History & Archaeology Books

The second book by the bestselling author of Extraordinary Insects Trees clean air and water; hoverflies and bees pollinate our crops; the kingfisher inspired the construction of high-speed trains. In Tapestries of Life, bestselling author Anne...

‘One of the non-fiction books of the year.’ Andrew O’ Hagan A powerful, evocative and deeply personal journey into the world of missing people When Francisco Garcia was just seven years old, his father, Christobal, left his family. Unemployed, addicted...

‘Fascinating… I loved this book; I really did’ David Crystal, SpectatorA biography of a much misunderstood punctuation mark and a call to arms in favour of clear expression and against stifling grammar rules. Cecelia Watson used to be obsessive about...

*The Sunday Times Bestseller*‘Extraordinary Insects is a joy’ The TimesA Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year 2019A journey into the weird, wonderful and truly astonishing lives of the small but mighty creatures we can’t live without. Insects influence...

New York Times bestseller Now with a new Epilogue, containing letters of response from Palestinian readers."A profound and original book, the work of a gifted thinker."--Daphne Merkin, The Wall Street JournalAttempting to break the agonizing impasse...

Take a nostalgic trip back to a time when children played on the street, the local bobby could clip your ear and anywhere beyond Bridlington was an exotic holiday. Awwww, the old days. A time when grime were fashionable, school sports a menace and...

When I Were a Lad… looks at the glorious-yet-risky childhoods of yesteryear before the Health and Safety officers told us we couldn’t do everything because it was too dangerous. The sleeper hit of Christmas 2009 – more than 4,000 copies sold through...

In 1914, despite being forbidden, many a Kiwi soldier's kitbag included a portable camera known as 'The Soldier's Kodak'. The images they recorded form the basis of this poignant collection of our soldiers from the First World War. In a major research...

One small East African country embodies the battered history of the continent: patronised by colonialists, riven by civil war, confused by Cold War manoeuvring, proud, colorful, with Africa's best espresso and worst rail service. Michela Wrong...

‘Among the most moving documents I have read in years … You will not forget it’ Elie Wiesel From her small, sunny hometown between the beautiful Carpathian Mountains and the blue Danube River, Elli Friedmann was taken – at a time when most girls are...

Medieval history comes alive in Joseph and Frances Gies’s classic bestseller on life in medieval villagesThis new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances Gies, paints a lively, convincing portrait of rural...

Turkeys used to be worshipped as gods? Bull$#*t! Prove you are the smartest schmuck in the room with 500 world history facts that sound too absurd to be true.Knowledge is power! Crush the competition at trivia night or start the most interesting...

It is more than 200 years since the world’s first steam railway locomotive hauled its initial load of iron ore and passengers on a short, slow journey. From that time onwards, the evolution of the steam locomotive continued unabated through the 19th...

A bustling, vibrant tour of flavour-packed Syrian dishes90 sensational recipes celebrating the flavours of Syria, that can easily be made in the comfort of your own home This is the first cookbook from Imad Al Arnab, a renowned chef from Damascus. Imad...

Have you ever wondered what happened on your birthday hundreds of years ago This Day in History is perfect for history buffs and trivia fans alike. This fascinating book covers the most important, unknown, and bizarre events in history, including: the...

One of Esquire's 50 Best Biographies of All Time * One of The Economist's Best Books of 2022 * A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * Nominated for The Next Big Idea Club * The Week Magazine Book of the...

Bat, Ball and Field is a wonderful foray into the history and culture of cricket.‘Hotten is not just good, he is one of the best’ Cricketer Chronicling the evolution of the sport since its earliest years, highlighting transcendent moments as well as...

A Waterstones Travel Book of the Year 2023A funny, warm and timely meditation on identity and belonging, following the scenic route along the England–Wales border: Britain’s deepest faultline. There is a line on the map: to one side Wales, small, rugged...

“A timeless and powerful novel of a daring woman who must decide if she will risk everything to follow her passion and find her voice.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling authorFrom the moment she was born, the transforming beauty of her...

Explore Britain's remaining historic lines with railway expert Julian Holland. The essential guide to exploring Britain’s last remaining historic lines, Britain’s Heritage Railways is ideal for anyone planning or looking for a nostalgic railway trip...

From historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum, Andrew Hager, comes a fond, fascinating, and often surprising look at the dogs who were the best friends of the presidents, featuring unforgettable photographs.President Biden’s German...

"Magnificently researched, brilliantly written, Lethal Tides is immensely entertaining and reads like an action novel. Catherine Musemeche has brought to life the incredible work of the scientists and researchers who made such a remarkable...

"GRIPPING. ... One of the greatest polar rescue efforts ever mounted." —Wall Street JournalThe riveting true story of the largest polar rescue mission in history: the desperate race to find the survivors of the glamorous Arctic...

"THRILLING. ... Up-end[s] the Apollo narrative entirely." —The Times (London)A "brilliantly observed" (Newsweek) and "endlessly fascinating" (WSJ) rediscovery of the final Apollo moon landings, revealing why these extraordinary yet overshadowed...

