History Books
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Third Macedonian War and Battle of Pydna:
Book SynopsisThe Third Roman-Macedonian War was a disaster for Macedon, a defeat leading to the end of that kingdom's independence. This is usually attributed to an innate superiority of the Roman legionary tactics over the Macedonian system. Graham Wrightson, on the other hand, argues that the blame lies entirely with Perseus, the last king of Macedon. He analyses the whole war, following the primary source accounts and focusing on Perseus’ military decisions and his battlefield strategies. It confirms the prevailing view of the sources that Perseus was too hesitant and non-committal in his early conduct of the war. More significantly it argues that Perseus mishandled the Macedonian army when it comes to combined-arms tactics by adopting a defensive posture, particularly at the final battle of Pydna. The Macedonian military system based on a slow sarissa phalanx is suited entirely to an offensive battle plan coordinating a frontally irresistible phalanx in the centre and a rapid heavy cavalry attack on one wing. Most importantly, though, Perseus refused to spend money to hire 10,000 Gallic horsemen and the lack of cavalry cost him the initiative and the victory. This is a fascinating and thoroughly researched study of these dramatic events that adds fresh insight to the question of the legion's supposed supremacy over the phalanx.
£17.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Ninja: Unmasking the Myth
Book SynopsisThe ninja is a well-known phenomenon in Japanese military culture, a fighter who is widely regarded as the world's greatest exponent of secret warfare. He infiltrates castles, gathers vital intelligence and wields a deadly knife in the dark. His easily recognisable image is that of a secret agent or assassin who dresses all in black, possesses almost magical martial powers, and is capable of extraordinary feats of daring. He sells his skills on a mercenary basis and when in action his unique abilities include confusing his enemies by making mystical hand gestures or by sending sharp iron stars spinning towards them. That is the popular view, but it is much exaggerated, as this exciting new book explains. _Ninja: Unmasking The Myth_ is a revealing, fascinating and authoritative study of Japan's famous secret warriors. Unlike all previous books on the subject the author, who is an expert in the subject, does not take the ninja for granted. Instead he examines the entire phenomenon in a critical manner, ranging from accounts of undercover operations during the age of Japan's civil wars to the modern emergence of the superman ninja as a comic book character. The popular ninja image is shown to be the result of several influences that were combined to create the world's greatest secret warrior. Many well-known features of the ninja tradition such as the black clothes and the iron stars are shown to be complete inventions. One important feature of the book is the use of original Japanese sources, many of which have never been translated before. As well as unknown accounts of castle attacks, assassinations and espionage they include the last great ninja manual, which reveals the spiritual and religious ideals that were believed to lie behind the ninja's arts. The book concludes with a detailed investigation of the ninja in popular culture up to the present-day including movies, cartoons and theme parks.
£999.99
Pan Macmillan Kololo Hill
Book Synopsis'A novel about home, about belonging and exile; a compelling and complex insight into a recent past that still resonates' - Irish TimesUganda, 1972. A devastating decree is issued: all Ugandan Asians must leave the country in ninety days. They must take only what they can carry, give up their money and never return.For Asha and Pran, married a matter of months, it means abandoning the family business that Pran has worked so hard to save. For his mother, Jaya, it means saying goodbye to the house that has been her home for decades. But violence is escalating in Kampala, and people are disappearing. Will they all make it to safety in Britain and will they be given refuge if they do?And all the while, a terrible secret about the expulsion hangs over them, threatening to tear the family apart.From the green hilltops of Kampala, to the terraced houses of London, Neema Shah’s extraordinarily moving debut Kololo Hill explores what it means to leave your home behind, what it takes to start again, and the lengths some will go to protect their loved ones.‘[An] incredible debut’ - StylistTrade ReviewAn impressive, confident debut about family and survival, against the backdrop of a history that is not written about often enough. -- Nikesh ShuklaDevastatingly beautiful . . . every sentence is a revelation. -- Nikita Gill, author of The Girl and the GoddessShah is excellent on the theme of home . . . an absorbing storyteller. * Daily Mail *This is a novel about home, about belonging and exile; a compelling and complex insight into a recent past that still resonates. * Irish Times *Shah explores the chaos and fear of ordinary people’s lives during Amin’s rule, weaving personal stories of love and betrayal into heightening tension and violence . . . nail-biting. * Independent *Utterly heartbreaking and so moving . . . a thoughtful reflection on what home and belonging mean. -- Haleh Agar, author of Out of TouchA moving portrayal of a family uprooted from a life they have worked so hard for. At times devastating, I found myself gripped to this story rooted in our history yet scarily still relevant. -- Louise Hare, author of This Lovely CityKololo Hill offers a glimpse into a terrifying and fascinating period of history. Neema Shah evokes Amin’s Uganda and early 1970s suburban England with both nuance and a fresh and wonderful vivacity. This is a book with a huge amount of heart; I was entirely captured by the stories of Asha, Jaya and Vijay. Their dreams and dilemmas resonate with many of today’s key questions around culture, identity and the places – and people – we can each call ‘home’. -- Joanne Sefton, author of The Guilty FriendA searing, timely, and beautifully written tale of displacement, the meaning of home, and developing identity across generations. I loved it. -- Stephanie Scott, author of What’s Left Of Me Is Yours
£8.54
Bristol University Press A History of Modern Britain in 12 Crises
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£26.99
St. Augustine's Press The Civil War
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£21.85
The New York Review of Books, Inc Memoirs Of A Revolutionary
Book SynopsisA New York Review Books Original Victor Serge is one of the great men of the 20th century —and one of its great writers too. He was an anarchist, an agitator, a revolutionary, an exile, a historian of his times, as well as a brilliant novelist, and in Memoirs of a Revolutionary he devotes all his passion and genius to describing this extraordinary—and exemplary—career. Serge tells of his upbringing among exiles and conspirators, of his involvement with the notorious Bonnot Gang and his years in prison, of his role in the Russian Revolution, and of the Revolution’s collapse into despotism and terror. Expelled from the Soviet Union, Serge went to Paris, where he evaded the KGB and the Nazis before fleeing to Mexico. Memoirs of a Revolutionary recounts a thrilling life on the front lines of history and includes vivid portraits not only of Trotsky, Lenin, and Stalin but of countless other figures who struggled to remake the world. Peter Sedgwick’s fine translation of Memoirs of a Revolutionary was abridged when first published in 1963. This is the first edition in English to present the entirety of Serge’s book.
£12.59
Haymarket Books 'is The Turk A White Man?': Race and Modernity in
Book SynopsisIn 1909, US courts set out to decide whether a Turkish citizen shall be naturalised as a white person. Turkish elites had already undertaken to portray the Turks as the historic source of Western civilization, white racial stock, and human language. Examining this interaction between global racial discourses and local responses, Ergin recentres Turkish modernisation on imaginings of race.Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: WHY THIS BOOK SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN Race and the Turkish Case Why Care About the Turkish Case? The West = Theory; The Rest = “Mere” Case Cases and National Boundaries CHAPTER 2: THE REPUBLICAN CONVERSION NARRATIVE Rewriting History CHAPTER 3: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE “WEST” Becoming White The Ghosts of the Past: Ottoman Modernization and Encounters with the West The Ottoman Interest in Race Ziya Gökalp: The Official Ideologue of the Republic? The Formation of the “Terrible Turk”: Western Perceptions The Problem of Periodization CHAPTER 4: RACE IN EARLY REPUBLICAN TURKEY Racial Vocabularies Mermaids, Fish, Humans: The Taxonomic Discourse Biometric Mobilization to Protect and Improve the Race Anthropometric Mobilization to “Discover” the Turkish Race CHAPTER 5: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS AND RACIAL DISCOURSES Intellectual Exchange and Historical Contingency The University Reform and Émigré Scholars Conflicting Loyalties: Expertise in the Service of Local and Universal Agendas Afet Inan and Eugène Pittard: Personal Interaction in Search of Anthropometric Essences CHAPTER 6: RACE IN CONTEMPORARY TURKEY Race, and Ethnicity, and Nation Race in Contemporary Turkey CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
£27.00
Bloomsbury Publishing USA Unprepared: America in the Time of Coronavirus
Book Synopsis''An essential volume'' E. J. Dionne, Jr.With an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Timothy Egan, the riveting, eye-opening first-draft history of the Covid-19 pandemic.Unprepared is the sweeping history of the Covid-19 pandemica raw, primary-source accounting of the epoch-defining event: a virus that first appeared in China in late 2019 and spread rapidly across the globe, killing hundreds of thousands, devastating economies, and changing the modern world forever. A day-by-day chronicle of the response to Covid-19 as it attacked, Unprepared gathers a range of public statements from President Trump and his administration, elected officials such as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, leading journalists and scientists, and organizations from National Nurses United to the United Food and Commercial Workers union. A haunting portrait of the world scrambling for answers while the number of cases rose alongside the death toll, the book reveals not only our strengths as a people, but also the fault lines and dysfunction that plague our nation in the new millennium. Unprepared is an illuminating artifact for today and for future generations, an astonishing document of history being made, and a multifaceted narrative that drops the reader directly into the real-time experience of confusion, drama, and fear that defines the outbreak of Covid-19.
