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Explores the riotous realm of marginal art to be found protuding from the edges of medieval buildings and in the margins of manuscripts.

Zebra is a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of the natural and cultural history of this popular animal.

Ugliness: A Cultural History explores perceptions of ugliness through history, from ancient Roman feasts to medieval grotesque gargoyles, and from Dr Frankenstein's monster to the Nazi Exhibition of Degenerate Art. Covering literature, art, music and even Uglydolls, the book reveals how ugliness has long posed a challenge to aesthetics and taste.

With its historical narrative, reflections on the city today and treasure trove of images, this book show that, if history is any guide, there is much more to come in San Francisco.

In The Greeks, Philip Matyszak illuminates the Greek soldiers, statesmen, scientists and philosophers who, though they seldom - if ever - set foot on the Greek mainland, nevertheless laid the foundations of what we call 'Greek culture' today.

Empire of Tea is a cultural history of tea, from its ancient origins in China to its position as the world's favorite beverage today. It shows how tea was one of the first truly global commodities, and gave rise to the earliest cultural and economic exchanges between China and Britain.

In this ground-breaking book Alison Green provides the first critical history of visual artists curating exhibitions.

Niccolo Guicciardini's enlightening biography offers an accessible introduction to Newton's celebrated work in mathematics, optics and astronomy and to how Newton viewed these scientific fields in relation to his quest for the deepest secrets of the universe, matter theory and religion.

A unique exploration of the biology and history of sheep, as well as their place in literature and the other creative arts.

A new, critical account of the life and work of influential French painter Paul Cezanne.

Lorna Piatti-Farnell describes the story of how this fruit (which is technically a berry) has become one of the most popular foods on the planet.

An exploration of how 'north' has been represented in art and literature.

The first global account of smuggling across seven centuries of history.

A new critical biography of Leon Trotsky, a strong leader of Soviets and one of the most important figures of twentieth-century Communism. This biography delves deep into Trotsky's life and relationships to reveal and understand his complex character and actions.

In this comprehensive global history, Alan Mayne explores the evolution and meaning of the 'slum', from its origins in London early in the nineteenth century to its use to describe favela communities in the lead up to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic games in 2016.

Kiff Bamford traces the circuitous journey of Jean-Francois Lyotard life and work, unravelling the thrust of Lyotard's main philosophical arguments, his struggle with thinking and his confrontation with the task of writing and thinking philosophy differently.

What exactly is a ghost? Are poltergeists, wraiths and revenants technically ghosts? How does 'ghost' relate to 'soul'? And how many different kinds of ghost are there? Ghosts: A Supernatural History is a historical and global exploration of these mysterious apparitions.

Sting: From Northern Skies to Fields of Gold is the first book to examine the relationship between Sting's working-class background in Newcastle, his subsequent life and the creativity and inspiration behind his music.

Magnificent and mysterious, Tibet has been a source of fascination for outsiders for centuries, and its grand landscapes and vibrant culture have especially captivated photographers. But the country is both geographically and politically challenging, and access from the outside has never been easy. With this book, Clare Harris offers the first historical survey of photography in Tibet and the Himalayas, telling the intriguing stories of both Tibetans and foreigners who have attempted to document the region's wonders on film. Harris combines extensive research in museums and archives with her own fieldwork in Tibetan communities to present materials that have never been examined before--including the earliest known photograph taken in Tibet, dating to 1863. She looks at the experimental camera-work of Tibetan monks--including the thirteenth Dalai Lama--and the creations of contemporary Tibetan photographers and artists. With every image she explores the complex religious, political, and cultural climate in which it was produced. Stunningly illustrated, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the dramatic history of Tibet since the mid-nineteenth century and its unique entanglements with aesthetics and modernity.

In this eye-catching, beautifully illustrated book, bestselling author Desmond Morris tells the compelling story of cats in art, from prehistory until the present day.

Orwell's Nose is John Sutherland's original and imaginative account of the life and work of George Orwell, exploring the 'scent narratives' that abound in Orwell's fiction and non-fiction. Orwell covered his tracks well; this illuminating and irreverent book provides a new understanding of one of our most iconic and influential writers.

In Oysters: A Global History Carolyn Tillie delves into the culinary, artistic, sexual, historical, and scientific history of the humble bivalve.

The Many Lives of Carbon is the story of the element carbon, its myriad properties, and its life-cycle. Dag Olav Hessen examines carbon in minerals and rocks, wood and rain forests, as well as looking at carbon's role in the environment and climate.

Highly regarded woodpecker expert Gerard Gorman presents a unique natural, social and cultural history of woodpeckers.

Filled with beguiling images throughout, Lizard is a unique and sometimes surprising introduction to this popular but little-understood reptile. Boria Sax describes the diversity of lizard species and traces the representation of this reptile in cultures worldwide.

This comprehensive, highly illustrated new study examines Titian's long career and varied output. Tom Nichols argues that Titian's works were self-consciously original, freely and intentionally undermining the traditional, more modest approach to painting in Venice at that time.

The Space Within explores how interior space has been integral to the development of Modern architecture from the late 1800s to today, and how generations of architects have engaged with interior space and its experience in their design processes.

A Philosophy of Loneliness explores the different kinds of loneliness, the philosophy of emotions, why some people are lonelier than others, and the psychological and social characteristics that dispose people to loneliness.

This is a natural and cultural history of the hippopotamus, the well-loved, cumbersome, rotund mammal famous for lounging around semi-submerged in muddy pools.