European history Books

Book SynopsisTHE ALL-NEW DIARIES; "Alastair Campbell's diaries have the quality of Pepys ...people will be looking for insights and finding them in 100 years' time." Lord Alex CarlileLaunched to a blaze of critical acclaim, Alastair Campbell's explosive diaries became an instant classic. Now, this eagerly anticipated new volume picks up where its predecessor left off, with Campbell standing down as Tony Blair's director of communications in 2003. Leaving Downing Street, however, isn't as easy as it seems, with Campbell persistently drawn back to the epicentre of power - often to the frustration of his partner, Fiona.As Lord Hutton prepares to publish his report, thus sparking a huge crisis for the BBC, any joy in No. 10 is dwarfed by continuing difficulties in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Blair/Brown relationship is fracturing almost beyond repair, and Campbell is tasked with devising a plan that will enable the two men to fight a united election campaign. At home, Campbell writes frankly of his continuing battles with mental health issues as he attempts to adapt to a new life beyond the confines of Westminster.Lifting the lid on the power battles at the heart of the Labour Party that sowed the seeds of today's turmoil, Outside, Inside is a vivid and compelling insight into modern political history, and a candid reflection on the personal impact of life in the corridors of power.Trade Review"Endlessly fascinating... Alastair Campbell's diaries are a unique historical document, providing testimony from the day things happened, unedited by memory and hindsight." - John Rentoul, The Independent; "Hugely gripping" - Sunday Times; "This is the most fascinating of all the volumes. He is at the centre of everything but with a different perspective" - Steve Richards; "Unputdownable. [A] truly remarkable, fascinating and historic account. Could this be a record of Labour's last ever election win?" - Richard Madeley

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Gove is one of the most recognisable faces in British politics - and one of the most divisive. Whether it's taking on the education `blob', acting as a frontman for the Brexit campaign or orchestrating one of the bloodiest political assassinations in the history of British politics, Gove is a man who makes things happen. But it was almost so different, and his story, from being born into care to standing for the leadership of the Conservative Party, could have come straight from the pages of a Charles Dickens novel. A charming man to his friends, and a cold-blooded zealot to his enemies, Gove provokes a reaction from everyone, be it loyalty, anger, respect or fury. Love him or hate him, it's impossible to deny Gove's impact on the UK over the past ten years, and, with Brexit still up in the air, he will continue to play a key role in the future of the country. Political journalist Owen Bennett's groundbreaking biography takes in original research as well as interviews with current and former Cabinet ministers, ex-colleagues from the BBC and The Times, and numerous other key players in Gove's life story. Lively and insightful in equal measure, Michael Gove: A Man in a Hurry reveals what turned the adopted son of an Aberdeen fishing family into one of the key political figures of the decade.Trade Review"Essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the last three years at Westminster." Choice Magazine "A lively, entertaining and highly perceptive profile." The Sunday Business Post

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor more than 300 years, Kensington Palace has played host to a colourful cast of kings, queens and assorted aristocratic hangers-on. A stone’s throw from the bustling streets of central London, this grand building has served as the stage for some of the most dramatic and bizarre events in the history of the royal family. It was here that the young Queen Victoria was held a virtual prisoner for eighteen years; and it was here that George II installed both his wife and his mistress, giving the latter rooms so damp that there were said to be mushrooms growing on the walls. More recently, the palace has witnessed an extraordinary series of scandals, from Princess Diana’s bombshell TV interview with a journalist smuggled into the palace disguised as a salesman, to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s shock departure – first for Frogmore Cottage, and then for America – amid rumours of a rift with William and Kate. With exclusive interviews with palace staff past and present, fascinating historical details and a fully updated postscript considering what life after Kensington holds for Harry and Meghan, Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle offers a rare behind-the-scenes insight into one of Britain’s most iconic residences.Trade Review"A sparkling account of the often very unregal goings-on at the palace. Richly laced with insider gossip, this is behind-the-scenes royal history at its most entertaining." - Jane Shilling, Daily Mail "A fascinating must-read." - Bella

Read more less

Book Synopsis__________________________'The universal significance of this historic event becomes ever more relevant in our own turbulent times.' MIKE LEIGH, director of the award-winning film Peterloo__________________________The Peterloo Massacre is a revealing and compelling account of one of the darkest days in Britain's social history.On 16 August 1819, a strong force of yeomanry and regular cavalry charged into a crowd of more than 100,000 workers who had gathered on St Peter’s Field in Manchester for a meeting about Parliamentary reform.Many were killed. This violent, startling event became known as Peterloo, one of the darkest days in Britain’s social history.The Peterloo Massacre provides a revealing narrative account of the events leading up to Peterloo, starkly describes the actions of that fateful day, and examines its aftermath. It offers a new perspective on the political and military activities of the time, and shows how the very nature of society was powerfully influenced by irreversible technological change: a pattern that, two-hundred years later, still has relevance in understanding the forces shaping our world today.__________________________'One of our nation's defining moments.' STUART MACONIE'Vivid and rather brilliant.' THE TIMES'an absorbing analysis of one of the blackest days for civil liberties which this country has ever known. It is a story of heroes and villains, of suffering and carnage and of incompetence, betrayal and brutality, told with the skill of a master craftsman who makes history leap from the page fresh as the morning’s newspapers' EVENING CHRONICLE'There are many accounts of the Peterloo Massacre but none as thoroughly researched as this one. The characters . . . come alive in his easy to read style . . . there is much to be learned from Robert Reid’s description and analysis of the role and effects of technology, and I hope his book will be widely read. It should be in every school library and discussed by all those involved in the continuing search for civilised solutions to the social and political problems currently facing our people.' CAMDEN JOURNALTrade ReviewVivid and rather brilliant. * The Times *The Peterloo Massacre is an absorbing analysis of one of the blackest days for civil liberties which this country has ever known. It is a story of heroes and villains, of suffering and carnage and of incompetence, betrayal and brutality, told with the skill of a master craftsman who makes history leap from the page fresh as the morning’s newspapers . . . Mr Reid’s definitive account of Peterloo is splendidly written. * Evening Chronicle *There are many accounts of the Peterloo Massacre but none as thoroughly researched as this one. The characters . . . come alive in his easy to read style . . . there is much to be learned from Rober Reid’s description and analysis of the role and effects of technology, and I hope his book will be widely read. It should be in every school library and discussed by all those involved in the continuing search for civilised solutions to the social and political problems currently facing our people. * Camden Journal *[A] magnificent volume of dramatic history. * Manchester Evening News *From an awe-inspiring range of sources Dr Reid has constructed a narrative that reads like a political thriller in which numerous threads are drawn together in the bloody climax. Each character is fleshed out with his ambitions, abilities and achievements . . . [A] devastatingly comprehensive epic . . . The book will inform and invigorate anyone with an interest in history, drawing intriguing parallels with contemporary ideology. * Newbury Weekly News *

