In Brief

How to Build a Spitfire

In April 2018, David Price decided to build a replica Spitfire in his back garden. In his new book, he juxtaposes the ups and downs of this personal project with the operational history of the fighter aircraft that won the Battle of Britain, focusing in particular on the construction and production of the aircraft, enhanced by testimonies from those who worked in Spitfire production facilities.

Fateful Hours: The Collapse of the Weimar Republic

Few historical events illustrate the fragility of democracies as vividly as the failure of the Weimar Republic, culminating in the rise of the Third Reich. But this tragedy was not inevitable. In Fateful Hours, Volker Ullrich charts the many missed opportunities that contributed to the collapse of Germany’s first democracy.

Republic and Empire: Crisis, Revolution, and America’s Early Independence

At the time of the American Revolution, the British Empire had colonies around the world. This book looks beyond the 13 rebellious American colonies at those that did not rebel to show that understanding the Revolution’s long-term causes requires a global view.