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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestseller (May 2023) - the incredible story of courage, resilience and survival. 'I am a survivor. That comes with a survivor's obligation to represent one and half million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis. They cannot speak. So I must speak on their behalf.' Tova Friedman was one of the youngest people to emerge from Auschwitz. After surviving the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Central Poland where she lived as a toddler, Tova was four when she and her parents were sent to a Nazi labour camp, and almost six when she and her mother were forced into a packed cattle truck and sent to Auschwitz II, also known as the Birkenau extermination camp, while her father was transported to Dachau. During six months of incarceration in Birkenau, Tova witnessed atrocities that she could never forget, and experienced numerous escapes from death. She is one of a handful of Jews to have entered a gas chamber and lived to tell the tale. As Nazi killing squads roamed Birkenau before abandoning the camp in January 1945, Tova and her mother hid among corpses. After being liberated by the Russians they made their way back to their hometown in Poland. Eventually Tova's father tracked them down and the family was reunited.In The Daughter of Auschwitz, Tova immortalizes what she saw, to keep the story of the Holocaust alive, at a time when it's in danger of fading from memory. She has used those memories that have shaped her life to honour the victims. Written with award-winning former war reporter Malcolm Brabant, this is an extremely important book. Brabant's meticulous research has helped Tova recall her experiences in searing detail. Together they have painstakingly recreated Tova's extraordinary story about the world's worst ever crime.(P) 2022 Quercus Editions LimitedTrade ReviewEvery so often a book arrives that demands to be read. This is such a book. It should be compulsory reading for those who know little of one of humanity's greatest crimes and the awe-inspiring bravery of those like Tova Friedman who survived to tell their story. But also for those who think of the Holocaust as ancient history. It is not. It is an eternal reminder that evil needs only ignorance to flourish. That is the true value of this remarkable book * John Humphrys *Tova Friedman's vividly written and compelling story serves as proof that after suffering unimaginable cruelty and trauma, it is still possible to forge a life. This unforgettable book not only ensures we remember the horrors of the Holocaust, but can see the dangers of anti-semitism and other forms of racism today * Lindsey Hilsum *An unforgettable and deeply moving story. Malcolm Brabant brilliantly evokes the world of the ghetto and of Auschwitz through the eyes of Tova Friedman, a small child who survived the brutality of the Holocaust * Jeremy Bowen *I read this book with gratitude and urgency. Gratitude for the courage Tova Friedman has shown in deciding to share her story. We are all the beneficiaries of such powerful witness. The urgency comes from the knowledge that as time marches on such vivid voices are becoming increasingly rare. Read this book, cherish the lessons. It is a book rooted in the terrible events of another time, but the truths it reveals are eternal * Fergal Keane *Tova Friedman is telling her story for a reason, and that's clear in every page. It is a surprising and moving book which makes you furious, and I suspect that's what she wants -- Krishnan Guru-Murthy * Channel 4 News *[A] harrowing and lyrical memoir * Sunday Independent *An absolutely riveting book - please read it -- Judy Woodruff * PBS Newshour *A truly remarkable book -- Christine Lampard * Lorraine *Heart-breaking and powerful reading * History Revealed *In this vivid account, [Tova's] harrowing memories are brought to life with meticulous research from war reporter Malcolm Brabant. This result is a poignant, extraordinarily powerful book * Woman's Own *The combination [of authors] ... has turned into gold, as Brabant unerringly provides accurate research to support Friedman's callow memories. This is the real thing, the horrors of the Holocaust brought shudderingly to life, and all from the point of view of a small child who could barely read or recognise numbers. * Jewish Chronicle *Friedman is unflinching in choosing to reveal the trauma of her childhood and enlist the reader in her struggle to ensure that it can never be forgotten, and in the hope that it will never happen again. * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisKnown by the Greeks as 'Megalonisos', the 'Great Island', Crete has been of paramount strategic importance for thousands of years thanks to its location close to the junction of three continents and the heart of the eastern Mediterranean. The island has been ruled for much of its history by foreign invaders - Mycenaeans, Dorians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Ottoman Turks and, briefly, the Third Reich - and thus much of its past has revolved around how the Cretans themselves, fierce lovers of freedom, have interacted with their conquerors and the influence of foreign rule on their culture. Two periods at either end of these three thousand years of domination form an intriguing contrast: the dazzling apogee of the Minoan civilisation and the brief period of autonomy before union with Greece at the beginning of the twentieth century. Moorey has written an engaging and lively account of Crete from the Stone Age to the present day.Trade Review"...a fascinating journey through Cretan history, from its mythological past to its tourist-crowded present" - Mick Reed, Historian; 'Splendid stuff!' - Richard Lofthouse, Oxford University Quad MagazineTable of ContentsKnown by the Greeks as 'Megalonisos' - the 'Great Island' - Crete has been of paramount strategic importance for thousands of years thanks to its location close to the junction of three continents and the heart of the eastern Mediterranean. The island has been ruled for much of its history by foreign invaders - Mycenaeans, Dorians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Ottoman Turks and, briefly, the Third Reich - and thus much of its past has revolved around how the Cretans themselves, fierce lovers of freedom, have interacted with their conquerors and the influence of foreign rule on their culture. Two periods at either end of these three thousand years of domination form an intriguing contrast: the dazzling apogee of the Minoan civilisation and the brief period of autonomy before union with Greeceat the beginning of the twentieth century.

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Book Synopsis2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime“A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” (The Boston Globe)—the definitive story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre, the largest murder-suicide in American history, by the New York Times bestselling author of Manson.In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness. In this riveting narrative, Jeff Guinn examines Jones’s life, from his early days as an idealistic minister to a secret life of extramarital affairs, drug use, and fraudulent faith healing, before the fateful decision to move almost a thousand of his followers to a settlement in the jungles of Guyana in South America. Guinn provides stunning new details of the events leading to the fatal day in November, 1978 when more than nine hundred people died—including almost three hundred infants and children—after being ordered to swallow a cyanide-laced drink. Guinn examined thousands of pages of FBI files on the case, including material released during the course of his research. He traveled to Jones’s Indiana hometown, where he spoke to people never previously interviewed, and uncovered fresh information from Jonestown survivors. He even visited the Jonestown site with the same pilot who flew there the day that Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered on Jones’s orders. The Road to Jonestown is “the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it…The result is a disturbing portrait of evil—and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’s malign charisma” (San Francisco Chronicle).Trade Review“I have to say that it is weird to find out the background of things that I grew up hearing about around the dinner table. The level of research and detail in The Road to Jonestown is the best ever, and really lets readers understand not only what happened, but how and why. This book tells the Jim Jones story better than anything I have read to date.” -- Jim Jones, Jr.“Jeff Guinn offers what might be the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it. . . . The result is a disturbing portrait of evil — and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’ malign charisma.” -- Kevin Canfield * The San Francisco Chronicle *"A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey. . . . Generates a bizarre — dare I say Manson-like? — magnetic force that pulls the reader through its many pages. Noir thriller morphs into horror story." -- Dan Cryer * The Boston Globe *"Magisterial. . . . Guinn's exhaustive research, shrewd analysis, and engaging prose illuminate a monstrous yet tragic figure--and the motives of those who lost their souls to him." * Publishers Weekly *"A vivid, fascinating revisitation of a time and series of episodes fast receding into history even as their forgotten survivors still walk among us." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A powerful account of Jones's life. . . . Guinn's blow-by-blow account of Jonestown's final days in the book's last chapters is riveting." * BookPage *

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Book SynopsisThe Italian Renaissance marked a period of political and military turmoil. Many regional wars were fought between the states ruled by Milan, Venice, Genoa, Florence, the Papacy, Siena and Naples. For more than 50 years starting in 1494, major foreign powers also exploited these divisions to invade Italy; both France and Spain made temporary alliances with city states to further their ambitions, and early in the 16th century the Emperor Charles V sent armies from his German realms to support the Spanish.These wars coincided with the growth of disciplined infantry carrying not only polearms and crossbows but also handguns which proved capable of challenging the previously dominant armoured knights. The widespread use of mercenaries ushered in the early development of the ''pike and shot'' era that succeeded the ''High Middle Ages''. During this period costumes, armour and weapons varied greatly due to their national origins and to the evolution of tactics and technology.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Italian States The Armies: Duchy of Milan Republic of Venice Republic of Florence The Papal States Kingdom of Naples France Spain Holy Roman Empire Select Bibliography Plate Commentaries Index

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Book SynopsisEnter The Madman's Gallery - the perfect gift book for any art lover. Discover an eccentric exploration through the curious history of art, to find the strangest paintings, sculptures, drawings and other artistic oddities ever made. From the author of the bestseller The Madman’s Library (SundayTimes Literature Book of the Year 2020, Radio 4 Book of the Week) comes an extraordinary new illustrated collection. This unique exhibition gathers more than a hundred magnificent works, each chosen for their striking beauty, weirdness and captivating story behind their creation. Obscure and forgotten treasures sit alongside famous masterpieces with secret stories to tell. Here are Doom paintings, screaming sculptures, magical manuscripts, impossible architecture, dog-headed saints, angel musketeers and the first portrait of a cannibal. Stolen art, outsider art, ghost art, revenge art, and art Trade Review‘I love this book. Beautifully illustrated, it's a superb cabinet of art curiosities, featuring the true stories of muses and masterpieces, uncovering what artists have really been inspired by, across history and cultures. A coffee table book that you'll actually want to read.' -- Ruth Millington, author of Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History’s Masterpieces‘Welcome to this cabinet of artistic curiosities. Brooke-Hitching has done a marvellous service in highlighting the weird in art history. Too often, Surrealism aside, we fail to embrace the bizarre, feeling it is insufficiently "important" or "serious". Finally there is a book that beautifully embraces this subset of art history with lavish illustrations and thoughtful text about just this. Lay back, pour yourself a teacup full of string, and dive into this brain-tingling collection. The perfect gift for all lovers of the bizarre and the visually arresting.’ -- Dr Noah Charney, author of The Museum of Lost Art'The Madman’s Gallery reminds us that for the first 40,000 years of its existence art was a verb - something that does something. Protects you from demons and plagues, assists in childbirth, casting spells, summoning ghosts, standing over tombs, communing with ancestors, making the crops grow, safeguarding armies, and conjuring God.’ -- Jerry Saltz, Senior Art Critic New York Magazine'Don't miss the extraordinary new illustrated collection from Edward Brooke-Hitching. The Madman's Gallery draws on a depth of research and images to form a book that surprises at every turn.' * Artists & Illustrators *'Brooke-Hitching has the true eye and instinct for the unusual and unexpected that is possessed by only the most dedicated and assiduous connoisseur and collector. I hope this cabinet of artistic curiosities becomes a bestselling book. A handsome volume that deserves to sell like hot cakes.' -- Robert Cumming, author of 'Art: A Visual History'‘…a feast of artistic curiosities’ * The Telegraph *‘A gallery of the gory, the gruesome, the saucy, images familiar and strange.’ * Saga Magazine *‘Following on from books highlighting eccentric offerings from the fields of literature and cartography, Edward Brooke-Hitching sets off in search of similarly outré gems from visual art.’ * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisTartan is one of the most enduring symbols of Scottish pride, in a fascinating history and directory, updated for this new edition.

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Book SynopsisThe long-awaited prequel to Elizabeth Chadwick''s bestselling and beloved first novel The Wild Hunt''Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel you know you are in for a sumptuous ride''Daily TelegraphThe Welsh Borders, 1069 When Ashdyke Manor is attacked, Lady Christen is forced to witness her husband''s murder and the pillaging of her lands at the hands of brutal Norman invaders. It seems the pain is finally over when Miles Le Gallois, Lord of Milnham-on-Wye, calls off the attack. But he has Christen''s brother under armed guard and a deal to offer: her brother''s freedom for her hand in marriage. Christen finds herself hastily married into the enemy side, with her brother swearing his vengeance on her new husband. Miles and Christen''s precarious union invites enemies from all sides and when Miles is summoned for a lengthy campaign by the King, Christen is left to watch hi

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Book SynopsisHighly detailed and colourful, this account illustrates the struggle of Indonesian forces in their War of Independence against the Netherlands, following the surrender of occupying Japanese forces in 1945.Following on from MAA 521 Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 193642 and completing the coverage of the post-World War II wars of decolonization, The DutchIndonesian War 194549 describes the Japanese surrender in September 1945 which left a power vacuum in the colonial Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Using vivid colour illustrations and rare photos, this title depicts the various forces involved in the struggle for Indonesia: the British Indian Army troops sent to key areas to disarm Japanese garrisons, the Indonesian nationalists who immediately proclaimed an independent Republic, remaining Japanese troops, and the Dutch forces which arrived in 1946.The wide dispersion of populations, and their ethnic, religious and political differenceTrade ReviewRecommended for anyone interested in the complex history of decolonisation and the oft overlooked history of the Dutch military. * Military Modelcraft International *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION Summary – Chronology – Revolution FOREIGN FORCES, 1945–46 Japanese army of occupation – Police and auxiliary forces – After capitulation British Indian Army DUTCH RECOLONIZATION Political strategy – Civil administration – Police INDONESIAN FORCES Successive reorganizations – Divided character – Equipment and training – Strength – Air Force and Navy – TNI order of battle, June 1947 – Laskar non-state armed groups DUTCH FORCES Organization – Formations – Strengths Koninklijk Netherlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL): Organization – Composition – Militaire Luchtvaart (ML- KNIL) Koninklijke Landmacht (KL): Composition – Battalion organization – Equipment – Militaire Luchtvaart (ML) Koninklijke Marine (KM): Marine Brigade – Marine Luchtvaart Afdeling (MLD) THE COURSE OF THE WAR Dutch strategy – The Bersiap, 1945 – Battle for the cities, 1945–46 – Outer Regions, 1945–46 – The enclaves and ceasefire, 1946–47 Operation ‘Product’, 1947 – Dutch order of battle, July 1947 – TNI evacuations – Pacification, 1947–48 Operation ‘Crow’, 1948–49 – Guerrilla warfare, 1948–49 – The end, 1949–50 FURTHER READING PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate visual guide to Samurai history and culture! The Samurai are continuously celebrated as the greatest warriors the world has ever seen. They ruled Japan for centuries, finally uniting the nation after a prolonged period of brutal war and bloodshed. Though famed for their loyalty, honor, and chivalry, they could also be treacherous, bloodthirsty, and merciless.This book tells the story of their rise and eventual demise through carefully curated images, both historical and contemporary, with an engaging and authoritative text by Gavin Blair—a noted commentator on all things Japanese. It exposes the myths surrounding the Samurai and reveals their many secrets, while examining their enduring influence on global culture in anime, manga, books, and video games. Gorgeously illustrated with color prints, paintings, and photos throughout, this book features detailed chapters on: The rise of the Japanese warrior class and how they established their grip on political power Rival clans, legendary Samurai, the unification of warlord states, and famous female Samurai Samurai "tools of the trade"—swords, bows, spears, guns, castles, and armor The cult of Bushido, the fabled warrior's code The transformation of Samurai into cultured "gentlemen" warriors, poets, and aristocrats Their legacy in modern world literature, media, film, and popular culture And so much more! A foreword by leading Samurai historian Alexander Bennett, the celebrated translator of works such as The Complete Musashi and Hagakure, introduces readers to these fascinating warriors, who continue to captivate modern audiences.Trade Review"The book presents a fascinating account of the historical role of the samurai in the military, political and social development of Japan; of their unique status in Japanese cinema, TV and other media; and of the enduring effects of their legacy on contemporary Japanese life." -- Acumen, the magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan"The major draw of the book is the colorful visuals that bring the text to life. Containing over 250 paintings, photos and illustrations, the book widens its potential audience to include young children and people who are not strong readers, as well as tapping into the interests of those who are drawn to samurai history and culture through visual media such as anime or gaming." --The Japan Times

