BookOdyssey

The remarkable wartime diary of nurse Kathleen Johnstone ‘Warm, chatty and endlessly absorbing, this delightful diary brims with intelligence and humour.’ Wendy Moore, author of Endell Street: The Women Who Ran Britain’s Trailblazing Military Hospital The second world war could not have been won without the bravery and selflessness of women on the Home Front. Women like Kathleen Johnstone. This first-hand story of one extraordinary but unheralded member of Britain’s ‘Greatest Generation’ brings home with extraordinary lucidity and compassion the realities of wartime Lancashire. In 1943, Kathleen, then thirty, was a nurse-in-training at the Blackburn Royal Infirmary. For the next three years she kept a meticulous diary of her day-to-day existence, leaving behind a vivid record of the real-time concerns of a busy, thoughtful woman on the frontline of the war at home. Kathleen’s days were never the same. She writes in clear and lively prose about life in the hospital: of her fellow nurses, her patients, about death and dying, and the progress of the war as wounded soldiers returned from Normandy in the summer of 1944. She muses on being working class, wartime austerity, and her anxiety about examinations. Here too are dances, Americans and a POW boyfriend in Germany. Kathleen’s observations are witty, wry and astute – but above all relatable, even today. Poignant and engrossing, Kathleen Johnstone’s tale of trauma, romance and friendship will leave a lasting impression. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ORDINARY ANIMAL. EVERY ONE HAS A HEROIC STORY TO TELL. Discover how . . . Able Seacat Simon rescued the crew of HMS Amethyst Bobby the Wonder Dog crossed a continent to find his family Galipolli Murphy carried 250 wounded soldiers to safety Pickles tracked down the stolen World Cup And the Tamworth Two managed to save their baconClare Balding\'s stories of daring, courageous, remarkable creatures who changed our world for the better: from the dog that inspired Lassie to the bear that fought the Nazis. Σελίδες: 352, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0722, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

The History of Mary Prince (1831) was the first narrative of a black woman to be published in Britain. It describes Prince\'s sufferings as a slave in Bermuda, Turks Island and Antigua, and her eventual arrival in London with her brutal owner Mr Wood in 1828. Prince escaped from him and sought assistance from the Anti-Slavery Society, where she dictated her remarkable story to Susanna Strickland (later Moodie). A moving and graphic document, The History drew attention to the continuation of slavery in the Caribbean, despite an 1807 Act of Parliament officially ending the slave trade. It inspired two libel actions and ran into three editions in the year of its publication. This powerful rallying cry for emancipation remains an extraordinary testament to Prince\'s ill-treatment, suffering and survival. Σελίδες: 160, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

SURVIVOR STORIES FROM DUNKIRK, NOW THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR FILM FROM CHRISTOPHER NOLANWhen Britain declared war against Germany in September 1939, thousands of young men sailed across the English Channel to fight for their country. Among them were the seven soldiers who share their stories in this book. Some joined up out of patriotism, others for adventure or the prospect of a secure wage. They were fit, trained and proud to wear the armband of the British Expeditionary Forces. For many, the first months were strangely peaceful, but when the Germans invaded in May 1940 they advanced with shocking speed. The German armoured columns sliced through neutral Holland and Belgium. The French Army collapsed and within a week the soldiers of the BEF were forced to retreat. Fighting tough and bloody rearguard actions, they endured relentless shelling and fearsome dive-bomb attacks. Constantly on the move, and facing a German onslaught on three fronts, they were soon exhausted, hungry and low on ammunition. They headed finally to their one chance of salvation: the beaches of Dunkirk. Mike Rossiter tells the stories of seven veterans who went through a hellish baptism of fire in the first battles on the front line, and fought in the last-ditch defence of Dunkirk. They saw their comrades bombed and drowned off the beaches. Their accounts give us a fascinating and privileged insight into the reality of the war and what it was really like to face the German Blitzkrieg in 1940. They take us from the confident, idyllic days of the phoney war in the French countryside to the sudden shock of battle, from the fear and confusion of retreat to the wait for an uncertain rescue. These are the compelling stories of seven men who are proud to say I Fought at Dunkirk. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

The newly discovered diary of a wartime nurse - a fascinating, dramatic and unique insight into the experiences of a young nurse in the Second World War.\'I always seem to be saying good-bye to men whom I might have loved had there been enough time...\'1939: 18-year-old trainee nurse Mary Mulry arrives in London from Ireland, hoping for adventure. Little did she know what the next seven years would bring.In her extraordinary diary, published now for the first time, Mary records in intimate detail her life as a nurse, both on the Home Front and on the frontline. From nursing children during bombing raids in London to treating Allied soldiers in Normandy, Mary\'s experiences gave her vivid and unforgettable material for the private diary she was dedicated to keeping.Filled with romance, glamour and inevitably sadness, too, these are the rich memories of an irrepressible personality, living through the turbulent years of the Second World War. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0331, Διαστάσεις: 13.4x13.4cm

\'An extraordinary family tale of survival\' Sunday TimesJonathan Dean\'s great-grandfather, David Schapira, fled the Russian threat in Ukraine for Vienna in 1914. Blinded in the First World War, he survived to find love and start a family, only to be sent to a concentration camp during the next war. David\'s son, Heinz, was also a refugee. In 1939, aged 16, he embarked on a nail-biting journey to London, to escape his fate as an Austrian Jew. Drawing on David\'s memoir and Heinz\'s wartime diaries, Dean visits the places that changed the course of his family tree - Vienna, Cologne, Ukraine - where he finds history repeating itself and meets a new wave of people leaving loved ones for an uncertain future.I Must Belong Somewhere is an unforgettable family tale of exile and survival, and a powerful meditation on what it means to be a refugee today. Σελίδες: 272, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0313, Διαστάσεις: 13.2x13.2cm

Arriving at the great houses of 1920s London, fifteen-year-old Margaret’s life in service was about to begin… As a kitchen maid – the lowest of the low – she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5.30am and went on until after dark. It was a far cry from her childhood on the beaches of Hove, where money and food were scarce, but warmth and laughter never were. Yet from the gentleman with a penchant for stroking the housemaids’ curlers, to raucous tea-dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress’s nephew, Margaret’s tales of her time in service are told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation. Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Below Stairs is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high. \'Enormous gusto, salty humour, wisdom\' Evening Standard \'Shrewd, unabashed, wickedly funny, a unique front-line report of her life\'s experiences\' Jack De Manio, BBC Σελίδες: 224, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0901, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNow a major motion picture directed by Ridley Scott starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a massive crowd gathered at a Paris monastery to watch two men fight a duel to the death. A trial by combat to prove which man\'s cause was right in God\'s sight.The dramatic story of the knight, the squire and the lady unfolds during the tumultuous fourteenth century. A time of war, plague and anarchy, as well as of honour, chivalry, and courtly love.The notorious quarrel appears in many histories of France, but no writer has recounted it in full, until now._______________________________________________________________\'Succeeds brilliantly in combining page-turning intensity with eye-opening insights\' Sunday Times\'Suspenseful and well written\' Spectator Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Goodbye Christopher Robin: A.A. Milne and the Making of Winnie-the-Pooh is drawn from Ann Thwaite’s acclaimed biography of A. A. Milne, one of the most successful English writers ever, and the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, and of Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Christopher Robin.But the fictional Christopher Robin was based on Milne’s own son. This heart-warming and touching book recounts the true story that inspired the film Goodbye Christopher Robin, directed by Simon Curtis and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie and Kelly Macdonald, and offers the reader a glimpse into the relationship between Milne and the real-life Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the magical world of the Hundred Acre Wood. Along with his mother Daphne and his nanny Olive, Christopher Robin and his family were swept up in the international success of the books; the enchanting tales brought hope and comfort to an England ravaged by the First World War. But with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, what will the cost be to the family?With a preface by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, co-writer of the screenplay. Σελίδες: 288, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0926, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

