Social and cultural history

There was life before the fall.

The exquisite sound of a lone chorister singing Once in Royal David s City amid the candlelit chapel of King s College, Cambridge, marks the start of the Christmas festivities for millions of people round the globe.

Read the devastating story of the Spanish flu - the twentieth century's greatest killer and discover what it can teach us about the current Covid-19 pandemic.

**A TIMES, GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SPECTATOR, THE CRITIC, MAIL ON SUNDAY, ECONOMIST AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEAR**'A gifted narrative historian, eloquent, graceful and witty; the stories she tells are the ones we all should know' Hilary MantelIt was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war .

Selected as a Book of the Year by The Times and The EconomistChina's history is an epic tapestry of courtly philosophies, warring factions and imperial intrigue.

How successful has Britain been in the twentieth century?

An enthralling voyage of discovery to meet a rare and mysterious bird of prey that puzzled Darwin, fascinates modern-day falconers, and carries secrets of our planet's deep past in its family history.

'Charlotte Higgins's Red Thread is a masterwork' Ali SmithA thrillingly original, labyrinthine journey through myth, art, literature, history, archaeology and memoir.

The gripping and definitive in-the-room account of the revolution that has swept the news industry over the last decade and reshaped our world.

WINNER OF THE 2016 PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE The Second World War was a German war like no other.

A FAMILY STORY AND THE TALE OF A NATION.

*Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize*In late eighteenth-century London, a group of extraordinary people gathered around a dining table once a week.

Acknowledged as a masterpiece of materialist criticism, this book delves into the complex ways economic reality shapes the imagination.

Harold Nicolson was a man of extraordinary gifts.

A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year, chosen by Tom Stoppard"e;A revelation.

As a small boy David Nobbs survived the Second World War unscathed, until his bedroom ceiling fell on him when the last bomb to be dropped on Britain by the Germans landed near his home.

English culture is confused, muddled and often borrowed.

One woman s investigation into the nature of memory, the past, and above all, love.

Ours is an age where solitude tends to be discussed in the context of the 'problem of loneliness'.

National Anthems have been sung for hundreds of years, inspired patriots and rebels, armies and athletes.

The incredible stories of 100 perfumes from a whole century of scents.

Riffling through the wardrobes of years gone by, costume historian Lucy Adlington reveals the rich stories underlying the clothes we wear in this stylish tour of the most important developments in the history of fashion, from ancient times to the present day.

A collection of the writings of Raymond Williams, who many considered to be the most significant post-war intellectual in Britain.

Oh my goodness another girl Mrs Swain!

Ivy, Dulcie, Barbara, Ann, Dorothy and Jean all had different reasons for applying to work at Carr s biscuits, but once they had put on their overalls and walked through the factory gates they discovered a community full of life, laughter and friendship.

Fifth edition, fully revised and updated.

'Uproarious .

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'An inspirational read celebrating the incredible young people who gave so much for this iconic British aircraft'.

The essential anti-racist book from one of the world's leading voices for change'With This Is Why I Resist, Dr Shola is shaking a nation out of its slumber.

'TOM PHILLIPS IS A VERY CLEVER, VERY FUNNY MAN' Greg JennerThis is a book about TRUTH - and all the ingenious ways, throughout history, that we've managed to avoid it.

'An essential addition to your library' Russell Norman'A genuine ode, written with style and substance in equal measure' Gill Meller'A joy filled double whammy.

A witty, inspiring reckoning with the ancient Greek and Roman myths and their legacy, from what they can illuminate about #MeToo to the radical imagery of Beyonc .

*** WINNER OF THE NATIONAL CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY ****** LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY ***'The Queen is an invaluable work of non-fiction' - David Grann, Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower MoonThis is the gripping true tale of a villain who changed American history.

Leo Carew's much-lauded UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY trilogy draws to its spellbinding conclusion.

True stories of love and loss during WWII, from the tough Northern women who kept the foundry fires burning.

A FINANCIAL TIMES, I PAPER AND STYLIST BOOK OF THE YEAR'In his absorbing book about the lost and the gone, Peter Ross takes us from Flanders Fields to Milltown to Kensal Green, to melancholy islands and surprisingly lively ossuaries .

THE STORY OF THE SAVOY HOTEL'S FOUNDERS, THROUGH A CENTURY OF LUXURY.

'Jennie Felton knows how to tell a cracking story and keep the reader gripped.

'One of the nation's favourite saga writers' Lancashire Post'A real heartbreaker' Peterborough TelegraphA powerful saga from Jennie Felton in the grand tradition of Josephine Cox, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, of love, loss, tragedy, drama, secrets and twists and turns.

For fans of Neil Gaiman and Welcome to Night Vale, Aaron Mahnke's The World of Lore (based on the hit LORE podcast) explores the chilling truth behind the legendary creatures, peculiar people and horrific places that arouse our deepest fears.

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated collection of stories from the hit podcast Lore - now an online streaming series They live in shadows - deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our mind.

A chilling, lavishly illustrated who's-who of the most despicable people ever to walk the earth, featuring both rare and best-loved stories from the hit podcast Lore, now an online streaming series.

Attribute wie heilig, sakral und vor allem tabu bezeichnen ein ambivalentes Phänomen, das sich die Moderne mit dem Bedeutungsspektrum des lateinischen 'sacer' erklärt hat: ehrwürdig und unantastbar, aber auch verworfen und unberührbar, strikt von der Sphäre des 'profanum' getrennt und irreduzibel anders.

Four of our most-loved saga authors invite you to join them on a journey through motherhood in this collection of heart-warming short stories.

If you love Poldark, you'll love Jane Feather's dazzling Georgian romantic trilogy, the Blackwater Brides, which concludes with An Unsuitable Bride.

In this dazzling novella from the award-winning author of The Dark Lady and Lady In Red, comes a story of fatal plots, seductive spies, and irresistible passions.

Escape to glorious Nantucket in this truly enchanting summer read.

The enthralling second book in the beloved classic series from 'one of the nation's favourite saga author' (Lancashire Post) in the grand tradition of Katie Flynn, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox.

The compelling first book in the beloved classic series from 'one of the nation's favourite saga author' (Lancashire Post) in the grand tradition of Katie Flynn, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox.

Spring, 1947.