David Commins’ nuanced analysis of the kingdom’s transformation highlights the ongoing tensions that the monarchy needs to manage
A meticulously researched story of the clandestine activities of the smugglers and escapers from Nazi-dominated Europe
An anecdotal and informative book about the tumultuous events of the 14th century that still resonate today
Greg Grandin’s superb, punchy account of the deep ties between the US and Latin America forms a powerful case for closer ties in the present
Tiffany Watt Smith’s fascinating book asks why friendships are less valued by society than conjugal or familial relationships
Selena Wisnom walks the shelves of King Ashurbanipal’s library, revealing what the books tell us about the ideas circulating in 7th-century BC Mesopotamia
Iain Pears’ biography of Francis Haskell and Larissa Salmina is a tale of east-west romance in the cold war
Ian Stewart takes an imaginative, scholarly look at Celticism and its shifting interpretations
Vladislav Zubok’s monumental account is not just history, but a reassessment of a stand-off that still shapes geopolitics today
Jane Draycott skilfully evokes the strangeness and intensity of one of ancient Rome’s most complex figures
This scurrilous, wonderfully detailed potted history of 12 Roman rulers still resonates in a sparky new translation
Rob Cowen’s discovery of a skull near the A1 motorway leads him to explore layers of Britain’s history — and battle his own historical demons along the way
In her revisiting of the grisly 1910 case, Hallie Rubenhold seeks to demote the murderer from his male-centric leading role
A timely look at how CIA money helped Poland’s underground print banned books
Jill Eicher’s timely book brings to life the battle between the US Treasury secretary and the British chancellor in the wake of the first world war
Jack Fairweather tells the story of Fritz Bauer’s fight to put war criminals on trial — often in the face of public and political opposition
Christopher de Bellaigue’s follow-up to ‘The Lion House’ explores how the Ottoman sultan balanced geopolitical scheming with a complex family life
As the country goes to the polls, writers explore, in fiction and non-fiction, its identity and values — and where these suggest it is heading
Lyndal Roper’s account of the German Peasants’ War is all the clearer for shedding the ideological bias of many previous studies
A biography of dictator Kim Il Sung explores the improbable coincidences that propelled him to power — and his impact on our world
Writing in a new age of bitter polarisation, Minoo Dinshaw pulls into focus two figures who tried to bring the English civil war to an end in the early 1640s
Stephan Malinowski on why the relationship became a matter of intense public debate
Paul Strathern’s tour of 17th-century thinkers is ambitious — but does it answer his own question about our world’s future?
Documentary-maker Julian Evans rekindles a 30-year romance with the country and finds warmth in desperate circumstances
From war and tech, to biographies on Taylor Swift, the Pope and Bill Gates — plus new fiction from Adam Haslett and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a preview of some of the titles to look out for in the coming year
