Tom Holland – författare

'If great books encourage you to look at the world in an entirely new way, then Dominion is a very great book indeed . . . Written with terrific learning, enthusiasm and good humour, Holland's book is not just supremely provocative, but often very funny' Sunday Times History Book of the YearChristianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable. Widen the focus, though, and Christianity's enduring impact upon the West can be seen in the emergence of much that has traditionally been cast as its nemesis: in science, in secularism, and yes, even in atheism. That is why Dominion will place the story of how we came to be what we are, and how we think the way that we do, in the broadest historical context. Ranging in time from the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC to the on-going migration crisis in Europe today, and from Nebuchadnezzar to the Beatles, it will explore just what it was that made Christianity so revolutionary and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mind-set of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that has become increasingly doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain irredeemably Christian. The aim is twofold: to make the reader appreciate just how novel and uncanny were Christian teachings when they first appeared in the world; and to make ourselves, and all that we take for granted, appear similarly strange in consequence. We stand at the end-point of an extraordinary transformation in the understanding of what it is to be human: one that can only be fully appreciated by tracing the arc of its parabola over millennia.

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER'A stunning blockbuster' Robert Fisk'A brilliant tour de force of revisionist scholarship and thrilling storytelling' Simon Sebag Montefiore'A compelling detective story of the highest order' Sunday Times'Tom Holland has an enviable gift for summoning up the colour, the individuals and animation of the past' IndependentIn the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In the Shadow of the Sword explores how this came about. Spanning from Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror, and startling achievement.

'The bloodstained drama of the last decades of the Roman republic... is told afresh with tremendous wit, narrative verve and insight''I owe a debt of gratitude to Tom Holland not just for reminding me of the great figures who bestrode the Roman world - Pompey and Crassus, Cato, Cicero and Caesar - but for explaining what it was that made Rome the greatest superpower the world has known, why it lasted so long and what caused its eventual fall' Daily Mail'Gripping and hugely entertaining. It is a story crammed with drama and spectacle... but the real attraction of Holland's book is the wit and contemporary sensibility that he brings to his often bloody tale' Books of the Year, Sunday Times'This is narrative history at its best... it really held me, in fact, obsessed me' Ian McEwan, Books of the Year, GuardianTHE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe second bestselling book from 'the most joyous and brain-enhancing podcast out there' (The Times) - also including puzzles and a quiz!Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook bring you an alphabetical miscellany, taking on some of history’s best and most bizarre moments. Charge forth against the traitors of the American Revolution, journey through Baghdad to discover the origins of the Arabian Nights and head to Sicily to witness the first face-off between Carthage and Rome.Along the way you'll find the answers to questions like:- Was Henry V's great-grandfather, Edward III, the biggest lad in British history?- Which Mitford sister tried to seduce her girlish crush, Adolf Hitler?- Who are history's top 10 monkeys?- Why did the Romans inspire so much American science fiction?Dust off your tricorne hat, grab your lasso and get ready for a rollicking rollercoaster ride through the past . . . ‘All history podcasts have to be measured against The Rest is History. To listen to anyone else attempt to tell historical stories in audio form is to realise just how good Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland are’ James Marriott, The Times‘Holland and Sandbrook have reached a peak of listenability at which you’d happily hear them chortle through a history of paperclips or phonebooks’ Jasper Rees, Telegraph‘A global sensation . . . Dives into the past with raucous good cheer’ Wall Street Journal

Tom Holland's bestselling account of the world's very first clash of civilisations between the Persians and the Greeks in 480BC'Magisterial... told with great authority and a novelistic colour and verve' Books of the Year, Independent'Holland has a rare eye for detail, drama and the telling anecdote'Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph'An unequivocal argument for the relevance of ancient history' Observer'Holland brings this tumultuous, epoch-making period dazzlingly to life' William Napier, Independent on SundayIn the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the most powerful man on the planet is as heart-stopping as any episode in history.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history' The Times 'A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history' Sunday TimesThe definitive history of Rome's golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatnessThe Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.A stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.PAX was a Sunday Times bestseller 16/07/23

'A masterly account of this first wicked century of the Roman Empire' Sunday Times'Holland does not just tell the story of the reign of the Julio-Claudian family. He knits the history of ancient Rome into his narrative - its founding myths, the fall of the republic, the religious superstitions - with a skill so dextrous you don't notice the stitching. Dynasty is both a formidable effort to compile what we can know about the ancient world and a sensational story' Observer'A witty and skilful storyteller... He recounts with pleasure his racy tales of psychopathic cruelty, incest, paedophilia, matricide, fratricide, assassination and depravity' William Dalrymple, New Statesman'A wonderful, surging narrative... [for] anyone interested in history, politics or human nature - and it has never been better told' Mail on SundayTHE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*Now with a fun pub quiz*'An idiosyncratic ride through history' Independent 'Holland and Sandbrook have pretty much reinvented popular history for the modern age' The TimesThe nation’s favourite historians, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, take on the most curious moments in history, answering the questions we didn’t even think to ask . . .- What was the most disastrous party in history?- How did a hair appointment almost blow Churchill’s cover?- Why did the Nazis believe they were descended from the people of Atlantis?- What made Alfred the Great so great?From a British political leader who allegedly plotted to feed his lover to alligators, to a Brazilian emperor whose subjects mistook him for a banana, there is nothing too big or too small for Tom and Dominic to unpick.

The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperbackThe formation of England happened against the odds - the division of the country into rival kingdoms, the assaults of the Vikings, the precarious position of the island on the edge of the known world. But King Alfred ensured the survival of Wessex, his son Eadweard expanded it, and his grandson Æthelstan finally united Mercia and Wessex, conquered Northumbria and became Rex totius Britanniae.Tom Holland recounts this extraordinarily exciting story with relish and drama. We meet the great figures of the age, including Alfred and his daughter Æthelflæd, 'Lady of the Mercians', who brought Æthelstan up at the Mercian court. At the end of the book we understand the often confusing history of the Anglo-Saxon kings better than ever before.

It is often observed that no historical figure has had a greater impact on the world than Jesus Christ. Why is that? And what difference does his impact make to the world today?It is also often said that Jesus was a 'revolutionary', and numerous books have appeared in recent years claiming just that - from the wild and sensational to the serious and respectable.This book, written by influential authors reflecting a diversity of expertise and points of view, considers the claims that continue to be made about Jesus, whether by believers or nonbelievers.

Bestselling historian and broadcaster Tom Holland gives a thrilling panoramic account of the birth of the new Western Europe in the year 1000'An exhilarating sweep across European history either side of the year 1000; riveting' ALLAN MASSIE, SPECTATOR'I relished the blood and thunder narrative - the work of a great storyteller at his best' DOMINIC SANDBROOK, EVENING STANDARD'A splendid, highly coloured canvas' NORMAN STONE, GUARDIANIn AD 900, few would have guessed that the splintering kingdoms of Europe were candidates for future greatness. Hemmed in by implacable enemies and an ocean, there were many who feared that they were nearing the time when the Antichrist would appear, heralding the world's end. Instead there emerged a new civilisation. It was the age of Otto the Great and William the Conqueror, of Viking sea-kings, of hermits, monks and serfs. It witnessed the spread of castles, the invention of knighthood, and the founding of the papal monarchy. It was a momentous achievement: for this was nothing less than the founding of the modern West.

'Ingenious and entertaining' Sunday Times' Byron himself would have been pleased by such an eerie, erudite addition to his myth' Time OutInfamous poet Lord Byron comes to life with incendiary brilliance in this spellbinding blend of gothic imagination and documented fact. Wandering in the mountains of Greece, the supreme sensualist is drawn to the beauty of a mysterious fugitive slave; soon he is utterly entranced, and his fate is sealed. He embarks on a life of adventure even his genius could not have foreseen; chosen to enjoy powers beyond those any vampire has ever known, Byron traverses the centuries and enters a dark, intoxicating world of long-lost secrets, ancient arts and scorching excesses of evil. But Byron's gift is also his torment: an all-consuming thirst that withers life at the root, damning all those he loves.With its impeccable scholarship and breathtaking storytelling, THE VAMPYRE is a wonderful combination of fact and fantasy.

Wiltshire, during the dying days of Oliver Cromwell's Republic. Robert Vaughan is the son of a Parliamentarian officer who is investigating a series of grisly murders which suggest a link with Satanic rituals at Stonehenge. The return of a notoriously wicked Cavalier, signalling the impending royalist restoration, leads to a terrible tragedy for the Vaughans. Robert's flight from his violent, terrifying past leads him to Restoration London, where he works as scribe for Milton, and where he survives the Plague and the Great Fire. But Robert is led along a dark path, to vampirism and beyond, as he devotes himself to gaining the powers that will enable him to fight an evil killer of seemingly satanic powers. He will travel the globe, from the ancient ghetto of Prague to the virgin forest of the New World, as he aims to gain revenge on those who betrayed him.

In 1888 Dr John Eliot returns to London haunted by the memory of a terrible expedition to a remote Himalayan kingdom, where he had uncovered horrors far beyond the frontiers of science. Yet Eliot's faith in reason is to be tested even further when the body of a friend, drained white of blood, is dragged up from the Thames, and another associate goes missing. Eliot's quest to uncover the mystery reveals a deadly conspiracy, but then, in the lair of an enigmatic Eastern adventuress, he glimpses hints of a truth yet more extraordinary, of dark and terrible pleasures, of a whole new world ...Vampires and immortals walk the gas-lit streets of Victorian London, mingling with Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Lord Byron, and Tom Holland meshes fact with fiction in this brilliantly imaginative novel of passion and suspense.

DISCOVER THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMAN THAT ENGLISH HISTORY FORGOTPart of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES.- Who was Æthelflæd?- What role did she play in the founding of England?- How has her legacy lasted to this day?DISCOVER the epic history of England's forgotten queen. Planting cities, sponsoring learning and defeating her people's enemies, Æthelflæd laid the foundations of a kingdom that lasts to this day.Tom Holland's Æthelflæd puts a spotlight on this formidable leader, pulling her out of the shadowy history of the dark ages.

Pain is inevitable. Almost everyone is living with some kind of pain,whether the cause is physical, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual. Adesire to escape it has led thousands of Canadians to seek euthanasia, andcountless others into opioid addiction. What can we learn from people aroundthe world for whom pain is a fact of life? How can we help others bear theirpain? How might the wisdom of earlier eras help us? What answers does faith offer?On this theme:- Navid Kermani visits farming Madagascar battling drought causedby climate change. - Benjamin Crosby asks why churches haven’t spoken out againstCanada’s euthanasia experiment.- Tom Holland sums up the history of pain in two artworks and threelives.- Lisabeth Button shares correspondence with a friend succumbingto Alzheimer’s.- Rick Warren demonstrated how our own suffering can lead to ourbest ministry.- Wang Yi, an imprisoned Chinese pastor, calls churches to facerepression boldly.- Leah Libresco Sargeant profiles nuns providing palliative care.- Eleanor Parker considers an Anglo-Saxon poem, “The Dream of theRood.” - Brewer Eberly tells what he learned from an insufferable patient.- Randall Gauger, who lost his son to cancer, finds lessons in C.S. Lewis.Also in the issue: - A report on the resurgence of bison by Nathan Beacom- Original poetry by Sofia M. Starnes and Julia Nemirovskaya- An excerpt from a new graphic novel, By Water- Reviews of Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, James K. A. Smith’s How to Inhabit Time, and Nick Cave’s and Seán O’Hagan’s Faith, Hope and Carnage.- Readings from Eduardo Galeano, Felicity of Carthage, Anselm ofCanterbury, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, and J. Heinrich ArnoldPlough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faithto the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews,poetry, book reviews, and art.

Pain is inevitable. Almost everyone is living with some kind of pain,whether the cause is physical, emotional, financial, social, or spiritual. Adesire to escape it has led thousands of Canadians to seek euthanasia, andcountless others into opioid addiction. What can we learn from people aroundthe world for whom pain is a fact of life? How can we help others bear theirpain? How might the wisdom of earlier eras help us? What answers does faith offer?On this theme:- Navid Kermani visits farming Madagascar battling drought causedby climate change. - Benjamin Crosby asks why churches haven’t spoken out againstCanada’s euthanasia experiment.- Tom Holland sums up the history of pain in two artworks and threelives.- Lisabeth Button shares correspondence with a friend succumbingto Alzheimer’s.- Rick Warren demonstrated how our own suffering can lead to ourbest ministry.- Wang Yi, an imprisoned Chinese pastor, calls churches to facerepression boldly.- Leah Libresco Sargeant profiles nuns providing palliative care.- Eleanor Parker considers an Anglo-Saxon poem, “The Dream of theRood.” - Brewer Eberly tells what he learned from an insufferable patient.- Randall Gauger, who lost his son to cancer, finds lessons in C.S. Lewis.Also in the issue: - A report on the resurgence of bison by Nathan Beacom- Original poetry by Sofia M. Starnes and Julia Nemirovskaya- An excerpt from a new graphic novel, By Water- Reviews of Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, James K. A. Smith’s How to Inhabit Time, and Nick Cave’s and Seán O’Hagan’s Faith, Hope and Carnage.- Readings from Eduardo Galeano, Felicity of Carthage, Anselm ofCanterbury, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, and J. Heinrich ArnoldPlough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faithto the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews,poetry, book reviews, and art.

'The world's most successful history podcast ... Holland and Sandbrook have pretty much reinvented popular history for the modern age' THE TIMES'The history publishing phenomenon of my lifetime' NEW STATESMANFrom the award-winning podcast The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling authors Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook comes a riotous deep dive into history’s biggest heroes and most notorious villainsWelcome to a shadowy realm where the divide between the noble and the nefarious isn’t quite as clear as it seems. Where supposed saints appear suspiciously traitorous, and so-called scoundrels reveal unexpected glimmers of virtue. Prepare for sword fights, scandals and enough moral ambiguity to make Machiavelli blush – from the imperial court of eleventh-century Japan to the studios of twentieth-century Hollywood. Along the way, Holland and Sandbrook debate questions like:-Was Caligula an irredeemable monster or history’s favourite scandal magnet?-Was Joan of Arc a saintly saviour or a dangerous heretic?-Was Wojtek the bear a true Second World War hero or simply a cuddly mascot?-Was Elizabeth I a true Virgin Queen or just brilliant at branding?So polish your armour, don your villainous moustache and get ready to choose a side in the ultimate showdown between history’s greats and rogues...

Greek myth meets ancient history in an action-packed retelling of the Persian Wars from the Sunday Times bestselling author and co-host of "The Rest is History" Tom Holland, lavishly illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. The perfect gift for children 9 plus, and for teenagers and adults who love tales of Greek gods, epic battles and Marvel adventures."BREATHTAKING adventure on every page." STEPHEN FRY"A MUST-HAVE for any child who loves Greek myths." THE SUNDAY TIMES“The Persians are coming…” Hearing these words, Gorgo of Sparta is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeful gods and invincible heroes. For a mighty empire threatens Athens, Sparta and all who stand in its path... Calling on the ancient power to transform into a wolf and the blood of Zeus that runs through her veins, Gorgo must lead her nation in one of history's greatest wars. Multi-award-winning author Tom Holland and acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft boldly weave myth and history in this dramatic tale of Greeks and Gods.Gripping and powerful, this extraordinary illustrated novel will be treasured by readers young and old. Ideal for fans of Marvel, Percy Jackson and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and the mythical retellings of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Stephen Fry, this is a book to be read again and again."BREATHTAKING adventure on every page, and just the kind of detail, colour and vitality that young readers adore." STEPHEN FRY"A spectacularly illustrated account of the Persian Wars ... A MUST-HAVE for any child who loves Greek myths." THE SUNDAY TIMES“A RIP-ROARING, ADRENALINE-FILLED recounting of the infamous Persian wars [...] a gripping and educational volume. […] Gorgeously illustrated.” DAILY MAIL"SPECTACULAR... A tour de force for mythology and military history fans.” GUARDIAN"A GLORIOUS WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE through classical history ... a book that any child is likely to remember well into their later years." DAILY TELEGRAPH"A GLORIOUS mixture – of history, fiction and thrilling legend, with pictures to swim the Hellespont for." SEBASTIAN FAULKS"A clear contender for one of those totemic books whose memory you carry into adulthood. A TRIUMPH.” THE TIMES, CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK "AS BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT AS IT IS ENTRANCING TO READ. Jason Cockcroft's illustrations are jaw-dropping, and Tom Holland's prose took me back to my own childhood introductions to these extraordinary mythological worlds in Roger Lancelyn Green's Tales of the Greek Heroes and Leon Garfield's and Charles Keeping's The God Beneath the Sea." FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE"A BEAUTIFUL, immersive work of narrative history to treasure forever." WATERSTONES“This TRULY EPIC adventure includes elements of ancient Greek myth and legend, and it is full of magic, mystery, danger, excitement and wonder. Strirking illustrations by Jason Cockcroft bring its ancient landscapes and heroic characters to life.” THE WEEK JUNIOR, BOOK OF THE WEEK"TERRIFIC ... has the feel of a contemporary classic." TONY BRADMAN, BOOKS FOR KEEPS"Tom Holland's masterly interweaving of myth, imagination and deep classical learning makes this an EXTRAOARDINARY treat ... Jason's illustrations are also MAGNIFICENT, packed with talent and sensitivity ... It reminded me of my own favourite childhood books of Greek myth and The Iliad." AMANDA CRAIG"Cockcroft’s illustrations are expectedly brilliant. DARK, BROODY AND MAGICAL – like the written material. […] A lovely introduction to both the legends and the legendary stories of the Persian Wars.” JUST IMAGINE