European history: medieval period, middle ages Books
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Cistercians in the Middle Ages
Book SynopsisA full and comprehensive survey of the development of the Cistercian Order which emerged from the tumultuous intellectual and religious fervour of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Cistercians (White Monks) were the most successful monastic experiment to emerge from the tumultuous intellectual and religious fervour of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. By around 1150 they had established houses the length and breadth of Western Christendom and were internationally renowned. They sought to return to a simple form of monastic life, as set down in the Rule of St Benedict, and preferred rural locations "far from the haunts of men".But, as recent research has shown, they were by no means isolated from society but influenced, and were influenced by, the world around them; they moved with the times. This book explores the phenomenon that was the Cistercian Order, drawing on recent research from various disciplines to consider what it was that made the Cistercians distinctive and how they responded to developments. The book addresses current debates regarding the origins and evolution of the Order; discusses the key primary sources for knowledge; and covers architecture, administration, daily life, spirituality, the economy and the monks' ties with the world. Professor Janet Burton teaches at theSchool of Archaeology, History and Anthropology, University of Wales Trinity Saint David; Dr Julie Kerr is Honorary Research Fellow in the School of History, University of St Andrews.Trade ReviewWell-structured and rigorously edited. * ANALECTA CISTERCIENSIA LXIII *This is an excellent introduction.providing a well-balanced and easily accessible overview. It is recommended to anyone interested in monastic or medieval history. * H-FRANCE REVIEW *A treasure trove of detailed information. * CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW *[The authors] are due the thanks of all interested in medieval monastic life for this fine addition to the literature on one of its most important manifestations. * AMERICAN BENEDICTINE REVIEW *It will serve undergraduates in the area of Cistercian studies as an introduction to the riches of the primary sources and as a pointer to debates in academic literature. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *An interesting and well-argued book. * JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY *A much needed introduction. [It offers] a detailed and readable account of the Cistercians' origins and an analysis of the distinctiveness of the medieval Cistercians' way of life. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *Concise yet comprehensive...this book deserves to become a standard introductory work for anyone intent on serious Cistercian studies. * NORTHERN HISTORY *An impressive work of seminal scholarship. * MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW *An engaging and authoritative history of the Cistercian order from its origins to the end of the Middle Ages. This volume, a further contribution to Boydell's excellent Monastic Orders series, is a wide-ranging, Europe-wide history of the Cistercians, considering them in the religious, cultural, political and economic contexts of their world and time. * REVIEWS IN HISTORY *For those who teach religious orders or church history, this is must have....It provides a wider understanding of the Cistercian Order and how they interacted with the world as well as a firm basis of their organisation and life in general. * H-WRBI *A valuable contribution to Cistercian history. Recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsThe 'desert-place called Cîteaux' 'In mountain valleys and plains': the spread of the Cistercian Order 'Lonely wooded places': the Cistercians, their sites and their buildings Unity and concord: the administration of the Order Ora et labora: daily life in the cloister 'Angels of God': Cistercian spirituality Conversi, granges and the Cistercian economy 'Lanterns shining in a dark place': the Cistercians and the world Bibliography
£22.49
Boydell & Brewer Ltd Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course
Book SynopsisAn examination of daily life in the Middle Ages which reveals the intimate relations between age groups, between the living and the dead, and between people and things. The aim of this book is to explore how medieval life was actually lived - how people were born and grew old, how they dressed, how they inhabited their homes, the rituals that gave meaning to their lives and how they prepared for death and the afterlife. Its fresh and original approach uses archaeological evidence to reconstruct the material practices of medieval life, death and the afterlife. Previous historical studies of the medieval "lifecycle" begin with birth and end with death. Here, in contrast, the concept of life course theory is developed for the first time in a detailed archaeological case study. The author argues that medieval Christian understanding of the"life course" commenced with conception and extended through the entirety of life, to include death and the afterlife. Five thematic case studies present the archaeology of medieval England (c.1050-1540 CE) in terms of the body, the household, the parish church and cemetery, and the relationship between the lives of people and objects. A wide range of sources is critically employed: osteology, costume, material culture, iconography and evidence excavated from houses, churches and cemeteries in the medieval English town and countryside. Medieval Life reveals the intimate and everyday relations between age groups, between the living and the dead, and between people and things. ROBERTA GILCHRIST is Research Dean and Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading.Trade ReviewA very welcome paperback version.Gilchrist shows us in strong detail throughout how much the archaeology can `talk' and inform us of people of all ages and classes in this period. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *In accessible language and compelling prose, Roberta Gilchrist applies a substantial corpus of archaeological evidence and anthropological theory on material culture to the social construction of the medieval life from c. 1050 to 1540. This book is essential reading for medievalists already working with material evidence, and provides an elegant example for historians and religious scholars of all periods interested in how material theory can shape their own projects. * RELIGIOUS STUDIES REVIEW *A significant book that has potential to open new areas of study and to bring innovative approaches to a wide audience of medievalists from different disciplines. * ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL *Gilchrist draws from an impressively wide range of evidence with skill. The volume is a detailed interrogation of the personal objects that furnished Medieval life [and] as a result it is a notable contribution to a growing body of complex interdisciplinary social archaeologies. * CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY *A vital and innovative contribution to our understanding of how medieval people interacted with and comprehended the world they inhabited. . [It] is an exemplary model of interdisciplinary history. * JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HISTORY *If you prefer your medieval studies written with sustained brilliance, elegant, concise prose and frequently ravishing insight, then this is the book for you. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *This important book is well written and supports every conjecture with evidence and citations. By organizing the book along thematic questions as opposed to categories of objects, Gilchrist gives a stimulating new perspective on the interdisciplinary topic of life cycles in medieval England. * MEDIEVAL REVIEW *This is an important book. The scope of the work is impressive [and] the presentation is excellent. * ANTIQUITY *A very original work of analysis and synthesis. [...] An unusual, and unusually interesting study. * NORTHERN HISTORY *Vivid and rich in humanity. [...] For anyone who wishes to sense what being medieval meant, it is a key text. * BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY *The great merit of Roberta Gilchrist's volume is that it shows us a past that was infinitely more complicated, and often complicated by people whose voices have left no articulate trace. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *A wonderful bringing-together of archaeology with standard history. * BIBLIOBUFFET *A worthy addition to the shelves of any student of medieval life. * FACHRS NEWSLETTER *Table of ContentsArchaeology and the Life Course Experiencing Age: the Medieval Body Clothing the Body: Age, Sexuality and Transitional Rites The Medieval Household: the Material Culture of Everyday Life The Medieval Church and Cemetery: the Quick and the Dead Medieval Lives: People and Things Appendices Bibliography
£24.69
Boydell & Brewer Ltd Creativity, Contradictions and Commemoration in
Book SynopsisAspects of the turbulent rule of Richard II freshly examined. The reign of Richard II is well known for its political turmoil as well as its literary and artistic innovations, all areas explored by Professor Nigel Saul during his distinguished career. The present volume interrogates many familiar literary and narrative sources, including works by Froissart, Gower, Chaucer, Clanvow, and the Continuation of the Eulogium Historiarum, along with those less well-known, such as coroner's inquests and gaol delivery proceedings. The reign is also notorious for its larger than life personalities - not least Richard himself. But how was he shaped by other personalities? A prosopographical study of Richard's bishops, a comparison of the literary biographies of his father the Black Prince, and Bertrand du Guesclin, and a reconsideration of Plantagenet family politics, all shed light on this question. Meanwhile, Richard II's tomb reflects his desire to shape a new vision of kingship. Commemoration more broadly was changing in the late fourteenth century, and this volume includes several studies of both individual and communal memorials of various types that illustrate this trend: again, appropriately for an area Professor Saul has made his own. Contributors: Mark Arvanigian, Caroline Barron, Michael Bennett, Jerome Bertram, David Carpenter, Chris Given-Wilson, Jill Havens, Claire Kennan, Hannes Kleineke, John Leland, Joel Rosenthal, Christian Steer, George Stow, Jenny Stratford, Kelcey Wilson-Lee.Trade ReviewProvides a feast of new insights on primary sources, while never losing sight of the human drama--all in the great tradition of its honoree. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *A lasting and indispensable complement to Saul's talent and reach as a historian of the reign of Richard II. * SPECULUM *Offers a welcome thematic unity often lacking in the Festschrift format and focuses its appeal. When politicians speak of learning from history, they rarely mean the late medieval past, yet this is a volume that has distinct resonance for the present. It is a worthy celebration of Professor Saul's contribution to the field. * CHURCH MONUMENTS *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Contributors Abbreviations Introduction JESSICA A. LUTKIN AND J. S. HAMILTON Part I: Sources 1.Froissart and the Great Revolt CAROLINE BARRON 2.'Defenders of truth': Lord Cobham, John Gower and the political crisis of 1387¬-88 MICHAEL BENNETT 3.The Authorship of the Continuation of the Eulogium Historiarum: A Reconsideration GEORGE B. STOW Part II: Government and Administration 4.The bequests of Isabel of Castile, first duchess of York, and Chaucer's 'Complaint of Mars' JENNY STRATFORD 5.Lollards in Arms: Lollardy, Loyalty, and the Trauma of the Hundred Years War JILL C. HAVENS 6.Pardons for Self-Defence in The Reign of Richard II: The Use and Abuse of Legal Formulas JOHN L. LELAND 7.The representation of Devonshire in the 'Bad' Parliament of January 1377 HANNES KLEINEKE 8.'John of Gaunt, Richard II and Plantagenet Family Politics in the 1390s' MARK ARVANIGIAN 9.Richard II's Bishops: Fair Weather Friends? JOEL T. ROSENTHAL 10.Power, Piety and Presence: The Cult of Corpus Christi and the 1389 Guild Enquiry in Lincolnshire CLAIRE KENNAN Part III: Commemoration 11.Edward, the Black Prince, and Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France: Chivalry and Rivalry in Life and Death CHRIS GIVEN-WILSON 12.'Suche scripture...shewyng what I was': The brass of Margaret of Cieszyn and associated monuments KELCEY WILSON-LEE 13.The Patronage of Queen Isabella (d. 1358): Monuments of the Royal Household at Friars Minor London CHRISTIAN STEER 14.The 'Dreadful Draytons' of Dorchester and their Brasses JEROME BERTRAM † 15.Nigel Saul as a Teacher: An Appreciation DAVID CARPENTER Bibliography of Prof. N. E. Saul's work Index Tabula Gratulatoria
£76.00
Elliott & Thompson Limited How Labour Wins
Book SynopsisA fascinating history of how the unfolding drama of each election from 1900 to 2024 has shaped the Labour Party and modern Britain.
£17.00
Greenhill Books Medieval Armoured Combat: The 1450 Fencing
Book SynopsisThe "Gladiatoria" group of German fencing manuscripts are several editions of a treatise on armoured foot combat, specifically aimed at duel fighting. Gloriously-illustrated, and replete with substantial commentary, these works are some of the greatest achievements in the corpus of late medieval fight books. These works have both tremendous artistic merit and incalculable historical value. In this remarkable full colour volume, authors Dierk Hagedorn and Bart?omiej Walczak elegantly present their work on the copy of this treatise now in the Yale Center for British Art, including a reproduction of the manuscript, a full transcription, and translations into English. The work includes a foreword by Sydney Anglo which explains how the work shows a highly sophisticated pedagogical system of movement and applauds the editors for presenting the material in a clear and practical way. Additional essays discuss other aspects of the manuscript - including a tale of Dierk Hagedorn's adventures tracking down the manuscript.
