History Books

Book SynopsisExplore the places that time forgot. These abandoned, mysterious, sleeping monuments around the world have been relegated to the margins of history. From ancient ruins and crumbling castles to more recent relics – an art deco New York subway station, a Soviet ghost town in the Arctic Circle, a flooded Thai mall teeming with aquatic life – Travis Elborough takes you on a journey into these strange, overlooked, and disappearing worlds and immortalizes them in this book of original maps, accompanied by moving historic and geographic accounts of each site. The featured locations are a stark reminder of what was, and the accounts in this investigative book help to bring their stories back to life, telling us what happened, when and why, and to whom. The book features 40 sites, including: Santa Claus, Arizona, USA: A festive tourist resort-turned-ghost town deep in the desert where you could once meet Santa Claus any day

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Book SynopsisAn entertaining and eye-opening look at the French Revolution, by Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French and A Year in the Merde. The French Revolution and What Went Wrong looks back at the French Revolution and how it’s surrounded in a myth. In 1789, almost no one in France wanted to oust the king, let alone guillotine him. But things quickly escalated until there was no turning back. The French Revolution and What Went Wrong looks at what went wrong and why France would be better off if they had kept their monarchy.

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Book SynopsisThis is a story studded with extraordinary achievements and historic moments, from the building of the pyramids and the conquest of Nubia, through Akhenaten''s religious revolution, the power and beauty of Nefertiti, the glory of Tutankhamun''s burial chamber, and the ruthlessness of Ramesses, to Alexander the Great''s invasion, and Cleopatra''s fatal entanglement with Rome. As the world''s first nation-state, the history of Ancient Egypt is above all the story of the attempt to unite a disparate realm and defend it against hostile forces from within and without. Combining grand narrative sweep with detailed knowledge of hieroglyphs and the iconography of power, Toby Wilkinson reveals Ancient Egypt in all its complexity.Trade Review‘A sophisticated and complete account of the world's first nation state' * The Times Books of the Year *‘Wilkinson's stirring and clear sighted account of the ancient world's most enduring civilisation comes as a welcome treat' * Sunday Times Books of the Year *‘I had always presumed, before I read Wilkinson's book, that it was impossible to write a history of Egypt which combined scholarship, accessibility, and a genuine sense of revelation. I was wrong' * Observer *‘A comprehensive, illustrated history focusing on the dark side of the Pharaohs and some harsh political realities' * The List *

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Book Synopsis'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to!' – Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's TaleThe Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes – broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk.Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women’s stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora – the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world – was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate.After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Odysseus, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.'A treasure box of classical delights. Never has ancient misogyny been presented with so much wit and style' - historian Amanda ForemanTrade ReviewReading Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes: Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on! -- Margaret AtwoodIf I'm ever prosecuted, I'd like Natalie Haynes to defend me. She argues persuasively, carving out space for women denied a voice (Medusa), overshadowed (Jocasta) and unjustly condemned (Helen of Troy) . . . Agile, rich, subversive, Pandora's Jar proves that the classics are far from dead, and keep evolving with us. -- Madeleine Feeny * Mail on Sunday *Haynes is a brilliant classicist as well as a stand-up comedian and with her latest offering, Pandora's Jar, she has effectively written the first textbook codifying this new feminist take on the Greek myths. -- Neil Mackay * Herald *Hugely enjoyable and witty * Guardian *Impassioned and informed . . . When Haynes gets down to retelling the stories . . . and teasing out their distortions and elisions, the book flies. * Sunday Times *An erudite, funny and sometimes angry attempt to fill in the blank spaces. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *The best kind of academic writing; engaged, engaging and fun (Beyoncé, Ray Harryhausen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all turn up within). * Herald, Christmas Books 2020 *Witty and frequently surprising -- Farah Abdessamad * TLS *Beyoncé, Star Trek, Ray Harryhausen . . . the most enjoyable book about Greek myths you will ever read, absolutely brimming with subversive enthusiasm. -- Mark HaddonWitty, erudite and subversive, this takes the women of Greek myth—the women who are sidelined, vilified, misunderstood or ignored—and puts them centre stage. -- Samantha Ellis, author of How to Be a Heroine and Take CourageNatalie Haynes is beyond brilliant. Pandora’s Jar is a treasure box of classical delights. Never has ancient misogyny been presented with so much wit and style. -- Amanda ForemanNatalie Haynes is the nation's muse -- Adam RutherfordNatalie Haynes is both a witty and an erudite guide. She wears her extensive learning lightly and deftly drags the Classics into the modern world. I loved it. -- Kate Atkinson, author of Life After Life

