The fascinating royal and social history that inspired the second and third seasons of The Crown, from the show's historical consultant.

A magnet for trade and travellers from all over the world, stylish, cosmopolitan Amsterdam is a city of dreams and nightmares, of grand civic architecture and legendary beauty, but also of civil wars, bloody religious purges, and the tragedy of Anne Frank.

"The Story of Mankind" by Hendrik Van Loon is a captivating journey through the history of the human race, from the earliest beginnings to the modern era. With vivid storytelling and insightful commentary, Van Loon brings to life the great events, ideas, and figures that have shaped our world. From the dawn of civilization to the rise and fall of empires, and the progress of science and art, this book offers a sweeping overview of mankind’s achievements and struggles. Accessible and engagin...

‘An exemplary work of investigative journalism that is also a wonderfully colourful book of history and travel’ Observer, Book of the Year ‘A piece of postmodern historiography of quite extraordinary sophistication and ingenuity… [written with] exceptional delicacy and restraint’ TLS

A landmark history of the war that firmly places the First World War in the context of imperialism and gives due weight to the role of non-Europeans in the conflict.

They gave us democracy, philosophy, poetry, rational science, the joke. They built the Parthenon and the Library of Alexandria. But who were the ancient Greeks? And what was it that enabled them to achieve so much? This title offers a revelatory way of viewing this geographically scattered people, and more.

In this effortlessly erudite account, Russell Shorto traces the evolution of one of the world's greatest cities. From the building of its first canals in the 1300s, through the brutal struggle for Dutch independence and its golden age as the capital of a vast empire, to its complex present in which its cherished ideals of liberalism are under siege, Shorto provides an ever-surprising, intellectually entertaining story of Amsterdam. He also weaves in his own experiences of his adopted home. In...

The extraordinary adventure-filled story of how England came to own Manhattan in the seventeenth century

Israel is a tiny state, and yet since its creation, it has captured the world's attention, earned its admiration, and, often, been the object of its opprobrium. Why is so much of the international community focused on a small country like Israel? Why are Israelis so deeply divided on so many key issues? Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future?Weaving together historical documents, letters, and interviews with his own intimate knowledge of the country, Daniel Go...