European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

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Book SynopsisThis book includes all the major and minor engagements between the IRA and Crown Forces; the actions described have never before been so extensively researched and published in such a comprehensive and balanced fashion.

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Book SynopsisExplore the legacy of one of the greatest battles in military history the Battle of Waterloo through this finely crafted collection of objects, each telling their own story of the day. Bullet-pierced armour and dramatic battledress bring you closer to the heart of the action, and the tragedy of the death toll is made ever more poignant by the personal mementoes left behind. From the grim reality of the teeth of the dead turned into dentures to the romance of Napoleon's steeds, swash-buckling swords and ballgowns, each object offers new insight into the incredible events that unfolded on 18 June 1815. This is a fascinating journey through 100 objects, from the rare to the memorable, in a unique testimony to the importance of the Battle of Waterloo, 200 years on.

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Book SynopsisThe infamous Beeching Axe' swept away virtually every Scottish branch line in the 1960s. Conventional wisdom viewed these losses as regrettable yet inevitable in an era of growing affluence and rising car ownership.This ground-breaking study of Dr Beeching's approach to closures has unearthed from rarely or never previously referenced archive sources strong evidence of a stitch-up', ignoring the scope for sensible economies and improvements which would have allowed a significant number of axed routes to survive and prosper. Acclaimed railway historian David Spaven traces the birth, life and eventual death of Scotland's branch lines through the unique stories of how a dozen routes lost their trains in the 1960s: the lines to Ballachulish, Ballater, Callander, Crail, Crieff /Comrie, Fraserburgh, Kelso, Kilmacolm, Leven, Peebles, Peterhead and St Andrews.He concludes by exploring a potential renaissance of branch lines, propelled by concerns over road congestion, vehicle pollution and t

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Book SynopsisMagic, sorcery and witchcraft are among the most common themes of the great medieval Icelandic sagas and poems, the problematic yet vital sources that provide our primary textual evidence for the Viking Age that they claim to describe. Yet despite the consistency of this picture, surprisingly little archaeological or historical research has been done to explore what this may really have meant to the men and women of the time. This book examines the evidence for Old Norse sorcery, looking at its meaning and function, practice and practitioners, and the complicated constructions of gender and sexual identity with which these were underpinned. Combining strong elements of eroticism and aggression, sorcery appears as a fundamental domain of women's power, linking them with the gods, the dead and the future. Their battle spells and combat rituals complement the men's physical acts of fighting, in a supernatural empowerment of the Viking way of life. What emerges is a fundamentally new image of the world in which the Vikings understood themselves to move, in which magic and its implications permeated every aspect of a society permanently geared for war. In this fully-revised and expanded second edition, Neil Price takes us with him on a tour through the sights and sounds of this undiscovered country, meeting its human and otherworldly inhabitants, including the Sámi with whom the Norse partly shared this mental landscape. On the way we explore Viking notions of the mind and soul, the fluidity of the boundaries that they drew between humans and animals, and the immense variety of their spiritual beliefs. We find magic in the Vikings' bedrooms and on their battlefields, and we meet the sorcerers themselves through their remarkable burials and the tools of their trade. Combining archaeology, history and literary scholarship with extensive studies of Germanic and circumpolar religion, this multi-award-winning book shows us the Vikings as we have never seen them before.Trade ReviewThis is a brilliant and beautifully written book, as evidenced, for instance, by Price’s evocative retelling of Ragnarǫkr in Chapter 2. The first edition of Viking Way was a watershed publication for Viking archaeology, and as it has now been updated and extended, this book will only cement its position as a truly fundamental piece of scholarship painting a much richer, more complex, and more disconcerting picture of what are frequently caricatured and romanticized people. The Viking Way will undoubtedly be read, cited, and remembered for a very long time. * Early Medieval Europe *The Viking Way is a saga-like page-turner. […] It was the most important work to have been published on Norse magic when I first read it in 2002. In this second, revised and expanded edition, Price sets the benchmark for research on the Viking Way for at least another twenty years. * Time & Mind: the Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture. *The Viking Way is a precious and detailed handbook in every respect […] the book is a first-rank culture history of the Vikings. * Shaman *Price’s easy-to-read writing style allows the study to clearly present and explain an assortment of complicated subject matters, which in turn makes these intricate topics more accessible for a varied audience […] Ultimately, this book remains one of the most influential studies on the Viking Age… * Kyngervi *In summary, readers will be pleased by this new edition in that it largely preserves the much sought-after first edition while simultaneously updating some pieces of information and adding over 500 new references to relevant works published since the first edition, some new photographs and illustrations, and an index. * Journal of English and Germanic Philology *Table of ContentsList of figures and tables Abbreviations Preface and acknowledgements to the first edition Preface and acknowledgements to the second edition A note on language A note on seid 1. Different Vikings? Towards a cognitive archaeology of the later Iron Age A beginning at Birka Textual archaeology and the Iron Age The Other and the Odd? An archaeology of the Viking mind? 2. Problems and paradigms in the study of Old Norse sorcery Entering the mythology Research perspectives on Scandinavian pre-Christian religion Gods and monsters, worship and superstition The shape of Old Norse religion The double world: seiðr and the problem of Old Norse ‘magic’ Seiðr in the sources Seiðr in research 3. Seiðr Óðinn Freyja and the magic of the Vanir Seiðr and Old Norse cosmology The performers The performance Engendering seiðr Seiðr and the concept of the soul The domestic sphere of seiðr Seiðr contextualised 4. Noaidevuohta Seiðr and the Sámi Sámi-Norse relations in the Viking Age Sámi religion and the Drum-Time Rydving’s terminology of noaidevuohta Women and noaidevuohta The rituals of noaidevuohta The ethnicity of religious context in Viking-Age Scandinavia 5. Circumpolar religion and the question of Old Norse shamanism The circumpolar cultures and the invention of shamanism The shamanic world-view Shamanism in Scandinavia Seiðr and circumpolar shamanism 6. The supernatural empowerment of aggression Seiðr and the world of war Valkyrjur, skaldmeyjar and hjálmvitr Supernatural agency in battle The projection of destruction Battle magic Seiðr and the shifting of shape Berserkir and ulfheðnar Ecstasy, psychic dislocation and the dynamics of mass violence Weaving war, grinding battle: Darraðarljóð and Grottas˛ongr in context 7. The Viking way A reality in stories Viking women, Viking men 8. Magic and mind Receptions and reactions Cracks in the ice of Norse ‘religion’ Walking into the seiðr: contested interpretations of Viking-Age magic Queering magic? The social world of war The Viking mind: a conclusion References Primary sources, including translations Pre-nineteenth-century sources for the early Sámi and Siberian cultures Secondary sources Sources in archive Index

