A fantastic voyage through 15,000 years of history that laid the foundations for civilisation as we know it by award-winning science writer Steven Mithen.Twenty thousand years ago Earth was in the midst of an ice age. Then global warming arrived, leading to massive floods, the spread of forests and the retreat of the deserts. By 5,000 BC a radically different human world had appeared. In place of hunters and gatherers there were farmers; in place of transient camps...

A fascinating and incisive examination of our language instinct from award-winning science writer Steven Mithen.Along with the concepts of consciousness and intelligence, our capacity for language sits right at the core of what makes us human. But while the evolutionary origins of language have provoked speculation and impassioned debate, music has been neglected if not ignored. Like language it is a universal feature of human culture, one that is a permanent fixtu...

Steven Mithen's unique history of water and society in the ancient world has never been told before and is particularly relevant today in the face of global climate change.The planet faces a 21st-century global water crisis - but to what extent is this really new? Past societies and ancient civilisations have always faced climate change and been dependent on their ability to harness and manage a water supply. This has often been a key driver of historical change, l...

'Powerful' The Economist'Fascinating, panoramic . . . Roach brings an expert eye and page-turning energy' Helen Castor, bestselling author of She Wolves'Narrated with pace, clarity, authority and style, Roach's book is a bracing tour of the world that the Normans made their own' Thomas Williams, bestselling author of Viking Britain'A fresh retelling . . . written with enthusiasm an...

The irresistible story of Japanese cherry blossoms, threatened by political ideology and saved by an unknown Englishman'This is not just a tale of trees, but of . . . endeavour, war and reconciliation' Sunday TimesCollingwood Ingram, born in 1880, became known as 'Cherry' for his defining obsession. As a young man, he travelled to Japan and learned of the astonishing displays of cherry blossoms, or sakura.On a retu...

****Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year**The Penguin Classics Book is a reader's companion to the largest library of classic literature in the world.**Spanning 4,000 years from the legends of Ancient Mesopotamia to the poetry of the First World War, with Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Japanese epics and much more in between, it encompasses 500 authors and 1,200 books, bringing these to life with lively descriptions, literary connections and beautiful co...

'BEAUTIFULLY, A BOOK ABOUT BIRDS' The Sunday Times | 'ENGAGING AND EYE-OPENING' The CountrymanUncover the life of owls through this beautiful guide to these secretive and charismatic birds from the bestselling author of The Robin, The Wren, and The Swan.Owls are among the most mysterious birds in the world. Their hauntingly beautiful calls and mostly nocturnal habits have long ca...

As featured on BBC News and TIME'The potential of seaweed, or marine algae, to transform our world is huge… excellent book' New ScientistThe seaweed revolution is a fresh hope for tomorrow.Seaweed develops in water everywhere, from the eternal glaciers to lagoons heated by the sun, from seas saturated with salt to the fresh water of our rivers. Yet we only know how to cultivate a few dozen varieties, at most. Incredibly diver...

'Superb' Sunday Times'Revolutionary' Alice Roberts'Hugely important' Jim Al-Khalili_______________A radical retelling of the history of science that foregrounds the scientists erased from historyIn this major retelling of the history of science from 1450 to the present day, James Poskett explodes the myth that science began in Europe.The blinkered Western gaze focusing...

What was it like to start a feminist bookshop, in an industry dominated by men? How could a lesbian thrive in Thatcher's time, with the government legislating to restrict her rights? How do you run a business when your real aim is to change the world?Silver Moon was the dream of three women – a bookshop with the mission to promote the work of female writers and create a much-needed safe space for any woman. Founded in 1980s London against a backdrop of homophobia a...

An absolutely joyous, gasp-out-loud achievement. - Stephen FryShakespeare's flame is infectious. An olympic torch, for us all, to be enlightened, words which share the shadow and light of humanity's hues. - LionHeart, artist, poet and BBC Radio London presenterSilver Medal Winner at the 2024 Nautilus Book Awards.Shakespeare had an ear and hand that was able to capture our everyday thoughts and emotions, pin them to ...

UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE 2024 ELECTIONA GUARDIAN AND DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR'BRILLIANT' ANDREW MARR'MAJESTIC' GUARDIAN'ESSENTIAL' JON SOPEL'A CRACKING READ' FINANCIAL TIMES'A SHARP INSIDER ACCOUNT' NEW STATESMANThe full inside story of fourtee...