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From multi-award-winning author Peter Frankopan now comes a dazzling illustrated edition of his bestselling book, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History.Featuring bold and captivating artwork from Romolo D'Hipolito, The Earth Transformed: Illustrated Edition guides readers on an extraordinary journey through the history of our world - like nothing they've ever seen before! Illuminating the way in which our planet's changing natural environment has shaped all aspects of our planet's story, this masterful retelling captures the impressive scale of the Frankopan's original bestseller while ensuring this new, illustrated edition is accessible to all readers. Starting at the Big Bang through volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes, changing oceans and freak weather events to bring us up to the present day, this book explains how Earth's climate is constantly changing and what it can teach us as we face the challenges of global warming today.With over 50,000 copies of the original book sold, this is a must-read for those interested in both how our miraculous world came to be, and what we can do to ensure its incredible future.

Written by leading historian Jeremy Black, this fascinating reference guide charts an incredible history of the modern world.In this masterful account, Black explores the key themes that have shaped the history of the modern world since 1950. Eschewing a simple political narrative, he instead explores the roles of the environment, demographics, the economy and technology in driving change in the world.The story begins in 1950, by which time a new world order had come into place, with Communism firmly established in Russia, Eastern Europe and China, decolonisation well underway in the old European empires, and the American monopoly on nuclear weaponry at an end, setting the stage for the Cold War.Over the course of the next 75 years, the world changed immeasurably - the population nearly tripled; climate change became ever more pronounced; new liberal values regarding gender, sexuality and age took hold; television and then the internet became the primary drivers of culture; and a new frontier of exploration opened up in space. At the same time tensions continued in politics, with alternative models of democracy and authoritarianism coming into fierce conflict and a range of new countries emerging through decolonization.Ranging widely across the globe, A History of the Modern World sheds new light on this fascinating era.

Kniha klade důraz na stručný, srozumitelný a poutavě psaný text, který poskytuje základní informace o panovníkovi, jeho rodině, nejvýznamnějších událostech a osobnostech doby vlády a o zajímavostech. Důraz je kladen na představení panovníka na větším množství portrétů, od dětství až po konec života a doplňují je portréty manželek, případně dětí. Veřejnost české krále zná většinou jen na několika portrétech, které se v médiích neustále opakují, některé portréty jsou téměř neznámé, přitom jsou zajímavé a poskytují nám možnost poznat jejich osobnost. Vhodně jsou použity i mapy a zemské znaky, které ukazují, jak se postupně měnila rozloha zemí Koruny české. Kde je to vhodné, jsou doplněny fotografie nebo nákresy staveb, které jednotliví králové vybudovali.

Often misconceived as a dark ''between-time'' between the ancient and modern eras, the Middle Ages was in fact a period of radical transformation. Professor of Medieval History Phyllis G. Jestice gives a fascinating overview of this incredible period across the world, bringing to life the personalities, the technologies, the politics and the culture that defined this period in the development of the world we know today.Includes:• The rise of Christianity• The astounding advances in the sciences and the arts in the Islamic world• How economic powerhouses developed in Africa and powerful states arose in the Americas• How trade flourished throughout central Asia and China in the form of the Silk Roads• The terrifying depredations of the Mongol invasions• The crusades and other conflicts of Europe that marked a so-called era of ''chivalry''.

The combat superiority of the jet fighter as demonstrated towards the end of World War II presented the U.S. Navy with a significant problem. Carrier-based aircraft have additional and burdensome design requirements compared to those that do not have to fly on and off carriers. Through experience and innovative design by their aircraft suppliers, the Navy were flying propeller driven fighters that were in no way operationally inferior to their land-based adversaries. Now they had to do it again with a higher degree of difficulty - the innate limitations of jet propulsion could not have been more incompatible with safe and routine carrier-based operation.This is a new and expanded edition of a book which examines the US Navy''s internal struggle to adapt the jet engine to its style of warfare, as well as the development and evolution of carrier-borne fighters, their airframes and engines, from the closing days of World War II through to the 1990s. The book profiles the turbulent design and development stage of the Navy''s carrier-based jet fighter programme. From the successful designs - such as the Fury, Banshee, Crusader, and Phantom II, to the also-rans, like the Fireball, Demon, Pirate, and Cutlass - the Navy''s needs are measured against contractor and political demands and the limits of the evolving engine and aerodynamic technologies of the day. The successful transition to high-performance, carrier-based jet fighters wasn''t just accomplished by the airplane and engine manufacturers. Timely and thoughtful innovations in aircraft carrier design, operational procedures, training and equipment were also necessary.The previous edition had taken the story up to 1962. Substantial additions to this edition include new chapters on the F6D/F-111B, F-14A/B/C/D and F-18A/B/C/D. Significant events post 1993 are also covered including the retirement of the F-14 and "legacy" F-18, the introduction of the F-18E/F, F-35C and unmanned aerial refuelling programmes.This book includes many photos and illustrations including engine cut-aways, aircraft comparison diagrams and details of the safety improvements made to aircraft carriers to enable higher speed and high-gross-weight jet operations.

An illustrated look at Ancient Egypt and one of the earliest recorded battles that put a stop to Ramesses II''s drive into Syria.In c. 1286 BC, Ramesses II was pharaoh and commander of the Egyptian army. He led an expedition northwards from the eastern delta, through Palestine, and aimed for the city of Kadesh, which was currently in the hands of the Hittites. What Ramesses did not expect was that the Hittites'' leader, King Muwatallis, was in the city, which made his plans much harder. Meeting in battle at the Orontes River in southern Syria, it was the largest clash of chariots ever seen. The Hittites proved to be formidable opponents, managing to slice through the second division of the Egyptian army with a targeted chariot attack. In the end, the Hittites were forced to retreat but the Egyptians also failed to capture Kadesh and had to withdraw out of Syria.In this detailed volume, Egyptologist Anthony Spalinger explores the history of the Egyptians and Hittites, looking at how they fought and how Kadesh came to be considered one of the most decisive battles of the ancient world. With stunning artwork, maps, diagrams and images of carvings from multiple temples, Ancient Egypt is brought to life, showcasing one of the earliest recorded set-piece battles.

WW2 Codebreaking People and Places is the first volume of a series on a glossary of codebreaking, ‘People and Places’, brings to the reader an easily understandable account and listing, of those involved in collecting and analysing military intelligence, principally during the second world war. Whilst some will be well known, such as Alan Turing, many others have made significant contributions to codebreaking but fail to attract the attention of the media for the most part. From an individual named ‘Wren’ who worked at a codebreaking outstation supporting Bletchley Park, to a mathematician who modified a codebreaking machine just prior to D-Day, to a ladies foundationwear factory in Hertfordshire that helped make machine components, these people and places now can be appreciated as to where they fitted-in within the overall picture of gathering, and processing enemy intelligence in wartime.The entries are cross-referenced to enable the reader to research as much or as little as they want, to dip-in to the glossary, to use it as a basis for further study, or just to learn a little more about the people that helped us win the war with our allied friends. .