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Book Synopsis'Compulsively readable' (History), this is the first volume in a series that details the long and violent endeavour of the English to dismember Europe's strongest state, a succession of wars that is one of the seminal chapters in European history. Beginning with the funeral of Charles IV of France in 1328, it follows the Hundred Years War up to the surrender of Calais in 1347. It traces the early humiliations and triumphs of Edward III: the campaigns of Sluys, Crecy and Calais, which first made his name as a war leader and the reputation of his subjects as the most brutally effective warriors of their time. Trial by Battle is an account of the events of a pivotal period in both French and British history, from Wolfson History Prize-winning author and historian Jonathan Sumption. 'A new and immensely impressive history of the war.' Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. – Sara Sheridan As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. – Val McDermid Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. – The Scotsman About the book 10 Scotland Street – the story of an Edinburgh home and its cast of booksellers, silk merchants, sailors, preachers, politicians, cholera and coincidence and its widespread connections over two centuries across the globe.Trade ReviewThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. - Sara Sheridan The story that Leslie unfolds for us spreads its threads across the globe. And it moves through different strata of society, painting a kaleidoscopic portrait of social, political, fiscal and financial life in Scotland and beyond, all through the lens of a single flat in a single city [...] We learn how property and wealth were passed through families, not always in the straight lines we imagine inheritance to travel in. It’s not hard to read between the lines of wills and gifts to picture some of the loves and dislikes, the disapprovals and the determination to make good past wrongs. As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. - Val McDermid A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable book, a work of prodigious research […] Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. - Allan Massie, The Scotsman Hills proceeds with thorough scholarship […] Above all, she writes really well: fluent, authoritative, persuasive prose, sometimes anecdotal, often slyly colliding formality and contemporary colloquialism. - Broughton Spurtle The writing matches the process of researching in an archive when one’s eye is caught by something not directly concerned with the matter in hand, the so-called ‘rabbit holes’. There is a veritable warren of these […] I was genuinely sad to come to the final page of this book. I heartily recommend it. - Edward Duvall, Old Edinburgh Club

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2024 Richard Jefferies Award for nature writing Shortlisted for the 2024 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation A Times Science Book of the Year Sophie writes fantastically, chronicling the most important issues facing nature conservationists today.' Chris Packham

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Book SynopsisRemarkable.' THE TIMES''Wonderful.' GUARDIAN''Fascinating.'' DAILY TELEGRAPH''A landscape-keyhole onto the whole world . . . Glorious.'' Robert Macfarlane''A thrill akin to discovering buried treasure.'' RICHARD MABEYWhen Alexandra Harris returned to her childhood home of West Sussex, she realised that she barely knew the place at all. As she probed beneath the surface, excavating layers of archival records and everyday objects, hundreds of unexpected stories and hypnotic voices emerged from the area's past. These electrifying encounters ranging from those with the painter John Constable and the modernist writer Ford Madox Ford to the lost local women who left little trace inspired her to imagine lives that, though seemingly distant, are deeply connected through this shared landscape. By focusing on one small patch of England, Harris opens vast new horizons.

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Book SynopsisAndrea Komlosy argues in this important intervention that, when we examine it closely, work changes its meanings according to different historical and regional contexts. Globalizing labour history from the thirteenth to the twenty-first centuries, she sheds light on the complex coexistence of multiple forms of labour (paid/unpaid, free/ unfree, with various forms of legal regulation and social protection and so on) on the local and the world levels. Combining this global approach with a gender perspective opens our eyes to the varieties of work and labour and their combination in households and commodity chains across the planet—processes that enable capital accumulation not only by extracting surplus value from wage-labour, but also through other forms of value transfer, realized by tapping into households’ subsistence production, informal occupation and makeshift employment. As the debate about work and its supposed disappearance intensifies, Komlosy’s book provides

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Book SynopsisCeltic Ireland was a land of tribes and warriors; but a sophisticated & enlightened legal system was widely accepted. The brehons were the keepers of these laws, which dealt with every aspect of life: land disputes; theft or violence; marriage & divorce; the care of trees & animals.

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Book SynopsisFrom Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama, discover the most significant speeches of the modern era!Whether it was Churchill rousing the British to take up arms or the dream of Martin Luther King, Fidel Castro inspiring the Cuban revolution or Barack Obama on Selma and the meaning of America, speeches have profoundly influenced the way we see ourselves and society.Gathered here are some of the most extraordinary and memorable speeches of the last century - from Lenin to Reagan, Thatcher to Malala. Some are well known, others less so, but all helped form the world we now inhabit.Trade ReviewIt would be hard to do better than MacArthur's selection, which is a tribute to the breadth of his knowledge * The Times *Time and again, MacArthur satisfies the reader's expectations. They are all here: Lloyd George's fit country for heroes, Woodrow Wilson's world made safe for democracy, Enoch Powell's River Tiber foaming with much blood. Those who hate the sound of public men may still find it hard to listen to MacArthur's voices and not be moved * The Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsFeaturing speeches from figures including: • Theodore Roosevelt • Mahatma Gandhi • Winston Churchill • Franklin Roosevelt • Martin Luther King Jr. • John F. Kennedy • Nelson Mandela • Ronald Reagan • Betty Friedan • Margaret Thatcher • Queen Elizabeth II • Bill Clinton • Barack Obama • Malala Yousafzai • Michelle Obama • Hillary Clinton

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Book Synopsis''People can only be free in relation to one another.''Three exhilarating and inspiring essays in which the great twentieth-century political philosopher argues that there can be no freedom without politics, and no politics without freedom.One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.

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Book SynopsisBorn into a Jewish ghetto in Hungary, as a child, Elie Wiesel was sent to the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This is his account of that atrocity: the ever-increasing horrors he endured, the loss of his family and his struggle to survive in a world that stripped him of humanity, dignity and faith. Describing in simple terms the tragic murder of a people from a survivor's perspective, Night is among the most personal, intimate and poignant of all accounts of the Holocaust. A compelling consideration of the darkest side of human nature and the enduring power of hope, it remains one of the most important works of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewA slim volume of terrifying power * The New York Times *Through his eyes, we witness the depths of both human cruelty and human grace—and we're left grappling with what remains of Elie, a teenage boy caught between the two. I gain courage from his courage * Oprah Winfrey *Through his eyes, we witness the depths of both human cruelty and human grace—and we're left grappling with what remains of Elie, a teenage boy caught between the two. I gain courage from his courage * Oprah Winfrey *