£16.99
Merrion Press Revolutionary Times
Book SynopsisIreland during the period 1913? 1923 was a nation in constant flux.Spanning a pivotal era marked by the Dublin Lockout, the Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the birth of the Irish Free State, Revolutionary Times captures the full complexity of this transformative decade through contemporary-style reportage, timelines of key events and insightful essays.Emanating from the acclaimed RTÉ project, Century Ireland, and distilling its essence into a captivating print form, Revolutionary Times is meticulously researched yet accessibly written and beautifully presented.Alongside the political upheaval, the book also delves into the everyday realities of Irish life during this volatile chapter - from sports and fashion to housing debates and extreme weather.Offering a rich, nuanced portrait of a nation on the brink of a new dawn, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the tumultuous forces that shaped modern Ireland.
£28.34
Merrion Press Spike Island
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Merrion Press Jailbreak
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Merrion Press The Enchanted Bay
Book SynopsisIt is a little-known fact that Ernie O? Malley, renowned for his role in Ireland? s revolutionary struggle, was also a passionate collector of Irish folklore.Centered on O? Malley? s native Clew Bay and its environs and transcribed by his son Cormac, The Enchanted Bay is a rich tapestry of tales that showcases the enduring power of the oral tradition in Ireland. From the entertaining exploits of the Gobá n Saor, mythical master builder, to the Clare Island man who married a selkie, this collection offers a glimpse into the heart of Irish storytelling.A testament to O? Malley? s multifaceted legacy, several of the stories in this compilation were gathered while he travelled Ireland as an IRA organiser. The insights he gained through folklore collecting would later inform his ambitious project of recording testimonies from former comrades, solidifying his place as a pivotal figure in the preservation of Irish history and culture.The tales in these pages maintain the unique voices of local communities, conjuring an arcane, fascinating world that is slipping further from memory.
£17.99
Merrion Press One Mans Ireland
Book SynopsisIn this unrepentant and revealing memoir, Dan Mulvihill, a leading figure in Irish republicanism recounts his fight for an Irish Republic over several decades and his central involvement in key events throughout the twentieth century.Dan Mulvihill was at the heart of many of the most iconic and tumultuous events during Ireland? s revolutionary years. He was an IRA volunteer who fought and killed in the name of Ireland, a loyal ally of É amon de Valera ? who he smuggled out of Dublin at the beginning of the Civil War ? a vehement opponent of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, a member of Liam Lynch? s staff in the anti-Treaty IRA, a prisoner and hunger striker, a spy and intelligence officer.In One Man? s Ireland, Mulvihill details his life story from 1916 to the early 1980s, describing the seminal events in the history of the country as well as the many key figures in republicanism in his native Kerry and nationally. A self-styled maverick and committed revolutionary, Dan Mulvihill was a largely forgotten figure in Irish history, until now.
£14.24
Merrion Press Lost Gaels
Book Synopsis
£17.99
Biteback Publishing British General Election Campaigns 18302019
Book SynopsisThis remarkable book, edited by one of the UK's leading political commentators, takes us on a deep dive through nearly 200 years of British political history in its most dramatic expression, the general election.
£21.25
University of Wales Press Medieval Wales c.1050-1332: Centuries of
Book SynopsisAfter outlining conventional accounts of Wales in the High Middle Ages, this book moves to more radical approaches to its subject. Rather than discussing the emergence of the March of Wales from the usual perspective of the ‘intrusive’ marcher lords, for instance, it is considered from a Welsh standpoint explaining the lure of the March to Welsh princes and its contribution to the fall of the native principality of Wales. Analysis of the achievements of the princes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries focuses on the paradoxical process by which increasingly sophisticated political structures and a changing political culture supported an autonomous native principality, but also facilitated eventual assimilation of much of Wales into an English ‘empire’. The Edwardian conquest is examined and it is argued that, alongside the resultant hardship and oppression suffered by many, the rising class of Welsh administrators and community leaders who were essential to the governance of Wales enjoyed an age of opportunity. This is a book that introduces the reader to the celebrated and the less well-known men and women who shaped medieval Wales.Trade Review`David Stephenson's latest book is a bold commentary on historians' writings about the political and "socio-political" history of medieval Wales over the past fifty years. A deliberate challenge to traditional interpretations, it is supported, as befits an accomplished historian of Gwynedd and Powys, by a depth of scholarship reflected in annotations and bibliographies that amount to a quarter of the book.' - Emeritus Professor Ralph A. Griffiths, Swansea University ; `This is an invaluable contribution to the historiography of medieval Wales. Stephenson successfully challenges the enduring paradigm of the Gwynedd-led evolution of one Wales, and paints a more complex, multi-dimensional picture. An essential read for scholars and students of medieval Welsh history!' Dr Emma Cavell, Swansea UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Maps Genealogical tables Introduction CHAPTER 1- An outline survey of Welsh political history, c.1050–1332 CHAPTER 2 - The Age of the Princes: shifting political cultures and structures CHAPTER 3 - The other Wales: the March CHAPTER 4 - The limits to princely power CHAPTER 5 - New ascendancies Envoi Notes Select bibliography Index
£16.14
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Serbia
Book SynopsisThis is the first in-depth, English-language history of modern Serbia in nearly half a century. It covers the period from the Serbian state's revolutionary rebirth in the early nineteenth century, under the rebel leaders Karadorde Petrovic and Miloš Obrenovic; its turbulent history of wars, uprisings and dynastic rivalries; the triumph of Yugoslav unification in 1918; and the catastrophe of occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941. It shows how the birth of the modern nation-state involved the creation of a new elitedynasty, army and bureaucracywhose rule over the peasantry generated a popular resistance that would ultimately take form in Nikola Pašic's mighty People's Radical Party. The resulting struggle between elitist Westernisers and pro-Russian populists became entwined with the struggle for pan-Serb and Yugoslav liberation and unification. These causes came together with the Sarajevo assassination of 1914, which triggered the First World War.Existing histories of the Yugoslav kingdom
£58.50
Agenda Publishing Heralds of a Democratic Europe
Book SynopsisDetailed research that challenges the received wisdom in European integration history that, long before the EU was plagued by Euroscepticism and other forms of contestation, there was a "permissive consensus" between European elites and the general public, which allowed European integration to move forward.
