{"title":"Shortest History - Travel Collection","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-chinapaperback","title":"The Shortest History of China by Linda Jaivin","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pacy history of China that can be read in an afternoon, but will transform your perspective for a lifetime.    \u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cbr\u003e\nFrom kung-fu to tofu, tea to trade routes, sages to silk, China has influenced cuisine, commerce, military strategy, aesthetics and philosophy across the world for thousands of years.\u003c\/p\u003e  \n\n\u003cp\u003eChinese history is sprawling and gloriously messy. It is full of heroes who are also villains, prosperous ages and violent rebellions, cultural vibrancy and censorious impulses, rebels, loyalists, dissidents and wits. The story of women in China, from the earliest warriors to twentieth-century suffragettes, is rarely told. And historical spectres of corruption and disunity, which have brought down many a mighty ruling house, continue to haunt the People’s Republic today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eModern China is seen variously as an economic powerhouse, an icon of urbanisation, a propaganda state or an aggressive superpower seeking world domination. Linda Jaivin distils a vast history into a short, readable account that tells you what you need to know, from China’s philosophical origins to its political system, to the COVID-19 pandemic and where the PRC is likely to lead the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619599696007,"sku":"9781760641122","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover-2021-11-10T145153.851.jpg?v=1636516341"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-englandpaperback","title":"The Shortest History of England by James Hawes","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe only other countries in Europe so riven by geography and history are Italy and Germany, and neither has the most profound divide of all – the 1,000-year-old gulf that separates the ordinary English from their elites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn  The Shortest History of England , James Hawes journeys from Caesar to Brexit via Conquest, Empire and world war and discovers an England very different to the standard vision. The stable island fortress, stubbornly independent, the begetter of parliaments and globe-spanning empires, is riven by an ancient fault line that pre-dates even the Romans; its fate has ever been bound up with that of its neighbours, whether the English like it or not; and, for the past 1,000 years, it has harboured a class system like nowhere else on Earth. There has never been a better time to understand why England is the way it is, and there is no better guide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619599761543,"sku":"9781760641658","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover-2021-11-10T145034.924.jpg?v=1636516269"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-europe-revised-and-updatedpaperback","title":"The Shortest History of Europe by John Hirst","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Shortest History of Europe  begins with a rapid overview of European civilisation, describing its birth from an unlikely mixture of classical learning, Christianity and German warrior culture. Over the centuries, this unstable blend produced highly distinctive characters – pious knights and belligerent popes, romantics spouting folklore and revolutionaries imitating Rome – and its coming apart provided the dynamic of European history in modern times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eAccompanied by lively illustrations,  The Shortest History of Europe  is a clear, humorous and thought-provoking account of a remarkable civilisation. This new edition brings the story into the present, covering the world wars and beyond.\u003cbr\u003e\n 'Crisp, lucid and evocative' –  Australian Book Review\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39619599794311,"sku":"9781863955652","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover-2021-11-10T144928.699.jpg?v=1636516225"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-india","title":"The Shortest History of India by John Zubrzycki","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAn illuminating and concise telling of the 5000 years of turbulent history that led India from the ruins of ancient civilisations to emerging global superpower\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOne of the oldest civilisations and the largest democracy in the world, India is an amalgam of customs, races, castes, languages and spiritual beliefs, woven together over 5000 years of wonderfully colossal and chaotic history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom the earliest humans and the Harappān civilisation to Muslim invaders, the Great Mughals, British rule, the country’s struggle for autonomy and present-day hopes and challenges, John Zubrzycki masterfully condenses five millennia of deities, mutinies, wars, great empires, decadent dynasties, invasions, colonisation and independence into a fascinating, lively telling. He brings the complex and contrasting layers of Indian history to life through a well-known cast of characters – Buddha, Alexander the Great, Akbar, Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Curzon, Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi – against a backdrop of the mystical Ganges, the desert forts of Rajasthan, the snow-covered Himalayas and the ruins of India’s fabled civilisations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom Buddhism to Bollywood, India has made its mark on Asia and the world. Its progress in tackling poverty and illiteracy have been impressive, but extraordinary challenges remain – not least the threat to its secular fabric. Only time will tell if India can overcome its political, social and religious tensions to rise again and become the next global superpower.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39644365848711,"sku":"9781760641788","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/cover-2021-11-18T142438.750.jpg?v=1637205921"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-greece","title":"The Shortest History of Greece by James Heneage","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe story of Greece is our story.