Europe

When civil rights protests in the 1960s gave way to armed struggle, the Provisional IRA in Derry–both city and county–led the fight against the British security forces. In the city Martin McGuinness–a young butcher’s assistant from the Bogside–quickly rose through the ranks, launching a bombing campaign that reduced the city centre to rubble. In tandem, the IRA’s active service units fought the British Army in the streets and alleys of the Bogside, Creggan, Shantallow and the Waterside.

For over four decades the story of the extraordinary evil that occurred at the Kincora Boys’ Home in East Belfast in the 1970s and the shocking attempts by MI5 to cover it up have haunted our political and social terrain for decades.

Christianity in England is in decline. Congregations are dwindling and ever fewer young people believe. Should we merely shrug our shoulders and accept this as inevitable and even healthy, or is something important being lost? Bijan Omrani argues that this decline is the most momentous change to occur in English history. He shows how a religion that has been part of our national story for over 1700 years was instrumental in the creation and development of the English nation, its codes of law and morality, and its structures of government and kingship.

The first of its kind, Three Weeks in July provides the definitive narrative on the harrowing events of 7th July 2005 and the aftermath, where chaos, confusion and terror reigned on the streets of London. A true-crime investigation woven together with high-politics and seminal history, the book will intricately explore the untold accounts of the Met’s and Government’s response to 7/7, and their desperate attempts to prevent a possible second wave.

The destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 1988 was the largest attack on Britain since World War Two. 259 passengers and 11 townsfolk of Lockerbie were murdered. Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted of the crime. He maintained his innocence until his death in 2012.

World War II was more than just a clash of armies—it was a battle of ideologies, economies, and strategies on a global scale. It was the deadliest conflict in human history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in the deaths of an estimated 70 to 85 million people, including both military personnel and civilians. For a time, it seemed as though Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, might succeed in reshaping the world according to its vision. Germany’s early victories stunned observers and instilled fear across Europe.

How did "the West" come to be used as a collective self-designation signaling political and cultural commonality? Was the idea handed down from the ancient Greeks, or coined by nineteenth-century imperialists? Neither, writes Georgios Varouxakis in The West, his ambitious and fascinating genealogy of the idea. "The West" was not used by Plato, Cicero, Locke, Mill, or other canonized figures of what we today call the Western tradition. It was not first wielded by empire-builders.

A record of life in Poland before, during and after World War II. The memoir not only conveys personal experiences, but also explores momentous happenings of the time throughout Europe.

Jahrhundertelang fegte ein Feuer durch Europa. Es brannte unaufhörlich und zwang Nationen und Königreiche in die Knie – dieses Feuer kam aus dem Norden. Aufgrund einer Reihe soziopolitischer Auslöser brachen die Wikinger aus ihren nordischen Heimatländern in Skandinavien auf und durchzogen die Reiche Europas in alle Himmelsrichtungen – nach Süden, Osten, Westen und Norden. Meisterhaft beherrschten sie die Navigation der Ozeane und dominierten die Flusswege. Auf ihren schnellen Langschiffen schrieben diese unbarmherzigen Nordmänner ein völlig neues Kapitel europäischer Geschichte.

The German Army lost two consecutive wars and the conclusion is often drawn that it simply wasn't able to cope with its opponents. This image is constantly reinforced in literature and in the media, where seemingly brainless operating German units led by fanatical officers predominate. Nothing was as far from the truth. The records show that the Germans consistently outfought the far more numerous Allied armies that eventually defeated them: their relative battlefield performance was at least 1.5 and in most cases three times as high as that of its opponents.

In this rich and definitive study, renowned scholar Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks explores the history of women and the Reformations in full for the first time. Wiesner-Hanks travels the globe, examining well-known figures like Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth I, and Anne Hutchinson, as well as women whose stories are only now emerging.

Auch im alten Russland waren die Juden eine »nationale Minderheit«; aber eine misshandelte. Durch Verachtung, Unterdrückung und Pogrom kennzeichnete man die Juden als eine eigene Nation. Man war nicht etwa bestrebt, sie durch Vergewaltigung zu assimilieren. Man war bestrebt, sie abzugrenzen.

The revolutions that raged across Europe and the Americas over seven decades, from 1760 to 1825, created the modern world. Revolutionaries shattered empires, toppled social hierarchies, and birthed a world of republics. But old injustices lingered on and the powerful engines of revolutionary change created new and insidious forms of inequality. In The Age of Revolutions, historian Nathan Perl-Rosenthal offers the first narrative history of this entire era.

