Upcoming Books

Comic-operetta stage set, or ghost town haunted by the walking dead - Sigmaringen still fascinates long after its collapse at the end of the Second World War. This enclave of French Vichy officials and fascists on German soil - refugees and hostages maintained at the Nazis' pleasure - played out the last residue of French collaborationism in the closing months of the war, presided over by the inert figurehead of Marshal Pétain, against the fairytale backdrop of Sigmaringen Castle. No single English-language history of the Sigmaringen enclave exists, yet it brought together some of the most colourful and controversial collaborationists, from the militant French SS officer Joseph Darnand to the delirious writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline, in a petri dish for the last samples of the collaborationism that had infected France and laid her low. Vichy's Last Castle brings together contemporary documents, eye-witness reports, diplomatic communiques and protests, and personal chronicles, alongside post-war analyses, war crimes trials, apologetics and memoirs, to provide a complete picture of the Sigmaringen enclave, from daily life to political chicanery. From the vain, formal protests of Marshal Pétain to the hallucinatory stream-of-consciousness of Céline, the book draws on contemporary photographs as well as texts to encapsulate this bizarre milieu, where the rank-and-file starved and suffered, while the elite played and plotted their tragicomic endgame, in a sublimely appropriate Wagnerian setting.

Mention war crimes trials to almost anyone and they will respond with one word, 'Nuremberg.' Most think there was only one trial following the Second World War, the International Military Tribunal, but this trial indicted only 24 defendants. They represented the most senior Nazis accused of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But few were involved directly in any of the millions of individual atrocities. The victorious allies, the Soviet Union, the USA, Britain and France, tried hundreds of other cases in many different cities. The British trials took place in several locations in Germany, but most war criminals in British custody faced prosecution in one city. The Curiohaus Trials immerses readers in the untold story of war crimes trials that took place in a miraculously intact concert hall in war-torn Hamburg. Using freshly examined archive material, cross-referenced sources and information from the scenes of the crimes, this gripping account unveils the complex legal proceedings in courtrooms where orchestras previously played. Step by step, readers become immersed in the gathering of evidence, moving testimony and the intricate pursuit of truth. Amidst the search for justice, however, moral and ethical dilemmas arose. The book explores the challenges faced by prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges who had to navigate the fine line between seeking retribution and ensuring a fair trial in a shattered post-war society. It reveals an almost exclusive reliance on eye-witness testimony (even when physical evidence was available), a shocking decline in appetite to try those responsible for grievous atrocities and an astonishing absence of justice at the end of the process. The Curiohaus Trials is an essential read for those interested in modern history, international law and the search for justice.

The COSSAC planners in 1943 outlined a strategy to capture the city of Caen, some 10 miles in-land from the coastline with an airborne division. On assumption of command of 21st Army Group, General Montgomery up-scaled the invasion and inserting SWORD Beach, gave the task of capturing the city to the 3rd Division on D Day or shortly afterwards. The Germans, however, seeing the number of Allied divisions, many fictional, multiplying on their situation maps, believed that a secondary landing would be made in Normandy. In April 1944, they therefore made significant reinforcements including moving the 21st Panzer Division to the important transport node of Caen that, if held, barred the way onto the more open country south to Falaise. Though aware of the German reinforcement thanks to ULTRA, the Allied aspiration remained to capture Caen and fix the Germans against the British Second Army on the eastern flank of the lodgement. In doing so, it became obvious that the city would not be captured as quickly or cleanly as originally envisaged. On D Day, the 3rd Division faced not just the coastal crust of defences, but German formations deployed in depth, including the 21st Panzer Division barring the way to Caen. Beset with difficulties resulting from Eisenhower's decision to 'go' in less-than-ideal conditions, the landing was slow and the division could not develop the necessary momentum to carry them to the city.

One of America's most acclaimed curator-critics analyzing the work of one of its greatest paintersThe Focal Points series collects essays, articles and reviews by acclaimed curator and critic Robert Storr (born 1949). Expertly edited by art historian and curator Francesca Pietropaolo, and richly illustrated, the volumes offer Storr's illuminating insights into an artist's practice and way of thinking across recent decades and provide fresh interpretations of the varied territory of modern and contemporary art. This volume gathers, for the first time, Storr's writings on the work of American painter Jasper Johns (born 1930). An artist internationally recognized for his encaustic paintings of flags, targets and maps, Johns' "Neo-Dada" works helped to formalize a shift in postwar American art, moving away from Abstract Expressionism and toward Pop art. Storr's essays and articles provide a unique look at Johns' practice and its continuing relevance, encapsulating Storr's process of close examination of and prolonged thinking about Johns' art.

Twins Scarlett and Thomas have been learning about the Maya at school. They even had a go at making hot chocolate from cacao beans. When Grandad falls ill, the twins know what the perfect cure will be - hot chocolate! They nervously borrow Grandad's time machine and travel back to the time of the Mayas. Scarlett pretends to be a god, and gets taken in by the royal family. Thomas is not quite so lucky, and ends up playing for his life in a brutal Mayan ball game. Watch out, Thomas, if you lose, you might be sacrificed to the gods!How far would you go to find the best hot chocolate?

Honey is settling into her role as scout bee for her hive. Now she has a new mission: to find more water. Together with her friends Beanie, Hex and Fred the Fly, Honey buzzes off on an adventure. Yet they soon discover there's something very wrong with the local stream. It's going to take lots of cunning and clever tricks to fix the problem and make sure the water flows freely again.

Elsie Silver meets Lyla Sage in this angsty and ridiculously romantic slow-burn

First published in 1982, Community Work and Racism takes as its theme the fundamental need of the black community in Britain to be freed from the disabling effects of white racism both in the individual and institutional forms.

