children play in the garden while others are working from home? To do your makeup on a train, or recline your seat on an aeroplane? What''s the right way to breastfeed? To protect your neighbourhood? To protest against injustice and oppression? In a world where we all think we''re being reasonable, how can we figure out what''s right? Looking back through history and around the world, Kirsty Sedgman set out to discover how unfairness and discrimination got baked into our social norms, dividing us along lines of gender, class, disability, sexuality, race... Instead of measuring human behaviour against outdated standards of rules and reason,

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Book SynopsisContinuing the thematic strand of the successful and proven British Library 100 Maps' series. This new volume traces the fully international history of railways from their beginnings in the north-west of England through to the inter-continental lines of today.

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Book SynopsisThe scale and organisation of the Roman army was unprecedented in the ancient Western world. This book tells the story of everyday aspects of the army in the heyday of the Roman Empire from life in a tent to the food soldiers consumed and explains its hierarchy, roles, equipment and place in a vast multiethnic society divided between citizens and subjects. Everything the best history books can be: erudite, entertaining and eloquent.' Terry Deary, author of Horrible Histories Splendidly direct, clear and jargon free You are unlikely to find a clearer or more comprehensive account' Classics for All The Roman army has been immortalised in heroic art and screen epics, but what was life really like for an ordinary soldier? This book explores everyday life in the army including the experiences of women and enslaved people through a range of rare objects and testimonies. These include letters from Apion and Terentianus, young Egyptian soldiers writing home to their families; the tomTable of ContentsForewords Timeline and map Introduction 1. Enlisting 2. A soldier’s remains 3. Ranks and roles 4. Aristocracy and the army 5. Dressing for battle 6. Camp and campaign 7. Fort life 8. Soldiers in society Glossary Rulers of the Roman Empire Notes Bibliography Lenders Picture credits Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisGeoffrey Hosking is one of the foremost historians of Russia and its people. The result of a lifetime''s knowledge, this monumental and authoritative work has been acclaimed as the definitive single-volume history of Russia, tracing its story from the settlement of Kiev through to the present day. This second edition is updated throughout, with a new chapter on the recent role of Putin and Medvedev, and their impact on Russia''s economy, politics and its citizens.

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Book SynopsisThe Y7 book from the best selling Schools History Project course for Key Stage 3. In a single volume it covers three units: The Roman Empire; Medieval Realms (England 1066-1500) and Islamic Civilisations.

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Book SynopsisCensored and condemned, this is a Marxist critique of how our favourite cartoons are vehicles for capitalist ideology.Trade Review'A handbook of de-colonization' -- John Berger'The book has a rambunctious humor that complements its polemical spirit . . . As Disney has evolved from an animation studio into a corporate behemoth—with theme parks, a cruise line, and content streaming around the world—How to Read Donald Duck and its charge of cultural imperialism rings all the truer' -- New YorkerTable of ContentsIntroduction To The Fourth Edition - Ariel Dorfman Preface To The English Edition - Ariel Dorfman & Armand Mattelart Introduction To The English Edition - David Kunzle Apology For Duckology Introduction: Instructions On How To Become A General In The Disneyland Club I. Uncle, Buy Me A Contraceptive … II. From The Child To The Noble Savage III. From The Noble Savage To The Third World IV. The Great Parachutist V. The Ideas Machine VI. The Age Of The Dead Statues Conclusion: Power To Donald Duck? Selected Bibliography Appendix: Donald Duck Vs. Chilean Socialism: A Fair Use Exchange John Shelton Lawrence Endnotes