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePhilosophy, art, democracy, language, even computers – our world has been shaped by the products of Greek civilisation. Yet most of us know little about a people and a place that have given us so much. We may be familiar with Pericles and the Parthenon, but what of Epaminondas, the Theban general who saved the Greek world from Spartan tyranny? Alexander the Great’s fame has rolled down the centuries, but the glorious Hellenistic Age that came after him is largely forgotten. ‘Byzantine’ often conjures a vague notion of decadence and deadly intrigue, yet the 1000-year empire ruled from Constantinople saved Europe twice from invasion and was, in fact, Greek.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe story of modern Greece, too, is a dramatic tale of triumph and catastrophe, from liberation and expansion through schism and home-grown dictatorship, Nazi occupation and civil war to today’s nation – battered by austerity, a transit camp for the casualties of the Middle East, at the frontline of climate change – yet still proud of its values.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Shortest History of Greece\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, James Heneage charts the odyssey of the Greeks through more than three millennia. As he does so, he uncovers a vital lesson – one that may just help us fix our own democracies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39677865820295,"sku":"9781760643812","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/products\/TheShortestHistoryofGreece_online.jpg?v=1638832987"},{"product_id":"preorder-the-shortest-history-of-italy","title":"The Shortest History of Italy by Ross King","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEmbark on a captivating journey through 3000 years of Italy's rich history\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e'Italian history has always been about resilience and rebirth ... It is a country that for so many centuries has offered up visions of the wonders to which we humans, at our very best, can aspire.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eItaly was the centre of Europe's first world-wide empire and the home of the Renaissance. Its political and cultural influences have encircled the globe. Today it is the fifth most-visited country in the world. With a population of 60 million, it welcomes, each year, almost double that number of tourists. No other country has as many UNESCO World \u003cspan\u003eHeritage sites: 58 and counting.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Italy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebrings these and many other parts of the country alive through a panoramic sweep across some 3000 years of politics, culture, history and larger-than-life, world-bestriding personalities such as Julius Caesar, St Francis of Assisi and Giuseppe Garibaldi, together with a cast of scheming popes, rampaging barbarians, artistic geniuses, unscrupulous politicians and ambitious mafiosi.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eLively and entertaining, this is the history of one of the world's most fascinating places.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40559000813703,"sku":"9781760643676","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofItaly_online.jpg?v=1692344390"},{"product_id":"preorder-the-shortest-history-of-japan","title":"The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEveryone who has ever visited Japan says it feels 'different'. It is a small island nation with few natural resources, limited space and a history of swinging between isolation and openness to the outside world. This past has produced an extraordinary aesthetic culture that has inspired artists, architects, writers and thinkers worldwide.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis brilliantly distilled and entertaining history takes the reader from Japan's prehistoric beginnings right up to the present day. It offers a captivating introduction for readers who know nothing about Japan while being full of insights for the Japan specialist, with an\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eaha!\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003emoment on every page.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLesley Downer takes the reader through the great sweep of Japanese history, focusing on the dramatic stories of the colourful characters who populate it. She traces the flowering of Buddhism, the country's complex relationship with the rest of the world, and the extraordinary creativity that produced the world's first novel and the art of Hokusai, among much else. She brings in issues of contemporary interest, such as how Japan managed to avoid colonisation. Along the way, she explains the history and significance of Japan's unique traditions, from samurai and geisha to kabuki and the tea ceremony. She ends by considering where the future might take Japan, as it navigates new challenges and takes on a new role as the world's capital of cool, home of manga and anime, street fashion, Nintendo and Pokemon.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40731248296071,"sku":"9781760643850","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofJapan_online.jpg?v=1701225425"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-france","title":"The Shortest History of France by Colin Jones","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom Roman conquest to Emmanuel Macron, the Gauls to de Gaulle, trade to war, religion to migration, colonialism to slavery, Joan of Arc to Asterix …\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrance is the most popular tourist destination in the world, thanks to its unsurpassed cultural and historical riches. Gothic architecture, Louis XIV opulence, revolutionary spirit, café society, haute cuisine and couture – what could be more quintessentially French?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRarely, however, do we think of France as a melting pot, but historian Colin Jones asserts it’s no less a mélange of foreign ingredients than the United States, and by some measures more. As nationalism and anti-immigration rhetoric surge in France (and elsewhere), The Shortest History of France presents a portrait of a nation whose politics and society have always been shaped by global forces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClear-eyed and avoiding traps of national exceptionalism, Jones unfolds France’s first millennium of invasions and subjugation by its neighbours and iterations of the Roman Empire, to the Enlightenment, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and The Paris Agreement. Meanwhile, its darker moments have included overseas colonisation, the Vichy regime and the Algerian War, along with persistent racism, police brutality, and civil unrest.