Giles Milton Books

The end of World War Two saw an intense and deeply personal struggle for mastery of the Western world amidst the ruins of Berlin. In this thrilling account, bestselling historian Giles Milton recounts epic four-year drama that would culminate in The Berlin Airlift. It is the story of the ultimate game of roulette amongst the enigmatic larger-than-life personalities from rival powers: Britain, the United States, France and the Soviet Union. Drawing on previously unknown oral and written testimonies, Checkmate in Berlin tells - as never before - a story of flawed individuals each determined to win and the first battle of the Cold War.

The incredible story of the secret underground operations of the Second World War.

Call Me Gorgeous! is a fun, stylish book about a very, very strange creature. It has a porcupine's spines and a crocodile's teeth, a chameleon's tail and a cockerel's feet. What on earth could it be? Uncover this mysterious and fabulous beastthrough Alexandra Milton's stunning collage.

On Saturday, September 9, 1922, the victorious Turkish cavalry rode into Smyrna. The richest city in the Ottoman Empire, Smyrna's population was primarily Christian, unique in the Islamic world. But to Turkish nationalists, Smyrna was a city of infidels.Rampaging first through the Armenian quarter, and then throughout the rest of the city, Turkish troops looted homes, raped women, and murdered untold thousands. "Paradise Lost" offers a vivid narrative account of one of the most vicious military catastrophes of the modern age--one that tragically foreshadowed the disastrous clash between East and West that defines our own age.

A compelling narrative about a young man drafted into Hitler's army and the family he leaves behind, offering a sympathetic perspective on life from an opposing viewpoint.

Recounts the extraordinary and thrilling story of the British spies in revolutionary Russia, led by Mansfield Cumming, who would one day pioneer the field of covert action and become MI6, and their mission to foil Lenin's plot for global revolution. 40,000 first printing.

In 1586, Queen Elizabeth I was enthralled by captive American Indian Manteo. Manteo was returned to his homeland as Governor, a gamble that resulted in the first English settlement in the New World. Using first-hand accounts, this book tells a story that was to have an extraordinary twist.

The extraordinary adventure-filled story of how England came to own Manhattan in the seventeenth century

On an ordinary winter's day in London, 1611, a mysterious letter arrived at the offices of the East India Trading Company. It had taken some seven years for the letter to make its tortuous way to England and the merchants there were astounded by its contents... William Adams, an Englishman, had been one of only twenty-four survivors of a fleet of ships bound for Asia, and he had washed up in the forbidden land of Japan. The traders in London were even more astonished to learn that, rather than be horrified by the strange customs, Adams had fallen in love with the barbaric splendour of the country - and had decided to settle. He had forged a close friendship with the ruthless Shogun Ieyasu, taken a Japanese wife and sired a new, mixed-blood family. Adams' letter was the spark that fired up the merchants in London to plan a new expedition to the Far East, with designs to trade with the Japanese and use Adams' contacts there to forge new commercial links. SAMURAI WILLIAM illuminates a world whose horizons were rapidly expanding - eastwards.

Set in 1917, amid the chaos of the post-Russian Revolution, a unique group of British spies is secretly sent into Soviet Russia to disrupt Lenin's ambitious plot to undermine British rule in India and destabilize Western democracies. Led by the eccentric Mansfield Cumming, a monocled, one-legged sea captain with a flair for secret inks and explosives, these self-taught agents were the precursors to modern MI6. Their mission was perilous: to thwart a dangerous alliance between Soviet revolutionaries and Islamic jihadis, which posed a significant threat to the West. Operating under the loose directive of "Just don't get yourself killed," the spies engaged in a series of high-stakes operations involving murder, deception, and disguise. They infiltrated key Soviet institutions, including the Red Army and the secret police, and came alarmingly close to assassinating Lenin. Their efforts culminated in Tashkent, where they successfully unraveled Lenin's global revolutionary plans. This remarkable tale showcases how these spies reshaped intelligence work, relying on espionage and cunning rather than conventional warfare, laying the groundwork for contemporary secret services and inspiring fictional characters like James Bond and Jason Bourne. The narrative draws on recently declassified records from India Political Intelligence, offering a fresh perspective on this covert operation.

The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the Indonesian archipelago--remote, tranquil, and, these days, largely ignored. Yet 370 years ago, Run's harvest of nutmeg (yielding a 3,200% profit by the time it arrived in England) made it the most lucrative of the Spice Islands, precipitating a battle between the Dutch East India Company and the British Crown. The outcome was that Britain ceded Run to Holland but in return was given Manhattan--leading to the birth of New York and to the beginning of the British Empire. This deal was due to the persistence of one man: Nathaniel Courthope and his small band of adventurers were sent to Run in October 1616, and held off the Dutch navy for four years. This book centers on the showdown between Courthope and the Dutch Governor General, and the brutal fate of mariners racing to Run to reap the huge profits of the spice trade.--From publisher description

'Giles Milton is a man who can take an event from history and make it come alive . . . an inspiration for those of us who believe that history can be exciting and entertaining' Matthew Redhead, The Times Did you know that Hitler took cocaine? That Stalin robbed a bank? That Charlie Chaplin's corpse was filched and held to ransom? Giles Milton is a master of historical narrative: in his characteristically engaging prose, Fascinating Footnotes From History details one hundred of the quirkiest historical nuggets; eye-stretching stories that read like fiction but are one hundred per cent fact. There is Hiroo Onoda, the lone Japanese soldier still fighting the Second World War in 1974; Agatha Christie, who mysteriously disappeared for eleven days in 1926; and Werner Franz, a cabin boy on the Hindenburg who lived to tell the tale when it was engulfed in flames in 1937. Fascinating Footnotes From History also answers who ate the last dodo, who really killed Rasputin and why Sergeant Stubby had four legs. Peopled with a gallery of spies, rogues, cannibals, adventurers and slaves, and spanning twenty centuries and six continents, Giles Milton's impeccably researched footnotes shed light on some of the most infamous stories and most flamboyant and colourful characters (and animals) from history.

Milton's first book, "The Riddle and the Knight", is part travelogue, part historical mystery, and a fascinating account of the legend of Sir John Mandeville, a long-forgotten knight who was once the most famous writer in medieval Europe.

"Obscure and addictive true tales from history told by one of our most entertaining historians, Giles Milton. The first installment in Giles Milton's outrageously entertaining series, History's Unknown Chapters: colorful and accessible, intelligent and illuminating, Milton shows his customary historical flair as he delves into the little-known stories from the past.There's the cook aboard the Titanic, who pickled himself with whiskey and survived in the icy seas where most everyone else died. There's the man who survived the atomic bomb in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And there's many, many more. Covering everything from adventure, war, murder and slavery to espionage, including the stories of the female Robinson Crusoe, Hitler's final hours, Japan's deadly balloon bomb and the emperor of the United States, these tales deserve to be told"--

Edward Trencom has bumbled through life, relying on his trusty nose to turn the family cheese shop into the most celebrated fromagerie in England. But his world is turned upside down when he stumbles across a crate of family papers. To his horror, Edward discovers that nine previous generations of his family have come to sticky ends because of their noses. When he investigates further, Edward finds himself caught up in a Byzantine riddle to which there is no obvious answer... Giles Milton’s deliciously comic debut novel is a mouth-watering blend of Louis de Bernieres, Tom Sharpe and P. G. Wodehouse with every page permeated by the pungent odour of cheese. 'The pong of ripe Limburger lingers impressively' - The Observer 'Comic novels are difficult to write: any old halfwit can produce 400 pages of stinking high seriousness, but it takes a real wit to manage 400 pages of mild, fragrant good humour' - The Guardian

From internationally bestselling historian Giles Milton comes the remarkable true story of the Allies' secret mission to wartime Moscow.[Bokinfo].

Es ist eine wenig bekannte, dunkle Seite der Geschichte. Europa im 18. Jahrhundert: Piratenschiffe kreuzen vor den Küsten und greifen die zivile Schifffahrt in Atlantik und Mittelmeer an. Zu Hunderten werden ganze Besatzungen von Handelsschiffen gefangen genommen, verschleppt und – als 'Weißes Gold' – auf dem Sklavenmarkt nordafrikanischer Städte feilgeboten. Giles Milton erzählt die ergreifende Geschichte des Briten Thomas Pellow, der im Sommer 1716 im Alter von nur elf Jahren in die Fänge von Sklavenhändlern gerät und erst nach 23 leidvollen Jahren wieder frei kommt. Eine wahre Begebenheit, wie man sie spannender und dramatischer kaum hätte erfinden können! 'Weißes Gold' ist Biografie, Abenteuergeschichte und historisches Lesebuch in einem. Es ist eine Geschichte voller Exotik, Pomp und Pracht, aber auch eine Geschichte vom Zusammentreffen des Islams mit dem Christentum, von Not und Unrecht, und vor allem der ungebrochenen Sehnsucht nach Freiheit.

Miltons Kulturgeschichte beleuchtet die politische Bedeutung exotischer Gewürze, die einst Kriege und Eroberungen auslösten. Sie vergleicht den historischen Gewürzhandel mit dem heutigen Rauschgiftschmuggel und erzählt von großen Entdeckungsreisen, christlicher Seefahrt und den Anfängen des Kolonialismus.

Spannender als jeder Krimi! Neues vom »Meister der Geschichtserzählung« Wussten Sie, dass Churchill auf einer Atlantikinsel Schafe vergiftete? Dass Charlie Chaplins Leiche entführt wurde? Bestsellerautor Giles Milton erzählt mit meisterhaftem Sinn für das Mysteriöse von den Irrungen und Wirrungen der Zeitgeschichte. Einige Helden dieses Buches sind hinlänglich bekannt, wie etwa Agatha Christie, Charlie Chaplin oder Queen Elizabeth II. Andere, wie der Soldat, der auf einer japanischen Insel zwanzig Jahre lang auf das Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs wartete, gerieten eher durch Zufall in den Strudel der Weltgeschichte und bestimmten ihren Lauf auf bisher unbekannte Weise. Der britische Historiker Giles Milton begibt sich wie ein Schatzsucher auf die Jagd nach unbekannten oder schlicht vernachlässigten Episoden der Weltgeschichte und schafft so ein äußerst unterhaltsames und gleichzeitig lehrreiches Leseerlebnis. »Wer braucht schon Romane, wenn er so fabelhafte wahre Geschichten wie diese lesen kann?« Washington Post

The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago--remote, tranquil, and now largely ignored. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, however, Run's harvest of nutmeg turned it into the most lucrative of the Spice Islands, precipitating a fierce and bloody battle between the all-powerful Dutch East India Company and a small band of ragtag British adventurers led by the intrepid Nathaniel Courthope. The outcome of the fighting was one of the most spectacular deals in history: Britain ceded Run to Holland, but in return was given another small island, Manhattan. A brilliant adventure story of unthinkable hardship and savagery, the navigation of uncharted waters, and the exploitation of new worlds, Nathaniel's Nutmeg is a remarkable chapter in the history of the colonial powers.

Soixante-quinze ans après le débarquement de Normandie, le 6 juin 1944, l'issue de la guerre était suspendue à un fil. Le succès ou l'échec de cette opération colossale aurait déterminé la victoire alliée. Giles Milton raconte l'histoire des soldats, souvent très jeunes, qui ont combattu pour mettre fin à la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il évoque le jour J à travers les récits des survivants : le conscrit allié, le défenseur allemand, le résistant français, et les civils de Normandie. De la stratégie des forces alliées aux soldats de la Wehrmacht dans les bunkers, l'ouvrage décrit la terreur de ceux pris au piège de l'opération Overlord. Milton donne la parole à des voix inédites : la fille du boucher, la femme du commandant de panzer, le chauffeur du général, tous protagonistes de cette bataille monstrueuse. Ce récit magistral est salué pour son humanité commune, et sa profondeur. Milton, né en 1966, est un spécialiste de l’histoire des voyages et a publié plusieurs ouvrages de non-fiction, dont plusieurs traduits en français. Il vit à Londres.

Střety koloniálních zájmů Angličanů a Holanďanů v Indonésii v 17. století - Bandské ostrovy jako zdroj vzácného a drahého koření. Kniha vznikla na základě dobových deníků a spisů Východoindické společnosti. Zavádí nás do "Východní Indie", do dnešní Indonésie, na Ostrovy koření - Bandské ostrovy. Ty byly v 16. a 17. století magnetem pro mořeplavce, protože na nich rostly muškátové keře. Muškátový oříšek byl v Anglii 17. století velice drahým a žádaným kořením, takže o ostrovy měly zájem Holanďané i Angličané. Kniha líčí střety mezi nimi, také zvyky domorodých obyvatel ostrovů i život námořníků. Osud ostrovů je doveden až do 19. století, kdy ztratily svůj význam a upadly v zapomnění.

Dobrodružství prvních Evropanů v ostrovní říši Příběh námořníka a dobrodruha, kterému se podařilo získat přízeň japonského šóguna a silou svého vlivu otevřít japonský trh pro anglické obchodníky. Příběh soupeření Holanďanů, Angličanů, Španělů a Portugalců o trhy ve Východní Indii (Indonézie), Číně a Japonsku. Japonsko 17. stol za vlády šógunů očima Evropana. Osudy námořníka Williama Adamse se staly předlohou slavného románu J. Clavella - Šógun.

Věděli jste, že se Churchill během druhé světové války připravoval zaútočit na Německo pomocí biologických zbraní, které by zemi učinily neobyvatelnou na několik desetiletí, a obětoval tomu ovci, a to nejednu? Nebo že mozek Vladimira Iljiče Lenina je nakrájený na 30 000 tenkých plátků? Mistrovský vypravěč historických příběhů Giles Milton nám v této knize servíruje další bizarní události z nedávné i vzdálenější historie, mnohdy jen těžko uvěřitelné, ale přesto pravdivé. Slyšeli jste o tom, že se v Londýně stavěla věž, která měla svou výškou předčít pařížskou Eiffelovku? A představte si, že Spojené státy měly svého císaře! Zní to neuvěřitelně, ale přesto je to tak – historie zkrátka píše příběhy, které by nevymyslel ani ten nejkreativnější spisovatel. Druhá část knihy, kterou Milton v originále nazývá Fascinující poznámky z historie pod čarou, tak přináší dalších padesát příběhů, které se čtou jedním dechem, a čtenář se díky nim dozví leccos z toho, co se už nevešlo do hodin dějepisu.