£999.99
Agenda Publishing Geoliberal Europe and the Test of War
Book SynopsisRichard Youngs examines the policy challenges and choices now facing Europe in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine.
£23.74
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Cairo Genizah and the Age of Discovery in Egypt: The History and Provenance of a Jewish Archive
The Cairo Genizah is considered one of the world’s greatest Hebrew manuscript treasures. Yet the story of how over a quarter of a million fragments hidden in Egypt were discovered and distributed around the world, before becoming collectively known as “The Cairo Genizah,” is far more convoluted and compelling than previously told. The full story involves an international cast of scholars, librarians, archaeologists, excavators, collectors, dealers and agents, operating from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and all acting with varying motivations and intentions in a race for the spoils. Basing her research on a wealth of archival materials, Jefferson reconstructs how these protagonists used their various networks to create key alliances, or to blaze lone trails, each one on a quest to recover ancient manuscripts. Following in their footsteps, she takes the reader on a journey down into ancient caves and tombs, under medieval rubbish mounds, into hidden attic rooms, vaults, basements and wells, along labyrinthine souks, and behind the doors of private clubs and cloistered colleges. Along the way, the reader will also learn about the importance of establishing manuscript provenance and authenticity, and the impact to our understanding of the past when either factor is in doubt.
£21.84
O'Brien Press Ltd Dublin and the Viking World
Book SynopsisDublin and the Viking World is a unique blend of the familiar and the unfamiliar, the broad generalisation and the rarefied detail, the well-known historical character and the ordinary Dubliner.
£13.29
Irish Academic Press Ltd The Benedictine Nuns Kylemore Abbey
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Irish Academic Press Ltd The Root of All Evil
Book Synopsis
£18.99
Reaktion Books The Middle Ages and the Movies: Eight Key Films
Book SynopsisIn The Middle Ages and the Movies eminent historian Robert Bartlett takes a fresh, cogent look at how our view of medieval history has been shaped by eight significant films of the twentieth century. The book ranges from the concoction of sex and nationalism in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, to Fritz Lang’s silent masterpiece Siegfried, the art-house classic The Seventh Seal and the epic historical drama El Cid. The historical accuracy of these films is examined, as well as other salient aspects – how was Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose translated from page to screen? Why is Monty Python and the Holy Grail funny? And how was Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky shaped by the Stalinist tyranny under which it was filmed?
£18.00
Reaktion Books Alle Thyng Hath Tyme: Time and Medieval Life
Book SynopsisAlle Thyng Hath Tyme recreates medieval people’s experience of time: as continuous and discontinuous, linear and cyclical, embracing Creation and Judgement, shrinking to ‘atoms’ or ‘droplets’ and extending to the silent spaces of eternity. They might measure time by natural phenomena such as sunrise and sunset, the motion of the stars or the progress of the seasons, even as the late medieval invention of the mechanical clock was making time-reckoning more precise. Negotiating these mixed and competing systems, medieval people gained a nuanced and expansive sense of time that rewards attention today.Trade Review'In the Middle Ages, time didn’t just pass. Medieval people were “temporal virtuosos”, this book argues, living within great natural cycles, under shifting planetary influence, regulated by clock time with liturgical hours ringing in the air, generations succeeding generations while experiencing constant renewal and change. Alle Thyng Hath Tyme shows that an active experience of time – then as now – is an engagement with life itself. Make time for this book!' – Carolyn Dinshaw, Julius Silver Professor, New York University, and author of How Soon Is Now? Medieval Texts, Amateur Readers, and the Queerness of Time
£15.26
Reaktion Books A Devilish Kind of Courage
Book SynopsisThe tale of a notorious 1911 London gunfight, the Siege of Sidney Street', and its consequences.
£14.39
Reaktion Books Griffinology
Book SynopsisExplores the history and symbolism of griffins across cultures, folklore, magic and art.
£24.00
Reaktion Books Nether World
Book SynopsisA new account of urban Victorian life told through the dubious day-to-day of London's police courts. Nether World presents a rich, often humorous glimpse into everyday life in Victorian London through a revealing account of nineteenth-century police courts. People of all classes brought complaints to this court about those who had hurt, abused, or stolen from them - drunks, pickpockets, wife-beaters, and fraudsters - who were each in their turn judged by magistrates wielding broad summary powers. Delving into underexamined court records and the pages of a fast-developing newspaper industry, Drew D. Gray offers a fresh description of a vibrant, ever-changing metropolis and considers ongoing issues such as poverty, homelessness, violence, substance abuse, prostitution and - of course - crime.
£15.29
Reaktion Books Robert Hookes Experimental Philosophy
Book SynopsisA new biography of pioneering scientist Robert Hooke, from method to influence.
£16.16
Oxbow Books The Cosmatesque Mosaics of Westminster Abbey: The
Book SynopsisWestminster Abbey contains the only surviving medieval Cosmatesque mosaics outside Italy. They comprise: the ‘Great Pavement’ in the sanctuary; the pavement around the shrine of Edward the Confessor; the saint’s tomb and shrine; Henry III’s tomb; the tomb of a royal child, and some other pieces. Surprisingly, the mosaics have never before received detailed recording and analysis, either individually or as an assemblage. This two-volume publication presents a holistic study of this outstanding group of monuments in their historical architectural and archaeological context.The shrine of St Edward is a remarkable survival, having been dismantled at the Dissolution and re-erected (incorrectly) in 1557 under Queen Mary. Large areas of missing mosaic were replaced with plaster on to which mosaic designs were carefully painted. This 16th-century fictive mosaic is unique in Britain. Conservation of the sanctuary pavement was accompanied by full archaeological recording with every piece of mosaic decoration drawn and coloured by David Neal, phase plans have been prepared, and stone-by-stone examination undertaken, petrologically identifying and recording the locations of all the materials present. It has revealed that both the pavements and tombs include a range of exotic stone types. The Cosmati study has shed fresh light on every aspect of the unique series of monuments in Westminster Abbey; this work will fill a major lacuna in our knowledge of 13th-century English art of the first rank, and will command international interest.Trade ReviewThe two volumes comprise work of lasting quality and importance. * Church Monuments *…a series of hugely important thoughts and conclusions about the material evidence which offer a new set of narratives about Henry’s presbytery and his place as patron of the new medium — Cosmatesque mosaics. * Medieval Archaeology *With their in-depth discussions and analyses, new insights and lavish illustrations, these two volumes are a truly monumental achievement and an essential resource for scholars. * Archaeological Journal *This is a monumental study, a work of great scholarship with breath-taking illustrations … An invaluable and comprehensive historical work. * Ancient Monuments Society *There is a good index, and pages are helpfully numbered consectively across the two volumes. A wonderful achievement. * British Archaeology *Table of ContentsForeword by The Dean of Westminster Preface Acknowledgements Summary VOLUME 1 The Pavements 1 The cosmatesque pavements and monuments: introduction and context 2 Historiography and the antiquarian record 3 The sanctuary and high altar pavements: past interventions, damage and repair 4 Description of the sanctuary pavement 5 Surveying, analyzing and evaluating the sanctuary and high altar pavements 6 Conservation and repair of the sanctuary pavement by Vanessa Simeoni 7 St Edward the Confessor’s chapel pavement 8 Materials employed in the pavements and monuments VOLUME 2 The Royal Tombs 9 St Edward’s chapel and the context of the shrine 10 The shrine-tomb of St Edward the Confessor, I: description and primary fabric 11 The shrine-tomb of St Edward the Confessor, II: Tudor reconstruction and later history 12 Tomb of King Henry III 13 Child’s tomb in the south ambulatory 14 Related monuments and furnishings 15 The Westminster mosaic assemblage: summary, assessment and dating Appendix 1. The shrine in the records by Matthew Payne Archival references Chronicles Appendix 2. Quantification of tesserae in the mosaic pavements and monuments Notes to chapters 9 to 15 Abbreviations and bibliography Index Plans 3 and 4 (fold-outs at end of volume)
£58.50
Oxbow Books Interpreting Medieval Effigies: The Evidence from
Book SynopsisThis innovative study examines and analyses the wealth of evidence provided by the monumental effigies of Yorkshire, from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, including some of very high sculptural merit. More than 200 examples survive from the historic county in varying states of preservation. Together, they present a picture of the people able to afford them, at a time when the county was frequently at the forefront of national politics and administration, during the Scottish wars.Many monuments display remarkable realism, depicting people as they themselves wished to be remembered, and are accompanied by a great volume of contemporary sculptural and architectural detail. Stylistic analysis of the effigies themselves has been employed, better to understand how they relate to one another and give a firmer basis for their dating and production patterns. They are considered in relation to the history and material culture of the area at the time they were produced. A more soundly based appreciation of the sculptor's intentions and the aspirations of patrons is sought through close attention to the full extent of the visible evidence afforded by the monuments and their surroundings.The corpus is of sufficient size to permit meaningful analysis to shed light on aspects such as personal aspiration, social networks, patterns of supply and production, piety and wealth. It demonstrates the value of funerary monuments to the wider understanding of medieval society.The text will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue, making available a substantial body of research for the first time. The study considers the relationship between the monuments and related sculpture, architecture, painting, glass etc, together with contemporary documentary evidence, where it is available. This material and the underlying methodology are now available to illuminate monuments of the medieval period across the whole country. Its methods and messages extend understanding of all monuments, broadening its potential audience from the purely local to everyone concerned with medieval sculpture and church archaeology.Trade Review...the Gittos’ very evident expertise and dedication to these monuments have come together so fruitfully in this comprehensive book. * Medieval Archaeology *This engaging, authoritative and affordable study, with its additional online components, is indeed worth the wait. It will reinvigorate older debates and undoubtedly encourage new scholarship. * The Ecclesiological Society *Every medieval monument tells a story, both in its intent and origins, and in its subsequent history. It is clear that the authors realize this, and do their best to convey these stories, and the evidence that allows their recreation, to the reader. Their enthusiasm for this is contagious. * Archaeological Journal *Overall this a superbly researched and well-presented book which will doubtless become one of the great publications on medieval effigies and a much sought after addition to any bookshelf. For those interested in medieval arms and armour of the 13th and 14th centuries, this work is essential. * Arms and Armour: The Journal of Royal Armouries *The observational skills and contextual awareness of the authors, their breadth of scholarship and indomitable persistence are apparent throughout. […] While the effigies perpetuate the memories of the dead, this study if a worthy monument to the craftsmen who created them. * The Local Historian *Table of ContentsList of figures List of colour plates Acknowledgements Conventions 1 Introduction 2 The effigies 2a Description of the corpus 2b Aspects of design 2c Fate and fortune 2d Conclusions 3 Monuments in context 3a Introduction 3b Freestanding monuments 3c Canopied recesses 3d Tomb chests 3e Glass and painting 3f Armour and hearses 3g Dedicated locations 3h The churchyard 3i Conclusions 4 Makers and making 4a Fundamentals 4b Techniques 4c Relationships and series 4d Conclusions 5 Patrons and patronage 5a Historical context and Yorkshire society 5b The commemorated, their families and networks 5c Symbolism 6 Complexity and conclusions 6a The enigmatic priest’s monument at Welwick 6b Concluding remarks Bibliography Index List of Yorkshire's effigies to 1400
£33.25
Oxbow Books Bosworth 1485: A Battlefield Rediscovered
