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SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 'A glittering gemstone of a book' The Times The Jewish story is a history that...
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 'A glittering gemstone of a book' The Times The Jewish story is a history that is about, and for, all of us. And in our own time of anxious arrivals and enforced departures, the Jews’ search for a home is more startlingly resonant than ever. Belonging is a magnificent cultural history abundantly alive with energy, character and colour. It spans centuries and continents, from the Jews’ expulsion from Spain in 1492 it navigates miracles and massacres, wandering, discrimination, harmony and tolerance; to the brink of the twentieth century and, it seems, a point of profound hope. It tells the stories not just of rabbis and philosophers but of a poetess in the ghetto of Venice; a boxer in Georgian England; a general in Ming China; an opera composer in nineteenth-century Germany. The story unfolds in Kerala and Mantua, the starlit hills of Galilee, the rivers of Colombia, the kitchens of Istanbul, the taverns of Ukraine and the mining camps of California. It sails in caravels, rides the stage coaches and the railways; trudges the dawn streets of London, hobbles along with the remnant of Napoleon’s ruined army. Through Schama’s passionate telling of this second chronicle in an epic tale, a history emerges of the Jewish people that feels it is the story of everyone, of humanity Author: Simon Schama ISBN:9781847922816
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The New York Times–bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany Out of the depths of the Depression...
The New York Times–bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest. Author: Daniel James Brown ISBN:9780143125471
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“A harrowing masterpiece of modern history.” Sunday Express “David Stafford weaves an often majestic tapestry of testimo...
“A harrowing masterpiece of modern history.” Sunday Express “David Stafford weaves an often majestic tapestry of testimony… Time and again, you sit up and take notice in ways that more conventional history lets slip…” The Observer “A vivid reminder of the misery that persisted across Europe long after the shooting stopped in 1945.” Daily Mail “Stafford skillfully provides a connecting framework for a narrative of almost Tolstoyan proportions…. which only a writer of the first caliber, strongest nerve and monumental intellectual stamina could tackle.” The Spectator “A fine book… a page turner…compelling.” Len Deighton In this compelling narrative about the end of the Second World War in Europe, acclaimed historian David Stafford delves behind the dramatic headlines proclaiming victory to reveal the horrors and hardships of its final days and aftermath. Drawing upon diaries, letters, and personal testimonies, he brilliantly interweaves the lives of ordinary people with the actions of military and political leaders to paint a vivid panorama of a continent scarred and traumatized by a war whose effects continue long after the fighting has stopped. Author: David Stafford ISBN:9780349119120
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One of Smithsonian magazine’s “Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018” One of AFAR magazine’s “8 New Books You Need to Read...
One of Smithsonian magazine’s “Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018” One of AFAR magazine’s “8 New Books You Need to Read Before Flying to France” “It’s the authors’ friendly accessibility that makes these stories so memorable.” —Christine Muhlke, The New York Times Book Review “A very cool book about the intersections of food and history.” —Michael Pollan, New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind and The Omnivore’s Dilemma “Savor this book in bite-sized morsels, the better to enjoy every bit.” —Dorie Greenspan, “On Dessert” columnist for The New York Times Magazine, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Around My French Table and Dorie’s Cookies A French cheesemonger and an American academic and ex-pat join forces to serve up a sumptuous history of France and its food, in the delicious tradition of Anthony Bourdain, Peter Mayle, and Pamela Druckerman From the cassoulet that won a war to the crêpe that doomed Napoleon, from the rebellions sparked by bread and salt to the new cuisines forged by empire, the history of France is intimately entwined with its gastronomic pursuits. A witty exploration of the facts and legends surrounding some of the most popular French foods and wines by a French cheesemonger and an American academic, A Bite-Sized History of France tells the compelling and often surprising story of France from the Roman era to modern times. Traversing the cuisines of France’s most famous cities as well as its underexplored regions, this innovative social history explores the impact of war and imperialism, the age-old tension between tradition and innovation, and the enduring use of food to prop up social and political identities. The origins of the most legendary French foods and wines—from Roquefort and cognac to croissants and Calvados, from absinthe and oysters to Camembert and champagne—also reveal the social and political trends that propelled France’s rise upon the world stage. They help explain France’s dark history of war and conquest, as well as its most enlightened cultural achievements and the political and scientific innovations that transformed human history. These gastronomic tales will edify even the most seasoned lovers of food, history, and all things French. Author: Stéphane Henaut, Jeni Mitchell ISBN:9781620972519
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