Read more less

Book SynopsisKnown the world over as a symbol of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack is an intricate construction based on the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick. Nick Groom traces its long and fascinating past, from the development of the Royal Standard and seventeenth-century clashes over the precise balance of the English and Scottish elements of the first Union Jack to the modern controversies over the flag as a symbol of empire and its exploitation by ultra-rightwing political groups. The Union Jack is the first history of the icon used by everyone from the royalty to the military, pop stars and celebrities.Trade ReviewEnterprising and challenging... engaging and interesting history - history as seen from a specific and highly appropriate vantage. -- Peter Ackroyd * The Times *Fascinating... works well as a potted history of Britain right back to the days when warriors carried dragon standards, and also as a pot pourri of useful trivia. -- James Delingpole * Mail on Sunday *'Masterly.' -- Julia Keay * Literary Review *Groom is an illuminating essayist in various aspects of British culture; humour and flashes of historical oddity make the book immensely readable... Groom explores this history with an unfailing inquisitiveness... Union Jack establishes itself as essential reading in the background to current debates about British identity. -- Mike Phillips * Guardian *Vivid, fascinating and carefully researched history... Groom enters a robust, positive and wholly persuasive defence of the retention of the Union Jack as a symbol of coherence and unity in a multiracial society and what has become a federal kingdom... Bravo. -- Jeffrey Richards * Times Higher Education Supplement *A pertinent contribution to the enduring conversation about what it means to be British. -- Claire Allfree * Metro *A wonderfully exuberant book... marvellously rich... Groom's scope is formidable and this, together with the acuity of his judgements and the brio of his deployment of a vast wealth of resources, makes the work a model of cultural history for our time. -- Hugh Lawson-Tancred * The Liberal *Fascinating -- Paul Callan * Daily Express *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe New York Times BestsellerA ground-breaking history of the class system in America, which challenges popular myths about equality in the land of opportunity.In this landmark book, Nancy Isenberg argues that the voters who boosted Trump all the way to the White House have been a permanent part of the American fabric, and reveals how the wretched and landless poor have existed from the time of the earliest British colonial settlements to today's hillbillies.Poor whites were central to the rise of the Republican Party in the early nineteenth century and the Civil War itself was fought over class issues nearly as much as it was fought over slavery. Reconstruction pitted white trash against newly freed slaves, which factored in the rise of eugenics - a widely popular movement embraced by Theodore Roosevelt that targeted poor whites for sterilization. These poor were at the heart of New Deal reforms and Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society; they are now offered up as entertainment in reality TV shows, and the label is applied to celebrities ranging from Dolly Parton to Bill Clinton. Marginalized as a class, white trash have always been at or near the centre of major political debates over the character of the American identity.Surveying political rhetoric and policy, popular literature and scientific theories over four hundred years, Isenberg upends assumptions about America's supposedly class-free society - where liberty and hard work were meant to ensure real social mobility - and forces a nation to face the truth about the enduring, malevolent nature of class.Trade ReviewMasterly and ambitious * New York Times (Notable Book of the Year) *A bracing surprise * Sunday Times *A bracing reminder of the persistent contempt for the white underclass. * The Atlantic *A gritty and sprawling assault on American mythmaking * Washington Post *Are we supposed merely to laugh at the Spucklers? Or do we not secretly admire their backwoods morality and survivalism? It's one great measure of Isenberg's success that even after 450 detailed pages you keep looking for new examples and new questions... An important book. * The Herald *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Jewish Menorah is one of the world’s most sacred artefacts, a man-size lampstand with seven arms, made from a single block of gold, that is an iconic symbol for the Jewish people. King Solomon placed it in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Jerusalem, but by the 5th century AD, all trace of it had disappeared from the official record, and it was assumed lost. Two historical researchers, Corjan Mol and Christopher Morford, now reveal the astounding secret of what happened to the Menorah. Through their meticulous research as well as a jaw-dropping stroke of luck, Mol and Morford discovered that the Menorah was dug up from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the time of the Crusades by the Knights Templar and smuggled to France with the help of the French King Louis IX. From there it was taken to Portugal, to end up in North America after interventions by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The secret was hidden in plain sight in both France and North America, on a scale so big that it took 800 years for it to be discovered.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book surveys the economy of Wales from the first Norman intrusions of 1067 to the Act of Union of England and Wales in 1536. Key themes include the evolution of the agrarian economy; the foundation and growth of towns; the adoption of a money economy; English colonization and economic exploitation; the collapse of Welsh social structures and rise of economic individualism; the disastrous effect of the Glyndwr rebellion; and, ultimately, the alignment of the Welsh economy to the English economy. Comprising four chapters, a narrative history is presented of the economic history of Wales, 1067-1536, and the final chapter tests the applicability in a Welsh context of the main theoretical frameworks that have been developed to explain long-term economic and social change in medieval Britain and Europe.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Maps Introduction 1 Early History, Conquest and Colonisation, 1067-1315 2 The Medieval Economy at its Apex, 1282-1348 3 Crises and Restructuring, 1315-1536 4 Modelling the Economy of Medieval Wales Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Northumbrians have been overlooked by British and global history, but they’ve made astonishing contributions to both. Dan Jackson sets out to recover this lost history, exploring the deep roots of Northumbrian culture—hard work and heavy drinking, sociability and sentimentality, militarism and masculinity—through centuries of border warfare and dangerous industry. He explains what we can learn about Northumbria’s people from its landscape and architecture, and revisits the Northumbrian Enlightenment that gave the world the locomotive and the lightbulb. This story reaches right to the present day, as this extraordinary region finds itself caught between an indifferent south and an increasingly confident Scotland. From the Venerable Bede and the prince-bishops of Durham to Viz and Geordie Shore, this vital new history reveals a part of England with an uncertain future, but whose people remain as remarkable as ever.Trade Review‘Superbly researched and written with immense affection, Jackson’s history of northeastern England has a fascinating nugget of information on every page … [this is a] hugely impressive book.’ -- The Sunday Times‘['The Northumbrians'] is both an education and an entertainment.' -- The Telegraph'Dan Jackson was born and bred here, and his roots go deep, back generations. This book is a celebration of his land and ancestors … I heartily recommend The Northumbrians.' -- Mail on Sunday‘[The Northumbrians] is the most enjoyable book on a region of Britain that I have ever read. Often very moving, often very funny, it is written with a deep and learned love for Newcastle and its environs.’ -- New Statesman‘Dan Jackson sets out [Northumbrian history] in great detail and with real affection.’ -- Church Times‘['The Northumbrians' is a] learned but accessible trawl through all things Geordie, from the Venerable Bede and the Vikings to Viz and Geordie Shaw.’ -- The Lady‘[Dan Jackson] remains a full-blown, big-hearted Northumbrian Romantic, bursting with love for and knowledge of his native ground. … You won’t put this book down without having become something of a Northumbrian Romantic yourself.’ -- Catholic Herald'Thought-provoking, challenging and very revealing ... A superb book.' -- Who Do You Think You Are Magazine'A wonderful book: full of amazing detail, wise, humane & balanced. Often hilarious, often upsetting; in love with its subject, but never blind to its problems. I can’t recommend it enough.’ -- Tom Holland, historian, author and broadcaster‘This is a book for both historians and the general public … There is a sense of a lost world in these pages, of a once great time now forgotten, even though so much of the past still arguably hangs over the current scene … "The Northumbrians" [is] a work of deep research and lifelong fascination.’ -- LSE Review of Books'With deep research and an engaging style Dan Jackson brings the history and culture of the region to life, in ways that will delight his fellow Northumbrians.' -- Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London, and author, inter alia, of 'The Future of War''Dan Jackson's history of the people of Northumbria is peppered with striking insights and fresh perspectives on England's most distinctive region. His engaging style combined with considerable, up to the minute research will ensure that "The Northumbrians" will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of North-East England.' -- Bill Lancaster, co-author, 'The Geordies: Roots of Regionalism''A dense eclectic dissection of a remote, foreign, strange land shaped, as no other part of England is, by belligerence and fear.' -- Jonathan Meades, writer and film-maker'Long overdue ... a wonderfully unstuffy account of Northumbria's history and the Northumbrian character.' -- Kathryn Tickell, renowned Northumbrian piper'The kingdom of Northumbria existed before England. It gave us the first historian of the English people, one of the great Christian legacies of Europe, and was the engine of the Industrial Revolution. This is a great history in any language but I really took to Dan Jackson's. If you are interested in the rich and alternative history of our northern regions, this is the book for you.' -- Robert Colls, Professor of Cultural History, De Montfort University'This is a part of the world that has got a big global history, it's not a "province" or a "provincial" city. Newcastle is a city with a global reach. I think [in The Northumbrians] you get a real sense of that, going back many centuries.'

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe cathedral church of Christ in Oxford - better known as Christ Church Cathedral - was established in 1546. It forms one half of Christ Church, the unique joint foundation of cathedral and university college created by King Henry VIII. Today's cathedral occupies the site of a monastery founded in the late seventh century by Frideswide, patron saint of Oxford and its university. In the early twelfth century it was re-founded as an Augustinian priory, and 400 years later it met its nemesis in Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, whose plan for an Oxford college grander than any other caused its dissolution. But when the cardinal fell from royal favour, the priory church was saved. The King's Cathedral is the first account of the convent, priory and cathedral for nearly a century. Judith Curthoys - author of two previous volumes on Christ Church - has drawn widely on scholarly research into the cathedral's archaeology, architecture and history for her fascinating and accessible new study of this historic building.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSalute the remarkable Irish women who changed history in this beautifully illustrated book. From Irish women who made changes in Ireland to those who made changes abroad. From adventurers to inventors; explorers to warriors; from designers to writers; rebel leaders to presidents, this book is a true celebration of Irish Women.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 introduced new military technologies, transformed the organization of armies, and upset the continental balance of power, promulgating new regimented ideas of nationhood and conflict resolution more widely. However, the mass armies that became a new standard required mass mobilization and the arming of working people, who exercised a new power through both a German social democracy and popular insurgent French movements. As in the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Paris Commune of 1871 grew directly from the discontent among radicalized soldiers and civilians pressed into armed service on behalf of institutions they learned to mistrust. If this militarized class conflict, the brutality of the Commune's subsequent repression not only butchered the tens of thousands of Parisians but slaughtered an old utopian faith that appeals to reason and morality could resolve social tensions. War among nations became linked to revolution and revolution to armed struggle.Trade ReviewMark Lause's investigation of the link between mass conscription, war and revolution is timely. Many of the classic revolutions and vast movements of social reforms on which the 21st century Left can base its reflection involve soldiers and ex-soldiers: the Paris Commune of course, but also the Russian, German and Chinese revolutions, the rise of social states around 1945 in Britain, France and even the US (around the GI Bill). Mark Lause is well placed to conduct this investigation with his specialization on the US Civil War, the first emergence of Left movements and labor in the mid-nineteenth century, and the lively interactions between the US and European, notably French, Left at the time of Lincoln, Marx and Clemenceau. * John Barzman *This is military history at its broadest and best. Lause captures events and technologies of destruction to be sure but also the regimented labor of war, the soldier's experience of larger worlds and new comrades, the coming to know of politics as a life and death matter, and the invitation to interrogate national ideals. These transformations set the stage for the for both the Paris Commune and the brutality of its repression. -- David Roediger teaches history at the University of Kansas. He is the author most recently of The Sinking Middle ClassMark Lause's investigation of the link between mass conscription, war and revolution is timely. Many of the classic revolutions and vast movements of social reforms on which the 21st century Left can base its reflection involve soldiers and ex-soldiers: the Paris Commune of course, but also the Russian, German and Chinese revolutions, the rise of social states around 1945 in Britain, France and even the US (around the GI Bill). Mark Lause is well placed to conduct this investigation with his specialization on the US Civil War, the first emergence of Left movements and labor in the mid-nineteenth century, and the lively interactions between the US and European, notably French, Left at the time of Lincoln, Marx and Clemenceau. -- John Barzman, Université Le Havre NormandieIn July 1870 France declared war on the confederation of German states headed by Prussia, only to be forced to capitulate six months later, after a series of traumatic and humiliating military defeats; in the meantime, the French Empire had collapsed and was been replaced by a Republic. This first modern European conflict has long suffered from a relative lack of interest among historians. In this respect, Mark Lause's Soldiers of the Revolution is a welcome addition to this field or research. Mark Lause's book is not just another well-researched and well written narrative of the Franco-Prussian War and its most immediate consequence, the Paris Commune (and other provincial uprisings). It brings into sharp focus the consequences of modern war and the emergence of more centralized nation-states that came to supersede the romantic vision of a universal republic that had been so popular in 1848 and the 'Spring of Peoples'. Because it is a thought-provoking examination of the relationship between war and revolution, it also develops an interestingly new approach on the Paris Commune, by showing that revolution offers an alternative when state power effectively begins to dissolve. Conversely, it also demonstrates that nation-building does not necessarily go hand in hand with a republican form of government. Lause convincingly argues that a new world emerged from the events of 1870-71, and that the Paris Commune contributed to the internationalization of the anticapitalist movement. His book deserves to be read carefully by all those who take an interest in the dynamics that have shaped the society we are presently living in. -- Michel Cordillot, Professor emeritus Université Paris 8, editor of La Commune de Paris 1871, les acteurs, l’événement, les lieux (Paris, 2021)

