History Books

Book SynopsisFocussing on how the Romans made Europe work as a homogenous civilisation and looking at why we are failing to make the EU work in modern times, this is an authoritative and amusing study from bestselling author Boris Johnson.In addition to his roles as politician, editor, author and television presenter, Boris Johnson is a passionate Roman scholar. The recent Dream of Rome' TV series saw him travelling throughout the Roman Empire in order to uncover the secrets of the governance of the empire, and the reasons behind why the Romans held such power and prestige for so long.Fiercely interested in Europe and the current issues facing the European Union, Boris Johnson will look at the lessons we could learn from the Romans and how we could apply them to our modern politics.Boris Johnson was the editor of the Spectator, MP for Henley and is now the new Shadow Minister for Education. He writes a column for the Daily Telegraph and lives in London and Oxfordshire with his wife and their childrTrade Review'As an introduction to the history of the Roman empire, this book is hugely stimulating. I read it in two sittings, completely gripped. If Ruth Kelly has an ounce of sense, she will make this book compulsory reading for every 16-year old in the country.' Toby Young, New Statesman 'History comes alive only when written from the heart and Johnson's is full of swashbuckling japes, bloodthirsty yells and energetic sideswipes.' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 'Written with all the wit and zest that have helped to make him Britain's favourite celebrity MP.' Tom Holland, Daily Telegraph 'Johnson has not been intimidated by dry classics masters: his style is bright, breezy, populist and pacy.' The Times 'Described with his special combination of sharp-eyed intelligence and golly-gosh exclamation…the sublime and the bizarre are richly represented in this portrayal of ancient Rome…a splendid romp through the Roman world.' Sunday Telegraph 'Lovers of Latin and ancient history unite! At long last there is a warm, funny, erudite introduction to the Roman empire…The success of “The Dream of Rome” lies in the modern twang of the author. It is an art Boris Johnson has to perfection…a marvellous reader-friendly account of Rome.' Independent

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Book Synopsis''A superb little book that is micro-history at its best'' Washington Post''The brevity of this remarkable book belies the amount of work that went into it. One can only marvel at how well Professor Simms has gone through the original sources - the surviving journals, reminiscences and letters of the individual combatants - to produce a coherent and gripping narrative'' Nick Lezard, GuardianThe true story, told minute by minute, of the soldiers who defeated Napoleon - from Brendan Simms, acclaimed author of Europe: The Struggle for SupremacyEurope had been at war for over twenty years. After a short respite in exile, Napoleon had returned to France and threatened another generation of fighting across the devastated and exhausted continent. At the small Belgian village of Waterloo two large, hastily mobilized armies faced each other to decide the future of Europe.Unknown either to Napoleon or Wellington the bTrade ReviewThe brevity of this remarkable book belies the amount of work that went into it. One can only marvel at how well Professor Simms has gone through the original sources - the surviving journals, reminiscences and letters of the individual combatants - to produce a coherent and gripping narrative -- Nick Lezard * The Guardian *A superb little book that is micro-history at its best -- Paul O’Keeffe * Washington Post *Mr. Simms's fluent and meticulously researched narrative provides enough context to engage not only specialists, but also readers unfamiliar with the broader historical background...by focusing upon a particular episode, rather than the bigger picture, Mr. Simms manages to reflect the grim reality of Waterloo better than some more comprehensive surveys -- Stephen Brumwell * The Wall Street Journal *[Simms] tells more about realities of boots-on-the-ground combat than any other Waterloo book I have encountered. A five-gun read. -- Joseph C. Goulden * Washington Times *

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Book Synopsis''Vibrant and illuminating ... [Dywer] tells a fascinating tale'' The Times''Refreshing scholarship Energetic, readable and filled with colourful detail Napoleon: Passion, Death and Resurrection is a thoroughly enjoyable book which divides well the reality of exile from the legend that sprang from it'' Literary ReviewThis meticulously researched study opens with Napoleon no longer in power, but instead a prisoner on the island of St Helena. This may have been a great fall from power, but Napoleon still held immense attraction. Every day, huge crowds would gather on the far shore in the hope of catching a glimpse of him. Philip Dwyer closes his ambitious trilogy exploring Napoleon's life, legacy and myth by moving from those first months of imprisonment, through the years of exile, up to death and then beyond, examining how the foundations of legend that had been laid by Napoleon during his lifetime continued to be built uTrade ReviewVibrant and illuminating ... [Dywer] tells a fascinating tale -- Lawrence James * The Times *Refreshing scholarship … Energetic, readable and filled with colourful detail … Napoleon: Passion, Death and Resurrection is a thoroughly enjoyable book which divides well the reality of exile from the legend that sprang from it -- Ambrogio A Caiani * Literary Review *Remarkable ... a satisfying, psychologically convincing account ... Even-handed and authoritative, this fascinating and highly enjoyable book will be an eye opener even to those who think they know the subject well -- Praise for 'Napoleon: The Path to Power 1769-1799' * Sunday Times *The work that Dwyer was placed on earth to write ... We are clearly in the presence of what will be a monumental work ... meticulously researched and well-written -- Praise for 'Napoleon: The Path to Power 1769-1799', Andrew Roberts * Literary Review *A very fine book, which explains Napoleon’s extraordinary rise to power and equally meteoric fall, with great erudition, skill and verve -- Praise for 'Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power 1799-1815' * Spectator *Exemplary scholarship ... A book of meticulous research and beautifully detailed descriptions of Napoleon’s military adventures, brings home the full horrific cost of the march on Russia -- Praise for 'Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power 1799-1815' * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking new book about the misogynistic nineteenth century obsession with hysteria, focusing on the renowned Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.''Fascinating and beautifully written'' Guardian''Fascinating ... gives us a disturbing insight into the extent to which doctors, patients and diseases, both then and now, are products of their time'' Sunday TimesIn 1862 the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris became the epicenter of the study of hysteria, the mysterious illness then thought to affect half of all women.There, prominent neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot''s contentious methods caused furore within the church and divided the medical community. Treatments included hypnosis, piercing and the evocation of demons and, despite the controversy they caused, the experiments became a fascinating and fashionable public spectacle.Medical Muses tells the stories of the women institutionalised in the Salpêtrière. Theirs is a tale of scTrade ReviewFascinating and beautifully written * Guardian *Fascinating ... gives us a disturbing insight into the extent to which doctors, patients and diseases, both then and now, are products of their time * Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times *Thoughtful and engrossing * Miranda Seymour, Daily Telegraph *The thoroughly researched, very readable material brings to life their strange and remarkable stories, told in meticulous detail, as well as the brilliance and brutality of the great physician * Independent *Consistently enthralling * Kathryn Harrison, New York Times *Fascinating ... This account of psychiatry in its infancy is unforgettable -- Lesley McDowell * Independent on Sunday *Asti Hustvedt has tapped into a deeply fascinating seam of medical history here ... Her descriptions of patients, and of Jean-Martin Charcot, the doctor who treated them, are peerless -- William Leith * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO COUNT? WHY ARE HUMANS THE ONLY SPECIES ON EARTH THAT CAN DO IT? WHERE DID COUNTING COME FROM? HOW HAS IT SHAPED SOCIETIES ALONG THE WAY? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?Counting is an innovative, erudite, world-wrapping journey through humanity's marvellous ability to impose numbers on things. Acclaimed historian and mathematician Benjamin Wardhaugh draws on stories from the Stone Age to cyberspace in pursuit of the elusive, fascinating, endlessly diverse history of human counting.Starting with the roots of counting in human brains, bodies and environments, Wardhaugh tours us around the world and through time while exploring the different flavours of counting that have developed over millennia. We meet the makers of bead necklaces in ancient South Africa, the inventors of writing in the world ' s first metropolis, and the counter culture' of classical Athens. We see counting used and changed by Indian scholars, Chinese peasants and Papuan shopkeepers; we meet the distinct

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Book SynopsisA fascinating exploration of Cornwallâs historic churches that will be of interest to residents and visitors alike.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Unusual and thoughtful. . . . Takes the poet’s or the novelist’s joy in turning a commonplace detail to the angle at which it reveals its glint of meaning."—David Lattimore, New York Times Book Review "This is a superb book, one that answers many questions about the Chinese, past and present."—Srully Blotnick, Forbes Magazine "1587, A Year of No Significance, for all its scholarship, has the surreal visionary quality of Kafka’s beautiful and frustrating story 'The Great Wall of China.'"—John Updike, The New Yorker"Huang uses 1587 as a convenient focus for his study of late Ming developments through the lives of the Wan-li emperor, two of his grand secretaries, a famous official, a leading general, and one of the dynasty's most celebrated iconoclasts. Not all specialists may agree with Huang's conclusion that by 1587 the limit for the Ming dynasty had already been reached and the year stands as a 'chronicle of failure,' but there will be widespread agreement on the book's impressive achievement in providing vivid biographical and institutional detail within a highly readable text."—Library Journal"If you buy only one work on pre-modern Chinese history this year, make it this one. . . . The author displays great sensitivity in dealing with the tensions and contradictions in late Ming society, and even when one disagrees with his interpretation of certain facts or events, one cannot help but be impressed by the depth of his knowledge and his enviable ability to bring the characters in his story to life. In places, for example, his description of what it was like to be the Wan-li emperor is nothing short of masterly. . . . Will become required reading for anyone interested in this period of Chinese history."—W. S. Atwell, History"1587 is immensely rich historical fare that provides great insight into the workings of the late Ming administration. . . . Huang's sensitive and well-informed descriptions of administrative life organized in a bold and readable way make [this] book more significant that the year was. It is essential reading for an understanding of late imperial China."—Tom Fisher, Journal of Oriental StudiesWinner of the American Book Award for History Paperback in 1983"No book of this kind in any language exists for the entire Chinese history field. Its most remarkable quality is the skill with which is conveys the texture of life, imparting to the reader a sense of having been inside the environment of Chinese politics and of seeing the complexities of another world as immediate and intelligible matters."—Frederick W. Mote, Princeton University"It is top-hole, full of information, and a first-rate argumentation as to how China got the way it did. I know of none better."—L. Carrington Goodrich, Columbia University"Excellent both as history and as a piece of literature."—Lien-sheng Yang, Harvard University"Imaginative and resourceful. . . . Informed both by humanistic concern and a broad knowledge of technology and economics."—Edward L. Farmer, University of Minnesota"Analytical and innovative. . . . It will galvanize our thinking for many years to come."—Hoklam Cham, University of Washington

