Books published by C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Lost Islamic History by Firas Alkhateeb is a captivating journey into the rich and complex past of Islam. Published in 2017 by C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, this book delves into the forgotten stories and significant moments of Islamic civilization. Alkhateeb, a renowned historian, beautifully encapsulates the essence of Islamic history that has been lost or overlooked in modern narratives. The book is a must-read for those interested in understanding the profound impact of Islam on world history. Exploring various aspects including science, politics, and culture, it provides a comprehensive view of Islamic history. Don't miss out on this insightful read from C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.

A unique look at how evolution has shaped humans to fight wars, even when those wars kill fighters before they reproduce.

Critical look at the new wave of right-wing populist movements that are using religion to mobilise people

The inside story of Hungary's descent into autocracy at the hands of Viktor Orbán, told by a former parliamentary ally turned outspoken political opponent.

African liberation is often seen in terms of heroism, but seldom in terms of thought. Even Sartre, in his preface to Frantz Fanon’s seminal The Wretched of the Earth, wrote of the ‘native’ with his coiled muscles about to explode into rebellion. The African and the black person are denied the condition of philosophy, apparently driven only by frustration and anger.Stephen Chan’s new book charts the long history of African political thought, from the years of North American slavery, through the development of modern African nationalism and the difficulties of governing new states, to Africa’s political philosophy today, taking on the world as an equal. He dwells at length on major figures from Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah’s postcolonial generation to Biko, Mandela and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He shows their leadership to be inseparable from their ideas, and from those of literary giants including Fanon, W.E.B. Du Bois and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.This is no hagiography: Chan critically examines his thinkers, who also include Mugabe and Mobutu, and expresses concern for the future of Pan-Africanism. But his fascinating account reveals a thoughtful continent that has made complex, significant contributions to the world’s intellectual commons–yet continues to seek freedom.

Dissects how competing, increasingly strident visions of India will shape its destiny for decades to come. Over a billion Indians are alive today. But are some more Indian than others? To answer this question, central to the identity of all who belong to modern India, Shashi Tharoor explores hotly contested notions of nationalism, patriotism, citizenship and belonging. Two opposing ideas of India have emerged: ethno-religious nationalism, versus civic nationalism. This struggle for IndiaΓÇÖs soul now threatens to hollow out and destroy the remarkable concepts bestowed upon the nation at Independence: pluralism, secularism, inclusive nationhood. The Constitution is under siege; institutions are being undermined; mythical pasts propagated; universities assailed; minorities demonised, and worse. Tharoor shows how these new attacks threaten the ideals India has long been admired for, as authoritarian leaders and their supporters push the country towards illiberalism and intolerance. If they succeed, millions will be stripped of their identity, and bogus theories of Indianness will take root in the soil of the subcontinent. However, all is not yet lost. This erudite, lucid book, taking a long view of India''s existential crisis, shows what needs to be done to save everything that is unique and valuable about India.

A political and economic history of ultra-successful Norway: is it all a fluke on borrowed time, or has the country prospered by design?

A powerful case for the enduring value of diplomacy from one of America's most distinguished statesmen.

Two decades on from 9/11, the Taliban now control more than half of Afghanistan. Few would have foreseen such an outcome, and there is little understanding of how Afghans living in Taliban territory have navigated life under insurgent rule. Based on over 400 interviews with Taliban and civilians, this book tells the story of how civilians have not only bargained with the Taliban for their survival, but also ultimately influenced the course of the war in Afghanistan. While the Taliban have the power of violence on their side, they nonetheless need civilians to comply with their authority. Both strategically and by necessity, civilians have leveraged this reliance on their obedience in order to influence Taliban behaviour.Challenging prevailing beliefs about civilians in wartime, Negotiating Survival presents a new model for understanding how civilian agency can shape the conduct of insurgencies. It also provides timely insights into Taliban strategy and objectives, explaining how the organisation has so nearly triumphed on the battlefield and in peace talks. While Afghanistan''s future is deeply unpredictable, there is one certainty: it is as critical as ever to understand the Taliban--and how civilians survive their rule.

Covid-19 is reshaping and challenging governments, societies and economies in previously unimaginable ways--but gangsters and profiteers have adapted. They have found new routes for illegal commodities, from narcotics to people. Shortages, lockdowns and public attitudes have brought the underworld and upperworld closer together, as criminals strive to meet needs, maximise opportunities and fill governance vacuums. Unscrupulous fraudsters are touting fake remedies to desperate people: counterfeit drugs, and trafficked wildlife used in traditional medicine. Social distancing and restrictions have seen online transactions and cyber-ops replacing or supplementing physical shipments, opening opportunities for scammers and hackers. Heavy-handed state responses have created new illicit markets by prohibiting the sale of particular goods and services, while some elites have capitalised on the pandemic for personal or political gain. Covid has cast a long shadow over the rule of law. Criminal Contagion uncovers its extraordinary impacts on the global illicit economy, and their long-term implications.

For much of recorded history, China was a leading science and technology power. But just as the West rose, China turned in on itself, and missed the Industrial Revolution. The result was the ΓÇÿHundred Years of HumiliationΓÇÖ, and a long struggle for a modern, yet distinctly Chinese, civilisational identity. Today, technological innovation has returned to the core of national pride and ambition.Since the 1980s, reforms have transformed China into the worldΓÇÖs second largest economy and a major global power. Cyber space and other advanced technologies have become a battleground for international dominance; but todayΓÇÖs world relies on global supply chains and interstate collaborationΓÇöat least, for now. Growing tension between the USA and China could result in the two superpowers decoupling their technologyΓÇöwith significant consequences for humanityΓÇÖs future.The Great Decoupling shows that this technology contest, and how it plays out, will shape the geopolitics of the twenty-first century.

A magisterial, myth-dispelling history of Islamic Spain, from the founding of Islam to the final expulsion of Spain's Muslims in the seventeenth century.

This is a comprehensive history of a legendarily proud and passionate but lonely people. Much of Europe once knew them as "child-devouring cannibals" and "bloodthirsty Huns". But it was not long before the Hungarians became steadfast defenders of Christendom.

On 20 January 1973, the Bissau-Guinean revolutionary Amílcar Cabral was killed by militants from his own party. Cabral had founded the PAIGC in 1960 to fight for the liberation of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde. The insurgents were Bissau- Guineans, aiming to get rid of the Cape Verdeans who dominated the party elite. Despite Cabral''s assassination, Portuguese Guinea became the independent Republic of Guinea- Bissau. The guerrilla war that Cabral had started and led precipitated a chain of events that would lead to the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, toppling the forty-year-old authoritarian regime. This paved the way for the rest of Portugal''s African colonies to achieve independence. Written by a native of Angola, this biography narrates Cabral''s revolutionary trajectory, from his early life in Portuguese Guinea to his death at the hands of his own men. It details his quest for national sovereignty, beleaguered by the ethnic-based identity conflicts the national liberation movement struggled to overcome. Through the life of Cabral, António Tomás critically reflects on existing ways of thinking and writing about the independence of Lusophone Africa.

An intimate look at everyday life under, within and alongside a notorious terrorist group.

Are the Chinese secret services now the most powerful in the world?

The Rohingya have been making international headlines as the world becomes aware of their plight via the story of SE Asian immigrants stranded in boats

How can policy control armed force, if armed force is a direct extension of policy?

'Precisely and rigorously ticks off Heineken's excesses and tribulations in Africa.' - Le Monde