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Book SynopsisEvery Thursday morning in a living room in Iran, over tea and pastries, eight women meet in secret to discuss forbidden works of Western literature. As they lose themselves in the worlds of Lolita, The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, gradually they come to share their own stories, dreams and hopes with each other, and, for a few hours, taste freedom. Azar Nafisi''s bestselling memoir is a moving, passionate testament to the transformative power of books, the magic of words and the search for beauty in life''s darkest moments.Trade ReviewEngrossing, fascinating, stunning -- Margaret AtwoodI was enthralled and moved -- Susan SontagAnyone who has ever belonged to a book group must read this book -- Geraldine BrooksVivid, often heroic and sometimes funny ... Nafisi's rather wonderful book touches a beauty of its own -- Paul Allen * Guardian *Remarkable ... an eloquent brief on the transformative power of fiction * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisA decade of rapid change caught by two of Ireland’s premier photographers, The Lensmen. Covers everything from the visits of President Kennedy and The Beatles, to lifestyle, fashion and sport as well as the start of unrest in Northern Ireland. Will evoke memories of a bygone age.Trade Review'a wonderful collection of images ... the perfect stocking filler ... While all the big moments are here ... it is perhaps the everyday images of ordinary people and daily life which prove the most revealing and charming.' -- The Sunday Times Culture Magazine'the wondrous and unexpected can be found in The 1960’s: Ireland in Pictures' -- RTE Guide'this is an interesting insight into Irish society in this decade' -- Books Ireland'a unique tribute to a vital decade in Ireland’s history ... a stunning collection' -- Evening Echo'these photos bring back a flood of good memories' -- Irish American News'a brilliant addition to our archives of memories' -- Books Ireland'the 1960s collection from the Lensmen archive preserves the hipster decade in all its rakish splendour' -- Books Ireland'It is such a different Ireland; the black-and-white photographs show a country of slim people with relaxed smiles, mostly dressed in their best for the press events covered.' -- Books Ireland

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Book SynopsisWhat can the fall of Rome teach us about the decline of the West today? A historian and a political economist, both experts in their field, investigateOver the last three centuries, the West rose to dominate the planet. Then, suddenly, around the turn of the millennium, history reversed. Faced with economic stagnation and internal political division, the West has found itself in rapid decline.This is not the first time the global order has witnessed such a dramatic rise and fall. The Roman Empire followed a similar arc from dizzying power to disintegration - a fact that is more than a strange historical coincidence. In Why Empires Fall, historian Peter Heather and political economist John Rapley use this Roman past to think anew about the contemporary West, its state of crisis, and what paths we could take out of it.In this exceptional, transformative intervention, Heather and Rapley explore the uncanny parallels - and productive differences - between the two cases, moving beyond the familiar tropes of invading barbarians and civilizational decay to learn new lessons from ancient history. From 399 to 1999, the life cycles of empires, they argue, sow the seeds of their inevitable destruction. The era of western global domination has reached its end - so what comes next?

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Book SynopsisThe fifteenth century experienced the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands violently five times as the great families of England fought to the death for the right to rule.Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these chaotic years. Yet efforts were made to maintain some semblance of peace and order, as chivalry was reborn, the printing press arrived, and the Renaissance began to flourish. Following on from Dan Jones''s bestselling The Plantagenets, The Hollow Crown is a vivid and engrossing history of these turbulent times.

