European history Books

Book SynopsisA blend of contemporary travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps from "a graceful and passionate writer" (The Washington Post).Trade Review"Stephen O'Shea's sardonic, science-rich travelogue…" -- Nature"His [Stephen O'Shea's] account of his journey, all 500 miles and seven countries of it, is a soaring success, erudite, entertaining and human... the Alps cry out to be explored. Start with this book." -- i paper"Veteran traveller Stephen O’Shea takes the reader on a delightful 500-mile historical romp through the Alps... It is well worth making space in the rucksack for this on your next Alpine holiday." -- Geographical

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Book SynopsisA gripping account of the infamous Nazi doctor from a former US Justice Department official tasked with uncovering his fate.Trade Review"It must be the most thorough-going account of Mengele's life available to date, a calm and professional read, but one that inevitably makes you want to look away." -- The Spectator"What specifically distinguishes Marwell’s account from previous studies concerns his personal involvement in the Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations (O.S.I.) and the search for and identification of Mengele." -- The International New York Times"Gripping… sober and meticulous." -- David Margolick - The Wall Street Journal"Marwell’s life has much new to tell us, both about Mengele himself and, more significant, about the social and scientific milieu that allowed him to flourish." -- Adam Gopnik - The New Yorker"Compelling... At once a compact biography of the notorious war criminal, a detailed account of Mengele’s flight to South America, and an absorbing narrative of the quest to bring him to justice." -- Patricia Heberer Rice - Science

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Book SynopsisStudying from the Mycenean to the late Hellenistic period, this work includes new articles by twenty-seven specialists of ancient Greece, and presents an examination of the Greek cultures of mainland Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt and Italy.With the chapters sharing the theme of social history, this fascinating book focuses on women, the poor, and the slaves â all traditionally seen as beyond the margins of powerand includes the study of figures who were on the literal margins of the Greek world.Bringing to the forefront the research into areas previously thought of as marginal, Anton Powell sheds new light on vital topics and authors who are central to the study of Greek culture. Platoâs reforms are illuminated through a consideration of his impatient and revolutionary attitude to women, and Powell also examines how the most potent symbol of central Greek history â the Parthenon â can be understood as a political symbol when viewed with the knowledge of the cosmeticTrade Review`Anton Powell's innovative and ambitious collection of 27 articles.' - Times Higher Eduction`Anton Powell's innovative and ambitious collection of 27 articles.' - Times Higher Eduction'The scope of the ideas in this impressive collection (originally published in hardback in 1995) is impossible to cover in a brief summary. Suffice to say that The Greek World will make an interesting addition to the classicist's bookshelf.' - Anglo-Hellenic ReviewTable of ContentsRobin Osborne, University of Oxford; Alan Griffiths, University College, London; Rosalind Thomas, Royal Holloway College; J.R.Morgan, University College, Swansea; Philip de Souza, Strawberry Hill College; Helen King, University of Reading; Anton Powell, University of Cardiff; Kathryn Lomas, University of Newcastle; Andrew Erskine, University College, Dublin; Nigel Spivey, University of Cambridge; A.M.Bowie, University of Oxford; Robert Parker, University of Oxford, Edward Hussey, University of Oxford, T.H.Irwin, Cornell University, NY, T.J.Saunders, University of Newcastle

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Book SynopsisHistory sees Augustus Caesar as the first emperor of Rome, whose system of ordered government provided a firm and stable basis for the expansion and prosperity of the Roman Empire. Hailed as ''restorer of the Republic'' and regarded by some as a deity in his own lifetime, Augustus was emulated by many of his successors. David Shotter reviews the evidence in order to place Augustus firmly in the context of his own times. Key topics discussed include: the background to Augustus Caesar''s spectacular rise to power  his political and imperial reforms the creation of the Republica of Augustus the legacy Augustus Caesar left to his successors. Revised throughout, the second edition of this successful book takes the most recent research in the field into account. David Shotter also includes more coverage of the social and cultural aspects of this complex character''s reign together with an expanded guide to further reading.Trade Review'Shotter has given us a clearly written, well-organized introductory survey ... anyone interested in Augustus ... would also find much of value here. A good introduction.'- BMCRTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Crisis of the Roman Republic 2. The Divine Youht 3. The Powers of Augustus 4. Auctorias - and Patronage 5. The City of Marble 6. The Respublica of Augustus 7. The Empire and the Augustan Peace 8. The Succession 9. The Legacy of Augustus Appendix I: Chief Dates in the Life and Career of Augustus Caesar Appendix II: The sources for Augustus' Principate: With Further Reading on the Source Material Appendix III: Glossary of Latin Terms. Select Bibliography. Index of Proper Names and Places

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Book SynopsisFully revised and update with the latest field research, an expanded guide to further reading, and drawing on a wealth of knowledge, this examination of the Roman republic's fall is a must for all students of history and classical studies.Trade Review'This is an impressive piece of publishing worth anyone's time and money.' – History Teaching Review'This book should serve its intended audience well, stimulating rather than blunting whatever enthusiasm it may have for the subject' –Robin Seager, The Classical ReviewTable of Contents1. Introduction: The Republic 2. The Government of the Republic 3. The Growth of the Empire 4. Factionalism in Roman Politics: The Gracchus Brothers 5. Marius, the Army and the Italian Allies 6. Sulla and the Senate 7. The Domination of Pompey 8. The First Triumvirate and the Slide to Civil War 9. Caesar's Dictatorship 10. The Final Act: Antonius, Octavian and Lepidus 11. Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThis all embracing survey of Pompeii provides the most comprehensive survey of the region available. With contributions by well-known experts in the field, this book studies not only Pompeii, but also for the first time the buried surrounding cities of Campania. The World of Pompeii includes the latest understanding of the region, based on the up-to-date findings of recent archaeological work.Accompanied by downloadable resources with the most detailed map of Pompeii so far, this book is instrumental in studying the city in the ancient world and is an excellent source book for students of this fascinating and tragic geographic region.Trade Review‘The editors' … modest hope that The World of Pompeii will serve as an updated variation on the themes of August Mau's Pompeii: Its Life and Art is no preparation for the wealth of information presented here, not to mention access to the thoughts and work of many leading Pompeii scholars from the eighteenth century onwards.’ – Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsPart 1: Beginnings 1. An Orientation to the Cities and Countryside 2. History and Historical Sources 3. Rediscovery and Resurrection 4. The Environmental and Geomorphological Context 5. Recent Work on Early Pompeii 6. The First Sanctuaries 7. Early Urban Development 8. Building Materials, Construction Methods, and Chronologies. Appendix: A Note on Roman Concrete (Opus Caementicium) and Other Wall Construction Part 2: The Community 9. Development of Pompeii’s Public Landscape in the Roman Period 10. Urban Planning, Roads, Streets and Neighborhood 11. The Walls and Gates 12. The Forum and its Dependencies 13. Urban, Suburban and Rural Religion in the Roman Period 14. Amphitheatre, Palaestra, and Entertainment Complexes 15. The City Baths 16. The Water System – Supply and Drainage Part 3: Housing 17. Domestic Spaces and Activities 18. The Development of the Campanian House 19. Instrumentum Domesticum – A Case Study 20. Domestic Decoration. Paintings and the 'Four Styles' 21. Domestic Decoration. Mosaics and Stucco 22. Real and Painted (Imitation) Marble at Pompeii 23. Houses of Regions I and II 24. Regions V and IX. Early Anonymous Domestic Architecture 25. The Creation of the House of the Vestals (VI16–8) 26. Rooms with a View. Residences Built on Terraces (Regions VI–VIII) 27. Residences in Herculaneum 28. Villas Surrounding Pompeii and Herculaneum Part 4: Society and Economy 29. Shops and Industries 30. Inns and Taverns 31. Gardens 32. The Loss of Innocence. Pompeian Economy and Society 33. Epigraphy and Society 34. Pompeian Women 35. The Lives of Slaves 36. Pompeian Men and Women in Portrait Sculpture 37. The Tombs at Pompeii 38. Victims of the Cataclysm 39. Early Published Sources for Pompeii

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Book SynopsisRecent developments in the global economy, such as the Greek budget crisis, have led to new focus on the role of Europe, and in particular on the countries in Europeâs south-eastern region. This new volume from a global set of contributors explores south-east Europeâs present and future direction, placing it in the context of the history of the region since the end of the Second World War.Through an exploration of Europeâs cultural and political economy, this volume argues that the south-east part of Europe is currently the most crucial component of Europeâs future development. The book charts the post-World War Two âevolutionâ of the continent, taking in such key turning points as the 1971 breakdown of the fixed exchange rate system, the breakdown of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, and the 2008 global financial collapse. In doing so, the book seeks to explain why and how the current events in south-east Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean can be seen as the weakest points inTable of ContentsIntroduction Economics 1. Structural Evolution of Agents 2. Commodities and Services 3. Education and Labor Markets Politics 4. Environment and Ecology 5. Military and Democracy 6. Embedded in Global Politics Culture 7. Religion 8. Gender and Generation Relations 9. Organizational Forms Perspectives

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'Tautly written and thoroughly researched, Feuchtwanger's Bismarck ... is marvellous at digesting and presenting mountains of research.' - Geoffrey Wawro, University of North Texas‘It is good to have so accessible a biography of Bismarck in one volume. Feuchtwanger takes account of much of the recent writing on the history of the period. Especially valuable is the highlighting of connections between Bismarck’s domestic and foreign policies.’ John Breuilly, University of Birmingham'It is good to have so accessible a biography of Bismarck in one volume. Feuchtwanger takes account of much of the recent writing on the history of the period. Especially valuable is the highlighting of connections between Bismarck's domestic and foreign policies'.John Breuilly, University of Birmingham Table of ContentsChronology Preface Introduction 1. Early Days 2. Entry into politics 3. Diplomat with a difference 4. Minister in waiting 5. Prime minister 6. First triumph 7. Fratricidal war 8. High noon 9. Imperial chancellor 10. Turn to the right 11. Power prolonged 12. Fall and resentful retirement Conclusion Notes Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Kennedy here presents a full study, the first, of immigrant – metic – women in Classical Athens, seeking to delineate their legal status, their vulnerabilities and their work. In so doing she must also identify and strip away the prejudices with which these women were viewed, prejudices so powerful and widespread that most previous scholars have taken them as statements of fact. In this effort she has been, in my judgment, very successful. This book, brisk and clear, makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of both metic status and the position and perceptions of women in Athens." - Journal of Hellenic Studies"This book certainly raises many questions about metic women, who they were individually as well as their identification as a group. By bringing metic women to the foreground of analysis, it successfully highlights the ancient ideological biases, allowing modern scholars to see the evidence with fresh eyes." - Polis, The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought“[Kennedy’s] interpretation breaks down Athenian ideological constraints that have over-influenced modern scholarship on metic women. By distinguishing metic women from citizen women and prostitutes, this book does an important service to studies of women in Athens." - The Classical Journal Online"This book is an important contribution because studies of gender in Graeco-Roman antiquity rarely account for racial or ethnic difference. Throughout the book, there is a great deal of source criticism and, at the same time, an excellent self-reflexive perspective on classical scholarship…an insightful analysis on the complexity of difference in classical Athens." - Rosetta"With clear and punchy prose, Kennedy provides a helpful overview ofthe experiences of immigrant women and the structures that emerged to classify them. Her key concerns are to demystify the idea that they were all prostitutes, and to unpack Athenian social prejudices affecting female metics and our (mis)perceptions of these women." - David Roselli, Scripps College, Classical WorldTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Metic Women, Citizenship, and Marriage in Athenian Law 2. The Ideology of the Metic Woman 3. Aspasia, Athenian Citizen Elites, and the Myth of the Courtesan 4. The Dangers of the Big City 5. Working Women, not ‘Working Girls’

