Books by Irene Vallejo
“Irene Vallejo is a classicist and a novelist. She combines academic research and creative writing to produce a highly accessible book about the ancient world. The book deals with how, in the Mediterranean region, books were produced, cherished, read, burnt, and destroyed. Books are part of our lives now, but we can’t take them for granted. The book explores the history of libraries, specifically the famous library in Alexandria. In a nutshell, Vallejo explores how the ancient world invented tablets, papyrus, and later books. We learn about how Athens and Rome wrote and preserved the word.” Read more...
The 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
Madawi Al-Rasheed, Anthropologist
Interviews where books by Irene Vallejo were recommended
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1
The Death of Stalin
by Sheila Fitzpatrick -
2
Native Nations: A Millennium in North America
by Kathleen DuVal -
3
Augustus The Strong: A Study in Artistic Greatness and Political Fiasco
by Tim Blanning -
4
Battleground: 10 Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East
by Christopher Phillips -
5
The Shortest History of Austria
by Nicholas T. Parsons -
6
The Greek Revolution and the Violent Birth of Nationalism
by Yanni Kotsonis
New History Books
New History Books
It’s a golden age for historical writing, as well-researched and sometimes quite specialist books by historians are written in an engaging style for a broad audience. On our new history books list, we keep track of some of the books coming out by Five Books interviewees and frequently recommended authors. We’re also scanning catalogues and highlighting interesting new history books being published that come to our attention.
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1
Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution
by Tania Branigan -
2
Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire
by Nandini Das -
3
The Violence of Colonial Photography
by Daniel Foliard -
4
Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation
by Kris Manjapra -
5
Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World
by Irene Vallejo -
6
Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living
by Dimitris Xygalatas
The 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, recommended by Madawi Al-Rasheed
The 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, recommended by Madawi Al-Rasheed
The annual British Academy Book Prize seeks out books that promote ‘global cultural understanding’—something we could all do with more of right now. Anthropologist Madawi Al-Rasheed, a visiting professor at LSE and one of the prize’s judges, talks us through the six excellent books that made the 2023 shortlist, from the ancient Library of Alexandria to fire walking in contemporary Greece.