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Book SynopsisThe State will not protect us from gender violence. Our feminism must be anti-racist and decolonial, and must fight for everyone's safetyTrade Review'In this robust, decolonial challenge to carceral feminism, Francoise Vergès elucidates why a structural approach to violence is needed. If we wish to understand how racial capitalism is linked to the proliferation of intimate and state violence directed at women and gender-nonconforming people, we need to look no further than Vergès' timely analysis' -- Angela Y. Davis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of California, Santa Cruz'A powerful and uncompromising text … A stunning reflection on the recurrence of assault – gender-based, sexual, racial violence' -- 'Terrafemina''An important and courageous book, which raises difficult questions and uncovers invisible structures of domination' -- 'Trou Noir''Vergès's incandescent writing casts a light on the global inequalities, brutal carceral systems, unfettered militarisation and punitive ideologies that shape violent intimacies' -- Laleh Khalili, Professor of International Politics, Queen Mary University of London'A call to join in the urgent decolonial feminist work of rethinking the practices of (so-called) protection outside of the logics of violence. We have the ability, Vergès insists, to enact a post violent society, to bring another world into being' -- Christina Sharpe, Canada Research Chair in Black Studies in the Humanities at York University, Toronto and author of 'In the Wake: On Blackness and Being''A road map of radical emancipatory imaginaries for shaping urgent social and political change. Vergès' arguments rise from the ground up, from the lived experience of grassroots dissent, action and mobilisation against the wounds and damages inflicted by extractive capitalism across the world' -- Rasha Salti, curator of art and film'Françoise Vergès asks a simple question: what actually is the politics of protection? What she reveals is a paradigm spinning analysis. Once she establishes the perspective of people without power, the 'protection' offered by the state and the meta-state of global capital, is exposed as a killing machine of enforcement and endless punishment. A door opening work' -- Sarah Schulman, author of 'The Gentrification of the Mind' and 'Let the Records Show: A Political History of ACT UP'‘Vergès’ book avoids both the trap of disavowing the feminist project entirely while refusing to ally herself with the destructive, ongoing elite capture of feminist politics ... the book performs a necessary cataloging function and offers an international perspective for English-language readers tempted toward American chauvinism in the fight against global racial capitalism’ -- ‘The New Inquiry’Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Neoliberal Violence 2. Race, Patriarchy, and the Politics of Women's Protection 3. Punitive Feminism, an Impasse Conclusion - For a Decolonial Feminist Politics Notes

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Book SynopsisWhat remains of the colours of our childhood? What are our memories of a blue rabbit, a red dress, a yellow bike and were they really those colours? What colours do we associate with our student years, our first loves, our adult lives? How does colour leave its mark on memory? In an attempt to answer these and other questions, Michel Pastoureau presents us with a journal about colours that covers half a century. Drawing on personal recollections, he retraces the recent history of colours through an exploration of fashion and clothing, everyday objects and practices, emblems and flags, sport, literature, museums and art. This text playful, poetic, nostalgic records the life of both the author and his contemporaries. We live in a world increasingly bursting with colour, in which colour remains a focus for memory, a source of delight and, most of all, an invitation to dream.Trade Review“The Colours of Our Memories is…history, memoir, semiotics, a study of material culture and perceptual change – all wrapped into an engagingly readable, accessible narrative full of intriguing topics that few people ever think about unprodded but will find invariably interesting, even fascinating.” Consciousness, Literature and the ArtsTable of Contentsolour. An aide-mémoire I. CLOTHING In the beginning was yellow Turbulent stripes The navy-blue blazer Subversive trousers A particular blue From the garment to the myth Colour against flesh Neutral shades in good taste Mitterand beige Slimming colours In the London Underground II. DAILY LIFE My mother's pharmacy The sad tale of young Philippe Sweet-dispensers Choosing a colour: an impossible undertaking? Greyness Metro tickets Red or blue? Traffic lights Colour and design: a missed chance? Eating colours III. THE ARTS AND LETTERS In a painter's studio A painter caught between two volumes In darkened halls Ivanhoe 'Vowels' The Red and the Black Chrétien de Troyes at the cinema Pink pigs and black pigs When Dalí assigned marks The colours of a great painter Historians without colours The workings of time IV. ON SPORTS GROUNDS Goals and referees The yellow bike Bartali and the Italian flag The Tour de l'Ouest Colour by default Easy colours and difficult ones Pink and orange V. MYTHS AND SYMBOLS Little Red Ridinghood Long live school Latin My discovery of heraldry The black cat Green superstitions The colour of destiny Furling the colours A historical object that is alarming Playing chess Wittgenstein and heraldic colours VI. ON TASTES AND COLOURS An American gift Sunbathing through the years The 'bling' of the 1950s A brief history of gold A mysterious shade of green Do you see red clearly? No purple for children The whims of memory Preferences and opinion polls VII. WORDS Brown and beige Spelling and grammar A day at the races The zero degree of colour A part that stands for the whole The Greek blue The demise of nuances Speaking of colours without showing them What is colour? Bibliography Index A few helpful chronological details

