BookOdyssey

The remarkable story of how Greek-speaking writers and thinkers sustained and developed the intellectual legacy of Classical Greece under the rule of Rome.In 146 BC, Greece yielded to the military might of the Roman Republic; some sixty years later, when Athens and other Greek city-states rebelled against Rome, the general Lucius Cornelius Sulla destroyed the city of Socrates and Plato, laying waste the famous Academy where Aristotle had studied.However, the traditions of Greek cultural life would continue to flourish – across the eastern Mediterranean world and beyond – during the centuries of Roman rule that followed, in the lives and work of a distinguished array of philosophers, rhetoricians, historians, doctors, scientists, geographers and theologians.Charles Freeman\'s accounts of such luminaries as the polymathic physician Galen, the soldier-botanist Dioscorides, the Alexandrian geographer and astronomer Ptolemy and the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus are interwoven with \'interludes\' that counterpoint and contextualise a sequence of unjustly neglected and richly influential lives.This is the story of a vibrant, constantly evolving tradition of intellectual inquiry across a period of more than five hundred years, from the second century BC to the start of the fifth century ad – one that would help shape the intellectual landscape of the Middle Ages and long after. The Children of Athena is a cultural history on an epic scale. Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Taking us from the beginning of our story to the present day, A Cold Spell examines how ice has shaped our thoughts, actions and societies – and what it means for us that it is rapidly disappearing from our planet\'A warm-hearted tale of the bizarre, something to cuddle up with in the bleak midwinter . . . Astonishing\' THE TIMES \'Bracingly original . . . As the earth warms threateningly, there could hardly be a more pertinent time for a story like this’ MICHAEL PALIN\'A book of limitless fascinations\' OLIVIA LAING\'Brightly written, nimbly researched and really quite delightful\' LITERARY REVIEWIce has confounded, delighted and fascinated us since the first sparks of art and culture in Europe and it now underpins the modern world. Without ice, we would not feed ourselves or heal our sick as we do, and our towns and cities, countryside and oceans would look very different. Science would not have progressed along the avenues it did and our galleries and libraries would be missing many masterpieces.A Cold Spell uses this vital link to understanding our past to tell a surprising story of obsession, invention and adventure – how we have lived and dreamed, celebrated and traded, innovated, loved and fought over thousands of years. It brings together a sacrificial Incan mummy, Winston Churchill’s secret plans for unusual aircraft carriers, strange bones that shook Victorian beliefs about the world and a macabre journey into the depths of the human body. It is an original and unique way of looking at something that is literally all around us, whose loss confronts us daily in the news, but whose impact on our lives has never been fully explored.\'[An] extraordinary, complete and utter history of the human experience of the cold stuff\' JOHN LEWIS-STEMPEL, COUNTRY LIFE‘A thought-provoking chronicle of humanity . . . Leonard consistently frames ice in surprising and insightful ways, and in doing so lends it a magical quality’ GEOGRAPHICAL Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A richly absorbing book... Overy is unquestionably one of our finest living historians - The Daily TelegraphWhy has warfare always been part of the human story?From biology to belief, what explains the persistence of violent conflict?What light can this shed on humanity’s past – and its future?There can be few more important but also more contentious issues than attempting to understand the human propensity for conflict. Our history is inextricably tangled in wave after wave of inter-human fighting from as far back as we have records.Repeatedly humans have foresworn war, have understood its appalling risks and have wished to create more pacific, productive societies. And yet almost inevitably circumstances emerge under which war once more seems inevitable or even desirableHow can we make sense of what Einstein called \'the dark places of human will and feeling\'? Richard Overy draws on a lifetime\'s study of conflict to write this challenging account of how we can understand the causes of war. Looking at every facet of war from biology to belief, psychology to security, Overy allows readers to understand the many contradictory or self-reinforcing ways in which warfare can suddenly appear a legitimate option, and why it is likely to be part of our future as well as our past. Σελίδες: 400, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0826, Διαστάσεις: 11.2x11.2cm