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1987, Out of the Cage brings vividly to life the experiences of working women from all social groups in the two World Wars.Telling a fascinating story, the authors emphasise what the women themselves have had to say, in diaries, memoirs, letters and recorded interviews about the call up, their personal reactions to war, their feelings about pay and the company at work, the effects of war on their health, their relations with men and their home lives; they speak too about how demobilisation affected them, and how they spent the years between two World Wars.Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction Part 1: The First World War 2. Women Before 1914 3. Dilution; Women in "Men’s Jobs" 4. War Work 5. Health and Welfare 6. Domestic Life 7. Demobilisation 1918-20 Part 2: The Second World War 8. Women Between the Wars 9. Call Up 10. Dilution Again 11. On the Job 12. Love, Sex and Marriage 13. Health and Welfare 14. Double Burden 15. Demobilisation 1945-50 16. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA passionate celebrator of sexual difference, Luce Irigaray was never simply after the social equality that her generation so publicly demanded. She was seeking more fundamentally a society that celebrated the differences between the genders and their coming together in a union without hierarchy. As she formulates it in this compellingly readable introduction to her own thought, Irigaray is writing about how I and You become We. Exploring along the way women's experiences of motherhood, abortion, the AIDS crisis and the beauty industry, this book presents one of the most important thinkers of our day in her own words.Trade Review'These translations of Luce Irigaray's works will make a powerful contribution to feminist scholarship in philosophy, political theory, psycho-analysis, linguistics and poetics. Theorists of sexual difference will find a serious and subtle challenge in Irigaray's latest provocations.'- Judith Butler'Luce Irigaray is, arguably, one of the most original and provocative feminist theorists in contemporary French though.' - Elizabeth GroszTable of ContentsA Personal Note: Equal or Different 1. The Neglect of Female Genealogies 2. Religious and Civil Myths 3. Women's Discourse and Men's Discourse 4. On the Maternal Order 5. The Culture of Difference 6. Writing as a Woman 7. 'I Won't Get AIDS' 8. Linguistic Sexes and Genders 9. The Right to Life 10. Why Define Sexed Rights? 11. 'More Women than Men' 12. Your Health: What, or Who, is it? 13. How can we Create our Beauty? 14. How Old are You? 15. The Cost of Words 16. So When are we to Become Women?

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Book SynopsisClassical Athens boasted some of the most original and influential achievements in literature, art, philosophy, medicine and politics. This best-selling book, now issued in a second edition, provides a comprehensive and highly illustrated introduction to its history, society, culture and values aimed at the student and the general reader. The text has been extensively revised from the first edition and the bibliography updated. A wide range of topics is discussed, but the book refuses to divide up the Athenian world neatly into separate compartments, insisting that sense can only be made of the society by making connections between its history, institutions, values and environment. The book can be used either on its own or as an accompaniment to students learning Greek with the Reading Greek course.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. An outline history of Athens to the death of Alexander the Great; 2. Environment and settlement of Athens and Attikê; 3. Gods and festivals; 4. Human obligations, values and concerns; 5. Athenian society; 6. Athenian democracy and imperialism; 7. Athens at war; 8. The culture of Athens; 9. Postscript: the world of Athens and other worlds.

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Book SynopsisNew approaches to the history of print have allowed historians of early modern Europe to re-evaluate major shifts in religious, intellectual, cultural and political life across Europe. Drawing on precise and detailed study of the contexts of different types of print, including books, pamphlets, newspapers and flysheets, combined with quantitative analysis and a study of texts as material objects, Thomas Munck offers a transformed picture of early modern political culture, and through analysis of new styles and genres of writing he offers a fresh perspective on the intended readership. Conflict and Enlightenment uses a resolutely comparative approach to re-examine what was being disseminated in print, and how. By mapping the transmission of texts across cultural and linguistic divides, Munck reveals how far new forms of political discourse varied depending on the particular perspectives of authors, readers and regulatory authorities, as well as the cultural adaptability of translators aTrade Review'This impressive and ambitious study of the interplay of print, political thought and expression, and social and cultural change is a compelling, fine-tuned and original account of how the printing press served as an agent of change across the early modern period and Enlightenment.' Simon Burrows, Western Sydney University'With remarkable command of the Germanic languages, not to ignore his facility with French and other languages, Munck has written the history of books and publishing from the 1630s to the turbulent 1790s into Enlightenment historiography. The sheer quantity and quality of print culture, expanding more rapidly than the literate public, shows that without it, the origins and power of the Enlightenment cannot be understood.' Margaret C. Jacob, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles'This weighty study takes the reader from the depths of the Thirty Years War to the end of the Enlightenment. Surveying the previous fifty years of research on the topic, it asks how print media reshaped ideas and impacted political culture in an era when polemic was rife and print was becoming the most powerful tool available to form opinion in the new reading public.' Dorinda Outram, Professor Emerita of History, University of Rochester, New York'Munck skilfully combines observation and classification at the meta level, and presents the interaction between political events and the production, distribution, and reception of print media, whose format allowed them to adapt to different political conditions.' Christine Haug, German Historical Institute London BulletinTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Print, production, authors and readers; 2. Instability and politicisation (1630–77); 3. Subversive print in the early Enlightenment; 4. Translation and transmission across cultural borders; 5. High enlightenment, political texts and reform (1748–89); 6. Revolution: democracy and loyalism in print (1789–95); Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIn the bleakest years of the Second World War when it appeared that nothing could slow the advance of the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the strength of the Cretan resistance or the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force.The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers who found themselves serving because, as one of them put it, they had made ''the obsolete choice of Greek at school''. John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; Sandy Rendel, a futuTrade ReviewAn exciting, fast-moving and crisply written adventure story… Highly recommended * The Literary Review *Wes Davis’s fast-paced tale of wartime sabotage reads more like an Ian Fleming thriller than a mere retelling of events * Wall Street Journal *What really sets the book apart from the host of look-alikes is Davis’s dedication to fleshing out the eccentricity of the main players… It is surely a good thing that we no longer associate war with adventure; if it were always as appealing as Davis has made it here, we would grow to love it too much * Daily Beast *

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Book SynopsisGuy Walters is the author of several books on the Second World War, including Hunting Evil. A former journalist on The Times, he writes widely on historical topics for the national press. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife, the author Annabel Venning, and their two children.Trade ReviewGuy Walters strips away the myths to reveal the real story behind the film and finds the truth to be no less thrilling. This is utterly compelling and once again shows there is no better investigator in this field. * James Holland *

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Book SynopsisDetailing the rediscovery in Moscow of the so-called jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy begun in 1988, which continues to yield new evidence about the historical city, In Search of the Trojan War takes a fresh look at some of the most excited discoveries in archaeology.

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Book SynopsisThe second instalment of the Pax Britannica Trilogy by Jan Morris, recreates the British Empire at its dazzling climax - the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, celebrated as a festival of imperial strength, unity, and splendour. This classic work of history portrays a nation at the very height of its vigour and self-satisfaction, imposing on the rest of the world its traditions and tastes, its idealists and rascals. The Pax Britannica Trilogy also includes Heaven''s Command: An Imperial Progress and Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat. Together these three works of history trace the dramatic rise and fall of the British Empire, from the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 to the death of Winston Churchill in 1965. Jan Morris is world-renowned for her collection of travel writing and reportage, spanning over five decades and including such titles as Venice, Coronation Everest, Hong Kong, Spain, A Writ

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Book SynopsisTim Richardson has been writing about the English landscape garden for over 14 years. he was gardens editor of Country Life from 1995-99 and is the author/editor of The Garden Book (Phaidon), as well as author of English Gardens in the Twentieth Century (Aurum) and The Vanguard Landcapes and Gardens of Martha Schwartz (Thames and Hudson). He is also the world's foremost confectionery historian and author of Sweets: A History of Temptation. He lives in north London.Trade ReviewWonderfully rich and packed with vivid details...The Arcadian Friends deserves to become a classic * Guardian *The Arcadian Friends offers an invigorating new approach to familiar garden history territory. In the company of his large cast, Richardson guides us deftly through varied landscapes full of surprises. * Sunday Telegraph *Replete with first-rate scholarship... there are many delights here * Literary Review *Richardson explains this with verve and enthusiasm, and a measure of his success is that he makes the reader want to visit, or revisit, the gardens he describes * Telegraph *Wonderfully engaging... This book gives us a way to read the landscape and see again what the original owners intended. * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThis volume draws on literary and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the Goths' dramatic history, and to explore the meaning of Gothic identity at different moments and in different contexts. It is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three main phases in Gothic historyTrade Review"...a volume of central importance on the place of the Goths in early European history and a fine contribution to the study of the transformation of Europe after Rome." Times Literary Supplement, January 1998. "... an excellent introduction to the student" Archaeological Review from CambridgeTable of ContentsList of Plates. List of Figures. Preface. Abbreviations. Acknowledgements. 1. The Gothic Problem. Part I: In Search of the Goths:. 2. From the Baltic to the Black Sea. 3. The Fourth Century Kingdoms. Part II: Goths, Huns and Romans:. 4. The Hunnic Revolution. 5. Goths and Romans: Remaking the Gothic World. 6. The Transformation of the Goths 376-476. Part III: The Kingdoms of the Goths:. 7. The First Gothic Successor State. 8. Ostrogothic Italy: Kingdom and Empire. 9. Sixth Century Crises and Beyond. 10. Symbols, Mechanisms, and Continuities. Appendix 1: Procopius and the Gothic Elite. Appendix 2: Non-Goths in the Army of Totila. Bibliography. 1. Primary Sources. 2. Secondary Sources. 3. The Wielbark and Cernjachov Cultures. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis is a history of the Huns in Europe from their first attacks on the Goths north of the Black Sea to the collapse of their central European empire after the death of the legendary Attila.Table of ContentsIntroduction. 1. Sources. 2. The History of the Huns Before Attila. 3. Hun Society Before Attila. 4. The Victories of Attila. 5. Peace on the Danube Frontier. 6. The Defeats of Attila. 7. Hun Society Under Attila. 8. Roman Foreign Policy and the Huns. 9. Conclusion. Appendixes:. A: The Songs of the Huns. B: The Causes of the War of 441. C: Valips. D: The Campaign of 441-3. E: Chronological Note on the Years 449-50. F: The Site of Attila's Headquarters. G: The Alleged Gothic Names of the Huns. Afterword by Peter Heather. Further Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisPompey the Great was one of the most important military commanders and politicians in the history of the Roman republic. This biography provides a historical background essential for understanding Pompey's career. It gives readers a look inside the political and military world of ancient Rome and at one of the characters that shaped its destiny.Trade Review"Displays a high degree of expertise and professional competence . . . an important contribution to the understanding of the late Republic and a valuable tool for future researchers." History "An authoritative volume which is likely for many years to remain essential reading for students of the Late Republic. . . highly recommended." Greece and Rome "The new edition makes this volume one of the most ready references on this subject in English, and the chronological table and the glossary are exemplary for a biography on a Roman topic. Seager's work has stood the test of time and will continue to do so." Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsPreface. Abbreviations. List of maps. Introduction: The Historical Background from the Gracchi to Sulla. 1. Cn. Pomepeius Strabo. 2. Pompeius, Cinna and Sulla. 3. The Rise to the Consulship. 4. The Commands Against the Pirates and Mithradates. 5. Pompeius in the East. 6. Rome in the Absence of Pompeius. 7. The Return of Pomepius. 8. The Consulship of Caesar. 9. The Exile of Cicero. 10. The Conference of Luca. 11. The Second Consulship and the Growth of Anarchy. 12. The Third Consulship and the Approach of Civil War. 13. The Civil War. 14. Conclusion. Afterword. Appendix 1 The Chronology of Caesar's Legation in 59. Appendix 2 The Terminal Date of Caesar's Gallic Command. Select Bibliography. Chronological table. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom Sarah Bradford, the best-selling author of George VI, Elizabeth and Diana, the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, now celebrating the Platinum Jubilee -- her 70th year on the throneElizabeth II has lived through the Abdication, the Blitz and World War Two, the sex and spy scandals of the swinging sixties, the Cold War and the nuclear threat, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a global pandemic. She has known 14 US Presidents including JFK, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, and other world leaders like President Mandela and Pope John XXII. Her Prime Ministers have ranged from Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to Boris Johnson. Her own family experiences, a mixture of happiness and crisis, weddings and divorces, and, in the case of Diana, violent death, have been lived in the glare of tabloid headlines. More than 2 billion people watched the wedding of her grandson Prince William to Catherine Middleton in 2010 shortly before

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Book SynopsisSociologist Robert Wuthnow notes remarkable similarities in the social conditions surrounding three of the greatest challenges to the status quo in the development of modern societyâthe Protestant Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the rise of Marxist socialism.

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Book SynopsisFirst of the widely celebrated and sumptuously illustrated series, this book reveals in intimate detail what life was really like in the ancient world.Trade ReviewPrivate life has always been a matter of public conjecture. This admirable book brings it intelligently into the web of social history and is a model for historians and readers alike. Beautifully produced, it adds apt and rare illustrations to a text by experts who presuppose human curiosity, but no undue knowledge. Its range and level of argument will intrigue anyone who has wondered about past attitudes to such matters as sex and the family, households, social inferiors, dress and even undress. -- Robin Lane Fox * Washington Post *This first volume is one of the most arresting, original, and rewarding historical surveys to be published in many years, and its value is enhanced by the hundreds of illustrations, which present almost every conceivable detail of private life as it was lived in the centuries. -- Bernard Knox * The Atlantic *A stimulating—indeed a provocative—and beautiful book on a difficult subject… It’s a treasure. * Christian Science Monitor *The five essays collected here…treat readers to a vast array of anecdotes and conjectures about the private life of our forebears. -- Roger Kimball * Wall Street Journal *A book which makes the reader think, teasing and encouraging with spicy details, long views, a capacity for the unexpected insight. Now for something completely different. -- Jasper Griffin * London Review of Books *This is a long, demanding and very rewarding book. If the remaining four volumes are of this quality, the series will indeed, as the editors claim, be ‘a milestone in historical research.’ -- Jane F. Gardner * Times Higher Education Supplement *This absorbingly illustrated series is intent on presenting the past with both physical immediacy and with as little academic fuss as possible. The illustrations in the first volume have a subjective penetration of the text that is like an inner musical accompaniment. This volume does not pretend to roll out a complete rug of civilization… Few readers, even of I, Claudius, will have experienced pagan Rome with quite the freshness evident here… History-to-touch. * Kirkus Reviews *The new emphasis on the history of everybody has now been consecrated in [this] ambitious five-volume series… Copious illustrative materials—paintings, drawings, caricatures, and photographs, all cannily chosen and wittily captioned to display domestic life… Magnificent. -- Roger Shattuck * New York Times Book Review *Together these five compact volumes cover much of the history of the classical world, and do so with both ease and authority. * Washington Post Book World *Table of ContentsForeword by Georges Duby Introduction by Paul Veyne 1. Roman Empire by Paul Veyne Introduction From Mother's Womb to Last Will and Testament Marriage Slavery The Household and Its Freed Slaves Where Public Life Was Private "Work" and Leisure Patrimony Public Opinion and Utopia Pleasures and Excesses Tranquilizers 2. Late Antiquity by Peter Brown Introduction The "Wellborn" Few Person and Group in Judaism and Early Christianity Church and Leadership The Challenge of the Desert East and West: The New Marital Morality 3. Private Life and Domestic Architecture in Roman Africa by Yvon Thebert The Roman Home: Foreword by Paul Veyne Some Theoretical Considerations The Domestic Architecture of the Ruling Class "Private" and "Public" Spaces: The Components of the Domus How the Domus Worked Conclusion 4. The Early Middle Ages in the West by Michel Rouche Introduction by Paul Veyne Historical Introduction Private Life Conquers State and Society Body and Heart Violence and Death Sacred and Secret Conclusion 5. Byzantium in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries by Evelyne Patlagean The Byzantine Empire Private Space Self and Others The Inner Life Private Belief Conclusion Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisWhen this Pulitzer Prize–winning biography first appeared in 1976, it rescued T. E. Lawrence from mythologizing. In it, Mack explores the relationship between Lawrence’s inner life and his historically significant actions. Interviews, correspondence, War Office dispatches and unpublished letters provide the basis for this sensitive investigation.Trade ReviewA hugely admired, and Pulitzer Prize–winning, biography which concentrates on the relationship between Lawrence’s inner life and the actions and events which grew out of them. It is easy to warm to a biographer who, while drawing on his training as a psychiatrist, is never deceived into thinking that theory can ‘explain’ his Lawrence. The more Mack discovered about the social contexts of Lawrence’s actions and the demands on a public man, the more he understood Lawrence’s psychology. The result is a resounding confirmation of this approach to his subject. -- Desmond Christy * The Guardian *A great book which honors its subject, its form, and its author. * Boston Sunday Globe *Takes us closer to the core of Lawrence than any previous biography. * Time *We are not likely to get as thorough and judicious a biography of T. E. Lawrence for some time. * New York Times Book Review *Mack’s handling of this information is a model of sensitive psychoanalytical expertise. * Newsweek *Unlike many ‘psycho-biographies,’ this was written by a trained psychologist who had also done his biographer’s homework: it remains the best biography of T. E. Lawrence. * Contemporary Review *Table of Contents* Preface, 1998 * Introduction * Part 1: Family Background and Childhood *1. Chapmans and Lawrences *2. Childhood and Adolescence *3. Lawrence and His Family: The Burden of Illegitimacy * Part 2: Youth * Introduction *4. Literary Influences *5. Crusader Castles *6. Lawrence at Jesus College, 1907--1910 *7. The First Trip to the Middle East, 1909 *8. Lawrence at Carchemish *9. The Epic Dream and the Fact of War * Part 3: The War Years, 1914--1918 * Introduction *10. The Background of the Arab Revolt *11. Two Years in Cairo, 1914--1916 *12. The Course of the Arab Revolt *13. The Capture of Damascus *14. The Achievements of "Aurens" *15. The Question of Motivation *16. Lawrence the Enabler *17. The Conflict of Responsibility *18. The Heroic Legend and the Hero *19. The Shattering of the Dream * Part 4: The Political Years, 1918--1922 * Introduction *20. Arab Self-determination and Arab Unity *21. Leaving Damascus Behind *22. At the Paris Peace Conference *23. Return to England: London and All Souls *24. Lawrence and Churchill: The Political Settlements in the Middle East * Part 5: The Years in the Ranks, 1922--1935 *25. The Service Years: An Overview *26. Ross: The First RAF Enlistment *27. The Years in the Tanks *28. Cranwell *29. India *30. Mount Batten *31. "Boats, Boats, Boats" *32. Retirement and Death * Part 6: Further Dimensions *33. Intimacy, Sexuality and Penance *34. Lawrence Assayed * Appendix: Twenty-Seven Articles * Chapter Notes * Bibliography * Copyright Acknowledgments * Index

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Book SynopsisMarco Santagata illuminates one of the world's supreme poets from many angles philosopher, father, courtier, political partisan. He brings together a vast body of Italian scholarship on Dante's medieval world, untangles a complex web of family relationships for English readers, and shows the influence of local and regional politics on his writing.

