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    • Books

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History Books

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It is only from studying the past that we can learn about the present and so great history books are essential reading for anyone with an interest in the modern world. From the traditions of the Ancient World, expertly recounted by Mary Beard and Tom Holland, to reflections on the twentieth-century by the likes of Andrew Marr and David Kynaston – not to mention pioneering works by David Olusoga on Black British history – here are books that illuminate previous centuries and help us to understand our shared past.

See All

Our Best History Books

A Promised Land
Added to basket
A Promised Land
President Barack Obama
£35.00   £25.00
Hardback
The Anarchy
Added to basket
The Anarchy
William Dalrymple
£10.99   £9.49
Paperback
Normandy '44
Added to basket
Normandy '44
James Holland
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Dictators
Added to basket
Dictators
Frank Dikotter
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
Wisdom of the Ancients
Added to basket
Wisdom of the Ancients
Neil Oliver
£20.00   £16.99
Hardback
JFK
Added to basket
JFK
Fredrik Logevall
£30.00   £24.99
Hardback
Natives
Added to basket
Natives
Akala
£8.99
Paperback
Dominion
Added to basket
Dominion
Tom Holland
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
Sicily '43
Added to basket
Sicily '43
James Holland
£25.00
Hardback
Prisoners of Geography
Added to basket
Prisoners of Geography
Tim Marshall
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Dresden
Added to basket
Dresden
Sinclair McKay
£8.99
Paperback
Codebreaking Sisters
Added to basket
Codebreaking Sisters
Patricia Owtram
£8.99   £7.49
Paperback
Chastise
Added to basket
Chastise
Max Hastings
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Black and British
Added to basket
Black and British
David Olusoga
£12.99
Paperback
The Spy and the Traitor
Added to basket
The Spy and the Traitor
Ben Macintyre
£8.99   £7.49
Paperback
Ravenna
Added to basket
Ravenna
Judith Herrin
£30.00   £26.99
Hardback
Burning the Books
Added to basket
Burning the Books
Richard Ovenden
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback

New for 2020

100 Great Black Britons
Added to basket
100 Great Black Britons
Patrick Vernon
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Elizabethans
Added to basket
Elizabethans
Andrew Marr
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Why the Germans Do it Better
Added to basket
Why the Germans Do it Better
John Kampfner
£16.99   £14.99
Hardback
The Shortest History of England
Added to basket
The Shortest History of England
James Hawes
£12.99   £10.99
Hardback
Agent Sonya
Added to basket
Agent Sonya
Ben Macintyre
£25.00   £20.00
Hardback
War
Added to basket
War
Professor Margaret MacMillan
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Wisdom of the Ancients
Added to basket
Wisdom of the Ancients
Neil Oliver
£20.00   £16.99
Hardback
Sicily '43
Added to basket
Sicily '43
James Holland
£25.00
Hardback
Black Spartacus
Added to basket
Black Spartacus
Sudhir Hazareesingh
£25.00   £22.99
Hardback
Burning the Books
Added to basket
Burning the Books
Richard Ovenden
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
The White Ship
Added to basket
The White Ship
Charles Spencer
£25.00   £21.99
Hardback
The Light Ages
Added to basket
The Light Ages
Seb Falk
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Ravenna
Added to basket
Ravenna
Judith Herrin
£30.00   £26.99
Hardback
The Children of Ash and Elm
Added to basket
The Children of Ash and Elm
Neil Price
£30.00   £26.99
Hardback
Those Who Forget
Added to basket
Those Who Forget
Geraldine Schwarz
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
The Ratline
Added to basket
The Ratline
Philippe Sands
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Eat the Buddha
Added to basket
Eat the Buddha
Barbara Demick
£18.99   £16.99
Hardback
The Real Crown Jewels of England
Added to basket
The Real Crown Jewels of England
Clive Aslet
£20.00
Hardback

