Haus Publishing Autumn Catalogue 2022

HAUS

AFGHAN NAPOLEON

The Life of Ahmad Shah Massoud

Sandy Gall

Introduction by Rory Stewart

£12.99

September 2022

Biography | Afghan History

B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 443 pages

p: 978-1-913368-64-7

e: 978-1-913368-23-4

‘A remarkable and emotionally affecting portrait’ John Simpson

‘Sandy Gall’s knowledge of the jihad is encyclopaedic’ The Spectator

‘An extraordinary story’ The Telegraph

When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the poorly equipped and organised resistance groups were no competition for a superpower. The exception was Ahmad Shah Massoud. This now-legendary military strategist and resistance leader unified the mujahideen forces in northeastern Afghanistan and led a series of decisive victories against the Russian army. The veteran journalist Sandy Gall reported from Afghanistan at length, spending weeks at a time with Massoud during key moments in the conflict. He now draws on his own memories, never-before-seen excerpts from Massoud’s diaries, and interviews with the commander’s closest allies to provide an intimate portrait of the charismatic guerrilla leader. Afghan Napoleon casts fascinating new light on Massoud’s personal and military struggles and consolidates his reputation as a national hero.

sandy gall is a British journalist, author, and former ITN newscaster. He has written four books about Afghanistan and made three documentaries about the Soviet occupation, two of which were nominated for BAFTA awards.

HITLER’S TYRANNY

Ralf Georg Reuth

Translated by Peter Lewis

£20

September 2022 German History

Royal Hbk, 153×234mm | 368 pages

p: 978-1-913368-62-3

e: 978-1-913368-63-0

‘An urgent reminder of what happened last time the world mistook a psychotic warmonger for a rational, power-hungry politician’ James Hawes

Despite a wealth of literature on the subject, the Nazi tyranny remains difficult to understand and interpret. In Hitler's Tyranny, Ralf Georg Reuth examines ten aspects of Hitler's dictatorship. Looking anew at some assumtions, he explores whether anti-Semitism was more pronounced in Germany than elsewhere in Europe; whether Versailles was really responsible for Hitler’s rise; and why so many Germans decided to follow a racial fanatic. The disturbing answers provide a picture that shows how Hitler was not only an inevitable consequence of German history but also the product of chance, deception, and seduction.

Eschewing a conventional chronological approach in favour of a forensic analysis of Hitler's actions – both as chancellor and military commander – Reuth shifts the focus to the mindset and modus operandi of the dictator himself. The portrait that emerges is one of a murderous fantasist and political opportunist driven by an all-embracing ideology of racial superiority. Reuth’s account courts controversy on a few points but offers a fascinating counterpoint to recent scholarship.

ralf georg reuth is a German journalist and historian. He has written several books on German history, including major biographies of Hitler, Goebbels, and Rommel, and was the editor of The Goebbels Diaries

BLACK EARTH

A Journey through Ukraine

Jens M ühling

Translated by Eugene H. Hayworth and Simon Pare

£9.99

August 2022

Travel | Ukraine

B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 320 pages 1 map

p: 978-1-91498-200-2

e: 978-1-909961-61-6

Imprint: Armchair Traveller

‘A sprightly and informative read, of a journey through a part of the world that Mühling obviously loves. He has a sharp eye and a warm heart’

Anna Reid, author of Borderland

‘In his encounters with a diverse cast of Ukrainians Muhling elicits stories about the past and present of their country which are moving, disturbing, funny, captivating – or all at once. The result is a rich polyphonic portrait of Ukraine. Essential reading on the country that is now on everyone’s mind’

Thomas de Waal, author of The Caucasus

‘Will someone pay for the spilled blood? No. Nobody.’ So wrote Mikhail Bulgakov in Kiev during the turmoil of the Russian Civil War. Since then the borders of Ukraine have shifted constantly and its people have suffered numerous foreign interventions. The Ukrainian state we know today has existed only since 1991 and what went before remains contested and controversial, both among its people and its neighbours.

In simple and vivid prose, Jens Mühling narrates his encounters with nationalists and old communists, Crimean Tatars and Cossacks, smugglers, archaeologists, and soldiers, all of whose views on nationhood and the past could hardly be more different. Black Earth connects all these stories to provide an unconventional and unfiltered view of Ukraine–a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and at the centre of the world's attention.

Armchair Traveller

TROUBLED WATER

A Journey around the Black Sea

Jens M ühling

Translated by Simon Pare

£10.99

November 2022

Travel | Ukraine | Russia

B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 360 pages

1 map

p: 978-1-914982-01-9

e: 978-1-909961-77-7

Imprint: Armchair Traveller

‘A brisk and brilliant tour, a reminder that ethnically mixed communities shaped these shores for hundreds of years, until they were torn apart by imperialists and nationalists’ The Telegraph

‘An excellent introduction to a complex, heavily layered, bitterly contested and often rewritten past’ Wall Street Journal

Dramatic conflicts, migrating populations, changing fortunes. Decades of political and cultural pressure under communism. The encroachment of climate change and globalisation. For centuries, the Black Sea has been at the centre of a shifting kaleidoscope of stories.

