Najnovšie - Knihy - História strana 5 z 25

On the night of 25 September 1829, the jewels of the Princess of Orange disappeared from her palace in Brussels. Suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Prince Willem of Orange, a Waterloo veteran known to be deeply in debt. But when the police failed to find any witnesses or leads, the investigation ground to a halt. In 1831, Anna Pavlovna’s jewels surfaced in New York in the hands of a former Napoleonic deserter named Constant Polari. Dutch officials scrambled to reclaim the jewels and extradite Polari, hoping a public trial would clear their prince’s name. But President Andrew Jackson’s customs collector preferred to confiscate the jewels, sell them, and pocket his share of the proceeds. When Polari’s lover dug up a buried portion of the gems and sailed for Europe, it triggered a race across the Atlantic, a kidnapping from Bellevue prison, and a sensational trial with a last-minute twist. True crime meets royal history in this long-forgotten caper that pitted the old world’s diplomacy against the new world’s self-determinism. Drawing on previously neglected case documents and sources in five languages, the tale of Anna Pavlovna’s stolen jewels unfolds against a backdrop of war, revolution, corruption, and betrayal.

Tucked away in the vaults of Somerset House lies one of Britain’s most revealing and eccentric historical treasures: a vast archive of Last Wills and Testaments. These documents, often the final words of the dead, hold more than just legal instructions; they’re windows into the character of those gone before, into their conflicts and lives. From vengeful codicils and heartfelt farewells, to wills etched on eggshells or hidden in hollow bedposts, this book uncovers a trove of bizarre and entertaining bequests. Here are men and women who used their final words to settle scores, impose odd conditions, or deliver one last laugh — sometimes at the expense of expectant heirs. For family historians, these wills offer more than just names and dates. They reveal values, relationships, secrets, and social customs that breathe life into ancestral records. Whether you're tracing your ancestors or simply enjoy tales of posthumous mischief, this journey into the strange world of testamentary history proves that death doesn’t always mean silence.

No other twentieth-century political figure endured so many precipitous falls followed by unlikely resurrection. Across fifty turbulent years he enjoyed – if that is the correct term - at least four separate, high-level, political careers interspersed with periods in the doldrums. As one of his numerous enemies and detractors, of whom there was never a shortage, was to write: Winston is never down, or rather will never allow that he is down.’Whilst much has been written about Churchill at the Admiralty, and even more concerning his wartime premiership, the ups and downs in-between have received somewhat less attention. Hence this volume, which seeks to tell the tale of the period beginning with him being unceremoniously sacked in 1915. As Lloyd George’s mistress and confidante wrote: ‘It seems strange that Churchill should have been in politics all these years, & yet not have won the confidence of a single party in the country, or a single colleague in the Cabinet.’She was mistaken. One politician still valued Churchill’s gifts: the Prime Minister from 1916, David Lloyd George himself. But he had to act cautiously. Only in July 1917, during a broader reshuffle, did he dare risk appointing Churchill as Minister of Munitions. This was a courageous move. As one Tory grandee put it: ‘some of us myself included only joined L[loyd] G[eorge] on the distinct understanding that W[inston] Ch[urchill] was not to be a member of the Gov[ernmen]t.’Lloyd George got away with it however, and few would dispute that his judgement was vindicated. As the man responsible for providing the British and wider Allied cause with the munitions of war, a vast undertaking by any standards, Churchill proved both competent and effective. Indeed, he was still in post at the end of the conflict in 1918, which is where this book ends.

Although also known as the Third English Civil War, the author makes it clear that this was the last war between the Scots and English as separate states. He narrates in detail the the events following the exiled King Charles II’s landing in Scotland and his alliance with the Scots Covenanters, erstwhile allies of the English Parliamentarians. Cromwell’s preemptive invasion of Scotland led to the Battle of Dunbar, a crushing defeat for the Scots under David Leslie, though this only unified the Scottish cause and led to the levying of the Army of the Kingdom under Charles II himself. Charles II led a desperate counter-invasion over the border, hoping to raise a royalist rebellion and forcing Cromwell to follow him, though he left Monck to complete the pacification of Scotland. Cromwell caught up with Charles II at Worcester, where the Scots/Royalist army was decisively defeated and destroyed, thousands of the prisoners being sold into slavery in the West Indies and the American colonies. This revised and updated edition contains an expanded chapter on the aftermath of the war and the fate of the POWs, drawing on major new archaeological evidence, as well as an expanded Conclusion.

Why did a long time reluctant US President Wilson finally enter World War I on the side of the Allies in April 1917?In retaliation of the British naval blockade of Germany since August 1914, the German Admirals determined at the beginning of 1915 to create a counter-blockade of the British Isles with their submarines. The U-boat commanders got – without knowledge of the government - a secret order to sink Allied passenger liners. The British Admiralty discovered the hunt for passenger liners by deciphering W/T messages to the U-boats. The sinking of the Lusitania on May, 6th, 1915, was no coincidence – the Royal Navy knew about the intentions of the U-boats and, after doing everything to protect the passenger liners in the beginning, they simply left the Lusitania alone in in the first week of May, to create frictions between America and the German Empire. A diplomatic quarrel between US President Wilson and Germany about U-boat warfare commenced. In spring of 1916 the German Navy acted again against the instructions of the Kaiser and ordered secretly the sinking of allied and neutral vessels in the British Channel, thereby opening an unrestricted U-boat war. When the channel ferry Sussex was attacked, Wilson threatened to break off of diplomatic relations with Germany. Under massive diplomatic pressure the German government had to give in. Further on, their U-boats only conducted a “soft”, restricted warfare, following the internationally agreed maritime rules and tolerated by Wilson. In Germany a heated debate set in after the Sussex case. The Navy promised the quick defeat of England by unrestricted U-boat war, and the Army joined this campaign end of 1916. The intention of the “war party” was to rule out any possibility of a negotiated peace and to set the German Empire on a – risky - course for definitive victory. But the government doubted the Navy’s capability for all-out U-boat warfare and argued that the only definitive result would be an America siding the Allies, leading to ultimate defeat. In the last months of 1916 it sent out peace feelers to Wilson, warning him, that in the case of a failure of his peace mediation they would get under unbearable pressure of the “military opposition” to begin unrestricted U-boat war again. At this time Britain was – like Germany – economically with its back against the wall: it suffered terribly by the sinking of its merchant ships, the moral of its Admiralty in Anti-Submarine-Warfare had completely broken down. Collapse was threatening. But the British government got wind of the conflicts inside Germany by the deciphering of the diplomatic cables between Wilson and the Germans. The new Prime Minster, David Lloyd George, chose a risky strategy – by rebuffing all American peace efforts he wanted to encourage the radical party in Germany to enforce total U-boat war. Finally this British strategy payed out: German Navy and Army pressed the Kaiser to declare unrestricted U-boat war from 1st of February 1917 on, and Wilson broke off diplomatic relations. But he still bristled to enter the war on Allied side – as long as American ships would be treated correctly by the Germans, he wouldn’t come in, not even after the publication of the Zimmermann-telegram. The tipping point came in the middle of March, when U-boats torpedoed American vessels without warning. This forced the American Declaration of War against the German Empire on April 6, 1917.

The period 133-44BC, bookended by the murders of Tiberius Gracchus and Julius Caesar, was one of profound political change in the Roman world. Aspects of the Late Roman Republic, 133-44BC: Dipping into Cicero’s ‘Romulan Cesspool’ collects a series of 58 essays on various events and people of that era that can frequently be overlooked in larger works. The chapters appear in a variety of approaches and lengths. Some look at humorous happenings, others investigate interesting personages and events – examples include a look at Cato the Younger possibly interviewing a pharaoh whilst sitting on the lavatory, an inventor and house ‘flipper’ called Sergius Orata, the revolt of Lepidus, and the fixing of an election. While aiming to be interesting and entertaining, the entries can also serve as jumping-off points for more in-depth study. To facilitate this, each chapter lists the secondary sources used in its creation, which doubles as ‘Further Reading’. So, if you want more on the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, Rome’s wars (internal and external), political trials, revolts or another subject addressed within, help is provided. There are also three subcollections interspersed throughout the compilation – the Catonic Interludes, which look at aspects of the career of Cato the Younger; Caesarian Setbacks, which look at battlefield defeats inflicted on Caesar and his lieutenants, while Avenging the Triumvirs looks at the fates of the men involved in the murders of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar. Looking at the Contents, you would be forgiven for thinking that ‘The Murder of…’ and ‘The Trial of…’ were also subcategories given how often chapters could be summed up in that manner…But then this Ancient Rome after all…

Cretan Chronicle: An Archaeological Childhood is about love and stoicism.As a young child, Mary is uprooted from her home in Crete among an archaeological community and resettles in England. Revisiting Crete each year, Mary begins to assist her father, Sinclair Hood, in his fieldwork. The ruined Palace of Minos transforms from her playground into her workplace. Sinclair struggles to publish excavation reports, preferring to revel in media acclaim. Burying family stories, he wrestles with pacifism and his Anglo-Catholic faith. Mary sets out to study architecture, and mixes pleasure and jealousy in a tangled love triangle with an artist-poet. She must learn to forsake lust, stop working for Sinclair, and figure her way out of her own Labyrinth.Steeped in the myths of Zeus and his daughter Athena, and born in Greece, but not Greek, Mary interweaves themes of identity, trauma and redemption with stories of fickle deities and the regenerative power of nature. She unearths her archaeological family’s secrets with riveting intricacy to give a unique perspective on her father’s unusual upbringing by a capricious wealthy mother, as well as his loves and career.Appealing to readers interested in mid-20th century archaeological lives, Cretan Chronicle sparkles with clarity and humour—strengthened and nurtured by the bright Mediterranean sun.

Three Women, a Rabbi and a Musician From Bohemia explores the lives of members of a Jewish family who lived in rural Bohemia for over two hundred years, from early in the 18th century. It follows:Three incredibly strong women forced to bring up their families on their own following the early deaths of their husbands. The rabbi who, after living in Vienna, moved back to Bohemia, helping other family members on the way. The musician who survived being bayoneted in Serbia in World War One, and then moved to Berlin where he fell in love with a ballerina. The threat of the Nazi invasion also led to some fascinating stories of escape, survival and renewal in new countries, especially for the author’s parents and his older siblings. One cousin journeyed East through Russia to Shanghai and another arrived in Palestine as a teenager, eventually becoming an expert in cultivating bananas.

From the world-leading expert on the Maya, a monumental history of a flourishing civilization across three millenniaThe Four Heavens brings to life the cultural and visual splendor of the ancient Maya, drawing on the oldest indigenous texts of the Americas and the latest archaeological discoveries to present an entirely new history of this spectacular civilization. Renowned historian and archaeologist David Stuart, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics, shows how there was no single rise and fall of the Maya but a series of births and collapses over a breathtaking span of nearly three millennia. Maya history was seemingly lost forever when the first Europeans encountered the great ruins of ancient cities in what is today Mexico and Central America. Today, with the recent decipherment of their ancient writings, the story of the Maya can now be told from their perspective. Stuart traces the rapid emergence of permanent settlements in the rainforest, which gave rise to monumental architecture and a flourishing urbanism and ushered in the Classic period of Maya civilization beginning in the mid-second century CE. He reveals a world of majestic royal courts tightly bound together by marriages, shifting alliances, and warfare, much of it driven by the ambitions of two major dynasties, the Kanuls and Mutuls. Stuart describes how the long-standing rivalry between these two great houses shaped the fates of the surrounding kingdoms and may have set the stage for “the Great Rupture” of the ninth century, when the royal courts buckled under the weight of internal strife, social unrest, and environmental crisis, transforming Maya civilization yet again. With stunning illustrations, including many of Stuart’s own drawings and images, The Four Heavens is a work of momentous historical sweep, one that paints an unforgettable portrait of the Maya and the richly complex social, political, and cosmological worlds in which they lived. Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta

The Future in Our Past tells the story of the 1926 General Strike on its centenary. It is a compelling on-the-ground account of how workers brought the country to a standstill for nine extraordinary days. Callum Cant and Matthew Lee take us on a journey through a Britain living on its nerves, from the London docklands to the South Wales coalfields and the railways and warehouses of middle England. Churchill feared that labour militancy presaged a Bolshevik-style revolution. The question of power hung in the air as rank-and-file militants pursued a chaotic, improvised and wildly uneven confrontation with the British ruling class. This is social history at its most immediate and relevant. Cant and Lee revisit the communities where the struggle burned brightest, uncovering the lessons the General Strike holds for labour movements today.

The history of Russia - from Kievan Rus to Vladimir PutinRussia: A History cuts through the myths and mystery that have surrounded Russia from its earliest days, with startling revelations from classified archives that until comparatively recently were not even known to exist.A distinguished team of historians has stripped away the propaganda and preconceptions of the past to tell the definitive story of Russia, from tenth-century Kiev and Muscovy through empire and revolution to the fall of Communism and the ''new order'' of the 1990s and early 21st century. A compelling story in its own right, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Russia and its place in the world. This updated edition now covers the developments in the Putin era in the first decade of the 21st century.