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Book SynopsisOfficially endorsed by the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this sumptuous book is the fifth title in a decade-by-decade series that is building up into a multi-volume set covering every race since 1923. Each year is exhaustively covered in vivid photographs, a detailed and insightful commentary, full results data and a glorious rendering of the official race poster, the whole work providing coverage that far exceeds any previous books in quality, depth and authority. Compiled by an acknowledgedexpert on this legendary race, this series of books is treasured by all enthusiasts of sports car racing.- Highly detailed year-by-year coverage of the decade''s ten races, giving over 32 pages of information and photographs for each year.- Official status provides a number of unique features, including the reproduction of the full-color race poster artwork for each year and photographs from the ACO''s archives.- The images are entirely in c

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Book SynopsisWhat is a shogun? Who were the samurai and what is the warrior code? What lies behind the Japanese work ethic? From the ancient tea ceremony to the boom and subsequent downturn of its economic prosperity, this uniquely concise introduction to Japan and its history surveys nearly 10,000 years of society, culture, economics and politics. Balancing economic and political information with new insights into the twin spheres of art and religion, Mikiso Hane offers authoritative coverage of all aspects of Japanese life. With a particular focus on the key events of the last 200 years, the author also pays special attention to the changing conditions of those whose history has been so frequently neglected - the women, the peasants, and the lowest order of untouchables. Well-rounded and enlightening, this informative account of Japan and its people will be greatly appreciated by historians, students and all those with an interest in this diverse and enigmatic country.

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Book SynopsisNew and Updated EditionWho owns Scotland? How did they get it? What happened to all the common land in Scotland? Has the Scottish Parliament made any difference? Can we get our common good land back? In this book, Andy Wightman updates the statistics of landownership in Scotland and explores how and why landowners got their hands on the millions of acres of land that were once held in common.He tells the untold story of how Scotland''s legal establishment and politicians managed to appropriate land through legal fixes. Have attempts to redistribute this power more equitably made any difference, and what are the full implications of the recent debt-fuelled housing bubble, the Smith Commission and the new Scottish Government''s proposals on land reform? For all those with an interest in urban and rural land in Scotland, this updated edition of The Poor Had No Lawyers provides a fascinating analysis of one the most important political questions in Scotland.

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Book SynopsisSex, intrigue and adultery in the world of high politics and huge wealth in late eighteenth-century England.Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was one of the most flamboyant and influential women of the eighteenth century. The great-great-great-great aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, she was variously a compulsive gambler, a political savante and operator of the highest order, a drug addict, an adulteress and the darling of the common people.This authoritative, utterly absorbing book presents a mesmerizing picture of a fascinating world of political and sexual intrigues, grand houses, huge parties, glamour and great wealth always on the edge of being squandered by the excesses and scandals of individuals.Trade Review‘Mesmerizing’Antonia Fraser, Literary Review ‘Well-written, extensively researched and highly readable… Gripping’Stella Tillyard, Mail on Sunday ‘An outstanding debut by a young biographer fully in control of her sources, and with an easy and elegant writing style’Roy Strong, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHILLARY RODHAM CLINTON''S INSIDE ACCOUNT OF THE CRISES, CHOICES AND CHALLENGES SHE FACED DURING HER FOUR YEARS AS AMERICA''S 67THSECRETARY OF STATE, AND HOW THOSE EXPERIENCES DRIVE HER VIEW OF THE FUTURE, INCLUDING A NEW EPILOGUE. ''All of us face hard choices in our lives,'' Hillary Rodham Clinton writes at the start of this personal chronicle of years at the centre of world events. ''Life is about making such choices. Our choices and how we handle them shape the people we become.'' In the aftermath of her 2008 presidential run, she expected to return to representing New York in the Unites States Senate. To her surprise, her formal rival for the Democratic Party nomination, newly elected President Barack Obama, asked her to serve in his administration as Secretary of State. This memoir is the story of the four extraordinary and historic years that followed, and the hard choices that she and her colleagues confronted. Secretary Clinton and President Obama had

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Book SynopsisCollective Winner of the 2019 Highland Book Prize Under the ravishing light of an Alaskan sky, objects are spilling from the thawing tundra linking a Yup'ik village to its hunter-gatherer past. In the shifting sand dunes of a Scottish shoreline, impressively preserved hearths and homes of Neolithic farmers are uncovered. In a grandmother's disordered mind, memories surface of a long-ago mining accident and a 'mither who was kind'. For this luminous new essay collection, acclaimed author Kathleen Jamie visits archaeological sites and mines her own memories - of her grandparents, of youthful travels - to explore what surfaces and what reconnects us to our past. As always she looks to the natural world for her markers and guides. Most movingly, she considers, as her father dies, and her children leave home, the surfacing of an older, less tethered sense of herself. Surfacing offers a profound sense of time passing and an antidote to all that is instant, ephemeral, unrooted.Trade ReviewNature in Jamie's writing is immediate, domestic and, well, natural... a book whose impact is accretive and, eventually, astonishing. -- Alex Preston * Observer *Notes detailing chance encounters, fleeting relationships and a shared pull towards a specific world, (are) deepened with autobiographical anecdote, then shaken up with a vivid and urgent present-tense noticing that electrifies her connections and surroundings. It is as if Jamie, wherever she goes, functions as a lightning rod, drawing past, present and future together * New Statesman *Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie really stood out -- Sinéad Gleeson * Irish Times, Books of the Year 2019 *"A beautifully produced essay collection that spirals back through interests and themes traced over the past 40 years of Jamie's career, as well as forwards into an unknown future... To read a Jamie essay is to be given a fresh lens through which to view the world -- Amanda Bell * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. Ancient Rome began as a village of humble dwellings on the Palatine and grew to be one of the mightiest and most successful empires of human history, before collapsing in the West under invasions of barbarian nations attracted by Rome's wealth and land, over a thousand years later. The legacy of Rome continues in the languages of modern Europe, in the calendar and the alphabet we use, and in the religion called Christianity which remains the dominant faith throughout the Western world. In this book you'll find thrilling stories of the legendary founding of Rome, its conquest of Italy and its victory over the Carthaginians, the rise of the Republic and the Empire, the recruitment and training of men for the legions, how the city's aqueducts worked, the destruction of Rome in the Great Fire, and the extraordinary lives of the most famous Caesars. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders.