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Book SynopsisA series of dinner parties at which the guests quote extensively from Greek literature. The work provides quotations from works now lost, and preserves information about wide range of information about Greek culture.Trade ReviewThe re-evaluation of Athenaeus continues. This is the very welcome first volume of a new Loeb edition of the Deipnosophistae intended to replace the set of volumes edited by Charles Gulick (1927-41). -- J. L. Lightfoot * Exemplaria Classica *Essential for food historians. Excellent Value. -- AKD * Petits Propos Culinaires *One of the main advantages of Olson's new edition is that it is reader-friendly. When The Learned Banqueters quotes from a known author, Olson follows the text of, and gives the reference to, the best modern edition, making it easy for the reader to look up the citation in its original context...Olson's translation is largely excellent, and captures the spirit of the different authors quoted. -- Helen Morales * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisA series of dinner parties at which the guests quote extensively from Greek literature. The work provides quotations from works now lost, and preserves information about wide range of information about Greek culture.Trade ReviewOne of the main advantages of Olson's new edition is that it is reader-friendly. When The Learned Banqueters quotes from a known author, Olson follows the text of, and gives the reference to, the best modern edition, making it easy for the reader to look up the citation in its original context...Olson's translation is largely excellent, and captures the spirit of the different authors quoted. -- Helen Morales * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey was one of the most flamboyant and controversial characters of Henry VIII''s reign. A pioneering poet, whose verse had a profound impact on Shakespeare, Surrey was nevertheless branded by one contemporary as ''the most foolish proud boy that is in England''. He was the heir of England''s premier nobleman, first cousin to two of Henry VIII''s wives - Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard - and best friend and brother-in-law to the King''s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy. Celebrated for his chivalrous deeds both on and off the battlefield, Surrey became, at only twenty-eight, the King''s Lieutenant General in France. But his confident exterior masked insecurity and loneliness. A man of intriguing contradictions, Surrey was both law enforcer and law breaker, political conservative and religious reformer and his life, replete with drunken escapades, battlefield heroics, conspiracy and courtroom drama, sheds new light on the opulence and artifice oTrade ReviewRarely have I felt so utterly captivated by a history book. It is stunning! Jessie Childs is a major new talent. She brings her characters to life so vividly, and the narrative just flows, packed with amazing detail. This, for me, is a surprisingly fresh view on a period with which I am very familiar. -- Alison WeirA truly superb biography. -- A. N WilsonClatters along like an epic gangster movie... gripping. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Express *Jessie Childs is a rising star among historians. Just when we thought everything had been said about Henry VIII she makes us see him from a completely new angle - through the eyes of a poet aristocrat. -- Desmond SewardChilds's description of these complex manoeuvrings [at Henry's court], as of the French wars, is excellent...this book opens a fascinating window on the mid-Tudor world. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIt is my considered judgement that, had it not been for the Russian Revolution, there would very likely have been no National Socialism; probably no Second World War and no decolonization; and certainly no Cold War, which one dominated our lives. I will attempt here to distill the essence of my books The Russian Revolution and Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime by raising the three central questions addressed in those volumes: Why did tsarism fall? Why did the Bolsheviks gain power? Why did Stalin succeed Lenin?'' Richard Popes, from Three Whys of the Russian Revolution.Arguably the most important event of the twentieth century, the Russian Revolution changed for ever the course of modern history. Due to the Soviet clampdown on archives regarding the Revolution, many aspects of the event have been shrouded in mystery for over seventy years. However, since the collapse of Communism the archival depositories havebeen thrown open to interested parties.Trade ReviewOne of America's great historians. * Washington Post Book World *Pipes is not a mere communicator of facts but a philosopher examining the deeper, broader trends beneath the surface of history. * San Francisco Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisThe Viking ship is one of the most iconic images of the Vikings and the longship in particular has been central to our understanding of the Vikings. This book explores the evolution of their sea-going vessels and celebrates this outstanding feature of the Viking Age.

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Book SynopsisAn accessible, highly illustrated introduction to the history, society, culture and art of Britain when it was a province of the Roman Empire

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Book SynopsisColour spot the difference test your knowledge join the dots search and find the Historopedia Activity Book provides hours of entertainment for you and your family!Name the Irish presidents, design your own stained-glass window, record your family tree and pull out the full-colour timeline and hang it on your wall. Get ready to plan your next time-travelling adventure!

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Book SynopsisThe first history of the special relationship between Ireland and Scotland from acclaimed historian Jonathan Bardon, based on his BBC Radio seriesBased on the popular BBC Ulster radio series of the same name, A Narrow Sea traces the epic sweep of Ireland's relationship with Scotland, exploring the myriad connections, correlations, personalities and antagonisms that have, over the centuries, defined the relationship between these two spirited neighbours.In 120 brief, episodic chapters, A Narrow Sea offers a stirring and panoramic view of a connection that has shaped the course of history. Roving freely across the centuries, from the first migrations of the regions' paleolithic tribes and their encounters with Greek and Roman explorers, to the grand colonial projects of the Vikings, Normans and Stuarts, this is the story of how a shared culture laid the basis for two very different nations.Jonathan Bardon's lively and engaging history of the interactions between Ireland and Scotland over two millennia is a vastly pleasurable read and history at its most accessible.' Dublin Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe paths of a secret paramour, a jilted lover and a reluctant hangman cross in one fateful winter week in Galway, 1885James Berry was the notorious hangman who ended the lives of over 100 criminals in Victorian Britain and Ireland. Tortured by nightmares as he tried to come to terms with the toll his gruesome work took on him, he played a central role in some of the crimes of the century, including the hanging of William Bury, the man suspected of being Jack the Ripper.The Hangman Who Came to Galway focuses on a winter week in Irish history where Berry was tasked with bringing to a conclusion the case of two notorious murders in Galway, keeping readers transfixed as they journey with this fascinating character through nineteenth-century Ireland in all its gruesome glory.

