New Releases by Giles Milton

A história do dia mais longo, contada por aqueles que o viveram. O mundo mudou na fria manhã do dia 6 de junho de 1944, quando 156 mil homens, 7 mil navios e 20 mil veículos blindados partiram rumo à batalha que marcaria o início do fim da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Giles Milton, autor bestseller, revela-nos histórias de heroísmo individual num livro apaixonante onde relata os acontecimentos do Dia D - o desembarque das forças aliadas nas praias da Normandia, em França - através das palavras daqueles que lá estiveram nesse dia: aliados, alemães e franceses. O que diz a crítica: "Inspirador e comovente em igual medida, esta é história escrita na sua forma mais poderosa." Evening Standard "[Giles Milton é] o mestre da narrativa histórica." The Sunday Times "Primorosamente escrito... o melhor dos melhores." The Wall Street Journal "Giles Milton não é um escritor como os outros... Este é um relato exemplar, abrilhantado e enriquecido pelo discreto sentido de humanidade do autor." The Sunday Herald "Com a sua hábil forma de contar histórias, Giles Milton produziu uma narrativa enérgica e cheia de ação que dá nova vida às palavras e atos da extraordinária geração que se viu envolvida num dos dias decisivos da história ocidental." BBC History Magazine

From internationally bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the motley group of Allied men and women who worked to manage Stalin’s mercurial, explosive approach to diplomacy during four turbulent years of World War II. In the summer of 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, shattering what Stalin had considered an ironclad partnership. There were real fears that Stalin’s forces would be defeated or that the Soviet leader would once again strike a deal with Hitler. Either eventuality would spell catastrophe for both Britain and the United States. Enter W. Averell Harriman: a railroad magnate and, at the start of the war, the fourth-richest man in America. At Roosevelt’s behest he traveled to Britain to serve as a liaison between the president and Churchill and to spearhead what became known as the Harriman Mission. Together with his fashionable young daughter Kathy, an unforgettable cast of British diplomats, and Churchill himself, he would eventually manage to wrangle Stalin into the partnership the Allies needed to defeat Hitler. Based on unpublished diaries, letters, and secret reports, The Stalin Affair reveals troves of new material about the path to Allied victory, full of vivid scenes between celebrated and infamous World War II figures. Includes eight-page, color photograph insert.

Czy wiesz, że Stalin obrabował bank? Że zwłoki Charliego Chaplina zostały porwane dla okupu, a Agatha Christie zaginęła w tajemniczych okolicznościach na jedenaście dni? Jeśli dodać do tego Hitlera na haju, Churchilla mordującego owce i wieczerzę, na której podano ostatniego ptaka dodo, to stężenie absurdu wywołuje niedowierzanie i niekontrolowane głośne „serio?”. Giles Milton jest mistrzem narracji historycznej i w swojej książce szczegółowo opisuje sto najbardziej zwariowanych wydarzeń w dziejach. Historie te czyta się jak fikcję, ale są w stu procentach prawdziwe. Pełna szpiegów, łotrzyków, kanibali, poszukiwaczy przygód i niewolników książka „obejmuje” kilkaset lat i sześć kontynentów. Perfekcyjnie zbadane przez autora fakty rzucają nowe światło na najbardziej ekstrawaganckie i barwne postacie (i zwierzęta) w historii. GILES MILTON jest członkiem Królewskiego Towarzystwa Historycznego oraz autorem bestsellerowych książek historycznych, m in. Muszkatołowej wojny Nathaniela i Ministerstwa niedżentelmeńskich działań wojennych. Jego książki zostały przetłumaczone na ponad dwadzieścia języków i ukazywały się w odcinkach zarówno w audycjach radiowych BBC, jak i w brytyjskich gazetach. Został doceniony przez „New York Timesa” oraz „Time” jako pisarz, którego „niezwykłe badania dają zabawne i bogate w informacje spojrzenie na przeszłość”. Historia opowiedziana przez pryzmat ciekawostek, anegdot i absurdów to coś, co zapamiętasz na długo! Diana Chmiel, autorka bloga „Bardziej Lubię Książki” Łatwo przyswajalne kompendium historycznych dziwactw postaci sławnych i niesławnych. „KIRKUS REVIEWS” OKIEM WYDAWCY: Ze szkolnych lekcji historii najczęściej zapamiętywałem nie daty wojen punickich, ale fakty takie jak ten, że car Piotr I Wielki wprowadził podatek od noszenia brody. Ta książka zawiera wyłącznie takie ciekawostki. Historię pilota kamikadze, który przeżył dwie misje bojowe. (Czy to oznacza, że źle wykonał swoje zadanie czy wręcz przeciwnie?) I opowieść o „brytyjskiej Mulan” – kobiecie, która przebrała się za mężczyznę, by móc walczyć na froncie w czasie I wojny światowej. Prawdziwa bomba humoru i wiedzy, która sprawi, że już do końca życia będziesz błyszczeć w towarzystwie. SZYMON LANGOWSKI

