Global History

A sweeping natural history of how rivers have shaped the course of civilisation. Rivers have opened frontiers, defined borders, supported trade, generated energy and fed billions. Most of our greatest cities stand on riverbanks or deltas, and our quest for mastery has spurred staggering advances in engineering, science, and law. Rivers and their topographic divides have shaped the territories of...

'A bold, ambitious and truly wonderful history of the world that shows the vital importance of tropical forests to life on Earth' - Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees Jungle is a new and ambitious history of the world, telling the remarkable story of the world's tropical forests from the arrival of the first plants millions of...

The eagerly awaited paperback of an incredible work of history, highlighting social injustice and survival. "...a grandly conceived and prodigiously researched homage to his Irish forebears" — The Age "...the range and coverage of this material is impressive ...his zest is infectious" — Sydney Morning Herald "...engaging and meticulously compiled" — Australian Financial Review In the nineteenth century, the Irish...

A brilliant work of narrative history with an international cast of characters that captures this definitive period after the close of the Great War. Gripping . . . An amazingly audacious and completely innovative way of writing history — WILLIAM BOYD An enthralling narrative history with an international cast of characters that captures this definitive period after the close of...

Big ideas, simply explained Welcome to the complete history of the world. From the dawn of civilisation to the 21st century, the course of time is captured in all its glory inside this stunning graphic guide. Part of DK's award-winning Big Ideas series that have sold in excess of seven million copies, The History Book explains and explores the biggest...

Tells the devastating story of the Spanish flu — the twentieth century's greatest killer. Read the devastating story of the Spanish flu — the twentieth century's greatest killer — and discover what it can teach us about the current Covid-19 pandemic. 'Both a saga of tragedies and a detective story... Pale Rider is not just an excavation but a reimagining...

Thoroughly engrossing ... his literary gifts and prodigious research make for a deeply satisfying reading experience studded with narrative surprise, hopping back and forth between El Salvador and the wider world - Michael Pollan, The Atlantic Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities in the history of the global economy and the world's most popular drug. The very word...

Between 1939 and 1945, approximately 13 million men served in the German army — das Heer. Most were infantrymen who made their arduous journeys, predominantly on foot, from Finisterre to Moscow, Kirkenes to Tripoli. They swore unlimited obedience to Adolf Hitler and were resolute in their commitment to the cause. German Infantryman Operations Manual by Simon Forty provides a comprehensive...

February 1945 - The war is almost over and Britain and America rule the waves. To enlist for a German U-boat is suicidal. But sixty young Nazi soldiers choose to enter the cramped underwater conditions of the U-869 for the most difficult mission of all - to reach and then bomb the coast of America. Several weeks later, the boat...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'The world's most successful history podcast . . . Holland and Sandbrook have pretty much reinvented popular history for the modern age' The Times From the podcast legends who brought you The Rest is History comes The Rest is History Returns! This time Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook bring you an alphabetical miscellany, taking on...

The atlas of 1816 was a document riddled with uncertainties and white spaces, symbolising the vast unknowns of the world. What was the nature of the North Pole? Did a North-West Passage exist? What lay at the uncharted heart of Africa? And was Antarctica a myth or reality? Driven by these pressing questions, John Barrow, the Second Secretary to the...

The Battle of Britain by James Holland offers an in-depth and meticulously researched account of one of World War II’s most critical campaigns. This comprehensive history captures the intense struggle between the beleaguered British forces and the seemingly unbeatable Nazi war machine during the summer of 1940. When Hitler’s Blitzkrieg swept through Europe with unparalleled speed and force, the future...

The Sunday Times bestseller, with a new introduction by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 'If great books encourage you to look at the world in an entirely new way, then Dominion is a very great book indeed' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times History Book of the Year 'Terrific: bold, ambitious and passionate' Peter Frankopan Dominion tells the epic story of how those in...

Dam Busters by James Holland masterfully recounts one of the most daring and audacious operations of the Second World War. The night of 16th May 1943 saw nineteen specially adapted Lancaster bombers ascend into the skies from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. Each aircraft carried a massive 9,000lb cylindrical bomb, ingeniously designed to bounce across water and destroy three critical dams...

By the time he became president in 1801, Thomas Jefferson had already been looking westward for decades. He saw the country's population expanding and judged that America's territory must expand too, lest America become as crowded and conflict-prone as Europe. He started modestly, by seeking to purchase New Orleans from the French. Napoleon Bonaparte answered with a breathtaking proposal: would...

The Nine Lives of Pakistan by Declan Walsh offers an unprecedented journey into the heart of one of the world’s most enigmatic and misunderstood countries. Told with a journalist’s precision and an insider’s perspective, this book reveals the untold stories of nine extraordinary individuals whose lives encapsulate the myriad challenges and stark contrasts of contemporary Pakistan. Each life represents a...

Maoism by Julia Lovell is a groundbreaking exploration of the global impact of Mao Zedong's ideology. Lovell intricately weaves the narrative of Mao's life, the development of his revolutionary ideas, and their far-reaching influence and legacy, demonstrating how Maoism has shaped events well beyond China's borders. Winner of the Cundill History Prize 2019 and shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize...

Shortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022 Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Nonfiction The Cold War was not just a contest of power. It was also about ideas, in the broadest sense – economic and political, artistic and personal. In The Free World, the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize–winning scholar and critic Louis Menand tells the story of American...

The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster by New York Times-bestselling author Adam Higginbotham, based on fascinating new archival research and in-depth reporting—a riveting history that reads like a thriller. From the New York Times-bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating...