History Books

18986 products


  • A Gambling Man

    Faber & Faber A Gambling Man

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisCharles II was thirty when he crossed the Channel in fine May weather in 1660. His Restoration was greeted with maypoles and bonfires, like spring after long years of Cromwell''s rule. But there was no going back, no way he could ''restore'' the old. Certainty had vanished. The divinity of kingship fled with his father''s beheading. ''Honour'' was now a word tossed around in duels. ''Providence'' could no longer be trusted. As the country was rocked by plague, fire and war, people searched for new ideas by which to live. Exactly ten years later Charles II would stand again on the shore at Dover, laying the greatest bet of his life in a secret deal with his cousin, Louis XIV.The Restoration decade was one of experiment: from the science of the Royal Society to the startling role of credit and risk, from the shocking licence of the court to the failed attempts at toleration of different beliefs. Negotiating all these, Charles II, the ''slippery sovereign'', played odds and too

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Introduction to Manuscript Studies

    Cornell University Press Introduction to Manuscript Studies

    Book SynopsisA comprehensive and accessible orientation to the field of medieval manuscript studies.Trade Review"A volume of broad, interdisciplinary appeal.... This volume would be an excellent classroom resource.... This beautifully illustrated, skillfully organized resource is an ideal survey of the field, valuable for presenting information critical to new students and veteran scholars, for teaching the history and scope of the medieval manuscript. A very worthwhile addition to collections in medieval studies, art history, English literature, or archival studies.""Impressive in both its comprehensive range and depth of detail and even more remarkable for the clarity of its writing and illustration, this long-needed volume will serve as an admirable introduction for students from the many disciplines that study medieval manuscripts. It is also likely to become a treasured reference tool for experienced scholars." -- Richard K. Emmerson, Florida State University"Introduction to Manuscript Studies is for beginners and seasoned scholars alike, offering details—such as that the best quills are plucked in the springtime from the left wings of live geese—that will delight everyone. Bringing together codicology, paleography, material culture, and a bit of art history as well, this gorgeous, comprehensive, and charming book should be on the syllabus of every course in medieval studies." -- Barbara H. Rosenwein, Loyola University ChicagoTable of ContentsPart I: Making the Medieval Manuscript Chapter 1. Writing Supports Chapter 2. Text and Decoration Chapter 3. Correction, Glossing, and Annotation Chapter 4. Assembling, Binding, and Storing the Completed ManuscriptPart II. Reading the Medieval Manuscript Chapter 5. Working with Medieval Manuscripts Chapter 6. Punctuation and Abbreviation Chapter 7. Encounters with Damaged Manuscripts Chapter 8, Assessing Manuscript Origin and Provenance Chapter 9. Manuscript Description Chapter 10. Selected ScriptsPart III: Some Manuscript Genres Chapter 11, The Bible and Related Texts Chapter 12. Liturgical Books and Their Calendars Chapter 13. Books of Hours Chapter 14. Charters and Cartularies Chapter 15. Maps Chapter 16. Rolls and ScrollsAppendix: Tools for the Study of Medieval Latin by Anders WinrothGlossary Bibliography Index

    £29.70

  • The Jewel House

    Yale University Press The Jewel House

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisExplores the streets, shops, back alleys, and gardens of Elizabethan London where a boisterous and diverse group of men and women shared a keen interest in the study of nature. This book examines six episodes of scientific inquiry and dispute in sixteenth-century London, bringing to life the individuals involved and the challenges they faced.Trade Review"Harkness's research is revelatory and her taste for the offbeat enthralling."—New Yorker". . . Harkness has written a truly wonderful book, deeply researched, full of original material, and exhilarating to read. Its grown-up realism puts to shame the glamorised pap currently spooned out on film and television as a depiction of 16th-century England."—John Carey, The Sunday Times"Through a deft navigation of printed book and manuscript records . . . Harkness’s book succeeds in evoking a city alive with the pursuit of the natural world, a pursuit infused with objects, ideas and people from foreign lands . . . she listened to the archives, established rapport with these sources, traced the connections between practitioners, and mapped the concepts of science and community in Elizabethan London."–Lauren Kassell, Times Educational Supplement". . . a significant contribution to the history of science, but also to that of London, and an exciting portrait of life in the swarming, spreading city during the reign of the first Elizabeth."—Ronald Hutton, Independent on Sunday"This is an exciting and important book, informed by deep scholarship yet replete with colourful details that make it absorbing to read."—Patricia Fara, BBC History Magazine". . . [an] innovative, imaginative, and well-written study – which is undoubtedly based on many years of research . . . Harkness unites depth and detail with a truly original argument . . . [She] is an expert historian who also knows how to operate as an archaeologist and anthropologist . . . Harkness has [brought back Elizabethan London] with great erudition and imagination."—Florike Egmond, Nuncius, Vol. XXIII, 2"[Harkness] takes us to many previously unexplored nooks and crannies of Elizabethan London, bringing alive a wide range of social and economic connections . . . [she] digs up communities of naturalists . . . [and] instrument makers . . . and meets apothecaries and surgeons who introduced some of the latest techniques from Italy . . . The Jewel House is one of the best [books] in showing how the tight, interlocking communities of the early modern capital city could prove it as vibrant intellectually and commercially as it was dramatically."—Peter Furtado, History Today"This is perhaps the most effective account to date of science in Elizabethan England . . . based on extensive archival research . . . the author has an undoubted gift for bringing her subjects vividly to life through the use of telling detail, while she also relishes the tensions and conflicts that occurred in the intellectual community that she documents."—Michael Hunter, HistoryCo-winner of the 2008 Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies Book PrizeWinner of the 2008 John Ben Snow Foundation Prize for the best book published in any discipline of British Studies covering the period from 1400-1800Winner of the Pfizer Prize for Best Book in the History of Science from 2005-2007, presented by the History of Science SocietyHighly commended for the 2008 Longman/History Today Book of the Year Award"This is the book on Elizabethan science everyone should read. Not only does it offer a convincing reinterpretation of the role of science in society, but it is written in an arresting style, jaunty, full of illuminating anecdotes, and widely accessible."—Ian Archer, Oxford University "This is a wonderful book, full of fascinating detail and stories from a lost world. It will have wide circulation among historians of science and technology, historians of England, and cultural historians in general."—Pamela Smith, Columbia University"The Jewel House of Art and Nature is by far the finest exploration ever undertaken of scientific culture in an early modern metropolis. Vivid, compelling, and panoramic, this revelatory work will force us to revise everything we thought we knew about Renaissance science."—Adrian Johns, author of The Nature of the Book"In this vivid portrait of the scientific practitioners of Elizabethan London, Deborah Harkness draws on extensive archival research to portray the city as a crucial source of social and scientific innovation and inspiration to Francis Bacon."—Ann Blair, Harvard University"Deborah E. Harkness's The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution is a finely written and informative book. . . . No one interested in the life of Elizabethan London . . . will find it less than engrossing."—Gordon Teskey, SEL Studies in English Literature

    2 in stock

    £16.99

  • The Times Complete History of the World

    HarperCollins Publishers The Times Complete History of the World

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe ultimate work of historical referenceThe Times Complete History of the World' is the most comprehensive, authoritative and accessible work on world history available today. It has sold over 2.25 million copies and has been translated into 18 languages since its first publication in 1978. With a narrative scope covering the origins of humankind right through to the turmoil of the 21st century, this book is an unrivalled and breathtaking accomplishment.With over 600 full-colour maps and charts on a wide range of historical subjects and representing the work of a team of world-class historians, this new edition continues a tradition of more than thirty years of excellence, style, authority and cutting-edge design.With fully up-to-date text, including new material on the Middle East, China and Russia, this book, edited by leading modern historian Professor Richard Overy, is more compelling than ever.Updates for the ninth edition include: New spreads:China since 1976The collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of modern RussiaThe Arab World in transition Substantially updated spread on Europe since 1991 The most up-to-date research on human origins Updated spreads on South and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central and North America. Updated spread on the World in 21st Century Updated introductionTrade Review “This is one of the great works of historical reference in the English language. If you were allowed only one history book in the whole of your life, The Times Complete History of the World would be hard to beat because it conveys a sense not only of time, but also of place.”Niall Ferguson, Professor of History, Harvard University. “Wonderfully told history, brilliant graphics and maps, comprehensive and utterly accessible. In the internet age, proof positive that this reference book still has the edge by a considerable margin.”Jon Snow

    4 in stock

    £64.00

  • The Horse the Wheel and Language

    Princeton University Press The Horse the Wheel and Language

    Book SynopsisRoughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? This title reveals how their domestication of horses and use of the wheel spread language.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2010 Book Award, Society for American Archaeology "David W. Anthony argues that we speak English not just because our parents taught it to us but because wild horses used to roam the steppes of central Eurasia, because steppedwellers invented the spoked wheel and because poetry once had real power... Anthony is not the first scholar to make the case that Proto-Indo-European came from this region [Ukraine/Russia], but given the immense array of evidence he presents, he may be the last one who has to... The Horse, the Wheel, and Language brings together the work of historical linguists and archaeologists, researchers who have traditionally been suspicious of each other's methods. [The book] lays out in intricate detail the complicated genealogy of history's most successful language."--Christine Kenneally, The New York Times Book Review "[A]uthoritative ... "--John Noble Wilford, New York Times "A thorough look at the cutting edge of anthropology, Anthony's book is a fascinating look into the origins of modern man."--Publishers Weekly (Online Reviews Annex) "In the age of Borat it may come as a surprise to learn that the grasslands between Ukraine and Kazakhstan were once regarded as an early crucible of civilisation. This idea is revisited in a major new study by David Anthony."--Times Higher Education "Starting with a history of research on Proto-Indo-Europeans and exploring how this field for obvious reasons assumed an ethno-political dimension early on, leading PIE scholar Anthony moves on to established facts ... then shifts his focus to the interrelation of the three essential elements of horse, chariot, and language and how the first and second provided the means for the spread of Indo-European languages from India to Ireland. The bulk of the book contains the factual evidence, mainly archaeological, to support this argument. But a strength of the book is its rich historical linguistic approach. The combination of the two provides a remarkable work that should appeal to everyone with an interest not just in Indo-Europeans, but in the history of humanity in general."--K. Abdi, Dartmouth College, for CHOICE "David Anthony's book is a masterpiece. A professor of anthropology, Anthony brings together archaeology, linguistics, and rare knowledge of Russian scholarship and the history of climate change to recast our understanding of the formation of early human society."--Martin Walker, Wilson Quarterly "The Horse, the Wheel, and Language brings together the work of historical linguists and archaeologists, researchers who have traditionally been suspicious of each other's methods. Though parts of the book will be penetrable only by scholars, it lays out in intricate detail the complicated genealogy of history's most successful language."--Christine Kenneally, International Herald Tribune "The Horse, the Wheel and Language maps the early geography of the Russian steppes to re-create the lost world of Indo-European culture that is as fascinating as any mystery novel."--Arthur Krim, Geographical Reviews "In its integration of language and archaeology, this book represents an outstanding synthesis of what today can be known with some certainty about the origin and early history of the Indo-European languages. In my view, it supersedes all previous attempts on the subject."--Kristian Kristiansen, Antiquity "A key book."--David Keys, IndependentTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi PART ONE: Language and Archaeology 1 Chapter One: The Promise and Politics of the Mother Tongue 3 Ancestors 3 Linguists and Chauvinists 6 The Lure of the Mother Tongue 11 A New Solution for an Old Problem 15 Language Extinction and Thought 19 Chapter Two: How to Reconstruct a Dead Language 21 Language Change and Time 22 Phonology: How to Reconstruct a Dead Sound 24 The Lexicon: How to Reconstruct Dead Meanings 32 Syntax and Morphology: The Shape of a Dead Language 36 Conclusion: Raising a Language from the Dead 38 Chapter Three: Language and Time 1: The Last Speakers of Proto-Indo-European 39 The Size of the Chronological Window: How Long Do Languages Last? 39 The Terminal Date for Proto-Indo-European: The Mother Becomes Her Daughters 42 The Oldest and Strangest Daughter (or Cousin?): Anatolian 43 The Next Oldest Inscriptions: Greek and Old Indic 48 Counting the Relatives: How Many in 1500 BCE? 50 Chapter Four: Language and Time 2: Wool, Wheels, and Proto-Indo-European 59 The Wool Vocabulary 59 The Wheel Vocabulary 63 When Was the Wheel Invented 65 The Signifi cance of the Wheel 72 Wagons and the Anatolian Homeland Hypothesis 75 The Birth and Death of Proto-Indo-European 81 Chapter Five: Language and Place: The Location of the Proto-Indo-Europe an Homeland 83 Problems with the Concept of "the Homeland" 83 Finding the Homeland: Ecology and Environment 89 Finding the Homeland: The Economic and Social Setting 91 Finding the Homeland: Uralic and Caucasian Connections 93 The Location of the Proto-Indo-European Homeland 98 Chapter Six: The Archaeology of Language 102 Persistent Frontiers 104 Migration as a Cause of Persistent Material-Culture Frontiers 108 Ecological Frontiers: Different Ways of Making a Living 114 Small-scale Migrations, Elite Recruitment, and Language Shift 117 PART TWO: The Opening of the Eurasian Steppes 121 Chapter Seven: How to Reconstruct a Dead Culture 123 The Three Ages in the Pontic-Caspian Steppes 125 Dating and the Radiocarbon Revolution 126 What Did They Eat? 128 Archaeological Cultures and Living Cultures 130 The Big Questions Ahead 132 Chapter Eight: First Farmers and Herders: The Pontic-Caspian Neolithic 134 Domesticated Animals and Pontic-Caspian Ecol ogy 135 The First Farmer-Forager Frontier in the Pontic- Caspian Region 138 Farmer Meets Forager: The Bug-Dniester Culture 147 Beyond the Frontier: Pontic-Caspian Foragers before Cattle Arrived 154 The Gods Give Cattle 158 Chapter Nine: Cows, Copper, and Chiefs 160 The Early Copper Age in Old Europe 162 The Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture 164 The Dnieper-Donets II Culture 174 The Khvalynsk Culture on the Volga 182 Nalchik and North Caucasian Cultures 186 The Lower Don and North Caspian Steppes 188 The Forest Frontier: The Samara Culture 189 Cows, Social Power, and the Emergence of Tribes 190 Chapter Ten: The Domestication of the Horse and the Origins of Riding: The Tale of the Teeth 193 Where Were Horses First Domesticated? 196 Why Were Horses Domesticated? 200 What Is a Domesticated Horse? 201 Bit Wear and Horse back Riding 206 Indo-European Migrations and Bit Wear at Dereivka 213 Botai and Eneolithic Horseback Riding 216 The Origin of Horse back Riding 221 The Economic and Military Effects of Horseback Riding 222 Chapter Eleven: The End of Old Europe and the Rise of the Steppe 225 Warfare and Alliance: The Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture and the Steppes 230 The Sredni Stog Culture: Horses and Rituals from the East 239 Migrations into the Danube Valley: The Suvorovo-Novodanilovka Complex 249 Warfare, Climate Change, and Language Shift in the Lower Danube Valley 258 After the Collapse 260 Chapter Twelve: Seeds of Change on the Steppe Borders: Maikop Chiefs and Tripolye Towns 263 The Five Cultures of the Final Eneolithic in the Steppes 265 Crisis and Change on the Tripolye Frontier: Towns Bigger Than Cities 277 The First Cities and Their Connection to the Steppes 282 The North Caucasus Piedmont: Eneolithic Farmers before Maikop 285 The Maikop Culture 287 Maikop-Novosvobodnaya in the Steppes: Contacts with the North 295 Proto-Indo-European as a Regional Language in a Changing World 299 Chapter Thirteen: Wagon Dwellers of the Steppe: The Speakers of Proto-Indo-European 300 Why Not a Kurgan Culture? 306 Beyond the Eastern Frontier: The Afanasievo Migration to the Altai 307 Wagon Graves in the Steppes 311 Where Did the Yamnaya Horizon Begin? 317 When Did the Yamnaya Horizon Begin? 321 Were the Yamnaya People Nomads? 321 Yamnaya Social Organization 328 The Stone Stelae of the North Pontic Steppes 336 Chapter Fourteen: The Western Indo-European Languages 340 The End of the Cucuteni-Tripolye Culture and the Roots of the Western Branches 343 Steppe Overlords and Tripolye Clients: The Usatovo Culture 349 The Yamnaya Migration up the Danube Valley 361 Yamnaya Contacts with the Corded Ware Horizon 367 The Origins of Greek 368 Conclusion: The Early Western Indo-European Languages Disperse 369 Chapter Fifteen: Chariot Warriors of the Northern Steppes 371 The End of the Forest Frontier: Corded Ware Herders in the Forest 375 Pre-Sintashta Cultures of the Eastern Steppes 385 The Origin of the Sintashta Culture 389 Warfare in the Sintashta Culture: Fortifications and Weapons 393 Tournaments of Value 405 Sintashta and the Origins of the Aryans 408 Chapter Sixteen: The Opening of the Eurasian Steppes 412 Bronze Age Empires and the Horse Trade 412 The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex 421 The Opening of the Eurasian Steppes 435 The Srubnaya Culture: Herding and Gathering in the Western Steppes 437 East of the Urals, Phase I: The Petrovka Culture 441 The Seima-Turbino Horizon in the Forest-Steppe Zone 443 East of the Urals, Phase II: The Andronovo Horizon 448 Proto-Vedic Cultures in the Central Asian Contact Zone 452 The Steppes Become a Bridge across Eurasia 456 Chapter Seventeen: Words and Deeds 458 The Horse and the Wheel 459 Archaeology and Language 463 Appendix: Author's Note on Radiocarbon Dates 467 Notes 471 References 507 Index 547

    £22.50

  • A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the

    Simon & Schuster Ltd A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the

    Book Synopsis‘The very grubby coalface of foreign policy … I found the entire book most horribly addictive’ Independent ‘One of the unexpected responses to reading this masterful study is amazement at the efforts the British and French each put into undermining the other’ Spectator A fascinating insight into the untold story of how British-French rivalry drew the battle-lines of the modern Middle East. In 1916, in the middle of the First World War, two men secretly agreed to divide the Middle East between them. Sir Mark Sykes was a visionary politician; François Georges-Picot a diplomat with a grudge. They drew a line in the sand from the Mediterranean to the Persian frontier, and together remade the map of the Middle East, with Britain’s 'mandates' of Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq, and France's in Lebanon and Syria. Over the next thirty years a sordid tale of violence and clandestine political manoeuvring unfolded, told here through a stellar cast of politicians, diplomats, spies and soldiers, including T. E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. Using declassified papers from the British and French archives, James Barr vividly depicts the covert, deadly war of intrigue and espionage between Britain and France to rule the Middle East, and reveals the shocking way in which the French finally got their revenge.Trade Review'With superb research and telling quotations, Barr has skewered the whole shabby story...The convulsion of that fateful line in the sand are still being felt today - not only in the Middle East, but throughout the world' -- Michael Binyon * The Times *'Racy... [Barr] is right to assert that few British readers grasp the ferocity of Anglo-French antagonism in the Levant' -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *'One of the unexpected responses to reading this masterful study is amazement at the efforts the British and French each put into undermining each other' * The Spectator *'The very grubby coalface of foreign policy...I found the entire book most horribly addictive' * Independent *'Lively and entertaining. He has scoured the diplomatic archives and has come up with a rich hail that brings his narrative to life' * Financial Times *'James Barr's history of imperial machinations in the Middle East offers a revelatory slant on the continuing crisis in that area... an outstanding piece of research and a damning take on what stoked current Middle Eastern woes' * Metro *'James Barr has succeeded better than any author before him in telling the fascinating story of Anglo-French rivalries in the modern Middle East... Outstanding' -- Eugene Rogan, author of 'The Arabs: A History'The book resembles a gripping spy thriller...an expertly researched and authoritative book that is easy to read' * Military Times *'Barr is particularly good at identifying and portraying officials and agents engaged in these tit-for-tat reprisals that blurred the distinction between patriotism and crime' * Literary Review *'Engaging and well-researched... James Barr's lively account provides some quite astounding sketches of bluster, bickering and bravado' * BBC History Magazine *The struggle between Britain and France for mastery of the Middle East between 1914 and the late 1940s, is analysed by James Barr in his excellent new book. It is a complex story of intrigue and skulduggery, which Barr pieces together in a deft, well-written narrative. A journalist by profession, he manages to bring the whole subject alive through a series of well-chosen details and characters' * History Today *'History at its meticulously researched and addictive best' * Dublin Review of Books *

    £10.44

  • A History of World Societies Volume 2

    Bedford Books A History of World Societies Volume 2

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £69.34

  • Leading with Dignity  How to Create a Culture

    Yale University Press Leading with Dignity How to Create a Culture

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“With engaging intelligence, Hicks makes a lucid case for the importance of acknowledging a person’s worth within organizations and businesses. It’s a useful book, not only for managers and CEOs, but for anyone wanting to better understand how to bring about the best in themselves and those around them.”—Nina MacLaughlin, Boston GlobeWinner of the 2019 PROSE awards, Business, Management and Finance category“Leading with Dignity conveys a simple, but powerful message: people want to be treated well, and when they are, it brings out the best in them.”—Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership“This ‘how-to’ sparks the scaling of dignity within and across us to strengthen human and social capacity. A gift to give and get.”—Dana Born, co-director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard University“Nothing short of a landmark publication that will change and influence the public conversation on how we organize and manage.”—Michael Pirson, Fordham University“Donna Hicks articulates for business leaders not only a grand concept but also a practical framework for strengthening corporate culture by recognizing and promoting the inherent value in each employee.”—Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and CEO, Merck & Co., Inc.“There has never been a more important time for dignity to be recognized as the key to outstanding institutional, organizational, and community leadership. This book offers a practical and empowering roadmap showing leaders how to build, strengthen, and energize their organizations by cultivating the dignity of all people.”—Linda M. Hartling, Ph.D., Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies “Corporate codes of ethics list treating people with dignity as a core value. Hicks’s book Leading with Dignity brilliantly explains its meaning through practical steps resulting in an ethical culture.”—W. Michael Hoffman, executive director, Center for Business Ethics, Bentley University “This important book speaks directly to leadership and reminds all of us in organizational leadership roles how vital it is to create cultures where the concept of dignity is both understood and embraced. Dignity in practice truly begins at the top!”—Jeanette Clough, president and CEO, Mount Auburn Hospital