£13.59
Casemate Publishers Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence
Book SynopsisNow a green, open space enjoyed by residents, Fort Hunt, Virginia – about 15 miles south of Washington, DC. – was the site of one of the highest-level, clandestine operations during World War II. Shortly after entering World War II, the U.S. military realised that it had to work on exploiting any advantages it might gain on the Axis Powers. One part of these endeavours was to establish a secret facility not too close, but also not too far from the Pentagon, which would interrogate and eavesdrop on the highest-level Nazi prisoners and also translate and analyse captured German war documents. The complex established at Fort Hunt was known by the code name: PO Box 1142.The American servicemen who interrogated German prisoners or translated captured German documents were young, bright, hardworking, and absolutely dedicated to their work. Many of them were Jews, who had escaped Nazi Germany as children – some had come to America with their parents, others had escaped alone, but their experiences and those they had been forced to leave behind meant they all had personal motivation to do whatever they could to defeat Nazi Germany. They were perfect for the difficult and complex job at hand. They never used corporal punishment in interrogations of German soldiers but developed and deployed dozens of tricks to gain information.The Allies won the war against Hitler for a host of reasons, discussed in hundreds of volumes. This is the first book to describe the intelligence operations at PO Box 1142 and their part in that success. It will never be known how many American lives were spared, or whether the war ended sooner with the programs at Fort Hunt, but they doubtless did make a difference. Moreover these programs gave the young Jewish men stationed there the chance to combat the evil that had befallen their families.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Escape from the Nazis Chapter 3: Setting Up the Program Chapter 4: Name, Rank, Serial Number and ... Chapter 5: There Was More Than One Way to Skin a Cat Chapter 6: Translating Captured Documents Chapter 7: Operation Paperclip Chapter 8: Reunions at Fort Hunt Chapter 9: What Happened to the Soldiers after 1142 Appendix: Escape and Evasion
£16.96
Seven Stories Press,U.S. Most Dangerous, Most Unmerciful
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£17.09
Mango Media The Secret Lives of Single Medieval Women
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£14.44
Gretton Books Labour Lancashire and the 1924 Government
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£6.79
Hardie Grant Books Rainbow History Class: Your Guide Through Queer
Book SynopsisRainbow History Class is your entry into LGBTQ+ history, sharing queer and trans stories from Ancient civilisations all the way up to the internet. So much of queer and trans history and culture has been erased, but Hannah McElhinney, writer and creator of Rainbow History Class (as seen on TikTok), is here to help us all with this crash course. This history lesson isn’t dry and academic, nor is it glitter-soaked and reductive. It’s a comprehensive and entertaining romp through queer and trans history, full of secret queer codes, gender-bending icons, pop-culture knowledge and incredible activists. More than anything, Rainbow History Class will make you feel connected to the stories of our rich and vibrant community. This knowledge will help spark conversations between your friends and family and be a source of comfort as you stand up for yourself and your community. This illustrated hardback book is a celebration for all LGBTQ+ people, and an invitation to the newly out that says, ‘Welcome to the club, let’s get you caught up!’
£15.29
Anness Publishing Everyday Life in Ancient Greece
Book SynopsisFrom the daily life of slaves and citizens to the importance of sport and Olympic Games, this is an absorbing account of every aspect of Greek society. Discover the glory that was Greece and how the people of Athens and Sparta lived and worked during this cultural peak of world history. Explore the myths and legends and the revolutionary innovations by Euclid, Ptolemy and Archimedes in technology, medicine and science.
£8.54
JMD Media Derbyshire Pubs: A Pint Sized History and
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£11.69
Profile Books Ltd On the Edge: Ireland’s off-shore islands: a
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ONSIDE NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 The islands off the coast of Ireland have long been a source of fascination. Seen as repositories of an ancient Irish culture and the epitome of Irish romanticism, they have attracted generations of scholars, artists and filmmakers, from James Joyce to Robert O'Flaherty, looking for a way of life uncontaminated by modernity or materialism. But the reality for islanders has been a lot more complex. They faced poverty, hardship and official hostility, even while being expected to preserve an ancient culture and way of life. Writing in her 1936 autobiography, Peig Sayers, resident of Blaskets island, described it as 'this dreadful rock'. In 1841, there were 211 inhabited islands with a combined population of 38,000; by 2011, only 64 islands were inhabited, with a total population of 8,500. And younger generations continue to leave. By documenting the island experiences and the social, cultural and political reaction to them over the last 100 years, On the Edge examines why this exodus has happened, and the gulf between the rhetoric that elevated island life and the reality of the political hostility towards them.It uncovers, through state and private archives, personal memoirs, newspaper coverage, and the author's personal travels, the realities behind the "dreadful rocks", and the significance of the experiences of, and reactions to, those who were and remain, literally, on the very edge of European civilisation.Trade ReviewOn the Edge is a superb book, painstakingly researched and brilliantly written. * Irish Examiner *Ferriter skilfully poses big questions with the small stories of small places * Irish Times *...packed with intriguing analysis and historical detail * Irish Independent *This timely book is a good a place as any to start an important debate * Sunday Independent *Ferriter's unique book abut Ireland's offshore islands, is a treasure trove of new research on the economies, cultures, survival strategies, evacuations and extraordinary people who inhabited places held up to us as the cradle of Gaelic civilisation. -- Catriona Crowe * Irish Times *
£11.69
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Walking Ypres
Book SynopsisThe medieval city of Ypres will forever be associated with the Great War, especially by the British. From 1914 to 1918 it was the key strongpoint in the northern sector of the Western Front, and the epic story of its defence has taken on almost legendary status. The city and the surrounding battlefields are also among the most visited sites on the Western Front, and Paul Reed's walking guide is an essential travelling companion for anyone who is eager to explore them either on foot, by bike or by car. His classic book, first published as Walking the Salient over ten years ago, is the result of a lifetime's research into the battles for Ypres and the Flemish landscape over which they were fought. He guides the walker to all the key locations - Ypres itself, Yser, Sanctuary Wood, Bellewaarde Ridge, Zillebeke, Hill 60, Passchendaele, Messines, Kemmel and Ploegsteert are all covered. There are walks to notable sites behind the lines, around Poperinghe, Vlamertinghe and Brandhoek. And, for this second edition which he has revised, updated and expanded, he has provided new photographs and included two entirely new walks covering the Langemarck and Potijze areas.Walking Ypres brings the visitor not only to the places where the armies clashed but to the landscape of monuments, cemeteries and villages that make the Ypres battlefields among the most memorable sites of the Great War.