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Schwartz Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41974946136199,"sku":"9781760644482","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/9781760644482.jpg?v=1728251814"},{"product_id":"preorder-the-shortest-history-of-scandinavia-by-mart-kuldkepp","title":"The Shortest History of Scandinavia by Mart Kuldkepp","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003eFrom the Stone Age to 'Scandimania' – a brisk, illuminating journey through 14,000 years of Nordic history\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eOutsiders have long viewed Scandinavia as special, starting with the ancient Greeks and their myths of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eultima Thule\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a place 'where the Sun goes to rest'. Today, we admire Scandinavia for its universal welfare, equality, peacefulness and untouched nature – not to mention its interior design, crime literature and love of all things hygge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYet Nordic history has had its hardships and dark periods too: pandemics, war, the expansionism of the Viking Age and the eighteenth century, alliances with Nazi Germany in World War II and a eugenics movement in the twentieth century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Scandinavia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, historian Mart Kuldkepp masterfully sketches the outlines of Scandinavia's rich history – from the first known peoples of the region, who followed the ice sheet north as it retreated at the end of the last Ice Age, to the Scandinavians living in nations that are among the happiest in the world today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this short but deeply insightful volume, Kuldkepp illuminates the concept of 'Nordicness' – a hard-to-define quality that has nonetheless steered the region to respond to major challenges, actively shaping their history and exerting a considerable influence on European and global history in the process.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42016670285959,"sku":"9781760644963","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/9781743823989_FC.jpg?v=1729824009"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-turkey-preorder","title":"The Shortest History of Turkey by Benjamin C. Fortna","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003eThe world-changing story of Turkey – a country caught between two worlds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eThis brilliant distillation traces Turkey's long and complicated history from the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire – the most enduring, and perhaps the most important, Islamic empire in history – to the emergence of the modern Turkish Republic in the early twentieth century and the populist, authoritarian leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOver more than nine centuries of change, Turkey has been a cultural melting pot, straddling Asia and Europe, and a nation-state bent on ethnic unity. It has seen conquest and reform, appeals to tradition and calls to modernise. It has been a home to Christians, Jews, Muslims and more, and it has aggressively pursued both secularisation and Islamisation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Turkey\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, historian Benjamin Fortna offers a concise yet nuanced overview of this complex trajectory, revealing how persistent tensions between opposing visions for Turkey have shaped, and continue to shape, the country and its people.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42260622540935,"sku":"9781760644659","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofTurkey_online.jpg?v=1736900859"},{"product_id":"preorder-the-shortest-history-of-the-united-states-of-america","title":"The Shortest History of the United States of America by Don Watson","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003eA compelling and timely history of the world's most powerful country from acclaimed author Don Watson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eThis is the extraordinary story of the United States, a nation that contains multitudes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Britain's thirteen American colonies declared their independence on 4 July 1776, the United States of America was born. But it was hardly united. In this superbly written book, Don Watson traces how the central conflicts of the US – those over freedom, race, frontiers, enterprise, religion and violence – play out through its history: a country at war with itself in the 1860s, the leader of the free world less than a hundred years later, and a nation beset by wild division and turmoil in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is a book full of character and humour, told with great learning and insight – a perfect introduction to America, past and present.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42639319433351,"sku":"9781760643942","price":39.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica_online.jpg?v=1747029233"},{"product_id":"preorder-the-shortest-history-of-scotland","title":"The Shortest History of Scotland by Murray Pittock","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScotland is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Its territory has remained fundamentallyunchanged since the fifteenth century, and its southern border with England has barely altered– with the exception of Berwick and a few square kilometres of 'debatable' land – since1237. And yet Scotland – a country with a global brand – is not a state at all. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe ShortestHistory of Scotland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e argues that its very ambiguity is what has made the nation a central partof the global story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStarting at the very beginning with a Scotland before Scotland – a tribal societyconnected closely by sea to Ireland, before becoming a place defined by being the part of anisland beyond the Roman wall – Pittock ranges with dazzling expertise through the definingepisodes of Scottish history up to the present.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42946630779015,"sku":"9781760645359","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofScotland_online.jpg?v=1753664962"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-ireland-by-james-hawes-preorder","title":"The Shortest History of Ireland by James Hawes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, James Hawes presents Irish history as a whole new story that is as captivating as a novel: galloping from the Ice Age to the present, this book will completely change the way people see the Irish past – and future.