European history Books

Book SynopsisFrom battlefield to sacred building, from castle to cottage, from the Bridgwater Canal to Blackpool Pier, acclaimed historian John Julius Norwich tells the political, cultural, social, religious and economic story of England through one hundred key places you can still visit today. Part narrative history, part exploration of our national heritage, his wide-ranging selection of sites will stimulate, entertain, inform - and certainly provoke - a debate about the most significant moments in English history.Trade Review'Lively and engaging... succeeds in conveying the complex texture and endless fascination of English history' * David Cannadine, Financial Times *'Lavishly illustrated, beautifully designed, entertaining and witty' * Guardian *'This beautifully written and sumptuously illustrated book sets out to tell the history of England through its landscape and architecture . . . John Julius Norwich is the perfect guide to these national treasures. He's urbane, amusing and extraordinarily well-informed' * Mail on Sunday *'An intriguing book, with an accessible style and lots of titbits from Emperor Hadrian's unusual beard to Huguenot origins of Brick Lane Mosque in London' * The Times Books of the Year *'A highly readable tome . . . each mini history is told with relish' * Woman's Weekly *'Enthralling . . . Take it on a "staycation' and be astonished afresh over architectural delights' * Lady *

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Book SynopsisMany books have been written, and continue to be written, about the Second World War: military histories, histories of the Holocaust, the war in Asia, or collaboration and resistance in Europe. Few books have taken a close look at the immediate aftermath of the worldwide catastrophe.Drawing on hundreds of eye-witness accounts and personal stories, this sweeping book examines the seven months (in Europe) and four months (in Asia) that followed the surrender of the Axis powers, from the fate of Holocaust survivors liberated from the concentration camps, and the formation of the state of Israel, to the incipient civil war in China, and the allied occupation of Japan. It was a time when terrible revenge was taken on collaborators and their former masters; of ubiquitous black markets, war crime tribunals; and the servicing of millions of occupation troops, former foes in some places, liberators in others. But Year Zero is not just a story of vengeance. It was also a new beginning, of democratic restorations in Japan and West Germany, of social democracy in Britain and of a new world order under the United Nations. If construction follows destruction, Year Zero describes that extraordinary moment in between, when people faced the wreckage, full of despair, as well as great hope. An old world had been destroyed; a new one was yet to be built.Trade ReviewBuruma's book is a study of the mess that the world was in 1945, a mess we choose largely not to remember. It is also a brief but valuable study of how that mess began to be cleaned up. It gives us, too, simple lessons, both touching and terrifying, about how human beings are and can be... Excellent and lucid -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *A superbly written chronicle of the conflict's bittersweet aftermath -- Ian Thomson * Observer *Sweeping... [The] book's most substantial merit is its grasp of the moral, social, and political confusions that pervaded every nation following the war... Buruma conveys a powerful sense of the horror and chaos of 1945 -- Max Hastings * Foreign Affairs *A graphic account - well-researched, splendidly constructed and stylishly written - of the hinge year of the twentieth century, of its horrors, hopes, illusions and roots of troubles to come. Altogether compelling - a fine achievement. -- Ian KershawMoving and excellent -- Neal Ascherson * Guardian *Brilliant... Year Zero is a major acheivement, a book of many parts, which commemorates a generation, as they stood on the brink of an unknown future -- Joanna Kavenna * Spectator *Ian Buruma's elegant and humane new book illuminates one of the most important modernhistorical moments... As generations with few memories of the second world war come of age in Europe and Asia, this luminous book will remind them of the importance of what Buruma terms "mental surgeons", the politicians and warriors who reconstructed two continents left in rubble. -- Rana Mitter * Financial Times *Ian Buruma's wonderful book is about a time, immediately after the end of the war, which has somehow fallen between the cracks of history, and which the author has now devastatingly brought to light... A compelling and astounding addition to the literature of the war -- Christopher Hudson * Daily Mail *Buruma excels as a social historian of the aftermath of the war... It is hard to overstate Buruma's accomplishment in crafting the first truly worldwide account of perceptions and experiences in the pivotal years after the guns had fallen silent... Outstanding -- Samuel Moyn * Prospect *Ian Buruma's lively new history, Year Zero, is about the various ways in which the aftermath of the Good War turned out badly for many people, and splendidly for some who didn't deserve it. It is enriched by his knowledge of six languages, a sense of personal connection to the era and his understanding of this period -- Adam Hochschild * New York Times *It is well written and researched, full of little-known facts and incisive political analysis. What makes it unique among hundreds of other works written about this period is that it gives an overview of the effects of the war and liberation, not only in Europe, but also in Asia. -- Charles Simic * New York Review of Books *Year Zero - 1945 - is the founding moment of the modern era. Ian Buruma's history of that moment is vivid, compassionate and compelling. -- Michael IgnatieffA brilliant recreation of that decisive year of victory and defeat, chaos and humiliation, concentrating on peoples, not states... In the face of so much horror, it is an astounding effort at deep comprehension. A superb book, splendidly written. -- Fritz SternIan Buruma gives a heart-wrenching account of the horrors, the unimaginable cruelties, and the sheer stupidities of the last months of World War II, and the attempts to deal with them in the first months of peace. -- Brian UrquhartYear Zero is a searing indictment of war, yet not about the Second World War itself but about its aftermath, the trauma, the revenge, the regrets, the desire to forget, the need to remember... This is Ian Buruma at his best. -- Donald SassoonBuruma is an admirably thoughtful writer -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Intelligent, fresh and compelling -- Nicholas Shakespeare * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA visual history of tea towel design, from the 1950s to today. Both practical and beautiful, the tea towel has over the last century established itself firmly as an essential piece of domestic design. This lavishly illustrated book explores 100 of the best tea towel designs from the 1950s to today. Featured are tea towels from well-known textile designers such as Lucienne Day, Emma Bridgewater, Pat Albeck, Cath Kidston, Orla Kiely and Angela Harding, as well as collectable tea towels from key retail stores such as Heal's and Selfridges. Together they showcase a rich visual history of textiles and homeware design of the last century. With full-page images and close-up details, The Art of The Tea Towel will appeal to those interested in both textile design and homeware.

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Book SynopsisBlack Rood tells the fascinating story of one of Scotland’s oldest and most significant crown jewels. Once as famous as the Stone of Scone, the Black Rood was a gold and jewel-studded reliquary for a piece of the True Cross. This profound and holy treasure was smuggled into Scotland after the Norman invasion by the sister of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. On her marriage to King Malcolm III, the Black Rood passed into the Scottish royal family, and so became a symbol of the authority and legitimacy of Scotland’s kingship. Giving its name to the abbey and then the palace and now the parliament of Holyrood, the Black Rood was to help define Scotland as a kingdom which was at least the equal of England in the eyes of God, and in some ways superior to it. David Willem tells the story of the Black Rood though the lives of the kings and queens of Scotland and England who honoured it, treasured it, enacted themselves through it, fought over it, and who sometimes died clutching it, so creating a history in vivid human detail that ranges over a thousand years of Scottish and English history. At the same time, the author tells the story of two other similar reliquaries of the True Cross – the Croes Gneth of Wales and Ireland’s Cross of Cong. Like the Black Rood, these Irish and Welsh crown jewels helped define the autonomy and independence of their nations, and both were to follow similar trajectories through time. The book ends with the mystery of what happened to the Black Rood, and explores the possibility that, like the Cross of Cong, it might still exist and be waiting to be found. Together these stories create a new and compelling perspective on the relationships between Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, just when those relationships are changing again for the first time in hundreds of years.

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Book SynopsisHitler first considered an invasion of Great Britain in autumn 1940, then scheduled Operation Barbarossa, the conquest of the European part of the Soviet Union, for May 1941. Anxious to emulate Hitler's successes, the Italian dictator Mussolini embarked upon unnecessary military adventures in North Africa and the Balkans, which forced Hitler's intervention, diverting and depleting precious German resources, and a six-week postponement of Barbarossa. In this second of four volumes [Men-at-Arms 311, 316, 326 & 330] on the German Army of the Second World War, Nigel Thomas examines the uniforms and insignia of the forces involved in North Africa and the Balkans. Men-at-Arms 311, 316, 326, 330 and 336 are also available in a single volume special edition titled 'German Army in World War II'.Table of ContentsThe Context of the North African and Balkan Campaigns · Foreign Volunteers · The Strategy in North Africa · Army Uniform in North Africa · Orders of Dress · Uniforms and Insignia of Foreign Volunteers · The Strategy in the Balkans · Army Uniform in the Balkans · Other Insignia · The Plates

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Book Synopsis'They Also Serve Who Stand And Wait' tells the story of the U.S. Replacement Depot at Pheasey Farms Estate in Great Barr, Birmingham during World War II. Part of the half-built housing estate was requisitioned by the British forces at the outbreak of the war and in 1942 the first group of American soldiers moved in. The book is a fascinating insight into the day to day activity on the base, with many moving accounts from those involved, and also deals with the impact that the American soldiers had on the surrounding area of Walsall and Birmingham.

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Book SynopsisThe Socialist politician Karl Renner (1870 1950) was prime minister of the government that took power in Vienna after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He lead the delegation to Paris, which had to face the difficult issue of reparations and war guilt, for which the Allies held the successor states to the Empire responsible for. Fortunately, Renner was a likeable man and a realist, and the Austrian delegation became quite popular in Paris. The new Austrian state was in a perilous condition in 1919, on the brink of starvation and revolution, and facing territorial demands from both Italy, which had its eyes on the Tyrol, and the new Yugoslavia. Many in the German-speaking rump of the Empire sought union with Germany, Anschluss, but the Allied Powers vetoed it. Austria is often overlooked as one of the successor states to the Habsburg Empire, but it was no less important in the postwar settlement than Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Balkan countries. Jamie Bulloch's account of Karl Renner's adroit handling of a difficult situation makes for fascinating reading.

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Book SynopsisAlong the coast of Fife, in villages like Culross and Pittenweem, history records that some women were executed as witches. Nevertheless, the reality of what happened the night that Janet Cornfoot was lynched at Pittenweem is hard to grasp as one sits by the harbour watching the fishing boats unload their catch and the pleasure boats rising with the tide. How could people do this to an old woman? Why was no-one ever brought to justice? And why would anyone defend such a lynching? The task of the historian is to try to make events in the past come alive and seem less strange. The details of the witch-hunt are fascinating. Some of the anecdotes are strange. The modern reader finds it hard to imagine illness being blamed on the malevolence of a beggar woman denied charity, or the economic failure of a sea voyage being attributed to the village hag, not bad weather. Witch-hunting was related to ideas, values, attitudes and political events. It was a complicated process, involving religious and civil authorities, village tensions and the fears of the elite. The witch-hunt in Scotland also took place at a time when one of the main agendas was the creation of a righteous or godly society. As a result, religious authorities had control over aspects of people's lives which seem as strange to us today as beliefs about magic or witchcraft. It was not accidental that the witch-hunt in Scotland, and specifically in Fife, should have happened at this time. This book tells the story of what occurred over a period of a century and a half, and offers some explanation as to why it occurred.

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Book SynopsisFollowing the exploits of King Henry II, Archbishop Thomas Becket, The Young King Henry, Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitaine, King John and Sir William Marshal has never been so fun.But how much trouble can one dysfunctional family possibly cause?

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Book SynopsisLANCASTER CASTLE is one of Britain's major historic monuments. For over 900 years it has dominated the hilltop looking out over the river Lune and the city of Lancaster. Owned by Her Majesty the Queen in her role as Duke of Lancaster, the castle has a unique history, and who better to tell that history than Colin Penny and Graham Kemp. Between them they have almost 40 years of experience in managing the museum of the castle, researching its history and telling its tales to tourists from around the world. This book charts the growth and development of the castle from medieval times to the present day, but also explores the use of the site during the Roman period. Colin Penny and Graham Kemp give us an accurate historical account at the same time as bringing Lancaster Castle to life with their sometimes amusing and sometimes macabre anecdotes. This is no dry historical text, but a riveting story written by two people who have a passion for and intimate knowledge of this iconic building.Table of ContentsDedication vi Foreword vii Introduction ix The Romans on Castle Hill 1 Castle Foundation and Norman History, 1066-1260 12 Earldom and Dukedom of Lancaster 27 Lancaster Castle Assizes 44 Prisoners of Religious Conscience 57 The Lancashire Witches: 1612 71 The English Civil War and the Jacobites 83 Debtors 88 Notable Trials, Cases and Prisoners, 1795-1981 98 Prison Reform 116 Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 147 Further Reading 163

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Book SynopsisFrom the very beginnings of Wales, its people have defined themselves against their large neighbour. Wales: England's Colony? shows, that relationship has not only defined what it has meant to be Welsh, it has also been central to making and defining Wales as a nation.

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Book SynopsisFrom Elephant and Castle to Southwark, from London Bridge to Westminster, Black History Walks takes you through the historic Black sites around the City of London, and with the companion guide, you'll get more in-depth history of the story of each place and how it links to Africa.In this two-book guide, you'll get:- Comprehensive coverage of historical places in London that have a relationship with Africa;-How the most touristic attraction are actually hidden gems from Africa;- Connect with places with African roots in this metropolis; - Walking tours that can be self-walked or accompanied with the official Black History Walks tours;- A companion guide to give you more in-depth history of the African relationship with London.