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating story of a famous Victorian murder case - and the notorious detective who solved itTrade ReviewIt is a beautiful piece, written with great lucidity and respect for the reader, and with immaculate restraint. A classic, to my mind, of the finest documentary writing * John le Carre *I can't think of another book which takes you so fast into the smells, tastes and atmosphere of that time -- Doris LessingA pacy analysis of a true British murder case from 1860, the unravelling of which involved one of the earliest Scotland Yard detectives and inspired sensation novelists such as Dickens and Wilkie Collins ... Absolutely riveting -- Sarah Waters * Guardian *Summerscale has constructed nothing less than a masterpiece ... My shelves are stacked with books about crime, but none more satisfying than this -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Gripping, unputdownable * Sunday Telegraph *A terrific read in the Wilkie Collins tradition -- Susan HillA page-turning merging of scrupulous research with vivid storytelling. Full of atmosphere and stroking detail, it is a triumph * Observer *There is some terrific detail in Summerscale's book ... What the book does brilliantly ... is look at notions of class, criminality, human nature and religion in an age of change ... Engrossing -- Ian Rankin * Guardian *A remarkable achievement * Sunday Times *Summerscale has produced not only a dazzling non-fiction thriller but also an acute work of literary and social history * Daily Express *A tour de force. It sweeps us irresistibly into the investigation, turning us into armchair detectives ... Under teh spell of Kate Summerscale's scrupulous intelligence and mesmerizing research, we are drawn into a detective story within a detective story that takes us halfway into the 20th century * Daily Mail *An unexpectedly moving thriller * Daily Telegraph *Kate Summerscale brilliantly reconstructs the circumstance of the murder, the course of the investigation, and the long, sad consequences ... Her narrative has the dark fascination of the sensational fiction her subject helped to inspire * Spectator *One of the Victorian era's most intriguing murder mysteries is given a fresh and gripping examination * Sunday Times *A dramatic page-turning detective yarn of a real-life murder tat inspired the birth of modern detective fiction. Kate Summerscale has brilliantly merged scrupulous archival research with vivid storytelling that reads with the pace of a Victorian thriller ... leaves one gripped until the final paragraph -- Rosie BoycottA thoroughly satisfying read, brilliantly researched, winningly told, and it's hard to see how this subject could have been better treated. It'll stand as a true crime classic * Evening Standard *Fact and fiction do not so much blur as bleed into each other in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher ... Summerscale accomplishes what modern genre authors hardly bother to do any more, which is use a murder investigation as a portal to a wider world * New York Times *The best whodunnit of the year - and it's all true. The fascinating story of a famous Victorian murder case and thedetective who solved it has all the ingredients of a classic murder mystery ... Agatha Christie, eat your heart out * Tatler *

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a selection of photographs which complement Jim Roberts'' previous books on the history of Llandudno. The 280 illustrations featured have, in the main, never before been published, and many of the historic images had rarely seen the light of day before they came into the author''s possession in the year 2000, following the publication of his A Century of Llandudno. Throughout the book attempts have been made to highlight significant historical events and relate them to the town as it is now. In this way the reader is confronted by a bygone age, and is encouraged to compare historic views with images of the corresponding modern scene. The photographs show streets and buildings, and we see the town developing and spreading across the Creuddyn by means of early engravings and more recent aerial shots. In addition to the physical environment the book deals with other aspects of the town''s 150-year history: social conditions, leisure activities, entertainment, employment, tourism, transport and shopping all receive attention. From the mid-nineteenth century the area between the Ormes underwent rapid and dramatic change, and while many of these developments were reflected all round Britain''s coastline, much of what has occurred here is unique to Llandudno and this book attempts to reflect this.

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Book SynopsisThe unlikely history of women's empowerment through widowhood

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Book SynopsisHow people born all over the world came to live together on a multi-cultural street in inner-city Manchester

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Book SynopsisAn informative, illustrated history of a unique area of HastingsTrade ReviewA "beautifully produced and illustrated book.""A new book by author Steve Peak has revealed the fascinating history of a unique area of Hastings.""This book documents the history thoroughly, in an engaging and accessible style. It is well-illustrated with historical maps and photographs of the area and there are appendices dedicated to the people who lived in the America Ground, the houses that were moved stone by stone to St Leonards, and later history of the area including the Rock Fair.""Peak’s long-awaited book on the America Ground has been published with the support of Historic England as part of the Trinity Triangle Heritage Action Zone initiative.""Steve Peak, curator of Hastings Fishermen's Museum, has written an absorbing and well-illustrated account.""Fascinating look into past of the town."

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Book SynopsisThe first book to tell the remarkable Studio Lisa story and showcase their unique Royal Family photographic collection

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Book SynopsisFor sixty years there has been an unprecedented cover-up by both the British Establishment and successive generations of historians about the flight of Hitler''s Deputy Rudolf Hess to Scotland in May 1941. Long dismissed as the misguided attempt of a madman to make contact with a non-existent British peace party DOUBLE STANDARDS explosively reveals that Hess''s peace mission was one of the pivotal events of the twentieth century - and that the Establishment had very good reasons for covering up the truth: the Establishment WAS the peace party that Hess had come to meet. Even more shockingly, the book reveals that members of the Royal Family itself - whose involvement in the Hess affair has been conveniently airbrushed out of history - were at the heart of this group. Based on entirely new material from eyewitnesses, hitherto inaccessible archives and intelligence sources, DOUBLE STANDARDS reveals that Hess''s peace mission was of supreme importance. It raises some of the most intrigTrade ReviewThere is much which is new in this well-written and absorbing study of one of the most fascinating missions in modern history. * IRISH INDEPENDENT *

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Book SynopsisHow and where did our ancestors live during the 8000 years between the end of Ice Age and the arrival of the Romans in AD 43? In tracing the variety and development of prehistoric settlements from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic to the tribes of the Iron Age, Dr Bewley takes a fresh look at all the key sites, from Star Carr in Yorkshire and other Mesolithic settlements, the causewayed camps of the Neolithic, the great Bronze Age landscapes to the Dartmoor and other land divisions, and the hillforts and farmsteads of the Iron Age. Throughout he concentrates on the close relationship between the individual site and the wider landscape, and on the ways that archaeologists discover, interpret and constantly reinterpret prehistoric settlements.

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Book SynopsisFollowing the Armada, there was the bloodless invasion of 1688, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s march south, the remarkable American John Paul Jones’ attack on Whitehaven during the American War of Independence, the German occupation of the Channel Islands and – the great what if of British, perhaps world history – the threat of Operation Sealion.

