A Biography of Cao Cao
Rafe de Crespigny is an Australian sinologist, now aged 90. He specialises in the history of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. His…
Beautiful – The English Cathedral
This 160- page book is a joy for lovers of English church history and architecture. The book starts with churches from medieval to Henry VIII…
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Introductory book – Shakespeare’s Restless World: An Unexpected History in Twenty Objects
The title of this book promises much. But this book touches the surface only. It is an introductory book on aspects of Shakespeare and the…
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Beautifully written – Shakespeare: The Biography
This is an excellent biography. Ackroyd says he wrote this book, not as an expert. The end result is a very readable cradle to grave…
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A dry account – Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation
As a translation, it is faithful to the text. However, this book would have been much better if a commentary is available for each chapter…
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The Elgin family
The Elgin family is notorious in history. A father and son were responsible for the desecration of two famous monuments. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of…
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Behind the headline – The Fall of Hong Kong: China’s Triumph and Britain’s Betrayal
An excellent and gripping account of the negotiations which led to the return of HK to China. From this book, we know the men and…
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Trilogy of French and Russian war
This trilogy is a wonderful reassessment of the war between the French and Russian empires. Using extensive French, Russian, German and Polish diaries, memoirs and…
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Biographies of Churchill
I have about 30 biographies of Sir Winston S. Spencer. Of these, I recommend 4 if one is keen to read up on WSC. Walking…
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The origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict
I have visited the Holy Land twice, on March 2007 and again in Nov 2017. The middle east has always been an area of special…
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Ideal companions on cruise
These 2 books are ideal companions on any cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. I bought The Pillars of Hercules in a 2nd handbook shop in…
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