Berlin, 1945. Le destin de la capitale allemande a été scellé en février, durant la conférence de Yalta : les puissances victorieuses États-Unis, Grande-Bretagne, France et Union soviétique divisent les ruines en quatre zones doccupation. Sur le papier, cela semblait une solution pragmatique. En réalité, une fois que les Alliés nont plus été unis par lobjectif commun de vaincre lAllemagne, ils nont pas tardé à retrouver leur hostilité davant-guerre. Le vernis de civilité entre Occidentaux et Soviétiques devait voler en éclats de manière spectaculaire à Berlin. Des systèmes rivaux, des idéologies contraires et des personnalités antagonistes ont fait de la capitale allemande un champ de bataille explosif. Berlin année zéro raconte la première bataille de la guerre froide comme jamais elle ne la été auparavant. Récit dune rivalité terrible, cest avant tout lhistoire dindividus imparfaits qui étaient déterminés à gagner. Giles Milton fait un travail magistral en nous donnant à comprendre les motivations et la pensée de tous les acteurs clés à chaque moment crucial. Une histoire dune tension inouïe, qui a eu une influence profonde, et souvent sous-estimée, sur le monde contemporain.

From a master of popular history, the lively, immersive story of the race to seize Berlin in the aftermath of World War II as it’s never been told before BERLIN’S FATE WAS SEALED AT THE 1945 YALTA CONFERENCE: the city, along with the rest of Germany, was to be carved up among the victorious powers— the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. On paper, it seemed a pragmatic solution. In reality, once the four powers were no longer united by the common purpose of defeating Germany, they wasted little time reverting to their prewar hostility toward—and suspicion of—one another. The veneer of civility between the Western allies and the Soviets was to break down in spectacular fashion in Berlin. Rival systems, rival ideologies, and rival personalities ensured that the German capital became an explosive battleground. The warring leaders who ran Berlin’s four sectors were charismatic, mercurial men, and Giles Milton brings them all to rich and thrilling life here. We meet unforgettable individuals like America’s explosive Frank “Howlin’ Mad” Howley, a brusque sharp-tongued colonel with a relish for mischief and a loathing for all Russians. Appointed commandant of the city’s American sector, Howley fought an intensely personal battle against his wily nemesis, General Alexander Kotikov, commandant of the Soviet sector. Kotikov oozed charm as he proposed vodka toasts at his alcohol-fueled parties, but Howley correctly suspected his Soviet rival was Stalin’s agent, appointed to evict the Western allies from Berlin and ultimately from Germany as well. Throughout, Checkmate in Berlin recounts the first battle of the Cold War as we’ve never before seen it. An exhilarating tale of intense rivalry and raw power, it is above all a story of flawed individuals who were determined to win, and Milton does a masterful job of weaving between all the key players’ motivations and thinking at every turn. A story of unprecedented human drama, it’s one that had a profound, and often underestimated, shaping force on the modern world – one that’s still felt today.