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Book SynopsisBritain's relationship with Russia is surprisingly under-explored. When the two formed a pragmatic alliance and fought together at Navarino in 1827, it was overwhelmingly the work of the British prime minister, George Canning. His death brought about a volte-face that would see the countries fighting on opposite sides in the Crimean War and jostling for power during the Great Game. It was not until the 1917 revolution that another statesman had a defining impact on relations between Britain and Russia: Winston Churchill opposed Bolshevism, yet he never stopped advocating diplomatic and military engagement with Russia. In the Second World War, he recognised earlier than most the necessity of allying with the Soviets against the menace of Nazi Germany - as well as the post-war threat to freedom posed by the Soviets themselves.Bringing us into the twenty-first century, Owen chronicles how both countries have responded to their geopolitical decline. Drawing on both imperial and Soviet history, he explains the unique nature of Putin's autocracy and addresses Britain's return to 'blue water' diplomacy. With Owen's characteristic insight and expertise, Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma depicts a relationship governed by principle as often as by suspicion, expediency, and outright necessity.

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Book SynopsisGarden design in England was entirely reinvented during the eighteenth century. The strictly symmetrical gardens of the French Baroque were replaced by artificial landscapes almost indistinguishable from natural scenery. What continues to govern our notions of a beautiful landscape, even today, is the ideal image of nature conceived by eighteenth-century English landscape gardeners. Hans von Trotha's journey through the history of the English garden introduces us to twelve of the most important, original, and beautiful parks in Britain, all of which can be visited today. On the way, we learn how the new landscape garden was born of the spirit of political opposition. We also learn the significance of imitation Greek temples and Gothic ruins. The foreword presents a historical outline of the origins of the English garden.

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Book SynopsisJack Roberts' research calls 'bollocks' on the staid academic view of Sheela-na-gigs.

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Book SynopsisThis book promotes a historically and culturally sensitive understanding of trauma during and after World War II. Focusing especially on Eastern and Central Europe, its contributors take a fresh look at the experiences of violence and loss in 1939–45 and their long-term effects in different cultures and societies. The chapters analyze traumatic experiences among soldiers and civilians alike and expand the study of traumatic violence beyond psychiatric discourses and treatments. While acknowledging the problems of applying a present-day medical concept to the past, this book makes a case for a cultural, social and historical study of trauma. Moving the focus of historical trauma studies from World War I to World War II and from Western Europe to the east, it breaks new ground and helps to explain the troublesome politics of memory and trauma in post-1945 Europe all the way to the present day. This book is an outcome of a workshop project ‘Historical Trauma Studies,’ funded by the Joint Committee for the Nordic Research Councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS) in 2018–20.Chapters 4, 5 and 6 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.Table of ContentsPart I Comparative Approaches1 The Limits of Trauma: Experience and Narrative in Europe c. 1945 2 Beyond the Western Front Part II Case Studies 3 Testing the Silence: Trauma and Military Psychiatry in Soviet Russia and Ukraine During and After World War II 4 Experiencing Trauma Before Trauma: Posttraumatic Memories, Nightmares and Flashbacks Among Finnish Soldiers 5 Entangled Bystanders: Multidimensional Trauma of Ethnic Cleansing and Mass Violence in Eastern Galicia 6 Traumatized Children in Hungary After World War II 7 “We will cry a little, but then we will forget”: Narratives of Loss and Victory in Postwar Yugoslavia 8 Guilt, Responsibility and Trauma: Restoring the Moral Self-Image in Postwar Slovakia 9 “Perpetrator Trauma” in Memoirs of Veterans of the Polish Home Army 10 Environmental Trauma in the Narratives of Postwar Reconstruction: The Loss of Place and Identity in Northern Finland After World War II 11 Suicide Rates as a “Social Thermometer”: Reading the Traumatized History of Lithuania Part III Coda 12 Towards a History of Trauma in Central and Eastern Europe After World War II: A Coda

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Book SynopsisSmyrna, September 1922: A young Anatolian Greek is taken prisoner at the end of the Greek-Turkish war and marched off into the interior. He recounts his escape and heart-stopping journey through the familiar landscape of his lost homeland, where his ability to pass as a Muslim Turk reveals the common culture shared by the different communities of the crumbling Ottoman empire. A classic tale of survival in a time of nationalist conflict, A Prisoner of War's Story is a beautifully crafted and pithy narrative. Affirming the common humanity of peoples, it earns its place among Europe's finest anti-war literature of the post-world war I period.Trade Review"An arresting snapshot of the moment when the iron grid of nation states clanged down on one part of the Balkans. The translation is clean, accurate and a pleasure to read." -- Maria Margonis, Times Literary Supplement"A Prisoner of Wars Story is a book of subtle and effective artistry, a history that captures the reader with ease and stays long within the memory." -- Kevin McGrath, Harvard review"Doukas s powerful tale taps into the modernist tradition: spare, hard-nosed, and devoid of heroic passions in describing a mans determination to survive." -- Tony Maniaty, The AustralianTable of ContentsForeword, Map: Narrators Journey, A Prisoner of Wars Story, Background Note by the Author, Afterword

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Book SynopsisVanity Fair Royals correspondent and bestselling author of William and Harry and Kate explores the remarkable life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, with new chapters to include the last few months of her reign, and the rise of King Charles III.

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Book SynopsisCold War history research of the recent years suggests that the East-West détente process of the 1970s was a more significant element than previously believed in understanding and explaining the processes on both sides of the East-West divide which led to the peaceful end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. This anthology is a contribution to this research. The dozen articles of the book elucidate the European d6tente process from grass-root as well as diplomatic levels, including the Helsinki Conference Final Act of 1975 on respect of human rights and human contacts across the Iron Curtain of the Cold War. The articles are original research based on recently opened and not previously used state and private archives in West and East Europe and the United States, written by a mixture of internationally distinguished senior scholars and younger, promising researchers from the United States, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, and Denmark.

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Book SynopsisVictorian visitors had shooting lodges – Scots had trips doon the watter. Norwegian citizens had hytte – Scots had Butlins. Why have the inhabitants of one of Europe’s prime tourist destinations been elbowed off the land and exiled from nature for so long? Lesley Riddoch relives her own bothy experience, rediscovers lost hutting communities, travels through hytte-covered Norway and suggests that thousands of humble woodland huts would give Scots a vital post-covid connection with nature and affordable, low-impact holidays in their own beautiful land – at last.Trade Review'My favourite new concept from this book is friluftsliv, coined by Henrik Ibsen and describing a state in which recreation, rejuvenation and the restoration of balance are achieved through immersion in nature. For Norwegians, this means escaping to your hytte at weekends. In this brilliant book, well-known journalist, Lesley Riddoch, explores how the Nordic countries, each with about the same population as Scotland, have around 400,000 summer houses or huts, whilst we in Scotland have 630 at the last count. Probably fewer now but the Reforesting Scotland Thousand Huts campaign aims to change all that. This book is part travel documentary, part personal journal and part research for a PhD. It is immensely readable, containing within its covers the whole sad story of how Scots became disconnected from the land whilst Norwegians went the other way and now enjoy the pleasures of a friluftsliv. The connections with bothies, hostels, boats, caravans and allotments are discussed. In all cases the Nordic countries are ahead of us. Generations of a hierarchical feudal system (abolished only in 2004!) have eroded the expectations of Scots to the point that many do not even know what they are missing. Huts are really a metaphor for centuries of political injustices. Scotland has castles, Norway has hytte which are available to almost everybody. The story of Carbeth is documented here in great detail with a focus on the role of William Ferris, an unsung hero, early last century. At the same time, a very similar working class hutting site was developing on an island close to Oslo. From then on the stories of hutting in Scotland and Norway diverged. The Thousand Huts campaign is determined to make the friluftsliv available to all Scots and this book is a beacon.' - Donald McPhillimy, Reforesting Scotland Spring/Summer 2021

