British Culture

The loss of America was a stunning and unexpected defeat for the powerful British Empire. Common wisdom has held that incompetent military commanders and political leaders in Britain must have been to blame, but were they? This intriguing audiobook makes a different argument. Weaving together the personal stories of ten prominent men historian Andrew O'Shaughnessy dispels the incompetence myth and uncovers the real reasons that rebellious colonials were able to achieve victory.

The Art of Being British is your hilariously insightful guide to mastering the quirks, customs, and glorious contradictions of British life. Whether you’re moving to England, visiting the UK, or marrying a Brit, this laugh-out-loud book is the perfect crash course in understanding what makes Britain so wonderfully peculiar.

What if Basil Fawlty ran your customer service helpline? What if Mr Bean was stuck in your hybrid meeting? What if Darth Vader had to queue in the rain at Waitrose? In Very British Problems: How the World’s Favourite Characters Survive Britain, some of the most iconic characters from film, TV, books and comics are dropped straight into the glorious chaos of modern British life. From Basil Fawlty, David Brent and Blackadder to Darth Vader, Yoda, Sherlock Holmes and the Sorting Hat, this sharp, witty and very British collection shows how the world’s best-known heroes, villains and legends...

The History of Australia: From Indigenous Origins to a Modern Nation Australia is called the “land down under,” but how much do you really know about its past? Did you know that modern Australia started as a British prison colony? Or that for tens of thousands of years before that, Indigenous peoples lived there, building rich cultures and traditions? This book takes you through Australia’s history, from its first inhabitants to the arrival of European settlers to its fight for independence to its current role in world events. Learn about the convicts who built early settlements, the ...

The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks and military action. The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence...

In a work of extraordinary narrative power, filled with brilliant personalities and vivid scenes of dramatic action, Robert K. Massie, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and Dreadnought, elevates to its proper historical importance the role of sea...

In the late 1890s, Edmund Dene Morel, a young British shipping company agent, noticed something strange about the cargoes of his company’s ships as they arrived from and departed for the Congo, Leopold II’s vast new African colony. Incoming ships were crammed with valuable ivory and rubber...

“A delightful and fascinating book filled with insight and wit, which will make you think twice and cheer up.” — Steven Pinker In a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history, Matt Ridley, the New York Times-bestselling author of Genome and The Red Queen, makes the case for an...

China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with Embassytown, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping...

The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen—a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning portrait is a story of love and heartbreak...

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon...

Britain's empire has gone. Our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self; the Royal Navy has been reduced to a skeleton. In military, diplomatic and economic terms, we no longer matter as we once did. And yet there is still one area in which we can legitimately claim superpower status: our popular culture.

As complex, turbulent and spectacular as the gas giant on which it is set, this novel from Iain M. Banks is space opera on a truly epic scale. “An enormously enjoyable book, full of wonderful aliens, a sense of wonder and subtle political commentary on current events.” –Publishers Weekly...

Discover the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters from Celtic mythology with this beautiful book that captures the ancient stories and tales that captivated the Celts. Prepare to be entertained as you learn about the many myths and legends of the Celtic people. From the storytelling duo behind...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This “excellent, all-embracing” (The New York Times) biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a magisterial study of the woman known only from a distance—and a captivating window into her decades-long reign. From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at...

Soon to be an original streaming series on Hulu! "Fun, sexy and unputdownable--a classic." --Marian Keyes "Flawlessly entertaining." --Helen Fielding "Joyful and mischievous." --Jojo Moyes Fleabag meets Succession as rival TV execs bid for the local franchise in this exuberant romp filled with...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Is the classic, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete? The authors of The Messianic Legacy present a provocative and meticulously researched look at Christ and the history of Christianity. “Enough to seriously challenge many traditional...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this “beautifully written and superbly researched dual biography” (Los Angeles Times Book Review), Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham “paints a powerful portrait of the enormous friendship between World War II allies [Franklin] Roosevelt and...

When Peter Mayle and his wife traded England's long, gray winters and damp summers for life in southern France, they entered an enchanting, wonderful, sometimes bewildering world. Now, share their adventures, pleasures, and frustrations: the joys and occasional hazards of wining and dining in...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “One of the best golf books this century.” —Golf Digest From the author of A Course Called Home comes a heartfelt and humorous golf travel memoir that celebrates his quest to play on every links course in Scotland, the birthplace of the game he loves. For much...