    2 in stock

    £14.99

  • The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of

    HarperCollins Publishers The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisRobert Fisk’s bestselling eyewitness account of the events that have shaped the Middle East is alive with vivid reporting and incisive historical analysis. The history of the Middle East is an epic story of tragedy, betrayal and world-shaking events. It is a story that Robert Fisk has been reporting for over thirty years. His masterful narrative spans the most volatile regions of the Middle East, chronicling with both rage and compassion the death by deceit of tens of thousands of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Robert Fisk’s remarkable history is also the tale of a journalist at war – learning of the 9/11 attacks while aboard a passenger jet, reporting from a bombed-out Baghdad, interviewing Osama bin Laden – and of the courage and frustration of a life spent writing the first draft of history.Trade Review‘For sheer bravery, dazzling prose, three interviews with Osama bin Laden and an unrivalled collection of awards won over three decades, there is nobody to match Robert Fisk. This book is his testament.’ Sunday Times ‘Brilliant…powerfully written.’ Independent on Sunday ‘A remarkable book.’ New Statesman ‘Fisk writes with a marvellous resource of image and language. His investigative reporting is lethally painstaking.’ Neal Ascherson, Independent ‘His forte is straight reporting, such as his three interviews with Osama bin Laden. At least as good are his meetings with Saddam Hussein, Khomeini and Sadeq Khalkhali, the hanging judge of the Iranian revolution, and his close-ups of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the launch of Saddam's war against Iran, an ambush by Islamists of an Algerian police patrol, and a lift into trouble in an Apache attack helicopter on the Iraq/Turkey border.’ Guardian ‘A mammoth and magisterial work, the definitive summation of what has gone wrong in the West’s foreign policies towards Arabia.’ Scottish Sunday Herald ‘A stimulating and absorbing book, by a man who speaks Arabic, who has known the region better than most, and has met the leading players, from bin Laden to Ahmad Chalabi. A formidable production.’ New York Times ‘Full of furious, vivid and highly personalised writing…An important book by an intrepid and talented writer.’ Literary Review ‘Vivid, graphic, intense and very personal…this is a book of unquestionable importance.’ Washington Post

    4 in stock

    £17.99

  • Simon & Schuster The Bible Unearthed

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn the past three decades, archaeologists have made great strides in recovering the lost world of the Old Testament. Dozens of digs in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon have changed experts'' understanding of ancient Israel and its neighbours- as well as their vision of the Bible''s greatest tales. Yet until now, the public has remained almost entirely unaware of these discoveries which help separate legend from historical truth. Here, at last, two of archaeology''s leading scholars shed new light on how the Bible came into existence. They assert, for example, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob never existed, that David and Solomon were not great kings but obscure chieftains and that the Exodus never happened. They offer instead a new historical truth: the Bible was created by the people of the small, southern nation of Judah in a heroic last-ditch attempt to keep their faith alive after the demise of the larger, wealthier nation of Israel to the north. It is in this truth, not in the myths of the past, that the real value of the Bible is evident.Trade ReviewBaruch Halpern author of The First Historians: The Hebrew Bible and History The boldest and most exhilarating synthesis of the Bible and archaeology in fifty years.John Shelby Spong author of Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love, and Equality A bold and provocative book, well researched, well written, and powerfully argued. It challenges many of the assumptions developed by the literal religious minds of the ages, opening traditional possibilities to new conclusions.Jonathan Kirsch Los Angeles Times A brutally honest assessment of what archaeology can and cannot tell us about the historical accuracy of the Bible...presented with both authority and panache.Table of ContentsContentsPrologue: In the Days of King JosiahIntroduction: Archaeology and the BiblePART ONEThe Bible as History? Searching for the Patriarchs Did the Exodus Happen? The Conquest of Canaan Who Were the Israelites? Memories of a Golden Age? PART TWOThe Rise and Fall of Ancient Israel One State, One Nation, One People? (C. 930-720 BCE) Israel's Forgotten First Kingdom (884-842 BCE) In the Shadow of Empire (842-720 BCE) PART THREEJudah and the Making of Biblical History The Transformation of Judah (C. 930-705 BCE) Between War and Survival (705-639 BCE) A Great Reformation (639-586 BCE) Exile and Return (586-C. 440 BCE) Epilogue: The Future of Biblical IsraelAppendix A: Theories of the Historicity of the Patriarchal AgeAppendix B: Searching for SinaiAppendix C: Alternative Theories of the Israelite ConquestAppendix D: Why the Traditional Archaeology of the Davidic and Solomonic Period Is WrongAppendix E: Identifying the Era of Manasseh in the Archaeological RecordAppendix F: How Vast Was the Kingdom of Josiah?Appendix G: The Boundaries of the Province of YehudBibliographyIndex

    1 in stock

    £15.31

  • La Varenne's Cookery: The French Cook, the French

    Prospect Books La Varenne's Cookery: The French Cook, the French

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisModern translation of La Varenne''s The French cook, The French pastry chef, and The French confectioner, published in Paris between 1651 and 1660, essential reading for anyone seeking to understand French cookery of the seventeenth century. Includes a detailed commentary covering the life of La Varenne, the nature of his three works, and period French cooking. La Varenne (1618-1678) was chef to the Marquis d''Uxelles and the first to produce a French cookery book of any substance since Le Viandier almost 300 years earlier, and therefore the first to record the advances in French cooking since the fifteenth century.

    1 in stock

    £49.50

  • A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga,

    Tuttle Publishing A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga,

    Book SynopsisCreated specifically for fans of Japanese cool culture, A Geek in Japan is one of the most iconic, hip, and concise cultural guides available. Reinvented for the internet age, it is packed with personal essays and hundreds of photographs and presents all the touchstones of traditional and contemporary culture in an entirely new way. A Geek in Japan decodes the mysteries of the Japanese language, Japanese social values and daily habits, business and technology, the arts, and symbols and practices that are peculiarly Japanese. This revised and expanded edition contains many new pages of materials on all sorts of topics including Kyoto, Japanese architecture, and Japanese video games. It also features a guide to author Hector Garcia's favourite Tokyo hangouts and tips on visiting many secret places around Japan. Highlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths, and answering nagging questions such as why the Japanese are so fond of wearing face masks, Garcia has written an irreverent, insightful, and highly informative guide for the growing ranks of Japanophiles around the world.Trade Review"Everyone who is interested in Japan will find this book fascinating." --Larry Ellison, cofounder and CEO, Oracle Corporation"One of the funniest and yet most accurate descriptions of modern Japanese culture that I've ever seen. Highly recommended!" --Joichi Ito, director, MIT Media Lab"Hector and I share a deep interest and affection for all things Japanese. But in my case, I only get to enjoy Japan on my business trips. Back in Spain, I like to keep in touch. And that I do reading kirainet, 'A geek in Japan.' Now you can do the same. And in book format. Enjoy!" --Martin Varsavsky, entrepreneur, founder of Fon and Safe Democracy Foundation

    £14.39

  • Destroying a Nation: The Civil War in Syria

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Destroying a Nation: The Civil War in Syria

    Book SynopsisFollowing the Arab Spring, Syria descended into civil and sectarian conflict. It has since become a fractured warzone which operates as a breeding ground for new terrorist movements including ISIS as well as the root cause of the greatest refugee crisis in modern history. In this important book, former Special Envoy of the Netherlands to Syria, Nikolaos van Dam, explains the recent history of Syria, covering the growing disenchantment with the Asad regime, the chaos of civil war and the fractures which led to an immense amount of destruction in the refined social fabric of what used to be the Syrian nation. Through an in-depth examination, van Dam traces political developments within the Asad regime and the various opposition groups from the Arab Spring to the present day, and provides a deeper insight into the conflict and the possibilities and obstacles for reaching a political solution.Trade Review'[A] monumental work on Syrian power politics' - Robert Fisk, The Independent, 'An excellent book' - Patrick Seale, 'An admirable study... invaluable for anyone with a serious interest in Middle Eastern politics' - Peter Mansfield, 'The most informative explanation of the effects of sectarianism and regionalism on Syrian politics' - Philip S. Khoury, MERIP Reports, '[An] excellent study of the sectarian bases of Syrian politics' - Foreign Affairs, 'Only a handful of important books have been written on modern Syria; and Nikolaos van Dam's The Struggle for Power in Syria is one of them' - Joshua Landis, International Journal of Middle East Studies, 'Nikolaos van Dam is a rare species: An academic analyst and an excellent diplomat who has accompanied and shaped recent Syrian history in theory and practice. He is also brutally honest, including with Western policy failures, and hard to be put into a political camp in this polarized conflict. On the basis of profound studies of the Baath system, he explains how Syria's disaster inevitably unfolded in the context of the Arab Spring, the brutal internal logic of an encrusted regime, and the vested interests of foreign powers. Van Dam's insights from old and new Syria make this book a valuable guide in the complex web of this worst conflict of our century. We get a taste of the difficult search for a new social contract and a political solution in Syria - if this is still possible before the state fails.' - Carsten Wieland, author of Syria: A Decade of Lost Chances, 'Nikolaos van Dam is simply one of the top experts on Syria. Setting the Syrian conflict within its historical and contemporary contexts, he draws on his unique combination of scholarly excellence and practical diplomatic experience. This book is a sophisticated, yet accessible and readable analysis of a highly complex situation. It substantially updates and advances our understanding of the ever evolving war in Syria.' - David W. Lesch, Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of History at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas and author of Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad.Table of ContentsPreface 1 Introduction 2 Ba’thist history before the Syrian Revolution (2011) 3 Could the War in Syria have been avoided? 4 Confrontation between the military of the regime and the opposition 5 The ambivalent Western approach to the Syria conflict 6 Intra-Syrian talks but no negotiations 7 Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

    £14.24

  • A Short History of Cambridge

    Haus Publishing A Short History of Cambridge

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn entertaining introduction to the history of the city, its landmarks and its people, from its foundation in the 13th century to the present day.

