World history gifts

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...

Fully updated edition of the biggest-selling popular science book of the 21st century explaining the Earth, the universe, everything in-between. The 21st century's bestselling popular science book has now been fully revised and updated in Bill Bryson's inimitable style to reflect the many advances in science since this book was first published in 2003. This journey through time and space...

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...

When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...

The International Bestseller A New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century Soon to be an FX TV series streaming on DISNEY+ 'Unquestionably one of the greatest literary achievements of the 21st century' — Nick Hornby From the author of Empire of Pain – a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions....

The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...

The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt is a seminal examination of the rise of totalitarianism in the 20th century. Through a profound and thorough analysis, Arendt explores the complex mechanisms and underpinnings that facilitated the emergence of totalitarian regimes, specifically delving into the horrors of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union. Arendt masterfully dissects the various elements that contribute...

The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a monumental work that provides a harrowing account of the Soviet Union's labour camp system. Set against a vast canvas of camps, prisons, transit centres, and secret police, the narrative unfolds the grim realities of informers, spies, and interrogators while simultaneously celebrating instances of everyday heroism. This literary masterpiece, based on the testimony...

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...

Spanning centuries and continents, The Silk Roads by Professor Peter Frankopan offers a compelling and comprehensive retelling of history through the lens of the ancient trade routes that linked the East and the West. This fascinating book takes readers on an epic journey across time and space, exploring the key role that these pathways played in shaping the world's continents,...

From renowned historian and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari comes the story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world. For the last 100,000 years, we Sapiens have accumulated enormous power. But despite all our discoveries, inventions and conquests, we now find ourselves in an existential crisis. The world is on the verge of ecological...

Explore the world with a Collins World Wall Map. This fully updated world map includes the latest political changes. It features politically coloured mapping, clearly showing each country and their capital city, along with major roads, cities, and towns. Also included are national flags, key statistics for every country, and inset maps of the polar regions. The map is printed...

Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...

The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...

How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown is an eye-opening chronicle of the tragic history of the American West from 1860 to 1890, a period marked by broken promises, disillusionment, war, and massacre. Beginning with the forced relocation known as the Long Walk of the Navajos, and culminating in the devastating massacre of the Sioux at Wounded Knee,...

Sea People by Christina Thompson is a riveting historical exploration that delves into the mysterious origins and epic journeys of the Polynesians—one of the world's most enigmatic and adventurous seafaring peoples. The narrative unfolds over a thousand years ago, focussing on how these master navigators discovered and colonised the far-flung islands within a vast triangle from Hawaii to New Zealand...

The bestselling stirring story of love and hope, based on the incredible true story of Australia's first Japanese war bride and a love that changed a nation forever. SHORTLISTED FOR 2023 DYMOCKS BOOK OF THE YEAR AND THE 2024 ABIA MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS. LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 INDIE BOOK AWARDS Gordon Parker is an eager eighteen-year-old Australian...

The Anarchy by William Dalrymple meticulously charts the rise of the East India Company from a modest enterprise to a formidable colonial force. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling Mughal Empire and a burgeoning British dominance, the book provides a captivating narrative of power, ambition, and historical upheaval. In August 1765, a pivotal moment in history occurred as the...

Be Brave

Riveting and original ... a work enriched by solid scholarship, vivid personal experience, and acute appreciation of the concerns and aspirations of the contending parties in this deeply unequal conflict - Noam Chomsky The twentieth century for Palestine and the Palestinians has been a century of denial: denial of statehood, denial of nationhood and denial of history. The Hundred Years'...

A powerful WWII novel for readers and viewers of All the Light We Cannot See 2019 Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered...

The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan's first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall...

An unforgettable debut novel about the journey of three women and one extremely endangered snail through contemporary Ukraine. Brilliant ... funny and smart, full of science, longing and adventure, all the while reminding us what the world stands to lose, and what it has already lost. This is essential reading' ANN PATCHETT A fantastic novel PERCIVAL EVERETT Heartbreaking, hilarious, profound,...

