Category Archives: Book Information

Dickens: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. Read a succinct account of Charles Dickens in just one hour.

Charles Dickens remains – 200 years after his birth – arguably Britain’s most successful writer. Works such as Great Expectations and Oliver Twist have amused and inspired readers in all languages since their original publication in the nineteenth century, and have been adapted countless times for the stage and screen.

DICKENS: HISTORY IN AN HOUR by Kaye Jones covers all the major facts and events surrounding Dickens’s life; the poverty of his childhood, his experience in Warren’s Blacking Factory, the evolution of his novels, his tours around America and Europe and his sometimes scandalous private life. DICKENS: HISTORY IN AN HOUR tells you everything you need to know about Charles Dickens in just one hour.

Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour…

Read an extract

Contents:

Birth and Early Years
London
Miss Maria Beadnell
‘Boz’
The Early Novels
The 1840s
Dickens in America
Dickens in Europe
Dickens the Philanthropist
Return to Journalism
Dickens the Reformer
Dickens’ Private Life
Dickens the Public Reader
Staplehurst
The Legacy of Charles Dickens

Read Kaye Jones’ article, Dickens, Debt and Marshalsea Prison

Black History: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. Black History, or African-American History, looks at the story and culture of black Americans from the seventeenth century to the present day.

Encompassing everything from immigration to civil war, emancipation, slavery and migration, Black History in an Hour gives you a neat overview of this vast and fascinating subject.

This book is a superb introduction to the powerful varied history of African Americans. The study of Black History in the West has to be seen primarily in the context of American history. It was in the USA, where all men are created equal, that slavery and the fight for civil rights had its most profound effect.

Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour…

Reader reviews:

“I stumbled upon a tweet mentioning slavery and I clicked the link which led me to the iTunes store. I bought it and read it… Bought another and another and another… Get it now!”

“This is a compelling read.”

“For an hour’s read I thought this was perfect. You can’t cover everything in an hour so given that constraint this is an excellent intro. Very good writing too.”

Contents:

  • Slavery: the “peculiar institution” 
  • The Black Slave: three-fifths the man
  • North and South: “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong” 
  • War and emancipation: “Previous condition of servitude”
  • The Jim Crow Era: “Separate but equal”
  • War, Migration and depression: “Black is beautiful”
  • War and Windrush: “To secure these rights”
  • The Civil Rights movement 1: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
  • The Civil Rights Movement 2: “Burn, burn, burn”
  • Black Power: “We gonna stop them white men from whuppin’ us” 
  • Britain and South Africa: “Rivers of blood”
  • Forty years later: “Because of the color of her skin”

Ancient Egypt: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. Ancient Egypt in an Hour is a fascinating and concise account of ancient Egyptian history.

The history and mystery of ancient Egypt stirs our imagination and stimulates our desire to understand more about the most influential civilisation of the pre-Christian era. It was a period during which the Egyptians preserved their dead in decorated tombs and built magnificent monuments, while other nascent cultures still dressed in skins and lived in rudimentary dwellings.

The Egyptians believed in strange animal-headed gods; they mummified their dead in preparation for their journey into the afterlife; they built imposing and enduring stone structures using only Bronze Age tools and their country remained virtually inviolate, unconquered and unchanged for over more than three millennia.

Where did they come from? How did they achieve and maintain a cohesive cultural identity over all that time? What secrets have already been discovered by archaeologists and what revelations might still be waiting to be found hidden in the desert sands of Egypt? Finally, what legacy did they leave to us as we enter the third millennium AD?

This, in an hour, is Ancient Egypt.

Contents:

  • Ancient Egyptian Civilisation
  • The Old Kingdom
  • The Ancient Religion
  • First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom
  • Hieroglyphs and Writing and the Second Intermediate Period
  • Mummification
  • The New Kingdom
  • Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period
  • The Hellenistic Period
  • The Legacy of Ancient Egypt

The Cold War: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. The Cold War: History in an Hour gives a brilliant overview of the unusual and non-violent war between East and West that lasted nearly fifty years.