£14.39
Amber Books Ltd Abandoned Industrial Places: Factories,
Book SynopsisThe decaying remnants of obselete industries and defunct commerce – whether coal mines, shipyards, factories, shopping centres, power plants, warehouses or mills – lie scattered in desolate locations throughout the world. These left-over structures still hold memories of the life that was once there. Transience was built in from the start. When a mine was worked out, it was abandoned; sometimes its machinery was removed to another mine, but often it was easier to equip the new place with more up-to-date equipment. Abandoned Industrial Places explores the discarded detritus of our modern mechanized age. Discover the grand Ore Dock in Marquette, USA, squatting isolated in the waters of Lake Superior; or the abandoned Caspian Sea oil rigs and drilling gear in Azerbaijan; or the enormous, gaping pit of the 1200m (3900ft) wide Mirny diamond mine in Sakha Republic, Russia; or the 700m (765yd) high wall of latticed steel towers of the Duga radar in Chernobyl, Ukraine; or the Domino Sugar Refinery, Brooklyn, New York – formerly the world’s largest sugar refinery when built in 1882; or the still contaminated Fisher Body Plant 21 in Detroit, USA, a place where General Motors created some of their great marques for almost a hundred years. Filled with more than 200 memorable photographs from every part of the planet, Abandoned Industrial Places provides a strange and often spooky insight into the life and workings of industries long since ceased.Table of ContentsContents include: Introduction NORTH AMERICA Marquette Iron Ore Dock, Lake Superior, Michigan Canada Malting Factory, Toronto Don Valley Brickworks plant, Toronto, Ontario Gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada Old Crow Distillery, Kentucky New Cornelia open-pit copper mine, Pima County, Arizona Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California Carrie Furnace, Braddock, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Domino Sugar Refinery, Brooklyn, New York Redstone missile test site, Huntsville, Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, Indiana Mariscal Mine, River Road, Big Bend National Park, Texas CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA Santa Laura and Humberstone Saltpetre works, Atacama Desert, Chile Petermann Island, Antarctica Hacienda Yaxcopoil near Merida, Mexico, once a hemp or henequen rope factory Camilo Cienfuegos (formerly Hershey) Sugar Works, Cuba Pulacayo, Railway Depot, Potosí Province, Bolivia Leith Harbour Whaling Station, South Georgia Morgan Lewis Mill, Barbados Rincon Nuclear Dome, Puerto Rico EUROPE Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Orford Ness, Suffolk, England Beelitz, nr Berlin, Germany Excavator Factory, Voronezh, Russia Peenemünde Army Research Centre, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Glassworks, Haidemühl, Brandenburg, Germany Cattle stable, slaughterhouse, Rosenau, Bavaria, Germany Plumain Factory, New Aquitaine, France Coal washing plant, Carmeux, France Cooling Tower, Charleroi, Belgium Mill, Bolton, Lancashire, England Gauges, Flaxmill Maltings, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Tin mine, Towanroath, Cornwall, England Concrete Pagodas, AWRE, Orford Ness, Suffolk – atomic weapons research centre Rotunda, Wola Gasworks, Warsaw, Poland Mine near Pezinok, Slovakia Sugar Factory, Belgrade, Serbia Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, Ukraine AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Lead mine, Morocco Kolmanskop mining town, Namibia Drilling Rig, Namibia Kleinzee mining town, South Africa Vredehoek Quarry, South Africa ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Iron and Steel Mill, Loudi, Hunan, China Hashima, mining island, Japan Mirny Diamond Mine, Eastern Siberia, Russia Buran Transport, Baikonur, Kazakhstan Baikonur Cosmodrome Area 2, Kazakhstan Tin Dredge No. 5, Tanjung Tualak, Perak, Malaysia Mine equipment, Whakaari/White Island, North Island, New Zealand Cockatoo Island Docks, Sydney, Australia
£16.99
Guardian Faber Publishing The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile
Book SynopsisA NEW STATESMAN AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITINGLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZEA searing portrait of Britain's hostile environment by the journalist behind the Windrush exposé. 'A timely reminder of what truly great journalists can achieve.' DAVID OLUSOGA'[Gentleman's] reporting proves why an independent press is so vital.' RENI EDDO-LODGE'A book that keeps you informed and makes you angry.'GARY YOUNGE'It is impossible to overstate the importance of this heartbreaking book.' JAMES O'BRIENHow do you pack for a one-way journey back to a country you left when you were eleven and have not visited for fifty years?Amelia Gentleman's exposé of the Windrush scandal - where thousands of British citizens were wrongly classified as illegal immigrants with life-shattering consequences - shocked the nation and led to the resignation of Amber Rudd as Home Secretary. Here, Gentleman tells the full story for the first time.'Essential . . . a damning indictment.' SIR LENNY HENRY'Gentleman boldly chronicles the devastating reality of a scandal that illegalised, imbruted and abandoned British citizens.'DAVID LAMMY MP'I'm thankful for the truth and hope [. . .] in Amelia Gentleman's The Windrush Betrayal.'ALI SMITH'A devastating account.'CLAIRE TOMALIN
£10.44
Granta Books The Fatherland and the Jews: Two Pamphlets by
Book SynopsisThe inaugural title in a collaboration between the Wiener Library and Granta Books. These two pamphlets, 'Prelude to Pogroms? Facts for the Thoughtful' and 'German Judaism in Political, Economic and Cultural Terms' mark the first time that Alfred Wiener, the founder of the Wiener Holocaust Library, has been published in English. Together they offer a vital insight into the antisemitic onslaught Germany's Jews were subjected to as the Nazi Party rose to power, and introduce a sharp and sympathetic thinker and speaker to a contemporary audience. Tackling issues such as the planned rise of antisemitism and the scapegoating of minorities, these pamphlets speak as urgently to the contemporary moment as they provide a window on to the past.
£11.69
Granta Books Estates: An Intimate History
Book SynopsisLynsey Hanley was born and raised just outside of Birmingham on what was then the largest council estate in Europe, and she has lived for years on an estate in London's East End. Writing with passion, humour and a sense of history, she recounts the rise of social housing a century ago, its adoption as a fundamental right by leaders of the social welfare state in the mid-century and its decline - as both idea and reality - in the 1960s and '70s. Throughout, Hanley focuses on how shifting trends in urban planning and changing government policies - from Homes Fit for Heroes to Le Corbusier's concrete tower blocks, to the Right to Buy - affected those so often left out of the argument over council estates: the millions of people who live on them. What emerges is a vivid mix of memoir and social history, an engaging and illuminating book about a corner of society that the rest of Britain has left in the dark.Trade ReviewA rich, thought-provoking book * Observer *Estates, a journey through the world of British social housing, is both a history and a personal reckoning * Financial Times *A wonderful book ... explains with verve and insight how one's mental landscape is moulded by physical environment ... Simple lessons for planners, architects and developers leap off the pages * Guardian *Lynsey Hanley's vivid, powerful book is about a dream gone sour. Her descriptions of hopelessness, drunkenness and yobbery in Tower Hamlets cry out to be engraved by a new Hogarth * Independent *Hanley's Estates is many things - social history, memoir, mild polemic ... she catalogues her experience in a manner that is honest, informed and never whimsical. A well-timed and truthful book * Daily Telegraph *[A] celebrated slice of myth-busting * Metro *
£10.44
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places
Book Synopsis"Everyone should have two copies - one for the car and one for the house to plan journeys. . . a reminder to think more about the places you pass and less about your route, because every British journey is through rich history." (Edward Stourton)From much-loved historian Neil Oliver, comes this beautifully written, kaleidoscopic history of a place with a story like no other.The British Isles, this archipelago of islands, is to Neil Oliver the best place in the world. From north to south, east to west it cradles astonishing beauty. The human story here is a million years old, and counting. But the tolerant, easygoing peace we enjoy has been hard won. We have made and known the best and worst of times. We have been hero and villain and all else in between, and we have learned some lessons.The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places is Neil’s very personal account of what makes these islands so special, told through the places that have witnessed the unfolding of our history. Beginning with footprints made in the sand by humankind’s earliest ancestors, he takes us via Romans and Vikings, the flowering of religion, through civil war, industrial revolution and two world wars. From windswept headlands to battlefields, ancient trees to magnificent cathedrals, each of his destinations is a place where, somehow, the spirit of the past seems to linger.Trade ReviewA collection of highly crafted historical-archaeological microessays, each centred on a significant place in Britain or Ireland. Few popular history books are as pleasingly tactile as this one..a vivid, pungent history * TLS *This book brilliantly demonstrates Neil's mastery of the broad sweep of British history and landscape.In his introduction Neil Oliver calls the British ‘a lucky, blessed people’, and his book holds up a mirror to that national self-image. Oliver’s timeline journey travels from prehistoric footprints off the Norfolk coast to the Ozymandias folly of the Millennium Dome, from a tiny, exquisite jewel crafted for King Alfred the Great to great enigmatic stone forts in the West of Ireland that are being eaten by the sea. Stories we have been telling ourselves for thousands of years are falling on deaf ears or being forgotten, says Oliver. Here in a hundred fascinating doses is the antidote to that millennial malaise.Neil Oliver brings his vast experience and expertise to bear on this deeply personal journey into British history - a wonderful read.A book of compelling stories. * Mail on Sunday *
£9.99
Greenhill Books Medieval Combat in Colour: A Fifteenth-Century
Book SynopsisHans Talhoffer's professional fencing manual of 1467 illustrates the intricacies of the medieval art of fighting, covering both the 'judicial duel' (an officially sanctioned fight to resolve a legal dispute) and personal combat. Combatants in the Middle Ages used footwork, avoidance, and the ability to judge and manipulate timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities. These skills were supplemented with techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking and throwing the opponent, as well as disarming him by seizing his weapon. Every attack contained a defence and every defence a counter-attack. Talhoffer reveals the techniques for wrestling, unarmoured fighting with the long sword, pole-axe, dagger, sword and buckler, and mounted combat. This unparalleled guide to medieval combat, illustrated with 268 contemporary images, provides a glimpse of real people fighting with skill, sophistication and ruthlessness. This is one of the most popular and influential manuals of its kind.