Als Lenin sein Hirn verlor: Wahre Geschichten aus dem Archiv, durch Zufall entdeckt Manchmal wirkt die Realität absurder als jede fiktive Erzählung: Hätten Sie beispielsweise gewusst, dass in Großbritannien einst ein Crossdresser für riesige Wetteinsätze sorgte? Oder dass Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ein Medium nach Agatha Christie suchen ließ? Der britische Historiker Giles Milton verbringt viel Zeit mit der Recherche in Archiven und stößt dabei immer wieder auf Spannendes, Erheiterndes und Befremdliches. In diesem Buch hat er die interessantesten historischen Anekdoten, über die er bisher gestolpert ist, zusammengetragen – alles wahr, alles unglaublich! - Von kurios bis spektakulär: Wahre Geschichten, wie man sie nicht erfinden könnte! - Zeitgeschichte, wie sie in keinem Lehrbuch steht – Anekdoten, die im Gedächtnis bleiben - Fundstücke aus der Archivarbeit: Wenn man bei der Recherche Informationen findet, nach denen man gar nicht gesucht hat - Ein originelles Geschenkbuch: so macht Geschichte Spaß! Stimmt das wirklich? Nächtliche Besuche bei der Queen und das Ende der Dodos Wer hätte gedacht, dass es einem Laien ohne kriminelle Vorgeschichte gelingen könnte, in den Buckingham Palace einzubrechen – und das gleich mehrmals? Ebenso unglaublich scheint, dass die Mona Lisa ihre Berühmtheit hauptsächlich einem Diebstahl verdankt. Und damit nicht genug an Kuriosem: Dodos sind nur ausgestorben, weil sie eine leichte Jagdbeute darstellten, obwohl sie geschmacklich eher eine Enttäuschung waren. Giles Milton fand in den Archiven der Welt noch viel mehr solcher aufsehenerregender Geschichten, die tatsächlich wahr sind.

Soixante-quinze ans ont passé depuis le débarquement de Normandie, la plus grande offensive par la mer de l’histoire de l’humanité. Ce jour-là, le 6 juin 1944, l’issue de la guerre s’est trouvée suspendue à un fil, car le succès ou l’échec de l’opération colossale du Débarquement ouvrirait la voie, ou non, à une victoire alliée. C’est l’histoire des soldats que raconte ici Giles Milton, ces hommes souvent très jeunes qui ont combattu jusqu’à la mort pour mettre fin à la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Pour évoquer le jour J, Milton rapporte les récits des survivants : le jeune conscrit allié, le défenseur d’élite allemand, le résistant français, les civils de Normandie. Depuis les stratèges des forces alliées jusqu’aux soldats de la Wehrmacht dans les bunkers du littoral, D-Day : les soldats du Débarquement décrit avec force la terreur absolue de ceux qui étaient pris au piège de la ligne de front de l’opération Overlord. Milton donne la parole aux personnes que l’on n’avait jamais entendues : la fille du boucher du village, la femme du commandant de panzer, le chauffeur du général – tous les protagonistes de cette bataille monstrueuse trouvent ici leur voix. Un ouvrage magistral. « Un récit exemplaire, animé par le sentiment d’une humanité commune subtilement exprimée par l’auteur. » Trevor Royle, The Herald « Incroyablement authentique, révélateur et magnifiquement écrit. Un tour de force captivant. » Damien Lewis Né en 1966, Giles Milton est spécialiste de l’histoire des voyages et des explorations. Il a publié plusieurs ouvrages de non-fiction, dont huit traduits en français aux Éditions Noir sur Blanc : La Guerre de la noix muscade (2000), Les Aventuriers de la Reine (2002), Samouraï William (2003), Captifs en Barbarie (2006), Le Paradis perdu (2010), Wolfram, un jeune rêveur face aux nazis (2012), Roulette russe (2015) et Les Saboteurs de l’ombre (2018). Trois romans ont été traduits chez Buchet/Chastel, Le Nez d’Edward Trencom (2007), Le Monde selon Arnold (2010) et Le cadavre était presque parfait (2016), ainsi qu’un recueil d’histoires inattendues, Les Miscellanées (Libretto, 2016). Giles Milton a également écrit trois livres pour enfants, dont deux illustrés par sa femme Alexandra. Il vit à Londres.

A ground-breaking account of the first 24 hours of the D-Day invasion told by a symphony of incredible accounts of unknown and unheralded members of the Allied – and Axis – forces. An epic battle that involved 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 20,000 armoured vehicles, D-Day was, above all, a tale of individual heroics – of men who were driven to keep fighting until the German defences were smashed and the precarious beachheads secured. This authentic human story – Allied, German, French – has never fully been told. Giles Milton’s bold new history narrates the events of June 6th, 1944 through the tales of survivors from all sides: the teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, the French resistance fighter. From the military architects at Supreme Headquarters to the young schoolboy in the Wehrmacht’s bunkers, Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die lays bare the absolute terror of those trapped in the front line of Operation Overlord. It also gives voice to those who have hitherto remained unheard – the French butcher’s daughter, the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff. This vast canvas of human bravado reveals “the longest day” as never before – less as a masterpiece of strategic planning than a day on which thousands of scared young men found themselves staring death in the face. It is drawn in its entirety from the raw, unvarnished experiences of those who were there.

''Vivid, graphic and moving'' Mail on Sunday Book of the Year ''It has a wonderful immediacy and vitality - living history in every sense'' Anthony Horowitz ''Fantastic'' Dan Snow ''Compellingly authentic, revelatory and beautifully written. A gripping tour de force'' Damien Lewis ''Stirring and unsettling in equal measure, this is history writing at its most powerful'' Evening Standard Seventy-five years have passed since D-Day, the day of the greatest seaborne invasion in history. The outcome of the Second World War hung in the balance on that chill June morning. If Allied forces succeeded in gaining a foothold in northern France, the road to victory would be open. But if the Allies could be driven back into the sea, the invasion would be stalled for years, perhaps forever. An epic battle that involved 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 20,000 armoured vehicles, the desperate struggle that unfolded on 6 June 1944 was, above all, a story of individual heroics - of men who were driven to keep fighting until the German defences were smashed and the precarious beachheads secured. Their authentic human story - Allied, German, French - has never fully been told. Giles Milton''s bold new history narrates the day''s events through the tales of survivors from all sides: the teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, the French resistance fighter. From the military architects at Supreme Headquarters to the young schoolboy in the Wehrmacht''s bunkers, D-Day: The Soldiers'' Story lays bare the absolute terror of those trapped in the frontline of Operation Overlord. It also gives voice to those hitherto unheard - the French butcher''s daughter, the Panzer Commander''s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff. This vast canvas of human bravado reveals ''the longest day'' as never before - less as a masterpiece of strategic planning than a day on which thousands of scared young men found themselves staring death in the face. It is drawn in its entirety from the raw, unvarnished experiences of those who were there.

Au printemps 1939, une organisation très discrète est fondée à Londres, surnommée "l’armée secrète de Churchill" : elle a pour objectif de détruire la machine de guerre d’Hitler, au moyen d’actes de sabotage spectaculaires. Les opérations de guérilla qui devaient frapper au cœur du Troisième Reich étaient dirigées par six hommes atypiques. Churchill les avait choisis pour leur créativité et leur mépris des convenances. Millis Jefferis et Stuart Macrae s’occupèrent d’organiser les activités et de produire à grande échelle de nouvelles armes secrètes. Cecil Clarke était un ingénieur fou qui avait passé les années 1930 à inventer des caravanes futuristes ; c’est lui qui élabora la bombe destinée à assassiner le favori d’Hitler, Reinhard Heydrich. William Fairbairn était un retraité corpulent à la passion peu commune : il était le spécialiste mondial des techniques d’assassinat sans bruit. Avec son comparse Eric Sykes, il avait pour mission d’entraîner les hommes parachutés derrière les lignes ennemies. Menée par Colin Gubbins, un fringant Écossais, cette organisation fut si efficace qu’elle changea le cours de la guerre. À l’aide de documents d’archives classés Secret Défense jusqu’à ce jour, Giles Milton nous livre avec son humour anglais irrésistible le récit invraisemblable de cette guerre contraire à toutes les règles du vrai gentleman.

"Originally published in Great Britain as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by John Murray (Publishers)"--Title page verso.

