European history: medieval period, middle ages Books

Book SynopsisLorenzo Lotto''s Portrait of Andrea Odoni is one of the most famous paintings of the Italian Renaissance. Son of an immigrant and a member of the non-noble citizen class, Odoni understood how the power of art could make a name for himself and his family in his adopted homeland. Far from emulating Venetian patricians, however, he set himself apart through the works he collected and the way he displayed them. In this book, Monika Schmitter imaginatively reconstructs Odoni''s house essentially a ''portrait'' of Odoni through his surroundings and possessions. Schmitter''s detailed analysis of Odoni''s life and portrait reveals how sixteenth-century individuals drew on contemporary ideas about spirituality, history, and science to forge their own theories about the power of things and the agency of object. She shows how Lotto''s painting served as a meta-commentary on the practice of collecting and on the ability of material things to transform the self.Trade Review'Focusing on Lorenzo Lotto's extraordinary Portrait of Andrea Odoni, this book is an engaging art historical detective story. The sitter, Andrea Odoni, is well known to Venetian specialists, largely from his portrait by Lotto and his appearance in the diary of Marcantonio Michiel, but the writer fleshes out this picture with new information yielded by enterprising archival and primary source research. She offers several overlapping portraits: of the Venetian cittadini as a caste, of Odoni himself, of his house and collection of art and antiquities, of the birth of collecting in Venice, and ultimately, of Lotto's hermetic erudition and his extraordinary inventive skills in creating a portrait that is far more than a portrait.' Patricia Fortini Brown, Professor Emeritus, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University'Lucidly written and meticulously documented, The Art Collector in Early Modern Italy reveals how a case study of an individual can open up new ways of thinking about immigration and social class, the imbrication between objects and the self, and the architectural presence of a home museum in urban space. Monika Schmitter offers us a compelling account of Venetian art and society which will be read, discussed, and enjoyed by a new generation of scholars.' David Kim, Associate Professor of Art History, University of Pennsylvania'This brilliant book takes us deep into the world of sixteenth-century Venice through the figure of Andrea Odoni, tax collector turned art collector. Marshalling period sources, works of art, and a range of interdisciplinary approaches, Monika Schmitter delves into Odoni's milieu and what made him tick. This persuasive study explores the ways in which Odoni's house and collections were typical of his social class and his time – and the ways in which they were exceptional. Odoni's Venice offers precedents for many of today's notions about collecting, museums, art conservation, and the role of culture to define our identities.' Frederick Ilchman, chair of the Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and chairman of Save Venice'This excellent book … marks an impressive advance in our understanding of Lotto's portrait, largely because it also provides an unpredecentedly detailed an thoughtful analysis of the sitter, his house and his collection. Along the way these aspects of [Odoni's] personality and self-expression are illuminatingly integrated within a wider consideration of his social position and of the design and decoration of Venetian palaces in the first half of the sixteenth century as well as of strategies of display.' Peter Humfrey, Burlington Magazine'Rich in primary sources and well-illustrated, Schmitter's study … is invaluable in its coverage of the uniqueness of the surviving records and works: it provides a whole picture of a collector, the architectural spaces of his palace, and the range of materials and works on display.' Leah R. Clark, Journal of the History of CollectionsTable of Contents1. Venice in transition; 2. Second generation venetian; 3. Odoni's facade; 4. Creating Rome in Venice: the Antigaia; 5. The Portego; 6. The Camere; 7. Transmuting the self: Lotto's Portrait of Odoni.

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, Richard S. Grayson tells the story of the Dubliners who served in the British military and in republican forces during the First World War and the Irish Revolution as a series of interconnected ''Great Wars''. He charts the full scope of Dubliners'' military service, far beyond the well-known Dublin ''Pals'', with as many as 35,000 serving and over 6,500 dead, from the Irish Sea to the Middle East and beyond. Linking two conflicts usually narrated as separate stories, he shows how Irish nationalist support for Britain going to war in 1914 can only be understood in the context of the political fight for Home Rule and why so many Dubliners were hostile to the Easter Rising. He examines Dublin loyalism and how the War of Independence and the Civil War would be shaped by the militarisation of Irish society and the earlier experiences of veterans of the British army.Trade Review'Dublin's Great Wars exploits a wealth of sources to reconstruct the street-level impact of a decade of war and revolution which ultimately culminated in Irish independence. Ranging from Gallipoli to the General Post Office, Grayson skilfully illuminates the diversity of experiences and loyalties that characterised revolutionary Dublin's entangled military histories.' Fearghal McGarry, author of The Rising. Ireland: Easter 1916'Richard S. Grayson's masterly study shows that Dubliners' opposition to rule by the British ran deep – but so did support for the Crown. This is a penetrating and ambitious book that successfully reconnects the Irish Revolution with the First World War.' Gary Sheffield, author of A Short History of the First World War'This lively and detailed account of the military history of Dublin men and their families from 1912 to 1923 presents a convincing case for viewing the Great War and the military episodes in the Irish struggle for independence as a series of inter-connected 'Great Wars'.' Mary E. Daly, author of Sixties Ireland: Reshaping the Economy, State and Society, 1957–1973'This is an important and timely book, given its publication during the centenary of the Irish Revolution. Meticulously researched, in archives in Britain and Ireland, it neatly contextualises Dublin's experience of revolution within the experience of the greater World War of 1914–18,' Timothy Bowman, co-author of The British Army and the First World War'A powerful, multivocal account of a decade of violence in Ireland beginning in 1914…. This is a book of sensitive scholarship, one based on a deep knowledge of both the military history and the social history of the men who waged it … it is the best history we have of Dubliners at war, and, like James Joyce's 'The Dead', published in 1914, it treats them with the sympathy and compassion they deserve.' Jay Winter, H-Net'Written in a clear and lively style and resting upon very substantial research … an excellent and illuminating account of how conflict shaped Ireland's capital city during the Irish revolution and is bound to command the wide audience it deserves.' John Gibney, History Ireland'A very significant addition to our knowledge and understanding of the Irish revolution and should be read by everyone wishing to understand it more fully.' Padraig Yeates, Dublin Review of Books'His Easter Week chapters entwine the Royal Dublin Fusiliers' fighting at Hulluch in Belgium with the simultaneous uprising in Dublin.… Grayson's eye for detail lends these passages a cinematic flair, capturing the prayers of both Irish troops abroad and rebels back home as they prepared to go into their respective battles.' Matthew Kovac, LSE Review of Books'Dublin's Great Wars is a fascinating study of the history of Dubliners' wartime experiences during the First World War and the Irish Revolution … This book will appeal to those interested in the history of war and revolution in Ireland, the history of Irish involvement in the First World War and the history of Dublin.' David Durnin, CerclesTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Prelude: Dublin and conflict, 1899–1914; 2. Dublin goes to war; 3. Outbreak, 1914; 4. Stalemate, 1915; 5. Gallipoli: Helles; 6. Gallipoli: Suvla Bay; 7. Preparations; 8. Rising; 9. Falling; 10. Consequences; 11. The Other 1916; 12. Success on the Somme; 13. Snow and sand; 14. Attrition: 1916–17; 15. Learning; 16. Victory from the jaws of defeat; 17. War of Independence; 18. Crossovers; 19. Civil war; 20. Peace; 21. Commemoration; Conclusion: three men.

