History & Archaeology

The Romanovs offers a spellbinding exploration into the rise and fall of one of the world's most powerful dynasties. Spanning over three centuries, this meticulously researched work delves into the intricate tapestry of Russian history, unravelling the story behind twenty tsars and tsarinas who shaped the destiny of their nation. From the transformational reign of Peter the Great to the...

'I don't know where to stop praising Benny and this amazing book...' - HEATHER MORRIS, The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'This book...is the stuff folk tales are made of. How wonderful that sometimes they are true' - MARTIN FREEMAN What a century of life experience can teach us about happiness, ambition, courage, love and how to make the most of the...

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION WATERSTONES' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: HISTORY The boldly original, dramatic intertwined story of Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots – three queens exercising power in a world dominated by men. 'Alluring, gripping, real: an astonishing insight into the lives of three queens' — ALICE ROBERTS 'Takes us...

The Weimar Years by Frank McDonough offers a meticulous and enthralling exploration of one of the most consequential periods in German and world history. Set in the aftermath of Germany's crushing defeat in the First World War, the book delves into the era of the Weimar Republic, an epoch marked by immense social reform, profound cultural renaissance, and hitherto unprecedented...

The Honourable Schoolboy, the second book in John le Carré's revered 'Karla Trilogy' and a distinguished addition to Penguin Modern Classics, delves deep into the shadowy world of espionage with its gripping and intricate narrative. In the aftermath of a shocking betrayal, the once-mighty British Secret Service is left in shambles, and the responsibility of reviving it falls to George...

Enemies and Neighbours by Ian Black is a masterful, comprehensive exploration of the century-long conflict between Jews and Arabs over the Holy Land. Starting from the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of British colonial rule in 1917, the narrative delves into the intricate and turbulent history that has shaped modern-day Israel and Palestine. Black offers a compelling,...

Economic thinking - about globalisation, climate change, immigration, austerity, automation, and much more - in its most digestible form. For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as...

Michael Palin recreates the extraordinary life and tragic death of a First World War soldier - his great-uncle Harry. I cannot remember the last time I read a book so immediately absorbing and affecting. Michael Palin has never been better - which is, of course, saying a great deal. BILL BRYSON From the time, many years ago, when Michael Palin...

The Years by Annie Ernaux is an extraordinary autobiographical narrative that transcends the traditional boundaries of memoir. Available in English for the first time, this remarkable book has established itself as a literature classic, lauded globally for its unique approach to storytelling and profound introspection. Spanning from 1941 to 2006, Ernaux's work doesn't merely recount her own life, but instead...

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky is a fascinating deep dive into the history of a fish that has had an outsized impact on world events. This seemingly simple fish has been at the heart of wars, driven economic booms, and shaped the very diets of nations. Kurlansky’s narrative spans over a thousand...

Roald Dahl's canon of family stories and poetry comes with collectable new covers featuring Quentin Blake's iconic illustrations and archive material provided by the Roald Dahl Museum. It was truly the most breathless and in a way the most exhilarating time I have ever had in my life. This beautiful edition of Going Solo, part of The Roald Dahl Classic...

Former Tornado Navigator John Nichol tells the incredible story of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War in 1991; the excitement and the danger, the fear and the losses. It is an extraordinary account of courage and fortitude. ‘We were doing about 620 miles-per-hour, 200 feet above the desert, in total darkness. Everything was running on rails as...

WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND ROBERT DE NIRO A riveting true story of greed, serial murder and racial injustice’ JON KRAKAUER A fiercely entertaining...

A Line in the Sand by James Barr offers a compelling and intricate examination of the British-French rivalry that shaped the modern Middle East. Set against the historical backdrop of the early 20th century, the book meticulously delves into the clandestine agreements and political manoeuvring that redrew the boundaries of a region in turmoil. In 1916, amidst the devastation of...

A Full Life by Jimmy Carter offers readers an intimate and comprehensive look into the life of the 39th President of the United States. In this profound and reflective memoir, Carter recounts his experiences and personal observations from his remarkable nine decades of life. From his humble beginnings in rural Georgia, to his naval career, to his tenure in the...

The Fall of Public Man by Richard Sennett delves deeply into the intricate dynamics between the public and private spheres in contemporary society. Sennett argues persuasively that distinct behaviours and activities are suitable for each realm. However, the demarcation between these realms has become blurred, particularly due to the forces of capitalism and the secularisation of society. This erosion, Sennett...

Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a masterful exploration of leadership through the lens of four American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. In her magnum opus, Goodwin delves into the lives of these iconic figures, examining how they navigated through periods of immense challenge and turbulence. Through meticulous research and...

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum delves into the dark and intriguing world of Ancient Rome, where the best stories are tainted with bloodshed. Romulus, driven by ambition, kills his brother Remus to lay the foundation of Rome. Julius Caesar's assassination is orchestrated in a desperate bid to save the Republic. The theatre becomes a bloody...

From the bestselling author of Guns, Germs and Steel, an exploration of the influence of leaders in politics, business, sport and religion. We often read history as the biographies of 'great men' who shaped the world. But are leaders, whichever field they are in, really that influential? Should CEOs be given large bonuses when a company performs well? Why, when...

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. Toi Te Mana is a landmark account of Māori art from the time of the tupuna (ancestors) to the present day. In 600 pages and over 500 extraordinary images, this volume invites readers to climb onto the waka for a remarkable voyage—from ancestral weavers to contemporary artists...

The life and letters of one of the first European women to settle in New Zealand. In 1822, Marianne Williams, with her missionary husband Henry and their three small children, left England forever. Their new home, in New Zealand's Bay of Islands, was a remote one-house settlement—the Church Missionary Society mission station headquarters. This was nearly twenty years before the...

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson offers readers an insightful and comprehensive journey through one of the world's most iconic and fascinating civilisations. This captivating narrative spans over three millennia of history, from the nascent days of the powerful pharaohs to the eventual decline under the Romans. Wilkinson’s work meticulously captures the grandeur and sophistication of...

Winner of the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography - Andrew Roberts overturns received wisdom on Britain's longest-reigning king. Andrew Roberts's magnificent new biography portrays George as intelligent, benevolent, scrupulously devoted to the constitution of his country and (as head of government as well as head of state) navigating the turbulence of eighteenth-century politics with a strong sense of honour...

From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration – the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook. In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed – stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought...

Welcome to our story, this history. Whichever part of the world the bones of your ancestors lie, wherever their ashes may have been dispersed, here you will find traces of them, and of yourself. It is a story of colonisation and resistance – and a history that has never stopped repeating itself. The New Zealand Wars of the mid-nineteenth century...

When The Culture of Narcissism was first published in 1979, Christopher Lasch was hailed as a "biblical prophet" (Time). Lasch's identification of narcissism as not only an individual ailment but also a burgeoning social epidemic was groundbreaking. His diagnosis of American culture is even more relevant today, predicting the limitless expansion of the anxious and grasping narcissistic self into every...

The most famous trial of the twentieth century - told through the eyes of the women history forgot. In November 1945, the world turned its gaze to Nuremberg. Inside a courtroom built by and for men, justice was being sought for crimes almost beyond comprehension. The spotlight fell on Nazi leaders, Allied prosecutors and military judges - but in the...

The life of Father Joseph, Cardinal Richelieu's aide, was a monstrous paradox. After spending his days directing operations on the battlefield, Father Joseph would pass the night in prayer, or in composing spiritual guidance for the nuns in his care. He was an aspirant to sainthood, a practising mystic, yet his ruthless exercise of power succeeded in prolonging the Thirty...

A gripping memoir by a former NZSAS commander on serving in Afghanistan over four deployments and operating at the edge of his limits. 'Frighteningly, devastatingly real.' - The Post In 2011, following the Taliban siege on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an SAS soldier identified only as Serviceman J was awarded New Zealand's second highest military honour by showing outstanding gallantry in...

A vivid double biography of two fearless Early Medieval queens, and an enthralling journey of discovery across the unfamiliar and blood-soaked historical landscape of sixth-century Merovingian France. 'Brings the Merovingian empire to thrilling, bewildering, horrifying life' Helen Castor 'Restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens to their proper place in medieval history' Dan Jones 'A story of scheming and savagery to...

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning offers an in-depth examination of the transformation of average middle-aged police officers from rural Germany into perpetrators of genocide. This forensic study follows the men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, detailing their participation in some of the most horrific massacres of Jews during the...

The French Revolution and What Went Wrong by Stephen Clarke is a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of one of history's most tumultuous periods. With his signature wit and engaging narrative style, Clarke delves into the intricacies of the French Revolution, shedding light on how a nation teetering on the brink of change spiralled into chaos and bloodshed. This isn't just...

'Mama, it's me.' I held her hand in mine, hoping it would give her the strength to hold on. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. 'Do not cry when I die.' The Sunday Times Bestseller 'Quite simply the most important book you will read this year' — Hazel Gaynor 'An extraordinary read' — Lorraine Kelly 'Deeply moving'...

