History Books for Dad

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, the bestselling phenomenon, returns with twenty-one stirring lessons that delve into the key issues we face today. This timely exploration aims to make sense of a world in constant turmoil, offering insights into both global and personal challenges. Harari's incisive analysis spans across technology, politics, society, and existential questions, providing...

All Quiet on the Western Front is often heralded as the most poignant anti-war novel ever penned. Written by Erich Maria Remarque, this masterpiece takes readers to the heart of World War I, diving deep into the experiences of a young German soldier named Paul Bäumer. Enlisting with his classmates after their schoolmaster's fervent speeches about the 'glory' of war,...

The city of Troy has long been a beacon of legend and myth, and in Stephen Fry's Troy, the timeless story of love and war is brought to life with a vivid blend of wit, insight, and meticulous detail. At its heart is the kidnapping of Helen, a queen whose beauty is so enchanting that her abduction by Paris of...

A seriously FUNNY, seriously CLEVER history of our early kings and queens by one of our favourite comedians and cultural commentators. This will be the most refreshing, entertaining history of England you'll have ever read. Certainly, the funniest. Because David Mitchell will explain how it is not all names, dates or ungraspable historical headwinds, but instead show how it's really...

Beginning on August 17, 1942, American heavy bomber crews of the Eighth Air Force took off for combat in the hostile skies over occupied Europe. The final price was staggering. 4,300 B-17s and B-24s failed to return; nearly 28,000 men were taken prisoner or interned in a neutral country, and a further 26,000 made the ultimate sacrifice. Luck of the...

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...

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...

Heroes by Stephen Fry is an enthralling journey into the heart of ancient Greek mythology, brought to life with Fry's signature wit and intelligence. This dazzling companion volume to the bestselling Mythos recounts the breath-taking exploits of some of the most legendary figures in Greek lore, showcasing the timeless tales of bravery, cunning, and adventure. In Fry's masterful retelling, readers...

Mythos by Stephen Fry is a compelling retelling of the classic Greek myths, reimagined with a wit and elegance that only Fry can deliver. This volume transports the reader to a world where mortals intertwine with the divine, and the timeless tales unfold in a spellbinding narrative that captures the imagination. From the cosmogony—the birth of the cosmos—to the exploits...

A masterpiece from the bestselling author with our biggest and most ambitious campaign yet. FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley—aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless—is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to...

From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Horrible Histories, this is a witty, whistle-stop tour through the history of Britain (for grown-ups). Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues that nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make. The surprisingly sadistic Boudica would be forgotten if it weren't for the Ninth Legion, Elizabeth I a minor royal without...

Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen takes readers on a fascinating and eye-opening journey through the history of America's unique propensity for embracing fantasy over reality. Spanning five centuries, Andersen meticulously uncovers how the nation’s DNA has been infused with a love for make-believe, and how this obsession has led to the current era where objective facts are often overshadowed by personal...

Normandy '44 by James Holland is a masterful and meticulously researched account of one of the most significant and intense periods in World War II. This work dives deep into the days leading up to the D-Day landings and the 76 days of fierce fighting that followed, which have shaped the course of modern history. Readers are immersed in the...

In the summer of 1941, at the height of the war in the Western Desert, a bored and eccentric young officer, David Stirling, conceived a plan that was radically unconventional and entirely against the rules: a small, undercover unit that would wreak havoc behind enemy lines. Thus began the most celebrated and mysterious military organisation in the world - the...

The most pivotal, brutal, and shattering campaign the Allies faced in World War II by bestselling historian James Holland. Holland knows his stuff when it comes to military matters - Daily Mail James Holland is the best of the new generation of WW2 historians - Sebastian Faulks With the invasion of France the following year taking shape, and hot on...

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...

The turbulent Tudor age never fails to capture the imagination. But what was it actually like to be a woman during this period? The Lives of Tudor Women by Elizabeth Norton provides an expansive exploration into the daily lives, struggles, and triumphs of women in the sixteenth century. This was a time when death in infancy or during childbirth was...

'Brilliantly recapturing the febrile atmosphere of Berlin in the first four years after the Second World War, Giles Milton reminds us what an excellent story-teller he is' - Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny Berlin was in ruins when Soviet forces fought their way towards the Reichstag in the spring of 1945. Streets were choked with rubble, power...

Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare uncovers one of the most riveting yet lesser-known stories of the Second World War. Set against the backdrop of a world on the brink of chaos, this book delves into the inception and operations of a unique top-secret organisation established in London during the spring of 1939. Its singular mission: to orchestrate the systematic destruction...

'A masterpiece of history' DAILY TELEGRAPH Between 1917 and 1921, a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the collapse of the Tsarist empire. Many regard this savage civil war as the most influential event of the modern era. An incompatible White alliance of moderate socialists and reactionary monarchists stood little chance against Trotsky's Red Army and Lenin's single-minded Communist...

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'Delivered with flamboyance, it features a sparkling cast of chancers' KATJA HOYER, Daily Telegraph 5* review 'Page-turning . . . a sizzling high-stakes tale' JAMES HOLLAND 'This book might read like the screenplay of a gripping movie, yet every word is accurate and verified' ANDREW ROBERTS 'Giles Milton is a phenomenon' DAN...

