History In An Hour

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. What made a failed Austrian artist into the most reviled and destructive personality of the twentieth century? Where did the seeds of his rabid anti-Semitism lie? How did a marginalized loner become such a moving force in Germany? How could a nation have fallen for such a fanatic? What made him so determined to bring about war? Through manipulation of politicians and civilians, bullying, diplomacy, violence and lies, Hitler achieved a total and unlikely power. Covering his early life, military service in World War One and eventual rise to power, first as the leader of the Nazi party, and then head of state, Hitler: History in an Hour describes the life of a man who spent his final days inside a bunker having plunged the world into a global conflict, the bloodiest in history. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...•

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. From the first slaves arriving in Jamestown in 1619, the cotton fields in the Southern States and shipbuilding in New England, to the slaves who laid down their lives in war so that Americans could be free, American Slavery in an Hour covers the breadth of the subject without sacrificing important historical and cultural details. An important and dark time in Black – and American – history, American Slavery in an Hour will explain the key facts and give you a clear overview of this much discussed period of history, as well as its legacy in modern America. Know your stuff: read the history of American Slavery in just one hour. • History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read.• This is history for busy people – concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read.• History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010• www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office.• History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Elizabeth II is the longest lived and, after Queen Victoria, second longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. From her coronation in 1953 to her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II has stood on the world stage as the figurehead for Britain. The Queen: History in an Hour tells the story of the Queen Elizabeth II's life and long reign, her royal duties, service during the Second World War, public perception and the transformation of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations under her rule. In the Diamond Jubilee year this is essential reading for Royalists and Republicans alike. Know your stuff: read about Queen Elizabeth II in just one hour. • Published to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, with events planned throughout 2012.• History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read.• This is history for busy people – concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read.• History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010• www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office.• History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Having suffered during World War One - not only the indignities of political betrayal and battlefield defeat but also starvation, fuel shortages and a domestic flu epidemic - the German people were left in widespread discontent. Soon inflation and economic stagnation had further sunk the nation into exhaustion, humiliation and disillusionment. Capitalizing on the nation's instability, the Nazi Party, led by the embittered former soldier Adolf Hitler, achieved an improbable political dominance. Nazi Germany: History in an Hour explains how the elimination of political rivals and the Weimar constitution created a Nazi controlled Germany. Under violent state control and propaganda, life was altered across society, for women, for the family and, most significantly, for the Jews. As Hitler manipulated foreign policy to impose his ideology, Nazi Germany brought the world into war. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Learn about the Egyptian gods, mummification and how the Egyptians built the only wonder of the ancient world still standing – the Pyramids of Giza. Exploring the historic rise of Egyptian civilizationand its continued influence on the world today, Ancient Egypt in an Hour is an excellent companion to a mysterious and enthralling period of history. Know your stuff: discover ancient Egypt in just one hour. • History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read.• This is history for busy people – concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read.• History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010• www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office.• History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. King of England, claimant King of France, Lord — and later King — of Ireland, Supreme Head of the Church of England and, perhaps most famously, six times a husband, Henry VIII is England's most notorious monarch. Succeeding his father, Henry VII, he allied with the Holy Roman Emperor and began his many obsessive invasions of France. Meanwhile the handsome, worldly king embarked on his famous quests for a suitable wife and heir. With marriage to Anne Boleyn came the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. From his childhood to his later years and famed appetites for food, sex and validation, 'Henry VIII: History in an Hour' describes the life of a man whose desires and determination changed England and the world. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Britain has invaded Afghanistan twice before in the nineteenth century. Both times tenacious Afghan fighters defended their country to humiliating British defeats. The Soviet Union also discovered what a tough enemy the Afghans are after nearly a decade of conflict from 1979 to 1989. When not fighting foreign invaders, Afghanistan was torn apart by Civil War from 1990 to 1996, resulting in victory for the Taliban. The Afghan Wars in an Hour is an excellent way to learn all about the complex wars that have been fought in Afghanistan for almost four decades. It explains who the Taliban and the Mujahedeen are and how their politics work. It explores why Osama Bin Laden was so significant, and helps us understand why, still, it is so hard to achieve peace Afghanistan. Love history?

