History Books

18986 products


  • The Force

    HarperCollins Publishers The Force

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisHailed as ''masterly'' (Wall Street Journal) and a ''monumental achievement'' (Douglas Brinkley), this book tells the riveting, true story of the group of elite US and Canadian soldiers who sacrificed everything to accomplish a crucial but nearly impossible WWII mission.In December of 1943, as Nazi forces sprawled around the world and the future of civilization hung in the balance, a group of highly trained U.S. and Canadian soldiers from humble backgrounds was asked to do the impossible: capture a crucial Nazi stronghold perched atop stunningly steep cliffs. The men were a rough-and-ready group, assembled from towns nested in North America''s most unforgiving terrain, where many of them had struggled through the Great Depression relying on canny survival skills and the fearlessness of youth. Brought together by the promise to take part in the military''s most elite missions, they formed a unique brotherhood tested first by the crucible of state-of-the-art trainingincluding skiing, roc

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • To Run the World

    Cambridge University Press To Run the World

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £24.00

  • Japanese Mingei Folk Crafts

    Tuttle Publishing Japanese Mingei Folk Crafts

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn an age when so much of our time is spent staring at screens, it is easy to understand why the warmth, intimacy and idiosyncrasies of hand craftsmanship should seem alluringthe term Mingei describes useful, unobtrusive, beautifully crafted objects. Alice Rawsthorn, The New York TimesThe Mingei Folk Crafts movement, founded by philosopher and art historian Soetsu Yanagi and potters Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro in the early 20th century, celebrates the utilitarian designs in functional objects hand-crafted by village artisans throughout Japan. This book offers an illustrated guide to Japan's rich folk craft traditions and shows why the Mingei philosophy is even more relevant today than it was a century ago. Folk crafts have become associated with the Slow Life movement and the Wabi Sabi philosophy which values simple and imperfect items above the bright and shiny mass-produced objects of our modern culture. This book introduces 34 fascinating Japanese folk craft traditionsranging f

    2 in stock

    £16.99

  • The Ossetes

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Ossetes

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisRichard Foltz is Professor of Religions and Cultures at Concordia University, Canada.Trade ReviewIn strategic matters small does not mean insignificant. In the Caucasus, the small nation of the Ossetes occupies the centre of the Caucasus, a strategically crucial region for the Kremlin. This book gives the most extensive and penetrating account of these people, from their origins as survivors of the ancient Scythians to their folklore and modern social dynamics. Anyone dealing with Russia should read this book. * John Colarusso, Professor, Anthropology, Linguistics and Languages, McMaster University, Canada *Anyone asking ‘The Ossetes? Who are they?!’ need look no further. Scythian-Sarmatian-Alan nomadic Aryan tribes ranged across the whole Eurasian steppe in the 2nd millennium BC, and the processes that confined their Indo-Iranian speaking Ossete descendants within a central Caucasian homeland, divided between North Ossetia (Russian Federation) and South Ossetia across the mountains, are explored, alongside examination of mythology (notably the national Nart epic), religion, customs and inter-ethnic relations (N. Ossetian-Ingush, S. Ossetian-Georgian), whilst today’s internal economic-political situation attracts trenchant criticism. The S. Ossetian-Georgian conflict occasioned the 5-day Russo-Georgian war of August 2008 – reason alone why ignorance of the Ossetes needs to be dispelled, and Folz makes an essential contribution to raising their profile. * George Hewitt, Emeritus Professor, Caucasian Languages, SOAS, UK *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Historical Timeline A Note on Transcriptions Introduction: The Ossetes: Caucasians, Iranians, or Both? 1. The Scythians: Mounted Archers of the Steppes 2. From Sarmatians to Alans: An Iranian Element in the History of Europe 3. The Nart Epic: A Neglected Treasure of Indo-European Mythology 4. The Ossetes and Russia: A Special Relationship 5. Religion and National Identity: The Uatsdin 6. South Ossetia: A Fragile Independence 7. Life in Ossetia Today Afterword Appendix A: Ossetian in Turkey Appendix B: Popular Ossetian Love Song Bibliography Index

    5 in stock

    £21.99

  • The Donkey and the Boat

    Oxford University Press The Donkey and the Boat

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA new account of the Mediterranean economy in the 10th to 12th centuries, forcing readers to entirely rethink the underlying logic to medieval economic systems. Chris Wickham re-examines documentary and archaeological sources to give a detailed account of both individual economies, and their relationships with each other.Chris Wickham offers a new account of the Mediterranean economy in the tenth to twelfth centuries, based on a completely new look at the sources, documentary and archaeological. Our knowledge of the Mediterranean economy is based on syntheses which are between 50 and 150 years old; they are based on outdated assumptions and restricted data sets, and were written before there was any usable archaeology; and Wickham contends that they have to be properly rethought. This is the first book ever to give a fully detailed comparative account of the regions of the Mediterranean in this period, in their internal economies and in their relationships with each other. It focusses Trade ReviewGenuinely field-changing * Hannah Skoda, Books of the Year 2023, BBC History Magazine *An impressive book that turns the history of the Mediterranean upside down...an extraordinarily rich and wide-ranging reinterpretation of the Mediterranean...a monumental achievement that fully deserves to take its place among classic studies of Mediterranean history. * David Abulafia, Times Literary Supplement *A comprehensive and ground-breaking study...well-researched, well-written, and thought-provoking... an essential reading for anyone interested in Mediterranean history or the development of the European economy. * Richard Tuttle, World History Encyclopedia *Nothing short of impressive...a must read * Tobias Daniels, Sehepunkte *Punchy, eye-wateringly ambitious, and occasionally amusing, The Donkey & The Boat will set the benchmark for debate on this subject for many years to come. * Nicholas Morton, Engelsberg Ideas *Brilliant... the sheer depth of [Wickham's] research and the breadth of his insights warrants close attention. * Nicholas Morton, Books of the Year 2023, Engelsberg Ideas *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Egypt 3: North Africa and Sicily 4: Byzantium 5: Islamic Spain and Portugal 6: North-Central Italy 7: A Brief History of the Mediterranean Economy in the Tenth to Twelfth Centuries 8: The Internal Logic of Feudal Economies

    1 in stock

    £40.00

  • Venice and the Doges

    Rizzoli International Publications Venice and the Doges

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhile Venice is better known for soft light and atmospheric painters, this elegant new volume transforms our understanding of Venetian sculpture and its place in the city’s artistic tradition.A feast for the eyes and an entertaining, erudite read, this book opens with an illustrated survey of the 120 doges who led the Venetian Republic before continuing with a detailed survey of the incredible array of sculptures and monuments that memorialize them.Although celebrated for painting and music, Venice has a sculptural tradition that was overshadowed by Florence and Rome. Based on new scholarship, this volume reveals the true magnificence of six centuries of Venetian sculpture. With the oldest works dating to the thirteenth century, these masterpieces fill the city’s churches and include pieces by great masters from the Lombardo family to Antonio Rizzo, Jacopo Sansovino, Alessandro Vittoria, and Baldassare Longhena.The sculptural marvels of VeniceTrade Review"If you want to understand the great serenity of La Serenissima, look no further than its succession of doges. Through its stable leadership, Venice’s ducal republic endured for over a thousand years, even influencing America’s founding, until its destruction by Napoleon in 1797. Venice and the Doges: Six Hundred Years of Architecture, Monuments, and Sculpture, a lavish new book from Rizzoli Electa, looks to the history of the 120 doges through their surviving funerary monuments. Written by Toto Bergamo Rossi, the director of the Venetian Heritage Foundation, with photographs by Matteo de Fina, the book reveals such highlights as Pietro Mocenigo’s monument in the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (1476) and the Contarini tomb in the Church of San Francesco della Vigna (1624/84). Taken together, the book’s elegant memorials speak to the life, and lives, of the Venetian Republic." —The New Criterion"Embark on a visually captivating journey through this remarkable book, delving into Venetian history and its remarkable sculptural heritage. From the illustrious doges who guided the Venetian Republic to the breathtaking sculptures and monuments that immortalize them, this volume unveils six centuries of magnificence. Discover hidden masterpieces by esteemed artists like the Lombardo family, Antonio Rizzo, and Jacopo Sansovino. With engaging text and stunning photography, this book reveals the grandeur and cultural significance of Venetian sculpture. Experience the adventures, triumphs, and lives of legendary figures in this concise exploration of Venice’s sculptural marvels." ~Indulge

