When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, he left an empire that stretched from the shores of the Adriatic to the mountains of Afghanistan. This empire did not survive Alexander's death, and rapidly broke into several successor states. These states, substantial kingdoms in their own right, dominated Asia Minor, Greece, the Levant and Egypt for the next 300 years. While Philip Matyszak's narrative covers their remarkable contribution of the Eastern Greeks in fields such as philosophy, science and culture, the main focus is on the rivalry, politics and wars, both civil and foreign, which the Hellenistic rulers constantly fought among themselves. As in other fields, the Successor Kingdoms were innovators in the military and diplomatic field. Indeed, their wars and diplomatic skirmishes closely presage those of 18th century Europe and the superpower rivalries of the 20th century. The complex interaction of these different kingdoms, each with its own character and evolving military systems, combined geopolitics and grand strategy with diplomatic duplicity, and relentless warfare. The epic story of the successor states is full of flawed heroes, palace intrigue, murder, treachery, incest, rebellion and conquest and chapters cover Alexander conquering the world, and the Seleucid empire, Hellenism The Next Generation, the West and Ptolemaic Egypt. Maps, 18 plates, 176 pages.

Richly decorated with antique maps, a spacecraft image of the moon, 1548 image of Ptolemy Prince of astronomy from the book Geography, dozens of antique collectible maps through to satellite imagery, the Atlantic Ocean in a physiographic diagram, this is a beautifully illustrated full-colour history of mapmaking across centuries, using the visual representation of the world through time to tell a new story about world history and the men who made it. Chapters cover prehistoric maps, stories of creation, and Sumerian, Babylonian and Egyptian maps; world made for humans by God in which the clerics and cartographers of the Middle Ages depict the holy story of creation and the first atlases of Ortelius and Mercator. We are taken all the way from the mysterious symbols of the Stone Age to Google Earth, exploring how the ability to envision what the world looked like developed hand in hand with worldwide exploration and meet visionary geographers and heroic explorers along with other unknown heroes of the map-making world, both ancient and modern. Dutch nautical charts and the battle for the biggest Atlas, more about Mercator and all he never managed to complete; France, Denmark and Norway learn to survey large areas; Konsvinger gets a prime meridian in 1779, and maps play a role in central government and administration; the second Fram expedition sets out in 1898 in the wake of the many others that had previously tried to map the northern regions; the First World War paves the way for aerial surveys which in turn pave the way for a Norwegian economic map series and the appearance of maps in most areas of society. Lear about the 7/10 of our planet that are covered by water and Marie Thorpe's attempts to understand what the ocean floor looks like and why; and lastly we look at satellites and computers which provide and manage vast amounts of information and give us maps that are able to speak to us. Big glossy, glamorous colour pages, remainder mark. 18.73 x 24.13cm. 367 pages.

'Why should Europe be so called, or who was the first author of this name, no man has yet found out' said Abraham Ortelius in the introduction to his 1570 Atlas Thearum Orbis Terrarum. Chapters include peoples, perceptions and prejudice, maps, cities, dynasties and states, travel, travellers and communication, trade, immigration, minds and creeds, the Tudor rulers and statecraft including Henry VII and VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I and the Semblance of Glory. In 1517, a certain Dr Beale, rector of St Mary Spitall in London, had roused the capital's mob by laying the blame for an increase in poverty squarely upon the shoulders of grasping foreigners. 'God has given England to Englishmen,' he fumed, and 'as birds would defend their nest, so ought Englishmen to cherish and defend themselves and to hurt and grieve aliens for the common weal.' But migration was not the only factor influencing Tudor attitudes to Europe. War, religion, commerce and dynastic security were all critical in linking England to developments abroad, and in ways that remain strikingly relevant today. What were the forces that shaped the shifting perspectives of Tudor men and women and their rulers towards a continent at the crossroads? And what, in turn, were the responses of 16th century Europeans to their counterparts across the Channel? The Tudors and Europe looks at a time when the very survival of England hung critically in the balance and asks if it has lessons for the present. Colour plates, 320 pages.

Lost to antiquity, the tomb of King Tutankhamun was rediscovered by renowned archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Its hidden location in the Valley of the Kings had protected it from plundering and inside lay a world of treasures. Accompany Carter as he explores the tombs of ancient Egypt and enter this mysterious world of artefacts, hieroglyphs, ancient gods and pharaohs, solving puzzles befitting a king as you go. With strange and cryptic hieroglyphs to decode, ancient mysteries to crack, and riddles worthy of the sphinx itself, you'll soon be lost in the sands of time. Can you solve the cunning riddles of the counterfeit scarab, the coin toss, the security guards, Lady Evelyn 's note, the fragments of papyrus, the difficult archaeologists, the cursed dream, ancient lovers, pharaonic numbering, organising the valley, the bookshelf, the grandfather clock and buried alive? Gift edition designed with a stylish cover, workout your brain, improve your logic, lateral thinking, and problem solving with these mind-bending puzzles. Let go of all your stress by working through these intriguing puzzles. Line art, hieroglyphs and decorations. 224 paperback pages.