£18.99
Vintage Publishing Queens of the Crusades: Eleanor of Aquitaine and
Book Synopsis'Stunning... Weir has brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel' Tracy BormanCrusading queens, queens in rebellion against their king, queen seductresses, learned queens, queens in battle - the Plantagenet queens broke through medieval constraints to exercise power and influence, for good and sometimes for ill. Beginning with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine whose marriage to Henry II sows the seeds for some of the most destructive family conflicts in history and ending with Eleanor of Castile, the grasping but beloved wife of Edward I, Alison Weir's ground-breaking history of the queens of medieval England provides an enthralling new perspective on a dramatic period of high romance and sometimes low politics, with determined women at its heart.Trade ReviewStunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel. -- Tracy Borman[A] historian who has achieved popularity without sacrificing scholarly precision... She writes with the dramatic intensity of a novelist. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *The book that I most anticipated this year was Alison Weir's Queens of the Crusades... Told with all of Weir's characteristic verve and exceptional eye for detail, this book should find its way into every history lover's Christmas stocking. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Books of the Year 2020* *As in previous books, the exceedingly knowledgeable author's prodigious research is impressive. Another treat for Weir fans. * Kirkus Reviews *This meticulous group biography of the first five Plantagenet queens of England brushes away long-standing legends. Weir skillfully documents the political, religious, and cultural issues of medieval England and France. * Publishers Weekly *
£12.34
Vintage Publishing The Siege of Loyalty House: A new history of the
Book Synopsis**A TIMES, GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, THE CRITIC, MAIL ON SUNDAY, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR**'A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary MantelIt was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war . . .This is the story of a home that became a warzone. Basing House in Hampshire saw one of the longest and bloodiest sieges of the English Civil War. Defended for over two years by artists and aristocrats, actors and apothecaries, women and children, it became a symbol of royalist defiance and a microcosm of the wider conflict.Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and the voices of dozens of soldiers and civilians, award-winning historian Jessie Childs weaves a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, savagery and civilization.__________'Extraordinary, thrilling, immersive ... at times almost Tolstoyan in its emotional intelligence and literary power' Simon Schama'Compellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account' Mail on Sunday'Brilliant. Original. Gripping.' Antonia Fraser'Beautifully written and gripping from first page to last. A sparkling book by one of the UK's finest historians' Peter Frankopan'The Siege of Loyalty House is not only deeply researched. Childs has composed a wonderfully poetic narrative and adds a touch of the gothic' The Times'Successfully brings the ghastliness of the period to life, dramatically, vividly and with pathos' Charles Spencer, SpectatorTrade ReviewAtmospheric, unflinching and...exquisitely witty * Guardian, *Books of the Year* *This is war as it should be, passionate, brutal, bloody and chaotic, all described in luscious, evocative prose * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Jessie Childs is one of the finest historians working today; her illuminating, deeply researched, and beautifully written books are never anything short of superlative, and here she does it again. This is a vivid, thrilling story, rendered in delicious prose and brilliant with gems dug from the archives -- Suzannah LipscombA gripping account of the agony at Basing... Characters step off the page... The prose sparkles... Childs's book conveys the raw emotion of events, especially the trauma of the siege itself... In her aim 'to recover the shock of that experience and to look upon the face of the war' Childs could be describing the trenches of Ypres or Bakhmut or the sieges of Leningrad or Mariupol -- Malcolm Gaskill * London Review of Books *Compelling... Childs reveals brilliantly the world of the Civil War in the grain of sand that is Basing House. She captures the horror, the courage, the sheer humanity of those, both besiegers and besieged, who endured the long, desperate lulls punctuated by intense episodes of visceral violence * Daily Telegraph *The Siege of Loyalty House... enriches the packed civil war bookshelf with this elegantly written, close-focus history of a place whose ordeals epitomised the pain of a struggle that tore homes, clans, trades, and souls apart * Financial Times *A spectacular work of scholarship, this is epic, vital history, sweeping from the great trends and ideas of the time to the individual details of vividly lived lives. This brilliant book takes you into the heart of the Civil War, the brutal struggle for the sympathies of a country, the men who fought, women who tried to survive; this is blood, desire and struggle on the page, taking you deep into the seventeenth century world; you can feel its beating heart -- Kate WilliamsCompellingly readable... [a] beautifully written and lucid account * Mail on Sunday *A thrilling account of Basing House, a royalist stronghold during the English Civil War nicknamed 'Loyalty' and the sieges it withstood until its fall to Oliver Cromwell in 1645 * New York Times *Riveting... The breaking of such lives and communities makes poignant reading... [Childs's] focus is local and English, but the story is human and timeless * Economist *
£11.69
Vintage Publishing First to Fight: The Polish War 1939
Book SynopsisA new and definitive account of the German invasion of Poland that initiated WWII in 1939, written by a historian at the height of his abilities.'Deeply researched, very well-written... This book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come' - Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with DestinyThe Polish campaign is the forgotten story of the Second World War.The war began on 1 September 1939, when German tanks, trucks and infantry crossed the Polish border, and the Luftwaffe began bombing Poland's towns and cities. The Polish army fought bravely but could not withstand the concentrated attack. When the Red Army invaded from the east, the country's fate was sealed.This is the first history of the Polish war for almost half a century. Drawing on letters, memoirs and diaries from all sides, Roger Moorhouse's dramatic account of the military events is entwined with a human story of courage and suffering, and a dark tale of diplomatic betrayal.'Important... Moorhouse has a wonderful knack for reminding us about the parts of the Second World War that we are in danger of forgetting' Dan Snow** Shortlisted for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History 2020 **Trade ReviewWe tend to overlook “the war that Hitler won”, but Roger Moorhouse brilliantly underlines its crucial importance for the future course of the Second World War. This deeply researched, very well-written and penetrating book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come -- Andrew Roberts, author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’[A] chilling, indignant narrative… Moorhouse has expertly laid bare…[the] truth -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Moorhouse’s book remedies that gap [in history of The Polish War], weaving together archival material, first-hand accounts, perceptive analysis and heartbreaking descriptions of Poland’s betrayal, defeat and dismemberment * Economist *[A] fascinating book… Moorhouse has mastered a large body of material… this is…a very valuable book, as it gathers a mass of detail into a lucid narrative for general readers -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *An important book. Roger Moorhouse has a wonderful knack of reminding us about the parts of the Second World War that we are in danger of forgetting -- Dan Snow
£10.44
Verso Books Revolutionary Yiddishland: A History of Jewish
Book SynopsisJewish radicals manned the barricades on the avenues of Petrograd and the alleys of the Warsaw ghetto; they were in the vanguard of those resisting Franco and the Nazis. They originated in Yiddishland, a vast expanse of Eastern Europe that, before the Holocaust, ran from the Baltic Sea to the western edge of Russia and incorporated hundreds of Jewish communities with a combined population of some 11 million people. Within this territory, revolutionaries arose from the Jewish misery of Eastern and Central Europe; they were raised in the fear of God and taught to respect religious tradition, but were caught up in the great current of revolutionary utopian thinking. Socialists, Communists, Bundists, Zionists, Trotskyists, manual workers and intellectuals, they embodied the multifarious activity and radicalism of a Jewish working class that glimpsed the Messiah in the folds of the red flag.Today, the world from which they came has disappeared, dismantled and destroyed by the Nazi genocide. After this irremediable break, there remain only survivors, and the work of memory for red Yiddishland. This book traces the struggles of these militants, their singular trajectories, their oscillation between great hope and doubt, their lost illusions-a red and Jewish gaze on the history of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewIts impact on me was immense. I devoured it; my political horizons radically expanded. Not only, I came to realise, was there no contradiction between Judaism, socialism and internationalism, but, until the Nazi genocide, they existed in a profoundly interrelated way. -- Sai Englert * Salvage *An eye-opening oral history. -- Gabriel Levy, author of Judaic Technologies of the WorldA haunting, inspiring and often tragic book, Revolutionary Yiddishland uses first-hand interviews, deep archival research and sharp analysis to bring to life a complex landscape of factory workers, partisans, poets, party leaders, refugees, ghetto fighters and movement intellectuals. -- Ben Lorber * In These Times *This rich and poignant and often enthralling record traces the Yiddishland revolutionaries from their East European roots through the years of hope and struggle and hideous crimes to the heroic anti-Nazi resistance and beyond, with fascinating asides on Spain and Palestine. There are many lessons for today, not least the significance ofthe lively interaction of revolutionary intellectuals and workers and the efforts to integrate the commitment to radical social and economic change with the formation of a Jewish identity that would break sharply from the stultifying tradition and open the way to the aspirations of the Jewish workers' movement that was at the forefront of revolutionary struggle from its earliest days. -- Noam ChomskyCould there have been a future for pre-war Jewry in which Israel did not exist and Jews were gathered in a nation state within a federated Soviet Union? This is one of the questions brought up in Alain Brossat and Sylvia Klingberg's book. There is hope for the spirit and aims behind the stories this book tells. Jewish radicalism did not die out in 1942 with the Final Solution. It now expresses itself without Yiddish. -- Clive Bloom * Times Higher Educational Supplement *A fascinating window onto a lost world. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the complex relationship between the Jewish left, the general left, and Zionism. The gripping testimonies collected in these pages give the lie to the idea that Jews in the Shoah went like sheep to the slaughter. Brossat and Klingberg do not try to iron out the wrinkles of the past. Their insightful commentary illuminates the passions, paradoxes, triumphs and defeats of the witnesses who populate their book. -- Brian Klug, author of Being Jewish and Doing JusticeNowadays we know more and more about the Nazi Genocide. Unfortunately, we have much less knowledge about the everyday life which preceded the horror and was so brutally terminated. For opening up this world we must praise Alain Brossat and Sylvia Klinberg for their vital new book, Revolutionary Yiddishland. Here, life is given priority over death, and the struggles of so many in the Yiddishland allow us to see past the catastrophes. -- Shlomo Sand, author of The Invention of the Jewish PeoplePraiseworthy * Jewish Currents *Brossat and Klingberg's book is a memorial to a missing world. As an aesthetic composition, it is beautiful. -- Max Ajl * Mondoweiss *Altogether, Revolutionary Yiddishland is a thoroughly engaging read. It's an important historical document preserving the memory of this radical period of Jewish and European history. -- JP O'Malley * Haaretz *
£10.99
Icon Books Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and
Book Synopsis** TO BE READ ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK FROM 23 JAN 2023 **'As much le Carré as it is Hidden Figures.' AMARYLLIS FOX, author of Life Undercover 'A sweeping epic of a book [which] rescues five remarkable women from obscurity and finally gives them their rightful place in world history ... A book you won't regret reading. Five women you won't forget.' KATE MOORE, author of The Radium Girls'As entertaining as it is instructive.' GENERAL STANLEY MCCRYSTALThe never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA - women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage (and blazed new paths for equality in the workplace). In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organisation now known as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the 'wise gals' by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humour and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. They were smart, courageous, and groundbreaking agents at the top of their class, instrumental in both developing innovative tools for intelligence gathering - and insisting (in their own unique ways) that they receive the credit and pay their expertise deserved.Adelaide rose through the ranks, developing new cryptosystems that advanced how spies communicate with each other. Mary worked overseas in Europe and Asia, building partnerships and allegiances that would last decades. Elizabeth would risk her life in the Middle East in order to gain intelligence on deadly Soviet weaponry. Eloise would wield influence on scientific and technical operations worldwide, ultimately exposing global terrorism threats.Meticulously researched and beautifully told, Holt uses firsthand interviews with past and present officials and declassified government documents to uncover the stories of these four inspirational women. Wise Gals sheds a light on the untold history of the women whose daring foreign intrigues, domestic persistence, and fighting spirit have been and continue to be instrumental to the world's security.Trade Review... this thrilling history is like a classic le Carré -- Kathryn Hughes * The Times *A sweeping epic of a book, Holt's Wise Gals rescues five remarkable women from obscurity and finally gives them their rightful place in world history. This is a fascinating story of pioneers and patriots, of science and technology, of ambition and sacrifice...of female spies. I particularly admired the Cold War sequences, with their insider accounts of both the space and nuclear arms races, but it's the breathtaking scale of this story that truly stuns: spanning continents and decades with impressive skill and impeccable research, yet simultaneously sharing the tender secrets from each woman's life to make this political history personal. A book you won't regret reading. Five women you won't forget. -- Kate Moore, author of The Radium GirlsA sparkling tale of secrets and spies, Wise Gals uncovers a group of exceptional CIA women who helped build the modern intelligence community even as they fought for equal pay and standing with their male colleagues. Holt has a gift for illuminating hidden worlds, and she delivers a story for the ages. -- Jason Fagone, author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's EnemiesSpies are not supposed to be remembered, but we can all thank Nathalia Holt for returning a handful of unsung, trail blazing women to the center of CIA history-where they belong. Tracing the end of WW2 through the Cold War to the crisis in Ukraine today, Wise Gals is fast paced, encyclopedic in scope, and packed with women on the rise, Nazi art dealers on the run, Soviet spy satellites, Middle Eastern military coups, and the unending, ceiling-cracking fight for equality. -- Sarah Rose, author of D-Day GirlsFrom my experience as Director of the CIA, it was clear that both men and women played critical roles in defending our nation. Unfortunately, history and legend focuses largely on the men who were part of the CIA - "male, pale and Yale" summarized the makeup of early spies. But the reality is that both men and women made up the "silent warriors" who put their lives on the line to gather intelligence. There always were influential female spies who led dangerous missions behind enemy lines. Because of the great research by author Nathalia Holt, their story is finally being told in Wise Gals. Their patriotism will be an inspiration to both men and women who want to serve this country. -- Leon Panetta, former Director of the CIA (2009-11) and U. S. Secretary of Defense (2011-13)Utterly thrilling and meticulously researched, Wise Gals is as much le Carré as it is Hidden Figures - a riveting portrait of the dazzling women who safeguard our world from the shadows. -- Amaryllis Fox, author of Life UndercoverWise Gals is not only the inspiring story of women who excelled at espionage in the Cold War - they were also courageous and determined pioneers in the struggle for equality in the secretive world of the CIA. A hidden history revealed. -- David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar SpyNathalia Holt weaves a spellbinding narrative as compulsively readable as a good spy novel. She shines a spotlight on the women who put their lives on the line during World War II and later during the Cold War. They never sought any attention but I am grateful that Nathalia has given it to them. -- Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women and The ResidenceNathalia Holt's Wise Gals is a much-needed addition to the history of the OSS and CIA. It shines a bright spotlight on the long-neglected role women played in the shadowy Cold War world of spies and their handlers. Deftly employing multiple narratives and shifting locales, Holt illuminates the trials and adventures of the troupe of savvy female operatives who helped steer the course of post-World War foreign policy for the U.S. -- Tim Brady, author of Three Ordinary GirlsExplosive and enthralling insight into the little-known 'petticoat panel.' The way that the biographies of these brave women is woven within their harrowing work overseas makes this work read like a spy thriller. Holt's access and research into the world of gender inequality at the CIA should be required reading; she has given these women their rightful place in history. -- Tracy Walder, former CIA operative and FBI special agent and author of The Unexpected SpyWith the lyrical ease of a natural storyteller, Nathalia Holt weaves deep research into an impossible-to-put-down tale that reads like historical fiction, though every word is true. Spanning continents and decades, Wise Gals shines a necessary spotlight on the extraordinary women who quietly shaped the CIA during its early years, and on the obstacles they had to overcome simply to selflessly serve their country. Both a vital addition to our understanding of the role of women in the 20th century intelligence community, and a fascinating, page-turning read about the perilous years after WWII--and the women who risked it all in the name of protecting their country. -- Kristin Harmel, author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost NamesIn this page-turner of book, Nathalia Holt pulls back the curtain on the world of espionage to show us the women responsible for our safety. The intriguing and timely Wise Gals declassifies the secret roles women played in the formation of the CIA, to whom we are beholden even now for our security. -- Marie Benedict, author of The Only Woman in the RoomToo often we argue about where we should go when we have little idea how we got to where we are. Nathalia Holt's Wise Gals is the engrossing story of a group of dedicated women who not only served the nation as intelligence professionals, but also helped to forge a path towards equality and opportunity. As entertaining as it is instructive. -- General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army (Ret), author of My Share of the Task and Team of TeamsAmericans owe a great deal to Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page and Elizabeth Sudmeier, the four 'wise gals' of Holt's title who helped build the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services into the Central Intelligence Agency. What they accomplished, in a full moral accounting, might be up for debate, but in the annals of espionage that is too often focused on men, understanding how these women not only contributed to but also contravened the nascent world order is vital. * Los Angeles Times *[An] impressive book, covering a lot of ground, including incisive critiques of the missions and focus of the CIA, the change from spying to 'covert operations.' Holt juggles a lot of material and the reader goes back and forth between the different women, tracking their careers during and after WWII in a complicated zigzag. It's a testament to Holt's careful research that the narrative all holds together, made vivid by the many details she uncovered. * New York Journal of Books *Entertaining ... [A] revealing and vibrant look at the critical contributions women have made to the CIA. * Publishers Weekly *Holt returns with another intriguing collective history of an overlooked group of women...[Her] dedication to making her five main characters stand out and come fully to life is to be lauded. With a rich, always relevant subject, Holt's latest is a good choice for book groups. * Booklist *Well-researched profiles in courage ... A vivid group biography of five strong-willed women who held significant positions in the early years of the CIA. * Kirkus Reviews *Holt vividly chronicles [the Wise Gals'] careers, including multiple incidents from the field. . . Holt also details the work of the Petticoat Panel, a massive effort (involving Sudmeier, Hutchison, Hawkins and Page) to report on and improve the status of women at the agency. At every turn, Holt showcases the women's intelligence, knowledge and grit, while also highlighting the ways they didn't get the recognition they deserved. Insightful and gripping, Wise Gals is a fitting tribute to the brilliant women who shaped the American intelligence landscape. * Shelf Awareness *Beautifully organised, skilfully weaves the lives of five disparate women into a coherent whole [...] Nathalia Holt imparts a lot of complex technical information with admirable clarity -- Jake Kerridge * Telegraph *A necessary corrective to the sexism and misogyny rife in spy tales, Wise Gals also contains some eye-opening tales of espionage from across the world. * The Guardian *