** Longlisted for the 2024 Cundill History Prize**‘A dozen pages in I realized that I had been waiting for much of my life to read this extraordinary book’ Annie ProulxA way of life that once encompassed most of humanity is vanishing in one of the greatest transformations of our time: the eclipse of the rural world by the urban.In this new history of peasantry, Patrick Joyce tells the story of this lost world and its people. In contrast to the usual insulting stereotypes, we discover a rich and complex culture: traditions, songs, celebrations and revolts, across Europe from the plains of Poland to the farmsteads and villages of Italy and Ireland, through the nineteenth century to the present day. Into this passionate history, written with exquisite care, Joyce weaves remarkable individual stories, including those of his own Irish family, and looks at how peasant life has been remembered - and misremembered - in contemporary culture.This is a people whose voice is vastly underrepresented in human history. Yet for Joyce, we are all the children of peasants, who must respect the experience of our ancestors. This is particularly pressing when our knowledge of the land is being lost to climate crisis and the rise of industrial agriculture. Enlightening, timely and vital, this book commemorates an extraordinary culture whose impact on our history and our future remains profoundly relevant. Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2024**An instant Sunday Times bestseller, Radio 4 Book of the Week and Guardian Best Summer Read*Selected as a book to look out for in 2024 by the Guardian and The Rest is PoliticsEveryone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.For too long, Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa’s spectacular history – from the origins of humanity, through ancient civilisations and medieval empires, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, Badawi weaves together a gripping new history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves. Σελίδες: 544, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Why have we failed so badly to end men’s violence against women? What can we actually do about it? This insightful, provocative and practical handbook suggests a bold and potentially game-changing solution.Pioneering educator, expert scholar, and activist Jackson Katz has spent the last 30 years educating people around the world on men\'s violence against women, and advocates that although not all men are part of the problem, every man can -- and should -- be part of the solution.In this galvanizing book, Jackson reveals indispensable everyday tools that will help men from all walks of life become part of the solution to gender-based violence. Find out how to respond when a friend or colleague makes a misogynistic comment; learn how to intervene in incidents that may seem small but can lead to violence; and discover how you can become a role model for boys and men who need positive leadership in their lives.This is the essential reading for every man who wants help build a healthier and safer society. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

‘It is impossible not to keep the pages turning’ Scotland on Sunday ‘It’s a brilliant book everyone, go and get it!’ Dan Snow  ‘Compelling and meticulously researched, the riveting life of a maverick Scottish spy.’ Charles Cumming   THE THRILLING BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT BRUCE LOCKHART, BRITAIN’S ‘AGENT’ IN MOSCOW   Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart (1887–1970) was an impressive figure: a diplomat, intelligence agent, conspirator, journalist and propagandist who played a key role in both world wars. He was a man who charmed his way into the confidences of everyone from Leon Trotsky to Anthony Eden. A man whom the influential press baron Lord Beaverbook claimed ‘could well have been prime minister’. And yet Lockhart died almost forgotten and near destitute, a Scottish footnote in the pages of history.   Rogue Agent is the first biography of this gifted yet habitually flawed maverick. It chronicles his many exploits, from his time as Britain’s ‘Agent’ in Moscow, and his role in a plot to bring down the communist regime, to leading the Political Warfare Executive, a secret body responsible for disinformation and propaganda in the Second World War.    Exploring Lockhart’s unorthodox thinking and contributions to the development of psychological warfare as well as his hedonistic lifestyle, late nights and many affairs that left him in a state of perpetual debt, Rogue Agent tells the thrilling story of this unconventional war hero.   ‘In this rigorously researched yet lively and highly readable account, James Crossland cuts through the myth and legend to tell a compelling story.’ Professor Rory Cormac, author of How to Stage a Coup   ‘This riveting account of Lockhart’s adventures in revolutionary Russia, his penchant for exotic women and extravagant nightlife, reads like a thriller.’ Julia Boyd, author of A Village in the Third Reich   ‘A mesmerising tale of espionage and journalism . . . when an elite Scot with “no drop of English blood in my veins” might believe he could almost single-handedly change world history.’ James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany   Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A riveting account of courageous resistance from the bestselling author of Balcony Over Jerusalem On 24 February 2022, residents of Kyiv, Ukraine, woke to the sound of explosions and gunfire as Russian forces attempted to seize Hostomel Airport. It marked the beginning of the first land war in Europe since World War II. Under the leadership of the charismatic Volodymyr Zelensky, a militarized resistance and a civilian army of volunteers combined to defy Vladimir Putin. By day, visitors to Kyiv might mistake it for any other charming European city. But when night falls, sirens wail and citizens sleep in bathrooms and bunkers to escape the persistent dangers of incoming missiles. This war is fought daily on both the front lines and the home front. Resourceful civilians - from old punk rockers and bikers to university professors and corporate brand managers - provide every bit of help they can, outwitting and outmanoeuvring the Russian army with drones, cyber tech, and sheer ingenuity. As Ukraine\'s long-term future captures the focus of global leaders in Russia, Europe and the US, veteran journalist and ABC Global Affairs Editor John Lyons takes readers into the heart of a nation under siege. He interviews Ukrainians who stand tall in the face of an increasingly brutal conflict and an uncertain future. These are the stories of ordinary civilians making extraordinary contributions, determined to fight back in every way possible to ensure the survival of themselves, their families, and the soul of their nation. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0909