In King of Spies, prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of Escape From Camp 14, Blaine Harden, reveals one of the most astonishing – and previously untold – spy stories of the twentieth century.Donald Nichols was \'a one man war\', according to his US Air Force commanding general. He won the Distinguished Service Cross, along with a chest full of medals for valor and initiative in the Korean War. His commanders described Nichols as the bravest, most resourceful and effective spymaster of that forgotten war. But there is far more to Donald Nichols\' story than first meets the eye . . .Based on long-classified government records, unsealed court records, and interviews in Korea and the U.S., King of Spies tells the story of the reign of an intelligence commander who lost touch with morality, legality, and even sanity, if military psychiatrists are to be believed. Donald Nichols was America\'s Kurtz. A seventh-grade dropout, he created his own black-ops empire, commanding a small army of hand-selected spies, deploying his own makeshift navy, and ruling over it as a clandestine king, with absolute power over life and death. He claimed a – \'legal license to murder\' – and inhabited a world of mass executions and beheadings, as previously unpublished photographs in the book document.Finally, after eleven years, the U.S. military decided to end Nichols\'s reign. He was secretly sacked and forced to endure months of electroshock in a military hospital in Florida. Nichols told relatives the American government was trying to destroy his memory.King of Spies looks to answer the question of how an uneducated, non-trained, non-experienced man could end up as the number-one US spymaster in South Korea and why his US commanders let him get away with it for so long . . . Σελίδες: 304, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0423, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

**Formerly published as The Lost Boys**\'Remarkable. A powerful, engrossing story of a journey into the heart of darkness and final escape from it\' Sunday TimesIn September, 1944, the SS march into a remote Italian castle, arrest a mother and seize her two sons, aged just two and three. If Hitler has his way she will never see them again. For Fey Pirzio-Biroli is the daughter of Ulrich von Hassell, executed days before after the failed assassination of the Fuhrer. Mercilessly cast into the Nazi death machine, Fey must cling to the hope that one day she will escape and rescue her lost children . . .\'Riveting, important, reads like a terrifying thriller\' Daily Telegraph\'Heartbreaking. It started with a plot to kill Hitler. It ended in one of the most astonishing and moving stories of the war\' Daily Mail\'Extraordinary. A rich, deep, gripping read\' Guardian\'As thrilling as any novel. Bailey has an extraordinary talent for bringing history to life\' Kate Atkinson Σελίδες: 480, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A Moment of War is the powerful and harrowing final book in Laurie Lee\'s acclaimed trilogy that began with Cider with RosieLaurie Lee was still a young man when he decided to fight for the Republican cause in Spain\'s civil war. But though he braved icy, storm-swept mountains alone to contact Republican sympathisers, he was immediately suspected of being a Nationalist spy. Imprisoned and almost executed by his own side, he eventually joined the International Brigade. This is the story of his experiences as a Republican soldier, fighting for the losing side in a doomed war.\'A great, heart-stopping narrative of one young Englishman\'s part in the war in Spain . . . crafted by a poet, stamping an indelible image of the boredom, random cruelty and stupidity of war\' - Literary Review \'This story aches with unforgotten cold and trembles with unforgotten terror\' -Guardian Laurie Lee has written some of the best-loved travel books in the English language. Born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1914, he was educated at Slad village school and Stroud Central School. At the age of nineteen he walked to London and then travelled on foot through Spain, where he was trapped by the outbreak of the Civil War. He later returned by crossing the Pyrenees, as he recounted in A Moment of War. In 1950 he married Catherine Polge and they had one daughter. Laurie Lee published four collections of poems: The Sun My Monument (1944), The Bloom of Candles (1947), My Many-Coated Man (1955) and Pocket Poems (1960). His other works include The Voyage of Magellan (1948), A Rose for Winter (1955), The Firstborn (1964), I Can\'t Stay Long (1975) and Two Women (1983). He also wrote three bestselling volumes of autobiography: Cider with Rosie (1959), which has sold over six million copies worldwide, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). He died in May 1997. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

