European History

Chin Peng joined the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) in January, 1940, as a 15 year old schoolboy. His commitment to the communist cause, the pre-war anti-colonial struggle against Britain...

When Henry VII seized the throne after the Battle of Bosworth, his crown was far from secure. Yet for more than a hundred years his descendents ruled in England, surviving...

Uniquely endowed with talent, energy and determination, Winston Churchill was, as a close wartime colleague put it, 'unlike anyone you have ever met before'. To many, he was the saviour...

A highly illustrated account of the hunt for the Bismarck . The break of the German battleship Bismarck into the North Atlantic in May 1941 was one of the most...

The battle on Sunday 18th June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium was to be Napoleon's greatest triumph - but it ended in one of the greatest military upsets of all time....

Those Germans, such as Count Claus von Stauffenberg, who fought the Third Reich from within have often been mythologised as heroes in the fight against tyranny but the truth is...

This is a salute to those who fought in the forces and on many fronts, recalling days of hardship and loss, but also the forging of life-long friendships and community...

Journalist Konrad Heiden was one of the first to recognize the young Adolf Hitler's political ingenuity and his potential. In this eyewitness account of his rise to power, the author...

Bricks and Mortar is the story of the sex trade in a big city in the former GDR, from just before 1989 to the present day, charting the development of...

For fans of the Netflix series The Crown , a meticulously researched historical tour de force about the secret ties among Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, the Duke of Windsor,...

Jane was Henry VIII's third Queen, and she was described by him as 'his first true wife', both his first two marriages having been annulled. She was twenty-seven when he...

The story of Anne Boleyn goes to the root of all history; what makes an individual or event memorable to later generations? Anne is an exceptional case for her life...

The Tower of London is an icon of England's history. William the Conqueror built the White Tower after his invasion and conquest in 1066, to dominate London and it has...

Lady Jane Grey, is one of the most elusive and tragic characters in English history. In July 1553 the death of the childless Edward VI threw the Tudor dynasty into...

' A fascinating book about four women - it tells us so much about their world, and about our own... What jumps off the page is the liveliness of the...

'A dazzling tale, brilliantly told' Peter Frankopan 'Marries the intrigue of Europe's most powerful royal courts with the globe-trotting thrill of adventure and discovery' Sunday Telegraph, 5* review DURING THE...

The real-life inspiration and setting for the Emmy Award-winning Downton Abbey , Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle and the life of one...

During the Second World War, Britain's top secret Special Operations Executive plotted to assassinate Hitler. A small department of SOE known as Section X had the tantalisingly complex task of...

Anne Neville was the queen to England's most notorious kings, Richard III. Shakespeare made her marriage truly remarkable - 'Was ever woman wooed thus?' - as her husband's killer allured...

There is little available on the dramatic and colourful history of the Spanish monarchy. Experienced author and historian John Van der Kiste provides a readable and anecdotal look at one...

Arthur Moeller Van Den Bruck was a prolific writer, historian, art critic, translator and publisher; the quintessential Bohemian fin-de-siecle artist. In the turbulent years that followed the end of the...

A masterly re-evaluation of a self-made Elizabethan hero, and a fascinating re-creation of the man and his era. Sir Francis Drake: pirate, explorer and Protestant zealot, a man princely in...

In 1453, Mehmed the Conqueror entered Constantinople on a white horse. This was the start of the Ottoman love affair with the city that lasted until 1924, when the last...

This book chronicles the life of one of history's greatest figures, from his birth through to death aged 32, when he was revered as a god by the 40,000 men...

The gripping stories of the most colourful and formidable characters to challenge the might of Rome. Until recently, it was assumed that Rome carried the torch of civilization into the...

Great Britain's geopolitical role in the global scheme of things has undergone many radical changes over the last four centuries. Once a maritime superpower and ruler of half the world,...

Reinhard Heydrich is widely recognized as one of the great iconic villains of the twentieth century, an appalling figure even within the context of the Nazi leadership. Chief of the...

When the Second World War broke out, Philipp von Boeselager fought enthusiastically for his country, leading a cavalry unit first in France and later on the Russian Front. However, when...

Jane Rochford was sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and Lady of the Bedchamber to Katherine Howard, whom she followed to the scaffold in 1542. Hers is a life of extraordinary drama...

Francis Walsingham was the first 'spymaster' in the modern sense. His methods anticipated those of MI5 and MI6 and even those of the KGB. He maintained a network of spies...

In the aftermath of the English Civil War, the Restoration overturned England's medieval outlook and a new way of looking at the world allowed the genius of Isaac Newton (b....

The chronicle of the first half of the 17th century is an account of the conflict between Charles Stuart and Oliver Cromwell and the beliefs that impelled them. King and...

A thrilling new biography of Dwight Eisenhower set in the months leading up to D-Day, when he grew from a well-liked general into one of the singular figures of American...

Fully illustrated collection of rare and previously unpublished tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, retold for a new generation by leading Arthurian expert, John Matthews,...

*Shortlisted for the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize* A Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year A Wall Street Journal Book of the Year A Spectator Book of the...

Sanctuary is an ancient right. But what does it mean today? Drawing on a lifetime of engagement with literature, myth, history and tradition from different cultures, Marina Warner's Sanctuary is...

`Leanda de Lisle brings the story of nine days' queen, Lady Jane Grey and her forgotten sisters, the rivals of Elizabeth I, to vivid life in her fascinating biography' Philippa...

THE NUMBER 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 An Irish Times Book of the Year 2024 Ireland is a strikingly...

'A perfect balance of history, food, anecdotes and recommendations ... Carolyn's enthusiasm for French gastronomy is legendary' Michel Roux Jr 'Wondrous, witty, delicious and fun. Every page made me hungry'...

'I have always been fascinated by that charismatic hero of the Resistance, Josephine Baker, but it turns out I didn't know the half of it. Lewis' story-telling blew my mind....

'An engaged, informed companion for the armchair time traveller...captures the thrill and the difficulties of interpreting the past'. TLS 'Duncan has written a masterpiece - a journey and an investigation...

From the acclaimed author of In the Shadow of the Empress comes the thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe-Elisabeth, empress of Austria,...

One of Brexit's leading intellectuals examines the historical context of the referendum vote in this Sunday Times bestseller Geography comes before history. Islands cannot have the same history as continental...

Only edition in print On 17th September 1820, accompanied by his friend Joseph Severn, John Keats left London for Italy on board the Maria Crowther in a desperate bid to...

Stroll Lisbon's cobbled lanes, cruise the Douro River, and soak up the sun on Algarve beaches: experience Portugal with Rick Steves! Inside Rick Steves Portugal you'll find: * Comprehensive coverage...

'We're all now self-makers, whether we like it or not - and this witty, sceptical book is the thought-provoking story of how we got here' GUARDIAN 'A fast-moving train of...

*Shortlisted for Cycling Book of the Year at the Sports Book Awards 2024* From award-winning author Matt Rendell, an examination of the phenomenal success of Alejandro Valverde and the moral...

One man, his piano and their miraculous survival. 'Extraordinary' Baroness Julia Neuberger 'Powerful and gruelling ... an almost unimaginable story of horror and survival' Mail on Sunday 'Stunning. A beautiful...