Geschiedenis

*Sunday Times Bestseller*'Britain's favourite German historian' Sunday Times'Superb... Hoyer finds the town of Weimar a perfect microcosm for a country teetering into darkness... intelligent, original and well-researched' Daily TelegraphFrom bestselling historian Katja Hoyer comes a gripping story of life during the rise and reign of Hitler through the eyes of the people of Weimar*One of the most anticipated books of 2026 according to the Sunday Times, Financial Times and The Telegraph*Weimar looms large in German history: a crucible of democracy and dictatorship. This ancient town nestled in the heart of the country was home to some of Europe's greatest thinkers, Goethe and Schiller, Liszt and Nietzsche among them. It gave its name to the ambitious Weimar Republic crafted in the aftermath of the First World War. But it was also where fascism took hold. Where Bauhaus architects first experimented with new ways of living, Buchenwald was dug out of a beech forest. Weimar shows us a town and its people on the edge of catastrophe. Drawing on a wealth of new archival research, acclaimed historian Katja Hoyer takes us from 1919 to 1939 as she tells the stories of the men and women who lived through the new republic and Hitler's regime. We encounter a vividly drawn cast of characters, from bookbinder Carl Weirich and hotel owners Rosa and Arthur Schmidt, to Friedrich Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth. Here are fascists and socialists, artists and workers, politicians and citizens, who, as the events of history swept them up, became witnesses, perpetrators, victims and bystanders. An unforgettable picture of lives and choices in extraordinary circumstances, Weimar takes us deep into the heart of the storm – to the town that dreamt of a better world, and woke up to tyranny.

In a matter of days, an intense rebel offensive brought down one of the world’s most entrenched regimes, ending the sixty-year Baathist dictatorship and the Assad family’s grip on Syria. The speed of the collapse stunned observers. Yet this was no sudden fall. It was the culmination of a revolution forged through years of protest, repression and resistance.

The fall triggered celebrations and freedoms Syrians had not experienced in decades. But the cost has been immense, and the wounds of violence are unresolved. As the country enters a precarious new phase, urgent questions remain: can justice be delivered and a fractured society rebuilt? Or will competing powers and unaddressed grievances pull Syria back into conflict?

Drawing on first-hand reporting and interviews across Syria, Robin Yassin-Kassab traces this pivotal moment through the lives of those who lived it. The Blood Between Us is a portrait of a country suspended between collapse and possibility – and a clear-eyed account of who will shape what comes next.

Trace the history of mankind's perception of the sky and outer space in 300 easy-to-follow maps and cartographics, from the dawn of humanity to the present day. For thousands of years, humans have looked to the sky to make sense of the world. Long before astronomy became a formal discipline, observations of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars shaped calendars, navigation and systems of belief across many cultures. A History of the Sky traces this global history, examining how societies developed the concepts and methods that allowed humanity to interpret the cosmos. As with its bestselling companion, A History of the World in 500 Maps, the book uses infographics and maps to show how people throughout history have understood the universe and to consider what the future of space exploration might hold. It follows early astronomical traditions in Babylon, China, the Maya world and Polynesia; the emergence of new ideas in classical Greece; and the scientific advances that transformed astronomy in early modern Europe and the Enlightenment era. It then considers the modern age, in which humans have ventured from Earth to the Moon and beyond, sending probes through the Solar System and signals into deep space. Designed for keen enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike, A History of the Sky reconnects readers with the ancient fascination of looking up. It reveals how today’s science rests on centuries of observation, argument and a thirst for adventure – and addresses a central question: How do we know what we know about the universe?

Unieke, persoonlijke bewonersverhalen uit kastelen en buitenplaatsen in Gelderland.

Hét referentiewerk over het beruchte SS-kamp in Breendonk

Een huiveringwekkende reconstructie die laat zien hoe een gekozen leider een democratie kan gebruiken om een democratie te vernietigen in minder dan acht weken

'Honest and extraordinary' GUARDIAN

'A remarkable book - and an original, beautiful mind' EVENING STANDARD

Here I am, a fucked, crazy, anorexic-alcoholic-childless, beautiful woman. I never dreamed it would be like this.

Welcome to Strangeland.

The incandescent world of Tracey Emin.

Encompassing the Margate of her childhood, the Turkey of her forefathers and the art-filled chaos of her thirty-something life in London.

Intimate and original, these confessions are deeply moving. In spite of the challenges she faces, Tracey remains profoundly romantic and uncompromisingly honest. Here is her life on the page.

This twentieth-anniversary edition, with a new introduction from Emin herself, celebrates the formative memories of one of Britain's greatest contemporary artists.

'Beautiful . . . unguarded, open-hearted, shocking' DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Painfully honest' JEANETTE WINTERSON, THE TIMES

A compelling maritime story of shipwreck and plunder that breathes new life into one of the greatest quests in the history of exploration: the search for the legendary City of Gold

Two activists: one Palestinian, one Israeli. A unique friendship and a life-changing journey across the holy land

A riveting investigation into creative genius from the Talking Heads co-founder and author of How Music Works

An adorable introduction for very young children to the world of Impressionist painting. In what has to be the cutest introduction to Impressionism, Miffy discovers the work of iconic artists including Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Mary Cassatt, among others. The book uses clever pairings of Dick Bruna’s Miffy illustrations with iconic artworks to neatly captures the essence of each artwork. Combining a simple statement about each artist with questions that encourage children to look more closely at the artwork on the page, Miffy and the Impressionists is a warm welcome into the world of art for young children and their families.

'One of the best books ever written by one painter about another' John Russell, The New York Times Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was exceptional among 20th-century artists. His vigorous and innovative paintings are works of consistent richness and force, often disturbing and haunting. This book, in which Freud took a large part, is exceptional in itself: he chose, grouped and presented the large selection of paintings and drawings. The text is by Sir Lawrence Gowing, who was a painter himself and was a long-standing friend of Freud's.

Extensively illustrated, this is the first accessible publication on the history of tapestry in over two decades.

Woven with dazzling images from history, mythology and the natural world, and breath-taking in their craftsmanship, tapestries were among the most valuable and high-status works of art available in Europe from the medieval period to the end of the eighteenth century. Over 600 historic examples hang in National Trust properties in England and Wales – the largest collection in the UK.

This beautifully illustrated study by tapestry expert Helen Wyld, in association with the National Trust, offers new insights into these works, from the complex themes embedded in their imagery, to long-forgotten practices of sacred significance and ritual use. The range of historical, mythological and pastoral themes that recur across the centuries is explored, while the importance of the ‘revival’ of tapestry from the late nineteenth century is considered in detail for the first time. Although focussed on the National Trust’s collection, this book offers a fresh perspective on the history of tapestry across Europe.

Both the tapestry specialist and the keen art-history enthusiast can find a wealth of information here about woven wall hangings and furnishings, including methods of production, purchase and distribution, evolving techniques and technologies, the changing trends of subject matter across time, and how tapestries have been collected, used and displayed in British country houses across the centuries.

Unseen photographs and private diary entries from Marilyn Monroe’s closest photographer reveal the woman behind the icon.

A lavishly produced tribute, this gift-ready visual biography features a lenticular cover that brings an iconic moment to life.

Published to commemorate what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday, The Marilyn Monroe Century features rare photographs by Bruno Bernard, also known as Bernard of Hollywood, that have never been publicly released. It traces the emotional and artistic evolution of Norma Jeane Mortenson into Marilyn Monroe.

More than a collection of photographs, The Marilyn Monroe Century unfolds as a cinematic narrative. Bernard was the only photographer who witnessed and helped shape the full arc of Norma Jeane’s metamorphosis into Marilyn Monroe.

Personal writings from Bernard, commentary from contemporary Hollywood voices, including Academy Award–winning director Sean Baker, and a foreword by actress, activist, and filmmaker Rose McGowan bring new emotional depth to Monroe’s life and legacy.

Authors Joshua John Miller, Bernard’s grandson, and Mark A. Fortin open Bernard’s archive for the first time to reveal the story of a lost friendship, of the appeal of fame and the drive to create the everlasting image of this American Dream.

In 1999, The Museum of Modern Art declared Bernard's legendary photograph Marilyn in White―capturing Monroe on the Twentieth Century Fox backlot as her white dress billowed above a subway grate―the symbol of the century. This single image defined 1950s Hollywood glamour and continues to echo across pop culture in songs, films, artwork, and more today.

Appearing inset on this book's beautiful clothbound cover, a lenticular print re-creates this famous moment―the sudden lift of Monroe's skirt, which shifts as the book is tilted up and down.

Bernard was not simply the creator of this iconic image; his role in Marilyn’s life was far more profound. A bond forged early in her career sparked an intimate dialogue between a young woman discovering herself and the photographer who recognized her potential long before the world did. His photographs and diary entries reveal a Marilyn rarely seen: playful, thoughtful, ambitious, and fully aware of the persona she was creating for herself.

Joshua John Miller and Mark A. Fortin tell the family story behind the myth of Marilyn, through Bernard’s personal diaries and previously unpublished correspondence, as well as memories and personal perspectives. They chronicle the complex friendship between two outsiders who found solace in one another.

Uitgebreide en rijk geïllustreerde editie van het succesvolle Maand van de Geschiedenis-essay 2025 met als thema thema ‘natuurlijk’.

De geschiedenis van de Nederlandse zeemacht in beeld

Bookbindings: An Illustrated History' is full of beautiful images of bookbindings from the beginnings of the codex right up to the present day. The volume's beauty is matched by David Pearson's encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject. - Sara J Charles, Literary ReviewBindings have been an essential – and often beautiful – component of books since the codex form was invented 2,000 years ago. They make books work, but they also provide an opportunity for binders to display their skills. Until book trade processes were industrialised in the nineteenth century, every binding was a unique handcrafted object, no matter how simple or elaborate it now looks from the outside. Bindings have been made of all kinds of materials – calfskin, parchment, vellum, ivory, even silver – and embellished using many different techniques, to satisfy the wishes of owners from students to kings. The ways in which they were produced and decorated have evolved steadily over time, and many countries have their own distinctive traditions. Bindings may testify to the taste and social status of wealthy connoisseurs, or to the economic necessities of ordinary households. Because they can often be dated and localised, they also give us information about the histories of individual volumes. This lavishly illustrated book provides a fascinating history of the development of bookbindings from Roman times to the present day. Almost all the examples are chosen from the shelves of the Bodleian Library, showcasing the outstanding collection of historic bindings to be found there.

Dust off that classic console, untangle those audio/visual chords, and step back into the good old days with this nostalgic journey through the most iconic objects in video game history!

Plaatsen van herinnering, beschreven door historicus Ad van Liempt en in beeld gebracht door fotograaf Rolf Baas

Stappen in het donker brengt rotskunst op unieke wijze tot leven, van de betoverende eerste tekeningen van mammoeten en grottenleeuwen van tienduizenden jaren geleden tot de graffitikunst van nu.

Philip Dröge pakt zijn koffers en neemt je mee op een fantastische reis om onze meest ongrijpbare realiteit te achtervolgen: tijd. Ontdek de bijzonderste verhalen achter dit mysterieuze concept.

Beeldend overzicht van meer dan zestig jaar boerenleven in Nederland

Een uiterst actueel verhaal omdat de verworvenheden weer onder druk staan

Een uniek kijkje achter de schermen van de iconische Verkade-albums, verteld door kleinzoon Peter Voerman.

Indringend beeld van politiewerk in een tijd van grote sociale en criminele uitdagingen.

