2 devastating stories of faith and sacrifice from Balzac's panorama of nineteenth-century French life, La Comédie Humaine.
The Atheist’s Mass
Category: History
Citizens
This book will give the reader an understanding of the tragedy of the French Revolution. A Revolution that failed to feed the population, a Revolution that failed to protect the population from outside invaders, and a Revolution that failed to protect the population from corruption and tyranny. A failure on all accounts.
Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven
by Wu Cheng'en ISBN: 978-0-241-75240-1 First published: 16th Century 104 pages Translated by Julia Lovell Publisher: Penguin Archive part of http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com 6 / 5 Stars A wonderful short extract from the longer work "Monkey King : Journey to the West". It has been compared to both Don Quixote and the Canterbury Tales. What makes the… Continue reading Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven
The Lion Concise Atlas of Biblical History
by Paul Lawrence ISBN: 978-0-7459-5532-2 First published: 2012 173 pages Publisher: http://www.lionhudson.com Cover image: Noam Armonn / Spaces Images / Corbis 5/5 Stars A wonderful, well illustrated, well written, well structured and narratively cohesive exploration of the geography of the Christian bible. The maps are well drawn, colourful and easy to digest. However, there are… Continue reading The Lion Concise Atlas of Biblical History
A Crime in Holland
Outsiders are viewed with suspicion in the small Dutch town of Delfzijl. Unable to speak the language, Maigret must unearth the sins at the heart of this seemingly respectable community.
The Madness of Nero
Nero has seized control of Rome and the crown. He is willing to destroy anyone that gets in his way. no one is safe - not even his scheming mother.
The Men Who Were Sherlock Holmes
In 1839, young army officer Cecil Hambrough was murdered, unleashing one of the most gripping court cases Victorian Britain had ever known.
The First World War
by A.J.P. Taylor ISBN: 978-0-140-02481-4 First published 1963 287 pages Publisher: Penguin Books Cover photograph: British soldier at Ypres (Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images) 5 / 5 Stars Very interesting book, and a very useful book if you are to visit the battlefields, cemeteries and graveyards of World War in Northern France or Türkiye. And there are… Continue reading The First World War
The Basque History of the World
by Mark Kurlansky ISBN: 978-0-099-28413-0 First published 1999 359 pages Publisher: vintage-books.co.uk Cover illustration by Nikolai Punin 5 / 5 Stars The story of a people that has never had its own nation-state and yet has thousands of years of history. They sailed the Atlantis, not only the Bay of Biscay. They could have found… Continue reading The Basque History of the World
The Royal Game
by Stefan Zweig ISBN: 978-1-78227-826-9 First published: 1941 Translated from the German by Alexander Starritt 105 pages Publisher: pushkinpress.com Front cover image: Supawat Bursuk / EyeEm / Martin Barraud 5/5 Stars A page turning novella full of intrigue and drama. Written during the Second World War in the age of the great ocean liners. This… Continue reading The Royal Game
History Of The Cathars
A really interesting introduction to the history of the Cathar movement.
The Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness Orczy ISBN : n/a First published 1937 192 pages Publisher: University of London Press Ltd Illustrations by Richard Kennedy 5/5 Stars A 1966 impression of this English classic, first published in 1937. The Scarlet Pimpernel was the first masked hero, ahead of Zorro or the Lone Ranger and late incarnations such as Batman.… Continue reading The Scarlet Pimpernel
Asterix and the Missing Scroll
by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad ISBN: 978-1510-100466 First published 2015 48 pages Publisher: http://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk 4 / 5 Stars At first you might think 'an underwhelming title', until you realise that the book references Caesar's great work 'Commentaries on the Conquest of Gaul' Then you realise this 'comic' book addresses the real question, what would… Continue reading Asterix and the Missing Scroll
Factfulness
by Hans Rosling with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund ISBN: 978-1-473-63749-8 First published 2018 329 pages Publisher: sceptrebooks.co.uk Designed by Steven Seighman 5 / 5 Stars A truly ground-breaking book. Momentous in its scale and purview. The world has developed faster than you can imagine. That is the first take-away. The second is that… Continue reading Factfulness
Here Comes A Chopper To Chop Off Your Head
The dark side of childhood rhymes and stories
The Last Day
Subtitle: Wrath, Ruin, & Reason in The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 by Nicholas Shrady ISBN: 978-0-14-311460-4 First published 2008 228 pages Publisher: penguin.com Cover design: Gabriele Wilson Cover art: The Earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, November 1, 1755 coloured wood engraving The Granger Collection New York 4/5 Stars Lisbon was one of Europe's leading cities… Continue reading The Last Day
Modern Times
by James Harvey Robinson, Ph.D. First published 1902, this version 1925 790 pages Publisher: Ginn and Company Ltd, Queen Square, London WC1 5/5 Stars A history book and a historical book, newly revised to include the Great War, 1914-1918. The book is intact with full colour maps, such as this of Europe after 1815. The… Continue reading Modern Times
47 Degrees
by Justin D'Ath ISBN: 978-0-14-378907-9 First published 2019 246 pages Publisher: Penguin.com.au Cover design by Branco Herfst 4/5 Stars A semi-autobiographical account of the devastating bushfires of the 2009 Victoria Black Saturday bushfires. Justin even includes photos of his own burnt down home and possessions. The descriptions of the heat of the fire, how it… Continue reading 47 Degrees
Off the Map
by Alastair Bonnett ISBN: 978-1-78131-257-5 First published 2014 310 pages Publisher: Aurum Press / aurumpress.co.uk Cover image: Egbert L. Viele, David Rumsey - Historical Map Collection 4/5 Stars Interesting book about 'Lost Spaces, Invisible Cities, Forgotten Islands, Feral Places, and What They Tell Us About the World'. There are some sad stories, Twayil Abu Jarwal,… Continue reading Off the Map
Lost Capital of Byzantium
by Steven Runciman ISBN: 978-1-84511-895-2 First published 1980 144 pages Publisher: Tauris Parke Paperbooks Cover image: Hagios Nikolaos, Mistra Cover image by Vanni/CORBIS 5/5 Stars Take a trip into the past, into the last flourish of the Byzantine culture. The last cultural outpouring of a people that traced their lineage back through thousands of years,… Continue reading Lost Capital of Byzantium
The Sicilian Vespers
by Steven Runciman ISBN: 978-1-107-60474-2 First published 1958 356 pages Publisher: Cambridge University Press Cover image by Savushkin Cover design by Andrew Ward 4/5 Stars Easter 1282 a rebellion broke out on the island of Sicily against the rules of the French overlords. Within a short period all the French on the island of Sicily… Continue reading The Sicilian Vespers
Blitzed
Drugs in Nazi Germany By Norman Ohler ISBN: 978-0-141-98316-5 First published 2015 281 pages Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse UK 5/5 Stars A rather remarkable book, translated from the German by Shaun Whiteside. This book focuses on the pharmacological underpinnings of the Third Reich. With the ascent of the Nazi Party to power in 1933, recreational drugs… Continue reading Blitzed
12 Rules for Life
12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson ISBN: 978-0-241-35164-2 First published 2018 368 pages Publisher: Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books Cover design by Lisa Jager 3/5 Stars 2 / 5 Stars downgraded upon review 1 / 5 Stars downgraded upon sequel release. A interesting read, spanning religion and mythology and psychology and… Continue reading 12 Rules for Life
The Kingdom of Acre
A History of the Crusades III : The Kingdom of Acre By Steven Runciman ISBN: 978-0-241-29877-0 First published 1954 401 pages Publisher : Penguin Classics Cover illustration: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris 6/5 Stars A wonderful end to the trilogy of books written about the crusades. The attention to detail and fast pace reminded me of Stieg… Continue reading The Kingdom of Acre
Riders of the Purple Sage
By Zane Grey ISBN: 978-0-340-92287-3 First published 1913 298 pages Publisher: http://www.hodder.co.uk 3.5/5 Stars Slip into the world of cattle rustlers, mormons, cowboys and riders. The scene is breathtaking, beneath the mountains and valleys, plateaus, rivers, creeks and gorges of Utah. A tough existence is brought to life by Zane Grey. The most memorable chapter… Continue reading Riders of the Purple Sage
GOD IS NOT GREAT
How religion poisons everything By Christopher Hitchens ISBN: 978-1-74175-572-5 First published 2007 341 pages Publisher: http://www.allenandunwin.com 3.5/5 Stars An interesting read.