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Donne: In the Shadow of Religion explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the English Renaissance. The book not only provides an overview of Donne’s life and work, but connects his writing and thinking to the ideas, institutions and networks that influenced him. The book shows how Donne’s faith underpinned his career, from aspirational courtier to phenomenally successful clergyman and preacher, when he became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Donne emerges as a figure obsessed with himself, tormented by the fear that his transgressions may have condemned him to eternal damnation. This fine new account uses Donne’s correspondence, writing and poetry to give a rounded portrait of a bold, experimental thinker, who was never afraid of taking risks that few others would have countenanced.Trade Review"Hadfield evidently has wide knowledge of the period." * Sunday Times *“The great achievement of Hadfield’s book, and what sets it apart, is how convincingly it connects the seemingly disparate strands of Donne’s life and work—his lifelong struggle with matters of the soul, his paradoxical erotic and religious poetry, his marriage, his friendships, his sermons—allowing us to see above all Donne the brilliant and restless thinker.” -- James Shapiro, author of "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare"“Hadfield’s exemplary study of John Donne—a notoriously ‘difficult’ writer—is lucid and informative, yet always ready to probe towards new interpretations. Exploring lesser-known corners of Donne’s extensive output, he celebrates the ‘capacious and interconnected’ imagination of this complex, charismatic figure.” -- Charles Nicholl, author of “The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street”

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘England’ and ‘Englishness’ have received much attention in the twenty-first century, not least in debates over Brexit. About England explores how these concepts have been imagined since the 1960s, covering themes including politics, popular culture, geography, art, architecture, film and music. David Matless navigates the country’s complex cultural terrain, revealing the ways in which the national is entangled with the local, the regional, the European, the international, the imperial, the post-imperial and the global. He also addresses physical landscapes, from the village and country house to the urban, suburban and industrial, and reflects on the ‘English modern’. About England uncovers the genealogy of recent cultural and political debates in England, showing how twenty-first-century concerns and anxieties have been moulded by events over the previous sixty years.Trade Review'Few people know more about England and Englishness than David Matless. Read About England, and treat yourself to a magical mystery tour of all that you thought you knew.' – Robert Colls, Professor Emeritus of History, De Montfort University

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Great Houses of the prehistoric and early medieval periods were enormous structures whose forms were modelled on those of domestic dwellings. Most were built of wood rather than stone; they were used over comparatively short periods; they were frequently replaced in the same positions; and some were associated with exceptional groups of artefacts. Their construction made considerable demands on human labour and approached the limits of what was possible at the time. They seem to have played specialised roles in ancient society, but they have been difficult to interpret. Were they public buildings or the dwellings of important people? Were they temples or military bases, and why were they erected during times of crisis or change? How were their sites selected, and how were they related to the remains of a more ancient past? Although their currency extended from the time of the first farmers to the Viking Age, the similarities between the Great Houses are as striking as the differences.This study focuses on the monumental buildings of northern and northwestern Europe, but draws on structures over a wide area, extending from Anatolia as far as Brittany and Norway. It employs ethnography as a source of ideas and discusses the concept of the House Society and its usefulness in archaeology. The main examples are taken from the Neolithic and Iron Age periods, but this account also draws on the archaeology of the first millennium AD. The book emphasises the importance of comparing archaeological sequences with one another rather than identifying ideal social types. In doing so, it features a range of famous and less famous sites, from Stonehenge to the Hill of Tara, and from Old Uppsala to Yeavering.Trade ReviewA stimulating review. * British Archaeology *[T]his is wide-ranging and thought-provoking book which should be read by anyone interested in the architecture of European prehistory but equally by early-medieval archaeologists engaged in buildings and their meanings. * Medieval Archaeology *Table of ContentsPART ONE: A PROBLEM SHARED Chapter One ‘Nobody on earth knew of another building like it.’ Chapter Two From Anatolia to Zealand: an A to Z of Great Houses PART TWO: DREAM HOUSES Chapter Three From the foundations Chapter Four Castles in the air PART THREE: SETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER Chapter Five On a larger scale Chapter Six Social distances Chapter Seven Halls of residence and Halls of Fame Chapter Eight Building societies: a summary and some conclusions

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides a general self-reflexive review and critical analysis of Scandinavian rock art from the standpoint of Chris Tilley’s research in this area over the last thirty years. It offers a novel alternative theoretical perspective stressing the significance of visual narrative structure and rhythm, using musical analogies, putting particular emphasis on the embodied perception of images in a landscape context.Part I reviews the major theories and interpretative perspectives put forward to understand the images, in historical perspective, and provides a critique discussing each of the main types of motifs occurring on the rocks. Part II outlines an innovative theoretical and methodological perspective for their study stressing sequence and relationality in bodily movement from rock to rock. Part III is a detailed case study and analysis of a series of rocks from northern Bohuslän in western Sweden. The conclusions reflect on the theoretical and methodological approach being taken in relation to the disciplinary practices involved in rock art research, and its future.Trade ReviewThis book is a masterclass in deconstructing rock art and the landscape in which it stands. * Current World Archaeology *Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables Preface by Joakim Goldhahn Acknowledgements Prelude PART I: ARIAS: MOTIFS AND INTERPRETATIONS PART II: CABALETTA: LANDSCAPE SETTING AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: THE RHYTHMIC VISUAL ARTS OF NARRATIVE PART III: FINALE: PERAMBULATING THE ROCKS Postlude References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis highly-illustrated book reveals a brand-new story of the royal castle of Lincoln – how it was imposed on the late Anglo-Saxon town and how it developed over the next 900 years in the hands of the king or his aristocratic associates. Today, we have been left a surviving monument of three great towers, each with its own biography.Led by FAS Heritage, archaeologists, architectural historians and a large cohort of the general public have come together to produce a revealing and accessible account of the story of Lincoln Castle; in doing so, we gain further insight into the history, culture and society of medieval England.Trade Review[T]he volume provides a much needed and significant addition to the panoply of published British urban castles (including Oxford and Norwich) and is a fine example of its type. * Speculum *The book caters for the specialist and non-specialist alike … It is lavishly illustrated with photographs, diagrams, maps, tables and reconstructions, making it a book to which the reader will want to keep going back … A good benchmark for how a well-funded excavation should be presented to the public. * The Local Historian *A book you’ll want to return to again and again, as it takes you on a journey deep into the heart and soul of this most remarkable place. * Lincoln Archaeology *The book is superbly balanced … while the archaeology is explored in a good level of detail, the text retains an accessible and engaging style throughout that will appeal to a broad audience. Wonderfully illustrated with colour photos, maps and plans, this high quality volume represents a fitting tribute to one of Europe’s most exceptional castles. * Lincolnshire Past & Present *It's very good, accessible yet scholarly […] The material on the prison is fascinating. * British Archaeology *The text is written specifically to avoid specialist terminology (there is a glossary at the back) and to be intelligible to a wider readership. Full colour is used to stunning effect throughout, with as much emphasis on representations of the archaeological process as results. It is a real achievement to present such a comprehensive account so concisely as well as attractively. … Visually stunning and combining communication of new primary research with a concise, accessible text, the volume is a model of its type and highly recommended. * Medieval Archaeology *Table of ContentsList of illustrations List of tables Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Picture credits 1. The campaign to reveal Lincoln Castle 2. The Roman fortress and colonia 3. The city beneath the castle 4. The early castle and the Lucy Tower 5. The castle gates and walls 6. The Observatory Tower 7. Cobb Hall and the last flowering of the medieval castle 8. Lincoln Castle recreated 9. Legacy Digest of evidence Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisRoman Britain is vividly portrayed in this fascinating and authentically detailed story about a year in the life of an ordinary woman and her family.The year is AD 133. Hadrian is Emperor of Rome and all its vast empire, including Britannia. The greater part of that island has long been under imperial rule and the Roman legions control most of the land, quelling uprisings and building new forts and towns. Around the fortress of Eboracum (now known as York), a bustling garrison settlement is developing, while along the north-west frontier of Hadrian’s empire, the legions are completing the construction of a mighty wall.Introducing us to this world is Senovara, born into the Parisi, a local tribe whose customs have been little changed by Roman rule. But she is also the young wife of Quintus, a veteran of the 6th Legion Victrix. Settling in Quintus’s home is both bewildering and awe-inspiring for Senovara as she seeks to adjust to Eboracum’s cosmopolitan environment, come to terms with new customs and reconcile their cultural differences.Senovara finds that daily life in the settlement can be harsh; a constant struggle to provide her family with fresh food, water and warmth. Yet there is much enjoyment to be had as well, at the public baths or with new friends. There is also the excitement of religious festivals and in the regular news from the frontier, and peril in the form of a deadly fever which sweeps through Eboracum, forcing Senovara and her children to flee to her brother in the countryside.Roman Woman is an immersive, compelling narrative which gets to the heart of what life was like for everyday people in Roman Britain.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the hidden history of Britain through the stories of its 'lost' or abandoned places and buildings.Portillo’s Secret History of Britain presents a compelling and wonderfully evocative history of Britain through the stories of its ‘lost’ or abandoned places and buildings. The chapters cover a variety of historical themes: Crime and Punishment, Health and Medicine, Defence and Warfare, and Entertainment and Leisure. Using a combination of his own investigations and archive research, plus memories and quotations from the contributors he interviewed for the series, Michael Portillo explains what the buildings were used for and by whom, why they were abandoned, and what they can tell us about our past. For example:– Learn what the ruins of London Road Fire and Police Station in Manchester reveal about the history of the emergency services in the last 100 years– How Bradford’s art deco Odeon cinema encapsulates a century of film-making and movie-going With evocative text that brings each location vividly to life, Michael Portillo describes the building and its activities in its heyday and compares this past life with its faded grandeur or melancholic abandonment seen today. Filled with fascinating insights and observations, his narrative provides a compelling and original perspective on Britain’s social and military history. Portillo's Hidden History of Britain features deserted villages, abandoned prisons, closed-down cinemas, empty hospitals, derelict military bases, sewers and much more. Complementing the text are 16 pages of atmospheric and informative photographs.Trade ReviewBolstered by atmospheric photos, it's a really insightful read. * Culture Fly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe punk movement of the 1970s to early 1980s is examined as an art movement through archive research, interviews, and art historical analysis. It is about pop, pain, poetry, presence, and about a ‘no future’ generation refusing to be the next artworld avant-garde, instead choosing to be the ‘rear-guard’. Skov draws on personal interviews with punk art protagonists from London, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Berlin, among others the members Die Tödliche Doris (The Deadly Doris), members of Værkstedet Værst (The Workshop Called Worst), Nina Sten-Knudsen, Marc Miller, Diana Ozon, Hugo Kaagman, as well as email correspondence with Jon Savage, Anna Banana, and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. A large portion of the discussed materials stem from the protagonists' private archives, while some very public—scandalous and spectacular—events are discussed, too, such as the Prostitution exhibition at the ICA in London in 1976 and Die Große Untergangsshow (The Grand Downfall Show) in West-Berlin in 1981. The examined materials cover almost all media: paintings, drawings, bricolages, collages, booklets, posters, zines, installations, sculptures, Super 8 films, documentation of performances and happenings, body art, street art. What emerges is how crucial the concept of history was in punk at that point in time. The punk movement's rejection of the tale of progress and prosperity, as it was being propagated on both sides of the iron curtain, evidently manifested itself in punk visual art too. Central to the book is the thesis that punks placed themselves as the rear-guards, not the avant-gardes, a statement which was in made by Danish punks in 1981, when they called themselves “bagtropperne". Behind the rear-guard watchword was the rejection of the inherent notion of progress that the avant-garde name brings with it; how could a "no future" movement want to lead the way? Although aimed at students and scholars of art, design, music and performance history, the subject as well as the author’s accessible, occasionally playful style will no doubt draw readers with an interest in punk, music, and urban histories.Trade Review'Punk Art History is a dazzling and original exploration of punk’s relationship to contemporary art. Skov has produced a rigorously-researched, engaging, and accessible journey into punk’s art-historical foundations. Drawing on her PhD research, personal history, archival material, and interviews with those active within first-wave punk, Skov creates a tapestry of punk-art-history from Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and London throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Her work is so rich it could be examined within a myriad of disciplines – art, music, subcultural studies, history, psychology – however, as a writer and researcher of punk and philosophy I found the philosophical threads running throughout Punk Art History the most fascinating and insightful aspect of her work. [...] Punk’s beauty lies in its ability to simultaneously embody both death and creation, and Skov demonstrates the plentiful ways in which punk-art captured this paradox. Furthermore, she eschews the ‘punk-as-postmodernism’ argument in favour of ‘punk-as-post-historical’, a reading which allows for a more fruitful discussion. [...] There is so much more to this work than I have managed to capture here – you’ll have to read it to find out.' Full review at Loud Women -- Grace Healy, Loud Women'Capturing the sharp, subversive energy that fueled punk art and music, Punk Art History is a blistering, scintillating chronicle of rebellious brilliance' -- Foreword'Skov describes incendiary punk artworks in vivid detail and with an eye for humor. The book is equally for scholars and for punk kids in cities with DIY music scenes.' -- Sarah Wolberg, Library Journal'What Skov has achieved with this book is to shine the light on a much-ignored part of punk, pulling on exemplary research and an insightful vision to illuminate an important art movement. It will be a sourcebook on the subject for many years to come. It is an essential addition to any serious punk library. Skov is a Danish art historian, author and curator based in Berlin. She works on the subjects of music, art and sexuality, with a historical focus on Surrealism and the punk movement of the 1970–80s. She is also an international affiliate of the Punk Scholars Network, and it’s clear from this book that she knows, and loves, her subject well' Full review at Louder Than War -- Mark Ray, Louder Than War“If you have ever wondered why you read about Marcel Duchamp in the morning, visit Kippenberger exhibitions in the afternoon, and listen to Black Flag or Suicide in a club at night, this is your book. It reveals the suspicion we’ve always had about the deep affinity between contemporary art and punk, that appropriation and do-it-yourself are the same, as much as the Sex Pistols’ ‘no future’ and Arthur Danto’s ‘The Death of Art.’ Marie Arleth Skov had that suspicion, because this is also a personal book: a story full of affinities shared in a wild cry that longs to destroy art in order to change life.” -- David G. Torres, art critic, curator, and professor, Barcelona“Punk Art History is an energetic, unique, and engaging exploration of punk’s relationship to both art and the associated discourse of art history. Marie Arleth Skov takes you along on a sometimes chaotic and dangerous journey, working the pressure points of her material focus with great detail, accuracy, and crossdisciplinary analysis.” -- Ian Trowell, independent scholar and writer, Cambridge“As an art historian who is both a fan and a scholar of punk, I have been waiting for someone to write this book! Punk Art History is the first real scholarly survey of both the art-historical influences and visual culture of the artists to emerge from punk in Europe and the United States. Rigorously researched and accessibly written, spanning Duchamp to Divine to Die Tödliche Doris, Marie Arleth Skov has finally written an art history that is truly punk AF.” -- Maria Elena Buszek, curator and professor, University of Colorado Denver'Punk Art History, which describes the history of artists, works and exhibitions that consciously stepped aside from the mainstream of art, is a refreshing reading experience precisely because it looks at Art history of the turn of the 1970s and 1980s from a fresh angle. Although the subculture formed around punk rock has already been studied in the 1970s, the areas of interest have recently expanded, as Skov brings out in this book, for example women's agency or scenes outside the Anglo-American context. Punk culture is also studied in new disciplines. Skov also reminds me that art history is a discipline where the study of punk culture is relatively new.' -- Riikka Niemelä, Tahiti - art history as a science [translated from Finnish through Google]Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 Prelude 1.1 What are we looking at? A punk art movement? 1.2 Negations, conflicts, and swindles: The elusiveness of punk 1.3 Case in point: The first Punk Art exhibition, 1978 1.4 Forty-five years of trying to capture the art in punk 2 Art Origins in the Story of Punk 2.1 The short version: From proto to post 2.2 Art school vs. hard school 2.3 Punk precursors: 1919, 1966, 1968 2.4 DIY: The DNA of punk 3 Pop Multiples, Camp Affirmations 3.1 Andy Warhol: "Hero of the Punks" 3.2 Hedonism as attack 3.3 Trash and travesty 4 The Weapons of the Underdog 4.1 Punk propaganda 4.2 Punk poetry 4.3 Crime as art, scandal as art 5 Art with No Future? 5.1 Originality and appropriation 5.2 Modernity in extremis 5.3 Avant-garde vs. rear-guard 6 Children Run Riot: The Art of the Infantile 6.1 Dead end kids 6.2 The Life of Sid Vicious: The sad, dead boy 6.3 "Infancy conforms to nobody" 7 Work vs. Play 7.1 Punk's homo ludens 7.2 Ingenious dilletantes 7.3 The Baby Wagner Lullaby, or: Brilliance blackout 8 SEX 8.1 Queer punks and dykes in high heels 8.2 Defiant prostitutes, porn artists & well-dressed whores 8.3 Sadism and submission 8.4 Punk feminism: Vamp up! 9 Pain and Presence 9.1 Performances and punches 9.2 "It hurts and looks cool!": Fetish fashion 9.3 Real romance? 10 Dystopian with a Twist 10.1 It's the end of the world 10.2 The Grand Downfall Show 10.3 Broken heroes, aces of failure 11 The Laws of the Lawless List of Interviews and Archives Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeatrice Mary Victoria Feodore, later Princess Henry of Battenberg, was the last-born – in 1866 – of Victoria and Albert's children, and she would outlive all of her siblings to die as recently as 1944. Her childhood coincided with her mother's extended period of mourning for her prematurely deceased husband, a circumstance which may have contributed to Victoria's determination to keep her youngest daughter as close to her as possible. She would eventually marry Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885, but only after overcoming her mother's opposition to their union. Beatrice remained Queen Victoria's favourite among her five daughters, and became her mother's constant companion and later her literary executor, spending the years that followed Victoria's death in 1901 editing her mother's journals and voluminous correspondence. Matthew Dennison's elegantly written biography restores Beatrice to her rightful place as a key figure in the history of the Victorian age, and paints a touching and revealing portrait of the life and family of Britain's second-longest-reigning monarch.Trade ReviewEmotionally sympathetic and beautifully written, its detail meticulous... Confidant and disarmingly impressive debut' * DailyTelegraph *An engrossing tale of a mother and daughter who were also a queen and her subject * Good Book Guide *Beautifully written * Tatler *Readable and empathetic biography * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA strikingly original book about a terrible photograph – an exceptionally rare image documenting the horrific final moment of the murder of a family in Ukraine. A Times Book of the Year 'A very rare kind of picture... To the murdered others, this book is an act of restitution' David Aaronovitch, The Times 'Detective work of the highest and most gripping order' Philippe Sands 'Lower's pursuit of the truth is both captivating and meticuous' TLS 'Extraordinary and spell-binding' Daily Mail 'One photograph. That's what it took to start Wendy Lower on an incredible journey of discovery' Deborah Lipstadt The terrible mass shootings in Poland and the Ukraine are often neglected in studies of the Holocaust, because the perpetrators were meticulously careful to avoid leaving any evidence of their actions. Wendy Lower stumbled across one such piece of evidence – a photograph documenting the shooting of a mother and her children and the men who killed them – and has crafted a forensically brilliant and moving study that brings the larger horror of the genocide into focus. Shortlisted for the Historical Writers' Association Non-Fiction Crown.Trade ReviewA very rare kind of picture... A quest that would last, off and on, for more than a decade... To the murdered others, this book is an act of restitution -- David Aaronovitch, Book of the Week, The Times[Lower] hopes to recreate the details of that day in Miropol and thus reveal the networks of complicity that made the Holocaust possible. Here, she succeeds with a vengeance * New York Times *A forensic look at the Holocaust in Ukraine... The combination of Lower's original conceit and careful but compelling prose provides a powerful new route into this neglected area of Holocaust history' * Historical Writers' Association Non-Fiction Crown Shortlist *Lower's pursuit of the truth is both captivating and meticulous as she attempts to find answers to these questions... Reads like a compelling detective novel' * TLS *'An extraordinary and spell-binding new book' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *A riveting and extraordinary expression of historical excavation and literary non-fiction – detective work of the highest and most gripping order -- Philippe Sands, author of East West StreetLower certainly leaves no stone unturned as she recounts her mission in this fascinating book * Jewish News *Lower meticulously probes the background of the photo, which was dated October 13, 1941 and labeled 'Miropol' * Times of Israel *An important and moving contribution to Holocaust literature. The Ravine demonstrates how meticulous research, seventy years after the murder took place, can lift the veil of anonymity from both victims and perpetators -- Jan T. Gross, author of Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, PolandSeventy years after the crime, Lower, a historian dedicated to unveiling truths, solves what would otherwise have remained a 'cold case'. Her story is breathtaking -- Father Patrick Desbois, author of The Holocaust by BulletsOne photograph. That was what it took to start Wendy Lower on an incredible journey of discovery... The Ravine is a compelling read that is micro and macro history at its very best' -- Deborah Lipstadt, author of Antisemitism: Here and NowA compelling and forensic investigation of mass shooting during the Holocaust in Ukraine. Lower turns detective and works from a single photograph to uncover the truth about a previously unknown atrocity. Brilliant microhistory * Aspects of History *A forensic look at the Holocaust in Ukraine * Spectator *The gargantuan horror of the Holocaust is distilled through a meticulous reconstruction of a single shocking crime. Justice, although delayed, is achieved, but that horror lurks like a menacing fog * The Times, '21 best history books of 2021' *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPotted history, quirky facts, sayings, hints and tips about Ireland's celebration and the saint it commemorates.The Little Book of St Patrick's Day will tell the story of St Patrick and how the holiday began, share the craic with a collection of sayings and describe how the festival is marked around the world (and in outer space).Separate the myths from the facts, find out how to celebrate at home and be dazzled by quirky facts and stats. Why is the shamrock the symbol of the day, did St Patrick really drive snakes out of Ireland and what should you eat and drink on March 17th?Find out in this pocket-sized guide to this Irish celebration that has enchanted people of all backgrounds across the globe.'For the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth o' March!' The Irish-American poet Thomas Augustine Daly, as seen on Bustle.comOn St Patrick's Day 2011, the Irish-American astronaut Catherine Coleman played a 100-year-old flute belonging to the Irish band The Chieftains, while floating weightless in the space station. Her performance was later included in a track called The Chieftains in Orbit. Table of ContentsWe need to talk about Patrick • A shot of history • Magic and myths • Having the Craic (quotes) • Global Gaelic gaiety (St Patrick's Day around world and in space) • How to celebrate