At 85 years of age, reflecting on his experiences in the Pacific Theater in World War II, former US Army cavalry soldier Warren E. Murtha said, “The proudest moment of my life occurred when I went through the gate at Santo Tomas in Manila and I saw the faces of the prisoners—the men, women, and children—their smiles, their expressions of relief and gratitude. . . . Suddenly I knew why we were on this mission . . . I thought to myself . . . all of it had been worthwhile in return for this one moment.” During World War II, the Japanese government held over 130,000 “enemy alien” civilians throughout the Pacific—including nearly 78,000 women and children. Most of the 7,800 civilians rounded up in the Philippines were American expatriates, and at any one time, about half of these were held at the campus of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. By late 1944, Washington, DC, was concerned that any ground gained as the US Army approached Manila in the early days of the new year would result in execution of the prisoners. Out of other options, a risky behind-the-lines attack was launched with 20,000 Japanese soldiers and 100 miles standing between the captives and their liberators. Until now, no book has effectively blended the story of the internees with the military operation to free them. Discussing uncomfortable topics such as racism, collaboration with the enemy, and illicit personal relationships, Sixty-Six Hours to Manila: Survival and Liberation at Santo Tomas, 1942–1945 shines new light on what has largely been a neglected chapter in the story of World War II in the Pacific.

In Civil War Photo Forensics, author Scott Hippensteel reconsiders iconic photographs from the American Civil War in a completely new light, questioning everything we have been taught about the images and their significance. Employing new scientific techniques to investigate the timing, location, and authenticity of photographs taken by Alexander Gardner, Mathew Brady, Timothy O'Sullivan, and their contemporaries, Hippensteel provides fresh insights into the motivations behind these pioneers in battlefield photography. As the first battlefield photojournalists, these documentarians and their work deserve a critical and scientific treatment of this order. In addition to their historical value, Hippensteel's study demonstrates that the degree of manipulation present in many of the most famous Civil War "combat" photographs should make us contemplate whether an image is more a work of art than an unbiased example of front-line reporting. Complete with 128 high-quality images, Civil War Photo Forensics will be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of Civil War and photography enthusiasts.

How should we remember George Washington’s entanglement in slavery? Americans have argued over that question for nearly 250 years. More than any other Founding Father, Washington’s ties to slavery have vexed us. He enslaved more people than any of his fellow founders, yet he was the only one of them to emancipate the people he held in bondage. Since his death, Americans have grappled with this contradiction, shaping and reshaping our collective memory of Washington and slavery—along with our understanding of the nation. In Thy Will Be Done, historian John Garrison Marks tells the story of Americans’ long, fraught struggle to come to terms with Washington’s legacy of slavery. He traces how politicians, abolitionists, educators, activists, Washington’s former slaves and their descendants, and others have remembered, forgotten, and manipulated slavery’s place in Washington’s story, and how they have wielded versions of that story in the political and cultural fights of their time. Marks shows how generational struggles over our collective memory of Washington and slavery have always been part of a bigger conversation about defining the United States and its people. As debates about the founders’ participation in the system of slavery continue to roil public discourse, Marks shows with new clarity that Americans have never collectively reconciled Washington’s conflicted legacy. By truly grappling with Washington’s role as enslaver and emancipator we may come to better understand the nation and ourselves.

*A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK, FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2025, SCOTSMAN BOOKS OF 2025, COUNTRY LIFE BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2025*'Packed with anecdote and colour, it's a surprisingly touching portrait of the countries' - Financial Times, Best Books of 2025'An insightful and engaging reflection on the appeal of the ancient' - The Times'I'm a card-carrying admirer of Peter Ross' - Robert MacfarlaneThe prehistoric sites of Britain and Ireland are places of wonder and wondering. Who made these structures? What did they mean to them? And what do they mean to us no? uthor of the bestseller Steeple Chasing and prize-winning A Tomb With A View, Peter Ross journeys from midwinter at Stonehenge to midsummer at Sycamore Gap. Along the way he encounters bog bodies in Dublin, a wooden goddess in Edinburgh and a chalk giant in Dorset. He asks what it is like to live within the great stone circle at Avebury, what rituals occurred in an Anglesey tomb and what draws volunteers to care for the Uffington White Horse. These objects and structures speak of the long human story. They offer the comfort of recognition and the pleasure of mystery. There is something about ancient places that fills a hollow in our souls. Upon A White Horse is a celebration of landscape and people - and all that is beautiful, strange and old. 'Ross scores highly on his intuitive interpretations of places and his non-judgemental observations of human nature; he is empathetic, but can stand back' - Country Life'Ross is a wonderfully evocative writer, deftly capturing a sense of place and history, while bringing a deep humanity to his subject' - Guardian