'Fascinating' – The New Yorker
'Delightfully readable' – The Wall Street Journal
'Intricate and layered' – Financial Times
'Engaging . . . Pearsall's book does so much to illuminate' – The New York Times
'She casts her net wide . . . fluent and engaging . . . offers a decentered, kaleidoscopic view' – New Statesman
'Fantastic . . . a triumph' – Christopher Clark, author of Revolutionary Spring
'Extraordinary . . . thrilling narrative and sharp analysis' – Tiya Miles, author of All That She Carried

A fresh and surprising history that reckons with a defining global moment on its 250th anniversary: The American Revolution.

In this authoritative revisionist history, prize-winning historian Sarah M. S. Pearsall restores the shock, drama and world-altering flux of 1776, revealing how the fires of change that sparked the American Revolution were igniting all around the world. From St. Kitts to Kolkata, Ghana to Guangzhou, all kinds of people, not just the men declaring independence in Philadelphia, asserted their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, Freedom Round the Globe tells a story the world needs to hear, of the fraught origins of a nation that by turns perplexes, fascinates and horrifies us. It is a story of global transformation and revolutionary fervour, of triumph as well as tragedy, and of the insurgents, lovers, and dreamers who dared to imagine better societies.

‘A syncopated dance of ideas delivered with a poetic touch. Global in scope and local in depth, it is chock full of unexpected insights’ – Jefferson Cowie, author of Freedom’s Dominion

The ultimate guide to the magic and mystery of photography, featuring the landmark photographs, inventions, innovations, exhibitions and publications that changed the way we see the world. Photography has not simply changed how we capture the world: it has changed how we view it, structuring our very ways of seeing. This ambitious publication, timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the first-ever photograph, brings together photographs from leading image-makers – including Zanele Muholi, Andreas Gursky, Man Ray, Sebastião Salgado, Hannah Höch, Barbara Kruger and Edward Steichen – alongside unexpected selections. From the earliest 19th-century experiments in fixing light on paper, photography has blossomed and proliferated to a point where some 1.9 trillion photographs are snapped annually. Photographs are now at the core of our image-dominated culture. This is Photography: The First 200 Years carves a cohesive, compelling path through this dizzying mass of information. Presented chronologically, the book showcases key photographs and objects year by year, each one accompanied by a short text entry offering historical, technical or critical context. Interleaved throughout are longer thematic texts by contributing writers, as well as extracts from the writings of photographers and major thinkers on the subject, bringing a depth of understanding to the principal genres and developments in photography. Alongside pivotal and instantly recognizable photographic works – from Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies to Rosalind Franklin’s DNA imaging, and from the documentary work of Robert Frank to Cindy Sherman – This is Photography records the objects, cameras, technical developments, exhibitions and publications that have shaped the medium, making this an essential resource for anyone interested in photography.

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique of maladaptively irrational altruism that has gripped our culture. This mind parasite hijacked the empathy module of our progressive elite, leading to a catastrophic miscalibration of moral priorities. The results are everywhere: from coddling violent criminals to protecting rapists to branding self-defense as toxic behavior. We are witnessing a civilization in rapid decline. Lunatic policies are instituted because we prioritize the feelings of ostensibly marginalized groups over The Truth, criminals over victims, and squatters over homeowners. This is not humane; it’s an active dismantling of the pillars that keep us safe and free. This crisis of empathy creates a horrifying system of inverse morality where the strong and successful are demonized, and the destructive are celebrated. Just look at the insane inversions we tolerate daily: we prefer illegal migrants over our own legal citizens and veterans, permit drug addicts to threaten children’s safety in parks, and elevate transgender 'women' above biological women in sports and safe spaces. Common sense is dying in a deluge of misguided compassion. Suicidal Empathy is your wake-up call. Stop ignoring your survival instincts in the name of political correctness. This isn't just misguided policy; it is the ultimate expression of a culture actively choosing its own demise.

He was the most sought-after painter in the prosperous trading city of Amsterdam yet died completely impoverished. Though he never left his homeland, Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn's (1606–1669) work extends far beyond the confines of his personal experience, constituting some of the most effective and multifaceted works in art history, forever engraved on the collective memory – The Night Watch, epitomizing the flowering of Dutch urban culture in the 17th century, or Self-Portrait as Zeuxis, which remains enigmatic to this day.

As an artist of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt's interest was in human passions. Bible scenes such as Bathsheba with King David’s Letter (1654) also highlight the subjects’ vulnerability, going far beyond what had previously been depicted in painting. Rembrandt also left behind a large number of self-portraits – no other artist of the time portrayed himself so frequently, thus documenting his own development from youth to old age.

Following our XXL bestseller, TASCHEN is now releasing this abridged, more compact edition featuring Rembrandt's paintings in stunning reproductions – from Belshazzar's Feast (c. 1635) to his furious late work, this is a chance to experience Rembrandt's painterly oeuvre in a whole new way.

Ye olde wasteman getting on your last nerve? Your new man is more interested in scrolling on OnlyWenches than spending time with you? Or your last date spent the whole-time mansplaining? Hark, fear not, for I have some trusted solution to end a man's antics . . . permanently.

In today's world, if you don't want a man anymore, you have the option to walk away. Get the ick? End it. He's won't ever text back? Block him. He listens to those types of podcasts? Dump him.

But women haven't always had it this easy. Transport yourself back to medieval times, when divorce wasn't exactly an option. Maybe you had to get a little creative.

In Off With His Head, explore 100 hilarious ways to get rid of a man, taking inspiration from the unusual and whacky methods throughout medieval history. Featuring advice on how best to dispose someone inconspicuously, this book depicts the funniest and outrageous deaths that are a product of the time.

In the face of limited options, women have always found ways to persevere. This is no different. Buy it for your bestie whose boyfriend you hate or buy it for yourself for a laugh. Either way, you've got 100 options to choose from. Ladies, time to silence men . . . for good.

'Glorious' EMMA THOMPSON'Delightful' PHILIP PULLMAN'Brilliant' JACQUELINE WILSONFrom a reed cut on the banks of the Nile to the Sharpie, the pen has been with us for millennia. And all of humanity - from our faintest notions to our wildest inventions, our gossip and legends, our grandest proclamations and most intimate confessions - has flowed from a quill, ink chamber or ballpoint tip. The pen is the enduring link between a writer and anyone, anywhere, who can read their words. But the pen's own story is just as eventful as anything it has described. In this expansive and engaging history, Simon Garfield traces the pen's remarkable journey across time and place. He examines the inks and instruments used by Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, meets innovators and obsessives, travels to the workshops of pen makers and into wartime trenches, discovers why fountain pens make such good gadgets for spies and assassins, and learns about the bestselling pen that wouldn't stop leaking. Written with Garfield's trademark wit and drawing on his own research and interviews, The Pen examines how this everyday object has been the indelible marker of our shared culture - and why it continues to shape the way we communicate in the digital age.

‘Rigorously researched, endlessly illuminating. The People’s Emperor is a real page-turner’
ED CONWAY

‘This is a book written to be enjoyed: it’s a gripping, fascinating biography’
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

‘Bold, brilliant and often bonkers, The People’s Emperor is a thunderously good read’
JUSTIN MAROZZI

Born into imperial splendour, Louis-Napoléon – the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte - grew up far from power after the defeat at Waterloo. In exile, he repeatedly plotted, unsuccessfully, to restore his uncle’s empire. Few took him seriously.

But what followed is one of the most astonishing, impossible stories in history. Aged 40, Louis-Napoléon would be elected president of France. Three years later, he seized power to become emperor.

Napoleon III’s story is one of self-belief, political skill and radical innovation – the first person to master mass democratic politics and populism. Yet, despite being one of the most important trailblazers of the nineteenth century, he is largely misunderstood today, if not totally forgotten.

His strange rise and catastrophic fall is a story of both tragedy and farce, set during some of France’s most tumultuous decades.

The connoisseur has been an influential, if somewhat mysterious, figure in the history of art, responsible for making or breaking high-profile collections and reputations and influencing taste, the art market and the field of art history with their pronouncements. But what did it take to become a connoisseur, and how reliable were the great connoisseurs of previous centuries? With the advent of scientific techniques and artificial intelligence, what future is there for expertise based on the trained eye?
This book offers the first history of the art connoisseur, from the Renaissance to the professionalization of the role in the nineteenth century and on to the present day. Featuring portrayals of some of the leading connoisseurs, such as Bernard Berenson, Roberto Longhi and Giovanni Morelli, this is a highly readable history of the extraordinary characters and intellects that shaped the art world through a mixture of intuition, learning and chutzpah.

Bestsellerauteur Andrea Wulf neemt de lezer mee in het avontuurlijke leven van wereldreiziger George Forster, een man die zijn tijd mijlenver vooruit was maar die vergeten werd door de geschiedenis.

Fully revised and updated, this is the ultimate guide to the “beautiful game” for any football fan who wants to discover everything there is to know about the biggest clubs of all time and World Cup winners, or brush up on their football skills and techniques.

Whether you are a keen player, a lifelong supporter, or an armchair football manager, this book illustrates every aspect of the most popular sport in the world.

The Football Book reveals the story behind the sport – from its history around the globe to the results of the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Take a trip to “Planet Football” with this fantastic guide, including:

• The very latest facts and stats from all over the world
• Bold graphics that explore everything from team formations and attacking strategies to football shirts and the most iconic haircuts from soccer history
• The history of the sport, the rules of the game, key skills, the clubs, competitions, and records
• Special profiles that profile famous matches, celebrated stadiums, and much more

Step-by-step artworks and jargon-free text profile the roles of players, football kit and equipment, team formations, strategies, and individual skills, while maps, quotes, and statistics give you all of the key facts on national teams, famous club sides, and iconic players, as well as the greatest competitions around the world.

Packed with everything there is to know about the sport, this is the ultimate book for footie fans everywhere – whether young or old.

Onthullende biografie van Anton Mussert door meesterverteller Auke Kok

The country house dining room was an elaborate theatre for Georgian elites to entertain their guests and, more importantly, show-off their wealth, power and social status. Every detail was carefully orchestrated, usually by the lady of the house, from the decor and tableware to the food and drink served. Decorated with fine art, antique sculptures, and lavish furnishings, the dining room was governed by strict dining etiquette and social rituals. It was expected for guests to eat and drink to excess, so it is perhaps unsurprising that in the Georgian era we see the development of supposed miracle cures for obesity, alcoholism and related illnesses. Drawing on previously unpublished contemporary accounts of feasts at Holkham Hall, Hardwick Hall and Blenheim Palace, among others, Amy Boyington brings the Georgian dining experience to life and charts how the dining room encapsulated the intricate cultural and political dynamics of the 18th century.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'EastEnders for the 1st century AD... Beard's enthusiastic sense of wonder remains undimmed' THE TIMES 'The rock star scholar of Ancient Rome' FINANCIAL TIMES 'The reigning Queen of Classics' SPECTATORWhat's exciting about a piece of bread 4,000 years old? Or some pots of paint abandoned in the eruption at Pompeii? Why should we be bothered with the distant past anyway? What's the point?The life, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome have something to offer everyone. They are not the property of wealthy white men only. They make us wonder how to make sense of people who lived long ago (from angry landlords to giggling senators) - and to think harder about our own world, to look at it differently.In Talking Classics, Mary Beard points to the surprising connections between antiquity and the present. From revolutionaries to dictators, Bob Dylan to Beyoncé, she joins forces with the varied modern characters who have been transfixed by the ancient world. It's not compulsory, she argues, to be excited by antiquity, but it's a shame not to be.After half a century teaching and studying classics, she fills the book with lively stories, curious facts and some good gossip. Talking Classics explains why the deep past does really affect us all.