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Book SynopsisNamed one of Foreign Affairs'' Best Books of 2016In his magisterial 1,208 page narrative of the Pacific War, Francis Pike's Hirohito's War offers an original interpretation, balancing the existing Western-centric view with attention to the Japanese perspective on the conflict. As well as giving a blow-by-blow' account of campaigns and battles, Francis Pike offers many challenges to the standard interpretations with regards to the causes of the war; Emperor Hirohito's war guilt; the inevitability of US Victory; the abilities of General MacArthur and Admiral Yamamoto; the role of China, Great Britain and Australia; military and naval technology; and the need for the fire-bombing of Japan and the eventual use of the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hirohito's War is accompanied by additional online resources, including more details on logistics, economics, POWs, submarines and kamikaze, as well as a 1930-1945 timeline and over 200 maps.Trade ReviewMagnificent … Hirohito’s War by Francis Pike sets a new standard: oceanic in scope, comprehensive in detail, subtle in dissection, magisterial in organisation and consistently readable. * The Spectator *Francis Pike's monumental new book, a thoughtful and detailed synthesis of the English-language secondary scholarship on the war, is a welcome addition to the work on the period ... [A]n immensely valuable and thoughtful synthesis. * New Statesman *Pike’s book is an extraordinary achievement; it is as definitive as any single volume history of the Pacific War can be. As the title suggests, Pike does not let Japanese Emperor Hirohito off the hook for the battles fought in his name. Pike sets the fighting firmly in the context of the regional tensions that had been developing for some time before any combat took place, not least as a result of the Japanese invasion of China in 1937. The book covers all the major campaigns and battles of the war, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, but also pays close attention to often overlooked topics, such as the Burma Campaign (which pitted the British and the Chinese against Indian, Japanese, and Thai forces) and the Chinese resistance to Japan. Pike’s analysis is careful but never dry, and he pens lively portraits of his main characters. * Foreign Affairs *Pike's study of the Pacific War is the most comprehensive and readable account of this epic conflict to date. Unlike most previous historical examinations, which concentrate on only one or two dimensions, Pike devotes equal time to the war in China and the Burma-India Theater as well as MacArthur's southwestern Pacific campaign and King/Nimitz island hopping in the central Pacific. Pike does not evade controversial topics and is highly judgmental of war leaders on all sides. He sees Douglas MacArthur as a prima donna more concerned with his own image than with winning the war. Even worse, according to Pike the narcissism of General Joseph Stilwell was largely responsible for the eventual triumph of communism in China…[T]his is an excellent overview of the Pacific War that should be in all public and university libraries … Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. * CHOICE *Pike offers a spectrum of fresh perspectives on a war generally presented in Western terms that minimize Japan's agency. He addresses the Pacific conflicts in WWII in the context of a comprehensive century-long struggle for dominance over the Pacific. Within that framework, Pike establishes Hirohito's central position in 'the mythology of Japanese exceptionalism.' ... Pike's integrated analysis of Japan's simultaneous victories in Malaya, Burma, Philippines, and Dutch East Indies presents them as a virtuoso performance unsurpassed in modern warfare. Yet these victories resulted in a strategic overreach, due to Japan's belief that quick victories would be followed by rapid settlement ... Pike tells the epic story on a fitting scale. * Publishers Weekly *In Hirohito's War, Francis Pike surveys the secondary literature on the Pacific War ... offer[ing] a refreshingly non-US perspective ... [The book] contains important insights. * Times Literary Supplement *This momentous occurrence is covered in extraordinary detail in Francis Pike’s new book Hirohito's War: The Pacific War, 1941-1945. … This volume appears intended to be the definitive work on the Pacific war and succeeds in being just that. * WWII History Magazine *[Pike] has spared no effort in creating what is likely to stand as the definitive reference book for students of the Pacific War. The book contains a wealth of detail on subjects such as logistics, the economic situation of the chief belligerent powers, submarine warfare, and the dreaded kamikazes. * Military History Monthly *Drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship as well as a broad range of first person accounts, Francis Pike offers readers a comprehensive, vivid, and fast paced history of Hirohito’s War from the frontiers of India to the plains of Manchuria, and across the trackless stretches of the Pacific. Pike is equally at home in discussing high politics, strategy, and tactical maneuver. His attention to the logistical requirements of war fought on such a vast scale is especially welcome as is his unflinching discussion of the major historical and moral debates that emerged from the conflict. -- Marc Gallicchio, Professor of History, Villanova University, USAFrancis Pike, drawing on a wide array of English-language sources, has written an encyclopedic book about Japan’s World War II and its enemies’ response. He gives many pages to the most important battles of the war, and also describes some that have not been widely discussed before. I particularly recommend his sections on General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s campaign to seize Singapore in 1941-42, and on Field Marshal William Slim’s efforts to retake Burma in 1944-45. I also enjoyed his verbal snapshots of Japanese, Chinese, British, and American commanders in the war. He not only paints portraits of the most famous commanders such as Douglas MacArthur and William Halsey, but also of some of the lesser known ones such as William Slim and Raymond Spruance. This is not a book to take down in one gulp; the reader benefits by absorbing it bit by bit, a few hundred pages at a time. -- Richard Smethurst, University of Pittsburgh, USAIn Hirohito’s War, The Pacific War 1941 – 1945, Francis Pike has produced a detailed, meticulously researched, highly readable synthesis of the Second World War in East Asia and the Pacific. Always fully in command of his sources, Pike has skillfully woven a vast amount of information into a lucid, coherent narrative. The introductory chapters, which trace the long and short term causes of the war, provide a useful historical background to readers unfamiliar with East Asian history. In the remaining chapters, Pike naturally gives most space to the epic struggle between the United States and Japan, but he also devotes much attention to the Chinese contribution to the war effort, usually neglected or ignored completely in the standard accounts of the conflict. While providing a blow-by-blow account of military operations, Pike also analyzes the quality of military leadership in refreshingly iconoclastic fashion. Thus he lambastes the monumental incompetence of British generals in Malaya and Singapore, is harshly but justifiably critical of idols such as General MacArthur, Admiral Halsey and Admiral Yamamoto, but pays homage to the brilliance and daring of generals such as Yamashita Tomoyuki, the Tiger of Malaya and William Slim. Pike’s book can be read from cover to cover as narrative history but will also be valuable as a reference work. In either case, it will be indispensable for every serious student of military and East Asian history as well as the general reader. -- Christopher W. A. Szpilman, Professor of Modern Japanese History and International Relations, Kyushu Sangyo University, JapanFrancis Pike’s Hirohito’s War, The Pacific War, 1941-1945 is a major scholarly work and accomplishes a great many things to advance an understanding of the massive war between Japan and the United States. In fact, through the depth, breadth, and scope of research, factual conclusions, and stories, the work tries to be everything to everyone. The strengths of the work come screaming forward to a reader by effectively conveying an understanding of how and why Japanese leaders decided to go forward with a seemingly illogical decision to fight the industrial juggernaut of the United States. The portrayals of the tactical challenges faced by individual combatants on both sides are worthy of reading and filled with eye-opening capabilities that will satisfy the most demanding 'technocrat.' -- David C. Fuquea, U.S. Naval War College, USATable of ContentsMap, Diagram, Drawing and Chart List Notes and Additional Resources Acknowledgments Introduction and Background PART I: Meiji Restoration: 1868 PART II: Japan Versus America and the World: 1931 – 1941 PART III: Hirohito’s Whirlwind Conquests: December 1941 – June 1942 PART IV: ‘Victory Disease’: Japan’s Reversal of Fortune: June – Dec 1942 PART V: Toil and Sweat: the Pacific, India, Burma, & China: Jan 1943 – June 1944 PART VI: Japan’s Forces of Empire Annihilated: June 1944 – Feb 1945 PART VII: Destruction of Japan’s Homeland: February 1945 – Aug 1945 Index

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Book SynopsisAn international bestseller, this is the extraordinary memoir of a German-Nigerian woman who learns that her grandfather was the brutal Nazi commandant depicted in Schindler's List.Trade ReviewA stunning memoir of cultural trauma and personal identity. * Booklist *Fascinating reading...a thought-provoking book. * The Quarterly Review *A powerful account of Teege's struggle for resolution and redemption. * Independent *Jennifer Teege's new memoir traces the pain of discovering her grandfather was the real-life 'Nazi butcher' from Schindler's List. * People magazine *Unforgettable. . . . Teege's quest to discover her personal history is empowering. * Publisher's Weekly *Refreshing...Teege's heartfelt commentary and Sellmair's objective narrative produce a layer of balanced interpretation and insight. * New York Journal of Books *Courageous. . . . The memoir invites rereading to fully absorb Teege's painful search for answers, for a sense of identity and belonging and for inner peace. * The Seattle Times *Jennifer Teege's haunting and unflinching memoir shatters the kind of silence that has plagued some German families for three generations and offers a healing alternative. * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of a landmark expedition that left only one survivor, now back in print for the first time in decades.Arabia Felix is the spellbinding true story of a scientific expedition gone disastrously awry. On a winter morning in 1761 six men leave Copenhagen by sea—a botanist, a philologist, an astronomer, a doctor, an artist, and their manservant—an ill-assorted band of men who dislike and distrust one another from the start. These are the members of the Danish expedition to Arabia Felix, as Yemen was then known, the first organized foray into a corner of the world unknown to Europeans. The expedition made its way to Turkey and Egypt, by which time its members were already actively seeking to undercut and even kill one another, before disappearing into the harsh desert that was their destination. Nearly seven years later a single survivor returned to Denmark to find himself forgotten and all the specimens that had been sent back ruined by neglect. Based on diaries, notebooks, and sketches that lay unread in Danish archives until the twentieth century, Arabia Felix is a tale of intellectual rivalry and a comedy of very bad manners, as well as an utterly absorbing adventure.Arabia Felix includes 33 line drawings and maps.