Arthur’s Last Stand
by Alan Coren ISBN: 0-80651-027-1 First published: 1977 64 pages Publisher: Robson Books Illustrations by Alan Coren 4/5 Stars The last in the wonderful 'Arthur' series by Alan Coren, written in the mid-seventies. Brief and easy to read, the books contain good characterization, surprises, battles and dressing up - all things kids will love.… Continue reading Arthur’s Last Stand
The Boxer Rebellion
The events of 1900 laid the foundations for a modern state and any analysis of modern China must first look book at the events of 1900.
Eugénie Grandet
by Honoré de Balzac ISBN: 978-0-19-955589-5 192 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press / http://www.oup.com/worldclassics Cover illustration: detail from A Girl Seated outside a House, 1867 by Jacob Maris 4/5 Stars "One of the earliest and most famous novels in Balzac's great Comédie humaine" begins the blurb on the back cover. The characters are well drawn and… Continue reading Eugénie Grandet
Beatles ’66
The Revolutionary Year By Steve Turner ISBN: 978-0-06-247558-0 419 pages Publisher: HarperCollins Cover photograph: Bob Whitaker / Camera Press / Redux 3/5 Stars A well researched and authoritative book about the magical year of 1966 when the Beatles wrote and recorded their first studio album, 'Revolver'. As special extras, we have a 'Jukebox' playlist from… Continue reading Beatles ’66
Venice – A New History
By Thomas F. Madden ISBN: 978-0-14-750980-2 First published 2012 427 pages Publisher: Penguin.org Cover photograph: Josef Hoflechner 5/5 Stars A super history of a once great city-state. Madden reveals how Venice was formed by refugees of the fallen Western Roman Empire, and was nurtured for most of its long life by the Eastern Roman Empire.… Continue reading Venice – A New History
Ballots, Bullets & Kabulshit
By Toby Ralph ISBN: 978-0-14-357058-5 First published 2012 135 pages Publisher: Penguin Specials 3/5 Stars An interesting short read into how to run an election in a war zone. Slightly tarnished by Ralph's own pontificating "...typically I'm engaged to manipulate truth for electoral gain", and "... I could still earn four times as much ..."… Continue reading Ballots, Bullets & Kabulshit
The Kingdom of Jerusalem
A History of the Crusades II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem by Steven Runciman ISBN: 978-0-241-29876-3 First published 1952 385 pages Cover: British Library Board Publisher: Penguin Modern Classics 5/5 Stars If the 'hero' of the first was crusade was Baldwin I, the first King of Jerusalem, then the 'hero' of the second crusade (and the… Continue reading The Kingdom of Jerusalem
People of the First Crusade
By Michael Foss ISBN: 1-85479-674-7 First published 1997 228 pages Cover illustration: Detail from The Fall of Acre, Vie et Miracles de St. Louis Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Limited 3.5/5 Stars An interesting view of the crusades from those that took part in it. Relying on close personal accounts from that time - the author… Continue reading People of the First Crusade
Night Birds on Nantucket
by Joan Aiken ISBN: 978-0-099-45664-3 First published 1966 202 pages Cover design: Tracey Hurst Cover illustration: Paul Hess Publisher: Red Fox Books, a division of Random House / randomhousechildrens.co.uk or kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk 5/5 Stars Remarkably, Nantucket is a real place. It really exists off the Eastern seaboard of the United States. A 19th century whaling industry… Continue reading Night Birds on Nantucket
Empires of the Sea
