European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisThis portrait of a period at once familiar and remote includes views of the historic city of Lancaster, illustrates the development of Morecambe from a small fishing community to a thriving seaside resort, recaptures the wealth of Morecambe Bay''s maritime history, and explores the attractive villages of the Lune Valley. In addition to vanishing land - and townscapes, the photographs record the daily lives of ordinary people - at work at Gillows or in the giant linoleum and cloth mills, fishing in Morecambe Bay, celebrating local festivals, mourning local disasters, or enjoying a day out at the burgeoning seaside resorts. Comprising the work of both professionals and gifted amateurs, this fascinating selection draws largely on the collections of Lancaster City Museums. For those who can still remember, it offers a trip down memory lane; for others, it is a voyage of discovery.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBuilt of plywood and measuring 115 feet long, powered by four supercharged petrol engines and armed to the teeth with heavy weapons, the ''D'' Class Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) were better known as Dog Boats and played havoc with enemy shipping in home and foreign waters. During three years of war they engaged the enemy on more than 350 occasions, sinking and damaging many ships. Dog Boats at War is the authoritative account of operations by the Royal Navy''s ''D'' Class MGBs and MTBs in the Second World War in Home, Mediterranean and Norwegian waters. As well as drawing on official records - both British and German - the author has contacted several hundred Dog Boat veterans whose eye witness accounts add drama to the unfolding story.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis fascinating new book explores what life was like during the Templars' stay in Somerset during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It reveals the struggles over land ownership in the county, and introduces the reader to little known historical characters including William de Marisco, revealing his struggle with the Templars, and claim to the throne of England. The final chapter explores the controversy surrounding a carved wooden man's head discovered in a Somerset church. The author has found compelling evidence to suggest the church was not only built on Templar land, but had a connection with the Grand Master of the Order himself. Richly illustrated and compiled using original research, this book is sure to appeal to everyone interested in medieval history.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of Special Operations Executive (SOE) seems to spring a never-ending run of surprises, and here are some more. This book explores the mysterious world of the tools SOE used for their missions of subversion and sabotage. An often grim reality is confronted that is more akin with the world of James Bond and Q''s workshop than previously believed. Written by two scientists, one of whom served in the SOE and one who was tasked with clearing up after it was disbanded; their insider knowledge presents a clear account of the way in which SOE''s inventors worked. From high explosive technology to chemical and biological devices; from the techniques of air supply to incendiarism; from camouflage to underwater warfare; and from radio communications to weaponry. SOE: The Scientific Secrets is a revelation about the tools that allowed the murky world of spying and spies to operate during wartime.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a captivating collection of traditional and modern stories, including the submerged city of Cantre’r Gwaelod, or the ‘Welsh Atlantis’, how the Devil came to build a bridge over the Rheidol, the elephant that died in Tregaron, and how the Holy Grail came to Nanteos.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA greatly romanticised era of history, the Tudor period kick-started one of the most significant shifts in British culture ever to occur. With directions to each site, along with full details of the Tudor events and personalities linked to them, this guidebook will bring life and colour to the study of history.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJacob Rees-Mogg is a Conservative and the MP for the constituency of North East Somerset. Jacob sits on the Brexit Select Committee and he chairs the European Research Group. After Eton, Jacob read History at Trinity College, Oxford, before moving into finance. He co-founded Somerset Capital Management, which specialises in emerging markets investment management.Trade ReviewA full-throated, clear-sighted, well-researched and extremely well written exposition of the Victorians and their values. Rees-Mogg’s choice of a dozen Victorian luminaries allows him to defend an era too often ignored or written off in British history, and to compare it to our modern day in a way that readers will find gripping but also chastening * Andrew Roberts, bestselling author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’ *A fine philosophical mind * Matthew Parris *One of the most important politicians in the country * Economist *Polite, eloquent, witty, well-informed, coherent, principled — Jacob Rees-Mogg is the antithesis of almost every-thing the Labour party stands for under its current populist leadership * James Delingpole *The best-dressed man in the House of Commons * Spectator *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Reading this book is like taking a ride on a marvellously exhilarating time-machine, alive with colour, surprise and sheer merriment'' Jan MorrisElizabethan London reveals the practical details of everyday life so often ignored in conventional history books. It begins with the River Thames, the lifeblood of Elizabethan London, before turning to the streets and the traffic in them. Liza Picard surveys building methods and shows us the interior decor of the rich and the not-so-rich, and what they were likely to be growing in their gardens. Then the Londoners of the time take the stage, in all their amazing finery. Plague, smallpox and other diseases afflicted them. But food and drink, sex and marriage and family life provided comfort. Cares could be forgotten in a playhouse or the bull-baiting of bear-baiting rings, or watching a good cockfight. Liza Picard''s wonderfully skilful and vivid evocation of the London of Elizabeth I enables us to shaTrade ReviewHer formula ... is a winning one ... Elizabeth's London is, like its predecessors, a storehouse of fascinating information. Every page contains a nugget ... From birth to death, and everything in between, Picard has given us a wide-ranging survey of London and Londoners in an earlier age -- Lucy Moore * DAILY MAIL *From traffic congestion to cures for kidney stones; from water supplies to wood panelling; from etiquette to immigrants; from gardening to childbirth: it's all here in this captivating portrait of one of the world's greatest cities in its greatest age. For all the easy-going tone, this is a work of impressive learning, full of details of everyday practicalities that most recent history books ignore. Often a revelation, it's invariably a pleasure -- Michael Kerrigan * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *An exuberant book ... a conscientious and scholarly analysis of London's condition in the 16th century, contemplating every civic aspect from the sartorial to the gynaecological. Reading this book is like taking a ride on a marvellously exhilarating time-machine, alive with colour, surprise and sheer merriment -- Jan Morris * NEW STATESMAN *This riveting account embraces everything from immigration, crime and poor relief, to the invention in 1596 of the water closet. There are fascinating chapters on the naming and shaming of miscreants ... Picard reads with style and grace -- Betty Tadman * SCOTSMAN *The third of Picard's series of London histories is full of ... evocative images and little gems of information ... Picard is at her most entertaining in describing the agonies of Elizabethan fashion ... Picard's technique of using short entries to cover all aspects of daily life makes her books so rewarding to dip into -- Maureen Waller * THE TIMES *The reader is taken along the Thames, through the city drains and conduits to the sewers and privies, buildings, gardens and streets, from there to the people who crowded them, and to their complexes and cares. There is much to learn here: how to amputate a leg, or bake a humble pie (deer's entrails with mutton suet). The author has a charming fascination with words and their origins ... This is a vibrant, sparkling insight given with great zest and personality -- Alex Burghart * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *A warts-and-all portrayal of the sights, stinks and cries of this vibrant, teeming