Social and cultural history Books

Book SynopsisPorsche’s first car, the 356, entered the market in 1948 and celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. Porsche 356: 75th Anniversary celebrates this iconic sports car that launched one of the greatest brands in automotive history. Trade Review"...essential acquisition for all genuine Porschephiles..." * PANDO Magazine *"Gordon Maltby spent 26 years editing the Porsche 356 Registry, peering into all corners of the Porsche garage: the cars, the family, the designers, the production process, the side projects, the racing, the history, the sales, the trends, and the drivers. His new book, Porsche 356: 75th Anniversary, reflects that deep and wide experience in a way that no book by a first-time author ever could." * Porsche 356 Registry *"...tells the in-depth story and is a must-have book for anyone that loves Porsche and sports car history." * StuttCars.com *Let’s get this out of the way first: Porsche 356: 75th Anniversary Is the best book about cars I have ever read. Period. Part of the reason may be that the book focuses on a single model and follows its evolution from creation to perfection but the truth is that every aspect of this book has been produced with the highest quality. * JoeFarace.com *"The entire history of the 356 is well-told and well-illustrated covering every facet from design to engineering as well as Porsche company history." * AVANTI Magazine *Unlike most recent Porsche titles, 356 doesn't merely tell of engineering specifics, it shows them, too, reproducing factory schematics, drawings, and cu-aways." -- Helen V Hutchings * AACA.org *“Gordon Maltby has owned 31 Porsches over 50 years, doing most maintenance and restoration himself.” See? Total gearhead. He’s one of us, and he can write a stellar book too! * Automoblog *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Chapter 1: Ferdinand Porsche's Amazing Half Century Chapter 2: An Austrian Interlude Chapter 3: Home to Zuffenhausen Chapter 4: Building Cars, Building a Name Chapter 5: The Speedster Expands The Line Chapter 6: Glocklers to Grandmother: The Competition Porsches Chapter 7: The A Series Chapter 8: The 356B and C Chapter 9: The Other Porsches Chapter 10: The 356, A Car For The Ages Acknowledgements Photo Credits Index

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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

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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

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Book SynopsisNew introduction by Ian Rankin_________________________________________‘One of the most playful and entertaining writers of our generation’ Val McDermid, Guardian In an absorbing voyage as interesting to non-drinkers as to true whisky connoisseurs, sci-fi and literary author Iain Banks explores the rich heritage of Scottish whisky, from the most famous distilleries to the most obscure operations. Whisky is more than a drink: it's a culture that binds together people, places and products far across Scotland's rugged terrain. Switching from cars to ferries to bicycles, Banks criss-crosses his homeland, weaving an engrossing narrative full of fascinating traditions, peculiar people, and the downright bizarre places he encounters on his journey down Scotland's great golden road.'The book I return to most often . . . It's is like slipping into a warm bath.'James Graham, THE TIMES (playwright and creator of ITV's Quiz)'Filled withinsightful and witty observations . . . this is a rip-roaringand informative delve into the unique history and enduring appeal of this iconic spirit.'VISIT SCOTLAND, 9 'must read' booksTrade ReviewIt does what every good book should manage to do, and what a hundred other books on whisky (and a thousand other books on Scotland) have signally failed to do: makes you want to go for a drink with the author. * Observer *Studded with bracing shots of pure insight and eloquence. And he's sound on the scotch as well. * Independent *A very readable and hugely informative book, and Bank’s gentle humour permeates the pages. * Time Out *It’s an engaging piece of work, part love letter, part memoir. * Esquire *A very beguiling fusion of memoir, history and current affairs. * Glasgow Herald *

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Book SynopsisOne of the most original and successful filmmakers, Oscar Micheaux was born into a rural, working-class, African-American family in mid-America in 1884. Micheaux's work was founded upon the concern for class mobility, or uplift, for African Americans. This book is a critical assessment of Micheaux's accomplishment in the art of cinema.Trade ReviewUntil recently the name Oscar Micheaux might have provoked the question Oscar who? But scholars have now begun to look at this pioneering African American moviemaker. This volume joins Betti Carol VanEpps-Taylor's biography Oscar Micheaux: Dakota Homesteader, Author, Pioneer Filmmaker (1998) and Pearl Bowser and Louise Spence's Writing Himself into History: Oscar Micheaux, His Silent Films, and His Audiences (CH, Mar'01), attesting to the intellectual rigor of this trend. Though Green's study is most in the mold of a literary critique, the paucity of Micheaux sources obligates all three authors to write as historians, cultural critics, anthropologists, and decoders. In the absence of script drafts, interoffice memos, gossip columns, memoirs, reviews, and handy prints of films—the stuff of mainstream cinema history—Green (Ohio State Univ.) sets up a critical landscape that allows the reader to sense the density of the culture out of which Micheaux's work arose while also citing sources of his own theoretical modeling. That said, any Micheaux film demands a great deal of creative dissection, which Green provides. He makes uncommonly good use of frame enlargements and stills and provides a thoughtful index and a thorough bibliography. For serious undergraduate students and scholars. -- T. Cripps * formerly, Morgan State University , 2001mar CHOICE. *Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Micheaux v. Griffith2. Micheaux's Class Position3. Twoness and Micheaux's Style4. Negative Images5. The Middle Path6. Middle?Class Cinema7. White Financing8. Stereotype and Caricature9. Revising Caricature10. Interrogating Caricature as Entertainment11. Interrogating False Uplift12. Passing and Film Style13. Racial Loyalty14. Micheaux and Cinema TodayAppendix One: On Class and the ClassicalAppendix Two: FilmographyAppendix Three: Selections from the Black PressAppendix Four: BibliographyNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisMatt MacNabb explores one of the most beloved and collectible franchises of all time.

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Book SynopsisThis book gives a radically new reading of Russia s cultural history. Alexander Etkind traces how the Russian Empire conquered foreign territories and domesticated its own heartlands, thereby colonizing many peoples, Russians included.Trade Review"Thought provoking, at times arguably paradigm shifting" Slavic and Eastern European Journal "Internal Colonization might be said to inject postcolonial theory into Russian studies. This, however, would be to understate the case. Russia, in Etkind's account, is no mere latecomer to the postcolonial feast: in so many ways, it got there first. Etkind has confirmed what Russianists have suspected for a while without quite being able to prove the point: that Russia's peculiarly vocal subalterns have at least as much to bring to 'Western' cultural theory as they stand to gain from it." Times Literary Supplement "The cumulative power of Etkind's argument constitutes an impressive scholarly achievement, offering a coherent yet richly detailed account of Russia's centuries-long experience of internal colonisation." Times Higher Education "A coherent and cogent, as well as an original and witty investigation … the text itself teems with intriguing Tristram Shandean excursions." Journal of European Studies "Etkind highlights what is at the core of the Russian Empire building process. Beyond objective specific facts [Etkind] goes deep into Russian history and culture to emphasize and explain the heuristic idea 'how to colonize oneself'." The Global Journal "A thought-provoking work of scholarship that will inspire both controversies and useful new approaches to Russian history and culture: to paraphrase Levi-Strauss, it is good to think with." The Russian Review "A gripping read. Etkind combines an energetic pace with a multitude of sources … Etkind has succeeded in presenting an entirely readable text that will appeal to anyone interested in Russian imperial history, Russian literature, or the literature and culture of a colonial and postcolonial society." Melbourne Historical Journal "A fresh and entertaining work that is beautifully written … Etkind persuasively demonstrates that post-Soviet postcolonial studies should shift their focus from chasing the unresolvable historical justice to pursuing original, creative and challenging research to support competennt discussion of the controversial issues." Ideology and Politics "Not only useful but also very enjoyable...It is safe to consider this as one of the best books of 2011 in its category and it will definitely have an impact on Russian studies for many years to come." Journal of Eurasian Studies "An exhaustingly original book, beautifully written and crafted so as to be eminently quotable. It will stand for decades to come as the central volume in the larger debates on empire." Nancy Condee, University of Pittsburgh "An erudite and incisive interpretation of Russian history and culture. Indeed, one of the great virtues of this book is its sweeping range, covering several centuries of history and culture. It is well-known that Russia was a great and expansive empire. Etkind provides a striking new lens for seeing Russian culture and history, one that stresses the enduring process of internal colonization. Beyond scholars of Russia, this book should appeal to those interested in questions of colonialism and post-colonialism and in issues of comparative empire." Peter Holquist, University of Pennsylvania "Combining literary and historiographical evidence, Alexander Etkind elucidates the processes of 'self-' or 'internal colonization' the Russian imperial state carried out in its heartland in tandem with colonizing practices deployed in its farthest corners. With wit and erudition, Internal Colonization provides an original and fascinating account of Orientalism's genealogies, the complexity of its global enactments, and the fantasia of its imperial, 'self-colonizing' logic on the newly-illuminated stage of the Second World." Nancy Ruttenburg, Stanford Center for the Study of the NovelTable of ContentsIntroductionPart One. The Non-Traditional OrientChapter 1. Less than One and DoubleChapter 2. WorldlinessPart Two. Writing from ScratchChapter 3. Chasing RurikChapter 4. To Colonize OneselfChapter 5. Barrels of FurPart 3. Empire of the TsarsChapter 6. Occult InstabilityChapter 7. Disciplinary GearsChapter 8. Internal AffairsPart 4. Shaved Man's BurdenChapter 9. Philosophy under Russian Rule Chapter 10. Sects and Revolution Chapter 11. Re-Enchanting the DarknessChapter 12. Sacrificial Plotlines Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe source of tremendous power and the focus of incredible devotion, throughout history notions of beauty have been integral to social life and culture. Each age has had its own standards: a gleaming white brow during the Renaissance, the black eyebrows considered charming in the early eighteenth century, and the thin lips thought desirable by Victorians. Beauty has ensured good marriages, enabled social mobility and offered fame and notoriety, and has led women and some men to remarkable lengths in cultivating it, from the dangerous quantities of lead applied by Elizabeth I, to the women of the 1940s and ''50s, who employed face powder, lipstick and mascara to look their best during the privations of war and austerity, creating a chic appearance to which many still aspire.Table of ContentsThe Sin of Vanity The Fairy Queen Pale and Lovely Beauty and Blackmail The Actress and the Ingénue From Elegance to Expression Index