Graham Hancock's multi-million bestseller Fingerprints of the Gods remains an astonishing, deeply controversial, wide-ranging investigation of the mysteries of our past and the evidence for Earth's lost civilisation. Twenty years on, Hancock returns with the sequel to his seminal work filled with completely new scientific and archaeological evidence, which has only recently come to light. This paperback edition is updated...

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside of it. Until now. Area 51 is the first book based on interviews with scientists, pilots, and engineers—58 in total—who provide an unprecedented look into the mysterious activities of a top-secret base, from the Cold War to...

The fascinating story of how Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana and the SAS changed the world. The early 1980s were the most dramatic, colourful and controversial years in our modern history. Margaret Thatcher had come to power in 1979 with a daring plan to reverse Britain's decline. But as factories closed their doors, dole queues lengthened and the inner cities exploded...

The astonishing story of one of the most brutal and hard-fought battles of the Second World War in Italy, told by one of the most acclaimed and insightful historians in the UK. 'It should become a standard work on this campaign' - Telegraph 'James Holland is now our foremost authority on the Italian campaign' - John C. McManus 'A heart-pounding...

ONE OF The New Yorker's BEST BOOKS OF 2023 SO FAR CHOSEN BY Financial Times' READERS FOR BEST BOOKS OF 2023 A New York Times BOOKS EDITOR'S CHOICE "Has the makings of a classic." - The TLS "Chilling and vital... sensitive and thought-provoking." - The Times "Exhumation can divide brothers and restore fathers, open old wounds and open the possibility...

The incredible, bestselling memoir of survival, hope and empowerment THE AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Even in hell, hope can flower 'I'll be forever changed by her story' - Oprah Winfrey 'Extraordinary ... will stick with you long after you read it' - Bill Gates 'One of those rare and eternal stories you don't want to end' - Desmond Tutu 'A masterpiece...

The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow is a monumental and revolutionary exploration of human history that challenges long-held beliefs about the origin of civilisation. This groundbreaking work embarks on a breathtaking journey through the earliest societies, revealing a complex tapestry of human interaction devoid of the simplistic interpretations of either 'primitive and childlike' or 'brutish and...

Through compelling eye-witness testimony and renowned historian James Holland's expert analysis, Brothers in Arms brings to vivid life the final bloody scramble across Europe from the powerful perspective of one of the greatest tank regiments - the Sherwood Rangers. It took a certain type of courage to serve in a tank in World War Two. Encased in steel, surrounded by...

An electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of A Woman of No Importance. Named a Best Book of the Year by the Telegraph, Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Daily Express, Times Literary Supplement, Spectator, Irish Examiner, London Standard, New Yorker, Politico, Apple Books, Town & Country and Oldie....

Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari, embarks on a profound exploration of humanity's future, foreseeing a dramatic shift as we evolve from Homo sapiens into something entirely new. Harari masterfully delves into the trajectory of human advancement, painting a vivid picture of the twenty-first century and the potential paths our species might take. In a world where technology rapidly progresses...

A South Seas classic since 1966, this is the story of one New Zealander brave enough to do what we have all now and then dreamed of doing – live alone on a desert island. In his youth, Tom Neale was an ordinary seaman and for years a shopkeeper among the Cook Islands, but he was in his fifties when...

The Sunday Times Top Ten & New York Times Bestseller Blackwell's Non-Fiction Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2023 Extraordinary ... a deliciously varied tapestry of detail drawn from across nearly three centuries – Telegraph What was it really like to rule and be ruled in the Ancient Roman world? In her international best-seller...

'An indelible and enthralling work of moral witness' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE 'These questions of memory and impunity are forever timely' FINANCIAL TIMES 'An extraordinary achievement . . . I read with open mouth and thumping heart' STEPHEN FRY The house at 38 Londres Street in Santiago, Chile, is home to the legacies of two men whose personal stories span continents,...

The original SAS story and a classic of modern war literature, McNab's story brought the knowledge, drama, and danger of the SAS to the masses. Sergeant Andy McNab recounts the story of the top secret mission that would reveal the secrets of the SAS to the world for the first time. Their location - Iraq Their mission - to sever...

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘People glorify all sorts of bravery except the bravery they might show on behalf of their nearest neighbours’ Rejecting the conventional narratives of the time, Middlemarch shows a realistic portrayal of Victorian village life. Peopling this ground-breaking work...

The Samoan Islands are virtually unique in that tattooing has been continuously practised with indigenous techniques: the full male tattoo, the pe'a, has evolved in subtle ways in its design since the nineteenth century, but remains as elaborate, meaningful, and powerful as it ever was. This cultural history is the first publication to examine 3000 years of Samoan tatau. Through...