George Orwell\'s searing account of working-class life in the bleak industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930s, The Road to Wigan Pier is a brilliant and bitter polemic that has lost none of its political impact over timeOrwell\'s graphically unforgettable descriptions of social injustice, cramped slum housing, dangerous mining conditions, squalor, hunger and growing unemployment are written with unblinking honesty, fury and great humanity. It crystallized the ideas that would be found in his later works and novels, and remains a powerful portrait of poverty, injustice and class divisions in Britain.Includes illustrations, explanatory footnotes, and an introduction by Richard Hoggart Σελίδες: 240, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, The Bomber War is an accessible, insightful and authoritative introduction to the airborne Allied fight against Nazi Germany.- How did aeroplane technology change the theatre of war?- How did the Blitz affect Britain\'s ability to fight?- How did the Allies finally triumph?DISCOVER how the complex impact of bomber technology shaped the outcome of World War II. From the Blitz to the Battle of the Ruhr, the Bomber War transformed the state of warfare in the twentieth century. GERMANY\'S DEADLY TACTICS, THE ALLIES\' BRUTAL VICTORYWritten by historian, author and broadcaster James Holland and with immersive illustrations by Keith Burns, THE BOMBER WAR is an accessible and enthralling introduction to these critical battles and their impact on the outcome of World War II. Σελίδες: 56, Διαστάσεις: 11.9x11.9cm

\'Accessible, informative, enjoyable\' - All About History _____________________Spend 24 hours with the ancient Athenians. See the city through their eyes as it teeters on the edge of the fateful war that would end its golden age.Athens, 416 BC. A tenuous peace holds. The city-state’s political and military might are feared throughout the ancient world; it pushes the boundaries of social, literary and philosophical experimentation in an era when it has a greater concentration of geniuses per capita than at any other time in human history. Yet even geniuses go to the bathroom, argue with their spouse and enjoy a drink with friends.During the course of a day we meet 24 Athenians from all strata of society – from the slave-girl to the councilman, the vase painter to the naval commander, the housewife to the hoplite – and get to know what the real Athens was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every chapter, with each chapter forming an hour in the life of the ancient city. We also get to spy on the daily doings of notable Athenians through the eyes of regular people as the city hovers on the brink of the fateful war that will destroy its golden age. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Lively and amusing [...] an engaging read. Ryan successfully makes this ancient civilisation more immediate and accessible.\' - Current World Archaeology _____________________\'[Donald] Ryan - who has worked in and on Egypt for decades, as an archaeologist, historian and popular writer - has succeeded in bringing all of his characters to life. This is a great little volume.\' - KMT Magazine_____________________\'Very readable [...] its originality lies in the clever construction of the content. The variety of characters covered allows for a considerable breadth of information on life for the rich and poor.\' - Ancient Egypt Magazine_____________________Spend 24 hours with the inhabitants of the most powerful kingdom in the ancient world.Ancient Egypt wasn’t all pyramids, sphinxes and gold sarcophagi. For your average Egyptian, life was tough, and work was hard, conducted under the burning gaze of the sun god Ra.During the course of a day in the ancient city of Thebes (modern-day Luxor), Egypt’s religious capital, we meet 24 Egyptians from all strata of society – from the king to the bread-maker, the priestess to the fisherman, the soldier to the midwife – and get to know what the real Egypt was like by spending an hour in their company. We encounter a different one of these characters every hour and in every chapter, and through their eyes see what an average day in ancient Egypt was really like. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

