Modern History

Richard Holmes presents an entertaining study of the extraordinary figures that changed the face of science.

Angie Debo’s comprehensive and compassionate account provides an unrivalled history of American Indians from the dawn of their first contact with Europeans to the late 20th century.

The chilling story of the brutal colonisation of Australia, this epic account by Robert Hughes is a fascinating history of the youngest and yet most ancient of continents.

Neal Ascherson chronicles the tumultuous history of the sea where East meets West. He recalls Ovid’s exile on its shores, charts Scythian wayfarers, Stalinist purges and Hitler's vision of a German Gothic Crimea. His thoughtful book ends by considering the sea's damaged ecology – perhaps to be its final tragedy.

Greed, romance and desperation abound in Giles Milton’s exploration of the colonial enterprise that paved the way to the United States of America. At the book’s heart lies the vanishing of the 1587 settlement on Roanoke Island, whose 115 inhabitants met with a grisly end.

Utilising the stories of the men and women caught up in a period of extraordinary change, H. W. Brands has created an epic portrait of the Gold Rush, illustrated in this edition with rare contemporary photography.

Blending investigative journalism with the personal approach of a writer both fascinated and appalled by her subject, this is an award-winning portrait of life under ‘one of the most savage surveillance regimes ever known’. With previously unpublished photographs by the author.

Britain between the wars is brilliantly and entertainingly chronicled in this book by the author of Akenfield.

This collection, commissioned by Folio, presents the best of Jefferson’s writings: political correspondence with George Washington, private letters to his wife and his lover, and documents that express his views on everything from America's future to the nature of democracy and slavery.

Queen Victoria was 39 when her daughter Vicky left home as the bride of Prince Frederick of Prussia. Edited by Andrew Roberts for The Folio Society, this edition of their extraordinary correspondence provides an unparalleled insight into the lives and times of two queens.

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

These autobiographical essays by physicist Richard Feynman show us the formation of a genius. Introduced by Brian Cox.

In his engrossing account, Martin Gilbert traces each step of the war’s progression, from the tensions and alliances leading up to it and the first skirmishes on the French and Belgian borders, to the final peacemaking and remembrance. His geographical scope is equally broad, from Mesopotamia and East Africa to the ‘forgotten war’ waged in the Atlantic.

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

Troubling, fascinating and accessible, this is an outstanding account of how the Middle East was shaped by Western interests. This edition features contemporary photographs and a new foreword by one of today's most respected journalists.

A story of tremendous courage and endurance, related first-hand by one of its survivors.

Jan Morris’s exuberant and witty love letter to the Manhattan of 1945 effortlessly evokes a time when it was ‘the most hopeful city on earth’.

Written before he became prime minister, Churchill’s canny and witty insights on the great figures of the day remain entertaining and illuminating.

The thrilling true story of the largest British-led mass-escape of the Second World War.

Paul Brickhill’s account of 617 Squadron's legendary bombing raid is an exhilarating read, showcased in a suitably dramatic red and black binding.

The momentous events of the last century as recorded in the personal writings of those who lived through them. Published by Michael O’Mara.

A new comprehensive guide to the main global events, personalities and themes which have shaped the modern world published by Cambridge University Press. 

The definitive history of the supernatural in Nazi Germany and how it was used by the Third Reich in the service of power. Published by Yale University Press.

The fascinating wartime correspondence of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill is brought together in The Kremlin Letters.

The history of China – brilliantly told and brought vividly to life through 7,000 years of objects, from fine art to the everyday. Published by Thames & Hudson.