10th July 2026


Paul Kenyon China’s African Empire: The Country That Captured a Continent


Apollo, 15th, £30, HB, 9781803285382


From the 1950s era of Mao to Xi Jinping today, the author of Dictatorland returns to chart the long and turbulent history of China’s growing influence over the African continent in a narrative “full of shocking stories and extraordinary characters”.


Jo Labanyi ‘What Have You Done for Victory?’ A Cultural History of the Spanish Civil War


Reaktion, 1st, £29, HB, 9781836392781


Highlighting the role of women and lesser-known contributors across theatre, literature, cinema, journalism, radio, visual art, song, dance, memoir and comics, this is billed as the first comprehensive overview of cultural production during the Spanish Civil War.


Damien Lewis Behind Enemy Lines: The Special Forces Heroes Who Changed the course of WWII


Quercus, 22nd, £22, HB, 9781529441215


Bringing the story of a hero of desert warfare in the Second World War to life, Lewis draws on Archie Gibson’s own incredibly detailed diaries, his sketchbooks, wartime reports, letters and gripping first-hand accounts.


Iain MacGregor Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine


Bloomsbury, 8th, £25, HB, 9781526685117


In this richly detailed exploration of the most significant battles of the past 3,000 years, acclaimed military historian MacGregor charts how they shaped the evolution of warfare – from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine.


Katherine MacInnes The Shortest History of Antarctica


Old Street, 6th, £14.99, HB, 9781913083861


This excellent new addition to the Shortest History series shows how Antarctica has drawn the best and worst of humanity to its shores,


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from heroic explorers like Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to the sealers, whalers and warmongers who have come to exploit its vast virgin territory.


Aaron Manning England’s Bears: The Blood and Glory of the House of Warwick


The History Press, 8th, £25, HB, 9781837051281


From Warwick the Kingmaker to the Dudley family, this is billed as the first account of how the 1,000-year House of Warwick dynasty shaped the fate and fortunes of England. It also provides a “unique” window into Warwick Castle, one of Britain’s most visited.


Andrew Roberts


Napoleon & His Marshals: Victory, Rivalry, Betrayal Allen Lane, 8th, £40, HB, 9780241711354


The renowned historian tells the dramatic story of the elite generals who built up Napoleon and then ultimately ruined him, “a nest of vipers whose lust for glory descended into destructive competitiveness and mutual recrimination”.


Aldo Schiavone, Patrick Baker (trans) Cleopatra: A Woman of Power


Princeton UP, 27th, £22, HB, 9780691270630


Told through seven crucial events in her life from the eve of the Battle of Actium to her encounter with the victorious Octavian and her subsequent suicide, this major new biography of “one of history’s most misunderstood figures” portrays Cleopatra as a brilliant strategist and visionary leader.


Sophie Shorland All the Queen’s Men: The Competition to Marry Elizabeth I


Atlantic, 1st, £22, HB, 9781838956424


Repositioning Tudor England within the dramatic power struggles of 16th-century Europe, this new biography of Elizabeth I tells her story through the lens of those who vied to marry her across almost five decades.


Martin Williams Claridge’s: Queen of Hotels, Hotel of Kings


Hodder, 8th, £25, HB, 9781399750776


This official, richly illustrated authorised biography of iconic Mayfair hotel, Claridge’s tells the story of how it became an international legend, with a cast of crowned heads, film stars, politicians and celebrities who have made it their home.


Thomas Williams God’s Hammer: A History of the Viking Crusades


William Collins, 8th, £25, HB, 9780008565602


Telling the story of how the Vikings took up Christianity, this journeys from Jerusalem and Istanbul to Novgorod and Tallinn to show how the Western medieval world in turn imbibed the values and attitudes of their northern homeland.


Homes, craft, fashion & beauty


Chloé Elizabeth Birch Dopamine: Crochet Décor


Cico, 13th, £16.99, HB, 9781800656703


Hook into the mood- boosting power of colour with these 35 crochet projects


for every level of ability, from bunting with granny- square flowers and gingham flags to striped storage baskets.


Sara Davies Crafting for All Occasions with Sara Davies


Bantam, 15th, £25, HB, 9780857509574


The Dragon’s Den investor and founder of craft business Crafter’s Companion presents 70 papercraft and handcrafted projects for intermediate to advanced crafters, including wedding favour boxes, party poppers, Halloween gift bags and Christmas decorations.


Kathryn DeZur Visible Mending Saraband, 22nd, £8.99, PB, 9781916812741


Blending memoir, textile history, social analysis and a call for sustainability, this explores visible mending as a creative practice while mounting a cultural critique of fast fashion and consumerism.


Alison Hastie Green Shoes: Forty Years of a Radical Women’s Craft Collective


Indigo, 8th, £14.99, HB, 9781917378178


Shoemaker Hastie founded her women’s collective shoemaking business in Totnes, Devon in 1981. In this unusual blend of memoir, social history and craft, she charts how she carved out her own place in a long line of West Country radicals, traces the history of shoemaking in politics and religion, and shows the importance of being centred in place, time and community.


Caroline Hirons ( 10) Skin Rules: Expert Advice You Can Trust


HQ, 20th, £25, HB, 9780008729783


“No fluff, no jargon, just facts.” On a mission to “revolutionise your beauty cupboard”, this book of “ultimate” rules from the Queen of Skincare aims to arm you with tailored advice for every age and skin concern, recommending “products you can trust”.


Paul Rennie The Liberty Scarf Thames & Hudson, 22nd, £50, HB, 9780500031131


One of the classiest looking gift books of the season, a sumptuously produced celebration of the Liberty scarf – a timeless accessory launched in the early 1900s that has been central to Liberty’s reputation for luxury and excellence ever since.


Cliff Tan Feng Shui Fix It! 100 Solutions for a Happier Home


Batsford, 1st, £16.99, HB, 9781837330744


From where to place your bed for the best night’s sleep to creating a money corner, a guide to reimagining your house the feng shui way. Expert Tan has almost seven million followers across his social platforms.


Humour, gift & activity


Anonymous, Jocelyn Kao (illus) Nepo Babies, Big Ambitions: Brooklyn Beckham


Macmillan, 22nd, £9.99, HB, 9781037419676


This spoofy book for “anyone who has ever dreamed of making it big with nothing but a dream, a truffle oil addiction and a father-in-law who is a billionaire” charts Brooklyn Beckham’s journey to the top of… er… something.


Jimmy Carr, Amanda Baker, Abi Grant On Jokes


Quercus, 22nd, £25, HB, 9781529454222


Comedian Carr, comedy director Baker and comedy writer Grant drill down into what makes jokes funny in this manual for aspiring comedians. From how to identify the families of jokes to decoding the building blocks of comedy, to the real – and new – secret to comic timing, this claims to do for comedy what “decoding the genome did for designer babies”.


Books New Titles: Non-Fiction


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