and unsanitary city. Every chapter is filled with incident and accident ... Picard's book contains many surprises ... Elizabeth's London provides a wonderfully evocative portrait of this lively, if squalid, city, and is an essential companion to the author's previous books -- Giles Milton * LIVING HISTORY *Drawing on a variety of sources, including records from Queen Elizabeth I's astrologer, doctors, churchwardens and foreign visitors, Elizabeth's London describes what life was like 400 years ago, not for the royal courtiers we so often see in period dramas, but for ordinary Londoners. It covers all the topics you might expect - such as food, buildings, diseases and religion - as well as the more unusual realities of life during Elizabeth's reign ... Following Dr Johnson's London and Restoration London, Picard again demonstrates her enormous knowledge of, and passion for, London's past -- Les Pickford * GEOGRAPHICAL *A book that is both historically sound and hysterically funny, this is one to be cherished -- GOOD BOOK GUIDESetting out to provide a detailed inventory of daily life in Tudor London ... she is unflappably curious in her sifting through 16th-century lives -- Andrew Holgate * SUNDAY TIMES *Picard makes spirited use of topographies, diaries, letters, account books, wills and inventories to detail the costs and conditions of this unprecedented expansion ... The author's third guide-book to the capital's past is as highly readable as her earlier examinations of Restoration and Georgian London -- Robin Blake * FINANCIAL TIMES *An evocative survey of the satisfactions and vexations of life in the capital in the later 16th century * HISTORY TODAY *this is a book for ducking and weaving through.... this makes satisfying toilet reading - especially the bits about how private loos in the age of Shakespeare were even nastier than our nastiest public loos today. -- Christopher Bray * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH *Liza Picard brilliantly captures the spirit of the age. * EXPRESS *ELIZABETH'S LONDON is satisfyingly rich and substantial. -- Daniel Hahn * AROUND THE GLOBE *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''An excellent and important work'' Literary Review''Anyone concerned about how the bear will respond will find this historically informative account an accessible and stimulating guide'' Sunday Express''Putin and the Rise of Russia is a privileged insider''s account of the Russian enigma at first hand. It''s the best kind of political journalism'' ObserverWhen the Soviet Union collapsed, the world was left wondering about its destiny. Russia is still an enormous power with a population exceeding 140 million, immense military resources and giant energy reserves - in short, a vast land full of promise and opportunity.Russia has the potential to be a force of stability or a force of turmoil, but when it comes to global affairs, can she be persuaded to join the world order?Professor Stuermer''s authoritative and timely account considers a Russia going through a defining phase after the depaTrade ReviewAn excellent and important work * LITERARY REVIEW *As a scholar, author and journalist of long standing, Stuermer has ranged widely. The broader perspective, historical and geographical, that he brings to this period of Russian history is refreshing. Most of all, his book provides a salutary corrective to the transatlantic assumptions underlying so much writing in English, where the West is a monolith on one side opposed to a Russian monolith on the other * INDEPENDENT *Authoritative, readable and concise * SPECTATOR *Michael Stuermer, Die Welt's chief correspondent, has spent years studying, and conversing with, the former KGB officer who has steered Russia's fortunes in the post-Yeltsin years. The result Putin and the Rise of Russia is a privileged insider's account of the Russian enigma at first hand. It's the best kind of political journalism: history's first draft * OBSERVER *We are lucky to have a commentator with Stuermer's talents and his distinguished journalistic and academic pedigree in Russian affairs * GLASGOW HERALD *Stuermer shows great understanding of the history and politics in a country in which secret institutions and state organisations still hold considerable sway. He succeeds in giving the reader a better understanding of how politics in Russia works. * EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS *Anyone concerned about how the bear will respond will find this historically informative account an accessible and stimulating guide * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Informative and fascinating * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *informative and fascinating * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe second and concluding volume of the definitive two-volume account of the HolocaustTrade ReviewRead together with his earlier volume, The Years of Persecution: 193-1939, Saul Friedlander has produced the new standard work on the Holocaust -- Dan Jones * DAILY TELEGRAPH *

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe two-year revolution that totally changed how Britain is governed.Internationally bestselling historian Antonia Fraser''s new book brilliantly evokes one year of pre-Victorian political and social history - the passing of the Great Reform Bill of 1832, an eventful and violent year that featured riots in Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham.The time-span of the book is from Wellington''s intractable declaration in November 1830 that ''The beginning of reform is beginning of revolution'' to 7 June 1832, when William IV reluctantly assented to the Great Reform Bill, under the double threat of the creation of 60 new peers in the House of Lords and the threat of revolution throughout the country. Wider themes of Irish and ''negro emancipation'' underscore the narrative.The book is character driven; we learn of the Whig aristocrats prepared to whittle away their own power to bring liberty to the country, the all-too-conservative opposition who included the Trade ReviewAntonia Fraser creates gorgeous portraits of the landed aristocrats, who fought for the Great Reform Bill of 1832. It is a remarkable story told by an excellent storyteller -- David Aaronovitch * THE TIMES *Fraser's rollicking history ... brisk engrossing narrative ... as a pure storyteller she has few equals -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *Antonia Fraser's superb narrative of the passing of the Great Reform Bill of 1832, one of the most potentially revolutionary moments in British politics, provides incisive pen portraits of all the major protagonists * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Britain, 1832. The 'perilous question' of the country's corrupt electoral system - is causing uproar. From the complacent Prime Minister, to radicals calling for revolution, Fraser expertly sketches the key players in a dramatic period of British history. * HISTORY REVEALED *[I]n her usual elegant style Antonia Fraser recounts the furore over constitutional reform as a thrilling adventure story -- Jad Adams * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Antonia Fraser's sheer stamina - she is now in her eighties and a national institution - is an object lesson for younger historians. The clear joy and fascination she continues to feel for her subject shine through -- Lucasta Miller * OXFORD REVIEW *The book take the reader through a complex political landscape with the humour, detail and keen-eyed observations that have made Fraser one of the country's most successful historical authors. In fact, this is historical writing at its best because it actually reads like a superb political thriller * SURREY LIFE *A political thriller - Borgen in the era of Middlemarch ... It is a remarkable story told by an excellent storyteller, with a flair for character and a rare sympathy for context -- David Aaronovitch * THE TIMES Book of the Week *This is history as it should be written: lively, witty and, above all, a cracking good read. I found it almost impossible to put down -- Jane Ridley * THE SPECTATOR *Not a typical summer blockbuster, but Fraser's analysis of the years preceding the Great Reform Act of 1832 is a rollicking good read, with rakish revolutionaries and reforming heroes * VOGUE *The 1820s and early 1830s have all too often been seen as a historical backwater between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the start of the Victorian era that began with the queen's accession in 1837. With Fraser's erudite and acute portrait of this age of reform, it won't be thought so anymore -- Andrew Roberts * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Her deft pen portraits and gift for dramatic narrative had me on the edge of my seat, even though I know the plot backwards -- Boyd Hilton * LITERARY REVIEW *Antonia Fraser's