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A fresh portrait of Greece''s forgotten Near Eastern identity, with old cultural, political and economic ties reforming in today''s turbulent world.Caught between wars raging in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Greece is an island of relative stability. Popularly considered the cradle of Western civilisation, this is a Christian Orthodox state on the edge of the Islamic world. And, after a half-century of integration into NATO and the EU, Greece is now reabsorbing into the Near East, as the West fractures and new Middle Eastern powers rise. The country’s importance as a cultural and geopolitical hybrid is growing.Travelling through the region, Sean Mathews explores at ground level the tectonic shifts reshaping Europe and the Middle East. He meets the last Greek merchants in Cairo, and hears from Istanbul’s remaining Greeks about Turkey’s break with the West. In Jerusalem, he discovers a budding alliance between Greece and Israel; and in a faded Ottoman port, he encounters football hooligans loyal to a Russian oligarch.This bold reappraisal of Greece as a Near Eastern nation uncovers its Byzantine and Ottoman past as a key to survival in today’s chaotic, shrinking world.

Investigates how Chinese state entities have compromised British business and politics at the highest levels.In the 2010s, as China slid deeper into authoritarianism and the UK veered towards political uncertainty, the two countries declared a ''Golden Era'' of relations. This challenge to the established international order came amid rising global concern around Chinese party-state intrusions abroad.All That Glistens peels away the shiny exterior of the Sino-British ''golden age'' to reveal a relationship built on global capitalism, British corruption and Chinese Communist Party influence over UK affairs--to the disquiet of London''s allies.Drawing on his years on the ground in Beijing, as well as investigative research using open-source intelligence, Martin Thorley''s timely book sheds light on a murky aspect of international relations. He reveals coordinated Chinese state actions reaching into the heart of Parliament, and the widespread compromise of British politics by Chinese commercial entities--particularly nuclear energy, property development and currency-trading enterprises. Exposing the close connections between Western financialisation and China''s geopolitical interference, this book offers a cautionary tale for all liberal democracies.

A searing indictment of how Afghan elites and the Western powers pulled the rug on the Afghan people, abandoning them to their fate.The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 was the result of declining active support for the government, and of waste and inefficiency in aid delivery. Yet, while corrosive, these problems were not in themselves sufficient to have brought about a collapse. To a significant degree, they were the result of early failings in institutional design, reflecting an American inclination to pursue short-term policy approaches that created perverse incentives—thus interfering with the long-term objective of stability.This book exposes the true factors underpinning Kabul’s fall. The Afghan Republic came under relentless attack from Taliban insurgents who depended critically on Pakistani support. It also suffered a creeping invasion that put the government on the back foot as the US tried and failed to deal with Pakistan’s perfidy. The fatal blow came when bored US leaders naively cut an exit deal with the enemy, fatally compromising the operation of the Afghan army and air force and triggering the final collapse, with top leaders at odds over whether to make a final stand in Kabul.The Afghan Republic did not simply decline and fall. It was betrayed.

From British high society to republican Spain and civil rights America, the inspiring, wildly entertaining story of Jessica Mitford--investigative journalist, radical activist, renegade aristocrat.Jessica ''Decca'' Mitford was raised to marry well, not fight for others'' rights. Yet she rejected her eccentric, blue-blooded roots, running away from England to become an antifascist and antiracist. Why is this rebellious heroine less famous than her glamorous sisters, who ranged from naughty to Nazi?Troublemaker is the remarkable story of Decca''s life in pursuit of justice, in the Spanish Civil War and the Communist Party USA; her intrepid social reporting, and her relentless antics. Carla Kaplan celebrates a fierce intellect and powerful ally who brought joy to the struggle, unearthing fascinating details through interviews with the Mitford family, and exploring Decca''s thousands of witty letters. From pioneer Dr Spock to Decca''s best friend Maya Angelou, this Mitford sister''s irreverent anti-authoritarianism deeply influenced American culture. Back home in Britain, her activism shamed those of her class--and her family--on the wrong side of history.This passionate, often hilarious biography captures an extraordinary woman, and an extraordinary time in world history. Facing today''s injustices, we need Decca''s vibrant, committed example more than ever.

