Icon Books

Icon Books Icon Books is an independent publisher of thought-provoking non-fiction. http://iconbooks.com

We publish science, history, politics, philosophy, psychology, humour and much else besides.

"The detail and fresh perspective are awesome." - Dan Snow"A seminal work." - Simon Turney, author of Agricola: InvaderS...
11/09/2025

"The detail and fresh perspective are awesome." - Dan Snow

"A seminal work." - Simon Turney, author of Agricola: Invader

Septimius Severus was Rome's black emperor. Born in the blistering heat of a North African spring in Leptis Magna, AD 145, he died in the freezing cold of a northern British winter in York in AD 211. A giant of an emperor, whose career can be counted in superlatives, Severus was in power at the height of Rome's might. He led the largest army to ever campaign in Britain, comprising 50,000 men, part of a Roman military establishment which peaked at 33 legions under his rule.

Septimius Severus was one of the greatest warrior emperors, a hard man who almost died in battle several times and whose attitude is reflected in his deathbed advice to two sons: 'Be of one mind with your family, enrich the soldiers, and despise the rest.'

The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus by Simon Elliott is out now!

"[A] masterful exposé.... a hard-hitting takedown of a cynical industry." - Publishers Weekly"An eye-opening depiction o...
28/08/2025

"[A] masterful exposé.... a hard-hitting takedown of a cynical industry." - Publishers Weekly

"An eye-opening depiction of an industry that has largely defied efforts to keep it in check." - The Economist

Foreign Policy, Most Anticipated Books of 2024

A stunning investigation and indictment of the elements in United States' foreign lobbying industry and the threat they pose to democracy.

For years, one group of Americans has worked as foot-soldiers for the most authoritarian regimes around the planet. In the process, they've not only entrenched dictatorships and spread kleptocratic networks, but they've secretly guided U.S. policy without the rest of America even being aware. And now, journalist Casey Michel contends some of them have begun turning their sights on American democracy itself.

In Foreign Agents, Casey Michel shines a light on these foreign lobbyists, and all the damage and devastation they have caused in Washington and elsewhere. From Moscow to Beijing, these foreign lobbyists have helped any illiberal, anti-democratic government they can find. And after decades of success in installing dictator after dictator, and in tilting American policy in the process, some of these lobbyists have now begun trying to end America's democratic experiment, once and for all.

Out now in paperback.

"With nuance, deep learning and insight, Diane Watt leads us through the landscapes of Norfolk past and present, bringin...
28/08/2025

"With nuance, deep learning and insight, Diane Watt leads us through the landscapes of Norfolk past and present, bringing the medieval world into shimmering view." - Helen Castor, author of The Eagle and the Hart

"An engaging introduction to medieval life, as seen through the eyes of a fascinating woman." - Times Literary Supplement

The remarkable story of Margaret Paston, whose letters form the most extensive collection of personal writings by a medieval English woman.

Drawing on the largest archive of medieval correspondence relating to a single family in the UK, God's Own Gentlewoman explores what everyday life was like during the turbulent decades at the height of the Wars of the Roses. Covering topics including political conflicts and familial in-fighting, forbidden love affairs and clandestine marriages, bloody battles and sieges, fear of plague and sudden death, friendships and animosity, and childbirth and child mortality, Margaret's letters provide us with unparalleled insight into all aspects of life in late medieval England.

God's Own Gentlewoman: The Life of Margaret Paston by Diane Watt is out now in paperback!

Coming on the 25th of September 2025. An in-depth investigation into the growing industry of green technologies and the ...
25/08/2025

Coming on the 25th of September 2025.

An in-depth investigation into the growing industry of green technologies and the environmental, social, and political consequences of the mining it requires.

In the fight against climate change, lithium's role in reducing emissions by powering green economies is a mixed blessing. Drawing on groundbreaking fieldwork in Chile, Nevada, and Portugal, Riofrancos explores the environmental and social costs of the global race to expand lithium mining. With haunting descriptions of vulnerable ecosystems, she examines how mining harms landscapes, provokes protest, takes centre stage in national politics, and links countries on the peripheries of the world economy to huge corporations, commodity markets, and powerful investors.

Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism is out in one month.

"In this fascinating and accessible account, Tim Queeney unravels the sinuous, fifty-thousand-year-old history of a mate...
14/08/2025

"In this fascinating and accessible account, Tim Queeney unravels the sinuous, fifty-thousand-year-old history of a material that even today is vastly more ubiquitous and important than we have ever thought to consider."
Lincoln Paine, author of The Sea and Civilization

A unique and compelling adventure through the history of rope and its impact on civilisation, in the vein of single-subject bestsellers like Salt and Cod.

