Reviews

Dancing Party in the Forecourt of an Imaginary Palace with a Capriccio View of Venice in the Distance, c.1615. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

‘Lying Abroad’ by Carol Chillington Rutter review

Lying Abroad: Henry Wotton and the Invention of Diplomacy by Carol Chillington Rutter is a case study of the archetypal early modern ambassador.

An Iranian Mihrab (prayer niche), c. 1354–55. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

‘Waning Crescent’ by Faisal Devji review

Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam by Faisal Devji charts how colonialism and nationalism propelled the Muslim world into modern history.

Jiji Manga, a comics supplement by Kitazawa Rakuten, 17 May 1926. MeijiShowa/Alamy.

‘Manga’s First Century’ by Andrea Horbinski review

Manga’s First Century: How Creators and Fans Made Japanese Comics, 1905-1989 by Andrea Horbinski reveals the colourful companion to Japan’s turbulent 20th century.

Likenesses purportedly made by the US Office of Strategic Services in 1944 to show how Hitler might be disguised. World History Archive/TopFoto.

‘The Long Death of Adolf Hitler’ by Caroline Sharples review

The Long Death of Adolf Hitler: An Investigative History by Caroline Sharples explores the public fascination with the dictator’s demise and the tall tales of his escape.

A bird's eye view of Europe, William Heath, c.1825-30. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

‘Europe: A New History’ by Roderick Beaton review

Long shorn of a shared faith and distanced from its classical roots, Europe: A New History by Roderick Beaton discovers a continent searching for a definition.

Diagram of the lunar phases from an Ottoman historical calendar, c.1430-50. Chester Beatty. Public Domain.

‘Forgotten Experts’ by A. Tunç Şen review

Forgotten Experts: Astrologers, Science, and Authority in the Ottoman Empire, 1450-1600 by A. Tunç Şen follows the fortunes of the sultan’s stargazers.

Two revolutionary Mexican couples, c.1910. Granger, NYC/TopFoto.

‘Mexico: A History’ and ‘A Brief History of Violence in Mexico’ review

Mexico: A History by Paul Gillingham and A Brief History of Violence in Mexico by Pablo Piccato start from different places. Yet their neighbour to the north proves to be an inescapable destination.

Kuomintang soldiers stand on a bridge, 1936. Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe. Public Domain.

‘Red Dawn Over China’ by Frank Dikötter review

Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity by Frank Dikötter is a balanced account of the violent years between Kuomintang and communist rule.

A Writer Trimming his Pen, Jan Ekels, 1784. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

‘Strikingly Similar’ by Roger Kreuz review

Strikingly Similar: Plagiarism and Appropriation from Chaucer to Chatbots by Roger Kreuz finds that copyright isn’t always a matter of black and white.

’As the premier sees himself’, from Punch, or The London Charival, 22 October 1924. Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg. Public Domain.

‘The Cancelled Prime Minister’ by Walter Reid review

The Cancelled Prime Minister: The Extraordinary Rise and Tragic Fall of Ramsay MacDonald by Walter Reid finds the romance behind Labour’s great betrayer.