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Book SynopsisMasterfully blending narrative and interpretation, and R.F. Foster's Modern Ireland: 1600-1972 looks at how key events in Irish history contributed to the creation of the 'Irish Nation'. 'The most brilliant and courageous Irish historian of his generation'  Colm Tóibín, London Review of Books 'Remarkable ... Foster gives a wise and balanced account of both forces of unity and forces of diversity ... a master work of scholarship'  Bernard Crick, New Statesman 'A tour de force ... Anyone who really wants to make sense of Ireland and the Irish must read Roy Foster's magnificent and accessible Modern Ireland'  Anthony Clare 'A magnificent book. It supersedes all other accounts of modern Irish history'  Conor Cruise O'Brien, Sunday Times 'Dazzling ... a masterly survey not so much of the events of Irish history over the past four centuries as of the way in which those events acted upon the peoples living in IreTable of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesList of FiguresPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart OnePrologue: Varieties of IrishnessChapter One: 'Wild Shamrock Manners': Ireland in 1600Chapter Two: 'Nationalism' and RecusancyChapter Three: Plantation: Theory and PracticeChapter Four: Confederate IrelandChapter Five: Cromwellian IrelandChapter Six: Restoration IrelandChapter Seven: Shipwreck and Deliverance: The Foundations of AscendancyPart TwoChapter Eight: The Ascendancy MindChapter Nine: Economy, Society, and the 'Hidden' IrelandChapter Ten: The Structure of PoliticsChapter Eleven: Americans, Volunteers and the Politics of 'Patriotism'Chapter Twelve: 'Enthusiasm Defying Punishment': Revolution, Republicanism and ReactionPart ThreeChapter Thirteen: The Mobilization of Popular PoliticsChapter Fourteen: The Famine: Before and AfterChapter Fifteen: Ireland AbroadChapter Sixteen: Land, Politics and NationalismChapter Seventeen: The Politics of PanellismPart FourChapter Eighteen: The 'New' NationalismChapter Nineteen: War and RevolutionChapter Twenty: The TakeoverChapter Twenty-one: In a Free StateChapter Twenty-two: The de Valera DispensationChapter Twenty-three: 'Modern' Ireland?Appendix:Proclamation of the RepublicChronologyReferencesBibliographical EssayIndex of SubjectsIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed and enthralling story of the dark side of Elizabethan rule, from Stephen AlfordElizabeth I''s reign is known as a golden age, yet to much of Europe she was a ''Jezebel'' and heretic who had to be destroyed. The Watchers is a thrilling portrayal of the secret state that sought to protect the Queen; a shadow world of spies, codebreakers, agent provocateurs and confidence-men who would stop at nothing to defend the realm.Reviews:''Forget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction'' Daily Telegraph''Absorbing and closely documented ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing'' Guardian''[Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century'' The Times <Trade ReviewForget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction -- Rupert Christiansen * Daily Telegraph *Absorbing and closely documented ... his accounts of the unmasking of the Throckmorton and Babington plots are full and gripping, and he throws much light on the secret agents who exposed these and similar conspiracies ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing -- Keith Thomas * Guardian *Alford brings these men, their worlds and the unfortunate victims of their espionage vividly out of the shadows. Their interlocking biographies and adventures combine to produce a portrait of a mid-to-late Elizabethan England that was ruled by Walsingham's maxim: "There is less danger in fearing too much than too little" ... [Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century -- Dan Jones * Times Book of the Week *Alford paints a vivid and staggeringly well-researched portrait of the sinister side of Elizabethan England ... This is a spectacular book. It sheds new light on plots that most historians have ceased to explore and brings less famous conspiracies to the attention of the general reading public * Herald *Fascinating ... If you want to know the inside story of this struggle, the dark heart of calculation and the fight for survival, then this is the book to read. I know no better -- Alan Judd * Spectator *An enthralling account of the murky shadow-world of Elizabethan espionage ... The fascination of Alford's book ... lies in its focus on the worker bees in the intelligence hive. He has delved deep into encrypted archives to discover the lengths to which Elizabethan Englishmen were prepared to go to destroy their queen, or to defend her - and one of the surprises of a story full of dizzying twists is quite how many of them ended up attempting to do both ... In a bravura piece of counterfactual storytelling, Alford describes the moment in an imagined 1586 when one of the many plots to assassinate Elizabeth finally succeeded ... The heart of the Tudor state, as Alford compellingly shows, is entirely human in its darkness -- Helen Castor * Times Higher Education *The Watchers ... provides a genuine - and compelling - reappraisal of one of the most studied periods in English history: the reign of Elizabeth I. In exploring the world (or underworld) of Elizabethan espionage, Alford takes us on a darker, more disturbing and arguably more fascinating journey through the Elizabethan era than any other historian of the period ... [He] begins by taking the reader through a terrifyingly dramatic account of an assassination attempt in 1586, which leaves Queen Elizabeth mortally wounded ... It is an imaginary, but startlingly real scenario ... By telling it here, Alford sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the narrative, putting the reader in the mindset of the Virgin Queen's paranoid ministers ... a fascinating cast of characters ... engaging and perfectly pitched narrative ... Alford weaves together the bewilderingly complex threads of plots and counterplots so skilfully that as a reader you are never left floundering -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Alford ... has delved deeply into 16th-century archives to unearth a history of the dark underside to the Elizabethan golden age - a page-turning tale of assassination plots, torture, and espionage * Publishers Weekly *An intimate and revealing exploration of the men who did the Elizabethan security state's dirty work. Lifting the lid on the Protestant-Catholic 'cold war' of the late sixteenth century, Stephen Alford sifts the sources with a forensic eye, bringing to life the motley collection of self-interested chancers and drifters, religious and political zealots who watched each other in the streets of London, Paris and Rome. Leading us into the dark corners, safe houses and interrogation chambers of this twilight world, The Watchers paints a fascinating picture of the vast and nebulous threat facing Elizabethan England - and its determination to deal with that threat by any means necessary -- Thomas Penn, author of WINTER KINGDetailed and diligently researched * Sunday Times *[A] deep and convincing new study of the Elizabethan security services ... Previous attempts to understand the world of Tudor espionage ... have been hampered by the intractability of the source materials ... So it is greatly to the author's credit that he tells us much that is new about the diverse, and frankly bizarre, personalities who protected Elizabeth from an assassin's bullet and her realm from invasion ... Alford's mastery of the Elizabethan state papers delivers a detailed, believable and often compelling account of the strategies deployed by the state ... Alford is even-handed in his approach, not flinching from the grisly details of state-sponsored torture and execution, but also trying to see the situation from the government's point of view -- John Cooper * Literary Review *Stephen Alford has written a gripping account of these cruel and dramatic events, proving that the survival of Protestant England was purchased at a very high price indeed * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThis history of Ireland, written by one of Ireland''s most controversial journalists, studies the period from 1968 to the present day. Tim Coogan is also the author of The I.R.A. and two biographies - Michael Collins and De Valera.

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Book SynopsisThe Bang-Bang Club was a group of four young war photographers, friends and colleagues: Ken Oosterbroek, Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva, war correspondants during the last years of apartheid, who took many of the photographs that encapsulate the final violent years of racist white South Africa.Trade ReviewThis is the most honest account I have read of what it feels like to be a war photographer and what drives such brave, some would say reckless, individuals to risk their lives. * Daily Mail *A splendid book, devastating in what it reveals -- Archbishop Desmond TutuWhat distinguishes this account is its honesty-. A gripping book where emotions are laid bare- [Marinovich and Silva] confront the basic ethical and moral issues which most of us rarely have to think about as we glide along in our conformable Western lives. * Yorkshire Post *a compelling account of what it is like to be a war correspondent in one's own country... [a] superbly told story * Independent on Sunday *a device of searing pain- as painful a loss of innocence as any I have read anywhere- powerful and heartbreaking- Not for the faint-hearted, and not for the beach, The Bang-Bang Club is a must, though. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThis Very Short Introduction offers a powerfully-written explanation of the war''s complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and international scale. It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe''s tumultuous twentieth century, highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time, and how it continues to resonate today in Britain, continental Europe, and beyond. Throughout the book, the focus is on the war as an arena of social change where ideas about culture were forged or resisted, and in which both Spaniards and non-Spaniards participated alike. These were conflicts that during the Second World War would stretch from Franco''s regime, which envisaged itself as part of the Nazi new order, to Europe and beyond. Accordingly, this book examines Spanish participation in European resistance movements during World War II and also the ongoing civil war waged politically, economically, judicially and culturally inside Spain by Francoism after its military victory in 1939. History writing itself became a battleground and the book charts the Franco regime''s attempt to appropriate the past. It also indicates its ultimate failure - as evident in new writings on the war and, above all, in the return of Republican memory now occurring in Spain during the opening years of the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewProvocative and illuminating in equal measure, every sentence...is packed with thought and meaning. * Paul Preston, BBC History Magazine. *Small but impressive * Soldier Magazine *Table of ContentsPREFACE

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Book SynopsisMedieval history comes alive in Joseph and Frances Gies’s classic bestseller on life in medieval villagesThis new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances Gies, paints a lively, convincing portrait of rural people at work and at play in the Middle Ages.

