History and Archaeology

Meritocracy: the idea that people should be advanced according to their talents rather than their status at birth. For much of history this was a revolutionary thought, but by the end of the twentieth century it had become the world's ruling ideology. How did this happen, and why is meritocracy now under attack from both right and left?

At the heart of the extraordinary ferment of the High Renaissance stood a distinctive, strange and beguiling figure: the magus. An unstable mix of scientist, bibliophile, engineer, fabulist and fraud, the magus ushered in modern physics and chemistry while also working on everything from secret codes to siege engines to magic tricks.

Anthony Grafton's wonderfully original book discus

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

In his ground-breaking new book, Sathnam Sanghera traces the legacies of British empire around the world.

'A wonderful book' Rory Stewart
'Nuanced and deeply researched' Financial Times
'Not just a welcome corrective but a book for our times' Peter Frankopan
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This nonfiction Little Golden Book is filled with amazing facts about the history of the Vikings and told through beautiful illustrations–perfect for preschoolers! Set sail with the adventurous, fearless Vikings! This informative Little Golden Book is full of great information about everything from the boats they sailed and clothes they wore to the gods they worshipped and the feasts they

In 1945, Germany lay in ruins, morally and materially. The German people stood condemned by history, responsible for a horrifying genocide and a war of extermination. But by 2015 Germany looked to many to be the moral voice of Europe, welcoming almost one million refugees. At the same time, it pursued a controversially rigid fiscal discipline and made energy deals with a dictator. Many people h

The remarkable true story of America's first women astronauts - six extraordinary women, each making history going to orbit aboard NASA's Space Shuttle.

FROM THE CO-HOST OF THE CHART-TOPPING EMPIRE PODCAST India was the forgotten heart of the ancient world For a millennium and a half, from about 250 BC to 1200 AD, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas, an 'Indosphere' where its influence was predominant. During this period, the rest of Asia was the willing recipie

**A Telegraph Best History Book of 2023*

'An astonishing achievement' ANTONY BEEVOR

An intimate history of the most important month of the Second World War as experienced by those who lived through it, completely based on their diaries, letters and memoirs.

At the beginning of November 1942, it looked as if the Axis powers could win the war;

'Illuminating' TIM MARSHALL 'Refreshing' THOMAS HALLIDAY A revolutionary journey through time, showing how biology has shaped human history. This book will change your perspective. We are evolutionary wonders, yet flawed. Our bodies and minds fail, and to be human is to live with this contradiction. Being Human reveals how our nature shaped history, and still impacts progress today.

'One of the most extraordinary stories of World War II - a howitzer of a tale that more people should know about' Daily Mail

Between 1917 and 1921 a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the collapse of the Tsarist empire. Many regard this savage civil war as the most influential event of the modern era. An incompatible White alliance of moderate socialists and reactionary monarchists stood little chance against Trotsky's Red Army and Lenin's single-minded Communist dictatorship. Terror begat

A TIMES AND OBSERVER HIGHLIGHT FOR 2022 'An empowering story of human ingenuity' Economist 'Full of curious facts' The Times 'Gripping and fascinating' Mail on Sunday 'The obvious beauty of This Mortal Coil is that in being a history of death, it is also a history of life, and a brilliant, fascinating one at that' Scotsman

'Fascinating... One of the most astute political commentators on Putin and modern Russia' Financial Times'An amazing achievement' Peter FrankopanCan anyone truly understand Russia?Russia is a country with no natural borders, no single ethos, no true central identity. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it is everyone's 'other'.

Yuval Noah Harari, author of the bestselling Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. Now, in Homo Deus, he examines our future with his trademark blend of science, history, philosophy and every discipline in between. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century - from ov

An original and compelling history of the northern European medieval renaissance in art, science and philosophy, which rivalled its Italian counterpart, by the author of The Florentines and The Borgias.