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Book SynopsisBestselling author Giles Tremlett traverses the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible primer for visitors, curious readers and hispanophiles. 'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule' Guardian 'Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style' The Times Spain's position on Europe's south-western corner has exposed it to cultural, political and actual winds blowing from all quadrants. Africa lies a mere nine miles to the south. The Mediterranean connects it to the civilizational currents of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and Byzantines as well as the Arabic lands of the near east. Bronze Age migrants from the Russian steppe were amongst the first to arrive. They would be followed by Visigoths, Arabs, Napoleonic armies and many more invaders and immigrants. Circular winds and currents linked it to the American continent, allowing Spain to conquer and colonize much of it. As a result, Spain has developed a sort of hybrid vigour. Whenever it has tried to deny this inevitable heterogeneity, it has required superhuman effort to fashion a 'pure' national identity – which has proved impossible to maintain. In España, Giles Tremlett argues that, in fact, that lack of a homogenous identity is Spain's defining trait.Trade ReviewTremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule * Guardian *Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style * The Times *Provides an excellent whistle-stop tour through the history that explains it all... Brisk and readable telling * New Statesman *Aimed at curious visitors and hispanophiles alike, this accessible trot through the country's history covers everything from Spain's connections to the ancient empires of Rome and Byzantium, to its colonisation of swathes of the Americas * BBC History Magazine *España is well researched, beautifully produced and, as far as generic primers go, an exemplar of its kind * TLS *Giles Tremlett is adept at grabbing the reader's attention, opening his brief history with a revealing vignette... Tremlett's book with appeal to anyone interested in Spain's past, present, or future * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisThe Falklands War, which may prove to be the last ‘colonial’ war that Britain ever fights, took place in 1982. Fought 8,000 miles from home soil, it cost the lives of 255 British military personnel, with many more wounded, some seriously. The war also witnessed many acts of outstanding courage by the UK Armed Forces after a strong Task Force was sent to regain the islands from the Argentine invaders. Soldiers, sailors and airmen risked, and in some cases gave, their lives for the freedom of 1,820 islanders. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated by bravery since he was a young boy, has amassed several medal collections over the past four decades, including the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, Britain and the Commonwealth’s most prestigious gallantry award. Falklands War Heroes tells the stories behind his collection of valour and service medals awarded for the Falklands War. The collection, almost certainly the largest of its kind in the world, spans all the major events of the war. This book, which contains nearly forty individual write-ups, has been written to mark the fortieth anniversary of the war. It is Lord Ashcroft’s attempt to champion the outstanding bravery of our Armed Forces during an undeclared war that was fought and won over ten weeks in the most challenging conditions.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE''Hypnotic, shocking and unputdownable'' JOHN LE CARRÉ''Remarkable'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''Breathtaking, gripping, shattering'' ELIF SHAFAK''A taut and finely crafted factual thriller'' OBSERVER''A triumph of research and brilliant storytelling'' ANTONY BEEVOR''Extraordinary'' EVENING STANDARDIn this riveting real-life thriller, Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of senior Nazi SS Brigadeführer Otto Freiherr von Wächter and his wife, Charlotte. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, as a fugitive on the run in the Alps and then in Rome, and into the Cold War. Eventually the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts Wächter''s youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man - what happenedTrade ReviewA gripping adventure, an astounding journey of discovery and a terrifying and timely portrait of evil in all its complexity, banality, self-justification and madness. A stunning achievement -- STEPHEN FRYHypnotic, shocking and unputdownable -- JOHN LE CARRÉBreathtaking, gripping, and ultimately, shattering. Philippe Sands has done the unimaginable: look a butcher in the eye and tell his story without flinching -- ELIF SHAFAKA triumph of research and brilliant storytelling -- ANTONY BEEVORRemarkable . . . Sands's untangling of the mysteries surrounding Otto von Wächter is masterfully done * THE SUNDAY TIMES *This is a burningly necessary book. Sands makes a gently unsparing dissection of deception, love, delusion and ineradicable evil. Elegant, painstaking, passionate and quietly enraging -- A L KENNEDYThis is a taut and finely crafted factual thriller, reminiscent in density and pace of John le Carré . . . a feat of exhilarating storytelling - gripping, gratifying and morally robust * OBSERVER *The forensic stamina and precision that garnered such praise for Sands' 2016 work EAST WEST STREET are equally in evidence here. THE RATLINE is not only about events in the past, but their dangerous legacy in the world today. A formidable piece of historical sleuthing written with all the pace and suspense of a thriller, it is a timely reminder that crimes against humanity don't occur only at the level of states and governments. They take place also in the more secret and less fathomable depths of people's hearts and minds -- Rebecca Abrams * FINANCIAL TIMES *Extraordinary. In fast-paced, John le Carré-like pages (spies, Nazi-hunters, dark Vatican forces) . . . THE RATLINE is an electrifying true crime for the contagion lockdown * EVENING STANDARD *Sands is a terrier at research . . . The seething world of post-war Rome, with its senior fascists reprieved and returning to prominence, its war criminals lurking in hiding, its spies and secret services brokering deals and its adventurers and profiteers making fortunes, has seldom been more vividly described -- Caroline Moorehead * SPECTATOR *A book of twists and intrigues as complex as any le Carré thriller . . . like its predecessor, [it] is replete with vivid descriptions and Sands brings to it the same relentless narrative momentum * LITERARY REVIEW *Fascinating . . . Switching between the distant and very recent past, the book is episodic in nature, but this only makes it more compelling. It combines a mystery with a straight retelling of history - shining a light into one of the less investigated corners of the Nazi era and its aftermath - and a thoughtful inquiry into how we reckon with it -- David Bennum * MAIL ON SUNDAY *THE RATLINE is a compelling piece of forensic historical research - one that is every bit as good as EAST WEST STREET * THE TELEGRAPH *A truly extraordinary book - a forensic yet deeply humane and measured exploration of the human capacity for self-deception and cruelty -- HENRY MARSHHas the illuminating brilliance of a magnesium flame and a pace worthy of John le Carré . . . THE RATLINE is a cunningly constructed courtroom drama in book form . . . It is detailed, it is damning - all the more so because of the author's dispassionate decency * SUNDAY EXPRESS, S MAGAZINE *Fascinating . . . superbly researched and brilliantly told. East West Street was one of the outstanding books of the past decade . . . The Ratline - part history, part