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Book SynopsisA masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from the sixteenth century to the twenty-firstTrade Review“The defiant spirit of the country is brought to life in this monumental history of the past 500 years.”—Richard Spencer, The Times (London)“No book could be more pertinent for American readers . . . Mr. Amanat searches for patterns to make [Iran’s] tumultuous history lucid to nonspecialist readers. . . His account, in all its melancholy splendor, comes to embody what the 20th-century Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad called ‘a sorrowful stroll in the garden of memories.’”—Eric Ormsby, The Wall Street Journal“For those with an interest in this pivotal and mercurial country, Abbas Amanat’s magisterial study is too important to ignore.”—Justin Marozzi, Sunday Times (London)“A majestic work that goes a long way in unraveling for an American audience the country’s enigmas and apparent contradictions.”—Ervand Abrahamian, The New York Review of Books“Amanat is a skillful narrator whose use of sources and anecdotes is illuminating. His book should be read by anyone who is curious about the history of political philosophy and ideas.”—The Economist“A fantastic book about a great country - I warmly commend it”—Dr Stephen Leah, Methodist RecorderWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 Award, sponsored by Choice"This sweeping but richly detailed text is an impressive treatment of the longue durée of Iranian history since 1501. Amanat interweaves narrative with stimulating analysis and commentary on culture, society, and politics in Iran with a skill based on deep scholarship and understanding. It is rare to find a book that will be important for both those new to Iranian studies and those already in the field: the former will find the book an invaluable starting point, and the latter will gain much from engaging with Amanat’s creative and challenging insights and arguments."—Joanna de Groot, University of York "The appearance of this comprehensive and flowing narrative history of early modern and modern Iran could not be more timely, given the deep-seated misunderstandings and prejudices that persist regarding that country. Few scholars could be as well placed to write it as Abbas Amanat, who has devoted many decades to studying Iran's history and culture. This is likely to remain a work of reference that can be appreciated by students as well as interested general readers. An impressive achievement!"—Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Distinguished Professor of History, UCLA"Lucid, readable, and erudite, Abbas Amanat's flowing narrative uses comparisons and connections with the surrounding world to reveal the dialogical and often defensive character of Iran's routes to modernity. Amanat highlights the heterogeneous groups and contending interests that shaped what he calls a 'Persianized version of modernity.' Balancing analysis of changes in political economy with the roles of public religion and the persistence of cultural traditions, this is a compelling and comprehensive conspectus of Iranian history with a magisterial command of detail."—Nile Green, University of California, Los Angeles "Iran is perhaps the most important poorly understood country in the world--too big and wealthy to ignore, too complex and dynamic to stereotype. Among this generation of historians of Iran, Abbas Amanat stands as a giant. He conveys his enormous learning in eloquent prose, retailing the country's dramatic struggles and displaying gems of its intricate and profound culture with a contagious excitement. Those who wish to understand how an early modern Silk Road monarchy transformed into a contemporary petroleum-fueled theocracy will find no more informed or captivating guide."—Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History and Director, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Michigan

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Book Synopsis''Roy Porter, a historian of formidable range, turns to urban history in this marvellously lucid, informative and passionate book... Porter''s facts are always at the service of the narrative, which has a finely maintained momentum, balancing statistics with the words of historians, diarists and novelists, poets and churchmen: Pepys, Boswell, Fielding, Walpole, Blake, Mayhew, Wells, Woolf, Spark, ... a timely and brilliant book.'' CLAIRE TOMALIN, EVENING STANDARD ''A vivid celebration of the city, but also an elegy for its decline, bubbling with statistics and anecdote, from Boadicea to Betjeman.'' RICHARD HOLMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEARTable of ContentsFormation to Reformation; Tudor London; war, plague and fire; the triumph of town - from Restoration to Regency; commercial city - 1650-1800; culture city -life under the Georges; capitalism in the capital - the Victorian age; "the contagion of numbers" - the building of the Victorian capital - 1820-1890; Bumbledom? London's politics - 1800-1890; social problems, social improvement - 1820-1890; Victorian life; "a fungus-like growth" - expansion - 1890-1945; modern growth, modern government - 1890-1945; swinging London, dangling economy - 1945-1975; Thatcher's London. Conclusion: the London Marathon.

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Book SynopsisAn absolute gem' Sunday TimesA mouthwatering history' The GuardianIn this delicious history of Britain's food traditions, Diane Purkiss invites readers on a unique journey through the centuries, exploring the development of recipes and rituals for mealtimes such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to show how food has been both a reflection of and inspiration for social continuity and change.Purkiss uses the story of food as a revelatory device to chart changing views on class, gender, and tradition through the ages. Sprinkled throughout with glorious details of historical quirks trial by ordeal of bread, a fondness for small beer' and a war-time ice-cream substitute called hokey pokey' made from parsnips this book is both an education and an entertainment.English Food explores the development of the coffee trade and the birth of London's coffee houses, where views were exchanged on politics, art, and literature. Purkiss introduces the first breeders of British beef and reveals how cattTrade Review Praise for English Food : ‘An absolute gem… English Food is a fabulous read. I devoured it with gusto… My review copy will find a permanent place on my bookshelves… a richly entertaining and enlightening social history of England… Superb’ Sunday Times, Christopher Hart ‘Every page brings astonishing revelation… acerbic, witty, opinionated and devoid of pomposity… This book is about food, but it’s more importantly about how food defines us’ The Times, Gerald DeGroot ‘A mouthwatering history… A sumptuous survey of English cuisine leaves no morsel untasted… liberally seasoned throughout with literary references, from Anglo-Saxon poetry to Michael Ondaatje… fascinating… There’s an awful lot of good stuff to get your teeth into here’ The Guardian, Felicity Cloake ‘What a delectable banquet of a book this is… This magnificently readable and engaging book (which is also very generously illustrated) sets the record straight and should whet appetites for the attentive, seasonal cooking and gamier flavours of the past’ Literary Review ‘[A] fantastic book’ Evening Standard ‘A remarkable book, scholarly, entertaining and fascinating. Purkiss is extraordinarily well read, articulate, and writes beautifully. She goes under the skirts of convention to strip bare the many presumptions that surround what we eat and why. Mandatory reading for anyone involved, however peripherally, in food and what we now refer to as the food chain. Simply a brilliant work’The Guild of Food Writers Food Book Award judges

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Book SynopsisCan you handle mornings without a brew? No? Multiply that. Imagine an entire population under a cloud of lethargy, unable to kick start their days. Now introduce coffee. Bingo. The brain moves into over-drive and it's time for empire building.So goes Stewart Lee Allen's crazy theory. Only thing is, after retracing coffee's journey to world domination - by train, rickshaw, cargo freighter and donkey - he has plenty of evidence to back it up.Stewart Lee Allen has filtered out the richest beans from coffee's hot and frothy history . . . serving up a steamy, high-energy brew that will stimulate you more than a triple-strength espresso.Trade Reviewthis is lively, interesting stuff, laced with dry wit and canny observations. * * Scotland on Sunday * *Stewart Lee Allen certainly delivers ... he cuts a caffeine-fuelled arc that runs from coffee's Ethiopian origins, through its Arabian distillation, across its European domestication, before terminating in a cross-country search for the worst cup of American coffee ... a funny book that takes some funny routes. * * The Independent * *Two parts travelogue and history to one part caffeine-fuelled theory ... From the genteel cafes of Vienna to wired, late night email conversations on the internet, the book celebrates coffee's ability to sharpen the mind and give society a jolt. Not just mocha do about nothing. * * The Face * *I loved this informal bio of the humble cup of joe... Allen's funky history provides the answer and sets the standard. * * Sunday Herald * *

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Book SynopsisFor most of western history, all sex outside marriage was illegal, with the church and state punishing any dissent. Between 1600 and 1800, this entire world-view was shattered by revolutionary new ideas - that consenting adults have the freedom to do what they like with their own bodies, and morality cannot be imposed by force. This groundbreaking book shows that the creation of this modern culture of sex - broadcasted and debated in a rapidly expanding universe of public media - was a central part of the Enlightenment, and helped create a new model of western civilization whose principles of equality, privacy and individual freedom last to this day.Trade ReviewPath-breaking ... touching ... This is a marvellously rich and thought-provoking book, written with clarity and humanity, and drawing on a huge range of materials, from sermons to pornography to social statistics -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *The Origins of Sex overturns the conventional wisdom that the sexual revolution began in the Sixties ... baby boomers will be shocked and, I suspect, a little upset -- Cosmo Landesman * Sunday Times *A revelation ... The book is not simply a finely crafted work of history, but a study that will reshape the way its readers understand the most intimate level of their lives.It may even bring some sanity to modern debates about sexuality -- Diarmaid MacCulloch[A] sumptuously rich, learned and enlightening debut ... What makes Dabhoiwala's book so gloriously enjoyable is its happy blend of provocative ideas with splendidly rich historical anecdotes ... [a] lucidly written, densely researched and thoroughly persuasive book -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *An extraordinary kind of sex book [from] one of Oxford's brightest stars. His fat tome, The Orgins of Sex, took 20 years of historical research and is garnering the kind of "magisterial" reviews that cast Dabhoiwala in the role of the younger, cuter, Simon Schama -- Helen Rumbelow * The Times *Faramerz Dabhoiwala's The Origins of Sex, an enthralling history of changing ideas about sexual freedom and desire from 1600 to 1800, interestingly blends progressivist and circular approaches. He shows us a Western world (mainly England) emerging from medieval sexual morality and enjoying 200 years of relative freedom, but he also shows it sliding back into repression and denial in the 19th century. The future remains a question mark... his book [is] inspiring as well as provocative -- Sarah Bakewell * The Independent *In The Origins of Sex, Faramerz Dabhoiwala does for the history of sexual attitudes what Lawrence Stone did for the history of sex and the family. Rigorously academic in his approach, Dabhoiwala focuses on intellectual and social currents to trace the grand sweep of sexual attitudes between 1600 and 1800. His aim "is not primarily to enter into the bedrooms and between the sheets of the past", but to examine sex as a public, rather than private, preoccupation. It needed a writer as erudite as Faramerz Dabhoiwala to knit together established theories of changes in the Enlightenment and weave in the primary sources to show how sex figures in the bigger picture. The book is packed with information and peppered with fascinating examples. It will delight students of social and sexual history, and anyone interested in the history of ideas -- Times Literary Supplement * Julie Peakman *

