Perestroika triggered an outpouring of resentment across the USSR. In 1986, young Kazakhs made their voices heard, but the Soviet regime was not ready to listen.

From the Thirty Years War to the ancient civilisation of Iran, from Anglo-American rivalries in the desert to the persecution of indigenous peoples, historians select their favourite books of the past year.

In 1904, when tobacco farmers of Kentucky and Tennessee united against the American Tobacco Company, a vigilante splinter group decided to deliver its own brand of rough justice.

When it comes to rapid world-changing events, the Meiji Restoration has few equals.