NOW WITH A FUN PUB QUIZ 'An idiosyncratic ride through history' Independent 'Holland and Sandbrook have pretty much reinvented popular history for the modern age' The Times The nation’s favourite historians, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, take on the most curious moments in history, answering the questions we didn’t even think to ask... - What was the most disastrous party...

THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO WILD SWANS, THE MULTI-MILLION COPY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SENSATION Jung Chang’s Wild Swans was a book that defined a generation, an epic personal history of Jung, her mother and grandmother – ‘three daughters of China’. The book opens with her grandmother’s birth – and foot binding – in 1909, when China was under the last emperor, through...

The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans is a masterful exploration into the origins and rise of Nazi Germany, vividly recounting the transformation of a modern and culturally rich nation into the epicentre of one of history’s darkest periods. This meticulously researched work takes readers on a journey through the tumultuous years that saw Germany descend from...

The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – The Poppy War. The Dragon Republic Collector’s Edition continues the gripping tale of Rin, who is on the run. Haunted by the atrocity she committed to save her people, she battles addiction to opium and is driven by the murderous commands of Phoenix, the vengeful god who has blessed her...

A seriously FUNNY, seriously CLEVER history of our early kings and queens by one of our favourite comedians and cultural commentators. This will be the most refreshing, entertaining history of England you'll have ever read. Certainly, the funniest. Because David Mitchell will explain how it is not all names, dates or ungraspable historical headwinds, but instead show how it's really...

Embark on an unforgettable journey through one of history's most epic tales of survival and leadership in Shackleton by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. This gripping biography delves into the life and trials of Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose doomed 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition remains one of the most remarkable feats of human endurance ever recorded. As his ship, the Endurance, becomes hopelessly...

The instant Sunday Times bestseller A revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian ideas, from the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast. ‘Richly woven, highly readable ... Written with passion and verve’ Spectator ‘Dazzling ... Not just a historical study but also a love letter’ Guardian ‘An outstanding new account ... The most compelling retelling...

The Third Reich in Power, 1933 - 1939 by Richard J. Evans details the harrowing transformation of Germany under Nazi rule, following Adolf Hitler's ascension to power in 1933 through to the precipice of World War II in 1939. This compelling narrative unveils the chilling mechanisms through which the Nazis subverted a sophisticated society into a dictatorship entrenched in war...

The Sunday Times #1 Bestseller A Book of the Year in The Times and Financial Times ‘This isn’t a book; it’s a case for revolution’ — Camilla Long, Sunday Times ‘A damning cannonball of truth through the York ramparts’ — Mail on Sunday ‘Surely has a claim to the title of book of the year, for its seismic impact’ —...

From the multi-million-selling historian, the remarkable, unknown Cold War story of how one spy saved the world from nuclear war. The year is 1981. Tehran is in violent turmoil in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Soviets are planning to overthrow the Ayatollah's fledgling Islamist regime. If they do so, one response from America — unknown to the public...

'Vivid storytellers.' THE TIMES 'As well as highly entertaining read, How To Kill A Witch is a tour de force of research, understanding and compassion.' PROFESSOR SUE BLACK, author of All That Remains 'Fascinating, angering' THE MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A work of real historical investigation and a fierce warning for our times.' MALCOLM GASKILL, author of The Ruin Of All...

'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...

Beginning at a love hotel by Japan's Inland Sea and ending by a river in Tasmania, Question 7 is about the choices we make about love and the chain reaction that follows. By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb...

From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration – the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook. In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed – stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought...

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond unveils the staggering epic of human societies across continents and millennia. The book provides a compelling narrative that explores the forces shaping the complex tapestry of global history without falling into the trap of Eurocentrism. Diamond embarks on a journey to answer a simple yet profound puzzle: Why did Eurasian societies wield guns,...

The sensational account of the overwhelming role of drug-taking in the Third Reich - from Hitler and his entourage to ordinary troops. The Nazis styled themselves as warriors against moral degeneracy. Yet, as Norman Ohler's gripping bestseller reveals, the entire Third Reich was permeated with drugs—cocaine, heroin, morphine and, most of all, methamphetamines, or crystal meth. These substances were used...

On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is a compelling and insightful guidebook on how to resist and challenge the forces of authoritarianism and preserve democratic values. Bringing together lessons from history, Snyder provides concrete strategies and principles that individuals can employ to protect freedom and stave off the threat of tyranny. This essential read is not only a reflection on the...

Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts offers an unparalleled insight into the life and times of one of history's most remarkable figures. Spanning the crucial twenty years from 1795 to 1815, this definitive modern biography chronicles how Napoleon Bonaparte rose from relative obscurity to become the master of Europe. As he catapulted from a Corsican military officer to the Emperor...

Visiting his dad’s hometown in Japan four months after his father’s death would be hard enough for Ben. But one morning, the pain turns to fear: first, a massive earthquake rocks the quiet coastal village, nearly toppling his uncle’s house. Then the ocean waters rise, and Ben and his family are swept away—and pulled apart—by a devastating tsunami. Can he...

Now in one volume, both parts of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's brilliant memoir-in-comic-strips about growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The brilliant graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. Marjane Satrapi lived through the Iranian Revolution as a little girl. This is her classic memoir-in-comic-strips, the story of a child entangled...

The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow is a monumental and revolutionary exploration of human history that challenges long-held beliefs about the origin of civilisation. This groundbreaking work embarks on a breathtaking journey through the earliest societies, revealing a complex tapestry of human interaction devoid of the simplistic interpretations of either 'primitive and childlike' or 'brutish and...

Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer provides a compelling and comprehensive chronicle of the darkest chapter in modern history, delving into the twelve years when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime seized and held power in Germany. Shirer, a renowned journalist and historian, offers an unparalleled eyewitness account, charting the meteoric ascent and devastating collapse...

Every time I think Kristin Harmel's books can't get any better, they do Sally Hepworth Romantic, sweeping, and deeply emotional—this is Kristin Harmel at her absolute best Christina Lauren A transportive and much-needed trip to Paris . . . I stayed up all night finishing this one Jo Piazza Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for...

"The Illiad" is the culmination of a long-standing oral tradition. The oral technique enabled a master bard like Homer to develop what may historically have been an event of minor importance into a fully fledged epic. So, out of a single episode in the legendary Trojan War - Achilles' withdrawal from the fighting and his return to kill the Trojan...

Visionary in scale, and the first contemporary novel in over a decade from number one worldwide bestseller Ken Follett, Never imagines the unimaginable: the imminent threat of World War Three. Expertly researched and set against a global stage, Never will take you on a high-stakes journey from the heat of the Sahara Desert to the political arenas of North America,...

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold is an extraordinary historical narrative that offers a poignant exploration of the untold lives of five women—Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary-Jane—whose fates disastrously intersected with the notorious figure known to the world as Jack the Ripper. Unlike traditional accounts focusing solely on the crimes and the elusive murderer, this book shifts the spotlight back...

How Democracies Die by Harvard professors Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky is a compelling and urgent exploration of the patterns and warning signs that precede the collapse of democratic systems worldwide. Grounded in deep historical analysis, the book examines the fragile state of democracies today and offers crucial insights into how they can be safeguarded for the future. In How...

Eusebius is regarded as the historian of Christian antiquity. Eusebius's account is the only surviving historical record of the Church during its crucial first 300 years. Bishop Eusebius, a learned scholar who lived most of his life in Caesarea in Palestine, broke new ground in writing the The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine and provided a model...

AD 60. Nero Claudius Caesar is Emperor. He is feared for his temper. He is known to be intoxicated by the power he wields. And why not? The Roman Empire stretches from the wilds of Britain to the deserts of Parthia. Nero is god of all he surveys. Yet dangerous traitors lie close at hand. Generals commanding legions. Senators whispering...

'Fascinating' TOM HOLLAND | 'A delight from start to finish' MIRANDA SAWYER 'A novel and fascinating perspective on world history' BILL BRYSON 'By turns surprising, funny, bleak, ridiculous, or all four of those at once' GIDEON DEFOE 'Elledge writes with wry humour and infectious enthusiasm' OBSERVER People have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been...

'Fascinating and illuminating, this book tempers the justifiable rage with sharp and funny pinpricks to the pompous.' VAL MCDERMID, author of Past Lying 'As well as a highly entertaining read, How To Kill A Witch is a tour de force of research, understanding and compassion.' PROFESSOR SUE BLACK, author of All That Remains 'Serious and angry, but so completely accessible,...

The latest gripping instalment in the bestselling Nero trilogy follows Empress Agrippina's ceaseless pursuit of absolute power for her son to rule over the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome, AD 50 The boy Nero lives. His mother, Agrippina, has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts. The emperor may have a son and heir of his...

The first volume of the graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's global phenomenon and smash Sunday Times #1 bestseller, with gorgeous full-colour illustrations and a beautiful package - the perfect gift for the curious beings in your life. One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one - homo...

The Devil’s Chessboard by David Talbot is a riveting exposé that unveils a chilling narrative of power, deception, and intrigue at the highest levels of the United States government. Delving into the intricately woven saga of America’s ascent to international supremacy, Talbot turns the spotlight on Allen Welsh Dulles, the enigmatic and influential figure who served as the CIA’s longest-tenured...

Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India by Shashi Tharoor is a powerful and incisive examination of the impact of British colonialism on India. Spanning the arrival of the East India Company in the early 18th century to the end of the British Raj in 1947, Tharoor meticulously details how Britain's wealth and rise to global prominence were built...

In The Second Mountain, David Brooks delves into the profound journey of personal transformation that challenges the mainstream definition of success and fulfillment. Brooks begins by questioning the widespread pursuit of self-interest, encapsulating the quest for money, power, and fame that defines the first mountain of our lives. However, as we climb this mountain and reach its summit, we may...

It was supposed to be unsinkable... George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive—he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can’t resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble. But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom...

Travel back to a vanished world with the celebrated children's history series. The Aztec Empire had been blessed by the gods. Its pyramid temples were warmed by the sun, its fields were thick with corn, its bustling marketplaces were full of feathers, pottery and jewellery. But the Emperor Montezuma was troubled by terrifying omens. And when Spanish sailors landed on...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER. Discover the game-changing theory of the cycles of history and what past generations can teach us about living through times of upheaval—with deep insights into the roles that Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials have to play—now with a new preface by Neil Howe. "One of the best efforts to give us an integrated vision of where we are...

The internationally bestselling and prize-winning history of German life in the fallout of the Third Reich, filled with eye-opening, shocking, and vitally human stories of ruin, repression, and revival. The Times Top 10 Bestseller Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize Shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize A Book of the Year...

Wild Swans by Jung Chang is an extraordinary true story, a sweeping historical saga that spans three generations of remarkable women within one family. Set against the backdrop of China's most turbulent and transformative period in the 20th century, this powerful non-fiction work intricately weaves personal narratives with the profound political, social, and cultural upheavals that shaped modern China. Through...

Travel back to a world at war with the thrilling children's history series. Everything was ready. The air was thick with excitement. This was D-Day . . . Prepare to enter the most dramatic conflict the world has ever seen, as historian Dominic Sandbrook takes us on a spine-tingling, heart-stopping adventure. We witness the Second World War first-hand through the...

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2016 It is April 1975, and Saigon is in chaos. At his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army is drinking whiskey and, with the help of his trusted captain, drawing up a list of those who will be given passage aboard the last flights out of the country. The general and...

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There, two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are...

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham is the definitive, dramatic untold story of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, based on original reporting and new archival research. This masterful non-fiction thriller brings the 1986 disaster to life through the eyes of the men and women who witnessed it first-hand, offering a gripping narrative that reads with all the immediacy of...

An unforgettable coming-of-age story, Free by Lea Ypi explores the profound meanings of freedom—personal, collective, and political—through the eyes of a young girl growing up in one of the most isolated countries on earth. Albania, where communist ideals replaced religion, stood as the last Stalinist stronghold in Europe, virtually impossible to visit or leave. It was a land of scarcity...

Vietnam by Max Hastings is an unparalleled exploration of the Vietnam War, providing a gripping and comprehensive account of this turbulent period. Drawing on three years of meticulous research and interviews with individuals from all sides of the conflict, Hastings offers an epic narrative that vividly brings to life the ground-breaking events and personal experiences of those who lived through...

An epic and profound new novel from Sebastian Faulks, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Birdsong. 'Beautifully written and deceptively deep novel of moral choice set in the aftermath of the Second World War. The characters are as utterly convincing as the story' — Antony Beevor. Philip Deval, a soldier recently returned from the beaches of Normandy, arrives in Palestine...

A brilliant memoir of adolescence in New Zealand and of the migration of European manuscripts to the far side of the world. Christopher de Hamel is one of the world's best-known scholars and writers on illuminated manuscripts. He was mostly brought up in the south of New Zealand, where his family moved when he was four. This book magically evokes...

Barry's family tries to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina hits their home in New Orleans. But when his little sister gets terribly sick, they're forced to stay home and wait out the storm. At first, Katrina doesn't seem to be as bad as predicted. But overnight the levees break and Barry's world is literally torn apart. He's swept off by the...

The second instalment in William Boyd's elegant espionage series starring Gabriel Dax is a twisting Cold War adventure that takes the reader deep into one of history's most infamous assassinations. Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of...

Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline, best airport, and busiest port of trade, but also the world's fourth-highest per capita real income? The story of that...

The Vintage Classics Russians Series offers sumptuous editions of the greatest books to come out of Russia during the most tumultuous period in its history. Life and Fate is the great Russian 20th-century novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stalingrad. Life and Fate is an epic tale of a country told through the fate of a single family,...

The Crusades by Thomas Asbridge offers a captivating and meticulously researched exploration of one of history's most enigmatic and tumultuous periods. Spanning from the late eleventh century to the late thirteenth century, this comprehensive account delves into the bitter and often brutal conflicts that arose as Christian and Muslim armies clashed over control of the Holy Land. In the eleventh...

The West and Islam—the sword and the scimitar—have clashed since the mid-seventh century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Byzantine emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad's order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam, unleashing a centuries-long jihad on Christendom. Sword and Scimitar chronicles the significant battles that arose from this ages-old Islamic jihad, beginning with the first major Islamic attack on...

A new translation and abridgement of one of the four classical Chinese novels, this is the epic story of the fall of the Han dynasty and rise of the Three Kingdoms. Part historical and part legendary, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms dramatizes the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, recounting their personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles...

‘A perfect novel … on the knife’s edge of hilarity and tenderness’ JONATHAN LETHEM From the Booker-shortlisted author of The Sisters Brothers comes Dodge City, a thrilling novel about a young man on an amphetamine-fuelled cross-country road trip fleeing the Vietnam draft. 1967, California. Lee Clarke is a strait-laced twenty-three-year-old, happily in love and ambling along at college until an...

All across California, deadly wildfires rage... Still reeling from the life-changing challenges that propelled him and his mother across the country, Josh finds solace in the California wilderness and in the newfound friendship with his cousin Holly. But on a trip into the nearby forest, Josh and Holly suddenly find themselves in the middle of a frighteningly powerful firestorm, one...

How could a barely literate peasant from Siberia determine the fate of the world? Undoubtedly, the so-called 'mad monk' Rasputin bewitched Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. Yet their strange and scandalous relationship conceals a riddle, one that casts an intriguing light on the controversial 'great man' theory of history. Rasputin was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. He...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A Waterstones and TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR A SPECTATOR and History Today BOOK OF THE YEAR A revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian ideas, from the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast ‘Richly woven, highly readable ... Written with passion and verve’ Spectator ‘Dazzling ... Not just...

The astounding history that masterfully and decisively rewrites the causes of the First World War as we know them. The moments that it took Gavrilo Princip to step forward to the stalled car and shoot dead Franz Ferdinand and his wife were perhaps the most fateful of the modern era. An act of terrorism of staggering efficiency, it fulfilled its...

From the peasant revolts to the Great European Witch Hunt—the crushing of occult traditions and women's reproductive freedom in the transition to capitalism. A cult classic since its publication in the early years of this century, Caliban and the Witch is Silvia Federici's history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late...

“Michael Portillo can be seen on screens on his second railway journey across the United States. His first took in historic East Coast sites, but these new travels are broader in scope, from the cities of the Atlantic coast to vibrant San Francisco, via Chicago, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Deep South. His route is informed by the 19th-century Appletons’...

In The Tragedy of Liberation, Frank Dikötter delves deep into the seismic social and political upheaval that followed Mao Zedong's rise to power in 1949, when he hoisted the red flag over Beijing’s Forbidden City. Rather than liberating the country, the communist revolutionaries dismantled the old order and established a repressive system that infiltrated every aspect of Chinese life. This...

A masterpiece from the bestselling author with our biggest and most ambitious campaign yet. FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley—aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless—is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to...

The tenth anniversary edition of Longitude by Dava Sobel brings readers a captivating and dramatic recount of one of the greatest scientific quests in history: the search for a reliable method to determine a ship’s longitude at sea. This engrossing tale centres around the epic struggle to solve the “longitude problem,” a scientific conundrum that, for centuries, left sailors adrift...

WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND ROBERT DE NIRO A riveting true story of greed, serial murder and racial injustice’ JON KRAKAUER A fiercely entertaining...

Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, fighting for his life. He's only eleven years old! He's barely paid attention to the troubles between America and England. Instead, he's been worked to the bone by his cruel uncle. But when his uncle's rage forces him to flee home suddenly, Nate finds himself in...

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023 A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER It is 1921 and at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Robert Hamlyn is a well-to-do lawyer and his steely wife Lesley a society hostess. Their lives are invigorated when Willie, an old friend of Robert's, comes to stay. Willie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers...

The blockbuster biography of the greatest Briton, by one of Britain's bestselling historians. Winston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century British history. By the time of his death at the age of 90 in 1965, many thought him to be the greatest man in the world. There have been over a thousand previous biographies of Churchill. Andrew Roberts...

The fascinating story of how Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana and the SAS changed the world. The early 1980s were the most dramatic, colourful and controversial years in our modern history. Margaret Thatcher had come to power in 1979 with a daring plan to reverse Britain's decline. But as factories closed their doors, dole queues lengthened and the inner cities exploded...

One of the great books in Western history and the very first work of non-fiction, in Tom Holland's compelling new translation. The Histories of Herodotus, completed in the second half of the 5th century BC, is generally regarded as the first work of history and the first great masterpiece of non-fiction writing. Joined here are the sheer drama of Herodotus'...

The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy offers an enchanting journey through the timeless wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophers. This anthology includes translations of Sun Tzu's Art of War, Lao-Tzu's Tao Te Ching, the teachings of Confucius, and the writings of Mencius. Each work delivers profound insights into the human condition, the art of leadership, social harmony,...

All Hell Let Loose is a magisterial account of the most significant and harrowing event of the 20th century—World War II. Renowned historian Max Hastings delivers a comprehensive narrative that not only chronicles the timeline of the war but delves deep into the varied human experiences that defined this global conflict. Hastings presents a vivid portrayal of the struggles and...

Acclaimed by the Daily Mail as 'definitive and harrowing', this is the final volume of ‘The People’s Trilogy', begun by the Samuel Johnson prize-winning Mao's Great Famine. The Cultural Revolution by Frank Dikötter meticulously examines one of the most turbulent and destructive periods in modern Chinese history. Taking place between 1966 and 1976, the Cultural Revolution was an attempt by...

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a meticulously researched biography that chronicles the life of one of America's most influential yet misunderstood founding fathers. Chernow's narrative sweeps you into the tumultuous world of post-Revolutionary America, where Hamilton's intellect and ambition shaped the fledgling nation's future. Hamilton's rise from an illegitimate, self-taught orphan in the Caribbean to becoming a key architect...