Book SynopsisBosworth stands alongside Naseby and Hastings as one of the three most iconic battles ever fought on English soil. The action on 22 August 1485 brought to an end the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses and heralded the dawn of the Tudor dynasty. However, Bosworth was also the most famous lost battlefield in England. Between 2005 and 2010, the techniques of battlefield archaeology were used in a major research programme to locate the site.Bosworth 1485: A Battlefield Rediscovered is the result. Using data from historical documents, landscape archaeology, metal detecting survey, ballistics and scientific analysis, the volume explores each aspect of the investigation – from the size of the armies, their weaponry, and the battlefield terrain to exciting new evidence of the early use of artillery – in order to identify where and how the fighting took place. Bosworth 1485 provides a fascinating and intricately researched new perspective on the event which, perhaps more than any other, marked the transition between medieval and early modern England.Table of Contents1. A battlefield lost 2. The armies: an historical perspective 3. The battle: an historical perspective 4. The battlefield terrain 5. Surveying the battle archaeology 6. Interpreting the artefacts 7. Gunpowder weapons 8. A new perspective on the battle
£28.45
Oxbow Books Excavations Along Hadrians Wall 20192021
Book SynopsisThe Hadrian's Wall Community Archaeology Project (WallCAP) conducted a series of fieldwork projects along the Hadrian's Wall corridor between 2019 and 2021. The work focused on sites that were poorly understood or under particular threat and aimed to improve understanding of them so they could be better managed in future. At several sites excavation was followed by conservation and consolidation work.This volume brings together the final reports of these excavations, at seven Roman sites in the Wall corridor. As the sites were spread along the length of the Wall the character and afterlife of the Wall in very different landscape locations could be compared. An assessment of the Vallum at Heddon on the Wall identified how earthwork archaeology survived in a sloped, heavily ploughed landscape. Three excavations investigated the condition of the stone Wall curtain at Port Carlisle, Walltown Crags, and Steel Rigg and Cats Stairs. At each site the Wall builders had responded to the demands
£45.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Awakening: A History of the Western Mind AD
Book SynopsisA monumental and exhilarating history of European thought, from the fall of Rome in the fifth century AD to the Scientific Revolution thirteen centuries later. The Awakening traces the recovery and refashioning of Europe's classical heritage from the ruins of the Roman Empire. The process of preservation of surviving texts, fragile at first, was strengthened under the Christian empire founded by Charlemagne in the eighth century; later, during the High Middle Ages, universities were founded and the study of philosophy was revived. Renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought provided the intellectual impetus for the Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, whose ideas – aesthetic, political and scientific – were disseminated across Europe by the invention of the printing press. Equally momentous was Europe's encounter with the New World, and the resulting maritime supremacy which conferred global reach on Europe's merchants and colonists. Vivid in detail and informed by the latest scholarship, The Awakening is powered not by the fate of kings or the clash of arms but by deeper currents of thought, inquiry and discovery, which first recover and then surpass the achievements of classical antiquity, and lead the West to the threshold of the Age of Reason. Charles Freeman takes the reader on an enthralling journey, and provides us with a vital key to understanding the world we live in today. Praise for The Awakening: 'The subject of this stimulating and erudite book is nothing less than the development of the Western mind from the demise of classical civilisation in the fifth century AD, through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, to the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. The Awakening is a work of serious scholarship by an author who has clearly been everywhere, seen everything and read voraciously. But it is also a work written with great elan and, given its scope, undertaken with considerable courage... An arrestingly clear design, combined with numerous judiciously chosen illustrations, completes an extraordinary achievement' Christopher Lloyd, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, 1988-2005 'The Awakening recounts the slow evolution of Western thought that restored legitimacy to independent examination and analysis, that eventually led to a celebration, albeit a cautious one, of reason over blind faith. In the process, Freeman reminds us that quality, engaging narrative history has not gone extinct, while demonstrating that it is possible to produce a work that is so well-written it is readable by a general audience while meeting the rigorous standards of scholarship demanded by academia' Stan Prager 'The Awakening is a very timely book and an excellently written and produced one. Freeman is a good host, a superb narrator and tells his story with aplomb... His elegant prose is a treat for the mind and the accompanying illuminations a treat for the eye' International TimesTrade ReviewCharles Freeman has done it again – amassed a vast body of knowledge on a major subject and infused it with historical understanding and humane wit. Above all else, he makes us realise why the twelve centuries between late Antiquity and early Modernity remain urgently relevant to the world of the twenty-first century. Aquinas, Erasmus, Dante, Descartes... theirs and a host of others' mindbending ideas are made to leap off the page, grab us by the throat and demand our undivided attention -- Paul Cartledge, AG Leventis professor of Greek Culture Emeritus, University of CambridgeA remarkable work of scholarship by esteemed historian Charles Freeman... The book is a fine production, adorned with coloured images of frescos and ancient manuscripts' * Irish Times *My favourite book of the year... The wonderful images of the art, architecture and books bring to life the detailed argument of Awakening... Freeman makes the subject matter alive and relevant in a way that few historians of ideas can... A book to read slowly, to ponder and enjoy leisurely * Goodreads *PRAISE FOR THE CLOSING OF THE WESTERN MIND: 'An elegant story, engagingly told. Freeman has a talent for narrative history and for encapsulating the more arcane disputes of ancient historians and theologians' Independent. 'There is much here to admire... It is a panoramic view that Freeman handles with grace, erudition and lucidity' Washington Times. 'Entertaining... An excellent and readable account of the development of Christian doctrine' * New York Times *
£24.00
Equinox Publishing Ltd Local Experiences of Connectivity and Mobility in
Book SynopsisLocal Experiences of Connectivity and Mobility in the Ancient West-Central Mediterranean brings together a series of papers that explore theoretical and material approaches to connectivity and mobility in the ancient Central and Western Mediterranean. The diverse contributions span the period of the Late Bronze Age through the Late Roman period and focus on locales across the central-western Mediterranean region, specifically Iberia, Southern France, North Africa, Italy, Sicily, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, and Corsica. Case studies are grouped around the themes of people, things, and landscapes. Focusing on the small-scale picture, they illuminate local experiences of connectivity and mobility that run "against the grain" of more usual large-scale narratives of Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman contact and colonization in the west. Taken together, the chapters demonstrate the value of dialogue across regional and national divides that have traditionally fragmented research in these regions. Further, they bring out the common themes that emerge when approaching connectivity and mobility from a broad diachronic perspective when not confined by traditional divisions between prehistory and the classical period. The book highlights the work of emerging scholars, framed by discussions by prominent scholars in the field, combining deep expertise with fresh perspectives and new approaches to connectivity and mobility in the ancient world.