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Book SynopsisAcross Baltic shores, English battlegrounds, and the land of Northern Lights, author Elzbieta Cherezinska''s The Last Crown is the follow up to The Widow Queen, and the epic conclusion of Swietoslawa''s journey from Polish princess to Queen of Denmark & Sweden and Queen Mother of England.The web of love and lies is thicker than ever as we reunite with players spread across the board of Europe in this sequel to The Widow Queen. Our heroes and enemies alike are beholden to the hands of fate.While Olav Tryggvason reclaims the throne of Norway and baptizes the land by blood, King Sven in Denmark is filled with rage at his once comrade. Not only does Olav threaten Sven's hold on Norway, but his hold on his own wife -- the woman with two crowns, three sons, and a heart long spoken for. Swietoslawa, the Bold One.Meanwhile, those Swietoslawa trusts most -- Astrid, her sister, Sigvald, her brother-in-law and head of the Jomsvikings, and eve

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Book SynopsisThe thirteenth century was a crucial period of reform in the English church, during which the church''s renewal initiatives transformed the laity. The vibrant lay religious culture of late-medieval England cannot be understood without considering the re-invigorated pastoral care that developed between 1200 and 1300. Even before Innocent III called the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, reform-minded bishops and scholars were focusing attention on the local church, emphasising better preaching and more frequent confession. This study examines the processes by which these clerical reforms moulded the lay religiosity of the thirteenth century, integrating the different aspects of church life, so often studied separately, and combining a broad investigation of the subject with a series of comparative case studies. William H. Campbell also demonstrates how differences abounded from diocese to diocese, town to country and parish to parish, shaping the landscape of pastoral care as a complex mosTrade Review'Campbell's study illuminates what scholars have been trying to see for a long time - how people experienced pastoral care. He notes in his introduction that the last holistic study of the thirteenth-century English church was J. R. H. Moorman's 1945 Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century. Campbell has written an exceedingly good replacement.' Beth Allison Barr, American Historical Review'… paints a vivid, detailed picture of pastoral care in 13th century England. The book offers a nuanced view which furthers our understanding of a major aspect of the medieval Church.' Justin S. Kirkland, Reading ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of maps; Abbreviations; Introduction. Pastoral care in the thirteenth century; Part I. Pastors and People: 1. Growth, crisis, and recovery: the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries; 2. Parish clergy; 3. The coming of the friars; 4. Monks and canons regular; Part II. The Processes of Pastoral Care: 5. Preaching and catechesis; 6. Sacramental and liturgical pastoral care; 7. Confession and penance; Part III. The Landscape of Pastoral Care: 8. Towards a geography of pastoral care; 9. Provincial government from Canterbury and York; 10. The diocese of Lincoln; 11. The diocese of Exeter; 12. The diocese of Carlisle; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume Anthi Andronikou explores the social, cultural, religious and trade encounters between Italy and Cyprus during the late Middle Ages, from ca. 1200 -1400, and situates them within several Mediterranean contexts. Revealing the complex artistic exchange between the two regions for the first time, she probes the rich but neglected cultural interaction through comparison of the intriguing thirteenth-century wall paintings in rock-cut churches of Apulia and Basilicata, the puzzling panels of the Madonna della Madia and the Madonna di Andria, and painted chapels in Cyprus, Lebanon, and Syria. Andronikou also investigates fourteenth-century cross-currents that have not been adequately studied, notably the cult of Saint Aquinas in Cyprus, Crusader propaganda in Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and a unique series of icons crafted by Venetian painters working in Cyprus. Offering new insights into Italian and Byzantine visual cultures, her book contributes to a broader understandinTable of Contents1. A prosopography of encounters; 2. Southern Italy, Cyprus and the Holy Land: a tale of parallel aesthetics?; 3. Deconstructing myths: transmutations of Madonna and Panagia between Italy and Cyprus; 4. Thomas Aquinas, the Dominicans and artistic patronage in trecento Cyprus; 5. The peregrinations of a Cypriot king in Italian material culture, 1362-1368; 6. Art in the interstices: hybrid Italian panels and Cypriot nobility.

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Book SynopsisAgainst the odds, monarchies flourished in nineteenth-century Europe. In an era marked by dramatic change and revolutionary upheaval, Europe''s monarchies experienced an unexpected late flowering. Royal Heirs focuses on the roles and personalities of the heirs to the throne from more than a dozen different dynasties that ruled the continent between the French Revolution and the end of the First World War. The book explores how these individuals contributed to the remarkable survival of the crowns they were born to wear. Constitutions, family relationships, education, politics, the media, the need to generate ''soft power'' and the militarisation of monarchy all shaped the lives of princes and princesses while they were playing their part to embody and secure the future of monarchy. Ranging from Norway to Spain and from Greece to Britain, Royal Heirs not only paints a vivid picture of a monarchical age, but also explores how such disparate monarchies succeeded in adapting to change and Trade Review'Beautifully written and elegantly translated by Rona Johnston, Müller's brilliantly researched study is the first to shift attention from the monarchs themselves to the children who embodied the institution's future. Drawing on prodigious research in many national and regional archives, Müller's analysis captures the European lineaments of monarchy's modern history without losing sight of national and dynastic peculiarities.' Christopher Clark, author of The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914'Müller's book dazzles with the brilliance of his primary research and his ability to draw common threads and uncommon insights from a massive scholarly literature. Every chapter of this energetic, imaginative account offers sparkling aperçus about how young and not-so-young heirs to the thrones of Europe grew into their dynastic roles (or didn't).' James Retallack, author of Germany's Second Reich: Portraits and Pathways'A very substantial contribution to our understanding of monarchy and politics in the “long” nineteenth century. For those who do not know much already about the period, Müller is a master at disentangling the various dynastic skeins, and weaving them back into a comprehensible story.' Brendan Simms, author of Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present'Müller's fascinating account of the royal heirs in nineteenth-century Europe reminds us that the “game of thrones” can only be played successfully by those who keep a keen eye on what lies ahead in the future. Both meticulously researched and highly entertaining, the book analyses the making of modern men and power relations at the top of society.' Monika Wienfort, author of Monarchy in the Nineteenth CenturyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. 'Pledge of a blessed future': royal heirs in the nineteenth century; 2. 'And this comedy that I have to perform before the world': royal heirs as sons and husbands; 3. 'The affair of his people': the education of royal heirs in the nineteenth century; 4. 'Making the Princess known and securing friends for after times': royal heirs in politics, press and the public sphere; 5. 'From my earliest youth the army has been my absolute love': royal heirs and the militarisation of the monarchy; Conclusion; Appendix: List of rulers and heirs.

