Book shelf

Book shelf

Explore a selection of publications by alumni and academics, and books with a link to the University or Cambridge

To have your book considered for inclusion, please submit your publication's details

Please note: to have your book considered for inclusion, its publication date must be either upcoming or it must have been published during the last 12 months. Unfortunately, we cannot include any details of books published prior to this time.

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Well Fragmented

Sarah Baloch (Fitzwilliam 2022)

Well Fragmented is an interconnected series of forty two narrative styled, long-form rhyming poems.

Acknowledging that nothing is monolithic, the book ranges from a Pakistani’s experience in Canada, USA and UK, life of local Pakistanis, every gem of a human on the margins of society, satire, politics, war, authoritarianism, colonialism, health, gender discrimination, spirituality or rather a take on it, chronic health conditions and love in all its forms, parental, platonic, romantic, and unrequited.

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Primacohedron: Adelic Spectral Geometry of the Primes

Sandi Setiawan (Clare Hall 1995)

The book explores a bold and interdisciplinary idea at the intersection of number theory, geometry, and theoretical physics. Rather than treating prime numbers as purely abstract objects, Primacohedron presents a framework in which primes function as fundamental oscillators shaping time, curvature, and information. In this vision, spacetime itself emerges as a coherent spectral structure rooted in arithmetic.

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Just Saying: Selected Poem from My Sixties and Seventies

Eugene Stelzig (King's 1966)

Just Saying: Selected Poems from My Sixties and Seventies [360 pages] ] is an older poet’s reactions to being-in-the world.

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The Fox Hunt

Caitlin Breeze (Emmanuel 2007)

The Guardian: “A richly imagined fantasy, elegantly marrying feminist fairytale with dark academia."

Kirkus starred review: “Smart, propulsive, and multi-layered, this deftly crafted fantasy thriller immerses readers in a narrative that recalls the wonder and horror of Grimms’ fairy tales in a darkly elegant academic setting. An absorbing novel that weaves an unforgettable tale of magic and subversion.”

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The Age Code

David Cox (Robinson 2013)

From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one major culprit: our diet.

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Soviet Georgia, A Personal Journey Through Recent History

Dr Irakli Laitadze (Sidney Sussex 2002)

"Soviet Georgia, A Personal Journey Through Recent History" is Irakli Laitadze’s haunting journey into the recent past, told by someone who didn’t just witness history but lived inside it.

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A Guide to Drinking in Venice

Susan L. Schwartz (St Johns 1988)

A Guide to Drinking in Venice is a visually stunning hardback that uncovers the fascinating history of drinking in one of the world’s most iconic destinations.

Since its foundation in the year 421 AD, Venice has perfected the art of living well. Its merchants brought back seductive wines, explorers wrote of invigorating drinks, and visitors added their own traditions. All the ingredients for a great cocktail.

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Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How “Small” Talk

Dr Gillian Sandstrom (Trinity Hall)

In our daily lives, we can’t help but cross paths with strangers: riding in an elevator, waiting at a bus stop, buying groceries. Most of the time, we hardly notice (and if we do, we carefully ignore each other). But what if these seemingly tiny, everyday moments are secret opportunities to boost your mood and feel more connected? With science, humor, and a refreshing dose of humanity at a time when discord is the default, Once Upon a Stranger is a warm, witty guide to reconnecting, one small hello at a time.

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Honour and Shame: Mistreatment of, Violence Against, and Attitudes Towards Women in the Developing World

Ruth F Itzhaki (Newnham 1964)

This book describes the treatment of women in various countries, especially in the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and in sub-Saharan Africa, which have the distinction of being the most dangerous places in the world for women in which to reside, and it attempts to examine the attitudes and reasons that underlie the dangers.

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Quantum Computing: Foundations and Practice

Steven Herbert (Churchill 2006)

The discovery of physical systems that exhibit what we now call quantum mechanical behaviour was unquestionably one of the most astonishing events of modern physics. No less remarkable was the realisation that quantum mechanics presents a much more powerful paradigm for computation and information processing than its classical counterpart. But this power is somewhat subtle, and only by building up a rigorous model of quantum computation from the fundamental physics can it be fully understood and analysed.

