Rakuten Kobo

The Writing Life

by Annie Dillard ...

"For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague." — Chicago TribuneFrom Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection of essays on writing that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer's life.In these short essays, ... Read more

$10.99 NZD

"For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague." — Chicago TribuneFrom Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection of essays on writing that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer's life.In these short essays,
... Read more
Dawn of the Horse Warriors

Chariot and Cavalry Warfare, 3000-600BC

by Duncan Noble ...

The domestication of the horse revolutionized warfare, granting unprecedented strategic and tactical mobility, allowing armies to strike with terrifying speed. The horse was first used as the motive force for chariots and then, in a second revolution, as mounts for the first true cavalry.The period covered encompasses the development of the first clumsy ass-drawn chariots in Sumer (of which the ... Read more

$20.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

The domestication of the horse revolutionized warfare, granting unprecedented strategic and tactical mobility, allowing armies to strike with terrifying speed. The horse was first used as the motive force for chariots and then, in a second revolution, as mounts for the first true cavalry.The period covered encompasses the development of the first clumsy ass-drawn chariots in Sumer (of which the
... Read more
Anzac Sons

Mateship, Bravery and Sacrifice

by Allison Paterson ...

…Well dear Jim it breaks my heart to write this letter. Our dear [brother] was killed yesterday morning at 5.30. The bullet killed him instantly and he never spoke a word. I had just left him and gone down the trench to see the other lads when I was called back. Oh Jim it is awful … Oh I do hope he is the last …It is April 27, 1918, Jim’s brother writes from the battlefields of France. Of five ... Read more

$11.41 NZD

…Well dear Jim it breaks my heart to write this letter. Our dear [brother] was killed yesterday morning at 5.30. The bullet killed him instantly and he never spoke a word. I had just left him and gone down the trench to see the other lads when I was called back. Oh Jim it is awful … Oh I do hope he is the last …It is April 27, 1918, Jim’s brother writes from the battlefields of France. Of five
... Read more
The Secret Language of Flowers

by DK ...

Series series DK Secret Histories
Discover the uses and symbolic meanings of flowers over the centuries and across the globe.Flowers have been depicted as objects of beauty and wonder in countless paintings and poems, exchanged as tokens of love and affection, and displayed as symbols of both celebration and remembrance - "saying it with flowers" is truly part of the human experience.But how does the significance of flowers vary ... Read more

$16.99 NZD

Discover the uses and symbolic meanings of flowers over the centuries and across the globe.Flowers have been depicted as objects of beauty and wonder in countless paintings and poems, exchanged as tokens of love and affection, and displayed as symbols of both celebration and remembrance - "saying it with flowers" is truly part of the human experience.But how does the significance of flowers vary
... Read more
Sigmund Freud

Biographies of Psychologists

by Hourly History ...

Series series Biographies of Psychologists
Sigmund Freud was a catalyst who signaled a seat change in how humanity came to understand the world and how it relates to the human mind. And if you have ever had a "Freudian slip," you know full well that the concepts and theories of Mr. Freud are well ensconced in the modern lexicon. But as much as many of us are familiar with his work, what about the man? What do we know about the person? Just ... Read more

$5.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

Sigmund Freud was a catalyst who signaled a seat change in how humanity came to understand the world and how it relates to the human mind. And if you have ever had a "Freudian slip," you know full well that the concepts and theories of Mr. Freud are well ensconced in the modern lexicon. But as much as many of us are familiar with his work, what about the man? What do we know about the person? Just
... Read more
The Cairo House

by Samia Serageldin ...

A beguiling, entrancing novel that tells the story of a prominent Egyptian family’s struggle to survive the turmoil of post-World War II Cairo.Gigi grew up in a wonderful house in Cairo, a house that was home to a large, extended family. The men of the house were involved in politics and business, cotton and trading, and the women visited and gossiped, shopped and arranged marriages and other ... Read more

Was $19.99 NZD Now $8.99 NZD

A beguiling, entrancing novel that tells the story of a prominent Egyptian family’s struggle to survive the turmoil of post-World War II Cairo.Gigi grew up in a wonderful house in Cairo, a house that was home to a large, extended family. The men of the house were involved in politics and business, cotton and trading, and the women visited and gossiped, shopped and arranged marriages and other
... Read more
The Case for Colonialism

by Bruce Gilley ...

