Non-Fiction

This essential introduction to philosophy is engaging, entertaining and filled with Russell’s passion for the subject.

Never out of print since first published in 1929, this sparkling discussion of women’s status and independence still retains a pivotal place in the Western canon.

The highly acclaimed history of the Belgian Congo and the exploitation that led to the murder of 10 million – the background to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

The captivating memoir of an unusual 19th-century childhood from pioneering wood engraver, and Charles Darwin’s granddaughter, Gwen Raverat.

Dramatic accounts of eight sensational murder trials that gripped the nation – and proved that truth really is stranger than fiction.

Few books in history are as important as the Qur’ân. Evoking devotion and passion amongst the faithful, this sacred book, composed in transcendentally beautiful language, is at the heart of one of the world’s great faiths.

Filled with extraordinary observations, and occasionally hair-raising anecdotes, this is the most endearing of all Darwin’s books.

A new fully illustrated Folio Society edition of Helen Castor’s She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth which depicts the lives of four remarkable medieval women: Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Isabella, Margaret of Anjou. 

A jewel-like pocket edition of the monumental King James Version of the Book of Psalms, with exquisitely designed lettering by Jessica Hische and a new introduction by Valentine Cunningham.

A lavishly illustrated 20th anniversary edition of Guns, Germs and Steel – Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of how and why Eurasians developed the weapons, diseases and technologies that enabled them to dominate the rest of the world.

The Folio Book of Food and Drink is an anthology of culinary delights, stimulating appetites with literary extracts including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth David and Nigel Slater. This collection – exclusive to Folio – features a mouthwatering introduction by food writer Jojo Tulloh, and a selection of cartoons and 19th-century illustrations.

Antony Beevor’s critically acclaimed historical masterpiece is a gripping and frequently harrowing account of the Red Army’s capture of the German capital in World War II’s final stages. Berlin: The Downfall 1945 was the Non-Fiction winner of the Folio Readers’ Choice 2017.

Jet packs, spinning fairground rides and an ant on a garden hose – the award-winning history of string theory from leading physicist Brian Greene.

An unforgettable account of the ‘Forgotten War’ in Burma, written by the British general who transformed catastrophic defeat into resounding victory.

A captivating edition of the classic survey of the rise and spread of the Celts, with new colour photography.

Historian Christopher Hill examines the fascinating radical groups that grew up around the English Civil War, and the roots of a revolution that never happened.

A captivating memoir of the early days of flight, by the author of The Little Prince, with an introduction by Cecil Lewis.

Compelling analysis and vivid everyday observations are combined in the writings of this much-admired journalist. With more than 50 contemporary images.

This fascinating history debunks the notion of a fallow ‘Dark Ages’ following the decline of Rome's political influence, revealing an eastern Mediterranean blossoming with theological and cultural innovation.

Celebrated writer and historian Cecil Woodham-Smith turns her acerbic eye on the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade.

This sparkling study of the ancient world pays tribute to Herodotus, whose Histories made him a forefather of the modern historian.

The chilling account of the Nazi conference to finalise the plans for genocide, with a new preface by author Mark Roseman.

A charming account of Stevenson’s adventure in the wilds of southern France, accompanied only by his stubborn but loveable donkey.

Funny, learned and frank, this book explores what life was really like in the Middle Ages. With specially commissioned illustrations by Robert Venables.

The first illustrated edition of Steinbeck's absorbing dispatches for the New York Herald Tribune.

The First World War is brought to life with first-hand accounts and comprehensive research in this compelling two-volume set.

The life of Thomas More was one marked by political intrigue, religious unrest and a great shifting of ideologies. In this masterful biography, Peter Ackroyd not only reveals the truth behind history's great ‘man for all seasons’, but also paints a fascinating portrait of an age that saw cataclysmic change.

With only two genuine dates, this irreverent romp is history as every schoolboy would wish it – hilarious and memorable.

The definitive account of a tragic conflict, with more than 100 carefully selected images.

Humble plants have long been the spur to economic growth, the key to political power, the tools of conquest, yet until Henry Hobhouse wrote this pioneering book, they had rarely warranted even a footnote in history.