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Book SynopsisThe SAS describes its attitude to the use of lethal force as ''Big boys'' games, big boys'' rules''. Anyone caught with a gun or bomb can expect to be shot. In Big Boys'' Rules: The SAS and the Secret Struggle Against the IRA Mark Urban meticulously explores the security forces'' covert operations in Northern Ireland: from the mid-1970s, when they were stepped up, to the Loughall ambush in 1987, in which eight IRA Provisionals were killed. While charting the successes and failures of special operations during the troubles, Urban reveals the unenviable dilemmas faced by intelligence chiefs engaged in a daily struggle against one of the world''s most sophisticated terrorist organisations.''This is a book that needed to be written and which fulfils the essentials of any Ulster story; it expands understanding beyond fragmented jingoism and newspaper headlines.'' John Stalker, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA flâneur and photographer at once, Eugène Atget (1857–1927) was obsessed with walking the streets. After trying his hand at painting and acting, the native of Libourne turned to photography and moved to Paris. He supplied studies for painters, architects, and stage designers, but became enraptured by what he called “documents” of the city and its environs. His scenes rarely included people, but rather the architecture, landscape, and artifacts that made up the societal and cultural stage. Atget was not particularly renowned during his lifetime but in the 1920s came to the attention of the Dada and Surrealist avant-garde through Man Ray. Four of his images, with their particular fusion of mimesis and mystery, appeared in the surrealist journal, La Révolution Surréaliste, while Ray and much of his artistic circle purchased Atget prints. Atget’s fame grew after his death, with several articles and a monograph by Berenice Abbott. Several leading photographers, including Walker Evans and Bill Brandt, have since acknowledged their debt to Atget. This fresh TASCHEN edition gathers some 500 photographs from the Atget archives at Musée Carnavalet and the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris to celebrate his outstanding eye for the urban environment and evocation of a Paris gone by. Down main streets and side streets, past shops and churches, through courtyards and arcades and the 20 arrondissements, we find a unique portrait of a beloved city and the making of a modern photographic master.

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Book SynopsisFrom Edith Pargeter, who also wrote as Ellis Peter, BROTHERS OF GWYNNED is an epic quartet of novels telling the dramatic tale of Llewelyn, the first true Prince of Wales. ''A richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales'' Sunday TelegraphLlewelyn has a burning vision: one Wales, united against the threat of the English. But, before he can realise his dream, Llewelyn must tackle enemies closer to home. Llewelyn''s three brothers all stand in the way of his ambition to create an independent state. The best-loved of the three, David, was brought up at the English court. Restless, charming and torn between loyalties, David is fated to be his brother''s undoing. Despite the support of Llewelyn''s beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution is his own downfall and a tragic death...Here, in one volume, is the entire saga of the Brothers of Gwynedd, including:SUNRISE IN THE WESTTHE DRAGON ATrade ReviewA richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales * Sunday Telegraph *Strong in atmosphere and plot, grim and yet hopeful...carved in weathered stone rather than in the sands of current fashion * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis Selected speeches from Indigenous leaders around the world--necessary wisdom for our times, nourishment for our collective, and a path away from extinction toward a sustainable, interconnected future.Indigenous worldviews, and the knowledge they confer, are critical for human survival and the wellbeing of future generations. Editors Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) and Darcia Narvaez present 28 powerful excerpted passages from Indigenous leaders, including Mourning Dove, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Winona LaDuke, and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. Accompanied by the editors’ own analyses, each chapter reflects the wisdom of Indigenous worldview precepts like:    • Egalitarian rule versus hierarchical governance   • A fearless trust in the universe, instead of a fear-based culture   • The life-sustaining role of ceremony   • Emphasizing generosity and the greater good instead of pursuing selfish goals and for personal gain   • The laws of nature as the highest rules for living The editors emphasize our deep need to move away from the dominant Western paradigm--one that dictates we live without strong social purpose, fails to honor the earth as sacred, leads with the head while ignoring the heart, and places individual “rights” over collective responsibility. Restoring the Kinship Worldview is rooted in an Indigenous vision and strong social purpose that sees all life forms as sacred and sentient--that honors the wisdom of the heart, and grants equal standing to rights and responsibilities. Inviting readers into a world-sense that expands beyond perceiving and conceiving to experiencing and being, Restoring the Kinship Worldview is a salve for our times, a nourishment for our collective, and a holistic orientation that will lead us away from extinction toward an integrated, sustainable future. 

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Book SynopsisVespa and Lambretta remain the two most iconic motor scooter brands, even four decades after the latter’s demise. But what made them such a European sensation in the postwar era? And why were they particularly popular in Britain in the 1950s and ’60s? Motor scooter expert Stuart Owen explains the rise of Innocenti’s Lambretta and Piaggio’s Vespa, from the wartime ruins of Italy, through years of plenty as the two manufacturers exploited a ready market for affordable, economic transport, and then their decline into more uncertain times as motor cars trespassed on their success. He also explores the rich history of accessorising and customising the scooters, their essential role in the mod movement, and the revival in Vespa’s fortunes following the release of the cult film Quadrophenia.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Birth of the Motor Scooter The European Invasion Difficult Times The Demise of the Lambretta Piaggio Goes from Strength to Strength The Legacy Lives On Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisNo one has done more than Michael Livingston to revive memories of the battle, and you could not hope for a better guide.' BERNARD CORNWELL Bestselling author of The Last Kingdom seriesLate in AD 937, four armies met at Brunanburh. On one side stood the shield-wall of the expanding kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. On the other side, a remarkable alliance of rival kings at least two from across the sea who had come together to destroy the Anglo-Saxons once and for all. The stakes were no less than the survival of the dream that would become England. The armies were massive. The violence, when it began, was enough to shock a violent age. Brunanburh may not today have the fame of Hastings, Crécy or Agincourt, but generations later it was still called, quite simply, the great battle'. For centuries now, its location has been lost but after an extraordinary effort, uniting enthusiasts, historians, archaeologists and linguists the location of these bloodied fields may well have been ideTrade ReviewThis is a terrific introduction to a mysterious battle, by a writer who embraces puzzles, admits when he is speculating and finds ingenious ways to shine a light into one of Britain’s darkest ages. -- Dan Jones * The Sunday Times *Written with both the critical gaze of a military historian and the dramatic verve of a historical novelist, this book brings to vibrant and bloody life the momentous battle of Brunanburh in AD 937. * Robert Woosnam-Savage, FSA, Curator of Armour and Edged Weapons, The Royal Armouries *Never Greater Slaughter raises the bar for what narrative history can do… This book will wow you as it educates you on the fascinating story of one of the most important battles in British history. * Myke Cole, Author of 'Legion versus Phalanx' *Only the most adept of military historians, of writers, can combine combat with context and not lose their readers’ interests. Michael Livingston is one of those. Never Greater Slaughter tells the whole story of the birth of England, from Alfred the Great to Athelstan and Brunanburh. No one tells the history better. * Kelly DeVries, Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland *Combines archaeological detective work and forthright battle narratives to fill a hefty gap in readers' knowledge of England's Dark Ages. * Soldier *Table of ContentsForeword by Bernard Cornwell Preface List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction: A Field of Death, 937 1. The Birth of England, to 865 2. The Vikings Arrive, 837–66 3. Alfred and the Viking Conquest, 866–99 4. The Gathering Storm, 900–24 5. The Rise of Athelstan, 924–34 6. The Great Alliance, 934–37 7. Reconstructing Battles 8. The Search for Brunanburh 9. The Ships and the Saga 10. The Day England Came of Age, 937 11. Wirral Archaeology 12. England, Come of Age Appendix: Objections and Alternate Sites Suggested Reading and Acknowledgements Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER‘Tender, fascinating … Lucid and illuminating’ Robert MacfarlaneFunerary rituals show us what people thought about mortality; how they felt about loss; what they believed came next. From Roman cremations and graveside feasts, to deviant burials with heads rearranged, from richly furnished Anglo Saxon graves to the first Christian burial grounds in Wales, Buried provides an alternative history of the first millennium in Britain. As she did with her pre-history of Britain in Ancestors, Professor Alice Roberts combines archaeological finds with cutting-edge DNA research and written history to shed fresh light on how people lived: by examining the stories of the dead.Trade Review'Buried is a tender, fascinating act of listening –– of listening to the tales the dead have to tell us about the landscapes we share with them, the histories we have constructed around them, and the futures we imagine for ourselves. Lucid and illuminating, Alice Roberts here opens new perspectives on to first-millennium Britain, from the appearance of churchyards in the sixth century, to Romano-British 'decapitation' burial practices. I learned so much from this book, and hearing my description of Alice's excavations and investigations, my nine-year-old confirmed absolutely his ambition to become an aDNA (ancient DNA) scientist when he grows up.' -- Robert Macfarlane‘Roberts’s legions of fans will find themselves delighted by a book that is both accessible and expert, wears deep learning lightly, and provides a solid introduction to an often murky age in Britain’s early medieval past.’ * Daily Telegraph *‘Intriguing and informative [….] Fascinating’ * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisUsing his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains all aspects of the Georgian and Regency house and provides a comprehensive guide to the houses of this notable period. This book is divided into three sections, outlining the history of the period; stepping inside the different rooms and their fittings, what they were used for and how they would have appeared; and the final section contains a quick reference guide with notes on dating houses, suggestions for further reading, a glossary of unfamiliar terms and details of places to visit.

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Book Synopsis'He is as funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell' ObserverIt was the spirit of our finest hour, the backbone of our post-war greatness, and it promoted some of the boldest and most brilliant schemes this isle has ever produced: it was the Welfare State, and it made you and I. But now it's under threat, and we need to save it.In this timely and provocative book, Stuart Maconie tells Britain’s Welfare State story through his own history of growing up as a northern working class boy. What was so bad about properly funded hospitals, decent working conditions and affordable houses? And what was so wrong about student grants, free eye tests and council houses? And where did it all go so wrong? Stuart looks toward Britain’s future, making an emotional case for believing in more than profit and loss; and championing a just, fairer society.

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Book SynopsisA unique chronicle of the hundred-year period when the Jewish people changed the world – and it changed them Marx, Freud, Proust, Einstein, Bernhardt and Kafka. Between the middle of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a few dozen men and women changed the way we see the world. But many have vanished from our collective memory despite their enduring importance in our daily lives. Without Karl Landsteiner, for instance, there would be no blood transfusions or major surgery. Without Paul Ehrlich no chemotherapy. Without Siegfried Marcus no motor car. Without Rosalind Franklin genetic science would look very different. Without Fritz Haber there would not be enough food to sustain life on earth. These visionaries all have something in common – their Jewish origins and a gift for thinking outside the box. In 1847 the Jewish people made up less than 0.25% of the world’s population, and yet they saw what others could not. How?Trade Review‘[Lebrecht] guides us through his chosen period… in a breathless present continuous, with an enthusiasm that holds the reader’s attention… Lebrecht’s passion is persuasive, while the depth and variety of his reading and the sweep of his writing consistently engage.’ -- TLS‘Claims to have “changed the world” tend to be exaggerations, but Lebrecht’s subtitle…seems understated. The world wasn’t changed, it was remade, by the emancipation of Jews into public life that began in the 1840s…Narrated not by a straight-faced professional historian, but by a sprightly raconteur, with anecdotes and jokes, digressions and embellishments. Lebrecht piles them high in a ziggurat of enthusiasm for those “who changed the way we see the world”’. * The Times *‘A riveting, gossipy, action-packed, seam-bursting blast through 100 years of (mainly) European history…Lebrecht is an exuberant storyteller who ably brings these personalities to life…Impressively wide-ranging in scope and unflaggingly fascinating in detail.’ * Financial Times *'[An] urgent and moving history.’ * The Spectator *‘Norman Lebrecht has a rare ability to evoke the past with the immediacy of a good journalist, broadcaster, novelist or blogger… In his new book, a magnum opus of well over 400 pages, he brings his lifelong interests together.’ * Jewish Chronicle *‘This is unapologetically a book about Jews – scores of Jews whose lives and achievements made a significant difference to the world. In themselves, their histories make for fascinating reading, but a deeper theme informs these absorbing biographical sketches… Fascinating’. * Jerusalem Post *‘An exercise in boosterism… While Genius and Anxiety presents itself as a work of serious historical research, it is also laced with journalistic pizzazz.’ * Guardian *‘This book unapologetically celebrates Jewish genius by asking some piercing questions… the book is also a reminder that the unremitting antisemitism that contextualises Jewish genius has not disappeared.’ -- Jewish Renaissance‘… the book features dozens of remarkable scientists, artists and politicians of Jewish descent. Lebrecht’s wide net captures the usual suspects — Marx, Freud, Kafka, Einstein — but also many lesser-known, and equally fascinating, individuals.’ -- New York Times‘This book is a joy. Concise, vivid, well-written, in clear antithesis to banality… One not only enjoys the wealth of interesting facts and people, but is also delighted to be treated with many of [Lebrecht’s] aphoristic pearls… A vivid psychological study of Jewishness.' -- The Times of Israel‘A dazzling masterpiece depicting the glory and tragedy of Europe’s most persecuted people.’ -- Tom Bower‘Lebrecht vividly portrays the tensions between success and discrimination, offering a timely reminder of what western civilisation owes to the Jews.’ -- David Abulafia, Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge, and author of The Great Sea

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Book SynopsisOxford University Museum of Natural History Museum holds an unrivalled William Smith collection, including not only his 1815 map and unpublished county maps but also his vast archive of diaries, letters, published works, charts and plans.Trade Review'Some books are beautiful, others are enlightening. STRATA is both ... It’s the best non-fiction book I’ve read in a long time' - Will Gompertz'Will no doubt remain as a standard reference work for map collectors, map dealers, librarians and historians of science for many years to come, and will likely become a collector’s item in its own right' - International Map Collector’s SocietyTable of ContentsForeword by Robert Macfarlane • Introduction by Douglas Palmer • 1. Borders and the North. Fossils: London Clay to Greensand. i. Apprentice by Peter Wigley. • 2. Wales and Central England. Fossils: Brickearth to Clunch clay and Shale. ii. Mineral Prospector by Peter Wigley. iii. Field Work by Dave Williams • East Anglia and the South East. Fossils: Kelloways Stone to Fuller’s Earth Rock. iv. Cartographer by Tom Sharpe. v. Fossil Collector by Jill Darrell and Diana Clements. • The West. Fossils: Blue Marl to Redland Limestone. vi. Well Sinker by John Mather. vii. Mentor by John Henry. • Table detailing William Smith’s fossils featured as photographic plates in this book. Bibliography and Sources of illustrations. Index and Acknowledgments.

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Book SynopsisAugust 2019 saw numerous commemorations of the year 1619, when what was said to be the first arrival of enslaved Africans occurred in North America. Yet in the 1520s, the Spanish, from their imperial perch in Santo Domingo, had already brought enslaved Africans to what was to become South Carolina. The enslaved people quickly defected to local Indigenous populations, and compelled their captors to flee. Deploying such illuminating research, The Dawning of the Apocalypse is a riveting revision of the “creation myth” of settler colonialism and how the United States was formed. Here, Gerald Horne argues forcefully that, in order to understand the arrival of colonists from the British Isles in the early seventeenth century, one must first understand the “long sixteenth century”—from 1492 until the arrival of settlers in Virginia in 1607. During this prolonged century, Horne contends, “whiteness” morphed into “white supremacy,” and allowed England to co-opt not only religious minorities but also various nationalities throughout Europe, thus forging a muscular bloc that was needed to confront rambunctious Indigenes and Africans. In retelling the bloodthirsty story of the invasion of the Americas, Horne recounts how the fierce resistance by Africans and their Indigenous allies weakened Spain and enabled London to dispatch settlers to Virginia in 1607. These settlers laid the groundwork for the British Empire and what became the United States of America.

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Book SynopsisPassed down in the oral tradition and sung traditionally as working songs, sea shanties tell the human stories of life at sea: hard graft, battling the elements, the loss of ships or pining for a lady on shore. Acclaimed shanty devotee Gerry Smyth presents the background to each shanty alongside musical notation.

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Book Synopsis''Bobby''s oyster travelogue is an ambitious, one-of-a-kind piece that shines a spotlight on the extraordinary and the everyday of the industry. It''s the stuff that oyster bucket lists are made of'' Julie Qiu, In A Half Shell blog''A masterpiece'' Sandy Ingber, Executive Chef of the Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York''An amazing tome . . . The stories behind each oyster and location are informative, in depth, but, most importantly, fun'' Michel Roux JrThe oyster. Ostrea edulis. ''Edible bones''. The Great British oyster is deeply embedded in our geographical, historical and socio-cultural landscape. Five-thousand-year-old oyster shells have been discovered in the northern reaches of Scotland, and oyster shells are littered along the extinct riverbeds deep beneath the London of today. A highly prized delicacy of the Romans, the oyster has always been a class leveller: an everyman food of the poor during the Victorian age to a food of decTrade ReviewA great read, we love the book! Written with knowledge and enthusiasm * Si King (The Hairy Bikers) *A clever mix of food history, nature writing, travelogue and restaurant guide * The i *Part travelogue, part social history * Sunday Telegraph *A masterpiece. It is so interesting to read about oyster lore on the other side of the world. Being here in America, I tend to forget how many oysters are out there in other places, especially in the UK and Ireland. Thank you, Bobby, for bringing this world of joy to me and all the rest of America * Sandy Ingber, Executive Chef of the Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York *An amazing tome. It's a joy. The stories behind each oyster and location are informative, in depth, but, most importantly, fun. I shall never eat an oyster again in the same way, the knowledge impaired from this book will definitely enhance the eating * Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche *Bobby's oyster travelogue is an ambitious, one-of-a-kind piece that shines a spotlight on the extraordinary and the everyday of the industry. It's the stuff that oyster bucket lists are made of * Julie Qiu, In A Half Shell blog *This book is a rolling adventure of bike, sweat, salt, sea and oysters. A book full of history and love; love for the oyster and love for the coasts of the British Isles and Ireland * Margot Henderson, Rochelle Canteen *Bobby's storytelling puts you in his wellies, and makes me want to hop on a Triumph to explore the tastes, characters, and sights of the Oyster Isles . . . An instant oyster classic * Patrick McMurray, World Oyster Shuckin' Champion *To my mind, the best food book to be published this year. Bobby Groves's fascinating and beautifully written history of the oyster in the British Isles is meticulously researched. A captivating and utterly absorbing account of a young man's odyssey. A must-have, if you possess even the remotest interest in seafood and presented in a glorious old-school style. Divine * East Coast Avocet *A super book about a super food! Bobby Groves gives the oyster lover an insight into the social history of the coastline of our wonderful country * Brian Turner *

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Book SynopsisBinyavanga Wainaina tumbled through his middle-class Kenyan childhood out of kilter with the world around him.This world came to him as a chaos of loud and colourful sounds: the hair dryers at his mother's beauty parlour, black mamba bicycle bells, mechanics in Nairobi, the music of Michael Jackson - all punctuated by the infectious laughter of his brother and sister. He could fall in with their patterns, but it would take him a while to carve out his own. In this vivid and compelling debut, Wainaina takes us through his school days, his failed attempt to study in South Africa, a moving family reunion in Uganda, and his travels around Kenya.The landscape in front of him always claims his main attention, but he also evokes the shifting political scene that unsettles his views on family, tribe, and nationhood. Throughout, reading is his refuge and his solace. And when, in 2002, a writing prize comes through, the door is opened for him to pursue the career that perhaps had been beckoning all along. Resolutely avoiding stereotype and cliche, Wainaina paints every scene in One Day I Will Write About This Place with a highly distinctive and hugely memorable brush.