"For the last hundred years, Western colonialism has had a bad name." So began Professor Bruce Gilley's watershed academic article "The Case for Colonialism" of 2017. The article sparked a global furor. Critics and defenders of Gilley's argument battled it out in the court of public opinion. The Times of London described Gilley as "probably the academic most likely to be no-platformed in Britain." ... Read more

$18.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

"For the last hundred years, Western colonialism has had a bad name." So began Professor Bruce Gilley's watershed academic article "The Case for Colonialism" of 2017. The article sparked a global furor. Critics and defenders of Gilley's argument battled it out in the court of public opinion. The Times of London described Gilley as "probably the academic most likely to be no-platformed in Britain."
... Read more
A l'ombre de l'épé naissance de l'islam et grandeur de l'empire arabe

by Tom Holland ...

"Dans À l’ombre de l’épée", Tom Holland, spécialiste de l’Antiquité grecque, perse et romaine, raconte comment l’islam s’est imposé au VIIe siècle comme une nouvelle puissance. Cette vaste fresque dépeint l’émergence de la civilisation arabe, laquelle porta un coup fatal aux Romains et aux Perses.Fort de ses préceptes et de ses fondements, l’islam s’est-il d’emblée imposé comme une religion ... Read more

$22.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

"Dans À l’ombre de l’épée", Tom Holland, spécialiste de l’Antiquité grecque, perse et romaine, raconte comment l’islam s’est imposé au VIIe siècle comme une nouvelle puissance. Cette vaste fresque dépeint l’émergence de la civilisation arabe, laquelle porta un coup fatal aux Romains et aux Perses.Fort de ses préceptes et de ses fondements, l’islam s’est-il d’emblée imposé comme une religion
... Read more
Arcadia

England and the Dream of Perfection (Text Only)

by Adam Nicolson ...

This ebook does not include illustrations.A fascinating depiction from award-winning author, Adam Nicolson, of a family and a country on the hinge of modernisation.Was our country once a better place? Has modernisation destroyed as much as it has improved? And can we see in an earlier Britain a way of living, an Arcadia, which now seems both ideal and remote?Through 16th- and 17th-century England, ... Read more

$13.99 NZD

This ebook does not include illustrations.A fascinating depiction from award-winning author, Adam Nicolson, of a family and a country on the hinge of modernisation.Was our country once a better place? Has modernisation destroyed as much as it has improved? And can we see in an earlier Britain a way of living, an Arcadia, which now seems both ideal and remote?Through 16th- and 17th-century England,
... Read more
Alfred Nobel: A Life from Beginning to End

Biographies of Inventors

by Hourly History ...

Series series Biographies of Inventors
Alfred Nobel began his career as a brilliant inventor and industrialist, but his inventions—particularly the creation of dynamite—brought him more anguish than satisfaction. Though his scientific achievements earned him fortune and fame, Nobel became deeply troubled by the destructive uses of his work. Branded the "merchant of death" in a premature obituary, he was haunted by the legacy he feared ... Read more

$5.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

Alfred Nobel began his career as a brilliant inventor and industrialist, but his inventions—particularly the creation of dynamite—brought him more anguish than satisfaction. Though his scientific achievements earned him fortune and fame, Nobel became deeply troubled by the destructive uses of his work. Branded the "merchant of death" in a premature obituary, he was haunted by the legacy he feared
... Read more
The Dirt

Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band

by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars ...

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL MOVIE STARRING MACHINE GUN KELLY, DANIEL WEBBER, DOUGLAS BOOTH, AND IWAN RHEON, DIRECTED BY JEFF TREMAINE.Celebrate thirty years of the world's most notorious rock band with the deluxe collectors' edition of The Dirt—the outrageous, legendary, no-holds-barred autobiography of Mötley Crüe. Fans have gotten glimpses into the band's crazy world of backstage scandals, celebrity ... Read more

$13.99 NZD

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL MOVIE STARRING MACHINE GUN KELLY, DANIEL WEBBER, DOUGLAS BOOTH, AND IWAN RHEON, DIRECTED BY JEFF TREMAINE.Celebrate thirty years of the world's most notorious rock band with the deluxe collectors' edition of The Dirt—the outrageous, legendary, no-holds-barred autobiography of Mötley Crüe. Fans have gotten glimpses into the band's crazy world of backstage scandals, celebrity
... Read more
The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour

by Rupert Colley ...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.In 1917 the world changed forever. One of the most influential and contentious events in recent history, the Russian Revolution unleashed the greatest political experiment ever conducted, one which continues to influence both Eastern and Western politics today.The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour neatly covers all the major facts and ... Read more

Was $10.99 NZD Now $7.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.In 1917 the world changed forever. One of the most influential and contentious events in recent history, the Russian Revolution unleashed the greatest political experiment ever conducted, one which continues to influence both Eastern and Western politics today.The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour neatly covers all the major facts and
... Read more
Knowing What We Know

The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic

by Simon Winchester ...

‘A delightful compendium of the kind of facts you immediately want to share with anyone you encounter’ New York Times‘An ebullient, irrepressible spirit invests this book. It is erudite and sprightly’Sunday TimesFrom the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes—here is award-winning writer Simon Winchester’s brilliant and all-encompassing ... Read more

$21.99 NZD

‘A delightful compendium of the kind of facts you immediately want to share with anyone you encounter’ New York Times‘An ebullient, irrepressible spirit invests this book. It is erudite and sprightly’Sunday TimesFrom the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes—here is award-winning writer Simon Winchester’s brilliant and all-encompassing
... Read more
Stalin’s Daughter

The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva

by Rosemary Sullivan ...

Winner of the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-FictionA New York Times Notable Book of 2015A painstakingly researched, revelatory biography of Svetlana Stalin, a woman fated to live her life in the shadow of one of history’s most monstrous dictators – her father, Josef Stalin.Born in the early years of the Soviet Union, Svetlana Stalin spent her youth inside the walls of the Kremlin. ... Read more

Was $27.99 NZD Now $20.99 NZD

Winner of the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-FictionA New York Times Notable Book of 2015A painstakingly researched, revelatory biography of Svetlana Stalin, a woman fated to live her life in the shadow of one of history’s most monstrous dictators – her father, Josef Stalin.Born in the early years of the Soviet Union, Svetlana Stalin spent her youth inside the walls of the Kremlin.
... Read more
The Art of War

The Bestselling Treatise on Military & Business Strategy, with a Foreword by James Clavell

by James Clavell, Sun Tzu ...

Sun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly relevant to our modern lives.His writings on aspects of warfare from the laying of plans to the tactics and psychology of manoeuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. With James ... Read more

$1.99 NZD

Sun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly relevant to our modern lives.His writings on aspects of warfare from the laying of plans to the tactics and psychology of manoeuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. With James
... Read more
The Medieval Anarchy: History in an Hour

by Kaye Jones ...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.Nicknamed ‘The Anarchy' for its unprecedented levels of chaos and disorder, the succession crisis that followed the death of King Henry I in 1135 resulted in England's first civil war.‘The Medieval Anarchy: History in an Hour’ neatly covers all the major facts and events giving you a clear and straightforward overview of the plots and violence ... Read more

Was $10.99 NZD Now $7.99 NZD

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.Nicknamed ‘The Anarchy' for its unprecedented levels of chaos and disorder, the succession crisis that followed the death of King Henry I in 1135 resulted in England's first civil war.‘The Medieval Anarchy: History in an Hour’ neatly covers all the major facts and events giving you a clear and straightforward overview of the plots and violence
... Read more
The Men Who United the States

The Amazing Stories of the Explorers, Inventors and Mavericks Who Made America

by Simon Winchester ...

From bestselling author Simon Winchester, the extraordinary story of how America was united into a single nation.For more than two centuries, E pluribus unum – out of many, one – has been featured on America’s official government seals and stamped on its currency. But how did America become ‘one nation, indivisible’? In this monumental history, Simon Winchester addresses this question, introducing ... Read more

Was $16.99 NZD Now $12.99 NZD

From bestselling author Simon Winchester, the extraordinary story of how America was united into a single nation.For more than two centuries, E pluribus unum – out of many, one – has been featured on America’s official government seals and stamped on its currency. But how did America become ‘one nation, indivisible’? In this monumental history, Simon Winchester addresses this question, introducing
... Read more
Finest Years

Churchill as Warlord 1940–45

by Max Hastings ...

'I would choose this account over and above the rest. It is a fabulous book: full of perceptive insight that conveys all the tragedy, triumph, humour and intense drama of Churchill's time as wartime leader; and it is incredibly moving as a result' James Holland, Literary ReviewA moving, dramatic narrative of crisis and fortitude, Hastings offers one of the finest biographies of one of Britain’s ... Read more

$16.99 NZD

'I would choose this account over and above the rest. It is a fabulous book: full of perceptive insight that conveys all the tragedy, triumph, humour and intense drama of Churchill's time as wartime leader; and it is incredibly moving as a result' James Holland, Literary ReviewA moving, dramatic narrative of crisis and fortitude, Hastings offers one of the finest biographies of one of Britain’s
... Read more
From the Holy Mountain

A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium (Text Only)

by William Dalrymple ...