Mistrovský vypravěč historických příběhů Giles Milton nám v této knize servíruje další bizarní události z nedávné i vzdálenější historie, mnohdy jen těžko uvěřitelné, ale přesto pravdivé. Věděli jste, že se Churchill během druhé světové války připravoval zaútočit na Německo pomocí biologických zbraní, které by zemi učinily neobyvatelnou na několik desetiletí, a obětoval tomu ovci, a to nejednu? Nebo že mozek Vladimira Iljiče Lenina je nakrájený na 30 000 tenkých plátků? Slyšeli jste o tom, že se v Londýně stavěla věž, která měla svou výškou předčit pařížskou Eiffelovku? A představte si, že Spojené státy měly svého císaře! Zní to neuvěřitelně, ale přesto je to tak – historie zkrátka píše příběhy, které by nevymyslel ani ten nejkreativnější spisovatel. Druhá část knihy, kterou Milton v originále nazývá Fascinující poznámky z historie pod čarou, tak přináší dalších padesát příběhů, které se čtou jedním dechem, a čtenář se díky nim dozví leccos z toho, co se už nevešlo do hodin dějepisu. *** Giles Milton je celosvětově známý spisovatel a historik. Narodil se v Buckinghamshiru a vystudoval Bristolskou univerzitu. Proslavil se svými bestsellery v žánru popularizované historie, které byly přeloženy do dvaceti jazyků. Je autorem projektu Fascinující poznámky z historie pod čarou, jejíž součástí jsou knihy Když Hitler bral kokain a Stalin vyloupil banku a Když Lenin přišel o mozek a Churchill obětoval ovci, které česky vyšly v Nakladatelství JOTA. Napsal také tři romány a tři knížky pro děti. Žije střídavě v jižním Londýně a Burgundsku a je ženatý s výtvarnicí a ilustrátorkou Alexandrou Miltonovou. Má tři dcery. *** „Giles Milton je muž, který umí udělat z historie událost a nechává ji ožít... Skvělá inspirace pro všechny, kdo věří, že dějiny mohou být vzrušující a zábavné.“ The Times „Giles Milton ve své knize předkládá naprosto srozumitelná fakta o historických zvláštnostech, které se vážou ke známým i méně známým událostem.“Kirkus Reviews „Padesát historických příběhů, které váš učitel dějepisu pravděpodobně přeskočil.“The Washington Post „Podivnější než fikce? To je možné, ale život téměř vždy tvoří bizarnější osoby a nepředvídatelnější události, než si většina spisovatelů vůbec dokáže představit.“CounterPunch

More addictive and mind-blowing true tales from history, told by Giles Milton—one of today’s most entertaining and accessible yet always intelligent and illuminating historians In When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank, the second installment in his outrageously entertaining series, History’s Unknown Chapters, Giles Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from history, like when Stalin was actually assassinated with poison by one of his inner circle; the Russian scientist, dubbed the “Red Frankenstein,” who attempted to produce a human-ape hybrid through ethically dubious means; the family who survived thirty-eight days at sea with almost no water or supplies after their ship was destroyed by a killer whale; or the plot that served as a template for 9/11 in which four Algerian terrorists attempted to hijack a plane and fly it into the Eiffel Tower.

Obscure and addictive true tales from history told by one of our most entertaining historians, Giles Milton The first installment in Giles Milton''s outrageously entertaining series, History''s Unknown Chapters: colorful and accessible, intelligent and illuminating, Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from the past. There''s the cook aboard the Titanic, who pickled himself with whiskey and survived in the icy seas where most everyone else died. There''s the man who survived the atomic bomb in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And there''s many, many more. Covering everything from adventure, war, murder and slavery to espionage, including the stories of the female Robinson Crusoe, Hitler''s final hours, Japan''s deadly balloon bomb and the emperor of the United States, these tales deserve to be told.

Six gentlemen, one goal - the destruction of Hitler''s war machine In the spring of 1939, a top secret organisation was founded in London: its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler''s war machine through spectacular acts of sabotage. The guerrilla campaign that followed was to prove every bit as extraordinary as the six gentlemen who directed it. Winston Churchill selected them because they were wildly creative and thoroughly ungentlemanly. One of them, Cecil Clarke, was a maverick engineer who had spent the 1930s inventing futuristic caravans. Now, his talents were put to more devious use: he built the dirty bomb used to assassinate Hitler''s favourite, Reinhard Heydrich. Another member of the team, William Fairbairn, was a portly pensioner with an unusual passion: he was the world''s leading expert in silent killing. He was hired to train the guerrillas being parachuted behind enemy lines. Led by dapper Scotsman Colin Gubbins, these men - along with three others - formed a secret inner circle that planned the most audacious sabotage attacks of the Second World War. Winston Churchill called it his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. The six ''ministers'', aided by a group of formidable ladies, were so effective that they single-handedly changed the course of the war. Told with Giles Milton''s trademark verve and eye for detail, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is thoroughly researched and based on hitherto unknown archival material. It is a gripping and vivid narrative of adventure and derring-do and is also, perhaps, the last great untold story of the Second World War.