What can we learn from ten wars that have changed world history? A ridiculously funny new popular history from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of A History of Britain in Ten Enemies (150k+ sold). War: what is it good for? Absolutely something, or presumably we wouldn't keep doing it. In A History of the World in Ten Wars, we...

A lively cultural history of the book from a charmingly idiosyncratic bookseller 'The right book has a neverendingness, and so does the right bookshop.' This is the story of our love affair with books, whether we arrange them on our shelves, inhale their smell, scrawl in their margins, or just curl up with them in bed. Taking us on a...

The true history of humanity's greatest moments, as told by comedian and TikTok sensation, Adrian Bliss. History belongs to the heroes. But to get the full story, sometimes you have to ask the side characters. The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry VIII and Queen Victoria fill bookshelves and fascinate scholars all over the world. But little attention is given...

AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKTHE INTERNATIONAL #1 BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2024 NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARA WATERSTONES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024A 2024 BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE OBSERVER, ECONOMIST, FINANCIAL TIMES AND PROSPECT ‘A breathtaking, expansive and imaginative ride through the history and future of money from an...

A gripping, definitive account of one man's battle to reckon with the horror of the Holocaust, by Jack Fairweather, the bestselling, Costa prize-winning author of The Volunteer (over 100k TCM). The new book from the bestselling, Costa prize-winning author of The Volunteer. The true story of a Jewish lawyer who returned to Germany after WWII to prosecute war crimes, only...

The mass of available data about World War II has never been as large as it is now, yet it has become increasingly complicated to interpret it in a meaningful way. Packed with cleverly designed graphics, charts and diagrams, World War II: Infographics offers a new approach by telling the story of the conflict visually. Encompassing the conflict from its...

The culmination of 25 years of research, Alex Bennett's groundbreaking English translation of Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings reveals the true meaning of the original work. This piece of writing by famed samurai Musashi (1584-1645) is the single-most influential work on samurai swordsmanship, offering insights into samurai history, the Zen Buddhist state of "no-mind" that enables warriors to...

A lucid guide to humankind's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Peter Singer "A primer in human existence: philosophy has rarely seemed so lucid, so important, so worth doing and so easy to enter into. . . . A wonderful introduction for anyone who's ever felt curious about almost anything." —Sarah Bakewell, author of How To Live: A Life of Montaigne...

How could a barely literate peasant from Siberia determine the fate of the world? Undoubtedly, the so-called 'mad monk' Rasputin bewitched Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. Yet their strange and scandalous relationship conceals a riddle, one that casts an intriguing light on the controversial 'great man' theory of history. Rasputin was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. He...

The final instalment of N.A.M. Rodger's great trilogy on Britain's naval history At the end of the French and Napoleonic wars, British sea-power was at its apogee. But by 1840, the Admiralty was full of 'intellects becalmed in the smoke of Trafalgar'. How the Royal Navy reformed and reinvigorated itself in the course of the nineteenth century is just one...

The Battle for the Falklands is a thoughtful and informed analysis of an astonishing chapter in modern British history from journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings and political editor Simon Jenkins. Ten weeks. 28,000 soldiers. 8,000 miles from home. The Falklands War in 1982 was one of the strangest in British history. At the time, many Britons saw it...

Thoroughly updated and revised for 2024, Jerusalem: The Biography is the history of the Middle East through the lens of the Holy City and the Holy Land, from King David to the wars and chaos of today. The history of Jerusalem is the story of the world: Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of...

For succulent results every time, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of food, fire, heat, and smoke. This is the definitive guide to the concepts, methods, equipment, and accessories of barbecue and grilling. The founder and editor of the world's most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com, Meathead Goldwyn applies the latest research to backyard...

A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre dives into the intricate and gripping world of espionage during the early years of the Cold War. This compelling narrative brings to life the infamous story of Kim Philby, the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. As an agent, double agent, traitor, and enigma, Philby deceived his closest colleagues and...

Bestselling, award-winning author Ed Conway follows his landmark bestseller Material World (over 150k shipped) with a timely story of how trade shaped our past, controls our present, and will determine our future, told through three commonplace items: bread, cloth, and cars. From the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of Material World, a story that will take you from ancient...

Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin is a hugely significant Marxist text that fully explains the inevitable flaws and destructive power of Capitalism. Lenin argues that Capitalism would unavoidably lead to imperialism, monopolies, and colonialism. He prophesied that third-world countries, used merely as capitalist labour, would have no choice but to join the Communist revolution in Russia....