£85.50
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Land Is All That Matters
Book SynopsisIn eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived off the land' in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived on the land' as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority of the population outside the north-east of the country. Land was vital. But most of it was owned by a class of Protestant, English and often aristocratic landlords. The dream of having more control over their farms, even of owning them, drove many of the most explosive conflicts in Irish history. Rebellions against British rule were rare, but savage outbreaks of murder related to resentments over land ownership, and draconian state repression, were a regular feature of Irish rural life. The struggle for the land was also crucial in driving support for Irish nationalist demands for Home Rule and independence.In this epic narrative, Myles Dungan examines two hundred years of agrarian conflict from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War Two. It explores the pivotal moments that shaped Irish history: the rise of ''moonlighting'', the infamous Whiteboys and Rightboys, the insurrection of Captain Rock, the Tithe War of 183136, the Great Famine of 1845 that devastated the country and drastically reduced the Irish population, and the Land War of 18781909, which ended by transferring almost all the landlords'' holdings to their tenants. These events take place against the backdrop of prevailing British rule and stark class and wealth inequality.Land Is All that Matters tells the sweeping story of the agrarian revolution that fundamentally shaped modern Ireland.
£11.40
Four Courts Press Armagh
Book Synopsis
£21.38
Four Courts Press Ltd Medieval Dublin XX
Book Synopsis
£42.75
Four Courts Press Ltd Reforming Galway
Book Synopsis
£42.75
Four Courts Press Ltd Elie Bouhereau
Book SynopsisÉ lie BouhÉ reau (1643? 1719) was a French medical doctor and scholar from a prosperous merchant family prominent in the Reformed Church of La Rochelle. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes BouhÉ reau fled France, and the personal library and correspondence of this brilliant refugee wended their way through Europe to become one of the formative collections of Marsh? s Library, Dublin, where he served as Ireland? s first public librarian. This volume explores the worlds BouhÉ reau traversed and impacted through investigation of his print and manuscript collections.
£47.50
Four Courts Press Ltd The intellectual world of the Country House in
Book Synopsis
£45.00
Liverpool University Press New Perspectives on the Medieval ‘Agricultural
Book SynopsisAn Open Access edition is available on the LUP and OAPEN websites.Across Europe, the early medieval period saw the advent of new ways of cereal farming which fed the growth of towns, markets and populations, but also fuelled wealth disparities and the rise of lordship. These developments have sometimes been referred to as marking an ‘agricultural revolution’, yet the nature and timing of these critical changes remain subject to intense debate, despite more than a century of research. The papers in this volume demonstrate how the combined application of cutting-edge scientific analyses, along with new theoretical models and challenges to conventional understandings, can reveal trajectories of agricultural development which, while complementary overall, do not indicate a single period of change involving the extension of arable, the introduction of the mouldboard plough, and regular crop rotation. Rather, these phenomena become evident at different times and in different places across England throughout the period, and rarely in an unambiguously ‘progressive’ fashion.Presenting innovative bioarchaeological research from the ground-breaking Feeding Anglo-Saxon England project, along with fresh insights into ploughing technology, brewing, the nature of agricultural revolutions, and farming practices in Roman Britain and Carolingian Europe, this volume is a critical new contribution to environmental archaeology and medieval studies in England and beyond. Contributors: Amy Bogaard; Hannah Caroe; Neil Faulkner; Emily Forster; Helena Hamerow; Matilda Holmes; Claus Kropp; Lisa Lodwick; Mark McKerracher; Nicolas Schroeder; Elizabeth Stroud; Tom Williamson.Table of ContentsPart I: Unpacking the ‘mouldboard plough package’Chapter 1. The ‘FeedSax’ Project: Rural Settlements and Farming in Early Medieval England (Helena Hamerow)Chapter 2. Lessons from Laxton, Highgrove and Lorsch: Building arable weed-based models for the investigation of early medieval agriculture in England (Amy Bogaard)Chapter 3. Understanding early medieval crop and animal husbandry through isotopic analysis (Elizabeth Stroud)Chapter 4. Land use in Central, East and Southeast England: arable or pasture? (Emily Forster)Chapter 5. Innovation, technology, and social change: the adoption of the mouldboard plough and its impact on human-animal relationships (Matilda Holmes)Chapter 6. Cattle and tillage in early medieval Europe: first results from the Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology, Germany (Claus Kropp)Part II: Revolutions revisitedChapter 7. Prospect and Protect: syntironomy and cereals in early medieval England (Mark McKerracher)Chapter 8. The precursor to the revolution? Current understandings of the Roman agrarian economy of Roman Britain (Lisa Lodwick)Chapter 9. An agro-social revolution in a Mid Saxon village: making sense of the Sedgeford excavations (Neil Faulkner)Chapter 10. Malting, brewing and beer in Anglo-Saxon England: Mid Saxon Sedgeford – a case study (Hannah Caroe)Chapter 11. The ‘cerealization’ of continental North-West Europe, c. 800-1200 (Nicolas Schroeder)Chapter 12. Agriculture, Lords and Landscape in Medieval England (Tom Williamson)Bibliography
£42.67
Headline Publishing Group Kings & Queens: The Real Lives of the English
Book SynopsisHistorians and broadcasters Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan tell the real stories of the most powerful men and women in British history.Kings & Queens explores the lives, loves, triumphs and disasters of a monarchy that is the envy of the world. Snow and MacMillan offer a unique insight into those born to rule, whether villains or heroes – from cruel King John and warrior-king Edward III, to our own Elizabeth II: dutiful, discreet and the longest-reigning queen in the world.This is the story of modern civilization through the lens of those who have ruled.Table of ContentsThe Anglo-Saxons c.800-1066 • William I the Conqueror 1066-87 • William II 1087-1100 • Henry I 1100-35 • Stephen 1135-54 • Henry II 1154-89 • Richard I 1189-99 • John 1199-1216 • Henry III 1216-72 • Edward I 1272-1307 • Edward II 1307-27 • Edward III 1327-77 • Richard II 1377-99 • Henry IV 1399-1413 • Henry V 1413-22 • Henry VI 1422-61 • Edward IV 1461-70 • Henry VI 1470-71 • Edward IV 1471-83 • Edward V 1483 • Richard III 1483-85 • Henry VII 1483-1509 • Henry VIII 1509-47 • Edward VI 1547-53 • Mary I 1553-58 • Elizabeth I 1558-1603 • James I (VI of Scotland) 1603-25 • Charles I 1625-49 • Charles II 1660-85 • James II 1685-88 • William III and Mary II 1689-1702 • Anne 1702-14 • George I 1714-27 • George II 1727-60 • George III 1760-1820 • George IV 1820-30 • William IV 1830-37 • Victoria 1837-1901 • Edward VII 1901-10 • George V 1910-36 • Edward VIII 1936 • George VI 1936-52 • Elizabeth II 1952-
£17.00
Key Publishing Ltd Viking Armies
Book SynopsisTales of legendary Viking armies have stood the test of time, still capturing the imagination of historians today and giving a glimpse into the ferocity and tactical proficiency with which these warriors fought over 1000 years ago. In this book, Gabriele Esposito examines a period of 273 years and gives an overview of the histories of the different factions and incarnations of the Vikings, as well as their most famous campaigns and battles. Furthermore, their weapons, armour and clothing are brought to life through over 120 colour photographs of replica equipment in use by reenactment groups from across the world.
£15.29
Archaeopress The Cult of St Swithun
Book SynopsisSt Swithun was an obscure ninth-century bishop of Winchester about whom little was, and is, known. But following the translation of his relics from a conspicuous tomb into the Old Minster, Winchester, on 15 July 971, the massive rebuilding of the cathedral, and a vigorous publicity campaign by Bishop Aethelwold (963-84), St Swithun became one of the most popular and important English saints, whose cult was widespread not only in England but also in Ireland, Scandinavia, and France. The present volume includes new and full editions of all the relevant texts – hagiographical, liturgical, and historical – in Latin, Old English, and Middle English, many of which have never been published before: these illuminate the origins and development of St Swithun’s cult. No dossier of an important English saint has been published on this scale until now: the wealth of this volume sheds new light not only on St Swithun himself, but also on the times during which his cult was at the peak of its popularity.
£109.25
Archaeopress Rushen Abbey, Isle of Man: A Hundred Years of
Book SynopsisRushen Abbey, now owned and managed by Manx National Heritage, was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1134 and suppressed in 1540. It was the most important religious institution on the Isle of Man wielding significant secular power as well as ecclesiastical authority. Its location in the middle of the Irish Sea and its political connections made it one of the most influential houses in western Britain and Ireland.The first known excavations were carried out in the late 1890s by Deemster Gill, one of the most senior law officers on the island. They were followed in 1912 and again in 1926 by more extensive investigations of parts of the east range the north transept of the church by William Cubbon then owner of the site. The modern study of the site began in 1978 and 1979 with excavations of the presbytery and both transepts by Dr Lawrence Butler, who followed them in 1988 and 1989 with a complete exploration of the east range. In between these two programmes of work Dr Larch Garrad of the Manx Museum carried out an important rescue excavation to the east of the church in 1984, locating a new chapel, part of the monastic cemetery and a charnel pit.Under threat of development for a hotel complex the site was purchased by the Manx Government in 1998 and the Centre for Manx Studies, University of Liverpool was asked to carry out exploratory excavations in the first place, followed by more extensive investigations of a number of areas of the site. These were carried out each year from 1998 to 2008 and succeeded in defining the plan of the church and claustral buildings together with parts of the western courtyard. In addition, to the south of the Cistercian complex an already disturbed early medieval cemetery was investigated. Alongside the excavations, medieval documentary sources were reviewed, and extensive fieldwork was carried out on the abbey's lands throughout the island.This book aims to provide a synthesis of all the available evidence for Rushen Abbey under one cover. Given the numbers of excavations, their complexity and the richness of finds, the detailed evidence on which this overview text is based is provided by a set of 20 online reports.
£38.00
Granta Books Stone Voices
Book Synopsis
£10.44
The History Press Ltd The AZ of Curious Northern Ireland
Book SynopsisAn A-Z of quirky facts and stories about Northern Ireland
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Britain 3000 BC
Book Synopsis
£18.70
The History Press Ltd 1415 Agincourt
Book SynopsisA night fell in Picardy on Thursday 24 October 1415, Henry V and his English troops, worn down by their long march in search of a crossing of the Somme, can only have dreamt that the battle of the next day would be remembered as one of the most momentous victories ever won.Six hundred years down the line, the battle of Agincourt still rings through the centuries. In this stupendous victory English and Welsh archers who formed the bulk of Henry's army prevailed against large numbers of French men-at-arms and cavalry. This startling and revisionist history recreates the campaign and battle from the perspectives of the English. Acclaimed as one of the best battle accounts ever published, Anne Curry has updated her classic work in honour of the 600th anniversary of Agincourt.
£14.39
Verso Books The Rise and Fall of Swedish Social Democracy
Book SynopsisHistorian Kjell Östberg presents the first comprehensive study of one of the most influential political movements of our time. Swedish Social Democracy was an inspiration to young socialists around the world for generations. But little remains of the Swedish model today.For almost a century, Social Democracy prevailed in Sweden, which for many appeared to be on the verge of becoming a truly socialist country. What followed instead was a jarring adaptation to a rising neoliberal world order. Large parts of the public sector have now been privatised, social inequality is rapidly worsening, and right-wing populists have come to represent much of the working class.Östberg discusses the reformist strategy, class organizations and social mobilisation, women’s struggle, and the creation of the Swedish welfare society. It is a history emblematic of the transformations in global politics of the last half century.
£23.75
