Few cities in the world abound with so many extraordinary stories as Glasgow. The city has been the silent witness to some of the most significant events of the past century, from major triumphs to cataclysmic calamities, and the best of these anecdotes are compiled here to form this unique collection.Amongst the notable events revisited are the launching of the Queen Mary, which captivated the city's inhabitants in 1934, the victorious 16-month work-in campaign by the Upper Clyde ...

Irish is the story of the mass migration from Ireland to Glasgow that took place in the wake of the Great Famine of the mid-nineteenth century. It is an epic account of the coming together of a nation and a city. This is the tale of those who escaped a nightmare existence in the poorest and most deprived country in Europe and changed the city of Glasgow forever. Irish brings to life the horrot of those grim days and reveals the unimaginable suffering endured as a result of the Potatoe Blig...

There are few cities in the world to rival Glasgow and the extraordinary happenings that have occurred there, and in this engrossing sequel to Great Glasgow Stories, more of the finest of these are recounted.From the story of the biggest youth movement the world has ever known to the life and crimes of Scotland's most colourful criminal, Johnny Ramensky, whom even the police dubbed 'Gentle Johnny', a vivid picture of the city's eventful history emerges.Elsewhere, t...

'Before Benny, nobody from the Gorbals became World Champion of anything...'Benny Lynch was Scotland's first World Boxing Champion and the most talked-about British sportsman of his generation. In fact, many consider him to be the finest fighter the country has ever produced.Benny is the amazing account of how Lynch battled his way above and beyond the 'fifty-shilling men' of his home town of Glasgow to become the champion of Scotland, Britain, Europe and the world...

Not only has Glasgow produced some incredible personalities, it has also been witness to some of the greatest happenings of our times. These outstanding people and epoch-making events are featured in Glasgow: Tales of the City.As a result of painstaking research, some startling new facts have emerged about the life and times of some of the city's most interesting characters. The many individuals documented in this book include the world's greatest pilot, whose many flying ...

'Provocative, elegant, intriguing - Jenkins is a bold, imaginative writer, brilliant at challenging old assumptions and encouraging you to look at British architecture in a new light' Rory StewartThe story of Britain is revealed through its buildings, and yet the language of architecture is a mystery to all but a few. In this enlightening history, spanning castles and cathedrals to factories and railway stations, Jenkins translates the hidden narratives infused in...

A moving account of how war is remembered – and by whom'Impressive. A hundred individual histories, skillfully assembled, built into a poignant meditation on why they still matter' David Olusoga'Brilliant' Piers MorganShortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2026Bestselling historian Tessa Dunlop travels the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on a quest to uncover a ...

An informative, well-researched retracing of a colonial-era African expedition that brings alive the preposterous “grab for Africa,” from the acclaimed author of The Lost Pianos of SiberiaIn 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa’s resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants — if only he could train them. And so he commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carte...

'A rich history… Harding writes with energy and insight, wearing a tremendous amount of learning lightly' - Rana Mitter, Financial TimesThis rich and enjoyable book by the acclaimed author of Japan Story explores the many ways in which Asia has influenced Europe and North America over centuries of tangled, dynamic encountersFrom the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most...

'Sparkling . . . a page-turner full of wit, original insight and unassuming erudition' Guardian'Enjoyable vitality' The Times'Highly stimulating . . . wonderfully readable . . . her analysis of democracy's key strengths and weaknesses is forensic' Literary ReviewDemocracy is a living, breathing thing and Erica Benner has spent a lifetime thinking about the role ordinary citizens play in ke...

A true crime investigation into the murder of the relatives of Albert Einstein, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Florence during WWII.Florence, August 1944. Fifteen miles southeast of the city, a unit of German soldiers arrive at Il Focardo, the home of Robert Einstein, first cousin of the famous scientist Albert Einstein. Nearby, Robert is hiding out in the Tuscan countryside, while his wife and daughters remain in the villa. Twelve hours later, Nina, Luc...

THE TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEKNamed one of The Telegraph's 'Best Biographies of the Year 2024'Queen Victoria had forty-two grandchildren but the four Princesses of Hesse were held in her particular favour. After the sudden death of her daughter Alice, Queen Victoria took an obsessive interest in the marriage prospects of the four girls their mother had left behind, hoping this might secure for them a happy future. And each of the young...