A reclamation of rock’n’roll for the Black artists who tore up and re-wrote its rules, by musician, arts and culture journalist and die-hard alternative music superfan, Stephanie Phillips.

We Were Here promises to rip up our received history of rock ’n’ roll and alternative music and repopulate it with the extraordinary Black artists and influential figures who truly steered its course from the 1930s to the present day, including vital figures Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner, Betty Davis, Poly Styrene, Bad Brains and beyond. As well as reflecting on why Black people have continued to be drawn to alternative music despite their ongoing ostracization from it by the white mainstream industry, Phillips argues that there would be no alternative music without Black artists, and that its future lies in the hands of Gen Z Black musicians experimenting with the boundaries of what punk, metal, hardcore and indie could be.

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An arresting visual tour of the great sites of ancient Greece, told through its city states and the monuments they built to endure through the ages. ‘We have raised ... monuments that those alive today look on with wonder, as those in generations still to come will wonder, too.’ More than 2,000 years later, the words uttered by the Athenian politician Pericles have been proven correct many times over. Ancient Greece continues to captivate, and its monuments still inspire awe. But what is it that makes something ‘Greek’? Exploring ancient Greece through its monuments – from the Parthenon in Athens to the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi and the Temple of Zeus at Olympia – classicist David Stuttard reveals the values that united the disparate Greek world and made their mark on history. New digital reconstructions bring ancient Greece to life via buildings and monuments that still survive and can be visited today.

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**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NONFICTION**A FOYLES TOP TEN READ FOR FEBRUARY | A 2026 HIGHLIGHT IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES, EVENING STANDARD AND THE BOOKSELLER A meeting place for Europe’s bohemian artists. A headquarters of the Nazi occupation. A shelter for camp survivors. This is the true story of how one Paris hotel came to hold the weight of a century. The Hotel Lutetia is a Paris institution, the only ‘grand’ hotel on the city’s bohemian Left Bank. Ever since it opened, it has served as a meeting place for artists, musicians and politicians. André Gide took his lunch here, James Joyce lived in one of its rooms, Picasso and Matisse were regular guests. It has a darker history, too. During one short period, it became a focus for some of the most dramatic and terrible events in recent history. In the 1930s the Hotel Lutetia attracted intellectuals and political activists, forced to flee their homes when Hitler came to power, who met here with the hope of forming an alternative government. But when war came, Paris was occupied, and the hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service – and the centre of their operation to root out enemies of the Reich. In 1945, the Lutetia was requisitioned once more, this time transformed into a reception centre for deportees returning from concentration camps. Hotel Exile is about what happens on the edges of a war. At its heart are three groups of people connected to a place, to one another, and to the dark ideology which dictates the course of their lives. A masterpiece of empathy and concision, Jane Rogoyska’s extraordinary new book offers us a vision of individual human beings desperately trying to find a path through some of the twentieth century’s most devastating events.

De alleroudste teksten uit de wereldliteratuur nu voor het eerst in het Nederlands.

A lively and entertaining cultural history of a supremely annoying intellectual viceIntellectuals have long provoked scorn and irritation, even downright aggression. Many learned individuals have cast such hostility as a badge of honor, a sign of envy, or a form of resistance to inconvenient truths. On Pedantry offers an altogether different perspective, revealing how the excessive use of learning has been a vice in Western culture since the days of Socrates. Taking readers from the academies of ancient Greece to today’s culture wars, Arnoud Visser explains why pretentious and punctilious learning has always annoyed us, painting vibrant portraits of some of the most intensely irritating intellectuals ever known, from devious sophists and bossy savantes to hypercritical theologians, dry-as-dust antiquarians, and know-it-all professors. He shows how criticisms of pedantry have typically been more about conduct than ideas, and he demonstrates how pedantry served as a weapon in the perennial struggle over ideas, social status, political authority, and belief. Shifting attention away from the self-proclaimed virtues of the learned to their less-than-flattering vice, Visser makes a bold and provocative contribution to the history of Western thought. Drawing on a wealth of sources ranging from satire and comedy to essays, sermons, and film, On Pedantry sheds critical light on why anti-intellectual views have gained renewed prominence today and serves as essential reading in an age of rising populism across the globe.

A glorious publication on the "saintly and excellent" Florentine friar and painter whose religious scenes exemplify Renaissance theories of perspective and humanism

After exploring the language of Gothic painting, the great Tuscan artist Fra Angelico enthusiastically took up the new principles of Renaissance art then emerging in Florence. This volume offers a thorough exploration of the extraordinary talent of this artist, bringing out his capacity for artistic innovation in the service of deep spiritual values.
The book also provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of research on Angelico. Its scholarly significance is further reinforced by the unprecedented reunion of five altarpieces that have been dismantled over the centuries: the San Piero Martire Altarpiece, the San Domenico Altarpiece in Fiesole, the Compagnia di San Francesco Altarpiece in Santa Croce, the San Marco Altarpiece and the Perugia Altarpiece. While the main panels have stayed in Italy, the remaining elements are dispersed across museum collections worldwide. The volume includes critical essays, a study of the history of the Museum of San Marco and an analysis of Angelico's frescoes preserved in the Sala del Capitolo, the cloisters and the monastic cells. This is a definitive and indispensable work of reference on the artist.
Born in Vicchio di Mugello as Guido di Pietro, Fra Angelico (c. 1395–1455) joined the Dominican order as a mendicant friar. He painted several frescoes for the Convent of San Marco in Florence, including the Annunciation, and decorated Cosimo de Medici's personal room in the monastery. In his later years he was called to Rome to decorate chapels for Pope Eugene IV and then Pope Nicholas V. Of his life, Giorgio Vasari wrote: "it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety."

This elegant box set invites readers into the heart of Japan’s most poetic season through a curated collection of woodblock prints by the great masters of ukiyo-e.