A rich blend of history and spirituality, adventure and politics, laced with the thread of black comedy familiar to readers of William Dalrymple’s previous work.In AD 587, two monks, John Moschos and Sophronius the Sophist, embarked on an extraordinary journey across the Byzantine world, from the shores of the Bosphorus to the sand dunes of Egypt. Their aim: to collect the wisdom of the sages and ... Read more

$18.99 NZD

A rich blend of history and spirituality, adventure and politics, laced with the thread of black comedy familiar to readers of William Dalrymple’s previous work.In AD 587, two monks, John Moschos and Sophronius the Sophist, embarked on an extraordinary journey across the Byzantine world, from the shores of the Bosphorus to the sand dunes of Egypt. Their aim: to collect the wisdom of the sages and
... Read more
How Democracies Die

The International Bestseller: What History Reveals About Our Future

by Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt ...

'The most important book of the Trump era' The EconomistHow does a democracy die?What can we do to save our own?What lessons does history teach us?In the 21st century democracy is threatened like never before.Drawing insightful lessons from across history - from Pinochet's murderous Chilean regime to Erdogan's quiet dismantling in Turkey - Levitsky and Ziblatt explain why democracies fail, how ... Read more

$17.99 NZD

'The most important book of the Trump era' The EconomistHow does a democracy die?What can we do to save our own?What lessons does history teach us?In the 21st century democracy is threatened like never before.Drawing insightful lessons from across history - from Pinochet's murderous Chilean regime to Erdogan's quiet dismantling in Turkey - Levitsky and Ziblatt explain why democracies fail, how
... Read more
The Traitors Circle

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

by Jonathan Freedland ...

When the whole world is lying, someone must tell the truth.Berlin, 1943. A group of high-society anti-Nazi dissenters meet for a tea party one late summer afternoon. They do not know that, sitting around the table, is someone poised to betray them all to the Gestapo - revealing their secret to the Nazis' most ruthless detective.They form a circle of unlikely rebels, drawn from the German elite: ... Read more

$19.99 NZD

When the whole world is lying, someone must tell the truth.Berlin, 1943. A group of high-society anti-Nazi dissenters meet for a tea party one late summer afternoon. They do not know that, sitting around the table, is someone poised to betray them all to the Gestapo - revealing their secret to the Nazis' most ruthless detective.They form a circle of unlikely rebels, drawn from the German elite:
... Read more
Rosa Parks

Civil rights movement

by Hourly History ...

Series series Civil rights movement
Rosa Parks was a quiet, dignified African-American woman who, in the face of injustice, chose to politely defy a racist law. Her simple act of refusal—to give up her bus seat to a white passenger—ignited a powerful movement and galvanized a community whose "cup of endurance" had long since overflowed. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which 40,000 African-Americans peacefully ... Read more

$5.99 NZD or Free with Kobo Plus

Rosa Parks was a quiet, dignified African-American woman who, in the face of injustice, chose to politely defy a racist law. Her simple act of refusal—to give up her bus seat to a white passenger—ignited a powerful movement and galvanized a community whose "cup of endurance" had long since overflowed. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which 40,000 African-Americans peacefully
... Read more
A House in the Mountains

The Women Who Liberated Italy from Fascism

by Caroline Moorehead ...

Series series The Resistance Quartet
'Moorehead paints a wonderfully vivid and moving portrait of the women of the Italian Resistance' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMESThe extraordinary story of the courageous women who spearheaded the Italian Resistance during the Second World WarIn the late summer of 1943, in the midst of German occupation, the Italian Resistance was born.Ada, Frida, Silvia and Bianca were four young women who signed up. ... Read more

$17.99 NZD

'Moorehead paints a wonderfully vivid and moving portrait of the women of the Italian Resistance' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMESThe extraordinary story of the courageous women who spearheaded the Italian Resistance during the Second World WarIn the late summer of 1943, in the midst of German occupation, the Italian Resistance was born.Ada, Frida, Silvia and Bianca were four young women who signed up.
... Read more
Crown and Country

A History of England through the Monarchy

by David Starkey ...

An exploration of the British monarchy from the retreat of the Romans up until the modern day. This compendium volume of two earlier books is fully revised and updated.The monarchy is one of Britain’s longest surviving institutions – as well as one of its most tumultuous and revered. In this masterful book, David Starkey looks at the monarchy as a whole, charting its history from Roman times, to ... Read more

Was $15.99 NZD Now $13.99 NZD

An exploration of the British monarchy from the retreat of the Romans up until the modern day. This compendium volume of two earlier books is fully revised and updated.The monarchy is one of Britain’s longest surviving institutions – as well as one of its most tumultuous and revered. In this masterful book, David Starkey looks at the monarchy as a whole, charting its history from Roman times, to
... Read more

eReaders

Apps

Accessories

Shopping Cart

You're getting the VIP treatment!

Your Shopping Cart is empty

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Recommended For You

Reference eBooks

Show: