European history: medieval period, middle ages Books
Manchester University Press In Pursuit of Politics: Education and Revolution
Book SynopsisThis study offers a new interpretation of the debates over education and politics in the early years of the French Revolution. Following these debates from the 1760s to the Terror (1793–94) and putting well-known works in dialogue with previously neglected sources, it situates education at the centre of revolutionary contests over citizenship, participatory politics and representative government. The book takes up education’s role in a dramatic period of uncertainty and upheaval, anxiety and ambition. It traces the convergence of philosophical, political, ideological and practical concerns in Ancien Régime debates and revolutionary attempts to reform education and remake society. In doing so, it provides new insight into the relationship between the Enlightenment and the French Revolution and sheds light on how revolutionary legislators and ordinary citizens worked to make a new sort of politics possible in eighteenth-century France.Trade Review‘In Pursuit of politics is thus a welcome addition to the history of education as well as the history of French Revolutionary politics and offers new and important ways of approaching both topics.’Karen E. Carter, Brigham Young University, French History, Vol. 33, Issue 1, March 2019'We get insightful reconsiderations of Enlightenment luminaries like Rousseau and Condorcet, their work freshly illuminated by the context of eighteenth-century public instruction; even more impressively, we learn they were in a national conversation with ordinary citizens from across France... If it may be that eighteenth-century public instruction is “the history of a failure”, O’Connor nevertheless shows that an account of that history can be a wonderful success.'Journal of Modern History -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction – politics: a revolutionary idea and a practical problemPrologue: the educational "system" of eighteenth-century France1 Education and an ambivalent Enlightenment 2 National education: promise and paralysis3 Public instruction: a new pedagogy for a new politics4 Constitutional principles and concrete proposals: reconsidering Talleyrand and Condorcet on public instruction5 Revolutionary politics à la plume: the public on education and politics6 New wine in old bottles? Ancien Régime schools imagine the future7 Republican instruction: an elusive idealConclusion – politics: real, pursued, and promisedIndex
£999.99
Manchester University Press Constructing Kingship: The Capetian Monarchs of
Book SynopsisCrusading kings such as Louis IX of France and Richard I of England exert a unique hold on our historical imagination. For this reason, it can be easy to forget that European rulers were not always eager participants in holy war. The First Crusade was launched in 1095, and yet the first monarch did not join the movement until 1146, when the French king Louis VII took the cross to lead the Second Crusade. One contemporary went so far as to compare the crusades to 'Creation and man's redemption on the cross', so what impact did fifty years of non-participation have on the image and practice of European kingship and the parameters of cultural development? This book considers this question by examining the challenge to political authority that confronted the French kings and their family members as a direct result of their failure to join the early crusades, and their less-than-impressive involvement in later ones.Trade Review‘Constructing Kingship is a valuable book which engages seriously with a theme, the impact of the crusades on royal action and ideology, which has been, as Naus points out (pp. 6-7), overlooked for far too long. Its central thesis is a stimulating argument which will hopefully inspire further research on this topic, and throughout the book Naus highlights many fascinating links between the crusades and the Capetian monarchy which are rarely considered together. The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the third chapter’s marvellous textual analysis of Suger’s Gesta Ludovici Grossi, which sheds important new light on one of 12th-century France’s most important narrative sources.’Mr Niall Ó Súilleabháin, Trinity College Dublin, Reviews in History‘Naus has put his stamp on this most critical topic, and his book will now serve as a starting point for discussion of it.’Jay Rubenstein, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, H-France Review Vol. 17 (February 2017), No. 34‘A book that will be of use to students of kingship, holy war, and the cultural tumult of the central Middle Ages.’ Matthew Gabriele, Virginia Tech, Medieval Review‘Naus has produced a work for which there has been a sore need, which is engaging, well written, and thought-provoking.’Stephen Donnachie, Royal Studies Journal'Overall, one will find this book an intelligently well written study, which is to serve as basis/groundwork for further research on this subject.'Boris Gübele, Göttingen, Historischen Zeitschrift Heft 309/1 -- .Table of ContentsIntroductionPart I: Crisis1 Framing the Capetian Miracle2 The First Crusade and the new economy of status, 1095-1110Part II: Response 3 Suger of Saint-Denis and the ideology of crusade4 Louis VII and the failure of crusade5 Philip Augustus, political circumstance and crusadeIndex
£23.84
Manchester University Press Confronting Crisis in the Carolingian Empire:
Book SynopsisThis book presents a new and accessible translation of a well-known yet enigmatic text: the ‘Epitaph for Arsenius’ by the monk and scholar Paschasius Radbertus (Radbert) of Corbie. This monastic dialogue, with the author in the role of narrator, plunges the reader directly into the turmoil of ninth-century religion and politics. ‘Arsenius’ was the nickname of Wala, a member of the Carolingian family who in the 830s became involved in the rebellions against Louis the Pious. Exiled from the court, Wala/Arsenius died in Italy in 836. Casting both Wala and himself in the role of the prophet Jeremiah, Radbert chose the medium of the epitaph (funeral oration) to deliver a polemical attack, not just on Wala’s enemies, but also on his own.Trade Review'A richly annotated, extremely readable translation of Paschasius Radbertus’ Ephitaphium Arsenii, or Funeral Oration for Wala of Corbie as they title it. Both the annotations and the quality of the translation will be appreciated by readers...'Early Medieval Europe -- .Table of ContentsIntroductionPaschasius Radbertus, Epitaphium ArseniiBook 1Book 2BibliographyIndex
£999.99
Manchester University Press Encountering the Book of Margery Kempe
Book SynopsisThis innovative critical volume brings the study of Margery Kempe into the twenty-first century. Structured around four categories of ‘encounter’ – textual, internal, external and performative – the volume offers a capacious exploration of The Book of Margery Kempe, characterised by multiple complementary and dissonant approaches. It employs a multiplicity of scholarly and critical lenses, including the intertextual history of medieval women’s literary culture, medical humanities, history of science, digital humanities, literary criticism, oral history, the global Middle Ages, archival research and creative re-imagining. Revealing several new discoveries about Margery Kempe and her Book in its global contexts, and offering multiple ways of reading the Book in the modern world, it will be an essential companion for years to come.Trade Review'The essays gathered in the volume evince our growing understanding of the artistry that undergirds a text that was once considered important but possibly artless. It is this artistry, this sure sense of the dynamics of narrative, of voice, of social and religious conventions and culture, that holds the volume itself together, giving it the implicit unity a gifted author provides to her or his later readers....This is a good volume of essays with which to continue the process of exploration and the joys of discovery.'Lynn Staley, Harrington and Shirley Drake Professor of the Humanities, Colgate University, The Medieval Review -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: Encountering The Book of Margery Kempe in the twenty-first century – Laura Kalas and Laura Varnam Part I: Textual encounters1 Before Margery: The Book of Margery Kempe and its antecedents – Diane Watt 2 The intertextual dialogue and conversational theology of Mechthild of Hackeborn and Margery Kempe – Liz Herbert McAvoy and Naoë Kukita Yoshikawa 3 The prayers of Margery Kempe: a reassessment – Josephine A. Koster Part II: Internal encounters4 The Book of Margery Kempe: autobiography in the third person – Ruth Evans5 Margery Kempe as de-facement – Johannes Wolf6 Margery Kempe, oral history, and the value of intersubjectivity – Katherine J. Lewis7 ‘A booke of hyr felyngys’: exemplarity and Margery Kempe’s encounters of the heart – Laura VarnamPart III: Encountering the world8 Margery Kempe’s home town and worthy kin – Susan Maddock9 A women’s network in fifteenth-century Rome: Margery Kempe encounters ‘Margaret Florentyne’ – Anthony Bale and Daniela Giosuè10 Margery Kempe, racialised soundscapes, sonic warss and cosmopolitan Jerusalem – Dorothy Kim11 The materialisation of Book II: elements of Margery Kempe’s world – Laura KalasPart IV: Performative encounters12 Writing performed lives: Margery Kempe meets Marina Abramovic – Sarah Salih13 Recreating and reassessing Margery and Julian’s encounter – Tara WilliamsIndex
£67.50
Manchester University Press Bestsellers and Masterpieces: The Changing
Book SynopsisBestsellers and masterpieces: The changing medieval canon addresses the strange fact that, in both European and Middle Eastern medieval studies, those texts that we now study and teach as the most canonical representations of their era were in fact not popular or even widely read in their day. On the other hand, those texts that were popular, as evidenced by the extant manuscript record, are taught and studied with far less frequency. The book provides cross-cultural insight into both the literary tastes of the medieval period and the literary and political forces behind the creation of the ‘modern canon’ of medieval literature.Trade Review'The essays [...] invite the reader to consider the pre-modern and modern cultural milieu that led to specific works’ genesis and, centuries later, privileged position in the canon and to consider a place for once widely-transmitted works that have since been marginalized—two intellectual ventures that will undoubtedly enhance scholarship and undergraduate curricula.' Arthuriana -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction - Heather Blurton and Dwight F. ReynoldsPart I: Hanging by a thread: unique manuscripts and their place in the ‘modern’ medieval canon1. Contemplating books with Usama ibn Munqidh’s Book of Contemplation – Paul M. Cobb2. Dons and dragons: Beowulf and ‘popular reading’ – Daniel C. Remein and Erica Weaver3. Ibn ?azm’s ?awq al-?amama (The Neck-Ring of the Dove) – Boris Liebrenz4. 'Thirty pieces of silver': interpreting anti-Jewish imagery in the Poema de mio Cid manuscript – Ryan D. Giles5. ‘Let no bad song be sung of us’: fame, memory and transmission in/and the Chanson de Roland – Sharon KinoshitaPart II: Medieval bestsellers: reading the ‘medieval canon’?6. World literature and its discontents: reading the life of A?iqar – Daniel L. Selden7. The Alexander Romance in the age of scribal reproduction: the aesthetics and precariousness of a popular text – Shamma Boyarin8. Wisdom literature and the medieval bestsellers – Karla Mallette9. Lost worlds: encyclopedism and riddles in the tale of Tawaddud/Theodor – Christine ChismIndex
