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World History Books
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Osama Bin Laden is dead.
The President of the
United States knows it.
The world knows it. And
SAS hero Joe Mansfield
knows it. He was on the
ground in Pakistan when
it happened. He saw Seal
Team 6 go in, and he saw
them extract with their
grisly cargo. He was in
the right place at the
right time. Or maybe,
the wrong place at the
wrong time. Because now,
somebody wants Joe dead,
and they're willing to do
anything to make it
happen. His world is
violently dismantled. His
family is targeted, his
reputation destroyed. And
as a mysterious and
ruthless enemy plans a
devastating terror attack
on both sides of the
Atlantic, Joe knows
this: his only chance of
survival is to find out
what happened in Bin
Laden's compound the
night the Americans went
in. But an unseen,
menacing power has
footprints it needs to
cover. And it will stop
at nothing to prevent him
uncovering the sinister
truth.
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Colonel Gadaffi's Hat is
both a gripping and
deeply moving account of
the Libyan uprising from
the lone journalist who
was able to report from
the rebel army convoy
that captured Green
Square, in the heart of
Tripoli. Alex Crawford's
daring reports were
beamed across news
networks from around the
globe, and against a
dramatic backdrop of
celebratory gunfire,
Alex and her team showed
the world the final
symbolic moments of the
fall of a regime that had
held power for more than
40 years. The euphoria
and chaos of that
atmosphere of jubilation
was soon overcome by the
realities of conflict,
and the story of the
following days that Alex
so viscerally tells in
this remarkable account
is an eye-opening journey
full of human stories
that are both shocking
and touching. A portrait
of the last gasps of
Gaddafi's regime,
Crawford's book is an
extraordinary insight
into modern political
conflict and the nature
of journalism. The first
journalist to be on the
scene at a number of key
points in the Libyan
conflict, Alex has been
arrested, shot at, tear
gassed and interrogated
in the course of her
career, and paints a
fascinating picture of
war journalism. A
heart-stopping ride
through a dramatic moment
in modern history,
Colonel Gadaffi's Hat is
a window into both the
craft of journalism and
the amazing story of
Libya's road to Freedom.
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During the Victorian age,
British collectors were
among the most active,
passionate and eccentric
in the world. Magpies,
Squirrels and Thieves
tells the stories of some
of the nineteenth
century's most intriguing
collectors following
their perilous journeys
across the globe in the
hunt for rare and
beautiful objects. From
art connoisseur John
Charles Robinson, to the
aristocratic scholar
Charlotte Schreiber, who
ransacked Europe for
treasure, and from
London's fashionable
Pre-Raphaelite circle to
pioneering Orientalists
in Beijing, Jacqueline
Yallop plunges us into
the cut-throat world of
the Victorian mania for
collecting.
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Proceeding year by year
from 1965-1971, Hippie
gives an unprecedented
degree of shape and
coherence to an age of
change--from the
free-loving flower
children of
Haight-Ashbery to the
student protesters of
France--that by its
nature is
kaleidoscopically
bewildering.
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Details: A fascinating
collection of 101 stories
from Welsh history
collected from Phil
Carradice's popular BBC
Wales blog, gathered
together for the first
time in a book. Among the
incredible stories are...
The man from Clydach who
invented a Death Ray,
The Welsh aristocrat
whose parrot once bit
Herman Goering on the
nose, The witch who
cursed the launch of a
warship at Pembroke
Dockyard and The battle
that was won by a herd of
cows. These stories are
part and parcel of Welsh
heritage and make history
interesting. Snapshots of
Welsh History without the
boring bits covers a wide
range of Welsh history
topics. Ideal for:
Compelling and hilarious
reading for all. This
paperback book has 280
pages and measures: 21.5
x 13.5 x 1.7cm.
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If the 1960s was the
decade of peace, love
and understanding, the
1970s was the decade of
glitter and glam rock. Or
was it? Gerard DeGroot
peels away the polyester
to examine what really
happened in a decade that
began with the death of
Jimi Hendrix and ended
with Ronald Reagan in the
White House and Margaret
Thatcher in 10 Downing
Street. Some commentators
have written off the
Seventies as a period in
which nothing happened,
yet politically it was a
time of great hope.
Dictatorial regimes ended
in Portugal, Spain,
Nicaragua, Rhodesia and
Greece. Accord between
nations was established
at Camp David, Peking,
Moscow, Geneva and
Brussels. For feminists,
environmentalists and
homosexuals, the
Seventies was the decade
of hope. In cultural
terms, it brought the
Sydney Opera House,
Monty Python, Annie
Hall, David Hockney and
M.A.S.H. The music, with
or without ABBA, was
simply brilliant. But it
was also a time of quite
extraordinary violence
and as the decade
continued, the bloodshed
and the hate came to
dominate, whether in
Jonestown, Belfast,
Palestine or Cambodia.
And while the violence of
nations is a constant
throughout history, in
the 1970s ordinary people
seemed to surrender to
violence with frightening
ease. As the Sixties
chickens came home to
roost, the Seventies
became an era when dreams
died, hope was thwarted,
problems long ignored
finally exploded, and
optimism repeatedly
crushed gave way to
frustration. Incisive,
iconoclastic and hugely
entertaining "The
Seventies Unplugged" is
popular history at its
best.
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Details: Britains big
strength is that it is an
island nation. However,
we often forget that it
boasts hundreds of
smaller islands off its
shores, each with a
distinct character of its
own. This book
concentrates on the
islands of England and
Wales showing a mixture
of contemporary
photographs and archive
material to capture the
unique atmosphere of each
island. Highlights
include: Steep Holm -
wonderfully preserved
World War 2 timewarp in
the Bristol Channel. Flat
Holm - Welsh island with
cholera hospital and
amazing fortifications.
Lundy - pirates haven
that issues its own
stamps Scillies -
Britains own Hawaii.
Five/six inhabited
islands with their own
stories to tell. St
Michaes Mount - tidal
survivor of the mythical
lost land of Lyonesse,
with a working railway.
Ideal For: This would
make an ideal read for
anyone with an interest
in travel and tourism.
Would also be a great
book for anyone with an
interest in Landscape
photography.
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Details:This book is a
one of a kind reference
work of the history of
humanity, presented in
over 1200 maps, with
numerous explanatory
appendices.Ideal
for:History enthusiasts,
geographers, or for use
as a simple reference
book.This book measures:
27.8 x 22 x 4.1cm.
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For more than 5000 years,
the sea has challenged,
rewarded, and punished
the intrepid sailors who
set forth upon it. In
this lavishly illustrated
new history, Brian
Lavery recounts man's
enduring quest to master
it, from the first
voyages of the early
Polynesians to the mighty
Spanish Armada, from the
epic voyages of Columbus
and Magellan to Jacques
Cousteau's pioneering
exploration of the ocean
depths. Combining
first-hand accounts with
his own expert knowledge
of the men, ships and
equipment, Lavery tells
the extraordinary tale of
how the oceans were
explored and exploited,
but never tamed.
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Details: On 28 April 1945
Benito Mussolini was
dragged from his
mistress' bed, taken
outside and executed.
Only two days later,
surrounded by the Soviet
Army, Adolf Hitler put a
gun to his head and
committed suicide as the
Allies raced to secure
the heart of the Reich -
Berlin. This is the story
of the final days of the
war in Europe. Drawing on
a wealth of unfamiliar
material and first-hand
accounts, Nicholas Best
tells the compelling tale
of the men and women who
witnessed the final days
of the war, from Jack
Kennedy at the UN
conference in San
Fransico to Bob Dole,
wounded and recuperating
in an Italian hospital,
and Private Henry
Kissinger, back on
German soil for the first
time since his family
fled before the war.
