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Adrienne Raphel’s hymn to the crossword begins with the first puzzle in New York World in 1913 and follows its progress from newspaper to The Cross Word Puzzle Book ($1.35, with pencil attached), into tournaments, to England and cryptic clues, through two world wars and onto the internet. Along the way we meet crossword setters and solvers, famously challenging puzzles and even British military intelligence head-hunting among the Telegraph’s cruciverbalists.

Tattoo artist Lal Hardy brings three decades of experience to bear in this extensive catalogue of tattoo memorabilia. His commentary accompanies photographs and reproductions of hundreds of items from collectible cards featuring Popeye and vintage supply catalogues to hand-built inking machines and instructions on tattooing a chinchilla.

For anyone who slept through every maths lesson at school or intentionally forgot how the Fibonacci sequence works, this light-hearted guide makes catching up on maths a simple, enjoyable process. Liz Strachan takes readers from basic addition and subtraction to Pascal, Pythagoras and polygons, and teaches handy mathematical tricks such as the Rule of 72.

Writing for those with no formal training, Stephen Bloomfield offers a basic introduction to company accounts. With simple language and examples, he shows how to analyse balance sheets, income statements, and sources and uses of funds statements to gain an understanding of financial performance, and then to interpret that information to aid investment planning and business management.

While stress can be unavoidable, its impact is largely determined by our behaviour, and Maureen Cooper presents a series of exercises and meditative techniques that encourage a better understanding of it, and a balanced response to the challenges it can present. Central to the book is the notion that developing empathy towards others as well as ourselves can reduce our experience of stress and increase our resilience in difficult circumstances.

In this accessible text Hugh Barker demonstrates how statistics and numbers are used to influence people in matters ranging from shopping for groceries to choosing a political leader. With the aid of clear diagrams and examples he explores techniques including cognitive bias and the manipulation of graphs and charts, and highlights the elements to be wary of when presented with numerical information.

The development of agriculture 12,000 years ago was a turning point in human culture, but our biological evolution has failed to keep pace. This book explores the extensive impact of this mismatch – how it affects our nutrition and family life, shapes our work and political structure, and has led to war – before suggesting societal changes that could create a world more aligned with human nature.

From ‘aa’, a Hawaiian word for lava, to the South American weevil ‘zyzzyva’, this lexicon brings together a host of unusual words that are especially helpful in word games. To aid with memorizing them, Nick Fawcett provides an entertaining explanation of each word’s meaning. He also offers tips on the most effective ways of deploying different letter-combinations.

Grant Fowlds is an environmentalist working to save Africa’s rhinos from extinction. In this book, he recalls his upbringing on a South African farm, and how he abandoned hunting in favour of conservation. He then describes his efforts to expose the illegal trade in rhino horn for its alleged medicinal properties, and the dangers faced by park rangers from armed poachers.

From February to April 1947, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret toured Southern Africa aboard a white-and-gold train, meeting thousands of people at every stop. This account of the tour offers an intimate portrait of the Royal Family, a glimpse of South Africa before apartheid, and a panorama of a British Empire on which the sun was about to set.

Aimed at armchair readers and travellers, this book offers a chronological history of the Mediterranean from ancient Rome – the only state to control its entire coastline – to the two world wars and the Middle East conflict. It records naval battles between Christians and Ottomans, and the rise and fall of the maritime empires of Genoa and Venice, while also acknowledging the role of the sea in trade, tourism and migration.

Bringing together twenty years of knowledge, Dr Duncan Carmichael explains the lifestyle choices that can help slow the negative effects of ageing. With the emphasis on promoting health, rather than treating illness, he shows how factors including diet, stress, exposure to toxins, hormonal support, exercise and medicine can be managed to ward off mental and physical deterioration.

Written with advice from a neuroscientist and a nutritionist, Karen Thomson – who has struggled with her own addictions – provides tools and techniques to help overcome a reliance on sugar and carbohydrates. Her 8-week plan includes journal exercises, to track progress and explore the emotional ties that can lead to negative eating habits, as well as meal plans for every day of the programme and over 50 recipes.

Lexicographer Jonathan Green examines how slang has been created, used and interpreted over the centuries, particularly in relation to women, who have often been on the receiving end but have, from Chaucer’s Wife of Bath to Mumsnet, also made it their own.

Overloaded with alarming news stories, worried about their status or appearance, and falling short of unrealistically high expectations, people in the safest and most prosperous society in history can also be the most anxious. This accessible illustrated guide explains the symptoms and triggers for stress and depression and suggests practical, everyday strategies for coping, including relaxation, time management and mindfulness techniques.

Aiming to support the reader in overcoming nicotine addiction for good, this week-long course explains how to identify and beat smoking triggers and offers advice on weight management, stress reduction and avoiding future relapses.

The clinical psychologist Sue Morris empathetically guides the bereaved through the grieving process, addressing both the emotional and practical challenges and suggesting ways of mapping out a new path following a loved one’s death.

Based on cognitive behavioural therapy and written by a clinical psychologist, this self-help guide explains techniques that can be used to overcome the patterns of negative thinking that exacerbate anorexia. It offers methods to improve body image and suggests coping strategies to aid long-term recovery, through practical exercises and clinically proven tools.