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Book SynopsisThe first ever biography of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife, who died in childbirth giving the king what he craved most - a son and heir. Jane Seymour is often portrayed as meek and mild and as the most successful, but one of the least significant, of Henry VIII's wives. The real Jane was a very different character, demure and submissive yet with a ruthless streak - as Anne Boleyn was being tried for treason, Jane was choosing her wedding dress. From the lowliest origins of any of Henry's wives her rise shows an ambition every bit as great as Anne's. Elizabeth Norton tells the thrilling life of a country girl from rural Wiltshire who rose to the throne of England and became the ideal Tudor woman.Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Seymours of Wolfhall: c.1508 - late 1520s Chapter 2: Carried up to Court: Late 1520s - 1529 Chapter 3: A Time of Solitude: 1529 - 1533 Chapter 4: Mistress Seymour: August 1533 - January 1535 Chapter 5: Stealing the King's Affection: January 1535 - January 1536 Chapter 6: The King's Love and Desire: January 1536 - April 1536 Chapter 7: Queen Anne Lack-Head: 1 May 1536 - 19 May 1536 Chapter 8: Bound to Obey and Serve: Summer 1536 Chapter 9: Full of Motherly Joy: Summer - Autumn 1536 Chapter 10: An Enemy of the Gospel: Autumn 1536 Chapter 11: A Pilgrimage of Grace: October 1536 - December 1536 Chapter 12: Jane the Queen: December 1536 - Spring 1537 Chapter 13: Delivered of a Son: February 1537 - 15 October 1537 Chapter 14: The Death of Queen Jane: 16 October 1537 - 13 November 1537 Chapter 15: Continued a Widower Notes Bibliography List of illustrations Index

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Book SynopsisTo sail the oceans needed skill as well as courage and experience, and the sea chart with, where appropriate, the coastal view, was the tool by which ships of trade, transport or conquest navigated their course. This book looks at the history and development of the chart and the related nautical map, in both scientific and aesthetic terms, as a means of safe and accurate seaborne navigation. The Italian merchant-venturers of the early thirteenth century developed the earliest ‘portulan’ pilot charts of the Mediterranean. The subsequent speed of exploration by European seafarers, encompassing the New World, the extraordinary voyages around the Cape of Good Hope and the opening up of the trade to the East, India and the Spice Islands were both a result of the development of the sea chart and additionally as an aid to that development. By the eighteenth century the discovery and charting of the coasts and oceans of the globe had become a strategic naval and commercial requirement. Such involvements led to Cook’s voyages in the Pacific, the search for the Northwest Passage and races to the Arctic and Antarctic. The volume is arranged along chronological and then geographical lines. Each of the ten chapters is split into two distinct halves examining the history of the charting of a particular region and the context under which such charting took place following which specific navigational charts and views together with other relevant illustrations are presented. Key figures or milestones in the history of charting are then presented in stand-alone story box features. This new edition features around 40 new charts and accompanying text.Trade ReviewThe magnificent, enduring legacy which Lt Cdr John Blake, RN, has bequeathed to the world is one of those astonishing volumes which changes lives because it transforms the way history is viewed. Thank you, Lt Cmdr Blake. You have become the second Blake to bring nautical greatness to the Royal Navy! * Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis *.. in this lustrous work, John Blake ... has assembled a mouth-watering collection with which to illuminate this history of cartography. * Classic Boat Magazine *… the book is a useful and beautifully produced look at a subject which has important implications in the study of navigation, exploration, whaling, colonisation and empire. -- Richard Pflederer * History Today *New books on sea charts are most welcome, especially when they contain material rarely or never previously published. John Blake has trawled a variety of chart collections ... and has put together a most interesting volume. * Navigation News? *As a Bridge Officer I always greatly enjoyed using those older surveys ... and John Blake has produced a scholarly work, one of the most magnificent nooks I have seen for some time. A MUST for all navigators and students of the history of navigation. * Gunline (Newsletter of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary) ? *....John Blake's magnificently illustrated and informative book. * Navy News *A mouth-watering collection of historic nautical maps and navigational charts. * The Tablet *Wonderfully presented and lavish ... beautiful to look at but [the maps'] influence on history is much greater than even the aesthetic pleasure they now bring. * Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisExamining a series of El Niño-induced droughts and the famines that they spawned around the globe in the last third of the 19th century, Mike Davis discloses the intimate, baleful relationship between imperial arrogance and natural incident that combined to produce some of the worst tragedies in human history. Late Victorian Holocausts focuses on three zones of drought and subsequent famine: India, Northern China; and Northeastern Brazil. All were affected by the same global climatic factors that caused massive crop failures, and all experienced brutal famines that decimated local populations. But the effects of drought were magnified in each case because of singularly destructive policies promulgated by different ruling elites. Davis argues that the seeds of underdevelopment in what later became known as the Third World were sown in this era of High Imperialism, as the price for capitalist modernization was paid in the currency of millions of peasants' lives.Trade ReviewDavis has given us a book of substantial contemporary relevance as well as great historical interest...this highly informative book foes well beyond its immediate focus. -- Amartya Sen * The New York Times *Davis's range is stunning...He combines political economy, meteorology, and ecology with vivid narratives to create a book that is both a gripping read and a major conceptual achievement. Lots of us talk about writing 'world history' and 'interdisciplinary history': here is the genuine article. -- Kenneth Pomeranz, author of The Great DivergenceThe global climate meets a globalizing political economy, the fundamentals of one clashing with the fundamentalisms of the other. Mike Davis tells the story with zest, anger, and insight. -- Stephen J. Pyne, author of World FireDavis, a brilliant maverick scholar, sets the triumph of the late-nineteenth-century Western imperialism in the context of catastrophic El Niño weather patterns at that time ... This is groundbreaking, mind-stretching stuff. * Independent *Late Victorian Holocausts will redefine the way we think about the European colonial project. After reading this, I defy even the most ardent nationalist to feel proud of the so-called 'achievements' of empire. * Observer *Devastating. * San Francisco Chronicle *Eloquent and passionate, this is a veritable Black Book of liberal capitalism. -- Tariq AliGenerations of historians largely ignored the implications [of the great famines of the late nineteenth century] and until recently dismissed them as 'climatic accidents'...Late Victorian Holocausts proves them wrong. * Los Angeles Times (Best Books of 2001) *Wide ranging and compelling...a remarkable achievement. * Times Literary Supplement *A masterly account of climatic, economic and colonial history. * New Scientist *A hero of the Left, Davis is part polemicist, part historian, and all Marxist. -- Dale Peck * Village Voice *The catalogue of cruelty Davis has unearthed is jaw-dropping . Late Victorian Holocausts is as ugly as it is compelling. -- Sukhdev Sandhu * Guardian *Controversial, comprehensive, and compelling, this book is megahistory at its most fascinating-a monument to times past, but hopefully not a predictor of future disasters. * Foreign Affairs *Devastating. * San Francisco Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisWithout Churchill's inspiring leadership Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been 'impossible without her'. Clementine was Winston's emotional rock and his most trusted confidante; not only was she involved in some of the most crucial decisions of war, but she exerted an influence over her husband and the Government that would appear scandalous to modern eyes. Yet her ability to charm Britain's allies and her humanitarian efforts on the Home Front earned her deep respect, both behind closed doors in Whitehall and among the population at large. That Clementine should become Britain's 'First Lady' was by no means pre-ordained. Born into impecunious aristocracy, her childhood was far from gilded. Her mother was a serial adulteress and gambler, who spent many years uprooting her children to escape the clutches of their erstwhile father, and by the time Clementine entered polite society she had become the target of cruel snobbery and rumours about her parentage. In Winston, however, she discovered a partner as emotionally insecure as herself, and in his career she found her mission. Her dedication to his cause may have had tragic consequences for their children, but theirs was a marriage that changed the course of history. Now, acclaimed biographer Sonia Purnell explores the peculiar dynamics of this fascinating union. From the personal and political upheavals of the Great War, through the Churchills' 'wilderness years' in the 1930s, to Clementine's desperate efforts to preserve her husband's health during the struggle against Hitler, Sonia presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history.Trade Review"Engrossing... Clementine Churchill became her husband's essential confidante and adviser, vetting his speeches, smoothing over his faux pas, dealing with his constituents... Purnell's book is the first formal biography of a woman who has heretofore been relegated to the sidelines." The New York Times "Purnell has delivered an astute, pacey account of a woman who hardly ever emerged from the shadows. It is a sharp analysis of what it meant to be a politician's wife... [and] shows how much we can learn about Winston Churchill from his wife and marriage." The Wall Street Journal 'Both scrupulous and fair-minded, Sonia Purnell has done her subject proud in this eye-opening and engrossing account of the strong-willed and ambitious woman without whom - so Purnell argues with authority - Winston Churchill's political career would have been a washout. It is clear from this admirable account that Churchill would never have risen to greatness without Clementine.' -- Miranda Seymour Daily Telegraph 'It seems remarkable that no one has given this remarkable woman proper biographical treatment before. One of the great political partnerships ... sensitively explored by Sonia Purnell.' -- Daisy Goodwin The Times 'Eye opening biography. First Lady is a bold biography of a bold woman; at last Purnell has put Clementine Churchill at the centre of her own extraordinary story, rather than in the shadow of her husband's.' -- Frances Wilson Mail on Sunday 'Sonia Purnell has written a highly readable, well researched, and insightful biography. This is an immensely enjoyable and deeply researched account.' -- Anne Sebba 'Compellingly readable... the heroic saga of a warrior queen who wanted power but only got it by playing subtle diplomatic games as her husband's eminence grise during two world wars.' -- Michele Roberts Independent 'Well researched and fluently written. Eminently readable.' -- Dominic Sandbrook Sunday Times 'An intriguing study of a character both deeply flawed and, in her way, magnificent.' -- Jane Shilling Evening Standard 'From the influence she wielded to the secrets she kept, a new book looks at the extraordinary role of Winston Churchill's wife Clementine who proved that behind every great man is a great woman. Giving Winston confidence and conviction was a key element of her support. The safety and security that Clementine provided - as an emotional blanket and political sounding board - was vital in allowing Churchill to be the dominant politician of his age. Churchill's chief of staff, General Pug Ismay said later: "Without her... the history of Winston Churchill and of the world would have been a very different story."' -- Dan Townend Daily Express 'Outstanding.' Yorkshire Post 'Purnell is an exhaustive researcher and eloquent storyteller. This biography is partly a history of domesticity, and this is its great strength. Winston clearly loved his wife. More to the point, he needed her. Purnell shows convincingly how much 'great men' rely on the everyday emotional labour of the women closest to them. Purnell wants to say much more than this, however: she wants Clementine to be recognised as a 'great woman'. More interesting, though, is what this look at Britain's 'first lady' tells us about the role of leaders' wives in the UK compared to in the US.' BBC History Magazine 'A unique take on Mrs Churchill's time as Britain's 'First Lady'.' Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine "This exemplary biography illustrates how Clementine's intelligence, hard work, and perseverance in often difficult circumstances made her every bit a match for her remarkable, intimidating husband, and a fascinating figure in her own right." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