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER From bestselling historian Saul David, a riveting new history of the British airborne experience across the Second World War. The legendary ‘Red Devils’ were among the finest combat troops of the Second World War. Created at Churchill’s instigation in June 1940, they began as a single parachute battalion of 500 men and grew into three 10,000-strong airborne divisions: the 1st, 6th and 44th Indian, each composed of parachutists and glider-borne troops. Wearing their distinctive maroon berets, steel helmets and Dennison smocks, they served with distinction in every major theatre of the conflict – including North Africa, Sicily, mainland Europe and the Far East – and played a starring role in some most iconic airborne operations in history: the Bruneval Raid of February 1942; the capture of the Primasole, Pegasus and Arnhem Bridges in July 1943, June 1944 and September 1944 respectively; and Operation Varsity, the biggest parachute drop in history, near Wesel in Germany in March 1945. Σελίδες: 576, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A Spectator Best Book of the Year Trawling through a vast family archive and arcane sources in half a dozen languages, Adam Zamoyski has revealed the dramatic life of his great-great-great grandmother, an uneducated, vulnerable girl cast into a man’s world. Her aristocratic position enmeshed her in high politics and close encounters with Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Joseph II, Marie-Antoinette and Tsar Alexander I, and earned her the enmity of Catherine the Great. She lived through revolution and no less than five wars, in which her cherished homes were devastated, her possessions looted and her children scattered. Caught up in tempestuous love affairs which led her to nervous breakdown and the brink of suicide, exploited by her lovers, she remained undaunted and liberated herself through education. And, unusually for her time, she became a caring mother devoted to her children. She learned much by travelling extensively around Europe at a time of political and ideological change, and her observations, particularly on Georgian Britain, are remarkable. She gradually won the admiration of learned men and intellectual honours. She pioneered schooling for children of the poor and developed her own educational methods. Fascinated by the power of objects to kindle memories and arouse emotions, she was an avid collector of anything with a sensuous association and built two unique museums to act as teaching aids. This is a story of triumph over adversity and betrayal. It was not achieved by her looks: ‘I have never been beautiful, but I have sometimes been pretty,’ she wrote. It was achieved by force of character and resilience. Σελίδες: 288, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0819, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The No1 Sunday Times Bestseller A Waterstones Best Politics Book 2024 A Mail on Sunday ‘Best Holiday Read 2024’ ‘A searing exposé’ Glamour ‘A timely reminder of the dangers posed by men who crave power’ – Observer From New York Times bestseller Maureen Callahan, a fierce, character-driven exposé of the real Kennedy Curse—the family\'s generations-long legacy of misogyny, murder, and mayhem—and the women who have paid the price for our obsession with Camelot. For decades, the Kennedy name has been synonymous with wealth, power, and—above all else—integrity. But this carefully constructed veneer hides a dark truth: the Kennedy men\'s legacy of physical and psychological abuse of women, part of a tradition of toxic masculinity that spans generations and has ruined untold lives. Through scandal after scandal, the family and their defenders have managed to keep this shameful story out of the spotlight. Now, in Ask Not, bestselling journalist Maureen Callahan reveals the Kennedys\' hidden history of abuse and exploitation, laying bare their rampant misogyny and restoring women to the center of the dynasty\'s story: from Jacqueline Onassis and Marilyn Monroe to Carolyn Bessette, Mary Richardson, Rosemary Kennedy, and many others whose names aren\'t nearly as well known – but rightfully should be. Drawing on years of fierce reportage and written in electric prose, Ask Not is a long-overdue reckoning with this fabled American family, showing how the Kennedy myth and their raw political power has enabled the clan\'s many predators while also silencing generations of traumatized women and girls. At long last, Callahan also redirects the spotlight to the women in the Kennedys\' orbit, paying homage to those who freed themselves—and giving voice to the countless others who could not do the same. Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