thriller - is a superb companion piece, shedding light on the astonishing cynicism of the early years of the Cold War, when Nazis, Americans and Catholic clergy made strange bedfellows. Both should be read together. They are a fascinating account of the war between law and barbarism * NEW STATESMAN *Vivid and complex . . . Sands has skilfully avoided the catalogue of inhumanity often detailed in books about the Nazis, preferring a low-key, gently poignant approach that makes the occasional intrusion of moments of horror all the more shocking * DAILY EXPRESS *Brilliant . . . extraordinarily moving * DAILY MIRROR *A gripping tale, crammed with twists and turns . . . enthralling * HISTORY TODAY *THE RATLINE is tragic and unforgettable . . . Sands has the artfulness of a born storyteller, as well as deadly forensic skills and formidable patience at reaching his ends. He unwraps his evidence in spare, clear, convincing prose with a taut control that keeps one on tenterhooks . . . Sands's intellectual passion, his crusading zeal and his compassion for the dead and wounded make this a great book * THE OLDIE *It is this present-day drama, rather than the historical story, that makes this book so extraordinary. Readers will, much like the author, find themselves longing for Horst to open his eyes. That he finds this so difficult to do is simultaneously poignant and grotesque * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Diaries, encrypted letters and secret documents are dissected by a mastermind . . . a great achievement -- CEES NOOTEBOOMIn a story that is as gripping as any thriller, Philippe Sands uncovers new evidence about exactly what happened to von Wachter leading up to his unexpected death in 1949 * JEWISH RENAISSANCE *A riveting exposé . . . a gripping blend of historical scholarship and clever detective work * STRONG WORDS *Engrossing . . . Part history, part memoir and part detective story, it's a thought-provoking read * CHOICE MAGAZINE, Book of the Month *An astonishing amount of research and expertise has gone into the making of this book . . . a compelling historical and human drama * THE TABLET *Gripping . . . fascinating and important. It's a testament to Sands - his fiercely inquiring mind, his excellent researchers, the wealth of documents and his ability to make them come to life - that the book is so suspenseful. This important book makes clear that the more difficult work of history may not be in tracking down the ones who tried to escape, but in confronting the ones who didn't * The New York Times *extraordinary study * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, and all over the world, seemingly intelligent people have made foolish decisions based on delusions. This has affected love affairs, politics, finance, science, warfare, showbusiness and even sport. It has also wrecked marriages, bankrupted millionaires, lost battles, destroyed empires, brought down leaders and royalty, split religions, ruined reputations, changed climates, thwarted gangsters and even exposed sex pests. Donough O'Brien and Liz Cowley shine a spotlight on 150 intriguing, and often hidden, corners of such calamities... And in so doing they highlight over 650 characters who prove to be both fascinating and flawed. Dreams, Delusions & Disasters is an absorbing take on history.Trade Review"The authors delve into little known, but really significant, corners of history that highlight human frailty and unpredictability." Christopher Joll - Author and HistorianTable of ContentsAttraction and Its Pitfalls; Money and Miscalculation; From Leaders to Losers; Crime and Punishment; Science and Medicine; Misjudgement and the Military; Lies and Disinformation; Sport and Entertainment; Appendix; Thanks; Acknowledgements to Authors; Picture Credits; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe first of his peerless novels of Cold War espionage and international intrigue, Call for the Dead is also the debut of John le Carré''s masterful creation George Smiley. After a routine security check by George Smiley, civil servant Samuel Fennan apparently kills himself. When Smiley finds Circus head Maston is trying to blame him for the man''s death, he begins his own investigation, meeting with Fennan''s widow to find out what could have led him to such desperation. But on the very day that Smiley is ordered off the enquiry he receives an urgent letter from the dead man. Do the East Germans - and their agents - know more about this man''s death than the Circus previously imagined? Le Carré''s first book, Call for the Dead, introduced the tenacious and retiring George Smiley in a gripping tale of espionage and deceit.If you enjoyed Call for the Dead, you might like le Carré''s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''Intelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard'' Sunday Telegraph''Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense'' ObserverTrade ReviewIntelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard. * Sunday Telegraph *Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense. * Observer *The greatest spy novelist of all time ... astounding works of the imagination. -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *Brilliant, popular, intelligent, thrilling, suspenseful, angry, original, masterful writing. Can't be topped. -- Armando IannucciAn extraordinary writer who brought literary lustre and lived insight to the spy yarn. -- Ian RankinOne of those writers who will be read a century from now. -- Robert HarrisHis Smiley novels are key to understanding the mid-20th century. -- Margaret AtwoodWhat Joseph Conrad started, John le Carré enshrined and made modern. That is the real achievement of his great novels and why they will endure ... we should see him as our contemporary Dickens. -- William Boyd * New Statesman *Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense * Observer *Intelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA brand new collection of inspiring recipes from the bestselling Middle Eastern chef - each carefully designed to be as easy as possible.The hotly anticipated new collection from Sunday Times bestselling author Sabrina Ghayour, every recipe in Persiana Easy balances irresistible Middle Eastern flavours with accessible cooking. From midweek meals and traybakes to pastries and sweet treats, this collection features easy recipes to delight your family and friends, time and again. Praise for Sabrina Ghayour:''Sabrina Ghayour''s Middle-Eastern plus food is all flavour, no fuss - and makes me very, very happy'' - Nigella Lawson''I don''t think she could write a dull recipe if she tried. Every one an elegantly spiced delight.'' - Tom Parker Bowles''The golden girl of Persian cookery'' - Observer''Chef Sabrina Ghayour''s new recipes deliver maximum flavour with the greatest of ease - perfect for busy lives'' - Sainsbury''s MagazineCONTENTS INCLUDE:Dips, Snacks and Light Bites: Sweet Potato, Basil and Feta Dip; Crispy Za''atar Salt and Pepper Prawns; Popcorn HalloumiBread and Pastry: Turkish Pide Bread; Easy Bake Bagels(ish); Fig, Goat Cheese, Thyme and Honey RollsSalads: Smoked Aubergine Salad with Pickled Chillies and Feta; Duck and Pomegranate Salad with Honey Pomegranate Sauce; Broad Bean, Pea, Orange and Goats Cheese SaladMidweek Meals: Lamb Kofta Patties with Yogurt and Burnt Orange; Butterflied Orange Paprika Butter Chicken; Shish KebabComfort Food: Turkish Lentil Soup; Couscous Royale with Spiced Lamb Shanks; Orange Spiced Pork with Charred Spring Onions and PineappleRoasts and Traybakes: Spiced Saffron Chicken Kebabs; Tray-baked Harissa Lamb Chops; Baked Meatballs with Tomato, Harissa and FetaVegetables and Side Dishes: Hot and Sour Green Beans; Mashed Chickpeas with Spice Oil; Stuffed Baby Peppers with Date Couscous and FetaSweet Treats: Citrus and Spice Almond Tart; Bokaj; Apple Borek