The story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England. Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded...

‘Hugely readable and entertaining’ JIM AL-KHALILI‘An accessible and crystal-clear portrait of this discipline’s breadth, largely told through its history’ PHIL BALL, PHYSICS WORLD Einstein’s Fridge tells the story of how scientists uncovered the least...

Gastronomy of Italy – the seminal work on Italian food, first published in the 1990s – is revised and updated and illustrated with new photography. This classic book leaves no stone unturned in its exploration of Italian gastronomy. Anna Del Conte,...

Revised and updated version of the bestselling political biography of 2010. This edition contains some completely new content from Mr Howard, including his thoughts on the 2013 election campaigns. John Howard's autobiography, Lazarus Rising, is the...

Fifty years after Keith Murdoch's death, his career and influence remain the measure of the man. Founder of the Murdoch media empire, Keith Murdoch came from humble beginnings as the son of a Scottish minister. He began his journalistic career on a...

(Previously published as ‘After the Flood’)Former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War veteran John Nichol sets out on a personal journey to discover what happened to 617 Squadron after the flood. RAF 617 Squadron’s destruction of the dams at the heart of...

In the tradition of Dava Sobel's ‘Longitude’ comes sailing expert David Barrie's compelling and dramatic tale of invention and discovery – an eloquent elegy to one of the most important navigational instruments ever created, and the daring mariners who...

Everything the connoisseur could ever want to know about gin, the spirit that sparked a worldwide distilling boom. Nothing communicates elegance and refinement like a Martini. Nothing refreshes on a warm summer day like a Gin & Tonic. It is no...

The authors of The Bright Ages return with a real-life Game of Thrones—the story of the Carolingian Civil War, a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, father against son, that would end an empire, upend a continent, and redefine...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER‘A lasting work of social history’ THE TIMES‘A genuinely new history of our nation’ DAN JONES‘This celebration of women is a triumph of popular history’ SPECTATOR FROM THE MULTI-MILLION BESTSELLING HISTORICAL NOVELIST COMES...

From multi-award-winning writer Helen Ennis comes the first ever biography of the photographer Max Dupain, the most influential Australian photographer of the 20th century and creator of many iconic images that have passed into our national imagination...

Discover tantalizing recipes, spine-tingling stories, and historic photos from the most notoriously haunted locations across America in this fun and fascinating cookbook. Paranormal investigator and Kindred Spirits co-host Amy Bruni leads you through...

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,...

Haunting true crime stories of the supernatural and paranormal The most haunted home that world-famous ghost hunter Lorraine Warren ever stepped foot in was a three-bedroom brick home in suburban Sydney.FORGET THE HORRORS OF AMITYVILLE AND DELVE INTO...

‘Important, comprehensive, and superbly researched. All the more urgent at the present time’ BART VAN ES'A terrific, clear-eyed and balanced history that cuts through today’s toxic debates' DAILY TELEGRAPH How have those who arrived on Britain’s shores...

A California Teacher of the Year outlines lessons from American heroes that instill renewed admiration of their achievements, provides guidelines for self-improvement, and sets us on a constructive path to recovering our past.In his quarter century of...

Trawling through a vast family archive and arcane sources in half a dozen languages, Adam Zamoyski has revealed the dramatic life of his great-great-great grandmother, an uneducated, vulnerable girl cast into a man’s world. Her aristocratic position...

'Irresistibly fascinating' MARIE CLAIRE GREECE'Essential' VICTORIA HISLOP'Brilliantly conceived' PAUL CARTLEDGEAn enormous bestseller in Greece, this is a bold, witty retelling of the story of Ancient Greece by a rising star in archaeology Two strangers...

Uncover the incredible true story of Howard Carter’s world-changing discovery in this fun and informative retelling of the secrets of Tutankhamun’s tomb. On 4 November 1922, a young Egyptian boy working on Howard Carter’s archaeological dig in the...

With a new foreword by Viet Thanh NguyenA beautiful commemorative edition of Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "Beyond Vietnam,” part of Dr. King's archives published exclusively by HarperCollins.At New York City's Riverside Church in 1967, Dr. King...

A captivating, eloquent and nuanced book, We All Go into the Dark is an absolute must-read for true-crime fans across the board. Three women were brutally murdered between early 1968 and late 1969, each after a night dancing at Glasgow’s infamous...

‘A lyrical investigation … both powerful and transcendent’ CHIGOZIE OBIOMA‘Acutely observed, hauntingly rendered and deeply affecting’ AMINATTA FORNA‘Both epic and intimate’ MARGO JEFFERSONAn astonishing search for a missing person, the hidden tragedies...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"A fast-paced debut...Espionage buffs will savor this vibrant account." - Publishers Weekly A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on...

Join award-winning broadcaster Alvin Hall on a journey through America’s haunted racial past, with the legendary Green Book as your guide.For countless Americans, the open road has long been a place where dangers lurk. In the era of Jim Crow, Black...