` History clings tight but it also kicks loose, ` writes Simon Schama at the outset of this, the first book in his three-volume journey into Britain`s past. ` Disruption as much as persistence is its proper subject. So although the great theme of British history seen from the twentieth century is endurance, its counter-point, seen from the twenty-first, must be alteration.` Change
- sometimes gentle & subtle, sometimes shocking & violent
- is the dynamic of Schama`s unapologetically personal & grippingly written history, especially the changes that wash over custom & habit, transforming our loyalties. At the heart of this history lie questions of compelling importance for Britain`s future as well as its past: what makes or breaks a nation? To whom do we give our allegiance & why? & where do the boundaries of our community lie
- in our hearth & home, our village or city, tribe or faith? What is Britain
- one country or many? Has British history unfolded `at the edge of the world` or right at the heart of it? Schama delivers these themes in a form that is at once traditional & excitingly fresh. The great & the wicked are here
- Becket & Thomas Cromwell, Robert the Bruce & Anne Boleyn
- but so are countless more ordinary lives: an Irish monk waiting for the plague to kill him in his cell at Kilkenny; &, a small boy running through the streets of London to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth I. They are all caught on the rich & teeming canvas on which Schama paints his brilliant portrait of the life of the British people: `for in the end, history, especially British history with its succession of thrilling illuminations, should be, as all her most accomplished narrators have promised, not just instruction but pleasure.`





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` While Britain was losing an empire, it was finding itself...` The compelling opening words to ” The Fate of the Empire”, set the tone & agenda for the final stage of Simon Schama`s epic voyage around Britain, her people & her past. Spanning two centuries, crossing the breadth of the empire & covering a vast expanse of topics
- from the birth of feminism to the fate of freedom
- he explores the forces that shaped British culture & character from 1776 to 2000. The story opens on the eve of a bloody revolution, but not a British one. The French Revolution never quite crossed the Channel, though its spirit of fiery defiance & Romantic idealism did, sparking off a round of radical revolts & reforms that gathered momentum over the coming century
- from the Irish Rebellion to the Chartist Petition. The great question of the Victorian century was how the world`s first industrial society could come through its growing pains without falling apart in social & political conflict. Would the machine age destroy or strengthen the institutions that held Britain together, from the family to the farm? And if the British Empire helped to make Britain stable & rich, did it live up to its promise to help the ruled as well as the rulers? On the way to answering these questions, ” The Fate of the Empire” makes stops at both celebrations, like the Great Exhibition, & catastrophes, like the Irish potato famine & the Indian Mutiny. Amidst the military & economic shocks & traumas of the 20th century, & through the voices of Churchill, Orwell & H. G. Wells, it asks the question that is still with us
- is the immense weight of our history a blessing or a curse, a gift or a millstone around the neck of our future? It is a vast compelling epic, made more so by the lively storytelling & big bold characters at the heart of the action. But alongside flamboyant heroes, like Nelson & Churchill, Schama recalls unsung heroines & virtually unknown enemies. Alongside the grand ideas, he exposes the grand illusions that cost untold lives. Schama looks head on at the facts & asks, ` What went wrong with the liberal dream?` The answers emerge in ” The Fate of the Empire”, which reveals the living ideals of Britain`s long history, `a history that tied together social justice with bloody-minded liberty`.



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This candid assessment, covering over 2000 years of Cambodian history, focuses on transformations & historic implications of myths surrounding these changes. In this clear & concise volume, author David Chandler provides a timely overview of Cambodia, a small but increasingly visible Southeast Asian nation. Praised by the ” Journal of Asian Studies” as an ”original contribution, superior to any other existing work”, this acclaimed text has now been completely revised & updated to include material examining the early history of Cambodia, whose famous Angkorean ruins now attract more than one million tourists each year, the death of Pol Pot, & the revolution & final collapse of the Khmer Rouge. The fourth edition reflects recent research by major scholars as well as Chandler`s long immersion in the subject & contains an entirely new section on the challenges facing Cambodia today, including an analysis of the current state of politics & sociology, & the increasing pressures of globalization. This comprehensive overview of Cambodia will illuminate, for undergraduate students as well as general readers, the history & contemporary politics of a country long misunderstood. ...

It has been said that the twenty-first century will be China`s century. Such a remark highlights the importance of being informed about China`s long & tumultuous history. J. A. G. Roberts traces the main course of that history, from the earliest times, through the centuries of imperial government, to the present day. Chapters on China`s imperial history identify the main political & economic changes, whilst introducing key social themes. Turning to the modern period, Roberts then traces the dramatic events of the Opium Wars, the 1911 Revolution & the Republican era. The book ends with a detailed discussion of China under Communist rule & a wide-ranging review of new developments, including China`s economic achievements & its costs. Thoroughly revised & expanded in the light of the latest research, & now featuring a helpful chronology, this up-to-date, authoritative overview of China`s past is ideal for students & general readers alike. ...

An alternative insight into the cycling revolution Have you ever wondered why the leader`s jersey at the Tour de France is yellow? Where Graeme Obree`s record-breaking bike ` Old Faithful` got its nickname? Or the role of bloomers in bicycle design? Find out in this absorbing & quirky look at the history of cycling & the development of bike-related design through 100 pivotal objects. Charting the journey from the laufmaschine to the Brompton, through the early prototypes & the two-wheeled toys of the aristocracy, to the speed machines we know today. Filled with fascinating photographs & illustrations, immerse yourself in the history of cycling
- from the boneshaker via the bicycle powered washing machine, to cuddly lions & ball bearings.
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From battlefield to sacred building, from castle to cottage, from the Bridgwater Canal to Blackpool Pier, acclaimed historian John Julius Norwich tells the political, cultural, social, religious & economic story of England through one hundred key places you can still visit today. Part narrative history, part exploration of our national heritage, his wide-ranging selection of sites will stimulate, entertain, inform
- & certainly provoke
- a debate about the most significant moments in English history.

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Historic places across the country have shaped England & the world beyond. They are hotbeds of invention, industry & creativity & they bring our nation`s story to life. In 2017 Historic Engl&, supported by specialistinsurers Ecclesiastical launched the Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 Places campaign, designed to celebrate England`s remarkableplaces. Guided by public nominations & a panel of expert judges, including Professor Robert Winston, Mary Beard, George Clarke, David Olusoga, Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson & Bettany Hughes, we compiled a list of 100 places where remarkable things have happened & shaped our collective identity as the country we are today. The book, like the campaign, is divided into ten categories ranging from Music & Literature, through Science & Discovery to Power, Protest & Progress. The final 100 selected places are all contained within this gloriously illustrated book. From the observatory in Greenwich where the modern measurement of time began, to England`s oldest inn carved into the sandstone in Nottingham, the choices are surprising, intriguing & enlightening. Some are well-known & others are less familiar, but all deserve to be celebrated as landmarks in England`s history. The book explains why each of these 100 places is so important. The result is a unique history of England chosen & told by the people who live here. ...

In this concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. This study demonstrates that there is more to Ethiopia`s existence than colonial logic. It shows how geography, economics & culture have served to unite Ethiopians against fractionalisation. For the updated edition, Marcus has written a new preface, two new chapters & an epilogue, detailing the development & implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state & the war with Eritrea. This fascinating book is incredibly in depth in it`s contents, with over three chapters on Haile Sellassie’s reign:1. Beginnings, to 12702. The Golden Age of the Solomonic Dynasty, to 15003. The Decline of the Solomonic Dynasty, to 17964. Political & Economic Transformations, to 18555. Imperial Resurrection, to 18776. Imperial Consolidation, to 18897. The Defeat of European Imperialism, to 18978. Menilek`s State, to 19169. Ras Tafari, to 193010. Haile Sellassie, to 193611. Haile Sellassie, to 195512. Haile Sellassie, to 197313. The Revolution, to 197714. The Failure of the Revolution, to 199115. The New Rulers, to 199516. Peace & War, to 2000 The book also has a glossary, bibliography & superb index for all the future visits the books will inspire you to make. ...

Take an illustrated journey through 5, 000 years of fashion, from Stone-Age furs to flamboyant flounces, corsets & 1970s sequins. Each page features full page illustrations to pore over & information on how styles were developed as each new era defined fashion for itself. This is a book no fashion or history lover should be without. ...

Henrik Meinander paints a brisk & bold picture of the history of Finland from integrated part of the Swedish kingdom to autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian empire, gradually transformed & maturing into a conscious nation, independent state & skilful adapter of modern technology. The main geographical context for his study is the Baltic region, & the author links his analysis to structural developments & turning points in European history. The book blends politics, economy & culture to show how human & natural resources in Finland have been utilized & the impact its cultural heritage & technological innovation have had on its development. In a departure from most conventional approaches, Meinander gives greater emphasis to recent & contemporary events. In other words, he puts Finland into a range of historical contexts in its Baltic & European settings to highlight how both together have formed Finland into what it is at the beginning of the twenty-first century. ...