When Hitler came to power in 1933 he promised the German people a technocratic state where science, technology and education would grow and flourish. Unfortunately, any attempts to achieve such a goal were dependent on his educational background which was fundamentally flawed and severely distorted.Hitler’s schooling was a troubled time where he struggled with many subjects. In particular he found conflicting views between science and religion so difficult to understand it caused him to “run his head against the wall”. He was also heavily educated in subjects like myths, magic, pseudo-sciences and the occult which would become his versions of alternative science and alternative facts. These alternatives remained with him into adulthood where, as Fuhrer, his mentality and mindset towards science was highlighted when he announced: "A new age of magic interpretation of the world is coming, of interpretation in terms of the will and not the intelligence."Hitler’s ideology and rise to power also came at an interesting time for physics which was hinting at that will not intelligence interpretation. The early decades of the twentieth century had seen a revolution in two apparently connected key areas of the subject known as quantum mechanics and relativity; these would have a dramatic influence on Hitler and the physics of the Third Reich. During the 1920s quantum mechanics was suggesting that just by observing an experiment a scientist could alter the outcome and reality. However, at the same time Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was also developing and whereas the two areas were believed to be linked, to the Nazis there was a serious problem. Whereas German physicist Max Planck’s quantum physics was a non-Jewish science hinting at that promised magical underlying foundation to physics and reality, Einstein was Jewish and so was his theory. Moreover, relativity was difficult to understand and accept, especially amongst certain right-wing experimental physicists. Therefore, relativity was easy to reject with the magical quantum world eagerly accepted by the Nazis.However, with Hitler’s ability to understand science clearly strained and steadfast from childhood together with his seething anti-Semitism, this decision set the Nazis on a research road very different from the Allies. As the decade progressed so did the ridicules towards Jewish science through Einstein and his theory. This set in motion extreme anti-Semitic attacks on him by those extreme right-wing experimental physicists many of whom would later find key roles in Hitler’s government. As such, the theoretical physics dominated by Jewish scientists was rejected en mass with key Jewish scientists dismissed from their academic posts. Instead, the Third Reich favoured experimental, or applied, physics which shaped much of Hitler’s war machine with the so-called magical interpretation of quantum mechanics and its apparent will over intelligence providing the basis for unconventional pseudo-scientific research, research like free energy, anti-gravity and hidden occultist physics through ancient texts.Through Hitler’s key reforms in science and education and Heinrich Himmler’s SS, science became politicised with an added danger that certain areas were replaced with Nazi alternatives like pseudo-science, magic and the occult. The result was certain areas of true sciences became pseudo-sciences while the Third Reich’s pseudo-sciences became the true sciences. Disciplines then became Aryan physics, Aryan chemistry, Aryan biology, Aryan mathematics, and so on, with all expected to prove their place within National Socialism or perish. From there science experienced an era of division and decline with loss of freedom and diversity, misapplication of innovation and the inevitable decline in some areas of the natural sciences, especially physics and mathematics.By the war’s end Himmler’s SS had taken control of much of Nazi Germany’s scientific research and with the unthinkable d

Last Resting Place looks at the loss of each of the ten capital ships of the Royal Navy that were sunk during the Second World War. The stories of some of the sinkings are well known and have become deemed simply part of the fortunes of war. Naval war involves battles, and in sea battles, sooner or later, protagonists are sunk.But for some of the capital ship losses the stories of how disaster struck are not quite as straightforward. The sinking of HMS Hood, for instance, has led to questioning the verdict of the official enquiry over many years, even up to the present day. It was concluded at the time that Hood was lost to a lucky hit from Bismarck that drove through the ship and caused a magazine at the stern to catch fire. The inquiry did go through various possibilities in detail but this was the best fit of three alternatives considered and has been left to stand. Yet Hood’s record of numerous dockings for repairs before her last sortie – some of which were heavy – was never even brought up, a surprising omission and the more so since close to the outbreak of war the First Sea Lord had commented: ‘she [Hood] needs a complete and total change of machinery as hers is twenty years old,’ and ‘the likelihood of her being able to steam at speed for any distance must be considered remote.’ Why was mechanical breakdown overlooked? The author’s detective work has brought to light some radical new conclusions.Some other ships such as Ark Royal and Hermes had their wrecks located on the seabed miles away from the official recorded position of their sinking and the loss of Royal Oak in Scapa Flow was an avoidable debacle. Even more contentious was the loss of Glorious, sent to Norway to recover some hopelessly antiquated Gloster Gladiator aircraft and lost on her return when she ran into the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The results of the inquiry into her sinking were later locked away for 100 years, a decision that has led to much speculation about the actual purpose of her mission and what is it about it that is being hidden from public view.In ten chapters the author dissects what happened to these fine ships, how their losses came about and where their wrecks are located; and he looks in detail at theories, causes and conclusions surrounding the sinkings. It is a fascinating compilation for anyone interested in the history of the Royal Navy’s great capital ships and sheds genuine new light on the calamitous destruction of nearly half of them during the War.

Scott White’s journey began in Edinburgh, Scotland, where at the age of 25 he stepped into the unforgiving world of private security. He trained alongside former special forces instructors, learning the intricacies of Close Protection from weapons handling, specialist driving, tactics, and how to keep calm in chaos. For six years, working in Europe and the UK, he lived in the shadows of high-threat assignments, protecting VIPs in a game where hesitation could be fatal.But the biggest leap came at 31, when Scott became a Private Military Contractor and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan – two of the most dangerous places on earth at the height of their wars. For seven long years, he moved through blown-out cities and scorched desert roads, escorting high-value targets under fire, running convoys through kill zones, and staring down death more times than he can remember. The days bled into nights filled with bombings, ambushes, gunfights and the constant hum of dread. And yet, in that madness, something beautiful grew – the brotherhood. The deep, unspoken bond between men who would die for each other without hesitation.While some of those men became brothers for life, others didn’t make it home, and far too many made it back in body, but never in mind. Some took their own lives. Others drifted into the slow suicide of addiction, and Scott was no different. Flashbacks. Guilt. The crushing silence no one back home could break. He lost his marriage, his family, his home. And in the darkness of it all, he lost himself. But somewhere, something began to shift. Slowly, painfully, he began to piece himself back together.This is a personal story of the journey of survival, of both brutal combat zones and the PTSD that followed. It is about what the war takes from you, and the silent, defiant choice to keep going.

Following on from Medieval Military Medicine, from the Vikings to the High Middle Ages, this volume explores the diseases and wounds, both physical and psychological, suffered by soldiers during the subsequent 250 years, alongside the treatments administered by those who looked after them.Drawing once again on diverse contemporary sources, including numerous firsthand accounts, Medieval Military Medicine: From the Late Middle Ages to the Early Sixteenth Century begins by exploring the medical landscape of the period and its close ties to warfare. It highlights the many discoveries and rediscoveries that emerged in response to the continual improvements and innovations in weaponry. Certainly, the most notable technological advancement in European warfare at this time was associated with the introduction and development of gunpowder weapons, which enabled armies to cause much greater harm to one another and led to the development of several new treatments. Further chapters examine the broken bones, as well as the disfigurements and disabilities endured by warriors of this era. One of the most catastrophic disasters in human history, the bubonic plague, struck during the middle of the fourteenth century and continued to resurface in deadly encores every few years afterwards. It undoubtedly left its mark on Europe’s armies, as did the outbreak of a virulent strain of syphilis that began at the end of the fifteenth century, both of which are explored here. The book’s final chapter examines the psychological consequences of war, considering its impact on soldiers as well as on the broader civilian population of Europe during these two-and-a-half centuries.

"The greatest glory for a woman is not to be spoken of at all, either for good or ill," declared Pericles. For centuries, this sentiment echoed through the corridors of history, shaping a narrative that often confined women to silence, invisibility and the margins of power. But history is far richer and more complex than we’ve been led to believe.This book reveals the lives of remarkable, trailblazing medieval women who refused to be written out of history. In a world dominated by men, they defied convention, challenged gender expectations, and carved out legacies as rulers, consorts, warriors, authors, and visionaries. From Anglo-Saxon female rulership to the political intrigue of the Wars of the Roses, these women stepped beyond the roles assigned to them and transformed the world around them, as well as the course of history.Through meticulous research, this book brings their voices to the fore, revealing the impact they had not only in their own time but on the generations that followed. These are not just tales of exception, but of courage, intellect, and influence—testaments to the fact that women have always shaped history.Their names deserve to be remembered. Their stories deserve to be told.

The Coritani were one of the largest tribes in Roman Britain. Their territory stretched over much of what we would now call the East Midlands, from the Nene to the Humber, and from the North Sea to the hills of south Derbyshire. Within this extensive and varied landscape the level of civic achievement varied from the squalor of the native villages in the valley of the Trent to the comparative splendour of the civitas capital at Leicester.Undertaken by the late acclaimed archaeologist and ancient historian Malcolm Todd, this classic study of the tribe is a vital and influential piece of research that continues resonate today.

'Utterly enthralling' JESSICA J. LEE, author of Two Trees Make A Forest'Lush, magnetic, elegiac and absorbing' MEGHA MOHAN, author of Herlands'Skilfully crafted and beguilingly immersive' SANTANU BHATTACHARYA, author of DeviantsMeet the matriarchs of Filipino myth – defiant goddesses, powerful witches, terrifying shapeshifters – and their real-life counterparts, as Carla Montemayor journeys to discover her own ancestry and the stories of her people. When Carla Montemayor discovers that her great-great grandmother was a binukot – a girl sequestered from her family and community, trained to memorise and sing the myths of her people – this sets her on her own epic journey to uncover her ancestry. Why was she raised on European fairytales and Greek myths when the stories of her own people are so rich? And why did no one in her family speak of their illustrious binukot foremother anymor? ravelling to the Philippines to trace the lives of her female relatives, Carla discovers that, officially, her people have no history. Like many indigenous groups, their stories have been erased by colonists. It becomes her work to reconstruct and reimagine them. Weaving together the tales of her family members, who survived war, oppression, violence, displacement and more, with the myths of her people, Carla finds similarities: women with courage, resourcefulness and ambition, who fight and love with equal ferocity. Islands of Forgotten Daughters celebrates these women and tells their tales, offering a fresh perspective on Filipino history and culture. It is a rallying cry for the power of storytelling: to resist erasure, preserve identity and resonate for generations to come. '[A] beautiful book' JULIET NICOLSON, author of Frostquake'An important and tender act of recovery' ROMALYN ANTE, author of The Left-Behind Child'A beautiful tale of diaspora, love and loss' MIRIAM GOLD, author of Elena: A Handmade Life

The Battle of Berlin, the bombing of the ‘Big City’ as it was known to the crews of RAF Bomber Command, raged from 18 November 1943 to the end of the war in Europe in 1945. It is recalled here both by those in the air over capital of the Third Reich, as well as those who suffered under the bombing onslaught.At the start of the Battle of Berlin, Sir Arthur Harris had predicted that the ‘Big City’ would ‘cost between 400-500 aircraft’, but that it would also ‘cost Germany the war’. He was proved wrong on both counts. Berlin was not ‘wrecked from end to end’, as Harris predicted on 3 November 1943 – ‘if the USAAF will come in on it’ – although a considerable part of it was destroyed. And the ‘Main Battle of Berlin’ did not cost Germany the war; a grinding land campaign had yet to be fought. More than 9,000 bombing sorties were flown during the battle on round trips of about 1,200 miles to Berlin and back.Berlin was bombed by four Allied air forces between 1940 and 1945. British bombers alone dropped 45,517 tons of bombs, whilst the Americans a further 23,000 tons. By 1944, some 1.2 million people, 790,000 of them women and children, about a quarter of Berlin’s population, had been evacuated to rural areas. An effort was made to evacuate all children from Berlin, but this was defeated by parents and many evacuees who soon made their way back to the city. However, by May 1945, 1.7 million people – 40% of the population – had fled the city.This fitting tribute to those who died in the relentless struggle to knock Berlin, and hopefully Germany, out of the war resonates with eye-witness accounts and background information which the author has painstakingly investigated and researched. The result is a hugely fascinating and highly readable narrative containing very real and unique observations by British and Commonwealth aircrew and, equally importantly, the long-suffering citizens of Berlin, and well as the capital’s defenders.Up to the end of March 1945, there had been a total of 314 air raids on Berlin, eighty-five of these in the last twelve months. Estimates of the total number of dead in Berlin from air raids range from 20,000 to 50,000; the relatively low casualty figure in Berlin is partly the result of the city’s formidable air defences and shelters.The Battle of Berlin was not a defeat in absolute terms, but in the operational sense it was an offensive that Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris and his aircrews could not win. ‘Berlin won’ concluded Sir Ralph Cochrane, the Air Officer Commanding 5 Group RAF Bomber Command. ‘It was just too tough a nut.’

Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the US Navy had been in action, but only in the course of carrying out defensive duties such as escorting convoys across the Atlantic. Pearl Harbor changed that completely, launching the full might of the United States into the now global conflict.In the years that followed, the US Navy incurred significant losses in every theatre in which it participated. Some of the losses were the direct result of combat, others of accidents and incidents. Richly illustrated and carefully researched, this book provides a unique record charting every loss incurred by the US Navy during the course of the Second World War.

Augustus and Tiberius; Caligula, Claudius and Nero – we can all name a Roman emperor or two.But what about the philosopher Marcus Aurelius musing in his favourite villa on the Danube in Austria?How about the wretched Valerian, used as a mounting block for the King of Persia before being flayed alive?Or Elagabalus, the sun-worshipping transgender emperor?He who took the poisoned chalice of the Imperial purple was feared and respected. But these were no ordinary rulers. Ambitious, cunning, ruthless and cruel, fear was their watchword and raw power, through the dangerous Praetorian Guard and the legendary legions, their enforcer. Few died peacefully in bed.Rome and her emperors were anything but ‘little’, but The Little Book of Roman Emperors packs them all in with a punch – discover both the key players and lesser-known figures behind one of the greatest empires ever known. Full of fascinating insights, this compendium is essential reading for everyone interested in the history of Rome.

1066 is one of the most famous dates in English history, with the Norman Conquest highlighted in the Bayeux Tapestry (due in England for the first time in 2026). But how much do we really know about what is a far more complex story? This book represents a fresh approach to such issues as:? How Athelstan’s England slipped into the disasters of Aethelred and the Danish Conquest of 1016. ? How England and Normandy were linked long before and after Hastings. ? How Edward the Confessor contributed to the Norman Conquest, and what defeat really meant to the English. ? How the Norman inheritance led to Anarchy before Henry II expanded his territory through to the south of France. ? How Henry’s legacy was comprehensively lost by his sons, with England given to the pope and nearly taken over by the French. ? How, out of all this adversity, Magna Carta and an effective parliament emerged, proving England and its people remarkably resilient.

Dobová levice litovala, že pokus nasadit socialismu lidskou tvář skončil pod pásy tanků. Historik sice nemůže spekulovat, co by tento experiment přinesl, i tak je ovšem látka roku 1968 natolik bohatá, že vydá na celý svazek Velkých dějin zemí Koruny české. Klíčových momentů, které příběh „osmašedesátého“ ženou vpřed, je mnoho: dva měsíce trvá odcházení Antonína Novotného z funkce prvního tajemníka, propuká Šejnova aféra, zaniká cenzura a vládnoucí strana ztrácí moc nad médii. Vzniká Akční program KSČ a krystalizují parametry nově vznikajícího politického systému, pootevírají se hranice na Západ, překotně se vyostřují československo-sovětské vztahy. Devatenáctý svazek Velkých dějin sleduje, jak se demokratizační proces z podstatné části vymyká stranické kontrole, vedení státu bojuje za reformu na dvou frontách – doma a v socialistickém táboře – a nakonec čelí invazi, únosu do Moskvy a brutálnímu nátlaku „spojenců“. Autor hodnotí obsah tzv. moskevského protokolu a důsledky podpisu československé reprezentace. Zajímá ho však i to, jak na tyto dramatické události reagoval Západ.