On November 29, 1943, as the Allies’ primary leaders met in Tehran, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt described to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin his idea for the organization that would become the United Nations. The American president suggested that the active arm of the organization be “the Four Policemen”: the U.S., USSR, UK, and China. Stalin agreed with much of the framework in principle, but asserted that China likely would not possess the strength after the war to assist.

The extraordinary story of the theft of priceless Chinese antiques around the world and the connection to crimes spanning more than two centuries—with present-day implications.

"Shadows of Empire – Understanding Britain’s Global Legacy and Its Modern Implications" takes listeners on a thought-provoking journey through the intricate and enduring consequences of the British Empire. This comprehensive exploration, rooted in conversations with individuals from Britain and former British colonies, offers fresh perspectives on the empire's impact on our world. The book's author, with a unique background that spans both the UK and former colonies, provides a balanced and objective analysis of historical events.

Hans Schiller was a seventeen-year-old student in Bromberg, Prussia, when World War I broke out in August 1914. He enlisted in the German army and was assigned to an artillery unit on the Eastern Front. From 1915 to 1917, Schiller saw action in what is now Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. After the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 and Russia's withdrawal from the war, Schiller was transferred to the Western Front. He arrived in time for Germany's last great offensive in the west.

Charles Featherstone gleefully narrates the uproarious finale of A’Beckett’s Comic History, skewering Britain’s glorious descent into chaos after Queen Anne. Witness thick-accented German kings fumbling through English, ministers auctioning the nation’s dignity, and England drowning in get-rich-quick scams–all while crinolines expanded and sense evaporated.

From creation stories to timeless human emotions, A Beginner's Guide to Greek Mythology reveals universal themes, transforming complex myths into relatable narratives that will inspire and captivate listeners of all ages.

Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, What Matters in Jane Austen? solves the mysteries of Austen’s fictional world. Jane Austen’s novels have been a staple of the English canon since the nineteenth century. Yet critics of the time did not appreciate the true complexity of her work. Nothing, John Mullan argues, is accidental or coincidental in Austen. As Austen herself said, she wrote for readers who have "a great deal of ingenuity themselves."

Embark on a captivating journey into the heart of Eastern Europe's rich tapestry of folklore with Slavic Mythology for Beginners: Baba Yaga, Domovoi, and the Forest Spirits of Eastern Europe. This immersive audiobook delves deep into the enchanting world of Slavic myths, unraveling tales that have been whispered through generations, shaping the cultural and spiritual landscape of nations.

Dit is deel 2 van de serie Een geschiedenis van de westerse wijsbegeerte en gaat over de periode van de 4de eeuw v.C. tot de 3de eeuw n.C. Filosoof Johan Braeckman gaat in dit deel uitgebreid in op de levens, werken en filosofie van Plato en Aristoteles. Daarnaast behandelt hij de Hellenistische filosofieën, zoals het cynisme, het epicurisme, het stoïcisme en het scepticisme. Over de collegeserie Een geschiedenis van de westerwijsbegeerte: Al minstens 5000 jaar worstelt de mensheid met fundamentele vragen over het leven.

Dit is deel 3 van de collegeserie Een geschiedenis van de westerse wijsbegeerte en gaat over de periode van de 3de eeuw v.C. tot de 6de eeuw n.C. Filosoof Johan Braeckman vangt dit deel aan met de behandeling van de geschiedenis van de wiskunde, meetkunde, natuurkunde en geneeskunde in de Griekse Oudheid. Hij besteedt daarbij uitgebreid aandacht aan de werken van Euclides en Archimedes en hun invloed op latere wetenschappen. Maar hij bespreekt ook de levens en werken van andere filosofen en wetenschappers uit die tijd.

Voici le livre de Loïc Prigent que tout le monde attendait : son histoire de la mode. Dans ce récit savant, personnel et aussi irrésistible que l'achat d'un vêtement superflu et donc indispensable, il dévoile la couture, du XIXe siècle à l'ouverture de la première boutique de Gabrielle Chanel en 1913. Des premiers grands couturiers (Worth) et des premières acheteuses stars (l'impératrice Eugénie) à l'industrie qui s'en mêle et aux débuts de la commercialisation de masse, nous découvrons les dessus et les dessous de cette folie française.

Lady Jane Grey never wanted the crown. She barely had time to wear it. While history remembers her reign in days, this short book remembers the girl. Lady Jane Grey was only 16 when she was handed the throne of England like a poisoned chalice. Sharp-witted, highly educated, and utterly unprepared for royal life, Jane found herself thrust into the deadliest game the Tudors ever played. Nine days later, it was all over... except the part where they lopped off her head.