Presented in a luxurious two-volume slipcased set, this edition pairs timeless art with expert commentary in a format designed for reflection, appreciation, and beauty. The main volume showcases a selection of prints that capture Hanami (the appreciation of the fleeting wonder of spring): blossoming cherry trees, riverside picnics, moonlit gardens, and the quiet rituals of seasonal change.
Highlights include Hiroshige’s Plum Garden at Kameido and Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom at Arashiyama, Hokusai’s Viewing Cherry Blossoms by the Sumida River, and Yoshitoshi’s elegant Yayoi from the series Flowers of the Twelve Months. The works unfold in a striking accordion format, allowing readers to experience them as immersive, panoramic compositions.
Alongside this visual journey, a separate booklet by Japan scholar Jocelyn Bouquillard provides insightful background on each image. Her commentary illuminates the symbolism, historical context, and enduring cultural meanings of spring in Japanese life and art, every page enriching the reader’s understanding with a deeper sense of connection.
Also featuring prints by artists such as Kyōsai and Kunisada, Spring in Japan is a tribute to the elegance and emotional resonance of Japanese printmaking. Perfect for lovers of Japanese aesthetics, collectors, or anyone drawn to the passing beauty of nature, this set offers a charming glimpse into a world where art, tradition, and the rhythms of the natural world are exquisitely entwined.

A major new history of revolutionary Iran, from the 1940s to the presentIran’s revolution in 1979 shook the world. The Pahlavi dynasty came crashing down, and the Islamic Republic rose in its place. But what led to this seismic event? How did the revolutionary movement gain such strength? And what has its legacy been for modern Iran?In this comprehensive history, Homa Katouzian explores Iran from the 1940s to the present, showing how the revolution came into being. From the chaos of oil nationalisation to the overthrow of Mosaddeq in 1953, through the revolutionary moment itself, to the resistance movements of contemporary Iran, the revolution has had long and lasting effects. We see the profound influence of US presidents and the ramifications of Saddam Hussein’s invasion in 1980. Crucially, Katouzian shows how the revolution constituted an uprising of the whole of Iranian society and was not a purely Islamic movement. This is an engaging account of an epochal event—one which continues to shape Iran to this day.

'A breathtaking glimpse at the margins of space history' Tim Peake 'A cosmic treasure trove' Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock 'A wonderful celebration of the creative power of spaceflight to transform the impossible into the infinitely possible' Nicole Stott A celebration of space exploration told through the visual imagination of great dreamers from the sixteenth century to the present day. The universe is alluring and mysterious. A place of wonder and terror. We know it’s under no obligation to make sense to us, and yet . . . Space Journal is a visual celebration of our perception of the cosmos, and our efforts to reach it, from the seventeenth century to the present day. Dallas Campbell weaves together priceless archival memorabilia, revolutionary experiments and spectacular scenes to map both real and potential encounters with our celestial backyard. From Galileo’s shopping list to speeches annotated in President John F. Kennedy’s own hand, from The War of the Worlds to Space Invaders, Campbell sets out the radical thinkers and doers who have launched us towards the final frontier.

A new history of painting as told through the eyes and hands-on insights of a practising artist. The first question that Lachlan Goudie asks himself when he sees a work of art is not ‘why’ it was created but ‘how’. For this book he poses that question of artworks created by the earliest humans to artists today, focusing on the technical inventions and turning points that at each stage have marked a new chapter in the history of art. Goudie knows from experience that masterpieces don’t emerge serenely from an artist’s studio. They are the result of a long tussle between dirty hands and crushed pigment, hog’s-hair brushes and linseed oil, rabbit-skin glue and pulverized chalk. Great paintings are always the product of a struggle involving artists and their materials, one that pushes the practitioner to the very limits of technical ability. The secrets of painting lie above all in the physical elements from which an image is crafted. The nature of these elements has changed over time and across continents. And as each generation of painters exploits the new material and technical innovations of their era, they transform the character of their work and help propel the course of art history. Goudie traces this story all the way back to the original ‘big bang’ in the story of art: the very first painting pigments, made from charcoal and minerals, that were used to paint extraordinary art on the walls of the caves at Chauvet 36,000 years ago. He goes on to explore the impact of numerous new inventions and discoveries over the centuries, including ink, fresco, egg tempera, oil paint, canvas, watercolour, gouache, impasto, tubes of manufactured oil paint, collage, household gloss, acrylic, digital media and AI. Each chapter focuses on a technical turning point as embodied in the work of particular artist, including Giotto, Artemisia Gentileschi, Alma Thomas, Anselm Kiefer, David Hockney and many more.

'This book is Haywood’s crowning achievement. It is a delight just to leaf through the pages, feasting on the eye candy … a beauty to behold … a useful explanation of how, over the space of 500 years, Europe went from order to chaos and then back to a semblance of order. At a time when Europe is again in flux, this is an interesting and edifying tale about interlopers and the inevitability of change' Sunday Times Trace the tumultuous history of Europe during the Early Middle Ages through 90 specially commissioned maps and a authoritative narrative. Medieval Europe remains a mystery to many, yet the relative dearth of information about the period cannot mask its crucial importance in history. Often mischaracterized as a time of darkness and decline, the period from AD 476 to 1000 was marked by turmoil, rebirth and transformation. From the towering legacy of Constantine to the iron rule of Charlemagne, and the Huns, Goths and Saxons to the Slavs, Franks, Vikings, Rus, Bulgars and Magyars, John Haywood brings to life the dynamic story of how a new Europe emerged from the ashes of the crumbling Roman Empire. We witness the spread of Christianity, the emergence of Islam, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the birth of the leading nations of modern Europe. This is not a tale of decline, but a saga of endurance, reinvention and remarkable strength.

A first-of-its-kind guide to pairing wine with foods from Africa and beyond, including a tour of wine regions across the globe and a foreword by Stephen Satterfield, from renowned Certified Sommelier Cha McCoy.

