2022 Gift Guide: History Books

TUDOR ENGLAND
A History
Lucy Wooding

‘A treasure chest of real people enduring war, poverty, chaos and contagion. Fascinating characters are crowded into a narrative of superb dramatic pace.’
Gerard DeGroot & Dominic Sandbrook, The Times ’25 best history books of 2022‘

SCOTLAND
A Global History
Murray Pittock

‘Spectacularly panoramic and sweeping…it ranges effortlessly and with confident authority over 400 years of history, from Quebec to Calcutta, from Ossian to Trainspotting.’
William Dalrymple, Spectator ‘Books of the Year’

THE GEORGIANS
The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century Britain
Penelope J. Corfield

‘A magisterial recreation and analysis of the long eighteenth century in Britain from one of the key architects of this vibrant field…Decades of learning are worn so lightly, but don’t be deceived by the seductively readable style.’
Amanda Vickery

THE CASTLE
A History
John Goodall

‘A masterful and erudite companion of the neglected heroes of British architecture.’
Simon Jenkins

IN THE SHADOW OF ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
The Churchyard That Shaped London
Margaret Willes

‘Wonderfully engaging…Willes gives a diverting account of searing political pamphlets…and the first printing of literary sensations such as Lyrical Ballads’
Sinclair McKay, Spectator

THE WOMEN WHO SAVED THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
Matthew Kelly

‘With an engaging, accessible, page-turning style, Matthew Kelly reveals an innate awareness of his reader as he illuminates the achievements of these four extraordinary women.’
Katharine Norbury, BBC Countryfile

TWO HOUSES, TWO KINGDOMS
A History of France and England 1100-1300
Catherine Hanley

‘Catherine Hanley’s engaging account of England and France during the 12th and 13th centuries covers a turbulent period bookended by the accession of Henry I and the marriage of Edward II to Isabella of France. Much of what comes in between reads like the plot of a soap opera peopled by larger-than-life characters.’
Katherine Harvey, The Sunday Times

THE NORMANS
Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th-Century Europe
Judith A. Green

‘Judith Green’s book is immensely readable and based on impeccable scholarship.’
Tony Barber, Financial Times ‘Best Books of 2021: History’

BURNING THE BIG HOUSE
The Story of the Irish Country House in a Time of War and Revolution
Terence Dooley

‘Illuminates a problematic slice of social history, repositioning the ‘Troubles’ of 1919-21 as a continuation of the Land War of 1879-81, and retailing with brio a story often only half-told.’
Roy Foster, TLS ‘Books of the Year

CONQUER WE MUST
A Military History of Britain 1914-1945
Robin Prior

‘How Britain’s Armed Forces coped in two world wars is the subject of Conquer We Must…which exposes the constant tension, whether in conflict or in peace, between politicians and service chiefs.’
Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph ‘Best History Books 2022’

THE WANDERING ARMY
The Campaigns that Transformed the British Way of War
Huw J. Davies

‘Exhaustively researched . . . includes wonderfully descriptive battle accounts, mixing first-hand testimony with punchy prose.’
Saul David, The Times

SPYMASTER
The Man Who Saved M16
Helen Fry

‘A remarkable piece of historical detective work…Now, thanks to this groundbreaking book, the result of years of meticulous research and expert analysis, Kendrick’s role as one of the great spymasters of the twentieth century can be revealed.’
Saul David, The Daily Telegraph

ARMADA
The Spanish Enterprise and England’s Deliverance in 1588
Colin Martin & Geoffrey Parker

‘Those who claim you cannot improve on perfection need to explain this book. Parker and Martin’s original account of the Armada campaign was the work from which all subsequent scholars took their lead, this one, with 30 years worth of extra research and thought, sets a new benchmark. Magisterial.’
Dan Snow

VICTORY AT SEA
Naval Power and the Tranformation of the Global Order in World War II
Paul Kennedy

‘An authoritative global narrative [and] lavishly illustrated with watercolour paintings by the fine marine artist Ian Marshall, together with excellent maps and graphs.’
Max Hastings, Sunday Times

CONVOYS
The British Struggle Against Napoleonic Europe and America
Roger Knight

‘You can taste the salt in this impressive account of the convoy system during the Napoleonic wars’
Gerard DeGroot, The Times ’25 best history books of 2022′

THE STORY OF TUTANKHAMUN
The Intimate Life of the Boy Who Became King
Garry J. Shaw

‘Using the most up-to-date archaeological and art historical evidence, Shaw presents his preferred version of Tutankhamun’s life robustly and well, with a view to presenting Tutankhamun as a living, breathing human being rather than a demi-god….’
Nigel Fletcher-Jones, thepast.com

CRASSUS
The First Tycoon
Peter Stothard

‘Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome. Here he cleverly explores the life of one of the most puzzling and elusive ‘big men’ in the history of Rome, and why it matters.’
Mary Beard

CLEOPATRA
Her History, Her Myth
Francine Prose

‘A feminist reinterpretation of the life of the Egyptian queen. Her chapter ‘Cleopatra on Film’ features biting observations.’
Martin Chilton, Independent, ‘Books of the Month’