Reaktion Books

A critical biography of the great modernist editor and novelist. Ford Madox Ford (1873?1939) lived among several of the most important artists and writers of his time. Raised by Pre-Raphaelites and...

A new critical biography of medieval England's most famous poet. For over six centuries, Chaucer has epitomized poetic greatness, though more recent treatments of The Canterbury Tales' lively and...

From that cheerful puff of smoke known as Casper to the hunkiest potter living or dead, Sam Wheat, there is probably no more iconic entity in supernatural history than the ghost. And these are just...

Griffinology' is a fascinating exploration of the mythical creature?s many depictions in human culture. Drawing on a wealth of historical and literary sources, this book shows how the griffin has...

Hannah Arendt is one of the most renowned political thinkers of the twentieth century, and her work has never been more relevant than it is today. Born in Germany in 1906, Arendt published her first...

The untold story of the engineering behind the empire, showing how imperial Spain built upon existing infrastructure and hierarchies of the Inca, Aztec, and more, to further its growth...

An iconoclastic celebration of canned, packaged, and preserved foods. By turns a scientific, feminist, and economic critique, this book gleefully attacks received wisdom about the dangers of...

A gripping biography of the English ship pilot who would become one of the most influential Westerners in feudal Japan. In 1600, English helmsman William Adams washed ashore in Japan and was...

A profound analysis of the factors underlying the 2021 invasion of the US Capitol, arriving as the nation looks ahead to another tumultuous presidential election in 2024. Insurrection offers a...

A new global history of Indian art after 1947. In this richly illustrated account, Devika Singh presents together for the first time the work of Indian and foreign artists active in India after...

A profound journey through diverse representations of islands in contemporary art. In this groundbreaking exploration, Gill Perry looks at the vital role that islands play in contemporary visual...

A critical biography of a major novelist and art critic from the late nineteenth-century French decadent movement. J.-K. Huysmans (1848-1907) is often hailed as a forerunner of modernist letters...

Laughing Shall I Die: Lives and Deaths of the Great VikingsAuthor: Tom ShippeyPublisher: Reaktion BooksPublication Date: November 07, 2020Number of Pages: 368 pagesLanguage: EnglishBinding:...

An eye-opening and richly detailed history of women's sexuality that upends entrenched perceptions of the long eighteenth century. Libertine London investigates the sex lives of women throughout the...

A guide to the cultural history of liqueurs from a celebrated spirits journalist. The original recreational spirit, liqueurs traveled the Silk Road, awaited travelers at the Fountain of Youth, and...

From smoothies to folklore, a global history of the many incarnations of the mango. This beautifully illustrated book takes us on a tour through the rich world of mangoes, which inspire fervent...

A wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated history of mermaids and mermen from the classics to cosplay. People have been fascinated by merpeople and merfolk since ancient times. From the sirens of...

This book deals with the history of mining and smelting from the Renaissance to the present. Martin Lynch opens with the invention, sometime before 1453, of a revolutionary technique for separating...

Miracles Of Our Own Making : A History Of PaganismAuthor: Liz WilliamsPublisher: Reaktion BooksPublication Date: Nov 05, 2021Number of Pages: 352 pagesLanguage: EnglishBinding: PaperbackISBN-10:...

The explosive history of weaponized mail over hundreds of years. This book unfolds the gripping history of weaponized mail, offering the first-ever comprehensive exploration of this sinister...

A window into the human lives of classical Greece through the words they left behind. Myths, Muses and Mortals gives new insight into a multitude of life experiences in ancient Greece. The book...

A sympathetic but clear-eyed exploration of Paul McCartney's work in the 1990s, arguably his most important since the rise of the Beatles. Paul McCartney's 1990s was an era like no other, perhaps...

Drawing on a range of sources and fields, the rich life story of this polymathic composer. This groundbreaking biography offers fresh perspectives on the life, ideas, and music of French...

With striking photographs and personal insight, a compelling biography of the great American saxophonist and free jazz innovator Ornette Coleman. Ornette Coleman?s career encompassed the glory years...

A highly illustrated voyage through shipwrecks ancient and contemporary. Out of the Depths explores all aspects of shipwrecks across four thousand years, examining their historical context and...

A new reading of Plato's philosophy that reveals it as deeply shaped by his experiences in Athens. Plato is a key figure from the beginnings of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived...

A history of post-war playgrounds and their enduring legacy. After World War II, a new kind of playground emerged in Northern Europe and North America. Rather than slides, swings, and roundabouts,...

A provocative reassessment of a popular narrative that connects museums, the antiquities trade, and theft. In this thought-provoking new work, historian Justin M. Jacobs challenges the widely...

An illustrated history of Korean ceramics from ancient origins to today. This book is a captivating, richly illustrated history of fired clay in Korea, spanning ancient times to the present day...

An anthology both personal and profound exploring the deep meaning of reading in our lives. Readers for Life is a collection of essays, mainly specially commissioned for the book, by fiction authors...