THE REST IS HISTORY CLUB BOOK OF THE MONTH \'One of the most engaging and fascinating histories of Europe I\'ve read for years.\' DOMINIC SANDBROOK\'Highly original and insightful\' PD SMITH, GUARDIAN\'Thrillingly unique, knowledgeable, perceptive and profound\' IAN DUNTThe history of Europe told through twenty-nine key borders that define the past, present and future of our continentEurope\'s internal borders have rarely been \'natural\'; they have more often been created by accident or force.In Borderlines, political historian Lewis Baston journeys along twenty-nine key borders from west to east Europe, examining how the map of our continent has been redrawn over the last century, with varying degrees of success. The fingerprints of Napoleon, Alexander I, Castlereagh, Napoleon III and Bismarck are all there, but today\'s map of Europe is mostly the work of the Allies in 1919 and Stalin in 1945.To journey to the centre of the story of Europe, Baston takes us to its edges, bringing to life the fascinating and often bizarre histories of these border zones. We visit Baarle, the town broken into thirty fragments by the Netherland-Belgium border, and stop in Ostritz, the eastern German town where Nazis held a rock festival. We meander the back lanes of rural Ireland, and soak up the atmosphere in the coffee houses of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi. Through these borderlands, Baston explores how places and people heal from the scars left by a Europe of ethnic cleansing and barbed wire fences, and he searches for a better European future - finding it in unexpected places.\'An eye-opening read that combines Baston\'s travels along Europe\'s fault lines with incredible insights on how they got there in the first place.\' KATJA HOYER\'Beautiful. A true gem... [his] unique take on human nature through the history and heritage of the borderlands ends up being deeply moving.\' - IRISH INDEPENDENT\'Extraordinarily perceptive and original\' ANTHONY SELDON\'Refreshing and important\' RAFAEL BEHR Σελίδες: 336, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0729, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

‘Pithy, admirable ... a most refreshing resumé’ The Times Literary Supplement India has had many histories. To pilgrims from ancient China, India was the birthplace of the Buddha; to Alexander the Great it was a land of clever naked philosophers and indomitable, elephantine armies. At the height of the Mughal empire, India boasted nearly a quarter of the world economy, and even under colonial rule it was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Today it is the resurgent home to one sixth of the global population. Andrew Robinson incisively distils India’s many incarnations, from the remarkably advanced cities of the early Indus Valley to the world’s largest democracy. Anyone curious about its past, present or future will find this a fascinating introduction. Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0309, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER-ONE BESTSELLER. AS FEATURED IN SEASON 5 OF THE CROWN.When Diana: Her True Story was first published in 1992 it changed the way the public viewed the British monarchy. Never before had a senior royal spoken in such a raw, unfiltered way about her marriage, her hopes and fears and her extraordinary life inside the House of Windsor. An icon in life and a legend in death, Diana continues to fascinate and now, more than twenty-five years on, Andrew Morton has revisited the secret tapes he and the late princess made, to reveal startling new insights into her life and mind.A unique literary classic, Diana: Her True Story is the closest we will ever come to her autobiography.‘The most carefully researched, authoritative book about the royal family ever.’ The Sunday Times Σελίδες: 448, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

___________\'This excellent book demands the attention of anyone concerned about civil liberties in the United Kingdom\' Guardian1969 was a year of rising tension, violence and change for the people of Northern Ireland. Rioting in Derry\'s Bogside led to the deployment of British troops and a shortlived, uneasy truce. The British army soon found itself engaged in an undercover war against the Provisional IRA, which was to last for more than twenty years. In this enthralling and controversial book, Martin Dillon, author of the bestselling The Shankill Butchers, examines the roles played by the Provisional IRA, the State forces, the Irish Government and the British Army during this troubled period. He unravels the mystery of war in which informers, agents and double agents operate, revealing disturbing facts about the way in which the terrorists and the Intelligence Agencies target, undermine and penetrate each other\'s ranks. The Dirty War is investigative reporting at its very best, containing startling disclosures and throwing new light on previously inexplicable events. Σελίδες: 560, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

Was Jesus a Freemason? The discovery of evidence of the most secret rites of Freemasonry in an ancient Egyptian tomb led authors Chris Knight and Bob Lomas into and extraordinary investigation of 4, 000 years of history. This astonishing bestseller raises questions that have challenged some of Western civilisation\'s most cherished beliefs: Were scrolls bearing the secret teachings of Jesus buried beneath Herod\'s Temple shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman\'s? Did the Knights Templar, the forerunners of modern Freemasonry, excavate these scrolls in the twelfth century? And were these scrolls subsequently buried underneath a reconstruction of Herod\'s Temple, Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland - where they are now awaiting excavation? The authors\' discoveries shed a new light on Masonic ceremony and overturn out understanding of history. Σελίδες: 512, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

