A witty, informative and highly entertaining guide to how to be a pirate, combining historical accuracy with a humorous eye in an irreverent but revealing look at the world of piracy and buccaneering.

The essential guide to the complex, fascinating world of Chinese myths: retelling the stories and exploring their significance in Chinese culture.

This is a concise and entertaining guide to the complex tradition of Chinese mythology. While many around the world are familiar with some aspects of Chinese myth - through Chinese New Year festivities or the classic adventures of the Monkey King in Journey to the West - few outside of China understand the richness of Chinese mythology, ...

Philosopher, dramatist, rhetorician, Stoic and pragmatist, Seneca was one of the most contradictory figures in ancient Rome, embracing a stern ascetic morality while amassing a fortune under Nero and eventually committing suicide. This definitive biography reveals a life lived perilously in the gap between ideals and reality.

Through a selection of detailed expert essays and some 40 spotlight studies, Medieval Women reveals a rich and complex picture of their world, full of colourful characters and intriguing stories. This title accompanies the British Library Exhibition and showcases incredible items from the Library's archive and major European collections.

Takes a fresh look at the life of Nero (r. AD 54–68), providing insight into the inner conflicts of a Roman society in transition and challenging preconceptions of a figure dismissed by a hostile source-tradition as tyrannical, deluded and ineffectual.

'A fascinating exploration of human greed and self-delusion and also a tribute to our ageless search for beauty' DEBORAH MOGGACH.

The fifteenth century experienced the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands violently five times as the great families of England fought to the death for the right to rule. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these chaotic years.

A lively and immersive global history of witchcraft which shows its evolution from the Middle Ages to the present day and shines a light on the stories of the victims, told in thirteen trials.

The gripping - and little-known - story of the courtroom drama that was a stunning victory for the young Adolf Hitler and precipitated the rise of the Nazi party.