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, is an American icon. To many, he is a symbol of values, sacrifice and determination. Modern notions of nationalism, liberty, and constitution all owe their debt to Lincoln, as does the unity of the American states. And yet, in his own day, Lincoln was also reviled by many as a traitor, tarnished by his associations with the wrong kind of race and the wrong end of society. Charting his ascent from humble origins to the leader of the United States during its hardest democratic and ethical conflict - the American Civil War - 'Lincoln: History in an Hour' is a succinct guide to the life of a great and controversial modernizer. Having educated himself and made good as a lawyer, he embarked on a journey that would see triumph in the abolition of slavery and then tragedy in the final drama of his own assassination. From his struggles as President to his family life and roles as husband, father and friend, this is the story of one of history's greatest leaders. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. From the end of World War Two to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia and America eyed each other with suspicion and hostility as the world lived in the shadow of the Cold War. As post-war Europe was rebuilt, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin struggled to maintain peace among the former Eastern and Western Allies. Two ideologies, two political systems, two cultures, two superpowers became entrenched in a fight for dominance, each firm in the belief that history would prove them right. The Cold War: History in an Hour is the concise account of the political tensions that arose as the world rebuilt after World War Two - an era beset by the constant fear of nuclear weapons and the looming threat of a Third World War. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, America's youngest President, was assassinated barely one thousand days into his Presidency. In the fiftieth anniversary of his death, this is the story of the man who brought an aspirational new approach to American politics. Born into the glamorous cast of Kennedys, JFK was propelled to political success despite family tragedy, disappointment and pressure. He engaged in a Space Race, averted the Cuban missile crisis and showed solidarity with the fledging civil rights movement. Throughout all he maintained a charismatic public image as son, brother and husband, despite his concealed personal failings and the chronic illness that beset him. JFK: History in an Hour provides a compelling and comprehensive overview of the man who epitomized the hopes of a decade and remains an influential figure to this day. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. 'Remember, remember, the fifth of November'. The gunpowder plot is a famed tale of treachery that continues to fascinate and capture the imagination four hundred years on. The Gunpowder Plot in an Hour reveals the elaborate background to the infamous plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and James I, the ultimate act of treason. This compelling and engaging account of one of the most famous historical events in English history follows the Catholic protagonists hatching their plan through to their inevitable, gruesome deaths. Learn who the Catholic traitors were, what drove them to such desperate measures, and how the plot was discovered. The Gunpowder Plot in an Hour gives a concise overview of this enduring event and is a must for all history lovers. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Lasting six years and a day, the Second World War saw the lives of millions - soldiers and civilians, young and old - changed forever. During the conflict, a thousand people died for each and every hour it lasted. With eighty-one of the world's nations involved and affected in some way, this was war on a truly global scale. Offering a wide overview of the major figures, politics and action on all sides, World War Two: History in an Hour provides a concise picture of the world upturned. How the conflicts began, the violence involved and how they affected a century: this is the story of the events that ended over sixty million lives and challenged our understanding of humanity. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Nicknamed 'The Anarchy' for its unprecedented levels of chaos and disorder, the succession crisis that followed the death of King Henry I in 1135 resulted in England's first civil war. 'The Medieval Anarchy: History in an Hour' neatly covers all the major facts and events giving you a clear and straightforward overview of the plots and violence that ensued during the nineteen-year conflict. 'The Medieval Anarchy: History in an Hour' is engagingly written and accessible for all history lovers. This, in an hour, is the story of 'The Medieval Anarchy' through the personalities, context, events and aftermath of England's first, and often forgotten, civil war. Know your stuff: read about the Medieval Anarchy in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. The Holocaust, in which 11 million people died, was the largest atrocity of the 20th century and perhaps the hardest to understand. Approximately 6 million Jews and 5 million others including Roma people, Poles, Russian prisoners of war, political prisoners, homosexuals, people of colour, Jehovah's Witnesses, and various other minorities were first persecuted and then murdered. How, both morally and logistically, had this came to happen? From received sentiments of anti-Semitism at the beginning of the 20th century, through the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party, to the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 and finally Second World War, the victimisation of these minorities intensified beyond precedent. With the complicity of a nation hatred became policy. Under the control of sadists, bureaucrats and even ordinary soldiers, irrational acts were then enacted on an industrial scale, and with the use of concentration camps, Western Europe witnessed its most shocking treatment of humanity in modern history. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. The American Civil War started when eleven southern 'slave' states declared their independence from the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln's Republican government were strongly against slavery and fought to abolish it and keep the country united. The American Civil War: History in an Hour gives a concise and authoritative overview of these four years of bloody and devastating warfare to help you understand how the Civil War shaped America today and changed the history of slavery forever. Know your stuff: read concise history of the tumultuous struggle between the Confederates and the Union in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. During the year 1066, England had three different kings and fought three huge battles in defence of the realm, including the bloody Battle of Hastings. The result was the Norman Conquest which defined England during the Middle Ages. 1066 in an Hour will guide you through the politics and personalities of the Norman invasion. It will help you understand why William the Conqueror was victorious and introduce you to the new king and subsequent ancestor to the Plantagenets and Tudors. Know your stuff: read about 1066 in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. George Washington - a figure synonymous with American history. His image is known worldwide, marked on American currency, postage stamps - even a state is named after him. George Washington in an Hour explores the man beneath the symbol. This is the essential chronicle of Washington's life - his rise from middle class Virginian upbringing to America's first President, elected unanimously twice. Explore Washington's legacy - from securing Independence, to his instrumental role in writing and adopting the American constitution. George Washington in an Hour covers Washington's redefinition of greatness, relinquishing power not once but twice - at the end of Revolution and his second term in Presidency. Learn why Washington is still considered one of the most influential people in history, and how his impact shaped the world in this engaging overview of his life. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Bringing together the military might's of the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United Nations States, the Korean War raged for three years from 1950 to 1953. Not only the result of a carving of Korean territories following the Pacific conflicts of the Second World War, it was also a battle of ideologies as General MacArthur's American military forces occupied the southern half and Stalin's Soviet forced supported the northern half. Initiated by infantry movements and air raids, the region gradually became mired in a static trench war by July 1951, and would continue to cost both sides in both morale and human lives. The Korean War: History in an Hour is the concise story to one of the most bitter and enduring conflicts of the post-war era.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Encompassing everything from immigration to civil war, emancipation, slavery and migration, Black History in an Hour gives you a neat overview of this vast and fascinating subject. This e-book is a superb introduction to the long and varied history of African Americans. Know your stuff: read about Black History in just one hour. • History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read. • This is history for busy people - concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read. • History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010 • www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office. • History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. With the passing of Nelson Mandela, 'the father of the nation', comes the end of an era, and the moment to look back on his remarkable saving, and remaking, of South Africa. After years of oppression and racial inequality, concentrated violence and apartheid, Mandela led the country to unite 'for the freedom of us all' as the country's first black President. SOUTH AFRICA: HISTORY IN AN HOUR gives a lively account of the formation of modern South Africa, from the first contact with seventeenth-century European sailors, through the colonial era, the Boer Wars, apartheid and the establishment of a tolerant democracy in the late twentieth century. Here is a clear and fascinating overview of the emergence of the 'Rainbow Nation'. Know your stuff: read about South African history in just one hour. • History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read.• This is history for busy people – concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read.• History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010• www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office.