The Final Battle for the Mediterranean, 1521-1580 by Roger Crowley ISBN: 978-0-571-23231-4 First published 2008 301 pages Cover image: The Naval Battle of Lepanto by Antonio de Brugada Cover design: Gavin Morris Publisher: Faber.co.uk 5/5 Stars The great empires of the 16th century, the Ottomans versus the Hapsburgs, the Spanish versus the Turk, Christendom versus… Continue reading Empires of the Sea
Hannibal’s March
Alps and Elephants by Sir Gavin R. De Beer ISBN: 978-1-59416-124-7 First published 1956 89 pages Cover image: An early colour photograph of the Alps/Library of Congress Design: John Hubbard Publisher: Westholme Publishing 5/5 Stars How did Hannibal get his elephants over the alps? What route did he take? How could he proceed in hostile… Continue reading Hannibal’s March
The Forgotten Gospels
Life and teachings of Jesus supplementary to the New Testament Edited and compiled by Tim Newton ISBN: 978-11-84529-656-8 First published 2009 179 pages Cover image: Unknown Publisher: Constable & Robinson Ltd. 5/5 Stars A well-written, well-researched and well-thought out description of the beginnings of the canon of the New Testament and the passages, verses and… Continue reading The Forgotten Gospels
The Hammer and the Anvil
by Dwight Jon Zimmerman ISBN: 978-0-8090-5358-2 First published 2012 148 pages Illustrated by Wayne Vansant Publisher: Hill and Wang (Farrar, Starus and Giroux) 3/5 Stars A great introduction to the lead up to the American civil war. Abraham Lincoln is well known, but not so much Frederick Douglass. This is an illustrated parallel biography of… Continue reading The Hammer and the Anvil
The Photography of Peter Dombrovskis
Sub-title: Journeys into the Wild by Peter Dombrovskis ISBN: 9-780642-279071 First published 2017 187 pages Cover photograph: Morning Light on Little Horn, Tasmania Publisher: NLA Publishing 6/5 Stars A wonderful journey into the heart of Tasmania. Carefully photographed landscapes fill the book, glorious trees, foliage, cascades, mountain-scapes and sea-scapes. Although Peter does photograph Fiji, Borneo,… Continue reading The Photography of Peter Dombrovskis
A History of The Crusades: The First Crusade
by Steven Runciman ISBN: 978-0-141-98550-3 First published 1951 270 pages Cover illustration: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris Publisher: Penguin Random House, UK 5/5 Stars A drama and narrative that reads like fiction but is based on closely researched historical fact. Runciman brings to life the major players with detailed character analyses; Baldwin I of Boulogne, Raymond Count… Continue reading A History of The Crusades: The First Crusade
A Farewell To Arms
by Ernest Hemingway ISBN: 978-0-09-991010-7 First published 1929 293 pages Cover illustration: Unknown Publisher: Penguin Random House 5/5 Stars A part-fictionalized version of the Italian defeat at Caporetto. Part-auto-biography, part fiction, the writing is always lucid and always exact. Hemingway's prose has a sing-a-long quality, which he directly intended. The paragraphs can be long or short,… Continue reading A Farewell To Arms
Symphony for the City of the Dead
by M.T.Anderson ISBN: 978-0-7636-9100-4 First published 2015 383 pages Cover illustrations by Kikuo Johnson Publisher: Candlewick Press 4/5 Stars A horror story. A real-life horror story. A horror that, for residents, seemed to have no end. Leningrad was left to starve intentionally during World War 2. This is the longest siege in the history of… Continue reading Symphony for the City of the Dead
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