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A compelling narrative of the largest land battle of its time, and the decisive engagement of the Russo-Japanese War.Mukden stands out as the most significant battle of the Russo-Japanese War. By February 1905, the conflict had reached its culmination, as Port Arthur had fallen to the Japanese after an epic six-month siege. Now free to mass all his field armies, Japanese commander Marshal Oyama shifted his focus to the Russian forces assembled around the city of Mukden. The Russians, led by General Kuropatkin and numbering over 300,000 men, had finally achieved sufficient strength to conduct their own offensive. A Russian victory would be vital to save both deteriorating morale in the army, as well as to reassure the home front. This fascinating work documents the decisive set-piece battle between the opposing sides on the plains and hills of Manchuria. Maps, diagrams, battlescene artwork and period photos bring to life the brutal clash, the largest battle in history up to that point. Exploring the unabated fighting across a 90-mile-long front in the depths of winter, John Valitutto considers the effectiveness of each armies'' manoeuvres, the trench warfare that prefigured World War I, and the influence of machine guns and massed heavy artillery on the battle’s outcome. Mukden made it clear to all that the conduct of war was changing, with new technologies and tactics demonstrating their terrible potential to the world.

The first part of a detailed study of one of the longest, and most brutal, tactical operations of World War II. In September 1944, the Allied High Command continued to press eastwards towards the Rhine, the thrust being spearheaded by Courtney Hodges'' US First Army, whose proposed line of advance was through a wooded area south of Aachen, known locally as the Hürtgenwald – or Hürtgen Forest. On the opposing side, the German forces under the overall command of Walter Model would do all they could to defend the Reich, but also maintain a staging post for the forthcoming Battle of the Bulge. Fought in brutal terrain – heavily wooded, riven with razor sharp ridgelines and precipitous cliffs, and with a woefully inadequate road network – and in all elements, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a grinding and protracted encounter where gains were measured in feet and yards and not miles. This study explores the first phase of this bloody battle, including the ‘Aachen Question’ facing the Allies. Featuring stunning artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, and period images, this book provides a gripping narrative of the infamous clash in the Hürtgen Forest, concluding with an assessment of the situation in November 1944, and the preparations for the next phase of operations.

This fully illustrated book assesses the trial of strength between US Navy PT boats and Japanese destroyers operating in the Solomon Islands during 1942–43.During the Solomons fighting, the IJN was forced to rely on destroyers to move men and materiel to its forward garrisons. Conducted at night to avoid American air power, these missions, first seen during the struggle for Guadalcanal, were dubbed the Tokyo Express. Unable to derail the Tokyo Express by using its destroyers, the USN deployed PT boats off Guadalcanal from October 1942; sinking one destroyer and damaging another.As the fighting moved into the Central Solomons, the USN attempted to disrupt the build-up of Japanese forces on New Georgia Island and other Japanese strongholds by using cruisers and destroyers, but this approach resulted in heavy losses. PT boat operations were increasingly important after the Japanese turned to barges to move troops and supplies.Full-colour artwork and mapping and carefully chosen archive photographs complement vivid battle narratives and shrewd analysis in this lively account of the ships and men fighting on both sides in the crucial Solomon Islands campaign at the height of World War II. Renowned authority Mark Stille explores the background to this epic clash of arms, charts its course during 1942–43, and offers insights into the performance of both sides in this pivotal campaign of World War II in the Pacific.

**A Guardian Book of the Summer 2025**** The instant top 5 Sunday Times bestseller from political commentator Ash Sarkar **''One of the boldest and most exciting thinkers of her generation'' NAOMI KLEIN''Delivers its message with punch and panache ... A joy to read'' GUARDIAN''If leftists feel they have been stumbling around in the darkness, Minority Rule flicks on the light'' STANDARDWe live under minority rule. But who is the ruling minority?Most of us are getting screwed over. Our world is defined by inequality, insecurity, lack of community and information overload. As the world burns, mega-corporations are reporting record profits. How are they getting away with it?‘Minority rule’ is the term Ash Sarkar uses to describe the irrational fear that minorities are trying to overturn and oppress majority populations. In her eye-opening debut, she reveals how minority elites rule majorities by creating the culture wars that have taken over our politics, stoking fear and panic in our media landscape. Because despite what they’ll have you believe, antiracist campaigners aren’t actually silencing the ‘forgotten’ working class, immigrants aren’t eating your pets, trans-activists aren’t corrupting your children, and cancel culture isn’t crushing free speech.In Minority Rule, Sarkar exposes how a strategic misdirection of blame over who is really screwing everything up is keeping the majority divided, while the real ruling minority of hedge fund managers, press barons, landlords and corporations remain on top. And it’s facilitating one of the biggest power grabs in history. Most crucially, she shows us how what we really have in common is being concealed by a deafening culture of distraction – and that the first step towards a better future is understanding what is happening now, and how we got here.An 2025 highlight for GQ, New Statesman and Irish TimesMinority Rule was no. 4 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart, 09/03/25

Come What May follows Debi Gliori’s much-loved foxes, Large and Small, as they head out on a picnic in the countryside to wind down after a rather trying afternoon attempting some baking. As their walk takes them across flower-strewn meadows, through cool woods and eventually up onto a gentle hill from which they can see their cosy home below, they reflect on all the moods a single day can hold. And as a squall of rain briefly threatens their picnic, they eventually decide that moods may change like the weather, but their love for each other will always remain constant. A warm-hearted, uplifting story, told with genuine affection and flourishes of humour, perfect to read at bedtime – or any time!

All that is hidden will soon be revealed . . . ''Steeped in atmosphere, sprinkled with suspense and vivid characters ... An engaging, entertaining read'' Daily Mail''A triumph ... deliciously intriguing'' Harriet Constable, author of The Instrumentalist ''Impeccably researched, masterfully plotted, beautifully written'' Santa Montefiore''Imaginative. The streets, parlours and galleries of London and Oxford come alive in this twisting, Victorian-era drama.'' Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black CakeOne morning in 1890, a painting wrapped in brown paper appears on the steps of the National Gallery and causes a sensation. It’s clearly by Timothy Ponden-Hall, whose paintings were celebrated and debated not just for their beauty, but for the rumours behind them: they were believed to immortalise the souls of their subjects. But Ponden-Hall has been thought dead for the last 50 years. . . In a bid to quiet the gossip and rumours that swirl around the streets of London, the gallery brings in renowned and reluctant art historian Solomon Oak to investigate. Oak is assisted by an unlikely aide: his daughter Alice. A passionate but sheltered student, Alice has worldly desires which eclipse the life she’s expected to lead. Together they discover that exposing Ponden-Hall’s legacy will prove more controversial than they could ever have imagined for their family, and for Victorian society.Set between London and Oxford, The Portrait Artist is a twisting debut exploring race, fame and long-kept secrets.''An intriguing and original debut'' Emily Howes

‘I read this book in two sit downs! It is filled with compassion. An honest look at navigating life, marriage, family, neurodiversity and veg.’ Anna Maxwell Martin‘A truly beautiful, magical book – I urge you to give it to anyone having a midlife wobble, because Lucy is unashamed about showing her vulnerability and what it is to be human, a woman, a wife and a mum in the 21st century. Heart-breaking and heart-warming, but the ultimate message is one of hope: never give up on the one you love.’ Veronica Henry"On National Divorce Day, my husband Steve and I decide to break up. After years of depression and mood swings (him) and hope and defeat (me) enough is, quite frankly, enough.Until a chance remark triggers a chain of events leading to Steve’s diagnosis of ADHD and autism. What follows is a year of discovery, denial, medication and salvation as we, our teenagers and even our beloved Golden Retriever, Margot, set out to embrace this new reality. But will my plan to start an amateur honesty box business from our tiny Devon village be the catalyst to bring us together, or drive us further apart?This is about what it is like to try and rebuild a marriage. It is a funny, heart-wrenching, uplifting quest for truth, transformation and marrows.I guess you could call it a love story too."‘A beautiful and much needed book about what it is like to be in a relationship with someone who is neurodivergent, and the challenges it can bring! Lucy’s story highlights just how life changing a diagnosis can be, and how it can truly save relationships.’ Rich and Rox Pink, @adhd_love_

Fully illustrated, this book assesses the Roman and Dacian fighting men who clashed in three bloody encounters during the Dacian Wars of AD 85–106. While the Roman emperor Trajan’s two campaigns against the Dacian people (AD 101–02 and 105–06) are widely known, the earlier conflicts between the Dacians and their Roman neighbours are also important. Drawing upon the latest research and findings, this fully illustrated study investigates the emperor Domitian’s Dacian war (AD 86–88) as well as Trajan’s campaigns. Inhabiting an area of Europe from the Tisza River to the Black Sea, the Dacians mounted raids into Roman territory throughout the 1st century AD. In 85 Dacian forces invaded Roman territory; after defeating the invaders, the Roman Army moved into Dacia. Distracted by other crises, Domitian made peace and Dacia became a client kingdom of Rome. In AD 101, the emperor Trajan launched a pre-emptive strike on Dacia, prompting the Dacians to sue for peace in 102. In 105, Trajan’s troops commenced a new campaign; the Romans besieged the Dacian capital, Sarmizegetusa. After the Dacian king committed suicide, a new Roman province of Dacia was established. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and mapping, this study pits the might of the Roman Army against the formidable Dacians, showing how the fighting men of both sides adapted their tactics and technologies as the fighting progressed.

An illustrated study of the uniforms and personal equipment worn by the personnel of the Kriegsmarine, the German Navy of the Third Reich, from 1935–45.Founded in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, the Kriegsmarine was established in 1935 and reached a peak strength of more than 800,000 personnel in 1944. Its original aim of amassing a surface fleet on parity with Great Britain’s Royal Navy shifted with the outbreak of World War II, after which focus moved to submarine warfare, with the Kriegsmarine’s U-boats exacting a heavy toll on Allied shipping across the globe. Meanwhile, several of its formidable capital ships – notably the Graf Spee, Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau – saw widespread action as Nazi Germany strove to defeat the Allies at sea.In this new study, Nigel Thomas examines the evolving organization, uniforms and equipment used by the Kriegsmarine during its ten-year existence, spanning its pre-war beginnings, the invasion of Norway in 1940, and through to the deployment of Kriegsmarine personnel as grounds troops from 1943–45. The different gear worn by its various branches of service is described in detail and illustrated with newly commissioned colour artwork and an array of specially selected photographs.

The definitive photographic guide to the mammals of Spain, Portugal and the Balearic Islands.With rushing rivers, steep mountains, and a rich variety of forests, the Iberian Peninsula is home to a wealth of wildlife. Over recent years, areas of conservation and rewilding have seen mammals such as the Grey Wolf and the endemic Iberian Ibex and Iberian Lynx thrive, making it an increasingly popular destination for ecotourists. Written by celebrated wildlife photographer Carlos Bocos Gonzalez and naturalist James Lowen, this guide covers all 99 terrestrial mammal species resident in the region. Each species account includes concise details on the animal’s behaviour, habitat and activity periods, as well as full colour photographs and descriptions of key features to aid accurate identification. Practical guidance for finding wildlife is also provided, including an overview of some of the best locations, seven recommended mammalwatching itineraries and information on how to watch mammals safely, responsibly and effectively. Portable yet authoritative, this is the perfect guide for travellers and wildlife enthusiasts visiting this spectacular region.

A kaleidoscopic investigation of Dickens’s imagination and the world he created.See Dickens as never before in this creative biography, which delves into his novels, journalistic essays and letters to reveal his strange, hilarious but obsessive personal character and the audacity of a mind that set out, as he said, to rearrange the universe. Peter Conrad’s bold rediscovery of Dickens suggests that he alone rivals Shakespeare and in some ways betters him. As well as re-examining the great novels, Conrad’s book probes the journalism in which Dickens reports on his risky ventures into the urban underworld. It also describes the celebrated but dangerously over-intense public readings in which, as at a seance, he allowed his most terrifying characters to take possession of him. Ultimately itreveals how the forces of creation and destruction come together in Dickens, who despite his reputation for jollity and effusive sentiment found it increasingly hard to control the madness and violence of his own self-destructive genius.Dickens the Enchanter takes us deep into an imagination whose power and originality struck some contemporaries as godlike while others thought it demonic. If you already love Dickens, it will renew your understanding of him; if you have yet to read him, it will lure you into his astonishing, alarming, enchanted world.

‘A labyrinthine masterpiece’ New York Times‘A subversive twist on the traditional serial killer story’ TIME‘Obsessive, dreamlike and hallucinatory’ Layla MartinezA city is always a cemetery.When a professor named Cristina stumbles upon the corpse of a man in a dark alley, she finds a stark warning on the brick wall beside the body, scrawled in coral nail polish: ‘Beware of me, my love / beware of the silent woman in the desert.’ After reporting the crime to the police, the professor becomes the main informant of the case, led by a detective with a newfound obsession with poetry and a long list of failures on her back. As the bodies of more men are found, the detective tries to decipher the meaning of the poems, and the stream of violence spreading throughout the city.A dark and dazzling literary thriller that flips the traditional crime narrative on its head, Death Takes Me explores with masterful imagination the unstable terrains of gender and violence, death and desire.A TIME MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK FOR 2025Translated by Sarah Booker and Robin Myers

From New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree – the soaring fifth novel in the bestselling Bone Season series.''A fabulous, epic fantasy thriller ... Lavish, ebullient, escapist'' The Times‘Samantha Shannon is a master storyteller and wordsmith’ Katherine Webber ‘Blazing a trail for a new generation of feminist fantasy authors’ GraziaEverything is about to change. Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade – but she has no idea how she got to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory. As she makes her way back to the revolution, her journey takes her to Venice, where she learns a dangerous secret – one that could change the face of the war between humans and immortals. Before she can return to London, she must help the Domino Programme unravel the sinister Operation Ventriloquist. And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories – Arcturus Mesarthim – might also hold the key to saving Italy. Lyrical, touching and action-packed, The Dark Mirror drives the bestselling Bone Season series forward, showing Samantha Shannon at the height of her powers.

From Kensington to the East End, under candlelight, gas lamp and then neon signs, London is both a bustling physical metropolis and a stirring psychic encounter. The most depraved depictions of London in fiction, film, poetry, television and theatre have irrevocably merged with the reality of its dark history, creating a phantasmagoria defined by murder, vice and the unnatural. In this panoptic look at the capital at its most eerie and macabre, Clive Bloom takes a tour of Gothic London''s uncanny literature, arcane events and its infamous and imagined geographies. From David Bowie to T S Eliot, Thomas de Quincey to Aleister Crowley, the prophetess Joanna Southcott to the ''ghosts'' of Abba and the worlds of Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker, these are the figures that populate a city lost in fog and blind alleys, where the dead can be raised, the living sacrificed and the clandestine thrive. Suturing together fact and fantasy, London Uncanny presents the urban landscape of the capital as a space of wonder and madness, haunted by its past and haunting the present. Stalking through disease and degeneracy, death and murder, spiritualism, lunacy and the occult, Bloom crafts a singular, integrated concept of a London where dreams and nightmares meet.

The ultimate handbook for artists and makers to learn how to deliver outstanding in person and online workshops. Packed full of advice, inspiration and practical information, this book goes into all aspects of creating quality workshops, from curating a program and identifying your target students, to finding the best platform – be it in person or online. Additionally, you’ll learn how to teach your creative skills all whilst juggling the practicalities of pricing and marketing. As well as checklists, examples and action points there are case studies, photos and Q&As with a wide variety of artists who successfully teach a variety of subjects such as printmaking, embroidery, ceramics, jewellery-making and hand-weaving. Award-winning creative business adviser, trainer and coach, Patricia van den Akker, teaches you how to become a better and more confident teacher and how to promote and launch your workshops to turn them into a profitable venture, whether delivering them to amateur adults, peers, or specialist groups.

"Erudite, quirky, and amusing." Sebastian FaulksObject Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.The pub is an English institution. Yet its history has been obscured by myth and nostalgia. In this unique book, Philip Howell takes the public house as an object, or rather as a series of objects: he takes the pub apart and examines its constituent elements, from pub signs to the bar staff to the calling of “time.” But Pub also explores the hidden features of the pub, such as corporate control, cultural acceptance and exclusion, and the role of the pub in communities.