Věděli jste o tom, že Hitler bral kokain? Nebo že Stalin vyloupil banku? Že mrtvola Charlieho Chaplina byla ukradena a zloději za ni požadovali výkupné? Giles Milton je mistrovský vypravěč historických příběhů. V poutavé próze Když Hitler bral kokain a Stalin vyloupil banku uvádí 50 těch nejbizarnějších historických „perliček“. Budete se podivovat nad příběhy, které se čtou jako fikce, a přitom jsou zcela pravdivé. Přečtete si o Hiróovi Onodovi, japonském vojákovi, pro nějž druhá světová válka skončila až v roce 1974, o tom, jak Agatha Christie v roce 1926 na jedenáct dní záhadně zmizela, o Mallorym, který možná jako první člověk zdolal Mount Everest, nebo o tom, kdo doopravdy zabil Rasputina. „Fascinující poznámky z historie pod čarou“, jak Milton v originále nazývá svou knihu, jsou perfektně podloženy autorovým výzkumem. Partička špiónů, darebáků, lidojedů, dobrodruhů a otroků, která se na těchto stránkách sešla, zahrnuje dvacet století na šesti světadílech. Kniha vrhá světlo na některé z nejvykřičenějších příběhů dějin a jejich nejokázalejší a nejbarvitější postavy – zvířata nevyjímaje. *** Giles Milton je celosvětově známý spisovatel a historik. Narodil se v Buckinghamshiru a vystudoval Bristolskou univerzitu. Proslavil se svými bestsellery v žánru popularizované historie, které byly přeloženy do dvaceti jazyků. Napsal také tři romány a tři knížky pro děti. Žije střídavě v jižním Londýně a Burgundsku a je ženatý s výtvarnicí a ilustrátorkou Alexandrou Miltonovou. Má tři dcery. *** „Giles Milton je muž, který umí udělat z historie událost a nechává ji ožít... Skvělá inspirace pro všechny, kdo věří, že dějiny mohou být vzrušující a zábavné. The Times „Milton má úžasný postřeh, přináší detaily, které vdechují život minulosti ve všech jejích barvách.“ The Spectactor „Giles Milton je skutečný mistr historického vyprávění.“ Sunday Times „Strhující, barvité příběhy, které se na vás z knihy vyvalí, jako když vysype pytel s kořistí.“ The Guardian

''Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive . . . an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining'' Matthew Redhead, The Times Did you know that Hitler took cocaine? That Stalin robbed a bank? That Charlie Chaplin''s corpse was filched and held to ransom? Giles Milton is a master of historical narrative: in his characteristically engaging prose, Fascinating Footnotes From History details one hundred of the quirkiest historical nuggets; eye-stretching stories that read like fiction but are one hundred per cent fact. There is Hiroo Onoda, the lone Japanese soldier still fighting the Second World War in 1974; Agatha Christie, who mysteriously disappeared for eleven days in 1926; and Werner Franz, a cabin boy on the Hindenburg who lived to tell the tale when it was engulfed in flames in 1937. Fascinating Footnotes From History also answers who ate the last dodo, who really killed Rasputin and why Sergeant Stubby had four legs. Peopled with a gallery of spies, rogues, cannibals, adventurers and slaves, and spanning twenty centuries and six continents, Giles Milton''s impeccably researched footnotes shed light on some of the most infamous stories and most flamboyant and colourful characters (and animals) from history. (Previoulsy published in four individual epub volumes: When Hitler Took Cocaine, When Stalin Robbed a Bank, When Lenin Lost His Brain and When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep.)