From 1888 the Intelligence Division or ID of the War Office was useful to the politicians and great offices of state because it replaced conjecture with studied analysis. Young captains and majors with experience and expertise beyond their years wrote far reaching memoranda which affected policy and the lives of millions. As the century drew to a close, an increasing number of Foreign, Colonial and Indian office minutes ended with: "Presume you have asked the ID?" and back would come the answer: "Done" The ID did its best to be unbiased but by the 1890s it was so convinced that it knew what was best for the Empire that when the government did not move as rapidly as the Division believed it should have done over the retention of the Sudan to Egypt and the capturing of the head waters of the Nile, it took matters into its own hands and dragged the Empire behind it. This coincided with the Second South African or Boer War which the ID had long predicted and planned for, warnings which the War Office ignored. It was a remarkable organisation. Delving into an encyclopaedic array of little-known primary sources, William Beaver uncovers a cadre of exceptionally able and dedicated officers at the heart of Victoria's Empire. They formed the War Office Intelligence Division, which gave Britain's foreign policy its backbone in the heyday of imperial acquisition. This is the first major study to examine the seminal role of intelligence gathering and analysis in 'England's era'. So well did Great Britain play her hand, it seemed to all the world that, as the Farsi expression goes, 'Anywhere a leaf moves, underneath you will find an Englishman.' The historian William Beaver was also a soldier, arts editor and Anglican priest. Maps, 8 pages of photos, 352 paperback pages.

A Times History Book of the Year 2022, we have the first edition described by the Sunday Times as 'Exhilarating and whip-smart' and by the award-winning historian. It is a thrilling true historical detective story set in 16th century Portugal. The book follows the interconnected lives of two men across the Renaissance globe; one an aficionado of mermen and Ethiopian culture, an art collector, historian and expert on water music, returns home from witnessing the birth of the modern age to die in a mysterious incident, apparently the victim of a grisly and curious murder. The other, a ruffian, vagabond and braggart, chased across the globe from Mozambique to Japan, ends up as the national poet of Portugal. The stories of Damiao de Gois and Luis de Camoes capture the extraordinary wonders that awaited Europeans on their arrival in India and China, the challenges these marvels presented to longstanding beliefs, and the vast conspiracy to silence the questions these posed about the nature of history and of human life. It is 30th January 1574, and the King's archivist lies dead - burned or strangled or drowned. The paper found in his hand could be from any corner of the Portuguese empire. But whatever it contains is probably a lie... Like all good mysteries, everyone has their own version of events. Beautifully written and utterly mesmerising with vivid characterisation of people and places, not least those of Lisbon life high and low. 344pp, woodcut illustrations and colour plates and maps and a note on quotations and Portuguese pronunciation.

The award-winning historian sub-titles his book 'A Year In the Life of Plantagenet England', and it is a new beautifully illustrated edition of Realm Divided. 1215 was not just a year of Magna Carta and King John's war with his barons, but a year of crusading and church reform, foreign wars and dramatic sieges, trade and treachery. It was a year in which England was invaded by a French army, and London was stormed by angry barons, and the supposedly impregnable castle at Rochester was brought down with burning pig fat. But for most people life just went on. The book throws open a window onto everyday life - home and church, love and marriage, education and agriculture, outlawry and hunting, food and clothing from royal court to peasant weddings. It is medieval life in the round and an exhilarating and revelatory exploration of politics, warfare, religion, feudalism and the law during this transformative year in English history. Chapters include Crowns, Gowns and Slippers, Justice, Law and Outlaws, Wisdom, Health and Beauty, Runnymede, Widows, Wives and Children, Birds, Beasts and Blood Sports. Lavishly illustrated with full page colour plates on almost every other page, 360 beautifully designed and decorated pages with medieval ornamentation and facsimile images from illuminated manuscripts and capitals. A real page turner to stop you in your tracks.

Short, informative chapters cover subjects as diverse as the Greek alphabet, the Olympic Games, Minoan, Mycenae and Homeric Greece, the Oracle of Delfi, the lyric poetry of Lesbos, Greek philosophy, the Persian wars, Greek philosophy and theatre, Alexander the Great, Pergamon, Hellenistic art, the Etruscans, Roman dress the Punic wars, the rise of Julius Caesar, women in the Roman empire, the generalship of Pompey, Roman portraiture, Roman roads and glassware the army and Fort childhood, dining, mystery cults, the city of Constantine, Ravenna, and many other subjects. This book stands out among the many histories of Ancient Greece and Rome for its highly readable style and confident understanding of the larger picture as civilisations rise and fall, communities migrate and potentates wheel, deal and stab each other in the back. The Palace culture of the Minoans, centred round Knossos, operated through local administrative and trading centres, and their original language, linear A, has yet to be deciphered. The palace gave way around the 8th century to the city state, whose most famous example Athens was a democracy. In the 4th century, Macedonia under Alexander the Great emerged as dominant, absorbing distant lands such as Afghanistan into a vast empire. Meanwhile in central Italy a very different civilisation was emerging, influenced by Greek culture and institutions but military and aggressively expansionist, and finally collapsing under the pressure of peoples from beyond the empire. The author covers Rome's ambitious public works including monuments, aqueducts and sewers, a sophisticated road network, as well as the personal stories of the line of emperors that started with Augustus, who was granted extraordinary powers following the assassination of Julius Caesar. His successors included megalomaniacs like Nero and Caligula, expansionists such as Trajan, and intelligent realists like Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. 303pp, paperback, photos.

The difference between privateers and pirates was that one had a licence to attack foreign shipping, the other acted illegally. In practice, however, they were often indistinguishable. This interesting book redefines the glamorous swashbuckling image of both pirates and privateers, replacing it with a buccaneering pragmatist operating in dangerous conditions and politically ambiguous situations. Many pirates did achieve fame based on personality, as we can see from the stories of some of the most famous, for instance Blackbeard, Captain Morgan and Mary Read. At the end of the golden age of piracy, stretching from 1650 to 1730, a colourful "General History of the Pyrates" was published, influencing the mythology for centuries, although it was probably not written, as at first supposed, by Daniel Defoe. The myth of gold bullion was always greatly exaggerated, and a pirate's booty was more likely to be tobacco, sugar or cotton. Walking the plank was probably also a myth, though the so-called "Enlightenment" was an age of barbaric punishment. In the 1690s the Caribbean became too crowded, and European pirates went further afield to the Red Sea and coast of east Africa. Pirates flew a black flag which was sometimes enough to make a ship surrender, but privateers operating under government licence might adopt the flag of an enemy nation to give a false sense of security. The book examines pirates' lifestyle, looking at how the sinking of a Spanish treasure fleet in a storm off the coast of Florida led to a pirates' gold rush and how the King's Pardon was a desperate gamble which paid off, and it considers the role of individual island governors such as Woodes Rogers in the Bahamas in bringing piracy under control. Captain Morgan was a privateer on good terms with the Governor of Jamaica, whom he paid handsomely to overlook certain clauses in his contract. Henry Avery was an interesting case of a pirate who quit with his booty while he was winning, whereas most buccaneers went on until killed or captured. By the mid-18th century regulations were being tightened and the enterprise squeezed out of existence. 173pp, photos and illustrations.

A ground-breaking book on the Titanic is rare, but this detailed account of the disaster from the perspectives of six first-class passengers, three survivors and three who perished, is a gripping read from a new angle. The beautiful Lucy Leslie, Countess of Rothes was the only member of the British nobility on board a ship accommodating some very rich people. Noelle Dyer-Edwardes divided her time between a Kensington house and French chateau before marrying the Earl of Rothes, who was leading opposition to the "Lords Act" designed to tax the aristocracy and curtail the powers of the House of Lords. The launch of the Titanic at the Harland and Wolff shipyard claimed the vessel's sixth life even before she set sail. Thomas Andrews, the 39 year old managing director of Harland, was dominated by the Protestantism, patriotism and propriety of his Belfast upbringing, but he also rode to hounds and mixed easily with the upper classes. Embarkation at Southampton was a long-drawn out process, with strict separation between first and third class passengers, most of whom were emigrating and had long farewells on the quayside. Lady Rothes was dissatisfied with her B-Deck cabin so she joined the millionaires and plutocrats on C Deck. Ten doors down were Ida Straus and her husband Isidor, the owner of Macy's department stores. Isidor's Confederate links coupled with southern prejudice against Jews had led them from Georgia to New York. John Borland Thayer, Sr, was the fabulously wealthy vice-President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, accompanied on board by his wife Marian and son Jack. Finally the film star Dorothy Gibson, one of the highest paid actresses in the world, had taken one of the cheaper first-class cabins. That night, John and Jack Thayer discussed the ship's accelerating speed with the White Star owner, Bruce Ismay, who controversially survived the disaster. When the Countess of Rothes was awakened by "a slight grating sound" the tragedy began to unfold. Women and children entered the lifeboats, but Ida Straus refused to leave her husband and although infirm he refused to go ahead of the other men. They perished together in one of the Titanic's most touching stories. John Thayer, who courageously helped other passengers to escape, also was lost. With a wealth of social and political detail, this is a sensitive if at times harsh picture of early 20th century Britain and America and the bygone golden age. Remainder mark. Dramatis Personae, 423pp, colour and mono photos.