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Battle for Syria  International Rivalry in

    Yale University Press The Battle for Syria International Rivalry in

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review“One of the best informed and non-partisan accounts of the Syrian tragedy yet published.”—Patrick Cockburn, Independent"Provides genuinely valuable insight into the dynamics of a tragedy that will undoubtedly remain at the centre of the world’s attention for many years to come."—Daniel Falkiner, LSE Review of Books"This is the best work to date that focuses on the regional and international dimensions of the Syrian conflict. Christopher Phillips' research is meticulous, with both depth and breadth in large part gleaned from his interviews with top officials and representatives from most of the stakeholder states and groups in the war. A must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the multidimensional complexities of the conflict."—David Lesch, author of Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad"Syria's horrific civil war has been profoundly shaped by the competitive interventions and proxy wars by external powers. The Battle for Syria offers a brilliant, essential account of the international dimension of Syria's descent from uprising into insurgency and brutal state violence. This sober and judicious book will become a standard text for those seeking to understand Syria's tragedy."—Marc Lynch, author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East

    2 in stock

    £13.99

  • Sandwiches of History The Cookbook

    Harvard Common Press Sandwiches of History The Cookbook

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • University of Oxford: A Brief History, The

    Bodleian Library University of Oxford: A Brief History, The

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe University of Oxford is the third oldest university in Europe and remains one of the greatest universities in the world. How did such an ancient institution flourish through the ages? This book offers a succinct illustrated account of its colourful and controversial 800-year history, from medieval times through the Reformation and on to the nineteenth century, in which the foundations of the modern tutorial system were laid. It describes the extraordinary and influential people who shaped the development of the institution and helped to create today’s world-class research university. Institutions have waxed and waned over the centuries but Oxford has always succeeded in reinventing itself to meet the demands of a new age. Richly illustrated with archival material, prints and portraits, this book explores how a university in a small provincial town rose to become one of the top universities in the world at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

    1 in stock

    £12.34

  • We Have Never Been Modern

    Harvard University Press We Have Never Been Modern

    Book SynopsisWith the rise of science, we moderns believe, the world changed irrevocably, separating us forever from our primitive, premodern ancestors. But if we were to let go of this fond conviction, Bruno Latour asks, what would the world look like? His book, an anthropology of science, shows us how much of modernity is actually a matter of faith.Trade ReviewIf you like the kind of antidualist philosophizing that keeps trying to break down the distinctions between subject and object, mind and body, language and fact, and so on, you’ll love Latour… He does the best job so far of breaking down the distinctions between making and finding, between nature and history, and between the ‘premodern,’ ‘the modern’ and ‘the postmodern.’ -- Richard Rorty * Common Knowledge *[Latour] stakes out an original and important position in current debates about modernity, antimodernity, postmodernity, and so on. These debates can only be enriched by Latour’s attention to the practical coupling of the human and the nonhuman, and they can only be enlivened by the thumbnail critiques offered along the way of thinkers as diverse as Kant, Hegel, Bachelard, Habermas, Baudrillard, Lyotard, and Heidegger. -- Andrew Pickering * Modernism *The present book is essentially a work of metaphysics, a kind of political ontology. Latour’s goal is to break down traditional philosophical categories of nature, power and language… Latour’s insights are abundant, from his advocacy of multinaturalism (versus multiculturalism) to his call for social theorists to recognize the historicity of objects… This is a wonderful book to disagree with—a refreshing break from the straight-jacketed sycophancy that defines so much of the history and philosophy of science. It is not an easy book, but the reward for the philosophically minded is well worth the wrestle. -- Robert N. Proctor * American Scientist *An interesting and deeply thought-out presentation of the large scale problems of our world seen in relation to the idea of ‘modernism.’ The book focuses on the interrelationships between three large-scale domains: science and technology, politics and government, language and semiotic studies… Latour examines the premodernists, postmodernists, antimodernists, and so-called modernists and concludes that we really never were modern and now need to pursue a form of modernism (which he describes) purged of its counterproductive features. * Choice *

    £25.16

  • Trustees of the Royal Armouries Arms and Armour of the Renaissance Joust

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Renaissance is best known as an age of artists Michelangelo, da Vinci, Titian and Holbein but it is also the age of the noble patrons who challenged their painters and sculptors to create great art. These patrons were knights, military leaders and jousters. They played a central role in the story of another great Renaissance story, that of the armourer. Here, Tobias Capwell continues his history of jousting seen through surviving artefacts in the collection of the Royal Armouries. He reveals how the jousts and tournaments of the Renaissance transported knightly combat into a kind of performance art, with demonstrations of aristocratic skill and nerve, of superhuman strength and superlative horsemanship and of cutting-edge equipment.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • A Short History of European Law

    Harvard University Press A Short History of European Law

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHerzog’s book is a remarkable achievement, sure to become a go-to text for scholars and students alike. Comprehensive and concise, it bridges the continental and Anglo-American traditions and focuses on vital questions of legal authority and legitimacy. It is a must-read for anyone eager to understand the origins of core legal concepts and institutions—like due process and rule of law—that profoundly shape the societies in which we live today. -- Amalia D. Kessler, Stanford UniversityA brilliant and bold synthesis of more than two thousand years of the history of European law. Herzog deftly articulates the complex relationship between political and social events on the one hand and the juridical solutions devised to address them on the other. She challenges both the idea of formal continuity of law over time and the assumed divergence between English common law and Continental law. A Short History of European Law is a valuable and original book. -- Simona Cerutti, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, ParisIn this fresh and sometimes surprising book, Herzog acknowledges the worldwide impact of European legal history without ever becoming Eurocentric. She connects legal history with their imperial dimensions, civil with common law, and core topics with illustrative detail. Drawing on diverse historiographies, she links this long history to today’s dynamically changing world of law. A great read, erudite and original. -- Thomas Duve, Max Planck Institute of European Legal HistoryFew histories are more consequential than those of our laws, since how we imagine the relationship of our laws to their past can itself affect the present of our polities. How surprising, then, that few historians have dared to confront the vastness of that history. Herzog’s lapidary book is much vaster than even its title suggests and is required reading for Americanists North and South, and indeed, for all of us inhabiting a postcolonial world deeply marked by the millennia of legal imaginings whose dynamic transformations it so lucidly charts. -- David Nirenberg, University of ChicagoA fundamental and timely contribution to the understanding of Europe as seen through its legal systems. Herzog masterfully shows the profound unity of legal thinking and practices across the Continent and in England. This will become required reading for students and scholars across the social sciences. -- Federico Varese, University of OxfordExceptionally readable, the book presents the various elements of Roman law augmented by German law that thereupon fed into the legal systems of France, Germany, and England…This is a marvelous introductory reflection on the beginning of law in the West that was then exported to the remainder of the globe through the imperial enterprise…Here is an essential read for legal historians and law students. -- S. R. Silverburg * Choice *An estimable achievement. Students and teachers of legal history are greatly in her debt. -- David Lieberman * Journal of Modern History *

    £17.06

  • A Revolutionary Friendship

    Harvard University Press A Revolutionary Friendship

    Book SynopsisFrancis Cogliano revisits the relationship between Washington and Jefferson, arguing that their vaunted differences mask mutual investments in the Revolution itself. Their later divergence demonstrates how wartime unity gave way to competing visions for the new nation, making clear that there was no single founding ideal—only compromise.Trade ReviewCogliano considers the relationship between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in this measured and clarifying account…This deeply researched and accessible narrative sheds new light on a consequential friendship. * Publishers Weekly *It is hard to believe no one has written a detailed account of the difficult friendship between the two Virginian revolutionaries George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. We now have Cogliano’s meticulously researched, insightful, and fluidly written account of their history with each other. This book is just what we need as we approach the 250th anniversary of what these two men helped put in motion, the American Revolution. -- Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello: An American FamilySuperb, compelling history. Deftly interweaving the personal and the political, Cogliano shows that Washington and Jefferson had a much closer relationship than is typically acknowledged, first as political allies, then as trusted friends and confidants, but the party strife of the young republic made them bitter opponents. -- Eliga H. Gould, author of Among the Powers of the Earth: The American Revolution and the Making of a New World EmpireA persuasively argued, well-written biography that illuminates and enlivens its subjects and their relationship. Avoiding the pitfalls of both the celebratory national narrative and its revisionist counterpoint, Cogliano enables readers to make better sense of the complicated circumstances—and complicated people—who revolutionized America, for better and for worse. -- Peter S. Onuf, author of Jefferson and the Virginians: Democracy, Constitutions, and EmpireA fantastic work of comparative history. Washington and Jefferson’s collaboration endured for three highly productive decades, but then, as now, even the warmest friendships sometimes got pulverized by politics. Cogliano’s poignant reminder that Washington and Jefferson never reconciled inspires me, as it may you, to try to rebuild bridges. -- Woody Holton, author of Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution

    £28.76

  • Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen

    Tuttle Publishing Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWritten over a century ago when Japan was abandoning its rich traditions to embrace the hysteria of colonization, this classic written by Okakura Kakuzo helped preserve the masterpieces of Japanese art and culture by illuminating the spirit of the Japanese Tea Masters. The Book of Tea doesn't focus on the Tea Ceremony itself, but the Zen Buddhist thought behind it known as the Way of Tea or Chado. Kakuzo teaches us to listen to the language of flowers as well as the language of art. His considerable charm is as apparent today as it was one hundred years ago as he introduces us to the aesthetic and culture of Japan. This edition has a new foreword by Andrew Juniper who runs the Wabi-Sabi Art Gallery in West Sussex, England and an introduction by Liza Dalby, the first American woman to be fully trained as a geisha in the 70's.Trade Review"In some ways, times haven't changed much in the 99 years since Kakuzo Okakura, the Japanese aesthete, gifted the local elite of Boston with his now-legendary explication of the beauties of the tea ceremony, The Book of Tea." --Elle Decor"Originally written to be read aloud by the author at Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous salon in 1906, the book focuses on the culture that has engendered the mind of tea and on the Masters who embody this spirit." --Gourmet Retailer"Transcending the narrow confines of its title, presents a unified concept of life, art and nature. Along the way exploring topics related to tea appreciation, including Zen, flower arranging and Taoism. An early cultural activist, Okakura's mission was to preserve Japanese art and aesthetic practices from an extinction that seemed imminent." -- Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare now a Major

    Quercus Publishing The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare now a Major

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisOne of the most remarkable stories in the history of Special Forces'' operations - Daily ExpressIn the bleak moments after defeat on mainland Europe in winter 1939, wartime leader Winston Churchill knew that Britain had to strike back hard. He recruited a band of eccentric free-thinking warriors to become the first ''deniable'' secret operatives behind enemy lines, offering these volunteers nothing but the potential for glory and all-but-certain death.The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tells of the daring victories for this small force of ''freelance pirates'' in their many missions against the Nazis, often dressed in enemy uniforms and breaking all previously held rules of warfare. Master storyteller and military historian Damien Lewis brings the true adventures of the secret unit to life, from their earliest missions to the death of the group''s leader just weeks before the end of World War Two.

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Understanding Hamas

    OR Books Understanding Hamas

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBoth accessible and authoritative,Understanding Hamas provides much-needed insight into a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical. Across Western mainstream discourse, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subjected to intense vilification. Branding it as terrorist or worse, this demonization intensified after the events in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023. This book does not advocate for or against Hamas. Rather, in a series of rich and probing conversations with leading experts, it aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis. It looks at, among other things, Hamas's critical shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement; the delicate balance between Hamas's political and military wings; and its transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies to a stance that differentiates between Judaism and Zionism.

    1 in stock

    £15.19

  • 1948

    Yale University Press 1948

    Book SynopsisPresents the history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict. This book presents an account of the military engagements and focuses on the war's political dimensions. It probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of the Israeli and Western documentation.Trade Review“A commanding, superbly documented, and fair-minded study of the events that . . . gave a sovereign home to one people and dispossessed another. . . . What is so striking about Morris’s work . . . is that it does not flatter anyone’s prejudices.”—David Remnick, New Yorker“Morris relates the story of his new book soberly and somberly, evenhandedly and exhaustively. . . . An authoritative and fair-minded account of an epochal and volatile event. He has reconstructed that event with scrupulous exactitude.”—David Margolick, New York Times Book Review“When it comes to interpreting the history they shared in 1947–49, Arabs and Israelis subscribe to two radically different narratives. . . . One of the many achievements of this admirable book is to help readers understand why each narrative commands such authority and why they remain so stubbornly irreconcilable.”—Andrew Bacevich, Boston Globe“An ambitious, detailed and engaging portrait of the war itself—from its origins to its unresolved aftermath—that further shatters myths on both sides of the Israeli-Arab divide.”—Glenn Frankel, Washington Post Book World“Morris’s account seems admirable, because he is unafraid of upsetting both camps. . . . His commitment to the pursuit of historical truth deserves as much admiration as his dismay at Arab intransigence commands sympathy. . . . Morris’s book is no mere military narrative, but a crisp, vivid introduction to the historical tragedy of Palestine.”—Max Hastings, Sunday Times“Morris, born in 1948, is among a group of Israeli ‘new historians’ whose work has challenged the traditional, accepted line of the birth of Israel. In this well-researched book, he strives for balance.”—Billy Heller, New York PostSelected as one of the best books of 2008 by the Washington Post in the World category“Morris’ . . . new book, impeccably timed to coincide with our 60th anniversary, is notable for its insistence that the religious dimension of Arab opposition to Jewish sovereignty, the rejection of Israel as an ‘infidel’ and ‘alien’ presence, was overwhelming from the earliest days of the struggle for statehood—and was underestimated by Israel’s leaders from the earliest days, too.”—David Horovitz, Jerusalem Post“Magisterial. . . . A densely researched, richly textured, nuanced book brimming with discerning analysis and telling details. . . . It will be mandatory reading for the foreseeable future.”—Sheldon Kirshner, Canadian Jewish News“Likely to become the most definitive study of the first Arab-Israeli war. On each and every facet of the conflict—military strategy, human rights abuses, the refugee crisis, diplomacy, and propaganda—it is an extraordinary tour de force.”—Shlomo Ben-Ami, Foreign Affairs“Morris offers a study of Israel’s war of independence, effectively debunking many of the myths surrounding it. . . . He meticulously documents the expulsions and atrocities that occurred on both sides. His work demonstrates that passion, not polemic, about this controversial era leads to good history. Recommended for all libraries.”—Library Journal“A considerable achievement, meticulously detailing and analyzing both Israel’s war of Independence, on the one hand, and its mirror Palestinian face: the Catastrophe (al nakba), on the other. For those who can handle often-uncomfortable facts, this volume is a must read. . . . A courageous narrative.”—Michael Bell, Toronto Globe and MailWinner of the 2008 National Jewish Book Award in the category of History, presented by the Jewish Book Council“This is the best book by far on the war of 1948.”—Benjamin Kedar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem“This is a wonderful contribution to the historiography of the Israel/Palestine War of 1948. Morris has written a fresh account, substantiated by a lot of new documentation.”—Ronald W. Zweig, New York University

    £19.00

  • Gaza

    University of California Press Gaza

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"In its comprehensive sweep, deep probing and acute critical analysis, Finkelstein’s study stands alone.” * Noam Chomsky *"Readers with fixed positions, either in agreement or disagreement with Finkelstein, will find much to engage with here." * Publishers Weekly *"No one who ventures an opinion on Gaza . . . is entitled to do so without taking into account the evidence in this book. For that, at least, the people of Gaza owe a debt to Norman Finkelstein. . . . Offers what may well be the definitive history of one of the most horrifying and sustained campaigns of collective punishment in modern world history."" * The Intercept *"Norman Finkelstein has the moral gravity of an Old Testament prophet, the scrupulous attention to detail of a Talmudic scholar, and the mordant sense of humor of a Yiddish novelist. All these attributes are on display in Gaza: An Inquest Into its Martyrdom. . . . The cumulative impact of Finkelstein’s meticulously-documented 408-page chronicle is devastating, and it will leave the reader stunned that the worldwide reaction is so muted." * Mondoweiss *“Recommended . . . for a review of the evidence of Israel’s wrongdoing that is buried or downplayed.” * Current Affairs *“Gaza is a tour de force. Finkelstein unravels the facade that Israel and its allies aim to create, exposing the double standards of the US government, the UN and even human rights organisations." -- Neve Gordon, * Times Higher Education *"Finkelstein’s book is a stark reminder of the facets which have incarcerated Gaza to an extent that its political voice has been rendered irrelevant by the international community. The unravelling of misrepresentation and collaboration to ensure Israel’s impunity at an international level are brought together as referenced, detailed facts. Finkelstein’s demolition of colonial and international propaganda vindicates his objective 'to refute that Big Lie by exposing each of the little lies." * Middle East Monitor *"The factual record compiled here will be of interest to future historians on all sides." * CHOICE *“One would be hard pressed to find such crucial analysis in the US press, or the wider western media for that matter. . . . For both seasoned and newer readers of the conflict, Gaza is a must read; a serious commitment to revealing hard truths in their rawest form.” * New Arab *"Anyone who chooses to read Gaza: An Inquest into its Martyrdom bears witness to the harrowing Truth and preserves it in the collective memory." * Palestine Chronicle *"A meticulous 440-page study of international law, of Israel’s sustained attacks against Gaza and its people and offers what may well be the definitive history of one of the most horrifying and sustained campaigns of collective punishment in modern world history." * The Intercept *"An extraordinary book." * Bullet *“Its passionate and painstaking attempt to counter Israeli deception deserves our close attention.” * CounterFire *"His research and his precise inquest into Israel’s wars on Gaza raises many questions about not only the vicious right-wing nature of successive Israeligovernments, but also the failure of international law, the human rights industry and the UN to be anything other than bystanders . . . Finkelstein’s systematic and analytical exposé is a necessary read." * Socialist Lawyer *"Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom is a powerful call to intensify our campaign to bring about justice for the Palestinian people which has been denied them for so long . . . It is a work of exacting and thorough scholarship, encyclopedic in its coverage of the detail of the terrible treatment of the Palestinians of Gaza, and stands both as a reference guide to the subject and an appeal for justice." * Spokesman: Journal of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments PART ONE OPERATION CAST LEAD 1 • Self-Defense 2 • Deterring Arabs, Deterring Peace 3 • Spin Control 4 • Human Shields PART TWO THE GOLDSTONE REPORT 5 • A Zionist Bears Witness 6 • The Star Witness Recants PART THREE THE MAVI MARMARA 7 • Murder on the High Seas 8 • Whitewash I: The Turkel Report 9 • Whitewash II: The UN Panel Report PART FOUR OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE 10 • Stalled Juggernaut 11 • Israel Has the Right to Defend Itself 12 • Betrayal I: Amnesty International 13 • Betrayal II: UN Human Rights Council Conclusion Appendix: Is the Occupation Legal? Index

    2 in stock

    £20.70

  • Dereliction of Duty

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc Dereliction of Duty

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe war in Vietnam was not lost in the field, nor was it lost on the front pages of the New York Times or the college campuses. It was lost in Washington, D.C.  —H. R. McMaster (from the Conclusion)Dereliction Of Duty is a stunning analysis of how and why the United States became involved in an all-out and disastrous war in Southeast Asia. Fully and convincingly researched, based on transcripts and personal accounts of crucial meetings, confrontations and decisions, it is the only book that fully re-creates what happened and why. McMaster pinpoints the policies and decisions that got the United States into the morass and reveals who made these decisions and the motives behind them, disproving the published theories of other historians and excuses of the participants.A page-turning narrative, Dereliction Of Duty focuses on a fascinating cast of characters: President Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, General Maxwell Taylor, McGeorge Bundy and other top aides who deliberately deceived the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Congress and the American public.McMaster’s only book, Dereliction of Duty is an explosive and authoritative new look at the controversy concerning the United States involvement in Vietnam.

    2 in stock

    £17.72

  • COMBEE

    Oxford University Press Inc COMBEE

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of the Combahee River Raid, one of Harriet Tubman''s most extraordinary accomplishments, based on original documents and written by a descendant of one of the participants. Most Americans know of Harriet Tubman''s legendary life: escaping enslavement in 1849, she led more than 60 others out of bondage via the Underground Railroad, gave instructions on getting to freedom to scores more, and went on to live a lifetime fighting for change. Yet the many biographies, children''s books, and films about Tubman omit a crucial chapter: during the Civil War, hired by the Union Army, she ventured into the heart of slave territory--Beaufort, South Carolina--to live, work, and gather intelligence for a daring raid up the Combahee River to attack the major plantations of Rice Country, the breadbasket of the Confederacy.Edda L. Fields-Black--herself a descendent of one of the participants in the raid--shows how Tubman commanded a ring of spies, scouts, and pilots and participated in military expeditions behind Confederate lines. On June 2, 1863, Tubman and her crew piloted two regiments of Black US Army soldiers, the Second South Carolina Volunteers, and their white commanders up coastal South Carolina''s Combahee River in three gunboats. In a matter of hours, they torched eight rice plantations and liberated 730 people, people whose Lowcountry Creole language and culture Tubman could not even understand. Black men who had liberated themselves from bondage on South Carolina''s Sea Island cotton plantations after the Battle of Port Royal in November 1861 enlisted in the Second South Carolina Volunteers and risked their lives in the effort.Using previous unexamined documents, including Tubman''s US Civil War Pension File, bills of sale, wills, marriage settlements, and estate papers from planters'' families, Fields-Black brings to life intergenerational, extended enslaved families, neighbors, praise-house members, and sweethearts forced to work in South Carolina''s deadly tidal rice swamps, sold, and separated during the antebellum period. When Tubman and the gunboats arrived and blew their steam whistles, many of those people clambered aboard, sailed to freedom, and were eventually reunited with their families. The able-bodied Black men freed in the Combahee River Raid enlisted in the Second South Carolina Volunteers and fought behind Confederate lines for the freedom of others still enslaved not just in South Carolina but Georgia and Florida. After the war, many returned to the same rice plantations from which they had escaped, purchased land, married, and buried each other. These formerly enslaved peoples on the Sea Island indigo and cotton plantations, together with those in the semi-urban port cities of Charleston, Beaufort, and Savannah, and on rice plantations in the coastal plains, created the distinctly American Gullah Geechee dialect, culture, and identity--perhaps the most significant legacy of Harriet Tubman''s Combahee River Raid.