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Book SynopsisFrom the first shots fired at Fort Sumter in 1861 to the final clashes on the Road to Appomattox in 1864, The Atlas of the Civil War reconstructs the battles of America's bloodiest war with unparalleled clarity and precision. Edited by Pulitzer Prize recipient James M. McPherson and written by America's leading military historians, this peerless reference charts the major campaigns and skirmishes of the Civil War. Each battle is meticulously plotted on one of 200 specially commissioned full-color maps. Timelines provide detailed, play-by-play maneuvers, and the accompanying text highlights the strategic aims and tactical considerations of the men in charge. Each of the battle, communications, and locator maps are cross-referenced to provide a comprehensive overview of the fighting as it swept across the country. With more than two hundred photographs and countless personal accounts that vividly describe the experiences of soldiers in the fields, The Atlas of the Civil War brings to life the human drama that pitted state against state and brother against brother.

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Book SynopsisArguably two of the finest fighters built during the course of World War II, the Me 262 and P-51 Mustang heralded new dawns in aircraft performance. Making its operational debut in the summer of 1944, and powered by the Jumo 004 jet engine, the Me 262 outclassed Allied planes in terms of speed and firepower ratio, offering a formidable punch with four 30 mm MK 108 nose-mounted cannons. However, in the P-51, fitted with the Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin engine and drop tanks, the USAAF finally had a fighter that had the legs' to escort its heavy bombers deep into Reich airspace and back. If flown to its strengths, the P-51 was more than capable of taking on the feared Me 262 on an equal footing, despite the differences in power and top speed. Indeed, the Mustang proved to be the Luftwaffe fighter arm's nemesis. When the P-51D sortied over Germany from the summer of 1944 onwards, it shredded through the ill-trained and depleted Gruppen of the Luftwaffe's defence wings.This bTable of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications/ The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Further Reading /Index

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Book SynopsisFrom bestselling author, racer and stunt driver Ben Collins - the man who was The Stig - comes a story of spies, speed and hard-driving genius: a driver's love letter to one of the world's best-loved machines.Aston Martin's first, wickedly fast models were forged at a time when Ferrari's premises at Maranello was nothing but a ploughed field. This book celebrates a century of innovators who kept the fire burning brightly for over a century, from the visionary pioneers Martin and Bamford to modern-day design guru Adrian Newey; from a glamorous web of pre- and post-war spies and racing drivers, to David Brown and the achingly beautiful DB models beloved of Bonds past and present.Ben Collins explores the car with the double-o prefix from a unique perspective behind the wheel, carving through country lanes in his father's V8 Vantage, driving Aston Martins in four James Bond movies and competing against them in the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race.Ultimately, this is a very British success story: of a triumph of engineering that has burned brightly from the Roaring 20s to the 2020s, and an iconic car that never says die.Trade ReviewThis pacy history of a legendary brand is a love letter to an era of gears and gasoline now accelerating towards its twilight * Financial Times *A must-read for any Aston Martin aficionado * Aston Martin newsletter *The 100-year story of the fast and fabulous motors in this super book, in which [Ben] also reveals his own first-hand experiences with the greatest of Britain's iconic cars * Weekend Sport *This bold novelisation could have turned out neither fish nor fowl, but instead has invented a new style of motoring book * Octane *A great read, covering the marque chronologically, from its creator's early days right up to the latest models. It's the story of a brand that refuses to die, despite the challenges it's faced over more than a century * Auto Express *This personal connection, delivered via Collins's own insight and light-hearted tone, helps Aston Martin: Made in Britain in its mission to stand apart from its competitors * Auto Sport magazine *Ben ('The Stig') Collins, racer and Bond stunt driver, is behind the wheel as we belt through a century of innovation from the pioneering 1920s to the David Brown model loved by 007 * Saga Magazine *Ben brilliantly writes about the roaring '20s to the present, enlightens us about the charismatic character of the marque and shares a multitude of interesting and humorous facts * Aston Martin magazine *[The perfect gift] for the petrolhead in your life * The Scotman *[Told] with a genuine affection ... a glorious tale of British seat-of-the-pants invention * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis‘A gripping account. Essential reading to understand the roots of the 2011 Arab Spring and the conflicts that have devastated so much of the region' EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Arabs: A History ______________________________________________ President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who ruled Egypt for eighteen years from the coup d'etat of 1952, is best known in the West for wresting the Suez Canal from the British and French empires. He was a larger-than-life figure, loved by his followers for his nationalist ideals and for heralding a period of social change and modernisation. Yet there is a darker side to Nasser’s regime.We Are Your Soldiers examines Nasser’s influence on the politics of seven countries – Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, and Libya. Rowell argues that Nasser played a crucial role in the formation of authoritarian regimes as varied as Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, Muam

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Book SynopsisIs Santa Claus really a magic mushroom in disguise? In this timely and definitive study, Andy Letcher strips away the myths to get at the true story of how hallucinogenic mushrooms, once shunned in the West as the most pernicious of poisons, came to be the illicit drug of choice.Trade Review"'Elegant and authoritative.' Independent on Sunday"

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing 2017 Journeying around the globe, through past and present, Emma Tarlo unravels the intriguing story of human hair and what it tells us about ourselves and society. When it’s not attached to your head, your very own hair takes on a disconcerting quality. Suddenly, it is strange. And yet hair finds its way into all manner of unexpected places, far from our heads, including cosmetics, clothes, ropes, personal and public collections, and even food. Whether treated as waste or as gift, relic, sacred offering or product in a billion-dollar industry for wigs and hair extensions, hair has many stories to tell. Collected from Hindu temples and Buddhist nunneries and salvaged by the strand from waste heaps and the combs of long-haired women, hair flows into the industry from many sources. Entering this strange world, Emma Tarlo tracks hair’s movement across India, Myanmar, China, Africa, the United States, Britain and Europe, meeting people whose livelihoods depend on this singular commodity. Whether its journey ends in an Afro hair fair, a Jewish wig parlour, fashion salon or hair loss clinic, hair is oddly revealing of the lives it touches.Trade Review‘Tarlo is excellent at elucidating the vanity, money, pain and revulsion that unattached hair can represent. Think you know hair? You’ll never see it in the same way again.’ * Independent *‘If you’re curious about your roots, you’ll enjoy exploring UK anthropology professor Emma Tarlo’s Entanglement a brilliant, comprehensive Baedeker to the billion dollar global hair trade.’ * Elle *‘By turns surprising, unsettling and disturbing but never anything less than absorbing…weaving in history, politics and science in an interlocking, mesmerising narrative that seems wholly appropriate to the subject’. * Literary Review *‘Brilliant...Entanglement tracks its subject doggedly through an almost infinite number of twists and turns.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘Entanglement is dense with colourful characters and startling, unexpected information, which makes it both exhausting and delightful. Tarlo brings a lovely open-mindedness and a deadpan sense of humour to her writing.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘Tarlo uses an ethnographer’s eye to analyse the religious, social, cultural and commercial forces that drive the industry. Yet her book reads like a travelogue as we follow her through the temple towns of India, the hair factories of China, the sorting sheds of Myanmar and the salons of Europe and Britain… By employing an anecdotal yet vigorously researched approach, Tarlo succeeds in untangling a knotty topic while keeping the reader engaged through 400-plus pages. The result is a fascinating and authoritative work.’ * John Zubrzycki, The Australian *‘Interesting – and, at times strange’. * Times *'Clever, idiosyncratic…lively…full of amusing, “fancy that” information and arresting observations…what a rich subject Tarlo has chosen for her book’. * New Statesman *‘Wonderful…it’s not often a book gives you new eyes for your everyday world’. * The Oldie *‘I had no idea that a non-fiction book about hair could be quite so fascinating’. * The Pool *‘The questions she examines and the “secret lives of hair” that she exposes are fascinating… An engrossing investigation.’ * Library Journal, starred review *‘This is a book about the only crop we routinely harvest from our own bodies – hair. From that disconnection come amazing tales: histories of paupers and pedlars in Europe, vast global trades in wigs, poignant stories of chemotherapy and memorialisation...Tarlo has done an extraordinary job of reattaching hair to humanity.’ -- Daniel Miller, professor of anthropology, University College London, and author of Stuff and The Comfort of Things‘I will never think about hair the same way after reading Emma Tarlo’s brilliant, fascinating book!’ -- Valerie Steele, author of The Corset: A Cultural History, and director and chief curator, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology‘A timely book that takes a fascinating journey through the business practices and politics of hair, and the questionable relationship between hair dealers, middle-men and the consumer.’ -- Professor Caroline Cox, author of How to be Adored‘Written in conversational prose with historical images, little-known facts, and an absorbing narrative woven throughout, this is a lively read that explores the fashion, industry, and history of hair, while untangling our own often-complicated relationship with this natural accessory. In an informative and often whimsical voice, Tarlo personalizes her research with vignettes about her own fascination with hair. From eccentric wig makers in China to hair hunters in India and customers in Europe, Tarlo takes us on an eye-opening journey that will make us wonder if our own hair doesn’t have a secret life of its own.’ * Booklist *‘In Entanglement Tarlo opens up a whole secret world of human hair, its diverse social meanings across cultures and the robust trade of it that has carried on for centuries across the world. She weaves in historical details that address issues of religion, symbolism, fashion and economy, and presents ethnographic encounters with a range of characters from Dakkar to Wenzhou, Chennai to New York – millionaire wig dealers, impoverished villagers sorting comb waste, temple officials and fashionable women – who all perform an important role in this ubiquitous but unseen trade. This book is for everybody who is curious about how a single object can become a sought after commodity around the globe. Entanglement is beautifully written and while based on rigorous academic research it eschews jargon and makes the fascinating story of hair the centrepiece of the narrative. A most rewarding and edifying read.’ -- Mukulika Banerjee, anthropologist, London School of Economics and Political Science