This anthology offers a selection of writing by past visitors and residents about the life and customs of Moscow, its history, art and architecture, and includes an introduction and a map. Beginning with the Kremlin, it tours the city's districts through the eyes of English visitors from Richard Chancellor in the 16th century to Maurice Baring in the 20th, alongside Russian writers including Tolstoy, Kropotkin and Gorky.

An expert guide for anyone who suffers from diabetes, type 1 or 2, this manual uses case studies and the latest research to analyse the condition and advise on how to manage its impact on your health, lifestyle and mood.

This anthology offers a selection of writing by past visitors and residents about the life and customs of Florence, its history, art and architecture, and includes an introduction and a map. The accounts span the turbulent history of the city from its Renaissance heyday to its role as a haven for 19th-century visitors. Extracts from Vasari’s Lives recall its artistic brilliance, while Henry James and George Eliot reflect on its life and manners.

This dual biography explores the relationship between the aristocrat Winston Churchill and the ascetic South African farm boy Jan Smuts. It tells how the two men, antagonists during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902, became friends after Smuts risked unpopularity at home by supporting Britain in the First World War, and assesses their role during the establishment of apartheid.

The famous 1965 musical was not the first film to be made about the von Trapp family nor the last. Paul Simpson’s celebration of the show investigates the real-life Austrian singers, the making of the Broadway show and movie and its enduring appeal.

Since London's first women police officers went into operation in 1919, the glass ceiling has been broken to the extent that the Met now has a female Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick. This oral history of a century of service is told through the voices of the women who fought inequality, sexism and prejudice, while winning widespread respect for fighting crime and maintaining order in the capital.

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Kaiju (‘strange beast’) – from which the original Godzilla emerged – this anthology of tales introduces a new breed of city-destroying monsters, including Gary MacMahon’s terror from the deep and Frank Wu’s 80-foot, fire-breathing lizard.

Folklore and mythology are full of fantastical creatures that never existed but still exert a powerful hold on our imaginations. This A–Z catalogue of fabulous zoology surveys humanity’s attempts to understand the natural and supernatural worlds through fictitious giant beasts, shape changers and composite monsters, including mermaids, manticores and those (such as the unicorn) that were engendered by misdescriptions of real animals. Off-mint.

Many of the funniest jokes are unintentional – slips of the tongue or typographic errors. This book delves into the worlds of sports commentary, classified advertising, church bulletins and, of course, Prince Philip to present more than 3,000 faux pas, from the 1631 Bible that proclaimed ‘Thou shalt commit adultery’ to a US newspaper informing its readers that ‘Homicide victims rarely talk to the police.’

Using methods practiced in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, this accessible guide to overcoming anxiety includes practical exercises to encourage self-awareness and record sheets that, when completed, will demonstrate progressive changes in thought patterns.

This collection of eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust, from Hitler's rise to power to the Nuremburg trials, draws on both Nazi and Jewish sources including political speeches and extracts from Anne Frank’s diary. Alongside survivors' tales of the death camps are stories showing how the situation in Germany deteriorated through the 1930s, and grim details of the massacres in Eastern Europe.

Paul Simpson separates truth from urban myth in these stories of famous jail breaks, from the real events that inspired Catch Me If You Can and Papillon and notable escapees from Death Row to the first helicopter escape from prison.

The idea of secret societies that preserve hidden knowledge has exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination for centuries. Taking a balanced view of the evidence for such groups, a former intelligence analyst traces the history of beliefs about arcane wisdom, from the ancient roots of esoteric religion and magic to medieval movements including the Knights Templar and the present-day secrets of the Freemasons.

Highlighting the value of giving abandoned dogs the chance of a fulfilling life, this guide advises on how to find the right animal, deal with behavioural problems and approach training, and also celebrates some success stories with profiles of real rescue dogs.

Calibrated to provide the appropriate level of challenge for most adults, this puzzle collection is designed to inspire creativity, allow your brain to relax, and feel rewarded for achievement. The selection of 160 activities includes colour by number, word and number games, mazes and spatial puzzles.

Eric R Kandel, recipient of a Nobel Prize for his pioneering research, demonstrates how studies of brain disorders, including autism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, have improved our understanding of the close connections between neurological and psychiatric illnesses. He discusses the ways in which these findings are not only contributing to the development of effective treatments but are also helping to explain the mysterious origins of consciousness and creativity in the intricate interactions of brain cells.

The Lebanese diet features a wide range of superfoods including olive oil, chickpeas and pomegranate seeds, as well as fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts, seeds and a small amount of meat – often prepared with a dash of spice. This illustrated collection of simple recipes uses readily available, inexpensive ingredients to create traditional dishes such as Hummus, Shawarma Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce.

Jerome K Jerome’s account of Montmorency’s appalling behaviour; the coming of the Pekinese to England; a heartfelt epitaph to a Newfoundland dog by Lord Byron: Mark Bryant’s anthology is an engrossing collection of poetry and prose, arranged by themes including clever dogs, the hounds of hell, and in memoriam.