‘An important and honest book that will encourage better conversations about sex. I wish I read this when I was younger!’ - Laura Whitmore\'A must-read for anyone whose sexual expression has been used as a weapon against them\' – Ruby Rare\'A fascinating deep dive into the history of slutshaming\' - Service 95, Dua Lipa\'s Book ClubA \'taboo-smashing debut book\' - Cosmopolitan You might have thought the era of slutshaming was behind us. But it’s far from over.In this powerful and timely investigation, Beth uncovers the persistent reality of slutshaming in today’s world. She examines how these harmful attitudes have changed over time, why they are so dangerous, what we can do to challenge them, and how we can all have better conversations about sex.The fight starts now. Σελίδες: 320, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0106, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Harriet Tubman, forced to labour outdoors on a Maryland plantation, learned from the land a terrain for escape. Louisa May Alcott ran wild, eluding gendered expectations in New England. The Indigenous women’s basketball team from Fort Shaw, Montana, recaptured a sense of pride in physical prowess as they trounced the white teams of the 1904 World’s Fair. Celebrating women like these who acted on their confidence outdoors, Wild Girls brings new context to misunderstood icons like Sacagawea and Pocahontas and to under-appreciated figures like Native American activist writer Zitkála-Šá, also known as Gertrude Bonnin, farmworkers’ champion Dolores Huerta and labour and Civil Rights organiser Grace Lee Boggs. This beautiful, meditative work of history puts girls of all races—and the landscapes they loved—at centre stage and reveals the impact of the outdoors on women’s independence, resourcefulness and vision. For these trailblazing women of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, navigating the woods, following the stars, playing sports and taking to the streets in peaceful protest were not only joyful pursuits, but also techniques to resist assimilation, racism and sexism. Lyrically written and full of archival discoveries, Wild Girls evokes landscapes as richly as the girls who roamed in them—and argues for equal access to outdoor spaces for young women of every race and class today. Σελίδες: 208, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0806, Διαστάσεις: 14x14cm

Born into a devoutly Maoist family in 1950s Shanghai and forced to work on a communal farm from the age of seventeen, Anchee Min found herself in an alienating and hostile political climate, where her only friendships were perilous and intense. Both candid and touching, this compelling memoir documents her isolation and illicit love against the backdrop of China\'s Cultural Revolution. From her coming of age in the Red Guard to her recruitment into Madame Mao\'s burgeoning industry of propaganda movies, Red Azalea explores the secret sensuality of a repressive society with elegance and honesty. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

From historian David Priestland, this is remarkable book proposes a radical approach to how we see our world and who runs itWe live in an age ruled by merchants. Competition, flexibility and profit are still the common currency, even at a time when Western countries have been driven off a cliff by these very values. But will it always be this way? David Priestland argues for the predominance in any society of one of three broad value systems - that of the merchant (commercial and competitive); the soldier (aristocratic and militaristic); and the sage (bureaucratic or creative). These \'castes\' struggle alongside the worker (egalitarian and artisanal) for power, and when they achieve supremacy, they can have such a strong hold over us that it is almost impossible to imagine life outside their grip. And yet there does come a point of drastic change, usually because one caste becomes too dominant. The result is economic crisis, war or revolution, and eventually a new caste takes over.Priestland argues, we are now in the midst of a period with all the classic signs of imminent change. As the history of the last century shows, there is good reason to be fearful of the forces that this failure may unleash. Merchant, Soldier, Sage is both a masterful dissection of our current predicament and a brilliant piece of history. The world will not look the same after you read this book.Reviews:\'We have here a gripping, argument-led history, efforlessly moving between New York, Tokyo and Berlin, from the Reformation to the 2008 economic crisis ... dazzling ... here, at last, is a work that places the current crisis in a longer history of seismic shifts in the balance of social power\' Frank Trentman, BBC History Magazine\'Concise but extremely ambitious ... well worth pondering and reflecting on ... among the many contributions to the dissection of our current predicament, this is surely one of the most thought-provoking\' Sir Richard J Evans, Guardian\'Stimulating ... In illustrating these larger processes of caste conflict and caste collaboration, the author offers crisp portraits of entrepreneurs, economists and warriors ... Sparkling prose and ... arresting comparisons\' Ramachandra Guha, Financial TimesAbout the author:David Priestland has studied Communism in all its forms for many years, in both Oxford and Moscow State Universities. He is University Lecturer in Modern History at Oxford and a Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, and the author of Stalinism and the Politics of Mobilization. The Red Flag was shortlisted for the Longman/History Today prize. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 15.3x15.3cm

