Author:Angus Calder
The Myth of the Blitz was nurtured at every level of society. It rested upon the assumed invincibility of an island race distinguished by good humour, understatement and the ability to pluck victory from the jaws of defeat by team work, improvisation and muddling through.
In fact, in many ways, the Blitz was not like that. Sixty-thousand people were conscientious objectors; a quarter of London's population fled to the country; Churchill and the royal family were booed while touring the aftermath of air-raids; Britain was not bombed into classless democracy.
Angus Calder provides a compelling examination of the events of 1940 and 1941 - when Britain 'stood alone' against the Luftwaffe - and of the Myth which sustained her 'finest hour'.
This is a book written with style, scholarship and compassion, which can only enhance and deepen our understanding of a still critical episode in modern British history
—— Ian S. Wood , ScotsmanDisturbing as it may be to those who were there, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and the Blitz have to be understood on one level as media events, and this Angus Calder does supremely well
—— John Vincent , Sunday TelegraphThe vision of the noble loner, whether freedom-fighter or biker...gives hope to world-weary revolutionaries and non-revolutionaries alike.
—— TelegraphA Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac
—— Washington PostA lively story of global collaboration in the study of nature from 1500 to the present day . . . rich and lucid
—— Dmitri Levitin , Literary ReviewEuropean scientists for centuries served the political goals of empire building, which was based on slave trading, military power, oppression and violence . . . Poskett hopes for a future where the historic truth about how scientific progress has been made is universally accepted, where all cultures are valued, and where global scientific collaboration unleashes the creativity to solve problems such as climate change
—— Sean Duke , Irish TimesHorizons shows that the story of science has always been a planetary one: a non-linear process of cross-fertilisation, competition, cooperation and conflict . . . What makes the book so engrossing is that Poskett's grasp of historical contexts is as firm as his scientific knowledge
—— Matthew d'Ancona , TortoiseGeneration after generation, people in western countries have been educated to believe that the history of modern science began primarily in the 17th century in western Europe. In a book of breathtaking range and high quality, Poskett dismantles that narrow version of events and produces a genuinely global history
—— Best Summer Books of 2022: History' , Financial TimesThis treasure trove of a book puts the case persuasively and compellingly that modern science did not develop solely in Europe. Hugely important
—— Jim Al-Khalili, author of ParadoxBrilliant . . . In this revolutionary and revelatory book, James Poskett not only gives us a truly worldwide history of science, but explains how international connections have stimulated scientific advances through time
—— Alice Roberts, author of AncestorsScience's internationalism is well recognized. But scientists tend to regard it as a recent phenomenon that arose from the 'big science' of the twentieth century, rather than one with a history of more than 500 years going back to the Islamic science that inspired astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, and beyond, observes historian James Poskett. His revisionary "global history" boldly rebuts this
—— Andrew Robinson , NaturePoskett's book is invaluable, an important and timely reminder that the world we live in has never been small or unknown, but that sharing knowledge, as well as credit, and working together, is the key to a better future
—— Matt Lewis , History HitFrom palatial Aztec botanic gardens to Qing Dynasty evolutionary theories, Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science, showing how curiosity and intellectual exploration was, and is, a global phenomenon
—— Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredRemarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West
—— Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 MapsThis perspective-shattering book challenges our Eurocentric narrative by spotlighting the work of historically neglected scientists
—— Caroline Sanderson , The Bookseller, 'Editor's Choice'A useful corrective that brings us closer to a more accurate history of Western science - one which recognises Europe, not as exceptional, but as learning from the world
—— Angela Saini, author of SuperiorThe righting of the historical record makes Horizons a deeply satisfying read. We learn about a fascinating group of people engaged in scientific inquiry all over the world. Even more satisfyingly, Horizons demonstrates that the most famous scientists - Copernicus, Darwin and Einstein among them - couldn't have made their discoveries without the help of their global contacts
—— Valerie Hansen, author of The Year 1000A provocative examination of major contributions to science made outside Europe and the USA, from ancient to modern times, explained in relation to global historical events. I particularly enjoyed the stories of individuals whose work tends to be omitted from standard histories of science
—— Ian Stewart, author of Significant FiguresA wonderful, timely reminder that scientific advancement is, and has always been, a global endeavour
—— Patrick Roberts, author of JungleThis is the kind of history we need: it opens our eyes to the ways in which what we know today has been uncovered thanks to a worldwide team effort
—— Michael Scott, author of Ancient WorldsAn important milestone
—— British Journal for the History of Science, on Materials of the MindThe freshest history of the strangest science
—— Alison Bashford, author of Global Population, on Materials of the MindAmbitious, riveting, Poskett tracks the global in so many senses . . . vital reading on some of the most urgent concerns facing the world history of science
—— Sujit Sivasundaram, University of Cambridge, on Materials of the MindTerrific . . . [Makes] a substantial contribution to understanding the universalizing properties of science and technology in history
—— Janet Browne, Harvard University, on Materials of the MindHorizons forces me to think outside my Eurocentric box and puts science at the centre of world history
—— David Reynolds , New Statesman, Books of the Year 2022