In the popular imagination the Freemasons are often regarded as a sinister secret society practising arcane rituals: Jasper Ridley’s reassessment traces the origins of Freemasonry in the medieval craftsmen's guilds and its spread throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. Dispelling the more lurid misconceptions, Ridley sheds new light on the organization's beliefs, activities and current role in society.

Brian Clegg explores a question fundamental to science: would numbers still exist without people to think about them, or is mathematics just a tool to help us understand the universe? Beginning with the devising of a new system to count goats, he traces the history of numbers, explaining their application to our everyday lives and asking whether the direction of contemporary physics has become too influenced by mathematics.

Using his database of 130,000 words and phrases, the lexicographer known as ‘Mr Slang’ explains the origins of some of the most witty, colourful and disreputable expressions in the English language. He takes us into the worlds of boxers, drunken sailors, doctors and lovers, as well as the more literary realms of PG Wodehouse and Shakespeare, that master of the double entendre who is the earliest source for nearly 300 slang terms.

Victorian newspaper reports, Old Bailey transcripts and coroners’ inquests offer a catalogue of grisly and often bizarre crimes: husbands murdering their wives, suicidal lovers, and mistresses taking revenge on their rivals in love. Drawing on these archival records, this book identifies three main types of offence: crimes of passion; theatrical crimes such as the fatal stabbing of the actor William Terriss at the door of the Adelphi; and unsolved mysteries.

From ‘alcohol-free wine’ in the Home Comforts chapter to ‘serially monogamous’ in Uncomplicated Relationships, Simon Brett presents a collection of oxymorons – ‘the undiscovered beauties of the English Language’ – that includes the obvious (‘safe bet’), those that need a bit of explanation (victimless crime), and some tongue-in-cheek (Young Conservative).

Many of the martial arts of East Asia claim a history dating back thousands of years; this introduction to the subject traces the evidence to the Middle Ages and unravels the legends that claim a more ancient provenance.

Mark Linley reveals the secrets of his craft and provides tips and assignments as he guides readers to produce drawings that capture the essence of a character. From doodling to focusing on facial features, he explains how to caricature friends and famous people. First published in 1999.

The nine walks in this book cover central London from Kensington to Clerkenwell. They explore each area's history and the varied communities – ethnic, artistic and gay – that have shaped it. Each walk can be accomplished in less than an hour, and has a map marking places of interest.

Lenin, Trotsky and Karensky were the ideological driving force behind the Russian Revolution, but were they, as one of Roy Bainton's sources describes them, 'totally evil men'? Or was Lenin, as a Red Army veteran insisted, 'a good man who ran the country on a worker's wages'? Bainton's brief history approaches the revolution from the standpoint of the ordinary mass of Russians, describing both the bravado of the revolutionaries and a people punished repeatedly by circumstance.

In this collection of new stories, Sherlock Holmes lives again to solve another eleven cases that would defeat a lesser sleuth. Among the authors are crime writers Simon Bestwick, Paul Finch, Carole Johnstone and Alison Littlewood.

Explaining possible causes of chronic fatigue, this book includes case studies, exercises, fill-in sections and advice for partners and relatives, and provides a range of strategies that can help people to cope with the condition.

The ancient tales of Norse mythology have recently been reaching new audiences through films and comics, but the original stories can be hard to disentangle from the medieval texts in which they are preserved. This selection of myths and legends is presented in more accessible retellings which incorporate commentary on the stories’ significance within the history, literature and world-view of the Vikings.

This World Cup compendium includes a comprehensive run-down of every tournament played from the inaugural competition in 1930 up to the 2014 finals. Additional commentary features insightful notes on the best players, classic matches and tactical developments, and there is informed opinion on everything World Cup-related, from why England failed to qualify in the 1970s to the most overrated players to possess a winner's medal.

Throughout its history, Madrid has attracted writers, artists and revolutionaries. This traveller’s reader brings the city to life through the letters, diaries, memoirs and novels of Casanova, Napoleon, Dumas, Trotsky, Hemingway, Dalí, Buñuel and many others. Selected by the eminent historian Hugh Thomas, these eyewitness accounts set five centuries of adventures and misadventures, Surrealist pranks and blood-soaked bullfights against the brooding backdrop of the Spanish capital.

Emily Hobhouse (1860–1926) left Cornwall in 1895 to follow her instinct to alleviate suffering. In South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War, she worked tirelessly to help women and children in the British concentration camps; during the First World War she campaigned for peace and later set up a feeding programme for German children starving in Leipzig. Drawing on Emily’s memoirs and scrapbooks, Elsabé Brits tells the story of a woman dedicated to helping others, yet branded a traitor.

In many ways Winston Churchill and South African statesman Jan Smuts were opposites: one a privileged Englishman with expensive tastes, the other a temperate philosopher of far humbler origins. Yet in matters of state their politics, military judgment and vision of Empire intersected, making possible a friendship which not only endured for almost half a century, but which influenced the outcome of two world wars and the transition from Empire to Commonwealth, as this account of their relationship attests.