The wine world often says food and wine that grow together, go together, and that spicy, tangy, salty, and sweet flavors are a challenge to pair. But what about foods from regions where wine grapes aren’t prevalent? What about global cuisines—many of which are outside of Europe—that celebrate heat and tang? Don’t these traditional foods deserve the perfect wine pairing? Cha McCoy, Certified Sommelier and owner of The Communion wine boutique, knows that good foods and wines go together and that the cuisines of Africa, Asia, and the Americas are just as worthy of great pours.

In this first-of-its-kind guidebook, Cha McCoy pairs wines with foods from Africa, Asia, and beyond, blending practical information with a side of aspirational armchair travel. Cha shares her journey of learning and connecting with deep culinary traditions and regional cuisines around the world, diving in by continent and then by region or country, from Africa to the Caribbean, from Latin America to the United States of America, and Asia, and exploring their winemaking regions.

Throughout, you’ll see pairing lists and menus to easily find wines to savor with whatever food you’re craving, whether it’s Moroccan Tagine, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Mexican Elote, Shrimp Po’ Boy, Peach Cobbler, or Pad Thai. Plus, you’ll find 25 recipes for global fare from renowned chefs and mixologists that represent the heritage of each destination, with food accompanied by suggested wine pairing, to complete the meal.

Whether you’re curious about what to eat on your next trip abroad, want to try out a local restaurant, or are looking to explore a new cuisine to cook at home, Wine Pairing for the People will not only guide you on what to eat but how to best highlight the flavor of your meals with successful pairings. Complete with a foreword by Stephen Satterfield, and stunning photographs, maps, and illustrations throughout, this groundbreaking book boldly declares: Wine is for everyone.

What do our gardens say about us?

Monty Don has spent many years travelling the world, from America to Japan, from Italy and the Adriatic to Spain and the Mediterranean, getting under the skin of a country through its gardens and gardening traditions. In British Gardens, he finally brings his focus to home, journeying from the northern tip of Scotland to the Cornish coast, seeking to understand what our gardens tell us about ourselves as a nation.

Encompassing historical gardens and public parks, mountains and seascapes, urban gardens and rural nurseries, glasshouses and community plots, each encounter is another link in a larger story of British identity: marks of ingenuity, eccentricity, and adaptation to changing environments. From Northumbria’s Alnwick Gardens and Beatrix Potter’s Lake District farmhouse to the rewilded walled garden on the Knepp Estate and the story of Britain’s first garden gnome, Monty’s account brings in an astonishing range of British experience.

Accompanied by a landmark five-part series on BBC2, and illustrated by stunning photography from Monty’s long-time collaborator Derry Moore, British Gardens is a definitive, and uniquely British, account of a nation like no other.

Historicus John Haywood brengt in zijn boek middeleeuws Europa kleurrijk in kaart.

Freedom Ship is a gripping history of stowaway slaves and the vessels that carried them to liberty. Up to 100,000 fugitives successfully fled the horrors of bondage in the American South. Many were ushered clandestinely northwards from safe house to safe house: know as the Underground Railway. Thousands of others escaped not by land, but by sea. Their dramatic tales of whispered conspiracy and billowing sails make Freedom Ship essential and enthralling reading.

Through the intricate riverways of the Carolinas to the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, Freedom Ship traces the freedom seekers who turned their sights to the sea. Sailaways regularly arrived in Britain on cotton ships from New York or Southern ports. For example, Moses Roper, one of the most determined runaways in American history, traveled 350 miles through slave country before eventually taking a ship named the Napoleon to Liverpool. Both legendary abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman used the waterfront as a path to freedom.

Marcus Rediker puts his command of archival research on full display in this luminous portrait of the Atlantic seaboard as a place of conspiracy, mutiny and liberation.

PRAISE FOR THE SLAVE SHIP

‘I’m rereading The Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker, because it’s an absolutely fantastic book’
David Olusoga, Guardian

‘A truly magnificent book’
Sunday Telegraph

'A shockingly vivid work . . . from a gifted chronicler of history's lower decks, at home in the unruly Atlantic world of pirates, slavers, sailors, runaways and rebels'
Boyd Tonkin, Independent

Why did democracy emerge in ancient Greece? How did Spain conquer South and Central America? And what caused the fall of the Berlin Wall?

Part of DK’s indispensable Big Ideas series, this fully revised and updated new edition of The History Book answers these questions and many more.

The perfect introduction to the subject, it explores and explains everything from the origins of Homo Sapiens to the arrival of the internet, and from the French Revolution to the space race – through a combination of easy-to-follow explanations, innovative graphics, and intriguing quotes.

This fascinating new edition features:

• More than 90 of the most important events, milestones, and turning points in world history – from the agricultural revolution to WWI and WWII
• Simple explanations, bold infographics and step-by-step diagrams that untangle complex historical events, and witty illustrations
• Key quotes from major historical figures – from Julius Caesar to Barack Obama
• Eight pages of brand-new content, including entries on the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese Belt-and-Road initiative, the Capitol riots, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A truly accessible and comprehensive introduction to an essential and engrossing subject, The History Book is perfect for anyone looking for the ultimate overview of world history.

The Big Ideas series

With more than 13 million copies sold across 130 countries and in 39 languages, DK’s award-winning Big Ideas series explores and explains a broad range of essential subjects with its innovative graphic and quote-led approach. The previous edition of The History Book has sold more than 600,000 copies worldwide. Other titles in the series include The Military History Book, The Politics Book and The Economics Book.

A compact, illustrated collection of Henri Matisse's insights into art and life. In addition to being a formidable artist, Henri Matisse (1869–1954) was a prolific letter writer and regular contributor to many publications. Following in the successful format of ‘The World According to …’ series, this anthology of quotations unites Matisse’s thoughts and artworks to construct a unique view of the world, as seen through the eyes of one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. Covering topics ranging from fame – ‘An artist must never be … a prisoner of success’ – to war and occupation – ‘All is well here, but we see things that are hilarious and dreadful all at once’ – art – 'All colours sing together; they have the essential force of a choir' – and work – 'When you work to please other people, you achieve nothing' – The World According to Matisse paints a picture of a life as lively as it was rich. Beautifully designed and illustrated with works of art from throughout Matisse’s storied career, this is the perfect gift for art lovers everywhere.

Zaha Hadid (1950 - 2016) was a revolutionary architect. For years, she was widely acclaimed and won numerous prizes despite building practically nothing. Some even said her work was simply impossible to build. Yet, during the latter years of her life, Hadid’s daring visions became a reality, bringing a new and unique architectural language to cities and structures such as the Port House in Antwerp, the Al Janoub Stadium near Doha, Qatar, and the spectacular new airport terminal in Beijing.

By her untimely death in 2016, Hadid was firmly established among architecture’s finest elite, working on projects in Europe, China, the Middle East, and the United States. She was the first female architect to win both the Pritzker Prize for architecture and the prestigious RIBA Royal Gold Medal, with her long-time Partner Patrik Schumacher now the leader of Zaha Hadid Architects and in charge of many new projects.

Based on the massive TASCHEN monograph, this book is now available in an extensively updated and accessible edition covering Hadid’s complete works, including ongoing projects. With abundant photographs, in-depth sketches, and Hadid’s own drawings, the volume traces the evolution of her career, spanning not only her most pioneering buildings but also the furniture and interior designs that were integrated into her unique, and distinctly 21st-century, universe.

Een wervelende en persoonlijke geschiedenis over Amerika en Europa in turbulente tijden, vol dilemma's over democratie, economie en oorlog.

This is a visual celebration of the glories of floral beauty and the ephemeral nature of the seasons in a handsome Japanese-style accordion-fold book with open binding and slipcased with an informational booklet.

The serenity of nature and the graceful beauty of flowers are traditional themes in classical Japanese art that are embraced and appreciated worldwide. Here, they are presented in a carefully curated collection of stunning full-color reproductions of classic works by Japanese artists such as Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro.

Meticulously executed in great and realistic detail and awash in rich and subtle color, this one-of-a-kind art book—featuring an ever-scrolling concertina format—showcases the perennial appeal of Japanese woodblock prints celebrating the ephemeral bounty of flowers in all stages of bloom.

Beautiful and elegant, this specially chosen collection features the classic flowers that symbolize the progression of the seasons in Japanese culture—cherry and plum blossoms, camellias, peonies, iris, lilies, roses, wisteria, hibiscus, water lilies, chrysanthemums. It is sure to delight gardeners, floral artists, designers, art lovers, as well as fans of Japanese culture.

A lyrical celebration of cats through the timeless beauty of Japanese haiku and brush art. This beautifully illustrated volume presents 82 cat-themed haiku by Japan's most celebrated poets—including Basho, Issa, Shiki, Buson, Soseki and many others. Beautifully compiled and illustrated by award-winning artst Manda, and translated by bestselling author William Scott Wilson, this collection pairs classic verse with evocative artwork. Free audio recordings of each haiku in both English and Japanese are available online. The passing year!The cat hunches downon my lap. —NATSUME SOSEKIA night of frost;opening the window to the criesof an abandoned cat. —ISSAThis charming edition makes a perfect gift for poetry lovers, cat enthusiasts and anyone captivated by the austere beauty of haiku.

'A romp through British royal fashion and image-making between the Edwardian era and 1960 . . . Compelling and well-researched' New York Times

'Magnificent . . . A book that is tart, racy and compulsively readable. The pictures, as you might expect, are gorgeous' Kathryn Hughes, The Times

Published ahead of the centenary of the Queen’s birth, this beautifully illustrated book uncovers the hidden history of the Crown and how it survived a tumultuous era and two world wars.

**Features over 100 sumptuous images**

From the birth of the house of Windsor in 1917, its leading women – Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth II – faced the perils of abdication and assassination, revolution and the rise of fascism, the threat of invasion and all-out war. Their sartorial decisions, alongside those of their royal husbands, projected power and perpetuity, diplomacy and defiance.

In this cinematic story of espionage and exquisite couture, Justine Picardie reveals the undercover lives of the creators behind the façade — including Hardy Amies, Cecil Beaton, Norman Hartnell and Edward Molyneux — and traces the ways in which visual iconography safeguarded the monarchy, even when their reign seemed to be hanging by a thread.

Drawing on original research in the Royal Archives and her own experiences at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, Picardie explores the family feuds and international conflicts that challenged the Crown, and how royal fashion has long been wielded as a weapon.

De beleving van de gewone Nederlanders die hun leven moeten aanpassen aan een nieuwe realiteit, met alle verliezen, zorgen maar ook kansen

Meeslepende (familie)geschiedenis over kunst, idealen en de opbouw van Nederland. Een leraar, een meubelontwerper en kunstcollectioneur, en een beeldhouwer: drie broers kiezen elk een ander pad

A fascinating exploration of why Hitler’s death was only confirmed in 2018 Adolf Hitler has taken a long time to die, despite the lethal efficiency of the gun he put to his head in April 1945. Although eagerly anticipated around the world, there were no available witnesses to his suicide—and his corpse was not put on display. This created the perfect vacuum for myth and survival legends, while rival intelligence agencies and propaganda further confounded the investigations of successive historians. Caroline Sharples explores the aftermath of events at the Führerbunker in the first cultural account of this decisive yet elusive moment. Hitler’s death was widely anticipated, and the news elicited a huge range of emotions as governments and secret services scrambled to verify what they heard. The search for proof of death led to an outpouring of conspiratorial thinking, and the final moments of Hitler’s life have been reimagined ever since. This is an intriguing, unsettling account of a historical event we all think we know—and a sophisticated examination of how history is written.