    2 in stock

    £75.00

  • Chinas Law of the Sea

    Yale University Press Chinas Law of the Sea

    Book SynopsisAn in-depth examination of the law and geopolitics of China’s maritime disputes and their implications for the rules of the international law of the seaTrade Review“Kardon seeks to correct a common misconception about China’s expansive maritime claims. Rather than simply flouting laws, the PRC has sought to minimize the weight of existing laws and shape new ones through its activities. The volume is a carefully argued and brilliant contribution to scholarship on the evolution of ‘global order.’”—Margaret M. Pearson, University of Maryland, College Park“Now that China has the world’s largest navy, is it really a threat to the rules-based maritime order? Those who share this concern will find China’s Law of the Sea an essential analysis of Beijing’s practice as well as theory.”—Jerome A. Cohen, Council on Foreign Relations“China’s maritime reach and activity will continue to be components of its ambition and power. Isaac Kardon’s perspectives and keen insight into China’s view of maritime order are unmatched. China’s Law of the Sea is an essential read for everyone who depends on the maritime domain and for all who ponder China’s approach to regional and global order.”—Gary Roughead, Admiral, U.S. Navy (retired), and former U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations“China’s contested maritime claims are a potential flashpoint for Asian conflict. Isaac Kardon systematically explains how China, in pursuing those claims, manipulates, disregards, or violates international legal norms in ways that could have global implications.”—Thomas J. Christensen, Columbia University and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State “China’s rise as a maritime power is a defining element of its ascent. In this carefully researched and insightful book, Kardon documents China’s distinctive approach to the law of the sea that combines legal interpretations, bureaucratic mobilization, and maritime forces on the water. China’s Law of the Sea is a terrific contribution to the literature that illuminates China’s challenge to the international maritime order in East Asia and beyond.”—M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    £28.50

  • The Offbeat Sari: Indian Fashion Unravelled

    Design Museum The Offbeat Sari: Indian Fashion Unravelled

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Offbeat Sari will explore how the sari has become a site for design innovation, an expression of identity, a form of resistance, and a crafted object carrying layers of cultural meanings. In recent years, the sari has been reinvented. The urban youth who previously associated the sari with dressing up can now be found wearing saris and sneakers on their commutes to work. Designers are experimenting with hybrid forms such as sari gowns and dresses, pre-draped saris and innovative materials such as steel. Wearers are embodying the sari as a vessel for dynamism rather than pageantry. Individuals are wearing the sari as an expression of resistance to social norms and activists are embodying it as an object of protest. Today, the sari manifests as a site for design innovation, an expression of identity and a crafted object carrying layers of cultural meanings. Since the exhibition will focus on the sari in urban India, the book will follow suit in terms of this remit. It will comprise a series of commissioned essays by notable Indian writers expanding on some of the themes that are central to the definition of the sari in contemporary India and pegged to objects displayed in the exhibition.Table of ContentsDirector’s foreword Curator’s introduction Chapter 1. Redefining India Chapter 2. Design Innovation Chapter 3. Sculpted Form Chapter 4. IdentityChapter 5. Resistance Chapter 6. Materiality Afterword: Beyond the Sari End matter

    1 in stock

    £21.21

  • Oxfords War 1939  1945

    Bodleian Library Oxfords War 1939 1945

    Book Synopsis

    £25.50

  • Titanic

    Amber Books Ltd Titanic

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn 14 April 1912, less than a week into a transatlantic trip from Southampton to New York, the largest luxury cruise liner in the world struck an iceberg off the coast of Labrador, causing the hull to buckle. The massive 50,000 ton ship hailed as ‘unsinkable’ was soon slipping into the cold Atlantic Ocean, the crew and passengers scrambling to launch lifeboats before being sucked into the deep. Of the 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died, making the sinking one of the deadliest for a single ship up to that time. The sinking has captured the public imagination ever since, in part because of the scale of the tragedy, but also because the ship represented in microcosm Edwardian society, with the super-rich sharing the vessel with poor migrants seeking a new life in North America. Other factors, such as why there were only enough lifeboats to hold half the passengers, also caused controversy and led to changes in maritime safety. In later years many survivors told their stories to the press, and Titanic celebrates these accounts. A final chapter examines the shipwreck today, which has been visited underwater by explorers, scientists and film-makers, and many artifacts recovered as the old liner steadily disintegrates. Titanic offers a compact, insightful photographic history of the sinking and its aftermath in 180 authentic photographs.Trade Review"fine illustrations on almost every page… make a good – and safe – gift for an enthusiast" * Nautilus Telegraph *Table of Contents1: Background to a Tragedy Up to the late 1850s, few people crossed the Atlantic Ocean unless driven by necessity or force. From the European and British explorers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to the venturesome colonists of the seventeenth and eighteenth (and the infamous slave traffic that followed), human movement westward across the Atlantic grew steadily. 2: Three Giant Sisters Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time she entered service and the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line. This chapter describes the construction of the Titanic, its launch, and sea trials. At the peak of construction, Harland and Wolff shipyard employed approximately 14,000 men to build the enormous ship. 3: Trans-Atlantic Route Titanic departed from Southampton on 10 April 1912, then stopped at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, before heading west towards New York. The first-class accommodation was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury, with a gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants, and opulent cabins. A high-powered radiotelegraph transmitter was available for sending passenger ‘marconigrams’ and for the ship’s operational use. 4: The Collision On 14 April, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles (600 km) south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. ship’s time. The collision caused the hull plates to buckle inwards along her starboard (right) side and laid five of her sixteen watertight compartments open to the sea; she had been designed to survive the flooding of up to four compartments. Some passengers and crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partially loaded. A disproportionate number of men were left aboard because of a ‘women and children first’ protocol for loading lifeboats. Titanic was under the command of Captain Edward Smith, who went down with the ship. Archibald Gracie IV, one of the wealthiest hoteliers in the world, also drowned. 5: Rescue The ship was equipped with 16 lifeboat davits, each of which were capable of lowering three lifeboats, for a total of 48 boats. And yet the Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, four of which were collapsible and proved hard to launch while the ship was sinking. Together, the 20 lifeboats were capable of holding 1,178 people – which was only about half the number of passengers on board. The nearby Carpathia arrived at the distress call’s position at 4:00 AM, approximately an hour and a half after the ship went down, claiming more than 1,500 lives. For the next four and a half hours, Carpathia took on the 705 survivors of the disaster. 6: Aftermath The disaster was met with worldwide shock and outrage, both at the huge loss of life, and at the regulatory and procedural failures that had led to it. Even before the survivors arrived in New York, investigations were being planned to discover what had happened, and what could be done to prevent a recurrence. Inquiries were held in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Many survivors later told their stories to the press and in books, including the ‘Navratil Orphans’, ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’, Eliza ‘Millvina’ Dean, Frederick Fleet, Masabumi Hosono, Charles Lightoller, Harold Bride, and Archibald Gracie IV. The wreck of Titanic was discovered in 1985 by a Franco-American expedition sponsored by the United States Navy. The ship was split in two and is gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415 feet (2,069.2 fathoms; 3,784 m). Thousands of artefacts have been recovered and displayed at museums around the world.

    2 in stock

    £16.99

  • Artemisia Gentileschi and Feminism in Early

    Reaktion Books Artemisia Gentileschi and Feminism in Early

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisArtemisia Gentileschi is by far the most famous woman artist of the pre-modern era. Her art addresses issues that resonate today, such as sexual violence and women's problematic access to political power. Her forceful paintings with their vigorous female protagonists have excited modern audiences, especially feminists. This book breaks new ground by placing the artist in the context of women's political history, and the feminist protest that was bubbling in early modern Europe. Mary D. Garrard discusses recently discovered paintings, offers fresh perspectives on known works and examines the artist anew in the context of early modern feminism. This beautifully illustrated book, now in paperback, gives a full portrait of a strong woman and a great artist who fought back through her art.Trade Review'Artemesia Gentileschi deserves a place in the canon of art history not merely because she was a successful artist in a man's world, but also because she was an exceptionally good painter. This book is more about her place in women's political history than about her art per se, but her art inevitably illuminates her status, life, and career.' - The Art Newspaper; 'The full-scale rediscovery of the artist began with Garrard's monograph of 1989, Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. In the three decades that have followed, Artemisia's reputation has continued to grow. In a new book, Artemisia Gentileschi and Feminism in Early Modern Europe, Garrard says it's perfectly legitimate to refer to the artist by her first name, partly to distinguish her from her artist father, Orazio Gentileschi, and partly because we have no qualms in speaking familiarly of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael or Titian . . . Did Artemisia ever think of herself as a 'feminist?' In her new book Garrard has addressed this question directly. She argues that feminism, like science, should be seen as 'a continuum that has evolved over time, from the fourteenth century to the present.' - Sydney Morning Herald; 'Compelling . . . There's not a little irony in reading Garrard's lively account of a seventeenth-century artist's life wherein plague is plentiful - Artemisia likely died of it - when a plague (or at least pandemic) is back on the table. How strange that a book about the late Renaissance and Baroque would now prove so very much of our time. It's timely in the sense of the aforementioned deadly and contagious illness, but also features tyranny, religious persecution and reaction. And it is timely in its exploration of feminist outrage at patriarchal power, of men's control over women's bodies, and in the exploration of an art of anger, accusation, and even great wit. It's a lot and it's awesome . . . Much more than an exploration of a singular female artist of the Italian Baroque, it's a map of interconnected traditions, intellectual conversations, inspirations and leapfrogging, a whole network of early modern European feminists in conversation with one another, and with us, across time.' - Hyperallergic; 'No in-depth study of Artemisia's artistic achievements can ignore the fact that Artemisia was a woman in a man's world. Placing Artemisia's life and work in the context of early modern feminism, Garrard's handy-sized book builds on her groundbreaking study Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art . . . Her feminist perspective frequently offers considerable food for thought.' - 'Five must-read books about Artemisia Gentileschi', The Art Newspaper; 'Garrard's strategy of situating Gentileschi's paintings within the contemporary writing and patronage of women avoids the shallows, contextualising the paintings within a broad and lively field of female authorship, creativity and crucially, feminism avant-la-lettre. This does not render the emotion in Gentileschi's paintings insubstantial, but rather rebalances it against a feminist intellectual ballast, recuperating this extraordinary artist's richness and range. It reframes Gentileschi's work as a deliberate intervention in public debate.' - Women's Studies Group; 'an important study that furthers our understanding of the Italian Baroque painter . . . As well as being informative and extending Garrard's previous theories about feminism in Early Modern Europe, the book is visually stunning with sixty-nine illustrations, sixty-five of them in color.' - Religion and the Arts; 'Garrard artfully contextualizes Artemisia's life and works into a facet of early modern cultural consciousness that was full of gendered struggles and misogynistic presumptions . . . should be read, felt, and loved by many.' - Comitatus; 'Mary Garrard's return to the great Artemisia Gentileschi is uniquely rich in knowledge and reflection. It is not only an authoritative study of the historical Artemisia and the ways - whether openly brutal, subtly injurious or beneficial - in which her art and life were affected by her sex. It also places her in the "transhistorical community of women" that Garrard brings to life. The book is moreover a heartfelt appeal to writers and readers of art history to account for their own attitudes and experiences. And with all that, it is a pleasure to read.' - Gary Schwartz, art historian; 'Mary Garrard's exciting new book on the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi marks another formidable contribution to the field by this ground-breaking scholar. Garrard weaves a rich tapestry of women's voices, arguing that the shared vision of remarkable women of the period reflects a pervasive and influential feminist phenomenon in Europe. This book will provide a provocative source for understanding the pan-European phenomenon of what Garrard aptly terms the "woman on top."' - Babette Bohn, professor of art history, Texas Christian University and author of Women Artists, Their Patrons, and Their Publics in Early Modern BolognaTable of ContentsPreface 1 Artemisia and the Writers: Feminism in Early Modern Europe 2 Sexuality and Sexual Violation: Susanna and Lucretia 3 The Fictive Self: Musicians and Magdalenes 4 Women and Political Power: Judith 5 Battle of the Sexes: Women on Top 6 The Divided Self: Allegorical and Real 7 Matriarchal Succession: The Greenwich Ceiling References select Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

    2 in stock

    £14.20

  • Imperialism and the National Question

    Verso Books Imperialism and the National Question

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFired up by the outbreak of the First World War and outraged by the capitulation of most socialist parties to the demands of national bourgeoisies, Lenin sought to understand the deeper roots of the crisis of the world movement. The result was Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, which went on to become a core text for the international communist movement. But Lenin also sought to break with the Eurocentrism of the socialist movement, which tended to look down with disdain at or simply reject struggles for self-determination, especially among colonized peoples.This volume, with an introduction by the renowned abolitionist and anti-imperialist theorist Ruth Wilson Gilmore, brings together the texts on imperialism and those on the national question to provide a window into Lenin's global vision of revolution.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Ruthie Wilson GilmoreCritical Remarks on the National Question (1913)The Right of Nations to Self-Determination (1914)The Revolutionary Proletariat and the Right of Nations to Self-Determination (1915)Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism: A Popular Outline (1916)The Discussion on Self-Determination Summed Up (1916)Draft Theses on National and Colonial Questions for The Second Congress of The Communist International (1920)Memo Combatting Dominant Nation Chauvinism (1922)The Question of Nationalities or 'Autonomisation' (1922)Notes

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Cold War 2.0

    Pegasus Books Cold War 2.0

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA vivid, thoughtful examination of how technological innovation—especially AI—is shaping the tensions between democracy and autocracy during the new Cold War.So much of what we hear about China and Russia today likens the relationship between these two autocracies and the West to a “rivalry” or a “great-power competition.” Some might consider it alarmist to say we are in the midst of a second Cold War, but that may be the only responsible way to describe today’s state of affairs. What’s more, we have come a long way from Mao Zedong’s infamous observation that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” Now we live in an age more aptly described by Vladimir Putin’s cryptic prophecy that “artificial intelligence is the future not only of Russia, but of all mankind, and whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become ruler of the world.” George S. Takach’s

    1 in stock

    £19.80

  • Bad Land

    Pan Macmillan Bad Land

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisJonathan Raban was the author of over a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction, including Passage to Juneau, Bad Land, Hunting Mister Heartbreak, Coasting, Old Glory, Arabia, Soft City, Waxwings and Surveillance. Over the span of six decades, he won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award, the Thomas Cook Award, the PEN West Creative Nonfiction Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Award, and the Governor's Award of the State of Washington. His work appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Harpers, The New York Review of Books, Outside, Atlantic Monthly, New Republic, The London Review of Books, and other magazines.In 1990 Raban, a British citizen, moved from London to Seattle, where he lived with his daughter until his death in 2023.Trade ReviewRaban’s journey, made through empty landscapes that once brimmed with optimism, reveals what happens when American innocence begins to curdle. The tale, borne along by its superlative writing, is a riveting one * Observer *A blazing classic * Sunday Telegraph *There is a temperateness, a patience, here that makes Bad Land quite unlike anything else that Mr Raban has written . . . an affectionate reasonableness about this perplexing nation that reminds the reader how much America ha always been nourished by the optimism of its immigrants * New York Times *Raban's journey, made through empty landscapes that once brimmed with optimism, reveals what happens when American innocence begins to curdle. The tale, borne along by its superlative writing, is a riveting one * Observer *The appearance of a new book by Jonathan Raban is a bit like the arrival of an unheralded comet. The heavens gently part and suddenly, here in orbit, shimmering with novelty, is a distinguished newcomer from an unimagined world . . . Bad Land is the finest sort of travel book: scrupulously well researched, sensitive, intelligent, compassionate, humoursome, and, always, stirringly well written . . . a triumph * Financial Times *A haunting inquisition into the fate of those immigrants who settled in eastern Montana at the beginning of [the twentieth] century. It is a classic tale of the American Dream turned, literally, to dust * Telegraph *It is a remarkable tale that Raban uncovers, one that encompasses the best and worst aspects of the American Dream * Sunday Times *Subtly ambitious, full of ironies and a tough sympathy * Telegraph *[Raban] turns Montana into a profound symbol for America's sense of displacement; for its tragic romance with rootlessness, its search for identity under that big blue sky. . . One of the great literary stylists at work today * New Statesman *[Bad Land] abounds with acute observation allied with ebullient wit. His exploration of the tragic episode of homesteaders is of exceptional historic value * The Times *Jonathan Raban [was] a writer of extraordinary gifts . . . and no one has evoked with greater power the marriage of land and sky that gives this country both its beauty and terror * Washington Post *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • The History of Emotions

    Manchester University Press The History of Emotions

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book introduces students and professional historians to the main areas of concern in the history of emotions and its intersection with emotion research in other disciplines. It discusses how the emotions intersect with other lines of historical research relating to power, practice, society and morality. The revised and fully updated second edition of the book demonstrates the field’s centrality to historiographical practice, as well as the importance of this kind of historical work for general interdisciplinary understandings of the value and the meaning of human experience.Table of ContentsPreface to the second editionIntroduction1 Historians and emotions2 Words and concepts3 Communities, regimes and styles4 Power, politics and violence5 Practice and expression6 Experience, senses and the brain7 Spaces, places and objects8 MoralityConclusionIndex

    3 in stock

    £17.99

  • The Ethics of Narrative

    Cornell University Press The Ethics of Narrative

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe second volume of The Ethics of Narrative completes the project of bringing together nearly all of Hayden White''s uncollected essays from the last two decades of his life, including articles, essays, and previously unpublished lectures. As in the first volume, volume 2 features White''s trenchant articulations of his influential theories, as well as his explorations of a wide range of ideas and authors at the frontiers of critical theory, literature, and historical studies. These include the concept of utopia in history, modernism and postmodernism, constructivism, the conceptualization of historical periods such as the Sixties and the Enlightenment, the representation of the Holocaust in scholarly and literary writing, as well as essays on Frank Kermode, Saul Friedländer, and Krzysztof Pomian.

    2 in stock

    £21.59

  • Dethroned: The Downfall of India's Princely

    C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Dethroned: The Downfall of India's Princely

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe dramatic true story of the betrayal of hundreds of Indian princely states by both the departing British and the new Congress government. In July 1947, India’s last Viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten, stood before New Delhi’s Chamber of Princes to deliver the most important speech of his career. He had just three weeks to convince over 550 sovereign princely states—some tiny, some the size of Britain—to become part of a free India. Once Britain’s most faithful allies, the princes could choose between joining India or Pakistan, or declaring independence. This is a saga of intrigue, brinkmanship and broken promises, wrought by Mountbatten and two of independent India’s founding fathers: the country’s most senior civil servant, V.P. Menon, and Congress strongman Vallabhbhai Patel. What India’s architects described as a ‘bloodless revolution’ was anything but, as violence engulfed Kashmir and Indian troops crushed Hyderabad’s dreams of independence. Most princes accepted the inevitable, exchanging their power for guarantees of privileges and titles in perpetuity. But these dynasties were still led to extinction—not by the sword, but by political expediency—leaving them with little more than fading memories of a glorified past.Trade Review‘Dethroned is set to become a classic on the end of India’s and Pakistan’s aristocracy.’ -- The Spectator'[A] gripping history – exhaustively researched, and written with all the pace and tension of a thriller – of how the fate of the princely states would be determined in the face of independence and Partition.' -- The Telegraph‘Journalistic flair shines through in Dethroned.’ -- The Week‘A thoroughly entertaining account of decline and fall.’ -- Literary Review'Deeply researched and persuasively presented.' -- News 18'Engagingly written, meticulously researched and peppered with delicious anecdotes. Zubrzycki deftly captures the political intrigue involved in this epoch-defining negotiation at independent India's founding moment--a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Indian history, or even just in brilliant writing!' -- Shashi Tharoor MP, author of 'Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India''Zubrzycki lifts the veil on the turbulent period in Indian history when Nehru and Patel--determined to stop the Balkanisation of India--cajole, arm-twist and sometimes blatantly use force to bring the princely states onside. What plays out is a game of chess for the highest of stakes between two countries, with 563 pieces on the deck, leaving fault lines that burn even today.' -- Shrabani Basu, journalist, historian and author of 'Victoria & Abdul''Delivered with verve, narrative pace and a delicious sense of irony. I felt, at times, as if I were reading a crime thriller.' -- Ian Copland, Emeritus Professor of History, Monash University, and author of 'The Princes of India in the Endgame of Empire, 1917–1947''This story of the Indian Princely States from 1947 to their loss of privileges in 1971 fills an important gap in Indian history, shedding new insights into controversies which continue to this day.' -- Andrew Lownie, author of 'The Mountbattens: Their Lives and Loves''Zubrzycki tells this almost unknown story in masterly fashion. Dethroned is well-researched, lucidly written and highly revealing.' -- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, author of 'Empire Building: The Construction of British India, 1690–1860''Zubrzycki's talents as a writer and historian shine in this fresh and fast-paced book. He confidently portrays the colourful characters and complex events that left volatile legacies for the twenty-first century.' -- Robin Jeffrey, Visiting Research Professor, National University of Singapore'This important account of the momentous breakup of British India and the achieving of independence makes for fascinating reading--a narrative impressively narrated.' -- Jim Masselos, Honorary Associate in History, University of Sydney'A captivating story of political intrigue and expediency in a race against time. In the tragedy of the princely demise few players are blameless, as the writer weighs the pride and obduracy of the rulers against the ruthlessness of British and Indian politicians.' -- Caroline Keen, author of 'A Judge in Madras: Sir Sidney Wadsworth and the Indian Civil Service, 1913-47'

    2 in stock

    £23.75

  • Maymyo Days: Forgotten Lives of a Burma Hill

    River Books Maymyo Days: Forgotten Lives of a Burma Hill

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTo many the words Hill Station are evocative of an exotic and exciting vision when the subjects of the British Colonial Government gloried in the Hill Stations of India and Burma. Beautifully constructed holiday towns built at 3,000 feet or more where people flocked to escape the heats of the plains. High up the Shan hills of east Burma stood Maymyo. This book tells the stories of the people for whom Maymyo really was a heaven 'lost on the clouds'.

    1 in stock

    £27.00

  • The Dialectic Is in the Sea

    Princeton University Press The Dialectic Is in the Sea

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Groundbreaking. . . . Radical and influential, Nascimento’s work is available here for the first time in English."---Karla J. Strand, Ms. Magazine

    £22.50

  • Voices from the Italian Renaissance

    Taylor & Francis Voices from the Italian Renaissance

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Italian Renaissance was a period of intense cultural transformations when the ancient world was being rediscovered and a New World had been literally discovered. Between the thirteenth and the seventeenth centuries, traditional beliefs were being challenged as people across the Italian Peninsula explored new ways of thinking about religion, politics, and society and introduced startling innovations in the arts.This book contains more than hundred selections of primary sourcesâthe historianâs raw material in the form of memoirs, letters, treatises, sermons, stories, poems, drawings, paintings, and sculpture. Here are eyewitness accounts of cold-blooded murders, lavish court pageants, the Sack of Rome, and the Black Death; first views of Michelangeloâs Sistine frescoes and glimpses of the surface of the moon through Galileoâs telescope. These sources bring the reader into direct contact with the creators of the great Renaissance works of art, literature, philosophy, and science, as well as lesser-known people, who in their own words express emotions of love, loss, and spiritual yearning.Selected to accompany and supplement A Short History of Renaissance Italy, the primary sources in this book make it an ideal course reader for students of history or art history. Yet this volume can be equally read well on its own; each selection is clearly introduced, annotated, and provided with references for further reading. These sources reach out to an audience beyond the classroomâthe general reader, or the traveler to Italyâanyone curious to learn more about the Italian Renaissance will find themselves swept into conversation with these vibrant voices from the past.

    15 in stock

    £34.19

  • Spinoza Life and Legacy

    Oxford University Press Spinoza Life and Legacy

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA biography of the boldest and most unsettling of the early modern philosophers, Spinoza, examining the man's life, relationships, career, and writings, while forcing us to rethink how we previously understood his reception in the fields of philosophy, religion, ethics, and political theory in his own time and in the years following his death.Trade ReviewMonumental...a brilliant biography... Jonathan Israel has more than done justice to this ultimately elusive genius * Daniel Johnson, The Critic *Definitive * Andrew Robinson, Nature *This biography is a worthy conclusion to Israel's immense Enlightenment project. * Michiel Leezenberg, NRC Handelsblad *This monumental work should be added to the short list of modern biographies of Baruch Spinoza (1632-77)...Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty * Choice *Table of ContentsPart I: Setting the Scene 1: Introduction 2: Unparalleled Challenge Part II: The Young Spinoza 3: Youthful Rebel 4: Secret Legacy from Portugal 5: Childhood and Family Tradition 6: Schooldays 7: Honour and Wealth 8: Teaching Skills: Van den Enden (1656-1661), Latin, and the Theatre 9: Collegiants, Millenarians, and Quakers: the Mid- and Late 1650s 10: 'Monstrous Heresies': Ties with Marrano Deists Part III: Reformer and Subverter of Descartes 11: Forming a Study Group 12: Rijnsburg Years (1661-63) 13: Spinoza and the Scientific Revolution 14: 'Reforming' Descartes' Principles 15: Writing the Ethics 16: Voorburg 17: Spinoza and the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1664-1667) 18: Invasion, Slump, and Comets (1665-66) 19: Spinoza, Meyer, and The 1666 Philosophia Controversy 20: From the Jaws of Defeat Part IV: Darkening Horizons 21: The Tragedy of the Brothers Koerbagh (1668-1669) 22: Nil Volentibus Arduum: Spinoza and the Arts 23: Twilight of the 'True Freedom' 24: Revolution in Bible Criticism 25: Spinoza Subverts Hobbes 26: Publishing the Theological-Political Treatise 27: Intensifying Reaction (early 1670s) 28: Spinoza's Libertine '"French Circle' 29: Reshaping the Republic: from Oligarchic to Democratic Republicanism Part V: Last Years 30: Disaster Year (1672) 31: Denying the Supernatural 32: Entering (or Not Entering) Princely Court Culture (1672-73) 33: Creeping Diffusion 34: Mysterious Trip to Utrecht (July-August 1673) 35: Expanding the 'Spinozist Sect' 36: Amsterdam Revisited (1673-75) 37: Hebrew in Spinoza's Later Life 38: Encounter with Leibniz (1676) 39: Fighting Back 40: Last Days, Death, and Funeral (1677) 41: A Stormy Aftermath 42: Conclusion: Philosophy integrated with Bible Critique and Political Theory

    1 in stock

    £37.99

  • Goldie: The amazing story of Alfred Goldie

    National Motor Museum Publishing Goldie: The amazing story of Alfred Goldie

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDessau, Germany, 1939. A 49-year-old veteran of the Great War hobbles over to his sleek, green racing car, hands his walking stick to his mechanic and awkwardly pulls his damaged leg into the bowels of the machine. His hosts, the glamorous young drivers of the Nazi state-sponsored Silver Arrows team, share bemused grins as he rolls up his sleeves, dons an old-fashioned leather racing cap and pulls down his goggles. A few minutes later, to the astonishment of the Germans, the mostly selffunded car flashes past at over 200mph, setting a host of new international records. Goldie moves from the brutality of an Edwardian public school, through the jungles of Ceylon and into the blood-soaked trenches of the Somme. The book follows Goldie Gardner as he emerges into the post-war world, trying to make sense of what has happened, finding friendship and love, and searching for a way to prove himself. Motor racing and record breaking seem to offer a solution, but what follows is a story of obsession that establishes him as one of the most extraordinary record breakers of all time but leads to heartbreak, betrayal and eventually taking one risk too many.

    1 in stock

    £17.00

  • Trapped in History

    Faber & Faber Trapped in History

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrapped in History tells how the British colonised Kenya and how African nationalism arose under Jomo Kenyatta. It describes the terrifying first attacks by the guerrilla freedom fighters known as Mau Mau. Though defeated, the Mau Mau hastened the end of British rule in Kenya. Trapped in History explores the effect the uprising on the author, who grew up as a child in the Kenya colony.The book is both a history, as well as a memoir, of the end of Empire.

    2 in stock

    £21.25

  • Dental Anthropology

    Cambridge University Press Dental Anthropology

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisHillson provides a biological context for human teeth, a guide to key skills, and an introduction to current issues. Designed to be the core textbook for courses on bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, and palaeoanthropology, this is the definitive manual for tooth identification, variation, histology, wear, and disease.Trade Review'The field of dental anthropology has evolved rapidly since the first edition of this self-titled book, and this new edition expertly presents updated findings and technological advances across the field. Notably, it was and remains the go-to resource for the macro- and microscopic study of dental development, structure and function, including entire chapters devoted to the principal oral tissues.' Joel D. Irish, Liverpool John Moores University'I taught dental anthropology at both the graduate and undergraduate levels for 40 years and had to use three textbooks plus supplemental readings to cover the topics I wished to include: morphology, histology, growth, pathology, among others for bioarchaeological and forensic applications. Now with Hillson's Dental Anthropology I would only have to use one. Hillson challenges the teacher, student, and researcher to think in new directions and consider alternative interpretations of dental data. This book has updated illustrations; an extensive up-to-date bibliography; and further reading sections at the end of each chapter making it an ideal textbook for dental anthropology or for use by students beginning their research careers. I cannot think of a single topic dealing with teeth from an anthropological, archaeological, or forensic perspective that is not covered in Hillson's book. I wish I had all this organized information when I started my dental research as a graduate student or, even now, when students begin their own research careers.' Jerry Rose, Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas'A well-timed fantastic revised and fully updated edition of a classic book, now including newer analytical techniques. This is an extremely useful text which will be a required staple on every bioarchaeologist's shelf. The sections on 3D morphological analysis and use of newer methods developed or made more accessible to anthropologists since the first edition are especially valuable.' Sonia Zakrzewski, University of Southampton'The new second edition of Simon Hillson's Dental Anthropology is a significant revision to the 1996 first edition and is a well-written, well-illustrated, comprehensive, treatment of the subject. Meticulously updated throughout, it reflects the many important recent advancements in the field and is at once primer, guide, textbook, and reference. Hillson's Dental Anthropology delivers in every aspect and will be an important addition to the library of anyone interested in the scientific study of teeth.' Greg Nelson, University of Oregon'The second edition is certain to become the definitive text on dental anthropology written by the leading expert in the field. Professor Hillson shares his knowledge in an accessible and absorbing manner, a style for which he is well known. The book is comprehensible to those just starting to study teeth; yet, even the most erudite dental anthropologist will come away with new knowledge from this text and will certainly turn to it regularly for reference.' Marin Pilloud, University of Nevada, Reno'This book is a journey into the fascinating and extravagant world of teeth. It is an essential starting point for the study teeth, but also a bridge to more detailed approaches. It covers a broad range of dental topics such as anatomy, morphology, histology, wear and diseases. It is an indispensable reference work for any dental researcher.' Ana Maria Silva, University of CoimbraTable of ContentsContents; List of abbreviations; Preface; 1. Dental anatomy; 2. Variation in size and shape of teeth; 3. Occlusion; 4. Sequence and timing of dental growth; 5. Dental enamel; 6. Dentine; 7. Dental cement; 8. Histological methods of age determination in adults; 9. Chemistry of dental tissues and calculus; 10. Tooth wear and modification; 11. Dental disease; Appendix A. Field and laboratory methods; Appendix B. Microscopy; Appendix C. Age estimation tables and charts for dental development; References; Index.

    1 in stock

    £42.74

  • British LendLease Warships 194045

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC British LendLease Warships 194045

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn illustrated history of the American-built destroyers and frigates supplied to the Royal Navy under Lend-Lease, which played a crucial role in Britain''s war in the Atlantic.As U-boat attacks on Britain's vital sea lanes increased in ferocity, and Royal Navy warship losses mounted, the United States passed the Lend-Lease Act, the cornerstone of America's wartime role as armourer to the Allies.Naval historian Angus Konstam here offers an account of the Royal Navy's Lend-Lease destroyers and escorts. The first batch were 50 World War I-era ''four-stacker'' destroyers, in a deal sealed by the transfer of several global British bases to the USA. These warships were immediately recrewed, refitted and pressed into service in the Battle of the Atlantic. These ageing destroyers were followed by over a hundred more Lend-Lease warships, many of which were built especially for British service in American shipyards. Their arrival helped tip the balance in the hard-fough

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • Decolonizing Environmentalism

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Decolonizing Environmentalism

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWe live in a moment rife with mixed emotionsexistential anxieties about catastrophic climate change, presumptuous confidence in planet-hacking geoengineering technologies, and hopefulness of youth climate activism. Decolonizing Environmentalism helps us navigate these emotions and reimagine our approach to environmental stewardship.The authors cast a critical eye on wealthy and influential environmental groups that committed to anti-racist strategies in the wake of the racial awakening of 2020. Yet, they continue to embrace false solutions like carbon markets and biodiversity offsets, which carry deeply racialized consequences. By tracing the roots of these misplaced priorities to detrimental modernity steeped in colonialism and capitalism, the authors call for transformational changes in human-nature relationships. They distil lessons from the divestment movement, which has questioned the fossil fuel industry''s moral standing, and food sovereignty activists, who hav

    1 in stock

    £21.02

  • Roger Scruton The Philosopher on Dover Beach

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Roger Scruton The Philosopher on Dover Beach

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn intriguing portrait of Roger Scruton and his philosophy, with a new Preface and updated Bibliography of Scruton''s many literary works over the years.Roger Scruton was one of the outstanding British philosophers of the post-war years. Why then was he at best ignored and at worst reviled? In this intriguing portrait Mark Dooley brilliantly illuminates Scruton's life and offers careful analysis of his work. Considering how Scruton's conservative instinct was sharpened during the Paris riots of 1968, Dooley explores why Scruton set himself the task of stridently opposing what he termed the culture of repudiation' and how he accomplished it.Covering Scruton's centrals ideas, such as his view of human nature, opposition of the social contract theory and criticisms of the European Union and United Nationals, Dooley argues that he was a prophet for our times the one British intellectual who courageously rowed against the tide of liberal conviction and arr

    3 in stock

    £12.34

  • Battles of the Wars of the Roses

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Battles of the Wars of the Roses

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisNew title on the battles of the Wars of the Roses, covering the turbulent period of English history between 1455 and 1487.

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Granddaughters of Edward III

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Granddaughters of Edward III

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisEdward III may be known for his restoration of English kingly authority after the disastrous and mysterious fall of his father, Edward II, and eventual demise of his mother, Queen Isabella. It was Edward III who arguably put England on the map as a military might. This show of power and strength was not simply through developments in government, success in warfare or the establishment of the Order of the Garter, which fused ideals of chivalry and national identity to form camaraderie between king and peerage. The expansion of England as a formidable European powerhouse was also achieved through the traditional lines of political marriages, particularly those of the king of England's own granddaughters. This is a joint biography of nine of those women who lived between 1355 and 1440, and their dramatic, turbulent lives. One was queen of Portugal and was the mother of the Illustrious Generation; one married into the family of her parents' deadly enemies and became queen of Castile; one became pregnant by the king of England's half-brother while married to someone else, and her third husband was imprisoned for marrying her without permission; one was widowed at about 24 when her husband was summarily beheaded by a mob, and some years later bore an illegitimate daughter to an earl; one saw her marriage annulled so that her husband could marry a Bohemian lady-in-waiting; one was born illegitimate, had sixteen children, and was the grandmother of two kings of England.

    1 in stock

    £18.70

  • Pen & Sword Books Ltd The German Way of War on the Eastern Front

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn 22 June 1941, at 0410hrs, Operation Barbarossa began. More than 3 million German soldiers crossed the border with the Soviet Union and moved east, where 4.7 million Soviet soldiers were waiting for them. Hitler expected his troops would be on the Volga before the end of the year and that important cities such as Moscow and Leningrad would have been captured. But the reality was very different; the Germans made impressive territorial gains, but their offensive eventually came to a halt at Stalingrad in December 1942, which proved to be a turning point in the war.This titanic battle is illustrated here using eyewitness accounts from generals, soldiers and civilians. Attention is not only paid to the course of the battle, but also to the tactics and organizational dimensions of the armies involved, the challenges of the vastness of the country, the dilemmas for people in the conquered areas, and the way the Germans tried to conquer their hearts while at the same time fighting a fierce

    2 in stock

    £21.25

  • Simon & Schuster The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe “enlightening” (The Guardian) true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America, the remarkable town its survivors’ founded after emancipation, and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day—by the journalist who discovered the ship’s remains.Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed, the Clotilda became the last ship in history to bring enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship was scuttled and burned on arrival to hide the wealthy perpetrators to escape prosecution. Despite numerous efforts to find the sunken wreck, Clotilda remained hidden for the next 160 years. But in 2019, journalist Ben Raines made international news when he successfully concluded his obsessive quest through the swamps of Alabama to uncover one of our nation’s most important historical artifacts. Traveling from Alabama to the ancient African kingdom of Dahomey in modern-day Benin, Raines recounts the ship’s perilous journey, the story of its rediscovery, and its complex legacy. Against all odds, Africatown, the Alabama community founded by the captives of the Clotilda, prospered in the Jim Crow South. Zora Neale Hurston visited in 1927 to interview Cudjo Lewis, telling the story of his enslavement in the New York Times bestseller Barracoon. And yet the haunting memory of bondage has been passed on through generations. Clotilda is a ghost haunting three communities—the descendants of those transported into slavery, the descendants of their fellow Africans who sold them, and the descendants of their fellow American enslavers. This connection binds these groups together to this day. At the turn of the century, descendants of the captain who financed the Clotilda’s journey lived nearby—where, as significant players in the local real estate market, they disenfranchised and impoverished residents of Africatown. From these parallel stories emerges a profound depiction of America as it struggles to grapple with the traumatic past of slavery and the ways in which racial oppression continues to this day. And yet, at its heart, The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic—an epic tale of one community’s triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds.Trade Review"The fast-paced narrative begins with the voyage and follows the Clotilda’s survivors beyond the Civil War....Raines vividly conjures the watery landscape into which the Africans stepped... Knowledge of these waterways also led Raines to locate the Clotilda in a place previous searchers had ignored." — The New York Times (Editors' Choice) "In our uncertain times, The Last Slave Ship.. is a welcome and affecting history lesson... Enlightening." — The Guardian "A multidimensional exploration of the Clotilda, its bad actors and the descendants of the survivors... an important, weighty, timely read." — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Ben Raines made headlines in 2019 when he discovered the remains of the Clotilda, the last ship to bring enslaved people to America. His gripping, affecting book chronicles his search for the vessel in the swamps of Alabama and tells the stories of its captives and their descendants."— The Christian Science Monitor (Best Books of February) "The Last Slave Ship is an action-packed, whip-smart true account that’s filled with science, history, and compassion. Readers will devour it." — The Washington Informer "Ben Raines’ passionate detective work led him to discover the most famous slave shipwreck… Raines has written a crucial chapter in this unique story of loss and exploitation, but also of unsurmountable strength and hopefulness. An inspiring and captivating book.” — Sylviane A. Diouf, PhD, author of Dreams of Africa in Alabama: The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America "The Last Slave Ship is all at once the true story of a terrible crime and its survivors, a riveting account of discovering the evidence its perpetrators hoped would never be found, and a moving attempt to grapple with its legacy. We may never ultimately be able to reckon adequately with slavery, but Ben Raines reminds us that the task’s immensity is no excuse for neglecting it. This is a powerful and important book."— Joshua Rothman, the Dept. of History professor at University of Alabama "Raines’ adroit descriptions of the people and events triggered by the voyage of Clotilda are not only riveting, but speak to the true spirits of all involved." — Darron Patterson, President of The Clotilda Descendants Association "An evocative and informative tale of exploitation, deceit, and resilience.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A highly readable, elucidating narrative that investigates all the layers of a traumatic history.— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • A Veil of Silence

    Harvard University Press A Veil of Silence

    Book Synopsis

    £39.06

  • Lusitania An Illustrated Biography Volume One

    The History Press Ltd Lusitania An Illustrated Biography Volume One

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn 7 May 1915, one of the most beloved and legendary liners of the North Atlantic was torpedoed by a German U-boat, taking 1,191 of her passengers and crew to an untimely demise. She had become a victim of the First World War, the most brutal conflict the world had yet seen.Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography is a comprehensive two-part look at her entire story, from her origins in the shipyards of Clydebank to her terrible, tragic end. It reveals her as she has never been seen before through words, historical photographs, and breath-taking computer animations.Volume One: Life of a Greyhound tells how Lusitania came to be built, shows her construction, discusses her technical marvels and reveals her incredible seven-and-a-half-year career. As you feel her magic stir in these pages, you will see why passengers travelled on her again and again, even after larger and more comfortable liners like White Star's Olympic and

    2 in stock

    £32.00

  • Skye: Landscapes in Stone

    Birlinn General Skye: Landscapes in Stone

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Isle of Skye offers a magical combination of wild land and breath-taking natural beauty. Skye's geological history involves some of the most ancient rocks on the planet; a grandstand view as the Highlands of Scotland were formed over 400 million years ago and the development of one of the mightiest volcanoes ever to blow its top. Skye is also known as Scotland's 'dinosaur island', yielding the remains of many species of plant and meat-eating creatures that stalked land some 140 million years ago. Finally, the rocks forged in earlier times were shaped into the familiar hills and glens of today by the passage of ice as a great freeze gripped the land. This book provides key information about the formation of the island and the on-going processes of natural landscape evolution that continue to leave their mark on these spectacular vistas.Trade Review'Not only are they a wealth of information on Scotland's past, they offer valuable insight as Scotland’s future becomes increasingly uncertain due to climate change' * Dundee Courier *Table of ContentsAlan McKirdy has written many popular books and book chapters on geology and related topics and has helped to promote the study of environmental geology in schools. Before his recent retirement he was Head of Information Management at Scottish Natural Heritage.

    2 in stock

    £7.99

  • King James and the History of Homosexuality

    Fonthill Media Ltd King James and the History of Homosexuality

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisJames VI & I, the namesake of the King James Version of the Bible, had a series of notorious male favourites. No one denies that these relationships were amorous, but were they sexual? Michael B. Young merges political history with recent scholarship in the history of sexuality to answer that question. More broadly, he shows that James's favourites had a negative impact within the royal family, at court, in Parliament, and in the nation at large. Contemporaries raised the spectre of a sodomitical court and an effeminized nation; some urged James to engage in a more virile foreign policy by embarking on war. Queen Anne encouraged a martial spirit and moulded her oldest son to be more manly than his father. Repercussions continued after James's death, detracting from the majesty of the monarchy and contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War. Persons acquainted with the history of sexuality will find surprising premonitions here of modern homosexuality and homophobia. General readers will find a world of political intrigue coloured by sodomy, pederasty, and gender instability. For readers new to the subject, the book begins with a helpful overview of King James's life.