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Book SynopsisCleopatra''s palace shimmered with onyx and gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Stacy Schiff boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order, a generation before the birth of Christ. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff''s is a luminous reconstruction of a dazzling life.Trade ReviewUnder [Schiff's] pen, the mirage of Cleopatra shimmers down the deserts of time and suddenly stands before us, in new and thrilling sharp focus ... full of well researched context and much learned speculation -- Jan Moir * Daily Mail *We see a great queen painted in dazzling colours in the twilight of a dazzling kingdom ... new life is breathed into an indisputably authentic icon * Sunday Times *An inspired combination of carefully parsed texts, new research and pulse-quickening descriptive writing ... formidable and spellbinding achievement * Guardian *[Schiff] has done her homework and writes elegantly and wittily, creating truly evocative word pictures. * Independent *Schiff has produced a highly literary, imaginative, coherent narrative, "restoring context" to the sources she delves into in an intelligent way. Her writing is energetic, evocative... She also has an unerring nose for what is interesting * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA radical reappraisal of homosexuality in Ancient Greece, by a young historian described as ''the best thing to happen to ancient history for decades'' (Andrew Roberts, MAIL ON SUNDAY)Kenneth Dover''s 1978 GREEK HOMOSEXUALITY remains the most recent single-volume treatment of the subject as a whole. Drawing on fifteen years of ensuing research, James Davidson rejects Dover''s excessively theoretical approach, using a wide variety of sources unknown to him - court cases, romantic novels, satirical plays and poems - to present a view of the subject that, in contrast to Dover and to Foucault, stresses the humanity of the ancient Greeks, and how they lived their loves and pleasures, rather than their moral codes and the theorising of philosophers.Homosexuality in Ancient Greece remains a central area of debate in the classics, in ancient history and lesbian and gay studies. Greek civilisation centrally underpins our own, providing a basis of so much of the west''sTrade ReviewDavidson's own scholarship is impressive, but worn lightly, and matched with an easy tone that makes The Greeks and Greek Love a lively, and often very funny, read * LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS *poses a radical challenge to prominent assumptions about same-sex love in ancient Greece * OXONIAN REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisA dazzling biography of the Eternal City - ''A tour of the great city with a great guide: who could do this better?'' EVENING STANDARD.For almost a thousand years, Rome held sway as the spiritual and artistic centre of the world. Hughes vividly recreates the ancient Rome of Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Nero, Caligula, Cicero, Martial and Virgil. With the artistic blossoming of the Renaissance, he casts his unwavering critical eye over the great works of Raphael, Michelangelo and Brunelleschi, shedding new light on the Old Masters. In the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Rome''s cultural predominance was assured, artists and tourists from all over Europe converged on the city. Hughes brilliantly analyses the defining works of Caravaggio, Velasquez, Rubens and Bernini. Hughes'' Rome is a vibrant, contradictory, spectacular and secretive place; a monument both to human glory and human error. In equal parts loving, iconoclastic, enraged anTrade ReviewEssential baggage for a Roman holiday. -- John Harding * Daily Mail *in this Herculean undertaking, Hughes has captured much of the true spirit of Rome: the aspiration to great achievement despite obstacles, setbacks or failures * PROSPECT *Hughes proves an entertaining and erudite guide. He is an impeccable raconteur, commanding, self-confident, witty -- Alastair Sooke * DAILY TELEGRAPH *the book's muscle and sinew lie in Hughes's supremely eloquent vingnettes of churches and palaces, statues and paintings - evocations of art and place crafted with all the swagger and savour of a critic who can make his readers see, and feel, afresh....He never disappoints -- Boyd Tonkin * THE INDEPENDENT *No one can nail a painting like Hughes -- Rachel Spence * FINANCIAL TIMES *this is the work of un maestro -- Christopher Bray * WORD *I would read Mr Hughes's book if I were going to Rome. I'd read it if I weren't going to Rome. You could read it instead of going to Rome, though given the choice, I'd choose Rome. Reading the book is like being taken around the Eternal City on a long brisk march by an entertaining, erudite acquaintance with a gift for storytelling and the oddly rare ability to describe what something actually looks like. -- Francine Prose * INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE *This isn't an upmarket Rough Guide for American tourists, it's an award-winning broadcaster on top form. -- Sue Arnold * THE GUARDIAN *

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Book SynopsisThe history of 12,000 years of the British landscape, from the Ice Age to the twenty-first century, by prizewinning author Nicholas Crane, co-presenter of COAST.Trade Review'Ambitious, magnificent . . . Crane is excellent at describing climate, geology and shifting shorelines, but is at his best when plaiting together earth-shaping events with humankind and civilisation' -- Andrea Wulf * Guardian *'Pungent, dramatic and drawing deeply on recent research . . . a geographer's love letter to the British and the land that formed them - and which they transformed over many millennia of creative labour. As such, it is dramatic, lyrical and even inspiring, and given all those rocks, remarkably readable' -- James McConnachie * SUNDAY TIMES *'This is a magnificent, epic work by a national treasure . . . Nothing escapes his eye . . . and the sweep of history, brought to life in superb prose, is oddly moving. A tour de force' -- Bel Mooney * DAILY MAIL *'Crane's book earns its place in the pantheon and it will hopefully inspire a passion for our landscapes in a new generation of readers' -- Richard J Mayhew * LITERARY REVIEW *'The book I admired most was Nicholas Crane's The Making of the British Landscape as panoramic as it is revelatory' -- Tom Holland * OBSERVER Books of the Year *'The book I want most for Christmas is the satisfyingly hefty The Making of the British Landscape by the ever reliable Nicholas Crane' -- Bill Bryson * OBSERVER Books of the Year *'Crane provides a masterful account of how landscapes were settled and shaped' * THE NATIONAL *'A definitive, encyclopaedic read and an evocative paean to the evolution of our scenery by the vastly knowledgeable BBC presenter, Nick Crane. A revealing glimpse of the Britain that once was and how we made it the place it is today' * BBC COUNTRYFILE *'Nicholas Crane's sweeping The Making of the British Landscape shows how fragile are the views we love best, and how critical it is to guard them' -- Simon Jenkins * EVENING STANDARD *'This is his greatest work for those curious to understand the geographical layers that have shaped Great Britain. From diminishing ice to the peak of our London urban Shard, Crane has captured the chronology of change of our landscapes, full of facts, imagination and archaeology' -- Nigel Winser * GEOGRAPHICAL *

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