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Book SynopsisIf you follow the headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking that things in Ireland are worse than ever. In fact, we live longer than ever before, we have never been healthier or better educated, we earn five times more than our grandparents did, our personal freedoms exceed those of any previous generation, and the lives of women and children have been transformed for the better.At a time when some good news is welcome, this uplifting book tells our national story through facts and stats, placing Ireland under the microscope to chart 100 undeniable achievements of the past 100 years.When the State was formed, Ireland was one of the most poverty-stricken nations in Europe. Now it has the second-highest quality of life in the world. While there is still more to be done, In Fact illustrates that Ireland, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than you might think.

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Book SynopsisJohn Creedon has always been fascinated by place names, from growing up in Cork City as a young boy to travelling around Ireland making his popular television show. In this brilliant new book, he peels back the layers of meaning of familiar place names to reveal stories about the land of Éireann and the people who walked it before us.Travel the highways, byways and boreens of Ireland with John and become absorbed in the place names, such as The Cave of the Cats', Artichoke Road', The Eagle's Nest' and Crazy Corner'. All hold clues that help to uncover our past and make sense of that place we call home, feeding both mind and soul along the way.That Place We Call Home will foster or feed a love of local lore and cultivate an appreciation for the historical remnants scattered in plain sight all over Ireland's 63,000 townlands' Irish IndependentMarvellous' Paddy Kehoe, RTÉA beautiful book' Daithí Ó Sé, The Today Show

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Book SynopsisIreland's Secret War is a thrilling account of the true extent of IrishAllied co-operation during World War II. It reveals strategic Nazi intentions for Ireland and the real role of leading government figures of the time, placing Dan Bryan and G2 firmly at the centre of Ireland's battle against Nazi Germany.With the help of over thirty-five hours of previously unpublished audio recordings that were held in storage in northern California for over fifty years, Marc McMenamin reveals the extraordinary unheard history of WWII in Ireland, told from the point of view of the main protagonists.Written with the verve and energy of a thriller, Ireland's Secret War reassesses the legacy of the Irish contribution to the Allied war effort through the voices of those involved at the time.

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Book SynopsisFor over fifty years, Kevin C. Kearns trekked the rough-and-tumble streets of the heart of Dublin, hoping to record and preserve the city's vanishing oral history. Armed only with a Sony tape recorder, the ordinary people he encountered street traders, dockers, factory workers, tram drivers, housewives and midwives, children and grandparents shared private stories of hardship, joy, sorrow, suffering, survival and triumph.In Our Day is the culmination of a life's work a treasure trove bursting with whispers from the past 450 vignettes, memories and recollections gathered to present an evocative, poignant portrait of a forgotten Dublin.Without Kevin, the lives of ordinary decent Dubliners would be forgotten. This book is a celebration of them.' Joe Duffy

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Book SynopsisBarging Round Britain by David Bartley is a beautifully-illustrated guide to a unique and fascinating part of our history: the canal network.Explore the people and places that have forged this national treasure, from the birth of the Industrial Revolution to the leisure explosion on our waterways today. Fully-illustrated with maps and photographs, the book will trace canal routes across the UK, from the Georgian grandeur of Bath to the dramatic splendour of the Scottish Highlands.David Bartley''s Barging Round Britain includes a foreword and chapter introductions by the presenter of the TV series, John Sergeant.

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Book Synopsis* PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW *- Why did the Allies decide to invade Southern Italy?- How did the weather and Italian terrain complicate the fighting?- How did General Mark Clark''s Allied Armies win the final battle?Discover the mounting conflict and complex campaigns of the war in Italy. From Operation HUSKY to Clark''s final offensive, the Allied campaign tightened the noose around Nazi Germany and saw the end of Italian Fascism, though it was at a cost of high civilian casualty and destruction.AN EPIC OF GRIT, DETERMINATION AND SACRIFICEWritten by historian, author and broadcaster James Holland and with immersive illustrations by Keith Burns, THE WAR IN ITALY 1943-1945 is an accessible and enthralling introduction to these critical battles and their impact on the outcome of World War II