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Book SynopsisFrom the 1920s until the Second World War, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand filled British shop windows, newspapers, and cinema screens with 'British to the core' Canadian apples, 'British to the backbone' New Zealand lamb, and 'All British' Australian butter. Selling Britishness explores the role of commodity marketing in creating "Britishness."Trade Review‘Felicity Barnes covers new ground in her study of the construction of dominion Britishness by emphasising trade and focusing the interwar period – still neglected in the historiography – as well as by bringing gender and race to the fore. The book is an invaluable contribution to debates about the British world.’ Andrew Dilley, University of Aberdeen and author of Finance, Politics, and Imperialism: Australia, Canada, and the City of London, c.1896–1914“This is a colourful account of how, from the mid-1920s, the Western world embraced the consumer society and how three settler colonies of the British Empire marketed their goods in the ‘Home’ country. While [the book’s] academic framework is an essential part of scholarship today, the rich detail and anecdotes from the past are a valuable contribution to wider knowledge of how New Zealand earned a living from exporting food.” *National Business Review *“Barnes takes a welcome alternative approach [and] convincingly argues that the Dominions played a leading role in developing commodity Marketing. Through a series of engaging case studies, Selling Britishness [challenges] the metropolitan focus of much of the literature that has explored the popular culture of imperial trade.” *Journal of British Studies *“Barnes provides useful insights into how commodities were implanted within the daily lives of British people. [Selling Britishness] is a significant contribution to the history of commodities in the twentieth century [and] contributes to understanding national identity in an era when high imperialism had arguably waned but had by no means completely evaporated.” New Zealand Journal of History“This is a major addition to the history of interwar British imperial marketing.” British Journal of Canadian Studies“Selling Britishness explores the advertising campaigns of the three major British Dominions [and] places Dominion commodity marketing as a significant cultural force. Barnes delivers a compelling and enjoyable book.” Journal of Australian, Canadian, and Aotearoa New Zealand Studies

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Book SynopsisThe Greek war for independence (1821–1830) goes missing from the narrative of the Age of Revolutions, yet the overthrow of Ottoman rule was of profound political significance. The Greek Revolution offers short essays detailing the activities, personalities, intellectual underpinnings, and global resonances of a pivotal episode in modern history.Trade ReviewAn outstanding contribution to our understanding of the Greek Revolution and its immense consequences on global history, from an impressive group of distinguished scholars covering an astonishing range of topics on the revolutionary decade of the 1820s. This attractive, monumental work will be indispensable as we reflect on the bicentennial and the significance of the simultaneously old and young nation of Greece. -- Georgios Varouxakis, Queen Mary University of LondonContemporaries saw the Greek Revolution as a liberal beacon in an age of reaction; two centuries later, it seems to anticipate later independence movements, nationalist uprisings, civil wars, and refugee crises. The Greek Revolution magisterially reframes its significance within a global age of revolutions. A more impressive bicentennial tribute would be hard to imagine. -- David Armitage, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisA fuller, richer picture of an artist at the height of his powersTrade Review“Sloman is at her most illuminating when discussing the practical realities of studio practice [and] makes a convincing case for the significance of the relationship between Gainsborough and the viola-da-gamba player Carl Friedrich Abel.”—Kirsten Tambling, Apollo“Gainsborough in London offers a scholarly and readable appraisal of the artist’s masterpieces....It is, however, Sloman’s penetration of the man’s character and emotions that is most rewarding.”—Christopher Masters, World of Interiors“We must thank and congratulate Sloman on completing the second volume of what can only be described as the work of a lifetime. With her unparalleled knowledge of the artist and his œuvre, her curatorial experience, her archival discoveries and, not least, her visual acuity, she has enlarged our understanding and appreciation of an artist we thought we knew well until we completed our reading of both Gainsborough in Bath and Gainsborough in London. Together they have made an enduring contribution not only to Gainsborough scholarship but also to the study of British art of the eighteenth century.”—Duncan Robinson, The Burlington Magazine

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Book SynopsisA fascinating new look at the artistic legacy of the Tudors, revealing the dynasty’s influence on the arts in Renaissance England and beyond Ruling successively from 1485 through 1603, the five Tudor monarchs changed England indelibly, using the visual arts to both legitimize and glorify their tumultuous rule—from Henry VII’s bloody rise to power, through Henry VIII’s breach with the Roman Catholic Church, to the reign of the “virgin queen” Elizabeth I. With incisive scholarship and sumptuous new photography, the book explores the politics and personalities of the Tudors, and how they used art in their diplomacy at home and abroad. Tudor courts were truly cosmopolitan, attracting artists and artisans from across Europe, including Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8–1543), Jean Clouet (ca. 1485–1540), and Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474–1552). At the same time, the Tudors nurtured local talent such as Isaac Oliver (ca. 1565–1617) and Nicholas Hilliard (ca. 1547–1619) and gave rise to a distinctly English aesthetic that now defines the visual legacy of the dynasty. This book reveals the true history behind a family that has long captured the public imagination, bringing to life the extravagant and politically precarious world of the Tudors through the exquisite paintings, lush textiles, gleaming metalwork, and countless luxury objects that adorned their spectacular courts.Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University PressExhibition Schedule:The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 10, 2022–January 8, 2023) The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 26–May 14, 2023) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (June 24–September 24, 2023) Trade Review“Excellent. . . . The Tudors was an immensely enjoyable exhibition and the catalogue is a gorgeous document, well written, thoroughly researched, and extensively footnoted. It will be a welcome addition to the library of any interested art lover.”—Matthew F. Reese, Anglican and Episcopal History

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Book SynopsisThe first publication on the personal and professional relationship between Manet and Degas, two giants of nineteenth-century French art Friends, rivals, and at times antagonists, Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas maintained a pictorial dialogue throughout their lives as they both worked to define the painting of modern urban life. Manet/Degas, the first book to consider their careers in parallel, investigates how their objectives overlapped, diverged, and shaped each other’s artistic choices. Enlivened by archival correspondence and records of firsthand accounts, essays by American and French scholars take a fresh look at the artists’ family relationships, literary friendships, and interconnected social and intellectual circles in Paris; explore their complex depictions of race and class; discuss their political views in the context of wars in France and the United States; compare their artistic practices; and examine how Degas built his personal collection of works by Manet after his friend’s premature death. An illustrated biographical chronology charts their intersecting lives and careers. This lavishly illustrated, in-depth study offers an opportunity to reevaluate some of the most canonical French artworks of the nineteenth century, including Manet’s Olympia, Degas’s The Absinthe Drinker, and other masterworks. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: Musée d’Orsay, Paris (March 27–July 23, 2023) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024)

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Book Synopsis'A delightful book ... the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove' Observer After the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, many railways were gradually shut down. Rural communities were isolated and steam trains slowly gave way to diesel and electric traction. But some people were not prepared to let the romance of train travel die. Thanks to their efforts, many lines passed into community ownership and are now booming with new armies of dedicated volunteers. Andrew Martin meets these volunteer enthusiasts, finding out just what it is about preserved railways that makes people so devoted. From the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine to John Betjeman's battle against encroaching modernity, Steam Trains Today will take you on a heart-warming journey across Britain from Aviemore to Epping.Trade ReviewPraise for Andrew Martin: 'Compelling ... full of history and railway nuggets -- Michael Binyon * Sunday Times *Informative and witty * Cumbria Life *You do not have to be a trainspotter to enjoy this book. It is social history, a kind of epitaph to a way of travel that seems to be lost, at least in Europe -- Christian Wolmar * Spectator *A delightful book ... This book is the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove -- Nigel Jones * Observer *Martin is entertaining company, alive to the history of his route ... leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAt the beginning of the twentieth century, competition between the North Atlantic shipping lines was fierce. While Britain responded to the commercial threat posed by the growing German merchant marine, there was also rivalry between the great Cunard Line and its chief competitor, the White Star Line.

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Book SynopsisAn alternative account of the EU as a racialised project The European Union is often seen as a cosmopolitan rejection of violent nationalism. Yet the idea of Europe has a long, problematic history—in medieval times, it was synonymous with Christianity; in the modern era, it became associated with ‘whiteness’. Eurowhiteness exposes the EU as a vehicle for imperial amnesia. Narratives of European integration emphasise the lessons of war and the Holocaust, but not the lessons of colonial history. The EU is about power as much as peace—and civic ideas of Europe are being displaced by ethnic and cultural ones. Since the 2015 refugee crisis, whiteness has become even more central to European identity—a troubling new turn in Europe’s long civilisational project. It is time to confront the relationship between ideas of Europe and ideas of race.Trade Review‘Hans Kundnani has been on an intellectual journey over several years, close to the heart of the European mythmaking machine... What has emerged from this slow disenchantment is a clear, elegantly written polemic. Some people won’t like it, which is probably why they should read it. … Kundnani’s book is more than an insightful one, it is a necessary one.’ -- Financial Times‘[A] short and punchy book [that] exposes the often hidden and frequently denied foundations of European integration.’ -- The Irish Times‘[Eurowhiteness] decries the continent's subtler form of chauvinism. ... By highlighting the way colonial horrors were memory-holed, Mr Kundnani rightly points out that other sins were mostly ignored.’ -- The Economist‘A timely intervention.’ -- TLS‘[A] well-researched, interesting little book.’ -- The New Statesman‘Kundnani is right that some Europeans… cling to the misguided idealist belief that the EU should be hailed as a “universal model” that can eradicate genocide, war, colonialism, human rights abuse, and other global problems. This book remains a useful counterpoint to such complacency by showing how the world’s most peaceful, egalitarian, green, and increasingly diverse continent is still far from utopia.’ -- Foreign Affairs‘Kundnani deftly bursts the bubble of those who idealize the EU as a cosmopolitan project.’ -- Jacobin‘Fresh and exciting perspectives like Kundnani’s are hard to come by.’ -- Engelsberg Ideas‘The most intriguing section of Eurowhiteness is Kundnani’s discussion of Brexit.’ -- Areo Magazine‘Many of [Kundnani’s] points… [are] instructive, useful and true.’ -- Martin Sandbu, Financial Times‘Kundnani finds a way to provide not only a succinct overview of the existing literature on nationalism, but he also describes… the on-going debates in the European identity scholarship. He takes the necessary leap from there and dives right into the emerging scholarship on post-colonial theories and decolonizing approaches, giving ample credit to those who have paved the way for him.’ -- EuropeNow‘[A] stimulating new book … [an] illuminating discussion of (Western) Europe and imperialism. … Kundnani articulates justified criticisms of West European parochialism.’ -- CEU Review of Books'[Eurowhiteness] offers an intellectually stimulating and policy-relevant departing point to any discussion about the future of Europe.' -- Informed Comment'Deeply honest and kind.' -- International Affairs'Kundnani's widely debated book has already become a springboard for a discussion about today's EU and for rethinking our ways of writing the history of the process that created it.' -- Klaus Kiran Patel, H-Soz-Kult, Historisches Seminar, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München'A fascinating book challenging the myths surrounding the EU. For some, this will be uncomfortable reading.' -- Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe'Kundnani shows that ideas of race are central to European thinking about politics. In the shadow of Ukraine, it's important for us to face this truth.' -- Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of 'The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity''A bracing challenge to the myths underlying the "European Project", and to the hollowness of contemporary cosmopolitanism.' -- Kenan Malik, author of 'Not So Black and White''Kundnani asks some hard and important questions about the EU's history, and his answers illuminate a great deal about European self-understanding.' -- Helen Thompson, co-host of Talking Politics'Elegantly logical -- and sure to challenge many readers' assumptions.' -- Brendan Simms, author of 'Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy' and 'Britain's Europe'‘A game changer - the first book seriously to explore the racial and ethnic motivations internal to the process of European integration and the formation of the EU.’ -- Simon Glendinning, Head of the European Institute and Professor in European Philosophy, London School of Economics

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Book SynopsisThe brand new book by Pen Vogler, Stuffed, is available now***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***A Book of the Year in the Daily Mail, Independent, Spectator and The Times & Sunday Times Finalist for the Guild of Food Writers Food Book Award 2021'Sharp, rich and superbly readable... Fascinating' Sunday Times'Utterly delicious' Observer'Superb' 'Book of the Week', The Times'Terrific' 'Book of the Week', Guardian'I loved it.' Monty Don'A brilliant romp of a book.' Jay RaynerAvocado or beans on toast? Gin or claret? Nut roast or game pie? Milk in first or milk in last? And do you have tea, dinner or supper in the evening?In this fascinating social history of food in Britain, Pen Vogler examines the origins of our eating habits and reveals how they are loaded with centuries of class prejudice. Covering such topics as fish and chips, roast beef, avocados, tripe, fish knives and the surprising origins of breakfast, Scoff reveals how in Britain we have become experts at using eating habits to make judgements about social background.Bringing together evidence from cookbooks, literature, artworks and social records from 1066 to the present, Vogler traces the changing fortunes of the food we encounter today, and unpicks the aspirations and prejudices of the people who have shaped our cuisine for better or worse.'With commendable appetite and immense attention to detail Pen Vogler skewers the enduring relationship between class and food in Britain. A brilliant romp of a book that gets to the very heart of who we think we are, one delicious dish at a time.' Jay RaynerTrade ReviewSharp, rich and superbly readable... Vogler is sensitive to language, and she wields it brilliantly herself. Bons mot jostle with the kind of truth-skewering opinions that win reputations for restaurant critics... Ultimately, Vogler reveals why we eat what we do today - and it is fascinating. * Sunday Times *Utterly delicious... I can't remember the last time I read a food book so interesting and so lively... The range of Vogler's reading is extraordinary... She has cooked up a banquet, and everything on the table is worth tasting at least once. * Observer *This excellent history is full of fascinating facts about the food we eat... More tellingly, it pricks the pomposity of many of our social conventions surrounding eating. * Daily Mail *A rich, persuasive diet of social friction, anecdotes and witty observation... It's a book to make the reader both think and salivate. * Financial Times *Pen Vogler's history of food in Britain is a feast of little dishes, all of them delicious... She has wise things to say about nation, health and, especially, class, and she even finds room for one or two recipes. -- Dominic Sandbrook * 'History Books of the Year', Sunday Times *Pen Vogler provides a fascinating social history of British food through the centuries and throws in a selection of enticing recipes from the past for good measure. * 'History Books of the Year', Daily Mail *Taste in food, as Pen Vogler shows in this erudite yet lively compendium, is not just about preferred flavour, but what items in your shopping basket say about who you are or, more precisely, who you aspire to be... Scoff is full of such fascinating, intelligent dissections of familiar foods and culinary practices... Superb. * 'Book of the Week', The Times *A terrific history, in bite-sized chunks, of how food and drink relates to social status. * 'Book of the Week', Guardian *A superbly researched romp through food, cooking and class in Britain, looking at everything from brown bread versus white to the dangers of the dinner party. Full of history, Scoff is never heavy, thanks to Vogler's writing style and wit. * 'Best Food Books of 2020', Independent *So utterly fascinating that I read it in great greedy gulps, like a novel. Vogler is incredibly good company as she dismantles pretty much every assumption we make about how we, and other people, eat. -- India Knight * Sunday Times *Always entertaining... Scoff shows how British people developed a very convoluted relationship to food. -- Sheila Dillon * Mail on Sunday *I loved it. It is a history and celebration of British food and eating habits and follows in the honourable tradition of Food in England by Dorothy Hartley, but is set in tone and content firmly in the 21st century. -- Monty DonWith commendable appetite and immense attention to detail Pen Vogler skewers the enduring relationship between class and food in Britain. A brilliant romp of a book that gets to the very heart of who we think we are, one delicious dish at a time. -- Jay RaynerIn Scoff, Pen shows us an insight into the background of our favourite British food traditions through the divide of class. How a poor man's food moved to the posh dinner table and how British a curry really is. Illustrated by the words of much-loved English cookery writers and novelists, and Pen's own witty style of writing, this book is an absolute gem to read. -- Regula YsewijnFascinating... This is a pleasurable compilation, scholarly but not dry, with sharp imagery, quiet wit and lively personal stories. -- Clarissa Hyman * TLS *Lively and detailed... Scoff is a pacy social history, exploring how foods have fallen in and out of favour and eating habits have moved between classes over centuries. * New Statesman *Sensational... An absolute feast. -- Tom HollandExcellent... A fun read... with some fabulous facts, tied together in an engaging and thought-provoking way. * BBC History *Vogler's book is a series of dazzling essays on subjects such as venison pasties, spices, Christmas pudding and Brussels sprouts. The learning and the range of references, from obscure Italian Renaissance texts to Bridget Jones, are astounding. * Literary Review *Has much to say about centuries of Britain's past and its place in the world, and the fact that it's peppered with historical recipes makes it all the more appealing. * History Revealed *Pen Vogler is a smart, waspish guide to our national cuisine and what it tells us about ourselves. In short, sharp essays, she looks at, among other things, the class status of avocados and the revolutionary status of vegetarianism. Her chapter on the social history of tea drinking is a particular delight. * The Herald *Scoff is an essential book about food. It unpacks the hamper of British food - not so much our spongy, milky puddings, our nursery food, our gut-busting breakfasts, but the meaning of what we eat... Astonishing to think that nobody has done this book before. -- Rachel Johnson * Air Mail *Scoff is entertaining and thought provoking in equal measure - a thoroughly engaging read... It certainly made me reassess how I have viewed certain foods in the past. -- Sam BiltonThe theme of this thoroughly enjoyable, lively and humorous book is how social class has influenced what, when and how we have eaten down the centuries... It is a story of constant change and a bewildering array of influences, inextricably woven into our national story. * 'The Best Books About Food', Country & Town House *Table of Contents1: Tea and Confusion 2: Brit.ish 3: Foreign Introductions 4: Rooms, Plates and Cutlery 5: Disappearances and reappearances 6: Fads, Fasts and Health 7: Country and Town 8: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisWhy did the international drug regulatory regime of the twentieth century fail to stop an explosive increase in trade and consumption of illegal drugs? This book investigates the histories of smugglers and criminal entrepreneurs in the Netherlands who succeeded in turning the country into the so-called ‘Colombia of Europe’.Increasing state regulations and interventions led to the proliferation of a ‘hydra’ of small, anarchic groups and networks ideally suited to circumvent the enforcement of regulation. Smugglers and suppliers of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs created a thriving underground industry of illegal synthetic drug labs and indoor cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands itself, made possible because of the embedded criminal anarchy in Dutch society.Using examples from the rich history of drug smuggling, Drug smuggler nation investigates the hidden grounds of the illegal drug trade, and its effects on our drug policies.Trade Review'Describing the development of covert networks is among the most daunting of social science projects. Like official corruption and espionage, organized crime prospers by remaining hidden. Snelders (Utrecht Univ.) successfully lifts the veil of secrecy, offering a convincing account of the evolution of drug smuggling in the 20th-century Netherlands. Combining materials drawn from official law enforcement statistics, crime news coverage, and academic journal articles, Snelders exposes drug smuggling in a new light. Rather than describe the handful of large-scale, highly integrated smuggling enterprises directed by criminal masterminds as often portrayed in works of popular culture, Snelders unveils an anarchic universe of small entrepreneurial enterprises connected through shared workplaces and/or culture. Overall, what Snelders strongly suggests is the virtual impossibility of finally suppressing drug smuggling.Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.'CHOICE (May 2022)'This thickly researched well-written book should be of great interest to historians, criminologists, and legal scholars alike. Frankly, I found little to argue with in this excellent book, which is a strong contribution to the intrinsically challenging and relatively new genre of smuggling history. In short, Drug Smuggler Nation is a deeply researched book that almost defines its place as interdisciplinary criminological history.'Paul Gootenberg, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books (March 2022)'All in all, there are very few improvements that one could suggest for Snelders’ superb study.'Peder Clark, European Review of History (May 2022) -- .Table of Contents1 Introduction: the drug regulatory regime vs. criminal anarchy2 The interwar period3 Global perils I: Chinese and Greek drug smugglers4 Cannabis, counterculture, and criminals: The rise of cannabis smuggling5 Global perils II: Chinese triads, Turkish families, and heroin6 The expansion of the cannabis trade after 19767 Global perils III: Colombian syndicates and cocaine8 The floodgates of criminal anarchy: Synthetic drugs and subverting the state9 ConclusionAppendix: Graphs of arrests and seizuresBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'Writing about Queen Victoria has been one of the most joyous experiences of my life. I have read thousands (literally) of letters never before published, and grown used to her as to a friend. Maddening? Egomaniac? Hysterical? A bad mother? Some have said so. What emerged for me was a brave, original woman who was at the very epicentre of Britain's changing place in the world: a solitary woman in an all-male world who understood politics and foreign policy much better than some of her ministers; a person possessed by demons, but demons which she was brave enough to conquer. Above all, I became aware, when considering her eccentric friendships and deep passions, of what a loveable person she was.' A. N. WilsonTrade Review[A] splendid biography - this book is a gem: thoughtful, witty, insightful, striking a balance between political commentary and personal gossip... As this terrific biography shows, there really was a human being behind the gloomy portraits. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Evening Standard *Subtle, thoughtful ... a shimmering and rather wonderful biography -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Wilson is affectionately alert to the rich contradictions of his subject's personality, and his deliciously readable biography becomes increasingly fascinating as Victoria's reign unfolds. -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail - Book of the Week *This superb revisionist biography is the book that he was born to write. Wilson clearly loves and admires his subject, but this is a critical biography - funny, insightful, original and authoritative. At last Victoria has been rescued from her widow's weeds. -- Jane Ridley * Spectator *A. N. Wilson brings his novelist's perception and immense knowledge of the era to his effervescent biography of the tiny woman (4ft 11in) who ruled Britain for 61 years... This won't be the last biography of Victoria but it is certainly the most interesting and original in a long time. -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *Ninety-five years ago, the standard was set by Lytton Strachey's lucid and moving Queen Victoria but A. N. Wilson has now raised the bar... And what a pity she never met A. N. Wilson: she shines in his company ... [this] expansive and victorious book. -- Frances Wilson * Daily Telegraph *A. N. Wilson has written a sympathetic but by no means hagiographic biography of her that will probably overturn many people's prejudiced conception of her... Wilson's picture of her is a rounded one, with her vices and virtues. -- Theodore Dalrymple * The Times * A biographer of Queen Victoria also needs to be a good historian, with a confident grasp of the personalities and issues of 19th-century public life. Mr Wilson is at his best here... This is a bracing biography of a bracing woman ... it undeniably achieves its central aim to make us take Queen Victoria more seriously. -- Michael Hall * Country Life *Wilson is an excellent history teacher. He orders and narrates the hugely complex socio-political events and party infighting of the 19th century with a rare clarity... His own achievement, sustained by a lifetime's scholarly fascination with the Victorian era, is also in its way, awesome. -- John Sutherland * Financial Times *Few if any previous biographers have viewed her as incisively and absorbingly as Wilson does in his... smoothly flowing treatment of the queen's long life. The considerable detail he brings to his greatly balanced portrait not only strengthens his estimation of the significance of the queen in British governmental history but also successfully conveys for the general reader all the nuances of character that Wilson so carefully shares. -- Brad Hooper * Booklist, starred review *