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Book SynopsisAt the centre of the Roman empire stood the emperor and the court surrounding him. The systematic investigation of this court in its own right, however, has been a relatively late development in the field of Roman history, and previous studies have focused on narrowly defined aspects or on particular periods of Roman history. This book makes a major contribution to understanding the history of the Roman imperial court. The first volume presents nineteen original essays covering all the major dimensions of the court from the age of Augustus to the threshold of Late Antiquity. The second volume is a collection of the ancient sources that are central to studying that court. The collection includes: translations of literary sources, inscriptions, and papyri; plans and computer visualizations of archaeological remains; and photographs of archaeologic sites and artworks depicting the emperor and his court.Table of Contents1. Conceptualizing the Roman court Benjamin Kelly; 2. Court spaces Benjamin Kelly and Michele George; 3. Relationships Angela Hug, Benjamin Kelly and Neil W. Bernstein; 4. Rituals and ceremonial Caillan Davenport, Matthew B. Roller and Fanny Dolansky; 5. Picturing the court Olivier Hekster, Kelly Olson, Angela Hug and Robyn Gillam; 6. Narratives of court crises Angela Hug and Benjamin Kelly.

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Book SynopsisThis unique collection of diaries and letters offers a vivid personal account of the experiences of a Jewish couple living parallel lives during the Second World War. While their children left for England just before war broke out, and Siegfried soon followed, Else Behrend was unable to obtain her visa in time, and remained in Germany. This volume includes Else''s account of her years of persecution under the Nazi dictatorship, and of her life underground in Berlin, before her eventual daring escape to Switzerland on foot in 1944. Her dramatic story is presented alongside Siegfried''s account of his very different experience, living penniless and in isolation in England, as well as some of her letters to her close friend and confidante, Eva. Complemented by QR codes that allow readers to listen to Else''s own voice from her 1963 BBC interviews. Published in English for the first time, Living in Two Worlds offers an unforgettable and moving insight into the impact of the Second World WaTrade Review'A poignant, gripping, and richly illustrated account of how a Jewish couple, separated by circumstances, survived the war and the Holocaust. Else Behrend-Rosenfeld documents the incarceration and deportation of Munich's Jews and then her own escape into the underground which finally ended with a difficult fall into Switzerland in 1944.' Peter Fritzsche, University of Illinois'The horrors of persecution and exile common to so many German Jews and opponents of the Hitler regime is brought home in searing detail in the interwoven diaries and letters of the Rosenfelds. They capture the struggle to find ways to survive in a world increasingly abnormal and threatening, an experience from the Third Reich that encapsulates the suffering of all those whose lives were destroyed by politics in the age of European dictatorship.' Richard Overy, University of Exeter'Else Behrend-Rosenfeld's perceptive and lucidly written diary provides a unique perspective into the persecution of the Jewish community of Munich and her own life in hiding in Nazi Germany. The diary and accompanying documents have been superbly edited and contextualized by Marita Krauss and Erich Kasberger.' Susanna Schrafstetter, University of Vermont'This significant book interweaves translated extracts from the letters the couple wrote and the diaries they kept during the war years of separation. It highlights the contrasting way those sombre years affected the couple.' Martin Mauthner, Journal of the Association of Jewish RefugeesTable of ContentsForeword Richard Evans; Introduction Marita Krauss; Diaries of Else Behrend-Rosenfeld and Siegfried Rosenfeld, including Else's Letters to Eva Schmidt; Epilogue to Else Behrend-Rosenfeld's Diaries (1963); List of QR Codes; Glossary of Key People.

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Book SynopsisVolume 3 of The Cambridge History of the First World War explores the social and cultural history of the war and considers the role of civil society throughout the conflict; that is to say those institutions and practices outside the state through which the war effort was waged. Drawing on 25 years of historical scholarship, it sheds new light on culturally significant issues such as how families and medical authorities adapted to the challenges of war and the shift that occurred in gender roles and behaviour that would subsequently reshape society. Adopting a transnational approach, this volume surveys the war''s treatment of populations at risk, including refugees, minorities and internees, to show the full extent of the disaster of war and, with it, the stubborn survival of irrational kindness and the generosity of spirit that persisted amidst the bitterness at the heart of warfare, with all its contradictions and enduring legacies.Trade Review'… both scholarly and deftly drafted, a joy to read. It provides broad as well as deep analysis of just about every conceivable facet of this global catastrophe. It deserves close reading and contemplation.' Len Shurtleff, World War One Historical Association'The global perspective on the war, represented in these volumes, adds further layers of complexity to our understanding of this foundational moment in modern history. The conjunction of early twentieth-century patterns of globalization and industrialized great power war was singular, distinguishing it from earlier European conflicts fought across the globe and the Second World War, which followed the collapse of globalization in the 1930s.' William Mulligan, European History QuarterlyTable of ContentsIntroduction to Volume 3 Jay Winter; Part I. Private Life: Introduction to Part I Jay Winter and Stéphane Audoin-Rouzeau; 1. The couple Martha Hanna; 2. Children Manon Pignot; 3. Families Jay Winter; Part II. Gender at Home: Introduction to Part II John Horne and Jay Winter; 4. War work Laura Lee Downs; 5. Gender at home Susan R. Grayzel; 6. At the Front Margaret Higonnet; 7. Gender roles in killing zones Joanna Bourke; Part III. Populations at Risk: Introduction to Part III Heather Jones and Laurence Van Ypersele; 8. Refugees and exiles Peter Gatrell and Philippe Nivet; 9. Minorities Panikos Panayi; 10. Populations under occupation Sophie de Schaepdrijver; 11. Captive civilians Annette Becker; Part IV. Bodies in Pain: Introduction to Part IV Jay Winter and Anne Rasmussen; 12. Military medicine Leo van Bergen; 13. Shell shock Jay Winter; 14. The Spanish Flu Anne Rasmussen; 15. Mourning practices Joy Damousi; Part V. The Social History of Cultural Life: Introduction to Part V Nicolas Beaupre and Annette Becker; 16. Mobilising minds Anne Rasmussen; 17. Beliefs and religion Adrian Gregory; 18. Soldier-writers and poets Nicolas Beaupre; 19. Cinema Laurent Veray; 20. Arts Annette Becker; 21. War memorials Bruce Scates and Rebecca Wheatley; Part VI. A Reckoning: Costs and Outcomes: Introduction to Part VI Jay Winter; 22. The dead Antoine Prost; 23. The living John Horne; 24. The Great War at its centenary John Horne; 25. Visual essay: civil society Annette Becker.

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Book SynopsisThe ''racial state'' has become a familiar shorthand for the Third Reich, encapsulating its raison d''être, ambitions, and the underlying logic of its genocidal violence. The Nazi racial state''s agenda is generally understood as a fundamental reshaping of society based on a new hierarchy of racial value. However, this volume argues that it is time to reappraise what race really meant under Nazism, and to question and complicate its relationship to the Nazis'' agenda, actions, and appeal. Based on a wealth of new research, the contributors show that racial knowledge and racial discourse in Nazi Germany were far more contradictory and disparate than we have come to assume. They shed new light on the ways that racial policy worked and was understood, and consider race''s function, content, and power in relation to society and nation, and above all, in relation to the extraordinary violence unleashed by the Nazis.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Comparative and Historical Perspectives: 1. Racial discourse, Nazi violence, and the limits of the racial state model Mark Roseman; 2. The murder of European Jewry: Nazi genocide in continental perspective Donald Bloxham; 3. Meanings of race and biopolitics in historical perspective Pascal Grosse; 4. Racial states in comparative perspective Devin O. Pendas; Part II. Race, Science, and Nazi Biopolitics: 5. Eugenics and racial science in Nazi Germany: was there a genesis of the 'final solution' from the spirit of science? Richard F. Wetzell; 6. Race science, race mysticism, and the racial state Dan Stone; 7. Ideology's logic: the evolution of racial thought in Germany from the völkisch movement to the Third Reich Christian Geulen; 8. Nazi medical crimes, eugenics, and the limits of the racial state paradigm Herwig Czech; Part III. Anti-Semitism beyond Race: 9. 'The axis around which national socialist ideology turns': state bureaucracy, the Reich Ministry of the Interior and racial policy in the first years of the Third Reich Jürgen Matthäus; 10. Neither Aryan nor Semite: reflections on the meanings of race in Nazi Germany Richard Steigmann-Gall; 11. Racializing historiography: Anti-Jewish scholarship in the Third Reich Dirk Rupnow; Part IV. Race and Society: 12. Volksgemeinschaft: a controversy Michael Wildt; 13. Mothers, whores, or sentimental dupes? Emotion and race in historiographical debates about women in the Third Reich Annette F. Timm; 14. Nationalist mobilization: foreign diplomats' views on the Third Reich, 1933–1945 Frank Bajohr; 15. Race and humor in Nazi Germany Martina Kessel; 16. Legitimacy through war? Nicholas Stargardt; Part V. Race War? Germans and Non-Germans in Wartime: 17. Negotiating völkisch and racial identities: the Deutsche Volksliste in annexed Poland Gerhard Wolf; 18. Sex, race, volksgemeinschaft: German soldiers' sexual encounters with local women and men during the war and the occupation in the Soviet Union, 1941–1945 Regina Mühlhäuser; 19. The disintegration of the racial basis of the concentration camp system Stefan Hördler.

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Book SynopsisA landmark book that charts humanity''s changing relationship with birds - from the ancient Egyptians to the twenty-first century ''A marvellously original slice of social history'' Daily Mail''The facts and folklore of birdlife are dissected in admirable detail in this handsome book'' Sunday Times''Roy and Lesley Adkins are masters of their craft'' BBC Countryfile MagazineNo other group of animals has had such a complex and lengthy relationship with humankind as birds. They have been kept in cages as pets, taught to speak and displayed as trophies. More practically, they have been used to tell the time, predict the weather, foretell marriages, provide unlikely cures for ailments, convey messages and warn of poisonous gases. When There Were Birds is a social history of Britain that charts the complex connections between people and birds, set against a background of changes in the landscapTrade ReviewWhen There Were Birds is a marvellously original slice of social history, a portrait of our ever-conflicted relationship with the natural world which we so abuse and which we cannot live without; a book beautifully balanced between wonder and warning -- Christopher Hart * Daily Mail (Book of the Week) *A wonderful book. . . the perfect gift for Christmas this year for a bird lover. . . In fact, no, bird lovers are fine, buy it for someone that hates birds and see if you can turn them round -- Giles Coren * Times Radio *This book is. . . not only a fascinating browse of all sorts of stories about the past, but it's a real revelation actually. . . it's really going to encourage you to think about birds and the part they played historically and culturally -- Guy de la BédoyèreAn appealing social history of Britain that charts the relationship between people and birds [with] a lot of quirky information -- Martin Chilton * The Independent *The book is absolutely packed with wonderful stories. You've really researched it to pieces. . . I hope that this book inspires and galvanises those that want to protect birds -- Steve Yabsley * BBC Radio Bristol *The facts and folklore of birdlife, and man's equivocal relationship with birds, are dissected in admirable detail in this handsome new book ... [with] striking revelations -- Roland White * Sunday Times *This is a substantial social history of our interactions with the bird life of these isles. . . With its wide-ranging, informative text, extensive notes, and commendably comprehensive index, When There Were Birds makes its own vital contribution to our perception of our relationship with creation, providing further stimulus for us to achieve an environmental renaissance -- Richard Greatrex * Church Times *When There Were Birds by historians Roy and Lesley Adkins charts humanity's changing relationship with birds, from the ancient Egyptians to the 21st century * Choice Magazine, Great New Year Reads *The sheer breadth of information reflects every part of life on earth. And that's what makes it such a worthwhile read -- Annette Shaw * Devon Life *Unusually for a book about nature, the species in question, in this lucid story of the relationship between birds and humans, is ours . . . An evocative chapter, 'Abundance', assembles descriptions of a British landscape so vivid you feel you almost remember it . . . There are no dodos in this book -- Horatio Clare * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisA very readable work of reference offering a survey in chronological order, from AD 84 to 1746, of the major battles which have taken place on British soil, from the Roman occupation to Culloden, the last battle fought on British soil. In this way, the book can be read as a continuous narrative, while each entry also stands alone as a self-contained guide. The battles are grouped into relevant sections (such as the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil Wars and the Jacobite Rebellions), within broader historical periods. Each period is prefaced by a presentation of the nature of warfare and is enhanced by a feature article of specialist interest. Every entry includes a narrative of events leading up to the battle, a vivid description of the battle itself and an assessment of the long and short-term, consequences. In addition, there is useful information for visits, including precise identification of the location, details of access to and features of each site.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1858 and 1947, twenty British men ruled millions of some of the most remarkable people of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.From the Indian Mutiny to the cruel religious partition of India and the newly formed and named Pakistan, the Viceroy had absolute power, more than the monarch who had sent him. Selected from that exclusive class of English, Scottish and Irish breeding, the aristocracy, the Viceroys were plumed, rode elephants, shot tigers. Even their wives stood when they entered the room. Nevertheless, many of them gave everything for India. The first Viceroy, Canning, exhausted by the Mutiny, buried his wife in Calcutta before he left the subcontinent to die shortly afterwards.The average Viceroy lasted five years and was granted an earldom but rarely a sense of triumph. Did these Viceroys behave as badly as twenty-first century moralists would have us believe? When the Raj was over, the legacy of Empire continued, as the new rulers slipped easilTrade ReviewA richly rewarding work of history * Military History *

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Book Synopsis''A dazzling chronicle, a bracing challenge to modernity''s smug assumptions'' - Bryce Christensen, Booklist''O what a world of profit and delightOf power, of honour and omnipotenceIs promised to the studious artisan.''Christopher Marlowe, Dr FaustusBetween the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, Europe changed out of all recognition. Particularly transformative was the ardent quest for knowledge and the astounding discoveries and inventions which resulted from it. The movement of blood round the body; the movement of the earth round the sun; the velocity of falling objects (and, indeed, why objects fall) - these and numerous other mysteries had been solved by scholars in earnest pursuit of scientia. This fascinating account of the profound changes undergone by Europe between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment will cover ground including folk religion and its pagan past; Catholicism and its saintly dogma; alchemy, astTrade ReviewA dazzling chronicle, a bracing challenge to modernity's smug assumptions -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist *Covers a lot of ground without being superficial . . . a rich and interesting book -- Kostas Kampourakis * Springer Nature *

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Book SynopsisPaul Doherty''s twenty-second medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell.1312. Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, has returned from the West Country to find Westminster in chaos. Edward II has fled in an attempt to protect his favourite from the wrath of his noblemen; and a royal clerk has been found dead, poisoned in a locked chamber.Drawn into a maze of murder both at Westminster and at the Convent of Saint Sulpice, where young novices have started to disappear, Corbett quickly establishes a connection between the two mysteries. As other killings follow, Corbett''s investigation leads him to a high-class brothel and its sinister owner, Mother Midnight. Challenged to a duel and hunted by a guild of ruthless assassins, Corbett and his loyal henchmen, Ranulf and Chanson, face a sea of troubles. And Corbett must call upon his wit and ingTrade ReviewHis fascination for history comes off the page * Daily Express *Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric * Historical Novels Review *Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions * New Statesmen *An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite * Northern Echo *Supremely evocative, scrupulously researched * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisEnglish Civil War is a crucial turning point in British history. This book explores numerous plausible 'what if' questions that show how the war could easily have turned out differently, with far-reaching consequences for British History. It Includes such scenarios as what if Charles I had marched on London straight after his victory at Edgehill.

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Book SynopsisCovers the effects of the Great War on Tunbridge wells

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Book SynopsisA light-hearted look at England's, often less than noble, nobility between 1066 and 1707.

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Book SynopsisA bulwark against invasion, a conduit for exchange and a challenge to be conquered, the English Channel has always been many things to many people. Today it''s the busiest shipping lane in the world and hosts more than 30 million passenger crossings every year but this sliver of choppy brine, just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, represents much more than a conductor of goods and people. Criss-crossing the Channel - not to mention regularly throwing himself into it for a bracing swim - Charlie Connelly collects its stories and brings them vividly to life, from tailing Oscar Wilde''s shadow through the dark streets of Dieppe to unearthing Britain''s first beauty pageant at the end of Folkestone pier (it was won by a bloke called Wally). We learn that Louis Bleriot was actually a terrible pilot, the tragic fate of the first successful Channel swimmer, and that if a man with a buttered head and pigs'' bladders attached to his trousers hadn''t fought off an attack by dogfish w

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Book Synopsis'The most sheerly enjoyable history of science of recent years' The Spectator'This is one of the best science books I have read in a decade' Paul DaviesLife is Simple tells the remarkable story of how a thirteenth century monk's search for simplicity led to the emergence of the modern world.We begin in the turbulent times of the medieval friar, William of Occam, who first articulated the principle that the best answer to any problem is the simplest. This theory, known as Occam's razor, cut through the thickets of medieval metaphysics to clear a path for modern science. We follow the razor in the hands of the giants of science, from Copernicus, to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. Its success suggests that we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the revolutionary theory that our cosmos has evolved.By highlighting the very human passion, curiosity, mistakes and struggles of those who were inspired by Occam's razor to create the modern world, Johnjoe McFadden provides new insight into what science is really about. And that the principle of simplicity is as relevant today as ever.Trade ReviewLIFE IS SIMPLE tells, in an entertaining and engaging way, the remarkable story of a simple idea that begins its epic journey 800 years ago with a medieval Franciscan friar and yet somehow still influences some of the most profound ideas in science today. -- Jim al-KhaliliOccam's razor, like Hobson's choice and Schrödinger's cat, is a phrase that's entered the language. We know more or less what it means without necessarily knowing anything about its inventor or realising the immense power it has as a philosophical and scientific principle. LIFE IS SIMPLE describes brilliantly the context in which William of Occam lived and worked, and the transforming effect that his simple-seeming doctrine has had on the development of our understanding of nature and the universe. -- Philip PullmanThe most sheerly enjoyable history of science of recent years -- Simon Ings, The SpectatorI read LIFE IS SIMPLE and found myself captured by the central premise: that science, though perceived as complicated, is actually the pursuit of simplicity. Johnjoe has created a fascinating book that weaves history, science and humanity together to illuminate what science really is - a topic that could not be more timely. The world is currently waking up to the complexities of science and its role in our world, and this book is an enlightening aid to that new understanding. -- Michael Brooks, physicist and science writerIn LIFE IS SIMPLE, geneticist Johnjoe McFadden offers a breezy but well-researched look at how the razor has inspired some of science's biggest ideas...his examples illustrate with persuasive power how 'simplicity continues to present us with the most profound, enigmatic and sometimes unsettling insights' into how the universe works -- Scientific AmericanLIFE IS SIMPLE is a history that takes you through many centuries of understanding the changing language and philosophy of science. I highly recommend you buy it -- Robin Ince, broadcaster and author of The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific CuriosityWith flair and accessibility, McFadden walks readers through Occam's many intellectually revolutionary ideas...A dense, provocative, and satisfying foray into the history of science -- Kirkus ReviewsA compelling assessment of an idea many of us know but few deeply understand -- John Keogh, BooklistI learned a great deal from reading this book and I thought that the concept of simplicity as the main plot of the story worked well -- Bernard Lightman, Distinguished Research Professor, University of York, Canada. President History of Science Society and editor of Isis, the preeminent international History of Science journal.McFadden's love for William is hard to resist. If you are at all interested in the history of ideas, this is a fabulous read. Even after you've taken a few detours through other material to become better oriented in the controversy over what exactly he's good for, William plausibly still stands as a daring, original figure who deserves a place in the Pantheon, and McFadden has done a great service in bringing the whole William and his influence to wider attention. In short, Life is Simple is enthralling. -- Prospect MagazineCenturies ago, the principle of Ockham's razor changed our world by showing simpler answers to be preferable and more often true. In Life Is Simple, scientist Johnjoe McFadden traces centuries of discoveries, taking us from a geocentric cosmos to quantum mechanics and DNA, arguing that simplicity has revealed profound answers to the greatest mysteries . . . Recasting both the history of science and our universe's origins, McFadden transforms our understanding of ourselves and our world -- Irish Tech NewsA tour through two millennia of scientific discovery . . . interesting and illuminating -- Wall Street JournalFor all its technical triumphs, science does not take place in a cultural vacuum. McFadden's wonderful and thoroughly-researched account of the history of ideas reveals how simplicity as an overarching principle weaves through all the sciences, telling us something profound about the nature of reality. His vivid descriptions and clear exposition make the subject come alive, and resonate with significance. This is one of the best science books I have read in a decade. -- Paul Davies, Regents’ Professor of Physics at Arizona State University and author of What’s Eating the Universe?Like a talented stylist or editor, courageous scientists have identified what is redundant . . . and promptly scratched it out. McFadden's book brings this observation to life using two millennia of scientific advancement, never castigating those who were wrong, but instead highlighting how they helped to shape the correct answers that came later -- Caroline Delbert, Popular MechanicsMcFadden includes much interesting material drawn from Ockham and other historical sources. His evident enthusiasm is particularly welcome as this book is directed not only at fellow scientists but also at a wider readership -- Geoffrey Cantor, Times HigherJohnjoe McFadden's delightfully lucid book is itself a model of deceptive simplicity. The words glide off the page in this trenchant analysis of nature's complexities that brings fresh life to centuries of scientific discovery and also points the way towards a clearer future -- Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and award-winning author of Science: A Four Thousand Year HistoryThoroughly fascinating . . . Far from being a narrow specialist, [McFadden] has a firm grasp of the complexities of many branches of science . . . Breath-taking in its comprehensiveness and clarity -- Irish Times

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Book SynopsisBeacon Lights of History is a 14-volume set first published in 1902. This collection of John Lords lectures spans 6,000 years of European and American history. The first 12 volumes are all Lords work; the 13th was completed from his notes and the 14th is follow-ups by other authors.