From the internationally bestselling author, a revealing look at the surprising numbers that uncover the hidden forces shaping our world. What do marriage, milk and the black market tell us about the state of humanity? Most people would say, not much at all. But the numbers reveal startling truths about who we are, how we live, and where we're headed....

A sweeping, definitive history of the dynamic, expansionist dynasty that forged the Middle Ages - and Europe - as we know it. Today, the Carolingians are best known as the dynasty of Charlemagne. In a few remarkable decades spanning the late eighth and early ninth centuries, Charlemagne united much of modern-day Europe through conquest and diplomacy, establishing the continent's first...

This Door of the Seas. Darien. The singular event at the end of the 17th century that fundamentally altered Scotland's future. It took place on the other side of the world. And most of us know next to nothing about it. Now it's time to remedy that. Award-winning novelist Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp unite in...

A major new history of the Crusades that illuminates the strength and sophistication of the Western and Muslim armies During the Crusades, the Western and Muslim armies developed various highly sophisticated strategies of both attack and defence, which evolved during the course of the battles. In this ambitious new work, Steve Tibble draws on a wide range of Muslim texts...

A warning to humankind from one of the world's greatest physicists. What drives these pages is the guilty conscience of my profession, theoretical physics. My sole aim is to help avert what seems to me to be the unintended, yet scarcely avoidable, end point of the current politics of the governments we have elected—nuclear war. The world is re-arming and...

In the Age of the Shoguns, great leaders were philosophers whose strength was measured not just by the sword but by patience, wisdom, and moral clarity! In the wake of the Emmy Award-winning Shogun series, interest in Japan's ancient Samurai culture has never been higher. This book offers a bridge between their world and ours with a collection of sayings...

The Unsettled explores what it means to own your past. After Richard Shaw published his acclaimed memoir The Forgotten Coast in 2021, he connected with Pākehā individuals possessing long settler histories. These individuals were beginning to confront the truth behind their families' 'pioneer stories', questioning the foundations of aggressive acts of colonisation and land confiscation upon which these narratives were...

A Book of the Year in the Daily Telegraph and Economist 'This book reads like a spy novel' Financial Times 'Entertaining and vivid' Observer 'Reads like a thriller' The Sun –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––- The astonishing story of the ten million books that were smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. For almost five decades after the Second World War, Europe...

The twenty-first century’s counterpart to Hobbes’s Leviathan. – EMMANUELE COCCIA What has happened to the nation-state? From a prizewinning writer, After Nations offers a sweeping history of this most unquestioned of modern structures and a bold speculation about its future. Until recently, the system of nation-states appeared settled and eternal. Not anymore. As American hegemony unwinds and Western countries slide...

From renowned, prize-winning historian Frank Dikötter – ‘the historian of China’ (Spectator) – a commanding new history of China’s path to Communism, brought to the people at the barrel of a gun. The history of modern China has long been portrayed as a tale of Communists fighting in the hills for freedom, gradually gaining popular support by taking land from...

In little more than fifty years, the regard with which the Royal Family are held has changed out of all recognition. Their private lives are now the stuff of soap opera, and it seems anyone who comes into contact with them sells their story to magazines or newspapers. Marion Crawford, 'Crawfie', as she was known to the Queen and Princess...

In this urgent and compelling book, Julie M. Norman and Maia Carter Hallward tell the story of Gaza from its early foundations, across decades of occupation, to the devastation of the ongoing war. Rather than focusing on elites or abstract politics, at the book's heart are ordinary Gazans — students, aid workers, journalists, and teachers — whose first-hand testimonies vividly...

"You were made a Pakeha, and the name of England was given to you for your tribe. I was made a Maori, and New Zealand was the name given to me. You forgot that there was a space fixed between us of great extent - the sea. You, forgetting that, jumped over from that place to this. I did not...

Dark Renaissance is the thrilling story of the writer who transformed culture in Elizabethan England, bringing it out of the darkness and into the light. Poor boy. Dark star. Spy. Transgressor. Genius. From one of the greatest writers on the Elizabethan era, Dark Renaissance is the thrilling and subversive life story of Christopher Marlowe—Shakespeare's inspiration and rival, who helped to...

'A wonderful book.' - Peter Frankopan 'A masterpiece' - Gregory Nagy, Harvard University 'Remarkable' - Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules-For Now The way we think. The way we learn. The entertainment we seek. The way we are governed. It all began on the mountains and islands of Europe's southeastern edge, more than 3,000 years ago. The Greeks...