The Short Story of Science

The Short Story of Modern Art explains the how, why and when of modern art – who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, and why they matter. Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works – from the realist painting of Courbet to a contemporary installation by Yayoi Kusama – and […]

The Short Story of Women Artists tells the full history – from the breakthroughs that women have made in pushing for parity with male artists, to the important contributions made to otherwise male-dominated artistic movements, and the forgotten and obscured artists who are now being rediscovered and reassessed. Accessible, concise and richly illustrated, the book […]

The Short Story of the Novel is a new and innovative introduction to the best works of fiction from the last 500 years. Simply constructed, the book explores 60 key novels from The Tale of Genji to My Brilliant Friend. In addition to enjoyable descriptions of the novels and concise explanations of why they are […]

The Short Story of Architecture is a new and innovative guide to the subject of architecture that explores 50 key buildings, from the Great Pyramids to high-tech, sustainable skyscrapers. Accessible and concise, the book links the 50 key works to the most important architectural materials, elements and styles, giving readers all the tools they need […]