Simon & Schuster History of the World in 100 Animals Barnes Simon

From the author of The History of the World in 100 Animals, a BBC Radio Four Book of the Week, comes an inspirational new book that looks at the 100 plants that have had the greatest impact on humanity, stunningly illustrated throughout • As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we still consume the energy of the sun in the form of food. The sun is available for consumption because of plants. Plants make food from the sun by the process of photosynthesis; nothing else in the world can do this. We eat plants, or we do so at second hand, by eating the eaters of plants • Plants give us food. Plants take in carbon dioxide and push out oxygen: they give us the air we breathe, direct the rain that falls and moderate the climate

History is a rich, varied and fascinating subject, so it's rare to find the whole lot in one book … until now. The History of the World in Bite-Sized Chunks pulls it all together, from the world's earliest civilizations in 3500 BC to the founding of the United Nations in 1945, passing by the likes of Charlemagne, the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean War, to name a few • Here's your chance to introduce yourself to the full spectrum of world history, and discover just how the modern world came to be

The history of the world is the history of great women • Marie Curie discovered radium and revolutionised medical science. Empress Cixi transformed China. Frida Kahlo turned an unflinching eye on life and death. Anna Politkovskaya dared to speak truth to power, no matter the cost. Their names should be shouted from the rooftops • And that is exactly what Jenni Murray is here to do

Journey through the history of the world, one day at a time! • If you ever wondered what happened on your birthday 100 years ago, or on Christmas in the year 800 or even Halloween several years ago, then this history book is perfect for you! Discover what happened on each day of the year with this fascinating visual adventure through time • On This Day is not your ordinary history reference book. Inside the pages, you will find the following • - Key historical events are arranged by their date in the year • - Mixes serious history with fun facts for children and bizarre events • - War, peace, inventions, science, sport, people - all in an eclectic, visual mix • - Birthdays that are shared by famous historical figures and modern celebrities • - A fun, accessible way to enjoy history • - Every main story is presented through great images • Travel back in time and find out all the exciting things that happened around the year from January 1st to December 31st

Throughout history, maps have been fundamental in shaping our view of the world, and our place in it. But far from being purely scientific objects, maps of the world are unavoidably ideological and subjective, intimately bound up with the systems of power and authority of particular times and places. Mapmakers do not simply represent the world, they construct it out of the ideas of their age. In this scintillating book, Jerry Brotton examines the significance of 12 maps - from the almost mystical representations of ancient history to the satellite-derived imagery of today. He vividly recreates the environments and circumstances in which each of the maps was made, showing how each conveys a highly individual view of the world. Brotton shows how each of his maps both influenced and reflected contemporary events and how, by reading it, we can better understand the worlds that produced it

This book tells the story of our greatest invention. Or, it almost does. Almost, because while the story has a beginning - in fact, it has many beginnings, not only in Mesopotamia, 3,100 years before the birth of Christ, but also in China, Egypt and Central America - and it certainly has a middle, one that snakes through the painted petroglyphs of Easter Island, through the great machines of empires and across the desks of inspired, brilliant scholars, the end of the story remains to be written • The invention of writing allowed humans to create a record of their lives and to persist past the limits of their lifetimes. In the shadows and swirls of ancient inscriptions, we can decipher the stories they sought to record, but we can also tease out the timeless truths of human nature, of our ceaseless drive to connect, create and be remembered

See history as it happened - from the evolution of early humans to the space race - with 130 detailed maps that bring pivotal episodes of world history to life.Including a foreword by renowned broadcaster and historian Peter Snow, this history atlas shows you the history of the world in thrilling action. Follow Napoleon as he conquers Europe, explore the rise of the Roman Empire, or chart the progress of the Russian Revolution as each map presents an overview of the story then takes you, step by step, through how it developed, leaving its mark on land and ocean.With cutting-edge design and breathtaking scope, History of the World Map by Map charts ancient, medieval, and modern history in all corners of the world. Discover how patterns of global trade, exploration, conflict, and technological advances shaped key moments in human civilization, such as the success of ancient Egypt, the conquest of Peru, the decolonization of Africa and Asia, the American Civil War, and the energy and environmental challenges of the 21st century

The completely updated edition of J. M. Roberts and Odd Arne Westad's widely acclaimed, landmark bestseller The Penguin History of the World • For generations of readers The Penguin History of the World has been one of the great cultural experiences - the entire story of human endeavour laid out in all its grandeur and folly, drama and pain in a single authoritative book. Now, for the first time, it has been completely overhauled for its 6th edition - not just bringing it up to date, but revising it throughout in the light of new research and discoveries, such as the revolution in our understanding of many civilizations in the Ancient World. The closing sections of the book reflect what now seems to be the inexorable rise of Asia and the increasingly troubled situation in the West

Upon victory in 1945, Britain still dominated the Middle East. But her motives for wanting to dominate this crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa were changing. Where 'imperial security' - control of the route to India - had once been paramount, now oil was an increasingly important factor. So, too, was prestige. Ironically, the very end of empire made control of the Middle East precious in itself: on it hung Britain's claim to be a great power • Unable to withstand Arab and Jewish nationalism, within a generation the British were gone. But that is not the full story. What ultimately sped Britain on her way was the uncompromising attitude of the United States, which was determined to displace the British in the Middle East • Using newly declassified records and long-forgotten memoirs, including the diaries of a key British spy, James Barr tears up the conventional interpretation of this era in the Middle East, vividly portraying the tensions between London and Washington, and shedding an uncompromising light on the murkier activities of a generation of American and British diehards in the region, from the battle of El Alamein in 1942 to Britain's abandonment of Aden in 1967

A sweeping story of divided family, buried secrets and a love that will never die from the number one bestselling author of Songs of Love and War • Ellen Trawton has run away from London to the sweeping landscape of Connemara, hoping to find a place she can cut off all contact with the past. But beneath the wild beauty of the Irish landscape lie secrets which have been hidden for years… • Conor Macausland cuts a dark, lonely figure. His young wife, Caitlin, died tragically at the old lighthouse, and her loss has devastated him. But when he and Ellen meet, a connection sparks between them • Ellen soon realizes that Conor’s past is not all it seems, and there’s more to her family history than she knew too. As the secrets are finally revealed, the truth must be told…

‘Thirty-seven years in the force, and if I was allowed to choose just one thing to erase from my mind, what’s inside that room would be it.’ • That’s what a LAPD Lieutenant tells Detectives Hunter and Garcia of the Ultra Violent Crimes Unit as they arrive at one of the most shocking crime scenes they have ever attended • In a completely unexpected turn of events, the detectives find themselves joining forces with the FBI to track down a serial killer whose hunting ground sees no borders; a psychopath who loves what he does because to him murder is much more than just killing – it’s an art form • Welcome to The Gallery of the Dead

The first book in the New York Times bestselling series! Twelve year old Sophie Foster has a secret • She is a Telepath, and has the power to hear the thoughts of everyone around her - something that she's never spoken about, even to her own family • But everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who also reads minds. She discovers there's somewhere she does belong, and staying where she is will put her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a magical world • Sophie has new rules to learn, and not everyone is thrilled with her "homecoming". There are secrets buried deep in Sophie's memory, secrets that other people desperately want. Would even kill for