Christopher Hibbert

The vivid account of how a brilliant plan turned into an epic tragedy - made into the BAFTA award-winning film A BRIDGE TOO FAR'Alive with the detail that evokes the smoking background' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Finely recorded...truly the battle of Arnhem has been fortunate in its historian' SUNDAY TIMESThis book tells the true story of the Battle of Arnhem which was fought in September 1944. Nine thousand men of the First British Airborne Division were parachuted into the peaceful countryside that surrounded Arnhem. Their objective was to capture and hold the bridge over the Rhine ahead of the advancing British Second Army. Nine days later, after some of the fiercest street-fighting of the war, 2000 paratroopers managed to escape to safety.Made famous by the film A BRIDGE TOO FAR

Christopher Hibbert was an English author, historian and biographer. He has been called "probably the most widely-read popular historian of our time" and was the author of over 50 works of history.

A beautiful, quirky, illustrated edition of Phaidon’s compelling bestseller, celebrating the book's 25th anniversary This concise and fast-paced introduction to English history keeps the reader enthralled through the entire course of the country's political, economic, and cultural landscape, covering the whole sweep of English history from the Stone Age to the present. Its flowing narrative style, character sketches, and lively anecdotes bring the people and places of the past to life. In this newly illustrated edition, John Broadley’s unique tableaux-like illustrations capture the landscape, costumes, and characters of the history that Hibbert's text so vividly evokes.

A vivid account of one of the greatest British military victories

The Battle of Arnhem by Christopher Hibbert is a comprehensive account of one of the most significant and controversial battles of World War II. The book details the events leading up to the battle, the strategies employed by both the Allied and Axis forces, and the aftermath of the conflict.The Battle of Arnhem was fought in September 1944, when Allied forces attempted to secure a bridgehead over the Rhine River in the Netherlands. The operation was intended to provide a route into Germany for the Allies, but it ultimately failed, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.Hibbert's book provides a detailed analysis of the battle, drawing on a wide range of sources including official records, personal accounts, and interviews with surviving veterans. He examines the reasons for the Allied failure, including the lack of sufficient air support and the failure to secure key objectives.The book also explores the impact of the battle on the war as a whole, including its effect on the morale of both the Allied and Axis forces. Hibbert provides a vivid and engaging account of the battle, bringing to life the experiences of the soldiers who fought and died in this pivotal conflict.Overall, The Battle of Arnhem is a must-read for anyone interested in World War II history or military strategy. Hibbert's engaging writing style and meticulous research make this book a valuable addition to any library.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Warlords, Popes, Poisoners - the true story of the Borgias, the first family of the Italian Renaissance

This colorful history of a powerful family brings the world they lived in--the glittering Rome of the Italian Renaissance--to life and is "simply unputdownable" (New York Times Book Review).The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame--Lucrezia Borgia, his daughter, whose husband was famously murdered by her brother, and that brother, Cesare, who served as the model for Niccol Machiavelli's The Prince. Notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder, the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to its occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society forms a gripping tale. Erudite, witty, and always insightful, Hibbert removes the layers of myth around the Borgia family and creates a portrait alive with his superb sense of character and place.

To Thomas Carlyle he was "not worth his weight in cold bacon," but, to Queen Victoria, Benjamin Disraeli was "the kindest Minister" she had ever had and a "dear and devoted friend." In this masterly biography by England's "outstanding popular historian" (A.N. Wilson), Christopher Hibbert reveals the personal life of one of the most fascinating men of the nineteenth century and England's most eccentric Prime Minister. A superb speaker, writer, and wit, Disraeli did not intend to be a politician. Born into a family of Jewish merchants, Disraeli was a conspicuous dandy, constantly in debt, and enjoyed many scandalous affairs until, in 1839, he married an eccentric widow twelve years older than him. As an antidote to his grief at his wife's death in 1872, he threw himself into politics becoming Prime Minister for the second time in 1874, much to the Queen's delight.

Presents a biography of the actual life and times of the real-life sixth-century British warrior who was to become known and loved as the legendary King Arthur.

This is an account of the Gordon Riots, one of the most violent outbreaks of popular protest in British history. In 1780, Lord George Gordon MP led 50,000 people to present a petition calling for the repeal of the 1778 Roman Catholic Relief Act. The demonstration turned into a riot.

Hailed by Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, as "one of England's greatest living historical writers," Christopher Hibbert introduces us to the many intriguing women behind the legendary soldier-from his strong-willed mother and three sisters to his varied wives and mistresses. This lively historical account reveals Napoleon's often neglected private life and passionate relationships, in which he wildly worshiped certain women as often as he disdained others. Vividly evoking the political and social upheavals of post-Revolutionary France, Hibbert captures the vibrant characters who made history, not only on the battlefield but also in the bedroom, including Josephine, the charming Creole from Martinique; the plain and pliant Marie-Louise of Austria; and Marie Walewska, the sumptuous young Polish countess who, despite initial reluctance, was persuaded by her elderly husband to fall in love with Napoleon. Praised by A. N. Wilson as an "outstanding popular historian," Hibbert dramatically brings to life the most intimate influences on Napoleon's turbulent career and character. Originally published in cloth under the title Napoleon: His Wives and Women.

During his travels as a missionary, David Livingstone beheld many previously unknown wonders of the African interior. He put Victoria Falls and Lake Ngami on the map, and was the first white man to cross the African continent. Diaries, reports and letters are combined to create a wonderful narration of Livingstone's travels in a widely unknown continent. Included in this harrowing tale is Livingstone's narrow escape from a lion's wrath, his negotiations with an African chief, and his account of the Portuguese slave traders brutally punishing slaves after their attempt to escape. The Life and African Explorations of Livingstone also reveals Livingstone's deeply-rooted Christian beliefs and the strength he took from them, strength that allowed him to live and thrive amid the hardships of equatorial Africa.

Many outstanding men—James Bruce, Richard Francis Burton, David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, and others—won lasting fame from their African journeys. Africa Explored collects their amazing tales of treks into the unknown. These tales of Europeans in Africa before the wave of colonialism mix exotic sights and startling customs with sympathetic meetings of Africa's people and scenes of sublime beauty. Africa Explored relates Mungo Park's being robbed and left for dead in the West African desert, then saved by repeated acts of kindness; Burton and Speke's search for the legendary Mountains of the Moon that fed the Nile; Alexander Laing's fatal voyage to Timbuktu; Livingston's journeys up the Zambezi River; German missionary Johannes Rebmann's astonishment at beholding the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro; and other incredible encounters with strange animals, the slave trade, crippling diseases, and desert nomads.

The last year in the life of Bristish general James Wolfe.

It was a dynasty with more wealth, passion, and power than the houses of Windsor, Kennedy, and Rockefeller combined. It shaped all of Europe and controlled politics, scientists, artists, and even popes, for three hundred years. It was the house of Medici, patrons of Botticelli, Michelangelo and Galileo, benefactors who turned Florence into a global power center, and then lost it all.The House of Medici picks up where Barbara Tuchman's Hibbert delves into the lives of the Medici family, whose legacy of increasing self-indulgence and sexual dalliance eventually led to its self-destruction. With twenty-four pages of black-and-white illustrations, this timeless saga is one of Quill's strongest-selling paperbacks.

A brilliant general, remembered most for his defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, Wellington was also a politician of commanding presence. Elected Prime Minister in 1827, he was an influential adviser to kings and queens, and became deeply involved in all the major scandals of the time, delighting in mixing himself up in other people's affairs. Celebrated for his sardonic humor and savage rages which alternated with irresistible charm, he concealed a deep humanity behind a veneer of aloofness that gained him the sobriquet, "the Iron Duke." Filled with fresh insights on aspects of Wellington's life and character, Christopher Hibbert has shown once again why he is one of our finest popular historians.

A bestseller in hardback, this is a highly-praised and much-needed biography of the first Duke of Wellington, concentrating on the personal life of the victor of Waterloo, and based on the fruits of modern research. Christopher Hibbert is Britain�s leading popular historian.