Best Selling Books by Martin Gilbert

A definitive history of the Jews of Europe during World War II. "He weaves the cold facts with the nightmarish oral histories into a masterly chronological narrative".--Peter Hay, Los Angeles Times Book Review. 34 black-and-white photographs.

Martin Gilbert brings readers up to date in this rich historical narrative of the contradictory events of the last fifty years. Volume II ended in 1951, as the world recovered from World War II, and the nuclear threat increased. In this volume, Gilbert recalls the Cold War and communism--including McCarthyism, the Soviet and Warsaw Pact, the Berlin Wall--and the wars, from Korea to Vietnam to Bosnia. He moves from Poland''s Solidarity Movement to Ireland''s Bloody Sunday, from Pol Pot and his killing fields to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Mao began a cultural revolution, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy were assassinated, and Beijing''s Tiananamen Square shocked the world. Technology and medicine advanced in leaps and bounds as the society struggled to catch up. Art, literature, and music, as well as epidemics and natural disasters, all have their place here. Many of the events are described through the words of those who were present. As in the previous two volumes, Gilbert creates a vivid picture through a wide array of sources. The result is extraordinary.

Relates the experiences of a group of Jews, male and female, from Poland and Hungary who survived the concentration camps as teenagers.

In 1928, Winston Churchill seemed to be at the very height of his career. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer and when he spoke in the House of Commons, MPs of every party flocked to hear his oratory. The leadership of the all-powerful Conservative party seemed within his grasp. A year later, however, all had changed. The Conservatives themselves were defeated, and out of office, Churchill found himself at odds with the leadership, especially over the future of India. When the National Government was formed in 1931, Churchill was not asked to join it. Thereafter, though out on his own, Churchill''s acute political sense, foresight and courage were undiminished. Fed with secret inside information by a small, brave band of men - some of them risking their careers to help him - Churchill consistently warned of the Nazi danger, even before the rise of Hitler. And once Hitler came to power, he stepped up his attacks on Britain''s failure to rearm. His message was belittled by the Government, which fought him at every turn, even refusing him the right to broadcast. But Churchill never gave up. Despite all the Government''s efforts, and as a result of Churchill''s courage and perseverance, the British public came to realize the truth of his warnings; the bond was formed that was to be so vital in the years that followed, when Britain and Churchill stood together, but alone.

The complex and often turbulent history of Russia over the course of 2,000 years is brought to life in a series of 176 maps by one of the most prolific and successful historian authors today. This fourth edition of The Routledge Atlas of Russian History covers not only the wars and expansion of Russia but also a wealth of less conspicuous details of its history, from famine and anarchism to the growth of naval strength and the strengths of the river systems. From 800 BC to the fall of the Soviet Union, this indispensable guide to Russian history covers: war and conflict: from the triumph of the Goths between 200 and 400 BC to the defeat of Germany at the end of the Second World War and the end of the Cold War politics: from the rise of Moscow in the Middle Ages to revolution, the fall of the monarchy and the collapse of communism industry, economics and transport: from the Trans-Siberian Railway between 1891 and 1917 to the Virgin Lands Campaign and the growth of heavy industry society, trade and culture: from the growth of monasticism to peasant discontent, Labour Camps and the geographical distribution of ethnic Russians. Now bringing new material to view, and including seven new maps, this popular atlas will more than readily gain a place on the bookshelves of anyone interested in the history of Russia.

Depicted here is a destructive battle and bloody turning point in the Great War. Experiences of footsoldiers, generals, and everyone in between,mostly on the British side, are tracked-- interspered with photographs, journal entries, and maps from every stage and level of planning.

The changing story of the British Isles forms the theme of this atlas, which covers not only England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales but also the overseas empire. With captions, explanations and maps, it also provides a representation of British history in the social, religious and economic fields.

How does he assess the information that is brought to him? How does his personal or political philosophy, or a moral sense, sustain him? How does he draw inspiration from those around him? How does he deal with setbacks and disasters? In this brilliant close-up look at Winston Churchill''s leadership during the Second World War, Gilbert gets to the heart of the trials and struggles that have confronted the world''s most powerful leaders, even up to current politicians such as George Bush and Tony Blair. Basing the book on his intimate knowledge of Churchill''s private and official papers, Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill’s official biographer, looks at the public figure and wartime propaganda, to reveal a very human, sensitive, and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times.

From its origins to its terrible legacy, the tortuous course of the Great War is vividly set out in a series of 196 fascinating maps. Together the maps form a comprehensive and compelling picture of the war that shattered Europe, and illustrate its military, social, political and economic aspects. Beginning with the tensions that already existed, the atlas covers: The early months of the war – from the German attack on Belgium and France, to the fierce fighting on the Western and Eastern Fronts The developing war in Europe and beyond – from the Somme and Verdun to Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, in the Near East and Africa, and in the Pacific The war at sea and in the air – from the Zeppelin and air raids to the naval battles, shipping losses and Atlantic convoys Life at the front – the trench system, living underground, the mud of Passchendaele, the French and Russian mutinies Technology and the intensifying war – from phosgene gas to submarines, tanks and aerial bombardment The home front – war supplies, munitions factories, the air defence of Britain, German food riots, the entry of the United States into the war, the Russian Revolution, and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman Empires The aftermath – the peace treaties and territorial changes, war debts, war deaths, and the new map of Europe along with the visual remembrance of the war, memorials that commemorate the tragedy. This new edition now includes an additional 23 of Martin Gilbert’s maps, across the whole period of the war, originally published across a range of publications, now gathered in this one volume for the first time.