£63.75
Manchester University Press Medieval Literary Voices: Embodiment, Materiality
Book SynopsisVoice is a fleeting physical phenomenon that leaves behind traces of its existence. Medieval literary voices offers a wide-reaching approach to the concept of literary voices, both the vanished authorial ones and the implicit textual ones. Its impressive lineup deepens our understanding of how literary voices evoke the elusive voices lurking beyond the text, capturing the absent authorial voice, the traces of scribal voices and the soundscape of the uttered text. It explores multiple dimensions of medieval voice and vocalisations, and the interactions between literary voices and their authorial, scribal and socio-political settings. It contends that through the theorizing of literary voices we can begin to understand the ways in which medieval voices mediate or proclaim an embodied selfhood or material presence, how they dictate or contest moral conventions, and how they create and sustain narrative soundscapes.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Louise D’Arcens and Sif Rikhardsdottir1 Articulate voices – Ruth EvansPart I: Narrative embodiment and voicing2 Voice of authority: Free indirect discourse in Chaucer’s General Prologue – Helen Fulton3 Speaking in person – Fiona SomersetPart II: Authoritative, ethical and orthodox voices4 The body speaks in The Franklin’s Tale – Mishtooni Bose5 The sensology of the moral conscience: William Peraldus’s ethical voices – Richard Newhauser6 Langland parrhesiastes – Ian CorneliusPart III: Materiality and textual voices7 Margery Kempe, the leprous woman and the voice of St Paul – Lawrence Warner8 Listening for the scribe: punctuation and the voicing of late medieval devotional literature – Sarah Noonan9 Parrot poet: Humphrey Newton and Bodleian Library, MS Lat. Misc. c. 66 – Wendy ScasePart IV: Performative voices and medieval aurality10 Voice, materiality and history in St Erkenwald and Egils saga Skallagrímssonar – Sif Ríkharðsdóttir11 Embodying the Mandevillean voice – Sarah Salih12 Reconstructing Christine de Pizan’s musical voice in the twenty-first century – Louise D’ArcensAfterword: medieval voice: a tribute to David Lawton – John M. GanimBibliographyIndex
£76.50
Manchester University Press British Civic Society at the End of Empire:
Book SynopsisThis book is about the impact of decolonisation on British civic society in the 1960s. It shows how participants in middle class associational life developed optimistic visions for a post-imperial global role. Through the pursuit of international friendship, through educational efforts to know and understand the world, and through the provision of assistance to those in need, the British public imagined themselves as important actors on a global stage. As this book shows, the imperial past remained an important repository of skill, experience, and expertise in the 1960s, one that was called upon by a wide range of associations to justify their developing practices of international engagement. This book will be useful to scholars of modern British history, particularly those with interests in empire, internationalism, and civil society. The book is also designed to be accessible to undergraduates studying these areas.Trade Review'This is an excellent study...It makes an important contribution to the debate about the impact of decolonization on the UK and it deserves to be widely read.'Journal of Contemporary History -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Imperial lives and Commonwealth visions2 International mobility and the pursuit of informed understanding3 Friendship, hospitality, and the hierarchies of affective international relationships4 Philanthropic connections and Britain’s ‘lost vocation’5 Christian responsibility in a shrinking worldConclusionIndex
£999.99
Manchester University Press Marian Maternity in Late-Medieval England
Book SynopsisMarian maternity in late-medieval England takes advantage of the fifteenth century’s intense interest in the Virgin Mary, the best-documented mother of the medieval period, to examine the constructions and performances of maternity in vernacular religious texts. By bringing together texts and authors that are not often discussed in tandem, this study offers a rich examination of the multiple factors at play as Marian material circulated among experienced devotional readers. Taking a close look at the private devotional reading of late-medieval patrons, the book shows how texts including Chaucer’s poetry, Margery Kempe’s Boke, and legendaries of female saints are saturated with indirect references to and imitations of the Virgin. Marian maternity in late-medieval England employs a matricentric feminist approach to discern how readers’ devotional literacies inform their understanding and imitation of the Virgin’s maternal practice. Attending to internal cues in the texts, to manuscript contexts, and to the evidence and content of readers’ multiple literacies, the author examines Marian maternity as both theological concept and imitable practice. The result is a book that explains late-medieval perceptions of Mary’s maternity and sets them against readers’ devotional, emotional and relational circumstances.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Marian maternity, matricentric reading, and devotional literaciesPart I The reader: Margery Kempe’s devotional literacies and imitatio Mariae1 The Dominican literacies of Margery Kempe’s pilgrimages2 Mar(ger)y at the foot of the CrossPart II The genre: Defining Marian absence in legendaries of women3 The community service of mystics’ maternal bodies 4 ‘In Our Lady’s Binds’: Mary’s maternal peers in East Anglian devotionPart III The author: Chaucer as matricentric poet5 A Mary for every mother: mothers as agents of orthodoxy6 A Marian, maternal CeciliaConclusion: ‘Show yourself a mother’BibliographyIndex
£76.50
Manchester University Press Rebel Angels: Space and Sovereignty in
Book SynopsisOver six hundred years before John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Anglo-Saxon authors told their own version of the fall of the angels. This book brings together various cultural moments, literary genres and relevant comparanda to recover that version, from the legal and social world to the world of popular spiritual ritual and belief. The story of the fall of the angels in Anglo-Saxon England is the story of a successfully transmitted exegetical teaching turned rich literary tradition. It can be traced through a range of genres – sermons, saints’ lives, royal charters, riddles, devotional and biblical poetry – each one offering a distinct window into the ancient myth’s place within the Anglo-Saxon literary and cultural imagination. Trade Review'One comes away from this book with a new appreciation for the motif of the fallen angels, both in its frequency and in its flexibility for interpretation and application.'Journal of English and Germanic Philology'Rebel Angels is a fantastic resource collating stories of angelic rebellion in early medieval England.'Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures -- .Table of ContentsList of figuresIntroduction1 Lands idle and unused2 The anxiety of inheritance3 Rebel clerics, monastic replacements4 The angels’ share5 A homeland as a possession6 A new praedestinati in Wulfstan’s Sermo Lupi ad AnglosAfterwordBibliographyIndex
£26.00
Manchester University Press The Interpreters
Book SynopsisThis book analyses British attitudes on southeastern Europe in the period between 1870-1930. -- .
£76.50
Manchester University Press Tracking the Jews
Book SynopsisThis book reconstructs an unprecedented initiative for world evangelisation of Jews in the years before, during and after the Nazi Holocaust. It reveals the ways in which a broad toleration of traditional anti-Judaism allowed, under a banner of Christian benevolence, a transnational discourse of antisemitic ideas masked in conversionary language. -- .
£23.75
Manchester University Press Migrants Shaping Europe, Past and Present:
Book SynopsisThis pioneering volume explores the contribution of migrants to European culture from the early modern era to today. It takes culture as an aesthetic and social activity of making, one practised by migrants on the move and also by those who represent their lives in an act of support. Adopting a multilingual approach, the book interprets the aesthetics and political practices developed by and with migrants in Spain, Italy and France. It juxtaposes early modern and modern work with contemporary, reconceiving migrants as crucial agents of change. Scholars and artists track people on the move within the continent and without, drawing a significant map for the cultural history of migration around Europe.An electronic version of this book is available under a creative commons licence: manchesteropenhive.com/view/9781526166180/9781526166180.xmlTrade Review'Highly imaginative in conception and design, this book oscillates between medieval and modern to consider the migrant, the border-breaker, the refugee (lacking the romantic, time-honoured status of “the exile”). Decentring anglocentric approaches, its contributors consider how written and visual arts might variously offer, for those lacking homelands, some place to live.' David Wallace, Judith Rodin Professor of English & Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: A premodern cultural history1 Astrolabe: from ‘mathematical jewel’ to cultural connector – Pedro M. P. RaposoPart II: Migrating in Spanish 2 The expulsion of the moriscos: still more questions than answers – James S. Amelang3 Translating migrant precarity in Rachid Nini’s Diario de un ilegal – Anna TybinkoPart III: Migrating in Italian4 “The world is my homeland”: exile and migration from Ibn Hamdis to Dante – Akash Kumar5 Superman in Italy: the power of the refugee artist – Saskia Ziolkowski6 Porta d’Europa: monumentality, entropy and migration on Lampedusa – Tenley BickPart IV: Migrating in French 7 Calais enclave: fictions for locking in and opening up – Helen Solterer8 Calais campscape: a short history of immigration deterrence at the French-British border – Vincent Joos and Eric LeleuPart V: Arts of migration9 In Transit: arts of migration around Europe – The Nasher Museum Collective10 Cornered – Raquel Salvatella de PradaIndex
£23.75
Manchester University Press Ideas of Poverty in the Age of Enlightenment
Book SynopsisThis collection of essays examines the ways in which poverty was conceptualised in the social, political, and religious discourses of eighteenth-century Europe and North America. -- .
£81.00
Manchester University Press Eternal Light and Earthly Concerns: Belief and
Book SynopsisIn early Christianity it was established that every church should have a light burning on the altar at all times. In this unique study, Eternal light and earthly concerns, looks at the material and social consequences of maintaining these ‘eternal’ lights. It investigates how the cost of lighting was met across western Europe throughout the whole of the Middle Ages, revealing the social organisation that was built up around maintaining the lights in the belief that burning them reduced the time spent in Purgatory. When that belief collapsed in the Reformation the eternal lights were summarily extinguished. The history of the lights thus offers not only a new account of change in medieval Europe, but also a sustained examination of the relationship between materiality and belief.Trade Review‘[A] meticulously documented survey’.The Journal of Religious History‘Paul Fouracre’s new book is a breath of fresh air. It is a rare historical study that details the “material consequences of belief” in medieval Europe, combining cultural and religious history with a study of medieval economy, agrarian production and trade, and social organisation… To read Fouracre is to witness a master medievalist at work’. English Historical Review'[for] an intellectual historian, this book’s most valuable contribution is that it inspires us to consider the material consequences of the ideas we study, just as it asks economic historians to attend to how ideas and culture may affect production and exchange. Fouracre’s investigation provides a good example of both the potential and the limitations of such an undertaking and provides methodological models. As such, it should be read by everyone interested in the interplay of ideas and social and economic realities.'Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies volume 98, number 1 -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Beginnings2 Consolidation of provision: elite practice3 Light and power: the ‘Carolingian moment’4 Lighting, lords and peasants in post-Carolingian Europe5 Lights and social formation in the central Middle Ages6 Lights in the later Middle Ages: from devotion to destructionConclusionsIndex
£19.00
Manchester University Press Inventing the Modern Region
Book SynopsisThis book explores the process by which the French Basque country acquired a folkloric regional identity in the long nineteenth century. It argues that, despite originating in pre-modern' customs, such stereotypical identity was invented in the long nineteenth century as part of France's process of nation-building. -- .
£76.50
Manchester University Press Early Medieval Militarisation
Book SynopsisThe societies of ancient Europe underwent a continual process of militarisation, and this would come to be a defining characteristic of the early Middle Ages. The process was neither linear nor mono-causal, but it affected society as a whole, encompassing features like the lack of demarcation between the military and civil spheres of the population, the significance attributed to weapons beyond their military function and the wide recognition of martial values. Early medieval militarisation assembles twenty studies that use both written and archaeological evidence to explore the phenomenon of militarisation and its impact on the development of the societies of early medieval Europe. The interdisciplinary investigations break new ground and will be essential reading for scholars and students of related fields, as well as non-specialists with an interest in early medieval history.Trade Review'The authors in this volume are seeking to understand a world remote from our ownthrough the lens of militarization, but in a way which always illuminates the broader aspectsof that society, and they have done this very creditably.'Speculum -- .Table of Contents1 Introducing early medieval militarisation, 400–900 AD – Laury Sarti, Ellora Bennett, Guido M. Berndt and Stefan Esders Part I: The military and society 2 Soldier and civilian in the Byzantine Empire c. 600–c. 900: a militarised society? – Philip Rance 3 The exercitus Gothorum in Italy: a professional army in a demilitarised society? – Kai Grundmann 4 Military organisation as an indicator of militarisation (and demilitarisation) in Lombard Italy – Guido M. Berndt 5 The ‘dark matter’ evidence for Alfredian military reforms in their ninth-century context – Ryan Lavelle Part II: Warfare and society 6 War and the transformation of society in the early Byzantine Arabia – Conor Whately 7 The role of the military factor in the political and administrative shaping of the Visigothic Kingdom (sixth to seventh centuries) – Pablo Poveda Arias 8 Recent archaeological research on fortifications in France, Belgium and Swizerland, 750–1000 – Luc Bourgeois 9 Gens Germana gente ferocior: Lombards and warfare between representation and reality – Stefano Gasparri 10 The blinkers of militarisation: Charles the Bald, Lothar I and the Vikings – Simon Coupland Part III: Ethics of war 11 Manlike discipline and loyalty against the ‘enemies of God’: some observations on the militarised frontier society of eastern Francia around 600 – Stefan Esders 12 Swords in Christian hands: reflections on the emergence of the ‘Schwertmission’ in the early Middle Ages – Uta Heil 13 ‘Holy wars’? ‘Religious wars’? The perception of religious motives of warfare against non-Christian enemies in ninth-century chronicles – Hans-Werner Goetz Part IV: Perceptions of the warrior 14 Change of habit equals change of values? Burials of ‘military men’ between 300 and 500 AD – Benjamin Hamm 15 Warlike and heroic virtues in the post-Roman world – Edward James 16 Military equipment in late antique and early medieval female burial evidence: a reflection of ‘militarisation’? – Susanne Brather-Walter 17 The construction of the enemy in pre-Viking England – Ellora Bennett 18 Warriors and warlike kings in the Gesta Karoli of Notker the Stammerer – Thomas Wittkamp 19 Early medieval ‘warrior’ images and the concept of Gefolgschaft – Michel Summer20 Conclusion: militarisation: process or discourse? – Guy HalsallIndex
£999.99
Manchester University Press International Law in Europe, 700–1200
Book SynopsisWas there international law in the Middle Ages? Using treaties as its main source, this book examines the extent to which such a system of rules was known and followed in the period 700 to 1200. It considers how consistently international legal rules were obeyed, whether there was a reliance on justification of action and whether the system had the capacity to resolve disputed questions of fact and law. The book further sheds light on issues such as compliance, enforcement, deterrence, authority and jurisdiction, challenging traditional ideas over their role and function in the history of international law.International law in Europe, 700–1200 will appeal to students and scholars of medieval Europe, international law and its history, as well as those with a more general interest in warfare, diplomacy and international relations.Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The sources of international law: treaties2 That which is practised on a daily basis: displacement of people3 The rules consistently obeyed: redress, amnesty, and transitional justice4 Justifying action: law, responsibility, and deterrence5 Resolving disputes: arbitration, mediation, and third-party interventionConclusionIndex
£23.75
Manchester University Press Democratic Passions
Book SynopsisThis book takes a fresh look at British radicalism in the first-half of the nineteenth century from the new perspective of the history of emotions. It changes the way in which we look not only at popular radicalism but also at the affective qualities of politics itself in modern Britain and beyond. -- .
£999.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd King John's Right Hand Lady: The Story of
Book SynopsisIn a time when men fought and women stayed home, Nicholaa de la Haye held Lincoln Castle against all-comers. Not once, but three times, earning herself the ironic praise that she acted 'manfully'. Nicholaa gained prominence in the First Baron's War, the civil war that followed the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. Although recently widowed, and in her 60s, in 1217 Nicholaa endured a siege that lasted over three months, resisting the English rebel barons and their French allies. The siege ended in the battle known as the Lincoln Fair, when 70-year-old William Marshal, the Greatest Knight in Christendom, spurred on by the chivalrous need to rescue a lady in distress, came to Nicholaa's aid. Nicholaa de la Haye was a staunch supporter of King John, remaining loyal to the very end, even after most of his knights and barons had deserted him. A truly remarkable lady, Nicholaa was the first woman to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Her strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history. Nicholaa de la Haye is one woman in English history whose story needs to be told...
£21.25
Rowman & Littlefield Marie Antoinettes World
Book SynopsisThis riveting book explores the little-known intimate life of Marie Antoinette and her milieu in a world filled with intrigue, infidelity, adultery, and sexually transmitted diseases. Will Bashor reveals the intrigue and debauchery of the Bourbon kings from Louis XIII to Louis XV, which were closely intertwined with the expansion of Versailles from a simple hunting lodge to a luxurious and intricately ordered palace. It soon became a retreat for scandalous conspiracies and rendezvousall hidden from the public eye. When Marie Antoinette arrived, she was quickly drawn into a true viper''s nest, encouraged by her imprudent entourage. Bashor shows that her often thoughtless, fantasy-driven, and notorious antics were inevitable given her family history and the alluring influences that surrounded her. Marie Antoinette''s frivolous and flamboyant lifestyle prompted a torrent of scathing pamphlets, and Bashor scrutinizes the queen''s world to discover what was false, what was possible, and what, although shocking, was most probably true. Readers will be fascinated by this glimpse behind the decorative screens to learn the secret language of the queen's fan and explore the dark passageways and staircases of endless intrigue at Versailles.
