Modern History

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

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.

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.

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

A marvellous, kaleidoscopic social history of London during the 1660s, from Pepys to the Great Fire. Introduced by Jenny Uglow.

John Reed’s immersive eyewitness account of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

Published by Folio to mark the Telegram's centenary, Barbara Tuchman’s gripping account reveals the events that finally brought the United States into the First World War.

The Folio Society edition of Empire features a new preface specially written by its author, acclaimed historian Niall Ferguson.

The Folio Society’s definitive edition of Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, illustrated with family photographs and featuring the binding design from her original diary. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.