Book Reviews
Powers and Thrones, Dan Jones
In his new book, Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages, Dan Jones presents a truly epic history of Europe and beyond, spanning everything from the heights of the Late Roman Republic to the depths of religious division during the Reformation, neatly sandwiching the text between two sacks of Rome.
Scenes from Prehistoric Life, Francis Pryor
'Scenes from Prehistoric Life' invites the reader on a gentle stroll through prehistoric Britain, and describes the landscapes by painting a complete picture of that place, in that time, in something more akin to hopping into a time machine than to reading a book.
The Pathfinders, Will Iredale
Will Iredale’s 'The Pathfinders: The Elite RAF Force that Turned the Tide of WWII' tells the thrilling story of the secret air force that turned Bomber Command from a damp squib into a deadly weapon that could strike fear into the heart of the enemy. Following the experiences of just a few of these 20,000 remarkable men, and the people who supported them, Iredale brings to vivid life the awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping story of the strategic air campaign from an eagle’s eye view.
The Anglo-Saxons, Marc Morris
For his latest book, Marc Morris has gone grander and earlier than anything he's done before. 'The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England' covers the history of England from just before the fall of the Roman Empire through to the coming of the Normans 700 years later.
Floriography: The Myths, Magic and Language of Flowers, Sally Coulthard
In a little under 150 beautifully illustrated pages, Sally Coulthard takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour of 50 of the most common, and important, flowers from around the world. Combining ancient medicinal uses with Victorian flower symbolism and Shakespeare's sonnets with charms against witchcraft, 'Floriography' is a veritable treasure trove of information.
Understanding Nazi Ideology, Carl Müller Frøland
In Understanding Nazi Ideology, Carl Müller Frøland sets out to do just that: to get to the bottom of an ideology that is often considered confused, chaotic, and contradictory.
River Kings, Cat Jarman
Cat Jarman’s River Kings takes a refreshing new look at the Viking Age, focusing on the important, but often overlooked, Scandinavian expansion eastwards.
The Hitler Years: Disaster, 1940-1945, Frank McDonough
The Hitler Years: Disaster, 1940-1945 is the eagerly awaited second volume in Frank McDonough’s new and extensive history of the Third Reich. Immediately following on from The Hitler Years: Triumph, this new volume charts the final peak of Nazi Germany’s successes in 1940 and early 1941 – the diplomatic gains, the huge military advances across the continent and the numerous crushing defeats of the Allies, all of which increased the government’s popularity at home – before documenting its catastrophic fall into chaos and absolute military and political defeat in 1945.
A Short History of the World According to Sheep, Sally Coulthard
What’s truly joyful about 'A Short History of the World According to Sheep' is how Coulthard has woven together so many different disciplines – history, literature, archaeology, etymology, genetics, current affairs and politics, earth sciences and astrophysics – into such a witty and entertaining narrative, so that the reader comes away not just more knowledgeable about sheep, but about the world in general.
Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors, Adrian Goldsworthy
In the space of just forty years, the small and troubled kingdom of Macedonia went from an inconsequential backwater on the northern edge of Greece to a superpower that had challenged, and beaten, the greatest empires of the known world.