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Book SynopsisA kaleidoscopic social history of the year that shaped the modern world

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Book SynopsisDark London brings together the history of the city's seamier side, picking out the most scandalous, curious and bizarre aspects to portray London's shadowy and fascinating underbelly.

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Book Synopsis** A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK **''Fascinating . . . The history of the world through the eye of a needle . . . I recommend this book to anyone'' THE SPECTATOR''A charming, absorbing and history that takes us on a journey from the silk roads to sportswear, from ruffs to spacesuits . . . I devoured this quietly feminist book'' SUNDAY TIMES''Joyful and beautiful'' NATURE''Will make you rethink your relationship with fabric'' ELLE DECORATIONAll textiles begin with a twist. From colourful 30,000-year old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to what the linen wrappings of Tutankhamun''s mummy actually meant; from the Silk Roads to the woollen sails that helped the Vikings reach America 700 years before Columbus; from the lace ruffs that infuriated the puritans to the Indian calicoes and chintzes that powered the Industrial Revolution, our continuing reinvention of cloth tells fascinating stories of human ingenuity. When we talk of lives hanging by a thread, being interwoven, or part of the social fabric, we are part of a tradition that stretches back many thousands of years. Fabric has allowed us to achieve extraordinary things and survive in unlikely places, and this book shows you how -- and why.With a cast that includes Chinese empresses, Richard the Lionheart and Bing Crosby, Kassia St Clair takes us on the run with escaped slaves, climbing the slopes of Everest and moonwalking with astronauts. Running like a bright line through history, The Golden Thread offers an unforgettable adventure through our past, present and future.Trade ReviewA history of fabric might not sound immediately exciting, but St Clair's book is a refreshing treat, every page bursting with surprising insights. Clothing, she argues, is central to history, from myths and legends to trade and technology. The threads woven by the Greek Fates, the bandages that wrapped Egyptian mummies, the wool that made medieval England rich, the lace in Vermeer's paintings : it all makes for a smart and entertaining historical tapestry * SUNDAY TIMES, History Book of the Year *The history of the world through the eye of a needle... Fascinating... I recommend this book to anyone * THE SPECTATOR *A charming, absorbing and quietly feminist history that takes us on a journey from the silk roads to sportswear, from ruffs to spacesuits... I devoured this book * SUNDAY TIMES *Remarkable . . . hugely ambitious, sparklingly erudite and wonderfully engaging -- Peter Frankopan, Book of the Year * HISTORY TODAY *A joyful commingling of text and textiles in 13 beautifully wrought stories. We visit a cave where dyed fibres more than 30,000 years old have been discovered; goggle at the starched intricacy of sixteenth-century lace ruffs; flinch over astronauts' nappies and the sodden sleeping bags of early polar expeditions; and savour the idea of materials spun from spiders' webs. * NATURE *The Golden Thread will make you rethink your relationship with fabric * ELLE DECORATION *Superb... this dazzling book puts fabric at the very heart of human history. * STRONG WORDS *A curious and illuminating history of fabric * HOUSE AND GARDEN *Vividly drawn . . . this beautifully presented tome is perfect for dipping in and out of * HISTORY REVEALED *The Golden Thread is worth a read for informing your political thinking, and it will entertain you far more than most 'political' books * Resurgence and Ecologist Magazine *Such a captivating read its likely you'll want to devour this engrossing patchwork of textile history in one sitting * Embroidery *

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Book Synopsis'A compelling, beautifully written story of resilience, friendship and survival.' Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of AuschwitzThe thrilling story of how nine young women, captured by the Nazis for being part of the Resistance, launched a breathtakingly bold escape and found their way home.As the Second World War raged across Europe, and the Nazi regime tightened its reign of horror and oppression, nine women, some still in their teens, joined the French and Dutch Resistance. Caught out in heroic acts against the brutal occupiers, they were each tortured and sent east into Greater Germany to a concentration camp, where they formed a powerful friendship. In 1945, as the war turned against Hitler, they were forced on a Death March, facing starvation and almost certain death. Determined to survive, they made a bid for freedom, and so began one of the most breathtaking tales of escape and resilience of the Second World War. The author is the great-niece of one of the nine, and she interweaves their gripping flight across war-torn Europe with her own detective work, uncovering the heart-stopping escape and survival of these heroes who fought fearlessly against Nazi Germany and lived to tell the tale.---------'A truly extraordinary tale, beautifully written, one that chills and excites, [A] work of rare passion, power and principle' Philippe Sands, author of East-West Street and The Ratline'Utterly gripping' Anna Sebba author of Les Parisiennes'The Nine is poignant, powerful, and shattering, distilling the horror of the Holocaust through the lens of nine unforgettable women...' Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice NetworkTrade ReviewA compelling, beautifully written story of resilience, friendship and survival. The story of Women's resistance during World War II needs to be told and The Nine accomplishes this in spades. -- Heather Morris * Author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz *The Nine is a triumph of the imagination... Strauss read memoirs and toured Europe in search of relatives to give the women literary immortality... It is an ingeniously constructed book... -- Christina Hardyment * The Times *This haunting account provides yet more evidence not only of the power of female friendship but that the often unrecorded courage and resilience of ordinary women must be honoured and celebrated. It's a most inspiring read, occasionally the horrific ordeal seems unbearable but then there's a moment of laughter. Utterly gripping. -- Anna Sebba * author of Les Parisiennes *The Nine is poignant, powerful, and shattering, distilling the horror of the Holocaust through the lens of nine unforgettable women. Banding together in the hellscape of Ravensbruck, the nine resistance fighters turned prisoners make a desperate bid for escape in the chaos of the war's end, embarking across battle-ravaged Germany toward home. Gwen Strauss melds a poet's pen and a decade of research into a tale of friendship, courage, and indomitable will. -- Kate Quinn * New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice Network *I love this book. It delivers beauty, grace, horror, and suspense-an important work that also happens to be a hell of a read! -- Anthony Swofford * author of Jarhead *At this moment of worldwide chaos and despair, this is a book that reminds us about what is important, and about finding strength and purpose during the worst of times. Highly recommended. -- Goldie Goldbloom * author of Paperbark Shoe and On Division *It's high time we got our Band of Sisters, and there could be no better author to tell their story than the riveting and rigorous Strauss. Equal parts exhilarating, devastating, and inspiring. -- Lauren Sandler * author of This is All I Got *Strauss, niece of one of the nine heroines and third-generation 'Witness of the Witnesses', answers questions and challenges with great finesse. In a writing of rare historical accuracy and deep empathy, a woman of today tells the stories of yesterday. -- Agnès Triebel * Secretary General of the International Buchenwald-Dora Committee *With Gwen Strauss' book and the scope of her research, that whole unknown period came to me as a gift from heaven... The precision of the speech, the delicacy of the style, the joys and misfortunes brought tears that I was happy to shed. -- Marc Spijker * son of Guigui, one of the nine *'A paean to female bravery and live-saving friendship.' * The i *

