Modern World Nations

Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 by a United Nations mandate, the Middle East has been a flashpoint of conflict between the world's only Jewish state and the Palestinians, who lost their land because of the UN partition. This ready-reference volume explores the culture, geography, economy, and government of the state of Israel.

In the spirit of American cultural prophecy—from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Rebecca Solnit—acclaimed writer Casey Gerald offers a groundbreaking work of joyous dissent and stunning vision, a survival guide to a society in crisis. “Somehow Casey Gerald has pulled off the most urgently political...

Since Fidel Castro staged a coup and assumed power of Cuba in 1959, the United States has been obsessed with this small island nation, only 90 miles south of the Florida Keys. But because of the country's isolation, the island and its people have remained a mystery. This revised edition of Cuba takes listeners through the country's storied history, its people, and what the future holds for this island nation.

The English East India Company was the mother of the modern multinational. Its trading empire encircled the globe, importing Asian luxuries such as spices, textiles, and teas. But it also conquered much of India with its private army and broke open China's markets with opium. The Company's practices shocked its contemporaries and still reverberate today.

Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today.

Explore South Asian history from the ancient Indus Valley to a modern nuclear state shaped by conquest and resilience. Whether you are prepping for global travel or transforming a mundane daily commute into an educational journey, this sweeping narrative captures the dramatic evolution of a...

A forgotten empire reborn in a single generation. In 1853, Japan had no railways, factories, or foreign alliances. By 1877, it had a modern army, telegraphs, steamships, and the will to stand equal among the world’s great powers. The Last Samurai Nation tells the dramatic true story of that transformation — the Meiji Revolution that ended the samurai age and created modern Japan. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, letters, and diaries, we reconstruct the pivotal years between Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships” and Saigō Takamori’s final stand at Shiroyama. Through vivid, cinematic ...

A bold, revelatory account of how the greatest conflicts, atrocities, and social advancements of our time have all hinged on the seizure of property, for readers of Capital in the Twenty-First Century and Why Nations Fail. Expropriation—the act of forcibly taking property—is usually...

Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a crisis, dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist. When a chance encounter with a handsome stranger presented her with an opportunity to move halfway around the world, Lisa left behind cosmopolitan Los Angeles for a new adventure in the...

Explore the dramatic European history of a resilient nation forged in revolution and tested by great power politics. Perfect for an educational commute, this vivid narrative transforms complex geopolitical struggles into a gripping auditory experience. Listen as citizens and elites navigate...

'Glenny does the sort of history I wish I had been taught at school' Jemima Lewis, The Telegraph Former BBC Central European correspondent Misha Glenny investigates the borders, stories and people of nine countries worldwide, and asks how they acquired the shape and character they have today...

‘The history of the twentieth century was dominated by the struggle against totalitarian systems of state power. The twenty-first will no doubt be marked by a struggle to curtail excessive corporate power.’ This landmark work of reportage exposed how a handful of fast-food giants came to...

Uncover the hidden financial battle of the twentieth century in How World War II Reshaped Global Wealth: Turning Points of the Modern World. While the history of the Second World War is often defined by military strategy, this book reveals a parallel war of logistics and shadow finance. It explores how gold bullion served as the ultimate store of value, acting as a foundation for national currencies and a critical fuel for the war machine. Readers will journey through the pre-war scramble as central bankers in the Netherlands, Poland, and Belgium attempted to evacuate their national ...

Bloomsbury presents The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society by Jonathan Sacks, read by Daniel Epstein. Rabbi Sacks' thesis on the future of British society and the dangers facing liberal democracy. With a new foreword by Daniel Finkelstein. Arguing that global communications have...

How American Rage Created the Canadian Nation: Turning Points of the Modern World offers a compelling, objective look at the accidental origins of Canada. While many national histories focus on shared cultural dreams, this narrative reveals that the Dominion of Canada was actually forged in the fires of 19th-century geopolitical tension. Following the American Civil War, a wave of diplomatic fury swept through Washington, leading powerful figures like Thaddeus Stevens to target the British North American colonies. This "American rage" manifested in a devastating trade war that fundamentally...

The winning goal came in the 106th minute. The system behind it took years to build. A championship is often remembered through one player, one goal, and one unforgettable celebration. But what had to be true before the ball reached Ferran Torres at the decisive moment? The 106th Minute tells the story of how Spain transformed extraordinary talent into a coordinated system capable of surviving the most demanding tournament in international soccer. Beginning with a frustrating opening draw and ending with an extra-time victory over Argentina, the book traces the hidden structure behind the ...

Cecil Rhodes and Shaquille O'Neal; Mozart and Peter Sellers; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington; Benjamin Franklin and Rudyard Kipling. These Masons, and many others, people the pages of The Craft, but even more compelling is the overarching narrative of Freemasonry itself. As a set of...

The English East India Company was the mother of the modern multinational. Its trading empire encircled the globe, importing Asian luxuries such as spices, textiles and teas. But it also conquered much of India with its private army and broke open China's markets with opium. The Company’s practices shocked its contemporaries and still reverberate today. This expanded edition explores how the four forces of scale, technology, finance and regulation drove its spectacular rise and fall.

This fascinating three-thousand-year history of the census traces the making of the modern survey and explores its political power in the age of big data and surveillance. In April 2020, the United States will embark on what has been called "the largest peacetime mobilization in American...

Can America's musical legacy save the Republic? What if the future of America depended not on politicians, but on artists? Tito of Athens is a failed musician and disgraced actor who refuses to accept a broken system. After a haunting encounter with the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, he sets out across America with two fellow musicians, chasing a radical idea: that creativity, not power, can save a nation. In Nashville, they meet Josette Baker, a magnetic singer whose music ignites something extraordinary. Together, they form Musafire, turning concerts into movements and audiences into believers...