John Potts Slough, the Union commander at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, lived a life of relentless pursuit for success that entangled him in the turbulent events of mid-nineteenth-century America. As a politician, Slough fought abolitionists in the Ohio legislature and during Kansas Territory's fourth and final constitutional convention. He organized the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry after the Civil War broke out, eventually leading his men against Confederate forces at the pivotal engagement at Glorieta Pass. After the war, as chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court, he struggled to reform corrupt courts amid the territory's corrosive Reconstruction politics.Slough was known to possess a volcanic temper and an easily wounded pride. These traits not only undermined a promising career but ultimately led to his death at the hands of an aggrieved political enemy who gunned him down in a Santa Fe saloon. Recounting Slough's timeless story of rise and fall during America's most tumultuous decades, historian Richard L. Miller brings to life this extraordinary figure.

Our buildings are making us sick. Our homes, offices, factories, and dormitories are, in some sense, fresh parasites on the sacred Earth, Nahasdzn. In search of a better way, author Jim Kristofic journeys across the Southwest to apprentice with architects and builders who know how to make buildings that will take care of us. This is where he meets the House Gods who are building to the sun so that we can live on Earth. Forever.In House Gods, Kristofic pursues the techniques of sustainable building and the philosophies of its practitioners. What emerges is a strange and haunting quest through adobe mud and mayhem, encounters with shamans and stray dogs, solar panels, tragedy, and true believers. It is a story about doing something meaningful, and about the kinds of things that grow out of deep pain. One of these things is compassion-from which may come solace. We build our buildings, we make our lives-we are the House Gods.

Religion in the Américas explores the fluid, dynamic, and complex nature of religion across Latin America and its diasporic communities in the United States. Utilizing a transdisciplinary and trans-hemispheric lens, this groundbreaking anthology transcends traditional scholarly boundaries-geographical, disciplinary, and temporal-as it explores ideas and cultural practices that share a common history of Iberian colonialism. This robust collection of essays forges a dialogue among scholars throughout the Americas who represent a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The book is divided into five sections: "Fluidity in the Afro-Latine Diaspora," "Aesthetics in Las Américas," "Critical Feminist Epistemologies and Activism," "The Limits of Institutional Religion," and "Spiritual Invasions and Contagions." Throughout the volume, the concept of "experience" serves as a foundational lens, as chapters examine how individuals and communities actively interpret and negotiate their realities within diverse historical and social contexts. Focusing on religion as a culturally conditioned epistemic practice, Religion in the Américas invites readers to engage with religion in the Americas on multiple, intersecting levels of knowledge, including local insights, scholarly analyses, and the positionality and queries of readers themselves. The book's dialogical approach encourages not only continual reevaluation of the complexities of religious experience in the Americas but also creative innovation that will inspire new avenues of inquiry.

Explores the chemical arts in the long period from 3000 BCE to 600 CE, when chemical artisans, recipes and ideas were exchanged between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece, Rome and Byzantium. Also available open access.

Say goodbye to boring salads with 100 unbelievably delicious plant-based recipes from Danielle Brown, the bestselling author of HealthyGirl Kitchen. Life-Changing Salads is more than just a cookbook—it’s your ultimate guide to creating satisfying, plant-based salads that you'll crave. From crunchy chopped salads to cozy warm bowls, hearty salad wraps, quinoa powerhouses, and even no-lettuce salads (perfect for meal prep), every salad situation is covered! With creative recipes like the spring roll salad and the Caesar pasta salad, you’ll never feel stuck in a salad rut again. Discover how to create creamy, indulgent dressings using nondairy yogurt or hummus, whip up nutrient-packed superfood blends, and master satisfying textures using nuts and seeds—all without compromising on flavor. Whether you’re new to plant-based eating or simply looking to level up your salad game, Life-Changing Salads will inspire you to make these vibrant, nutrient-dense meals a staple in your kitchen. With over 100 recipes for irresistible salads and essential dressings, this is the only salad guide you’ll ever need. Let’s get chopping!

In Destroyers at War Adm. James L. Holloway III, the twentieth Chief of Naval Operations, recalls his early life and service on destroyers during the final campaigns of the Pacific War in World War II. As the assistant gunnery officer in USS Ringgold (DD 500) and the gun boss on USS Bennion (DD 665), he took part in shore bombardment and anti-air radar picket missions during the assaults on Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, and Leyte. He provides detailed explanations of how gunnery systems worked on small combatants as well as gripping accounts of combat events, including the climactic battle of Surigao Strait—the last battleship-vs-battleship clash in history—where a Bennion torpedo scored a fatal blow against the Japanese battleship Yamashiro.  This book also explores the relationship between Holloway and his father, James L. Holloway Jr.—the only father-son combination to serve on active duty as four-star admirals—and highlights the senior Holloway’s career as his son worked his way through the ranks. Holloway will be one of the last members of the Greatest Generation to publish a firsthand account of World War II.

This is a beautiful book that embraces the joy of baking. There is something universally comforting about freshly baked buns. Soft and pillowy, with a gentle sweetness and enticing aroma, they are a treat enjoyed by cultures around the world and at the heart of this global love affair is the simple pleasure of taking basic ingredients and transforming them into something truly delicious.  Buns is a gorgeous collection of recipes, including classics passed down through generations, such as Cardamom Buns, Semlor and Tosca, to modern interpretations that celebrate flavour and form, such as Pistachio and Peach, Tahini and Chocolate, and Orange and Fennel. The recipes are a testament to the appeal of sweet indulgence and whether you are a seasoned baker or a curious beginner, this book will inspire you to create your own delicious bakes and perhaps even discover new favorites along the way.

Tom Crean: Irish Antarctic Explorer tells the unforgettable and inspirational true story of a poor farm boy who escaped poverty in Ireland and became a great hero exploring the unknown frozen lands of Antarctica.