£21.25
Verso Books A People's History of the World: From the Stone
Book SynopsisIn this monumental book, Chris Harman achieves the impossible-a gripping history of the planet from the perspective of the struggling people throughout the ages.From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet. Eschewing the standard histories of 'Great Men,' of dates and kings, Harman offers a groundbreaking counter-history, a breathtaking sweep across the centuries in the tradition of 'history from below.' In a fiery narrative, he shows how ordinary men and women were involved in creating and changing society and how conflict between classes was often at the core of these changes. While many pundits see the victory of capitalism as now safely secured, Harman explains the rise and fall of societies and civilizations throughout the ages and demonstrates that history never ends. This magisterial study is essential reading for anyone interested in how society has changed and developed and the possibilities for further radical change.Trade ReviewI have had many people ask me if there is a book which does for world history what my book A People's History of the United States does for this country. I always responded that I know of only one book that accomplishes this extremely difficult task, and that is Chris Harman's A People's History of the World. It is an indispensable volume on my reference bookshelf. -- Howard ZinnThe left ... has few accounts which convey as well as this book does the broad sweep of human history. -- Robin Blackburn
£12.34
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd A History of Finland
Book SynopsisHenrik Meinander paints a brisk and bold picture of the history of Finland from integrated part of the Swedish kingdom to autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian empire, gradually transformed and maturing into a conscious nation, independent state and skilful adapter of modern technology. The main geographical context for his study is the Baltic region, and the author links his analysis to structural developments and turning points in European history. The book blends politics, economy and culture to show how human and natural resources in Finland have been utilized and the impact its cultural heritage and technological innovation have had on its development. In a departure from most conventional approaches, Meinander gives greater emphasis to recent and contemporary events. In other words, he puts Finland into a range of historical contexts in its Baltic and European settings to highlight how both together have formed Finland into what it is at the beginning of the twenty-first century.Trade Reviewa thoughtful and eminently readable volume. Meinander gives readers an opportunity to look back in an unusually nuanced and informed manner. -- Andrew Newby, English Historical ReviewAn excellent counterpoint to David Kirby's A Concise History of Finland, this volume goes well beyond the chiefly political analysis that informs Kirby's survey and includes substantial information on literary, philosophical, musical, linguistic, pedagogical and general cultural topics, providing a deeper and more nuanced overview of the Finns from prehistoric times to the present. Concentrating on the early modern period to the present, the author gives outstanding summaries of the events and issues during the Swedish and Russian dominions and provides an excellent account of the postindependence decades. Meinander supplies an evenhanded, thoughtful analysis of the civil war and its aftermath, leading into a frank, insightful review of the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War, which brought WWII to an end in Finland. He also advances convincing arguments for Finland's Cold War foreign policy and for its postwar economic successes, including its integration into the European Union and its cooperation with NATO. Written in a clear, concise style, the book contains numerous high-quality illustrations as well as a valuable if brief bibliography. If a library can have only one book on modern Finnish history, this is the one. * CHOICE, Outstanding Academic Title *Neither publisher nor author was lacking self-confidence when they decided to produce this survey of Finnish history. Meinander is a master of elegant compression and writes with precision and subtlety. The result is a genuinely entertaining read. -- Jukka Tarkka, Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki'A History of Finland' is an extraordinarily readable and well-balanced book. Meinander's clarity of vision has placed Finland in a Nordic and European perspective as well as skilfully weaving political, economic and cultural developments into an integral whole. -- Lennart Berntson, Svenska Dagbladet, StockholmMeinander has managed to blend everything into his presentation, from the Ice Age to the NATO question. The style is elegant but at the same time so full of substance that the reader is both drawn along by the text and continually surprised by the impact the choice of a few particular words can have on the overall picture. -- Jari-Pekka Vuorela, Aamulehti, TampereMeinander is scholarly, analytical and a gifted stylist. He draws conclusions without being contentious. His 'History of Finland' is never rigid or overstated and is permeated with a scholarship and delight in words which makes for a pleasurable and intellectual adventure. This is no argumentative attempt to be different - yet the fact that it is shows the book's scope and intellectual strength. -- Birger Tholix, Vasabladet, Vaasa
£18.04
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic,
Book SynopsisEver since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet, despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From pneumonic plague in LA and ‘parrot fever’ in Argentina to the more recent AIDS, SARS and Ebola epidemics, the last 100 years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated outbreaks and scares. Like man-eating sharks, predatory pathogens are always present in nature, waiting to strike; when one is seemingly vanquished, others appear in its place. The Pandemic Century exposes the limits of science against nature, and how these crises are shaped by humans as much as microbes.Trade Review‘Some of the scenes in Mark Honigsbaum’s The Pandemic Century were so vivid they had me drafting movie treatments in my head . . . each chapter is deeply researched.'Chosen as a 'Sizzling Summer Read' 2019 -- Mail on Sunday'A gruesome round-up of the pandemics that have plagued us over the past 100 years . . . A lively but less than reassuring read for those on exotic travels.' * Financial Times *'[A] riveting, vivid history of modern disease outbreaks . . . Honigsbaum has written a fascinating account of a deeply important topic – for if the past 100 years have taught us anything, it is that new diseases and viral strains will inevitably beset us.' * The Observer *'Timely but disturbing.''Lively, gruesome, and masterful . . . Honigsbaum mixes superb medical history with vivid portraits of the worldwide reactions to each [pandemic] event.''Gripping.''Engrossing. . . . Combining history, popular science, and policy, he describes each pandemic with journalistic immediacy, emphasising the patterns that characterise responses to them. . . an important and timely work.''Offers a mixture of gripping storytelling and insightful science. . . . Alternately chilling and optimistic, Honigsbaum's reporting on a recurrent public health issue deserves wide attention.''Infectious diseases remain among the most urgent health threats we face, but too often are considered something that happens to other people, far away. In our interconnected world, this is no longer true, as Honigsbaum shows. His unique account drives home the human impact of epidemics, and the need for increased preparedness.' -- Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust'Mark Honigsbaum does a superb job covering a century's worth of pandemics and the fears they invariably unleash. The moral of his cogent tale is that the next deadly pandemic is not a matter of "if" but of "when" and preparing for that fact is a far better prescription than reacting with panic, fear, or indifference.''Gripping.' * Nature *‘Ultimately, this book celebrates medical curiosity. [It is] a cautionary tale about the need for medical science to be open minded. Practitioners need to be aware that their knowledge of what is possible and impossible when it comes to infectious diseases will be challenged by the forces of globalisation, urbanisation and climate change.' -- International Affairs
£19.00
Cornerstone Surviving the War: based on an incredible true
Book SynopsisAn extraordinary novel based on an incredible true story of love, resilience, survival and hope. Perfect for fans of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, THE VOLUNTEER and THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ._______________________________Against all odds, love will lead them home.Shurka, her husband and their two small children never thought the war would reach their remote Polish village. They were wrong. Forced to flee their family home, they find shelter with their fellow Jews in the ghetto - but every night more and more people disappear, taken away on trucks to never be seen again. As terrible rumours of extermination camps swirl, Shurka realises that the longer they stay in the ghetto, the lower their chances of survival.Their best hope is to flee into the Polish forest, where Jewish resistance fighters hold out against Nazi search parties. Their new life is precarious in the extreme - and will test them more than they ever thought possible...Even in the dark, hope can be found._______________________________Surviving The War is the international Amazon bestselling survival and holocaust story, based on an incredible true story and previously published as Surviving The Forest. It has been translated into English from the original Hebrew.
£9.49
Octopus Publishing Group The Whole Picture: The colonial story of the art
Book Synopsis "Probing, jargon-free and written with the pace of a detective story... [Procter] dissects western museum culture with such forensic fury that it might be difficult for the reader ever to view those institutions in the same way again. " Financial Times 'A smart, accessible and brilliantly structured work that encourages readers to go beyond the grand architecture of cultural institutions and see the problematic colonial histories behind them.' - Sumaya KassimShould museums be made to give back their marbles? Is it even possible to 'decolonize' our galleries? Must Rhodes fall?How to deal with the colonial history of art in museums and monuments in the public realm is a thorny issue that we are only just beginning to address. Alice Procter, creator of the Uncomfortable Art Tours, provides a manual for deconstructing everything you thought you knew about art history and tells the stories that have been left out of the canon.The book is divided into four chronological sections, named after four different kinds of art space: The Palace, The Classroom, The Memorial and The Playground. Each section tackles the fascinating, enlightening and often shocking stories of a selection of art pieces, including the propaganda painting the East India Company used to justify its rule in India; the tattooed Maori skulls collected as 'art objects' by Europeans; and works by contemporary artists who are taking on colonial history in their work and activism today.The Whole Picture is a much-needed provocation to look more critically at the accepted narratives about art, and rethink and disrupt the way we interact with the museums and galleries that display it.
£12.34
O'Brien Press Ltd Chasing Sam Maguire: The All-Ireland Football
Book SynopsisIt is almost one hundred years since the Sam Maguire Cup was first awarded to the winner of the All-Ireland Football Championship, the pinnacle of sporting ambition for generations of Gaelic footballers. Here, we celebrate all the heartbreak and glory of the first fifty years of its history. A must' for every GAA enthusiast.
£30.39
Reaktion Books Cloven Country: The Devil and the English
Book SynopsisAccording to legend, the English landscape – so calm on the surface – is really the Devil’s work. Cloven Country, now in paperback, tells of rocks hurled into place and valleys carved out by infernal labour. The Devil’s hideous strength laid down great roads in one night, and left scars everywhere as the hard stone melted like wax under those burning feet. With roots in medieval folklore, this is not the Satan of prayer, but a clumsy ogre, easily fooled by humankind. When a smart cobbler or cunning young wife outwitted him, they struck a blow for the underdog. Only the wicked squire and grasping merchant were beyond redemption, carried off by a black huntsman in the storm.Trade Review'Harte – a curator at Bourne Hall Museum in Surrey – has an encyclopedic knowledge of the diverse sources of England’s traditional tales and proves himself to be an authoritative guide . . . From the demon who appears as a fearsome figure hurling stones, gouging out valleys and heaping up hills, or as a sinister black-clad huntsman with his fiery-eyed hounds howling across Bodmin Moor, to ideas about how a woman’s wit is better than a man’s when it comes to besting the lord of darkness, Harte takes his reader on a devilishly entertaining tour of England and its richly storied landscape.' – The Guardian; '[a] fascinating study . . . In Cloven Country, Harte sets out to discover why the “Devil” appears in so many of our place names, and so many of the accompanying tales and folklore. Along the way it becomes an invaluable guide to some of our more puzzling local oddities . . . It all makes for a highly evocative and original guide to our ever-fascinating, multilayered landscape, so full of shadowy mysteries and stories.' – Sunday Times; 'With so much folklore resting on oral tradition, in which old cycles of storytelling disappear with the breath used to speak them, to be lost beyond recall, it is heartening to have authorities like Jeremy Harte tethering them to the record with books like this. Especially when it makes for such a wickedly good read.' – Literary Review; 'Although [Harte] will retell a tale with a nimble and gleeful charm, he’ll then carefully examine them. Harte's skill as a writer makes this process seamless. It also renders what could be an academic and slightly dry exercise every bit as interesting as the narratives themselves. Come for the telling of folktales; stay for the workings of folklore. Cloven Country is testament to Harte's deep personal and learned knowledge of the folklore of England. He’s seemingly read everything and been everywhere – and given the book is illustrated from his collection, clearly also bought the postcard. His writing style is wry and frequently aphoristic. Harte is one of Britain's most eminent folklorists, whose previous works have included detailed accounts of gypsy folklore, holy wells and an award-winning book on fairy traditions. As Cloven Country is coming from a more recognised publisher, hopefully his work will now reach a wider audience. Purely on the basis of this erudite, witty and exceptionally entertaining book, it clearly deserves to.' – Ross MacFarlane, Fortean Times; 'This is my favourite book of the year so far. It is immaculately researched, superbly written and – like all Jeremy Harte’s work – genuinely breaks new ground in folklore studies. Only somebody with his breadth of knowledge, not only of the lore but of related fields of history, myth and literature, could have done as well.' – Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol, and author of Pagan Britain; 'Jeremy Harte has woven together a rich and wildly entertaining romp through the Devil-pocked English landscape. It is hard not to feel more than a little sympathy, given the amount of times the Devil seems to have been outwitted by all and sundry, but then he must be content in the knowledge that his efforts to disrupt have led to him being memorialised across the UK, in the form of dykes, tors, bridges, cauldrons and punchbowls.' – Simon Costin, director of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic and founder of the Museum of British Folklore; 'Engagingly written and with a fitting pinch of mischief, Cloven Country is both erudite and entertaining. Jeremy Harte is one of the country’s leading folklorists and behind his relish for telling tales lies a deep understanding of how devil legends formed in our landscape. Equally delightful to read in a comfy chair or out in the field searching for the many sites he explores.' – Owen Davies, Professor in History, University of Hertfordshire, and president of the Folklore Society; 'This is a damnably good book, thanks largely to Harte's wit and erudition and ability to take folk tales at more than face value, and tease out inferences that would be opaque in a less insightful writer's hands.' – John Billingsley, Northern Earth; 'Cloven Country is an extensive and well-rounded exploration of the image of the Devil as reflected in the English landscape and folklore record, penned in Harte's inimitable clever and witty style. Although rigorously academic, you always feel like you have sat down for a pint with Jeremy, probably in a pub named after one of the Devil's exploits, whilst being regaled with tales. Pull a chair up to the fire, get yourself a drink and a copy of Cloven Country . . . You will not be disappointed.' – Mark Norman, The Folklore Podcast"Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 His Work Undone: The Devil’s Ambitious Projects Fail 2 Down Tumbled the Stones: Landscapes Shaped by the Devil’s Hand 3 Have at Thee! Churches Shifted, Targeted and Raided by the Devil 4 There Stood the Stranger: Rash Deals and Binding Promises with the Devil 5 Off in a Sheet of Flame: Fighting the Devil and Escaping His Clutches 6 Neither Inside nor Outside: Raising the Devil and Laying Him Afterwards 7 Woman’s Wit Is Better than Man’s: Maidens and Mothers Beat the Devil 8 Amid the Shrieking of the Storm: The Devil Appears to Carry off Sinners 9 To Chase Forever: The Devil Is a Huntsman, and Souls Are His Prey References Bibliography Photo Acknowledgements Index
£10.44
John Blake Publishing Ltd The Holocaust Codes
Book Synopsis'Massive, groundbreaking new research that sheds more truth on the Holocaust.' - Helen FryNever told in detail before, this is the account of how, for four years, British and Allied codebreakers decrypted secret SS and Gestapo messages detailing the mass killings of the Holocaust, and how the Germans in turn deployed cryptanalysis to try to conceal their persecution of Europe's Jews. The compelling and fast-paced narrative is told from the perspectives of two central and opposing characters, who never meet.At Bletchley Park, there is the legendary but unsung British codebreaker Nigel de Grey, shy, determined, nicknamed 'the Dormouse' by his colleagues. In Nazi-occupied Poland, SS Major Hermann Höfle, a former taxi driver from Salzburg, and one of the Third Reich's ruthless bureaucrats of mass death, oversees the operations of five concentration camps, including Treblinka.De Grey fought hard to make sure the vital intelligen
£18.70
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Hitler Years ~ Disaster 1940 - 1945
Book SynopsisThe second volume of a new narrative history of the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, by an expert on the Third Reich. 'This book is like a time machine because McDonough writes so vividly' History of War 'McDonough writes clearly and readably with just enough detail on the huge canvas that he covers' Spectator 'A book of big themes, big ideas and world changing events […] a masterpiece' History of War Magazine At the beginning of 1940 Germany was at the pinnacle of its power. By May 1945 Hitler was dead and Germany had suffered a disastrous defeat. Hitler had failed to achieve his aim of making Germany a super power and had left her people to cope with the endless shame of the Holocaust. In The Hitler Years: Disaster 1940-1945, Professor Frank McDonough charts the dramatic change of fortune for the Third Reich, and challenges long-held accounts of the Holocaust and Germany's ultimate defeat. Despite Hitler's grand ambitions and the successful early stages of the Third Reich's advances into Europe, Frank McDonough argues that Germany was only ever a middle-ranking power and never truly stood a chance against the combined forces of the Allies.Trade ReviewThis book is like a time machine because McDonough writes so vividly [...] One minute you're dining in private with Churchill and Stalin, the next you're watching the Wehrmacht advance and retreat in the east * History of War Magazine *An impressive tome, beautifully presented with a body of illustrations... McDonough's narrative rattles along, constantly engaging and enlightening and thankfully free from turgid academic jargon... Rarely has the odious story of the Third Reich been so elegantly presented' * History Today *I have read many books on the period and Frank McDonough's ranks above them all. Bravo -- Danny BakerMcDonough is not content with repeating age-old arguments but seeks to challenge mainstream historiography, bringing into question the real role Hitler played in Nazi Germany * Aspects of History *McDonough writes clearly and readably with just enough detail on the huge canvas that he covers * Spectator *An amazing achievement... If you are going to read one book over the Christmas period or early next year then read this -- Paul Ross, talkRadio
£11.40
Octopus Publishing Group When the Sea Came Alive
Book SynopsisA landmark new account of the single most important day of WW2, in the words of the people who lived it.
£12.34
Four Courts Press Ltd The Cork Street Fever Hospital and typhus epidemics in preFamine Dublin
£11.95
Penguin Books Ltd The Damascus Events
Book SynopsisThis remarkable book recreates one of the watershed moments in the history of the Middle East: the ferocious outbreaks of disorder across the Levant in 1860 which resulted in the massacre of thousands of Christians in Damascus. Eugene Rogan brilliantly recreates the lost world of the Middle East under Ottoman rule. The once mighty empire was under pressure from global economic change and European imperial expansion. Reforms in the mid-nineteenth century raised tensions across the empire, nowhere more so than in Damascus. A multifarious city linked by caravan trade to Baghdad, the Mediterranean and Mecca, the chaos of languages, customs and beliefs made Damascus a warily tolerant place. Until the reforms began to advantage the minority Christian community at the expense of the Muslim majority. But in 1860 people who had generally lived side by side for generations became bitter enemies as news of civil war in Mount Lebanon arrived in the city. Under the threat of a French expeditionary force, the Ottomans dealt with the disaster effectively and ruthlessly - but the old, generally quite tolerant Damascene world lay in ruins. It would take a quarter of a century to restore stability and prosperity to the Syrian capital. This is both an essential book for understanding the emergence of the modern Middle East from the destruction of the old Ottoman world, and a uniquely gripping story.
£11.69
Archaeopress Everyday Life in the Ice Age: A New Study of Our
Book SynopsisEveryday Life in the Ice Age is the first attempt to present a truly complete, balanced and realistic picture of life during the last Ice Age, with its many problems and challenges, while dispelling many of the myths and inaccuracies about our early ancestors. One of the most common questions asked by visitors to Europe’s decorated caves is ‘What was life like for these people?’ No previous book has ever managed to answer this question, and most studies of the period are aimed entirely at academics, tending to focus on tool-types rather than what the tools were used for. Women and children are almost invisible in these studies. The book examines all aspects of the lives of biologically modern humans in Europe from about 40,000 to 12,000 years ago, the period known as the Last Ice Age, a time of radical change in climate and environment. It explores how people were able to cope with and adapt to the often rapid alterations in their circumstances. Elle Clifford’s background in Social Psychology brings important insights into aspects of the past which are never normally discussed – domestic and family life, pregnancy and child-rearing, and care of the sick and elderly. The book is aimed not only at students and specialists, but also and especially the interested public, for whom the most interesting questions are: How were they like us? and what behaviours do we share?Trade Review'As an Upper Palaeolithic specialist, I’m delighted that Clifford and Bahn have done such justice to our distant ancestors. I hope the book will go far to convince amateurs and specialists alike that if we are to use such general terms as ‘civilisation’, it is in desperate need of backdating several tens of thousands of years. Better still, just ignore the term, sit back, and enjoy this jauntily written, up-to-date excursion around Ice Age Europe. It’s a terrific resource for students and an unparalleled introduction to the achievements of our Ice Age ancestors. When you’re done, you can even cook the Ice Age recipe that Clifford and Bahn include. I won’t spoil the surprise, but get your plaquette heated up ready.' – Paul Pettitt (2022): Current World Archaeology 'In this witty, richly illustrated look at European ice-age life — the first of its kind in English — social psychologist Elle Clifford and archaeologist Paul Bahn try to decipher tool use... to supplement archaeological evidence, the authors use data from hunter-gatherers and knowledge of basic human behaviour, animals and plants.' - Andrew Robinson: Nature'There’s a lot to like about this book, a sort of grown-up version of Lessons From Our Ancestors, focusing on Ice Age Europe. With a preface by Lucy-discoverer Don Johanson (no less), many colour illustrations, a large bibliography and the joint experiences of the authors’ long engagement with their subject – academically and on the ground – it conveys authority. At the same time, it successfully addresses readers for whom everything is new, in clear prose and with nearly as many boxes as pages of main text. And it delivers what it says on the cover.' – Mike Pitts (2023): British Archaeology May/June 2023Table of ContentsPreface – Don Johanson ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Introducing the People: Appearance, Abilities and Disabilities ; Chapter 2: Setting the Scene: Ice Age Environments and Home Comforts ; Chapter 3: Our Crafty Ancestors ; Chapter 4: How to Make a Living: Survival and Subsistence ; Chapter 5: Ice Age People: From Womb to Tomb ; Chapter 6: Keeping in Touch: Communication, Social Life and Organization ; Conclusion ; Case Study: El Mirón and Covalanas ; Appendix: The Fake ‘Venus’ of Abri Pataud ; References ; Figure credits ; Index
£23.74
John Hunt Pantheon The Greeks
£13.29
Vallentine Mitchell Nazi Anatomy Lessons
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£19.00
The History Press Ltd INK
£18.70
The History Press Ltd Tales from the Tower of London
Book SynopsisTales from the Tower of London
£13.49
Helion & Company The Gaelic World at War
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.25
Helion & Company Home and Away
£21.25
Emerald Publishing Limited History
Book SynopsisHistory has been a source of cultural fascination since ancient times, however little attention has been paid to its potential as a positive force for health and wellbeing, at least until now. Presenting the benefits of historical engagement, and practical tips for making the most of it, Anna Greenwood considers the power this discipline has to spur better health outcomes. A ground-breaking work for history buffs and healthcare providers alike, this new instalment in the Arts for Health series by one of the leading scholars in modern health history advocates for history’s ability to deepen sympathies, broaden imaginations, and create community beyond the customary restrictions of time and geography.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Why History? And why history for health? Chapter 2. Reading, writing, relating, collecting: the health benefits of doing history Chapter 3. Lobbying, testifying, advising: history as a civic health resource Chapter 4. Touching, visiting, digging: participatory history for health Chapter 5. The challenges and opportunities of successful engagement with history Chapter 6. Conclusions, useful links, and further reading
£13.49
