Rosalind Franklin was what can only be called an overlooked genius. Although she was not fully credited for the feat at the time, her work led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of DNA. In fact, she took the first X-ray photo of DNA in all of its double helix glory. By the time her former colleagues were be...

Arnhem 1944: the airborne strike for the bridges over the Rhine. The true story of the greatest battle of World War II and the basis of the 1977 film of the same name, directed by Richard Attenborough. The Battle of Arnhem, one of the most dramatic battles of World War II, was as daring as it was ill-fated. It cost ...

A panoramic history of rules in the Western world Rules order almost every aspect of our lives. They set our work hours, dictate how we drive and set the table, tell us whether to offer an extended hand or cheek in greeting, and organize the rites of life, from birth through death. We may chafe under the rules we ha...

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ーto give up her bus seat to a white passengerーignited a powerful movement and galvanized a community whose "cup of endurance" had long since overflowed. Her arrest s...

During fourteen years, from 1955 to 1969, the Soviet Union and the United States of America were engaged in a dramatic race against each other to conquer space. This period encompassed dramatic victories, humbling defeats, and more than one tragedy. This is a story of human courage and ingenuity at its best and poli...

One of the foremost screen sirens of her era, Katharine Hepburn, was universally known for her grace, wit, and charm. She rose to the top of celebrity status in the great Golden Age of Hollywood, and she was able to maintain her sense of stardom all the way to her twilight years. During her many years in the limelig...

Just who was Saint Patrick? Many know him as the figure behind the huge festival of fun and drinking that takes place every on March 17. But look a little more closely and see that there is more to the patron saint of Ireland than meets the eye. Inside you will read about... From Slave to Bishop The Feast at Tara I...

An international drug kingpin with a cult following, Pablo Escobar is legendary for his infamy, but he began his life with rather modest roots. Born to a simple farmer, no one ever dreamed Escobar would become the number one drug dealer in the world. He carved out a drug empire in the city of Medellín, Colombia and ...

The name Giotto di Bondone may not be as well-known as Leonardo da Vinci, but it was Giotto who made da Vinci and his contemporaries of the Renaissance possible. Giotto, born in the late thirteenth century, was the first painter to escape the artistic chains of the Dark Ages and revive the natural art of Ancient Gre...

In recent years, Korean culture has been incredibly successful internationally, from the films of auteur directors like Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) to shows like Squid Game and K-pop music. At the same time, media from the UK has also been successful in South Korea, with popular shows such as Killing Eve and Life on Mar...

Is it better to be loved or feared? The Prince (1532), by Niccolò Machiavelli, is one of the most influential and controversial works in political philosophy. Written as a guide for rulers, the book examines the nature of power, the use of strategy, and the realities of governing. Machiavelli's clear-eyed analysis o...

In this book, a new generation of scholars offers fresh perspectives on the history of the Dutch slave trade. Traditionally, Dutch research has focused on business practices, often overlooking the enslaved and the complexities of illegal trade and violence. By experimenting with innovative methodologies and underuti...

This book deals with peoples’ practices, perceptions, emotions and feelings towards aquatic animals, their ecosystems and nature on the early modern Atlantic coasts by addressing exploitation, use, fear, empathy, otherness, and indifference in the relationships established with aquatic environments and resources by ...

The Company of Strangers shows us the remarkable strangeness, and fragility, of our everyday lives. This completely revised and updated edition includes a new chapter analyzing how the rise and fall of social trust explain the unsustainable boom in the global economy over the past decade and the financial crisis tha...

The European maritime expansion of the fifteenth century reshaped global politics, economies, and perceptions of space. Central to this transformation was the mastery of long-distance sea routes and the development of ruttersーtechnical documents recording navigational data and geographic observations. Despite their...

一個激勵人心的故事，三代女性經歷了無數艱難困苦和政治風暴，始終保持著人性的尊嚴和美。──希拉蕊•柯林頓 走過纏足的時代、封建體制的婚姻、抗日戰爭、國共內亂……直至文化大革命的劫難，她們歷經了人間的悲歡離合，也創造了不平凡的一生。 三代中國女性　一部感人家史　理解二十世紀中國的重量級磅礡史詩 「我享受過特權，也遭受過磨難；有...