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • Old Parish Life

    The Bunbury Press Old Parish Life

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA richly detailed guide to parish life in England from medieval to Victorian times, based on a wide range of churchwardens' accounts and other records. It describes the parish and church our ancestors knew - a world of rood lofts and Easter sepulchres, of Maypoles and Midsummer bonfires, of foundlings and frankincense. With over 350 illustrations.Trade Review'Perhaps the most engrossing book I have read, it brims with details of church life through the centuries ... A masterpiece' (Fergus Butler-Gallie, Church Times); 'I was educated while being delighted' (Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph); 'This great, fat, sumptuously illustrated book has a fascinating anecdote on every page ... Here is a treasure house of information, history, meticulous detail and fascinating revelations. This is what church history should be like ... Caution: think twice before you pick up this book. You might never be able to put it down again.' (The Oldie); 'A fascinating collection' (Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine); 'Such an engaging book, particularly given its huge scope ... with numerous insights into parish life over the centuries' (The Local Historian); 'Eminently successful ... At once a pleasure to read and a valuable work of reference' (Ecclesiology Today)

    2 in stock

    £18.00

  • Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City

    Atlantic Books Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisToday, Dubai is a city of shimmering skyscrapers attracting thousands of tourists every year. Yet just sixty years ago Dubai's population scraped a living by picking dates, diving for pearls, or sailing in wooden dhows to trade with Iran and India. Dubai is everything the rest of the Arab world is not. Until recently it was the fastest-growing city in the world, with an economy whose growth outpaced China's while luring more tourists than all of India. The city has become a metaphor for the lush life, where the wealthy mingle in gilded splendour and luxury cars fill the streets, yet it is also beset by a backwash of bad design, environmental degradation and controversial labour practices. Dubai tells its unique story.Trade ReviewDubai examines this small emirate with admirable even-handedness and good humour... Krane also writes movingly of the conditions of the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers who have built Dubai. -- James Drummond * Financial Times *Jim Krane traces the fascinating and long overlooked history of this city... in prose as spare and enchanting as a desert fairy tale. * The Times *A well researched and gripping tale of how... the city was transformed from a pre-modern hideout for smugglers and pirates * Sunday Telegraph *Engagingly written and sympathetic to its subject... Dubai will be a welcome addition to the cabin baggage of the many western visitors to the Emirates * Guardian *Jim Krane's breathless style complements his subject: Dubai is a city that has arisen impetuously and incoherently, its shape shifting as incessantly as the desert sands on which it is built. * Times Literary Supplement *Full of engaging anecdotes * Daily Telegraph *Packed with detail and colour, Dubai explores the city's remarkable history, bringing it to life and confronting its controversies. -- Dr Christopher Davidson, author of 'Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success'

    3 in stock

    £10.44

  • Nazi Gold: The Sensational Story of the World's

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Nazi Gold: The Sensational Story of the World's

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1945, as Allied bombers continued their final pounding of Berlin, the panicking Nazis began moving the assets of the Reichsbank south for safekeeping. Vast trainloads of gold and currency were evacuated from the doomed capital of Hitler's 'Thousand-year Reich'. Nazi Gold is the real-life story of the theft of that fabulous treasure - worth some 2,500,000,000 at the time of the original investigation. It is also the story of a mystery and attempted whitewash in an American scandal that pre-dated Watergate by nearly 30 years. Investigators were impeded at every step as they struggled to uncover the truth and were left fearing for their lives. The authors' quest led them to a murky, dangerous post-war world of racketeering, corruption and gang warfare. Their brilliant reporting, matching eyewitness testimony with declassified Top Secret documents from the US Archives, lays bare this monumental crime in a narrative which throngs with SS desperadoes, a red-headed queen of crime and American military governors living like Kings. Also revealed is the authors' discovery of some of the missing treasure in the Bank of England.Trade ReviewReads like the sleazy world described in Graham Greene's Third Man with several noughts added to the transactions * Daily Express *A major feat of detection . . . a remarkable story . . . the murky post-war world of racketeering and corruption . . . it is all here . . . they have solved the mystery as far as anyone could solve it * Birmingham Post *A riveting thriller-style account of what happened to the Nazi gold hoard * The Guardian *

    3 in stock

    £10.79

  • Moroccan Other-Archives: History and Citizenship

    Fordham University Press Moroccan Other-Archives: History and Citizenship

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMoroccan Other-Archives investigates how histories of exclusion and silencing are written and rewritten in a postcolonial context that lacks organized and accessible archives. The book draws on cultural production concerning the “years of lead”—a period of authoritarianism and political violence between Morocco’s independence in 1956 and the death of King Hassan II in 1999—to examine the transformative roles memory and trauma play in reconstructing stories of three historically marginalized groups in Moroccan history: Berbers/Imazighen, Jews, and political prisoners. The book shows how Moroccan cultural production has become an other-archive: a set of textual, sonic, embodied, and visual sites that recover real or reimagined voices of these formerly suppressed and silenced constituencies of Moroccan society. Combining theoretical discussions with close reading of literary works, the book reenvisions both archives and the nation in postcolonial Morocco. By producing other-archives, Moroccan cultural creators transform the losses state violence inflicted on society during the years of lead into a source of civic engagement and historiographical agency, enabling the writing of histories about those Moroccans who have been excluded from official documentation and state-sanctioned histories. The book is multilingual and interdisciplinary, examining primary sources in Amazigh/Berber, Arabic, Darija, and French, and drawing on memory studies, literary theory, archival studies, anthropology, and historiography. In addition to showing how other-archives are created and operate, El Guabli elaborates how language, gender, class, race, and geographical distribution are co-constitutive of a historical and archival unsilencing that is foundational to citizenship in Morocco today.Table of ContentsPreface | ix Note on Transliteration | xiii List of Abbreviations | xv Introduction | 1 1. (Re)Invented Tradition and the Performance of Amazigh Other- Archives in Public Life | 26 2. Emplaced Memories of Jewish- Muslim Morocco | 63 3. Jewish- Muslim Intimacy and the History of a Lost Citizenship | 89 4. Making Tazmamart a Transnational Other- Archive | 115 5. Other- Archives Transform Moroccan Historiography | 150 Conclusion | 177 Acknowledgments | 189 Notes | 193 Bibliography | 253 Index | 281

    1 in stock

    £26.99

  • A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths

    Little, Brown Book Group A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe book leads the reader through these vibrant stories, from the origins of the gods through to the homecomings of the Trojan heroes. All the familiar narratives are here, along with some less familiar characters and motifs. In addition to the tales, the book explains key issues arising from the narratives, and discusses the myths and their wider relevance.This long-overdue book crystallises three key areas of interest: the nature of the tales; the stories themselves; and how they have and might be interpreted. For the first time, it brings together aspects of Greek mythology only usually available in disparate forms - namely children's books and academic works. There will be much here that is interesting, surprising, and strange as well as familiar. Experts and non-experts, adults, students and schoolchildren alike will gain entertainment and insight from this fascinating and important volume.

    7 in stock

    £9.74

  • Lamborghini 60 Years

    Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc Lamborghini 60 Years

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLike many a great product, Lamborghini began when one man was dissatisfied with the options available in the market. Lucky for us, that man was Ferruccio Lamborghini and the car he sought to best none other than Enzo’s Ferrari! Lamborghini Supercars: 60 Years reveals the entire story. Trade Review"Lamborghini 60 Years is a fabulous book and should be found on the shelves of any decent gearhead, whether you’re into Lambos or not. The fact it looks great on your coffee table is a bonus." * Automoblog *Table of ContentsContents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD by Valentino Balboni INTRODUCTION Birth of the Bull CHAPTER 1 MIURA: The World’s First Mid-Engine Supercar CHAPTER 2 GOING MAINSTREAM: Supercar Performance for the Family CHAPTER 3 COUNTACH: Supercar Poster Boy CHAPTER 4 RAISING THE ROOF: Coming to America CHAPTER 5 DIABLO: The Supercar Refined CHAPTER 6 MURCIÉLAGO: Audi Flexes Its Muscle

    2 in stock

    £36.00

  • A Brief History of the Great Moghuls: India's

    Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of the Great Moghuls: India's

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Entertainingly written history . . . ravishingly beautiful photographs.'The Times Bamber Gascoigne's classic book tells of the most fascinating period of Indian history, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the country was ruled by the extraordinarily talented dynasty of emperors known to European travellers as 'the Great Moghuls', for their almost limitless power and incomparable wealth. Here is a unique picture of the way of life of India's most flamboyant rulers, their sublime palaces, their passions in art, science and religion, and their sophisticated system of administration that stabilized the greater part of India and was later adopted by the British. Acclaimed by travellers and scholars alike, and beautifully illustrated in colour with sixteen pages of photographs, this is a book for anyone with an interest in India's glorious past and an engaging survey of a splendid culture and its singular achievements.Trade ReviewWhile the story rattles along, it is also built on sound and scholarly foundations. Christina Gascoigne deserves a special word of praise. Her photographs are superb. They jerk us into looking at the Indian scene, and at Moghul architecture, in a fresh way. * History Today *Thoroughly sound. . . extremely readable. * Times Literary Supplement *A tremendous story, full of delight as well as the requisite horrors . . . unreservedly to be recommended. * Oxford Mail *Entertainingly written history . . . ravishingly beautiful photographs. * The Times *

    10 in stock

    £8.24

  • A Brief History of the Dynasties of China

    Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of the Dynasties of China

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisAlthough China's great empire lasted for longer than any other, no country has suffered so great an imbalance between the fame of its art and obscurity of its history. The names of the great dynasties are familiar, yet who can actually locate a T'ang horse or a Ming vase in its social or cultural context? By focusing on the key colourful characters of the eight major dynasties, Bamber Gascoigne brings to life 3500 years of Chinese civilization. His bird's-eye view starts on the borders of myth. It moves swiftly on to the greatest achievements of language and thought, the cultural treasures and imperial palaces, wars won and lands lost to the Mongols, finally to arrive at the 1912 Revolution, which contained within it the seeds of Communism that ensured the overthrow of the last emperor. Via this portrait of an empire and its peoples he has opened the door to a world for too long inaccessible to the West.

    3 in stock

    £9.99

  • Greece and Rome at War

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Greece and Rome at War

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this sumptuous guide to twelve centuries of military development, Peter Connolly combines a detailed account of the arms and armies of Greece and Rome with his superb full-colour artwork. Making use of fresh archaeological evidence and new material on the manufacture and use of the weapons of the period, the author presents an attractive and impressive volume that is both scholarly and beautifully presented with illustrations that are, quite rightly, recognised as being the best and most accurate representation of how the soldiers from these formidable military empires appeared. Greece and Rome at War lucidly demonstrates the face of battle in the ancient world. Covering the wars between the Greeks and the Persians and the epic contest between the Romans and their most capable opponent, Hannibal, as well as organisation, tactics, armour and weapons, and much more, this excellent work brings the armies of Greece, Macedon and Rome vividly to life. This new revised edition contains a Preface by Adrian Goldsworthy.

    2 in stock

    £18.99

  • The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History

    Atlantic Books The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this remarkable and groundbreaking book, Kenan Malik explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs. Engaging and provocative, The Quest for a Moral Compass confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history. At a time of great social turbulence and moral uncertainty, there will be few histories more important than this.Trade ReviewAn absolute tour de force. I can imagine it replacing Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy on many a bookshelf - certainly mine. -- Tom HollandThis is an extraordinarily rewarding investigation of the most striking, and contested, aspect of our humanity... To read it is not only to be better informed but also to be more alert to the assumptions that have guided human beings in the past, and to our capacity for goodness and wickedness. -- Raymond TallisWhat I love about Kenan Malik's book is its unashamed, unabashed ambition: he wants to write the history of moral thought, not just in the Western tradition, but of all the traditions that make up the global argument about the direction that the human moral compass should point. The result is a tour de force of lucidity and narrative skill. -- Michael IgnatieffThe Quest for a Moral Compass is a remarkable achievement... While demonstrating genuine command of the subtleties of the hundreds of topics covered, he consistently chooses the accessible, the concise, the precise, and the broad-ranging over the technical, theoretical, and trivial. I learned more than I can say and will no doubt be consulting this book often in the future. -- Austin Dacey

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • Psychology of Yoga and Meditation

    Princeton University Press Psychology of Yoga and Meditation

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £19.80

  • The Story of Work

    Yale University Press The Story of Work

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first truly global history of work, an upbeat assessment from the age of the hunter-gatherer to the present dayTrade Review“Absolutely fascinating. . . . The breadth of the scholarship is breathtaking, but the prose is clear and sometimes leavened by dashes of dry wit. . . . Lucassen’s own compassion shines through this magisterial book.”—Christina Patterson, The Guardian“Full of colour, surprise and human warmth. . . . Exhausted yet enlightened, any reader reaching the end of Lucassen’s marathon will understand that the problem of work runs far deeper than politics, and that the grail of a fair society will only come nearer if we pay attention to real experiences, and resist the lure of utopias.”—Simon Ings, Daily Telegraph“Readers . . . will find much to enjoy and fascinate on the level of brute historical fact if not on that of overarching theme.”—James Marriott, The Times, “Book of the Week”“This is a huge book, spanning every continent and subjects as wide-ranging as hunter-gatherers, slavery and Zoom workers.”—Emma Jacobs, Financial Times“Whereas traditional histories often present drudges and slaves as anonymous extras in the dramas of luminaries, passive in the face of their unhappy fates, Mr Lucassen affords them attention and agency.”—Economist“Lucassen attempts what properly can be called not just a world history of work, but a human history of work. On this important point, we can hope that Lucassen’s text is in the vanguard of comprehensive histories of any topic.”—Daniel A. Segal, Times Literary Supplement“Jan Lucassen’s fascinating book explores the ways in which humanity organises labour across the world, and how labour relations have evolved over time. . . . Lucassen challenges those across the political spectrum to rethink how we value and define work.”—Caitlin Allen, Reaction“Pleasingly diverse, thoughtfully considering case studies from a range of cultures and the divergent experiences of men and women around the world.”—BBC History Magazine“Lucassen’s diligent empirical study quietly puts grand ideologies and theories of work in their place. . . Work has evolved over time, and Lucassen gives a compelling and comprehensive account of that evolution.”—Lyndsey Stonebridge, New Statesman“Lucassen is a lively writer with an eye for the arresting detail.”—The Week, “Book of the Week”“Brilliant, magisterial multi-millennial tour de force of world history. . . . Filled with fascinating facts and ideas, it’s essential reading for our strange times.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, BBC History Magazine, “Books of the Year”“A work of enormous richness of content and argument. . . . This is a book to be both read closely and systematically and dipped into and consumed in smaller pieces.”—Stephen Davies, Econlib“An encyclopaedic and opinion-packed tour de force ranging over millennia. We may need to work to be useful, to give our lives meaning, to cooperate and for our self-esteem; but some ways of organizing work are so much fairer and more rewarding than others. A brilliant book.”—Danny Dorling, author of Slowdown“If being forced to work feels bad, it is nowhere near as bad as having no worthwhile work to do. Lucassen’s masterly book shows how the human need for fulfilment in shared tasks has confronted technological and social forces that pit us against each other in a struggle to appropriate the material rewards of work and the esteem that comes with it.”—Paul Seabright, author of The Company of Strangers“This magisterial study distils a life’s work to make sense of labour relations over millennia. Lucassen probes the degrees of freedom under which people have created meaning, sought cooperation and demanded fairness in households, plantations, workshops and factories across the globe.”—Eileen Boris, author of Making the Woman Worker“Lucassen brilliantly anchors world history in human agency through work. In every era, he finds the household as the backbone of work—the site of domestic labour and the source of social labour. Throughout, he illustrates the principles of meaning, cooperation and fairness in work. A memorable volume.”—Patrick Manning, author of A History of Humanity

    1 in stock

    £14.99

  • KJV Word Study Reference Bible Hardcover Red

    Thomas Nelson Publishers KJV Word Study Reference Bible Hardcover Red

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe KJV Word Study Reference Bible balances deep study of the biblical languages with clear application to help transform the way you live. Uncover a wealth of meaning in Scripture with more than 2000 Greek and Hebrew word studies.Bring the words of Scripture to life and discover the richness and significance of the original languages of the Word of God. The KJV Word Study Reference Bible includes in-text subheadings and 2,000 easy-to-use word studies with select Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words explained in every chapter from Genesis to Revelation. By looking into these ancient texts, we are able to read scripture as it was originally written and passed on from generation to generation. In addition, this Bible’s Topic-by-Topic studies give a practical framework for understanding scripture, along with more hel

    2 in stock

    £32.00

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