Tim Queeney is a sailor who knows more about rope and its importance to humankind than most. In Rope, Queeney takes readers on a ride through the history of rope and the way it weaves itself through the story of civilisation. From Magellan's world-circling ships, to the 15th-century fleet of Admiral Zheng He, to Polynesian multihulls with crab claw sails, he shows how without rope, none of their adventurous voyages and discoveries would have been possible. Time travelling, he describes the building of the pyramids, the Roman Colosseum, Hagia Sophia, Notre-Dame, the Sultan Hasan Mosque, the Brooklyn Bridge, and countless other constructions, both past and future that would not have been possible without rope.

"A unique insight into the human condition through the lens of gatherings of all description - thought-provoking and ins...
14/08/2025

"A unique insight into the human condition through the lens of gatherings of all description - thought-provoking and inspiring."
Levison Wood, author of Walking the Nile

"Alternately rollicking and reflective, Fiesta profiles the most fascinating and eye-catching festivals around the world"
BBC Travel

A journey through human festivity, told through colourful travel narratives set at some of the world's most eye-catching festivals and interweaved with insights from the fields of anthropology, history, psychology, and folklore, examining why we celebrate festivals in the ways we do.

Fiesta explores the vibrant tapestry of human festivity, delving into the extraordinary lengths to which we go to express our cultures and commemorate life's milestones. From drunken pilgrimages to sacrificial funerals, national days to neo-pagan necromancy, festivals represent human culture at its most vivid and varied, and the resulting account is both a rich collection of travel writing and an anthropological exploration of the roles that festivals play in society.

Fiesta is out now!

It’s picnic season! 🧺💐And a paperback picnic is the best kind. Add one of our recently published paperbacks to your bask...
06/08/2025

It’s picnic season! 🧺💐

And a paperback picnic is the best kind. Add one of our recently published paperbacks to your basket this summer! These lighter and more compact siblings of their hardbacks are the perfect companion to your outdoor dining. 🌺🌾

"An essential read... enlightening, engaging, tragic, funny, accurate, and optimistic, all at once." - Nick Touran, What...
31/07/2025

"An essential read... enlightening, engaging, tragic, funny, accurate, and optimistic, all at once." - Nick Touran, What is Nuclear

"A light, entertaining and revealing history of a heavy element." - Professor Jon Agar, University College London

Tracing uranium's past, and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements, this book aims to disentangle our attitudes and to unpick the atomic mindset.

Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten, stories that can be found throughout the history of the element. Ranging from glassworks to penny stocks; medicines to weapons; something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history not only explores the development of our scientific understanding of uranium, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact.

By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to atomic technology and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible - and desirable - to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future.

Chain Reactions is out now in paperback!

🌲It's World Nature Conservation Day 2025. This is a day to raise awareness about the need to preserve our planet's reso...
28/07/2025

🌲It's World Nature Conservation Day 2025. This is a day to raise awareness about the need to preserve our planet's resources, and to acknowledge that a healthy environment is key to a better future.🌲

In order to mark this occasion we're spotlighting one of Icon Books' veteran authors Roger Morgan-Grenville and some of the brilliant books he has written about the beauty of nature and what we can do to protect it. Roger is a writer, speaker and campaigner on conservation, with a particular interest in biodiversity loss and recovery. 🌿

His five titles published by Icon are all available now wherever you get your books! 🐝

Goodreads Spotlight!We're celebrating the fabulous community on Goodreads by sharing some of our favourite reviews on ou...
24/07/2025

Goodreads Spotlight!

We're celebrating the fabulous community on Goodreads by sharing some of our favourite reviews on our recently published books. Don't just take our word for it - grab yourself a copy of one of our fantastic reads.

"You'll never look at history the same way again." - Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author"Genuine food fo...
17/07/2025

"You'll never look at history the same way again." - Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Genuine food for thought... Brimming with enthusiasm." - Publishers Weekly

A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history's most famous figures, including Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, and the Beatles, from debut author (and viral historical TikToker with over 100K followers) Sam Kelly.

History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a wittily entertaining ride that uncovers their seriously unexpected impact on our past.

Human History on Drugs is out now!

Knowing your taste in books is an enviable skill. That is, until the TBR pile runs low! But don't worry, we've got you ...
09/07/2025

Knowing your taste in books is an enviable skill. That is, until the TBR pile runs low! But don't worry, we've got you covered with some great recommendations based on some books you already love. 🌷

What's next on your reading list? 📚

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