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor the first time, Hawes charts the absolute centrality of Ireland's links to its real Mainland – Europe – and to its exiled children in America. For centuries Europe provided hope in the face of near-genocidal colonisation – and then Greater Ireland (as it was sometimes called) across the Atlantic took over: the Fenian rebels had a grand HQ on Union Square, and the orders for the 1916 Easter Rising were wired from New York. The modern revelation of Ireland since JFK's iconic 1963 visit as a land naturally peaceful and prosperous has been enabled by America and the EEC\/EU, often in the teeth of Westminster. Today, Ireland just has to sidestep – with their help – the last, toxic wreckage of the British Empire, and that fascinating past will flow into a bright future.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is popular history at its thrilling best.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43450134528135,"sku":"9781760646271","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/9781743824573_FC.jpg?v=1762834821"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-egypt-by-maria-golia-preorder","title":"The Shortest History of Egypt by Maria Golia","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Egypt\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Maria Golia draws on extensive historical research, and her experience as a speechwriter for Egypt's first family, to offer a fresh and insightful perspective on one of the world's oldest civilisations. Golia deftly traces Egypt's trajectory from Neolithic times to the Arab Spring and up to the present day, and in doing so illuminates the environmental, temporal and cultural forces that have shaped it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEgypt looms large in the popular imagination, conjuring images of pyramids, pharaohs, tomb raiders and vast deserts. Yet its true allure might lie in its impressively long history and what it tells us about the human condition. Just like the ancients, we're preoccupied with life's brevity and how to prolong its pleasures and reduce its pains. In many ways, Egypt is a case study in how people endure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten with wit, clarity and a contemporary beat, this is a wild and intoxicating ride through Egypt's history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43603463143559,"sku":"9781760644925","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/9781743824672_FC.jpg?v=1765772907"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-berlin-by-rory-maclean-preorder","title":"The Shortest History of Berlin by Rory MacLean (PREORDER)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003eBerlin's story is one of constant reinvention\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e'Yesterday echoes along today's streets, and the ideas conjured up by Berlin's dreamers, dictators, liars and artists seem as solid as its bricks and mortar.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShaped by waves of death and war, and all but obliterated in both the Hundred Years' and Second World Wars, Berlin is not an ancient city. Founded in the thirteenth century, this small trading post became the capital of Prussia. Berlin's youth has always spurred it towards the future. Yet at the same time it longed for a noble past to perpetuate its own myth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Berlin\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003etraces the city's unique story through the individuals who made it, from Frederick the Great to Marlene Dietrich, Karl Friedrich Schinkel to David Bowie, Walter Rathenau Bettmann to Leni Riefenstahl.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile Berlin may no longer physical divided in two, it still grapples with extremes, leading the global fight for environmental protection and welcoming refugees by the tens of thousands yet facing rising populist nationalism.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Berlin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is an exploration of the human hand in history, the power of myth-making, and resilience in the face of death, destruction and division.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44501859991687,"sku":"9781760645564","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofBerlin_online.jpg?v=1776655588"},{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-dublin-by-gillian-obrien","title":"The Shortest History of Dublin by Gillian O'Brien (PREORDER)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003eDublin is a city steeped in its past.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"form-group col-lg-12 col-md-12 paddeql nomargin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"book-detail-text-formating\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eDublin has never been a place easily reduced to a single story. Developed as a Viking settlement, it became the difficult second city of the British Empire – a colonial capital that served empire rather than nation. For centuries it strained to rival London; later it struggled to define itself apart from it. Yet today it stands as an increasingly multicultural global city with a rich literary past.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Dublin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e explores that restless inheritance – the ways in which Dublin remembers, forgets and remakes itself. It shows how Dublin's truest identity endures in the words of its greatest writers, from the likes of Joyce and Yeats to modern authors Roddy Doyle, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry and Sally Rooney. And that the challenge of this city of music, writing, architecture and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ecraic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is to balance change with character, growth with memory.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Black Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44548802347143,"sku":"9781760645618","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/7211\/6103\/files\/TheShortestHistoryofDublin_online.jpg?v=1777510472"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.schwartzbooks.com.au\/collections\/shortest-history-travel-collection.oembed","provider":"Schwartz Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}