vivid account is particularly strong on characters -- Kwasi Kwarteng * EVENING STANDARD *Brisk and engrossing...Her book is a mine of juicy details, not all of the familiar. Until 1832, Britain's democracy was so ramshackle and corrupt that while Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds had no MPs at all, the rotten borough of Old Sarum, which consisted of "a lump of stone and a green field", had two -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *You could almost be reading a novel as the reforming Whigs take on the Conservative opposition aided by a cast of revolutionaries like William Cobbett -- Theo Walden * THE LADY *Fraser deftly charts the parliamentary brinkmanship - including the Prime Minister threatening to drown the Tory opposition in the House of Lords in a flood of newly created Whig peers - that finally brought victory to the Reformists, and nationwide celebrations at the passage of the legislation in 1832 -- John Adamson * MAIL ON SUNDAY *This, then, was probably the closest we ever got to full-blooded revolution, and Fraser describes it all with gusto. As she says in her introduction, we know the Reform Bill will pass, but the people who fought for it did not. And the people are the meat and drink of this story...It all makes for a rich landscape, a gripping tale and another fine book from one of our best popular historians -- Marcus Berkmann * DAILY MAIL *She is a knowledgeable guide, spicing her narrative with vivid sketches of the anxieties of individuals involved, from the kings dismay at the indiscretions of Queen Adelaide to Lord Grey's grief at the death of his little grandson, the "Red Boy" of Thomas Lawrence's portrait. Such details give humanity and vigour to the story of one of the most important moments in British history -- Sue Gaisford * FINANCIAL TIMES *Written with colour, pace and learning, Fraser's history of the Great Reform Bill of 1832 and its rocky passage into law speaks clearly to politics today. The country, eager for even this limited increase in the franchise, was thwarted for months by a diehard Westminster elite. The people did prevail - in the end. * i NEWSPAPER *This is popular history of a very high order. Elegantly written, lavishly illustrated and deftly argued, it is a brilliant and entertaining evocation of a turning point in British history...In Antonia Fraser, the "perilous question" has found an apt chronicler, who may yet rescue the Reform Bill from the gross amnesia of posterity. -- Robert Saunders * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *What I don't remember from school is how thoroughly entertaining it was. What a slice of human drama, how tense, how crucial and how very nearly it could have foundered, thereby propelling our nation into riot and revolution. For that we need impeccable historian Antonia Fraser, who invests such humanity in her huge cast of characters. -- Jennifer Selway * DAILY EXPRESS *Lady Antonia (who was created a Dame in 2011 for services to literature) can be relied upon to build her story around personalities, and to portray them so skillfully that the reader becomes totally absorbed in their fortunes. -- John Ure * COUNTRY LIFE *This is one of Antonia Fraser's very best books, well up to the standard of her admirable life of Cromwell and her gut-wrenchingly brilliant life of Marie Antoinette. When you have read it, you will not only have grasped all the twists and turns of one of the great parliamentary adventures of history, you will also feel as if you have spent the most entertaining week at a Whig house-party. -- Ann Wilson * THE TABLET *An engaging account of those turbulent times * CATHOLIC HERALD *Antonia Fraser's wonderfully vivid, authentic and impeccably sourced account of the passage of this bill paints a picture of tempestuous times when a disenfranchised people, struck by poverty, chose reform in Parliament as their placard. -- Giles Broadbent * WHARF.CO.UK *Fraser's book is worth reading to get an overview of the revolutionary upsurge which led to the passing of the 1832 Great Reform Bill. * The Newsline *Antonia Fraser relates these events with tremendous verve, admirably describing the exuberance and fury stirred up by Reform and explaining complex issues with exemplary clarity. -- Anne Somerset * STANDPOINT *Perilous Question is a cracking good read and should be on every parliamentarian's summer reading list. * TOTAL POLITICS *The bill was finally passed after a titantic two year struggle. Antonia Fraser's work transforms our understanding of it. This is the best history book I have read so far this year. -- Lord Lexden * THE HOUSE MAGAZINE *Antonia Fraser is one of the most readable historians writing today, and her aim is to be accessible to those who enjoy history but are not necessarily academics. She does a wonderful job here, describing and explaining the events surrounding the Great Reform Bill of 1832, which was Britain's belated response to the events of the French Revolution. It was far from perfect in terms of how many more people received the vote, but it almost certainly avoided a full-blooded insurrection. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *This is a wonderful Westminster thriller, played out by characters both heroic and irredeemably crass. Fraser draws them all with her usual deft hand and dramatic instinct. -- Dan Jones * THE TIMES *This is the brilliant history and storytelling we always expect from Fraser - impossible to put down. -- Kate Williams * BBC HISTORY *A country divided, perhaps on the brink of revolution; a parliament rich with political intrigue, orotund speeches and ripe characters - the Reform crisis of the 1830s is a story waiting for a popular retelling. * THE OLDIE *From the first paragraph Fraser renders it a compelling drama with a cast of characters as awful, marvellous, duplicitous, self-seeking and public spirited as any that Dickens invented. The parallels with today are glaring and the lessons still only partially learned, the consequences as yet not fully redeemed. The brilliance of Fraser is that she sees everything first in human terms - this is history made by people for people and it's the people that dance, posture and rise with a moving grandeur off the page. -- A. A. Gill * NEW STATESMAN *Documenting powerful change, the author brings to life an exciting chapter of history which divided a nation * DISCOVER BRITAIN *Antonia Fraser's PERILOUS QUESTION succeeds in making a gripping read out of the political crisis of the Great Reform Bill. Lord Grey - the idealistic older statesman with his tight-fitting white pantaloons - emerges as an unexpected hero. -- Jane Ridley * THE SPECTATOR *a lively story of human drama and political intrigue * DAILY TELEGRAPH *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt has long been recognised that the Church played a major role in the development of towns and cities from the earliest times, a fact attested to by the prominence and number of ecclesiastical buildings that still dominate many urban areas. Yet despite this physical evidence, and the work of archaeologists and historians, many important aspects of the early stages of urbanization in England are still poorly understood. Not least, there are many unanswered questions concerning the processes by which the larger towns emerged as planned settlements during the pre-Conquest centuries. Whilst the commitment of the Wessex kings is recognized, questions remain concerning the participation of the Church in this process. Likewise, our understanding of the Church''s influence in the later development of towns is not yet fully developed. Many intriguing questions remain concerning such issues as the founding of parish churches and their boundaries, and the extent to which the Church, as a Trade Review'One of the most significant urban studies for some time...well written, it really is important and a fine collaborative effort. Special mention for the 60-odd new plans which are exemplary.' British Archaeology 'Enough has been said to show that this handsomely produced book, with its 70 maps and plans, 19 plates and seven tables, is one to which all who have any interest in our medieval city must turn.' Worcestershire Recorder '...this is a fine work of scholarship, original and important.'Northern History '... a magnificient addition to medieval English urban history and greatly to be recommended.' Nottingham Medieval Studies 'Baker and Holt have compiled extensive archaeological and historical data in this meticulous, multidisciplinary study of the church's role in the urban development of medieval Gloucester and Worcester.' Choice '... this is a study of great and lasting value, with much to offer scholars working on other towns.' Landscape History '... a major interdisciplinary study in early urban history: one in which general conclusions about the Church's role in urban development are grounded in two splendidly detailed case studies, but which have important implications for many other towns... The richness of interpretation shown here is a model for other uban studies.' Urban History '... a magnificent addition to the study of urban history and thus greatly to be recommended.' Early Medieval Europe 'Never has the continuity of the English county town been demonstrated in more persuasive detail than in this learned and admirable study.' The Ricardian ’Les auteurs nous offrent donc un ouvrage d'une grande richesse, tant sur le plan factuel que méthodologique, qui fait désormais référence dans l'histoire urbaine de l'Angleterre et plus largement à l'échelle de l'Europe du Nord-Ouest pour qui veut étudier les imbrications entre l'Église, sous toutes ses formes, et l'espace urbain au Moyen Âge.’ Cahiers de civilisation médiévaleTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction; Gloucester and the Church before 1100; The landscape of medieval Gloucester; Gloucester: churches, chapels and parishes; Worcester and the Church before 1100; The landscape of medieval Worcester; Worcester: churches, chapels and parishes; The lesser churches and chapels of Gloucester and Worcester: conclusions; The development of the parishes; The major religious institutions: their lands and their role in urban growth; The major religious institutions: their relationship to urban secular authority; Ecclesiastical precincts in the urban landscapes; The suburbs and the Church; The Church, town-planning and public works; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLawyer, politician, diplomat and leading architect of the League of Nations; Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, was one of Britain's most significant statesmen of the twentieth century. His views on international diplomacy cover the most important aspects of British, European and American foreign policy concerns of the century, including the origins and consequences of the two world wars, the disarmament movement, the origins and early course of the Cold War and the first steps towards European integration. His experience of the First World War and the huge loss of life it entailed provoked Cecil to spend his life championing the ethos behind and work of the League of Nations: a role for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937. Yet despite his prominence in the international peace movement, Cecil has never been the focus of an academic biography. Cecil has perhaps been judged unfairly due to his association with the League of Nations, which has since been generally regarded as a failure. However, recent academic research has highlighted the contribution of the League to the creation of many of the institutions and precepts that have, since the Second World War, become accepted parts of the international system, not least the United Nations. In particular, Cecil and his work on arms control lay the basis for understanding this new area of international activity, which would bear fruit during the Cold War and after. Through an evaluation of Cecil's political career, the book also assesses his reputation as an idealist and the extent to which he had a coherent philosophy of international relations. This book suggests that in reality Cecil was a Realpolitiker pragmatist whose attitudes evolved during two key periods: the interwar period and the Cold War. It also proposes that where a coherent philosophy was in evidence, it owed as much to the moral and political code of the Cecil family as to his own experiences in politics. Cecil's social and familial world is therefore considered alongside his more public life.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1 Inheritance; Chapter 2 Entering the Fray, 1903–14; Chapter 3 Changing Focus, 1914–19?; Chapter 4 The Origins of the League of Nations, 1916–18; Chapter 5 Paris Peace Conference, 1919; Chapter 6 Disarmament and First Challenges to League Authority, 1919–24; Chapter 7 The European Security Debate and the League Council Crisis, 1924–26; Chapter 8 Land and Air Disarmament Negotiations, 1925–27; Chapter 9 Naval Disarmament and the Geneva Naval Conference, 1925–27; Chapter 10 International Disarmament and Crisis in the Far East, 1928–34; Chapter 11 The Peace Ballot and the Rise of Fascism in Europe, 1934–39; Chapter 12 The Second World War, the United Nations and the Cold War, 1939–58; Chapter 101 Conclusion;

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"The letters of Margherita Datini to her husband, 'the merchant of Prato,' are virtually impossible to put down. Margherita is never obsequious, and never holds her tongue as she chastises Francesco for staying up too late, asks about a case before the Eight of Florence, beseeches him to help friends in prison, worries over financial transactions, and updates him on his business, the harvests, and his illegitimate child (whom she cares for) when he is away. Rich in emotional life and historical particulars, the letters are a unique window into late medieval Tuscany and women’s 'work.' Thanks to Carolyn James and Antonio Pagliaro for their illuminating introduction and equally luminous translation." * Jane Tylus, New York University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xiiiIntroduction 1A Note on the Translation 26Margherita Datini: Letters to Francesco Datini 30Appendix 1: Conventions for Names and Titles 401Appendix 2: Measurements, Money, and Time 402Bibliography 405Index 415

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn addition to concentration camps, World War II Germany was also home to 54 prisoner-of-war camps, the largest of which was Stalag IVB. This historical chronicle evokes the heartbreaking reality of day-to-day life in Stalag IVB, with firsthand accounts by the author and other veterans of the camp. Closing chapters detail the camp's final months.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of monastic institutions in the Middle Ages may at first appear remarkably uniform and predictable. Medieval commentators and modern scholars have observed how monasteries of the tenth to early twelfth centuries experienced long periods of stasis alternating with bursts of rapid development known as reforms. Charismatic leaders by sheer force of will, and by assiduously recruiting the support of the ecclesiastical and lay elites, pushed monasticism forward toward reform, remediating the inevitable decline of discipline and government in these institutions. A lack of concrete information on what happened at individual monasteries is not regarded as a significant problem, as long as there is the possibility to reconstruct the reformers' program.'' While this general picture makes for a compelling narrative, it doesn't necessarily hold up when one looks closely at the history of specific institutions.In Monastic Reform as Process, Steven Vanderputten puts the historyTrade ReviewMonastic Reform as Process makes important interventions in monastic studies, institutional history, and the history of the central Middle Ages as a whole. Very few scholars move so easily and aptly from broad theoretical discussion to minute analysis of particular sources and back again. Steven Vanderputten advances both our empirical knowledge of monastic communities and our insight into the concept of institutional reform. * Walter Simons *In sum, Vanderputten's book is persuasive in part because its argumentation reflects the method of the reformers: built up bit by bit with careful attention to different contexts. It might be objected that Vanderputten casts his net too wide: if almost any activity that strengthened a monastery could count as reform, then of course it can be found repeatedly over time. But defining reform programmatically would beg the question, and Vanderputten's insistence that it came in many forms, depending on different contexts, avoids a priori classifications drawn from later reforming chronicles and instead provides a compelling overall framework for explaining change. The book will be invaluable for anyone working on the period and for historians of the twelfth century who want to avoid being blinded by the flashpoints described in reforming narratives. * Speculum *Rather than tackling a large field of study, Steven Vanderputten limits his focus to Benedictine monasteries in the county of Flanders.. The content here is integrated into a collective viewpoint that allows the reader to reflect on the nature and scope of monastic reforms of the High Middle Ages. As the author says, Rather than looking at reforms as 'flashpoint events', we need to view them as processes worthy of study in their own right.'. * Revue Bénédictine *"This excellent and clearly written book serves to highlight the ways in which a knowledgeable scholar of regional politics can dislodge overly simplisticyet entrenched narratives through deep contextualization. Vanderputten demonstrates the unreliability of discourses of 'reform' so convincinglythat the reader will be unable to use the word casually again.... This work will be essential not only to researchers of central medieval Flemish history or the history of monastic reformbut also those interested more broadly in the processes of medieval institutional changeparticularly if they are seeking a model for how to situate the initiatives of individuals within larger regional histories." —Kate Craig * Comitatus *This is an important book, a sustained discussion about the nature and meaning of monastic reform in one time and place that should encourage other, similar studies.... I hope Vanderputten's study finds readership not only among those interested in Flanders or monasticism in the central Middle Ages or even ecclesiastical reform more generally. For this is a book about how institutions change, the opportunities available to those who want to change them, and the limits they face in the attempt. It is history as process. * The Medieval Review *Vanderputten's Monastic Reform as Process reflects where medieval history must go in the twenty-firstcentury. It is rich in archival research, harnessing emergent digital databases to organize an impressiverange of sources effectively which lay beyond the grasp of previous generations of scholars. Yet theauthor directs his inquiries towards key historical questions which traditional scholarship has raised, butcould not answer. The book is an excellent study of monastic reform in medieval Flanders, whichaddresses issues medievalists care about. Its historiographical corrective should appeal to a widerhistorical audience. It also represents a significant step forward as an approach to medieval history,conditioned by the new realities of historical study in the twenty-first century. * H-France Review *Vanderputten's book is persuasive in part because its argumentation reflects the method of the reformers: built up bit by bit with careful attention to different contexts.... [Monastic Reform as Process] will be invaluable for anyone working on the period and for historians of the twelfth century who want to avoid being blinded by the flashpoints described in reforming narratives. * Speculum *His broader arguments are almost surely correct and might be considered hypothetical templates for reexamining other charismatic reformers, such as Odilo of Cluny and William of Dijon. * American Historical Review *Vanderputten elegantly argues that early-11th-century monastic reform can be understood only within an explicit long-term context of the slow, cumulative development of individual monasteries, and that this reform saw each monastery as a world unto itself, with a reforming abbot using his community's traditions to gradually transform the community into the ideal monastery. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *Overall, and especially for its effective interpretation of the motives that led medieval monastic authors to choose their subject matter and story-lines, this is a book that will repay reading and re-reading. * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Corporate Memories of Reform2. The "Failed" Reforms of the Tenth Century3. The "Dark Age" of Flemish Monasticism4. Introducing the New Monasticism5. Processes of Reformist Government6. Shaping Reformed Identities7. The "Waning" of Reformed MonasticismConclusionAppendix A: Overview of the Leadership of Benedictine Monasteries in Flanders Reformed in the Tenth and Early Eleventh Centuries between c. 900 and c. 1120Appendix B: Booklist of the Abbey of Marchiennes, c. 1025–1050Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBoxer finds that the mere survival of these Christian minorities through the vicissitudes of over three centuries is a tribute to the work of the dedicated missionaries of the Church Militant in times past.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the intersection of religion, politics, and the supernatural that spawned the notorious witch hunts in Europe and the New World. Brian A. Pavlac discusses witch hunts in fascinating detail by region, highlighting the cultural differences of the people who incited them as well as the key reforms, social upheavals, and intellectual debates that shaped European thought.Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChronologyChapter 1: An Introduction to Witch-HuntingChapter 2: Medieval Origins of the Witch HuntsChapter 3: Witch-Hunting in the Holy Roman EmpireChapter 4: The Witch Hunts in FranceChapter 5: Witch-Hunting in the British RealmsChapter 6: Witch-Hunting in Southern EuropeChapter 7: Witch-Hunting in Northern and Eastern EuropeChapter 8: Beyond the Witch HuntsGlossarySelected BibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe British and the Spanish had long been in conflict, often clashing over politics, trade, and religion. But in the early decades of the eighteenth century, these empires signed an asiento agreement granting the British South Sea Company a monopoly on the slave trade in the Spanish Atlantic, opening up a world of uneasy collaboration. British agents of the Company moved to cities in the Caribbean and West Indies, where they braved the unforgiving tropical climate and hostile religious environment in order to trade slaves, manufactured goods, and contraband with Spanish colonists. In the process, British merchants developed relationships with the Spanish—both professional and, at times, personal.The Temptations of Trade traces the development of these complicated relationships in the context of the centuries-long imperial rivalry between Spain and Britain. Many British Merchants, in developing personal ties to the Spanish, were able to collect potentially dTrade Review"Finucane brings to bear significant research on company agents who brokered a difficult commerce while enriching themselves. Her work dramatizes the on-the-ground experiences of imperial loyalty and rivalry through their stories. It also greatly adds to previous scholarship on the South Sea Company, which has mainly focused on its presence in Britain . . . The Temptations of Trade provides a fascinating and granular work on transimperial contact and the formation of Atlantic communities." * Latin American Research Review *"In The Temptations of Trade, Adrian Finucane puts a human face on the Caribbean's imperial and commercial struggles by bringing to life the stories of the South Sea Company's agents in Spanish America. In the process, she answers a number of important questions about the nature of eighteenth-century trade and illustrates how British and Spanish empires, despite their unrelenting rivalry, depended on one another." * April Hatfield, Texas A&M University *Table of ContentsPrologue: Before the Asiento Chapter 1. Britain Hopes for the "Riches of America," 1713-1716 Chapter 2. The Stuttering Success of the Early Trade, 1717-1728 Chapter 3. "Unjust Depredations" and Growing Tensions, 1729-1738 Chapter 4. The End of the British Asiento, 1739-1748 Epilogue: Beyond the Asiento List of Abbreviations Notes Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Saltzman’s book is impressive in its range, compelling in its argument, and significant in its contribution. I twill undoubtedly remain a touchstone for scholarship on early medieval notions of agency, interiority, and legal identity for a long time to come." * Speculum *"Highly original, Bonds of Secrecy reveals something that has been hidden in plain sight throughout a wide variety of texts and makes a significant impact on our understanding of historical and narrative motivations. Benjamin A. Saltzman succeeds in clearing away presentist mental furniture to reveal what secrecy meant to Anglo-Saxons who understood it to be inseparable from divine omniscience." * Leslie Lockett, The Ohio State University *Table of ContentsA Note on References and Translations List of Abbreviations Introduction PART I. LAW Chapter 1. Political Epistemology and Crimes of Concealment in Anglo-Saxon Law Chapter 2. The Secret Seized: Theft, Death, and Testimony PART II. SPIRITUALITY Chapter 3. Monastic Life and the Regulation of Secrecy Chapter 4. Making Space for Spiritual Secrecy Chapter 5. Seeing in Secret: Saints, Hagiography, and the Ethics of Concealment and Discovery PART III. LITERATURE Chapter 6. Binding Secrets, Solving Riddles Chapter 7. Worldly Concealment, Divine Knowledge, and the Hermeneutics of Faith Chapter 8. Reading Hidden Meaning: Between Interpretive Pride and Eschatological Humility Afterword Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisA thought-provoking look at the Angevin aristocracy''s literary practices and historical recordComing upon the text of a document such as a charter or a letter inserted into the fabric of a medieval chronicle and quoted in full or at length, modern readers might well assume that the chronicler is simply doing what good historians have always done—that is, citing his source as evidence. Such documentary insertions are not ubiquitous in medieval historiography, however, and are in fact particularly characteristic of the history-writing produced by the Angevins in England and Northern France in the later twelfth century.In History and the Written Word, Henry Bainton puts these documentary gestures center stage in an attempt to understand what the chroniclers were doing historiographically, socially, and culturally when they transcribed a document into a work of history. Where earlier scholars who have looked at the phenomenon have explained this increaseTrade Review"Henry Bainton’s volume offers an original and innovative approach to a corpus of historiographical texts that have attracted the interest of many scholars of English history, as well as historians of historiography...[A]n an inspiring read, which can contribute to an interdisciplinary conversation between historians, paleographers, and codicologists, as well as literary scholars." * Speculum *"Offering fresh insights and deftly incorporating a wide selection of apt modern scholarship and theory, History and the Written Word leads us to talk about the deep issues of collective identity and state formation." * Nancy Partner, McGill University *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter breaking free from the Bolsheviks in 1918, Estonia enjoyed independence until 1940 when the country was subsumed by the Soviet Union. Not until 1991 was Estonia able to make its next successful bid for sovereignty. In this book, Rein Taagepera traces the evolution of Estonia from prehistory to the present, when a radical turn of events in the former Soviet Union once again altered the destiny of this Baltic nation. The author explores in depth the remarkable changes in Estonia since 1980, framing his analysis within the larger picture of the Soviet Union and its demise. He also examines the issue of ethnic tensions between Estonians and Russian colonists and speculates on how unrest will affect the future of the country. Throughout his analysis, the author weaves in such key questions as: Why did Sovietization fail? How did Estonia's quest for autonomy affect Soviet dissolution? What role will the country play on the global stage? What will Estonia's future hold?Table of ContentsPreface -- Estonia’s Role in the World -- From Prehistory to World War I -- Independence and World War II -- Soviet Occupation -- History Starts to Move -- The Quest for Autonomy -- The Quest for Independence -- Independence in an Interdependent World -- Appendix Basic Data and Chronology

Read more less

Book SynopsisWar in the Iberian Peninsula, 7001600 is a panoramic synthesis of the Iberian Peninsula including the kingdoms of Leon and Castile, Aragon, Portugal, Navarra, al-Andalus and Granada. It offers an extensive chronology, covering the entire medieval period and extending through to the sixteenth century, allowing for a very broad perspective of Iberian history which displays the fixed and variable aspects of war over time.The book is divided kingdom by kingdom to provide students and academics with a better understanding of the military interconnections across medieval and early modern Iberia. The continuities and transformations within Iberian military history are showcased in the majority of chapters through markers to different periods and phases, particularly between the Early and High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.With a global outlook, coverage of all the most representative military campaigns, sieges and battles between 700 and Trade Review'Never has the complicated medieval military history of the Iberian Peninsula been told so well. Nor could it have been accomplished without the talents of so many skilled Iberian military historians as those brought together in this book. This is now the seminal work for anyone seeking to study or research the Iberian military history of the Middle Ages, or to understand the Spanish and Portuguese conquests of the sixteenth century.'Kelly Devries, Loyola University Maryland, USA‘This volume, well thought out in its structure and executed by its authors, is also a testimony of hybridisations and influences in the military field between Christians and Muslims, which is an added value to the individual studies that comprise it. It is a work that also reveals continuities and transformations throughout the different periods up to the beginning of the 16th century, when the medieval legacy, in warfare methods, was still evident (…) an excellent synthesis developed with clarity and efficiency, which also opens up to an international public not always familiar with historiography written in Portuguese or Spanish (…) the difficult work carried out by its editors to articulate the chapters of the book; and evidences of the fruitful path that research can still pursue in many possible directions, regarding the study of the war in the Iberian Peninsula’ J. Santiago Palacios, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, Sehepunkte 21 (2021), Nr. 4Table of ContentsPreface; Chapter 1 - Al-Andalus; Chapter 2 – Granada; Chapter 3 - Castile-Leon; Chapter 4 – Crown of Aragon; Chapter 5 – The Kingdom of Navarre; Chapter 6 – Portugal; Chapter 7 – The Spanish Imperial Wars of the Sixteenth Century

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis anthology of German verse in English translation covers a period that includes perhaps two-thirds of the superlative poets of the German language. Here are 147 poems representing 27 poets from Matthias Claudius to Friedrich Nietzsche. The selection is representative, including both the universally known (Goethe, Schiller, Holderlin) and the less familiar (Brentano, Droste-Hulshoff, Holty, Hebbel, Storm). Among the translations are classics by Coleridge, Longfellow, and the Irish poet James Mangan.Table of ContentsForeword: Michael Hamburger Introduction: Robert M. Browning MATTHIAS CLAUDIAS (1740-1814) Der Säemann säet den Samen/The sower is sowing his seed (K. Negus) Abendlied/Evening Song (A. Gode) Die Sternseherin Lise/The Stargazing Maiden (S.Z. Buehne) Kriegslied/A Song of War (A. Bloch) Christiane (J.W. Thomas) Der Tod und das Mädchen/Death and the Girl (J.W. Thomas) Der Tod/Death (R.M. Browning) GOTTFRIED AUGUST BÜRGER (1747-1794) Lenore/Leonore (J.C. Mangan) LUDWIG CHRISTOPH HEINRICH HÖLTY (1748-1776) Auftrag/Mandate (G.C. Schoolfield) Die Schale der Vergessenheit/The Cup of Oblivion (G.C. Schoolfield) An den Abendstern/To the Evening Star (J.W. Thomas) JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE (1749-1832) Mailied/May Song (J.F. Nims) Willkommen und Abschied/The Meeting, The Departure (J.F. Nims) Im Herbst 1775/Autumn, 1775 (R.M. Browning) Prometheus (M. Hamburger) Mahomets Gesang/A Song to Mahomet (C. Middleton) Auf dem See/On the Lake (J.S. Dwight) An den Mond/To the Moon (J.F. Nims) Grenzen der Menschheit/Human Limits (M. Hamburger) Wandrers Nachtlied/Ein Gleiches/Wanderer's Night-Songs (H.W. Longfellow) Mignon (Kennst du das Land)/Mignon (You know that land) (J.F. Nims) Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt/Who Yearning Knows (S. Spender) Alles geben die Götter/The Gods Give Everything (S. Spender) Anakreons Grab/Anacreon's Grave (M. Hamburger) Natur und Kunst/Sonnet (M. Hamburger) Gefunden/In a Glade (R. Garnett) Wiederfinden/Reunion (C. Middleton) Proemion (E.A. Bowring) Urworte, Orphisch/Primeval Words, Orphic (M. Knight and J. Fabry) Selige Sehnsucht/Blessed Longing (M. Hamburger) Dauer im Wechsel/Permanence in Change (J.F. Nims) FRIEDRICH SCHILLER (1759-1803) Dithyrambe/The Visit of the Gods (S.T. Coleridge) Des Mädchens Klage/The Maiden's Plaint (J.C. Mangan) Der Ring des Polykrates/Polycrates and His Ring (J.C. Mangan) Das Glück/The Gifts of Fortune (A. Gode) Nänie/Nenia (A. Gode) JOHANN GAUDENZ VON SALIS-SEEWIS (1762-1834)Lied, zu singen bei einer Wasserfahrt/Song to be Sung During a Trip on the Water(G.C. Schoolfield)FRIEDRICH HÖLDERLIN (1770-1843)Hyperions Schicksalslied/Hyperion's Song of Fate(C. Middleton)Abendphantasie/Evening Fantasy(K. Negus)Menschenbeifall/Public Approval(K. Negus)An die jungen Dichter/To Young Poets(K. Negus)An die Parzen/To the Fates(M. Hamburger)Diotima (Du schweigst und duldest/Diotima (You suffer and keep silent)(M. Hamburger)Geh unter, schöne Sonne.../Go down, fair sun...(E. Henderson) Der Abschied. Zweite Fassung/The Farewell. Second Version (C. Middleton) Andenken/Remembrance (C. Middleton) Lebensalter/The Ages of Life (M. Hamburger) Hälfte des Lebens/Half of Life (W. Trask and A. Gode) FRIEDRICH VON HARDENBERG ("NOVALIS") (1772-1801)Hymnen an die Nacht/Hymns to Night (R.M. Browning) LUDWIG TIECK (1773-1853) Liebe/Love (H. Salinger) CLEMENS BRENTANO (1778-1842) Der Spinnerin Lied/The Spinstress' Song (A. Gode) Abendständchen/Serenade (H. Salinger) Wenn ich ein Bettelmann wär/If I were a beggarman (D.B. Dickens) Am Berge hoch in Lüften/Adieu, Heart's Love, Adieu! (R. Garnett) Heil'ge Nacht, heil'ge Nacht/Holy night, holy night! (D.B. Dickens) Nachklänge Beethovenscher Musik/Echoes of Beethoven's Music (G.C. Schoolfield) JOSEPH FREIHERR VON EICHENDORFF (1778-1857) Wünschelrute/Divining Rod (A. Turner) Das zerbrochene Ringlein/The Broken Ring (G.H. Chase) Der Abend/Evening (E. Morgan) Nachts/Nocturne (H. Salinger) Mondnacht/Night of Moon (G.H. Chase) Sehnsucht/Longing (G.H. Chase) Der alte Garten/The Old Garden (W. Heider) Die Nachtblume/Night (I.S. MacInnes) Waldgespräch/Conversation in the Forest (G. Gillhoff) Auf meines Kindes Tod/On the Death of my Child (E. Dvoretzky) Memento mori! (R.M. Browning) Todeslust/Death Wish (R.M. Browning) JUSTINUS KERNER (1786-1862) Der schwere Traum/Oppressive Dream (J. Fitzell) LUDWIG UHLAND (1787-1862) Frühlingsglaube/Spring Faith (J.W. Thomas) Das Schloß am Meer/The Castle by the Sea (H.W. Longfellow) Der gute Kamerad/The Good Comrade (M. Münsterberg and C.T. Brooks) Der Wirtin Töchterlein/The Hostess' Daughter (M. Münsterberg) FRIEDRICH RÜCKERT (1788-1866) Barbarossa (J.W. Thomas) WILHELM MÜLLER (1794-1827) Der Lindenbaum/The Linden Tree (J. Fitzell) Wanderschaft/The Journeyman's Song (F. Owen) AUGUST GRAF VON PLATEN-HALLERMÜNDE (1797-1848) Tristan (H. Salinger) Wie rafft'ich mich auf/Remorse (H.W. Longfellow) Venedig liegt nur noch im Land der Träume/Venice, mere shadow of her elder day (C.T. Brooks) Der Pilgrim vor St. Just/The Pilgrim at St. Yuste (E. Morgan) ANNETTE VON DROSTE-HÜLSHOFF (1797-1848) Der Weiher/The Pond (H. Salinger) Die Mergelgrube/The Marl-pit (J.B. Dallett) Im Grase/In the Grass (U. Prideaux) HEINRICH HEINE (1797-1856) Ein Fichtenbaum steht einsam/A Spruce is standing lonely (M. Knight) Wenn ich an deinem Hause/When I go past your window (H. Draper) Ich wollte, meine Lieder/I wish that all my love-songs (L. Untermeyer) Mir träumte wieder der alte Traum/I dreamt the old, old dream anew (H. Salinger) Die Lotusblume ängstigt/The lotus flower is drooping (H. Draper) Aus alten Märchen winkt es/From olden tales it flings out (H. Draper) Der Asra/The Asra (L. Untermeyer) Helena (E. Lazarus) Gedächtnisfeier/Memorial Day (M. Knight)

Read more less

Book SynopsisFeaturing archive photography and full-colour maps, a rich analysis of the Germans'' early success in France.The German victory of 1940 stunned the world. France, major European power and owner of the world''s largest armies had fallen in less than seven weeks to the might of the German Wehrmacht. The secret of the Wehrmacht''s success lay in its carefully thought out organization and the tactics of blitzkrieg. Fast moving tank divisions supported by armoured, mobile infantry swept over opposition, helped by both conventional bombers and deadly Stuka dive-bombers.Alan Shepperd''s highly detailed text examines the tactics, organization and equipment of the Allied and German forces, and provides a daily account of the most crucial period of the battle.Table of ContentsBackground for War/The Opposing Commanders/The Opposing Armies/The Opposing Plans/The Battle for France/The Result/Chronology/A Guide to Further Reading/Wargaming France 1940

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe tiny French hamlet of Serre is the subject of this guide. It covers four battles for the high ground upon which Serre is situated: June 1915: July 1916: November 1916 and July and August 1918.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe battle for Guillemont raged throughout August 1916. Like so many of the battles into which the 'Big Push' degenerated, the struggle centred around a wood, Trones, and a heavily fortified village. It was in this battle that Noel Chavasse won the first of his two VCs.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA biography of Philip and a study of the emergence of the Burgundian state under his aegis in the years 1384-1404, paying particular attention to his crucial aquisition of Flanders. There is comprehensive analysis of how Philip'sgovernment worked.Boydell & Brewer does a major service by the simultaneous reissue of Richard Vaughan's studies of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. Four distinguished scholars add extra value by contributing an introductory chapter for each ducal reign, surveying its historiography since the original publication... The story, which Vaughan tells with verve, has its full share of dramatic turns[:] this is much more, though, than simply a narrative history; Vaughan's meticulousexplorations of the administrative and financial structures that underpinned ducal authority, and of the court and its culture, are integral to his exposition [...] His achievement remains monumental. There are no comparable, modern, in-depth studies of these four larger-than-life players on the late medieval European stage, in English or in any other language. They are, besides, eminently readable. Maurice Keen, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT Whenin 1363 the duke of Burgundy died without an heir, the duchy returned to the French crown. John II's decision to give it to his fourth son, Philip, had some logic behind it, given the independence of the inhabitants; but in so doing he created the basis for a power which was to threaten France's own existence in the following century, and which was to become one of the most influential and glittering courts of Europe. Much of this was due to the characterof Philip the Bold; by marrying the daughter of the count of Flanders, he inherited the wealth of the great Flemish towns in 1384, and the union of the two great fiefdoms to the north and east of France under one ruler meant thatthe resources of the duke of Burgundy were as great as those of the kingdom itself. From 1392 onwards, he was at loggerheads with the regent of France, his brother Louis, duke of Orleans, and this schism was to prove fatal to thekingdom, weakening the administration and leading to the French defeat by Henry V in 1415. Richard Vaughan describes the process by which Philip fashioned this new power, in particular his administrative techniques; but he also gives due weight to the splendours of the new court, in the sphere of the arts, and records the history of its one disastrous failure, the crusade of Nicopolis in 1396. He also offers a portrait of Philip himself, energetic, ambitious and shrewd, the driving force behind the new duchy and its rapid rise to an influential place among the courts of Europe.Trade ReviewRichard Vaughan describes vividly the character of Philip, the splendours of the Burgundian court and Philip's only failure, the crusade of Nicopolis in 1396. [...] A scholarly study based on unusually wide sources and constitutes a good and refreshing story. * HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION *On series: A major achievement in European historiography. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *His achievement remains monumental. There are no comparable, modern, in-depth studies of these four larger-than-life players on the late medieval European stage, in English or in any other language. They are, besides, eminently readable. -- Maurice Keen, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1983, Interpol named Northern Ireland the most dangerous place in the world to be a police officer. In 1968, the RUC was catapulted into the Troubles. Bombs, death threats and murder became a regular part of the day job. Working right at the heart of the conflict, police officers were often caught in the middle heroes to some, villains to others.Now, for the first time, the men and women who policed the Troubles tell their own stories in their own words. Covering all aspects of police work, from handling informants and conducting interviews with notorious criminals to dealing with the aftermath of tragic bombings, these candid, moving and sometimes blackly comic stories show the unpredictable, brutal and surreal world in which the RUC operated.As a former police officer, Colin Breen has unparalleled access to former RUC, Special Branch and CID officers who have never spoken out before. Their stories reveal the mayhem and madness that officers dealt with every day; the psychological and personal toll of the job; and the camaraderie and the whiskey that helped them to cope.Raw, unsettling and frank, A Force Like No Other tells the real story of the RUC.Trade Reviewfascinating, and hugely enjoyableBelfast Taxi is an absorbing read, which provides a fresh look at Belfast.full of comic and tragic first person accounts