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Book SynopsisThe Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive federation of merchant guilds based in harbour towns along the North Sea and Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbours, which eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and spread its influence much further afield. The League was formed to protect the economic and political interests of member cities throughout a vast and complex trading network. The League continued to operate well into the 17th century, but its golden age was between c.1200 and c.1500; thereafter it failed to take full advantage of the wave of maritime exploration to the west, south and east of Europe. During its 300 years of dominance the League’s large ships – called ‘cogs’ – were at the forefront of maritime technology, were early users of cannon, and were manned by strong fighting crews to defend them from pirates in both open-sea and river warfare. The home cities raised their own armies for mutual defence, and their riches both allowed them, and required them, to invest in fortifications and gunpowder weapons, since as very attractive targets they were subjected to sieges at various times.Table of ContentsIntroduction: origins and nature of the League/ Knights and militias, 13th–14th centuries/ Hanseatic shipping: the ‘cog’, its capabilities and influence; armed ships and piracy; river trade and river wars/ Fortified ports and siege warfare/ Introduction of cannon by land and sea/ The League in the late 15th century: the ‘age of discoveries’, from peak of prosperity to decline/ Select bibliography/ Plate commentaries/ Index

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Book SynopsisWitchcraft! Just the mention of the name is enough to cause fear, even terror, in the minds and hearts of many people. But that is not the full story. Yes, there have always been proponents of the ''dark arts,'' witches and warlocks willing to use their powers for evil, but the wise men and women of the ancient and medieval world - men and women eager to use their spells and potions for good - have often been overlooked.This book looks at witchcraft from the early days, tracing its development as a pseudo-religious cult, the good and the bad, from the wild plains of Babylon to the present day. It highlights witch scares and individuals, particularly the witch hunts of the medieval period when 100,000 women were accused of witchcraft and nearly 80,000 executed. It examines the concept of witch hunting, detailing the activities of men like Matthew Hopkins, the famous Witchfinder General.The book does not just focus on medieval and ancient witches, it takes in modern witch hunting - with

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Book SynopsisPublished to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the military mission that changed World War II, D-Day Landings: A Travel Guide to Normandy''s Beaches and Battlegrounds is Bradt''s new guidebook to visiting beaches, memorials, museums, battlefields and other sites associated with D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (Operation Overlord). A simple-to-follow, portable guide for independent travellers, it includes maps and driving instructions to help visitors go back in time to explore World War II history. Written by two experienced travel writers who, between them, are experts in France and military history, D-Day Landings is designed for visitors who want to see all or part of Normandy. Covering the ground from the D-Day landing beaches (Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah) up to Cherbourg and inland to Falaise, it encompasses every major site and a host of smaller, less well-known locations - venturing well beyond the coast to include sites associated with the capture of Caen and the closi

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Book SynopsisToday we know the Slavic people from their countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, including Ukraine and Russia across to Poland and South to Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Their origins are similar to the Celts and the Visigoths, coming into history from 600CE, as part of the many tribes who attacked the edges of the Roman Empire.

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Book SynopsisWhen U.S. presidents clash with corporate titans, what tips the balance of power?  In The Power and the Money, acclaimed presidential historian Tevi Troy takes readers on a riveting journey through the biggest battles between CEOs and the nation’s commander in chief. He unearths the untold stories – both political and personal – that have shaped America. Troy shows how the vast reach of the federal government become a critical fact of life for every business, entrepreneur, and innovator. Today, companies find themselves navigating a competitive landscape defined by stringent regulations, so top CEOs and key business leaders must influence the legislative and regulatory system. As public affairs teams and government relations experts put forward strategies to survive Washington, CEOs have become the most important warrior on the frontlines. The Power and the Money shows how some of the nation’s most

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Book Synopsis** AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK IN DECEMBER 2022 **'Curious, lively, humble, utterly genuine ... a remarkable debut.' SUNDAY TIMESAlice Vernon often wakes up to find strangers in her bedroom.Ever since she was a child, her nights have been haunted by nightmares of a figure from her adolescence, sinister hallucinations and episodes of sleepwalking. These are known as 'parasomnias' - and they're surprisingly common. Now a lecturer in Creative Writing, Vernon set out to understand the history, science and culture of these strange and haunting experiences. Night Terrors, her startling and vivid debut, examines the history of our relationship with bad dreams: how we've tried to make sense of and treat them, from some decidedly odd 'cures' like magical 'mare-stones', to research on how video games might help people rewrite their dreams. Along the way she explores the Salem Witch Trials and sleep paralysis, Victorian ghost stories, and soldiers' experiences of PTSD. By directly confronting her own strange and frightening nights for the first time, Vernon encourages us to think about the way troubled sleep has impacted our imaginations.Night Terrors aims to shine a light on the darkest parts of our sleeping lives, and to reassure sufferers from bad dreams that they are not alone.Trade ReviewFascinating - just don't read it at bedtime. * The Observer *Curious, lively, humble, utterly genuine ... a remarkable debut. * Sunday Times *By writing this gruelling, honest book, Alice Vernon has done her small bit to try to puncture the power of nightmares. * Daily Mail *In a discourse fired by lively inquiry and personal anecdote, [Vernon] looks to art, literature and science to demonstrate the profound effect these eerie and surprisingly common nocturnal states have had on the human imagination. Fascinating - just don't read it at bedtime. * The Observer *Fascinating ... a rich, immersive study of not just nightmares but the full range of parasomnias - the strange sleep disorders that can afflict us. ... [Vernon] can really write. ... This book felt like an extended hand to me. It is curious, lively, humble, utterly genuine - and, if you're a sufferer too, wonderfully reassuring. It is a remarkable debut. * Sunday Times *A vivid history of sleep disorders ... a candid, intense look at what keeps people up at night. * Publishers Weekly *A welcome addition to the vast library it cites and celebrates, Vernon's work is a compelling guide to the uncanny grammar of our dread and desire. * Fortean Times *

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Book SynopsisThe latest edition of Warship, the celebrated annual publication featuring the latest research on the history, development, and service of the world''s warships.For over 45 years, Warship has been the leading annual resource on the design, development, and deployment of the world''s combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, this latest volume combines original research, new book reviews, warship notes, an image gallery, and much more, maintaining the impressive standards of scholarship and research with which Warship has become synonymous. Detailed and accurate information is the keynote of all the articles, which are fully supported by plans, data tables, and stunning photographs.This year''s Warship includes features on the secret battleship design that Mussolini''s Fascist Italy sold to Stalin''s USSR, the little-known German flak ships of World War II, the Trade ReviewStimulating articles, beautifully produced and published, yet again this series has delivered a wonderful collection which is also great fun to read. I look forward to Warship 2024! -- Peter Wykeham-Martin * Warship World *One of the great if idiosyncratic pleasures of this long-running title is the fact that it is not really a single volume but a continuing contribution to the soundest and most detailed minutiae of modern naval history. Articles can be split over more than one volume while the editor and/or hugely varied range of contributors can pose questions and seek responses from readers. To all intents Warship is a reference work created over several decades to the very highest standards of accuracy and withwhat is in effect a degree of community engagement. * The Mariner’s Mirror *I have reviewed the Warship series for a number of years and they never disappoint. This latest edition is a fascinating eclectic mix of articles on subjects ranging from bizarre designs to modern weapons systems and current naval thinking. The editor John Jordan is to be congratulated on editing such a heady mix from authoritative contributors -- Peter Wykeham-Martin * Warship World *The extent of the scholarship of the contributors to Warship 2023 is readily evident from the detail in the articles and the extensive endnotes. The book is also fully illustrated with clear line drawings, tables and black & white photographs. -- REAR ADMIRAL R. G. MELLY * The Naval Review *The 2023 edition of the popular Warship series continues in the established tradition of its predecessors in offering detailed insights into comparatively under-researched aspects of naval development relevant to military historians and armchair enthusiasts of the post-sail era. In so doing it treads a careful critical line which pulls in innovations, technical details and broader geopolitical trends shaping naval development. Moreover, the relative diversity and accessibility of the content is matched by the quality of production, with the hardback version having a distinct ‘coffee table’ feel. -- Jesse Heley * Intelligence and National Security Journal *Table of Contents(Subject to confirmation) THE LOSS OF HMS AUDACIOUS CLEMENCEAU AND FOCH: FRANCE’S FIRST MODERN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS THE ITALIAN CONNECTION: ANSALDO’S UP.41 DESIGN TAKASAGO, KASAGI AND CHITOSE: THE IJN’S FIRST 8IN-GUN PROTECTED CRUISERS THE ITALIAN NAVY AND THE BATTLESHIP IN THE 1930s: THEORY AND PRACTICE POSTWAR ELECTRONIC WARFARE SYSTEMS IN THE ROYAL NAVY THE GERMAN FLAK SHIPS PART I: THE GERMAN AND EX-NORWEGIAN HULLS THE STRANGE FATE OF GENERAL ALEKSEEV’S GUNS THE BATTLESHIP MASSENA THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOKOSUKA NAVY YARD Naval Books of the Year WARSHIP Notes WARSHIP Gallery