Read more less

Book SynopsisFighting Men of London explores the lives of seven former professional boxers who fought in the capital between the 1930s and 1960s. Set around a series of interviews, it resurrects a golden age of the sport when boxing was as popular as football and Britain's leading fighters were working-class heroes. Dramatic, poignant, inspiring and at times funny, the book covers such subjects as booth fighting, exploitation in boxing, East End poverty, World War Two London, Jewish culture, fame and success, crime, prison life and encounters with such figures as the Kray twins, the Great Train Robbers and Britain's most infamous inmate, Charles Bronson. Fighting Men of London takes us on a journey through a lost era of smoky fight halls, ramshackle boxing arenas and courageous fighting men. It features the previously untold stories of 1950s boxing star Sammy McCarthy, Bethnal Green knockout specialist Ted Berry (an associate of the Kray twins) and Sid Nathan, who as one of Britain's last surviving 1930s boxers once shared a fight bill with the great Jack Kid Berg. This isn't a single story, but seven stories of seven very different men. The common bond they shared was boxing.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the last criminal trials using the 1735 Witchcraft Act was, improbably, in London in 1944. The accused was Helen Duncan, a middle-aged Scotswoman. This is her extraordinary story.Helen Duncan - known since childhood as 'Hellish Nell', for her uncontainable nature - was one of the most popular mediums of the twentieth century, holding seances around the country where she was believed to manifest the spirits of the dead.What happens when we die? It was the question of the age for a generation which had endured one world war and now was living through another. Mrs Duncan's seances offered an answer. But when she started foretelling naval disasters, she also attracted the unwelcome attention of the secret service. And so just weeks before the Normandy landings, absurdly, anachronistically, she was prosecuted for witchcraft and jailed. Was Nell a conjurer, a martyr or a security risk?Hellish Nell was first published in 2001 to widespread acclaim. It remains in this revised edition a fascinating window into the unsettled spiritual and psychological mood of the times: a sensational tale of spectacle, credulity and cruelty, and of Britain's last witch.Trade ReviewMalcolm Gaskill’s brilliant book ... not only offers an indelible account of a paranoid country at war with enemies tangible and supernatural, but teasingly invites us to take our own position on witchcraft, and its unlikely practitioner. -- Alexander Larman * The Observer *A fascinating book. * Daily Mail *A great strength of Malcolm Gaskill’s book is that it provides ... a piece of working-class history: he makes Spiritualism comprehensible in the context of the utter bleakness of the lives he describes. -- Hilary Mantel * London Review of Books *Malcolm Gaskill has researched the whole story of Helen Duncan’s life with exemplary thoroughness: his account sparkles with dry humour, but it is not without sympathy too. -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *Full of quirky detours into Spiritualism’s uniquely odd hall of fame. But its chief fascination, I think, lies in the way it shows how the Spiritualist movement, for a certain group of women, proved to be more liberating than winning the vote. -- Rachel Cooke * New Statesman *Malcolm Gaskill’s book is full, admirably researched, and in parts reads as if it had been dictated from the other world. * Daily Telegraph *Extremely readable ... full of trenchant phrases and vivid analogies. It is balanced, fair and a salutary reminder, in our secularised society, that belief in the supernatural is still endemic. * Literary Review *A tremendous story ... The human relationship with magic is one in which tragedy and farce are constantly intermixed, and Malcolm Gaskill shows how vividly this was true in early twentieth-century Britain. -- Ronald Hutton * Times Literary Supplement *The colourful story of Britain’s last witch trial ... Superbly researched, densely written but mostly entertaining. * Irish Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA compact, accessible guide to 37 of Wales''s celebrated castles detailing their construction, ownership and uses. Each entry is accompanied by superb photography of the castle, key points of interest and character and their position in the landscape.

Read more less

Book SynopsisManufactured by Dassault Aviation solely in France, the Rafale was designed to replace an ageing fleet of aircraft for France's Air Force, as well as to serve the Navy in carrier capacity. Today, Rafale C, D and M variants are in operation fulfilling a variety of roles including fighter, reconnaissance and deterrent. From conducting nuclear alert missions in France and patrolling NATO's eastern fronts, the Rafales of the French Air and Space Force and French Navy play a strategic role in protecting France and its NATO allies. Currently, there are 245 Rafales in service with the armed forces of France, Egypt, Greece, India and Qatar and more than 180 additional examples are expected to be manufactured and delivered to Indonesia, Egypt, Greece and United Arab Emirates by 2030. This book details the current status of all airworthy and operational Rafales around the world, with the active service history provided for many that have taken part in conflicts around the globe or been involved in peace-keeping missions and patrols.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘A lively book that captures the essence of a modern monarchy and a new Elizabethan era’ - Lyndsy Spence, The Lady‘Down-to-earth and insightful’ - Daily MailIt is 1952 and Britain is changing. The Second World War is over, but the country is still scarred, recovering from six years of horror and still in the grip of food rationing. The British Empire is crumbling as countries fight for their independence both literally and physically. And George VI, the king who had refused to abandon London, is dead.Thorns in the Crown is the story of a country on the precipice, divided between those who held firm to old values and traditions and those who were fighting for modernity and progression. Featuring memories and reflections of those who were part of the coronation, Barry Turner presents a unique look at Britain as it came to terms with the second Elizabethan age.Trade Review"Down-to-earth and insightful" * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNorfolk’s spectacular coastline, quaint villages, historic houses, bustling market towns and meandering rivers all provide the perfect backdrop for some of the most curious tales from across the centuries.Which eccentric cleric’s final words were ‘Did I make the front page?’ Which annual race’s participants only eat lettuce? Why on earth is there an elephant on one Norfolk village sign? Where is the most accident-prone church in the county? How did a single feather save a monarch? Which of Norfolk’s heroes gives his name to an unlucky sporting score?Enthralling to both residents and visitors alike, The A-Z of Curious Norfolk is a perfect book to dip into – unless, of course, you can’t wait to turn the page and read more!Trade ReviewAuthor interviewed on BBC Radio Norfolk

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis innovative collection offers a reappraisal of gender as a category of analysis in modern Welsh history. Beginning with sex work in the eighteenth century and concluding with women’s late twentieth-century anti-nuclear activism, the contributors show how gender has been constructed, represented, performed and experienced by men and women at different times and places throughout Wales’s modern past. Using a variety of approaches, the collection interrogates gender as a concept that encompasses both femininity and masculinity, provides fresh perspectives on familiar themes, and demonstrates the value of gender analysis for our understanding of the political, social, cultural and economic history of modern Wales. Chapters by leading historians and early career academics each set an agenda for exploring the intersection of gender with nationality, race, class, age and sexuality. Table of ContentsAbbreviations List of Contributors Foreword Introduction Angela Muir, ‘Sex Work and Economies of Makeshift in Wales, c. 1750-1830’ Marion Löffler, ‘Family Matters: War-Time Discourses on Women in Wales, 1793–1805’ Paul O’Leary, ‘Masks and Matter: Mining Masculinities in the South Wales Coalfield, 1870-1914’ Steven Thompson, ‘“Can You Look in the Mirror and Say, I See a Man?’ Masculinity and the Labour Movement in South Wales, c.1870-1939’ Neil Evans and Beth Jenkins, ‘Spaces and Places of Women’s Social Movements in Wales, 1890-1914’ Mike Benbough-Jackson, ‘Nation and Gender: St David, St David’s Day and Masculinity during the Great War’ Simon Jenkins, ‘Exploring Race and Gender in Cardiff, c.1900-c.1945’ Stephanie Ward, ‘Heroic Housewives: Political Worlds, Domesticity and the Welsh Mam in Interwar Wales’ Jay Rees, ‘“Beware you free, emancipated girls, your warden wouldn’t like it”: Women’s Activism at Swansea University, 1970-1990’ Elaine Titcombe, ‘Reflections of gender in anti-nuclear politics in Wales 1970-2000’ Endnotes

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn a world historically dominated by male rulers, the women who have sat on thrones of their own shine out brightly. Some queens and empresses were born to greatness, while others fought their way to power. Queens ranges from the ancient world to the present day, telling the stories of these women who ruled, from murderous former courtesan Wu Zetian in 7th century China to Elizabeth I, the ‘Virgin Queen’ of England. In 6th century Constantinople, Empress Theodora, who had been a street performer before catching the eye of Emperor Justinian, extended rights for women, passing laws that allowed them to divorce and own property and made rape a crime punishable by death. In 12th century Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine first married the king of France and then the king of England. At the Mughal court in Lahore in the early 17th century, Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, was the political powerhouse behind the throne. In more recent history, the book explores the reigns of Catherine the Great, revealing how a minor German aristocrat came to rule and expand the Russian Empire, Queen Victoria, whose family dominated the world in the early 20th centuty, and her more recent descendent, Elizabeth II, the longest-ruling queen in history. Female rulers are often described as ambitious rather than bold, as devious rather than diplomatically astute and as intriguers and meddlers, all characterizations that are destructive to the reality of women’s lives in the world’s monarchies. Even genealogies still often leave out the women of royal families, overlooking their genuine contributions. To some extent, we will never know these great women of history as well as we know their menfolk; the sources simply leave too many gaps. However, we can and will do better in giving the women rulers of history the recognition they deserve Carefully researched, superbly entertaining and illustrated throughout with more than 180 photographs and artworks, Queens highlights the true personalities and real lives of the women who became monarchs and empresses.Trade Review[A] brilliant tour of the nature of queenship throughout history and all over the world. Rather than the usual list of European monarchs, Jestice demonstrates an impressive range as she introduces readers to queens from Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, South America—wherever she can find evidence for women rulers… The book is more than an engaging history of women who all deserve to be better known. Each page features illustrations carefully chosen to represent the wide cultures these women came from… Even better, Jestice succeeds in proving that queens have played important parts throughout history—and continue to do so. -- Marissa Moss * New York Journal of Books *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Ancient World Hatshetsup, Pharaoh of Egypt (c.1493–1479 BCE) – the first and longest reigning woman pharaoh in Egyptian history. After her husband Thurmose’s death, Hatshetsup reigned for 20 years. She restored her country’s prosperity by rebuilding trade routes. One expedition returned with myrrh trees for making scent – the first recorded transplant of foreign trees. Hatshetsup left an extraordinary legacy of buildings including her mortuary temple at the entrance to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Queen Tomyris of the Massagetae, a nomadic people in Central Asia. Artemisia I of Caria (484–460 BCE) Greek queen in Asia Minor, she helped Persian king Xerxes at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. Cleopatra (51–30 BCE) – The last the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra was diplomat, naval commander, linguist, and medical author. Boudicca – led a revolt against the Romans in England in 60 CE. Trung Sisters – a pair of fantastically brave Vietnamese warrior women who fought to oust their Chinese overlords in the first half of the 1st century CE. Zenobia (267–272 CE) – queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria The Early Medieval World Theodora (500–548 CE) – Empress of Byzantium, wife of Emperor Justinian. A street performer who caught the emperor’s eye, Theodora rose to rule the empire alongside her husband. She extended rights for women, passing laws that allowed them to divorce and own property and made rape a crime punishable by death. Wu Zetian (690–705 CE) – the sole officially recognized empress regnant of China in more than two millennia. She entered court as a concubine and may have strangled her daughter and poisoned her son to advance her status. Skulduggery aside, the importance to history of Wu Zetian’s period of political and military leadership includes the major expansion of the Chinese empire, extending it deep into Central Asia. Within China, besides the more direct consequences of her struggle to gain and maintain supreme power, Wu’s leadership resulted in important effects regarding social class in society and in relation to state support for Taoism, Buddhism, education, and literature. Æthelflæd (911–918) – Daughter of Alfred the Great and married to the ruler of the kingdom of Mercia, the fierce Queen became known as the ‘Lady of the Mercians’. The High Middle Ages Eleanor of Aquitaine – the richest woman in 12th century Europe. She married first the king of France, introduced courtly literature to the French court and accompanied him on crusade. With the marriage annulled, she then married the king of England. The Renaissance Mary Queen of Scots (1552–67) – ultimately, reluctantly executed by her cousin Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (1558–1603) – After the short reigns of her half-siblings, Elizabeth I’s 44- year-rule brought welcome stability, relative religious tolerance, no major foreign wars and managed to see off the Spanish Armada. Plots and rebellions against her failed and culturally England flourished. Early Modern Nur Jahan (1611–1645) – the twentieth (and last) wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, Nur Jahan was a far sharper intellect than her incompetent husband and would whisper advice to him at court. From their court at Lahore, she built up diplomatic and trading relationships across Asia. Catherine the Great (1762–1796) – Catherine was a minor German princess who married the heir to the Russian throne, Tsar Peter III, who turned out to be mentally unstable. When the Tsar was assassinated after only two years in power, Catherine assumed command of Russia. Helped by her lovers Giorgy Orlov and Giorogy Potemkin, she conquered the Ukraine extending the Russian empire to the shores of the strategically important Black Sea. She gave the nobility greater powers following peasant unrest. Late Modern Queen Victoria (1837–1901) – As the British Empire expanded to cover quarter of the globe, she came to rule over more subjects than any other woman in history. Empress Dowager Cixi (1861–1908) – Cixi effectively controlled the late Qing dynasty in China for 47 years after the death of her husband, the Xianfeng Emperor. Queen Elizabeth II (1952–Present) – the world’s longest reigning queen regnant and female head of state, the oldest and longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state. Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat is heritage? When was it invented? What is its place in the world today? What is its place tomorrow? Heritage is all around us: millions belong to its organisations, tens of thousands volunteer for it, and politicians pay lip service to it. When the Victorians began to employ the term in something approaching the modern sense, they applied it to cathedrals, castles, villages and certain landscapes. Since then a multiplicity of heritage labels have arisen, cultural and commercial, tangible and intangible – for just as every era has its notion of heritage, so does every social group, and every generation. In Heritage, James Stourton focuses on elements of our cultural and natural environment that have been deliberately preserved: the British countryside and national parks, buildings such as Blenheim Palace and Tattershall Castle, and the works of art inside them. He charts two heroic periods of conservation – the 1880s and the 1960s – and considers whether threats of wealth, rampant development and complacency are similar in the present day. Heritage is both a story of crisis and profound change in public perception, and one of hope and regeneration.Trade ReviewA fascinating, erudite, engaging — and much needed — book. * Neil MacGregor *Compelling and thought-provoking, this book not only explores how Britain's rich and diverse heritage has been conserved (and in some cases destroyed) in the past, but offers a ray of hope for its future -- Tracy Borman[A] huge, energetic and tightly written tome on the two-and-half-century history of conservation battles in our homeland... A masterful, dynamic and extremely readable survey of one the major issues of our times. Or all times * Literary Review *It not only covers the conservation and protection of our buildings and landscapes, but also the wider cultural aspects * This England *PRAISE FOR JAMES STOURTON: 'Richly detailed, colourful and astute and it moves at a cracking pace... A resplendent biography' The Sunday Times. 'The deft weaving of architectural, social and contemporary history will reveal unexpected pleasures' Art Quarterly. 'This lavishly illustrated compendium suggests that the age of elegance endures' Mail on Sunday. 'Wonderfully learned, gossipy and instructive... The historical research is formidable... Witty, informative and endlessly fascinating' * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA brilliant, concise account of the painting often described as the most important work of art produced in the twentieth century, as part of the stunning Landmark Library series. Pablo Picasso had already accepted a commission to create a work for the Spanish Republican Pavilion in 1937 when news arrived of the bombing of the undefended Basque town of Gernika. James Attlee offers an illuminating account of the genesis, creation and complex afterlife of Picasso's Guernica. He explores the historical and cultural context from which the painting sprang and the meanings it accrued during its travels across Europe and the Americas, as well as its influence on artists both living and dead. Finally, he argues for its continuing importance as a warning of what happens when the forces of darkness go unchallenged. Praise for Guernica: 'Helps you appreciate Guernica's daring and resonance' Literary Review 'An impressive overview of the painting's conception and execution, and its subsequent life as an exhibit and a symbol... Attlee's book succeeds in showing how influential Guernica has been' Sunday Times 'Attlee digs up rich examples of the debate and devotion that invariably attended the painting... Guernica literature abounds; but this book is a worthwhile addition' SpectatorTrade ReviewAn impressive overview... Succeeds in showing how influential Guernica has been, and how it continues to be used as a reference point in political and military conflicts of today' * Sunday Times *Attlee digs up rich examples of the debate and devotion that invariably attended the paining... Guernica literature abounds; but this book is a worthwhile addition' * Spectator *[Guernica], which is clearly written and beautifully produced, both updates the tale and adds something fresh to the mix... Attlee's book helps you appreciate [Guernica's] daring and resonance' * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho became Britain's first Prime Minister on 3 April 1721?When was Karl Marx born?Where and when was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses?When did Big Ben first bong?When did the first British woman cast her vote? (Clue: It wasn't 1918.)Find the answers to these questions and many more in this landmark political history.From the first meeting of an elected English parliament on 20 January 1265 to the tabling of the Bill of Rights on 13 February 1689; from the Peterloo massacre of 16 August 1819 to Britain voting to leave the EU on 23 June 2016, there is a growing thirst for knowledge about the history of our constitutional settlement, our party system and how our parliamentary democracy has developed.Writing as an observer of political history, but also as someone with an opinion, acclaimed political broadcaster Iain Dale charts the main events of the last few hundred years, with one event per page, per day.'The indefatigable Iain Dale always cuts to the nub of politics.' Adam BoultonTable of Contentsi: Foreword 1: January 2: February 3: March 4: April 5: May 6: June 7: July 8: August 9: September 10: October 11: November 12: December ii: Acknowledgements iii: Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is an account of the people of Fife and their villages and hamlets, from medieval times to the present day. At one time or another, these habitations were the core of the country's community life, and their individual stories provide a rich source of Scotland's local and national history. Fife has seen many of the major events in Scottish history, and this book covers the places, parishes and people; their leaders, labour and leisure, and the part all strata of village society played in the vibrant country with the pretentions of a kingdom. From Kingsbarns to Saline and from Wormit to Dysart, Raymont Lamont-Brown reveals the myriad of villages, showing how they are as alive today as they ever were, still contributing to the ongoing story of Fife. In addition, he also seeks out the lost villages, the almost vanished prehistoric settlements, and shows what village names can tell us about locations, historical events and personages, and the life and industry of the people who lived in them. He also reviews the village heart of such larger places as St Andrews, Cupar, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1918 Lord Leverhulme bought the island of Lewis with ambitious plans to massively expand its fishing industry and increase its population. In 1923, when his plans had failed, he offered it free of charge to the islanders in two parts. One part, which included impoverished rural areas, was economically unviable. But the other, based around the busy fishing port and administrative centre of Stornoway, was a different matter. In accepting Leverhulme’s offer, the hardheaded, churchgoing business class of Stornoway took on the responsibility of making the radical slogan ‘Land for the People’ a reality. It was an unlikely coupling, but it worked to perfection. The 20th century was a tumultuous time for Lewis. Migration and depopulation were exacerbated by two world wars. Such problems could not be addressed in the lottery of private landownership, but in the stable, democratic government of the Stornoway Trust, town and country alike would weather the storms. Roger Hutchinson tells the story of those storms, and of the people who guided their pioneering estate into the relative security and prosperity of the 21st century. In doing so he paints a vivid portrait of a unique landholding experiment, of Highland land struggle and of the island of Lewis itself.