\'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller\' Lee Child\'Now that\'s a Great Escape! How 34 members of the SAS evaded 5,000 Nazi troops in blizzard conditions, after wreaking havoc in Italian mountain ambush ... The full gripping story of Operation Galia and the incredible escape that followed.\' Mail OnlineFIVE OF THE MOST DARING ESCAPES CARRIED OUT BY THE SAS DURING WORLD WAR TWOSAS Great Escapes Three recounts how warriors of the world\'s most famous fighting force, the SAS, carried out five of the most daring escapes of World War Two. Ranging from the very birth of the SAS, to the post D-Day battles for Nazi-occupied Europe, these gripping true stories cover some of the most iconic operations of the regiment, and its key characters, while also including untold tales of courage and endurance beyond compare.Told in classic Damien Lewis style, each account plunges the reader into the escapees\' experiences - sharing the most terrifying yet astounding moments of their lives. They include unimaginable accounts of survival in the face of staggering odds, episodes of nerve-wracking bluff and deception, plus knife-edge ambushes withenemy forces hell-bent on wreaking vengeance.In this new volume of incredible special forces feats, bestselling author Damien Lewis has worked closely with World War Two veterans and the families of those portrayed, accessing wartime diaries, letters, mission reports, interrogation transcripts and more, to relate how the men of the SAS were hunted by the enemy and forced to fight their way out of certain death or capture. Around every corner, upon every decision and every movement lurked the possibility of discovery. Yet with every step, breath and turn taken, these fugitives epitomized the do-or-die spirit of the SAS to overcome. Σελίδες: 368, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0513, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

Welcome to the exotic world of Istanbul in the year 1750! Palaces & mosques, coffee houses and baths – this is your pocket guide to the city of the Sultans. This entertaining and informative guide takes you on a journey back to the era of the Grand Tour, when Istanbul was a favourite destination for enterprising travellers. Learn how to gain access to the heavily guarded Topkapi Sarayi. Discover how to haggle with the expert salesmen in the bustling bazaars, learn what excitements await you in a Turkish bath and attend the strange rituals of the whirling dervishes. Or watch the sultan, dressed in all his finery, taking to the Bosphorus in his splendid barge. The more daring can join the crowds attending an execution or taste the forbidden delicacies on offer in the most risque coffee houses and opium dens. Witty and fact-filled, Istanbul on Five Kurush a Day will appeal to travellers, museum-goers and anyone who wonders what it would really have been like to visit the hub of the Ottoman Empire. Σελίδες: 144, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0506, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