While Audrey Hepburn was
starving in Holland,
Roman Polanski was
playing with grenades in
Krakow and a future Pope
was on his way home,
terrified of being shot
for deserting the
Wehrmacht. Blending
historical discourse with
the thoughts and
reactions of these and
many other famous and
ordinary individuals,
Five Days that Shocked
the World is an
insightful new look at
the most dramatic 120
hours in our history.
Ideal for: People
interested in the last
few days of ww2. A
gripping account of the
last days of World War
II. This paperback has
312 pages and measures:
19.7 x 12.8 x 2.4cm
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Unleashed by Hitler in
1942, the German Tiger
tank was by far the most
powerful tank ever built
at the time?the 60-ton
monster could destroy any
Allied tank from more
than a mile away.
Desperate to discover the
secret technology used in
its manufacture, Winston
Churchill chose a
brilliant young army
engineer, Major Doug
Lidderdale, as his
special agent. In a
late-night briefing in
the subterranean war
rooms under Whitehall he
ordered him "Go catch me
a tiger." By February
1943, Doug was facing
Rommel's desert army.
After several
hair-raising efforts to
bag a Tiger on the
battlefields of Tunisia,
Doug and his team put
their lives on the line
in a terrifying shoot-out
with the five-man crew of
a Tiger, capturing the
tank intact. The morale
boost to the Allies was
such that both Churchill
and King George VI flew
to Tunisia to examine the
Tiger firsthand. But the
Germans were not finished
with Doug ? constant
attacks by the Luftwaffe
and U-boats pursued him
and his men on the
journey back to England.
But by October 1943, the
Tiger was gifted to
Churchill, who had it
placed on London's Horse
Guards Parade. Lidderdale
went on to use some of
the Tiger technology to
develop war machines for
the D-day landings and
was promoted to Colonel.
Tiger 131 is now kept at
Bovington Tank Museum and
is the only working Tiger
in the world. The full
extent of Doug's
adventures only came to
light after his son,
Dave Travis, revealed
the existence of his
father's diaries.
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Details: A fascinating
guide to 50 of the most
notorious or heroic
individuals in history.
Accurate, dynamic maps
show individuals and
their actions in
historical context.
Features a chronological
collection of the good,
the bad and the ugly from
ancient times until
today. Accessible text
brings subjects' lives
and achievements to life.
Ideal for: Ideal for a
student to learn about
past history and for
anyone with an interest
in world history. This
paperback book has 223
pages and measures: 23 x
17 x 1.5cm
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The exploration of new
worlds has always gripped
the human imagination.
The Times Picture
Collection Explorers
celebrates the
achievements of the men
and women who pushed
forwards the boundaries
of our knowledge of the
World's least known
places over the past 150
years.
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For soldiers in the Great
War, going over the top
was a comparatively rare
event; much more
frequently, they were
bored and lonely and
missing their families at
home. Needing an outlet
for their affection,
many found it in the
animal kingdom. Tommy's
Ark looks at the war
through the eyes of the
soldiers who were there,
and examines their
relationship with a
strange and unexpected
range of animal life,
from horses, dogs and
cats to monkeys and birds
- even in one case a
golden eagle. Animals
became mascots - some
Welsh battalions had
goats as mascots, some
of the Scots had donkeys.
And then there were the
animals and insects that
excited curiosity amongst
men drawn into the army
from the industrial
heartlands of Britain,
men who had little
knowledge of, let alone
daily contact with,
wildlife. Civilians
turned soldiers observed
the natural world around
them, from the smallest
woodlouse to voles, mice
and larger animals such
as deer and rabbit.
Richard van Emden
explores his subject far
more radically than
previous attempts,
revealing how, for
example, a lemur was
taken on combat missions
in the air, a lion was
allowed to pad down the
front line trenches and
how a monkey lost its leg
during the fighting at
Delville Wood on the
Somme. Illustrated with
more than sixty
previously unseen or
rarely published
photographs, drawn
mainly from the author's
own extraordinary
collection.
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Details: By the second
half of the 20th century,
the motorcycle had been
transformed from a cheap
and basic form of
motoring to a symbol of
liberty and the desire to
rebel against social
conventions. This
pictorial book offers and
intriguing and unusual
foray into celebrities'
close relationships with
their bikes. More than
120 fabulous images,
unpublished photographs,
movie stills and
paparazzi shots reveal
the stars' ongoing love
affair with the bike from
the 1950s to today.
Featured A-list bike
owners include pop and
rock stars, cinema
idols, and divas and
celebrities from all the
media, including Marlon
Brando, Peter Fonda and
Dennis Hopper, Steve
McQueen, Meatloaf and
the Jackson Five. Ideal
for: Motorcycle
enthusiasts who want to
see how the stars' were
influenced by their
bikes. This hardback has
208 pages and measures
33.5cm x 26.5cm x 2.5cm
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In this volume the author
not only investigates the
stories behind the great
myths and legends of each
character, but places
each in context to the
extent that we are able
to distinguish the true
elements from pure fable,
can learn about his life
and times and exploits,
and truly place the
hero/villain within his
world, using the weapons
and battle tactics of the
day. Deeply researched,
with illustrations from
diverse sources, and
written in a style that
will suit historians as
well as the newcomer to
the subject, this
captivating volume will
educate and inform but
will principally enthuse;
the reader will surely be
encouraged to begin, or
continue, the search for
the great personalities
of historical myth and
reality. The book
contains dedicated
chapters on the following
warriors: King Arthur
Dracula Achilles Beowulf
Robin Hood Macbeth
Hiawatha Roland Cuchulain
William Wallace
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Details:
The dramatic
events behind the film
BRIDGE OF
SPIES.
Bridge of
Spies
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'From the Fury of the
Northmen deliver us, O
Lord'. Between the eighth
and eleventh centuries,
the Vikings surged from
their Scandinavian
homeland to trade, raid
and invade along the
coasts of Europe. Their
influence and expeditions
extended from
Newfoundland to Baghdad,
their battles were as
far-flung as Africa and
the Arctic. But were they
great seafarers or
desperate outcasts,
noble heathens or oafish
pirates, the last pagans
or the first of the
modern Europeans? This
concise study puts
medieval chronicles,
Norse sagas and Muslim
accounts alongside more
recent research into
ritual magic, genetic
profiling and
climatology. It includes
biographical sketches of
some of the most famous
Vikings, from Erik
Bloodaxe to Saint Olaf,
and King Canute to Leif
the Lucky. It explains
why the Danish king
Harald Bluetooth lent his
name to a twenty-first
century wireless
technology; which future
saint laughed as she
buried foreign
ambassadors alive; why so
many Icelandic settlers
had Irish names; and,
how the last Viking
colony was destroyed by
English raiders.
Extending beyond the
traditional 'Viking age'
of most books, A Brief
History of the Vikings
places sudden
Scandinavian population
movement in a wider
historical context. It
presents a balanced
appraisal of these
infamous sea kings,
explaining both their
swift expansion and its
supposed halt. Supposed
because, ultimately,
the Vikings didn't
disappear: they turned
into us.