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Book SynopsisThis edition includes Edward Gallagher's prose translations of The Lays of Marie de France; a general introduction; a map; commentaries on the lays; two anonymous Breton lays—-The Lay of Melion and The Lay of Tyolet; a glossary of proper names; a glossary of specialized terms; and an appendix of selected texts in the Old French, including Marie's Prologue, Guigemar, Bisclavret, and Yonec.Trade ReviewWith admirable sensitivity to the meaning and style of the originals, Edward J. Gallagher has skillfully rendered these charming Old French verse narratives from the late twelfth century into engaging and readable modern English prose. Gallagher includes a detailed commentary on each of the twelve lays, two useful glossaries, and a selection of lays in Old French. Readers will appreciate his substantial and informative introduction to the works of Marie de France and to the illustrious literary and cultural context within which these masterpieces in miniature took shape. --Donald Maddox, University of Massachusetts AmherstEditions and translations of Marie de France's Lais have appeared at a steady rate since 1885, indeed in every decade since the 1940s. Edward Gallagher's prose translation (which also translates two anonymous lais, Melion and Tyolet) is the latest, a lively, readable version. . . . [T]his book is welcome: it should help introduce yet more students to these fascinating poems in a clear and energetic prose. --Modern Language ReviewProfessor Gallagher’s translation is a very timely one. It is produced in a handsome paperback and is highly accessible in price and in its level of critical language to undergraduates, graduates, and lay (no pun intended) readers alike. Students of medieval literature, French or European, will find it a congenial text, written in clear English prose, of Marie’s twelve Lays, along with two other lays not attributed to Marie. Each Lay is followed by an illuminative commentary. The body of the text is preceded by an excellent Introduction wherein Gallagher provides the chief facts about Marie, her oeuvre, and recent critical scholarship on Marie, without indulging in unneeded pedantry. --Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures

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Book SynopsisA dazzling recreation of the most memorable Middle English poem, and one that captures the original alliterative verse in all its dimensions: sense, sound, and rhythm. --Ad Putter, Professor of Medieval English Literature, University of BristolTrade ReviewAccurate, poetic, and masterly, Joseph Glaser's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight captures and replicates with brio the craftsmanship of the English romancer known as the Gawain-poet. A brilliant Introduction by medievalist and romance expert Christine Chism invites readers' engagement with the text in addition to presenting reliable and up-to-date scholarly information about the work, its anonymous author, and its historical milieu. A finely executed and thought-provoking undergraduate edition of this medieval masterpiece. --Jordi Sánchez-Martí, Department of English Philology, University of Alicante[A] great book of really useful introductory material appropriately pitched for undergraduates. --Gina Brandolino, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor"One of the greatest strengths of the volume is the introduction by Christine Chism. Its language is both accessible and eloquent; the concepts she explains are sophisticated. In it, she contextualizes the poem in terms of both its literary and critical reception and introduces readers to the cultural and political climate of fourteenth-century England. Further sections suggest possible directions for undergraduate research and gesture toward contemporary scholarship on the poem. "Also to be lauded are the translator's preface (in which Glaser reflects candidly about the challenges of translation and the difficult choices such a task requires) and, wonderfully, the translation itself. It is both accurate and evocative. . . . Glaser's translation succeeds in rendering both formal elements of the poem in modern English, while faithfully conveying the sense of the original lines. "The most innovative element of Glaser's approach to his translation is his emphasis on the poem's east Cheshire dialect, arguing that its translation "must contain a relatively high portion of chewy Old English or Norse terms" (xliv). "Glaser's audience is not the popular one dazzled by Heaney or by Simon Armitage's recent translation of the same poem. The language of his Preface, as well as of the notes that accompany the text, is arrestingly colloquial and unapologetically didactic. Glaser's audience is one who lacks familiarity with Arthurian legend and the tropes of medieval romance." —Megan Stein, Department of English, University of California, Riverside, in Comitatus

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Book SynopsisA dazzling recreation of the most memorable Middle English poem, and one that captures the original alliterative verse in all its dimensions: sense, sound, and rhythm. --Ad Putter, Professor of Medieval English Literature, University of BristolTrade ReviewAccurate, poetic, and masterly, Joseph Glaser's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight captures and replicates with brio the craftsmanship of the English romancer known as the Gawain-poet. A brilliant Introduction by medievalist and romance expert Christine Chism invites readers' engagement with the text in addition to presenting reliable and up-to-date scholarly information about the work, its anonymous author, and its historical milieu. A finely executed and thought-provoking undergraduate edition of this medieval masterpiece. --Jordi Sánchez-Martí, Department of English Philology, University of Alicante[A] great book of really useful introductory material appropriately pitched for undergraduates. --Gina Brandolino, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor"One of the greatest strengths of the volume is the introduction by Christine Chism. Its language is both accessible and eloquent; the concepts she explains are sophisticated. In it, she contextualizes the poem in terms of both its literary and critical reception and introduces readers to the cultural and political climate of fourteenth-century England. Further sections suggest possible directions for undergraduate research and gesture toward contemporary scholarship on the poem. "Also to be lauded are the translator's preface (in which Glaser reflects candidly about the challenges of translation and the difficult choices such a task requires) and, wonderfully, the translation itself. It is both accurate and evocative. . . . Glaser's translation succeeds in rendering both formal elements of the poem in modern English, while faithfully conveying the sense of the original lines. "The most innovative element of Glaser's approach to his translation is his emphasis on the poem's east Cheshire dialect, arguing that its translation "must contain a relatively high portion of chewy Old English or Norse terms" (xliv). "Glaser's audience is not the popular one dazzled by Heaney or by Simon Armitage's recent translation of the same poem. The language of his Preface, as well as of the notes that accompany the text, is arrestingly colloquial and unapologetically didactic. Glaser's audience is one who lacks familiarity with Arthurian legend and the tropes of medieval romance." —Megan Stein, Department of English, University of California, Riverside, in Comitatus

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Book SynopsisThis reprint (with updated 'Suggestions for Further Reading') of the Houghton Mifflin edition makes David Bevington's classic anthology of medieval drama available again at an affordable price.