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Book SynopsisPresents a fresh approach to reading ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, this introduction assumes no previous knowledge of grammar or ancient languages, but guides readers through the inscriptions, from simple to more complex, supported by full explanations and translations. It explains the mysteries of hieroglyphs without jargon or technical terms.Trade Review'Ever wanted to learn about Egyptian hieroglyphs? Here’s the book for you!' - Guardian'A refreshingly new approach to the subject … beautifully produced and illustrated in a manner that should make it appealing not only to the complete beginner at whom it is aimed, but also to those with a basic knowledge wishing to refresh their skills. I recommend it highly' - Ancient Egypt Magazine'A godsend … I am sure that Champollion would approve' - MinervaTable of ContentsPreface; 10 monuments of Egyptian officials with 22 ‘what you need to know’ sections; 12 texts of Egyptian pharaohs with 4 ‘what you need to know’ sections; 3 texts from the Old Kingdom with 1 ‘what you need to know’ section; 2 inscriptions that bring everything together with 1 ‘what you need to know’ section

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Book SynopsisOur ancestors developed a uniquely nature-focused society, centred on esteemed poets, seers, monks, healers and wise women who were deeply connected to the land. They used this connection to the cycles of the natural world from which we are increasingly dissociated as an animating force in their lives.In this illuminating new book, Manchán Magan sets out on a journey, through bogs, across rivers and over mountains, to trace these ancestor's footsteps. He uncovers the ancient myths that have shaped our national identity and are embedded in the strata of land that have endured through millennia from ice ages through to famines and floods.Here, the River Shannon is a goddess, and trees and their life-sustaining root systems are hallowed. See the world in a new light in this magical exploration into the life-sustaining wisdom of what lies beneath us.We could do with a lot more characters like [Manchán] dotted about this world.' Irish IndependentManchán creates a gorgeous tapestry that lingers in the mind's eye.' Kerri Ní DochartaighManchán['s] got some theories about the roots of the Irish language that are going to blow your head off an incredible storyteller.'' Blindboy BoatclubManchán's passion for Ireland's ecological and poetic heritage is more urgently relevant than ever.' Darach Ó Séaghdha

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Book SynopsisHow can we reduce inequalities? How can we make work get better recognition and better pay?Philippe Askenazy in this new book shows that the current share of wealth is far from natural; it results from rising rents and their capture by the actors best endowed in the economic game. In this race for rents, the world of work is the big loser: while many workers feed capital rents by increased productivity and worsened working conditions, they are stigmatized as unproductive and their earnings stagnate. By proposing a new description of the capital-work relationship, calling for a remobilization of the world of work, and particularly poorly paid employees, Askenazy shows that there is a more radical alternative to neoliberalism beyond simply redistribution.Trade ReviewThe latest book by Philippe Askenazy is extraordinarily refreshing and innovative and deserves a wide international readership. Askenazy shows convincingly that is above all the relationship of forces and the legal and institutional system in which these relations are expressed that determine the share of wealth. The descriptions of the possible emergence of a new, participatory trade unionism are particularly successful: by describing the innovative mobilisations of subway drivers in New York, London or Paris, of American nurses, not to speak of cleaning workers in the luxury hotels in Paris's 'golden triangle' or bus drivers in Silicon Valley, Askenazy gives one hope again and shows that several futures are possible in the framework of the existing globalisation that is underway. -- Thomas Piketty

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Book SynopsisAmelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters' most brilliant and best-loved creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her shocking men's pants and no-nonsense attitude!In this first adventure, our headstrong heroine decides to use her substantial inheritance to see the world. On her travels, she rescues a gentlewoman in distress - Evelyn Barton-Forbes - and the two become friends. The two companions continue to Egypt where they face mysteries, mummies and the redoubtable Radcliffe Emerson, an outspoken archaeologist, who doesn't need women to help him solve mysteries -- at least that's what he thinks!'Think Miss Marple with early feminist gloss crossed with Indiana Jones... Dastardly deeds, whirlwind romances, curious mummies and all the fun and intrigue of Egyptian excavations, with a heroine who wields a sturdy parasol rather than a magnum. Accomplished entertainment.' GuardianTrade ReviewI can't wait for the next Peabody story... I really do think [Elizabeth Peters'] books are great entertainment. -- Angela RipponA writer so popular that the public library has to keep her books under lock and key. * Washington Post Book World *Think Miss Marple with early feminist gloss crossed with Indiana Jones... accomplished entertainment. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn popular retellings of American history, capitalism generally doesn't feature much as part of the founding or development of the nation. Instead, it is alluded to in figurative terms as opportunity, entrepreneurial vigor, material abundance, and the seven-league boots of manifest destiny. ?In this collection of essays, Steve Fraser, the preeminent historian of American capitalism, sets the record straight, rewriting the arc of the American saga with class conflict center stage and mounting a serious challenge to the consoling fantasy of American exceptionalism. From the colonial era to Trump, Fraser recovers the repressed history of debtors' prisons and disaster capitalism, of confidence men and the reserve armies of the unemployed. In language that is dynamic and compelling, he demonstrates that class is a fundamental feature of American political life and provides essential intellectual tools for a shrew reading of American history.Trade Review"A spirited collection by an erudite and penetrating essayist. Fraser is an analyst of the culture of late capitalism and, among other things, he demonstrates with impressive clarity the connections between the economic changes we call neoliberalism and the psycho-cultural dramas generated by the siren song of faux populism." -- FRANCES FOX PIVEN, AUTHOR OF POOR PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS"Steve Fraser is our most incisive and encompassing cultural historian of the two gilded ages that structured American society and its economic ethos in the decades that have bracketed the nation's fleeting New Deal interregnum. Fraser has captured the emotive logic of capitalist hegemony and the dark appeal it has so often held for millions of acquiescent Americans." -- NELSON LICHTENSTEIN, AUTHOR OF WHO BUILT AMERICA?"In this collection of bracing essays, Fraser brings to the fore the perils and promise of class warfare and the daunting challenges faced by everyone who hopes to defy history and work for a just society." -- JACQUELINE JONES, AUTHOR OF GODDESS OF ANARCHY"These essays show that Steve Fraser has long been one of the wisest and most eloquent historians of American capitalism and its discontents. Erudite, passionate, and laced with wit, they are essential reading during our era of great perils and budding hopes for change." -- MICHAEL KAZIN, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY"Fraser is our preeminent historian of America as a capitalist civilization. No one is more attuned to the inner vibrations of our monied culture." -- COREY ROBIN, AUTHOR OF THE REACTIONARY MINDOne of our best social historians set the record straight about the mythologies of American capitalism. -- Peter Dreier, author of Place Matters: Metropolitics for the Twenty-first Century[The essays] display his encyclopedic knowledge of U.S. history, especially working-class history. -- Gabriel Winant * New Republic *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome''s bloody history'' The Times ''A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history'' Sunday TimesThe definitive history of Rome''s golden age - antiquity''s ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatnessThe Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian''s Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.A stunning portrait of Rome''s glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.PAX was a Sunday Times bestseller 16/07/23

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Book SynopsisThe perfect introduction to the world of Japanese myth and legend. This is a smart and succinct guide to the rich tradition of Japanese mythology, from the earliest recorded legends of Izanagi and Izanami, their divine offspring and the creation of Japan, to medieval tales of vengeful ghosts, through to the modern-day reincarnation of ancient deities as the heroes of mecha anime. While many around the world love Japanâs cultural exports, few are familiar with Japanâs unique mythology - enriched by Shinto, Buddhism and regional folklore. Mythology remains a living, evolving part of Japanese society, and the ways in which the people of Japan understand their myths are very different today even from a century ago, let alone over a millennium into the past. Offering much more than any competing overview of Japanese mythology, The Japanese Myths not only retells the ancient stories but also considers their place within the patterns of Japanese religions, culture and history, helTrade Review'Well-written, thought-provoking, and visually engaging … this book is a wonderful guide to an enduring fascination with stories and the supernatural in Japan. Frydman’s explanations prove mythology acts as a compass to guide past, present and future generations' - The Japan Society'Students, travellers, and all readers interested in the history of Japan, Japanese ideology, and the nation's current cultural products will find this authoritative work absorbing' - Library Journal'Eminently readable, interesting and authoritative ... Highly recommended' - Fortean TimesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. What are the Japanese Myths? 2. Age of the Gods 3. The Imperial Mythos 4. Living Kami and Divine Humans 5. Canon Foreigners 6. A World Flush with Spirits 7. Invention and Rediscovery

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

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

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Book SynopsisThe Shadow of the Mine tells the story of King Coal in its heyday, the heroics and betrayals of the Miners’ Strike, and what happened to mining communities after the last pits closed.No one personified the age of industry more than the miners. Coal was central to the British economy, powering its factories and railways. It carried political weight, too. In the eighties the miners risked everything in a year-long strike against Thatcher’s shutdowns. Their defeat doomed a way of life. The lingering sense of abandonment in former mining communities would be difficult to overstate. Yet recent electoral politics has revolved around the coalfield constituencies in Labour’s Red Wall. Huw Beynon and Ray Hudson draw on decades of research to chronicle these momentous changes through the words of the people who lived through them.This edition includes a new postscript on why Thatcher’s war on the miners wasn’t good for green politics.

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