'A masterpiece of history'DAILY TELEGRAPHBetween 1917 and 1921 a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the collapse of the Tsarist empire. Many regard this savage civil war as the most influential event of the modern era. An incompatible White alliance of moderate socialists and reactionary monarchists stood little chance against Trotsky's Red Army and Lenin's single-minded Communist dictatorship. Terror begat terror, which in ...

Rasputin: visionary, fraud or victim of history?THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'THE GOLD STANDARD OF NARRATIVE HISTORY' DAN SNOW'ONE OF THE GREAT STORIES OF HISTORY, TOLD BY ONE OF OUR GREATEST HISTORIANS' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE'THIS EXTRAORDINARY STORY HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER TOLD' ANTHONY HOROWITZ'A STUNNING BANQUET OF A BOOK' ROSE TREMAIN

A fascinating account of Russia's famous dissident and the politics he embodies.Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of the world media. His immediate detention at passport control set the stage for an explosive showdown with Vladimir Putin.But Navalny means very different things to different people. To some, he is a democratic hero. To ot...

Brought to you by Penguin.The author of The Ruin of All Witches returns with a gripping, vividly told journey of rediscovery, uncovering his uncle’s past as a soldier, prisoner, fugitive and partisan in World War Two ItalyMalcolm Gaskill knew two things about his great-uncle Ralph’s wartime adventures: he’d been a prisoner in Italy, and he’d cut his way out of a train with a knife and fork. Apart from that, he’d faded into family fo...

A thrilling memoir from one of the last living WW2 pilots, published to mark his 105th birthday'Colin Bell DFC is one of the most remarkable people I've ever met' JAMES HOLLAND'A terrific read, combining laugh-out-loud reminiscences with jaw-dropping accounts of aerial warfare' JOHN NICHOL'Stirring' The Times'Brimming with quiet courage and patriotism' Daily Mail

Fasten your seatbelts, darlings, it's been one helluva ride. 'If there's a more enthralling celebrity memoir out this year, I'll eat my bowler hat.' The Times '[A] high-kicking hoofer of a book.' Telegraph 'A heady brew of gossip, glamour and defiance.' Guardian 'Brilliant and bonkers' The MirrorLiza Minnelli is one of the m...

Brought to you by Penguin.From the Italian Alps to northern Germany, to London, New York, Washington and Tokyo, Victory ’45 tells the story of the extraordinary summer when the greatest conflagration the world had ever known finally came to an end after six surrenders that heralded the Allied victory.Comprised of eight chapters based around each of those surrenders and the victory celebrations which followed, it will be rich in character and human drama wit...

Brought to you by Penguin.In the summer of 1940, Britain was under siege. Poland, Belgium, Holland, Norway and France had already fallen, and the British army had been routed on the continent, leading to the chaotic evacuation at Dunkirk.In the rubble of the Allie’s crumbled defence, Inverailort House was established as a new symbol of defiance. Signed off by Churchill himself, this austere building became an academy for the brightest and best of all Allied...

'Delightful … Venner builds an excellent narrative of a city that was thriving and bustling with life at the very point it was snuffed out.' The TimesWe all know how the people of Pompeii died. But what about how they lived?__________In 24 hours, Pompeii will vanish.The morning of the eruption was a day like any other. Julia Felix opens her tavern for another day o...

**Brought to you by Penguin.From the bestselling author of FEMINA, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited over centuries for political, nation-building ends.**In LEGENDA, bestselling historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the lives of women have been co-opted by those intent on crafting national identities. Their names are well known, and summaries of their achievements have been recited in class...

Brought to you by Penguin.AS SEEN ON TVProfessor Alice Roberts travels 1,300 miles by train across Italy, France and Spain in search of a greater understanding of the Roman Empire for Channel 4's popular TV series Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts.Visiting sites often off the beaten track with experts in each location sharing their insights and revealing up-to-date discoveries, this book delivers more depth and conte...

**Brought to you by Penguin.What do you do when your country becomes a repressive authoritarian state?**2014: Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympics. Russia invades Crimea. Putin is re-elected president. Several political prisoners are amnestied and released early from prison.Maria Alyokhina is among them. She had spent two years in a penal colony after performing the punk prayer ‘Virgin Mary, Banish Putin’ with her friends in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour....