Civil wars Books

Book SynopsisJames McPherson is Professor Emeritus of American History at Princeton University. Battle Cry of Freedom won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 2003.Trade ReviewThe definitive study, meticulous in its scholarship and compulsive in its readability * Financial Times *McPherson is wonderfully lucid... Above all, everything is in a living relationship with everything else ... Omitting nothing important, whether military, political or economic, he yet manages to make everything he touches drive the narrative forward ... historical writing of the highest order * The New York Times *A distinguished contribution to American history ... He has succeeded brilliantly. He has written what will surely become the standard one-volume history of the great conflict which forged America as a united nation * Independent *Absolutely brilliant ... McPherson has fresh approaches to the war's background, the four years of struggle and the aftermath * Washington Post Book World *McPherson wears with equal ease the hats of biographer, economist, sociologist and military historian .. Probably the best single-volume history of America's Civil War yet written * Economist *Table of ContentsPrologue: from the halls of Montezuma. The United States of midcentury; Mexico will poison us; an empire for slavery; slavery, rum and Romanism; the crime against Kansas; mudsills and greasy mechanics for A. Lincoln; the revolution of 1860; the counterrevolution of 1861; facing both ways - the upper south's dilemma; amateurs go to war; farewell to the 90 Days' War; blockade and beachead - the Salt-Water War, 1861-1862; the River War in 1862; the sinews of war; Billy Yank's chickhominy blues; we must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued; carry me back to Old Virginny; John Bull's Virgina Reel; three rivers in winter, 1862-1863; fire in the rear; long remember - the summer of '63; Johnny Reb's Chattanooga Blues; when this cruel war is over; if it takes all summer; after four years of failure; we are going to be wiped off the Earth; South Carolina must be destroyed; we are all Americans. Epilogue: to the shoals of victory.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated history of the Wars of the Roses based on the medieval art of Graham Turner.The period of civil strife in the second half of the 15th century now known as the Wars of the Roses was one of the most dramatic and tumultuous in English history. Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield nearly 30 years ago, renowned historical artist Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his depictions of this colourful and troubled era, his paintings and prints prized by historians and collectors for their attention to detail and dramatic and atmospheric compositions. This new study contains a detailed history of the wars alongside a unique and comprehensive collection of over 120 of his paintings and drawings, many created especially for this book. It provides meticulously researched details of arms, armour, settings and countless other aspects of the period, while bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulenTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Introduction Chronology CHAPTER 1: Henry V – A Formidable Legacy CHAPTER 2: Henry VI – King of England and France CHAPTER 3: Descent towards Civil War CHAPTER 4: The Armies CHAPTER 5: First Blood CHAPTER 6: Uneasy Peace CHAPTER 7: Open War Returns CHAPTER 8: The Wheel of Fortune Turns CHAPTER 9: Two Kings of England CHAPTER 10: Edward IV – Consolidating his Crown CHAPTER 11: A New Queen CHAPTER 12: The Overmighty Subject CHAPTER 13: Great Troubles CHAPTER 14: Return of the King CHAPTER 15: Our Sovereign Lord King Harry the Sixth CHAPTER 16: Rightful Inheritance CHAPTER 17: Relative Peace CHAPTER 18: Richard III CHAPTER 19: Henry VII Painting Diary Bibliography Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisIn Battle Tactics of the Civil War, Paddy Griffith argues that, far from being the first 'modern' war, it was the last 'Napoleonic' war, and that none of the innovations of industrialized warfare had any signiticant effect on the outcome. 'Provocative, challenging and intelligent. Griffith's knowledge of military history in general from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries is so wide and deep that he is able to put the Civil War into a broader context more effectively and informatively than anyone else.' James M McPherson, author of Battle Cry for Freedom.Trade ReviewProvocative, challenging and intelligent. Griffith's knowledge of military history in general from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries is so wide and deep that he is able to put the Civil War into a broader context more effectively and informatively than anyone else.' -- James M McPherson * Battle Cry of Freedom *Provides a fresh and provocative appraisal of the war ... an essential read for anyone interested in the subject. * Military Illustrated *A prize. One gets a feeling of how nineteenth-century battle worked. I highly recommend it. -- Paul A Koch * The Courier *

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Book SynopsisThe American Civil War has intrigued millions of readers for 150 years. But how much do we know about the real lives of Americans on the battlefields and in trenches and winter quarters when the sodiers has a respite from combat? Civil War Trivia looks inside the conflict to examine the many fascinating and heartrending stories about this great war.

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Book SynopsisThis first volume of three discusses the tactical decisions made on day one and the ensuing combat, while also including a brief summary of the grand strategy in the Eastern Theater of the war, the conduct of the Pennsylvania Campaign from June 6 to 30, 1863, and the plight of civilians caught up in the conflict.The Battle of Gettysburg, which took place July 13, 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, PA resulted in the largest number of casualties of the entire American Civil War and is seen as the key turning point in the conflict. On its first day, Confederate General Robert E. Lee''s Army of Northern Virginia sought to destroy the Union army, forcing its men to retreat through the streets of the Pennsylvania town to the hills just to the south. This volume, the first of three to cover the battle in depth, includes the morning cavalry skirmish, the morning clash at the Herbst''s Woodlot and at the railroad cut, the afternoon clash at Oak Ridge, the afternoon fight Table of ContentsORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN CHRONOLOGY THE INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA OPPOSING COMMANDERS OPPOSING ARMIES Orders of battle OPPOSING PLANS THE FIRST DAY The cavalry skirmish The morning engagement Oak Ridge McPherson’s Ridge The rout of 11th Corps Seminary Ridge The retreat through town Cemetery Hill Nightfall THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY INDEX