Visiting every country around the coast, Jens Mühling explores nations both ancient and nascent, connecting with local people and landscapes, following their stories, and discovering the startling sights of this multifaceted region. Ultimately, he shows the peoples and places of this region are much like the sea around which they converge: restless, enigmatic, underestimated, and captivating.

jens mühling was the editor of a German newspaper in Moscow for two years, and has been working for the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel since 2005. His travelogue A Journey into Russia (2014) was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman prize for travel writing.

THE VITALITY OF DEMOCRACY

Gisela Stuart £7.99 November 2022

Politics | Current Affairs

A-Format Pbk, 111×178mm | 90 pages

p: 978-1-913368-51-7

e: 978-1--913368-52-4

Haus Curiosities Series

What does the future of democracy look like? And what has to happen for it not only to survive but also thrive?

There is no such thing as the perfect society. There are no hard and fast rules on how to make it work for everyone. If we don’t want to have things imposed on us, then government by the people and for the people is the best system on offer. We call it democracy.

Democracy is about making difficult choices and if we don’t appreciate what makes the system work, we risk losing it. The alternatives of autocracy and mob rule are catastrophic. Elections are a fight. Acknowledging no one has all the answers, we allow power to change hands. We give the other side a chance to see if they can do a better job.

But audience participation is compulsory; democracy requires the people to take part, to be active citizens; to choose between competing ideas; to join political parties. To stand up for things that are important. Democracy has always been challenged, but this time it feels more serious.

gisela stuart is a British-German politician and life peer. A Labour MP for twenty years, she now sits as a non-affiliated member of the House of Lords. Stuart was appointed as the First Civil Service Commissioner in March 2022.

LEADERSHIP

Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy

Simon McDonald

£20 November 2022

Political Leadership | Politics & Government

Royal Hbk, 153×234mm | 224 pages

p: 978-1-913368-68-5

e: 978-1-913368-69-2

What distinguishes good leadership from bad? And can the art of leadership be learnt?

When Abraham Lincoln said, ‘You can be anything you want to be,’ Americans, and eventually everybody everywhere, lifted their sights. Nowadays anybody can aspire to be a leader, and nearly everybody has to lead sometimes.

In his first book, Simon McDonald assumes that thinking about leadership before you lead helps you lead better. No matter the circumstances in which we might be called to lead – be it at work, on the sports field, or in the community – the example of top leaders in politics and public service (both their successes and shortcomings) can help you figure out your own approach.

As the head of HM Diplomatic Service, Simon McDonald was responbile for over 14,000 staff in 270 countries worldwide and worked for six foreign secretaries and saw five prime ministers operate at close quarters. Observing these people undertaking the most important and often the most difficult work in the country, he saw the behaviours which helped them to achieve their objectives, and those which hindered them.

simon mcdonald was the British ambassador to Germany and later permanent under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and head of the Diplomatic Service. He is master-elect of Christ's College, Cambridge.

THE BONFIRE OF THE DECENCIES

Repairing and Restoring the British Constitution

Peter Hennessy and Andrew Blick

£12.99

October 2022

Politics & Government

Trade Pbk, 135×216mm | 249 pages p: 978-1-913368-71-5 e: 978-1-913368-72-2

Britain's leading contemporary historian and a constitutional expert diagnose the UK's constitutional dillema and propose a solution.

The British constitution matters. Its observance is crucial to the well-being of all our people, to every state activity and deployment of government power. But the decency of government and the constitution from which they draw their sap and vitality, find themselves at a low ebb in the wake of the Boris Johnson premiership.

The Bonfire of the Decencies offers a range of suggestions about what might be done to repair and restore the British constitution. Time is pressing for what needs to be a shared national endeavour; a story of restoration, revival, and creative purpose.

The last three years have shown us we cannot keep muddling through. Only by repairing and restoring our constitution can we keep the United Kingdom safely in the highest ranks of the rule-of-law nations – a gift we assumed was so securely banked that, until recently, we did not have to worry about it.

peter hennessy is one of UK’s leading contemporary historians and is the author of definitive books on the UK’s prime ministers, constitution and intelligence agencies. His recent works include A Duty of Care: Britain Before and After Covid. andrew blick is Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at Kings College, University of London. He is the editor of The Constitution in Review.

A SHORT HISTORY OF FINLAND

Jonathan Clements

£9.99 October 2022

History of Finland | History of Scandinavia B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 192 pages 1 map

p: 978-1-913368-65-4 e: 978-1-913368-66-1

An entertaining introduction to the history of Finland and its pe0ple

In the general mind, Finland is often swept up in the group of Nordic countries, little-known and seldom gaining prominence on its own. But as Jonathan Clements shows in A Short History of Finland, it has a long and fascinating history, one that offers oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric herders to medieval lords, Christian martyrs to Viking kings, and the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against long odds.

Clements travels the length of the country as he tells these stories, along the way offering accounts of Finland’s public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures. The result is the perfect introduction to Finland for armchair and actual travellers alike. No strangers to Russian aggression, this fully updated paperback edition includes Finland's response to the Ukraine war and their ambitions to join NATO.

jonathan clements is an author and TV presenter specialising in the history and cultures of the Far East. He is the author of many books on East Asian history and wrote a biography of the Finnish statesman Gustaf Mannerheim. He lives in Finland.

RIDDLE, MYSTERY, AND ENIGMA

Two Hundred Years of British–Russian Relations

David Owen

£12.99 November 2022

British History | International Relations

B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 432 pages 2 maps

p: 978-1-913368-67-8 e: 978-1-913368-40-1

Includes updated chapters on 'Putin's Russia' and 'Britain, Russia, and the Wider World'

Britain’s relationship with Russia is surprisingly under-explored. When the two formed a pragmatic alliance and fought together at Navarino in 1827, it was overwhelmingly the work of the British prime minister, George Canning.

It was not until the 1917 revolution that another statesman had a defining impact on relations between Britain and Russia: Winston Churchill opposed Bolshevism, yet he never stopped advocating diplomatic and military engagement with Russia.

Bringing us into the twenty-first century, Owen chronicles how both countries have responded to their geopolitical decline. Drawing on imperial and Soviet history, he explains the unique nature of Putin’s autocracy and addresses Britain’s return to ‘blue water’ diplomacy. Written with Owen’s characteristic insight and wide-ranging expertise, Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma depicts a relationship governed by principle as often as by suspicion, expediency, and outright necessity.

david owen served as foreign secretary under James Callaghan from 1977 until 1979, and later co-founded and went on to lead the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He is the author of books including The Hidden Perspective (2014) and Cabinet's Finest Hour (2016).

THE SERPENT COILED IN NAPLES

Marius Kociejowski

£20

May 2022

Travel Writing | Italy

Royal Hbk, 153×234mm | 498 pages

63 b/w illustrations

p: 978-1-909961-81-4

e: 978-1-909961-80-7

Imprint: Armchair Traveller

‘To write about Naples, you really need to be a poet – or, even better, an antiquarian bookseller. Mr Kociejowski is both and has produced a delightful work that is as eclectic, labyrinthine, ironic and shocking as the city itself’ The Economist

While many of Naples's more esoteric features are on display for all to see, the stories behind them have remained largely hidden. In Marius Kociejowski's portrait of this baffling city, the serpent can be many things – Vesuvius, the Camorra, the outlying Phlegraean Fields. All these things that have, at one time or another, put paid to the higher aspirations of the Neapolitans themselves.

Naples is simultaneously a city of light, sometimes blindingly so, and a city of darkness, although often the stuff of cliché. The boundary that separates death from life is porous in the extreme: the dead inhabit the world of the living and vice versa.

The Serpent Coiled in Naples is a travelogue, a meditation on mortality, and much else besides.

marius kociejowski is a poet, essayist, and travel writer. Among the books he has written are The Street Philosopher and the Holy Fool: A Syrian Journey and a sequel, The Pigeon Wars of Damascus He lives in London, where, until recently, he worked as an antiquarian bookseller.

WALKING PEPYS'S LONDON

Jacky Colliss Harvey £9.99 June 2022 Travel | Walking

B-Format Pbk, 129×198mm | 155 pages 5 maps

p: 978-1-909961-82-1

e: 978-1-913368-29-6

Imprint: Armchair Traveller

‘It is as good a book of its kind as one could hope for, and I urge anyone with a fondness for Pepys to buy it’ Times Literary Supplement

Samuel Pepys walked round London for miles. The 2½ miles to Whitehall from his house near the Tower of London was accomplished on an almost daily basis, and so many of his professional conversations took place whilst walking that the streets became for him an alternative to his office. With Walking Pepys’s London, the reader will come to know life in London from the pavement up and see its streets from the perspective of this renowned diarist. The city was almost as much a character in Pepys’s life as his family or friends, and the book draws many parallels between his experience of seventeenth-century London and the lives of Londoners today. Full of fascinating details and written with extraordinary sensitivity, Walking Pepys’s London is an unmissable exploration into the places that made the greatest English diarist of all time. Reconstructing the sensory and emotional experience of the past, it brings geography, biography, and history into one.

jacky colliss harvey is a writer and editor. She has worked in museum publishing for the past twenty years, is the bestselling author of RED: A History of the Redhead, and writes historical fiction as J. C. Harvey.

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