A disturbing portrait of the fascist youth movements warping Russian society and politics.How did Vladimir Putin win Russians’ support for his genocidal war in Ukraine and why are so many of them willing to embrace fascism? This vivid, bottom-up narrative reveals the dark realities of youth fascism in Russia—and the darker future awaiting the country if that hold cannot be broken.Wartime Russia is drowning in fascist symbols. Zealous patriots attack journalists, opposition activists, and anyone suspected of betraying the motherland. Hordes of online trolls and sleek videos of angry young men urge citizens to join the cause. State television terrifies viewers with false tales of anti-Russian conspiracies and genocidal yearnings. Child soldiers proudly parade across Red Square. This is Russia in the 2020s: a land of performative rage and nationalist untruth, where pretence and broken promises are a way of life, and an apocalyptic mindset is seizing tomorrow’s Russians.As compelling as it is chilling, Z Generation shows how Russia has ended up here, and where its young people may be headed: a fascist generation more violent and ideological than anything the country has seen before.

‘The Gaza I knew, and whose length and breadth I’ve travelled, has ceased to exist.’ Jean-Pierre Filiu, acclaimed historian of Gaza, is intimately familiar with the land’s people and places; he speaks the local dialect. But nothing prepared him for what he encountered there in December 2024. This is his unforgettable, unbearably intimate account of one month in a place shattered by Israel’s all-out war. When the historian returned to Gaza, he arrived under circumstances unimaginably different from his many past visits since 1980: only a limited number of convoys were allowed into the Strip, and he was one of the few humanitarians able to enter, this time by night. He remained inside for thirty-three days, and emerged determined to bear witness to the devastation?to the Gazans fighting simply to live, every single day. Filiu’s haunting portrait of a land betrayed is a grim work of war reportage, documented with the acuity of a historian; and a lyrical narrative of human suffering, and human dignity.

Russia is intent on attacking beyond Ukraine. Can Europe defend itself? While Ukraine holds back Russia’s onslaught, Moscow has been working hard at rebuilding its army for the next invasion. But for the past 30 years, Britain and Europe have been running down their armed forces and defence industries, thinking that war would never come. Most of the continent banked an increasingly illusory ‘peace dividend’ while outsourcing defence to the United States. Now, change in the US and clear intent from the Kremlin have set Europe scrambling to rebuild its defences. But will it be enough, and can it be in time? In this urgent, vital book, Keir Giles lays out the stark choices facing leaders and societies as they confront the return of war in Europe. If the freedom and prosperity that the continent takes for granted are to be preserved, the sacrifices required will affect everyone, without exception. Above all, Giles calls for new leadership in defence of Europe as the US steps aside?and warns that the UK’s brief opportunity to set the pace has already been squandered.

A revelatory journey into the Spanish Civil War''s physical and visual legacies, investigating how conflict is memorialised, and obscured, today.Fifty years after Franco''s death, and almost ninety since the Civil War began, the scars of violence still run deep in Spain. Nick Lloyd traces this legacy through a series of road trips. Travelling through Catalonia and Aragón, among the last Republican strongholds, he visits battle sites, museums, memorials and more. Speaking with historians, local guides and descendants of International Brigaders, he discovers how places and objects offer clues to a painful past. A Barcelona plaque, metres from the author''s home, commemorates the birthplace of Francesc Boix, a photographer whose short but eventful life took him from the Catalan front to the Nuremberg witness box. In Huesca, a dogged journalist builds monuments to his city''s wartime resistance, while the preserved ruins of Belchite mark the devastation of fierce street fighting. A journey across the Franco-Spanish border follows the footsteps of the anti-fascist refugees later incarcerated in French concentration camps.As debates over ''historical memory'' highlight enduring political rifts, Lloyd powerfully chronicles how war is remembered--or not--in Spain and beyond.

Uncovers the remarkable role of emigration, particularly of indentured labourers, in forging independent India’s foreign relations.Over the centuries, millions of migrant labourers sailed from the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, to shape what is now the world’s largest diaspora. This book recovers the histories and legacies of those ‘coolie’ migrants, and presents a new paradigm for the diplomatic history of independent India, going beyond high politics to explore how indenture, emigration and international relations became entangled.Before and after independence, Indian notions of the international realm as a sanctified space were shaped by migrant journeys; this was a space of anxiety in which to negotiate the ‘coolie stain’ on the country’s reputation. Discourse was defined by intersections of caste, class, race and gender—and framed the migrant worker as the quintessential ‘other’ of Indian diplomacy.Drawing on rich, multi-archival analysis spanning the vast geographies of labour migration, Kalathmika Natarajan pieces together the stories of quarantine camps en route to Ceylon; cultural and educational missions in the Caribbean; discretionary passport policies in India; and the mediation of immigrant life in Britain. The result is a nuanced history from the interwar period to the decades after independence, and a critical analysis centring both caste and the negotiation of ‘undesirable’ mobility as foundational to Indian diplomacy.

In this book, Armen Sarkissian, former president of Armenia, argues that small states can navigate the complex challenges of the twenty-first century in smarter ways than ''greater'' powers. For smallness — often regarded as a weakness — can be a strength. It may induce insecurity in states, but also endows them with an instinct for survival. Large states are ponderous; small states can be agile and adaptive. Drawing on his deep experience as a scientist, businessman, diplomat and head of state, Sarkissian offers captivating portraits of small states, from Africa to Europe to Asia, that have overcome seemingly insuperable odds to establish themselves as oases of political stability, cultural tolerance, technological innovation, financial prudence and scientific research. Sarkissian returns to the uncertain beginnings of these small states to demystify their improbable rise. Along the way, he introduces us to a cast of tenacious leaders with a knack for converting crisis into opportunity. Widely regarded as the most respected Armenian leader on the world stage, Sarkissian ends with a poignant homage to his motherland. Part memoir, part manifesto, it is a stirring insight into the world''s oldest Christian country, which is at once an ancient civilisation, a small state and a global nation.

A gripping social and political chronicle of Syria before and after revolution, as the global shockwaves continue rippling.For decades, Syrians longed for an ordinary life. When Bashar Assad was unexpectedly toppled in December 2024, they celebrated the fall of a dynastic dictatorship. But as they strive for post-Assad justice, they must grapple with the legacy of a freedom fight begun many years before.When Hafez Assad''s violent rule ended in 2000, many believed his son heralded change; but Bashar betrayed those hopes. When Syrians finally rose up in 2011, they were mercilessly crushed by his regime--backed by Russia and Iran--and abandoned by the Western powers claiming to support them. Now, with a new power in Damascus, can the people forge the new Syria they''ve dreamed of for a quarter-century? Rime Allaf, Damascene herself, narrates a struggle for dignity that has shaken the world. With expert analysis, poignant storytelling and a deep personal connection with the region, she paints an intimate portrait of a devastated society, and of a resilient people determined to find peace. 

City of Kashmir offers readers a journey into the 2,000-year history of Srinagar, exploring its written history, legends and oral traditions to take a living pulse. In exploring the city''s geography, it maps the daily rituals of life and the accompanying material culture, as well as the crafts for which Srinagar is justly famed worldwide. Based on twenty years'' research in Srinagar as a heritage consultant, Sameer Hamdani''s narrative is shaped and populated by glimpses of the historical built environment and other rich personal reflections, as well as selected translations of Sanskrit, Persian and Kashmiri poetry from the medieval and early modern periods.  Hamdani provides a detailed overview of the origin and development of Srinagar on a scale never previously attempted, covering the entirety of the pre-Muslim and Muslim eras in medieval Kashmir, with a focus on the cultural life of the city. Richly illustrated with drawings, sketches and other images, this inviting book will be a timely addition to our expanding knowledge of regional cultures across South Asia, especially as witnessed through their material production and legacies. 

The epic story of Helsinki--founded by Sweden, refashioned by Russia, forever shaped by the sea.Over 475 years, the Finnish capital has gone from a sleepy fishing village to a thriving Nordic metropolis, globally renowned for its architecture, design and quality of life. This intricate and expansive new history lays bare the perils--and occasional perks--of Helsinki''s position on the Baltic Sea, sandwiched between East and West.In flowing prose and fascinating anecdotes, Henrik Meinander explores all corners of Helsinki''s past, from trade and the Olympics to the colour of everyday life. He narrates the city''s survival through the rise and fall of two empires; its triumph as an independent capital in 1917; and how, since then, it has grown and flourished through language battles, Soviet air raids and Cold War compromises.More than most European capitals, Helsinki has spent centuries at the mercy of geopolitical twists and turns far beyond its control. This book is a timely reminder of how quickly such forces can alter a city''s destiny--yet, ultimately, can be overcome.

From the colonial period to today, Javed Gaya analyses how political and legal decisions have shifted the debate on community and citizenship in India.Majoritarianism in India examines the strident nationalism seizing India today, tracing its roots back to decisions made in the 1940s, particularly Partition and the drafting of the Constitution. Pre-Partition India had debated whether ''liberty''--understood as ''one man, one vote''—or ''equality''—the equal political representation of minorities within a federal structure--should be the basis of a state. Congress chose ''liberty'', but contemporary India is reaching the point where it has neither: its democracy is compromised and majoritarianism prevails. By dividing the subcontinent and elevating the ''cow belt'', Partition seriously impeded social and economic progress in the newly created states, and brought communalism and casteism to the fore. Javed Gaya investigates the origins and consequences of India''s increasingly majoritarian system, assessing the frailty of constitutional safeguards, the role of the judiciary and the subversion of federalism. He analyses the futility of today''s quest for cultural purity, and shows how history is being rewritten with an exclusionary intent. He both interrogates the myths created to sustain this nativist ideology—including around the causes of Partition and the alleged privileging of minorities—and discusses the role of citizenship and the externalisation of the Hindu-Muslim conflict. 

Kingdom of Football explores how and why Saudi Arabia burst onto the landscape of world football in 2023, and examines what the speed and scale of Saudi engagement—as investor, owner, sponsor, host and competitor—might mean for the Kingdom and for football.Writing as both a football fan and a Gulf specialist, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen offers historical and comparative contexts for Saudi Arabia’s startling emergence as a world football hub in the 2020s, exploring both previous Saudi investment in the game, in the 1970s, and national attempts elsewhere to kickstart the sport, as in the United States, Japan and China.Going beyond popular media labels such as ‘sportswashing’, this fascinating book examines what drives Saudi policymaking, connecting the move into football with domestic economic and social developments, as well as external and foreign policy considerations. It also examines how Riyadh’s foray into world football both builds upon and yet differs from the approaches taken by other Gulf States, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Finally, Coates Ulrichsen assesses the sustainability and durability of the Kingdom’s engagement with the sport in the decade-long countdown to the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is set to host.

Calls for an imaginative surge to fix our battered societies, fusing bold ideas and practical experiment.As the world confronts the fast catastrophe of Covid and the slow calamity of climate change, we also face a third, less visible emergency: a crisis of imagination. We can easily picture ecological disaster or futures dominated by technology. But we struggle to imagine a world in which people thrive and where we improve our democracy, welfare, neighbourhoods or education. Many are resigned to fatalism—yet they desperately want transformational social change.This book argues that, although the threats are real, we can use creative imagination to achieve a better future: visualising where we want to go and how to get there. Political and social thinker Geoff Mulgan offers lessons we can learn from the past, and methods we can use now to open up thinking about the future and spark action.Drawing on social sciences, the arts, philosophy and history, Mulgan shows how we can recharge our collective imagination. From Socrates to Star Wars, he provides a roadmap for the future.