History belongs to the heroes. But to get the full story, sometimes you have to ask the side characters.

The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry VIII and Queen Victoria fill bookshelves and fascinate scholars all over the world. But little attention is given to the ferret who posed for the renaissance master, the servant who oversaw the Tudor's toilet time, or the famous horse who thrilled the miserable old monarch.

These supporting cast members have been waiting in the wings for too long, and ...

Make room Herodotus, stand down Bede, pipe down Pepys . . . There's a new history book in town. Pre-order your copy now.

From the chart-topping podcast The Rest is History, a whistle-stop tour through the past - from Alexander the Great to Tolkien, the Wars of the Roses to Watergate. The nation's favourite historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook take on the most curious moments in history, answering the questions we didn't even think to ask:

- Did the Trojan War actuall...

WINNER OF THE 2017 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN NONFICTION

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS

WINNER OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S HELEN BERNSTEIN BOOK AWARD

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, LOS ANGELES TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, BOSTON GLOBE, SEATTLE TIMES, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, NEWSWEEK, PASTE, and POP SUGAR

The essential journalist and bestselling biographer of Vladimir Putin reveals how, in the space of a g...

The story of the rise and fall of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate (1653-9), England's sole experiment in republican government - and one of the most extraordinary but neglected periods in British history.

A landmark journey along the full length of the old Iron Curtain - from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border - tracing the history of the Cold War and meeting the people who live with its legacy.

A fascinating and revelatory cultural history of hypochondria, from Hippocrates to wellness influencers - for fans of Andrew Solomon and Siddhartha Mukherjee

A celebration of the English countryside that focuses on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. It also presents an eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies.

24 Hours in Ancient China invites you to meet a wide range of fascinating characters from all parts of society to experience what life was really like during this incredible time and empire.

Dan Jones's epic new history tells nothing less than the story of how the world we know today came to be built.