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Details: A brilliant and
penetrating new history
of the First World War by
one of the world's
foremost experts on the
conflict. Reissued with a
new introduction from the
author. Hew Strachan is
one of the world's
foremost experts on the
Great War of 1914-18. His
on-going three-volume
history of the conflict,
the first of which was
published in 2001, is
likely to become the
standard academic
reference work: Max
Hastings called it 'one
of the most impressive
books of modern history
in a generation', while
Richard Holmes hailed it
as a 'towering
achievement'. Now, Hew
Strachan brings his
immense knowledge to a
one-volume work aimed
squarely at the general
reader. The inspiration
behind the major Channel
4 series of the same
name, to which Hew was
chief consultant, THE
FIRST WORLD WAR is a
significant addition to
the literature on this
subject, taking as it
does a uniquely global
view of what is often
misconceived as a
prolonged skirmish on the
Western Front. Exploring
such theatres as the
Balkans, Africa and the
Ottoman Empire, Strachan
assesses Britain's
participation in the
light of what became a
struggle for the defence
of liberalism, and show
how the war shaped the
'short' twentieth century
that followed it.
Accessible, compelling
and utterly convincing,
this is modern history
writing at its finest.
Ideal for: Anyone
interested in the first
world war. This paperback
book has 363 pages and
measures: 19.8 x 13 x
2.6cm
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The Apollo Moon Programme
has been called the last
optimistic act of the
20th century. Over a
strange three-year period
between 1969 and 1972,
twelve men made the
longest and most
eccentric of all journeys
and all were indeliby
marked by it. Of those
astronauts who walked on
the Moon only nine are
still alive. One day in
the near future there
will be none: no one on
earth will have known the
giddy thrill of gazing
back at us from another
world. In Moondust,
Andrew Smith sets out to
find and interview the
remaining Moonwalkers in
order to learn how their
lives, and ours, were
changed by this surreal
adventure forever.
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Details: 'The final days
of the German occupation
of the French capital are
vividly captured in this
fine account of death and
deliverance' Sir Max
Hastings The liberation
of Paris was a momentous
point in
twentieth-century
history, yet it is now
largely forgotten outside
France. Eleven Days in
August is a pulsating
hour-by-hour
reconstruction of these
tumultuous events that
shaped the final phase of
the war and the future of
France, told with the
pace of a thriller. While
examining the conflicting
national and
international interests
that played out in the
bloody street fighting,
it tells of how, in
eleven dramatic days,
people lived, fought and
died in the most
beautiful city in the
world. Above all, it
shows that while the
liberation of Paris may
be attributed to the
audacity of the
Resistance, the weakness
of the Germans and the
strength of the Allies,
the key to it all was the
Parisians who by turn
built street barricades
and sunbathed on the
banks of the Seine, who
fought the Germans and
simply tried to survive
until the Germans finally
surrendered, in a
billiard room at the
Prefecture of Police. One
of the most iconic
moments in the history of
the twentieth century had
come to a close, and the
face of Paris would never
be the same again. Ideal
for: all interested in
France and her people and
for those with an
interest in World War 2.
This paperback book has
525 pages and measures:
20 x 13 x 4cm
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Details: Explores the key
armies and battles from
ancient times to the
present day. Using
beautiful photographs and
cutaway illustrations,
Great Battles & Armies
delves into the tactics
put forward by the
boldest military geniuses
as well as the courage of
soldiers who formed the
most powerful armies in
history. The cutaway
illustrations bring the
conflicts to life and
allow you to step onto
the battlefield to peer
behind the scenes and
explore the tactics and
weapons of diverse armies
and their brilliant
leaders. Ideal for:
People with an interest
in military history. This
hardback book has 255
pages and measures: 27.7
x 22 x 2cm
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Details: Before the
Battle of El Alamein in
1942, the British had
never won a major battle
on land against the
Germans; nor indeed had
anyone else. Drawing on a
remarkable array of
first-hand accounts,
this book reveals the
personal experiences of
those on the frontline
and provides fascinating
details of how the war
was actually fought. It
also includes analysis of
the strategic decisions
made by the generals. El
Alamein 1942 is the story
of exactly how a
seemingly beaten and
demoralized army turned
near-defeat into victory
in a little over four
months of protracted and
bloody fighting in the
harsh North African
desert. Ideal for: An
absolute must have for
the Alamein or Desert War
enthusiast. An excellent
stand-alone book for
anyone with a general
interest in WWII This
hardback measures: 24.2 x
16 x 3.4cm. Pages 328
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A day-by-day collection
of over 8000 events,
trivia, "ations,
news items,
anniversaries and
birthdays for every day
of the year. The wide
ranging content is laid
out in an informative
newspaper-style and
covers subjects including
sporting records,
exploration, film and
enterainment, music and
literature, fashion,
scientific achievements,
politics, inventions,
"ations, birthdays,
war and royalty.
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It's time to radically
alter the way we perceive
the world. It's time to
get real. Multinational
oil corporations trumpet
their green credentials.
Shadowy billionaires
orchestrate 'grassroots'
political movements.
Public-spending cuts
target the poor, but
supposedly 'give power to
the people'. To Eliane
Glaser, these are all
signs of the maddeningly
surreal gap between
appearance and reality in
modern life. We are
living in a looking-glass
world in which reality is
spun and crude vested
interests are cloaked in
seductive disguises. Get
Real is a passionate and
entertaining guide to
decoding the delusions we
live by. Busting the
jargon and unravelling
the spin, it reveals the
secrets behind modern
life that we were never
supposed to know. 'A
quite brilliant reality
check. Angry, erudite
and accessible. I loved
it' Dame Jenni Murray
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Now from the editors who
have already produced
"Wonders of Life" and
"Heaven on Earth" - as
well as the recent volume
"The Titanic, One
Century Later" - comes a
new, oversized hardcover
book on our undersea
world. In these pages is
the best-ever oceanic
photography, much of it
taken from deep-sea
submersibles. "Friends of
LIFE" include such as the
artistic wizards Joel
Meyerowitz, Michael
Melford and Fred
Bavendam, and the
adventuring scientist
Robert Ballard; their
work is represented here.
Beautiful flora as well
as incredible fauna is
featured. We dive to the
deep-sea vents, which
nurture animals too
freaky to be believed. We
swim with, and learn
about, the dolphins and
manatees. The horror and
sublimity of the sea is
fully captured in this
book, in dramatic
narrative as well as
pictures. Of course we
deal with whales and
sharks, but also with
shipwrecks, and the
tales behind them. There
is the natural history of
the sea - where did it
come from, what is its
future? - and also the
story of man's
interaction with the
oceans, from Noah to
Herman Melville to
Jacques Cousteau to the
Japanese tsunami. In
these pages, LIFE
descends into the watery
depths, and presents an
altogether mesmerizing
tale.
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Britain's many traditions
have long been one of its
greatest attractions;
some are extremely
famous, but other more
weird and wonderful
customs are not so
well-known and these are
often the most
fascinating, intriguing
and amusing. Organised by
month, nearly 100
customs from all over the
UK are described and
their history and purpose
explained. For those who
want to take their
curiosity a little
further, the date and
location of each event is
given, and there is a
section at the back of
the book listing the
contents by region to
allow readers to find out
if they can experience
the events for themselves
either by watching or
participating.
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Details: When a
Nationalist military
uprising was launched in
Spain in July 1936, the
Spanish Republics
desperate pleas for
assistance from the
leaders of Britain and
France fell on deaf ears.
Appalled at the prospect
of another European
democracy succumbing to
fascism, volunteers from
across the Continent and
beyond flocked to
Spains aid, many
to join the International
Brigades. More than 2,
500 of these men and
women came from Britain,
Ireland and the
Commonwealth, and
contrary to popular myth
theirs was not an army of
adventurers, poets and
public school idealists.