2020's Best Paperbacks

Afropean
Added to basket
Afropean
Johny Pitts
£10.99
Paperback
Dominion
Added to basket
Dominion
Tom Holland
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
Dresden
Added to basket
Dresden
Sinclair McKay
£8.99
Paperback
Appeasing Hitler
Added to basket
Appeasing Hitler
Tim Bouverie
£9.99
Paperback
A Short History of London
Added to basket
A Short History of London
Simon Jenkins
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Codebreaking Sisters
Added to basket
Codebreaking Sisters
Patricia Owtram
£8.99   £7.49
Paperback
Dictators
Added to basket
Dictators
Frank Dikotter
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
Chastise
Added to basket
Chastise
Max Hastings
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
The Anarchy
Added to basket
The Anarchy
William Dalrymple
£10.99   £9.49
Paperback
Court Number One
Added to basket
Court Number One
Thomas Grant
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
The Song of Simon de Montfort
Added to basket
The Song of Simon de Montfort
Sophie Therese Ambler
£10.99
Paperback
Normandy '44
Added to basket
Normandy '44
James Holland
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
The Twins of Auschwitz
Added to basket
The Twins of Auschwitz
Eva Mozes Kor
£7.99
Paperback
Crusaders
Added to basket
Crusaders
Dan Jones
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Who Owns England?
Added to basket
Who Owns England?
Guy Shrubsole
£9.99
Paperback
The Borgias
Added to basket
The Borgias
Paul Strathern
£10.99
Paperback
A Woman of No Importance
Added to basket
A Woman of No Importance
Sonia Purnell
£9.99   £7.99
Paperback
First to Fight
Added to basket
First to Fight
Roger Moorhouse
£10.99
Paperback

Black & British

Natives
Added to basket
Natives
Akala
£8.99
Paperback
Black and British
Added to basket
Black and British
David Olusoga
£12.99
Paperback
Homecoming
Added to basket
Homecoming
Colin Grant
£9.99
Paperback
Don't Touch My Hair
Added to basket
Don't Touch My Hair
Emma Dabiri
£9.99
Paperback
Brit(ish)
Added to basket
Brit(ish)
Afua Hirsch
£9.99
Paperback
Safe
Added to basket
Safe
Derek Owusu
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Dreaming in a Nightmare
Added to basket
Dreaming in a Nightmare
Jeremiah Emmanuel
£12.99   £10.99
Hardback
Black, Listed
Added to basket
Black, Listed
Jeffrey Boakye
£8.99
Paperback
100 Great Black Britons
Added to basket
100 Great Black Britons
Patrick Vernon
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Black Britain
Added to basket
Black Britain
Paul Gilroy
£19.99
Paperback
Black Tudors
Added to basket
Black Tudors
Miranda Kaufmann
£10.99
Paperback
Lovers and Strangers
Added to basket
Lovers and Strangers
Clair Wills
£10.99
Paperback
Staying Power
Added to basket
Staying Power
Peter Fryer
£16.99
Paperback
There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack
Added to basket
There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack
Paul Gilroy
£14.99
Paperback
Voices of the Windrush Generation
Added to basket
Voices of the Windrush Generation
David Matthews
£8.99
Paperback
Heart Of The Race
Added to basket
Heart Of The Race
Beverley Bryan
£11.99
Paperback

Luxury Editions & Gift Books

The English Civil War
Added to basket
The English Civil War
Colonel Nick Lipscombe
£50.00
Hardback
The Madman's Library
Added to basket
The Madman's Library
Edward Brooke-Hitching
£25.00   £22.99
Hardback
Meditations
Added to basket
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
£10.00
Hardback
Treasures of World History
Added to basket
Treasures of World History
Peter Snow
£30.00
Hardback
World War II: Infographics
Added to basket
World War II: Infographics
Jean Lopez
£29.95
Hardback
The Art of War
Added to basket
The Art of War
Tzu Sun
£12.99
Hardback
The Book in the Cathedral
Added to basket
The Book in the Cathedral
Christopher de Hamel
£9.99
Hardback
The Greek and Roman Myths
Added to basket
The Greek and Roman Myths
Philip Matyszak
£14.95
Hardback
Himalaya
Added to basket
Himalaya
Ed Douglas
£25.00   £22.99
Hardback
Battles that Changed History
Added to basket
Battles that Changed History
DK
£20.00
Hardback
Square Haunting
Added to basket
Square Haunting
Francesca Wade
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Spirit of Place
Added to basket
Spirit of Place
Susan Owens
£25.00   £21.99
Hardback
Civilization
Added to basket
Civilization
DK
£30.00
Hardback
History of Britain and Ireland
Added to basket
History of Britain and Ireland
DK
£20.00
Hardback
Pandora's Jar
Added to basket
Pandora's Jar
Natalie Haynes
£20.00
Hardback
The Story of China
Added to basket
The Story of China
Michael Wood
£30.00   £26.99
Hardback
The White Ship
Added to basket
The White Ship
Charles Spencer
£25.00   £21.99
Hardback

Little But Lovely

Stocking fillers at a great price

The Shortest History of England
Added to basket
The Shortest History of England
James Hawes
£12.99   £10.99
Hardback
A Dictionary of RAF Slang
Added to basket
A Dictionary of RAF Slang
Eric Partridge
£6.99
Hardback
Gwynne's Kings and Queens
Added to basket
Gwynne's Kings and Queens
Nevile Gwynne
£9.99
Hardback
Triumph and Disaster
Added to basket
Triumph and Disaster
Stefan Zweig
£9.99
Hardback
The Times On This Day
Added to basket
The Times On This Day
James Owen
£9.99
Hardback
Votes For Women!
Added to basket
Votes For Women!
Jenni Murray
£7.99
Hardback
Battle of Trafalgar
Added to basket
Battle of Trafalgar
Sam Willis
£8.99
Hardback
George III (Penguin Monarchs)
Added to basket
George III (Penguin Monarchs)
Jeremy Black
£14.99
Hardback
AEthelflaed: A Ladybird Expert Book
Added to basket
AEthelflaed: A Ladybird Expert Book
Tom Holland
£8.99
Hardback
The SAS Pocket Manual
Added to basket
The SAS Pocket Manual
Christopher Westhorp
£9.99
Hardback
Kings and Queens
Added to basket
Kings and Queens
Malcolm Day
£9.99
Hardback
The Spitfire Pocket Manual
Added to basket
The Spitfire Pocket Manual
Martin Robson
£8.99
Hardback
Great Britain
Added to basket
Great Britain
Stephen Halliday
£9.99
Hardback
SEE MORE

Our Best Military History Books

The Second World War
Added to basket
The Second World War
Antony Beevor
£14.99
Paperback
World War One
Added to basket
World War One
Norman Stone
£8.99
Paperback
The Battle of Britain
Added to basket
The Battle of Britain
James Holland
£12.99
Paperback
The War of the World
Added to basket
The War of the World
Niall Ferguson
£18.99
Paperback
Codebreaking Sisters
Added to basket
Codebreaking Sisters
Patricia Owtram
£8.99   £7.49
Paperback
Black Poppies
Added to basket
Black Poppies
Stephen Bourne
£12.99
Paperback
Chastise
Added to basket
Chastise
Max Hastings
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Spitfire
Added to basket
Spitfire
John Nichol
£8.99
Paperback
Dresden
Added to basket
Dresden
Sinclair McKay
£8.99
Paperback
A Woman of No Importance
Added to basket
A Woman of No Importance
Sonia Purnell
£9.99   £7.99
Paperback
First to Fight
Added to basket
First to Fight
Roger Moorhouse
£10.99
Paperback
Arnhem
Added to basket
Arnhem
Antony Beevor
£10.99
Paperback
The Art of War
Added to basket
The Art of War
Sun-tzu
£6.99
Paperback
Wings on My Sleeve
Added to basket
Wings on My Sleeve
Captain Eric Brown
£12.99
Paperback
The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram
Added to basket
The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram
David M. Guss
£9.99
Paperback
Normandy '44
Added to basket
Normandy '44
James Holland
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
A Spy Among Friends
Added to basket
A Spy Among Friends
Ben Macintyre
£10.99
Paperback
Burma '44
Added to basket
Burma '44
James Holland
£10.99
Paperback
See More

Our Best British History Books

Black and British
Added to basket
Black and British
David Olusoga
£12.99
Paperback
Chastise
Added to basket
Chastise
Max Hastings
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Black Tudors
Added to basket
Black Tudors
Miranda Kaufmann
£10.99
Paperback
Battle of Britain
Added to basket
Battle of Britain
Simon Pearson
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Endell Street
Added to basket
Endell Street
Wendy Moore
£17.99   £15.99
Hardback
Spitfire
Added to basket
Spitfire
John Nichol
£8.99
Paperback
The World's War
Added to basket
The World's War
David Olusoga
£10.99
Paperback
Lancaster
Added to basket
Lancaster
John Nichol
£20.00   £17.99
Hardback
Staying Power
Added to basket
Staying Power
Peter Fryer
£16.99
Paperback
Seashaken Houses
Added to basket
Seashaken Houses
Tom Nancollas
£9.99
Paperback
A Raid Over Berlin
Added to basket
A Raid Over Berlin
John Martin
£8.99   £6.99
Paperback
Mother Country
Added to basket
Mother Country
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff
£9.99
Paperback
A Line in the Sand
Added to basket
A Line in the Sand
James Barr
£9.99
Paperback
52 Times Britain was a Bellend
Added to basket
52 Times Britain was a Bellend
James Felton
£12.99
Hardback
I Spy
Added to basket
I Spy
Tom Marcus
£8.99
Paperback
Sons of the Waves
Added to basket
Sons of the Waves
Stephen Taylor
£20.00
Hardback
See More

Our Best World History Books

Revolutionary Iran
Added to basket
Revolutionary Iran
Michael Axworthy
£12.99
Paperback
Maoism
Added to basket
Maoism
Julia Lovell
£12.99
Paperback
Sapiens
Added to basket
Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari
£10.99   £8.99
Paperback
The Silk Roads
Added to basket
The Silk Roads
Peter Frankopan
£12.99   £9.99
Paperback
The New Silk Roads
Added to basket
The New Silk Roads
Peter Frankopan
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Added to basket
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Dr Neil MacGregor
£14.99   £10.99
Paperback
A Little History of the World
Added to basket
A Little History of the World
E. H. Gombrich
£9.99
Paperback
The Square and the Tower
Added to basket
The Square and the Tower
Niall Ferguson
£12.99
Paperback
The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu
Added to basket
The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu
Charlie English
£9.99
Paperback
Koh-i-Noor
Added to basket
Koh-i-Noor
William Dalrymple
£9.99
Paperback
Histories of Nations
Added to basket
Histories of Nations
Peter Furtado
£9.99
Paperback
The Earth is Weeping
Added to basket
The Earth is Weeping
Peter Cozzens
£12.99
Paperback
The Secret World
Added to basket
The Secret World
Christopher Andrew
£35.00
Hardback
A Line in the Sand
Added to basket
A Line in the Sand
James Barr
£9.99
Paperback
Jerusalem
Added to basket
Jerusalem
Simon Sebag Montefiore
£14.99
Paperback
The Islamic Enlightenment
Added to basket
The Islamic Enlightenment
Christopher de Bellaigue
£11.99
Paperback
See More

Our Best European History Books

A Short History of Europe
Added to basket
A Short History of Europe
Simon Jenkins
£10.99
Paperback
Reckonings
Added to basket
Reckonings
Mary Fulbrook
£25.00
Hardback
Last Witnesses
Added to basket
Last Witnesses
Svetlana Alexievich
£12.99
Paperback
Chernobyl
Added to basket
Chernobyl
Serhii Plokhy
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
Chernobyl Prayer
Added to basket
Chernobyl Prayer
Svetlana Alexievich
£9.99
Paperback
France
Added to basket
France
John Julius Norwich
£12.99
Paperback
A Certain Idea of France
Added to basket
A Certain Idea of France
Julian Jackson
£16.99
Paperback
The Race to Save the Romanovs
Added to basket
The Race to Save the Romanovs
Helen Rappaport
£9.99
Paperback
Travellers in the Third Reich
Added to basket
Travellers in the Third Reich
Julia Boyd
£10.99
Paperback
Red Famine
Added to basket
Red Famine
Anne Applebaum
£12.99
Paperback
East West Street
Added to basket
East West Street
Philippe Sands
£9.99   £8.49
Paperback
October
Added to basket
October
China Mieville
£9.99
Paperback
Les Parisiennes
Added to basket
Les Parisiennes
Anne Sebba
£9.99
Paperback
The Templars
Added to basket
The Templars
Dan Jones
£9.99
Paperback
Blitzed
Added to basket
Blitzed
Norman Ohler
£10.99
Paperback
Istanbul
Added to basket
Istanbul
Bettany Hughes
£12.99
Paperback
The Years
Added to basket
The Years
Annie Ernaux
£12.99
Paperback
See More

Our Best Ancient History Books

A World Beneath the Sands
Added to basket
A World Beneath the Sands
Toby Wilkinson
£25.00   £21.99
Hardback
Infamy
Added to basket
Infamy
Dr. Jerry Toner
£16.99
Hardback
Cities of the Classical World
Added to basket
Cities of the Classical World
Colin McEvedy
£12.99
Paperback
SPQR
Added to basket
SPQR
Professor Mary Beard
£10.99   £9.99
Paperback
The Darkening Age
Added to basket
The Darkening Age
Catherine Nixey
£9.99
Paperback
The Great Empires of Asia
Added to basket
The Great Empires of Asia
Jim Masselos
£9.99
Paperback
Civilisations: How Do We Look / The Eye of Faith
Added to basket
Civilisations: How Do We Look / The Eye of Faith
Mary Beard
£15.00   £6.99
Hardback
Praetorian
Added to basket
Praetorian
Guy de la Bedoyere
£10.99
Paperback
Pax Romana
Added to basket
Pax Romana
Adrian Goldsworthy
£10.99
Paperback
The Odyssey
Added to basket
The Odyssey
Homer
£13.99
Paperback
Rubicon
Added to basket
Rubicon
Tom Holland
£12.99
Paperback
The Classical World
Added to basket
The Classical World
Robin Lane Fox
£14.99
Paperback
Meditations
Added to basket
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
£7.99
Paperback
The Story of Egypt
Added to basket
The Story of Egypt
Joann Fletcher
£12.99
Paperback
The Mighty Dead
Added to basket
The Mighty Dead
Adam Nicolson
£9.99
Paperback
The Spartans
Added to basket
The Spartans
Paul Cartledge
£10.99
Paperback
Babylon
Added to basket
Babylon
Paul Kriwaczek
£11.99
Paperback
The Ancient Paths
Added to basket
The Ancient Paths
Graham Robb
£10.99
Paperback
Ben Macintyre on Agent Sonya

Ben Macintyre on Agent Sonya

Author Ben Macintyre discusses his new book Agent Sonya, and the extraordinary life of the most remarkable female spy in history, Ursula Kuczysnki.

Abdulrazak Gurnah on the Conflagration of the First World War in Africa

Abdulrazak Gurnah on the Conflagration of the First World War in Africa

The award-winning novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah discusses the historical background of his new novel Afterlives.

James Holland on the Battle for Sicily

James Holland on the Battle for Sicily

James Holland, military historian and author of Sicily '43, discusses the thirty eight day battle for Sicily and it's vital importance to the direction of World War II.