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Book SynopsisThe Scandinavians are regarded as Europe's most tolerant and peace-loving people. So how was it that one of the worst acts of political terror ever witnessed on this continent was committed by a Norwegian - against his fellow countrymen? Scandinavia is the epitome of cool: we fill our homes with cheap but stylish Nordic furniture; we envy their health-giving outdoor lifestyle; we glut ourselves on their crime fiction; even their strangely attractive melancholia seems to express a stoic, common-sensical acceptance of life's many vicissitudes. But how valid is this outsider's view of Scandinavia, and how accurate our picture of life in Scandinavia today? Robert Ferguson digs down through two millennia of history to tell stories of extraordinary events, people and objects - from Norwegian Death Metal to Vidkun Quisling, from Agnetha Fältskog to Greta Garbo, from Lurpak butter to the Old Norse rune stones - that richly illuminate our understanding of modern Scandinavia, its society, politics, culture and temperament.Trade ReviewA charming and enhancing yet critical guide to Scandinavia's history and society * The Times *Bringing the varied stories of the Nordic people vividly to life * Irish Times *Affectionate and at times wondering survey of this little-known collective culture * TLS *A terrific read... [It] reads like many 19th-century travel books, which also combined wonderful narrative description with bright speculation... It's this approach that makes the book so thoroughly enjoyable' * Literary Review *A fascinating blend of social commentary and cultural analysis... Scandinavians asks a lot of very interesting questions' * The Big Issue *A leisurely and digressive account, full of personality... When Ferguson quotes from a Norwegian novel: "History isn't always what you think it was," it's a summary of his own impressive book' * All About Health *Aside from its stated aim of examining Scandinavian identity, this is a handy introduction to the history of a region which [...] we know nothing about * Sunday Herald *Discursive, meandering, sometimes beautifully written, it presents a historical narrative punctuated by reminiscences, conversations retold, snatches of autobiography, fragments of biography and stories added, one suspects, solely for their strangeness * Wall Street Journal *

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Book Synopsis'Fascinating... A vivid account' - Philippa Gregory, The TimesIn the mid-seventeenth century, England was divided by Civil War, but inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. Lady Ann Fanshawe's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war, which left few doctors to be found. And so Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper contained everything from lifesaving remedies to recipes for hot chocolate.Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears - and buries - children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly illuminates the life and times of an English woman's Civil War.Trade ReviewFascinating... A vivid account. -- Philippa Gregory * The Times *Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment. -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * Sunday Times *An enchanting, idiosyncratic Tardis of a book, peppered with good humour * Daily Telegraph *A lively, affecting account of one family's fortunes in a world turned upside down. * Spectator *Charming and original. * Literary Review *With enormous skill, and in matchless prose, Lucy Moore brings back to life one of those Royalist women whose husbands suffered terribly for the King, while they were left at home to get on with the trying business of being wives, mothers, and heads of household in an age beset with turbulence, and fear. * Charles Spencer, author of KILLERS OF THE KING *Ann Fanshawe was an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times. This wonderful book has at its heart her experiences as daughter, wife and mother during the Civil War, and is as dramatic and touching a story as anything in fiction. Her attempts to hold her family together in such turbulent times are brilliantly chronicled by Lucy Moore, who has written an unfailingly sympathetic account of the human cost of conflict, and the everyday resilience and bravery of those caught up in it. * Janice Hadlow, author of THE STRANGEST FAMILY *An erudite, beautifully written and completely original contribution to the history of the civil war. Lucy Moore is a most worthy biographer of one of the most fascinating women of the 17th century. * Katie Hickman, author of DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA *Vividly brings to life an ordinary woman living in extraordinary times. Rich in fascinating detail, it sets Lady Fanshawe's story of love and loss, family and friendships, against one of the most turbulent periods of our history. Highly recommended. * Tracy Borman, author of THE PRIVATE LIVES OF THE TUDORS *

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Book SynopsisIn 1882, a letter was published in the Irish Times, lamenting the decline of hurling. The game was now played only in a few isolated rural pockets, and according to no fixed set of rules. It would have been absurd to imagine that, within five years, an all-Ireland hurling championship would be underway, under the auspices of a powerful national organization.The Hurlers is a superbly readable account of that dramatic turn of events, of the colourful men who made it happen, and of the political intrigues and violent rows that marked the early years of the GAA. From the very start, republican and ecclesiastical interests jockeyed for control, along with a small core of enthusiasts who were just in it for the sport. In this authoritative and seriously entertaning book, Paul Rouse shows how sport, culture and politics swirled together in a heady, often chaotic mix.''Fascinating ... a brilliantly researched book on hurling in the early years of the GAA'' MTrade ReviewFascinating ... a brilliantly researched book on hurling in the early years of the GAA * Martin Breheny, Irish Independent *I heartily recommend it. Great picture of the emergence of modern Ireland amidst sport, nationalism, priests and assorted crazy hotheads ... Brilliant stuff * Dara Ó Briain *A story of pioneerism, passion, intrigue, skulduggery and commitment ... a must read for the many sports, and particularly hurling, supporters and admirers in today's version of Ireland * Irish Times *Brilliantly entertaining ... not just the gripping account of that first championship, but also of how the game of hurling itself was saved in the 1880s from what seemed certain extinction * Sunday Independent *Terrific -- Kieran Shannon * Irish Examiner *Both a sports and a history book, full of wonderful stories from a different time, with tales of passion, skullduggery and controversy, played out against the backdrop of what could be described as a civil war within the GAA and a land war that threatened to rip the country apart * RTE Culture *A brilliant piece of work * Matt Cooper *Can't recommend this enough. Amazing detail, brilliant story telling, full sweep of Irish life in the 1880's and all the seeds and fault lines of GAA life today brought to life * Ger Gilroy *Fascinating -- Frank McNally * Irish Times *Superb -- Jack Anderson * Irish Examiner *A page turner that continues to deliver chapter after chapter ... The Hurlers is a must read * Limerick Leader *A superbly readable account ... an authoritative and seriously entertaining book * Ireland's Own *Marries forensic historical research of the cultural and political contexts for the emergence of modern hurling with a polished style and storytelling ability that is rare among historians -- Diarmaid Ferriter * Irish Times Books of the Year *The perfect read for a brilliant hurling year -- Caitriona Lally * Irish Independent Top Books of 2018 *Brilliant -- Denis Walsh * Sunday Times *A vital look into the early years of the GAA and a perfect gift for both sport and history lovers -- Mark Gallagher * Mail on Sunday Books of 2018 *Marvellous ... the definitive account of this remarkable period when hurling came to life * Clonmel Nationalist *Flows along far more merrily and lightly than any history book has a right to and is especially enlightening when it comes to drawing the founding fathers Michael Cusack and Maurice Davin -- Malachy Clerkin * Irish Times, Sports Books of 2018 *Brilliant -- Kenny Archer * Irish News *

