FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2025

''A richly researched and meticulously observed account of a little-explored corner of 20th-century history''Guardian

''A fantastically well-researched history of science and sacrifice saturated in drama''i

In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad - now St Petersburg - and began the longest blockade in recorded history. By the most conservative estimates, the siege would claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. Most died of starvation.

At the centre of the embattled city stood a converted palace that housed the greatest living plant library ever amassed - the world''s first seed bank. After attempts to evacuate the collection failed, and as supplies dwindled, the scientists responsible faced a terrible decision: should they distribute the specimens to the starving population, or preserve them in the hope that they held the key to ending global famine?

Drawing on previously unseen sources, The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad tells the remarkable and moving story of the botanists who remained at the Plant Institute during the darkest days of the siege, risking their lives in the name of science.

''A compelling account . . . a remarkable work of literary exhumation. The first full account of the Plant Institute in any language, it''s a fitting testimony to an extraordinary project and the bravery of the ordinary individuals who kept it going''Daily Telegraph

''A beautifully-written account of one of the most extraordinary and little-known episodes of the Second World War -- a scientific feat and act of collective self-sacrifice the consequences of which continue to be felt today''Adam Higginbotham, author of Challenger

''A gripping, original and important story of courage and science in wartime''Roland Philipps, author of A Spy Named Orphan

WINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE

''Vivid and moving'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times

''Excellent . . . a powerful tribute'' GuardianIn the summer of 1940, faced with national paranoia, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the internment of all German, Austrian and Italian citizens living in Britain. Most were refugees who had fled Nazi oppression. They now faced imprisonment by the country in which they had staked their trust.

Among the inmates of Hutchinson Internment Camp, on the Isle of Man, were world-renowned artists, musicians and intellectuals: despite their unjust captivity, they remained resilient, transforming their prison into an artistic and academic community.

Meticulously researched and grippingly recounted, The Island of Extraordinary Captives tells the story of history''s most remarkable group of prisoners - and how they found hope even in the most challenging of circumstances.

''Riveting . . . an account of cinematic vividness'' New York Times Book Review

''Eye-opening, insightful and brilliantly written'' Daily Mirror

This book constitutes revised selected papers from the refereed conference proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security and Trust, STAST 2021, held in conjunction with ESORICS, the European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, as a virtual event, in October 2021.

The 10 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: web and apps; context and modelling; and from the present to the future.

This volume LNCS 13855 book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security and Trust, STAST 2022, which held in Copenhagen, Denmark, during September 26, 2022.

The 6 regular papers and 2 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 20 submissions for inclusion in the book. The workshop focused especially on the interplay of technical and human factors in achieving or breaking computer security, privacy, and trust, in both organizational and individual settings.

FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2025

''A richly researched and meticulously observed account of a little-explored corner of 20th-century history''Guardian

''A fantastically well-researched history of science and sacrifice saturated in drama''i

In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad - now St Petersburg - and began the longest blockade in recorded history. By the most conservative estimates, the siege would claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. Most died of starvation.

At the centre of the embattled city stood a converted palace that housed the greatest living plant library ever amassed - the world''s first seed bank. After attempts to evacuate the collection failed, and as supplies dwindled, the scientists responsible faced a terrible decision: should they distribute the specimens to the starving population, or preserve them in the hope that they held the key to ending global famine?

Drawing on previously unseen sources, The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad tells the remarkable and moving story of the botanists who remained at the Plant Institute during the darkest days of the siege, risking their lives in the name of science.

''A compelling account . . . a remarkable work of literary exhumation. The first full account of the Plant Institute in any language, it''s a fitting testimony to an extraordinary project and the bravery of the ordinary individuals who kept it going''Daily Telegraph

''A beautifully-written account of one of the most extraordinary and little-known episodes of the Second World War -- a scientific feat and act of collective self-sacrifice the consequences of which continue to be felt today''Adam Higginbotham, author of Challenger

''A gripping, original and important story of courage and science in wartime''Roland Philipps, author of A Spy Named Orphan

WINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE

''Vivid and moving'' Max Hastings, Sunday Times

''Excellent . . . a powerful tribute'' GuardianIn the summer of 1940, faced with national paranoia, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the internment of all German, Austrian and Italian citizens living in Britain. Most were refugees who had fled Nazi oppression. They now faced imprisonment by the country in which they had staked their trust.

Among the inmates of Hutchinson Internment Camp, on the Isle of Man, were world-renowned artists, musicians and intellectuals: despite their unjust captivity, they remained resilient, transforming their prison into an artistic and academic community.

Meticulously researched and grippingly recounted, The Island of Extraordinary Captives tells the story of history''s most remarkable group of prisoners - and how they found hope even in the most challenging of circumstances.

''Riveting . . . an account of cinematic vividness'' New York Times Book Review

''Eye-opening, insightful and brilliantly written'' Daily Mirror

This book constitutes revised selected papers from the refereed conference proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security and Trust, STAST 2021, held in conjunction with ESORICS, the European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, as a virtual event, in October 2021.

The 10 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: web and apps; context and modelling; and from the present to the future.

This volume LNCS 13855 book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security and Trust, STAST 2022, which held in Copenhagen, Denmark, during September 26, 2022.

The 6 regular papers and 2 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 20 submissions for inclusion in the book. The workshop focused especially on the interplay of technical and human factors in achieving or breaking computer security, privacy, and trust, in both organizational and individual settings.