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Book SynopsisFrom its earliest centuries, one of the most notable features of Christianity has been the veneration of the saints--the holy dead. This ambitious history tells the fascinating story of the cult of the saints from its origins in the second-century days of the Christian martyrs to the Protestant Reformation. Robert Bartlett examines all of the mostTrade ReviewWinner of the 2015 Otto Grundler Book Prize, The Medieval Institute of Western Michigan University Winner of the 2013 PROSE Award in European and World History, Association of American Publishers "[A]n indispensible point of departure for anyone interested in the cult of the saints in the Middle Ages. The book is based on an awe-inspiring familiarity with the hagiographical sources of both Eastern and Western churches, and is packed with intelligent, measured, and well-informed discussions of everything from the hierarchy of precedence of feasts in the old Roman calendar to the managerial problems of running a shrine. Students, scholars, and the general reader will all find it invaluable."--Eamon Duffy, New York Review of Books "Robert Bartlett's monumental study provides a comprehensive account of the development of the cult of the saints from the cult of martyrs (those who had died as witnesses for their faith during the Roman persecutions) and illustrates the centrality of saintly devotion in the lives and beliefs of Christians across Europe over the whole medieval period... Bartlett has a gift for succinct summary, both of complex (and confusing) narratives and for explaining theological controversy; his obvious abilities as a teacher appear throughout and his book will manifestly appeal to students... Robert Bartlett's achievement lies in his capacity to draw out the distinctive, and often amusing, attributes of different saints while showing how the cult of saints operated in medieval Europe."--Sarah Foot, Times Literary Supplement "[M]assive, erudite compendium of saint lore ... For a book so deeply grounded in original research ... The volume is remarkably accessible."--Barbara Newman, London Review of Books "It is a treat ... to see such erudition amassed this way; it is hard to imagine any aspect of the cult of the saints that Bartlett has left out in this extraordinarily comprehensive text. Yet there is enormous entertainment here as well... [W]ho, and when and where--this enormous and humane reference work gives all that, along with stories that are appalling and ghoulish and mysterious and funny."--Rob Hardy, The (Columbus, OH) Dispatch "[T]here is much to enjoy in the array of human behaviour, sacred and by our standards profane or just downright mad, chronicled in Bartlett's excellent study."--Diarmaid MacCulloch, Guardian "[T]his magisterial work of scholarship."--Richard Holloway, Independent "Devotion to the saints is manifestly still alive and well in the Catholic Church, and Bartlett's impressive compendium will serve to explain the cult's historical origins and evolution."--John Cornwell, Financial Times "Rich in original research, full of illuminating case studies, Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things? is a major achievement from a distinguished medieval historian and a gold mine for those interested in religious history."--Helen Fulton, Times Higher Education "Bartlett convincingly explains how the 12th-century papacy sought to control a potentially anarchic process by demanding strict examination of cases, of which only about half were successful... With great thoroughness, Bartlett examines issues such as types of saint, relics, miracles, hagiography and doubt, more as an observer than as judge... Some of Bartlett's most valuable insights relate to the diversity of ways in which saints were revered and what they reveal about visions of the social order."--Constant Mews, Sydney Morning Herald "This is a remarkable book, which is thankfully both wonderfully informative and wonderfully readable... His book is just the kind of great scholarly synthesis that was once the norm, but which may well become rarer than now in the future. This is a long and very detailed book, but the patience of the reader in encompassing nearly 800 closely printed pages will be well rewarded."--Peter Costello, Irish Catholic "Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things is an excellent survey of the cult of the saints in the pre-modern period. The reader looking for explanations of the social and cultural functions of the holy dead could do far worse."--Frank McGough, Origins "It is hard to overemphasize the scholarship evident in this book... One could associate a work such as this with a certain dryness of tone but this is not the case. The book is very engaging and at the same time quite modular, that is, allowing the readers to jump around to concentrate on their areas of special interest. Bartlett is one of the world's leading medieval historians and he brings his expertise to bear on this very ambitious project."--Richard Rymarz, Catholic Books Review "[M]agisterial... [A] fascinating and illuminating read... Bartlett's book will also be welcome to those who have experienced something of the power of the cult of the saints in their own time and place... [H]is style balances rigor and a near-encyclopedic breadth with accessibility and humor... Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things? will remain a classic study of the saints, their cults and their faithful for a long time... Robert Bartlett's masterpiece."--Holly J. Grieco, America "Bartlett's work is astonishingly comprehensive, and the balance he strikes between narration and analysis is admirable."--David J Collins, Theological Studies "Bartlett is not content to simply refer to the findings of others second-hand. Rather, he returns to the sources, the great majority of them in Latin, and does the spade-work himself. This particular approach, and the concern for meticulous research that it evinces, puts Bartlett's magisterial study in a different league from so many others. The result is a volume that is at once staggeringly scholarly and yet, owing to Bartlett's light touch, surprisingly accessible. No library should be without a copy."--Salvador Ryan, Irish Theological Quarterly "Bartlett writes with relish for his subject, tells its marvelous stories well, injects judicious doses of good humor, and leaves one with the sense that the cult of the saints is a pervasive feature of Christianity's historical texture."--Anne Thayer, Sehepunkte "The history book I most enjoyed this year was also my first of 2014. I tucked into Robert Bartlett's Why Can The Dead Do Such Great Things (Princeton University Press) on New Year's Day and could not have hoped for a more stimulating festive read. A sweeping study of medieval saints, covering the entire Christian world from Late Antiquity to the Reformation, it is also a compendium of anecdotes, such as one rarely finds in a work of scholarship. Whether it be St Modwenna of Burton and her red cow, the Bishop of Lincoln who bit off two chunks of Mary Magdalene's arm, or Queen Bathildis cleaning out toilets, all of human--and much of divine--life is here."--Tom Holland, History Today "This is a fascinating book and one to which to return."--Martin Wellings, Methodist Recorder "In addition to being readable and fascinating, Bartlett's book forms a virtual curriculum on medieval religion in particular and medieval history in general."--Thomas F. X. Noble, American Historical Review "Bartlett has provided readers interested in hagiography and the medieval cult of the saints with a magisterial and wholly engrossing book."--Rachel Koopmans, Biography "With this book Robert Bartlett serves up a wondrous synthesis: awesome in its breadth, saturating in its detail, and delightful in its humanity... This is a book that has a long reach and should hold a place in every medievalist's library."--Anne E. Lester, Catholic Historical Review "This is a very important book that offers the first comprehensive study of the cult of the saints from late antiquity to the Reformation in both Western and Eastern Christianity. Such work rests on an extraordinary knowledge of the textual and iconographic sources and of the vast scholarship that exists on these topics... An impressive achievement."--Andre Vauchez, Speculum "The author of this study has produced what is to this reviewer's knowledge the first textbook on the premodern cult of the saints and at--I cannot resist the temptation--a miraculously low price. Luckily, Robert Bartlett is more than equal to the task... Bartlett's writing is measured and deft, as one would expect from a scholar of his caliber."--David Defries, The HistorianTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xv Preface xvii Part I Developments 1 Chapter 1 Origins (100-500) 3 The Martyrs 3 The Religious Revolution of the Fourth Century 7 Translations 10 Rituals of Commemoration and Invocation 13 Confessor Saints 16 The Birth of Hagiography 19 The First Miracle Books 22 Chapter 2 The Early Middle Ages (500-1000) 27 The View from the 590s 29 Gregory the Great 43 The Benedictine Centuries 47 New Christendoms: Eastern and Northern Europe 52 Chapter 3 The High and Later Middle Ages (1000-1500) 57 Papal Canonization 57 Mendicant Saints 65 Lay Female Saints 71 New Devotions 77 Chapter 4 The Protestant Reformation 85 Part II Dynamics 93 Chapter 5 The Nature of Cult 95 Name, Body, Text 95 Patronage and Invocation: The Mutual Relationship 103 Chapter 6 Saints' Days 113 Liturgy 113 The Hierarchy of Feast-days 120 Saints' Days and Local Identity 129 Holy Days and Holidays 133 Chapter 7 Types of Saint 137 Counting Saints 137 Categorizing Saints 150 Saints as Patrons 221 Chapter 8 Relics and Shrines 239 Body Parts 239 Contact Relics 244 The Shrine in the Church 250 Running a Shrine 259 Reliquaries 263 Relic Collections 276 Relics in Movement 282 Relics in Law and War 311 Relics in Dispute 324 Chapter 9 Miracles 333 The Meaning of Miracle 333 Patterns of Miracles 342 Healing Miracles 349 Miracles of Provision 365 Visions, Prophecy, and Rapture 368 Saints in War 378 Saints and Demons 383 Saints and Animals 390 Liberation 398 Punitive Miracles 401 Chapter 10 Pilgrimage 410 Origins and Definitions 410 Pilgrim Garb and Status 417 Motives 421 The Shrines of Medieval Christendom 425 Logistics 433 Pilgrim Guides and Pilgrim Badges 439 Chapter 11 Dedications and Naming 444 Dedication of Churches and Altars 444 Place Names 454 Personal Names 459 Chapter 12 Images of the Saints 471 The Image in Early Christianity 471 Byzantine Iconoclasm 475 Images in the Medieval West 480 Chapter 13 The Literature of Sanctity 504 Types of Hagiography 504 Reasons for Writing 510 The Hagiographers 513 The Life 518 Legendaries 546 Miracle Books 558 Sermons 570 The Literature of Canonization Proceedings 576 Vernacular Hagiography 578 Chapter 14 Doubt and Dissent 587 Early Polemics 587 Western Heretics 591 Sceptics and Scoffers 596 Policing the Saints 602 Chapter 15 Reflections 609 Saints and Gods 609 Saints and Nature 618 Saints and the Dead 621 Tomb-shrines in Judaism and Islam 626 Saints and Ancestors 630 Comparisons and Conclusions 633 Glossary 639 Bibliography of Works Cited 641 Index 735

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Book SynopsisThe authors discovered 150,000 pages of transcriptions of secretly recorded conversations among German prisoners of war, of which approximately one third were made in P.O.W. camps in Britain, another cache was made by bugging prisoners in the Mediterranean theatre of the war (North Africa, Malta, Italy) and the remainder comes from the bugging of prisoners of war in the USA. These transcriptions are thus unmediated, uncensored, and unselfconsciously candid and that is what gives this book its historical significance and extraordinary impact. What emerges from these transcriptions and within these pages is a shocking and profoundly illuminating portrait of the typical German soldier of the time: their thoughts, their feelings and their ideologies. SOLDATEN is a book that explodes many of the myths that we hold on to about Germany and its people during the War.

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