Overwhelmingly they
hailed from modest
working class
backgrounds, leaving
behind their livelihoods
and their families to
fight in a brutal civil
war on foreign soil. Some
500 of them never
returned home. In this
inspiring and moving oral
history, Richard Baxell
weaves together a diverse
array of testimony to
tell the remarkable story
of the Britons who took
up arms against General
Franco. Drawing on his
own extensive interviews
with survivors, research
in archives across
Britain, Spain and
Russia, as well as
first-hand accounts by
writers both famous and
unknown, Unlikely
Warriors presents a
startling new
interpretation of the
Spanish Civil War and
follows a band of
ordinary men and women
who made an extraordinary
choice. Ideal for: A
fantastic and interesting
read, highly recommended
for history enthusiasts.
This hardback book has
516 pages and measures:
24 x 16 x 4.6cm.
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Details: Litchfield's
fascinating and detailed
study of the
functionality,
craftsmanship and
artistry of furniture was
written over a century
ago in Victorian England
& it remains as
culturally important as
it is enduring. This
beautiful facsimile
edition brings back to
the printed page hundreds
of the superb engravings
and photographic images
Litchfield used to
illustrate his
comprehensive historical
handbook. Ideal for:
History enthusiasts who
want to learn more about
the history of furniture,
This hardback book has
460 pages and measures
28.5cm x 22.3cm x 3cm
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Colonel Gadaffi's Hat is
both a gripping and
deeply moving account of
the Libyan uprising from
the lone journalist who
was able to report from
the rebel army convoy
that captured Green
Square, in the heart of
Tripoli. Alex Crawford's
daring reports were
beamed across news
networks from around the
globe, and against a
dramatic backdrop of
celebratory gunfire,
Alex and her team showed
the world the final
symbolic moments of the
fall of a regime that had
held power for more than
40 years. The euphoria
and chaos of that
atmosphere of jubilation
was soon overcome by the
realities of conflict,
and the story of the
following days that Alex
so viscerally tells in
this remarkable account
is an eye-opening journey
full of human stories
that are both shocking
and touching. A portrait
of the last gasps of
Gaddafi's regime,
Crawford's book is an
extraordinary insight
into modern political
conflict and the nature
of journalism. The first
journalist to be on the
scene at a number of key
points in the Libyan
conflict, Alex has been
arrested, shot at, tear
gassed and interrogated
in the course of her
career, and paints a
fascinating picture of
war journalism. A
heart-stopping ride
through a dramatic moment
in modern history,
Colonel Gadaffi's Hat is
a window into both the
craft of journalism and
the amazing story of
Libya's road to Freedom.
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Details: In the 6th
century AD, the Near
East was divided between
two great empires: the
Persian and the Roman. A
hundred years on, and
one had vanished for
ever, while the other
was a dismembered,
bleeding trunk. In their
place, a new superpower
had arisen: the empire of
the Arabs. So profound
was this upheaval that it
spelled, in effect, the
end of the ancient world.
But the changes that
marked the period were
more than merely
political or even
cultural: there was also
a transformation of human
society with incalculable
consequences for the
future. Today, over half
the world's population
subscribes to one of the
various religions that
took on something like
their final form during
the last centuries of
antiquity. Wherever men
or women are inspired by
belief in a single god to
think or behave in a
certain way, they bear
witness to the abiding
impact of this
extraordinary,
convulsive age - though
as Tom Holland
demonstrates, much of
what Jews, Christians
and Muslims believe about
the origins of their
religion is open to
debate. In the Shadow of
the Sword explores how a
succession of great
empires came to identify
themselves with a new and
revolutionary
understanding of the
divine. It is a story
vivid with drama, horror
and startling
achievement, and stars
many of the most
remarkable rulers ever
seen. Ideal for: People
fascinated by the rise of
Islam. This paperback
book has 574 pages and
measures: 19.7 x 12.6 x
3.9cm
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This title lets you join
"TIME" for a grand tour
of civilization's most
important landmarks. Here
is a "bucket list" for
the intellectually
curious, a lavishly
illustrated survey of the
places where history was
forged - where
influential battles were
fought, where empires
rose and fell, where
religions were founded
and artistic renaissances
flourished. This book is
for readers fascinated by
history and art, culture
and society, politics
and religion. We'll tour
Moscow's Kremlin and
Beijing's Forbidden City.
We'll trace the caravans
along the Silk Road,
gaze at the stars with
Babylonian magi, dispute
ethics at the Acropolis.
Here are the 100 "must
see" places for any
well-travelled earthling.
How many have you seen?
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Details: At 11:15am on 3
September 1939, British
Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain announced to
the listening world that
Britain was at war with
Germany. For the next six
years Britain would fight
the Axis forces of
Germany, Italy and
Japan, in such epic
conflicts as Alamein,
the Battle of Britain and
D-Day. Written by leading
military historian
Richard Overy, Britain
in the Second World War
reveals the story behind
these and other key
events to transport you
back to the greatest
conflict the world has
ever known. Ideal for: A
captivating read,
perfect for WW2 and
history enthusiasts. This
hardback book has 160
pages and measures: 27 x
20 x 1.8cm.
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Details: Lorne Campbell
was an officer and
enforcer for the outlaw
biker club Satan's Choice
for over thirty years,
before patching over to
the Hells Angels. The
product of a violent
childhood, with a
hair-trigger temper and
fearless nature, he just
wanted a place to belong.
He found brotherhood with
his fellow one per
centers, and a code he
has lived his life by. In
his time he's seen club
life slip further into
the criminal underworld
and be transformed by
cocaine dealing. He
killed a rival biker to
save his brothers and has
been imprisoned for
assault and drug
trafficking. He's faced
off police out to get
him, taken revenge on
men who betrayed him,
and gone to extreme
lengths to protect his
honour and his club.
Written with dark humour
and raw honesty, and
filled with unforgettable
characters living life on
their own terms, Satan's
Choice is a unique
insight into an outlaw
world seen through the
eyes of one proud and
unrepentant biker. Ideal
for: Anyone with an
interest in the Hell's
Angels and Satan's Choice
biker clubs. Also for
those interested in the
history of US / Canadian
Bike clubs. This
paperback has 340 pages
and measures: 23 x 15 x
3cm
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The Last Days of Richard
III contains a new and
uniquely detailed
exploration of Richard's
last 150 days. By
deliberately avoiding the
hindsight knowledge that
he will lose the Battle
of Bosworth Field, we
discover a new Richard:
no passive victim,
awaiting defeat and
death, but a king
actively pursuing his own
agenda. It also
re-examines the aftermath
of Bosworth: the
treatment of Richard's
body; his burial; and the
construction of his tomb.
And there is the
fascinating story of why,
and how, Richard III's
family tree was traced
until a relative was
found, alive and well,
in Canada. Now, with the
discovery of Richard's
skeleton at the
Greyfrairs Priory in
Leicester, England,
John Ashdown-Hill
explains how his book
inspired the dig and
completes Richard III's
fascinating story,
giving details of how
Richard died, and how
the DNA link to a living
relative of the king
allowed the royal body to
be identified.
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This is an illustrated
encyclopedia with more
than 500 photographs. It
is an illustrated guide
for the most powerful
military seafaring
vessels, with over 500
stunning photographs. It
discusses the history and
evolution of warships,
from the first
man-powered vessels of
the ancient world,
through to the frigates
of the Renaissance and to
the fast-attack crafts
used during the two world
wars. It features
fascinating chapters on
the first sailing
warships, the battleship
and battleship cruiser,
the destroyer, the
aircraft carrier and the
submarine. Historical
paintings, and colour
and black-and-white
photographs bring each
vessel to life, with
detailed specifications
about size, speed,
power and capacity. The
warship originated in
antiquity as a means of
asserting a country's
power at sea, and was
originally little more
than a merchant ship from
which archers, slingers
and spearmen could
bombard the enemy ship
before boarding it.
