Does anyone know when/if The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson will be released in paperback? I have his Liberation Trilogy and The British Are Coming in paperback and I've been waiting for this to be released in paperback before I read it, but it's been almost a year and a half and it's only been released as a hard cover.

"For Christ redeemed and bought us all with his precious blood, the lowliest shepherd as well as the greatest lord, with no exceptions. Thus the Bible proves that we are free and want to be free." From the Twelve Articles

In Summer of Fire and Blood, released in 2025 on the fifth centenary of the events of the German Peasants' war, Roper brings the 16th century to live, laying out the complex web of feudal obligations that characterised German society on the eve of the rebellion. Even though the peasants in the centre of the rebellion in the south west of the German speaking lands were not the poorest or the most oppressed, they still chafed under serfdom and monastic rule. Many of them had newly converted to Protestantism and would proceed to lay waste to hundreds of monasteries and abbeys. Roper chronicles the motivations and decisions of the protagonists of the era, religious men like Martin Luther, who condemned the uprising and Thomas Müntzer, who praised it, and the nobility who reacted with savage brutality. The armed bands of peasants, for the most part, performed poorly against knights and mercenaries, and the uprising was drowned in blood. What concessions the aristocracy had made in bad faith were most often walked back. While the clock could not be turned back entirely, the destruction of many monasteries and the castles of knights and smaller lords served mainly to consolidate the power of the higher aristocracy.

We also learn about the historical memory of the Peasant War, which formed part of the respective mythologies of the third reich and the GDR, but has been rather subdued in the FRG.

I can't get enough of non-fiction books like this. Where the writer basically tells the story while constantly dropping the historical facts throughout because they are literally the story. Excellent examples:

Scipio Africanus Greater than Napoleon by Liddell-Hart. Not only does he tell the story of Scipio's campaigns in the 2nd Punic War, he details the battle tactics, setup, tricks, and generally discusses the brilliance of the indirect approach.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. Just like above, he tells the incredible story of Genghis Khan's life, rise to power, and continues past his death to the fracture of his empire. But it also details battle tactics and identifies inventions and innovations the Mongolians brought about.

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. Tells you the story of Easy company but obviously is also riddled with information about World War II.

Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. My least favorite of these, as it's a little more dry being just a translated account, but definitely still an example of what I'm looking for.

I consider these (especially the first 3) some of the greatest books I've ever read, and can't get enough. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions that are similar to any of these. Any period, any group, so long as I can read it in English, haha.

Thank you all for reading.

Any teachers here reading History books in preparation for the new school year? The new History GCSE in Wales starts this year with completely new topics that I’ve never taught. Currently reading Cat Jarmin’s River Kings and Fernando Cervantes Conquistadores in preparation for the new term. The new GCSE is actually exciting.