In a bestselling work of profound and lasting importance, the late Albert Hourani told the definitive history of the Arab peoples from the seventh century, when the new religion of Islam began to spread from the Arabian peninsula westwards, to the present day. It is a masterly distillation of a lifetime of scholarship and a unique insight into a perpetually troubled region. This updated edition by Malise Ruthven adds a substantial new chapter which includes recent events such as 9/11, the US ...

A revelatory and vibrant story of measurement which will make you look at the world around you anew.

The Story of English is the extraordinary tale of the origins and development of the English language. Two thousand years ago English was confined to a handful of savage tribes on the shores of north-west Europe; More widely scattered, written and spoken than any other language in history, English has become a global phenomenon.

From the legendary producer of Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals and Pink Floyd comes a riveting, world-spanning tour de force illuminating the artists, histories, controversies, and collaborations that shaped global music.

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 100 NOVEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY#11 in the New York Times '100 Best Books of the 21st Century'A ghetto nerd living with his Dominican family in New Jersey, Oscar's sweet but disastrously overweight.

There are tales of footballing bees and Viking mice, the beginning of the thesaurus and the end of the library of Alexandria. Spend just two minutes a day with this glorious almanac of curious treasure and you'll end your year full of wonder and just that little bit wiser.

A joyous exploration of the cultural phenomenon that created Mario, Zelda and Pokmon, and an ode to our love of gaming, by one of the most trusted voices in video games writing.

What a great, shaking, grieving party this book is - the best.' Eileen Myles'I read with the aching intensity of a person possessed ...