• History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. In his ambition to provide a male heir to the throne, Henry VIII married six times. Divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, caused England's break from the Catholic church in Rome. He went on to divorce Anne of Cleves and behead Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard for infidelities. Jane Seymour died and Catherine Parr survived Henry. Henry VIII's Wives in an Hour will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates. You will learn which wife had what impact on Henry and England and understand why Henry and his six wives form the most popular period of Tudor history. Know your stuff: read about Henry VIII's wives in just one hour. • History in an Hour is a bestselling series of e-books and apps that summarise key areas of world history in digest form, with each title taking no more than sixty minutes to read.• This is history for busy people – concise, authoritative, well-researched and entertainingly written for a quick and informative read.• History in an Hour titles have been topping the e-book chart since September 2010• www.historyinanhour.com is a comprehensive website run by the series editor, Rupert Colley. Rupert is a librarian who began the series from his home office.• History in an Hour will be launched with a fresh new look and updated content in Autumn 2011, backed by an online advertising campaign and major PR coverage.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. In 1917 the world changed forever. One of the most influential and contentious events in recent history, the Russian Revolution unleashed the greatest political experiment ever conducted, one which continues to influence both Eastern and Western politics today. The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour neatly covers all the major facts and events giving you a clear and straightforward overview: from the circumstances behind the rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, to the consequences of their struggle for a new socialist utopia. The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour is engagingly written and accessible for all history lovers. Know your stuff: read about the Russian Revolution in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. 'War, what is it good for?' THE VIETNAM WAR: HISTORY IN AN HOUR gives a gripping account of the most important Cold War-era conflict, fought between the United States and the Viet Cong, the Vietnam People's Army and their Communist allies. It was one of the most traumatic military conflicts America has ever been involved in - and provoked a backlash of anti-war protests at home. Here are the key events leading up to the Vietnam War, the deadly guerrilla warfare of the Viet Cong, the domestic anti-war movement and the fall of Saigon. THE VIETNAM WAR: HISTORY IN AN HOUR is essential reading for anyone interested in post-war history. Know your stuff: read about the Vietnam War in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest sieges in history and it inflicted some of the worst civilian casualties of World War Two. When Hitler declared his intention to obliterate the key city of Leningrad on 22 September 1941, he could not have foreseen the grim determination of its citizens. Over the course of 900 days, the city resisted the Germans pounding at its gates. Its survival contributed to the defeat of Nazism. But the price was heavy - over 1 million died in Leningrad from German bombs and artillery, or from disease, the cold or starvation. In its suffering Leningrad became a source of symbolic national pride, of good conquering evil. The story of the siege is one of heroic resistance and stoical survival but it also one of unimaginable suffering and extreme deprivation. THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD: HISTORY IN AN HOUR is essential reading for all history lovers. Know your stuff: read about the Siege of Leningrad in just one hour.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Arguably no person in history had such a direct and negative impact on the lives of so many as Joseph Stalin. Under the Red Tsar terror knew no limits, it did not discriminate; no one was safe, no institution, no single town or village was immune. Yet, following his death in 1953, Stalin was deeply mourned. He had 'received the country with a wooden plough, and left it with a nuclear missile shield'. And no-one else, some claimed, could have led the Soviet Union to victory in the Second World War. So who was Joseph Stalin, what was his role during the Russian Revolution; how did he come to power, what made him such a destructive tyrant, and how did he impose his will on the Soviet Union for so long? Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour...

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. The 'Great War', from July 1914 to November 1918, was without parallel. It brought to an end four dynasties, ignited revolution, and forged new nations. It introduced killing on an unprecedented scale, costing an estimated nine million lives. It was the war that destroyed any notion of romance or chivalry in battle; it pulled in combatants from nations across the globe and shattered them, body and mind. The War involved all of the world's great powers - the Central Powers, dominated by Germany and Austria-Hungary; the Triple Entente, lead by Britain, France and Russia; and America. World War One: History in an Hour explains the unprecedented battles on land, sea and in the air and describes the Home Front, espionage, and the politics behind them. This, for the first time in history, was 'total war'. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.