From royalty to peasantry, every age has its bad eggs, those who break all the rules and rub everyone up the wrong way. But their niggling, anti-social and irritating ways not only tell us about what upset people, but also what mattered to them, how their society functioned and what kind of world they lived in. In this brilliantly nitty-gritty exploration of real life in the Tudor and Stuart age, you will discover:– how to choose the perfect insult, whether it be draggletail, varlet, flap, saucy fellow strumpet, ninny-hammer or stinkard– why quoting Shakespeare was very poor form – why flashing the inside of your hat could repulse someone– the best way to mock accents, preachers, soldiers and pretty much everything else besides Ruth Goodman draws upon advice books and manuals, court cases and sermons, drama and imagery to outline bad behaviour from the gauche to the galling, the subtle to the outrageous. It is a celebration of drunkards, scolds, harridans and cross dressers in a time when calling a man a fool could get someone killed, and cursing wasn’t just rude, it worked!‘Ruth is the queen of living history – long may she reign!’ Lucy Worsley Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Roman Britain is vividly portrayed in this fascinating and authentically detailed story about a year in the life of an ordinary woman and her family.The year is AD 133. Hadrian is Emperor of Rome and all its vast empire, including Britannia. The greater part of that island has long been under imperial rule and the Roman legions control most of the land, quelling uprisings and building new forts and towns. Around the fortress of Eboracum (now known as York), a bustling garrison settlement is developing, while along the north-west frontier of Hadrian’s empire, the legions are completing the construction of a mighty wall.Introducing us to this world is Senovara, born into the Parisi, a local tribe whose customs have been little changed by Roman rule. But she is also the young wife of Quintus, a veteran of the 6th Legion Victrix. Settling in Quintus’s home is both bewildering and awe-inspiring for Senovara as she seeks to adjust to Eboracum’s cosmopolitan environment, come to terms with new customs and reconcile their cultural differences.Senovara finds that daily life in the settlement can be harsh; a constant struggle to provide her family with fresh food, water and warmth. Yet there is much enjoyment to be had as well, at the public baths or with new friends. There is also the excitement of religious festivals and in the regular news from the frontier, and peril in the form of a deadly fever which sweeps through Eboracum, forcing Senovara and her children to flee to her brother in the countryside.Roman Woman is an immersive, compelling narrative which gets to the heart of what life was like for everyday people in Roman Britain. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'Full of character, combining proper research with a sure eye to what attracts and sustains an audience’s attention\' Scotland on Sunday The story of the Highland clans is a gripping one, full of celebrated names and heroic deeds. It is also, as Alistair Moffat reveals, the story of a fearless people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Here, he traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans, through the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden, to the Clearances and the present day. The story of the clans is also about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Clansmen and women disappeared, but the memories have never faded. Even today the power of the ancient clan names persists, drawing many back to this rugged corner of the world. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland. Σελίδες: 216, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0309, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

As 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 fight the same battles as their ancestors had to fight, again and again, for there is no final victory and no final defeat. Two flames have burned from the beginning of time - the flame of anger against injustice and the flame of hope. If this book serves its purpose it will fan both flames. Σελίδες: 176, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Longlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Prize 2019\'A vivid and humane study of the Plantagenets\' diabolical and devious first family - a real joy to read.\' Dan Jones, author of The PlantagenetsIn The Restless Kings Nick Barratt presents the tumultuous struggle for supremacy between the first Plantagenet king, Henry II, and his four sons. This conflict tore apart the most powerful family in Western Europe and shaped the future of both Britain and France, with a significance which still resonates today. Exploring the personalities and crises facing this extraordinary family, The Restless Kings brings to life some of the most remarkable, complex, flawed and brilliant monarchs ever to have sat on the English throne, and will challenge everything you thought you knew about the medieval world. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

In this groundbreaking book, the outspoken and radical Israeli historian Ilan Pappe examines the most contested ideas concerning the origins and identity of the contemporary state of Israel. This has been updated with a new afterword on the 2023 invasion of Gaza.1. Palestine was an Empty Land2. The Jews were a people with out a land3. Zionism is Judaism4. Zionism is not Colonialism5. The Palestinians Voluntarily Left their Homelands in 19486. The June 1967 War was a war of \'No Choice\'7. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East8. The Myths about the Oslo Agreement9. The Lies we tell about Gaza10. The two state solution is the only way forward Σελίδες: 192, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0107, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Part biography, part forensic jigsaw puzzle, part cold-case detective investigation, The Eagle in the Mirror is the story of Charles Howard \'Dick\' Ellis. The longest-serving spy for the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Ellis helped set up the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), now known as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS). In the 1940s he was considered one of the top three secret agents in MI6 and controlled its activities, as one journalist put it, \'for half the world\'.But in the 1980s crusading espionage journalist Chapman Pincher (in the hugely successful books Their Trade is Treachery and Too Secret Too Long) and retired MI5 intelligence officer Peter Wright (in the worldwide bestseller Spycatcher) posthumously accused Ellis of having operated as a \'triple agent\' for Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In 1965, while under interrogation in London, Ellis had allegedly made a confession that he had supplied information to the Nazis before World War II. However, Pincher\'s and Wright\'s accusations against Ellis have never been comprehensively proven. No confession has materialised.Was Ellis guilty or was an innocent man framed? By confessing did he take the fall for someone else? Or had the intelligence agencies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia been fatally compromised by a \'super mole\'? Internationally bestselling author JESSE FINK (Pure Narco, Bon: The Last Highway, The Youngs) attempts to find out the truth once and for all.The Eagle in the Mirror is not just a long-overdue biography of the unheralded Dick Ellis; it\'s a gripping real-life international whodunit. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