The “important and engrossing” fifth volume of the official Churchill biography chronicles his visionary leadership in the tense years approaching WWII (Foreign Affairs). This acclaimed biographical masterpiece opens with Winston S. Churchill’s return to Conservatism and to the cabinet in 1924. The narrative unfolds into a vivid and intimate picture of his public life as well as his private world at Chartwell between the wars. With ample access to Churchill’s private papers, Martin Gilbert strips away decades of accumulated myth and innuendo, showing the stateman’s true position on India, his precise role (and private thoughts) during the abdication of Edward VIII, his attitude toward Mussolini, and his profound fears for the future of European democracy. Even before Hitler came to power in Germany, Churchill saw the dangers of a Nazi victory. And despite the unpopularity of his views in official circles, he persevered for six years in sounding the alarm against fascism. This book reveals for the first time the extent senior civil servants, and even serving officers of high rank, came to Churchill with secret information, having despaired at the magnitude of official lethargy and obstruction. Within the Air Ministry, the Foreign Office, and the Intelligence Services, individuals felt drawn to provide Churchill with full disclosures of Britain’s defense weakness, keeping him informed of day-to-day developments from 1934 until the outbreak of war. People of all parties and in all walks of life recognized Churchill’s unique qualities and demanded his inclusion in the government, believing he alone could give a divided nation guidance and inspiration. “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” —Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War “The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” —Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times

What an extraordinary chronicle of upheaval, sorrow, and achievement is the story of the Jews in the twentieth century--and who better to narrate it than the renowned British historian Sir Martin Gilbert, whose lifework has been the study of the events and personages of our time. In this richly illustrated volume he vividly describes the individuals, the historic movements, the watershed moments, and the horrific years that so profoundly changed the world and the Jewish people. In a text interwoven with and illuminated by more than 400 fascinating photographs, many of them never before published or long forgotten, we meet the widely dispersed turn-of-the-century Jewish communities of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Then we encounter, with startling immediacy, the impassioned Zionists who set out to reclaim Palestine and the immigrant waves that poured out of Eastern Europe in search of a better life in America--among them, the brilliantly creative writers, composers, actors, and comedians who enthralled millions; and the scientists, judges, legislators, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals whose numbers can hardly be counted but whose thoughts and deeds shaped the modern world. There is tragedy in this history: the twentieth century saw many dark years during which the Jewish people suffered pogroms, persecution, and mass murder. But the century also saw the renewal and flourishing of the Jewish community, in America, in Israel, and throughout the Diaspora. The observant, the secular, the people gathered from the ends of the earth--all figure in the vivid portrait of the Jews at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Sir Martin relates this astonishing and deeplymoving story with the erudition and empathy that have always distinguished his writing, and with a masterful eye for the key point, the telling anecdote, the human detail that makes history come alive. While our memories are still fresh, he has fixed them indelibly in a volume that will be treasured, pored over, and passed down as the rich and definitive record of Jewish life in the twentieth century.

"Originally published in 1986 by William Heinemann Ltd. in Great Britain and by Houghton Mifflin in the United States"--Title page verso.

Volume three of this authoritative Churchill biography chronicles his years of triumphant leadership in the Admiralty during World War I. Acclaimed British historian Sir Martin Gilbert continues the official biography of Sir Winston S. Churchill the eventful period between 1914 and 1916, with a full account of his achievements as first lord of the Admiralty during the Great War. These include Churchill’s efforts to prolong the siege of Antwerp, his support for the use of air power, and his part in the early development of the tank. It shows the forcefulness with which he argued for an offensive naval policy, first against Germany, then against Turkey. Gilbert examines the political crisis of May 1915, during which the Conservative Party forced Asquith to form a coalition government. The Conservatives insisted that Churchill leave the center of war policymaking for a position of increasing political isolation. In the next seven months, while the Gallipoli campaign was being fought, Churchill served as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with no authority over military or naval policy. Resigning from the cabinet in November 1915, Churchill was appointed lieutenant-colonel, commanding an infantry battalion in the trenches of the Western Front. In May 1916, he returned from the trenches, hoping to reenter political life, but his repeated attempts to regain his once-substantial influence were unsuccessful. “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” —Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War “The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” —Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times

The sixth volume in the official biography: “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement” (Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War). Starting with the outbreak of war in September 1939 and ending with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, this volume in the epic biography of Winston S. Churchill draws on remarkably diverse material: from the War Cabinet and other government records to Churchill’s own archive and diaries and letters of his private secretariat to the recollections of those who worked most closely with him. On the day Hitler invaded Poland, Churchill, aged sixty-four, had been out of office for ten years. Two days later, he became First Lord of the Admiralty, in charge of British naval policy and at the center of war direction. In May 1940 he became prime minister, leading his nation during a time of grave danger and setbacks. His first year and a half as prime minister included the Dunkirk evacuation, the fall of France, the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, the Battle of the Atlantic, the struggle in the Western Desert, and Hitler’s invasion of Russia. By the end of 1940, Britain under Churchill’s leadership had survived the onslaught and was making plans to continue the war against an enemy of unlimited ambition and ferocious will. One of Churchill’s inner circle said: “We who worked with Churchill every day of the war still saw at most a quarter of his daily tasks and worries.” Martin Gilbert has pieced together the whole, setting in context much hitherto scattered and secret evidence, in order to give an intimate and fascinating account of the architect of Britain’s “finest hour.” “The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written.” —Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times

The changing story of the British Isles forms the central theme of this fascinating and compelling atlas, which covers England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales - and the expansion and gradual disintegration of Britain''s overseas empire. This new edition includes: * politics: from the Saxon kingdoms and the collapse of Britain''s French Empire to Jacobites, Parliamentary Reform, the Commonwealth and Europe * war and Conflict: from Viking attacks and the Norman Invasion to the Armada, World War and the revolt against empire * trade and Industry: from the post-Norman economy and Tudor trade to industrial unrest and the opening of international trade routes * religion: from the Saxon Church to the Reformation * society and Economics: from civilian life in Roman Britain to the Industrial and Agricultural revolutions, the Great Strike and the growth of universities

The fourth volume in the official biography—“The most scholarly study of Churchill in war and peace ever written” (Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times). Covering the years 1916 to 1922, Martin Gilbert’s fascinating account carefully traces Churchill’s wide-ranging activities and shows how, by his persuasive oratory, administrative skill, and masterful contributions to Cabinet discussions, Churchill regained, only a few years after the disaster of the Dardanelles, a leading position in British political life. Included are many dramatic and controversial episodes: the German breakthrough on the Western Front in March 1918, the anti-Bolshevik intervention in 1919, negotiating the Irish Treaty, consolidating the Jewish National Home in Palestine, and the Chanak crisis with Turkey. In all these, and many other events, Churchill’s leading role is explained and illuminated in Martin Gilbert’s precise, masterful style. In a moving final chapter, covering a period when Churchill was without a seat in Parliament for the first time since 1900, Martin Gilbert brilliantly draws together the many strands of a time in Churchill’s life when his political triumphs were overshadowed by personal sorrows, by his increasingly somber reflections on the backward march of nations and society, and by his stark forecasts of dangers to come. “A milestone, a monument, a magisterial achievement . . . Rightly regarded as the most comprehensive life ever written of any age.” —Andrew Roberts, historian and author of The Storm of War

"... Ultimate visual survey of Jewish history from the emergence of the Jews in ancient Palestine right up to the present day ... Every facet of Jewish life is explored, with authoritative coverage of such crucial topics as the great diasporas, the flowering of Yiddish culture in Europe, the pogroms and persecutions -- from the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 to the tragic years of the Holocaust -- the rebirth of Zionism in the 19th century, the foundation of modern Israel, highlights of the Arab-Israeli conflict including the invasion of Lebanon, and the way of life of Jews inside and outside their homeland in the world of today. It demonstrates the key role that migration -- whether forced or voluntary -- has played in Jewish history and shows how the story of the Jews has been and continues to be a key factor in the development of Western civilization as a whole." -- Inside front cover.

Maps and accompanying prints and photographs present a survey of Jerusalem''s 3,000 year history, with emphasis on the last 150 years.

In The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War, Martin Gilbert graphically charts the war’s political, military, economic and social history through 247 maps. Each map has been specially drawn for this atlas, many of them covering topics that have not previously been mapped. The atlas covers all the major events from the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 to the defeat of Japan in August 1945, including the Blitz, the Fall of France, Pearl Harbor, the naval Battles of the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, Dieppe, Stalingrad, Midway, the Normandy Landings, the bombing of Warsaw, London, Coventry, Hamburg, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Burma Railway, concentration camps and slave labour camps, and prisoner-of-war camps in Europe, the Americas and the Far East. Focusing on the human - and inhuman - aspects of the war, The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War includes examination of: Military, naval and air campaigns on all the war fronts The war on land, at sea and in the air The economic and social aspects of the war The global nature of the war, in armed combat and in suffering The impact of the war on civilians, both under occupation, and as deportees and refugees The aftermath of the war: the post-war political and national boundaries; war graves, and the human cost of the war on every continent.

Maps provide a visual history of the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1,000 B.C. through the 1990s; includes notes on historical figures and events.

Martin Gilbert''s three-volume history of the 20th century, of which this volume is the first, tells the gripping story of a century which has witnessed staggering technological change, scientific advances, cultural and artistic achievements, and brutal war on a scale never seen before.

First published two decades ago, this newly revised edition portrays the migrations, achievements, struggles, and triumphs of one of the world''s oldest surviving, thriving cultures. "Magisterial".--New York Times. 123 detailed maps.