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Book SynopsisHow often does a visitor to Rome drift towards some landmark and wonder who created it? Why? What was their story? This fascinating book provides the answers. At once a history and a guide, it divides Rome into the districts dominated by the fabulously rich families of the Popes: the Colonna, della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, Barberini and others. In each case we learn their story - powerful, bloody and vivid - with all the scandals and intrigues as well as their relationships with artists like Bernini and Michelangelo. As we stroll through Rome's history - either literally or in the imagination - we discover it afresh. Famous sites like the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and St Peter's take on new significance as we watch the city rise from cramped medieval streets to become a glorious panorama of piazzas and palaces, fountains, towers and domes.Trade Review[An] intriguing and original book...even the armchair tourist can benefit -- Tim Blanning * Sunday Telegraph *Elegant and informative...an entertaining mix of travelogue and history...we flit agreeably through the chequered history of the papacy -- Charles Nicholl * Sunday Times *Anthony Majanlahti wears his scholarship lightly and tempers his enthusiasm with humour; he has a thousand tales to tell... Enormously entertaining * Times Literary Supplement *Marvellous... For anyone interested in delving further into one of the world's most beautiful and extraordinary cities, this is essential reading * Tablet *Fascinating... A fine account of a decadent age and place * RA Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFrom 1950 to 1962, John Richardson lived near Picasso in France and was a friend of the artist. With a view to writing a biography, the acclaimed art historian kept a diary of their meetings. After Picasso's death, his widow Jacqueline collaborated in the preparation of this work, giving Richardson access to Picasso's studio and papers. Volume one of this extraordinary biography establishes the complexity of Picasso's Spanish roots; his aversion to his native Malaga and his passion for Barcelona and Catalan "modernisme". Richardson introduces new material on the artist's early training in religious art; re-examines old legends to provide fresh insights into the artistic failures of Picasso's father as an impetus to his sons's triumphs; and includes portraits of Apollinaire, Max Jacob and Gertrude Stein, who made up "The Picasso Gang" in Paris during the "Blue" and "Rose" periods.Trade ReviewRichardson, it hardly needs repeating, is steeped in Picasso and his life (his own friendship with Picasso is the tacit bedrock of this biography) but the arguments he makes are always precise and cogent, never blithely assertive. -- William Boyd * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisSince its first publication in 1984, Night Falls in Ardnamurchan has become a classic account of the life and death of a Highland community. The author weaves his own humorous and perceptive account of crofting with extracts from his father's journal - a terse, factual and down to earth vision of the day-to-day tasks of crofting life. It is an unusual and memorable story that also illuminates the shifting, often tortuous relationships between children and their parents. Alasdair Maclean reveals his own struggle to come to terms with his background and the isolated community he left so often and to which he returned again and again. In this isolated community is seen a microcosm of something central to Scottish identity - the need to escape against the tug of home.Trade Review'Funny, moving, and full of intriguing factual knowledge' * Scots Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'There have always been lighthouses in my life. There has been a closeness and steadiness to our relationship, as if they have kept pace and in close contact with me.' Lighthouses punctuate Scotland’s coastline – a stoic presence on the edge of the landscape. Since the earliest of these hardy structures were raised, they have been a lifeline for seafarers at the mercy of treacherous weather and uncertain navigation. Today over 100 of Scotland's lighthouses are listed buildings. The lighthouse is now one of many maritime resources which act ‘for the safety of all’. But we are still drawn to the solitary life of the keeper, the beauty of the lens of the lamp and the calm reassurance of a flashing light on a distant shore. Donald S Murray explores Scotland’s lighthouses through history, storytelling and the voices of the lightkeepers. From ancient beacons to the work of the Stevensons and the Northern Lighthouse Board, and from wartime strife to automation and preservation, the lighthouses stand as a testament to the nation’s innate connection to the sea. Published in partnership between Historic Environment Scotland and the Northern Lighthouse Board.Trade Review'illuminates a deep and powerful regard' * Scotland on Sunday *'a beautiful and insightful book' ***** * Scottish Field *'There is no doubt the author has hit upon a rich seam of lighthouse lore in this, his latest, and to my mind his best, work' * Stornoway Gazette *'a compilation of fascinating essays on a rich theme' * West Highland Free Press *'beautifully written and wonderfully illustrated' * Undiscovered Scotland *

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Book SynopsisINSIDE IRAN'S NEW REVOLUTIONI've stopped pulling up my scarf to cover my hair when I pass by the guards. I know that nothing can stop one of them from raising his gun and targeting me. But this is for the greater good.Following the death of Mahsa-Jina Amini in September 2022, the angry cries of the Iranian people have rung out in the streets. Citizens of all ages and backgrounds come together to call for an end to the regime's injustice, violence and repression, chanting 'Woman, life, freedom'.The current protests are the most widespread and important the country has seen since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. But they are also part of a long struggle for women's rights in Iran. In this incisive, moving narrative, an anonymous Iranian woman describes her daily activism in the streets of Tehran, and shows it to be part of a long and powerful tradition of female resistance.Translated by Poupeh Missaghi.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the André Simon Food & Drink Book AwardAn intoxicating interconnected history of booze and medicine, from one of the world's foremost cocktail writers.Consider the Negroni. The bittersweet cocktail dating to the early 1900s is made of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. Gin takes its name and flavour from the juniper tree, which medieval doctors burned to ward off bubonic plague and other miasmas. Vermouth' comes from the German word for wormwood, a herb famous for its ability to rid the body of intestinal parasites. Campari is a brand of liqueur dating to 1860 with a secret recipe probably containing gentian (effective against indigestion) and rhubarb root (used as a laxative). The perfect cocktail of curative ingredients is now self-prescribed as an aperitif.The intertwined stories of medicine and alcohol stretch back to the ancient world, and involve alchemy, madness and monks, not to mention microbiology, biochemistry and germ theory. Now, in The Perfect ToTrade Review'In the last decade and a half, few people have documented or contributed more to the growth of cocktail culture than Camper English' Bartender Atlas ‘At last, a definitive guide to the medicinal origins of every bottle behind the bar! From prehistoric beer to exotic French liqueurs, a swig of alcohol has always served as tonic and treatment. With a cocktail nerd’s love of obscure ingredients and a passion for odd historical details, Camper English illuminates the murky, confounding, and even grotesque history of booze as medicine. This is the cocktail book of the year, if not the decade.’ Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist ‘A cheerfully informative highlights tour — the literary equivalent of a bowl of tasty bar snacks to consume between sips of social history … English’s inclusion of previous pandemic practices gives [The Perfect Tonic] an extra dose of insight into human nature.’ New York Times Book Review ‘A rollicking, quirky story’ Washington Post ‘With immense wit and charm, author Camper English traces millennia to explore how civilizations used fermented and distilled beverages to do everything from hydrating the workforce to fending off the Black Death. English takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to his subject matter, resulting in wildly compelling stories, such as how Buckfast, a tonic wine created by monks to treat colds and influenza, became the “U.K.'s version of Four Loko”. It is every bit as entertaining as it is educational.’ Scientific American ‘Camper English’s exploration of the medicinal history of libations is jam-packed with factoids about the history of distilling and medicine and arranged in thematic and roughly chronological order. The writing is lively and accessible, easily enjoyed by a medical anthropologist, home mixologist, or seasoned bartender.’ Science Magazine

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Book SynopsisMarking the centenary of Yeats's Nobel Prize, a timely guide to the work of Ireland's national poet and the changing Ireland he lived through.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A New Statesman Essential Non-Fiction Book of 2021""Winner of the PROSE Award in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Association of American Publishers""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[A] superb new history of infectious disease. Be so grateful you live now!"---David Frum"Magisterial. . . . [Harper’s] mastery of the science is only matched by the ease of his prose. If I were to nominate a book of the year, it would be this one."---Andrew Sullivan, The Dishcast"[A] sweeping masterpiece. . . . It’s difficult for me to think of anyone who will not find something eye-opening and enlightening in the pages of this comprehensive, beautifully written and eloquent book." * Forbes *"Plagues upon the Earth is a remarkable achievement."---Talha Burki, The Lancet"This magnificent book stood out as much for its nuance and academic rigour as it did for its readability." * Inquisitive Biologist *"An ambitious, engaging, and unified history of humanity’s interaction with infectious disease."---Gregory J. Morgan, Science"By integrating history, demography, economics, evolutionary biology and genomics into a seamless narrative, [Harper] does something that I, for one, have never seen before done so eloquently or persuasively: he demonstrates that any thorough understanding of health requires the kind of sweeping perspective that the humanities offers."---Steve Mintz, Inside Higher Ed"Comprehensive."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"A remarkable accomplishment that weaves together microbiology, history, and economics to understand the role of diseases in shaping human history. Harper, an established historian known for his first three books on Rome and late antiquity, has an impressive command of virology, bacteriology, and parasitology as well as history and economics. In 'Plagues Upon the Earth.' he explains all of these clearly and with many arresting turns of phrase and insights."---Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution"Well-conceived. … [Kyle] Harper combs through the literature of history, economics, epidemiology, and other disciplines to deliver a solid study of the role of infectious disease in the human story. ... Harper’s long-view study is a welcome addition to the spate of recent books on epidemic disease." * Kirkus Reviews *"This is a solid book, superbly referenced and interdisciplinary, covering disease from pre-human origins to the present, and making extensive use of published DNA comparisons and descriptions of plagues by historical observers." * Choice *"Completing the reading of this book leaves one with more than a feeling of satisfaction. Admiration for a major task that was written in an engaging style that retains a facile elegance throughout its 700 pages, that presents comprehensive and detailed information as though it were the sort of material that readers come across every day, is what one might not expect, but welcomes, in a serious work of this size."---Ian Lipke, Queensland Reviewers Collective"This timely work is the book of extraordinary brilliance and scope and the most significant in the field since William McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples from the mid-1970s."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"Magisterial." * Prospect *"Plagues Upon the Earth is a highly provoking and enjoyable read. It shows that our success as a species is equally paralleled to the success of pathogens"---Makayla Alderson Fox, World History Encyclopedia

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Book SynopsisShi Naseer grew up in China under the one-child policy before immigrating to Australia as a teenager and subsequently earning a master's in mathematics from Cambridge University and PhD in black-hole physics from Harvard University. She currently divides her time between Connecticut and Pakistan, and lives with her husband and son.