£14.24
PublicAffairs,U.S. The Invention of Power: Popes, Kings, and the
Book SynopsisWestern exceptionalism-the idea that European civilizations are freer, wealthier, and less violent-is a widespread and powerful political idea. It has been a source of peace and prosperity in some societies, and of ethnic cleansing and havoc in others.Yet in The Invention of Power, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita draws on his expertise in political maneuvering, deal-making, and game theory to present a revolutionary new theory of Western exceptionalism: that a single, rarely discussed event in the twelfth century changed the course of European and world history. By creating a compromise between churches and nation-states that, in effect, traded money for power and power for money, the 1122 Concordat of Worms incentivized economic growth, facilitated secularization, and improved the lot of the citizenry, all of which set European countries on a course for prosperity. In the centuries since, countries that have had a similar dynamic of competition between church and state have been consistently better off than those that have not.The Invention of Power upends conventional thinking about European culture, religion, and race and presents a persuasive new vision of world history.
£22.50
Medieval Institute Publications Everyman and Its Dutch Original, Elckerlijc
Book SynopsisFaced with death's certainty-and the uncertainty of the time of its coming, particularly in a historical period of widespread plague and other afflictions-as well as the inevitability of the hereafter, what is one to do? Everyman speaks to this dilemma. . . . The protagonist is one who, because he has laid up treasures on earth, has been in a position to do good deeds, but he has been very lax about it and instead has pursued enjoyment and wealth, the latter hoarded instead of being shared with the poor and needy. . . . Now he must, as the medieval mystics knew, endure the solitariness of leaving behind all that has given him comfort in this world. . . . This facing page translation of this Continental play will be useful to all students of theater.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Everyman, and Its Dutch Original, Elckerlijc Explanatory Notes to Everyman Textual Notes to Everyman Appendix: The Golden Legend Bibliography
£13.00
Medieval Institute Publications Two Middle English Prayer Cycles: Holkham,
Book SynopsisThis book is the first critical edition of two fascinating but overlooked devotional texts. Each shines its own light on medieval faith. The Holkham Prayers and Meditations (ca.1410) is a rare example of female authorship, written by an unnamed woman to guide a “religious sustir.” Simon Appulby's Fruyte of Redempcyon (1514) is more popular in aim, composed by one of England’s last anchorites to serve his urban community. Both texts are accompanied by extensive notes and introductory essays to aid students and specialists alike.Table of ContentsGeneral Introduction Holkham Prayers and Meditations Introduction Text Textual and Explanatory Notes Fruyte of Redempcyon Introduction Text Textual and Explanatory Notes Appendix: Antidotarius Headings
£20.90
Histria LLC The Byzantine Empire
Book Synopsis
£27.96
Encircle Publications, LLC Seven Noble Knights: A Novel of Medieval Spain
Book Synopsis
£20.89
Brandeis University Press The Peoples Uprising and the Fall of Warsaw Ghetto April 1942June 1943
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£34.20
Marble Hill Publishers A SHATTERED IDOL
Book SynopsisA Shattered Idol is the first full-length account of a scandal that enthralled Victorian Britain for more than a decade when Lord Coleridge, the Lord Chief Justice, forbade his daughter Mildred (in her early thirties) from meeting the the man she wanted to marry.
£24.30
The Mercier Press Ltd Tomorrow with Bayonets
Book SynopsisThe raw intensity of the Irish Civil War is brought to life in this gripping, fast-paced journey from July 1921 to July 1922 a year of change and conflict. Dublin's descent into violent unrest surpasses the turbulence of the Easter Rising. Treaty debates spark dissension, and as tensions mount, Dublin becomes a tinderbox of espionage, betrayal, and guerrilla warfare. Former allies who fought shoulder to shoulder in the IRA now find themselves divided and entrenched in an ideological struggle that threatens to tear Dublin and Ireland apart. More than a historical recount, ''Tomorrow With Bayonets'' offers a visceral portrayal of a nation grappling with its identity and sovereignty, seen through the eyes of combatants, leaders, and civilians caught in the crossfire.The Provisional Government's National Army and the IRA engage in sporadic but fierce clashes as unrelenting violence and chaos engulf the country. In Northern Ireland, there is growing disillusionment among IRA units due to the diminishing credibility of assurances from Michael Collins.Ongoing assaults on their communities, the nationalist population experiences a rising number of casualties due to rampant brutality from unionist militias. A suppression of inquiries into killings leads to a widespread feeling of abandonment by the Provisional Government.On June 4 1922, the Provisional Government implemented ''a policy of peaceful obstruction'' towards the Belfast Government, explicitly forbidding any troops from the twenty-six counties from entering the six-county area. In an apocalyptic climax, Dublin is engulfed in explosions, assassinations and relentless urban warfare. This powerful account, not for the faint-hearted, leaves a lasting impact, resonating with the reader long after the final page.
£17.09
Y Lolfa Last Days of Owain Glyndŵr, The
£12.34
Archaeopress Derelict Stone Buildings of the Black Mountains
Book SynopsisThis book is based on several years of author’s fieldwork in the valleys of the Black Mountains in South East Wales. Hodges had personal knowledge of the area having worked there in his professional capacity as a drystone waller. The aim of the fieldwork was to locate all the sites of derelict stone buildings within the designated upland study area of approximately 140 square kilometres. Initial research indicated that the area had not been previously surveyed to any great extent and the presence of derelict stone buildings that existed in the valleys was not a characteristic of the surrounding lower terrain. Using a combination of documentary evidence and fieldwork, a total of 549 potential sites were identified comprising houses, barns, other ancillary buildings and sheepfolds; 499 separate structures were located on the ground. Following a specially devised protocol at each site, information regarding masonry, modes of construction and extant features was recorded in both tabular and photographic forms.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction to Study Chapter 2: Physical Background of the Study Area Chapter 3: Drystone Walling and Vernacular Architecture Chapter 4: Research Methodology Chapter 5: Site Analysis and Site Types Chapter 6: Site Feature Analysis Chapter 7: Industrial Buildings and Associated Industries Chapter 8: Historical Narrative: General, Regional and Local Chapter 9: Documentary Evidence Appendix A: Database spreadsheet Appendix B: Masonry Appendix C: DSWA – Craft Certification Advanced and Master Craftsman test regulations (2013) Bibliography
£45.60
Manchester University Press Eternal Light and Earthly Concerns: Belief and
Book SynopsisIn early Christianity it was established that every church should have a light burning on the altar at all times. In this unique study, Eternal light and earthly concerns, looks at the material and social consequences of maintaining these ‘eternal’ lights. It investigates how the cost of lighting was met across western Europe throughout the whole of the Middle Ages, revealing the social organisation that was built up around maintaining the lights in the belief that burning them reduced the time spent in Purgatory. When that belief collapsed in the Reformation the eternal lights were summarily extinguished. The history of the lights thus offers not only a new account of change in medieval Europe, but also a sustained examination of the relationship between materiality and belief.Trade Review‘[A] meticulously documented survey’.The Journal of Religious History‘Paul Fouracre’s new book is a breath of fresh air. It is a rare historical study that details the “material consequences of belief” in medieval Europe, combining cultural and religious history with a study of medieval economy, agrarian production and trade, and social organisation… To read Fouracre is to witness a master medievalist at work’. English Historical Review'[for] an intellectual historian, this book’s most valuable contribution is that it inspires us to consider the material consequences of the ideas we study, just as it asks economic historians to attend to how ideas and culture may affect production and exchange. Fouracre’s investigation provides a good example of both the potential and the limitations of such an undertaking and provides methodological models. As such, it should be read by everyone interested in the interplay of ideas and social and economic realities.'Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies volume 98, number 1 -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Beginnings2 Consolidation of provision: elite practice3 Light and power: the ‘Carolingian moment’4 Lighting, lords and peasants in post-Carolingian Europe5 Lights and social formation in the central Middle Ages6 Lights in the later Middle Ages: from devotion to destructionConclusionsIndex
£63.75
Berghahn Books The Mirror of the Medieval: An Anthropology of
