Henry V's invasion of France, in August 1415, represented a huge gamble. As heir to the throne, he had been a failure, cast into the political wilderness amid rumours that he planned to depose his fat
An enlightening and practical guide to the most powerful tools of reasoning ever developed, by one of the world's most renowned psychologists Many scientific and philosophical ideas are so powerful th
Born to a plebeian family in 63 BC, Augustus went on to become the heir to Julius Caesar and the founder of the Roman Empire. In this monumental biography, translated into English for the first time b
In this scientific tour de force, world-class physicist Frank Wilczek argues that beauty is at the heart of the logic of the universe, a principle that has guided his pioneering work in quantum physic
In Zero Zero Zero, Roberto Saviano maps the international cocaine trade. He investigates the evolution of cocaine trafficking, from Mexican drug cartels to money laundering through Wall Street and the
In Zero Zero Zero, Roberto Saviano maps the international cocaine trade. He investigates the evolution of cocaine trafficking, from Mexican drug cartels to money laundering through Wall Street and the
Sudhir Hazareesingh's How the French Think is a warm yet incisive exploration of the French intellectual tradition, and its exceptional place in a nation's identity and lifestyle Why are the French an
Offers a radical interpretation of global economics. While economists often turn to measures like GDP or per-capita income, the author turns to information theory to explain the success or failure of
This book was short-listed for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award. A New York Times technology and business reporter charts the dramatic rise of Bitcoin and the fascinati
Why don't flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner ha
Why don't flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner ha
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In The Road to Character David Brooks, best-selling author of The Social Animal and New York Times columnist, explains why selflessness leads to greater success We all pos
As the military's needs wound down and Britain ceased to be a great power, National Service came to be seen as just an embarrassment, and its culture of rank and discipline something which many Britis
Looks beyond the familiar exploits of the army and navy to the politicians and civil servants, and examines how they made it possible to continue the war at all. This book shows the degree to which, a
From Alexandria to York, this unique illustrated guide allows us to see the great centers of classical civilization afresh. The key feature of Cities of the Classical World is 120 specially drawn maps
The Penguin English Library Edition of Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy 'At sight of him had the pink of her cheeks increased, lessened, or did it continue to cover its normal area of ground?
Takes you through various words you need to survive, shows how and why they work, and steers you past various pitfalls and potential embarrassments of speaking French in France. This title covers vari
'Give me chastity, but not yet', young Augustine famously prayed to God. From his time as a sexual sinner and member of an outlawed heretical sect to his eventual conversion to Christianity, his maste
For some four centuries the Ottoman Empire had been one of the most powerful states in Europe as well as ruler of the Middle East. By 1914 it had been drastically weakened and circled by numerous pred
In Home Francis Pryor, author of The Making of the British Landscape, archaeologist and broadcaster, takes us on his lifetime's quest: to discover the origins of family life in prehistoric Britain Fra
Though the concept of "the universe" suggests the containment of everything, the latest ideas in cosmology hint that our universe may be just one of a multitude of others. This title takes us on a cos
Housing was at the heart of the financial collapse, and our economy is now precariously reliant on the housing market. In this groundbreaking new book, Danny Dorling argues that housing is the definin
On Liberty is the story of today's threats to our freedoms and a highly personal, impassioned plea in defence of fundamental rights, from Shami Chakrabarti, the director of the advocacy group Liberty
"A thrilling page-turner that also happens to be the biography of one of Russia's most controversial figures This is how Emmanuel Carráere, the magnetic journalist, novelist, filmmaker, chameleon, de
From world-renowned curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, Lives of the Artists, Lives of the Architects offers a unique opportunity to learn about the lives and creativity of the world's leading artists Hans Ul
A gripping narrative of the most critical years in modern Ireland's history, from Charles Townshend The protracted, terrible fight for independence pitted the Irish against the British and the Irish a
Tells the story of Seneca, the Roman philosopher, dramatist, and rhetorician of the first century CE, who came from Spain to Rome, spent his youth in Egypt, was exiled to Corsica under Claudius but re
Where do wine grapes come from and how are they related to each other? What is the historical background of each grape variety? Where are they grown? Using DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 dist
Guides us through the critical eras and events in the development of science. This book offers a tribute to humanity's intellectual curiosity. It features profiles of philosophers, scientists, and thi
In the sixteenth century, the Christian states of Western Europe were on the defensive against a Muslim superpower - the Empire of the Ottoman sultans. There was violent conflict, from raiding and cor
The true story, told minute by minute, of the soldiers who defeated Napoleon - from Brendan Simms, acclaimed author of Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy Europe had been at war for over twenty years.
We live in small worlds. An astonishing literary debut and the first book in the monumental How To Live trilogy, How We Are explores the power of habit and the difficulty of change. A story told in th
Not For Turning is the first volume of Charles Moore's authorized biography of Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving Prime Minister of the twentieth century and one of the most influential political
Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most unfathomable composers in the history of music. How can such sublime work have been produced by a man who (when we can discern his personality at all) seems so
Why can we never seem to keep on top of our workload, social diary or chores? Why does poverty persist around the world? Why do successful people do things at the last minute in a sudden rush of energ
Looks at the shape of society in the digital age, of the direction in which the 21st Century may take us. From urging us to drop outdated ideas of the internet to showing how to design more humane and
Everything you need to know about modern physics, the universe and our place in the world in seven enlightening lessons 'Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, sh
The young Edward III's triumph would launch both countries, as we now know, into a grim cycle of some 90 years of further fighting ending with English defeat, but after Crecy anything seemed possible.
In the eyes of many, Benjamin Britten was our finest composer since Purcell (a figure who often inspired him) three hundred years earlier. He broke decisively with the romantic, nationalist school of
The author has travelled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Organised by county, each church is described - often with delightful asides - and given a star-rating
