Non-Fiction

George Johnson’s superb book explores the method behind some of science’s most dazzling discoveries – from the exquisite ingenuity of Galileo’s experiments on acceleration, to Newton’s fearless use of needles to understand vision.

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’.

Eric Newby’s story of escape and evasion, dedicated to the ordinary Italian people who saved his life, remains funny, vivid and deeply moving.

In his sequel to the best-selling The Wars of the Roses, Desmond Seward reveals the secret conflict that continued throughout the reigns of both Henry VII and Henry VIII.

In this award-winning history, Mary Beard guides us through the daily life of Pompeii, an existence that is far more complex than we might have realised. Lively, exciting and accessible, this book brings us as close as possible to the real Pompeii.

A fascinating story of perilous seas and brilliant innovation, accompanied by wonderful colour photographs.

A revelatory examination of a unique oral culture, published for the first time in the UK.

An inspired biography of the great naturalist and explorer, by the author of the much-loved Aubrey-Maturin novels.

Capote’s masterpiece of suspense was an immediate sensation when it was serialised in the New Yorker in 1965. Our edition, introduced by Rupert Thomson, includes rare courtroom photographs.

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.

What is happiness? Why do we fall in love? How do we recognise faces? Pinker’s exhilarating book explores the machinery of the mind – its origins and development, and how we use it to interact with the world.

They are what Churchill called ‘the gleaming toys of history’ – a collection of entertaining stories, many of them biographical, that light up past and present and fix them in our memories.

The food memoir that inspired a new way of thinking about what we eat and how we live. Illustrated with 12 pages of black and white photographs chronicling the author's remarkable life.

An exquisite edition of Dorothy Wordsworth's journal, famous for its nature writing and invaluable insight into the lives of the Romantic poets.

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

A treasure trove of archaeological wonder: C. W. Ceram’s infectiously enthusiastic volume is an enduring classic.

Roy Porter’s erudite chronicle of the history of medicine remains the definitive work on the subject.

Elizabeth David’s influence on our culinary tastes and attitudes was nothing short of revolutionary, bringing the warmth, aromas and tastes of the Mediterranean into Britain’s bleak post-war kitchen.

Exploring the greatest religious schism in Western history, Diarmaid MacCulloch reveals why the people of Europe were willing to die and kill for their beliefs.

A revealing portrait of one of the most powerful women in history, who remained the subject of scandalous rumour throughout her life and beyond.

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

This selection of celebrated essays by Charles Dickens conjures up a peerless, eyewitness account of the 19th-century capital, from the rarefied world of Whitehall to working-class conviviality and blighted slums. 

A fascinating insight into Galileo’s fundamental contribution to science. Introduced by the Pulitzer Prize finalist writer Dava Sobel.

One of the most fascinating women in history, brilliantly re-examined in a stellar biography.

In this fascinating study, historian Richard Barber examines the elaborate pomp and ceremony of the medieval court festival, revealing as he does so its wider cultural and political importance. This volume is published exclusively by The Folio Society.

Historian James Holland introduces a richly illustrated edition.

Dazzling colour images illuminate this award-winning story of game-changing scientific theory.

An engaging and comprehensive study of one of history’s most celebrated artefacts. This edition features a colour reproduction of the Tapestry, with a scene-by-scene commentary.