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Book SynopsisFrom government ministers and spies to activists, drag queens and celebrities, Odd men out charts the tumultuous history of gay men in 1950s and 60s Britain. It takes us from the earliest tentative steps towards decriminalisation to the liberation movement of the early 1970s. Along the way, it catalogues shocking repression, including laws against homosexual activity and the use of brutal medical ‘treatments’. Odd men out draws on medical data and opinion polls, broadcast recordings, theatrical productions, and extensive interviews with key players, as well as an in-depth analysis of the Wolfenden Report and the circumstances surrounding its creation. It brings to life pivotal moments in gay mens’ cultural representation, ranging across the West End and emerging writers like Joe Orton, the British film industry, the BBC, national newspapers, fashion catalogues and music magazines. Celebrating the joy of gay lives as well as the hardships, Odd men out preserves the voices of a disappearing generation who revolutionised what it meant to be a gay man in twentieth-century Britain.Trade Review'John-Pierre Joyce admirably describes the oppression from which we were so narrowly rescued and the courageous and unflagging determination that made the present dispensation possible. Let us take good note of the past and learn its lessons, lest we be condemned to repeat it.'Simon Callow CBE'The brutal truth about an era of persecution, setbacks and triumphs, as told through the personal stories of tormentors, campaigners, victims and survivors. Compelling and moving. An often heartbreaking but very necessary illumination of a dark period of modern British history.'Peter Tatchell 'Rigorously researched and detailed ... accessible and engaging ... a fantastically detailed account of this period and a treasure trove of information ... impressive.'Professor Brian Lewis, McGill University'Beautifully written ... kept me riveted ... fascinating illustrative detail ... a model of clarity.'Professor Matthew Cook, Birkbeck University of London -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction by Simon CallowForeword by Lord Taverne1 Huntleys2 The doctrine of Saint Wolfenden3 The germ inside4 A huge homosexual kingdom5 Do I look like a bloody pansy?6 A wind of change7 It’s legal nowAfterword by Nicholas WrightSelected bibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'The Singularity' is what Silicon Valley calls the idea that, eventually, we will be overrun by machines that are able to take decisions and act for themselves. What no one says is that it happened before. A few hundred years ago, humans started building the robots that now rule our world. They are called states and corporations: immensely powerful artificial entities, with capacities that go far beyond what any individual can do, and which, unlike us, need never die. They have made us richer, safer and healthier than would have seemed possible even a few generations ago - and they may yet destroy us. The Handover distils over three hundred years of thinking about how to live with artificial agency.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for HistoryThe unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman''s fight for justice--and reparations Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood''s employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi and never forgetting who had put her in this position. By 1869, Wood had obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages in 1870. Astonishingly, after eight years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amount, though the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery, was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the case was decided, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood''s son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she went on to live until 1912. McDaniel''s book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and who achieved more than merely a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all, Sweet Taste of Liberty is a portrait of an extraordinary individual as well as a searing reminder of the lessons of her story, which establish beyond question the connections between slavery and the prison system that rose in its place.Trade ReviewThe reader not only follows the fascinating narrative of a woman who lost her freedom, but also learns of the intricacies of slavery in a border state like Kentucky, the pain of separation from loved ones, and the ordeals of being sold "down the river," surviving on a large cotton plantation, and being an enslaved refugee in Texas during the Civil War... It is an enlightening account from the point of view of an enslaved woman about the arduous trip — and the subsequent years — that many enslaved people were forced to endure by their masters to avoid their being liberated by Union armies... [McDaniel] has turned these into a captivating account of this period, revealing how the legal and economic aspects of the institution of slavery interacted in very personal and human ways with those who were kept enslaved. * Angela Boswell, Professor of History at Henderson State University, Southwestern Historical Quarterly *As a whole, Sweet Taste of Liberty is the fruit of excellent scholarship and a timely and significant addition to the field of U.S. racial history. * Ken Chujo, J.F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, The Journal of Southern History *In this gripping study, Rice University historian McDaniel recounts the painful but triumphant story of one enslaved woman's long fight for justice... McDaniel tells this story engrossingly and accessibly. This is a valuable contribution to Reconstruction history with clear relevance to current debates about reparations for slavery. * Publishers Weekly *Sweet Taste of Liberty is a masterpiece. Using an extraordinary archival discovery, McDaniel expertly weaves a compelling, fine-grained narrative of the extraordinary life of Henrietta Wood. . . . But this is not simply a biography. It also a work of profound analysis, layered with McDaniel's deep knowledge of slavery, emancipation, and the law. The book raises the most profound questions about slavery, reparations, and the debt that the United States owes to the people whose unfree labor constructed a great deal of that nation. * Gregory P. Downs, author of The Second American Revolution: The Civil War-Era Struggle over Cuba and the Rebirth of the American Republic *As America grapples with reparations for slavery, Caleb McDaniel unearths the astounding story of a woman who survived bondage, twice, and fought for restitution against impossible odds. In lucid and vivid prose, he brings us a chilling, inspiring, and timely examination of both the necessity and complexity of redressing historical crimes. * Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic and Spying on the South *Henrietta Wood's quest to be made whole by seeking reparations from the man who kidnapped and re-enslaved her is a heart-tugging page-turner. With fidelity to the historical record and insight into the emotions that run through it, Caleb McDaniel's Sweet Taste of Liberty tells how enslaved women lived along the jagged lines that divided house and field, city and countryside, North and South, and slavery and freedom. Her triumph is a tribute to one woman's persistence, courage, legal savvy, and an enduring devotion to family-its lessons for us are timeless. * Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Johns Hopkins University, author of Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America *McDaniel renders an enthralling biography of a determined, resilient woman... A well-researched, well-told story that also contributes to the debate about reparations." * Library Journal *Sweet Taste of Liberty is a profound book that could not have been released at a better time... It is an account brimming with as much bittersweetness as it does hope." * ZORA *[A] superbly written chronicle . . . . rich with vivid personalities and unexpected turns." * Wall Street Journal *Through painstaking archival research, Bell and McDaniel have reconstructed their lives with such vivid detail, sensitivity, and riveting storytelling that you would think each of their figures left us whole autobiographies. For the simple act of recovering their stories, both books would be commendable. But what makes them essential reading is the larger questions they demand of us as readers: What exactly was the condition under which un-enslaved black people lived before emancipation * and what is it that they and their descendants are owed?The New Republic *W. Caleb McDaniel tells a breathless tale with an ominously dark feel through many of its pages, because the monsters here were real. Yes, it's a complicated tale that races from north to south, but the righteous audacity that ultimately occurred in Ohio in 1870 makes it worthwhile, fist-pumping, and satisfying. Historians, of course, will want Sweet Taste of Liberty. Feminists shouldn't miss it. Folks with an opinion on reparations should find it. All of you will want to take it home. * Miami Times *A deeply rich story... This beautifully written book is a must read. * Civil War Monitor *Sweet Taste of Liberty uses the past to show how the open wounds of slavery still exist. * The Advocate *Researchers, leisurely readers and those in the general public looking to be more informed about the history of slavery and reparations in this country, would be hard-pressed not to find this book compelling. It is a story that deserves to be heard and a conversation that needs to be had. * Bowling Green Daily News *A book that single-handedly proves that new American heroes can be found in the obscured corners of this country's history. * Bowery Boys, American History Book of the Year 2020 *Table of ContentsPrologue Part I - The Worst Slave of Them All Chapter 1: The Crossing Chapter 2: Touseytown Chapter 3: Down River Chapter 4: Ward's Return Chapter 5: Cincinnati Chapter 6: The Plan Chapter 7: The Flight Part II - Forks of the Road Chapter 8: Raising a Muss Chapter 9: Wood versus Ward Chapter 10: The Keeper Chapter 11: Natchez Chapter 12: Brandon Hall Chapter 13: Versailles Chapter 14: Revolution Chapter 15: The March Part III - The Return of Henrietta Wood Chapter 16: Arthur Chapter 17: Robertson County Chapter 18: Dawn and Doom Chapter 19: Nashville Chapter 20: A Rather Interesting Case Chapter 21: Story of a Slave Chapter 22: The Verdict Epilogue Acknowledgements Appendix: An Essay on Sources Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn What’s the Use? Sara Ahmed continues the work she began in The Promise of Happiness and Willful Subjects by taking up a single word—in this case, use—and following it around. She shows how use became associated with life and strength in nineteenth-century biological and social thought and considers how utilitarianism offered a set of educational techniques for shaping individuals by directing them toward useful ends. Ahmed also explores how spaces become restricted to some uses and users, with specific reference to universities. She notes, however, the potential for queer use: how things can be used in ways that were not intended or by those for whom they were not intended. Ahmed posits queer use as a way of reanimating the project of diversity work as the ordinary and painstaking task of opening up institutions to those who have historically been excluded.Trade Review“In this close reading of use, Sara Ahmed leads the reader from object to object at a pace that moves with the deliberateness of a philosopher and the grace of a literary scholar. With this and other books, Ahmed has established herself as one of the most important feminist thinkers in the world.” -- Rosemarie Garland-Thomson“With characteristic verve and force, Sara Ahmed explores the uses of use. More than a history of an idea and much more than a philosophical investigation of use and value, Ahmed’s book teaches us how to locate use, usefulness, used-upness, used objects, and useful and useless knowledge in relation to time, space, queerness, and more. Read this book; you need it, and more importantly, you will use it. It is useful and useless in equal proportion and compelling precisely because of its mixed-use value. Before you know it, you will get used to use and you will carry it with you always.” -- Jack Halberstam“How lucky we are that feminist killjoy Sara Ahmed takes us on her learned, witty, and insightful journey. With her evocative exasperation at the state of affairs with regard to the (im)possibilities of diversity work and complaint, she dismantles the sexist and racist structures of the modern university. Now as a courageous, independent scholar, Ahmed continues to shine her characteristic phenomenological lights on walls and doors and more. She is still here; she refused to get used to it!” -- Gloria Wekker"By crafting different routes, travelling lesser-known paths, and finding alternate ways of telling stories about use, Ahmed invites her readers to see the world from these non-normative subject positions and to rethink and reshape their own worldviews in the process." -- Sohel Sarkar * AC Review of Books *"A well-written, engaging text. Highly recommended. All readership levels." -- C. R. McCall * Choice *"Ahmed sought to write a text that intervenes in the everyday, that elevates a threadbare backpack to a place of unbound theoretical play. And she has done so. Although some readers may find themselves frustrated by Ahmed’s deflections of tangible directive, that seems to be precisely the point. Accessible and innovative, What’s the Use? will be of serious interest to activists, artists, and academics working at the intersections of queer and critical race studies." -- Caitlin Mackenzie * QED *“Ahmed follows an unexpected and fascinating pathway through the history of use, one that brings together scientific theories, institutional histories, and everyday life.... Ahmed’s explorations are animated by a spirit of reinvention that challenges both the conventions of philosophical practice and the taken-for-granted boundaries of feminist thought.” -- Eden Kinkaid * Feminist Formations *"What’s the Use? combines an intellectual history and a philosophical exploration of the concept of use with ethnographies and personal reflections on institutional diversity work. . . . Ahmed’s paradoxical undertaking reveals one must first subvert institutional diversity practices, in order to truly diversify an institution." -- Velina Manolova * Public Books *“What’s the Use? is a rigorous book with power.... Ahmed’s book wields theory in the right way.... I came away from What’s the Use? feeling equipped with new knowledge and ready to use it.” -- Minhae Shim Roth * Continuum *"Ahmed’s book is an interdisciplinary treasure for scholars that contributes to diverse strands of thought including women’s studies, decolonial studies, disability studies, and queer studies. Furthermore, the 'queer and idiosyncratic' method of the book (19) offers rich resources for 'troublemakers,' student organizers, feminist collectives, and human rights advocates." -- Pallavi Gupta * International Feminist Journal of Politics *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xiii Introduction. A Useful Archive 1 1. Using Things 21 2. The Biology of Use and Disuse 68 3. Use as Technique 103 4. Use and the University 141 Conclusion. Queer Use 197 Notes 231 References 257 Index 271