A Daily Telegraph History Book of the Year \'An astonishing story... brilliantly told\' Antony Beevor\'Gripping... Will appeal to anyone who relishes Ben Macintyre\'s tales of wartime espionage and cryptic codes.\' Sunday TelegraphSummertime, 1935. On a lake near Berlin, a young man is out sailing when he glimpses a woman reclining in the prow of a passing boat. Their eyes meet - and one of history\'s greatest conspiracies is born.Harro Schulze-Boysen had already shed blood in the fight against Nazism by the time he and Libertas Haas-Heye began their whirlwind romance. She joined the cause, and soon the two lovers were leading a network of antifascists that stretched across Berlin\'s bohemian underworld. Harro himself infiltrated German intelligence and began funnelling Nazi battle plans to the Allies, including the details of Hitler\'s surprise attack on the Soviet Union. But nothing could prepare Harro and Libertas for the betrayals they would suffer in this war of secrets - a struggle in which friend could be indistinguishable from foe. Drawing on unpublished diaries, letters and Gestapo files, Norman Ohler spins an unforgettable tale of love, heroism and sacrifice. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY BOOK AWARDS\'Thought-provoking and well worth reading\' Times Literary SupplementAfter decades of peace and prosperity, the international order put in place after World War II is rapidly coming to an end. Disastrous foreign wars, global recession, the meteoric rise of China and India and the COVID pandemic have undermined the power of the West\'s international institutions and unleashed the forces of nationalism and protectionism.In this lucid and groundbreaking analysis, one of Britain\'s most experienced senior diplomats highlights the key dilemmas Britain faces, from trade to security, arguing that international co-operation and solidarity are the surest ways to prosper in a world more dangerous than ever. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Σελίδες: 153

In 221 BCE, the Qin state conquered its neighbours and created the first unified Chinese empire in history. So began the imperial era, where dynasties claiming divine assent ruled for more than 2,000 years. Borders shifted and emperors struggled to exert control over every region of their diverse territories. Elites held that they were inheritors of a rich, pre-imperial culture, while their society produced world-changing inventions such as the compass, printing, gunpowder and the gun. And imperial China itself was altered as it came into contact with others through trade, exploration and war. For anyone curious about this fascinating period, Peter Lorge introduces imperial China’s major ruling dynasties, religions, arts, thinkers, inventions, military advancements, economic developments and historians. Σελίδες: 208, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2023WINNER OF THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2023A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKAn indelible exploration of the Cultural Revolution and how it shapes China today, Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the rarely heard stories of individuals who lived through Mao\'s decade of madness.\'Very good and very instructive.\' MARGARET ATWOOD\'Written with an almost painful beauty.\' JONATHAN FREEDLAND\'Took my breath away.\' BARBARA DEMICK\'Haunting.\' OLIVER BURKEMAN\'A masterpiece.\' JULIA LOVELLA 13-year-old Red Guard revels in the great adventure, and struggles with her doubts. A silenced composer, facing death, determines to capture the turmoil. An idealistic student becomes the \'corpse master\' . . .More than fifty years on, the Cultural Revolution\'s scar runs through the heart of Chinese society, and through the souls of its citizens. Stationed in Beijing for the Guardian, Tania Branigan came to realise that this brutal and turbulent decade continues to propel and shape China to this day. Yet official suppression and personal trauma have conspired in national amnesia: it exists, for the most part, as an absence.Red Memory explores the stories of those driven to confront the era, who fear or yearn for its return. What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm