Reaktion Books

A full portrait of the complex and brilliant Spanish poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca....

We refer to time constantly and we measure its passing - but do we know what it actually is? In What Is Time?, Truls Wyller enquires into time's complex nature, juxtaposing the latest scientific theories with our personal experience of chronology. The book examines......

Though moles are rarely seen, they live in close proximity to humans around the world. Gardeners and farmers go to great lengths to remove molehills from their fields and gardens; mole-catching has been a profession for the past two millennia. Moles are also close......

Beans are considered a basic staple in most kitchen cupboards, yet these humble foodstuffs have a very long history: there is evidence that beans have been eaten for 9,000 years. Whether dried, frozen or canned, beans have substantial nutritional and environmental......

'At last, we have a history of British Paganism written from the inside, by somebody who not only has a good knowledge of the sources, but explicitly understands how Pagans and magicians think.' - Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon

'In this highly......

Today, simple living is a rallying cry for anti-consumerists, environmentalists and anyone concerned with humanity's effect on the planet. But what is so revolutionary about a simple life? Why are we so fascinated with simplicity today? Why do we still sometimes......

The avocado is the iconic food of the twenty-first century. It has gone from a little-known regional food to a social media darling in less than a hundred years. This is an astounding trajectory for a fruit that isn’t sweet, becomes bitter when it is cooked and......

Jellyfish are, like the mythical Medusa, both beautiful and potentially dangerous. Found from pole to tropic, these mesmeric creatures form an important part of the sea's plankton and vary in size from the gigantic to the minute. Perceived as alien creatures and......

Artemisia Gentileschi is by far the most famous woman artist of the pre-modern era. Her art addresses issues that resonate today, such as sexual violence and women's problematic relationship to political power. Her powerful paintings with their vigorous female......

A full account of Renaissance artist Raphael's prodigious yet short-lived career....

A ground-breaking, beautifully illustrated study of the father of French painting, Nicolas Poussin....

Galaxy tells the rich scientific story of the evolution and our observation of galaxies....

In Poppy Andrew Lack explores all aspects of one of our most familiar but declining flowers, combining history and biology with symbolic associations and connections with the arts....

Martha Jay traces the history of allium family - onions, shallots, garlic, chives, and leeks - back to the earliest civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and the recipes of ancient Mesopotamia....

A Guide to Vermouth, Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala
Today fortified wines are enjoying a renaissance, re-discovered by discerning imbibers and modern mixologists all over the world. Once a popular tipple to savour before or after dinner, fortified wines - Sherry,......

A new cultural and natural history of the flashing, iridescent kingfisher....

As major actors in the unfolding drama of climate change, glaciers feature prominently in Earth’s past and its future. Wherever on the planet we live, glaciers affect each of us directly. They control the atmospheric and ocean circulations that drive the weather;......

A fascinating reappraisal of Britain's `oldest ally', the House of Braganza....

Since Antiquity few trees have had a greater impact on the world's culture and economy than the mulberry. The sole food of the silkworm, the leaves of the mulberry brought prosperity not only to ancient China, but to all nations that learned the art of silk production.......

A natural and cultural history of the majestic yet endangered polar bear....

A beautifully illustrated, authoritative overview of humankind's fascination with the ringed planet Saturn....

A delightful global history of mustard, one of the world's most loved condiments....

A challenging, iconoclastic history of empire-building from the point of view of women....

Dogs in Art presents humanity's best friend like never before....

Adam Mars-Jones guides us through his entire career as viewer and film critic....

With its distinctive, comical walk, large bill, and association with the conservation movement, the pelican has attained iconic status. But as Barbara Allen reveals, this graceful skimmer of ocean waves has a checkered history. Originally classed as "unclean" in......

The surprising and intriguing history of the much-loved goldfish....

Ranging widely through history, myth, literature and art, this new account of the fairy shows the terror lurking behind Tinkerbell....

A new account of the controversial alchemist, physician and social radical known as Paracelsus....

Part memoir, part manifesto, this is a celebration of the bicycle by French anthropologist Marc Auge....

A highly illustrated exploration of the ancient and fascinating relationship between human and dog....

Cat traces the long relationship between humans and the cosily domestic, yet eerie cat....

In the history of food, the tomato is a relative newcomer outside its ancestral home in Mesoamerica. And yet, as we devour pizza by the slice, dip French fries in ketchup, delight in a beautiful Bolognese sauce, or savor tomato curries, it would now be impossible......

What's your favorite cookie (or biscuit, for any British baking show buffs)? Chocolate chip, ginger spice, or Oreo? Oatmeal-and-raisin, black-and-white, digestive, or florentine? Or do you just prefer the dough? Our choice biscuits and cookies are as diverse as......

Radio is a medium of seemingly endless contradictions. Now in its third century of existence, the technology still seems startlingly modern; despite frequent predictions of its demise, radio continues to evolve and flourish in the age of the internet and social......