World History

A widening gulf between performance and accountability has caused history to be kinder to the American generals of World War II than to those of later wars. In The Generals we meet leaders from World War II to the present who rose to the occasion - and those who failed.

You think you know about Christmas celebrations? Get ready to discover the truth behind it all! You just need an audiobook that reveals how almost every "timeless" tradition is a product of invention, pagan rituals, and brilliant marketing.

Step into the curious side of history where the law takes unexpected turns. The Curious World of Law uncovers some of the strangest, funniest, and most surprising rules that societies have ever created. From ancient codes and forgotten regulations to modern laws that still leave us scratching our heads, this book explores how human culture, fear, and creativity shaped the world’s most unusual statutes.

Here, anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: He shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods - that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.

In a world marked by profound turmoil and unspeakable horror, one young girl’s voice continues to resonate through the ages, offering a beacon of hope, resilience, and the enduring power of the human spirit. "Anne Frank" delves deep into the life and legacy of Anne Frank, exploring the nuances of her extraordinary story beyond the pages of her famous diary.

The Gulag - a vast array of Soviet concentration camps that held millions of political and criminal prisoners - was a system of repression and punishment that terrorized the entire society, embodying the worst tendencies of Soviet communism. In this magisterial and acclaimed history, Anne Applebaum offers the first fully documented portrait of the Gulag, from its origins in the Russian Revolution, through its expansion under Stalin, to its collapse in the era of glasnost.

The celebrated 2010 HBO miniseries The Pacific, winner of eight Emmy Awards, was based on two classic books about the War in the Pacific, Helmet for My Pillow and With The Old Breed. Audible Studios, in partnership with Playtone, the production company co-owned by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and creator of the award-winning HBO series Band of Brothers, John Adams, and The Pacific, as well as the HBO movie Game Change, has created new recordings of these memoirs, narrated by the stars of the miniseries.

Esta es la historia del encuentro entre dos mundos: Oriente y Occidente conectados por una red de caminos conocida como la Ruta de la Seda, por la que circularon la ambición, las riquezas, el poder y, sobre todo, el conocimiento. Todo comenzó con un puñado de objetos. Valiosas posesiones que pasaban de mano en mano y recorrían miles de kilómetros a través de océanos, desiertos y montañas. Su inmenso valor no dependía solo de su belleza o de la pericia necesaria para elaborarlas; aquellas mercancías exóticas poseían la capacidad de hacer soñar a los que las contemplaban con tierras...

In today’s chaotic world, where the multiplication of information sources creates competing narratives, credibility is the key to winning the war of ideas. This is the reason why governments and corporations resort to astroturfing - creation of ostensibly grassroots movements set up to advance political agendas and commercial campaigns. The democratization of information and polarization of politics offer a perfect storm.

When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.

“Phenomenal…a jaw-dropping book.” —Jon Stewart, The Daily Show Named by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Prospect magazine as a best book of the year, this “scrupulously reported” (The New Yorker) and “astonishing” (The Daily Telegraph, London) book rivets with its...

Jens Müller was one of only three men who successfully escaped from Stalag Luft III in March 1944 - the break that later became the basis for the famous film The Great Escape. In this vivid, informative memoir, Müller details what life in the camp was like, how the escapes were planned and executed, and the story of his personal breakout and success reaching the RAF Leuchars base in Scotland.

Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.

"Vaclav Smil is my favorite author."—Bill Gates An indispensable analysis of how the world really produces and consumes its food—and a scientist's exploration of how we can successfully feed a growing population without killing the planet We have never had to feed as many people as we do...

Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world’s most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through 34 nations and 60 years of political and cultural change—all in one integrated, enthralling narrative.

Conoce a los dioses y las diosas griegas, desde el poderoso Zeus, hasta el temperamental Poseidón, la bella Afrodita y todos los personajes de la A a la Z. ¿Quiénes eran los olímpicos y de dónde venían? ¿Por qué fueron derrocados los titanes? ¿De qué manera estos y otros relatos mitológicos configuraron la cultura y la civilización griegas?Los griegos han fascinado a los estudiosos durante mucho tiempo, y aún hoy nos entretienen las historias de su mitología y su panteón.

This gripping story of courage and achievement is the account of Robert Falcon Scott's last fateful expedition to the Antarctic, as told by surviving expedition member Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Cherry-Garrard, whom Scott lauded as a tough, efficient member of the team, tells of the journey from England to South Africa and southward to the ice floes. From there began the unforgettable polar journey across a forbidding and inhospitable region.

On January 25, 1917, HMS Laurentic struck two German mines off the coast of Ireland and sank. The ship was carrying 44 tons of gold bullion to the still-neutral United States via Canada in order to finance the war effort for Britain and its allies. Britain desperately needed that sunken treasure, but any salvage had to be secret, since the British government dared not alert the Germans to the presence of the gold. Lieutenant Commander Guybon Damant was the most qualified officer to head the risky mission.

In a house designed for manipulation, paranoia, and power plays, sixteen strangers are cut off from the outside world—watched every second by cameras, judged by millions. Welcome to Big Brother. A show ahead of its time, it was once dismissed as fluff television. Now this voyeuristic reality show has quietly become a cultural juggernaut. But what are the costs of turning human lives into entertainment? What kind of psychological toll does it take to be put in isolation, under constant surveillance, in a perpetual state of suspicion?

There is no story in 20th-century history more important to understand than Hitler’s rise to power and the collapse of civilization in Nazi Germany. With The Coming of the Third Reich, Richard Evans, one of the world’s most distinguished historians, has written the definitive account for our time.