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Book Synopsis* TOLKIEN * Now a major motion pictureAcclaimed as the best book about Tolkien', this award-winning biography explores J.R.R. Tolkien's wartime experiences and their impact on his life and his writing of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil.JoTrade Review"Very much the best book about JRR Tolkien that has yet been written. Even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, I commend this book to you. It is all so interesting in itself, and I have rarely read a book which so intelligently graphed the relation between a writer's inner life and his outward circumstances."A.N.Wilson, Evening Standard “A highly intelligent book exploring Tolkien’s personal experience of the First World War… Garth displays impressive skills both as a researcher and writer.” Max Hastings “Garth’s brilliantly argued study convincinly portrays Tolkien in an entirely different leagues from other, more familiar writers on war.” Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Norman Davies''s classic study of the history of Poland has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century. The writing of Polish history, like Poland itself, has frequently fallen prey to interested parties. Professor Norman Davies adopts a sceptical stance towards all existing interpretations and attempts to bring a strong dose of common sense to his theme. He presents the most comprehensive survey in English of this frequently maligned and usually misunderstood country.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Anyone who wants to understand what has happened in Poland must dig into Norman Davies's great opencast mine of Polish History...it is very accessible, strewn with vivid quotations from original sources, good anecdotes, and much verse... * Sunday Times *The magnificence of God's Playground is that Norman Davies has given ust the music as well as the libretto, the passion, poetry, myth, and ancedote as well as the facts...Davies writes with spirit, and his enjoyment is infectious. * Observer *A yawning gap in Anglophone historical literature has now been filled...Dr Davies writes interestingly and well. His moods vary between cool detachment, passionate involvement, and ironic comment. His range of sources is wide and imaginative...a very substantial achievement. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. MILLENIUM: A THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY ; 2. Polska: The Polish Land ; 3. Piast: The Polanian Dynasty (to 1370) ; 4. Anjou: The Hungarian Connection (1370-1386) ; 5. Jogaila: The Lithuanian Union (1386-1572) ; 6. ANTEMURALE: THE BULWARK OF CHRISTENDOM (RELIGION) ; 7. The Nobelman's Paradise (Society) ; 8. Handel: The Baltic Grain Trade (Economy) ; 9. Miasto: The Vicissitudes of Urban Life (The Cities) ; 10. Anarchia: The Noble Democracy (The Constitution) ; 11. Serenissima: Diplomacy in Poland - Lithuania (Foreign Affairs) ; 12. Valois: The French Experiment (1572-1575) ; 13. Bathory: The Transylvanian Victor (1576-1586) ; 14. Vasa: The Swedish Connection (1587-1668) ; 15. Michal: The Austrian Candidate (1669-1673) ; 16. Sobieski: Terror of the Turk (1674-1696) ; 17. Wettin: The Saxon Era (1697-1763) ; 18. Agonia: The End of the Eussian Protectorate (1764-1795)

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Book SynopsisWas Jesus a Freemason? The discovery of evidence of the most secret rites of Freemasonry in an ancient Egyptian tomb led authors Chris Knight and Bob Lomas into and extraordinary investigation of 4, 000 years of history. This astonishing bestseller raises questions that have challenged some of Western civilisation''s most cherished beliefs: Were scrolls bearing the secret teachings of Jesus buried beneath Herod''s Temple shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman''s? Did the Knights Templar, the forerunners of modern Freemasonry, excavate these scrolls in the twelfth century? And were these scrolls subsequently buried underneath a reconstruction of Herod''s Temple, Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland - where they are now awaiting excavation? The authors'' discoveries shed a new light on Masonic ceremony and overturn out understanding of history.Trade ReviewA breakthrough book. The last four thousand years are never going to look the same again * Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods *

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Book SynopsisWith the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the next two centuries for France would be tumultuous. Bestselling historian and political commentator Jonathan Fenby provides an expert and riveting journey through this period as he recounts and analyses the extraordinary sequence of events of this period from the end of the First Revolution through two others, a return of Empire, three catastrophic wars with Germany, periods of stability and hope interspersed with years of uncertainty and high tensions. As her cross-Channel neighbour Great Britain would equally suffer, France was to undergo the wrenching loss of colonies in the post-Second World War as the new modern world we know today took shape. Her attempts to become the leader of the European union is a constant struggle, as was her lack of support for America in the two Gulf Wars of the past twenty years. Alongside this came huge social changes and cultural landmarks but also fundamental questioning

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Book SynopsisTen Days That Shook the World is John Reed's eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution. A contemporary journalist writing in the first flush of revolutionary enthusiasm, he gives a gripping record of the events in Petrograd in November 1917, when Lenin and the Bolsheviks finally seized power. Containing verbatim reports both of speeches by leaders and the chance comments of bystanders, set against an idealized backcloth of the proletariat, soldiers, sailors, and peasants uniting to throw off oppression, Reed's account is the product of passionate involvement and remains an unsurpassed classic of reporting.

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Book Synopsis''We''re not Christians, Christ stopped short of here, at Eboli.'' Exiled to a remote and barren corner of Italy for his opposition to Mussolini, Carlo Levi entered a world cut off from history and the state, hedged in by custom and sorrow, without comfort or solace, where, eternally patient, the peasants lived in an age-old stillness and in the presence of death - for Christ did stop at Eboli.