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Book SynopsisThe first English language translation of Bedier's classic work in nearly seventy years, this volume is the only edition that provides ancillary materials to help the reader understand the history of the legend and Bedier's method in creating his classic retelling.Trade ReviewThis edition stands out because it is not a reworking of Belloc's version but a translation of Bedier's actual text. Gone are archaic spellings (The Little Fakry Bell becomes "The Enchanted Bell") and abstruse terms (the Tintagel Minster now reads as the church at Tintagel). Gallagher provides a brief, informative introduction, useful glossaries of proper names and specialized terms, and five well-selected texts about the Tristan legend, including a haunting scene Bedier composed but chose not to use. Beautifully written, this modern English translation proves once again that the love of Tristan and Iseut endures beyond all limits of time and space. Summing up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. --C. B. Kerr, Vassar College, in CHOICEA labor of love, like all of his work, Edward J. Gallagher's engaging new translation of Joseph Bedier's celebrated romance is the sparkling centerpiece of a volume that features an enlightening and erudite introduction, a selective bibliography, Bedier's prefatory note, and two glossaries. A most welcome appendix includes English translations of Gaston Paris' original preface, two articles by Bedier, Adolph Brisson's early review of the romance, and—as a final surprise—Bedier's previously unpublished Hall of Images scene. Gallagher generously offers in one handy volume an inestimable boon to scholars, teachers, and students, who now have at their fingertips the resources to appreciate fully Bedier's signal accomplishment. --Joan Tasker Grimbert, Ordinary Professor of French and Medieval Studies, Catholic University of America[This] slim paperback introduces non-specialists to the medieval French Tristan and Iseut stories in clear, modern prose. The lucid and engaging translation, with its helpful introduction and appended articles, is an excellent introduction to the beloved romance as well as a welcome tool for teaching it to undergraduates. --Tracy Adams, University of Auckland, in H-France Review

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Book Synopsis"Seven Myths of the Crusades' rebuttal of the persistent and multifarious misconceptions associated with topics including the First Crusade, anti-Judaism and the Crusades, the crusader states, the Children's Crusade, the Templars and past and present Islamic-Christian relations proves, once and for all, that real history is far more fascinating than conspiracy theories, pseudo-history and myth-mongering. This book is a powerful witness to the dangers of the misappropriation and misinterpretation of the past and the false parallels so often drawn between the crusades and later historical events ranging from nineteenth-century colonialism to the protest movements of the 1960s to the events of 9/11. This volume's authors have venerable track records in teaching and researching the crusading movement, and anyone curious about the crusades would do well to start here." —Jessalynn Bird, Dominican University, co-Editor of Crusade and ChristendomTrade Review"I never imagined that my Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, first published in 2003, would prove to be so enduring a format for helping students of all kinds to rethink key moments in human history. It is therefore a great honor to see that the book has now inspired Hackett Publishing Company's "Myths of History" series, expertly and effectively edited by Alfred J. Andrea and Andrew Holt." —Matthew Restall, Pennsylvania State University"Andrea and Holt's timely, readable, and informative book will hopefully go a long way towards combating some of the myths of the crusades that still circulate in the twenty-first century. . . . [Their] introduction is a real gem and one might wish that more books on the crusades for popular audiences had introductions so useful for situating readers. . . . The contributions strike a balance between presenting the complexity and messiness of the historical material with giving readable and coherent accounts. . . . This is an excellent and useful volume." —Lucas McMahon, Princeton University, in Comitatus"Seven Myths of the Crusades' rebuttal of the persistent and multifarious misconceptions associated with topics including the First Crusade, anti-Judaism and the Crusades, the crusader states, the Children's Crusade, the Templars and past and present Islamic-Christian relations proves, once and for all, that real history is far more fascinating than conspiracy theories, pseudo-history and myth-mongering. This book is a powerful witness to the dangers of the misappropriation and misinterpretation of the past and the false parallels so often drawn between the crusades and later historical events ranging from nineteenth-century colonialism to the protest movements of the 1960s to the events of 9/11. This volume's authors have venerable track records in teaching and researching the crusading movement, and anyone curious about the crusades would do well to start here." —Jessalynn Bird, Dominican University, co-Editor of Crusade and Christendom"There has long been a great need for a book like this one, and it deserves a wide dissemination among the interested reading public and journalists as well as students and professional historians. It draws on much of the best and most recent scholarship on diverse aspects of crusading, but is still written in an accessible style. It should certainly be included in any reading list for an undergraduate course on the crusades, and anyone intending to make judgmental pronouncements on the aims and character of crusading would do well to read it and reflect carefully before rushing into print." —Alan V. Murray, University of Leeds"Andrea and Holt's Seven Myths of the Crusades provides a valuable introduction to Crusades mythology. The collection covers some of the most important and most widely debated issues in crusading studies and will prove highly useful, particularly to undergraduate students and to non-academics with an interest in crusading history." —Meriem Pages, Keene State College, in Speculum "Written in a clear and accessible style, this volume rests on an impressive scholarly base supported by peer-reviewed research and up-to-date sources cited in abundant footnotes on almost every page." —G. G. Guzman, Bradley University, in CHOICE"Few historical labels carry such an emotional charge as that of 'crusade'. It is a word used both thoughtlessly and polemically, often by public figures with little understanding of the events or by those with a vested interest in the misrepresentation of both motives and outcomes. Professional historians have a duty to redress the balance, and the essays collected in this important book tackle fundamental issues ranging from the place of the crusades in relations between Islam and the West to their long-term influence on the development of anti-Semitism." —Malcolm Barber, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Reading, UK."Crusade historians frequently lament the wide gulf that separates modern scholarship from popular beliefs regarding the holy wars of the Middle Ages. In this lively book a group of those scholars tackle seven of the most intractable myths that obscure our view of the crusades. With erudition, energy, and a dose of humility this book makes the case that solid historical research brings us ever closer to historical accuracy—and that matters. The myths of the crusades may be legion, but breaking down seven of them is an excellent place to start." —Thomas F. Madden, St. Louis UniversityTable of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction: Once More into the Breach: The Continuing War against Crusade Myths 1. The First Crusade: Unprovoked Offense or Overdue Defence? -Paul F. Crawford 2. Mad Men on Crusade: Religious Madness and the Origins of the First Crusade -James M. Muldoon 3. The Crusades and Medieval Anti-Judaism: Cause or Consequence? -Daniel P. Franke 4. The Quest for Gain: Were the First Crusaders Proto-Colonists? -Corliss Slack 5. Myths of Innocence: The Making of the Children's Crusade -David L. Sheffler 6. Templars and Masons: An Origin Myth -Jace Stuckey 7. Islam and the Crusades: A Nine Hundred-Year-Long Grievance? -Mona Hammad and Edward Peters Epilogue: Putting It All Together Suggested Reading Contributor Biographies Index

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Book SynopsisIn existence for 258 years, the English East India Company ran a complex, highly integrated global trading network. It supplied the tea for the Boston Tea Party, the cotton textiles used to purchase slaves in Africa, and the opium for China’s nineteenth-century addiction. In India it expanded from a few small coastal settlements to govern territories that far exceeded the British Isles in extent and population. It minted coins in its name, established law courts and prisons, and prosecuted wars with one of the world’s largest armies. Over time, the Company developed a pronounced and aggressive colonialism that laid the foundation for Britain’s Eastern empire. A study of the Company, therefore, is a study of the rise of the modern world. In clear, engaging prose, Ian Barrow sets the rise and fall of the Company into political, economic, and cultural contexts and explains how and why the Company was transformed from a maritime trading entity into a territorial colonial state. Excerpts from eighteen primary documents illustrate the main themes and ideas discussed in the text. Maps, illustrations, a glossary, and a chronology are also included.Trade Review"Ian Barrow has written a concise yet engaging, rich, and detailed history of the East India Company—its rise to power, evolution, and eventual demise. This book will be read with great interest by students as well as those general readers seeking a better knowledge of the world's first multi-national corporation and its important influence in the creation of the modern South Asian world." —Michael Dodson, Indiana University Bloomington"The book fills in a gap in scholarship on the English East India Company by providing a chronological guide to the Company's Indian activities. The East India Company serves as a reference for researchers starting their study of the English East India Company and as a source of information for students. Moreover, the selected primary sources provided at the end of the book represent an excellent entry into the study of the primary sources connected to contemporary English debates about the activities of the Company." —Karolina Hutková, London School of Economics, in The Economic History Review"Ian Barrow's slim volume uses the East India Company (or, as he refers to it throughout the book, simply the 'Company') as a case study through which to examine Britain's colonial journey. From the Company’s inception in 1600 to its formal dissolution in 1874, its trajectory reflects England's expanding global trade to obtaining a foothold in foreign lands to its problematic role as a colonizing country, through the growing challenges to and eventual collapse of that colonial authority. It is a concise history, but works well at bringing those multiple threads into one story. . . . There are many resources in this volume that will be beneficial for students and nonspecialists. A chronology, glossary, and series of maps provide useful aids to understanding and visualizing new concepts in the readings. Barrow closes with a concise and easily comprehensible summation of how the Company's story is important as a case study of colonial rule and imperialism, and this will be one of the book's most valuable aspects for educators. It is a story that is easy to follow, even in its complexity, and incorporates economic, religious, ethnic, political, and military history throughout the narrative. Students should find various topics that will hold their interest in this very readable book." —Michelle Damian, Monmouth College, in Education About Asia

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Book SynopsisFully updated and revised, this edition of a classic medieval source collection features: Clear modern English translations, based on the best available critical editions, of more than 116 documentary sources—more than any other book of its kind Thirty-four artifactual sources ranging from fine art to everyday items A broad topical, geographical, and chronological approach, including textual and artifactual selections that shed light on such often-overlooked cohorts as women, Jews in Christian Europe, Byzantium, and Islam, and that range in time from the second century to 1493 Introductions and notes setting each source in its historical context A detailed Student's Guide providing step-by-step instruction on how to analyze documentary and artifactual sources Numerous illustrations in each chapter Topical Contents and a Glossary to assist students in their research Trade Review“I am delighted that The Medieval Record—a book I used successfully in my medieval history survey over many semesters—is getting a new lease on life. The color illustrations are wonderful, and the new documents are translated beautifully into modern English. "I like that this collection includes many sources not available in other readers, which tend to bundle the same old bunch of traditional sources (in varying translations from different translators). I like the very thoughtful introduction, which helps students think about historical documents and how to ‘do’ history when they read them. I especially appreciate the Topical Contents feature in the front matter—this is very helpful in guiding students to writing assignments.” —John Contreni, emeritus, Purdue University

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisFor over 150 years, from 1314 to 1485, England fought an almost continuous war with its neighbours: the Campaign of the North when the armies of Robert the Bruce were vanquished, the long, one-hundred-and-sixteen-year conflict with France, finally imploding into bloody civil strife in the Wars of the Roses. Too often attention has been focused on the bravery of knights and archers during these conflicts, yet face to face confrontations were few. Peter Reid proposes that England's ability to discipline, provision and finance such a long campaign was at the heart of its success. England's strength derived from an entire nation being put on a total war footing. Campaigns were won, not just on the battlefield, but through the careful marshalling of troops and supplies. Interweaving his argument with a dramatic recreation of the main events of the campaigns on land and at sea, Peter Reid presents a new perspective on this turning point in English history. A Brief History of Medieval Warfare is both gripping and powerfully persuasive.

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Book SynopsisThe flowering of the 'Abbasid caliphate between 750 and 1258 CE is often considered the classical age of Islamic civilization. In the preceding 120 years the Arabs had conquered much of the known world of antiquity and established a vast empire stretching from Spain to China. But was this empire really so very different, as has sometimes been claimed, from what it superseded? The Great Caliphs creatively explores the immense achievements of the 'Abbasid age through the lens of Mediterranean history. When the Umayyad caliphs were replaced by the 'Abbasids in 750, and the Arab capital moved to Baghdad, Iraq quickly became the centre not only of an imperium but also of a culture built on the foundations of the great civilizations of antiquity: Greece, Rome, Byzantium and Persia. Debunking popular misconceptions about the Arab conquests, Amira Bennison shows that, far from seeing themselves as purging the 'occidental' culture of the ancient world with a 'pure' and 'oriental' Islamic doctrine, the 'Abbasids perceived themselves to be as much within the tradition of Mediterranean and Near Eastern empire as any of their predecessors. Like other outsiders who inherited the Roman Empire, the Arabs had as much interest in preserving as in destroying, even while they were challenged by the paganism of the past. Indebted to that past while building creatively on its foundations, the 'Abbasids and their rulers inculcated and nurtured precisely the 'civilized' values which western civilization so often claims to represent.Trade Review'An engaging synthesis of much recent scholarship on medieval Islamic society and culture which fills a significant gap in a literature dominated by histories of politics and religion.' - Times Literary Supplement; 'Offers a compelling yet nuanced understanding of the civilization of the 'Abbasid Empire. A wonderful book.' - Miri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History, Queen Mary, University of London; 'Bennison fashions a smooth, expository narrative, drawing back the curtain on medieval Islamic society by a mix of lively anecdotes, illuminating references to modern practices, striking comparisons with the more familiar medieval West, well-judged and pithy generalizations and gobbets of medieval texts that instantly bring long-dead people to life. There really is something here for everyone.' - Robert Hillenbrand writing in The Middle East in LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Note on transliteration List of Maps List of Figures Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 A Stormy Sea: the politics of the ‘Abbasid caliphate The making of an empire The Umayyads: Islam’s first caliphal dynasty The rise of the ‘Abbasids The early ‘Abbasid caliphate The Samarran interlude The Shi‘i century The Saljuq sultanate and the ‘Sunni revival’ The Crusades and the twilight of the caliphate Chapter 3 From Baghdad to Cordoba: the cities of classical Islam Arab urbanism at the dawn of Islam The first Muslim towns Umayyad urbanism ‘Abbasid imperial cities and their imitators Provincial cities in the ‘Abbasid age Chapter 4 Princes and Beggars: life and society in the ‘Abbasid Age Peasants and countryfolk The people of the city Women and children The religious minorities Beggars and tricksters Chapter 5 The Life Blood of Empire: trade and traders in ‘Abbasid times Routes and commodities Merchants and pilgrims Trade facilities Chapter 6 Baghdad’s ‘Golden Age’: Islam’s scientific renaissance The foundations of Islamic learning The flowering of knowledge under the ‘Abbasids The ‘Abbasid translation movement Translations, translators and scientists Knowledge and science after the translation movement Chapter 7 The ‘Abbasid Legacy Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHistory made fun! Colouring book for all ages! All the Royals in Rhyme.Make history come to life with these short verses about the kings and queens of England.Look at the original illustrations, colour in the line drawings and do some sketches of your own. You can do better than Ivor!

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Book SynopsisA collection of Rudyard Kipling''s articles describing the French Frontline during the First World War. Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Rudyard Kipling''s birth.

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