    2 in stock

    £26.99

  • History by Numbers: An Introduction to

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC History by Numbers: An Introduction to

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFully updated and carefully revised, this new 2nd edition of History by Numbers stands alone as the only textbook on quantitative methods suitable for students of history. Even the numerically challenged will find inspiration. Taking a problem-solving approach and using authentic historical data, it describes each method in turn, including its origin, purpose, usefulness and associated pitfalls. The problems are developed gradually and with narrative skill, allowing readers to experience the moment of discovery for each of the interpretative outcomes. Quantitative methods are essential for the modern historian, and this lively and accessible text will prove an invaluable guide for anyone entering the discipline.Trade ReviewThe chapters are structured clearly and accessibly; they also include useful exercises which are based on real research work ... A useful book, well-structured and with great pedagogical value. * Lectures (Bloomsbury translation) *History by Numbers is a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with, or uncertain about, quantitative approaches to the study of the past. Written in an accessible and engaging style, even those who lack confidence with numbers, graphs and statistics will find themselves enlightened as the authors carefully guide them through a variety of quantitative historical methodologies, describe how they have been used, and what their advantages and shortcomings might be for historical researchers. * Hannah Barker, University of Manchester, UK *Scared of numbers no more! In a world in which we are constantly asked to make sense of data in the form of graphs and tables, how can we address history without much sense of magnitude, scale and trends over time? In History by Numbers Hudson and Ishizu guide the reader step by step into the world of quantities, and percentages, as well as the mysteries of sampling and causation. Without numerical literacy, it is impossible to tackle key issues such as migration, consumption, urbanisation and indeed cultural and political change. * Giorgio Riello, University of Warwick, UK *This is the text book for the next generation of quantitative historians. The brilliantly crafted new edition is written for those who are knowledgeable in history but still skip over the graphs and tables. Chapters convey the evolving need for quantitative study, then lead readers smoothly through all the key quantitative principles. Early chapters show how to read and assess quantitative history; concluding chapters provide effective guidelines on conducting quantitative research. The images and tables, updated and beautifully documented, illustrate concretely the principles. Hudson and Ishizu have overcome the mechanical approaches of their competitors: at every step, a lively historiographical discussion accompanies their clear statement of quantitative principles, emphasizing the balance of technique and critical historical review of the past. Students will be elevated as well as informed; senior scholars will read this book with profit as a review of principles and as a guide to teaching. * Patrick Manning, University of Pittsburg, USA and President, American Historical Association *Ever wondered about that Gini they talk about? If you have scratched your head over debates about income inequality, puzzled over long-run trends, or perhaps pondered on what son-preference in India did to men’s chances of marrying, then History by Numbers is for you. This book gently teaches how to think with statistics, using wide-ranging examples from recent historical literature. Statistical concepts are crystal clear. The authors also examine why historians want to quantify, and how research is changing in the digital age. Big Data means everyone needs to understand numbers. Hudson and Ishizu offer an at once practical and engaging introductory text. * Deborah Oxley, University of Oxford, UK *This is the best English handbook on quantitative methods for history students. * Maarten Van Dijck, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands *This is a great introduction to quantitative history. It is clear and accessible and makes the topic appealing to students. * Michael Goodrum, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK *Table of ContentsForeword 1. The Prospects and Pitfalls of History by Numbers 2. The Origins and Nature of Quantitative Thinking 3. Arranging, Rearranging and Displaying Data 4. Summarising Data: Averages and Distributions 5. Time Series and Indices 6. Relationships Between Variables 7. Sampling and Significance Testing 8. Modelling History 9. Computing, the Internet and History Glossary Index

    1 in stock

    £28.49

  • The French Revolution and Napoleon

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The French Revolution and Napoleon

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLynn Hunt is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. She is the author of numerous books, including Measuring Time, Making History (2008) and, with Jack R. Censer, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution (2001). She is also the co-editor, along with Suzanne Desan and William Nelson, of The French Revolution in Global Perspective (2013).Jack R. Censer is Professor of History at George Mason University, USA. He is the author of The French Press in the Age of Enlightenment (2004) and The French Revolution and Intellectual History (1989). He is also the co-author, along with Lynn Hunt, of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution (2001).Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables Preface 1. Why France Had a Revolution in 1789 2. The Power of the People, 1789-1792 3. A Republic in Constant Crisis, 1792-1794 4. The Power of the Military, 1794-1799 5. From Bonapartist Republic to Napoleonic Empire, 1800-1807 6. The Napoleonic Eagle Soars and Finally Plummets, 1808-1815 Conclusion: Crucible of the Modern World Notes Index

    2 in stock

    £23.74

  • Living a Feminist Life

    Duke University Press Living a Feminist Life

    Book SynopsisShowing how feminist theory is generated from everyday life and the ordinary experiences of being a feminist, Sara Ahmed highlights the ties between feminist theory and living a life that sustains it by building on legacies of feminist of color scholarship and discussing the figure of the feminist killjoy.Trade Review"Fans of bell hooks and Audre Lorde will find Ahmed's frequent homages and references familiar and assuring in a work that goes far beyond Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, capturing the intersection so critical in modern feminism." -- Abby Hargreaves * Library Journal *"Living a Feminist Life is perhaps the most accessible and important of Ahmed’s works to date. . . . [A] quite dazzlingly lively, angry and urgent call to arms. . . In short, everybody should read Ahmed’s book precisely because not everybody will." -- Emma Rees * Times Higher Education *"Living a Feminist Life is a work of embodied political theory that defies the conventions of feminist memoir and self-help alike. . . . Living a Feminist Life makes visible the continuous work of feminism, whether it takes place on the streets, in the home, or in the office. Playful yet methodical, the book tries to construct a living feminism that is neither essentialist nor universalist." -- Melissa Gira Grant * Bookforum *"Undeniably, Ahmed’s book is a highly crafted work, both scholarly and lyrically, that builds upon itself and delivers concrete, adaptable conclusions; it is a gorgeous argument, crackling with kind wit and an invitation to the community of feminist killjoys." -- Theodosia Henney * Lambda Literary Review *"Beautifully written and persuasively argued, Living a Feminist Life is not just an instant classic, but an essential read for inter­sectional feminists." -- Ann A. Hamilton * Bitch *"This book is about a wriggling out, a speaking out. And it teaches me to write, to think, like this — word twists word, and body to thought. Because for Ahmed, words make worlds and her book — the first after she left academia in feminist revolt — is full of bluesy world-play." -- Caren Beilin * Full Stop *"Living a Feminist Life is the perfect introduction to Ahmed’s academic work, if a general reader is unfamiliar with her. . . . For me, her lack of despair is the book’s strongest point. Ahmed’s work is as cutting and critical as it is joyful. There is a distinct hope and optimism for the future of diversity work – but still a demand for better." -- Evelyn Deshane * The F-Word *"Ahmed gifts us words that we may have difficulty finding for ourselves.... [R]eading her book provides a tentative vision for a feminist ethics for radical politics that is applicable far beyond what is traditionally considered the domain of feminism." -- Mahvish Ahmad * The New Inquiry *"Anyone at odds with this world—and we all ought to be—owes it to themselves, and to the goal of a better tomorrow, to read this book." -- Mariam Rahmani * Los Angeles Review of Books *"Living a Feminist Life offers something halfway between the immediacy and punch of the blog and the multi-layered considerations of a scholarly essay; the result is one of the most politically engaged, complex and personal books on gender politics we have seen in a while." -- Bidisha * TLS *"Especially compelling is Ahmed’s insistence that living as a feminist is not a sudden, euphoric escape from patriarchy and other structures of domination. Instead, it’s a lifelong project of chipping away at regimes that continue to exert considerable force. To practice feminism is therefore to encounter both frustration and widespread disapproval. It means, Ahmed warns, being seen as selfish, mean, and chronically dissatisfied—the bringer of discord to family dinners and professional meetings alike. For those of us willing to pay the price, Living a Feminist Life assures us we’re in good company." -- Susan Fraiman * Critical Inquiry *"Ahmed ... writes theory like nobody else.... Ahmed’s book is a feminist gift for its readers. You are invited to enjoy it, the rhythm and all." -- Leena-Maija Rossi * European Journal of Women's Studies *"It’s not easy being a feminist and Sara Ahmed has written a powerful, thought provoking and moving account of just what that means. But more than that, she provides us with a survival guide, some coping strategies combined with wisdom and inspiration. To read this book is to feel the warmth and strength of a sister(hood) wrapped around you." -- Heather Savigny * European Journal of Women's Studies *"Ahmed does for her readers what Audre Lorde did for her – document a way to live differently." -- Katherine Parker-Hay * Textual Practice *"[Ahmed's] prose style . . . is incantatory and quizzical, probing and playful. . . . Ahmed holds particular words up to the light and lets their unsuspected facets gleam, polishing their queer potential." -- Catherine Keyser * Public Books *"Living a Feminist Life hopes we can survive doing feminist theory, and energises us to do so." -- Clare Croft * Feminist Theory *“I live in south London, not far from where Sara used to lecture, so her work has always felt close, with an ability to touch and grasp—a quality academic feminist discourse often lacks. This book allows everyone to grasp, wrestle, and digest it, proving yet again that making theory accessible does not have to compromise quality. If anything, it’s quite the opposite.” -- Travis Alabanza * Out *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction. Bringing Feminist Theory Home 1 Part I. Becoming Feminist 19 1. Feminism Is Sensational 21 2. On Being Directed 43 3. Willfulness and Feminist Subjectivity 65 Part II. Diversity Work 4. Trying to Transform 93 5. Being in Question 115 6. Brick Walls 135 Part III. Living the Consequences 7. Fragile Connections 163 8. Feminist Snap 187 9. Lesbian Feminism 213 Conclusion 1. A Killjoy Survival Kit 235 Conclusion 2. A Killjoy Manifesto 251 Notes 269 References 281 Index 291

    £20.69

  • The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's

    The History Press Ltd The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Philippa Langley has done it again.' – THE TIMESA HISTORY HIT BOOK OF THE MONTHHistory re-written: has the 540-year-old mystery been solved?‘The totality of evidence revealed is astonishing. Following the discovery of King Richard III’s grave in a car park in Leicester in 2012, The Missing Princes Project will again rewrite the history books, redrawing what we know about Richard III and Henry VII and pressing the reset button of history.’ - Philippa LangleyIn the summer of 1483, two brothers were seen playing in the grounds of the Tower of London, where they’d been lodged by the King’s Council – their uncle, the future Richard III, its chief member. From there the boys seem to vanish from the historical record, and so one of the greatest and most intriguing mysteries of British history was born. Over the centuries, historians have debated tirelessly about the fate of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York: did they die in the Tower? Did they escape? Were they murdered?After astonishing success in locating and laying to rest Richard III, Philippa Langley turns her forensic focus onto this enduring case, teaming up with criminal investigative experts, historians, archivists and researchers from around the world in her groundbreaking The Missing Princes Project. Following years of extensive research, investigation and formidable dedication, this landmark study has finally reached completion, with stunning conclusions.In The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case, join Langley as she records the painstaking investigative work undertaken and lays out the evidence to reveal the remarkable untold story. Here she is able, finally, to address any injustice and solve the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower once and for all.Compelling in breadth and detail, this book asks its readers to re-examine what they thought they knew about one of our greatest historical mysteries. Perfect for fans of the period and the likes of Dan Jones, Philippa Gregory and Janina Ramirez.Trade Review‘The discoveries in this book shed new light on events surrounding the Princes in the Tower. Rather than favour Tudor propaganda or Victorian revisionism, this asks us to go back to the time and scrutinise evidence with fresh eyes.’ – Dr Janina Ramirez, University of Oxford and No. 1 bestselling author of Femina‘Philippa Langley has earned a reputation for tenacious and meticulous research based on sound principles of piecing together centuries-old records … The remarkable discoveries documented here are only the beginning.’ – Annette Carson, acclaimed historical writer and biographer‘The Princes in the Tower is a gripping and ingenious work of historical detection. Ms. Langley and her team have cast new light into a murky period, and with a methodological brilliance that eludes most academic historians.’ -- WALL STREET JOURNAL'Philippa Langley has done it again.' -- Julia Llewellyn Smith, THE TIMES‘… a phenomenal, untold story.’ -- Amy Irvine, HISTORY HIT‘(The) story is fascinating, and researcher Philippa Langley deserves huge credit for her discoveries.’ --THE SPECTATOR

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • A Z Edinburgh Hidden Walks

    HarperCollins Publishers A Z Edinburgh Hidden Walks

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisDiscover hidden gems around Edinburgh with 20 walking routes.Featuring 20 walks in and around the city, including lesser-known circuits and details on popular walks. Accompanied by guided walking instructions and written by a local expert, A-Z Edinburgh Hidden Walks is the perfect way to explore the city in a new light.Small enough to fit in a bag or pocket, this handy guidebook is ideal for tourists or locals looking to discover more about the city. Each route varies in length from 1 to 6 miles (1.6 to 9.6 km), and is clearly outlined on detailed A-Z street mapping. 20 walking routes with instructions and maps Full-colour photographs of hidden gems and city attractions Key sights and locations clearly marked on map Information such as start/finish points, nearest postcodes, distance and terrain includedMore from the A-Z Hidden Walks series:A-Z Birmingham Hidden WalksA-Z Bristol & Bath Hidden WalksA-Z Edinburgh Hidden WalksA-Z London Hidden WalksA-Z Oxford Hidden WalksA-Z York Hidden W

    4 in stock

    £6.99

  • The Exiles Cookbook

    Saqi Books The Exiles Cookbook

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Exileâs Cookbook brings together 480 recipes, from roasts and breads to condiments and soaps. It offers a fascinating insight into the cuisine of Muslim Spain and North Africa in the period â its regional characteristics and historical antecedents, but also its links to culinary traditions across the Muslim world.

    20 in stock

    £20.00

  • A Full Life

    Simon & Schuster A Full Life

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn his major New York Times bestseller, Jimmy Carter looks back from ninety years of age and “reveals private thoughts and recollections over a fascinating career as businessman, politician, evangelist, and humanitarian” (Booklist).At ninety, Jimmy Carter reflects on his public and private life with a frankness that is disarming. He adds detail and emotion about his youth in rural Georgia that he described in his magnificent An Hour Before Daylight. He writes about racism and the isolation of the Carters. He describes the brutality of the hazing regimen at Annapolis, and how he nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines and his amazing interview with Admiral Rickover. He describes the profound influence his mother had on him, and how he admired his father even though he didn’t emulate him. He admits that he decided to quit the Navy and later enter politics without consulting his wife, Rosalynn, and how appalled he is in retrospect. In his “warm and detailed memoir” (Los Angeles Times), Carter tells what he is proud of and what he might do differently. He discusses his regret at losing his re-election, but how he and Rosalynn pushed on and made a new life and second and third rewarding careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, world leaders, and his passions for the causes he cares most about, particularly the condition of women and the deprived people of the developing world. “Always warm and human…even inspirational” (Buffalo News), A Full Life is a wise and moving look back from this remarkable man. Jimmy Carter has lived one of our great American lives—from rural obscurity to world fame, universal respect, and contentment. A Full Life is an extraordinary read from a “force to be reckoned with” (Christian Science Monitor).Trade Review“A warm and detailed memoir of his youth followed by a clear-eyed assessment of the issues he tackled as president and afterward . . . a sweeping overview of a broad range of issues and frequent credit to his wife Rosalynn . . . Carter puts the long arc of his story together the way he sees it. The book includes his accomplishments as a negotiator and peacemaker in the humblest way — as a man who was at work on a larger project, something he continues to be. A primer for the generations who don't know his work and a personal retelling for those who do, A Full Life may herald the reappraisal he deserves.” * Los Angeles Times *“Carter reveals private thoughts and recollections over a fascinating career as businessman, politician, evangelist,and humanitarian.” * Booklist *“A Full Life is understated like the man, always warm and human, and in a few instances, even inspirational.” * Buffalo News *“The former president is yet a force to be reckoned with. . . . The author takes the reader on an engaging personal journey through the later half of the 20th century, as he saw it.” * Christian Science Monitor *“The drawings and poems by the author add even more of a personal touch, though crises in his marriage and his ‘estrangement’ from the Obama presidency offer the most noteworthy revelations. A memoir that reads like an epilogue to a life of accomplishment.” * Kirkus Reviews *

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Subjugate the Earth

    John Wiley and Sons Ltd Subjugate the Earth

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Sky Atlas

    Simon & Schuster Ltd The Sky Atlas

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Beautiful ... endless, brilliant unforgettable stories' Cerys Matthews,  BBC Radio 6‘Combining myth and science, this breathtaking book [is] packed with stunning images' Daily MailAfter the enormous international success of The Phantom Atlas and The Golden Atlas, Edward Brooke-Hitching's brilliant book unveils some of the most beautiful maps and charts ever created during mankind's quest to map the skies above us.  This richly illustrated treasury showcases the finest examples of celestial cartography - a glorious genre of map-making often overlooked by modern map books - as well as medieval manuscripts, masterpiece paintings, ancient star catalogues, antique instruments and other appealing curiosities. This is the sky as it has never been presented before: the realm of stars and planets, but also ofTrade Review'A beautiful new book. There are endless, brilliant unforgettable stories in The Sky Atlas. So poetic… full of maps and illustrations.' -- Cerys Matthews * BBC Radio 6 Music *‘An incredible collection of cosmic maps, paintings and artefacts charting how we have imagined the heavens throughout history.’ * Big Issue *'This exquisitely illustrated book features a millennia-spanning narrative that encompasses ancient mythology, philosophical cosmology and post-Copernican advancements in astronomy. Maps of earlier centuries are abuzz with fantastical creatures, the sun has a literal face, and the cosmic borderlands are rich with design flourishes. The book is a joy to flip through, every page a visual testament to cartographic artistry.' * Wall Street Journal *

    4 in stock

    £21.25

  • Scotlands Forgotten Past

    Thames & Hudson Ltd Scotlands Forgotten Past

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA charming, lively and often amusing tour of 36 forgotten episodes and overlooked people and places of Scottish history. Scotland's history is full of famous kings, queens, saints and warriors. But what about its lesser-known places, people and events? In this collection of half-forgotten tales, Alistair Moffat brings their stories out of the shadows, from the clashes of proud Picts and pirate kings' in the early medieval period to the invention of tartan, whisky, Aberdeen Angus and Peter Pan. Each surprising or scandalous twist sheds a new light on the history of Scotland.Trade Review'Illuminating … this book deserves a place on the school curriculum' - Allan Massie, The Scotsman'Engaging ... beautifully written believe-it-or-not episodes from Scottish history' - The Wee ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Primeval Pile-Up 2. The Great Halls 3. The Cave of the Headless Children 4. High Noon on Lewis 5. Nailed 6. Bad Spelling 7. The Problem of the Picts 8. The Pirate Kings 9. English Scotland 10. The Islands of the Strangers 11. The Lost Cities 12. Fatal Attraction 13. Wallace, Moray and Bruce 14. Smarter Scots 15. Whaur’s Yer Wullie Shakespeare Noo? 16. The Chapel 17. Robert Carey’s Ride 18. The Chosen People 19. 1707 20. Frankenstein 21. The Brilliant Blacksmith 22. The Man in Tights 23. The Fire of the Dram 24. Aberdeen Angus 25. Tweed 26. Peter Pan 27. Ugly Scotland 28. The Stop Line 29. The Scottish Nazi 30. The Battle Rant 31. Tom Johnston 32. Stone Broke 33. Scotch Irish 34. The Scottish Cringe 35. Margot’s Man 36. Reconvened

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Origami Paper 300 Sheets Japanese Designs 4 10 CM

    Tuttle Publishing Origami Paper 300 Sheets Japanese Designs 4 10 CM

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £7.99

  • Steam Trains Today: Journeys Along Britain’s

    Profile Books Ltd Steam Trains Today: Journeys Along Britain’s

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis'A delightful book ... the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove' Observer After the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, many railways were gradually shut down. Rural communities were isolated and steam trains slowly gave way to diesel and electric traction. But some people were not prepared to let the romance of train travel die. Thanks to their efforts, many lines passed into community ownership and are now booming with new armies of dedicated volunteers. Andrew Martin meets these volunteer enthusiasts, finding out just what it is about preserved railways that makes people so devoted. From the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine to John Betjeman's battle against encroaching modernity, Steam Trains Today will take you on a heart-warming journey across Britain from Aviemore to Epping.Trade ReviewPraise for Andrew Martin: 'Compelling ... full of history and railway nuggets -- Michael Binyon * Sunday Times *Informative and witty * Cumbria Life *You do not have to be a trainspotter to enjoy this book. It is social history, a kind of epitaph to a way of travel that seems to be lost, at least in Europe -- Christian Wolmar * Spectator *A delightful book ... This book is the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove -- Nigel Jones * Observer *Martin is entertaining company, alive to the history of his route ... leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel * Financial Times *