Developments in
technology saw the change
from oars and sails to
steam, to the advent of
gunpowder weapons and
finally to the
transformation in the
20th century of these
warships' abilities in
terms of firepower,
protection and electronic
capability. In this
meticulously researched,
illustrated volume, the
history of the warship is
laid out in an engaging
and accessible style.
Beginning with a
comprehensive
introductory chapter to
the evolution of the
warship, each
fascinating chapter that
follows focuses on a
particular type of ship -
battleships, destroyers,
aircraft carriers,
submarines and more.
Accompanied by archive
and museum photographs,
illustrations and
paintings, some of the
world's most famous and
active warships are
brought to life, making
this the ultimate
reference for anybody
with an interest in naval
or military history.
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In Places of Destiny,
Ben Dupr? tells the
stories of 35 events that
altered the course of
history, and whose
locations are etched into
humanity's collective
consciousness. The
resistance of Leonidas'
Spartans, an enduring
epic of last-ditch
heroism in the face of
Xerxes Persians; the sack
of Rome in AD 410 when
the Visigoths under
Alaric swarmed into Rome
and subjected the Eternal
City to three days of
looting; the establishing
of a settlement of
courageous pioneers; the
storming of the Bastille
and the birth of modern
republican politics in
Paris in 1789; the
extinction of an entire
generation of Western
European manhood in 1916
and the irruption of
terror from the skies
into a bright Manhattan
morning on the most
dreadful day of the
infant 21st century.
Places of Destiny also
examines how succeeding
generations have
commemorated and
interpreted those events.
Richly informative and
thought provoking,
Places of Destiny offers
an enthralling and moving
sequence of narratives
that will appeal to
anyone who enjoys
top-notch popular
historical writing.
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In The Book of Time we
see how philosophers,
religions and scientists
have tried to explain
time as everything from a
perfect cycle to
ever-increasing chaos. We
see how time works in the
natural world and in our
own bodies and minds,
and how we've tried to
measure it - first with
calendars, then with
increasingly
sophisticated devices,
from the Ancient Indian
ghati and to the latest
atomic clock. And from
Aristotle to Einstein,
we explore how time has
been essential for
scientists in their quest
to understand the
universe and everything
in it. Not forgetting the
deliciously weird world
of time travel,
explaining what is fact
and what is fiction. This
is the kind of book that
you can dip into or read
in depth - but either way
we promise time will just
fly by...
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Details: 2014 will mark
100 years since the
outbreak of the First
World War. First World
War Posters is a striking
and insightful foray into
what this conflict meant
to people all over the
world and how their
governments used poster
art as a powerful appeal
to everyone in society.
Featuring fantastic
posters from the UK, US,
Canada, Australia and
Europe, the human angle
really comes through.
With a fresh and
thoughtful introduction
to the war and its
posters, the book goes
on to showcase the key
works in all their glory.
Ideal for: Anyone
interested in WWI and
artwork from the era.
This paperback has 144
pages and measures 23cm x
20.5cm x 1cm
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As we approach the 110th
anniversary of the Wright
Brothers first flight,
The Times Aviators
presents a photographic
history of aviation,
from the failed attempts
at flying machines at the
end of the 19th century
to the Wright brothers
and on to the pioneers
who spread aviation
throughout the world.
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How old is the universe?
When did life on earth
begin? What happened to
the dinosaurs? How was
the moon created? How did
ancient Chinese science
shape the modern world?
How did Islam trigger
globalization? Are humans
really superior to other
living things? And how
can you fit the complete
history of the planet
into one pocket-sized
book? These are just some
of the questions answered
in Christopher Lloyd's
acclaimed 13.7 billion
year history - now in
brief. In this
thrill-ride across
millennia and continents,
the complete history of
the planet comes to life:
from the Earth's fiery
birth to its
near-obliteration in the
Triassic period, and
from the first signs of
human life to the
tentative future of a
world with a burgeoning
population and a global
warming crisis. Covering
a wide range of topics
including astrophysics,
zoology, and sociology,
and complete with maps
and illustrations, What
on Earth Happened? In
Brief is the endlessly
entertaining story of the
planet, life, and
people.
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This book is both a
revelatory biography and
an accessible study of
Leonardo's life and
multi-faceted work as a
scientist and engineer.
It covers all aspects of
the man's life but is
also a re-interpretation
of the voluminous
evidence to paint an
original picture of
Leonardo da Vinci not
only as the archetypal
polymath, but as the
first true scientist.
Topics include: A
detailed investigation of
how Leonardo's
manuscripts and notebooks
were lost to the world
and kept secret during
his own lifetime and how
this altered the progress
of science. A thorough
analysis of his work as a
scientist and how he
predated many of the
great figures of the 16th
and 17th centuries,
including Galileo,
Kepler, William Harvey,
Francis Bacon and Isaac
Newton. Leonardo's legacy
-- what did Leonardo
leave in his notebooks
and how may they be
viewed in the light of
modern scientific
understanding? What did
he achieve in science?
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From the migrations out
of Africa by our earliest
ancestors to the latest
voyages into space, an
incredible team of
historians, travellers
and explorers brings to
life seventy of humanitys
most remarkable journeys.
With hundreds of
evocative photographs,
paintings, illustrations
and portraits, plus
specially commissioned
maps, this volume is for
everyone who is
fascinated by the stories
and personalities of
those who were there
first, who explored the
unexplored and who set
out into the unknown,
bringing alive the
romance and sheer thrill
of travel in a way no
book has done before.
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The epic life story of
the Atlantic Ocean from
the bestselling author,
Simon Winchester For
thousands of years the
Atlantic Ocean was viewed
by mariners with a
mixture of awe, terror
and amazement ? an
impassable barrier to the
unknown. In recent times,
as we fly high above it
without so much as
bothering to look down,
this vast sea has been
reduced to the status of
a mere passageway between
continents ? 'the pond'.
It is easy to forget that
the Atlantic has been the
setting for some of the
most important exchanges,
ideas and challenges in
the history of
civilisation ? a fulcrum
around which the power
and influence of the
modern world has long
been distributed. In this
narrative tour de force,
Simon Winchester
dramatises the life story
of the Atlantic, from
its birth in the farther
recesses of geological
time to its eventual
extinction millions of
years in the future. At
the heart of the book is
the story of humankind's
evolving attitude to and
relationship with the
ocean. For millennia it
has shaped the lives and
cultures of those who
have lived along its
shores and have navigated
its waters. Travelling
around its edges and
across its huge expanse,
Winchester reports from
the places that
encapsulate the
Atlantic's most
fascinating stories ? the
age of exploration and
the colonisation of the
Americas; the rise and
fall of the slave trade,
and the flourishing of
transatlantic commerce;
extraordinary tales of
sea-borne emigration; and
the great naval battles
that have left an
indelible imprint on
Atlantic history. The
result is an utterly
enthralling mixture of
history, science and
reportage from a master
of narrative non-fiction,
and an exhilarating
account of a magnificent
body of water.
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If I had to choose
between betraying my
friend and betraying my
country, I hope I should
have the courage to
betray my country.' So
wrote the English
novelist E.M. Forster in
1951. People have
betrayed their country,
or their friends, for
all kinds of different
reasons - and one man's
traitor may be another
man's hero, especially
as those found guilty of
treason have usually
faced only one penalty:
death. Betrayal for money
is perhaps the most
despicable level of
treachery - not for
nothing is the term
'Judas' applied with such
contempt; others have
earned the mark of
treason for rebelling
against established
authority. The stories in
Traitors and Turncoats
range from a British
seaman in the Second
World War who sold
information to the
Germans for a pittance,
to the White Rose gang's
defiant campaign against
Hitler; from the recusant
terrorism of Guy Fawkes,
to the abolitionist fury
of John Brown; from the
unwitting treason of Lady
Jane Grey, to the deadly
perfidy of Mata Hari.