Book Synopsis Since its invention by Renaissance humanists, the myth of the “Middle Ages” has held a uniquely important place in the Western historical imagination. Whether envisioned as an era of lost simplicity or a barbaric nightmare, the medieval past has always served as a mirror for modernity. This book gives an eye-opening account of the ways various political and intellectual projects—from nationalism to the discipline of anthropology—have appropriated the Middle Ages for their own ends. Deploying an interdisciplinary toolkit, author K. Patrick Fazioli grounds his analysis in contemporary struggles over power and identity in the Eastern Alps, while also considering the broader implications for scholarly research and public memory.Trade Review “In this remarkable book, K. Patrick Fazioli performs an adroit and long-overdue unmasking…[His] spirited critique of the politics of scholarly ignorance is the real core of his compelling study, and one that has enormous resonance for those who are concerned with the persistence of racist rhetoric in Western political life today.” • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI) “As an archeologist who specializes in the Eastern Alpine region and works in the United States, Fazioli is well placed to develop a refreshing critical perspective that underlines the implications of the practical use of the concept of the medieval from a quasi-globalized perspective… Fazioli’s book is certainly thought-provoking and inspiring.” • Contributions to the History of Concepts “[This book] marks a vital and welcome contribution to interdisciplinary engagement, connecting academic »communities of practice« that really should be in closer, if cautious, conversation. One can only hope that more anthropologists will follow Fazioli’s call for an ‘anthropology of historicity’ and, in particular, for greater consideration of the ideological stakes underlying the production of historical knowledge about medieval Europe. Perhaps, then, through such cross-disciplinary dialogue, medieval historians might begin to repay their long-standing debt to anthropology.” • Francia-Recensio “Instead of yet another book about the use and misuse of archaeology or medievalism for political purposes, The Mirror of the Medieval takes the far more difficult path of asking why the Middle Ages are so easily hijacked and misunderstood, approaching the subject from the perspective of anthropology. This is an ambitious, highly original, and persuasive book that belongs on the shelf of any anthropologist, historian, or individual interested in the Middle Ages.” • Florin Curta, University of Florida “Fazioli clearly and comprehensively deals with the interactions of the past, historical research, and the popular imagination. He fluently combines the methods of history, anthropology, and archaeology in a way that is relevant for all three fields as well as the general public.” • Sebastian Brather, Albert Ludwig University of FreiburgTable of Contents List of Tables, Figures, and Maps Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: ANTHROPOLOGY, HISTORY, AND THE MIDDLE AGES Chapter 1. Manifesto for an Anthropology of Historicity Chapter 2. Mirror of the Medieval Chapter 3. Anthropology’s Lost Medieval Heritage PART II: IDENTITY, POWER, AND THE MEDIEVAL PAST IN THE EASTERN ALPINE REGION Chapter 4. German Imperialism and the Early Medieval Past Chapter 5. Slovenian Identity and the Early Medieval Past Chapter 6. Beyond Ethnicity: Technological Choice and Communities of Practice Chapter 7. Christianization, Syncretism, and an Archaeology of Time Conclusion: Mourning Modernity and the Myth of the Middle Ages References Index
£74.25
Merrion Press Irish Doctors in the Second World War
Book Synopsis
£27.00
Oneworld Publications Ibn Hamdis the Sicilian: Eulogist for a Falling
Book Synopsis‘Abd al-Jabbar ibn Hamdis (1055–1133) survives as the best-known figure from four centuries of Arab-Islamic civilisation on the island of Sicily. There he grew up in a society enriched by a century of cultural development but whose unity was threatened by competing warlords. After the Normans invaded, he followed many other Muslims in emigrating, first to North Africa and then to Seville, where he began his career as a court poet. Although he achieved fame and success in his time, Ibn Hamdis was forced to bear witness to sectarian strife among the Muslims of both Sicily and Spain, and the gradual success of the Christian reconquest, including the decline of his beloved homeland. Through his verse, William Granara examines his life and times.Trade Review‘An intriguing and original approach that brings together historical events and verses of the Siculo-Arab poet Ibn Hamdis. The author offers a wholehearted evocation of the life of a great human being and the difficult times of wars and political transitions he lived through.’ -- Francesca Maria Corrao, Professor of Arabic Language and Culture, LUISS University Rome‘Erudite and beautifully written… Granara has charmingly translated Ibn Hamdis’s poetry, which is distinguished by novel meanings, a profound lyrical sense of nostalgic longing, and audacious and memorable metaphors… It is a must-read for students of Arabic culture, Mediterranean studies, and medievalists.’ -- Maher Jarrar, Professor, American University of BeirutTable of Contents1 BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN The Kalbids of Sicily Muslim Sicily Unraveling Born in Syracuse, Becoming a Poet Education in an Early Jihadi Frontier The Rise of an Indigenous Muslim-Sicilian Culture Poetry in Muslim Sicily, From Philology to Art and Politics Crafting a Poetics of ‘Homeland’ 2 DILEMMA: TO REMAIN OR DEPART Sojourn in Sfax: Maintaining the Ifriqiya-Sicily Connection Asad ibn al-Furat: Muslim Sicily’s Founding Father Ibn Hawqal’s Sicilian Chapter In the Shadow of the Norman Conquest 3 THE FIRST DESERT CROSSING Ifriqiya: A Divided and Turbulent Motherland The Zirid Dynasty of Ifriqiya The ‘Arabs’ of Eleventh-Century Ifriqiya On the Desert Highway: Traveling with Arab Companions 4 LA DOLCE VITA IN SEVILLE The ‘Abbadid Kingdom of Seville Muslim Spain and Muslim Sicily: A Comparative View Elegy to a Father Serving the Patron: The Political Panegyric Court Poet as Court Functionary The Looming Threat of the Christian Reconquest Poetic Sparring: Poet as Client, Poet as Competitor 5 FROM THE DARK CLOUDS OF AL-ZALLAQA TO A SECOND EXILE Confrontation at Badajoz: Enter the Almoravids The Battle of al-Zallaqa The Fall of the ‘Abbadids of Seville 6 1091: ANNUS HORRIBILIS AND THE SECOND DESERT CROSSING Intermission at Qal‘at Bani Hammad Return to Mahdia Connecting to the Zirids: Praise and Blame for Tamim Vigilant Eye on the Norman Conquest Ode to a Falling Homeland Back to the Family in Sfax: Mourning the Loss of an Aunt and a Wife 7 THE POETICS OF JIHAD: AT THE ZIRID COURT IN MAHDIA At the Court of Yahya ibn Tamim Revolt and Murder at the Zirid Palace Breaking Ranks in Gabes From Seville to Nicotera and Mahdia: The Almoravids Move East Victory at al-Dimas The Almohads on the Horizon 8 TIME OF REFLECTION: ASCETIC VERSES AND ARABS AT THE NORMAN COURT Retreat into Devotional Verse Arabs and Muslim Culture at the Norman Court in Palermo 9 TWILIGHT: BLINDNESS, LOSS, AND DEFEAT Losing Sight Sicily Forever on the Mind Elegy to a Nephew and Family History Mourning a Daughter, Mourning a Homeland Death and Burial Ibn Hamdis’s Legacy in History and Literature
£23.75
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Short History of Florence and the Florentine
Book SynopsisThe innovative city culture of Florence was the crucible within which Renaissance ideas first caught fire. With its soaring cathedral dome and its classically-inspired palaces and piazzas, it is perhaps the finest single expression of a society that is still at its heart an urban one. For, as Brian Jeffrey Maxson reveals, it is above all the city-state – the walled commune which became the chief driver of European commerce, culture, banking and art – that is medieval Italy’s enduring legacy to the present. Charting the transition of Florence from an obscure Guelph republic to a regional superpower in which the glittering court of Lorenzo the Magnificent became the pride and envy of the continent, the author authoritatively discusses a city that looked to the past for ideas even as it articulated a novel creativity. Uncovering passionate dispute and intrigue, Maxson sheds fresh light too on seminal events like the fiery end of oratorical firebrand Savonarola and Giuliano de’ Medici’s brutal murder by the rival Pazzi family. This book shows why Florence, harbinger and heartland of the Renaissance, is and has always been unique.Trade ReviewIn a clear and lively style, Maxson weaves together the story of Florence’s art, architecture, literature, and history, providing a truly interdisciplinary view of the city’s development into a jewel of the Renaissance and its subsequent shift into a regional state in early modern Italy. The result offers a new synthesis to scholars, a useful introduction to students, and a compelling narrative for the general reader. A stunning achievement! * Monique O'Connell, Professor of History, Wake Forest University, USA *In this deeply researched and elegantly written book, Brian Maxson offers a portrait of Florentine history which is as compelling as it is comprehensive. Covering an extraordinary range of topics, he conveys the full richness of the city’s past with masterly authority, while imparting its fascination with an infectious charm. * Alexander Lee, Author of Machiavelli: His Life and Times, University of Warwick, UK *In this highly accessible book, Maxson effortlessly interweaves political, social, and cultural narratives of Florence’s history, offering a comprehensive account of how a relatively small, insignificant city in central Italy came to wield an enduring cultural influence that far outweighed its political and economic limitations. * Nicholas Scott Baker, Associate Professor of History, Macquarie University, Australia *[B]rief, fast-paced ... copious notes [and] an extensive bibliography * CHOICE *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction: The Birth of Florence, Origins to 1250 1. Late Medieval Florence, 1251-1378 2. Oligarchs in the Early Renaissance, 1379-1433 3. The Republic Contested, 1434-1465 4. The Medici Consolidated, 1464-1492 5. The End of the Republic, 1493-1530 6. Early Modern Florence and the Medici Duchy, 1531-1574 Epilogue, 1575-PresentBibliography Index
£14.24
O'Brien Press Ltd Dublin: The Making of a Medieval City