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisProfessor Palliser focuses here on towns in England in the centuries between the Norman Conquest and the Tudor period, on which he is an acknowledged authority. Urban topography, archaeology, economy, society and politics are all brought under review, and particular attention is given to relationships between towns and the Crown, to the evidence for migration into towns, and to the vexed question of urban fortunes in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two essays set urban history in a broader framework by considering recent work on town and village formation and on the development of parishes. The collection includes two hitherto unpublished studies and is introduced and put in context by a new survey of English towns from the 7th to the 16th centuries.Trade Review'All in all, this book confirms Palliser's position as our major urban historian in the pre-industrial period... Both he and his publishers are to be congratulated.' Economic History Review '... the essays gathered here provide a model of how urban history should be written.' Urban History ’Overall [...], this collection is well worth seeking out for anyone, specialist and non-specialist alike, with an interest in pre-modern urban history.’ Local Population Studies ’As a collection, the papers showcase a mastery of topographical and archaeological as well as documentary material; the net result is that, while the accent is firmly on urban history, there is more than enough to appeal to those interested in the broader evolution of townscapes... In summary, this excellent volume stands as an essential point of reference for scholars interested in all aspects of medieval urbanism.’ Landscape History ’[The papers] are smoothly written, highly readable, and reflect the author's profound understanding of town history and his insistence on urban continuities. This collection thus presents a distinguished contribution to regional history, effectively set in a wider context.’ Northern History ’This book brings together a very important collection of studies in urban history, ranging across political, social, economic and cultural aspects, and over the medieval and early modern periods... These essays show some of the many contributions that David Palliser has made towards our understanding of that importance.’ The Local Historian ’Anyone who wishes to explore the medieval and early modern urban environment will find Towns and Local Communities very useful. Palliser effectively presents historiography, theories, and arguments in myriad branches of urban studies... This collection of Palliser's work provides a thorough and understandable overview of medieval English urban history.’ Sixteenth Century Journal ’Almost every aspect of medieval urbanTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction: the origins and growth of English towns. Local Communities: Town and village formation in medieval England; The English parish in perspective. Archaeology and Topography: The archaeology of British towns 1066-1530; Town defences in medieval England and Wales. Towns and Power: Towns and the English state, 1066-1500; Towns and the Crown in England: the counties and the county towns. Late Medieval Society: The role of minorities and immigrants in English medieval towns; Urban society; Civic mentality and the environment in Tudor York; A regional capital as magnet: immigrants to York, 1477-1566. Urban Decline?: A crisis in English towns? The case of York, 1460-1640; Urban decay revisited. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis collection of studies by Pauline Stafford brings together a series of essays on Anglo-Saxon and early Norman England. Virtually all focus on political life, and with the highest levels of English society: with the king, the royal family and the elites, though one hitherto unpublished essay treats the interactions of king, lord and community across a broad social spectrum. All are concerned with issues of family, succession, inheritance and land holding. The perspectives of these essays range from that of a women''s history chiefly interested in restoring women to a place in these politics, to one which focuses attention on the textual uses of women and family. Re-readings of charters and narrative histories, especially from these gendered perspectives, offer new insight into English political history, raise questions about central sources, such as Domesday Book, and question some received historiographies.Trade Review’This is a valuable collection for both students and specialists, reprinting a group of influential essays by, and an 'intelligent biography' of, an eminent scholar.’ Medium Aevum ’... many [papers] are from difficult-to-find, often out-of-print, essay collections. It is therefore extremely valuable to have these influential papers united in one volume, with an index to aid consultation.’ English Historical ReviewTable of ContentsContents: Preface. 9th-Century Politics and Gender: Charles the Bald, Judith and England; Political women in Mercia, 8th to early 10th centuries; Succession and inheritance: a gendered perspective on Alfred's family history. The 10th and Early 11th Centuries: The reign of Æthelred the II, a study in the limitations on royal policy and action; Kinship and women in the world of Maldon: Byrhtnoth and his family; The laws of Cnut and the history of Anglo-Saxon royal promises; Political ideas in late 10th-century England: charters as evidence; King and kin, lord and community: England in the 10th and 11th centuries. Queens and Queenship: The king's wife in Wessex 800-1066; Emma: the powers of the queen in the 11th century; Queens, nunneries and reforming churchmen: gender, religious status and reform in 10th- and 11th-century England; Cherchez la femme. Queens, queens' lands and nunneries: missing links in the foundation of Reading Abbey. 1066 - and Beyond: The 'farm of one night' and the organization of King Edward's estates in Domesday; Women in Domesday; Women and the Norman Conquest. Index.

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisKistiakovsky railed against Lenin’s concept of a vanguard party to lead the revolution and advocated a government based on respect for human rights and constitutional federalism. Heuman shows the fresh urgency of Kistiakovsky’s ideas as countries of the former Soviet Union seek to establish precisely those values that he put forth 90 years ago.Trade Review[Heuman's] lucid scholarly account places [Kistiakovsky] firmly in his social and intellectual context, and provides a fascinating picture of the complex intermingling of diverse currents of thought in the early twentieth-century Russian Empire. -- Maureen Perrie * English Historical Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisStudies in the Age of Chaucer is the annual yearbook of the New Chaucer Society, publishing articles on the writing of Chaucer and his contemporaries, their antecedents and successors, and their intellectual and social contexts. More generally, articles explore the culture and writing of later medieval Britain (1200-1500). Each SAC volume also includes an annotated bibliography and reviews of Chaucer-related publications.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew interdisciplinary essays on the treatment of the body in medieval theology.The attitudes towards the human body held by different branches of medieval theology are currently a major focus of scholarly attention. This first volume from York Medieval Press includes studies of the metaphor of man as head and woman as body, Abelard, women and Catharism, the female body as an impediment to ordination, women mystics, and the University of York's 1995 Quodlibet Lecture given by Eamon Duffy on the early iconography and "lives" of St Francis of Assisi. PETER BILLER is Professor of Medieval History at the University of York; A.J. MINNIS is Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of English, Yale Univesrity. Contributors: PETER BILLER, ALCUIN BLAMIRES, DAVID LUSCOMBE, W.G. EAST, A.J. MINNIS, DYAN ELLIOTT, ROSALYNN VOADEN, EAMON DUFFYTrade ReviewNew insight and good scholarship... a serious and rich volume which historians of theology, women, popular religion and mysticism will enjoy. -- Miri Rubin * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *Lively, scholarly [and] wide-ranging addition to literature on `the body'. * NOTES & QUERIES *Table of ContentsJohn of Naples, Quodlibets and Medieval Theological Concern with the Body - Peter Biller Paradox in the Medieval Gender Doctrine of Head and Body - Alcuin Blamires Peter Abelard's Carnal Thoughts - David Luscombe This Body of Death: Abelard, Heloise and the Religious Life - W.G. East Cathars and Material Women - Peter Biller De impedimento sexus: Women's Bodies and Medieval Impediments to Female Ordination - Alastair J Minnis The Physiology of Rapture and Female Spirituality - Dyan Elliott Beholding Men's Members: The Sexualizing of Transgression in The Book of Margery Kempe - Rosalynn Voaden Finding St Francis: Early Images, Early Lives - Eamon Duffy

Read more less