From the end of World War Two to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the world lived within the shadow of the Cold War. Russia and America eyed each other with suspicion and hostility. World War Two was too recent to be forgotten and a nuclear Third World War remained a distinct possibility. Post-war Europe was being rebuilt and Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt had to find a way to work together for peace.

The Cold War: History in an Hour will help you understand the dynamics of the politics of the time and how Europe and the rest of the world rebuilt themselves after World War Two.

Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour…

Reader reviews:

“If anyone’s doing history A2 and has an iPhone/iPod touch, download the app ‘the cold war in an hour‘ it’s pretty damn goooooood!”

“I really, really enjoyed reading it, learnt quite a lot, and am keen to pick up more of these books. The tagline “history for busy people” fits me perfectly, and with each book only about £1, there’s no excuse not to brush up on some more topics.” MrsChristine.com

“A great refresher on what I half remembered from a-levels – nice to have pictures to look at on the new Kindle too. Would recommend.”

“Brilliant, well thought out introduction to the Cold War. If you find massive history books a little intimidating then this is a perfect solution.”

“Read this in about an hour and sure enough I now feel as if I have an idea of what the Cold War was about. Good writing too – you read one bit and want to read the next. Excellent stuff!”

“I really enjoyed this. I looked at some other apps out there on the cold war but plumped for this one. (One competitor wanted me to pay for a collection of wikipedia pages – I don’t think so). I liked the writing style – very readable and accessible. Layout was clear and the ebook flows in a logical, easy-to-follow manner. By the time my train journey was over I genuinely felt more knowledgeable. Good stuff, I look forward to other titles coming out.”

“Does what it says – provides a concise overview of the Cold War that can be read in an hour.”

“Stuck at Gatwick and wanted something to read while I waited. Now (at 31 years) I have a better understanding of the Cold War which I never did before. Brilliant idea, and so many other areas that could be condensed into an hour’s read.”

Contents:
  • The End of the Second World War: Apocalypse  
  • The Beginning of the Cold War: The Freeze 
  • Three Speeches: “An iron curtain has descended.” 
  • The Marshall Plan: “Communism cannot be stopped in Europe” 
  • Berlin: “You cannot abandon this city and this people” 
  • The Bomb “MAD.” 
  • The Korean War: Hot War 
  • American anti-communism: ‘Reds Under the Bed.’ 
  • Stalin’s Final Years: “I’m finished, I don’t even trust myself.” 
  • Khrushchev: “Different roads to socialism.” 
  • Space Wars: ‘Flopnik’ 
  • The Berlin Wall: “Berlin is the testicles of the West.” 
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis: “We’ll all meet together in Hell.” 
  • The Vietnam War: Unwinnable 
  • Rebellion: 1968 
  • Nixon: ‘Vietnamization’ 
  • China, America and the Soviet Union: ‘Ping-pong diplomacy.’ 
  • The Decline of Detente: ’Lennonism, not Leninism.‘
  • Afghanistan: ’The Soviet Vietnam.’
  • The Polish Pope and Solidarity: “The last nails in the coffin of communism.”
  • The Ex-Actor: “Regimes planted by bayonets do not take root.” 
  • Gorbachev: “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” 
  • 1989: “Time to yield power.”
  • The End of the USSR: “The threat of a world war is no more.”

American Slavery: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. History in an Hour presents a concise and uncompromising look at the American slave trade, and the huge role African-American slaves played in building ‘The Land of the Free.’

From the first slaves arriving in Jamestown in 1619, the cotton fields in the Southern States and shipbuilding in New England, to the slaves who laid down their lives in war so that Americans could be free, American Slavery in an Hour covers the breadth of the subject without sacrificing important historical and cultural details.

An important and dark time in Black – and American – history, American Slavery in an Hour will explain the key facts and give you a clear overview of this much discussed period of history, as well as its legacy in modern America.

Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour…

Contents:

  • The New World
  • The Middle Passage – the Atlantic Slave Trade
  • The Human Cargo
  • Welcome to the New World
  • Non-Existent Rights
  • The Abolitionists
  • The Concept of Freedom
  • The Educated Slave
  • The Beginning of the End
  • North vs. South
  • “Manifest Destiny”
  • Uncle Tom
  • John Brown
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Secession
  • The American Civil War
  • The End of Slavery in the US

1066: History in an Hour

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History for busy people. William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066 changed the country forever. 1066 in an hour is a concise exploration of that eventful year.

During the year 1066, England had three different kings and fought three huge battles in defence of the realm, including the bloody Battle of Hastings. The result was the Norman Conquest which defined England during the Middle Ages.

1066 in an Hour will guide you through the politics and personalities of the Norman invasion. It will help you understand why William the Conqueror was victorious and introduce you to the new king and subsequent ancestor to the Plantagenets and Tudors.

Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour…

Reader reviews:

“Puts this chapter of English and European history into quick context and basic order. Allows imagination to fill the gaps. No real need to go deeper. Will now buy next ‘in an hour’ book.”

“The Norman Invasion and 1066 and all that neatly summarised into one hour’s worth of reading. An excellent introduction to the subject. Thank you.”

Contents:

  • The Background to 1066
  • January 1066: The Death of a King
  • The First Omen?
  • The Witan Decide
  • The Contenders Emerge
  • February / March 1066: Developments Abroad
  • April 1066: A Divine Omen?
  • Tostig: A New Problem
  • May 1066: Tostig Returns to England
  • Tostig Flees England
  • June 1066: Harold’s Fleet is Ready
  • The Norwegians
  • August 1066: Ready For War
  • September 1066: Problems At Home
  • The Northern Problem
  • September 20th: The Battle of Fulford Gate
  • The Norwegians Take York
  • September 25th: The Battle of Stamford Bridge
  • September 28th: The Normans Arrive
  • October 1066: Harold Heads South
  • Preparing For Battle
  • October 14th: The Battle of Hastings
  • The Aftermath
  • The Process of Conquest
  • The Capital Rebels
  • December 25th: The Coronation of William I
  • A Conquered People

Hitler: History in an Hour

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Hitler: History in an Hour

What made a failed Austrian artist into the most reviled and destructive personality of the Twentieth Century? Where did the seeds of his rabid anti-Semitism lie? How did a marginalised loner become such a moving force in Germany? How could a nation have fallen for such a maverick? What made him so determined to bring about war?

Read about Hitler as a boy and his relationship with his overbearing father, and about Hitler as a daydreaming drop-out in Vienna and Munich. Read about his routines, obsessions, his ideas and idiosyncrasies, and about the women in his life. Learn about Hitler’s experiences as a soldier during the First World War, and about Hitler as an employee of a Soviet Republic.

Read about how Hitler entered politics and slowly manipulated politicians and civilians; and outmanoeuvred leaders and nations through bullying, diplomacy, charm and lies to achieve complete power leading ultimately to the bloodiest war in history.

Learn about his final days within the oppressive cauldron of his bunker as the Third Reich crumbled around him and, with his health deteriorating, his ultimate, dramatic demise.

This, in an hour, is the story of Adolf Hitler.

Reader reviews:
“Appearance: This app has a nice appearance with a textbook kind of icon because of the faded brown color that matches well with the app itself.  User Interface: This app has some pretty smooth controls with no crashes and easy to navigate.  Organization: Everything is put in chronological order and in neat folders. Very handy when you want to continue reading from where you left off.  Information: Probably the most informative app on Hitler in the appstore. Contains a HUGE amount of information ranging from how he became who he was to his personal life and health. I can almost guarantee that you will learn something new from this app. A variety of pictures are included to provide a better visual in learning.  Overall: Excellent informative app that is great for leisure reading or a source for writing a research paper. This app lets you truly understand the man that has impacted history and caused the Holocaust. If you are getting this app (which I highly recommend) be sure to also pick up Nazi Germany in an Hour because these two apps go hand in hand. Well worth getting and I can assure that you will enjoy this app!”

“This well-crafted app is perfect for those searching for a brief, compelling introduction or companion guide to the man behind the world’s most brutal war in history.”