Thoroughly researched and
grippingly told, these
tales of treachery
embrace cowardice and
cupidity, high tension
and terrible tragedy.
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Details: 50 fascinating
stories of human error
and natural disaster.
Accurate, dynamic maps
explore what caused the
disasters or mistakes -
and their consequences.
Features a chronological
collection of dramatic
incidents from all fields
of endeavor and from
around the world.
Insightful essays explain
why things went wrong,
and the effect they had
on the people concerned.
Ideal For: A great read
for those history
enthusiasts.
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Each chapter of the How
the End Begins
deconstructs the dangers
we face. Rosenbaum begins
by showing all the ways
the post-Cold War order
that tried to impose a
set of rules of averting
a nuclear mistake has
fallen apart; in chapter
2, he describes the
journey of one Bruce
Blair, once a missile
launcher, whose
experience inside the
nuclear establishment
left him alarmed about
its vulnerabilities;
chapter 3 looks at
nuclear war from the
Russian side, using the
architect of that
nation's early warning
system as a focus;
chapter 4 looks at how
the Bush Administration
helped pushed the world
closer to a nuclear
conflict by rewriting the
rules of deterrence;
chapter 5 describes all
the ways the
international incidents
we have seen - Georgia,
the Israeli raid on
Syria, the Iranian moves
- are evidence that some
governments have shown a
willingness to move
closer to the brink of a
conflict involving
nuclear weapons. The rest
of the book looks at the
broader nuclear issues
facing the world in the
21st century: What is
deterrence? Who can claim
to have it? How many
nuclear weapons can we
live with? Is zero really
possible? In other words:
Can we undream the
nightmare?
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Details: The Great War
was the first truly
global war - one in which
the world suffered more
than 37 million
casualties. On 28 June
1914, a Yugoslav
nationlist, Gavrilo
Princip, destroyed the
already delicate
political balance in
Europe when he
assassinated the
Austro-Hungarian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand and his
wife in Sarajevo. It
launched a domino effect
series of invasions
across Europe and by 11
November 1918, when the
war finally ended, four
empires had ceased to
exist. The collection of
100 objects tells the
story of the First World
War in a highly engaging
and very visual manner.
By recalling the history
of each item - whether a
tank, a gas mask, a
rifle or a document - and
the contexts in which
they played a part in the
events of the war, or
those that they
commemorate, this
fascinating book offers a
fresh perspective. Ideal
for: Perfect for history
buffs and anyone with an
interest in World War
One. This hardback book
has 256 pages and
measures: 24.7 x 19.2 x
2.1cm
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In this lively and very
readable history of the
Roman Empire from its
establishment in 27 BC to
the barbarian incursions
and the fall of Rome in
AD 476, Kershaw draws on
a range of evidence,
from Juvenal's Satires to
recent archaeological
finds. He examines
extraordinary
personalities such as
Caligula and Nero and
seismic events such as
the conquest of Britain
and the establishment of
a 'New Rome' at
Constantinople and the
split into eastern and
western empires. Along
the way we encounter
gladiators and
charioteers, senators
and slaves, fascinating
women, bizarre sexual
practices and grotesque
acts of brutality, often
seen through eyes of some
of the world's greatest
writers. He concludes
with a brief look at how
Rome lives on in the
contemporary world, in
politics, architecture,
art and literature.
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Details: The First World
War was a seminal event
in world history, the
impact of which is still
being felt today.
Featuring remarkable
photographs, detailed
maps and expertly written
text, The Great War
describes the conflict in
vivid detail. It includes
key battles such as
Ypres, Verdun and the
Somme, and the story of
individuals, from
Douglas Haig, William
Robertson and air ace
Albert Ball, to the
unknown soldiers who made
the ultimate sacrifice
for their country, to
give you a complete
picture of this turbulent
time. Ideal for: A
fantastic read, the
perfect book for history
collectors. This hardback
book has 160 pages and
measures: 27 x 20 x 2cm.
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A joint operation between
Britain and France in
1916, the Battle of the
Somme was an attempt to
gain territory and dent
Germanys military
strength. By the end of
the action, very little
ground had been won: the
Allied Forces had made
just 12km. For this
slight gain, a more than
a million lives were
lost. There were more
than 400, 000 British,
200, 000 French, and
500, 000 German
causalities during the
fighting. Twelve Days on
the Somme is a memoir of
the last spell of
front-line duty performed
by the 2nd Battalion of
the West Yorkshire
Regiment. Written by
Sidney Rogerson, a young
officer in B Company, it
gives an extraordinarily
frank and often moving
account of what it was
really like to fight
through one of most
notorious battles of the
First World War. Its
special message,
however, is that,
contrary to received
assumptions, men could
face up to the terrible
ordeal such a battle
presented with
resilience, good humour
and without loss of
morale. This is a classic
work whose reprinting is
long overdue.
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Why did the medieval
Church bless William of
Normandy's invasion of
Christian England in 1066
and authorize cultural
genocide in Provence? How
could a Christian army
sack Christian
Constantinople in 1204?
This title unravels the
story of the Christian
military expeditions that
have perturbed European
history.
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-
To gain the upper hand in
conflict, the ability to
know what your enemy is
planning is vital.
Separating myth from
reality, The Enemy
Within, traces the
history of espionage from
its development in
ancient times through to
the end of the Cold War
and beyond, shedding
light on the clandestine
activities that have so
often tipped the balance
in times of war. From the
Monkey hanged as a spy
during the Napoleonic
wars to the British
Double Cross Committee in
World War II, this
journey through the
history of espionage
shows us that be they
thrill seekers or madmen,
fanatics or tricksters,
no two spies are alike
and their fascinating
stories are fraught with
danger and intrigue.
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Shackleton's Forgotten
Expedition is the
definitive account of the
British Antarctic
Expedition, the crucial
prequel to Shackleton's
renowned endurance
expedition. Using
extensive research and
firsthand accounts - some
previously unpublished -
Beau Riffenburgh has
written a vivid and
gripping tale of
discovery that provides
fascinating insight into
the age of British
exploration and empire.
Featuring an
extraordinary cast of
characters, this is an
amazing story of
ambition, adventure,
and a journey almost too
incredible even for
Shackleton.
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The Second World War was
a seminal event in world
history. The story of its
battles and key events is
a familiar one, but "The
Second World War in 100
Objects" offers a unique
perspective on this
global phenomenon by
tracing its history
through its objects,
such as iconic items like
the British Spitfire,
the George Cross and
Adolf Hitler's personal
revolver, to personal
objects which tell the
poignant stories of
individuals and official
documents, maps and
orders. Fully
illustrated, each entry
will be accompanied by
approximately 500 words
of text which will put
the item in context and
highlight its
significance.
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Details: From the
gruesome murders
committed by Jack the
Ripper to the whereabouts
of Lord Lucan, and from
the loss of an entire
continent to the mystery
of the missing Nazi gold.
We look through history
in an effort to shed a
little light on questions
which, in all honesty,
may never yield
definitive answers. Ideal
for: Fans of mysteries
and conspiracies that
continue to mystify and
puzzle. This paperback
has 256 pages and
measures 22.7cm x 17cm x
1.8cm
Availability: In Stock
£4.99
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Not One Step Back tells
the dramatic stories of
historty's greatest
sieges. From the dusty
plains of Texas to the
great walls of
Constantinople, and from
the trenches of Vicksburg
to the jungles of
Vietnam, Martin Windrow,
author of renowned The
Last Valley, details
twenty remarkable
episodes of heroism and
defiance.