One Day: Saturday 13 July 1985, nearly two billion people woke up with one purpose. Nearly a third of humanity knew where they were going to be that day. Watching, listening to, attending: Live Aid. One Decade: Britain in the Eighties was different. The culture was different, the politics were different, and our engagement with the world was different. And it was just one day in 1985 that showed how different it was.In One Day, One Decade Dylan Jones tells the story of the Eighties through that day at Wembley, sweeping backwards to the end of the Seventies, and forward to the start of the Nineties. It draws on his personal reminiscences and perspective of music, media, fashion, politics and all forms of pop culture to frame the decade.This is a big book but not a exhaustive and dry social history. Live Aid was the decade’s pinch point, when a nation\'s attitudes and expectations were somehow captured and changed forever. The author suggests that before Live Aid, Britain was one place, and after Live Aid it was another.Britain in the Eighties was a juxtaposition of militancy and profligacy, a country where industry was being broken down, societies were being demolished, and unemployment became an inevitable lifestyle choice: yet the Eighties was also the apotheosis of pop culture, a decade where entertainment, opinion and subjectivity were more important than ever before.Dylan Jones was at the heart of the 1980s editing the seminal magazines i-D and The Face. He was one of the Blitz Kids and was both a commentator and one of the style-makers of the time. This is a controversial book, a story told from the inside by one who was at the centre of events. Σελίδες: 480, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A moving and extraordinary book about courage and survival, friendship and endurance – a portrait of ordinary women who faced the horror of the holocaust together.On an icy morning in Paris in January 1943, a group of 230 French women resisters were rounded up from the Gestapo detention camps and sent on a train to Auschwitz – the only train, in the four years of German occupation, to take women of the resistance to a death camp. Of the group, only 49 survivors would return to France. Here is the story of these women – told for the first time. A Train in Winter is a portrait of ordinary people, of their bravery and endurance, and of the friendships that kept so many of them alive. ‘A story of stunning courage, generosity and hope’ Mail on Sunday‘Serious and heartfelt...profound’ Sunday Times Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2024The border between England and Scotland is rich in history. It has been the site of battles, treaties, castles and crossroads. But it can also be a lens through which to look at the changing history and identities of these two countries. Between Britain is a one-hundred-mile journey through eight centuries. It is a history book, a travelogue, a personal reminiscence and a gently prodding examination of national identity. But above all it is a celebration of a place and the people who live there. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A vivid and compelling account of the final thirteen days of the Romanovs, counting down to the last, tense hours of their lives.On 4 July 1918, a new commandant took control of a closely guarded house in the Russian town of Ekaterinburg. His name was Yakov Yurovsky, and his prisoners were the Imperial family: the former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey. Thirteen days later, at Yurovsky\'s command, and on direct orders from Moscow, the family was gunned down in a blaze of bullets in a basement room.This is the story of those murders, which ended 300 years of Romanov rule and began an era of state-orchestrated terror and brutal repression. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A BARACK OBAMA SUMMER PICKA rollicking, revelatory look at the tumult of the early 1990s and the rise of a new, more berserk America that birthed the Donald Trump Era‘When the Clock Broke is leagues more insightful on the subject of Trump’s ascent than most writing that purports to address the issue directly’ WASHINGTON POST‘A fascinating, provocative challenge to our age – passionate, unexpected, illuminating’ RORY STEWARTWith the Soviet Union extinct, Saddam Hussein defeated and US power at its zenith, the early 1990s promised a ‘kinder, gentler America’. It didn’t work out that way. Instead, it was a period of punishing economic hardship, rising anger and domestic strife, setting the tone for the polarization and resurgent extremism we know today.In this original and often hilarious book, John Ganz narrates the fall of the Reagan order and the rise of a new kind of paranoid politics: how a group of con men and conspiracists declared a culture war on liberal elites, rejected ‘globalism’ and called for a ‘populist based presidency’.A rollicking exposé of the end of the post-World War II order, this book shows the advent of a new, more berserk America.‘Terrific . . . When the Clock Broke is one of those rarest of books: unflaggingly entertaining while never losing sight of its moral core’ NEW YORK TIMESOne of the Washington Post’s 10 Best Books of 2024One of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2024Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award 2024 Σελίδες: 432, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Hidden in the margins of history books, classical literature, and thousands of years of stories, myths and legends, through to contemporary literature, TV and film, there is a diverse and other-worldly super community of queer heroes to discover, learn from, and celebrate. Be captivated by stories of forbidden love like Patroclus & Achilles (explored in Madeleine Miller\'s bestseller Song of Achilles), join the cult of Antinous (inspiration for Oscar Wilde), get down with pansexual god Set in Egyptian myth, and fall for Zimbabwe\'s trans God Mawi. And from modern pop-culture, through Dan Jones\'s witty, upbeat style, learn more about 90s fan obsessions Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Neil Gaiman\'s American Gods and the BBC\'s Doctor Who. Queer Heroes of Myth & Legend brings to life characters who are romantic, brave, mysterious, and always fantastical. It is a magnificent celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary glory. Σελίδες: 240, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0729, Διαστάσεις: 12.4x12.4cm