“Approx 60 million people died in world war two. 6 million jewish civilians were tortured and murdered. This is a must read for an insight into who Hiltler was, how he formed his beliefs and how he controlled a population. Just right for an introduction to this subject. Although saying that I’ve been reading on this subject for 20 years now and I still enjoy ed this ‘introduction’. Read this alongside ‘world war two history in an hour’ also.”

Contents:

  • Hitler the Boy
  • Hitler the Youth
  • Hitler the Drop-out
  • Hitler the Soldier
  • Hitler the Agitator
  • Hitler the Revolutionary
  • Hitler the Martyr
  • Hitler the Politician
  • Hitler the Leader
  • Hitler the Diplomat
  • Hitler the Warlord
  • Hitler the Man:
  •     Hitler’s Women
  •     Hitler’s Health
  • Hitler the Anti-Semite
  • Hitler the End

Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour

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The reign of Henry VIII was one of the most revolutionary periods in English History.  The King’s obsessive search for true-love and intense desire for a male heir led to England’s break from the rule of Catholicism and the complete Reformation of the Church. ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived’ - This popular rhyme that many use to remember the fate of the six wives of Henry VIII shows us just that; their final destiny.

Although many rulers of the time married only for political reasons, Henry wanted an ideal we still crave today; a truly loving matrimony.  His quest for this improbable perfection changed him from a fun-loving prince into a belligerent tyrant.

The women he tried to squash to fit this perfect mould differed vastly.  First came the devoutly Catholic and devoted Catherine of Aragon, then the tantalising, volatile, Reforming Protestant Anne Boleyn.  She in turn was ousted by the gentle and submissive touch of Jane Seymour. After her death, Henry made his only attempt at a wholly political alliance by choosing Anne of Cleves and he even tried to turn that into a romantic story.  He went on to allow his heart free rein in the rule of his head in selecting the party-loving teenage tease, Katherine Howard before finally settling for the intelligent and independent Catherine Parr.  This book, in an hour, will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fate.

Reader Reviews:

“I love history and the tudor period and I am always on the look out for a new authors. This ebook was a great read full of facts, well researched and concise. Because I don’t always get as much time as would I like to feed my addiction for historical facts this book was perfect for me. I loved the way the facts were presented in such a way that I really felt the people come alive. Cannot wait for more!!”

Nazi Germany: History in an Hour

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“And so it had all come to this. Did all this happen only so that a gang of wretched criminals could lay hands on the fatherland? Hatred grew in me, hatred for those responsible for this deed.”

The words are those of Adolf Hitler; the deed – Germany’s surrender in the First World War, and the wretched criminals – the politicians who had meekly accepted the surrender and the defeat of Germany.

Read about Hitler’s experience as a soldier during World War One, the Nazi Party’s climb to power, the elimination of opponents and the Weimar constitution.

Learn about life in Nazi Germany, for women, the family, the Jews, and the use of state control, propaganda and security. See how Hitler manipulated foreign policy to achieve his aims, and how he brought the world into war.

This, in an hour, is Nazi Germany…

Contents:
  • The German Revolution - The End of the Second Reich
  • The Weimar Republic - A republic is born
  • The Treaty of Versailles: “An armistice for twenty years.”
  • DAP: Member 555
  • NSDAP: Nationalism and socialism under one roof
  • Adolf Hitler - the Corporal
  • The Nazi manifesto - A thousand years
  • The Munich Putsch: “The national revolution has begun”
  • Mein Kampf – “Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice.”
  • The Ruhr - An economic downturn
  • The Great Depression - The Crash
  • Nazi elections: “He can lick stamps with my head on them.” 
  • Hitler becomes Chancellor - “A God-given signal.”
  • The Enabling Act: “Fanatics, hooligans and eccentrics have got the upper hand.”
  • The first anti-Jew laws: ‘Non-citizens.’
  • Night of the Long Knives: “The Fuhrer’s soldierly decision and exemplary courage.”
  • The Fuhrer - 99% approval
  • Nazi Germany and the economy - ”Guns will make us strong; butter will make us fat.”
  • State control - Guilty before innocent
  • The family: “I detest women who dabble in politics.”
  • Propaganda: “Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.” 
  • The 1936 Olympics
  • The Jews - Judenfrei.
  • Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass
  • Foreign policy - “Germany will of its own accord never break the peace.”
  • The Rhineland - “We have no territorial claims to make in Europe.”
  • The Spanish Civil War - “Germany’s destiny for good or bad.”
  • Anschluss: “I can strongly recommend the Gestapo to one and all.”
  • The Sudetenland: “The last major problem to be solved.”
  • Czechoslovakia - “That senile old rascal.”
  • Poland - Guaranteed 
  • The eve of war
  • Germany’s War 1939 - “This country is at war with Germany.”
  • Germany’s War 1940 to 1941
  • Germany’s War 1942 to 1945
Reader reviews:

