In this book, author Ram Madhav refers to “order” not simply in terms of politics and power, but as the outcome of inventions, industries, and ideologies that have shaped human civilisation. He blends the lens of an Indian scholar with that of a seasoned politician, tracing turning points in history and highlighting the roles of non-state actors, technological revolutions, and the moral and ethical dimensions of order.

Set in the 1930s, when Britain was trying to appease Hitler, The Spy and the Devil follows Baltic aristocrat-turned-MI6 agent Baron Wilhelm “Bill” de Ropp, who infiltrated Hitler’s inner circle through Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg. Through Rosenberg he met Hitler and became one of the few Westerners with inside access to his court. The author weaves espionage, British foreign policy, MI6’s evolution into a compelling narrative.

This book follows the O’Dwyer vs. Nair libel case which brought the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 to public life, and spurred India’s nationalist movement. Through the case, it recounts the life of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair who was a critic of Gandhi but also of the British government and publicly held Michael O’Dwyer, lieutenant governor of Punjab, responsible for the massacre.

From the window of the earliest paper currencies issued by private banks in Calcutta, to the evolution of contemporary banknotes, The Conjuror’s Trick: An Interpretive History of Paper Money in India, deftly tackles political imperatives, monetary policy, global disruptions, schools of currency thought and even the science and art of printed paper money in India.

The apparently disparate themes that Hardeep Singh Puri analyses in this book cohere under his overarching thesis about delusional decision-making and its unexpected consequences, be it Brexit or the rise of populist leaders. His analysis includes an examination of the democratic process, the role of the media and the elusive nature of definitions

In 'The War that ended Peace: The Road to 1914', Margaret Macmillan delves into the decades leading up to 1914, as she explores why Europe abandoned years of peace to plunge into World War I