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Book SynopsisDescription and discussion of over two thousand brooches, rings, buckles, pendants, buttons, purses and other accessories found in archaeological digs in London, and dating from the period 1150-1450. Brooches, rings, buckles, pendants, buttons, purses and other accessories were part of everyday dress in the middle ages. Over two thousand such items dating from the period 1150-1450 are described and discussed here, all found inrecent archaeological excavations in London - then as now one of western Europe's most cosmopolitan cities, its social and economic activity compounded by the waterside bustle of the Thames. These finds constitute the mostextensive and varied group of such accessories yet recovered in Britain, and their close dating and the scientific analysis carried out on them have been highly revealing. Important results published here for the first time show,for example, the popularity of shoddy, mass-produced items in base metals during the high middle ages and enable researchers to identify the varied products of rival traditions of manufacture mentioned in historical sources.Anyone needing accurate information on period costume will welcome this book, which will appeal to the general reader interested in costume and design, as well as to archaeologists and historians. THE AUTHORS are members of staff of the Museum of London.

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Book SynopsisCatalogue of knives and scabbards found in London excavations, with discussion of date, technology, decoration and function. Knives were vital to medieval man for a whole range of uses, from the domestic to the wider social context: Anglo-Saxon pre-Christian burials bear silent witness to this dependence in the many cases where knives are found among the grave-goods. Forged and hafted with great skill, sometimes with elaborately decorated scabbards, knives are of intrinsic fascination, besides being indicators of the popular artistic tastes of the time. This book catalogues, discusses and illustrates over five hundred knives, scabbards, shears and scissors dating from the mid-12th to the mid-15th centuries and found in the City of London, particularly along the waterfront sites, where recovered items can be accurately dated by dendrochronology and coin finds. It is a fundamental work of reference for medieval artefacts and material culture, an essential handbook for excavators all over Britain and much of Europe. JANE COWGILL, MARGRETHE DE NEERGAARDE and NICK GRIFFITHS are former members of the staff of the Museum of London.Trade ReviewA valuable reference for medieval blade studies... An excellent reference work. * TOOL AND TRADES HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER *

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Owain Glyndwr (Glyn Dwr) rebellion written by the foremost scholar in this field, Rees Davies. A new translation by Gerald Morgan of his popular Welsh-language account of the rebellion. A masterful study of the life and legacy of Glyn Dwr, whose revolt against the English rule of Wales in the early 15th century ensured his status as a national hero. Reprint.

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Book SynopsisThe valley of the western Rother lies within the South Downs National Park but has a special character based on its Cretaceous geology of sandstones and clays. These give rise to soils that are ideal for agriculture but are extremely erodible. Over the centuries the area has been exploited by humans and partially cleared of forest. In this book, the archaeological history of the Rother Valley is summarized, with particular emphasis on the evidence for Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Roman occupation. Analysis of sediments in ponds adds to the evidence for changes that have happened over the last few hundred years. A notable feature of the cultural landscape is the network of sunken lanes.The Rother Valley contains unique chalk-aquifer fed streams with rare and protected species, such as sea trout and otter. Heathland, floodplain, wet meadows and woodlands are interspersed with agriculture, linked together by hedgerows and ditches. The health of the river is threatened by polluting inputs from farming and sewage. Past weather and hydrological records show the potential impact of climate change on the functioning of the river. The impact of recent changes on water availability for irrigation and human consumption are explored in relation to ecosystem requirements. Soil erosion is a significant problem, with the resulting high river sediment concentrations requiring expensive cleaning for the water to be fit for human consumption and the runoff often causes flooding of roads and properties. Mitigation measures aim to reduce the loss of soil on fields and interrupt connectivity between fields and the river system. We identify sediment sources contributing eroded soil to the river, the function of field-edge sediment traps, in-stream weirs and major reservoirs on sediment storage and connectivity.Finally, the book considers the future of the unique landscape that is the Rother Valley, including plans for restoration of the flood plain. Contributors include planners, researchers and managers of the large estates that are an integral part of the Rother landscape.

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Book Synopsis ''A pretty awesome present for the feminist in your life'' - Caroline Criado Perez, OBE, author of Do It Like a WomanAt the last count, the Blue Plaque Guide honours 903 Londoners, and a walking tour of these sites brings to life the London of a bygone era. But only 111 of these blue plaques commemorate women.Over the centuries, London has been home to thousands of truly remarkable women who have made significant and lasting impacts on every aspect of modern life: from politics and social reform, to the Arts, medicine, science, technology and sport. Many of those women went largely unnoticed, even during their own lifetimes, going about their lives quietly but with courage, conviction, skill and compassion. Others were fearless, strident trail-blazers. Many lived in an era when their achievements were given a male name, clouding the capabilities of women in any field outside of the home or field. A Woman Lived Here shines a spotlight on some of these forgotten women to redress the balance. The stories on these pages commemorate some of the most remarkable of London''s women, who set out to make their world a little richer, and in doing so, left an indelible mark on ours.

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing inside story of the Wagner Group, the world’s deadliest militia – “a must-read for anyone interested in the future of Russia and how to counter the Kremlin’s wars” (H. R. McMaster) In June 2023, the Wagner Group assembled an armed convoy that included tanks and rocket launchers and set out on what seemed like a journey to take control of Moscow. The last person to attempt such a venture was Adolf Hitler. Wagner’s power began from patronage, then grew from international theft and extortion, until it was so great it exposed the weakness of Russia’s conventional military and became a threat to the Russian state, one that was not demonstrably eliminated until a private jet containing Wagner’s core commanders was blown up in midair. That Yevgeny Prigozhin, a local criminal thug, was able to build a private army that was on the threshold of overwhelming the world’s second largest country seems incredible. In fact, it was inevitable following the hollowing out of the Russian military, the creeping use of contract groups for murky foreign missions, power struggles inside the Kremlin, and the ability of the new militias to corner and exploit the black economy. Told with unique inside sourcing and expertise, Putin’s Sledgehammer is a gripping and terrifying account of a superpower that contracted its soul to a pitiless militia.

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Book SynopsisExplore 100 years of British History through key broadcasting moments illuminated by images from the BBC archive. Created 100 years ago, on 18 October 1922, the BBC transformed people''s lives at the turn of a dial, bringing voices out of the ether and conjuring the magic community of radio. Now, our lives are inextricably linked to broadcasting. It is how we remember where we come from and who we are - from the Moon Landing to the 9/11 attacks, from Monty Python to EastEnders, from Live Aid to London 2012.Head of BBC History Robert Seatter charts the story of a broadcaster and a nation, reflecting the story of all our lives across ten tumultuous decades. Broadcasting Britain: 100 years of the BBC is a vivid, thought-provoking and, most of all, entertaining celebration of a global cultural icon.Discover the BBC''s central role in reflecting our ever-changing world: - Concise, essay-style text gets to the heart of each carefully chosen topic- Organized chronologically year by year, decade by decade, for ease of reference- In this year... timeline tracks significant events and BBC programmes- Biography boxes on key broadcasters and writers- Quotes from fans and broadcasters summarize chosen programmes'' impactIn 2022, the BBC will be the first broadcaster globally to mark 100 years of continuous broadcasting, launching a special year of content: events, bespoke commissioning, special programmes, publishing, and much, much more, celebrating UK culture, education, and climate and sustainability. Created with exclusive access to the BBC''s archives, Broadcasting Britain is a unique celebration of British culture, with authoritative text by an acknowledged expert in the field. Carefully curated stories reflect the story of the BBC in all its breadth and diversity, whilst tapping into public memory and the many ways that people have experienced the BBC as part of their own lives.A must-have volume for adults aged 30+ interested in modern and social history and current affairs, alongside fans of classic BBC programming, both on radio and TV.

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Book SynopsisHow to create our industrial future with inspiration and lessons from the originators of the industrial revolution.Climate change, global disruption, and labor scarcity are forcing us to rethink the underlying principles of industrial society. In The New Lunar Society, David Mindell envisions this new industrialism from the fundamentals, drawing on the eighteenth century when first principles were formed at the founding of the Industrial Revolution. While outlining the new industrialism, he tells the story of the Lunar Society, a group of engineers, scientists, and industrialists who came together to apply the principles of the Enlightenment to industrial processes. Those principles were collaboration, the marriage of practical and scientific knowledge, and the belief that the world could progress through making things.The Lunar Society included pioneers like James Watt, Benjamin Franklin, and Josiah Wedgwood, and their conversations no less than ignited the Industrial Revolution and shaped the founding of the United States. Telling the stories of these makers in parallel with those of our current moment of crisis on multiple fronts, Mindell argues for a new industrialism. He asks: What does industry look like when it strives to optimize for the lowest carbon footprint as well as the greatest profit? When it values resilience as much as efficiency? When it upholds dignified, inclusive, sustainable work? Optimistic but not utopian about our ability to build the world, The New Lunar Society shines a light on how a new generation can reanimate the best ideas of our thinking doer forebears and begin to build a future that is both realistic and human-centered.

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Book SynopsisFascinating and vivid. New StatesmanThoroughly researched. The SpectatorIntriguing. BBC History MagazineVividly told. BBC History RevealedA timely warning against persecution. Morning StarAstute and thoughtful. History TodayAn important work. All About HistoryWell-researched. The TabletOn the morning of Thursday 29 June 1682, a magpie came rasping, rapping and tapping at the window of a prosperous Devon merchant. Frightened by its appearance, his servants and members of his family had, within a matter of hours, convinced themselves that the bird was an emissary of the devil sent by witches to destroy the fabric of their lives. As the result of these allegations, three women of Bideford came to be forever defined as witches. A Secretary of State brushed aside their case and condemned them to the gallows; to hang as the last group of women to be executed in England for the crime. Yet, the hatreTrade ReviewCallow’s intriguing book is both a case study of the Bideford witch trail and an examination of how superstition prevailed in a time of increasing rationality… Callow’s fascinating and vivid unpicking of the English Salem is also an account of the birth pangs of the modern age. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *Callow examines in detail the surviving evidence of the Bideford case, while also imaginatively reconstructing events to create a convincing picture of how superstition and belief in sorcery lay just beneath the surface of a mercantile society struggling to be born. -- Nigel Jones * The Spectator *One 17th-century pamphlet about the Bideford trial promised "many Wonderful Things, worth your Reading"; a line that could justifiably be slapped across the cover of [The Last Witches of England]. -- Tristram Saunders * The Telegraph Culture *A retelling of a 17th-century witchcraft trial that never loses sight of the women at its heart, nor the social and economic factors that contributed to their plight… There is no plain explanation for the witchcraft accusations of 1682, but then acts of evil never have a simple origin. The Last Witches of England faces that fact and marshals an intriguing story around new research on the case. -- Marion Gibson * BBC History Magazine *Carrow meticulously explores the haunting tale of the Bideford witches. -- Suzannah Lipscomb * UnHerd *An elegantly presented, well illustrated and readable book on how class conflict played out through witch hunting… A timely warning against persecution and intolerance. * The Morning Star *In The Last Witches of England John Callow painstakingly reconstructs the lines of three beggar women accused of witchcraft in Bideford, Devon in 1632 by trawling administrate records, parish registers and dole lists. It is a remarkable piece of scholarship…astute and thoughtful. * History Today *Vividly told, detailed and extremely moving. * BBC History Revealed *The Last Witches of England is an important work of social history that presents valuable insights into the workings of life, death, and belief in a cosmopolitan 17th-century town. * All About History *A well-researched and even-handed account of this landmark case, giving pen portraits of all the major players, and providing a comprehensive picture of life in seventeenth-century Britain. -- Chris Nancollas * The Tablet *[Written] with flair and colour… Excellent local studies such as [this] bring[s] us closer to understanding the reality of witchcraft beliefs and accusations in the early modern English world than we have ever seen before. -- Ronald Hutton * Fortean Times *I rarely feel deeply moved by academic publications but John Callow’s exploration of the ‘Bideford Witches’ had a profound effect on me… Callow’s work invites the reader to bear witness to the persecution of the poor and the marginalised… Callow’s work adds considerable weight to a strong moral argument. -- Julie Ward * Chartist *This riveting read is important albeit uncomfortable. In this book, Callow has allowed readers to look at their shared past unflinchingly so that we may go into a less tragic future. -- Hilary Wilson * The Folklore Podcast *A marvellous overview of not only the fate of three women but also of Bideford which was an important port in the 17th Century... with an in depth study of the social and political conditions surrounding the fate of ‘The last witches’ is extremely valuable for those who are interested in the historical background to Wicca, but also for understanding the recent interest in Witchcraft as a political tool. * Wiccan Rede *The Last Witches of England: A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition offers a thoroughly engaging account of the lives and afterlives of Temperance Lloyd, Susanna Edwards, and Mary Trembles, three women who were executed for witchcraft in 1682. It is a well-told narrative that will be of interest to scholars of witchcraft, as well as those working more broadly in early modern British social history * Canadian Journal of History / Annales Canadiennes d'Histoire *[Callow] brings to the Bideford episode a nuanced sense of how witches’ supposed powers were understood and experienced at different levels of early modern society. * Inside Higher Ed *The Bideford witches' story is an essential piece in England's witchcraft history. Callow has researched it properly and deeply for the first time, and his astonishing discoveries shed new light on this tragic and bizarre story. He draws the reader into the story, retelling it with vibrant characterisation. We come away with a thoughtful understanding of what it meant to be deemed a witch, tried as a witch, and to die as a witch. -- Dr. Christina Oakley Harrington, Founder & Director, Treadwell's, UKI read the book with considerable interest and enjoyment - others have written on the Bideford witches, but not in this sort of depth. John Callow has been remarkably successful in reconstructing the story of the three 'Bideford Witches' executed in 1682. He maintains an imaginative and accessible narrative grounded in the relevant documentation and the relevant historical context, which will immerse the modern reader in the tragedies and complexities of the early modern witch hunts. -- James Sharpe, Professor Emeritus of Early Modern History, University of York, UKThis is a stirring and multilayered book. At its heart is a very sad story, but one that needs to be heard. The cautionary tale Callow spins here is not the war between superstition and reason, but in the ways in which we have historically vilified and marginalized those in poverty, especially women, and the lengths we go to in silencing their voices. -- Dr Amy Hale, Anthropologist and Folklorist, writer of Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern Loved Gully, USAWith 17th Century culture wars, conspiracy theories and non-science, it wasn’t just the people who spread deadly superstition. Political, religious, media, scientific and even legal establishments literally demonised vulnerable women. John Callow’s meticulous and gripping history of the Bideford Witches is unputdownable. -- Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Politician, Barrister and Human Rights Activist, UKTable of ContentsIllustrations Acknowledgements A Note on Dating & Terminology Prologue: The Magpie at the Window Chapter One: Fortune My Foe Chapter Two: England’s Golden Bay Chapter Three: An Underground Religion Chapter Four: The Cat, the Pig and the Poppet Chapter Five: The Stolen Apple & a Farthing’s Worth of Tobacco Chapter Six: A Fine Gentleman Dressed All in Black Chapter Seven: The Discourse of the Sleepy Chimney Chapter Eight: The Politics of Death Chapter Nine: At the House of the White Witch Chapter Ten: Where are the Witches? The Crafting of Memory and Survival Endnotes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“No one masters so many primary and secondary sources. . . given character by the elegance and lightness of his literary touch. . . You will not read a work of wider interest on Thomas’s period.”—Blair Worden, Literary Review“This book is a fully realised successor to those classics by Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic and Man and the Natural World. . . The command of evidence is extraordinary, and the final result is of a huge poly-phony, as different voices disagree, conflict, reinforce each other and undermine another’s point of view. It is funny as well as heartbreaking, absurd as well as chilling. There is hardly a page without half a dozen extraordinary incidents, statements or facts — and the 100 pages of notes are a tour-de-force of learned command, intelligent investigation and compelling judgment. There can hardly be a more convincing statement of what civilisation means than Keith Thomas’s own work.”—Philip Hensher, Spectator“There is much scope for honest praise in this learned, humane and wide-ranging book, based on a lifetime’s reading in both early modern sources and recent scholarship on English social and cultural history.”—Ann Hughes, THES“Keith Thomas’s wonderful book, which is both erudite and energising, thoughtfully confirms that the way in which cultures deal with ethnic, religious and behavioural differences, as well as the often despised poor, is an index of its true civility. . . ought to be read and meditated upon by our increasingly boorish political classes.”—Brian Young, Daily Telegraph “Gloriously rich...an irresistible mosaic of 17th- and 18th-century life.” — Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times “The result is as entertaining as it is erudite.” — William Moore, Evening Standard“The author of the classic Religion and the Decline of Magic, Thomas is a national treasure who should be cloned so that future generations can benefit from his intelligence and urbane sensibility. . . His research is impressive, but even more so is his ability to bring the past alive by letting people such as Defoe and Swift tell their stories. This is a very civilised book.”—Gerard DeGroot, The Times “Thomas is one of Britain’s greatest living historians. . . In the final pages of his hugely rich and impressive book, [he] makes a strong case for the defence. What civility boiled down to, he says, was kindness, decency and cleanliness. And in some ways we have a lot to learn from our forebears.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times“In Pursuit of Civility is a highly readable account of the ways in which the English have defined themselves and those around them, as well as of dissident voices who persistently criticised such fashioning. It also reminds us that we are part of a much older, global conversation about pluralism, difference and what it means to be members of the human species.”—Emily Jones, Financial Times“[A] fascinating but disquieting book about the history of English civility.”—Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Daily Mail“Reading [In Pursuit of Civility] is like listening to a continuous conversation between countless articulate voices from the past. . . A beautifully written and continuously stimulating tour-de-force.”—Fara Dabhoiwala, Guardian“Resting on an awesome foundation of scholarship, unobtrusively available in the endnotes, richly illustrated by contemporary quotations and produced in a handsome and remarkably affordable hardback, this is a book to ponder, to savour and to enjoy.”—Martin Wellings, Methodist Recorder“One of the most entertaining books imaginable.” —Philip Hensher, The Spectator (Books of the year 2018)"Our finest living historian gives a dismayingly entertaining survey of what was held to be civilised behaviour and what barbarous in England between 1500 and 1800.” —Claire Tomalin, New Statesman (Books of the Year)“Keith Thomas touches on the sentiment in his latest book on the history of early­modern England, in which he seeks, in his own words, ‘to demonstrate the importance of the ideals of civility and civilisation’ in England between the Reformation and the French Revolution.” — Serenhedd James, Church Times “Keith Thomas has produced a delightfully quirky book about how the English learnt to be nice.” —Gerard De Groot, The Times Ireland“A lively, engaging and perceptive book on the topic of civility in early modern England.” —Joan Redmond, Reviews in History “A thorough, lavishly illustrated account” —Karen Serres, The Burlington Magazine“A distinguished contribution to the "historical ethnography of early modern England" ” —Arnold Hunt, Times Literary Supplement“Brilliant study” —Bernard Richards, Oxford Magazine“A prodigious range of reference” — John Gallagher, LRB“In this magisterial study, Keith Thomas explores the history of socio-anthropological ideas about ‘manners’. They include not just conventional codes of politeness (such as behaviour at table) but the social customs which underpin all interpersonal relationships.”—Penelope J. Corfield, Cultural and Social History

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Book SynopsisThe Greek war for independence (1821–1830) goes missing from the narrative of the Age of Revolutions, yet the overthrow of Ottoman rule was of profound political significance. The Greek Revolution offers short essays detailing the activities, personalities, intellectual underpinnings, and global resonances of a pivotal episode in modern history.Trade ReviewAn outstanding contribution to our understanding of the Greek Revolution and its immense consequences on global history, from an impressive group of distinguished scholars covering an astonishing range of topics on the revolutionary decade of the 1820s. This attractive, monumental work will be indispensable as we reflect on the bicentennial and the significance of the simultaneously old and young nation of Greece. -- Georgios Varouxakis, Queen Mary University of LondonContemporaries saw the Greek Revolution as a liberal beacon in an age of reaction; two centuries later, it seems to anticipate later independence movements, nationalist uprisings, civil wars, and refugee crises. The Greek Revolution magisterially reframes its significance within a global age of revolutions. A more impressive bicentennial tribute would be hard to imagine. -- David Armitage, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[Pastoureau] traces the use and significance of the color from the walls of the Lascaux caves and liturgical robes to medieval chess boards and heraldry, to engraving and photography, and the work of the Impressionist painters and contemporary designers. . . . Thorough research and abundant illustrations." * Library Journal *"A rich and encyclopedic exploration of the manifold ways in which Westerners have conceptualized the color white."---Jesse Russell, New Criterion"The book is full of fascination and is as abundant in unusual images as in revealing facts."---Michael Prodger, New Statesman"Magisterial. . . .The book is full of striking contextualised images from antiquity to the present day, so readers gain vivid impressions of the role of white and its symbolism. The series is an extraordinary achievement." * Paradigm Explorer *"The book is a good introductory resource on the significance and symbolism of the color white in Western European culture. Pastoureau's volume is a valuable addition to his introduction to the history of color in the West." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisLynn Hunt is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. She is the author of numerous books, including Measuring Time, Making History (2008) and, with Jack R. Censer, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution (2001). She is also the co-editor, along with Suzanne Desan and William Nelson, of The French Revolution in Global Perspective (2013).Jack R. Censer is Professor of History at George Mason University, USA. He is the author of The French Press in the Age of Enlightenment (2004) and The French Revolution and Intellectual History (1989). He is also the co-author, along with Lynn Hunt, of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution (2001).Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables Preface 1. Why France Had a Revolution in 1789 2. The Power of the People, 1789-1792 3. A Republic in Constant Crisis, 1792-1794 4. The Power of the Military, 1794-1799 5. From Bonapartist Republic to Napoleonic Empire, 1800-1807 6. The Napoleonic Eagle Soars and Finally Plummets, 1808-1815 Conclusion: Crucible of the Modern World Notes Index

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Book Synopsis'Philippa Langley has done it again.' – THE TIMESA HISTORY HIT BOOK OF THE MONTHHistory re-written: has the 540-year-old mystery been solved?‘The totality of evidence revealed is astonishing. Following the discovery of King Richard III’s grave in a car park in Leicester in 2012, The Missing Princes Project will again rewrite the history books, redrawing what we know about Richard III and Henry VII and pressing the reset button of history.’ - Philippa LangleyIn the summer of 1483, two brothers were seen playing in the grounds of the Tower of London, where they’d been lodged by the King’s Council – their uncle, the future Richard III, its chief member. From there the boys seem to vanish from the historical record, and so one of the greatest and most intriguing mysteries of British history was born. Over the centuries, historians have debated tirelessly about the fate of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York: did they die in the Tower? Did they escape? Were they murdered?After astonishing success in locating and laying to rest Richard III, Philippa Langley turns her forensic focus onto this enduring case, teaming up with criminal investigative experts, historians, archivists and researchers from around the world in her groundbreaking The Missing Princes Project. Following years of extensive research, investigation and formidable dedication, this landmark study has finally reached completion, with stunning conclusions.In The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case, join Langley as she records the painstaking investigative work undertaken and lays out the evidence to reveal the remarkable untold story. Here she is able, finally, to address any injustice and solve the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower once and for all.Compelling in breadth and detail, this book asks its readers to re-examine what they thought they knew about one of our greatest historical mysteries. Perfect for fans of the period and the likes of Dan Jones, Philippa Gregory and Janina Ramirez.Trade Review‘The discoveries in this book shed new light on events surrounding the Princes in the Tower. Rather than favour Tudor propaganda or Victorian revisionism, this asks us to go back to the time and scrutinise evidence with fresh eyes.’ – Dr Janina Ramirez, University of Oxford and No. 1 bestselling author of Femina‘Philippa Langley has earned a reputation for tenacious and meticulous research based on sound principles of piecing together centuries-old records … The remarkable discoveries documented here are only the beginning.’ – Annette Carson, acclaimed historical writer and biographer‘The Princes in the Tower is a gripping and ingenious work of historical detection. Ms. Langley and her team have cast new light into a murky period, and with a methodological brilliance that eludes most academic historians.’ -- WALL STREET JOURNAL'Philippa Langley has done it again.' -- Julia Llewellyn Smith, THE TIMES‘… a phenomenal, untold story.’ -- Amy Irvine, HISTORY HIT‘(The) story is fascinating, and researcher Philippa Langley deserves huge credit for her discoveries.’ --THE SPECTATOR

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Book SynopsisGeorgia in the Mountains of Poetry is essential reading for anyone interested in this fascinating region, as well as for students and researchers looking for an insight into life after the collapse of the old Soviet order in the richest and most dramatic of its former republics.Trade Review'Elegiac, quirky, readable, deeply knowledgeable... the best cultural-historical introduction to that tempestuous land' Daily Telegraph'The best book on post-Soviet Georgia' Independent'Indispensable to all serious travellers to the Caucasus' Times Literary Supplement'Nasmyth is an ideal chronicler... read his quirky, entertaining, sometimes surreal book' Literary Review

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Book SynopsisPerfect guide and map for planning your adventure along Hadrian's Wall.Highlights of this Planning Map include:More than 20 highlighted places of interest with detailed descriptions and attractive photographs, including: the Vindolanda archaeological site, Chester's Roman fort, and Steel Rigg viewpoint.A comprehensive index to more than 400 cities, towns and villagesA clear, visible route plotted across the mapAdvice on safety and security when travelling along the route, as well as the countryside code and the code of conductPart of the National Trail network, this long-distance footpath covers 84 miles (135 km) along the line of Hadrian''s Wall from coast-to-coast. Starting in Wallsend in Newcastle and ending in Bowness-on-Solway, this path weaves through beautiful countryside, encountering historic remains of Roman forts and milecastles, and splendid bridges. A suggested walking itinerary makes it easy for users to plan their journey along this popular route.

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Book Synopsis''Beautiful, like a muddy journey through time . . . a really important book'' RAYNOR WINN, author of The Salt Path Lisa Woollett has spent her life combing beaches and mudlarking, collecting curious fragments of the past: from Roman tiles and Tudor thimbles, to Victorian buttons and plastic soldiers. In a series of walks from the Thames, out to the Kentish estuary and eventually to Cornwall, she traces the history of our rubbish and, through it, reveals the surprising story of our changing consumer culture.Timely and beautifully written, Rag and Bone shows what we can learn from what we''ve thrown away and urges us to think more about what we leave behind.Trade ReviewLisa Woollett's beautifully descriptive language intertwines the stories of the river's history with that of her family, like a muddy journey through time. But it's so much more than that - in recording the waste and the lives we've left behind she's given us a chance to change our ways and possibly head towards a cleaner future -- Raynor WinnWonderful . . . If you loved The Salt Path, you'll love this book. A glorious celebration of where the natural world meets the human (and the messes we make) -- Viv GroskopRag and Bone digs deep into the mud of the Thames estuary, and comes up with something compelling and urgent - history told through rubbish. Lisa Woollett is a genuine mudlark, alert and closely attuned to the ways of the intertidal zone. A fascinating book -- Philip MarsdenA delicious confection of a book, blending history and memoir with thoughts and close observation. I so enjoyed watching shadows of the past flit across Lisa Woollett's watery pages. It is a timely book, too, when, as Woollett writes, "our waste threatens to overwhelm us" -- Sara WheelerTracing the remote and recent past - her own, and ours - through watery debris, Lisa Woollett conjures up, in poetic prose and brilliant stories, the spin cycle of history. In Rag and Bone, she elegantly picks her way through the trash, to reveal something gloriously and richly strange: a portrait of what we were and what we might become -- Philip HoareMudlark and beachcomber Lisa Woollett journeys into her family's past, our collective history and our possible futures. Subtle, dark and funny, with flashes of beauty and wonder, Rag and Bone is a compelling meditation on the consumer culture and its consequences -- Caspar HendersonEntrancing -- Patrick GaleLisa Woollett spins narrative gold out of literal dross in this gorgeous story of our waterways that lulls you like a punt on the Cam before making you seasick at the damage we've wrought on the oceans * Evening Standard, Books to Read This Summer *Absorbing . . . Woollett has a gift for bringing to life the strange borderlands of the foreshore * Observer *Discursive, lyrical and intriguing . . . Woollett writes beautifully * Literary Review *Rag and Bone is more than a history in a hundred objects: it is a meditation on our relationship with objects themselves * Times Literary Supplement *[A] beguiling blend of memoir, nature writing and social history * The Bookseller, Editor's Choice *More than personal memoir, this is a powerful book that has much to say about the present and future state of our world * Countryfile *Woollett weaves the story of her own London family within the wider social history of recycling . . . the book is illustrated with photographs of her finds arranged in ways that often say as much as the words do about the subject matter * Caught by the River, Book of the Month *A constant delight . . . highly recommended * Eden Magazine *Accompanied by the fantastically beautiful photographs of her finds, Woollett . . . traces her own family history in poetic prose * Simple Things *[Woollett's] mudlarking (preferred tool: a butter knife) reveals no end of social history washed up on the shore and awaiting interpretation * Strong Words *Subtle, lyrical and funny * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisThis intriguing book describes the Romans'' formidably warlike enemies in modern Romania and Bulgaria their ''most illustrated'' opponents, thanks to friezes on Trajan''s Column and carvings on Trajan''s Adamklissi monument.Formidable warriors, able to field tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry and led by a military aristocracy, the Dacians and Getae presented a real threat to Rome''s north-eastern frontier. They inflicted several defeats on Rome, crossing the Danube to invade the province of Moesia, and later stubbornly resisting counter-invasions from their strong mountain fortresses.Historians believe that the Dacians and Getae were essentially the same group of tribes during successive periods, related to Thracian tribes from territory south of the Carpathian Mountains, but their exact relationship in place and time is a subject for debate. Those called the ''Getae'' by ancient Greek sources were actively expanding by at least the 4th century BC; somTrade Reviewwell-produced, extensively illustrated and carefully edited little book. * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION SELECT CHRONOLOGY THE GETAE AND DACI IN ANCIENT SOURCES SOCIAL STRUCTURES ARMIES CAMPAIGNS APPEARANCE MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND USE SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative and radical rethinking of the history of Ancient Britain and Ancient Ireland, based on remarkable new archaeological finds.British history is traditionally regarded as having started with the Roman Conquest. But this is to ignore half a million years of prehistory that still exert a profound influence. Here Francis Pryor examines the great ceremonial landscapes of Ancient Britain and Ireland Stonehenge, Seahenge, Avebury and the Bend of the Boyne as well as the discarded artefacts of day-to-day life, to create an astonishing portrait of our ancestors.This major re-revaluation of pre-Roman Britain, made possible in part by aerial photography and coastal erosion, reveals a much more sophisticated life in Ancient Britain and Ireland than has previously been supposed.Trade Review‘Written with pace and passion…immensely readable.’ Tom Holland, Daily Telegraph ‘It bounds along, wonderfully enlivened by Pryor’s earthy enthusiasm. If you want to be introduced painlessly to the fascinating debates surrounding our British past, then “Britain BC” is the book for you.’ Barry Cunliffe, New Scientist ‘Francis Pryor is a modern field archaeologist with a reputation second to none. He has written a book as successful and exciting as its ambition is huge…lucid and engaging.’ Alan Garner, The Times ‘There are enough curious facts, contentious theories and bizarre hypotheses here to hold the interest of anyone concerned with the unique and peculiar story of these islands.’ Independent on Sunday ‘Beautifully written, exciting and extremely good…an essential read.’ British Archaeology Praise for Francis Pryor’s television series ‘Britain BC’: ‘Fascinating…the evangelical Pryor paints a vivid portrait of pre-Roman society that tackles received wisdom about what was going on here in the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Pryor leaps about the country at a cracking pace, his big personality making sure we never get bored by the scant and rarefied scraps that are his stock-in-trade.’ Observer

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Enlightening. . . . [Elliott] expertly draws on trace evidence such as census records, real estate contracts, and paleoclimate research to make his case. It’s an informative history that serves to encourage better pandemic preparedness today." * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisMany beautiful illuminated manuscripts survive from the Middle Ages and can be seen in libraries and museums throughout Europe. But who were the skilled craftsmen who made these exquisite books? What precisely is parchment? How were medieval manuscripts designed and executed? What were the inks and pigments, and how were they applied? This book looks at the work of scribes, illuminators and book binders. Based principally on examples in the Bodleian Library, this lavishly illustrated account tells the story of manuscript production from the early Middle Ages through to the high Renaissance. Each stage of production is described in detail, from the preparation of the parchment, pens, paints and inks to the writing of the scripts and the final decoration and illumination of the manuscript. This book also explains the role of the stationer or bookshop, often to be found near cathedral and market squares, in the commissioning of manuscripts, and it cites examples of specific scribes and illuminators who can be identified through their work as professional lay artisans. Christopher de Hamel’s engaging text is accompanied by a glossary of key technical terms relating to manuscripts and illumination, providing an invaluable introduction for anyone interested in studying medieval manuscripts today.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE PAPER AND PARCHMENT CHAPTER TWO INK AND SCRIPT CHAPTER THREE ILLUMINATION AND BINDING GLOSSARY SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PICTURE CREDITS INDEX

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Book Synopsis''You know how to win a battle, Hannibal; you do not know how to use the victory!''Livy''s great history of Rome contains, in Books 21 to 30, the definitive ancient account of Hannibal''s invasion of Italy in 218 BC, and the war he fought with the Romans over the following sixteen years. Livy describes the bloody siege of the Spanish city of Saguntum, Rome''s ally, which sparked the war, and the Carthaginian leader''s famous march with elephants over the Alps into Italy. Livy''s gripping story-telling vividly conveys the drama of the great battles, the disastrous encounters at Trasimene and Cannae, and the final confrontation between Hannibal and the youthful Scipio Africanus. Individuals as well as events are brought powerfully to life, as the long course of the Second Punic War unfolds.This new translation captures the brilliance of Livy''s style, and is accompanied by a fascinating introduction and notes.The complete Livy in English, available in five volumes from Oxford World''s Classics. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Review...has long been recognised as 'one of the most outstanding narratives in ancient historiography'. * John John Jacobs, Yale University *'Altogether, Yardley and Hoyos have collaborated to produce what will now become the authoritative English rendering of Livy 21-30. Yardley's exemplary translation strikes the right balance between a strict fidelity to the syntax of the Latin and the need to explain what Livy means while translating him.' * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

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Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive history of 'English' as an academic discipline in Britain, covering the development of the subject from its late-eighteenth-century beginnings up to the 1960s.

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Book SynopsisVikings were more than just marine warriors. This atlas shows their development as traders and craftsmen, explorers, settlers and mercenaries. It contains over sixty colour maps, and follows the tracks of the Viking merchants who travelled deep into Russia, and of Viking mercenaries who served in the emperor's bodyguard at Constantinople.Table of ContentsThe Causes of the Viking Age; Timeline. Part I The Origins of the Vikings: The Scandinavian Environment; Scandinavia Before the Vikings; Pagan Religion and Burial. Part II Scandinavia in the Viking Age: From Chiefdoms to Kingdoms; Rural Settlement; Trade and Trade Routes; Ships and Seafaring; Viking Towns; Women in the Viking Age. Part III The Raids: The Raids Begin; The Raids Intensify; The Vikings in the Mediterranean; The Franks Fight Back; The Great Army in England; The Great Raids on Francia; Wessex Defended; The Conquest of the Danelaw; The Kingdom of York; Vikings in Ireland I; Vikings in Ireland II; The Vikings in Scotland; Scandinavian Placenames in Britain; The Duchy of Normandy; The Vikings in Brittany; The Viking Warrior. Part IV The North Atlantic Saga: The Faeroes and Iceland; The Settlement of Iceland; Icelandic Literature; The Vikings in Greenland; Voyages to Vinland. Part V The Vikings in the East: The Swedes in the East; From Scandinavian to Slav. Part VI The Transformation of the Vikings: Raids on AEthelraed's Kingdom; The Danes Conquer England; The Empire' of Cnut; The Thunderbolt of the North; The Struggle for England; The Kingdom of Man and the Isles; The Twilight of Viking Scotland; Scandinavia After the Vikings; The Early Scandinavian Church. Viking Kings and Rulers.

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Book Synopsis'Superb. A Burning Sea is a vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with.' Giles KristianDoomed to wander. Destined for glory.Convinced he is cursed, Erlan Aurvandil has turned his back on his native Northern lands. In search of freedom, he embarks on a perilous trip to Byzantium, the greatest city in the world. But as his voyage ends, Erlan is brutally betrayed and sold into slavery to a powerful Byzantine general.Meanwhile, Lilla Sviggarsdottír, Queen of Svealand, has lost her husband - and with him her kingdom. Fleeing for her life, Lilla journeys east on a new quest: to find Erlan and raise an army mighty enough to defeat her usurper.But, on reaching Byzantium, Lilla discovers a dark tide is rising against the Emperor, both outside the city walls and within his own court. As the whispers of war grow ever louder, both her and Erlan's fate become entwined with that of the city. Are they doomed to fall, or can freedom be won in the fierce heat of battle?Trade ReviewSuperb. A Burning Sea is another vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. * Giles Kristian *Brilliant. Theodore Brun might just be historical fiction's next big thing. * Adam Lofthouse *Gripping. Gut-wrenching. Visceral. Highly recommended * Eric Schumacher *Brun's writing is filled with nuance and humanity, jeopardy and violence. This is epic historical adventure at its very best. * Matthew Harffy *Engages you from the first page, throws you into the plot, and thrills and exhausts at the same time. Very highly recommended. * Robin Carter, Parmenion Books *A masterly debut. ... If Bernard Cornwell and George RR Martin had a lovechild, it would look like A Mighty Dawn. I devoured it late into the night, and eagerly await the sequel. * Antonia Senior on A Mighty Dawn *Evocative prose and the brutality of the Viking world, it's all here, woven with a deft touch into a tremendous tale. * Giles Kristian on A Mighty Dawn *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Tyler Cowen's Best Non-Fiction Books of 2020""Lucid and scrupulously researched history."---Henry Hitchings, The Spectator"A comedy about preposterous or earnest characters at work in an essentially virtuous institution."---Matthew Sweet, History Today"I’ve greatly enjoyed reading Arts and Minds. . . . The book is clearly a labour of love, and is packed with interesting bits of information. . . . Anybody interested in the process of invention, diffusion and changing tastes will greatly enjoy reading this."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist"[Arts and Minds] is simply a very good read. Anton avoids the trap of writing as if for a dissertation and laying on the jargon, and simply tells a rattling good story, full of eccentric characters and colourful detail."---Mike Paterson, London Historians' Blog"This enjoyable and interesting book tells the story of the Royal Society of Arts from its founding in 1754 to the present day. . . . Howes is to be thanked for a story so very well told."---Peter Stansky, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"[An] interesting, detailed history of the RSA, whose broad mission was and is hard to define. . . . Historians of different interests will find this book fascinating, and Benjamin Franklin, an early member, would be pleased by it." * Choice Reviews *"Well-researched. . . . a generally entertaining and illuminating story."---Susan Bennett, Journal of British Studies"[An] original and important contribution. It will inform any subsequent historiographical efforts to understand the precise ways in which liberal industrial capitalist values and practices came to achieve their hegemonic position within modern Britain’s wider social order."---Theodore Koditschek, Journal of Modern History"Howes is to be thanked for a story so very well told.—Peter Stanksy, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"

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Book SynopsisThe popular image of the Viking Age is of warlords and marauding bands pillaging their way along the shores of Northern Europe. In this fascinating history, Jesse Byock shows that Norse society in Iceland was actually an independent one-almost a republican Free State, without warlords or kings. Combining history with anthropology and archaeology, this remarkable study serves as a valuable companion to the Icelandic sagas, exploring all aspects of Viking Age life: feasting, farming, the power of chieftains and the church, marriage, and the role of women. With masterful interpretations of the blood feuds and the sagas, Byock reveals how the law courts favored compromise over violence, and how the society grappled with proto-democratic tendencies. A work with broad social and historical implications for our modern institutions, Byock's history will alter long-held perceptions of the Viking Age.Trade Review"Byock brings several disciplines to his work, crossing the boundaries between history, literature, law, and archaeology. This well-written book takes up a wide variety of subjects, including the social fabric, domestic realities, cultural codes, politics and legal infrastructures, and the mechanisms that defused conflicts among the fiercely independent early Icelanders." —Viking Heritage Magazine"A vital and original reinterpretation both of the sagas and of the society which created them. Byock's book is an essential guide at once to living conditions and to mentalities."—The London Review of BooksTable of ContentsAn immigrant society; resources and subsistence - life on a northern island; curdled milk and calamities - an inward-looking farming society; a devolving and evolving social order; the founding of a new society and the historical sources; limitations on a chieftain's ambitions, and strategies; chietfain-thingmen relationships and advocacy; the family and Sturlunga sagas -mediaeval narratives; the legislative and judicial system; systems of power - advocates, friendship and family; aspects of blood feud; feud and vendetta in a "great village" community; friendship, blood feud and power - "the saga of the people of weapon's fjord"; the obvious sources of wealth; lucrative sources of wealth for chieftains; a peaceful conversion - the Viking age church; "Gragas" - the "grey goose" law; bishops and secular authority - the later church; big chieftains, big farmers and their sagas at the end of the free state; appendix 1 - the law-speakers; appendix 2 - bishops during the free state; appendix 3 -turf construction; appendix 4 - a woman who travelled from Vinland to Rome.

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Book SynopsisWritten between 1143 and 1153 by the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, The Alexiad is one of the most popular and revealing primary sources in the vast canon of medieval literature. Princess Anna Komnene, eldest child of the imperial couple, reveals the inner workings of the court, profiles its many extraordinary personages, and offers a firsthand account of immensely significant events such as the First Crusade, as well as its impact on the relationship between eastern and western Christianity. A celebrated triumph of Byzantine letters, this is an unparalleled view of Constantinople and the medieval world.This Penguin Classics edition is based on E. R. A. Sewter''s renowned translation, revised by Peter Frankopan. It also includes an introduction, notes and other critical apparatus by Frankopan.

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Book SynopsisWilliam of Rubruck was a Franciscan friar who wrote the first great travel book about Asia. In 1253-55 he made the journey from the Holy Land to the court of the Great Khan Mongke at Qaraqorum in Mongolia and back again. His account is particularly vivid because he related to the individual people he met. This title offers translation of the text.Trade Review"In short, the Jackson-Morgan work captures the excitement and illuminates the background of Rubruck's journey." --Morris Rossabi, The Journal of Asian Studies"[A] gem . . . Jackson's emendations are judicious, his translation reads well. . . . The exemplary work of Peter Jackson and David Morgan will remain indispensable to all interested in the wealth of information contained in Rubruck's report." --Denis Sinor, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

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Book SynopsisA magisterial portrayal of English Christianity over the last 1,400 years.

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Book SynopsisDescribing various aspects of life in complex historical eras - cultural, social, religious, and political, this work details such day-to-day activities as cooking, games, dress, and parenting.Trade Review"Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World reviews major historical and cultural events while explaining the more personal details of daily life, such as the role of camels, housing arrangements, and entertainment. For the truly immersive experience, Lindsay even provides a few medieval Islamic recipes and instructions for converting between Christian and Islamic calendars." --Middle East Journal

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