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Book SynopsisFully updated and revised, Donald Rumbelow’s classic work is the ultimate examination of the facts, theories, fictions and fascinations surrounding the greatest whodunit in history.The Complete Jack the Ripper lays out all the evidence in the most comprehensive summary ever written about the Ripper.

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Book SynopsisBANDITS is a study of the social bandit or bandit-rebel - robbers and outlaws who are not regarded by public opinion as simple criminals, but rather as champions of social justice, as avengers or as primitive resistance fighters. Whether Balkan haiduks, Indian dacoits or Brazilian congaceiros, their spectacular exploits have been celebrated and preserved in story and myth. Some are only know to their fellow countrymen; others like Rob Roy, Robin Hood and Jesse James are famous throughout the world. First published in 1969, Bandits inspired a new field of historical study: bandit history. This substantially extended and revised new edition appears at a time when the disintegration of state power has reintroduced fertile conditions for banditry once again to flourish in many parts of the world.Trade ReviewAn utterly fascinating book * NEW YORKER *A dazzling historical squib, fizzing with ideas and strange stories * GUARDIAN *A wise as well as an exciting book, a very valuable addition to the history of mentalities and to that of popular protest ... this is human history at its very best * TLS *In an age of narrow specialists, Eric Hobsbawm remains the supreme generalist ... for sheer intelligence he has no superior in the historical profession * Sir Keith Thomas *

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Book SynopsisThe highly praised biography of an archetypal great house and the family who lived there for over 250 years.The Big House' is the biography of a great country house and the lives of the Sykes family who lived there, with varying fates, for the next two hundred and fifty years. It is a fascinating social history set against the backdrop of a changing England, with a highly individual, pugnacious and self-determining cast, including: Old Tat' Sykes, said to be one of the great sights of Yorkshire (the author's great-great-great-grandfather), who wore 18th-century dress to the day of his death at ninety-one in 1861. His son was similarly eccentric, wearing eight coats that he discarded gradually throughout the day in order to keep his body temperature at a constant. He was forced to marry, aged forty-eight, eighteen-year-old Jessica Cavendish-Bentick a lively and highly intelligent woman who relieved the boredom of her marriage by acquiring a string of lovers, writing novels and throwingTrade Review‘An unusually entertaining, instructive and engaging book… this book is a treat.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A meticulously researched labour of love.’ Daily Mail ‘Romantic, accessible and absorbing…I cared passionately for every one of these people and wanted the book to continue indefinitely.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Witty, absorbing and touching…a splendid book.’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA Times and Sunday Times Best Book of 2020Radical Wordsworth deserves to take its place as the finest modern introduction to his work, life and impact' Financial TimesRichly repays reading It is hard to think of another poet who has changed our world so much' Sunday TimesA dazzling new biography of Wordsworth's radical life as a thinker and poetical innovator, published to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.William Wordsworth wrote the first great poetic autobiography. We owe to him the idea that places of outstanding natural beauty should become what he called a sort of national property'. He changed forever the way we think about childhood, about the sense of the self, about our connection to the natural environment, and about the purpose of poetry.He was born among the mountains of the English Lake District. He walked into the French Revolution, had a love affair and an illegitimate child, before witnessing horrific violence in Paris. His friendship with Samuel Taylor ColeridgTrade Review Shortlisted for Lakeland Book of the Year 2021 ‘An entertaining biography … Excellent, intellectually rousing’The Times ‘This new book, like everything Bate writes, richly repays reading … He is illuminating on the sources of Wordsworth’s nature worship … He carefully and persuasively re-examines the effects of the revolution on Wordsworth … Bate shows that it was Wordsworth who inspired the founders of the National Trust … It is hard to think of another poet who has changed our world so much’Sunday Times ‘A bold and bracing account, masterful with its material, patiently brilliant in reading the poems, and gloriously convincing about its subject’s social significance’Daily Telegraph ‘Bate’s stirring biography … is neither rushed nor reductive. It is full of sharp anecdotes that evoke the lives of the Wordsworths … Bate is able to set the poetry amid the personal’Spectator ‘A pacy writer and doesn’t pull his punches when it comes to Wordsworth’s later poetry … When he was at his best, Bate says, his poems were as powerful as any since Shakespeare and they ‘uphold and feed’ the spirit of anyone who reads them’ Daily Mail ‘As when a conservator carefully swabs away from an oil painting the crusty accretions and gunk of ages to reveal shining colours and unexpected detail – so Jonathan Bate sets about the youthful Wordsworth, and shows us, page by page, just how world-changing he really was … With wonderful elan, close reading and detective work, Bate blows the chalk-dust away’ Kathleen Jamie,New Statesman ‘Bate is a supremely capable guide, steeped in the poet’s work and milieu … Radical Wordsworth deserves to take its place as the finest modern introduction to his work, life and impact’ Financial Times ‘[A] marvellous new biography of Wordsworth … Exhilarating … his inspiriting fleet-footed book …embroiders together life, poetry and landscape with such dexterity’Observer

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Book SynopsisA wonderfully quixotic, charming and surprisingly uplifting travelogue which sees Jack Cooke, author of the much-lovedThe Treeclimbers Guide, drive around the British Isles in a clapped-out forty-year old hearse in search of famous and not so famous tombs, graves and burial sites.Along the way, he launches a daredevil trespass into Highgate Cemetery at night, stumbles across the remains of the Welsh Druid who popularised cremation and has time to sit and ponder the imponderables at the graveside of the Lady of Hoy, an 18thcentury suicide victim whose body was kept in near condition by the bog in which she was buried. A truly unique, beautifully written and wonderfully imagined book.Trade Review‘An entertaining and strangely cheering read… full of fascinating stories’ – Country Life ‘A unique insight into Britain’s landscape’ – The Observer , '…utterly compelling – The Oldie Magazine ‘If a younger, more upbeat Bill Bryson was happy to travel Britain while using a hearse as a mobile home, this is the kind of book we’d get.’ – Reader review ‘Who’d have thought a trip in a hearse would be so enjoyable?’ – Reader review ‘A fantastic read for anyone who has loved spending a while looking through old graveyards and soaking up all the history within.’ – Reader review

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Book SynopsisAn elegant, densely textured work, like a tapestry A welcome contribution to polar studies.' Sara Wheeler, Spectator[MacInness] handles the whole thing with masterly skilltakes us to the heart of the hope, love, anguish and grief' The TimesThe men of Captain Scott's Polar Party were heroes of their age, enduring tremendous hardships to further the reputation of the Empire they served by reaching the South Pole. But they were also husbands, fathers, sons and brothers.For the first time, the story of the race for the South Pole is told from the perspective of the women whose lives would be forever changed by it, five women who offer a window into a lost age and a revealing insight into the thoughts and feelings of the five heroes.Kathleen Scott, the fierce young wife of the expedition leader, campaigned relentlessly for Scott's reputation, but did her ambition for glory drive her husband to take unnecessary risks? Oriana Wilson, a true help-mate and partner to the expedition's doctor, wTrade Review‘A captivating, heartrending, emotionally exhausting, beautifully crafted bloody brilliant book’ Ben Tarring ‘I am reading it with fascination. It’s magnificent. [MacInnes has] an almost supernatural ability to conjure up the past.’ Sue Limb: co-author of Captain Oates: Soldier and Explorer 'The story of the five women waiting at home for Captain Scott and his doomed polar party is naturally occluded in tragedy. In this engaging book Katherine MacInnes for the first time presents them – two mothers at the outset, and three wives – as distinct individuals, separated one from the other by class, education, faith and temperament …An elegant, densely textured work, like a tapestry … A welcome contribution to polar studies.’ Sara Wheeler, Spectator ‘[MacInness] handles the whole thing with masterly skill…takes us to the heart of the hope, love, anguish and grief’ Ysenda Maxtone Graham, The Times ‘A breathless parallel narrative, flipping from the Antarctic horrors to the worried women keeping calm and carrying on … Mesmerising … Movingly done’ Kate Green, Country Life '[MacInnes] relies … deftly on photographs, from which she derives many of her descriptions of precise moments. It is fascinating and impressive to have her prose bring these images to life, as she plausibly recaptures the moments they depict … She show[s] that history in the making is not only experienced but felt, poignantly and painfully.' Stephanie Barczewski, TLS ‘Combining historical research, including access to family archives, with a vivid storytelling style, author Katherine MacInnes presents … the public and private fallout of the tragedy, which reveals much about society at the time. In doing so she presents a fresh and fascinating perspective on a well-worn story, as well as a window onto a lost world.’ This England magazine 'A truly gripping, original and refreshing angle on the history of polar exploration' The Bay magazine ‘Superb’ Bute Museum