Book SynopsisDublin: The Making of a Medieval City is the story of a unique period in Irish history told with passion, imagination and accuracy. This book leads the reader through the noise and bustle of the medieval streets of Dublin looking at all aspects of life, from religion to trade, from crafts to government and from buildings to lifestyles. Based on the hugely successful exhibition on medieval Dublin -- Dublinia -- this book is both a stand alone accessible and authoritative introduction to life in the medieval city, and also a souvenir to one of Dublin's most exciting historical experiences. Whether you are an armchair enthusiast for all things historic, a Dubliner looking for your city to surprise you, or a visitor to the city, this book will fascinate and intrigue you. Previously published as Dublinia (9780862787868)Trade Review'A great book ... truly lovely' -- Pat Kenny'A stunning guide to life, religion, government, immigration, trade, medicine and the role of women within the city during that period ... An invaluable souvenir for any visitor.' -- Evening Herald * Evening Herald *'The enjoyment of this book ... is immensely enhanced by the superb illustrations of sites and artefacts.' -- Bookview Ireland'A lively and richly-illustrated book' -- Read Ireland'An exceptionally well designed and lively pictorial record of the old strumpet city herself in colourful and fascinating pages.' -- Books Ireland * Books Ireland *
£14.11
Reaktion Books Basilisks and Beowulf: Monsters in the
Book SynopsisWhy were the Anglo-Saxons obsessed with monsters, many of which did not exist? Drawing on literature and art, theology and a wealth of first-hand evidence, Basilisks and Beowulf reveals a people huddled at the edge of the known map, using the fantastic and the grotesque as a way of comprehending the world around them. For the Anglo-Saxons, monsters helped to distinguish the sacred and the profane; they carried God’s message to mankind, exposing His divine hand in creation itself. At the same time, monsters were agents of disorder, seeking to kill people, conquer their lands and challenge what it meant to be human even. Learning about where monsters lived and how they behaved allowed the Anglo-Saxons to understand their place in the world, as well as to apprehend something of the divine plan. It is for these reasons that monsters were at the very centre of the Anglo-Saxon worldview. From map monsters to demons, dragons to Leviathan, we neglect them at our peril.Trade Review'Uncharted territories were not valued for their splendour, but feared for the malign forces they hosted. Tim Flight’s book covers the range of creatures that, in the Anglo-Saxon imagination, make their home in such landscapes. From the mysterious blemmyes, headless men with eyes on their chest, to cynocephali (literally, “dog-headed”), human-canine hybrids with cannibalistic tendencies, it shows how the monstrous is associated with the “corruption of God’s design” – or, to put it another way, creatures that are almost like humans or animals, but not quite . . . Flight’s book is at its best when it explores this early medieval obsession with reinforcing and policing boundaries, and how it feeds into imperial and colonial projects of the time. Demon-fighting is compared with colonial expansion; defending the self against monsters becomes a matter of national security.' – TLS; 'Monsters abound in the literature and art of Anglo-Saxon England. From the most famous work of Old English literature, Beowulf, which relates the adventures of a monster-slaying hero, to hagiographies that narrate encounters between saints and devils, strange creatures are everywhere in England's early Middle Ages. In Basilisks and Beowulf, Tim Flight describes these monsters and analyses their role in the Anglo-Saxon worldview . . . it's well worth the time of anyone interested in the history of monsters.' – Fortean Times; 'A bold and wide-ranging expedition into the wildest corners of the early medieval mind; Flight skilfully conjures the primal fears and ancient wonders that once lurked in England’s shadowed groves and hollows.' – Thomas Williams, author of Viking Britain: A History; 'Although he wears his learning lightly, Tim Flight covers an impressive amount of ground to bring us his thoughtful, stimulating account of monsters in the early medieval world. Moving from Beowulf’s historical context, through maps, wolves, dragons, devils, and the Grendelkin to present-day fears, Basilisks and Beowulf opens up a strange and yet hauntingly familiar world to anyone who has read the poem or any of its multitudinous offspring.' – Dr Jennifer Neville, Royal Holloway, University of London; 'Immensely readable, thought-provoking and entertaining, this book is a splendid introduction to the though-world of the early English.' – Carolyne Larrington, BBC History Magazine; 'In this exploration of Anglo-Saxon monsters, Flight exhibits a deep knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon corpus and brings together a broad assortment of texts. Flight focuses on the dichotomy between wilderness – the domain of monsters – and civilization. In engaging prose, he explores how the boundaries between these domains shaped Anglo-Saxon perceptions of monsters. Whereas scholarly consideration of Anglo-Saxon monsters generally focuses on Beowulf, Flight includes works in which monsters are featured less conspicuously, such as the sea life in The Seafarer, St. Cuthbert’s battles against demons, and the etchings of curious monsters on Franks Casket (an early-eighth-century chest). But Flight certainly does not neglect Beowulf. He offers insight into symbolic representations of the dragon and the Grendelkin; the latter infiltrate the peace at Heorot and are, like St. Christopher in the Nowell Codex, part human. Flight also considers the hero Beowulf himself, whose size and strength render him akin to, though not part of, the realm of monsters. Other topics include wolves, map monsters, dragons, and whales, and a concluding chapter brings into discussion modern monsters such as Bigfoot and big cats in the UK. Recommended.' – ChoiceTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION I THE MAP MONSTERS II OF WOLF AND MAN III HIC SUNT DRACONES IV SAINTS AND SATANAS V THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA VI MEARCSTAPAN, PART ONE: THE GRENDELKIN VII MEARCSTAPAN, PART TWO: BEOWULF AND OTHERS CONCLUSION REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PHOTO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX
£10.44
Oxbow Books Dynamic Epigraphy: New Approaches to Inscriptions
Book SynopsisThis volume, with origins in a panel at the 2018 Celtic Conference in Classics, presents creative new approaches to epigraphic material, in an attempt to 'shake up' how we deal with inscriptions. Broad themes include the embodied experience of epigraphy, the unique capacities of epigraphic language as a genre, the visuality of inscriptions and the interplay of inscriptions with literary texts. Although each chapter focuses on specific objects and epigraphic landscapes, ranging from Republican Rome to early modern Scotland, the emphasis here is on using these case studies not as an end in themselves, but as a means of exploring broader methodological and theoretical issues to do with how we use inscriptions as evidence, both for the Greco-Roman world and for other time periods.Drawing on conversations from fields such as archaeology and anthropology, philology, art history, linguistics and history, contributors also seek to push the boundaries of epigraphy as a discipline and to demonstrate the analytical fruits of interdisciplinary approaches to inscribed material. Methodologies such as phenomenology, translingualism, intertextuality and critical fabulation are deployed to offer new perspectives on the social functions of inscriptions as texts and objects and to open up new horizons for the use of inscriptions as evidence for past societies.Trade Review[T]his volume presents creative new approaches to epigraphic material in an attempt to “shake up” how we deal with inscriptions. * New Testament Abstracts *Table of ContentsList of figures List of abbreviations Editor’s acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Thoughts on the nature of inscriptions Eleri H. Cousins 2. Towards a theoretical model of the epigraphic landscape Kelsey Jackson Williams 3. Materializing epigraphy: Archaeological and sociolinguistic approaches to Roman inscribed spindle whorls Alex Mullen 4. Written to be (un)read, written to be seen: Beyond Latin codes in Latin epigraphy M. Cristina de la Escosura Balbás, Elena Duce Pastor and David Serrano Lozano 5. Epigraphic strategies of communication: The visual accusative of Roman Republican dedications of spoils Fabio Luci 6. Inscribing the artistic space: Blurred boundaries on Romano-British tombstones Hanneke Salisbury 7. When poetry comes to its senses: Inscribed Roman verse and the human sensorium Chiara Cenati, Victoria González Berdús and Peter Kruschwitz 8. Lassi viatores: Poetic consumption between Martial’s Epigrams and the Carmina Latina Epigraphica Alessandra Tafaro 9. Epigraphy and critical fabulation: Imagining narratives of Greco-Roman sexual slavery Deborah Kamen and Sarah Levin-Richardson
£36.10
Oxbow Books The Marriage Bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of
Book SynopsisThe Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, rediscovered in 2010, is an exceptional piece of late medieval English royal furniture: no other equivalent example of secular domestic furniture is known to have survived, and, indeed, precious little woodwork from this period remains outside of ecclesiastical settings. As a tour-de-force of medieval royal woodwork, the bed offers an unprecedented insight into elite domestic furniture from this period. Since its rediscovery, the bed has been subjected to a wide array of investigation by furniture specialists, medieval historians, design historians and scientists. Emerging from a decade-long multidisciplinary research project, this book is the first sustained account of the bed: it shows how numerous disciplines covering the arts and conservation sciences can be brought together to assess and interpret such rare historic survivals.Broken down into thematic chapters, the book explores the bed’s form and structure, context, iconography, wood, paint, physical history, provenance – including its curious reproduction by George Shaw in Victorian England – and relationship with known surviving Tudor furniture, as well as Georgian and Victorian Gothic Revival beds. Although thought to be a 19th-century fake, this book presents historical, archival and scientific evidence to show, beyond doubt, the bed’s late medieval age.Whilst grounded upon research presented at a 2019 conference funded by the Institute of Conservation and held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the book incorporates additional historical and scientific discoveries made since the conference. Written by a range of scientists, historians and specialist researchers, this volume is a multi-disciplinary work of immeasurable value to readers from numerous disciplines.Table of ContentsContributors Acknowledgements Foreword by Elizabeth Norton 1. Introduction Peter N. Lindfield 2. Discovery and Conservation Ian Coulson 3. Historical Context, Commissioning, and Provenance Peter N. Lindfield and Ian Coulson 4. Iconography and Design: Meaning, Complexity, and Context Peter N. Lindfield 5. Gothic Beds, the Antiques Trade, and Reproduction Peter N. Lindfield 6. Paint Analysis Helen Hughes 7. Dendrochronological Analysis Andy Moir 8. DNA Analysis Hilke Schroeder and Lasse Schindler 9. Afterword Appendices Bibliography