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Fortuna

James Leslie-Melville (Trinity 1979)

Deep in the mists of Greek mythology, Zeus wins dominion over the world by casting two ivory dice, unleashing the concept of chance. These fateful dice embark on a journey across Europe, shaping history over millennia. Passing through the hands of celebrated gamblers and other legendary figures, they influence pivotal events: the fall of Troy, Hannibal’s march on Rome, Robert the Bruce’s fight for Scottish independence, the sinking of the Titanic, and more.

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Mechatronics Experiments with Machine Vision

John Billingsley (Trinity Hall 1957)

This book is an interactive guide that blends hands-on experimentation with modern learning approaches. Instead of traditional instruction, the book presents a series of quests—practical challenges that encourage readers to explore, simulate, and build real-world mechatronic systems. From JavaScript-based simulations to sensor integration and video feedback control, each chapter builds technical skills through discovery and problem-solving.

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Moederland: Nine Daughters of South Africa

Cato Pedder (Robinson College 1991)

Winner of the Historical Writers Association non-fiction Crown 2024, Moederland takes us on an eye-opening journey across four centuries, tracing the country’s turbulent past and the rise and fall of apartheid (and her family’s charged legacy) through the lives of nine very different women.

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Doing Learning Development in Higher Education: A Practical Guide for New and Early Career Learning Developers

Joy Igiebor (Wolfson 2014)

Doing Learning Development in Higher Education is an essential introductory companion for those new to working in this emerging and exciting field. Filled with actionable tips, real-world advice and illuminating anecdotes, this book will help readers navigate the challenges and opportunities of helping students unlock their full academic potential, whilst highlighting the important role that Learning Developers have.

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Chicken Soup with Tears

Alan Walters (Hughes Hall 1980)

Set against the haunting landscapes of the Łódź Ghetto—Poland’s second largest—and Chelmno nad Nerem, the first Nazi extermination camp, Chicken Soup with Tears explores the brutal realities of life and death in the dark shadow of Auschwitz. Amid rising global anti-Semitism, it offers a timely reminder of the unique suffering endured by the Jewish people.

Told through two separate yet parallel narratives, the story examines a world where cruelty and isolation are met with resilience, sacrifice, and rare moments of kindness.

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Songs of Idleness

B.J.Sadiq (Hughes Hall 2005)

If you are morally sensitive, aesthetically inclined, and look for poetry peppered with old metrical rhythm and an Edwardian air; then this edition might just be the ideal donum for you. It offers you the range of what B.J.Sadiq can do with a pen fidgeting in his fingers.

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Whipster

Susan Grossey (Murray Edwards 1984)

This is the third book in the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries series.

With the University preparing for Michaelmas term in 1827, Cambridge is alive with promises of fortunes to be made. University constable Gregory Hardiman has neither the appetite nor the funds to invest, but many others are tempted by the gleam of Bolivian silver. On patrol one evening Gregory is called to a violent incident at an inn, and before long his enquiries lead him to several of the town’s best-known figures – including the Master of St Clement’s College.

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An Archaeology of the Bantu Expansion: Early Settlers South of the Congo Rainforest

Peter R. Coutros, Jessamy H. Doman (Homerton 2003), Igor Matonda Sakala, and Koen Bostoen

The Bantu Expansion is one of the most intriguing issues in African history. Based on extensive fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and laboratory analysis, this book provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and multi-proxy account of the first Bantu speakers south of the Congo rainforest.

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The Portrait

P R Brown (St John's 1972)

Unlike a standard biography, The Portrait has no clear chronology but consists of memories of the author's father as a role model and as a man to whom the author still owes an immeasurable debt.

The book is as much about the author himself as it is about his father and could not, he says, have been written otherwise.  It is as much about the continuing influence or power of a parental role-model as it is a study in grief, for more than six decades have passed since his father's demise.

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This Might Surprise You: A Breast Cancer Story

Hayley Gullen (Peterhouse 2003)

'It's as if Hayley has been inside my head and captured every thought I had during treatment . . . an honest, brave, no-holds barred account'. Liz O'Riordan, surgeon and breast cancer survivor.

'Hilarious, complex, honest and profound. Every page made me laugh. Most of them also made me cry.' Ian Dunt, political journalist and broadcaster

This is a cancer story you'll actually want to read. With humour and honesty, it details Hayley Gullen's fight for individuality during the toughest time of her life.

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