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Book SynopsisA TELEGRAPH BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023A highly imaginative and thought-provoking way of exploring the personality of a man who, like him or loathe him, left an indelible mark on our age' ADAM ZAMOYSKIWinston Churchill followed his own star. He yearned to be great', to gain historical immortality. And he did so through deeds and words: his actions as a soldier and politician, gilded by his writings as a journalist and historian. But Churchill's path to greatness was also defined by the leaders he encountered along the way friends and foes, at home and abroad. Men of power such as Hitler and Mussolini, Roosevelt and Stalin, David Lloyd George, Neville Chamberlain and Charles de Gaulle. And the haunting presence of the adored father who had seen nothing of merit in his troublesome son. In these men Churchill discerned greatness, or its absence, in ways that influenced his own career.This book includes some whom Churchill would not have deemed great', but who in our own day offer alternaTrade Review A TELEGRAPH BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 ‘This book, by a Cambridge academic who has studied his subject over a lifetime perhaps more closely and shrewdly than any other writer, is not a collection of Churchill’s biggest clangers. Instead, it is almost a second volume that Churchill himself never wrote, of his 1937 Great Contemporaries…always shrewd and sometimes brilliant…It includes wonderful anecdotes, some unfamiliar. Even the stories that we know bear retelling’ The Times, Max Hastings ‘A brilliant new portrait of the man who is, for many, still the Greatest Briton … wonderfully illuminating’ Daily Mail ‘A highly imaginative and thought-provoking way of exploring the personality of a man who, like him or loathe him, left an indelible mark on our age’ Adam Zamoyski ‘Winston Churchill was unique—but that does not mean that he was alone. David Reynolds’ insightful work illuminates much about those towering figures who shaped not only the politics of the first half of the twentieth century, but also helped form the man who was, in the end, the greatest of them all’ Eliot A. Cohen, author of The Hollow Crown 'Erudite. Authoritative. Compellingly written, and with pace and verve. Reynolds reveals much that is new in a gripping narrative history of the Great Man, one that will have you turning the pages into the early hours. It certainly did me. Like all good books, I shall return to this again and again’ Damien Lewis ‘Who inspired Churchill as he rose to the pinnacle of power? And how did he himself seek to mold how history would view him? No one is better placed to address these deceptively simple questions than David Reynolds, and he succeeds splendidly in this magnificent book’ Fredrik Logevall, author of JFK

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Book SynopsisA captivating, eloquent and nuanced book, We All Go into the Dark is an absolute must-read for true-crime fans across the board.Three women were brutally murdered between early 1968 and late 1969, each after a night dancing at Glasgow's infamous Barrowland Ballroom. Their murders were linked and ascribed to the spectre of the well-dressed, scripture-quoting killer who had apparently stalked the city's dancehalls. The figure was never caught or identified.But the intervening years spawned a legend that never quite lost its grip on the popular imagination of Glasgow. The killings provoked the country's largest ever manhunt, as well as countless suspects, books, documentaries, earnest speculation, pub theorising and bouts of urban mythmaking.In We All Go into the Dark, Francisco Garcia delves into how Bible John has morphed across generations, interrogates our collective obsession with solving' historic crimes and questions why some killings are forgotten with indecent haste and why otherTrade Review‘Both profound and hypnotic, this is a deep dive into the mysteriously compelling nature of all true true crime stories. I could not put it down. – Denise Mina ‘Fantastic…a book about our obsession with true crime, what it says about us and the dark corners in our heads.’ – David Whitehouse, author of About a Son We All Go Into the Dark is a highly original book – a work of true crime that is as interested in the myths surrounding the Bible John murders as it is in the person who committed them. With moral sensitivity, sophistication and scrupulous honesty, Francisco Garcia takes us deep into the realm of endless ambiguity which is the true subject of this fascinating book. – Mark O’Connell author of To Be a Machine We All Go Into The Dark is a tremendous feat of compassion, integrity and incisive consideration. Its sophisticated moral analysis and humanity mark it as something far beyond the usual confines of the true crime genre, most fascinatingly on the competing mythologies which emerge around crimes which grip the press and the culture. Garcia asks not only who we remember and why, but also who we forget and why, and in this subtle expansion of terms has created a powerful, original and beautifully written account of a haunting killer and the stories which surround him. – Megan Nolan author of Acts of Desperation

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Book SynopsisHow do we define patriotism in a diverse society?What divides us and what brings us together?Why do we feel uncomfortable celebrating our country's history?How to be a Patriot offers a new way of understanding our collective identity in a country wracked by division and brimming with markers of selfhood faith, race, gender, age, sexuality.Sunder Katwala himself grew up with some questions to work through. As a half-Indian, Irish Catholic child of the NHS, the chequered history of post-imperial Britain seemed very personal to him, but he realised that with that background he could hardly be anything but British, and proud of it too.His timely and clear-eyed analysis seeks to navigate the many crises of this increasingly disunited kingdom: extremism and integration after 7/7; fear of immigration and the deep divides of Brexit; the resurgence of online racism; and the debate over our cultural heritage. Equipped with a nuanced understanding of the subject and a wealth of supporting data,

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Book Synopsis________________________For decades, John Humphrys has been at the beating heart of the BBC''s news division.From the 9 O''Clock News desk to his marathon 32-year stint on the Today Programme, Humphrys has had a remarkable career as a journalist, steering the coverage of stories and issues that have defined multiple generations of British life. If the country has a pulse, John Humphrys is the man whose finger is firmly on it.In Devil''s Advocate, Humphrys draws on his immense experience to detail the huge, sweeping changes that have overtaken Britain during his career. From the thorny geopolitical questions of the UK''s relationship with Europe and America to the subtler ways our national social and moral values have changed, Humphrys sees a deep unease at the heart of a divided union, and identifies what truly links us all: consumer populism.As our lives and media become increasingly commercialised, the fabric of daily life begins toTrade ReviewOne of the most brilliant journalists in the country * Daily Mail *Peerless reporting ... sharp and instructive ... wonderfully acidic about people when he thinks they deserve it * Observer *A national institution * Sunday Times *Playing devil's advocate is the function he performs better than anyone else anywhere ... an excellent and amusing read * New Statesman *Written from the battlefield ... Humphrys has written an important book * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisAs a diarist I have chronicled the time through which I have lived in meticulous detail: but all that is history. What matters now is the future for those who will live through it.The past is the past but there may be lessons to be learned which could help the next generation to avoid mistakes their parents and grandparents made.Certainly at my age I have learned an enormous amount from the study of history - not so much from the political leaders of the time but from those who struggled for justice and explained the world in a way that shows the continuity of history and has inspired me to do my work.Normality for any individual is what the world is like on the day they are born. The normality of the young is wholly different from the normality of their grandparents.It is the disentangling of the real questions from the day to day business of politics that may make sense for those who take up the task as they will do.Every generation has to fTrade ReviewThere is a portrait here of a good man whose extraordinary enthusiasm for the world is both incredibly undiminished and endearing * The Times *A charming introduction to Benn's work * Socialist Review *Inspiring and tremendously moving * Good Book Guide *There is a passion in Benn's writing and speaking that far transcends the miserable aspirations of most contemporary politicians -- Paul Foot * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE HESSELL-TILTMAN HISTORY PRIZE 2017AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016Religious strife, civil conflict, waves of immigration, the rise and fall of industry, great prosperity and grinding poverty the handful of streets that constitute modern Spitalfields have witnessed all this and much more. In Spitalfields, one of Britain''s best-loved historians tells the stories of the streets he has lived in for four decades. Starting in Roman times and continuing right up to the present day, Cruickshank explains how Spitalfields'' streets evolved, what people have lived there, and what lives they have led. En route, he discovers the tales of the Huguenot weavers who made Spitalfields their own after the Great Fire of London. He recounts the experiences of the first Jewish immigrants. He evokes the slum-ridden courts and alleys of Jack the Ripper''s Spitalfields. And he describes the transformation of the Spitalfields he first encountered in the 1970s from a war-damaged collection of semi-derelict houses to the vibrant community it is today.This is a fascinating evocation of one of London''s most distinctive districts. At the same time, it is a history of England in miniature.Trade ReviewGenial, erudite and companionable . . . this heroic and heartfelt book caps a career devoted to [Spitalfields'] heritage. * Spectator *With beguiling erudition, TV historian and local resident Cruickshank tells the story of Spitalfields from Roman times to today . . . This is people’s history at its tastiest. * Sunday Express *A passionate, scholarly energy and involvement with every era of the district's long history come off Spitalfields' pages . . . Absorbing detail. * Times Literary Supplement *Cruickshank writes perceptively and honestly . . . As well as being a fascinating account of a unique area of London, Spitalfields is a timely warning that helps us to appreciate what the city and country risk losing. * Country Life *Dan Cruickshank bores into the rich history of Spitalfields, the area of east London where he has lived for decades. -- Rowan Moore, Best Books of 2016 * Observer *

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Book SynopsisHackney, that Rose-Red Empire is Iain Sinclair''s foray into one of London''s most fascinating boroughs''As detailed and as complex as a historical map, taking the reader hither and thither with no care as to which might be the most direct route''ObserverHackney, That Rose-Red Empire is Iain Sinclair''s personal record of his north-east London home in which he has lived for forty years. It is a documentary fiction, seeking to capture the spirit of place, before Hackney succumbs to mendacious green papers, eco boasts, sponsored public art and the Olympic Park gnawing at its edges. It is a message in a bottle, chucked into the flood of the future.''An explosion of literary fireworks''Peter Ackroyd, The Times''Gloriously sprawling, wonderfully congested, one of the finest books about London in recent decades''Daily Telegraph''Sinclair adopts the roles of pedestrian, pilgrim and poet, magnificen

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Book SynopsisThis is a book for everyone who has ever wondered why pubs should be called The Cross Keys, The Dew Drop Inn or The Hope and Anchor. You''ll be glad to know that there are very good - strange and memorable - reasons behind them all.After much research about (and in) pubs, Albert Jack brings together the stories behind pub names to reveal how they offer fascinating and subversive insights on our history, customs, attitudes and jokes in just the same way that nursery rhymes do. The Royal Oak, for instance, commemorates the tree that hid Charles II from Cromwell''s forces after his defeat at Worcester; The Bag of Nails is a corruption of the Bacchanals, the crazed followers of Bacchus, the god of wine and drunkenness; The Cat and the Fiddle a mangling of Catherine La Fidele and a guarded gesture of support for Henry VIII''s first, Catholic, wife Catherine of Aragon; plus many, many more. Here too are even more facts about everything from ghosts to drinking songs to the rules of cribbage and shove ha''penny, showing that, ultimately, the story of pub history is really the story of our own popular history.

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Book SynopsisA unique history of the Beats, in the words of the movement''s most central member, Allen Ginsberg, based on a seminal series of his lecturesIn 1977, twenty years after the publication of his landmark poem ''Howl'', Allen Ginsberg decided it was time to teach a course on the literary history of the Beat Generation - partly to preserve his own memories of those years. The Best Minds of My Generation presents the best of these candid, intimate and illuminating lectures, revealing Kerouac, Burroughs and the rest of the Beats as Ginsberg knew them: friends, confidantes, literary mentors and fellow visionaries in a group who started a revolution.''Marvellous ... spellbinding ... preserving intact the story of the literary movement Ginsberg led, promoted and never ceased to embody'' The New York Times Book Review''An awesome exhaustive feat ... fascinatingly readable'' Sunday Times''Astonishingly intimate ... Full of penetrating insight and fascinating literary gossip, the book is a major contribution to the core Beat canon ... situates the Beats in cultural history in a way that no other exploration of their work does'' San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2018 TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017''Generous and empathetic ... opens up postwar migration in all its richness'' Sukhdev Sandhu, Guardian''Groundbreaking, sophisticated, original, open-minded ... essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not only the transformation of British society after the war but also its character today'' Piers Brendon, Literary Review''Lyrical, full of wise and original observations'' David Goodhart, The TimesThe battered and exhausted Britain of 1945 was desperate for workers - to rebuild, to fill the factories, to make the new NHS work. From all over the world and with many motives, thousands of individuals took the plunge. Most assumed they would spend just three or four years here, sending most of their pay back home, but instead large numbers stayed - and transformed the country.Drawing on an amazing array of unusual aTrade ReviewA lyrical account... deeply researched and full of wise and original observations about migration -- David Goodhart * The Times *Strangers and Lovers is brimming with new archival sources, careful cullings of governmental documents and oral histories - the book encompasses poetry and fiction as well as sociological accounts. -- Sukhdev Sandhu * Guardian *Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand not only the transformation of British society after the war but also its character today -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *Masterful... these are the stories of Britain's yesterdays, todays and tomorrows, and they could hardly be more timely. -- Christopher Kissane * Financial Times *Her well-written, readable story evolves like a novel or film script with key characters. -- Times Higher EducationWhat you get in Lovers and Strangers is a mix of oral history, scholarly analysis and impressionistic essay -- Clive Davis * The Times *The perfect post-Brexit book -- Arifa Akbar * Evening Standard *Lovers and Strangers presents a historically rich view of immigration to Britain. Wills writes with both humour and detail about the lives of thousands of single men from Poland, Ireland, the West Indies and South Asia. Many of her tales are filled with the music, alcohol and nightlife which occupied the attentions of thousands of single men -- Burhan Wazir * Chatham House *

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Book Synopsis''Magnificent. Beautifully written, immaculately researched and thoroughly absorbing from start to finish. A tour de force that explains how Europe''s cultural life transformed during the course of the 19th century - and so much more'' Peter Frankopan From the bestselling author of Natasha''s Dance, The Europeans is richly enthralling, panoramic cultural history of nineteenth-century Europe, told through the intertwined lives of three remarkable people: a great singer, Pauline Viardot, a great writer, Ivan Turgenev, and a great connoisseur, Pauline''s husband Louis. Their passionate, ambitious lives were bound up with an astonishing array of writers, composers and painters all trying to make their way through the exciting, prosperous and genuinely pan-European culture that came about as a result of huge economic and technological change. This culture - through trains, telegraphs and printing - allowed artists of all kinds to exchange ideas and make a liTrade ReviewMagnificent. Beautifully written, immaculately researched and thoroughly absorbing from start to finish. A tour de force that explains how Europe's cultural life transformed during the course of the 19th century - and so much more. -- Peter FrankopanMagnificent and utterly gripping: European identity, culture and commerce through the lives of three remarkable individuals, the book for our times. -- Philippe SandsIt plunged me into another world. I learned so much and was carried away by the intelligence and fluidity of the style - a combination which is unbeatable. -- Antonia FraserA timely, brilliant and hugely enjoyable book ... A magnificently humane book, written with supple grace but firmly underpinned by meticulous scholarship. -- Rupert Christiansen * Sunday Telegraph *The Europeans is a massively impressive work, as enjoyable as it is knowledgeable, full of insights into the mechanisms of history and in the people who make it. It is a book about the making of Europe, and this description, wonderful as it is, has now, in these days, sadly, also almost a utopian quality to it. Orlando Figes is an outstanding historian and writer, he brings distant history so close that you could feel its heartbeat. He did it with the Russian Revolution in A People's Tragedy, and he does it again in The Europeans. -- Karl Ove Knausgaard[There are] a multitude of fascinating pieces of information to be gleaned from Orlando Figes's magisterial and wide-ranging book The Europeans ... Relevant, trenchant and searching. -- William Boyd * The Guardian *I loved the book. I read it in every spare moment, fascinated and sometimes surprised. ... I have been speaking about the book to everyone I know: it is clearly not just a book for musicians but for the widest audience interested in literature, music and art. -- Barbara HanniganMeticulously detailed, exhaustively researched and written with Figes's characteristic verve, The Europeans is a sweeping tour de force and a monumental work of historical synthesis. -- Julian Coman * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR''A beautiful and thoughtful exploration of the role of the horse in creating our world'' James Rebanks''Scintillating, exhilarating ... you have never read a book like it ... a new way of considering history'' ObserverThe relationship between horses and humans is an ancient, profound and complex one. For millennia horses provided the strength and speed that humans lacked. How we travelled, farmed and fought was dictated by the needs of this extraordinary animal. And then, suddenly, in the 20th century the links were broken and the millions of horses that shared our existence almost vanished, eking out a marginal existence on race-tracks and pony clubs.Farewell to the Horse is an engaging, brilliantly written and moving discussion of what horses once meant to us. Cities, farmland, entire industries were once shaped as much by the needs of horses as humans. The intervention of hoTrade ReviewA beautiful and thoughtful exploration of the role of the horse in creating our world... lyrical and creative...I very much enjoyed it. Some of the scenes in it will stay with me for a long time to come * James Rebanks *Intellectual and passionate ... Raulff's material is gloriously diverse ... [a] refined and ambitious book * The Sunday Times *It becomes evident within three paragraphs that you have never read a book like it ... his writerly pace is exhilarating -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *Covers ground as rapidly and thrillingly as a Cossack horseman. It lays bare a dizzying network of connections and repeatedly offers unfamiliar approached to old themes * Literary Review *Sex, violence and 6,000 years of horse power... an elegy to the way horses have galloped through our culture' -- Melanie Reid * The Times *This is not the Pony Club Manual or a trot through the more familiar sights of equestrian art history; it's Kafka, Aby Warburg, Tolstoy, psychoanalytic theory, Nietzsche and bleak monochrome photos in the style of Sebald. This epic enterprise is relieved by Raulff's spare, vivid style and deep learning -- Susannah Forrest * Literary Review *A brilliant, entertaining tour-de-force * Die Zeit *Amazing insights sweep through the book - an entrancing history packed with stories * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *Great cultural history * Der Tagesspiegel *Ulrich Raulff is a wonderful storyteller * Südwestrundfunk *A fabulous book -- Uli HufenAn exciting and entertaining ride through various landscapes -- Harry NuttStrange and fascinating . . . A sweeping cultural history, more kaleidoscopic than totale, as bibliographical as it is historical . . . Farewell to the Horse is a whirlwind that seems capable of drawing into its vortex almost anyone who ever thought of a horse. -- Verlyn Klinkenborg * New York Review of Books *A remarkably nimble, creative thinker . . . Raulff's text is somehow dreamy but not sentimental . . . A brilliant examination of our complicated and violently unilateral relationship with Equus caballus . . . Though this book is about horses, it is just as much about thinking as a devotional act. -- C. E. Morgan * New York Times Book Review *

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