    2 in stock

    £9.99

  • Pollution Is Colonialism

    Duke University Press Pollution Is Colonialism

    Book SynopsisIn Pollution Is Colonialism Max Liboiron presents a framework for understanding scientific research methods as practices that can align with or against colonialism. They point out that even when researchers are working toward benevolent goals, environmental science and activism are often premised on a colonial worldview and access to land. Focusing on plastic pollution, the book models an anticolonial scientific practice aligned with Indigenous, particularly Métis, concepts of land, ethics, and relations. Liboiron draws on their work in the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR)—an anticolonial science laboratory in Newfoundland, Canada—to illuminate how pollution is not a symptom of capitalism but a violent enactment of colonial land relations that claim access to Indigenous land. Liboiron''s creative, lively, and passionate text refuses theories of pollution that make Indigenous land available for settler and colonial goals. In this way, Trade Review“There are exceedingly few texts like this that ask from an Indigenous perspective: how might we consider relations between science and land and water and still practice ‘good’ science? Pollution Is Colonialism is at the leading edge of a significant turn in science and technology studies toward thinking with settler colonialism as a structure and terrain, and by bringing Indigenous studies into conversations with pollution, plastics, and lab sciences, this book makes a major contribution.” -- Candis Callison, author of * How Climate Change Comes to Matter: The Communal Life of Facts *“One of the most original and compelling books I’ve read in a long time, Pollution Is Colonialism is a truly exciting intellectual achievement. It argues for, and most importantly models, a decolonial scientific practice. A must-read book for anyone concerned about land relations.” -- Joseph Masco, author of * The Future of Fallout, and Other Episodes in Radioactive World-Making *“This important book challenges the very sense of what pollution is, demonstrating its deep entanglements with settler colonialism, and then generously offers us anticolonial feminist methods that might better take up pollution's colonial form. This book is a model of what engaged feminist anticolonial STS research looks like.” -- Michelle Murphy, author of * The Economization of Life *"To read Liboiron is to constantly be surprised, reeducated, alarmed, and moved to practice anticolonial methodologies and interrogate everything we know.... Liboiron has written a text for the ages." -- Kerri Arsenault * Orion *“If you seek a methodologically creative, provocative and politically engaged book that confronts you with your own scholarly practice, you should certainly pick up this volume.... Liboiron offers a model that exemplifies what engaged anticolonial feminist research practice should look like.” -- Cæcilie Kramer * Ethnos *“Pollution Is Colonialism provides desperately needed analytic clarity on this settler colonial present.... This book invites readers first and foremost to look at knowledge practices and forms of knowledge creation, to think about their land relations, and to recognize colonial land relations in their familiar, seemingly benign practices and techniques.” -- Anna Stanley * Antipode *“[Pollution Is Colonialism] should be required reading for researchers who are working in any type of laboratory setting.... I also believe that a more general audience will find this work interesting and thought provoking.” -- Jacqueline Stagner * International Journal of Environmental Studies *"Max Liboiron demonstrates how science can and should be informed by Indigenous ethics and ways of understanding relations. The result is a beautifully written text that is both a handbook on method and a call to rethink how we live our lives on occupied land." -- Joshua Bell * Smithsonian Magazine *"Although the book focuses on plastic pollution, it is relevant to all areas of science, because it illustrates the ways that colonialism can show up in the sciences. . . . I predict that it will inspire pragmatic yet profoundly ethical action during a time of dire news and institutional soul-searching. Untangling and resisting the Gordian knot of justifications, manipulations, and traditions that enable colonialism takes hard work and humility. I am grateful that Liboiron has written a primer to get us all started. It is rare that I read a book that so fundamentally shakes up my thinking." -- Katie L. Burke * American Scientist *"An emotive, immersed commentary of the state of knowledge, research, and ethics that concern us all as social scientists, whether or not we study plastics, or indeed, pollution." -- Vasudha Chhotray * Contributions to Indian Sociology *"Liboiron’s creative, lively, and passionate text refuses theories of pollution that make Indigenous land available for settler and colonial goals. Liboiron demonstrates that anticolonial science is not only possible but is being practiced in ways that enact more ethical modes of being in the world." -- Michael Svoboda * Yale Climate Connections *“Pollution is Colonialism is a generative, life-giving, critical text. . . . Students inside and outside of the academy, from diverse backgrounds across university, community, and government circles, must all pick up this book and learn from it.” -- Sarah Marie Wiebe * Environmental Politics *“I cannot remember the last time I read a scholarly book more compelling, persuasive, enjoyable, helpful, or important than Pollution Is Colonialism by Max Liboiron. . . . When you read it, you will have a honed sense of how you fit into the urgent collective work of unmaking colonial worlds, and an invigorated sense of how to get started.” -- Eugenia Zuroski * ISLE *“Provocative and highly readable, Pollution Is Colonialism challenges readers, specifically whites and settlers and particularly those who like to think of themselves as supportive of Indigenous people’s struggles, to consider how seemingly innocent or well-intentioned research methods, techniques, and modes of dissemination can reproduce dominant science. . . . Liboiron’s contribution is of great value for STS and adjacent fields.” -- Miriam Tola * Tecnoscienza *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction 1 1. Land, Nature, Resource, Property 39 2. Scale, Harm, Violence, Land 81 3. An Anticolonial Pollution Science 113 Bibliography 157 Index 187

    £18.99

  • The Stable Boy of Auschwitz: A heartbreaking true

    Octopus Publishing Group The Stable Boy of Auschwitz: A heartbreaking true

    Book SynopsisThe instant Sunday Times and Amazon charts bestseller"I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, and I felt an ember of hope. If I could make myself useful, helping these horses, maybe I could stay alive."In the darkest moment of history, one child found the courage and strength to survive the unimaginable. This is Henry's true story.One hot, humid day in July, 1944, the Gestapo abducted fifteen-year-old Henry and his mother, forcing them onto cramped cattle cars in the Lódz Polish Ghetto. Like so many Jews before them, they had been selected to disappear - they were being sent to Auschwitz. Exhausted after hours of traveling, they finally emerged from the stifling, filth-ridden cattle car. Already devastated at having lost his father to starvation, Henry clutched his mother's frail hand, knowing she was all he had left in the world, and that he was the only one left to protect her. In a flash, he felt them being brutally torn apart. Crying out for her, his heart shuddered as he watched her disappear into a sea of other women. Henry knew that was the last time he would ever see her, and he felt like he had failed her. He was now completely alone in the world.Starving, and close to giving up all hope, Henry volunteered to work in the stables, responsible for breeding horses for the war effort. As he watched other prisoners leave and never return, Henry quickly realised these horses were his only lifeline - because every morning he was sent to the stables, was one more morning he escaped the gas chambers. Before long, caring for the horses became a passion, and their comfort and strength gave Henry a glimmer of life and hope in an ocean of death. Although with every second that passed, Henry knew if he became too weak or made one mistake, he would be mercilessly replaced...This is the heart-wrenching and inspirational true account of a courageous little German boy who, against all odds, after losing almost everything a human being can lose, survived to tell his story.This book was originally published as The Kindness of the Hangman.'Heartbreaking. Eye opening. Tear jerking... kept having to tell myself that this was a real account of the Holocaust.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Phenomenal... I learned more about the Holocaust than anything I have read in the past... I can't express how much this book affected me.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 'Inspiring book - a Must Read!!' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Spellbinding... I could not put this book down. The events are recorded in a human voice, not the history book version. I learned so much that was left out of my history books.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'A truly amazing story.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'A moving and powerful story of survival.'Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Brought me to tears.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'An incredible story. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this down.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Amazing story. One that needs to be told over and over to the next generations.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'Riveting, couldn't put it down. An amazing and heart wrenching recollection of unimaginable events. What an inspiring story of bravery, perseverance and finding the will to go on.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'I could not put the book down... will make you appreciate everything that you have in this world.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★'I have never written an amazon review BEFORE finishing a book, but I'm doing it today... it is direct, evocative, and emotionally impossible to deal with all at once. IMO if you want to read about the Holocaust from a survivor, you owe it to yourself to read this book.' Amazon Reviewer, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    £8.09

  • A Brief History of Indonesia

    Tuttle Publishing A Brief History of Indonesia

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"The subtitle says it all: 'Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia's Largest Nation.' Indonesia expert Hannigan offers a highly readable and entertaining narrative that highlights the many personalities who have shaped the nation -- and our perception of it. English pirates, Indian mystics, Chinese pilgrims, American surfers, Dutch spice barons join a cavalcade of Javanese royals, Balinese dancers and more." --Lonely Planet"…[Tim Hannigan's] books are charmingly free of pre-conceived notions of specialization. They entertain readers while offering sharp insights into Asian history." --PopMatters Magazine"Tim Hannigan presents Indonesia as a place of high drama, with a past marked by European trade battles, explorers like Magellan and Christopher Columbus, and waves of immigrants. He guides the reader through the reign of Sukarno (1945-1967) and others of lesser, but no less corruptible, reputation, to settle with guarded optimism with the current president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi." --Foreword Magazine

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Palm Springs Tiki

    Gibbs M. Smith Inc Palm Springs Tiki

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £22.95

  • MidwayClass Aircraft Carriers 194592

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC MidwayClass Aircraft Carriers 194592

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Midway-class were the US Navy''s biggest carriers built during World War II. Superbly illustrated, this explains how they became the backbone of the Cold War fleet. Entering service in September 1945, the Midway-class aircraft carrier was the US Navy's ultimate World War II-era design, and these would be its frontline carriers as the Cold War dawned. A fine design and one big enough to accept significant modernizations over the decades, the class saw combat in the Vietnam War, and Midway even launched the first carrier airstrikes of the Gulf War in 1990. In this book, naval expert Mark Stille explains how the Midway class was the US Navy's attempt to build a much larger and more survivable version of the wartime Essex class; its extensive new protection system included the first armoured flight deck in the US Navy. He highlights how new weapons systems transformed the Midways during the jet age, from angled flight decks and catapults to CIWS, until

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Hoof Beats

    University of California Press Hoof Beats

    Book Synopsis

    £22.50

  • Georgia in the Mountains of Poetry

    Duckworth Books Georgia in the Mountains of Poetry

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisGeorgia in the Mountains of Poetry is essential reading for anyone interested in this fascinating region, as well as for students and researchers looking for an insight into life after the collapse of the old Soviet order in the richest and most dramatic of its former republics.Trade Review'Elegiac, quirky, readable, deeply knowledgeable... the best cultural-historical introduction to that tempestuous land' Daily Telegraph'The best book on post-Soviet Georgia' Independent'Indispensable to all serious travellers to the Caucasus' Times Literary Supplement'Nasmyth is an ideal chronicler... read his quirky, entertaining, sometimes surreal book' Literary Review

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None

    University of Minnesota Press A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisRewriting the “origin stories” of the Anthropocene No geology is neutral, writes Kathryn Yusoff. Tracing the color line of the Anthropocene, A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None examines how the grammar of geology is foundational to establishing the extractive economies of subjective life and the earth under colonialism and slavery. Yusoff initiates a transdisciplinary conversation between feminist black theory, geography, and the earth sciences, addressing the politics of the Anthropocene within the context of race, materiality, deep time, and the afterlives of geology. Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.Trade Review"A historically grounded and embodied understanding of geological transformation."—Antipode"A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None could be summed up as a new history of the relationship between geology and subjectivity. This is by no means a novel concern – pre-black conscious writers such as WEB du Bois, black conscious writers including Frantz Fanon and Steve Biko, and their contemporaries and successors, for example Sylvia Wynter, Achille Mbembe and Kathrine McKittrick, have all grappled with the complex human-citizenship-land question. What makes Kathryn Yusoff’s book different is that it addresses these questions via contemporary concerns about the Anthropocene, the name given to the new geological epoch. Unlike previous epochs, such as the Pleistocene, which was marked by climatological planetary impacts – in this case repeated glaciations, which is why it’s also called the Ice Age – the Anthropocene is marked by human interference."—New Frame"Black studies scholars and geographers interested in the environment and materiality alike are likely to find the text useful in asserting that a grammar of biopolitics cannot adequately account for the social history and present of Black people’s proximity to death, from the silver mines of sixteenth-century Potosí to the toxic environs of late-capitalist US urbanity."—ISLE"In steering away from specific dates, Yusoff engages with concepts of geologic time by connecting struggles for equity and justice with some of the foundational epistemologies that are normally used to connect historical and physical geology: uniformitarianism, the vastness of time, and the trade of time for location."—Nature Geoscience"Yusoff’s Billion Black Anthropocenes calls to mind this multitude of examples of colonialism and attendant resource exploitation, reminding us that the Anthropocene is simply the latest in a centuries-long string of world destructions enacted by western colonizers."—Inhabiting the Anthropocene "Yusoff’s A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None charts and unearths the grammar of geology as one that is foundational to and enabling of the extractive economies and histories of colonialism and slavery."—Eye on Design

    20 in stock

    £10.64

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