‘A surprising page-turner, full of humour and startling details’ THE TIMES
‘If I read a better history this year, I will be lucky’ TOM HOLLAND
‘An astonishing tour de force’ SPECTATOR
Longlisted for the 2024 Highland Book Prize
‘The best single-volume history of the war ever written’ DOMINIC SANDBOOK, SUNDAY TIMES
A Daily Mail Best History Book of the Year; A Spectator Best Book of the Year
It is generally accepted that Queen Victoria reigned but did not rule. This couldn’t be more wrong.
‘Entertaining and vivid… This is a gripping account of an intriguing and little-known Cold War moment’ OBSERVER
‘Reads like a thriller’ THE SUN
The astonishing story of the ten million books that were smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.
‘James comes alive in full flamboyance … Russell expertly weaves the bedchamber gossip into the tapestry of a tumultuous reign’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Brings the backbiting and power struggles of the Jacobean court to life with wit and vigour’ OBSERVER
‘A warts and all story told with compassion’ PHILIPPA GREGORY
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‘Popular history at its best’ Spectator
‘Boisterous… replete with stabbings, bashing and thumping’ Daily Mail
What happens when we consider Africa through a feminist lens and feminism through an African one? And what does it mean to centre selfhood in this journey?
‘An enthralling guide to one of the world’s great cities – that blends history and insights into the present day from one of the most astute commentators on the politics of Istanbul’ PETER FRANKOPAN
‘A love letter to this ancient capital’ THE TIMES
Human olfaction – the sense of smell – enables us to appreciate food and drink, it warns us of dangers and it makes our environments more enjoyable. However, olfaction is one of our least explored sensory systems. Until now.
AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
A Telegraph Best Book of the Year
‘An intense, evocative portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of our era’ ANNE APPLEBAUM
‘This is the Zelensky book we’ve been waiting for’ CATHERINE BELTON
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NONFICTION CROWN AWARD 2024
GUARDIAN: BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024
‘GRIPPING’ THE TIMES
‘Pacy, witty and authoritative’ Jonathan Freedland
‘In her hands, ancient history becomes a vivid avenue of approach to a burning modern-world concern… a powerful and important book’ Daily Telegraph
A TELEGRAPH BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023
‘A highly imaginative and thought-provoking way of exploring the personality of a man who, like him or loathe him, left an indelible mark on our age’ ADAM ZAMOYSKI
An FT Best Book of the Year
‘Saad Mohseni is one of the most remarkable figures in modern Afghanistan – brave, entrepreneurial, with a knack for imagining the impossible – he transformed the Afghan media landscape and brought serious news, and exceptional entertainment to millions in the most testing circumstances imaginable’ Rory Stewart
An Aspects of History Best Book of the Year; An Engelsberg Ideas Best Book of the Year
‘A rigorous, myth-busting look at the city’s chaotic recovery in the wake of war and fascism’ Financial Times