£40.81
Oxbow Books Highhays, Kilkenny: A Medieval Pottery Production
Book SynopsisThis richly illustrated book presents the first comprehensive study of the making and marketing of pottery in medieval Ireland. Focusing on a well-preserved 14th-century pottery production centre which was excavated in 2006 at Highhays, outside the walls of the renowned Anglo-Norman town of Kilkenny in south-east Ireland, the authors describe its kiln, workshops and working areas, as well as its ‘Highhays Ware’ products: jugs, jars, cooking-pots, money-boxes and ridge tiles.Foremost amongst the outputs from the kiln site were high-quality, wheel-thrown, green-glazed jugs that were closely modelled on French Saintonge and Bristol Redcliffe archetypes and the volume describes the distinctive processes, kiln-firing technology and raw materials that were employed to produce these, and the other wares, represented on the site. The book also presents the results of an innovative plasma spectrometry and petrological analysis of Highhays Ware, which facilitated identification of the source for the raw potting clays areas – located at a considerable distance from Highhays in north county Kilkenny – used in its production, in addition to allowing for a study of the uncharacteristically broad distribution of the ware throughout the south-east of Ireland. The authors also place the production of pottery at Highhays in its broader context by presenting an overall review of the archaeological and historical evidence for pottery making and consumption in medieval Ireland, as well as by exploring the cultural background and social status of potters in the Anglo-Norman colony. Supporting the analysis and interpretation of the Highhays site and its assemblage are specialist and scientific contributions on the pottery, tiles, ceramic production material, metal finds, coins and archaeobotanical and animal bone remains from the site, archaeomagnetic and radiocarbon dating and plasma spectrometry and petrological analysis.Trade ReviewThis book is well illustrated throughout and provides an informative overview of Medieval Kilkenny * Ulster Archaeological Society *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of figures List of tables Authors and contributors Note on conventions Archaeological excavation archive Abbreviations Preface Foreword Summary 1. Introduction, by Emma Devine and Cóilín Ó Drisceoil 2. The pottery production centre excavations (Area 1, Period 1), by Emma Devine, Cóilín Ó Drisceoil and Niamh Curtin 3. Bake-yard excavations (Area 2, Period 1), abandonment and subsequent land-use (Areas 1 and 2, Periods 2 and 3), by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil 4. The products of the Highhays pottery, by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Clare McCutcheon and Joanna Wren 5. Highhays Ware, a provenance and distribution study, by Niamh Curtin, Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Michael J. Hughes and Richard Unitt 6. Non-ceramic finds, by Órla Scully, Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Joe Norton, Jimmy Lenehan and Paul Rondelez 7. Archaeobotanical and charcoal analysis, by Mary Dillon and Ingelise Stuijts 8. Highhays and the archaeology of medieval pottery production and town suburbs in Ireland, by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil Bibliography Appendix 1: Archaeomagnetic dating of the pottery kiln at Highhays, Kilkenny, by Vassil Karloukovski and Mark W. Hounslow Appendix 2: Radiocarbon dates Appendix 3: Post-medieval pottery, by Clare McCutcheon Appendix 4: Post-medieval clay building material, by Joanna Wren Appendix 5: Animal bone, by Karin Ilseth Appendix 6: Disarticulated human remains, by Karin Ilseth
£73.70
Archaeopress Bridge of Civilizations: The Near East and Europe
Book SynopsisThis volume brings together 22 of the papers presented at a conference held in Esztergom, Hungary, in May 2018 to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the crusade of King Andrew II of Hungary to the Holy Land in 1217–18. The theme, Bridge of Civilizations, was chosen to highlight aspects of the links and contrasts between Europe and the areas around the eastern Mediterranean that were visited and occupied by western crusaders and settlers in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, giving special attention to the evidence provided by archaeology and material culture, as well as historical sources. The results of the joint Syrian-Hungarian Archaeological Mission (SHAM) to the Hospitaller castle of Margat (al-Marqab) highlighted in this volume include an up-to-date overview of the structural development of the site from 1187 to 1285, as well as particular studies of the wall paintings, cooking installations and pottery. SHAM’s recent rescue work at Crac des Chevaliers also provides the basis for studies of the water-management system and medieval burials revealed in its courtyard, while other papers examine the masonry marks and surviving evidence of medieval trebuchet damage at both castles. Other papers focus on the medieval castles of Karak (Jordan) and Jubayl (Lebanon), the medieval buildings of Latakia (Syria), the impact of the Crusades on buildings in Cairo, historic bridges in Lebanon, the medieval chapels of Yanouh-Mghayreh and Edde-Jbeil (Lebanon), piscinas in Crusader churches in the East, the images of donors found in medieval Lebanese churches, and the activity of late thirteenth-century Western metal-workers in Cyprus. Papers focusing more particularly on historical sources include a new edition of a late eleventh- to twelfth-century pilgrimage itinerary from Hungary to the Holy Land, a discussion of two minor military orders in Hungary, and the portrayal of Sultan al-Kāmil in a contemporary western account of the Fifth Crusade.Trade Review'Taken overall, this collection has many strengths, perhaps most importantly the considerable corpus of analysis it offers on northern Syria. Very little research has been conducted on topics such as Eastern Christian churches in Lebanon, the port city of Latakia and Near Eastern bridges and so many of these articles make important, even ground-breaking, contributions. The ongoing work on Margat and Krak des Chevaliers is, likewise, very impressive, drawing upon a wide range of different approaches and techniques (reminiscent in many ways of recent work on the Teutonic Order’s fortress of Montfort). Splicing together an impressive range of textual and non-textual sources, Bridge of Civilizations provides inspiring glimpses into the complex, brutal and vibrant world of the medieval Near East.' – Nicholas Morton (2022): Al-Masāq, Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean 34:3Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Castles and Warfare ; 1. Constructing a Medieval Fortification in Syria: Margat between 1187 and 1285 – Balázs Major ; 2. Applying the Most Recent Technologies in Archaeological and Architectural Documentation at Margat – Bendegúz Takáts ; 3. Al-Marqab Citadel (Margat): Present Possibilities and Future Prospects – Marwan Hassan ; 4. New Research on the Medieval Water-Management System of Crac des Chevaliers – Zsolt Vágner and Zsófia E. Csóka ; 5. The Medieval Masonry Marks in Crac des Chevaliers and Margat – Erzsébet Bojtár ; 6. Burials in Crac des Chevaliers excavated in 2017 – Teofil Rétfalvi ; 7. The Fortifications of Medieval Jubayl (Byblos) – Anis Chaaya ; 8. Karak Castle in the Lordship of Transjordan: Observations on the Chronology of the Crusader-period Fortress – Micaela Sinibaldi ; 9. Stone-Throwing Machines and their effects on the Medieval Castles of the Syrian Coastal Region – Dávid Kotán ; 10. Medieval Ovens and Cooking Installations in Margat – Mayssam Youssef ; Architecture, Art and Material Culture ; 11. Latakia in the Middle Ages – Ibrahim Kherbek ; 12. The Impact of the Crusades on the Architecture of Cairo – Júlia Sárközi ; 13. Roman, Medieval or Ottoman: Historic Bridges of the Lebanon Coast – Andrew Petersen ; 14. The Medieval Chapels of Yanouh/Mghayreh and Edde-Jbeil in Mount-Lebanon: A Comparative Approach – Hany Kahwagi-Janho ; 15. Piscinas in Crusader Churches of the Latin East – Patricia Antaki-Masson ; 16. Notes on Donor Images in the Churches of Lebanon – Nada Hélou ; 17. Mural Painting in Margat Castle – Zsófia Márk ; 18. A Thirteenth-Century Pottery Assemblage from Margat Castle – Nóra Buránszki ; 19. Western Metalworkers on Cyprus, 1296–1300 – Nicholas Coureas ; Historical Sources ; 20. An Eleventh- to Twelfth-Century Itinerary from Hungary to the Holy Land and Othmar’s Vision of the Holy Fire – by Denys Pringle ; 21. Sultan al-Kāmil, the Emperor Frederick II and the Surrender of Jerusalem as presented by the anonymous Chronique d’Ernoul – Peter Edbury ; 22. From Samson to James: Two Minor Military Orders in Thirteenth-Century Hungary – Dániel Bácsatyai ; Index
£61.75
Archaeopress Bar Locks and Early Church Security in the