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Book SynopsisNo historical event has left as deep an imprint on America's collective memory as the Civil War. In the war's aftermath, Americans had to embrace and cast off a traumatic past. David Blight explores the perilous path of remembering and forgetting, and reveals its tragic costs to race relations and America's national reunion.Trade ReviewThe most comprehensive and insightful study of the memory of the Civil War yet to appear…Blight tells this story in a lucid style and with an entirely appropriate measure of indignation…Race and Reunion demonstrates forcefully that…it still matters very much how we remember the Civil War. -- Eric Foner * New York Times Book Review *[This book] will strongly influence the writing of post–Civil War history for decades to come. Indeed, Race and Reunion is surely one of the four or five most important works in American history written in the past decade…Blight explains one of the most troubling questions for the understanding of American history: why it became accepted wisdom from the 1870s to the 1960s, among American historians as well as white students from grade school through college, that states’ rights, not slavery, was the cause of the Civil War or, as many Southerners have long insisted on our calling it, ‘the War Between the States.’ -- David Brion Davis * New York Review of Books *As Blight conclusively demonstrates, the United States was caught up almost immediately in a ‘tormented relationship between healing and justice,’ and the abolitionist, emancipationist view of the war’s aims quickly receded into the background…African Americans kept alive their own memories of slavery, the war and Reconstruction…but not until long after World War I did they begin to find a hearing for their grievances and yearnings. -- Jonathan Yardley * Washington Post Book World *This is a story of mammoth and tragic sweep, with consequences that are very much alive in present-day America. David Blight tells it with a passionate, soulful voice, a voice of conviction based on an intimate knowledge of a sweeping array of sources. Race and Reunion is a brilliant book. * Providence Sunday Journal *Blight’s analysis is compelling. His writing has a lyrical quality that underscores the tragic story he has to tell. This is an important book that should command a wide readership among those interested in race relations in the US. It should be required reading in Mississippi. * Times Higher Education Supplement *[Blight’s] deeply researched and carefully crafted study argues that after the war white veterans, Union and Confederate, facilitated the reconciliation of the two sections by consciously avoiding the fact that slavery had brought on the sectional conflict, choosing instead to celebrate the courage that they and their comrades had brandished in battle. Less consciously, they and their fellow Americans found this new narrative—this rewriting of history based on a kind of historical amnesia—comforting and restorative. Reunification became a joyful event, but it came at a steep price. After Reconstruction, Northerners and Southerners alike took hold of a ‘Lost Cause’ ideology that showed pity toward the South in its defeat, accepted Jim Crow policies that deprived blacks of their civil rights, and pushed for policies and practices that would ensure white supremacy across the land. Blight carefully avoids grinding axes as he makes his argument, which taken as a whole helps to explain why America today continues to wrestle with the seemingly endless and divisive issue of race…Here is a powerful book, artfully written by a scholar of learned poise who believes that by knowing the past we might better know ourselves. -- Glenn W. LaFantasie * Salon *Denying that the South fought for slavery was a key element in a decades-long ideological battle eventually settled in a devil’s bargain: reconciliation between whites North and South, purchased at the price of racial segregation…Race and Reunion is a deeply unsettling, pioneering work that raises far more questions than it can possibly answer: questions that should continue to trouble us…The myths and lies forged over a century ago still have us locked in their chains. * Philadelphia City Paper *Blight’s eclecticism and erudition make this sweeping historical saga a pleasure to read…Race and Reunion challenges us to take seriously the clashes over the Civil War’s contested legacies and symbols, which Americans continue to debate. -- Catherine Clinton * American Prospect *Blight demonstrates how, in the aftermath of the war, the needs of memory and the excessive focus on battlefield experience all but obliterated the role played by African Americans, and the promises made them. All told, this thoughtful, timely study presents a somewhat pessimistic view of the role played by the memory of this key conflict in the making of American's self-image, which, in the turn to sentiment rather than fact, lost much of its ideological integrity. -- Fionghuala Sweeney * History *One of the most fascinating and rewarding scholarly books of the past few years for the general reader with an interest in American history…Blight is scrupulously fair in his judgments. He is equally alert to the Northern white self-congratulation that inflated the legend of the Underground Railroad and the racist pretension that shaped the version of history peddled by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. He is especially alert to the way that even-handedness has served as a tool for suppressing memory of the moral issues at the heart of the Civil War by turning attention to the spectacle of combat and the bravery of the soldiers on both sides…It is a contribution to contemporary politics and culture that deserves a wide audience. -- Thomas J. Brown, author of Civil War CanonThis book effectively traces both the growth and development of what became, by the turn of the twentieth century and the debut of The Birth of a Nation, the dominant racist representation of the Civil War. A major work of American history, this volume’s documentation of the active and exceedingly articulate voices of protest against this inaccurate and unjust imagining of history is just one of its accomplishments. * Publishers Weekly *Blight has distilled a mass of historical material into an impressive, clearly written volume that…reads well and rings true. * Kirkus Reviews *Blight traces America’s tragic pursuit of national reunification and reconciliation after the Civil War at the expense of the conflict’s emancipationist legacy. He ponders such threats to this legacy as Lost Cause myths, fading and sometimes revisionist veteran recollections, financial panics and commercial greed, political scandals, ‘loyal’ slave narratives, urbanization and industrialization, and the emotionally charged rituals of war-related celebration days among others. The author resurrects the voices and prose of African American activists who fought to preserve the emancipationist legacy in an indifferent, even hostile, milieu. * Library Journal *Blight recounts the strong tide in the post-war years for ‘reunion on Southern terms’…Freed blacks suffered the consequence of the ascendance of a sentimental view of the war and amnesia about its central issue. -- Gilbert Taylor * Booklist *Table of Contents* Prologue *1. The Dead and the Living *2. Regeneration and Reconstruction *3. Decoration Days *4. Reconstruction and Reconciliation *5. Soldiers' Memory *6. Soldiers' Faith *7. The Literature of Reunion and Its Discontents *8. The Lost Cause and Causes Not Lost *9. Black Memory and Progress of the Race *10. Fifty Years of Freedom and Reunion * Epilogue * Notes * Acknowledgments * Index

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Book SynopsisA set of wargaming rules for fighting large battles set during the American Civil War.From the First Bull Run to Appomattox Court House, enter one of the defining conflicts of American history. With shot, shell, and sabre, guide the armies of the Blue and the Grey through this first modern war to determine the fate of a nation.With Hot Lead and Cold Steel is a large-scale, mass-battle wargame for recreating the American Civil War. Designed to handle brigade and divisional level engagements while providing a balance between ease of play and period detail, With Hot Lead and Cold Steel is ideal for new gamers and wargaming veterans alike. It contains everything players need to raise armies and craft scenarios, whether based upon historical campaigns and orders of battle or those of their own devising.

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Book Synopsis_______________ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER _______________ 'A powerful love story spanning generations… Full of ambition and humanity' - Sunday Times 'One of the strongest and most affecting works in Allende's long career' - New York Times Book Review _______________ On September 3, 1939, the day of the Spanish exiles’ splendid arrival in Chile, the Second World War broke out in Europe. Victor Dalmau is a young doctor when he is caught up in the Spanish Civil War, a tragedy that leaves his life – and the fate of his country – forever changed. Together with his sister-in-law, the pianist Roser, he is forced out of his beloved Barcelona and into exile. When opportunity to seek refuge arises, they board a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda to Chile, the promised ‘long petal of sea and wine and snow’. There, they find themselves enmeshed in a rich web of characters who come together in love and tragedy over the course of four generations, destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world. A masterful work of historical fiction that soars from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of Pinochet, A Long Petal of the Sea is Isabel Allende at the height of her powers. _______________ 'A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile and belonging' - Independent Online 'A defiantly warm and funny novel, by somebody who has earned the right to argue that love and optimism can survive whatever history might throw at us' - Daily Telegraph 'A grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago' - Khaled Hosseini 'A novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand new to her work: what a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time' - Colum McCann 'Allende's style is impressively Olympian and the payoff is remarkable' - Guardian ‘Epic in scope, yet intimate in execution’ - iTrade ReviewAllende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity * New York Times *Isabel Allende is a grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago. She will be celebrated, by readers and writers alike, for generations to come -- Khaled HosseiniA historical saga that sweeps from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of General Pinochet -- Highlights for 2020 * Daily Telegraph *Although this is fiction, Allende’s epic is deeply rooted in fact, and often reads like a biography – of her homeland not least . . . [The characters] are brought alive by Allende’s generous imagination and brisk, vivid prose * Daily Mail *A decades-spanning tale of war, exile and belonging . . . Grounding the novel is the love story between Victor and Roser, all the more touching for being unconventional . . . The book is all-encompassing, both in its sweep through history and the sheer number of lives crammed into it . . . The writing is unadorned but affecting, shot through with sad details * Sunday Telegraph *Her latest novel, A Long Petal of the Sea, is built on a recurring theme in Allende’s work: the displacement of people . . . It is difficult not to see this novel as a reminder of the endless recurrence of history, or half a million Franco refugees fleeing Spain with many interned in harsh camps in France – of people fleeing from countries in which refuge is now sought * Irish Times *Allende marries the fictional and the historical in lush, sprawling epics. A Long Petal of the Sea takes its place in the unparalleled canon she has created, exploring the sacrifices we make for the sake of those we love, and the love we sacrifice for the sake of our families -- Jodi PicoultAllende's stories are delicate, their images akin to poetry -- Barbara KingsolverIf Allende's life depended on her narrative gifts, she'd not only survive, but reign * Los Angeles Times *In this stunning historical novel, Allende traces one couple’s escape from the Spanish Civil War to Chile . . . A powerful story about love and belonging – and how displacement doesn’t have to mean defeat * People *Allende transcends the ordinary * Tatler *A gripping novel for our times, this confirms – again – that Allende is a consummate storyteller . . . Historical fact is exquisitely interwoven with personal stories as families are displaced by war, torn apart and reunited. A stunning portrayal of love, courage and hope -- Book of the Month * Woman & Home *Both an intimate look at the relationship between one man and one woman and an epic story of love, war, family and the search for home, this gorgeous novel, like all the best novels, transports the reader to another time and place, and also sheds light on the way we live now. Isabel Allende is a legend and this might be her finest book yet -- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of 'Saints for All Occasions'Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity * New York Times *Like many of Allende’s books, it features strong women, displaced people and a powerful love story spanning generations . . . Allende identifies closely with the experience of upheaval that her characters endure . . . The theme of belonging runs deeper than just a sense of nationality. It is also a sense of belonging to a family, a spouse, a group of friends * Sunday Times *This is a novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand new to her work: what a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time. She knows that all stories are love stories, and the greatest love stories are told by time -- Colum McCann

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Book SynopsisThe nine-month siege of Petersburg was the longest continuous operation of the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, it was anything but static trench warfare, as John Horn ably demonstrates in Lee Besieged: Grant?s Second Petersburg Offensive, June 18-July 1, 1864. Large-scale Union ?offensives??grand maneuvers that triggered some of the large-scale battles?broke the monotony of siege warfare. Once his First Offensive (the assaults of June 15-18) failed to capture the city, the Union commander planned and launched his next major effort within hours. This Second Offensive was one of the most dramatic operations of the entire war.To pave the way for success, Grant brought the city?s bridges under the fire of his siege guns to slow the transfer of enemy troops in and out of Petersburg. He also seized a bridgehead at Deep Bottom on James River?s north bank to draw Confederate forces out of Petersburg by menacing Richmond. Next, he took more ambitious measures by sending infantry to hem in Petersburg from the Appomattox River above and below the city. The move was designed to cut the critical Weldon and South Side railroads and force the Rebels to abandon Petersburg and Richmond. As his infantry went to work, his cavalry set out to cut the Confederate railroads below Petersburg to slow reinforcements coming up from the south and west.Grant?s opponent, however, was General Robert E. Lee with his veteran infantry, not the inept John Floyd of Fort Donelson or the distracted John C. Pemberton of Vicksburg. Lee and his infantry subordinate William Mahone marched to meet the enemy and in a stunning turn of events routed Grant?s foot soldiers at Jerusalem Plank Road. Together, Confederate cavalry leader Wade Hampton and Mahone smashed Grant?s troopers at the battles of Sappony Church and First Reams Station. Thousands of Federal prisoners of war flooded into Confederate camps. Not until April 1865, after seven more offensives, would Grant reach the Appomattox above Petersburg and force Lee to relinquish that city and the capital of Richmond.This is tactical battle action at is finest. Horn?s explanation for the context and consequences of every decision is grounded in hundreds of primary sources and supported by 40 original maps. Lee Besieged: Grant?s Second Petersburg Offensive, June 18-July 1, 1864 is the first full-length book to put Grant?s second effort into its proper perspective?not only in the context of Petersburg?s siege and the Civil War, but in the context of warfare?s history.

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Book SynopsisThe English reformers of the 1530s, with Thomas Cromwell at their head, continued to have a strong belief in kingly rule and authority, in contrast to their radical approach to the power of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Resisting the king was tantamount to resisting God in their eyes, and even on a matter of conscience the will of the king should prevail. Yet just over 100 years later, Charles I was called the ''man of blood'', and Oliver Cromwell famously declared that ''we will cut off his head with the crown on it''. But how did we get from the one to the other? How did the deferential Reformation become a regicidal revolution? Following on from his biography of Thomas Cromwell, John Schofield examines how the English character and the way it perceived royal rule changed between the time of Thomas Cromwell and that of his great-great-grandnephew Oliver.

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Book SynopsisThis book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Midwestern and Western states that fought for the Union during the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. As the war continued into 1862 and beyond, both sides mobilized huge numbers of troops, necessitating a massive expansion of military logistics in order to clothe, equip and feed the soldiers as they fought on a variety of fronts, from California to Virginia.This volume, the third in a three-part study, describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the soldiers fielded by the Midwestern and Western states for the Union cause. While the majority of these troops were infantry, substantial numbers of artillery, cavalry and other specialists such as riflemen and enginee

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Book SynopsisKeith Dowen tells the absorbing story of the arms and armour of the English Civil Wars, and demonstrates how emerging weaponry contributed to one of the greatest political and social upheavals in British history.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is history written on a grand scale, a masterful treatment of one of the most complex periods of American history." — New Republic “The [book’s] rewards stem from Foner’s deep understanding of the literature of the period and his ability to draw freely from it, so that his arguments sprout in deep soil; and from his disciplined imagination, which neither approves nor condemns, but characterizes, and at its best dramatizes situations, preserving and savoring their possibilities, so that the betrayal of Reconstruction with a terrible poignancy.” — Theodore Rosengarten, The Nation "With this book, Mr. Foner becomes the preeminent historian of Reconstruction." — New York Times Book Review "[Reconstruction] may very well turn out to be this generation's defining interpretation of this most misunderstood passage in the nation's history." — Wall Street Journal "A remarkable clarity is one of the many beauties of this book that dwells on so many conflicts and ambiguities . . . Foner's Reconstruction is a smart book of enormous strengths." — Boston Globe “Eric Foner has put together this terrible story with greater cogency and power, I believe, than has been brought to the subject heretofore.” — New York Review of Books “Foner’s book traces in rich detail the bitter course of the history of the South’s failure to adjust to the revolution that brought the Civil War. Only by tracing that history and understanding can the region fully disenthrall itself even today. No book could be more timely. ” — Atlanta Constitution “Foner’s book brings to distinguished fruition one great cycle of Reconstruction historiography.” — New York Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe amazing, often bizarre, story of Franco's fellow travellers in the war against Republican Spain

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Book SynopsisThe American Civil War was one of the longest and bloodiest of modern wars. It is also one of the most mysterious. It has captured the imagination of writers, artists and film-makers for decades but the reality of it confuses and divides historians even today. In this magisterial history of the first modern war, the distinguished military historian John Keegan unpicks the geography, leadership and strategic logic of the war and takes us to the heart of the conflict. His captivating work promises to be the definitive history of the American Civil War.Trade ReviewVivid and compelling * Sunday Times *It is hard to see how Keegan's masterful and thought-provoking book could be beaten * Daily Telegraph *In its range and sweep, this book is difficult to better and promises to become the definitive account of the conflict * Daily Mail *One of our finest military historians, Keegan brings a shrewd and discerning eye to [the] conflict... compelling * Literary Review *The best military historian of our day * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisUPDATED EDITIONA rousing and full-blooded account of the Spanish Civil War and the rise to prominence of General Franco.No modern conflict has inflamed the passions of both civilians and intellectuals as much as the Spanish Civil War of 193639. Burned into our collective historical consciousness, it not only prefigured the imminent Second World War but also ushered in a new and horrific form of warfare that would come to define the twentieth century. At the same time it echoed the revolutionary aspirations of millions of Europeans and Americans after the painful years of the Great Depression.In this authoritative history, Paul Preston vividly recounts the political ideals and military horrors of the Spanish Civil War including the controversial bombing of Guernica and tracks the emergence of General Franco's brutal but extraordinarily durable fascist dictatorship.Trade Review‘[Preston’s] economical style, together with a telling choice of quotes and mordant use of irony, serve his purpose admirably…it is founded upon a vast knowledge and will not easily be refuted.’ History Today ‘Not just a detailed description of events but a real interpretation of the causes and course of the war. By allowing the actors of the great Spanish drama to speak, he captures the dynamics of the civil war.’ La Stampa ‘Paul Preston’s book throws new, definitive light on the conflict.’ L’Unità

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Book SynopsisA Moment of War is the powerful and harrowing final book in Laurie Lee''s acclaimed trilogy that began with Cider with RosieLaurie Lee was still a young man when he decided to fight for the Republican cause in Spain''s civil war. But though he braved icy, storm-swept mountains alone to contact Republican sympathisers, he was immediately suspected of being a Nationalist spy. Imprisoned and almost executed by his own side, he eventually joined the International Brigade. This is the story of his experiences as a Republican soldier, fighting for the losing side in a doomed war.''A great, heart-stopping narrative of one young Englishman''s part in the war in Spain . . . crafted by a poet, stamping an indelible image of the boredom, random cruelty and stupidity of war'' - Literary Review ''This story aches with unforgotten cold and trembles with unforgotten terror'' -Guardian Trade ReviewA work of lyrical intensity. Read it and salute one of Britain's finest writers * Daily Mail *A great, heart-stopping narrative of one young Englishman's part in the war in Spain . . . crafted by a poet, stamping an indelible image of the boredom, random cruelty and stupidity of war * Literary Review *This story aches with unforgotten cold and trembles with unforgotten terror * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisSoon after Alexander Gardner's "Photographic Sketch Book" was published, in 1866, it became the Civil War's best-known visual record and helped define how viewers would come to know the war. This study of a pivotal American historical document, approaching it from the perspective of visual studies as well as American literature and history.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction The Image of War Anthony W. Lee Verbal Battlefields Elizabeth Young Acknowledgments Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisA sweeping survey of the impact of the Civil War on American painting and photography in the 19th centuryTrade Review“The Civil War and American Art is a scholarly and a narrative achievement both harrowing and sublime. Eleanor Jones Harvey has written a keenly critical and often lyrical assessment of the war she calls all but “unpaintable.” In genre painting that captured universal meanings out of local episodes in the ugly ironies of war, and especially in the new moods, metaphors, and forms that landscape painters drew from the war, Harvey demonstrates a profound, seismic influence of history on art. But she also brilliantly demonstrates that artists, even the photographers, could not so much re-make the actual history of our Armageddon as they could represent what we might indirectly see or learn from such a withering and mythic experience as modern war.”--David W. Blight, Yale University, author of Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory -- David W. Blight“Eleanor Jones Harvey’s The Civil War and American Art is the rare book that connects the dots between art and history so well that the reader assumes that the subject is well-worn. It is not. The book…deserves to win awards in two disciplines: Art history and American history.…"—Tyler Green, Modern Art Notes -- Tyler Green * Modern Art Notes *“A great art history tour and coffee-table topper.”—Garden & Gun * Garden & Gun *“Provocative and insightful.”—Stephen May, Antiques and the Arts Weekly -- Stephen May * Antiques and the Arts Weekly *"The latest from Harvey. . . provides a nuanced, sensitive, and deeply informed accounting of a major period in the history of American art. . . . The comprehensive study manages to remain engaging across its redolent academic and historical interests, creating a sincere excitement appropriate to Harvey's always insightful and vital reckoning with America's scarred past.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review * Publishers Weekly *Winner in the Photography/Art category at the 2013 Great Southeast Book Festival. -- Great Southeast Festival * JM Northern Media LLC *"The Civil War and American Art is a glorious companion piece to a moving, beautifully curated, perspective-altering show. . . . Harvey’s book is perfect for lovers of American art and history.” —PopMatters * PopMatters *“Harvey skillfully integrates literature and journalism into a thoughtful and rich narrative of this pivotal period. An important cohesive assessment for scholars that is also broadly accessible and well-illustrated…”—Library Journal, starred review * Library Journal *“a beautiful companion volume…”—The Nation * The Nation *“Harvey’s catalogue text stands as a monumental, often thrilling feat of detailed scholarship”—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker -- Peter Schjeldahl * The New Yorker *“One of the great publishing triumphs of the Civil War Sesquicentennial.”—North Carolina Historical Review * North Carolina Historical Review *Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2013 in the Art & Architecture Category. -- Outstanding Academic Title * Choice *

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Book SynopsisA shadowy underground organization orchestrating plans to bring down the government; saboteurs slipping in from Canada to attempt coordinated acts of destruction; plans to poison water supplies and spread diseases among the urban populace - all part of a Confederate strategy to wreak ""terror and consternation"" upon the North during the Civil War.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Outstanding. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written ... We can now add their names to the human toll of America's greatest conflict" -- James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of 'Battle Cry Of Freedom'

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Book SynopsisWelsh miners made up one of the largest contingents within the British Battalion of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Coming from the valleys all across South Wales, they brought with them a political tradition unique in Britain in its combination of trade union militancy, radical extra-parliamentary activity and internationalism. Hywel Francis draws on a wide variety of contemporary sources to paint a vivid picture of the tumultuous politics of South Wales in the 1920s and 1930s - the context for the decision made by so many to volunteer. The book describes the process of volunteering, the militant role played by the Welsh volunteers, and the mass movements of political solidarity with Spain within Wales. It also includes many illustrations, and reproduces letters written by volunteers to their relatives and friends back in Wales. This updated 2012 edition includes a new preface and a newly compiled complete list of all Welsh volunteers.Trade Review'A fascinating study - pays homage to Cambria rather than Catalonia, and memorably so' Kenneth O Morgan, TLS 'Succeeds brilliantly in restoring the humanity of his true subjects, the volunteers - men formed by their time and place who consciously chose to express their commitment to a cause in the bravest way possible.' Dai Smith, Guardian

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Book SynopsisThe Missouri History Museum archives are bursting with collections that provide firsthand accounts of both historic and everyday moments, but when archivist M. E. Kodner came across the James Love letters, she knew she had discovered something extraordinary. My Dear Molly consists of the 166 letters that St. Louisan James Love wrote to his fiancee, Eliza Mary "Molly" Wilson, during his Civil War service. The letters discuss the war, including activities in Missouri, battles, Love's life as a soldier, and his time in a Confederate prison, in addition to detailing the love story of James and Molly. Spanning the entire Civil War period, the letters give a full account of both the ongoing conflict and the many different aspects of Love's life, making My Dear Molly a unique contribution to our literature of the time period. The book opens with a prologue describing Love's life before the war, including his immigration to the United States from Ireland, his early career, and a trip to Australia he took in the 1850s. The body of the text consists of his letters and is divided into three sections: Love's early service with the Fifth US Reserve Corps, most of which was spent in Missouri; his service with the Eighth Kansas Infantry, which includes descriptions of military life and battle, ending with him being wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga and taken prisoner; and his years in various Confederate prisons and his attempts to escape. Each portion of the book begins with an introduction to place the letters in their historical context and to briefly explain the events and people that Love mentions in his letters. It concludes with an epilogue describing his final, successful escape, his life with Molly after the war, how the letters came to the Missouri History Museum, and Kodner's discovery of her connections through family friends to James and Molly's descendants. My Dear Molly is a remarkable, riveting volume that will add much to our knowledge of the Civil War period-its battles and conflicts as well as the experiences of ordinary Americans like James and Molly.

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Book SynopsisBefore Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, he added a paragraph authorizing the army to recruit black soldiers. Nearly 200,000 men answered the call. Several thousand of them came from Canada.What compelled these men to leave the relative comfort of their homes to face death on the battlefield, loss of income, and legal sanctions for participating in a foreign war? Drawing on newspapers, autobiographies, and military and census records, Richard Reid pieces together a portrait of a group of men who served the Union in disparate ways as soldiers, sailors, or doctors but who all believed that liberty, justice, and equality were worth fighting for.By bringing the courage and contributions of these men to light, African Canadians in Union Blue opens a window on the changing nature of the Civil War and the ties that held black communities together even as the borders around them shifted or were torn asunder.Trade ReviewRichard M. Reid’s engaging and well-researched examination of the nearly 2,500 African Canadians who served in the Union Army is a must-read for anyone interested in the black experience during the American Civil War… thanks to Reid’s fascinating and important study, the sacrifice, courage, and determination of these African Canadians can now find their proper place in the history of the American Civil War. -- Kevin D. Greene, University of Southern Mississippi * Journal of Military History *Table of ContentsIntroduction1 British North America: Glory Land or the Least-Worst Option?2 The Black Response: What the Numbers Mean3 Blacks in the Navy: A Different Military Experience4 Promises Deferred: In the Army, 1863-645 Promises Fulfilled: In the Army, 1864-656 Black Doctors: Challenging the Barriers7 Post-War Life: Continuity and ChangeConclusionAppendix: Establishing the location of black British North American veterans, 1865-75NotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'Fascinating... A vivid account' - Philippa Gregory, The TimesIn the mid-seventeenth century, England was divided by Civil War, but inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. Lady Ann Fanshawe's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war, which left few doctors to be found. And so Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper contained everything from lifesaving remedies to recipes for hot chocolate.Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears - and buries - children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly illuminates the life and times of an English woman's Civil War.Trade ReviewFascinating... A vivid account. -- Philippa Gregory * The Times *Moore's prose is witty. Her book is full of arresting detail and thoughtful comment. -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * Sunday Times *An enchanting, idiosyncratic Tardis of a book, peppered with good humour * Daily Telegraph *A lively, affecting account of one family's fortunes in a world turned upside down. * Spectator *Charming and original. * Literary Review *With enormous skill, and in matchless prose, Lucy Moore brings back to life one of those Royalist women whose husbands suffered terribly for the King, while they were left at home to get on with the trying business of being wives, mothers, and heads of household in an age beset with turbulence, and fear. * Charles Spencer, author of KILLERS OF THE KING *Ann Fanshawe was an extraordinary woman living in extraordinary times. This wonderful book has at its heart her experiences as daughter, wife and mother during the Civil War, and is as dramatic and touching a story as anything in fiction. Her attempts to hold her family together in such turbulent times are brilliantly chronicled by Lucy Moore, who has written an unfailingly sympathetic account of the human cost of conflict, and the everyday resilience and bravery of those caught up in it. * Janice Hadlow, author of THE STRANGEST FAMILY *An erudite, beautifully written and completely original contribution to the history of the civil war. Lucy Moore is a most worthy biographer of one of the most fascinating women of the 17th century. * Katie Hickman, author of DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA *Vividly brings to life an ordinary woman living in extraordinary times. Rich in fascinating detail, it sets Lady Fanshawe's story of love and loss, family and friendships, against one of the most turbulent periods of our history. Highly recommended. * Tracy Borman, author of THE PRIVATE LIVES OF THE TUDORS *

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Book Synopsis"Readers of this book who thought they knew a lot about the U.S. Civil War will discover that much of what they 'knew' is wrong. For readers whose previous knowledge is sketchy but whose desire to learn is strong, the separation of myth from reality is an important step toward mastering the subject. The essays will generate lively discussion and new insights." —James M. McPherson, Professor Emeritus, Princeton UniversityTrade Review"I never imagined that my Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, first published in 2003, would prove to be so enduring a format for helping students of all kinds to rethink key moments in human history. It is therefore a great honor to see that the book has now inspired Hackett Publishing Company's "Myths of History" series, expertly and effectively edited by Alfred J. Andrea and Andrew Holt.” —Matthew Restall, Pennsylvania State University"Wesley Moody's clear, engaging book tackles enduring Civil War myths with grace, candor, and persuasive evidence. By exploring a wide range of subjects including the war's causes, soldiers, leaders, prisons, and battlefields, this volume's group of talented historians accomplishes more than myth busting. Each scholar reveals deeper, more satisfying stories hidden beneath Civil War fallacies and falsehoods. As a result, Civil War students and enthusiasts will find more than facts in this compelling book; they’ll encounter the complexities of real war, the long shadows of memory, and the hard work that historians conduct to illuminate the past." —Jason Phillips, Eberly Professor of Civil War History, West Virginia University"Seven Myths of the Civil War is well-written, engaging, accessible, and of very sound scholarship. In this volume some of the premier scholars in the field of Civil War history weigh in and root out the causes, courses, and continuing consequences of these persistent mythologies in ways that are at once both easily accessible and necessarily nuanced. I plan to use this collection of essays as a centerpiece of my next Civil War-themed course. I’ll use it to introduce the prevailing myths regarding the Civil War Era, then point up the ways in which the historical record can be seen to utterly debunk those myths." —James Hill Welborn III, Georgia College & State UniversityTable of ContentsContents: Series Editors' Foreword Editor's Preface Introduction Confederate States' Rights: A Contradiction in Terms Was Abraham Lincoln a Racist? African Americans in Confederate Military Service: Myth and Reality The Myth of the "Great" Conventional Battlefield War Civil War Prisons: The Legacy of Responsibility The Lost Causers' Favorite Target: Grant the Butcher Marching through Georgia: The Myth of Sherman's Total War Epilogue Suggested Readings

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Book SynopsisFeaturing hundreds of first-hand writings from the American Civil War, this final installment of the highly acclaimed four-volume series traces events from March 1864 to June 1865 After 150 years the Civil War still holds a central place in American history and self-understanding. It is our greatest national drama, at once heroic, tragic, and epic—our Iliad, but also our Bible, a story of sin and judgment, suffering and despair, death and resurrection in a “new birth of freedom.” The Civil War: The Final Year brings together letters, diary entries, speeches, articles, messages, and poems to provide an incomparable literary portrait of a nation at war with itself, while illuminating the military and political events that brought the Union to final victory and slavery and secession to their ultimate destruction. The final volume of this highly acclaimed four-volume series begins with the controversial Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid on Richmond in March 1864 and ends with the proclamation of emancipation in Texas in June 1865. It collects 160 pieces by more than one hundred participants and observers, among them Abraham Lincoln, William T. Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Walt Whitman, Henry Adams, and Herman Melville, as well as Union officers Charles Harvey Brewster, James A. Connolly, and Stephen Minot Weld; Confederate diarists Catherine Edmondston, Kate Stone, and Judith W. McGuire; freed slaves Spottswood Rice, Garrison Frazier, and Frances Johnson; and Confederate soldiers J.F.J. Caldwell, Samuel T. Foster, and William Pegram. The selections include vivid and haunting firsthand accounts of battles and campaigns—the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Atlanta, the Crater, Franklin, and Sherman’s march through Georgia and the Carolinas—as well as of the Fort Pillow massacre; the struggle to survive inside Andersonville prison; the burning of Columbia and Richmond; the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment; the surrender at Appomattox; and Lincoln’s assassination. The Civil War: The Final Year includes an introduction, headnotes, a chronology of events, biographical and explanatory endnotes, full-color endpaper maps, and an index.

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Book SynopsisIn this fully illustrated introduction, Dr Michael Lynch provides a concise overview of the Chinese Civil War, a defining conflict in world history.Between the end of World War II and the dawn of the Cold War, one of the most important conflicts in modern history reached its climax. In this illustrated history, bestselling historian Dr Michael Lynch examines how the long struggle between Chiang Kai-shek''s Nationalists and Mao Zedong''s Communists exploded into an intense, brutal and ruthlessly fought civil war. Delving into the political background and complex ramifications of the conflict, he assesses Mao and Chiang''s millions-strong armies, their strategies and commanders, and the critical campaigns that won and lost China. By 1949 the Nationalist government was defeated and in exile in Taiwan, and the new People''s Republic of China was ready to emerge as a major Cold War power.Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and new images Trade Reviewwhat handy little primers they can be in understanding the broader political, economic, social and military backgrounds to a conflict. -- Chris Jarvis * Miniature Wargames *There is an unlikely photo of Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-Shek toasting each other at banquet in 1946. Chiang was on a roll. With Communist collaboration the Japanese were defeated, Chiang’s Nationalist Revolutionary Army controlled most of China and was on good terms with the US. Three years later Mao announced the new Republic of China from Beijing and Chiang had fled to Taiwan. What went wrong? On resumption of the civil war, after initial set-backs, Mao switched his attacks to Manchuria where the NRA occupied former Japanese held Manchuguo and captured Harbin; his PLA generals transformed it into a modern army from its guerrilla roots. In Chiang’s “strongpoint offensive” of 1947 against PLA bases, Mao’s Yanan soviet was captured though Mao escaped after forewarning by a NRA commander. Counterattacks against overstretched NRA armies led to Communist Liaoshen autumn 1948 campaign capturing railway junctions of Jinzhou, Changchun and Shenyang, and the winter campaign north of the Huaihai River against Xuzhou threatening the Nationalist Goumindang government capital Nanjing. A simultaneous winter push netted Tianjin and prestigious Beijing, it falling in January 1949. Other besieged cities in the Nationalist southern heartlands fell, Nangking, Shanghai, Xian, and after the symbolic Yanzi crossing, Guangzhou, Chongching. Tibet and Xinjiang were occupied. This book is a revised version of Osprey ESS 61, 2010. Though the main battles are here, there is a substantial socio-political element, necessary to explain the complex twists and turns of this bloody civil war, which still encroaches on events today. Thanks to Osprey for the sample. John Ham, August 2022. -- John Ham * Tankette *Table of ContentsIntroduction Warring Sides The Fighting The Great Protagonists The World Around War Why the War Was Won and Lost Conclusion and Consequences Appendix & Chronology Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe war in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray began in November 2020. It inflicted more casualties than any other contemporary conflict in the world. It has also been among the least understood. The fighting and accompanying blockade led to an estimated 600,000 deaths - more than the number who died in the 1984-5 famine. International journalists were banned as the region was sealed off from the outside world by Ethiopian and Eritrean governments prosecuting a strategy designed to crush Tigray at almost any cost. Hatred of Tigrayans was stoked by senior advisers to Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed: they have called Tigrayans 'weeds' who must be uprooted, their place in history extinguished. Their language was reminiscent of that which preceded the genocide in Rwanda. The war was also orchestrated by Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki, who came to wield increasing influence over Ethiopian affairs. It drew in Somali troops as well as Eritrean forces. Peace agreements signed in November 2022 ended the worst of the violence, but without resolving the war's underlying drivers, which continue to feed a tense and uncertain situation. This book provides the first clear explanation of the factors that led to the conflict, unravelling their roots in Ethiopia's long and complex history. It describes the battles that were fought at such terrible cost and the immense suffering, particularly of women, who were brutally abused.Trade Review‘Sarah Vaughan and Martin Plaut’s book represents the first serious attempt at an account of the conflict.’ -- London Review of Books'The book is well structured and insightful. Its strength lies in effectively connecting historical, political, social and international dimensions, making it invaluable for understanding the Tigray crisis and its broader implications across the Horn of Africa.' -- International Affairs'Timely, forceful and essential. A groundbreaking and deeply researched exploration of the war still ravaging Tigray. A vital contribution to the understanding of a devastating but largely hidden conflict, which could well prove to be a defining moment, not just for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, but for the whole continent.' -- Andrew Harding, BBC Africa correspondent, and author of 'The Mayor of Mogadishu''With historical depth, trenchant analysis of current events and concern for the human suffering involved, this is essential for understanding the tragic war in northern Ethiopia.' -- Christopher Clapham, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge'The Ethiopian–Eritrean war against Tigray is the world's most lethal conflict, characterised by extreme brutality and the use of mass starvation as a weapon. It has unfolded behind a wall of silence and disinformation. This important book sets a high standard, paying scrupulous attention to the evidence and analysing the conflict and atrocities in their political context.' -- Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation'A moving account that chronicles the genesis, nature and key features of the Tigray war, as well as the Tigrayans' resistance. This lucid analysis of developments will be of significant interest to scholars of contemporary Ethiopia.' -- Mulugeta Gebrehiwot, Senior Fellow and Program Director, World Peace Foundation, Tufts University, and author of 'Laying the Past to Rest: The EPRDF and the Challenges of Ethiopian State-Building''Not only a good political history of modern Ethiopia, but an attempt at answering the question: is war the only way to arbitrate between a unitary and a federalist version of a nation?' -- Gérard Prunier, author of 'The Country That Does Not Exist: A History of Somaliland' and co-editor of 'Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia'

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Book SynopsisThis fully illustrated study investigates the uniforms and equipment of the US regular troops and volunteers from the territories fighting for the Union during the American Civil War.During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the Union Army''s regular infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers, plus specialists such as US Sharpshooters, Veteran Reserve Corps, Medical Corps, and Signal Corps.This volume also covers the troops fielded by the Territories that fought for the Union. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by previously unpublished photographs of soldiers and items of uniform from some of the most comprehensive collections in the United States.Table of ContentsIntroduction General Officers The General Staff and Staff Corps Infantry Artillery Dragoons, Mounted Riflemen, and Cavalry United States Colored Troops United States Sharpshooters The Invalid/Veteran Reserve Corps The Territories The United States Indian Home Guard The Medical Department and Related Services The Corps of Engineers Ordnance Sergeants and Enlisted Men The Military Telegraph Service The Signal Corps Select Bibliography Plate Commentaries Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a fascinating fast-paced study on the politics of command, human nature, and the stress of war, and how it all combined to influence the outcome of the Civil War's most important campaign.

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Book SynopsisThis first-of-its-kind reference book presents detailed information on the structure, composition and casualties of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during its entire four year history, 1861-1865. Meticulously compiled from the 128 volumes of the Official Records, this reliable source provides a comprehensive record of the Army's development, from its formation to its demise.

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Book SynopsisLove, corruption, violence and the dangerous politics of aid in the Sudan, by an exciting new writer.Emma McCune's passion for Africa, her unstinting commitment to the children of the Sudan, and her striking glamour set her apart from other aid workers the moment she arrived in southern Sudan. But no one was prepared for her decision to marry a local warlord a man who seemed to embody everything she was working against and throw herself into his violent quest to take over southern Sudan's rebel movement.At once a disturbing love story and a penetrating examination of the Sudan, Emma's War charts the process by which Emma's romantic delusions led to her descent into the hell of Africa's longest running civil war.Trade Review‘One of the best (books) I have ever read on the difficult relationship between the developed world and the Third World. An eye-opener. Scroggins is as brave as her subject…she has written a wonderful and challenging book.’ William Shawcross, Sunday Times ‘A wonderful book and a gripping history of the Sudan which doesn’t shrink the complexities.’ Observer ‘Scroggins is to be congratulated for making the story of McCune’s ill-fated foray into Africa such a good read.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Deborah Scroggins’ analysis provides sharp relevance. It is the story both of a woman and a strange and sorrowful world.’ Sunday Independent ‘Remarkable…it has the feel of an epic tale, taking in the tragedy of Sudan…Scroggins steers a tight path between writing this book as an account of her own fascination with Sudan and as the story of McCune’s life.’ New Statesman ‘Her biography is a painstaking and loving portrait of this remarkable woman.’ Evening Standard ‘Deborah Scroggins has a sharp eye. “Emma’s War” is about the politics of the belly, and what happens when the fat white paunch meets the swollen stomachs of the hungry in Africa. It is a sorry story, but Ms Scroggins tells it awfully well.’ Economist ‘Part history, part biography and part Scroggins’ own memoir, “Emma’s War” offers an enthralling, accessible account of Sudan’s most recent history.’ Sunday Business Post

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England.Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded in mystery: the first half of the century overshadowed by the fall and execution of Charles I, the second half in the complete collapse of the House itself. Lost to time is the extraordinary contribution the Stuarts made to the fabric of sovereignty.Every palace they built, painting they commissioned, or artwork they acquired was a direct reflection of the lives that they led and the way that they thought. Palaces of Revolution explores this rich history in graphic detail, giving a unique insight into the lives of this famous dynasty. It takes us from Royston and Newmarket, where James I appropriated most of the town centre as a sort of rough-and-ready royal housing estate, to the steamy Turkish baths at Whitehall where Charles II seducedTrade Review‘Simon Thurley may be congratulated on a splendid achievement, which serves several different branches of history at once, as well as those who appreciate a clear and lively literary style … An important addition to knowledge’ Ronald Hutton, Times Literary Supplement ‘A hugely impressive, readable book that covers its broad canvas with assurance … Thoughtfully illustrated and furnished with plans of the buildings, itself a huge accomplishment.’ John Goodall, Country Life ‘In his admirably readable new book, Simon Thurley, who probably knows more about the palaces of the 16th and 17th centuries than anyone alive, has written a chronological survey of the royal residences of the Stuarts, a period of just over 100 years. You almost can read it as an alternative history of the dynasty … Lively and authoritative’ Andrew Taylor, The Times ‘Palaces of Revolution is far more than just a history book … The author’s knowledge … is unprecedented, elevating the historical survey into an alternative reading of the Stuart Dynasty … one only has to read this book to hear the walls talking. From secret seductions to fierce fighting, Thurley writes with great detail, invigorating the historical narratives we know and presenting new stories’ The Scottish Field ‘There can be few as well-placed to write about the buildings associated with the Stuart monarchy as Simon Thurley … This book – engagingly written and beautifully illustrated – is a comprehensive account of those achievements, and of the role that buildings played in the political life of early modern Britain.’ Historic House magazine ‘The culmination of nearly 30 years of research, [Palaces of Revolution] takes us back in time to bring these “hollow citadels of ceremony” and those who occupied them to life once again.’ Apollo

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England.Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded in mystery: the first half of the century overshadowed by the fall and execution of Charles I, the second half in the complete collapse of the House itself. Lost to time is the extraordinary contribution the Stuarts made to the fabric of sovereignty.Every palace they built, painting they commissioned, or artwork they acquired was a direct reflection of the lives that they led and the way that they thought. Palaces of Revolution explores this rich history in graphic detail, giving a unique insight into the lives of this famous dynasty. It takes us from Royston and Newmarket, where James I appropriated most of the town centre as a sort of rough-and-ready royal housing estate, to the steamy Turkish baths at Whitehall where Charles II seducedTrade Review‘Simon Thurley may be congratulated on a splendid achievement, which serves several different branches of history at once, as well as those who appreciate a clear and lively literary style … An important addition to knowledge’ Ronald Hutton, Times Literary Supplement ‘A hugely impressive, readable book that covers its broad canvas with assurance … Thoughtfully illustrated and furnished with plans of the buildings, itself a huge accomplishment.’ John Goodall, Country Life ‘In his admirably readable new book, Simon Thurley, who probably knows more about the palaces of the 16th and 17th centuries than anyone alive, has written a chronological survey of the royal residences of the Stuarts, a period of just over 100 years. You almost can read it as an alternative history of the dynasty … Lively and authoritative’ Andrew Taylor, The Times ‘Palaces of Revolution is far more than just a history book … The author’s knowledge … is unprecedented, elevating the historical survey into an alternative reading of the Stuart Dynasty … one only has to read this book to hear the walls talking. From secret seductions to fierce fighting, Thurley writes with great detail, invigorating the historical narratives we know and presenting new stories’ The Scottish Field ‘There can be few as well-placed to write about the buildings associated with the Stuart monarchy as Simon Thurley … This book – engagingly written and beautifully illustrated – is a comprehensive account of those achievements, and of the role that buildings played in the political life of early modern Britain.’ Historic House magazine ‘The culmination of nearly 30 years of research, [Palaces of Revolution] takes us back in time to bring these “hollow citadels of ceremony” and those who occupied them to life once again.’ Apollo

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