You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Having conquered the world's taste buds and established itself as a staple in our daily lives, coffee has mirrored the moods and movements of society for centuries - yet, how much do we know about its history? In his riveting new book, A Short History of Coffee, Gordon Kerr investigates the fascinating history behind the global obsession with coffee, from its Ethiopian origins, the legends, myths, geographical locations and somewhat eccentric characters that have helped make it the staple that it is today. Proliferating high streets, towns and cities across Europe, coffee has become increasingly popular in recent years, and has succeeded in creating new and exciting hubs of commerce, news an...
Beneath the waves stirs a malevolent, giant kraken-like monster - the terrifying creation of master of horror H.P. Lovecraft. First brought to life as part of his short story 'The Call of Cthulhu', published in the magazine Weird Tales, and later featuring in several of Lovecraft's works, Cthulhu is an iconic figure that has inspired imagination and terrified generations. It's name has come to define the whole mythos built up around Lovecraft's strange worlds and pantheon of monsters that inspire many writers to this day. In this exciting new book, punchy text describes how fantasy art, literature, movies and even games have been influenced by the terrifying Cthulhu, accompanied by powerfully atmospheric artworks.
What is Europe? Firstly, of course, it is a continent made up of countless disparate peoples, races and nations, and governed by different ideas, philosophies, religions and attitudes. Nonetheless, it has a common thread of history running through it, stitching the lands and peoples of its past and present together into one fabric and held together by the continent's great institutions, such as the Church of Rome, the Holy Roman Empire, the European Union, individual monarchies, trade organisations and social movements. Europe, however, is also an idea. From almost the beginning of time, men have harboured aspirations to make this vast territory one. The Romans came close and a few centuries...
The Korean War of 1950-1953 ended in a frustrating stalemate, the echoes of which reverberate to this day. It was the only conflict of the Cold War in which forces of major nations of the two opposing systems - capitalism and communism - confronted each other on the battlefield. And yet, in the sixty years since it was fought it has been strangely neglected, perhaps because no one was able to claim the victor's spoils. A Short History of the Korean War details the origins, battles, politics and personalities of the war that never ended. Praise for Gordon Kerr 'Informative, fascinating and extremely well-researched...Gordon Kerr's book is a mini masterpiece' - Rob Minshull, ABC Brisbane on A Short History of the Vietnam War 'Factual and even-handed, Kerr presents a fair-minded introduction of basic Chinese history' - Booklist on A Short History of China
The turbulent and chequered past of the world's most populous country is one of the most fascinating in world history, and relatively little known in the West. From the beginnings of Chinese prehistory right through to internet censorship with the 'Great Firewall of China', Gordon Kerr offers a comprehensive introduction to the sprawling history of this enormous country. A Short History of China provides an absorbing introduction to more than 4,000 years of Chinese history, telling the stories of the tyrants, despots, femmes fatales, artists, warriors and philosophers who have shaped this fascinating and complex nation. It describes the amazing technological advances that her scientists and ...
From coffee shops to markets, rolling mountains to winding rivers the countries and regions of Europe are many and varied: the cobbles of Venice, the grand eloquence of Vienna, the towers of Prague and Budapest, the incredible Edinburgh castle, the palaces of France, Spain, and the ancient brilliance of Greece: these are just some of the delights that await the armchair of traveller of this gorgeous book.
Brings together 100 of the best works by Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Hughes and other artists from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, preceded by an introduction to the movement, lives, art and times. Beautifully reproduced full-page artworks in an appealing hardback giftbook.
Part of a new series of beautiful gift art books, 100 Claude Monet Masterpieces features all of the popular works of this insightful and experimental artist, from his first inklings as an Impressionist to his later flirtations with Abstract Expressionism. With a fresh and thoughtful introduction to the life and art of one of the most famous artists in the world, the book goes on to showcase his key works in all their glory.
This book looks inside the dark side of the criminal mind. These are men and women who commit heinous acts with a gruesome disregard for human life. The difficulty in bringing these monsters to justice is proving whether they are just bad or mad, whether in fact the individual is mentally ill or whether they are fully aware of what they have done.
It began with the horse-drawn carriage and ended with the aeroplane, an era, beginning in the 1830s and ending with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, that saw the British Empire – the largest the world had seen – dominate the world. British ingenuity in the fields of technological development and the heavy industry of its Industrial Revolution led to Britain being dubbed ‘the workshop of the world’ while its Royal Navy policed the world’s oceans helping to create what has become known as a ‘Pax Britannica’. A Short History of the Victorian Era details the sweeping social and economic changes that took place during this period but also examines the events of the time and the ...