Books published by Reaktion Books

An exploration of the extraordinary role that food played in shaping Britain during the `long' eighteenth century.

An insightful new interpretation of the elusive Renaissance painter Hans Holbein.

An illuminating study of the relationship between the Kinks and their city, London.

Paul Baker recounts the story of Polari with skill, erudition and tenderness.

A richly illustrated exploration of gender, identity, sexuality and celebrity in Edo-period Japan.

A full portrait of the complex and brilliant Spanish poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca.

An investigation of maverick French painter Jean-Honore Fragonard within the lively society of eighteenth-century France.

An insightful biography of Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest novelists of all time.

A critical biography of German novelist, playwright and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Now available in paperback, this is the first truly global survey of the history and variety of communist poster art.

This natural and cultural history of a much-loved animal, the otter, features numerous illustrations of otters in nature and culture and shows how otters have been persecuted by many cultures, and highly revered by others, such as the Native Americans.

An account of moles in nature, and cultures around the world.

An up-to-date guide to the biology and cultural history of the jellyfish.

A vivid journey through the gastronomical, botanical, cultural and political history of beans.

An enlightening and entertaining guide to the natural and cultural history of the wasp.

Written by an active researcher in the field, Galaxy: Mapping the Infinite tells the rich scientific story of galaxy evolution and observation - discoveries of 'spiral nebulae', the nature of galaxies and the current 'World Model'.

A vivid, absorbing new biography of Dmitry Shostakovich.

A timely reappraisal of Indian writer, composer, musician, artist and activist Rabindranath Tagore.

A beautifully illustrated monograph on the innovative and at times controversial sculptor Donatello.

A natural and cultural history of the majestic yet endangered polar bear.

A beautifully illustrated, authoritative overview of humankind's fascination with the ringed planet Saturn.