The main entrance to the Kyoto Palace, ancient home of the Japanese imperial family, is called the Door to Heaven. How the emperors fell from heaven is a story that crosses two world wars, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the American occupation of Japan, and Japan's phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the Second World War.In this authoritati...more

A pioneering poet whose verse had a profound impact on Shakespeare and the English Renaissance, Surrey was nevertheless branded by one contemporary as “the most foolish proud boy that is in England.” He was the heir of England’s premier nobleman, first cousin to two of Henry VIII’s wives---Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard---and best friend ...more

A masterly study of one of the most colorful monarchs in all of history. "Magisterial and authoritative.a panoramic view of Russia's social, political, economic and culture development."--The New York Times Book Review. "Reads with the excitement of good fiction.a sparkling story."--Chicago Sun-Times. "Highly recommended."--Choice. "Engrossing na...more

Kirkus Reviews hailed Magnus Magnusson's book as a "vast, superb history [that] relates Scotland's past over a dozen millennia." Drawing on a great deal of modern scholarship that has redefined the nation's story, Magnusson vividly re-creates the long and fascinating story of Scotland, offering the most up-to-date and comprehensive history ava...more

The strange six-hundred-year history of the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London. From a polar bear who fished the Thames nightly for his dinner to elephants who drank only wine, the inhabitants of the southwest corner of the Tower of London were a strange and rowdy bunch. No less strange was the cast of characters that visited them: William Bla...more

The guide that shows you what other travel books only tell you! Only one guidebook effortlessly blends the best of London's grand history with new architecture, points--of--interest and events -- DK Eyewitness Travel: London. This new revised edition contains over 1,200 full--color photographs, neighborhood street maps, and the 3--D diagrams and c...more

This account traces the history of Wales, from the earliest times to the late-20th century. From the first Welshmen at Ffynnon Beuno to the miners' strike, from the Red Lady of Paviland to the establishment of the Welsh television channel, from the end of the Ice Age to the politics of today, this book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the w...more

Occupying a unique position in the mercurial, often violent world of medieval state-craft, England’s medieval queens were elemental in shaping the history of the monarchy and the nation. Lisa Hilton’s meticulously researched new work explores the lives of the 20 women crowned between 1066 and 1503. She reconsiders the fictions surrounding well-...more