Falling Palace: A Romance of Naples Dan Hofstadter Weaving the intrigue of a romance with the haunting evocation of a legendary Mediterranean city, Dan Hofstadter reveals Naples to us. He is our guide to its decaying architectural beauty – the falling palace of his dreams; the conversations that start in the cafes and continue into the night; the countless curio shops where treasures mingle with kitsch. And he brings to life on the page his Neapolitan friends, people whose gestures and superstitions seem as old as Vesuvius: chief among them, Benedetta, the object of his fascination and affections, and, like her home city, at once inviting and unfathomable. MORE
The Grand Slave Emporium: Cape Coast Castle and the British Slave Trade William St. Clair From this handsome building on the Atlantic shore African men, women and children were sold as slaves and carried across the ocean. In a truly original book, by telling the story of the castle and some of the people who lived, worked or were imprisoned within its walls, William St Clair is able to illuminate a panorama of modern history which in its entirety is hard to comprehend. MORE
In Search of Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared Christopher Robbins The only thing most people know about Kazakhstan is that it is homeland to Borat – and he isn’t even real. Actually this vast place – the last unknown inhabited country in the world – is far more surprising and entertaining. For one thing, it is as varied as Europe, combining stupendous wealth, grinding poverty, exotic traditions and a mad dash for modernity. MORE
Japan Through the Looking Glass Alan Macfarlane This entertaining and endlessly surprising book takes us on an exploration into every aspect of Japanese society from the most public to the most intimate. A series of meticulous investigations gradually uncovers the multi-faceted nature of a country and people who are even more extraordinary than they seem. MORE