A highly illustrated study of the T-72 main battle tank and variants, detailing its history from the Cold War Soviet Army through to the current War in Ukraine. The T-72 is one of the most recognisable tanks in the world. Produced in large quantities, it has seen service in numerous Middle Eastern and African conflicts, as well as the War in Yugoslavia and the current conflict in Ukraine. In this new study, respected Russian armour experts James Kinnear and Stephen “Cookie” Sewell tell the full story behind this iconic tank using extensive primary source material from Russian archives, much of which is appearing in English for the first time. The T-72 was originally developed in the late 1960s as a cheaper alternative to the recently introduced T-64 Main Battle Tank and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1974, becoming the most common tank used by the Warsaw Pact from the 1970s until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with over 22,000 built for both domestic use and export. This new study contains over 300 photos detailing the history of the vehicle, as well as tables and data covering the weapons and systems used. It also covers related vehicles and systems such as artillery systems, engineer vehicles, bridge launchers, and recovery vehicles, as well as the unique heavy infantry support vehicles.

A globetrotting, laugh-out-loud funny history for grown-ups from the multi-million copy bestselling author. It is a truth universally acknowledged that the rich and powerful always look after their own and the working people are always revolting. But every now and again, a new group actually manages to seize power, and it changes history. In his new book, Revolting, bestselling Horrible Histories author Terry Deary takes readers on a hilarious and eye-opening journey through some of the most significant rebellions and uprisings that have happened through the ages, including:Ivaylo, the Bulgarian swineherd who managed to fight off the Mongols, slay the Tsar and marry his widow in the space of a year. Spartacus, a touch more modest in his aims, who mainly wanted to go home to see his mum. The two suffragists who posted themselves by Royal Mail to see the prime minister (a first-class idea, though Downing Street declined the parcel). From the peasants to the slaves, the martyrs to the mutineers, Revolting celebrates the resilience and determination of those who dared to challenge the status quo through the ages. Praise for A History of Britain in Ten Enemies:'If you could take just one history book to a desert island, this would be it. It is laugh out loud funny' Conn Iggulden, bestselling author of the Emperor series'Ram-packed with mind-blowing facts, hilarious characters, and little-known tales' Dan Schreiber, author of The Theory of Everything Else‘A book for anyone who ever wished there was a Horrible Histories for grown-ups' Kate Lister, author of A Curious History of Sex‘Not just an eye-opener, but a mind-opener’ Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors

Told through the diverse and fascinating careers of nine streamers, this is a “timely and insightful dive into the players and politics of one of the twenty-first century’s most influential modes of media” (Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine), examining how Twitch has revolutionized technology, entertainment, business, and pop culture. With 2.5 million viewers at any given moment, the streaming platform Twitch is in the lead and often well beyond mainstream networks like CNN and Fox during primetime. On Twitch, the Amazon-owned tech behemoth, the biggest personalities, like Kai Cenat, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, and Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker, can earn millions per year by firing up their internet connection and going live. Veteran technology and gaming journalist Nathan Grayson “captures the multitudes contained within Twitch while offering a captivating window into content creators’ lives” (Publishers Weekly), especially those who helped make the platform into a billion-dollar global business. From Twitch’s early days of rapid growth to acquisition by Amazon to the defection of creators and rival platforms, Grayson makes the radical argument that many social technology companies are far more dependent on their creators than the creators are on their platforms. Told through nine exceptional Twitch creators whose on-screen personalities helped the company grow into a powerhouse, this is the explosive and “necessary” (Mark Bergen, author of Like, Comment, Subscribe) story of when entertainment meets the internet in the era of social and video content domination.

Two great cities. One fierce rivalry. Countless untold stories. Athens and Sparta were the two big players in Ancient Greece. United, they helped lead the Greeks in defeating the great Persian invasion. Divided, they spread conflict and destruction throughout the eastern Mediterranean. They were not simply rivals for power, but polar opposites in culture and ideology: Athens was the outward looking, radical democracy with a maritime empire whilst Sparta was militaristic, rigidly disciplined and brutal. Both were experiments in how to run a state, epitomising the extremes of the Greek longing to excel. This is a story of politics and war, but also of culture. In Athens, philosophers dissected the physical and moral world, writers spun forth comedy and drama, and new ideas filled the city. Athens could be vulgar and cruel, but no other state has ever allowed thousands of citizens to debate its laws freely. Sparta was innovative in other ways, with a society divided into strict class groups and an astonishing focus on military training. Both cities were paradoxes – they were at once remarkably ordered and surprisingly prone to savagery. Athens and Sparta tells a remarkable story of the drama and extremity of human behaviour. It draws on ancient sources and modern discoveries and boasts a wide-ranging cast of characters ­– statesmen, lawgivers, rabble-rousers, philosophers, artists, courtesans, wives and heroes. The history of these cities truly is a microcosm of the human experience, in all its wonder and horror.