To See Paris and Die: The Soviet Lives of Western Culture, by Eleonory Gilburd Kristen R. Ghodsee learns how Western cultural products imported into the Soviet Union allowed people to travel in their imaginations, despite being physically restricted By Kristen R. Ghodsee 17 January
High Culture: Drugs, Mysticism, and the Pursuit of Transcendence in the Modern World, by Christopher Partridge Book of the week: it’s human to crave spiritual transcendence, even through psychedelics, writes Andrew Hussey By Andrew Hussey 10 January
Japan Story: In Search of a Nation, 1850 to the Present, by Christopher Harding Joy Hendry discovers a fascinating account of a century and a half of Japan’s modernisation By Joy Hendry 3 January
King Arthur: The Making of the Legend, by Nicholas J. Higham King Arthur’s mystique means he can be whatever we want him to be, discovers Katherine Harvey By Katherine Harvey 20 December
City of Play: An Architectural and Urban History of Recreation and Leisure, by Rodrigo Pérez de Arce Catalina Pollak Williamson is impressed by a look at how urban settings have negotiated play, but finds that it leaves today’s landscape unexplored By Catalina Pollak Williamson 6 December
A Specter Haunting Europe: The Myth of Judeo-Bolshevism, by Paul Hanebrink Geoffrey Alderman visits a time when truth did not matter in the face of dogma, and myth and conspiracy fed easily into racist rhetoric By Geoffrey Alderman 29 November
African Freedom: How Africa Responded to Independence, by Phyllis Taoua Matt Graham on culture’s role in questioning and challenging postcolonial realities By Matt Graham 22 November
The Invention of Sustainability: Nature and Destiny, c. 1500-1870, by Paul Warde Clare Griffiths discovers a nuanced account of human ambitions to increase the earth’s yields By Clare Griffiths 22 November
The Importance of Elsewhere: The Globalist Human Tourist, by Randy Malamud Travel can be a way to find aspects of oneself by immersion in elsewhere, finds Jeremy MacClancy By Jeremy MacClancy 22 November
Veteran Poetics: British Literature in the Age of Mass Warfare, 1790-2015, by Kate McLoughlin Victims, heroes, delinquents: those returning from conflict unsettle society, writes Helena Goodwyn By Helena Goodwyn 15 November
The Sacred Home in Renaissance Italy, by Abigail Brundin, Deborah Howard and Mary Laven Book of the week: Emily Michelson learns that the home and the items in it were the heart of Renaissance religion By Emily Michelson 8 November
Depiction of academics in children’s books paints poor picture Professors shown to be mostly mad and mostly male, scholar claims By Matthew Reisz 17 October
Sleeping with the Lights On, by Darryl Jones Book of the week: Linnie Blake is taken on an illuminating tour of the thematic evolution and history of the horror genre By Linnie Blake 4 October
Denial: The Unspeakable Truth, by Keith Kahn-Harris Book of the week: It is not so hard to tell when people are lying, says Robert Eaglestone, of an unconvincing analysis By Robert Eaglestone 13 September
Gypsies: An English History, by David Cressy R. C. Richardson on a study that spans five centuries of history and takes in culture, caravans and ‘badger ham’ By R. C. Richardson 13 September
Risky Shores: Savagery and Colonialism in the Western Pacific, by George K. Behlmer Melanesian cannibals and ‘uncivilised’ natives were feared and fascinating, says Lincoln Allison By Lincoln Allison 30 August
Believe it or not, supernatural still a strong pull for academics Researchers as interested in the impact of supernatural belief on society as whether those views are grounded in fact or fiction By Matthew Reisz 23 August
Gardens and Gardening in Early Modern England and Wales, by Jill Francis Guilt grew as green spaces became pleasurable more than productive places, says Lisa Hopkins By Lisa Hopkins 9 August
The Spectral Arctic: A History of Ghosts and Dreams in Polar Exploration, by Shane McCorristine Supernatural subjects went hand in glove with explorers of the frozen poles, Simon Young learns By Simon Young 26 July
Taming the Beast Within: Shredding the Stereotypes of Personality Disorder, by Peter Tyrer A work that reflects a psychiatric ideology with many detractors will draw flak, says David Pilgrim By David Pilgrim 12 July
In Pursuit of Civility: Manners and Civilization in Early Modern England, by Keith Thomas Codes that define appropriate human interaction make it possible for people to live together peacefully, observes Ann Hughes By Ann Hughes 12 July
The Last Utopians: Four Late 19th Century Visionaries and Their Legacy, by Michael Robertson Delve beneath the title and this portrait of four utopians has its rewards, writes Richard Howells By Richard Howells 28 June
Broken Lives: How Ordinary Germans Experienced the 20th Century, by Konrad H. Jarausch Book of the week: memoirs of the Weimar generation are formed into a powerful social history, writes Hester Vaizey By Hester Vaizey 21 June
Baroque between the Wars: Alternative Style in the Arts, 1918-1939, by Jane Stevenson James Stevens Curl on a camp counter-culture that injected whimsy and vitality into art and design By James Stevens Curl 7 June
A History of Silence: From the Renaissance to the Present Day, by Alain Corbin Joe Moran enters another dimension, one marked by the absence of sound. Next stop, the quiet zone By Joe Moran 26 April
Other Worlds: Spirituality and the Search for Invisible Dimensions, by Christopher G. White Simon Young finds much to admire in an attempt to explain the history of a seemingly impossible idea By Simon Young 5 April
The Joy of Sets: A Short History of the Television, by Chris Horrocks Emily Rees on a study of the goggle-box that touches on the Victorians, the Nazis and Elvis By Emily Rees 29 March
Steve Redhead, 1952-2018 Tributes paid to scholar of popular culture who was dubbed ‘Professor Rave’ By Matthew Reisz 22 March
European universities fight to save rare subjects Rare disciplines face a multitude of threats but are key to the biodiversity of academia, advocates say By David Matthews 14 February
Cosmopolitanisms, edited by Bruce Robbins and Paulo Lemos Horta In this collection, cosmopolitanism is a leviathan, housing contradiction and dispute By Benjamin Poore 18 January
Big and Small: A Cultural History of Extraordinary Bodies, by Lynne Vallone From dwarfs at court to obese children, a study examines why size matters, says Louisa Yates By Louisa Yates 7 December
From Madman to Crime Fighter: The Scientist in Western Culture, by Roslynn D. Haynes Do you recognise seven stereotypes in literature and film? Richard Joyner appraises a study ranging from Sherlock to Frankenstein By Richard Joyner 23 November
A History of the Future: Prophets of Progress from H. G. Wells to Isaac Asimov, by Peter J. Bowler Book of the week: The reality of the present world has fallen short of science fiction’s predictions, says Jon Turney By Jon Turney 9 November
Designed for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP in Midcentury America, by Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder Les Gofton enjoys an excellent study of how record sleeve artwork shaped consumerist values By Les Gofton 2 November
Did you hear about the one about the academic? Matthew Reisz celebrates the scholars engaging with film, personal experience, the creative arts and even jokes By Matthew Reisz 30 October
Through the Lion Gate: A History of the Berlin Zoo, by Gary Bruce Ulrike Zitzlsperger on an engaging account of the city’s attraction and what it tells us about society and politics By Ulrike Zitzlsperger 19 October
Consumptive Chic: A History of Beauty, Fashion, and Disease Book of the week: Shahidha Bari enjoys a study of how tuberculosis influenced notions of attractiveness and breeding By Shahidha Bari 28 September
Getting Through: The Pleasures and Perils of Cross-cultural Communication, by Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts A look at intercultural dialogue ends up as an irritating guide to manners, says Susan Bassnett By Susan Bassnett 28 September
Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress, by Elizabeth Bucar Reina Lewis applauds an insightful analysis of women’s ‘pious fashion’ in Muslim cultures By Reina Lewis 21 September
The Fateful Triangle: Race, Ethnicity, Nation, by Stuart Hall Kalwant Bhopal finds a text based on Harvard lectures given by the great sociologist in 1994 poignantly relevant today By Kalwant Bhopal 21 September
Campus anthems: higher education’s pop ‘image problem’ revealed Pop songs tend to depict higher education as exclusive and oppressive, finds study By Matthew Reisz 17 August
Living with the Living Dead: The Wisdom of the Zombie Apocalypse, by Greg Garrett Enduring popularity of flesh-eating monsters is a response to real threats, says Marcus Leaning By Marcus Leaning 17 August
American Niceness: A Cultural History, by Carrie Tirado Bramen Book of the week: Behind a veneer of amiability, Randy Malamud finds discord, cruelty and a ‘cultural charade’ By Randy Malamud 17 August
The Origin of the Jews: The Quest for Roots in a Rootless Age, by Steven Weitzman ‘Archive fever’, the desire to know one’s lineage, is a focus of this judicious study, says Devorah Baum By Devorah Baum 10 August
Marc Bertrand, 1933-2017 Academic who prized French popular and high culture is remembered By Matthew Reisz 1 June
The Origins of Cool in Postwar America, by Joel Dinerstein Bogie, Billie and Brando had it, but ‘it’ is a quality in constant flux, says Robert Eaglestone By Robert Eaglestone 4 May
The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present, by Sheila Cliffe East Asia’s most iconic garment is as dynamic as any Western mode of dress, finds Joy Hendry By Joy Hendry 20 April
Familiar Stranger: A Life Between Two Islands, by Stuart Hall, with Bill Schwarz Book of the week: Fred Inglis yearns for post-1964 insights from the life of an icon of the intellectual Left By Fred Inglis 20 April
Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching, by Adam Alter Is a study of addiction everything that we need it to be in a post-truth, alternative facts era? asks Tara Brabazon By Tara Brabazon 23 March
Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire, by Carol Dyhouse Book of the week: The perennial female fantasy of man embodies a host of contradictory types, says Laura Frost By Laura Frost 2 February
At the Mercy of Their Clothes: Modernism, the Middlebrow, and British Garment Culture, by Celia Marshik Kate Macdonald on a study of how garments changed their wearers in early 20th-century Britain By Kate Macdonald 19 January
Get Out of My Room! A History of Teen Bedrooms in America, by Jason Reid A study of adolescents’ spaces unlocks mysteries and nostalgia. Enter if you dare, says Emma Rees By Emma Rees 5 January
Amatory Pleasures: Explorations in Eighteenth-Century Sexual Culture, by Julie Peakman Karen Harvey on a cultural history of sexuality that attempts to put real people centre stage By Karen Harvey 10 November
In Praise of Profanity, by Michael Adams Seneca meets The Sopranos in a lively who, what, when, where and why of cursing, says Tom Palaima By Tom Palaima 20 October
Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983, by Tim Lawrence Book of the week: Hillegonda Rietveld on the fierce creative energy of Big Apple clubs in the early Eighties By Hillegonda Rietveld 29 September
Knowledge Games: How Playing Games Can Solve Problems, Create Insight, and Make Change, by Karen Schrier Dana Ruggiero on new ways of thinking about how to construct gaming experiences that allow people to help tackle intractable challenges By Dana Ruggiero 18 August
Righting America at the Creation Museum, by Susan L. Trollinger and William Vance Trollinger, Jr. Book of the week: Randy Malamud on two scholars’ exploration of a temple of Christian fundamentalist belief By Randy Malamud 21 July
My Life with Things: The Consumer Diaries, by Elizabeth Chin Book of the week: Shahidha Bari on our attachment to consumption and whether we might ever somehow escape it 9 June
Practicing Utopia: An Intellectual History of the New Town Movement, by Rosemary Wakeman A continent-hopping survey of garden cities mulls dreams, war and exclusion, says Richard J. Williams By Richard J. Williams 12 May
Is Snapchat the new Twitter on campus? Universities are beginning to explore using a new set of social media apps as students give up on Facebook and Twitter By Jack Grove 21 April