THE COMPELLING ACCOUNT FROM THE FRONT LINES OF THE WAR IN UKRAINEFINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZEFINALIST FOR THE PETERSON LITERARY PRIZEA revelatory eyewitness account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and heroism of the Ukrainian resistance by Pulitzer Prize finalist Yaroslav Trofimov, the chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.----‘A stunning work of eyewitness reportage and literary nuance. Clear-eyed, memorable. An instant classic’ STEVE COLL, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Ghost Wars‘Brilliant and stirring. By layering detail upon telling detail, Trofimov builds up a vivid picture of how the men and women of Ukraine repulsed the Russian blitzkrieg with cleverness and courage’ Economist‘For verve, knowledge and detail Trofimov can seldom be beaten and his writing is rich in local colour’ The Times‘Part war correspondence, part road trip. Captures some of the most difficult, gruesome stories of the war. Those details are so intense that they sharpen everything around them’ Washington Post‘A fast-paced, unflinching witness narrative of the war’s first year, perceptive in its accounts of Russian overconfidence and the inventive, makeshift ways in which Ukrainians fought back against a larger force invading on three fronts’ Financial Times‘Achieves the highest level of war reporting: a tough, detailed account that nevertheless reads like a great novel’ SEBASTIAN JUNGER, bestselling author of The Perfect StormYaroslav Trofimov, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, 2023 and 2022 Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Witty, energising and refreshing\' Jeffrey BoakyeTake a step through the looking-glass to a strange land, one where Piers Morgan is a voice worth listening to about race, where white people buy self-help books to help them cope with their whiteness, where Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are seen by the majority of the population as \'the right (white) man for the job\'. Perhaps you know it. All the inhabitants seem to be afflicted by serious delusions, for example that racism doesn\'t exist and if it does it can be cured with a one-hour inclusion seminar, and bizarre collective hallucinations, like the widely held idea that Britain\'s only role in slavery was to abolish it.But there is a serious side too. Society cannot face up to the racism at its heart and in its history, so the delusions, irrationalities and hallucinations it conjures up to avoid doing so can only best be described as a psychosis, with the costs being borne by the sons and daughters of that racist history. Living in a racist world is like living in a world that bears no resemblance to reality. Black and brown people suffer from a greater number of mental health difficulties too, caused in no small part by trying to survive a racist society.Kehinde Andrews is your piercing, wry and not a little funny guide back to sanity, unpicking the absurd and outrageous lies society tells to keep up the status quo. The Psychosis of Whiteness is your lifeboat out of this topsy-turvy world. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

**LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024**‘Unmissable’ Stephen Fry\'A delight\' Katherine Rundell‘Illuminating’ Susie Dent\'Brilliant\' Philippa Perry\'Enthralling\' Jeanette WintersonWhat do three murderers, Karl Marx\'s daughter and a vegetarian vicar have in common?They all helped create the Oxford English Dictionary.The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men. But the Dictionary didn\'t just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By 1928, its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from astronomers to murderers, naturists, pornographers, suffragists and queer couples.Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people\'s history of the OED. Here, she reveals, for the first time, the full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world - and celebrates the extraordinary efforts of the Dictionary People.\'An astonishing book\' Sunday Times\'Utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing and as clever as a box of monkeys ... I completely love it\' Joanna Lumley‘A fascinating and delightful exploration of the Victorian world … Wonderful’ Nicola Shulman, TLS Podcast** A Financial Times, TLS and Daunt Books Book of the Year ** Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Every dog must have his day.There\'s nothing the British love quite as much as their dogs - but did you know that our canine companions have also shaped the history of this sceptred isle? From hunting to our hearths, and from herding to heavy industry, our dogs have accompanied us through centuries of social and economic change, and our relationship is still evolving today.In this fascinating alternative history of Britain, Clare Balding takes us on a journey across the length and breadth of the home nations, exploring our unique heritage of canine tradition and meeting the people who still live, work and innovate with their dogs. A story of companionship, loyalty and good old-fashioned hard work, Isle of Dogs is an unmissable read for anyone whose life has been transformed by a faithful hound. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

A dramatic retelling of the final years of the Western Roman Empire and the downfall of Rome itself from the perspective of the Roman general Stilicho and Alaric, king of the Visigoths.It took little more than a single generation for the centuries-old Roman Empire to fall. In those critical decades, while Christians and pagans, legions and barbarians, generals and politicians squabbled over dwindling scraps of power, two men – former comrades on the battlefield – rose to prominence on opposite sides of the great game of empire.Roman general Flavius Stilicho, the man behind the Roman throne, dedicated himself to restoring imperial glory, only to find himself struggling for his life against political foes. Alaric, King of the Goths, desired to be a friend of Rome, was betrayed by it, and given no choice but to become its enemy. Battling each other to a standstill, these two warriors ultimately overcame their differences in order to save the empire from enemies on all sides. And when one of them fell, the other took such vengeance as had never been seen in history.Don Hollway, author of The Last Viking, combines ancient chroniclers’ accounts of Stilicho and Alaric into an unforgettable history of betrayal, politics, intrigue and war for the heart and soul of the Roman Empire. Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0903, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

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 in the history and politics of her country. It paints an unforgettable portrait of growing up in revolutionary and war-torn Iran, in a family that was both outrageous and ordinary, beset by tragedy and yet buffered by love. Funny, wise, ultimately heartbreaking and told with unforgettable pictures.‘A revelation...you will remember it for a very long time’ Mark Haddon‘The magic of Marjane Satrapi’s work is that it can condense a whole country’s tragedy into one poignant, funny scene after another’ Independent on SundayTHE COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS VOLUMES I & II: Includes The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a ReturnTRANSLATED BY ANJALI SINGH**ONE OF THE GUARDIAN\'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY** Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Imperial Island shows how empire and its ever-present aftermath have divided and defined Britain over the last seventy years.\'An eye-opening study of the empire within\' SHASHI THAROOR\'Clear, bold, refreshing\' LUCY WORSLEYAfter the Second World War, Britain\'s overseas empire disintegrated. But the effects of empire lived on, shaping its population and politics and dominating its relationship with the world ever since. Drawing on a mass of new research, from personal letters to pop culture, Imperial Island tells this dramatic story of imperial demise and its potent legacy, from the Suez Crisis to the Falklands War, from the invasion of Iraq to Brexit. It is a story of immigration and social unrest, multiculturalism and extremism, and a nation continuously wrestling with its past.\'Incisive, important and incredibly timely . . . for anyone wanting to understand how Britain became the nation it is today \' CAROLINE ELKINS\'Marvellous . . . A thought-provoking delight that absolutely everyone should read\' STEPHEN BUSH\'Absorbing . . . dexterously handled and carefully sourced’ Financial Times‘Masterful, ingeniously written. You won\'t look at Britain in the same way ever again’ OWEN JONES Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Kershaw’s book is a welcome rebalancing; a thoughtful, well-researched and well-written contribution to a narrative that has long been too one-sided and too mired in national mythology.\' - The Times The British evacuation from the beaches of the small French port town of Dunkirk is one of the iconic moments of military history. The battle has captured the popular imagination through LIFE magazine photo spreads, the fiction of Ian McEwan and, of course, Christopher Nolan’s hugely successful Hollywood blockbuster. But what is the German view of this stunning Allied escape? Drawing on German interviews, diaries and unit post-action reports, Robert Kershaw creates a page-turning history of a battle that we thought we knew. Dünkirchen 1940 is the first major history on what went wrong for the Germans at Dunkirk. As supreme military commander, Hitler had seemingly achieved a miracle after the swift capitulation of Holland and Belgium, but with just seven kilometres before the panzers captured Dunkirk – the only port through which the trapped British Expeditionary force might escape – they came to a shuddering stop. Only a detailed interpretation of the German perspective – historically lacking to date – can provide answers as to why. Dünkirchen 1940 delves into the under-evaluated major German miscalculation both strategically and tactically that arguably cost Hitler the war. Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0730, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'A crucial, riveting polemic in support of one of the most precious things humanity has built - democracy itself\' OWEN JONES\'Graham Smith shows what fools our rotten constitution makes of us, with a monarch as emblem of a country beset by nepotism, backhanders, chumocracy and inherited privilege. Read and rebel!\' POLLY TOYNBEEWe\'re constantly told the same things about the monarchy:But the monarchy is good for tourism..It isn\'t! Evidence points to some royal weddings actually having a negative impact on inbound tourism.But the monarchy makes a big difference to charity..Of the approx. 1,200 charities with a royal patron, 74% had no contact with their patron during the preceding year.But everyone loves the monarchy..A January 2023 poll showed support for the monarchy is down 55 percent.It\'s wrong in principle and it doesn\'t work in practice. It doesn\'t have to be this way.They say Britain should be proud to have the mother of parliaments, to be a shining beacon of democracy and an example to other nations. But there\'s an elephant in the room.At the heart of power is a single family. They weren\'t elected but they live off the public purse. They aren\'t accountable to anyone, and yet between them they are privy to more government secrets than many cabinet ministers. Divinely appointed using a special hat, the head of the family is your superior, you his subject. Apparently he is guardian of our constitution - but we\'re also told he wouldn\'t dream of interfering in politics.If you accept the monarchy, you must accept the moral compromise that comes with it, from its erosion of the principle of equality to the secret interference in our laws. But the good news is that we don\'t have to accept it. True democracy is within our reach. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

Gorgeous Collector\'s Edition. Ancient Rome began as a village of humble dwellings on the Palatine and grew to be one of the mightiest and most successful empires of human history, before collapsing in the West under invasions of barbarian nations attracted by Rome\'s wealth and land, over a thousand years later. The legacy of Rome continues in the languages of modern Europe, in the calendar and the alphabet we use, and in the religion called Christianity which remains the dominant faith throughout the Western world. In this book you\'ll find thrilling stories of the legendary founding of Rome, its conquest of Italy and its victory over the Carthaginians, the rise of the Republic and the Empire, the recruitment and training of men for the legions, how the city\'s aqueducts worked, the destruction of Rome in the Great Fire, and the extraordinary lives of the most famous Caesars. Flame Tree Collector\'s Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders. Σελίδες: 416, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

\'Should be required reading for everyone - including unionists - who are interested in and concerned about the fate of this island\' Dublin Review of Books\'Compelling\' Financial TimesWill Ireland really reunite?A century ago the resolution to Ireland’s long struggle for independence was a settlement that saw six of its northern counties remain in the United Kingdom while the other twenty-six formed the new Republic of Ireland. Since partition the unification of the two parts of the island has seemed impossible, particularly because of the bloody legacy of past conflict.However, by 2030, if not sooner, demographic and electoral advantages of Ulster unionists, who wish to remain part of the UK, will be over. And in the light of Brexit, the rising popularity of the Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin, political developments both sides of the border, and within Great Britain, Irish unification referendums will become increasingly likely. Yet even those who want these to happen are not prepared.Making Sense of a United Ireland is a landmark exploration of this most contentious of issues. Distinguished political scientist Brendan O\'Leary - a global expert on divided places, who has been profoundly engaged with the Irish question for nearly four decades - argues that the time to consider the future of the island of Ireland is now.\'The first comprehensive manual of Irish unification\' Irish Times‘Several books have been written about this subject . . . for sheer intellectual firepower O’Leary wins first prize’ Business Post \'A tour de force\' Globe and Mail\'A must-read for anyone who lives in Northern Ireland and thinks seriously about its future. [O\'Leary has] thought through the implications of possible unity so deeply it would be foolish for anyone who seeks it or opposes it to ignore his book\' Cathal Mac Coille\'Impressively researched and well-argued … detailed and readable\' Irish Independent\'Brilliant\' Brian Feeney, Irish News____\'Highly readable, stylishly written, and essential\' Irish Central Σελίδες: 384, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Lynsey Hanley was born and raised just outside of Birmingham on what was then the largest council estate in Europe, and she has lived for years on an estate in London\'s East End. Writing with passion, humour and a sense of history, she recounts the rise of social housing a century ago, its adoption as a fundamental right by leaders of the social welfare state in the mid-century and its decline - as both idea and reality - in the 1960s and \'70s. Throughout, Hanley focuses on how shifting trends in urban planning and changing government policies - from Homes Fit for Heroes to Le Corbusier\'s concrete tower blocks, to the Right to Buy - affected those so often left out of the argument over council estates: the millions of people who live on them. What emerges is a vivid mix of memoir and social history, an engaging and illuminating book about a corner of society that the rest of Britain has left in the dark. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

An original and fascinating history of Dublin that tells the story of the city through its bridges.Dublin started life on the south bank of the River Liffey and for six or seven centuries that is more or less where the town stayed. In all that time, there was only one bridge across the river. Then, suddenly, in the twenty years after 1670, three more bridges were thrown up and the north side was born. Within a century, Dublin was being talked of as one of the ten largest cities in the whole of Europe.Built over a span of a thousand years, the twenty bridges that now traverse the tidal section of the Liffey have each contributed to the city\'s development, as it pushed through the open fields north of the river and east towards the bay, so much so that it is possible to piece together Dublin\'s history by tracing their construction in chronological order.Starting with Church Street Bridge, Dublin\'s first, which dates back to the Vikings, and ending with Rosie Hackett Bridge, erected in 2014, Fergal Tobin charts the rise of Ireland\'s capital city as never before and reveals how, perhaps more than any other city in the world, it has been truly made by its bridges. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

What does it take to report from conflict zones? What good is neutrality in the face of suffering, and how much difference can one person make? From her first journalistic assignment in Gaza to covering the Arab Spring in Egypt, Sherine Tadros searched for ways to change people’s lives for the better. It wasn’t until her life fell apart that she found the courage to pursue her true purpose. With compassion and verve, Tadros now shares her remarkable journey, from witnessing injustice to fighting it in the corridors of power. In probing the line between journalism and activism, her memoir Taking Sides demonstrates why stories matter — and how we can all use our voices to inspire meaningful change. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm