European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisThe thrilling history of the turning point of the Second World War, when Hitler's armies were halted on the Eastern Front.Trade Review'A gripping account . . . told with verve and scholarship' * Andrew Roberts *Praise for STALINGRAD and LENINGRAD by Michael Jones - * : *'A milestone in the treatment of the battle ... highly effective and utterly captivating. Previous accounts have been unable to fully convey the desperate ferocity of the battle. Now we see it in all its horror - and better understand the courage of Stalingrad's defenders. This is the finest history of its type published to date' * David Glanz *'Where the book stands out is in the portrait of ordinary life in extraordinary circumstances ... Fluently written ... the uniquely terrible experience of suffering, especially of 1941-2, is effectively described' * BBC History *'A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit' * HERALD *'A mass of first-person material that has been cleverly assembled to paint a striking picture' * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBletchley Park, known to those who worked there as Station X, was the scene of one of the greatest Allied triumphs of the Second World War. The breaking of the Nazi Enigma cyphers by Britain''s wartime code-breakers continues to fascinate, with well over 100,000 people visiting the scene of their successes every year. Bletchley Park provided the intelligence that ensured Allied victories in the Battle of Atlantic, the war in North Africa and, most crucially, the D-Day invasion of Europe, and it was also the birthplace of the modern computer. The code-breakers were led by men like Dilly Knox and Alan Turing, but also included thousands of ''ordinary'' people, the vast majority of them young women. This book contains previously unpublished photographs showing them at work and play. It not only explains how their work influenced the battle against Nazi Germany and its Italian and Japanese allies, but also describes how they lived and loved.Table of ContentsCaptain Ridley’s Shooting Party Breaking Enigma Sink the Bismarck A Crime Without a Name The Shark Blackout Colossus: the World’s First Programmable Computer D-Day and Double Cross Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisIn this admirable book Montgomery Watt traces the influence of Islam in medieval Europe, looking in detail at commerce, science and technology, philosophy, and the development of European self-awareness.Trade ReviewProfessor Watt's book is a fascinating and stimulating introduction to a subject which is too often ignored. It includes useful notes and references. -- Hakim Adi Professor Watt's book is a fascinating and stimulating introduction to a subject which is too often ignored. It includes useful notes and references.Table of ContentsThe Islamic presence in Europe; commerce and technology; Arab achievements in science and philosophy; reconquista and crusade; science and philosophy in Europe; Islam and European self-awareness.

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Book SynopsisIn this second selection of images of Cradley Heath, Old Hill and district, great use has been made of the marvellous old photographs that can be seen in, and are still being deposited at the Sandwell Community History & Archive Service collection in Smethwick Library.This is an invaluable source of historic information recording the changing face of the area - especially the drastic demolition and rebuilding which took place after the Second World War. This book is sure to give local people a fascinating insight into the area''s past, and will be of great interest to anyone who has a sense of the history of this corner of the Black Country.

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Book SynopsisA paperback edition of the first book to provide a military history of the whole Albigensian Crusade, covering vital over-looked battlesTrade ReviewA gripping and dramatic narrative ... McGlynn is able to captivate the reader ... Highly recommended. * Medieval Warfare Magazine *A gripping and dramatic narrative ... McGlynn is able to captivate the reader ... Highly recommended * Medieval Warfare Magazine *

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Book SynopsisAgincourt is amongst the greatest victories in British history. Henry V’s Navy is about the men, ships and technology that got him thereTrade ReviewA fascinating and informative account... -- Chris May

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Book SynopsisDuring the years between 1890 and 1930 Lewisham was a byword for solid comfort and respectibility. However, this was a time of rapid change, when the wealthy merchants who had dominated Victorian Lewisham were moving further from their workplaces in London, and the streets were being colonized by thousands of lower middle class settlers. The commercial clerk was the characteristic denizen of early twentieth-century Lewisham.These new inhabitants were great lovers of postcards, and most of the pictures presented here, more than two hundred in total, are taken from the huge number of them published during that classic period. Very few have appeared in book form before.There are photographs of Blackheath (both the Lewisham and Greenwich parts), Lee, central Lewisham, Hither Green, Ladywell, Crofton Park, Catford, Bellingham, Southend Village and Grove Park. Most of the sections can form the basis for an interesting historical and architectural walk. But hurry! One of the old Lewisham buildings illustrated here has probably been demolished while you have been reading this!

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Book SynopsisA collection of old photographs of the historical town of Whitby.

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Book SynopsisHayle exerts a powerful attraction over anyone who has spent time there. Very much part of the industrial revolution, this town has produced more than its fair share of engineers and innovators. Although much of the indusrty has departed, to be replaced with tourism, Hayle retains all of its industrial charm and that sense of togetherness amongst its inhabitants (apart from the traditional Copperhouse and Foundry rivalries!) Marlene Rew and her son, Martin, have compiled this book as a pictorial record of some of that social history that is powerfully embedded in the bedrock of Hayle culture. Within these covers are some 150 photographs that document the past of this small town and its close knit community. Included in this selection are images of the people and places that have been lost in the course of the twentieth century. The book pays special attention to school classes, churches, chapels, industry, transport and, of course, the popular annual regatta and carnival. If you kno

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Book SynopsisThe finding, in 1727, of the gilded bronze head of the Roman goddess Minerva during the construction of the famous Stall Street led to the discovery of the Roman temple and of the baths. Since then archaeologists have discovered more and more about the Roman city of Aquae Sulis. In this new edition of a work first published almost thirty years ago, Professor Cunliffe brings the story right up to date. He deals in detail with the temple and its precinct and with the ''curse tablets'' which have been deciphered to reveal the thoughts of Roman visitors. He then explains just how the bathing establishment was organized and explores the relationship between the spa and the town. We learn what life was like for the local inhabitants as well as for the visitors. Finally he charts the process of decline and decay during the 300 years after the Roman period.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BRITISH SPORT BOOK AWARDS - RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR This is the story of 15 men killed in the Great War. The Final Whistle plays tribute to the pivotal role rugby played in the Great War by following the poignant stories of fifteen men who played for Rosslyn Park, London.Trade Review'A fresh and fascinating take on the impact of the Great War with a novel and moving focus.' -- Ian Hislop'Stephen Cooper has written a haunting and beautiful book, [he] tells the story of men from one rugby club but it is a universal narrative of heroism and loss. He writes superbly and has produced a book of commendable scholarship. I cannot recommend it enough.' -- Fergal Keane'a deeply moving book about the loss of fifteen members of Rosslyn Park Rugby Club during the Great War. A War that scarred Britain and took so many fine men, who had they lived would have enriched this country. The lives of these young men, all so promising, are poignantly and vividly recalled.' -- Max Arthur

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Book SynopsisRemember, remember, the Fifth of November ... With a narrative that grips the reader like a detective story, Antonia Fraser brings the characters and events of the Gunpowder Plot to life. Dramatically recreating the conditions and motives that surrounded the fateful night of 5 November 1605, she unravels the tangled web of religion and politics that spawned the plot.''An excellent book which unravels the whole story of the plot'' Literary Review''Told with impressive scholarship and panache ... with a sense of pace and tension worthy of a John le Carré novel'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewAntonia Fraser has written an excellent book which unravels the whole story of the plot, exploring the background, keeping close to the evidence, and, above all, bringing the characters to life ... a judicious and very readable account -- Hugh Trevor-Roper * Literary Review *Told with impressive scholarship and panache. The result is a narrative that is clear, balanced, and builds to its denouement with a sense of pace and tension worthy of a John le Carré novel -- John Adamson * Sunday Telegraph *Every few years a work of history appears that succeeds in connecting its subject to the deeper questions troubling modern society. This is one such book -- Amanda Foreman * Independent *It has a fine narrative flow, for Antonia Fraser recognises that history is essentially a story, and a gripping one at that. She writes with verve and imagination -- Kenneth Baker * Daily Telegraph *Fraser's meticulously researched book is an excellent read ... Antonia Fraser has shed much light on one of the most controversial episodes in English history -- Martin Jacques * Observer *An awe-inspiring tale ... It makes superb armchair entertainment -- Paul Johnson * Daily Express *Eloquent and moving -- Jonathan Clark * The Times *History as it should be written -- Roy Strong

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Book Synopsis''His book is timely and a triumph. Roberts manages to convey all the reader needs to know about two men to whom battalions of biographies have been devoted'' EVENING STANDARDAdolf Hitler and Winston Churchill were two totally opposite leaders - both in what they stood for and in the way in which they seemed to lead. Award-winning historian Andrew Roberts examines their different styles of leadership and draws parallels with rulers from other eras. He also looks at the way Hitler and Churchill estimated each other as leaders, and how it affected the outcome of the war. In a world that is as dependent on leadership as any earlier age, HITLER AND CHURCHILL asks searching questions about our need to be led. In doing so, Andrew Roberts forces us to re-examine the way that we look at those who take decisions for us.Trade ReviewHis book is timely and a triumph. Roberts manages to convey all the reader needs to know about two men to whom battalions of biographies have been devoted * EVENING STANDARD *Writing with his customary verve and wit -- Christopher HirstLively, thought-provoking, and hugely entertaining ... No one reading Roberts could fail to understand why Churchill topped the recent poll as our greatest Briton * LITERARY REVIEW *An illuminating essay on the two behemoths written in an accessbile and often witty style -- Martin TierneyRoberts's engaging and imaginative study of Hitler and Churchill offers some fascinating comparisons and analysis * THE TIMES *The relaxed, lucid prose is accessible to anyone with an interest in the topic * OBSERVER *This book is as fine an example of the first-class essay as you could hope to read. It is ingenious. It is witty. It compares and contrasts. Above all, it never bores -- Niall Ferguson * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *This book ... contains a rich selection of anecdotes about both men that will inform and entertain. It succeeds, above all, in pulling together strands of these two titanic figures in a way that ought to enlighten yet further even the most battle-hardened reader of books on the bloodiest war in history -- Simon Heffer * COUNTRY LIFE *As a straightforward 'compare and contrast' essay, it is full of telling detail, often very wittily related * MAIL ON SUNDAY *This stimulating and highly readable book is more than a point-by-point comparison. It meditates on leadership itself, on history, history-makers and history-writers, on ironies past and present * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Fascinating and thought-provoking ... Thoroughly well worth reading -- Antony Beevor * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The best recommendation of this very entertaining and convincing book it that it is full, not just of funny and engaging stories very well told, but of some very startling illustrations * SPECTATOR *The study of history remains a constant joy, as well as a challenge and a path to enlightenment for Andrew Roberts. That is why indubitably, Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership is the most accomplished - and sexiest - historical work published so far this year. It is also one of the most pertinent * YORKSHIRE POST *A rattlingly enjoyable book * THE ECONOMIST *Roberts's strength is in his unashamed selectiveness. The essential often lies in the detail. One may quibble or even disagree with some of the things he says, but the point of the book is to stimulate thinking and in that he most certainly succeeds * IRISH INDEPENDENT *Andrew Roberts's stylish, analytical and often unexpectedly amusing study of these two adversaries is a brilliant and highly readable demonstration of how Hitler and Churchill's seemingly very different forms of greatness exhibited shared elements. Often, glorious humour leaps from the fascinating illustrations that so enliven and illuminate the author's text. With Roberts's light and elegant touch, and gimlet-sharp perceptions, this book is not to be missed * THE FIELD *As a study of leadership, of good and evil, this is a fascinating book that is as timely as ever * CONTEMPORARY REVIEW *Andrew Roberts does a first rate job unmasking the men behind the medals * DAILY EXPRESS *It is enthralling, informative, compelling and brilliantly written. History, unlike literary criticism, is lucky in that it has first-rank scholars who can write in a direct and simple way. Andrew Roberts is one of the very best * CATHOLIC TIMES *This superb book includes plenty of insight into the business of leadership, some surprising judgments and some revealing details * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic story of Elizabeth''s first ten years on the throne and the unexplained death that scandalised her court.Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 a 25-year-old virgin - the most prized catch in Christendom. For the first ten years of her reign, one matter dominated above all others: the question of who the queen was to marry and when she would produce an heir.Elizabeth''s life as England''s Virgin Queen is one of the most celebrated in history. Christopher Skidmore takes a fresh look at the familiar story of a queen with the stomach of a man, steadfastly refusing to marry for the sake of her realm, and reveals a very different picture: of a vulnerable young woman, in love with her suitor, Robert Dudley. Had it not been for the mysterious and untimely death of his wife, Amy Robsart, Elizabeth might have one day been able to marry Dudley, since Amy was believed to be dying of breast cancer. Instead, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Amy RTrade ReviewSkidmore unearths new evidence to try and solve one of the great unsolved mysteries of British history. * CATHOLIC HERALD *A great historical whodunnit, magnificently told. * OXFORD TIMES *

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Book SynopsisRichard III and Henry Tudor''s legendary battle: one that changed the course of English history.On the morning of 22 August 1485, in fields several miles from Bosworth, two armies faced each other, ready for battle. The might of Richard III''s army was pitted against the inferior forces of the upstart pretender to the crown, Henry Tudor, a 28-year-old Welshman who had just arrived back on British soil after 14 years in exile. Yet this was to be a fight to the death - only one man could survive; only one could claim the throne.It would become one of the most legendary battles in English history: the only successful invasion since Hastings, it was the last time a king died on the battlefield. But BOSWORTH is much more than the account of the dramatic events of that fateful day in August. It is a tale of brutal feuds and deadly civil wars, and the remarkable rise of the Tudor family from obscure Welsh gentry to the throne of England - a story that began 60 years Trade ReviewAn authoritative overview of the causes and consequences of the most important battle in all of the Wars of the Roses -- Philippa Gregoryenjoyable and forensically researched ... Skidmore delves far into the histories of both the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor family ... This fine, scholarly and elegantly written book is well worth reading by anyone who hankers to fill in the many blank patches in one of Britain's most famous battles -- Dan Jones * DAILY TELEGRAPH *absorbing and beautifully illustrated study of the battle and of the fiendishly complex yet grimly fascinating Wars of the Roses ... Chris Skidmore is a well-informed and dispassionate guide through the astounding switchback turns of fortune's wheel that brought Henry the crown, reputedly found in a thornbush on the battlefield and set on his head by one of those who had deserted Richard -- Nigel Jones * SUNDAY EXPRESS *[Bosworth] is just the right book for those whose interest has been piqued by the archaeology ... a vivid picture of the death of the last Plantagenet king ... it is certainly now the definitive account of the battle -- Leanda de Lisle * SPECTATOR *[T]houghtful, well-sourced ... Skidmore is also good on Richard III. He is characterised as bellicose, all too aware of his tenuous grasp on the crown he usurped from his young nephew Edward V ... Skidmore expertly handles the accretion to [Henry's] army of allies and defectors from Richard as it trekked through Wales, a thrilling narrative of overcoming the odds -- Paul Lay * LITERARY REVIEW *Skidmore's excellent book...expertly guides the reader through a minefield of facts * MAIL ON SUNDAY *No matter how many times they are recounted, the improbable and arduous circumstances by which Henry Tudor came to the throne continue to impress ... Bosworth is a well-executed and well-informed book ... well written and approachable * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Chris Skidmore's new book explores the background to Henry VII's claim to the throne and the dynasty he founded, drawing on eyewitness reports, newly discovered manuscripts and archaeological evidence * YOUR FAMILY HISTORY *There is a real need for this book, which could not have been published more opportunely ... Chis Skidmore tells the story again, very readably, with an admirably complete knowlege of all the sources and the latest research ... Chris Skidmore has written a first-rate book that will be enjoyed by all those who are fascinated by the Wars of the Roses -- Desmond Seward * THE TABLET *One of the most important battles of British history has been in the news recently, with its location debated among archaeologists. Historian Skidmore gives his opinion on this, after skilfully weaving in the events that led to the battle, from Edward IV's death to the march of Henry Tudor, with only a short, vividly described chapter on the engagement itself ... A well-researched account of the battle and events surrounding it * YOUR FAMILY TREE *This well researched account of how a complete outsider managed to win the throne in 1485 deserves a place on the bookshelves of anyone interested in the Wars of the Roses ...Chris Skidmore discusses the Wars in general and the politics and personalities behind them, and does so with clarity and verve * BATTLEFIELD, The Magazine of the Battlefield Trust *Mr Skidmore uses extracts from many contemporary accounts, information from the latest archaeological findings, and the proof discovered recently of the actual location of the battlefield, to great advantage. The discovery of the remains of Richard III in a Leicester car park late in 2012 came just in time for a postscript to be added to this scholarly but readable history * PENNANT *Skidmore's narrative style is engaging, and he sets out fair arguments for both sides ... both the student of this period and the first-time reader would gain a lot of knowledge and enjoyment from this book. * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *A forensic and entertaining account of 1485 And All That -- Dan Jones * DAILY TELEGRAPH 'History Books of the Year' *An action-packed account of the many events leading up to Bosworth, the last time an English king was to die on a battlefield, of the people involved and of their complex relationships and divided loyalties. With its wealth of local background, its detail and its lively narrative, Bosworth is a must for the reading list of anyone whose interest in Richard III has been either sparked off or renewed by the recent Greyfriars discovery * LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND LIFE *

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Book SynopsisA globe-spanning narrative history of the 1850s - a time of electrifying change - seen through the eyes of the men and women who embraced the adventurous spirit of the timesTrade Review'Wilson's account of the 1850s is a wonderfully engrossing and intelligent read . . . He has clever and entertaining things to say about even the most banal topics, tracing the Victorian enthusiasm for beards, for instance, to the impact of the Crimean War . . . He even manages to make the history of Minnesota exciting' -- Dominic Sandbrook * THE SUNDAY TIMES *'With a rip-roaring style to match his subject . . . excellent . . . His grasp of the interplay between politics, economics and individuals is admirable. This is narrative history of the highest quality' -- Andrew Lycett * DAILY TELEGRAPH *'Engrossing study of the explosion of the new technology that reshaped the world in the 1850s, and Britain's role in it' * THE SUNDAY TIMES 'Must Reads' *'In this rollercoaster of a book, Ben Wilson describes the 1850s as the most explosive period in history, a decade that gave birth to modernity and trampled those who resisted it . . . So much of current transnational history is, quite frankly, perishingly dull, with arcane analysis smothering the wonderful stories the past provides. Heyday stands in refreshing contrast: the scholarship is certainly impressive but the drama is what delights. Wilson's knack for detail brings this history alive . . . Heyday is a lot like its subject; it's a big-bearded book of enormous scope and unstoppable momentum. However, it's also a sobering tale of greed gone wrong' -- Gerard De Groot * THE TIMES *'This is a scholarly, intelligent and readable book. This book is an original prism through which to view the mid-19th century and, essentially, about the invention not so much of modernity as of globalisation' -- Simon Heffer * THE SPECTATOR *'I finished Ben Wilson's immensely enjoyable new book, Heyday: Britain & the Birth of the Modern World. Highly recommended' -- Tom Holland'Ben Wilson argues that the 1850s should be seen as a distinct period within the Victorian era because its developments shaped the world for decades. Key among these are the 1851 Great Exhibition; the "gold rushes", migration to area with newly discovered deposits of gold; and the first underwater transmission of a telegraph message, from London to Paris in 1851 - which, in theory, meant that the whole world could be linked in such a away. The Crimean War (1853-56), meanwhile pitted Russia against the UK, France, Sardinia and the Ottoman empire in a conflict that altered global alliances' * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *'A fascinating and sweeping account of one of the most eventful decades in world history, a period when the nation was fast-tracked into the modern age . . . compellingly written and intricately researched . . . Wilson skilfully examines how a series of intertwined events gave birth to today's society . . . readers of this excellent book will undoubtedly find that the events of more than 150 years ago have a great deal of light to shine on our own supposedly more advanced civilisation' -- Alexander Larman * DAILY EXPRESS *'Heyday brings to life one of the most extraordinary periods in modern history. Over the course of the 1850s, the world was reshaped by technology, trade, mass migration and war. The global economy expanded fivefold, millions of families emigrated to the ends of the earth to carve out new lives, technology revolutionised communications, while steamships and railways cut across vast continents and oceans, shrinking the worlds and creating the first global age. In a fast-paced, kaleidoscopic narrative, the acclaimed historian Ben Wilson recreates this time of explosive energy and dizzying change, a rollercoaster ride of booms and bust, focusing on the lives of the men and women reshaping its frontiers' * DISCOVER YOUR ANCESTORS *'The world began speeding up in the 1850s and hasn't stopped since. Electricity and steam were the crucial technologies: railways, steamships, telegraphs and submarine cables shrank the world in space and time. Now that information, commodities and people could move faster than ever before a genuinely global economy emerged, hungry for growth, labour and new markets . . . Ben Wilson's richly detailed and compelling narrative of this whirlwind period catches its exhilaration' -- Ian Irvine * PROSPECT *'The tale is told on a global scale. Snapshots, or perhaps picture postcards, colourfully depict events on every continent except Africa, which offered little hope or profit to the moderniser. Thousands of people moved west of the Mississippi or from Britain to the Australian goldfields; British soldiers looted the palaces of Oudh and joined with the French to burn the Summer Palace in Beijing. There are plentiful sketches of inspired inventors and determined engineers. This book abounds in good stories too. Wilson recounts, for example, the rumour that Australian miners ate sandwiches with £10 as a filling . . . without doubt this is a book that has sweep and panache. It is crammed with interesting facts and the general reader will be painlessly transported across oceans . . . engaging' -- Leslie Mitchell * LITERARY REVIEW *'What was it about the 1850s that led to it becoming a period of such remarkable economic, technological and social change? Seen through the eyes of the key players, Ben Wilson's book traverses the globe in search of answers, producing a fresh, compelling take on what was arguably the pivotal decade in the entire Victorian era' * HISTORY REVEALED *'This decade [the 1850s] saw major global events - the Australian Gold Rush, the Crimean War, the Indian Rebellion and the start of the American Civil War - but also revolutions in transport and communications, bringing that global empire much nearer home . . . All of these subjects, and many more - right down to the mid-Victorian craze for impressive beards - are covered with aplomb in Wilson's dramatic and stirring narrative . . . A rollercoaster ride through the 1850s, guided by an expert historian' * YOUR FAMILY HISTORY *'In the 1850s, Britain was not merely the first superpower; British innovation, invention and energy were shaping the modern world in ways that we can still easily recognize today. Ben Wilson eloquently argues that this is when "the forces that define our age first swept across the world" . . . This is a book written with great verve and with a sharp eye for the obscure fact or the telling details . . . Reading it is rather like immersing oneself in an invigorating shower, a cascade that shifts between hot and cold, and leaves a feeling of being both enriched and stimulated, as well as a touch exhausted' -- Denis Judd * TLS *'A highly readable account' * EVERGREEN *'The 1850s, as Ben Wilson shows, was not a time of peace. This was a turbulent decade that gave birth to modernity. Wilson rattles through the decade, jumping from the Indian Mutiny, the Crimean War, the Australian gold rush, Commodore Perry's arrival in Japan, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) and the Great Exhibition. Lively, intelligent, popular history' * THE TIMES 'Summer Books' *'Wilson's book is a persuasive example of a newish turn in writing about the 19th century: the expansive survey of a globalised Victorian world, powered by a new battery of online resources . . . It's an exhilarating time to be a Victorianist . . . Heyday is a book that contains plenty of wonders. It scopes the globe, looking for the telltale marks of modernity. It finds them on the discharge of gunpowder, the slather of industrial grease, the shiver of the telegraph wire' -- Matthew Sweet * THE GUARDIAN *'This is an engaging history of the capitalist world in the 1850s, which stitches together vivid stories of entrepreneurs and adventurers from the United States to New Zealand. Heyday: Britain and the Birth of the Modern World sometimes feels like an exciting Phileas Fogg travelogue, with Ben Wilson's finger spinning round a mahogany globe in his study and us with it . . . The strength of this magnificent book is Wilson's awareness of "modernity's close connection with barbarism". To acknowledge that progress came at a high price for most people is not to belittle British achievements; it merely puts them into a proper historical perspective' -- Richard Weight * HISTORY TODAY *