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Book SynopsisThis beautifully designed introduction to the treasure details the most significant pieces contained within it and explores the circumstances of its burial, discovery and excavation, as well as its lasting legacy and fame.

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Book SynopsisBill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. Kenya, generally regarded as the cradle of humankind, is a land of stunning landscapes, famous game reserves, and a vibrant culture, but it also has many serious problems, including refugees, AIDS, drought and grinding poverty. It also provides plenty to worry a nervous traveller like Bill Bryson: hair-raising rides in light aircraft, tropical diseases, snakes, insects and large predators.Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and the resultant diary, though short in length, contains all his trademark laugh-out-loud wit, wry observation and curious insight. All the author's royalties from this book, as well as all profits, will go to CARE International.

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Book SynopsisIn this lively and very readable history of the Roman Empire from its establishment in 27 BC to the barbarian incursions and the fall of Rome in AD 476, Kershaw draws on a range of evidence, from Juvenal's Satires to recent archaeological finds. He examines extraordinary personalities such as Caligula and Nero and seismic events such as the conquest of Britain and the establishment of a 'New Rome' at Constantinople and the split into eastern and western empires. Along the way we encounter gladiators and charioteers, senators and slaves, fascinating women, bizarre sexual practices and grotesque acts of brutality, often seen through eyes of some of the world's greatest writers. He concludes with a brief look at how Rome lives on in the contemporary world, in politics, architecture, art and literature.

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the Samuel Johnson prize-shortlisted Return of a King', the romantic and ultimately tragic tale of a passionate love affair that transcended all the cultural, religious and political boundaries of its time.James Achilles Kirkpatrick was the British Resident at the court of Hyderabad when he met Khair un-Nissa Most Excellent among Women' the great-niece of the Prime Minister of Hyderabad. He fell in love with her and overcame many obstacles to marry her, converting to Islam and, according to Indian sources, becoming a double-agent working against the East India Company.It is a remarkable story, but such things were not unknown: from the early sixteenth century to the eve of the Indian Mutiny, the white Mughals' who wore local dress and adopted Indian ways were a source of embarrassment to successive colonial administrations. Dalrymple unearths such colourful figures as Hindoo Stuart', who travelled with his own team of Brahmins to maintain his temple of idols, and STrade Review‘William Dalrymple is that rarity, a scholar of history who can really write. This is a brilliant and compulsively readable book’ Salman Rushdie ‘Destined to become an instant classic’ Amanda Foreman ‘A bravura display of scholarship, writing and insight. Dalrymple manages the incredible feat of outpointing most historians and most novelists in one go. This is quite simply a stunning achievement’ Independent on Sunday ‘Gorgeous, spellbinding and important, [a] tapestry of magnificent set-pieces’ Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times ‘Enthralling … brilliant, as exhaustively researched as it is brilliantly written’ Mail on Sunday

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Book Synopsis''So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw...'' In this superb collection of tales, Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance come together to form a fascinating, deep-seated and powerful interpretation of British history. The tales include the story of the shape-shifter, Gwydion, who created a woman out of flowers; a murdered husband turned into an eagle; Math the magician; a magical board, dragons witches and giants.These wondrous creatures live in the same world as kings and heroes, quests for honour, and stories of revenge, chivalry, honour and love. THE MABINOGIAN remains one of the greatest and most influential works of myth and legend ever created.Trade ReviewA magnificent achievement ... it is hard to think that in scholarship or as a piece of English prose the present translation will ever be bettered * THE WELSH REVIEW *Magisterial ... the authoritative translation, notable for its meticulous scholarship and a fine literary style * OXFORD COMPANION TO THE LITERATURE OF WALES *

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Book SynopsisUntil 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands East Indies. In 1930, the area had over 60 million inhabitants and was a major exporter of oil, rubber, tin and quinine. It was a particularly strong trading partner for Japan, providing some 13 percent of Japan''s oil needs--second only after the United States. Following Germany''s occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940, Japan decided to expand its influence in the Netherlands East Indies via diplomatic negotiations to acquire the necessary strategic goods of oil, rubber and tin. However, the negotiations did not provide Japan with the access it had hoped to gain.Up until the mid-1930s the colonial authorities considered the probability of military conflict between the major powers in Asia to be very low and that any military presence in the colony was primarily aimed at enforcing Dutch rule. This task was mainly the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). This force, designed primTable of ContentsIntroduction Geopolitical developments Defence of the Netherlands East Indies: principles Command and control Organisation Infantry Tanks Artillery Air defence artillery Cavalry Engineers Signals Motor transport Medical Service Supplies Aviation Indigenous auxiliary corps Army formation Weapons Combat history Uniforms and insignia Bibliography Glossary

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Book SynopsisThis edition collects both volumes of Modernity Britain for the first timeFollowing Austerity Britain and Family Britain, the third volume in David Kynaston''s landmark social history of post-war Britain''Triumphant ... A historian of peerless sensitivity and curiosity about the lives of individuals'' Financial Times''This superb history captures the birth pangs of modern Britain ... It is a part of Kynaston's huge achievement that such moments of insight and pleasure should accompany what has become a monumental history of our recent past'' The Times____________________David Kynaston's history of post-war Britain has so far taken us from the radically reforming Labour governments of the late 1940s in Austerity Britain and through the growing prosperity of Family Britain's more placid 1950s. Now Modernity Britain 195762 sees the coming of a new Zeitgeist as Kynaston gets up close to a turbTrade ReviewThis superb history captures the birth pangs of modern Britain ... It is a part of Kynaston’s huge achievement that such moments of insight and pleasure should accompany what has become a monumental history of our recent past * The Times *Richly detailed series … Indefatigable, judicious, with a magpie’s eye for detail and a lovely grasp of tone and balance, David Kynaston is one of the great chroniclers of our modern story ... Every paragraph contains some glittering nugget * Sunday Times *Triumphant ... A historian of peerless sensitivity and curiosity about the lives of individuals. His method is to immerse first himself, then his readers, in a deep quotidian fabric of the time, making every strand visible before gradually lifting his gaze and revealing the wider pattern * Financial Times *This compelling history of the nation is wise, funny, impeccably researched and beautifully written ... Not for one second does his writing sag under the weight of his research: if you asked him to plod, he simply wouldn’t know how … This latest volume will be every bit as addictive as its predecessors … Like a great composer, Kynaston dots little melodies into the opening minutes which he later allows to swell into major themes … The best way to review this book would be to take a leaf from Lewis Carroll and map it all out, word for word. As it is, you’ll just have to save me the effort by reading it for yourself * Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday *An exciting read, containing moments of suspense and lengthy sections of analysis … Kynaston’s book makes salutary and urgent reading, suggesting that we might do well to live with half an eye on the Kynastons of the future * Lara Feigel, Observer *He is chewing his way through the giant lettuce-leaf of his chosen decades like a particularly thorough tortoise. Hares: watch out ... Kynaston is interested in getting the feel of life close up, and his range of sources is formidable * Spectator *Masterful ... Kynaston has an enviable ability to see both the trees and the wood, and patterns start to appear ... Kynaston’s project is already being acclaimed as one of the great achievements of modern history, and this fourth instalment, with its entrancing mix of entertainment, erudition and enlightenment, will enhance its status further * Daily Telegraph *The latest volume of Kynaston's history of post-war Britain chronicles an era of tumultuous cultural, political, and commercial change - Harold Macmillan's 'never had it so good' years. * The Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisTakes the enslaved person's claims of human consumption seriously, focusing on both the literal starvation of the slave and the tropes of cannibalism on the part of the slaveholder, and further draws attention to the ways in which Blacks experienced their consumption as a fundamentally homoerotic occurrence.Trade ReviewWe have all read about the hunger of slaves whose masters sought to starve them into submission. ButThe Delectable Negroasks of these slaves: 'How does it feel to be an edible, consumed object?' Inverting the trope of slave hunger, VincentWoodardprovocatively suggests that the slaveholder is a parasite who feeds off the slaves body in acts that range from cannibalistic to sexual modes of consumption, especially the homoerotic. In an even greater provocation, however, Woodard argues that within the black community, hunger is transformed into a regenerative space from which the search for home and communal belonging may be initiated. A bold and brilliant book. -- Carla L. Peterson,author of Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York CityThe Delectable Negrouncovers a compelling set of themes in the scholarship on U.S. slave culture: white cannibalism as a significant trope for white depletion of, and desire for, the laboring and eroticized black male body. In a stunning series of arguments, Woodard forces us to reconsider the historical out-of-hand rejection of black African fear (and, not rarely, claims) of white cannibalism, showing how remarkably wide-reaching was the sense that slavery satisfied some sadomasochistic instinct among the slave-owning class. -- Maurice O. Wallace,author of Constructing the Black MasculineThe Delectable Negro is a brilliant, fearless, and deeply political book. * Early American Literature *With unflinching clarity,The Delectable Negroexposes and examines the pervasive cultural fantasies that have rendered the enslaved black body into a consumable object from the eighteenth century to the present. [] [I]ts powerful insights will continue to generate new lines of important inquiry for years to come. * American Historical Review *It should be noted here that Woodard died before this book was published; it is a shame that he could not see his daring work enter debate. Praise must go to Joyce and McBride, moreover, for their careful and attentive editorial work that made this publication of this text possible. . . . Woodard's career would surely have been even bolder after this book, but this text's interruption into critical theory alone is itself worth celebrating. * American Studies *Table of ContentsEditor's Note Justin A. JoyceForewordE. Patrick Johnson Introduction: "Master ... eated me when I was meat" 1. Cannibalism in Transatlantic Context 2. Sex, Honor, and Human Consumption 3. A Tale of Hunger Retold: Ravishment and Hunger in F. Douglass's Life and Writing 4. Domestic Rituals of Consumption 5. Eating Nat Turner 6. The Hungry Nigger Notes BibliographyIndex About the Author About the Editors