“Well written, quality history in an hour!”

“Appearance: This app has a nice appearance with a textbook kind of icon because of the faded brown color that matches well with the app itself.  User Interface: This app has some pretty smooth controls with no crashes and easy to navigate.  Organization: Everything is put in chronological order and in neat folders. Very handy when you want to continue reading from where you left off.  Information: Contains a ton of detailed information on Nazi Germany. This app covers a huge time span of how the Nazis took over and what they did afterwards. Some key people were listed also. A timeline and lots of pictures are also included.  Overall: Very informative and ha some nice information. Good for anyone to read for fun or doing research. If you get this app (which I highly recommend) also check out Adolf Hitler in an Hour since these two apps are like salt and pepper. Well worth getting and will be sure to give lots of info!”

“A very good, concise account of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany and The Third Reich.”

“A great addition to my iBook shelf, concise and to the point covering all the major themes of Nazi Europe. Gives the reader the info they need to begin deeper research. 5 star!”

“Yippee it’s working and very good too. Originally this app did not work but has since been fixed, so I’ve re-rated it as it’s a very good app which has obviously had a lot of work done on it.”

“Really good if you’re looking for some info of Nazi Germany history. Sparked my interest after playing too much Nazi zombies. Good amount of pics with some descent sized info.”

“I don’t often read books but this is a subject I wanted to know more about and it was a very interesting and straight to the point description of major events leading up to WW2. I am now very much looking forward to reading the next in the series by this author.”

“Another interesting book by this author. Really good. Thank you!”

The Afghan Wars: History in an Hour

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In June 2010 America’s war in Afghanistan surpassed the Vietnam War as the longest war in America’s history. American, British and coalition forces have been fighting in Afghanistan since October 2001, a month following the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. By the end of the year the war seemed won. But a decade on the ongoing conflict seems far from over.

Today’s conflict has historical parallels – in the nineteenth century Great Britain twice invaded Afghanistan, in 1839 and 1878. Both times they had seemingly defeated the Afghan forces only to find the Afghan soldier, not knowing the meaning of defeat, fought back inflicting on the mighty British Empire humiliating retreats.

A century later, the Soviet Union, technologically and militarily superior, also discovered to its cost that the Afghan was a tenacious foe, impossible to defeat. After a decade of conflict the Soviet Union withdrew, its military reputation in tatters.

Afghanistan has been in a state of constant conflict for almost four decades. When not fighting external enemies its people have fought against each other. The Civil War of 1990 to 1996, during which the Taliban emerged, was ferocious in its intensity.

The coalition forces of today are embroiled in an equally unending war. But why are we still fighting in Afghanistan? What are the lessons of history? Who are the Taliban; who are the Mujahedeen, and why was Osama bin Laden so significant?

These, in an hour, are the Afghan Wars.

Contents

  • The First Anglo-Afghan War
  • The Second Anglo-Afghan War
  • The Third Anglo-Afghan War
  • The ‘Saur’ Revolution
  • The Communist Era
  • The Soviet War in Afghanistan
  • The Afghan Civil War
  • The Taliban
  • Afghanistan Under the Taliban
  • 9/11
  • The Afghanistan War
  • The Taliban Insurgency