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Book SynopsisExploring the boundaries of the law as they existed in medieval and early modern times and as they have been perceived by historians, this volume offers a wide ranging insight into a key aspect of European society. Alongside, and inexorably linked with, the ecclesiastical establishment, the law was one of the main social bonds that shaped and directed the interactions of day-to-day life. Posing fascinating conceptual and methodological questions that challenge existing perceptions of the parameters of the law, the essays in this book look especially at the gender divide and conflicts of jurisdiction within an historical context. In addition to seeking to understand the discrete categories into which types of law and legal rules are sometimes placed, consideration is given to the traversing of boundaries, to the overlaps between jurisdictions, and between custom(s) and law(s). In so doing it shows how law has been artificially compartmentalised by historians and lawyers alike, and hoTable of ContentsContents: Introduction, Anthony Musson; Law in the landscape: criminality, outlawry and regional identity in late medieval England, W.M. Ormrod; The geographical and practical legal impact of the Peace of God in 11th century Aquitaine, Thomas Gergen; Sanctuary and penitential rebirth in the central Middle Ages, Trisha Olson; Between theology and popular practice: medieval canonists on magic and impotence, Catherine Rider; Maintenance agreements and male responsibility in late medieval England, Sara M. Butler; Crossing boundaries: attitudes to rape in late medieval England, Anthony Musson; Rethinking incest and heinous sexual crime: changing boundaries of secular and ecclesiastical jurisdiction in late medieval Sweden, Mia Korpiola; Rules for solving conflicts of law in the Middle Ages: part of the solution, part of the problem, Dirk Heirbaut; The geographical, jurisdictional and jurisprudential boundaries of English litigation in the early 17th century, Louis A. Knafla; Jurisdictional competition and the evolution of the common law: an hypothesis, Daniel Klerman; English legal history and interdisciplinary legal studies, Jonathan Rose; Index.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA volume in the BATTLEGROUND EUROPE series, a battlefield guide which draws upon material in national and local archives, documentary evidence, personal reminiscence and British and German unit histories of the Somme battlefield during World War I.

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Book SynopsisAn addition to the BATTLEGROUND EUROPE series published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Passchendaele, which gives details of the attacks and provides a guide to the battlefield as it stands today, illustrated with maps and 'then and now' photographs.

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Book SynopsisThe guide will take the visitor beyond the ferry terminal and hypermarkets to reveal the hidden Calais and the actions of individuals and units in this defence.

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Book SynopsisThe Third Reich was the name Hitler and the Nazi Party gave to the dictatorship that began in 1933 and ended twelve years later with the utter destruction of Germany and Hitler''s suicide. Defined by the messianic, iconic figure of the Führer, the Third Reich was one of the pivotal periods of the modern age. From small beginnings in the 1920s, Hitler''s movement came to dominate German society in the 1930s, bringing with it the militarization of German society, the apparatus of state terror and a policy of violent discrimination against political opponents, the so-called ''asocials'': gypsies, homosexuals, and, above all, the Jews. The history of the Reich is bound up with territorial aggression, total war and genocide. The end result was the complete defeat of Germany and the annihilation of millions of Europeans, a historical drama without precedent that still lies as a shadow over modern-day Germany. Richard Overy charts the rise and fall of Nazi power in a compelling narratiTable of ContentsMaps. Introduction. Rise to Power 1923-1933. Building the Third Reich 1933-1934. The Fuhrer State 1935-1936. Building the New Order 1937-1939. The Years of Victory 1940-1941. Genocide and Defeats 1942-1943. The Ruined Reich 1944-1945. Legacy of the Third Reich 1944-1945. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisA new edition of Philip Payton's modern classic Cornwall: A History, published now by University of Exeter Press, telling the story of Cornwall from earliest times to the present day. This edition incorporates the latest research and brings the story of Cornwall right up to date, examining the events and debates of the early twenty-first century.Trade ReviewPhilip Payton is the leader of a new generation of historians exploring Cornwall's ambivalent position within the English state, and questioning the view of Cornwall as 'just another English county'. In this book he argues the case for the Cornish as a separate Celtic people, fully deserving a history of their own, and amply succeeds in his stated aim of bringing that history to the widest possible audience. * Professor Mark Stoyle, University of Southampton *[. . .] a new edition of Cornwall: A History is very welcome indeed. It is a key text for anyone working on the history of the Celtic nations, peoples and languages and a very valuable addition to the literature on modern British history. * Professor Christopher Williams, Cardiff University * from reviews of the 1996 edition: Will rank among the classic books on Cornwall, if not the finest ever published. * Western Morning News *Payton brilliantly brings together myth, fact, people, places, events…gripping. * The Times *Awesomely researched… the essential book for anyone who loves the county. * The Observer *One of the most comprehensive studies (by one of the most learned scholars) of Cornwall and the nature of Cornish identity ever undertaken. * Cornwall Today *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction Ancient Stones The Mystery of the Celts From Dumnonia to Cornubia Anglia and Cornubia ‘We Utterly Refuse… This New English’ ‘These is Much Danger in a Cornish Hugg’ ‘The Large Continent of Cornwall’ ‘So Many Brilliant Ornaments’ ‘If You Haven’t Been to Moonta’ Re-Inventing Kernow Whither Cornwall? Notes and References Index

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Book SynopsisIn the age of overseas colonization and rise of intercontinental trade, Western Europe's intercontinental trade with East-Central Europe did not diminish either, but considerably increased in both quantity and significance. Commercial relations within Europe also became a substantial factor in the emerging system of world economy. The 'Western challenge' had a profound impact on this region, and the 15th-17th centuries proved to be a crucial period for the 'economic destiny' of the countries of East-Central Europe, among them Hungary. The papers are now provided with supplementary comments, giving information on research and debates since the articles were first published.Table of ContentsContents: The development of feudal rent in Hungary in the 15th century; Der Bauernaufstand vom Jahre 1514 und die ’zweite Leibeigenschaft’; 16th century Hungary: commercial activity and market production by the nobles; Corvées et travail salarié dans les exploitations seigneuriales de la Hongrie des XVIe et XVIIe siècles; Neuvième et dîme seigneuriale au XVIIe siècle en Hongrie; Leventine trade and Hungary in the Middle Ages (theses, controversies, arguements); The Transylvanian route of Levantine trade at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries; Zur Geschichte der Handelsbeziehungen zwischen Österreich und Ungarn im 15. und 16. Jahrhundert; The shifting of international trade routes in the 15th-17th centuries; The role of East-Central Europe in international trade (16th and 17th centuries); The East-Central European aspect of the overseas discoveries and colonization; Business mentality and Hungarian national character; Addenda; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe articles in this volume deal with subjects which have received relatively little attention from students of the Byzantine empire. The studies are concerned with aspects of the law, both civil and canon, and with the kinship ties formed through godparenthood, adoption and marriage by the emperor and his subjects, the considerations which contributed to their creation and the significance of these ties for those who contracted them. The common theme linking the studies on kinship and justice is an interest in determining how the law worked. Using legal commentaries, notarial formulae, court case transcripts and literary sources, the author attempts to reveal contemporary practices in court procedure, in crime detection and punishment, in legal teaching and argumentation. The studies examine technical aspects of the law such as its promulgation and dissemination, and the interaction of civil and canon law, but also the wider influence of the law on literary culture.Table of ContentsContents: The Byzantine godfather; Kinship by arrangement: the case of adoption; Substitute parents and their children in Byzantium; Dynastic marriages and political kinship; Dowry and inheritance in the late period: some cases from the Patriarchal register; Nomos and kanon on paper and in court; Perception of the past in the twelfth-century canonists; The competent court; Justice under Manuel I Komnenos: four novels on court business and murder; Killing, asylum and the law in Byzantium; Poetic justice in the Patriarchate: murder and cannibalism in the provinces; Bad historian or good lawyer? Demetrios Chomatenos and Novel 131; Index of Greek terms; Index.

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Book SynopsisJohn Law is concerned here with the administration of the Venetian state in the late 14th and 15th centuries, and specifically with its possessions on the mainland of Italy. These gave Venice dangerously exposed and lengthy land frontiers, and also included a number of cities whose loyalties were not to be taken for granted. Verona, Friuli and the Trentino are the focus of several articles, while others look at the people and families involved, and at Venice''s relations with its powerful neighbours, from Milan to Hungary. The studies demonstrate the substantial nature of Venetian involvement with the ''Terraferma'', well-established by the start of the 15th century, and examine the impact on the Venetian government itself of these mainland dominions.Trade Review'This collection embodies one of the most significant developments in recent writing on the Venetian state...remarkably useful ...these essays form an eye-opening introduction to the neglected subject regions of Venice...The specially written introduction is a superlative compression of the major historiographical developments of the last forty years.' History 'Individually, (the essays) present valuable insights into the politics and society of terraferma communities from Verona to Friuli during the period of Venice's mainland expansion. Collectively, they are a healthy corrective to the insularity and exclusivity of so much twentieth-century writing on the history of Venice.... essential reading for the next generation of Venetianists.' Renaissance StudiesTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; The Venetian mainland state in the 15th century; Un confronto fra due stati ’rinascimentali’: Venezia e il dominio sforzesco; Age qualification and the Venetian constitution: the case of the Capello family; Relations between Venice and the provinces of the mainland; A clerical chronicler of c. 1400: Clemente Miari of Belluno; Venice and the problem of sovereignty in the Patria del Friuli, 1421; Venetian rule in the Patria del Friuli in the early 15th century: problems of justification; La caduta degli Scaligeri; Venice, Verona and the della Scala after 1405; Verona and the Venetian state in the 15th century; The beginnings of Venetian rule in Verona; Venice and the ’closing’ of the Veronese constitution in 1405; ’Super differentiis agitatis Venetiis inter districtuales et civitatem’: Venezia, Verona e il contado nel ’400; Lo Stato veneziano e le castellanìe di Verona; The Cittadella of Verona; A new frontier: Venice and the Trentino in the early 15th century; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in this volume constitute a series of investigations into the limitations on thought and power as conceived by thinkers in the medieval West and they draw on material ranging from law to literature. The author deals with limits on the human desire for knowledge, the passion with which knowledge could legitimately be pursued, and the propriety of the knowledge sought, as well as the limits that might be tolerable and tolerated in the case of royal incapacity or misbehaviour. One particular focus is the work of Dante Alighieri, and these ideas are traced across a wide range of his thought. Chronologically the essays run from Augustine and the Gnostics through to Shakespeare.Table of ContentsContents: Introduction; The Vices and Virtues of Curiosity: What was God doing before He created the Heavens and the Earth?; Aenigma Salomonis: Manichaean anti-Genesis polemic and the vitium curiositatis in Confessions III.6; Transgressing the limits set by the Fathers: authority and impious exegesis in medieval thought; Libertas inquirendi and the vitium curiositatis in medieval thought; Rex curiosus: a preface to Prospero; Useless Kings and Irregular Statebuilding: Roi fainéant: the origins of an historian's commonplace; Rex inutilis: Sancho II of Portugal and 13th-century deposition theory; Non legitur in historia Francorum: Stephen of Tournai, the last Merovingians, and the Capetian dynasty; Henry II of Cyprus, rex inutilis: a footnote to Decameron I.9; Limits of Thought and Power in the World of Dante: The failure of the Church and Empire: Paradiso, 30; I principi negligenti di Dante e la concezione medioevale del rex inutilis; Pars, parte: Dante and an urban contribution to political thought; The frowning pages: Scythians, Garamantes, Florentines, and the two laws; Human diversity and civil society in Paradiso, VIII; The shadowy, violent perimeter: Dante enters Florentine political life; The voyage of Ulysses and the wisdom of Solomon: Dante and the vitium curiositatis; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe studies collected here centre on the social and economic life of medieval Germany, within a broader European context. The first three articles engage the day-to-day workings of rural society: literature, verbal attack and the language of mediated settlement of conflicts lead to a nuanced view of social hierarchy, in which the meek too have a say. The next group examines some major elements of rural life, dealing with technology, resources, ecology, transport, communication and credit. In the second part, the author focuses on the life of the Jews in Germany, first charting the process of settlement of Jews in Germany, the dynamics of social stratification and household composition, and the impact of economics and persecution on settlement patterns. A case study uncovers the motives and steps that led up to the expulsion of the Jews of Nuremberg in 1498. These themes are followed up into the early modern period, when German Jewry mostly came to live a village life. The last studies Table of ContentsContents: Preface; The social history of peasant speech: Asking the way and telling the law: speech in medieval Germany; Schimpfwörter im Dorf des Spätmittelalters; Ethics, emotions and self-interest: rural Bavaria in the later Middle Ages; Making do with little: studies in the economic history of the German peasantry: Agricultural progress and agricultural technology in medieval Germany: an alternative model; Lords and peasants: a reappraisal of medieval economic relationships; Peasants of the mountains, peasants of the valleys and medieval state building: the case of the Alps; Hauling away in late medieval Bavaria: the economics of inland transport in an agrarian market; Local credit in an agrarian economy: the case of Bavaria (14th and 15th centuries); Immigration, migration, community and expulsion: studies in the social history of German Jews: The formation of a diaspora: the settlement of Jews in the medieval German Reich; Jewish migrations to, within and from medieval Germany; Siedlungsstruktur der Juden Mitteleuropas im Wandel vom Mittelalter zur Neuzeit; Die soziale und demographische Struktur der jüdischen Gemeinde Nürnbergs im Jahre 1489; Umb gemeyns nutz und nottdurfft willen. Obrigkeitliches und jurisdiktionelles Denken bei der Austreibung der Nürnberger Juden 1498/99; Aspects of stratification of early modern German Jewry: population history and village Jews; Making a living: studies in the economic history of European Jews: Jews and commerce: modern fancies and medieval realities; Jüdische Geldleihe im Mittelalter; Geldleiher und sonst nichts? Zur wirtschaftlichen Tätigkeit der Juden im deutschen Sprachraum des Spätmittelalters; Der jüdische Geldhandel in der Wirtschaft des deutschen Spätmittelalters: Nürnberg 1350-1499; Die jüdische Frau im Erwerbsleben des Spätmittelalters; Der Mankus - eine spätmittelalterliche Auferstehung; Between impotence and power - the Jews in the economy and polity of medieval Europe; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe eighth edition of a comprehensive illustrated history of Wales from earliest times written with loving passion by one of the greatest Welshmen of the 20th century. First published in 1992. 71 black-and-white illustrations and 15 maps.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[Ruden] has caught, better than any translator known to me, both the conversational patterns of Petronian dialogue and the camera-sharp specificity and color of the Satyricon's descriptive passages. . . . A quite extraordinary achievement against heavy odds. --Peter Green, The Los Angeles Times Book ReviewRelying on. . . her excellent knowledge of Latin, her lively feel for contemporary slang and rhythm, and her infectious love of the work, [Ruden] gives us the full Satyricon; she shows us a man making a comic masterpiece out of Neronian chaos. . . . Her book as a whole, breathing knowledge and affection, is a delight. --Donald Lyons, The New CriterionThis is a really useful volume which can readily be recommended as a set text to students. The ten commentaries at the end are judicious overviews of important topics connected with the work and the suggestions for further reading are up-to-date and intelligent. --Susanna Morton Braund, Yale University

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Book SynopsisThis biography eloquently recounts the journey of an energetic and talented young man who loved life but who, deeply inspired by his Orthodox Christian faith, was willing to sacrifice it as a testimony to his faith in God.

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Book SynopsisA summary of how the Islands hotels were put to use by their German guests may intrigue present-day visitors, and a review of the war museums gives an insight into the variety of relics that enthusiasts have had the foresight to preserve.

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Book SynopsisThis volume covers September 3rd, 1939 to September 6th, 1940 of World War II. The book uses extracts from a log compiled by the Ministry of Home Security, which provides a contemporary diary of events. There are also articles by historians and eyewitnesses which interspace the daily happenings.

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Book SynopsisLesley Blanch was four when the mysterious Traveller first blew into her nursery, swathed in Siberian furs and full of the fairytales of Russia. She was twenty when he swept out of her life, leaving her love-lorn and in the grips of a passionate obsession. The search to recapture the love of her life, and the Russia he had planted within her, takes her to Siberia and beyond, journeying deep into the romantic terrain of the mind's eye. Part travel book, part love story, Lesley Blanch's Journey into the Mind's Eye is pure intoxication.

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Book SynopsisFamily was a central feature of social life in Italian cities. This wide-ranging volume explores patrimony in legal thought and how family property was inherited, managed and shared legally and its central role in Renaissance Italy.

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Book SynopsisWar of Words analyses Franco-British relations during the Second World War through the lens of rhetoric and empire. Through a comparative and transnational perspective, Rachel Chin shows how conflicts over French colonial territory between 1940 and 1945 were central to British, Vichy and Free French wartime policy-making.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the military men, railway workers, and wives and children of the British working-class who went to India after the Rebellion of 1857, Working-Class Raj explores the experiences of these working-class men and women in their own words. Drawing on a diverse collection of previously unused letters and diaries, it allows us to hear directly from these people for the first time. Working-class Brits in India enjoyed enormous privilege, reliant on native Indian labour and living, as one put it, ?like gentlemen.? But within the hierarchies of the Army and the railyard they remained working class, a potentially disruptive population that needed to be contained. Working in India and other parts of the empire, emigrating to settler colonies, often returning to Britain, all the while attempting to maintain family ties across imperial distances-the British working class in the nineteenth century was a globalised population. This book reveals how working-class men and women were not atomised individuals, but part of communities that spanned the empire and were fundamentally shaped by it. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details

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