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Book SynopsisPeter Ackroyd is an award-winning novelist, as well as a broadcaster, biographer, poet and historian. He is the author of the acclaimed non-fiction bestsellers, Thames: Sacred River and London: The Biography. He holds a CBE for services to literature and lives in London.

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Book SynopsisFiguring explores the complexities of love and the human search for truth and meaning through the interconnected lives of several historical figures across four centuries - beginning with the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who discovered the laws of planetary motion, and ending with the marine biologist and author Rachel Carson, who catalysed the environmental movement. Stretching between these figures is a cast of artists, writers, and scientists - mostly women, mostly queer - whose public contribution has risen out of their unclassifiable and often heartbreaking private relationships to change the way we understand, experience and appreciate the universe. Among them are the astronomer Maria Mitchell, who paved the way for women in science; the sculptor Harriet Hosmer, who did the same in art; the journalist and literary critic Margaret Fuller, who sparked the feminist movement; and the poet Emily Dickinson. Emanating from these lives are larger questions about the measure of a good life and what it means to leave a lasting mark of betterment on an imperfect world: Are achievement and acclaim enough for happiness? Is genius? Is love? Weaving through the narrative is a set of peripheral figures - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Herman Melville, Frederick Douglass, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Walt Whitman - and a tapestry of themes spanning music, feminism, the history of science, the rise and decline of religion, and how the intersection of astronomy, poetry and Transcendentalist philosophy fomented the environmental movement.Trade ReviewA highly original survey of life, love and creativity; an intellectual odyssey that challenges easy categorisation . . . Popova writes beautifully, translating abstractions into sensuous, evocative subjects, turning history and science into symphonic prose poetry . . . To read Figuring is to be immersed in a gloriously ambitious symphony of ideas that segues effortlessly * * Guardian * *Ambitious, challenging and somewhat category-defying * * New York Times * *I can't pull myself away from Maria Popova's mesmerising new book Figuring . . . With glorious writing, storytelling, gems of insight and unique literary range, she tenderly brings to life celebrated scientists and artists we always thought we knew but really didn't, and illuminates the fine threads that connect us all. I'm diving back in! -- DIANE ACKERMANThese chapters on Dickinson are among the most compelling biographical pages I have ever read, rendering me incapable of closing the book . . . The final chapters on Rachel Carson were so moving that I cried for thirty-odd pages . . . When Popova quoted Carson on great books, "something that would raise you a little higher than you were yesterday, something that would make you willing and able for your part in the work of the world", I knew that I had one such book in my hands * * Irish Times * *The polymathic Popova, presiding genius behind brainpickings.org, looks at some of the forgotten heroes of science, art, and culture . . . she peppers thoughtful, lucid consideration of acts of the imagination with stories that, if ever aired before, are too little known . . . Throughout her complex, consistently stimulating narrative, the author blends biography, cultural criticism, and journalism to forge elegant connections: Dickinson feeds onto Carson, who looks back to Mitchell, who looks forward to Popova herself, and with plenty of milestones along the way . . . A lyrical work of intellectual history, one that Popova's many followers will await eagerly and that deserves to win her many more * * Kirkus [starred] * *Fascinating and compellingly written, bringing the reader into the lives of its subjects, ending with a long description of Rachel Carson's life that has only made me love her more * * Arts Desk * *

