Books in the Macmillan Essential Histories series

There is a great deal of interest in the history of Armenia since its renewed independence in the 1990s and the ongoing debate about the genocide - an interest that informs the strong desire of a new generation of Armenian Americans to learn more about their heritage and has led to greater solidarity in the community.

This vivid, multi-dimensional history considers the key cultural, social, political and economic events of Australia's history.

A History of the Pacific Islands traces the human history of nearly one-third of the globe over a fifty-thousand year span. This is history on a grand scale, taking the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia from prehistoric culture to the present day through a skilful interpretation of scholarship in the field. Fischer's familiarity with work in archaeology and anthropology as well as in history enriches the text, making this a book with wide appeal for students and general readers.

A History of Ireland explores the story of Ireland from the 12th century to the present day. This new edition has been revised, updated and expanded to take into account the latest scholarship and major recent political, economic, social, and cultural events.

This expanded new edition has been revised throughout in order to amplify key points. The last chapter brings the story up to date and includes discussion of recent events such as the 2004 Madrid bombings and the 2008 general election. The second edition also features additional maps and figures.

Until the beginning of the eighteenth century, to be 'Italian' meant to identify with a number of collective memories, rather than a national memory. Yet there are elements of continuity that have shaped Italian identity over the past 1,500 years. Religion, food, art and architecture, a literary language, as well as a particular relationship between cities and countryside, between family and civil society have all contributed to present day Italian culture and politics. Baldoli explores the history of Italy as a country, rather than as a nation, in order to trace its fascinating cultural and political development. Offering a way into each period of Italian history, the book brings Italy's past to life with extracts from poetry, novels and music. Drawing on the latest research published in English and Italian, this is the ideal introduction for all those interested in Italy's cultural and social past and its significance for the country's present.

Greek-speaking people have occupied the Aegean region continuously since the Bronze Age, while Greek culture has been a feature of the Eastern Mediterranean dating back to the Age of Alexander. But what do Greeks today have in common with Homer, Plato and Aristotle? What are the links between the people who built the Parthenon and those who currently conserve it? Drawing on the latest research into ancient, medieval and modern history, Nicholas Doumanis provides fresh and challenging insights into Greek history since early antiquity. Taking a transnational approach, Doumanis argues that the resilience of Greek culture has a great deal to do with its continual interaction with other cultures throughout the centuries. Ideal for the undergraduate student, or anyone keen to find out more about Greek history, A History of Greece provides a unique and fascinating account of the fortunes and many transformations of Greek culture and society, from the earliest times to the present.

Peter Robb's clear, fluent narrative explores the interplay between India's empires and regions of rule, custom and belief, from early times up to the present day. The new edition of this established text has been revised to incorporate the latest scholarship and now includes a fully reworked, updated and extended final chapter.

Though there are elements of continuity, the history of Germany has been the history of nearly constant change. In this concise introduction to Germany's fascinating past, Peter Wende provides an approachable historical interpretation of the key periods and turning points from Roman times to the present.

In this key textbook, Andres Kasekamp masterfully traces the development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, from the northern crusades against Europe's last pagans and Lithuania's rise to become one of medieval Europe's largest states, to their incorporation into the Russian Empire and the creation of their modern national identities.

This successful text remains the sole historical survey of the Benelux area to be written in English. Arblaster describes the full sweep of the history of the Low Countries, from Roman frontier provinces to the present day. The new edition has been revised and updated in the light of recent events and scholarship, and brings the story up to 2011.

This book tells the story of a group of islands, their peoples, and their remarkable impact on the rest of the world. Concise and authoritative, it provides a balanced and absorbing narrative of an extraordinary shared past, with equal attention paid to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This new edition brings the story up to the present day, and pays greater attention to social developments

This illuminating and insightful guide offers a comprehensive overview of Scottish history, from the kingdom's genesis in the ninth century to the independence debates of the present day.

Few modern countries can boast of such a lengthy history as France, whose distinctive shape has been a key feature of the successive stages of European history during the past millennium.

In this introductory guide, Knud Jespersen traces the process of disintegration and reduction that helped to form the modern Danish state, and the historical roots of Denmark's international position.