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New history books in February 2026
Posted on: 3 March 2026
A slightly sparser list of new history books this month (Feb 2026, in hardback in the UK). The two that I am curious to find out a bit more about are: Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a...
new books
On Pedantry - review
Posted on: 22 February 2026
Of splendid books I own no end But few that I can comprehend. I cherish books from various ages And keep the flies from off the pages. Sebastian Brant, The Ship of Fools (1494) The rhyme...
β β β ββ (2025)
review
New history books in Jan 2026 (and Dec 2025)
Posted on: 8 February 2026
I have combined January and Decemeber to give myself a break over xmas. However it turns out that there was not much out in December anyway and a much greater number in January so it worked out well....
new books
Rhyme and Reason - review
Posted on: 19 December 2025
Hail-stones as big as eggs apace down fell, And some much bigger, as I hear some tell: Who took them up as they lay on the ground, And measured, they were found eight inches round. ~ And fourteen...
β β β β β (2025)
review
An Accidental History of Tudor England - review
Posted on: 12 December 2025
Disclaimer: the reviewer is an ex-student of Professor Steven Gunn. The English were, historically, good at paperwork. As a solicitor myself, this is something which I greatly admire. By the late...
β β β β β (2025)
review
The Last Dynasty - review
Posted on: 5 December 2025
Ancient Egypt has a history that spans an incredible amount of time. From 3100 BCE to 30 BCE there are 31 centuries, covering 33 dynasties, and 390 different pharaohs.1 When my ancestors were feeling...
β β β β β (2024)
review
Ptolemy VIII then had his sonβs body dismembered and the parts delivered to Cleopatra II [his sister, wife, brother's widow, plus his son's mother] in Alexandria, timed to arrive the night before her birthday celebrations.
Review of Toby Wilkinson, The Last Dynasty
New history books in November 2025
Posted on: 1 December 2025
A slightly smaller selection of new history books from November 2025 (in the UK, in hardback) - nevertheless they are all welcome! The three I am looking out for are: Mexico: A 500-Year History, by...
new books
Classicism and Other Phobias - review
Posted on: 16 November 2025
Classics is an odd subject with a long history. (I will define Classics as the study of the Roman and Ancient Greek world, with an emphasis on the written-down remains) To give you an idea of how long...
β ββββ (2025)
review
New history books in October 2025
Posted on: 3 November 2025
I didn't manage to grub up so many new history books from last month, but as ever there is more than enough to keep you reading! The three books I particularly liked the look of are: Rhyme and...
new books
What to Expect When You're Dead - review
Posted on: 12 October 2025
The Greek Historian Herodotus reports that the Egyptians carried a painted corpse made of wood inside a coffin into their drinking parties. The host then displayed the corpse to each of the guests in...
β β β β β (2025)
review
The Greek Historian Herodotus reports that the Egyptians carried a painted corpse made of wood inside a coffin into their drinking parties. The host then displayed the corpse to each of the guests in turn, saying. βLook at this as you drink and enjoy yourself. Youβll be like that when you die.β
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