Pulau Run adalah sebuah pulau kecil yang terpencil, sepi, dan terabaikan di tengah ribuan pulau-pulau Indonesia lainnya. Namun, siapa sangka bahwa ternyata pulau ini pernah ditukar dengan Manhattan, sebuah pulau yang terletak di sebelah selatan ujung Sungai Hudson, satu dari lima kota bagian yang membentuk Kota New York. Pada awal abad ke-17 M, panen rempah-rempah mengubah Pulau Run menjadi pulau yang paling berharga dari kepulauan rempah-rempah lainnya di Nusantara. Hal ini mendorong perebutan sengit dan berdarah-darah antara Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) dan sekelompok tentara Inggris yang dipimpin oleh seorang kapten pemberani, Nathaniel Courthope. Hasil dari perebutan tersebut adalah satu penawaran paling spektakuler dalam sejarah: Inggris menyerahkan Pulau Run ke Belanda, dan sebagai imbalannya Inggris diberi sebuah pulau lain, yakni Manhattan. Buku ini mengisahkan petualangan brilian, perang dan kebiadaban, navigasi yang belum terpetakan, dan sebuah eksploitasi dunia baru yang menggiurkan. Pulau Run adalah cerita menakjubkan ihwal magnet rempah-rempah Nusantara dalam sejarah kekuasaan kolonial.

In this marvellous collection of fascinating footnotes, Giles Milton delves into the little-known stories from history. Covering everything from adventure, war, murder and slavery to espionage, including the stories of the female Robinson Crusoe, Hitler''s final hours, Japan''s deadly balloon bomb and the emperor of the United States, these tales deserve to be told.

Edward Trencom ha ido dando tumbos por la vida, confiando en su infalible nariz para convertir la tienda familiar en la más célebre fromagerie de Inglaterra. La suya no es una nariz corriente, sino una nariz larga, aguileña y provista de un característico abultamiento redondeado sobre el puente: la misma nariz que ostentan todos los hombres de la familia Trencom. Un buen día, Edward tropieza con un cajón lleno de papeles viejos y su vida se vuelve del revés. Descubre espantado que nueve generaciones de su familia han cono-cido finales trágicos por culpa de sus narices. Cuando se pone a investigar, se ve envuelto en un enigma bizantino sin apa-rente solución. Y como sus infortunados antecesores, es perseguido por fuerzas hostiles cuya identidad y propósito son un completo misterio.

Les presentamos a Arnold Trevellyan: carismático, entusiasta y, en cierto modo, extraño. Su pasión por las setas solo se iguala al amor que siente por Flora, su esposa durante doce años. Un buen día, buscando setas, Arnold hace un hallazgo sorprendente que trastocará todo su mundo. Abandona a Flora y pone rumbo al Pacífico sur, donde acaba casándose con la reina de una remota isla tropical. Sin embargo, no todo es lo que parece en el idílico reino de Arnold. En una serie de casetes remitidas a su mejor amigo, confiesa hallarse atrapado en una conspiración internacional en la que las setas contienen la clave de la vida y la muerte.

In this marvellous collection of fascinating footnotes, Giles Milton delves into the little-known stories from history. Covering everything from adventure, war, murder and slavery to espionage, including the stories of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, the double life of Dr Aribert Heim, the man who never died and the cabin boy on the Hindenburg, these tales deserve to be told.

"Imaginez la projection constante de gigantesques boules incandescentes dans un ciel chauffé au rouge, des nappes de pétrole en combustion sur la mer Égée, l’air empuanti par une odeur nauséabonde, pendant que des nuages étouffants, des cendres et des étincelles passent au-dessus de nous – et vous n’aurez encore qu’une petite idée de la grandiose et épouvantable scène de dévastation qui se déroule sous nos yeux." 1922. Smyrne, l’actuelle Izmir, conquise par la Grèce à la fin de la Première Guerre mondiale, est reprise par les Turcs qui se déchaînent contre la "ville infidèle", plongeant près de deux millions de personnes dans l’une des plus grandes catastrophes humaines du XXe siècle. Recourant à des récits de témoins et aux souvenirs de survivants, Giles Milton restitue l''ampleur de cet épisode tragique de l''histoire des relations entre l’Orient et l’Occident. Né en 1966 dans le Buckinghamshire, le journaliste et écrivain anglais Giles Milton est spécialiste de l’histoire des voyages et des explorations. Il collabore à de nombreux journaux, en France et à l’étranger, et est l’auteur de plusieurs essais : Les Aventuriers de la Reine, Captifs en Barbarie (Noir sur Blanc, 2002 et 2006). Son premier roman, Le Nez d’Edward Trencom, est paru en 2007 aux Éditions Buchet/Chastel.

When the frozen corpse of Ferris Clark is found in the Greenland ice, forensic archaeologist Jack Raven is hired to investigate. He is suspicious from the outset. The corpse is not only naked, but in an absolutely pristine state. As Jack unravels the mystery of Ferris Clark''s final hours, he uncovers a dark and terrible past. He also finds himself caught in a race against time. There is a murderer on the loose and Jack alone can stop the killings. But first he must solve the greatest riddle of all. How did Ferris Clark die? And why? WHEN THE PRESENT IS AS CHILLING AS THE PAST Frankenstein meets Fatherland in the debut thriller by internationally bestselling author, Giles Milton.

Giles Milton ci racconta come avventurieri, pirati e mercanti di spezie abbiano cambiato la carta geografica del mondo percorrendo mari e deserti inseguendo i luoghi in cui si trovava la noce moscata, indispensabile per rallentare la putrefazione delle carni.,

A historical adventure story following the English children who went to America as part of the first colony, under Queen Elizabeth I.

Frost-coated silence, a chill winter’s night. All is quiet in the big dark barn. All is quiet except for a squeak. A squeakity-squeak in the big dark barn. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” squeak two baby owls. “Please, Daddy, please, can we learn how to fly?” In this lyrical story about two baby owls impatient to grow up, stunning collage paintings perfectly capture the warmth and energy of the irresistible babies as they stretch and grow and prepare to test their wings.

Qui peut imaginer aujourd''hui la valeur fabuleuse que représentait la petite noix muscade à la fin du XVIe siècle ? Giles Milton brode autour de la chasse aux épices une fabuleuse histoire des grands navigateurs et marchands du XVIIe siècle. Les fastes orientaux, l’exotisme, les rêves de richesse et de puissance se mêlent à la cruauté des moeurs, à l’impitoyable affrontement guerrier et aux ruses des négociants. La bravoure, la curiosité et l’esprit de conquête animent ce roman d’aventures où abondent flibustiers, rois orientaux, rapines et batailles navales. "L’histoire de cette graine se lit comme un roman d’aventures fabuleusement épicé." Géo

In 1322 Sir John Mandeville left England on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Thirty-four years later, he returned, claiming to have visited not only Jerusalem, but India, China, Java, Sumatra and Borneo as well. His book about that voyage, THE TRAVELS, was heralded as the most important book of the Middle Ages as Mandeville claimed his voyage proved it was possible to circumnavigate the globe. In the nineteenth century sceptics questioned his voyage, and even doubted he had left England. The Riddle and the Knight sets out to discover whether Mandeville really could have made his voyage or whether, as is claimed, THE TRAVELS was a work of imaginative fiction. Bestselling historian Giles Milton unearths clues about the journey and reveals that THE TRAVELS is built upon a series of riddles which have, until now, remained unsolved.

This is the forgotten story of the million white Europeans, snatched from their homes and taken in chains to the great slave markets of North Africa to be sold to the highest bidder. Ignored by their own governments, and forced to endure the harshest of conditions, very few lived to tell the tale. Using the firsthand testimony of a Cornish cabin boy named Thomas Pellow, Giles Milton vividly reconstructs a disturbing, little known chapter of history. Pellow was bought by the tyrannical sultan of Morocco who was constructing an imperial pleasure palace of enormous scale and grandeur, built entirely by Christian slave labour. As his personal slave, he would witness first-hand the barbaric splendour of the imperial court, as well as experience the daily terror of a cruel regime. Gripping, immaculately researched, and brilliantly realised, WHITE GOLD reveals an explosive chapter of popular history, told with all the pace and verve of one of our finest historians.