Book SynopsisBar Locks and Early Church Security in the British Isles examines the evidence for the measures taken to make church buildings secure or defensible from their earliest times until the later medieval period. In particular it examines the phenomenon of ‘bar locks’ which the author identifies in many different contexts throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Bar locks take various forms and can be made of different materials, but they all provide a means of locking a door by placing a bar behind it from the inside which is then secured onto the door frame or housings on adjacent walls. The most dramatic examples are provided by thick wooden bars slotted into recesses incorporated in the adjacent door jambs. The volume describes and lists all the examples identified by the author and also publishes his photographs of the evidence for the first time. The recognition of the role of bar locks in securing churches led the author to consider further measures which may have been introduced to enhance church security; these measures could Have had major implications for structural change and design in the buildings. These supplementary protective requirements and methods for achieving them are many and various and are also considered in the volume.Trade ReviewThis posthumously published book serves as an advert, too, for the author's previous studies of the geology and constructional methods of early medieval churches in Britain and Ireland, which deserve more attention than they have yet received. -- Helen Gittos * Current Archaeology *Table of ContentsChapter One: Keys and Bar Locks ; Chapter Two: Church Bar Locks in England ; Chapter Three: Church Bar Locks in Scotland ; Chapter Four: Church Bar Locks in Wales ; Chapter Five: Church Bar Locks in Ireland ; Chapter Six: Comments and Conclusions on Bar Locks ; Chapter Seven: A Review of Possible Church Modifications to Enhance Security ; Chapter Eight: Church Security in England ; Chapter Nine: Church Security in Scotland ; Chapter Ten: Church Security in Wales ; Chapter Eleven: Church Security in Ireland ; Chapter Twelve: Conclusions ; Important Note and Resulting Apologies ; Glossary ; References
£38.00
Archaeopress The Neglected Goat: A New Method to Assess the
Book SynopsisDistinguishing between the bones of sheep and goats is a notorious challenge in zooarchaeology. Several methods have been proposed to facilitate this task, largely based on macro-morphological traits. This approach, which is routinely adopted by zooarchaeologists, although still valuable, has also been shown to have limitations: morphological discriminant traits can differ in different sheep/ goat populations and a correct identification is highly dependent upon experience, as well as the availability of appropriate reference collections and the degree to which a researcher is prepared to ‘risk’ an identification. The Neglected Goat provides a new, more objective and transparent methodology, based on a combination of morphological and biometrical analyses, to distinguish between sheep and goat post cranial bones. Additionally, on the basis of the newly proposed approach, it reassesses the role of the goat in medieval England. There are several historical and archaeological questions concerning the role of this animal that have so far remained unanswered: why is the goat commonly recorded in the Domesday Book, when it appears to be so scarce in the contemporary archaeological record? Is the goat under-represented in the archaeological record or over-represented in the Domesday Book? Why is this animal, when identified in English medieval animal bone assemblages, almost exclusively represented by horncores? Through the investigation of a number of English sheep and goat medieval assemblages, this study sheds light on these questions, and suggests that the goat was indeed rarer than the Domesday Book suggests.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ; 1.2 TAXONOMY ; 1.3 METHODOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ; 1.4 THE MEDIEVAL ENGLISH GOAT: SETTING THE SCENE ; 2 STUDY OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS AND BIOMETRY OF THE MODERN MATERIAL ; 2.1 METHODS ; 2.2 MATERIALS ; 2.3 INTER-OBSERVER ERROR AND INTRA-OBSERVER ERROR: CONSISTENCY TESTS ; 2.4 MORPHOLOGICAL RESULTS ; 2.5 BIOMETRIC RESULTS ; 2.6 DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY OF THE MODERN MATERIAL: MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOMETRICAL APPROACH ; 3 RE-EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF THE GOAT IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND ; 3.1 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ; 3.2 KING’S LYNN (AD 1050-1800) ; 3.3 MEDIEVAL AND POST-MEDIEVAL FLAXENGATE (C. LATE 11TH CENTURY AD; LATE 14TH - MIDDLE 16TH CENTURY AD) ; 3.4 WOOLMONGER /KINGSWELL STREET, NORTHAMPTON (C. 1000-1550 AD) ; 3.5 DISCUSSION OF THE APPLICATION OF THE NEW METHODOLOGY ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSEMBLAGES ; 3.6 REASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF THE GOAT IN MEDIEVAL ENGLISH HUSBANDRY AND ECONOMY: A BEGINNING ; 3.7 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS: THE WAY IS PAVED ; 4 CONCLUSIONS ; REFERENCES ; APPENDICES ; APPENDIX I: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOAT IN THE HUMAN PAST ; APPENDIX II: BLAND AND ALTMAN PLOTS AS INTEGRATION OF THE ICC (INTER-OBSERVER ERROR) ; APPENDIX III: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS FOR THE MODEN SHEEP AND GOAT MATERIAL ; APPENDIX IV: ASSUMPTIONS FOR DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS (DA) AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS (PCA) ; APPENDIX V: PCA, A BRIEF GLOSSARY ; APPENDIX VI: DA: HOW TO USE IT TO PREDICT NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL CASES
£114.00
Archaeopress Garranes: An Early Medieval Royal Site in
Book SynopsisRingforts were an important part of the rural settlement landscape of early medieval Ireland (AD 400–1100). While most of those circular enclosures were farmsteads, a small number had special significance as centres of political power and elite residence, also associated with specialized crafts. One such ‘royal site’ was Garranes in the mid-Cork region of south-west Ireland. In 1937, archaeological excavation of a large trivallate ringfort provided evidence of high-status residence during the fifth and sixth centuries AD. The site had workshops for the production of bronze ornaments, with glass and enamel working as well as indications of farming. Pottery and glass vessels imported from the Mediterranean world and Atlantic France were also discovered. That trade with the Late Roman world is significant to understanding the introduction of Christianity and literacy in southern Ireland at that time. This monograph presents the results of an interdisciplinary project conducted 2011–18, where archaeological survey and excavation, supported by various specialist studies, examined this historic landscape. Garranes is a special place where archaeology, history and legend combine to uncover a minor royal site of the early medieval period. The central ringfort has been identified as Rath Raithleann, the seat of the petty kingdom of Uí Echach Muman, recalled in bardic poetry of the later medieval period. Those poems attribute its foundation to Corc, a King of Munster in the fifth century AD, and link the site closely to Cian, son-in-law of Brian Bóruma, and one of the heroes of Clontarf (AD 1014). This study provides new evidence to connect the location of Rath Raithleann to high-status occupation at Garranes during the fifth and sixth centuries, and explores its legendary associations in later periods.Trade Review'This is an important publication that makes a signficant contribution to our understanding not only of this early medieval landscape but also of early medieval studies as a whole.' – Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 35, No. 2 (2021)'All told, this volume is handsomely published by Archaeopress with excellent figures, and also benefits from being freely accessible as an Open Access publication. Securing a hard copy while it is available, however, is advisable, as this is destined to be an indispensable landmark for the wider field. This truly seminal publication demonstrates the enduring value of long-term, landscape-scale field projects, which one may hope will become a regular feature of the research landscape for early medieval Ireland.' – Patrick Gleeson (2021): Journal of Irish Archaeology‘This impressive tome combines the results of field research in 1990-92 and 2011-18 with a reappraisal of the earlier work, plus other studies setting the site archaeology in a broader historical and landscape context.’ – Deirdre O’Sullivan (2022): Medieval Settlement Research, Vol. 37Table of Contents1. Garranes: an Introduction ; 2. The Archaeological Landscape ; 3. Lisnacaheragh ; 4. Lisnamanroe ; 5. Lisheenagreine ; 6. Other Excavations ; 7. Specialist Studies ; 8. Early Medieval Settlement and Economy at Garranes ; 9. Ringforts in the Landscape ; 10. Garranes: a Royal Landscape? ; References
£42.75
Four Courts Press Ltd Discovering Medieval Ferns, Co. Wexford
Book Synopsis
£42.16
Four Courts Press Ltd The Church of Ireland under the Stuarts
Book SynopsisThe ? long seventeenth century? was a time of enormous religious and political change in Ireland, but there has never been a satisfactory study of the Church of Ireland throughout this turbulent period. This book fills the gap, drawing on rich research undertaken in recent years by a number of eminent scholars. It considers the way in which the church changed over time, focusing on crucial ? hinge? events such as the mid-century rebellion and Cromwellian occupation, and the existential threat posed to the church in the Jacobite period. It looks at many different facets of the Church of Ireland in the period, including education, music, and the acquisition and use of silver; it covers not only important bishops but also ordinary parish clergy, and reveals the lives of clergy and laity in the more distant provinces as well as metropolitan Dublin. Together, the essays present a composite picture of a church in a time of change.
£50.00
Four Courts Press Ltd Dun na nGall Fort of the Foreigners
Book SynopsisDú n na nGall, the Irish name for ? Donegal? , translates as ? Fort of the Foreigners? , but who were the foreigners in question? This book considers that they were Vikings and reviews the archaeological and documentary evidence for Vikings in Donegal and addresses the nature of Viking activity and possible settlement in the county. From Viking silver hoards found throughout Inishowen to a potential Viking-type dwelling at Portnablagh, the evidence for Vikings is strongest in the north and east of the county.
£11.95
Four Courts Press Ltd Sea and Settlement in Ireland
Book Synopsis
£42.75