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Book SynopsisThere has always been a romance around ocean liners, but this book looks behind the romance to show the reality of travelling the oceans of the world. The book starts with the first scheduled transatlantic crossings in the age of sail, then moves on through the development of the steamers and ends in the present day, when ocean liners have given way to airliners. All aspects of the subject are discussed. The experience of travelling by sea varied enormously from the luxury of first-class travel to the often brutal conditions endured by immigrants. Ship design developed in the race between competing companies to provide the most powerful ships. But while technology came into the fundamental design, when it came to décor, for many of the great liners the interiors looked back with a romanticised view of the past. It is not always realised that a great liner might have almost as many crew as passengers, and this looks at all those who kept the ships running, from the black gang in the eng

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Book SynopsisBig Tech has sold us the illusion that artificial intelligence is a frictionless technology that will bring wealth and prosperity to humanity. But hidden beneath this smooth surface lies the grim reality of a precarious global workforce of millions that labour under often appalling conditions to make AI possible. Feeding the Machine presents an urgent, riveting investigation of the intricate network of organisations that maintain this exploitative system, revealing the untold truth of AI.Based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of fieldwork over more than a decade, this book shows us the lives of the workers often deliberately concealed from view and the systems of power that determine their future. It shows how AI is an extraction machine that churns through ever-larger datasets and feeds off humanity''s labour and collective intelligence to power its algorithms. Feeding the Machine is a call to arms against this exploitative system and details w

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Book Synopsis'One of our most brilliant contemporary thinkers' Claudia Rankine'An unrelenting exploration of slavery and freedom' New YorkerIn this radical re-evaluation of American history, Saidiya Hartman draws together a striking portrait of nineteenth-century slavery and its many afterlives. Through close examination of a variety of 'scenes', ranging from the auction block and the minstrel show to plantation diaries and legal cases, Scenes of Subjection investigates the interconnected nature of historical enslavement and present-day racism. With bold and persuasively argued possibilities for Black resistance and transformation, this book shows how far we have yet to go to dismantle the pervasive legacy of slavery.

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Book Synopsis''Superb'' Sunday Times''Revolutionary'' Alice Roberts''Hugely important'' Jim Al-Khalili_______________A radical retelling of the history of science that foregrounds the scientists erased from history In this major retelling of the history of science from 1450 to the present day, James Poskett explodes the myth that science began in Europe.The blinkered Western gaze focusing on individual ''genius'' - Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein - was only one part of the story. The reality was an utterly global, non-linear pattern of cross-fertilization, competition, cooperation and outright conflict. Each rupture in history carved fresh channels for global exchange.Here, for the first time, Poskett celebrates how scientists from Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific were integral to this very human story. We meet Graman Kwasi, the African botanist who discovered a new cure for malaria; Hantaro Nagaoka, the Japanese scientist who first described the structure of the atom; and Zhao Zhongyao, the Chinese physicist who discovered antimatter._______________''Remarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West'' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 Maps''Perspective-shattering'' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, ''Editor''s Choice''''Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science'' Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred''Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity'' Chris Allnutt, Financial TimesTrade ReviewSuperb . . . Poskett rightly highlights the shamefully overlooked contributions of Indian, Chinese and Japanese scientists -- Stephen Bleach * Sunday Times *A fundamental retelling of the story of science . . . Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity -- Chris Allnutt * Financial Times *An honest conversation about the history of science is therefore not just of moral importance - it is part of what makes discovery possible -- Will Dunn * New Statesman *I've been really impressed by Horizons: A Global History of Science by James Poskett. The book is exactly what it says on the cover: it's a way of looking at the world of science and the development of technology from a genuinely global perspective. The narrative starts with the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan [on the site of modern-day Mexico City] and the engineering marvels that were present there, built long before the Spanish turned up during their conquest in the early modern era. Poskett also discusses Arab science, Chinese science and the story of science in the west, which is better known. So it's a truly global and really well-written and engaging account -- Rana Mitter * BBC History Magazine, Books of the Year 2022 *A lively story of global collaboration in the study of nature from 1500 to the present day . . . rich and lucid -- Dmitri Levitin * Literary Review *European scientists for centuries served the political goals of empire building, which was based on slave trading, military power, oppression and violence . . . Poskett hopes for a future where the historic truth about how scientific progress has been made is universally accepted, where all cultures are valued, and where global scientific collaboration unleashes the creativity to solve problems such as climate change -- Sean Duke * Irish Times *Horizons shows that the story of science has always been a planetary one: a non-linear process of cross-fertilisation, competition, cooperation and conflict . . . What makes the book so engrossing is that Poskett's grasp of historical contexts is as firm as his scientific knowledge -- Matthew d'Ancona * Tortoise *Generation after generation, people in western countries have been educated to believe that the history of modern science began primarily in the 17th century in western Europe. In a book of breathtaking range and high quality, Poskett dismantles that narrow version of events and produces a genuinely global history -- Best Summer Books of 2022: History' * Financial Times *This treasure trove of a book puts the case persuasively and compellingly that modern science did not develop solely in Europe. Hugely important -- Jim Al-Khalili, author of ParadoxBrilliant . . . In this revolutionary and revelatory book, James Poskett not only gives us a truly worldwide history of science, but explains how international connections have stimulated scientific advances through time -- Alice Roberts, author of AncestorsScience's internationalism is well recognized. But scientists tend to regard it as a recent phenomenon that arose from the 'big science' of the twentieth century, rather than one with a history of more than 500 years going back to the Islamic science that inspired astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, and beyond, observes historian James Poskett. His revisionary "global history" boldly rebuts this -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *Poskett's book is invaluable, an important and timely reminder that the world we live in has never been small or unknown, but that sharing knowledge, as well as credit, and working together, is the key to a better future -- Matt Lewis * History Hit *From palatial Aztec botanic gardens to Qing Dynasty evolutionary theories, Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science, showing how curiosity and intellectual exploration was, and is, a global phenomenon -- Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredRemarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West -- Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 MapsThis perspective-shattering book challenges our Eurocentric narrative by spotlighting the work of historically neglected scientists -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, 'Editor's Choice' *A useful corrective that brings us closer to a more accurate history of Western science - one which recognises Europe, not as exceptional, but as learning from the world -- Angela Saini, author of SuperiorThe righting of the historical record makes Horizons a deeply satisfying read. We learn about a fascinating group of people engaged in scientific inquiry all over the world. Even more satisfyingly, Horizons demonstrates that the most famous scientists - Copernicus, Darwin and Einstein among them - couldn't have made their discoveries without the help of their global contacts -- Valerie Hansen, author of The Year 1000A provocative examination of major contributions to science made outside Europe and the USA, from ancient to modern times, explained in relation to global historical events. I particularly enjoyed the stories of individuals whose work tends to be omitted from standard histories of science -- Ian Stewart, author of Significant FiguresA wonderful, timely reminder that scientific advancement is, and has always been, a global endeavour -- Patrick Roberts, author of JungleThis is the kind of history we need: it opens our eyes to the ways in which what we know today has been uncovered thanks to a worldwide team effort -- Michael Scott, author of Ancient WorldsAn important milestone * British Journal for the History of Science, on Materials of the Mind *The freshest history of the strangest science -- Alison Bashford, author of Global Population, on Materials of the MindAmbitious, riveting, Poskett tracks the global in so many senses . . . vital reading on some of the most urgent concerns facing the world history of science -- Sujit Sivasundaram, University of Cambridge, on Materials of the MindTerrific . . . [Makes] a substantial contribution to understanding the universalizing properties of science and technology in history -- Janet Browne, Harvard University, on Materials of the MindHorizons forces me to think outside my Eurocentric box and puts science at the centre of world history -- David Reynolds * New Statesman, Books of the Year 2022 *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In his monumental Central Asia, Adeeb Khalid puts the region at the 'crossroads of history'. A laboratory of colonialism, revolution, nation building and telescoped social and cultural transformation, it has experienced 'every achievement of modernity and every one of its disasters'."---Daniel Beer, Times Literary Supplement"Khalid presents a masterful history of modern Central Asia which is at once scholarly, analytical and wonderfully accessible. . . .Adeeb Khalid deserves our gratitude for producing a path-breaking study of modern Central Asian history. One hopes it will pave the way for more."---Scott C. Levi, History Today ​​​​​​​"The book is successful in revealing the two centuries of political, social and cultural history of the peoples of Central Asia, and serves to further progress knowledge about this region."---Mirzokhid Askarov, Ethnic and Racial Studies"One of the newest and comprehensive studies on the region. It is a very broad and, at the same time, concise introduction to Central Asian history."---Marat Iliyasov, The Rest Journal"Formidably detailed, Central Asia is ideal for upper-level students wondering how a chronically misunderstood region has been shaped by broad currents and dominant powers of modern world history, in concert with local actors."---Andrew M. Wender, World History Connected

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