History

The Royal Society's Science Book of the Year

"[A]n exuberant romp through evolution, like a modern-day Willy Wonka of genetic space. Gee’s grand tour enthusiastically details the narrative underlying life’s erratic and often whimsical exploration of biological form and function.” ―Adrian Woolfson,The Washington Post

In the tradition of Richard Dawkins, Bill Bryson, and Simon Winchester―An entertaining and uniquely informed narration of Life's life story.

In the beginning, Earth was an inhospitably alien place―in constant chemical flux, covered with churning seas, crafting its landscape through incessant volcanic eruptions. Amid all this tumult and disaster, life began. The earliest living things were no more than membranes stretched across microscopic gaps in rocks, where boiling hot jets of mineral-rich water gushed out from cracks in the ocean floor.

Although these membranes were leaky, the environment within them became different from the raging maelstrom beyond. These havens of order slowly refined the generation of energy, using it to form membrane-bound bubbles that were mostly-faithful copies of their parents―a foamy lather of soap-bubble cells standing as tiny clenched fists, defiant against the lifeless world. Life on this planet has continued in much the same way for millennia, adapting to literally every conceivable setback that living organisms could encounter and thriving, from these humblest beginnings to the thrilling and unlikely story of ourselves.

In A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth, Henry Gee zips through the last 4.6 billion years with infectious enthusiasm and intellectual rigor. Drawing on the very latest scientific understanding and writing in a clear, accessible style, he tells an enlightening tale of survival and persistence that illuminates the delicate balance within which life has always existed.

4 - 8 years

Young readers are invited to lose themselves on a journey through history, seeking people and objects with stories to tell across nine different eras.

Follow two kids and their cheeky puppy on a chase across time in this fascinating and funny interactive introduction to history at its grandest . . . and its most gruesome, by debut author-illustrator Clara Booth.

Traversing Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire to the French Revolution and New York’s Roaring '20s, this book combines the seek-andfind fun of Where’s Waldo? with the irreverent hilarity of Horrible Histories. In each era, readers are encouraged to search through a busy illustrated scene where key people and objects are hiding. On the following spread, well-researched and playfully told facts accompany illustrated vignettes, adding insight to what the reader has found.

From the Tang dynasty in China to the Aztec culture in the Valley of Mexico, and the dirty streets of Tudor London, Lost and Found in History is an exciting immersion in different time periods that will delight young history lovers.

Illustrated in color throughout

48 pages

Artes de Artes de México

A historic and cultural dive into the world of Mexico’s most beloved sport

Over the decades, lucha libre has become a symbol of Mexico, transcending the nation’s borders. Halfway between sport and religion, this synthesis of Hispanic, Aztec, European, and American represents the quintessence of Mexican culture. The luchador is a living god, and products in his image are idolized like sacred relics. A symbol of urban working-class culture, the significance of lucha libre is massive.

In this bilingual book, the best Mexican specialists analyze all facets of the the history and roots of the sport, the most important luchadores, the way the world of Mexican wrestling is organized, the history and practice of female wrestling, the meaning of the masks and costume, and lucha libre’s influence in worldwide pop culture.

Artes de México is a magazine with 28 years of experience that promotes and disseminates the cultural diversity of Mexico in all its creative manifestations. Since its inception, it has been linked to the most important writers, researchers, and creators, and has been recognized with more than 150 national and international awards.
240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 18, 2025

Format: 240 pages, Hardcover
Published: March 18, 2025 by Cernunnos
ISBN: 9781419767555 (ISBN10: 1419767550)
Language: English

The Short Story of Art is a pocket guide to key movements, works, themes and techniques – a new and innovative introduction to the subject of art. Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works, from the wall paintings of Lascaux to Damien Hirst installations, and then links these to sections on art movements, themes and techniques.

The design of the book allows the student or art enthusiast to easily navigate their way around key periods, artists and styles. Accessible and concise, it simplifies and explains the most important and influential concepts in art, and shows how they are connected. The book explains how, why and when art changed, who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, and whether they matter. It demystifies artistic jargon, giving readers a thorough understanding and broad enjoyment of art.

Format: 224 pages, Paperback
Published: May 2, 2017 by Laurence King Publishing
ISBN: 9781780679686 (ISBN10: 1780679688)
Language: English

The Short Story of Modern Art explains the how, why and when of modern art – who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, and why they matter.

Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works – from the realist painting of Courbet to a contemporary installation by Yayoi Kusama – and then links them to the most important movements, themes and techniques. Accessible, concise and richly illustrated, the book reveals the connections between different periods, artists and styles, giving readers a thorough understanding and broad enjoyment of modern art.


Format: 224 pages, Paperback
Published: March 5, 2019 by Laurence King Publishing
ISBN: 9781786273697 (ISBN10: 1786273691)
Language: English