Dresden by Sinclair McKay is a powerful and evocative narrative that delves into one of World War II’s most controversial and tragic events – the Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden. This bestselling historian presents a gripping account that marks the 75th anniversary of this catastrophic episode. In February 1945, as the war in Europe neared its devastating...

Award-winning and best-selling, Mau Moko is the closest there has ever been to a 'complete' book on moko. 'Very likely to become the definitive work on the subject . . . a big, beautiful, important book.'— Warwick Roger, North and South Taia o moko, hei hoa matenga mou . . .Take your moko, as a friend forever . . ....

The latest gripping instalment in the bestselling Nero trilogy follows Empress Agrippina's ceaseless pursuit of absolute power for her son to rule over the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome, AD 50 The boy Nero lives. His mother, Agrippina, has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts. The emperor may have a son and heir of his...

War has taken everything from physicist Keizo Kan. His young daughter was killed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid, and now his Japanese-American wife, Noriko, has been imprisoned by the brutal Thought Police. An American bomber, downed over Japan on the first day of August 1945, offers the scientist a surprising chance at salvation. The Imperial Army dispatches him to...

With real-life echoes of SAS Rogue Heroes – this is an astonishing account of Europe’s biggest major conflict, told through the eyes of a ragbag collection of foreign fighters. Three days after Russian tanks roll into Ukraine, President Volodymr Zelensky issues a desperate appeal for foreign military volunteers to help defend his country. Thousands answer the call from all over...

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of VE Day, bestselling historians James Holland and Al Murray tell the unflinching story of the eight surrenders that brought victory to the Allies and ended the Second World War. Victory '45 tells the story of the extraordinary summer when the greatest conflagration the world had ever known finally came to an end after eight surrenders...

From one of Australia's leading military historians and biographers, Peter Rees, comes Guts and Glory, an enthralling history of the way in which sport is ever present in the wars fought by, or involving, our Australian defence forces. The spirit of Australia can be seen so clearly in how we play and how we fight. From the famous cricket match...

A new beginning. An old enemy. A perilous choice. Yakov Holtzman arrives as 'a displaced person' in Melbourne - a destination as far away as it is possible to get from the graveyard that is Europe. He has put behind him the years he spent as a Nazi resistance leader with a band of partisans in the forests of Lithuania...

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...

Marsh knows how to spin a yarn - Gold Coast Bulletin Whether they're carting produce, stock, fuel, or even (unbeknown to them) dead bodies, there's one thing that can be said about outback truckies - they're a colourful bunch. Meet the outback truckies who brave interminable distances, searing heat, raging floodwaters, and foot-deep bulldust to transport goods all across this...

When everyone is watching, survival will be her greatest performance... A gripping, utterly absorbing novel about survival and art as defiance on the 1930s Berlin stage, from the bestselling author of The Woman from Saint Germain. Berlin 1932: With the country in chaos, Monika Varády, a young Bavarian actress, arrives in Germany's capital with high hopes—to one day, just maybe,...

The page-turning third novel featuring intrepid heroine Tatty Crowe and the fascinating world of Sydney's Victorian funeral business, from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor. Sometimes death is just the beginning ... Late 1872. When twenty-five-year-old Sydney undertaker Tatiana Crowe travels to Auckland to embalm the body of Evan Hunter's father, events go horribly wrong, leaving Tatty stricken. Back at...

Discover your father's life story with this gorgeous keepsake journal filled with over 100 prompts. Whether he's been there for emotional support or to add humour to any situation, your father has played an important role in your life. Now, you can get to know the people, experiences, and stories that shaped the man he is today. A Father's Life...

Glamour, intrigue and two women who will gamble their lives to survive ... the compelling new Tasmanian historical fiction from a bestselling Australian author. December 1939: The grand opening of Australia's most glamorous and talked about hotel, the Wrest Point Riviera.The equally glamorous Sabine Winters, recently arrived in Hobart from the Continent, anticipates a safe port from the storm that...

Past loves are like ghosts. They haunt you forever. The stunning new novel from the bestselling author of The Masterpiece and Tuscan Rose. I was war-weary, sad and officially divorced - and that was a recipe for recklessness.Rome, 1951. Veronica Gold is in the city as the correspondent for Vogue magazine. As Italy tries to shake off its dark fascist...

From bestselling author Tricia Stringer comes this compelling stand-alone historical saga, which can also be read as the final book in the Flinders Ranges series. (Heart of the Country, 2014, Dust on the Horizon, 2015) A longstanding feud of land and love, a family torn apart and a quest for the ultimate prize... A breathtaking historical family saga of love,...

UPLIFTING, PRACTICAL AND SURPRISING WISDOM FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING CLASSICIST'Wonderful. Thoughtfully chosen, carefully explained and beautifully expressed' NATALIE HAYNES'A literary phenomenon' TLS'She leaves her readers inspired, invigorated and sincerely grateful' TELEGRAPHWhy do some loves endure while others fade? Is happiness something we can learn? Why do some things feel like work and others like leisure?Every new page of Consolations offers...

A blisteringly fast, fresh, funny and hugely entertaining novel of mothers, daughters and one gutsy wild colonial girl who gets caught up in Australia's last female bushranger's quest for revenge. Think Leah Purcell's The Drover's Wife meets Trent Dalton. 1918: Australia's last bushranger, Dulcie James, holds up Anna King's falling-down farmhouse. There's a scrawny unloved infant on the floor, Anna...