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The Battle of Britain:
Portraits of the Few is
an exceptional tribute to
the small group of
legendary pilots that
served with the Royal Air
Force through one of the
most critical periods of
the Second World War.
Portraits of the Few
contains over 60 colour
illustrations, capturing
the images and character
of the military aviators
who were designated the
'Few' by British Prime
Minister Winston
Churchill. Accompanying
the portraits, painted
by artist David
Pritchard, are action
filled accounts written
by Second World War
aviation author
Christopher Yeoman,
recounting gripping
combats and ferocious
encounters as the
respective men
successfully resist the
might of the Luftwaffe.
Indeed the aerial battle
fought during the long
and glorious summer of
1940 is now viewed as one
of the most decisive
episodes in all of
British history. Each and
every day proved
consequential,
ultimately shaping the
island's future. It was a
struggle which will never
be forgotten by the
wartime population of
Great Britain; it will
never be forgotten for
generations to come. The
Battle of Britain:
Portraits of the Few
celebrates the airmen's
legacy and is a unique
tribute to this group of
extraordinary men. Battle
of Britain fighter pilot
Squadron Leader Geoffrey
Wellum DFC on receiving
his own portrait: "Thank
you so very much for the
truly excellent water
colour, the likeness is
remarkable. I was touched
and became slightly
emotional when I first
opened the box and there
I was looking back at
myself all those years
ago."
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From the sinking of the
Titanic to the fall of
the Berlin wall, the
last century has seen
some of the most
world-changing events
take place. Complete with
memorable photography and
in-depth accounts, this
book visually highlights
the most significant
moments of our time. Also
included are 5 pieces of
collectable memorabilia
in the form of replica
newspapers, highlighting
momentous events of the
century.
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Details: Beginning with
the story of early man,
and culminating in the
rise of global terrorism
and environmental issues,
the text is a
breathtaking and
unrivalled narrative
which includes voyages of
discovery, revolutions
and wars, dynasties and
empires. Richard Overy,
with a team of
historians, presents a
factual chronological
narrative as well as his
own opinion-led piece in
an extended article ?The
State of the World? in
which he gives his views
on the primary factors
which shape the world we
live in. With
fully-up-to-date content
including material on
Iraq, Afghanistan,
terrorism and the
environment, as well as
the latest research into
prehistory, this is the
most complete and
readable record of our
world yet. From cavemen
to the Cold War, from
Alexander the Great to
global warming, from
warfare through the ages
to the great voyages of
exploration, The Times
History of the World is
the book that has all the
answers, the detail and
the authoritative text in
one breathtaking single
historical source. Also
contains a 16-page
section of photographs of
the most important and
iconic images of our
world. Ideal For: Would
make the perfect gift for
anyone who loves facts
about general knowledge.
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£19.99
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Beginning in the broken
aftermath of the First
World War and the Treaty
of Versailles that made
German recovery almost
impossible, Whittock
tells not just the
account of the men who
rose to the fore in the
dangerous days of the
Weimar republic,
circling around the cult
of personality generated
by Adolf Hitler, but
also a convincing and
personality-driven
overview of how ordinary
Germans became seduced by
the dreams of a new world
order, the Third Reich.
The book also gives a
fascinating insight into
the everyday life in
Germany during the Second
World War and explores
key questions such as how
much did the Germans know
about the Holocaust and
why did the regime
eventually fail so
disastrously?
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This special 4 DVD boxset
follows the recorded
history of WW2 and its
operations in the
Mediterranean, North
Africa, Sicily, Monte
Cassino and the South of
France - giving you never
before seen footage of
how the Allies managed to
defeat the evil Nazi's
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-
Details: 6th June 1944
witnessed the largest
amphibious invasion in
history and marked the
beginning of the Battle
of Normandy. Continuing
until the end of August,
the battle involved over
a million people and
helped to bring an end
Hitler's Third Reich.
Written by one of
Britain's most respected
military historians, The
Story of D-Day is a
graphic account of the
planning and execution of
Operation Overlord, as
well as the campaign that
effectively destroyed the
German forces in France
and opened the way for
the Allied advance. Ideal
for: A brilliant book for
history and military
enthusiasts. This
hardback book has 160
pages and measures: 26.7
x 20.3 x 2cm.
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The history of special
effects is a long and
varied one,
incorporating so much
more than shots of sleek
starships or computer-
generated raptors. From
the concealed wires on
Douglas Fairbanks? flying
carpet in The Thief of
Baghdad to the seemingly
impossibly complex scenes
in Lord of the Rings and
King Kong, the special
effects industry has
continued to find new
ways to fuel our
imaginations and ensure
our entertainment. This
book is not only a
beautifully illustrated
history of the special
effects industry,
looking at all the
different types of audio
and visual effects; it
also contains detailed
technical explanations of
how the effects are
created, accompanied by
specially created
illustrations. Packed
with over 500 colour
illustrations taken from
great movies and the
personal portfolios of
leading special effects
experts, many of whom
have been interviewed for
and are profiled in the
book, Special Effects is
a treat for any movie
fan. It will also be an
essential tool for anyone
looking to build a career
in this area of the film
industry.
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In illuminating detail,
the editors of "Time"
illustrate the history
and background of the
most secretive and
obscure organizations -
cultural, political,
occult, criminal, and
social - ranging from the
Sons of Liberty in the
American colonies to the
Bolshevik cells of
czarist Russia and such
otherworldly cults as
Heaven's Gate. The book
will help simplify the
vague and obscure details
in a new way through
images, artefacts, and
illustrations. Readers
who enjoyed "The Da Vinci
Code" and "The Lost
Symbol" want to know,
are Dan Brown's novels
rooted in reality or are
they primarily fiction?
Books on this subject
have been flying off the
shelves to help readers
demystify the secrets and
legends of these
organizations. In
"Time's" book "Secret
Societies", the editors
will train a spotlight on
the underground groups of
Brown's novels and many
more, separating fact
from fiction and rumour
from reality, revealing
the most fascinating and
influential secret
organizations in history.
This book has 106 pages
and is 28.6 x 21.4 x 1.2
cms
Availability: In Stock
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Details: Saints and
sinners abound in Welsh
history and mythology and
retain an influence on
modern Welsh life. This
book provides an informed
and entertaining glance
at saintly figures such
as Winifred, Melangell
and David and rogues like
Harri Morgan and Twm Si?n
Cati to name but a few.
Ideal for: Anyone who
wants to learn more about
Welsh historical figures.
This paperback has 40
pages and measures 24cm x
17cm x 0.3cm
Availability: In Stock
£1.99
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-
In 1982, Lucasfilm
wanted to branch out into
other forms of
entertainment and formed
an agreement where
videogame pioneer Atari
provided $1 million in
seed capital with only
the vague directive of
"see what you can make."
The resulting two games
sold 100, 000 units,
twice as many copies as
had been projected, and
were a critical and
commercial success. In
2005, LucasArts'
Battlefront II game sold
2.1million copies and
generated an estimated
$200 million in revenue.
In the past 25 years,
LucasArts has cemented
its place in videogame
history though a
combination of the two
strengths of its parent
company: master
storytelling and
innovative
technology."The Magic of
LucasArts" reveals its
illustrious history,
including more than 250
samples of
never-before-seen art,
including storyboards,
concept paintings, and
character developments
from its cherished games,
as well as art from
cancelled projects that
were never announced to
the public. George Lucas
contributes a rare
foreword on his vision
for interactive
entertainment. Original
interviews with key team
members past and present
make this book a
must-have for gamers
young and old.
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Details: the Story of the
Jews is the history of an
extraordinary group of
people. This book
explores the religion of
Judaism and chronicles
the Jews' exile from
their ancestral homeland
and their migration both
east and west. Ideal for:
Those wanting to further
explore the history of
the Jewish people. This
hardback book has 96
pages and is 29cm x
25.3cm x 2cm.
Availability: In Stock
£12.99
Available
-
Details: The Story of the
Vikings examines their
origins, explorations,
settlements and culture.
Highlighting the Vikings'
achievements as craftsmen
and state-makers, this
highly illustrated book
also reveals their
monumental legacy. Ideal
for: People looking to
learn more about the
Vikings and their way of
life. This hardback book
measures 29cm x 25.5cm x
2cm
Availability: In Stock
£12.99
Available
-
They were born in the
middle of a battle, into
a world at war. And from
their first moments of
life, twins Satyrus and
Melitta were fighting for
survival. Their father,
a Greek mercenary, was
cut down not long after
they had taken their
first breaths; their
Scythian mother was
cruelly murdered when
they were still children.
But Satyrus and Melitta
are children no more.
They have learned how to
fight, how to love, how
to plot and how to kill.
Now it is time to leave
their adopted home, the
city of Alexandria, and
the protection of
Alexander the Great's
former general, Ptolemy
- and seek revenge. Now
it is time to go to war..
.
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-
The German invasion of
France and Belgium in
August 1914 came close to
defeating the French
armies, capturing Paris
and ending the First
World War before the
autumn leaves had fallen.
But the German armies
failed to score the
knock-out blow they had
planned. The war would
drag on for four years of
unprecedented slaughter.
There are many accounts
of 1914 from the British
point of view, and the
achievements of the
British Expeditionary
Force are the stuff of
legend. But in reality,
there were only four
British divisions in the
field, while the French
and Germans had more than
60 each. The real story
of the battle can only be
told by an author with
the skill to mine the
extensive German and
French archives. Ian
Senior does this with
consummate skill,
weaving together
strategic analysis with
diary entries and
interview transcripts
from the soldiers on the
ground to create a
remarkable new history.
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A unique and poignant
record of a club created
for heroes. There are
just a handful of men and
women alive today who
served and fought with
the Special Forces during
the Second World War.
They are a dwindling
bunch of veterans in
their twilight years
whose tales of heroism
and daring-do will soon
be lost in time forever -
yet they still regularly
get together in a
gentleman's club, right
in the heart of London -
The Special Forces Club.
In ten separate and
astonishing accounts of
ingenuity and heroism,
former Sunday Telegraph
defence correspondent
Sean Rayment visits this
unique group of people,
and through their vivid
memories, transports the
reader back in time to
the dark days of the
Second World War when
Britain was again
fighting on multiple
fronts across the globe.
These incredibly heroic
tales are taken from men
such as Captain John
Campbell, MC and Bar and
the last surviving
officer of 'Popski's
Private Army', whose
triumph over being
wrongly labelled a coward
led him to serve with
distinction and bravery
behind Rommel's lines in
North Africa. Balancing
the heroism in the field
of battle is the story of
Noreen Riols, who worked
under the legendary
Colonel Maurice
Buckmaster, helping
train operatives in the
art of counter-espionage
and counter-surveillance,
who was used to 'honey
trap' would-be agents.
Then there is Mike
Sadler, who served with
David Stirling in the
LRDG and took part in an
SAS attack on a German
airfield near el-Alamein
in 1942 in which 34
aircraft were destroyed;
and Harry Verlander, who
served with the legendary
Jedburghs, a highly
secret element of the
Special Operations
Executive, and recalls
his service during D-Day
and subsequent operations
in Burma. The book covers
all theatres of
operations and provides a
unique glimpse into why
the members of the
Special Forces Club are
truly exceptional. Time
is running out to capture
the myriad of epic
stories WWII threw up
over its five-year
period. In their twilight
years, the Special
Forces Club has decided
to reveal its identity at
last.
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-
Over the last 100 years
the Imperial War Museum
has been gathering
together a collection of
tens of thousands of
letters and archives from
British and Commonwealth
troops serving on the
front line, in conflicts
from the First World War
through to the ongoing
war in Afghanistan.
Revealing the most
intimate details of the
lives of these soldiers,
this collection uncovers
the startling
similarities between the
men fighting in the muddy
trenches of the Somme,
yomping across the frozen
ground of the Falklands
and carefully picking
their way through the
heat and dust of Afghan
wadis. Love, Tommy is a
selection of some of the
most emotive of these
letters. Correspondence
which includes poignant
expressions of love,
hope and fear sit
alongside amusing
anecdotes, grumbles
about rations and
thoughtful reflections,
all of which reveal how,
despite the passage of
time, many experiences
of fighting men are
shared in countless wars
and battles.
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-
Due to popular demand,
Osprey Publishing is
releasing a collectable
set of 40 postcards
featuring some of
Osprey's best artwork
depicting soldiers and
their equipment
throughout history. From
medieval knights and
samurai to Civil War
soldiers and World War II
G.I.s, these
breathtaking cards
showcase some of the
biggest names in Osprey's
stable of artists:
Richard, Christa and
Adam Hook are an artistic
dynasty in themselves;
Gerry Embleton and Howard
Gerrard have provided
artwork for hundreds of
Osprey titles between
them; Peter Dennis has
recently emerged as one
of the most talented
military history artists
of recent times; and, of
course the legendary
Angus McBride, who
illustrated over a
hundred Osprey books.
Presented in an elegant
box, these cards are the
perfect addition to any
military history
collection and an ideal
gift for the military
history enthusiast.
Availability: In Stock
£4.99
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-
History is full of myths,
legends, fables,
folklore, misinformation
and misconceptions.
Whether they have come
about inadvertently or
deliberately, many have
become part of the public
imagination. This book
presents some of the most
popular and enduring of
these myths from the time
of the American and
French revolutions to the
two world wars and
beyond. Arranged within
well defined geographical
or thematic sections,
and through a mix of
short and long entries,
each topic is clearly
explained and the myth,
error or controversy is
exposed. This is an
authoritative,
compelling and
illuminating miscellany,
where you can find a
straight answer to all
those niggling questions
about the past.
Availability: In Stock
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-
Details: Lupara bianca
('White Shotgun') - an
Italian term that refers
to a Mafia-style killing,
in which no trace of the
victim can be found. For
thirty years,
prize-winning Sicilian
journalist Attilio
Bolzoni has reported on
the shadowy activities of
Cosa Nostra. Now, for
the first time, he has
collected together a
powerful anthology of
rare interviews, court
proceedings and
transcripts of phone taps
that together capture the
essence of this most
hidden of secret
societies. From the
'traditional' Mafia of
the early 20th Century to
the 'Maxi' show-trials of
the 1980s and beyond,
White Shotgun is both a
history of modern
Sicilian crime, and a
book about the twisted
logic and language of
Cosa Nostra. From the
most humble of foot
soldiers to famous
pentiti ('grasses') and
top-level Bosses, this
is a portrait of the men
who live by a code of
silence - in their own
words. Ideal for: People
with interest in the
mafia and the Cosa
Nostra. A very enjoyable
and informative read. The
subject matter is
fascinating. This
paperback has 472 pages
and measures: 21 x 13 x
4cm
Availability: In Stock
£2.99
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