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Book SynopsisIn this new, expanded edition of Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails—issued for the 100th Anniversary of National Prohibition—historian, expert, and drink aficionado Ted Haigh, aka Dr. Cocktail vastly widens his examination of 1920–1933, the thirteen-year period when women got the Vote, child labor was abolished and, ironically, saw the cocktail elevated, prolonged, and expanded, spreading this signature American drink form in tasty ripples around the world. All this, plus more drink recipes!Nothing is so desired as the thing denied. Prohibition made people want cocktails very, very badly. Because "synthetic" liquor was the easiest to make, it was also the easiest to get. Problematically, it tasted awful and wasn't exactly good for you either. Cocktails with their mélange of flavors were a made-to-order method for disguising the bad hooch. Along with 100+ rare and delicious authentic recipes gathered from old cocktail manuals and scraps of paper never published, this illustrated trip down mixology lane tells the fascinating origins of the cocktail and how it evolved over time, including its rising popularity during Prohibition. Vintage illustrations and advertisements, photos of old bottles and cocktail artifacts, and fascinating Prohibition-era photographs bring the tippling past back to vivid life. Recipes for rare treasures like The Fogcutter, Knickerbocker à la Monsieur, The Moscow Mule, and Satan’s Whiskers are each presented with: Historical background on its origin and cultural context Drink Notes that provide additional information on ingredients and tips for substitutions and variations Fascinating historical ephemera from Dr. Cocktail's personal collection This homage to the great bartenders of the past and the beverages they created also profiles some of the most influential cocktail pioneers of today. For anyone who enjoys an icy drink and an unforgettable tale, this is a must-have volume.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Greetings, Cocktail Archaeologists! The Origins of the Cocktail The Centennial of Prohibition Cocktail Archaeology: A Trip Down Mixology Lane RECIPESNon-Alcoholic Prohibition Cocktails Strawberry Cocktail Cantaloupe Cocktail Punch Iced Orange Coffee Superior Grape Juice Raspberry Shrub Frozen Fruit Punch Florida Punch Fruit Punch Fiji Frappe Temperance Punch Meridian Mansions Punch Fruit Swizzle Congressional Club Punch Concord Float Cream Orange Pineapple Cream Illegal Prohibition Cocktails 1920 Pick-Me-Up Attack Cocktail Barton Special Between the Sheets The Bunny Hug The Byrrh Cocktail Cameron’s Kick Careless Love C.F.H. Cocktail Cuban Bacardi Cocktail De Rigueur Cocktail Diabola Cocktail Eagle’s Dream Dorothy Gish Cocktail Eve’s Apple Green Fizz Greenbriar Cocktail Gringo Killer The Hell Raiser The I.B.F. Pick-Me-Up Jamaica Glow The Last Word Legion Cocktail The Lightner Special Little Devil Cocktail Littlest Rebel Cocktail The Peacherino Prohibition Cocktail Quaker’s Cocktail Quarantine Cocktail The Red Flag The Pussyfoot Cocktail Reform Cocktail The Revolving Door The Ritz Millionaire The Rising Sun Stop Your Snuffling Now The Tanglefoot The Third Rail Thunderclap Truro Pick-Me-Up Two Broken Legs Volstead Cocktails Twelve Miles Out Ward Eight The Wayne Wheeler Wine Cup Cocktails Redux The Alamagoozlum Cocktail The Algonquin Cocktail The Amarosa Cocktail Arnaud’s Special Cocktail The Avenue The Aviation Barbara West Cocktail Barnum (Was Right) Cocktail The Bebbo Cocktail The Blackthorn Cocktail The Blinker Blood and Sand The Blue Moon Blue Paradise The Boulevardier The Brandy Crusta The Brooklyn Cocktail The Calvados Cocktail Chatham Hotel Special The Coffee Cocktail The Communist The Corpse Reviver #2 Crimean Cup à la Marmora Curaçao Punch The Delicious Sour The Derby Diki-Diki Cocktail Doctor Cocktail East India Cocktail Fairbank Cocktail The Filmograph Cocktail Fish House Punch The Flying Dutchman The Fogcutter Fogcutter (Early) The Ford Cocktail The Fred Collins Fiz The French 75 The Georgia Mint Julep Golden Dawn Hanky Panky Have a Heart Cocktail Honeymoon Cocktail The Income Tax Cocktail The Jack Rose Cocktail The Japalac Cocktail Jasper’s Jamaican Planter’s Punch The Jupiter Cocktail Knickerbocker à la Monsieur La Floridita Daiquiri Leatherneck Cocktail The Liberal The Lion’s Tail Lucien Gaudin Cocktail Mamie Taylor Milk Punch The Millionaire The Modernista The Monkey Gland The Moscow Mule The Mother-in-Law Cocktail Palm Beach Special Park Avenue Cocktail Pegu Club Cocktail The Pendennis Cocktail Picon Punch Pink Gin Ritz Sidecar The Rose Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail Saint Croix Rum Fix Satan’s Whiskers Cocktail The Scofflaw The Secret Cocktail The Seelbach Cocktail Seventh Heaven The Soother Soyer au Champagne The Straits Sling Three to One Cocktail Twelve Mile Limit The Twentieth Century Cocktail The Vesper Vieux Carré Cocktail Vowel Cocktail The Widow’s Kiss Don the Beachcomber’s Zombie APPENDIX Pioneers of the Forgotten Cocktail Bibliography Afterword About the Author Index

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Book SynopsisIn September 1939, housewife and mother Nella Last began a diary whose entries, in their regularity, length and quality, have created a record of the Second World War which is powerful, fascinating and unique. When war broke out, Nella's younger son joined the army while the rest of the family tried to adapt to civilian life. Writing each day for the "Mass Observation" project, Nella, a middle-aged housewife from the bombed town of Barrow, shows what people really felt during this time. This was the period in which she turned 50, saw her children leave home, and reviewed her life and her marriage - which she eventually compares to slavery. Her growing confidence as a result of her war work makes this a moving (though often comic) testimony, which, covering sex, death and fear of invasion, provides a new, unglamorised, female perspective on the war years.'Next to being a mother, I'd have loved to write books.' Oct 8, 1939Trade ReviewA classic of wartime literature...highly engaging, very moving. All Home Front life is here, especially the kitchen sink * Simon Garfield *I relished it...her personality is so powerful...There are so many things to admire about her. * Margaret Forster *A fantastic story...This is not the war of the newsreels - it's about tiny domestic difficulties, lumpy custard... * Victoria Wood *I adored [it.]. An extraordinary glimpse into the heart of an 'ordinary' woman, Nella Last's day-to-day account of her war is spirited, poignant and utterly compelling. * Lucy Moore *

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Book SynopsisFor centuries the Celts held sway in Europe. Even after their conquest by the Romans, their culture remained vigorous, ensuring that much of it endured to feed an endless fascination with Celtic history and myths, artwork and treasures. A foremost authority on the Celtic peoples and their culture, Peter Berresford Ellis presents an invigoration overview of their world. With his gift for making the scholarly accessible, he discusses the Celts' mysterious origins and early history and investigates their rich and complex society. His use of recently uncovered firnds brings fascinating insights into Celtic kings and chieftains, architecture and arts, medicine and religions, myths and legends, making this esesntial reading for any search for Europe's ancient past.Trade Review[A] vivid and enlightening representation of a fascinating civilisation. Anyone interested in the ancient world will find in it an informative and enjoyable adjustment of many assumptions about the Celts. * David Rankin, The Times Higher Education Supplement *

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Book SynopsisRecord and preserve your grandmother’s life story for future generations with this beautiful keepsake journal with over 100 prompts to guide her memories.Grandmothers are often the keepers of family stories. But chances are there’s a lot about your grandma you still don’t know. With A Grandmother’s Life, she can share her stories, both the main events and the lesser known chapters. Did you know your own grandparents? What were they like? How did you meet my grandfather? What was my parent like as a child? Did you have any important mentors? Who inspired you? These are just a few of the many prompts that together will reveal your grandmother’s unique story.Designed to let your grandmother choose the topics she wants to explore, thought-provoking prompts help you discover:  The world your grandmother was born into—from important events of the era to the common technology a

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Book Synopsis''One of the greatest, most radical public thinkers of our time. When the sun sets on the American empire, as it will, as it must, Noam Chomsky''s work will survive'' Arundhati RoyFrom one of the world's most prominent thinkers comes an urgent warning of the threat that US power poses to humanity's futureThe land of the free. The home of the brave. But what has America achieved in the aim of spreading democracy' except wreak havoc across the globe and establish a reckless foreign policy that serves the interest of few and has endangered all too many?In this timely book, Noam Chomsky writing with Nathan J. Robinson, vividly traces America's pursuit of global domination, offering an incisive critique of the self-serving myths that dominant elites in the United States continue to push.Offering penetrating accounts of Washington's role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they examine how interventions such as these have been justified with noble stories about humanitarian missions and benevolent intentions but are now driving us closer to wars with Russia and China.At once thorough and devastating, urgent and provocative, The Myth of American Idealism offers a highly readable entry to the conclusions Noam Chomsky has come to after a lifetime of thought and activism.''The west''s most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar'' Guardian

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