Read more less

Book SynopsisQueen Elizabeth I’s reign is amongst the most exciting and fascinating of any period of English history. She was a glamourous queen who ruled a vibrant nation full of legendary figures: Robert Dudley, Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, the Earl of Essex were all international celebrities of their day. Great events unfolded, with triumphs such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and tragedies, including the long-term imprisonment and execution of Mary Queen of Scots. With love affairs, wily politicians, sinister plots and intrigues at the royal court, Elizabeth’s reign was a long-running drama; it is appropriate that William Shakespeare was writing at the time, and characters and events of his plays often mirrored Elizabethan life. But it was Queen Elizabeth who was the star of the story, holding centre stage over a glittering royal court. In this seminal Pitkin text by G.W.O. Woodward, revised and updated by Gill Knappett for 2019, read how Gloriana reigned in dazzling majesty over an exciting new age of exploration, discovery, artistic brilliance, architectural achievement, foreign conquest and prosperity. This beautifully illustrated biography is part of the Pitkin Royal Collection series, celebrating the lives of the British royal family. Other notable titles in this insightful series include Royal Babies, The Queen and Her Family and Queen Elizabeth II.

Read more less

Book SynopsisW. B. Yeats believed that a poet's life should be an experiment in living. His poems fashion into memorable words the sometimes puzzling emotions that hover over important life events. Yeats's remarkable work can clarify our own thinking about similar situations. Joseph M. Hassett's Yeats Now: Echoing into Life extracts and distils the rich harvest of Yeats's experiment. As Yeats's biographer Roy Foster comments, Yeats Now is 'a personal, quizzical, imaginative testament that ranges through Yeats's thought and writings, showcasing and discussing a series of ringing statements, suggestions and aphorisms that evolve into a kind of vade-mecum or guide to life. The subjects cover love, anger, friendship, politics, violence and the competing claims of perfecting the life, or the work'. This book is a wonderful companion to the work of this significant poet. Hassett's writing provides an excellent frame of context through which to explore one of Ireland's greatest poets.Trade ReviewHassett seeks always to restore the full poetic and personal context to many famous lines. … The result is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable books on Yeats ever to call forth the skills of a gifted designer [a]nd of a true critic. -- Declan Kiberd * Dublin Review of Books *Subtle and often illuminating study of what we can learn from Yeats … and how we can let his words echo in our own lives. -- Michael O'Loughlin * Irish Times *Thought-provoking, a fresh, accessible look at the shimmering legacy of WB Yeats in all its wonder and poise. -- Paddy Kehoe * RTE *This is a handsome and stylish book, both in looks and, more importantly, in its capacity to appreciate the magic of William Butler Yeats’s poetry. -- Michael Langan * NBC-2 *I can’t think of a more inspiring way to fill the unforgiving minute than to read this book, to be renewed and invigorated by Yeats’ relevance today – Now – and to rediscover the nobility of his poetry, the endurance of his hope. -- Anne Cunningham * Anne Cunningham Blog *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wealthy lawyer, debonair ladies' man, consummate actor, and courageous gambler, Dusko Popov played the role of playboy amongst the top echelons of British society to become one of Germany's most trusted spies. In fact, he was one of Britain's most successful double agents, and, some say, the inspiration for James Bond. With full access to FBI and MI5 records, along with private family papers, his incredible adventures can now be told authoritatively for the first time. Recruited by the Abwehr in 1940, 27-year-old Popov immediately offered his services to the British. His code-name was Tricycle. Throughout the war he fed the Germans with a constant stream of military 'intelligence', all vetted by MI5, and came to be viewed as their most important and reliable agent in Britain. But when he was ordered by the Abwehr to the United States to report on the defences at Pearl Harbor, J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, failed to heed his warnings, distrusting all spies and detesting Popov in particular, whom he considered to be 'a moral degenerate'. Facing the danger of exposure, arrest and execution on a daily basis, Tricycle went on to build up a network known as the Yugoslav Ring, which not only delivered a stream of false information to Berlin but also supplied vital intelligence to the Allies on German rocketry, strategy and security. After the war Dusko Popov was granted British citizenship and awarded an OBE. The presentation was made, appropriately, in the cocktail bar at the Ritz.Trade ReviewFor anybody interested in the spider's web of war-time deception, in which Popov lighted like an iridescent butterfly, this Tricycle is worth a ride -- Christopher Hudson * Daily Mail *As intriguing and nerve-wracking as [the] subject's career -- Jeremy Lewis * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarcus Aurelius is the one great figure of antiquity who still speaks to us today, nearly 2,000 years after his death. A philosopher as well as an emperor, his was an extraordinary reign. He proved himself a great leader, protecting the Empire from Germans in the North and fighting the Parthians in the East, and his Meditations - compared by John Stuart Mill to the Sermon on the Mount - remains one of the most widely-read Classical books. Impeccably researched and vividly told, Frank McLynn's Marcus Aurelius is the definitive biography of a monumental historical figure.Trade ReviewA compendious and thought-provoking study -- Boris Johnson * The Mail on Sunday *Impressively well-researched and unfailingly engaging -- John Dillon * The Irish Times *McLynn has written a huge, erudite survey of the social, cultural, economic and political world of the second century AD rather than a mere biography of Marcus Aurelius...there is much to enjoy here and even more to be learned * Literary Review *By exposing the real Marcus Aurelius, this biography illuminates an important era of transition...it was under Marcus that the delicate balance was disturbed and this, too, is his legacy. -- Martin Empson * TLS *A flickering torch in the darkness, and with his fine biography, Frank McLynn tends the flame. -- Stephen McGinty * Scotsman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the late 16th century the greatest philosophers, alchemists, astronomers, painters, and mathematicians of the day flocked to Prague to work under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great minds of his times than in the exercise of his immense power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around him a galaxy of famous figures: among them the painter Arcimboldo, the astronomer Tycho Brahe, the mathematician Johannes Kepler, the philosopher Giordano Bruno and the magus John Dee. Fascinated by the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions of state. Like Faust, he was prepared to risk all in the pursuit of magical knowledge and the Philosopher's Stone which would turn base metals into gold and prolong life indefinitely. But he also faced threats: religious discord, the Ottoman Empire, his own deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result he lost his empire and nearly his sanity. But he enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years' War.Filled with angels and devils, high art and low cunning, talismans and stars, The Mercurial Emperor offers a captivating perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western civilisation.Trade ReviewThe story of Rudolf's life is a compelling one... Marshall, an accomplished elucidator of the occult, would appear to be the ideal guide to this golden age of intellectual exchange...an admirable and fascinating book -- Alex Butterworth * Observer *A sympathetic biography of this strange, intelligent aesthete-philosopher... a tragic as well as a fascinating figure -- Alan Massie * Literary Review *In this sparkling history, Peter Marshall assembles a cast of characters from the medieval world, their wit and wisdom an arresting case for the significance of their time...[a] generous and attentive recollection of voices too often silenced -- Rowland Manthorpe * Observer *Peter Marshall's excellent biography portrays the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II as a pivotal figure in the transition from the medieval worldview to our modern scientific outlook... Marshall succeeds brilliantly in capturing both the spirit of the age in which Rudolf lived and the complex character of the man he describes as "one of the last magi" -- P.D. Smith * Guardian *You could do a lot worse than to pack this book in your suitcase when you're visiting the city. His lucid prose and clear exposition will help you to decipher a good bit of Prague's labyrinth, and to explain in part why the capital of one of the less important European countries is one of the great cities of the world -- Justin Quinn * Irish Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen British troops entered Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945, they uncovered scenes of horror and depravity that shocked the world. But they also confronted a terrible challenge - inside the camp were some 60,000 people, suffering from typhus, starvation and dysentery, who would die unless they received immediate medical attention.After Daybreak is the story of the army stretcher-bearers and ambulance drivers, medical students and relief workers who attempted to save the inmates of Belsen - with the war still raging and only the most primitive drugs and facilities available.Drawing on their diaries and letters, Ben Shephard reconstructs events at Belsen in the spring of 1945 - from the first horror of its discovery, through the agonising process of trying to save the survivors. In doing so he addresses the question of whether we should regard the relief of the camp as an epic of medical heroism - as the British believed - or see the failure to plan for Belsen and the undoubted mistakes that were made there as further evidence of Allied indifference to the fate of Europe's Jews - as some historians now argue. The result is a powerful and dramatic narrative, full of extraordinary incidents and characters, and an important contribution to medical history.Trade ReviewIn his excellent and lucid account, Shephard fully makes his case that the aftermath of the liberation of Belsen was an episode in which the British can take pride...a powerful and dramatic narrative -- Frank McLynn * Independent *A solidly researched, scrupulously balanced and sensitive account of the liberation that will serve as a fitting tribute and a guide to future generations about how best to remember Belsen -- David Cesarini * Guardian *A moving story * Times Literary Supplement *Contributors to the ever-growing opus of Holocaust historiography have been accused by some of creating an industry. However, Shephard's contribution is not superfluous and he negotiates his harrowing material surefootedly -- Katrina Goldstone * Irish Times *

Read more less