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Book SynopsisThis is the first full-length history of the Scottish cotton industry, from its beginnings in the late eighteenth century to its premature decline in the years leading up to the First World War. -- .Trade Reviewthis is very good social and economic history(The rise and fall of the Scottish cotton industry) has clearly elaborated the multi-dimensional character of the Scottish textile industryTony Cooke has made a notable contribution to our understanding of early industrialisation and its impact...This is a significant studyvery well written...an excellent study of the cotton industry in Scotlanda book of quality that acts as a welcome addition to historical analyses of this important area of Scottish manufacturing...helps to deliver new and interesting information on the historiography of the cotton industryA very well-written account of a Scottish industry...(photographs and colour plates, for example of the sari shawl peacock design) add yet more to this very accessible studyThis is a well-written and informative general history of Scottish cotton manufacturing from its emergence out of the linen industry down to its shrinking almost to insignificance by the First World War....the book is rich in technological and social detail. It is rightly concerned with the social and political context within which the industry operates, without succumbing too much to a 'culturalist' reading of the industry's demise"... Cooke has explored a range of personal manuscript papers, correspondence, Chamber of Commerce records, wills, fire insurance and Court of Session records, to piece together a convincing history.""... much ground is covered.""Cooke is adept at demonstrating the operation of myriad forms of production - the old combined with the new - which comprised the industry.""... the main strength of Cooke's study is its clarification of the strands of diversity of the industry.""This is a careful piece of research in which the author reveals his mastery of a huge subject. Cooke is to be congratulated on his successful assimilation of evidence from a range of issues and rendering it accessible.""In a study which is so thoroughly researched and which so skilfully incorporates a diversity of themes..." -- .Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of tablesList of illustrationsAbbreviationsIntroduction1. Beginnings: The pre-history of the industry2. Expansion: 1778–18303. Foreign competition, diversification and decline: 1830–19144. Technology5. Workers 6. Employers 7. ConclusionAppendix I. Wills and probate inventories BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe book is a highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that European concepts of time were imposed on other cultures as a component of colonisation. It brings together two complex subjects – time and colonialism – in an engaging, non-theoretical and accessible style.Trade ReviewThis impressive book is the first sustained treatment of the effective British colonisation of indigenous time practices. Analysing both the Cape Colony and Australia, Nanni deftly draws our attention to the enormous significance of the temporal as well as the spatial, for the making of the colonial world'.Alan Lester, Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex'A very fine study, one that has much to offer the broad range of scholars interested in understanding colonial struggles and their ongoing legacy.'Kirsten McKenzie, University of Sydney in American Historical Review (April 2013)[...] if the measure of a good book is that it should ignite the reader’s imagination and suggest all kinds of questions for future research, then this monograph delivers and is a welcome addition to the literature on colonial studies. -- .Table of ContentsGeneral Editor’s introductionIntroduction1. Clocks, Sabbaths and seven-day weeks: The forging of temporal identities 2. Terra sine tempore: Colonial constructions of ‘Aboriginal time’ 3. Cultural curfews: The contestation of time in settler-colonial Victoria 4. ‘The moons are always out of order’: Constructions of ‘African time’ 5. Empire of the seventh day: Time and the Sabbath beyond the Cape frontiers 6. Lovedale, missionary schools and the reform of ‘African time’ 7. Conclusion: From colonisation to globalisationSelect bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisGeorge Mackay Brown was one of Scotland''s greatest twentieth-century writers, but in person a bundle of paradoxes. He had a wide international reputation, but hardly left his native Orkney. A prolific poet, admired by such fellow poets as Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes and Charles Causley, and hailed by the composer Peter Maxwell Davies as ''the most positive and benign influence ever on my own efforts at creation'', he was also an accomplished novelist (shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize for Beside the Ocean of Time) and a master of the short story. When he died in 1996, he left behind an autobiography as deft as it is ultimately uninformative. ''The lives of artists are as boring and also as uniquely fascinating as any or every other life,'' he claimed. Never a recluse, he appeared open to his friends, but probably revealed more of himself in his voluminous correspondence with strangers. He never married - indeed he once wrote, ''I have never been in love in myTrade Review'Other biographies to relish include Maggie Fergusson's life of the poet George Mackay Brown...' * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *In Maggie Fergusson, Mackay Brown has had the good fortune to find the kind of biographer with whom every writer should be blessed. She writes lucidly, with restraint and without sentimentality. Her affection and sympathy for her subject shine through but she never shirks from showing his darker side. He was a deeply troubled man cursed with melancholia whose legacy was prose and poetry of luminous virtuosity. If there is a better biography of a 20th century Scottish writer I look forward to reading it * Sunday Herald *'Outstanding... This is an extraordinarily good book; it is sensitive, witty and has an excellent sense of the vitality of the apparently unimportant details that make up lives and characters.' * Lucy Lethbridge, New Statesman *'An affectionate but clear-sighted biography. Read it alongside his Collected Poems and step into the 'small green world' of [the Orkneys]' * The Times *'Unmissable' * Glasgow Herald *'[Fergusson's] biography is infused with love and understanding of the man and his work... she writes with a delicate precision' * Sunday Times, Jeremy Lewis *'Through his letter and conversations with many friends, Maggie Ferguson discovers that George's life was vivid, courageous and surprising' * Scottish Field *'He deserves a good biography but has got a magnificent one; sympathetic, affectionate, but not glossing over his weaknesses' * Allan Massie, Daily Telegraph *'This subtle, sensitive, beautifully-written biography is a superb example of an author wholly in tune with her subject' * Sunday Telegraph *'His world, in all its wondrous ordinariness, has been brought beautifully to life by Maggie Fergusson's painstakingly faithful labour of love . . . Exquisite and constantly illuminating ' - Sean O'Hagan * Observer *George Mackay Brown was the most elegiac and profoundly rooted of twentieth-century Scottish writers. Maggie Fergusson's biography is a deftly written and convincingly craggy portrait of this Orcadian genius * William Dalrymple *'Maggie Fergusson has captured the essence of the man with insight and elegance.' * Sunday Daily Express (Tom Fullerton) *'An excellent and surprising biography' * Kathleen Jamie, Guardian *This is an outstanding biography: deeply researched, sympathetic and full of insight into George Mackay Brown's magical ability to make poetry out of the simple ingredients of landscape, history and faith, it brings this extraordinary man to life on every page * Claire Tomalin *'She has drawn a portrait of this man which is both the perfect companion for a rereading of his works and also a fascinating story in its own right...This is an altogether remarkable book. I know it will be unforgettable, and that it will draw me back to many rereadings...It is that rare thing, a biography which is itself a work of literature, the story not merely of a lonely, weird man in an isolated part of the United Kingdom, but of an inner journey which the reader follows enraptured, every bit as exciting and strange as the life-journeys of men of action.' * Spectator *Clear, detailed, vigilant, droll and beautifully written, this biography achieves what only the best accounts of a life can: the scent and texture of the departed subject's spirit, and, in this case, the spirit of a very particular place, which Maggie Fergusson conveys with the grace of the bornwriter * Candia McWilliam *This is a truly magnificent achievement. One sign of an outstanding biography is when those who knew - or thought they knew - the subject find surprises and fresh illumination on nearly every page. This beautifully written book evokes both Orkney and the spirit of its master story-teller with a delicate yet unostentatious skill which is the literary equivalent of perfect pitch ... Maggie Fergusson may not have said the last word, but she has stylishly delivered the best and most brilliantly satisfying word so far' * Herald *'Unmissable' * Glasgow Herald *'From this unpromising hank of material, Maggie Fergusson has fashioned an affectionate and enlightening life of the poet George Mackay Brown.' * Literary Review (Andro Linklater ) *'A significant monument to an elegiac writer of genuine literary muscle' - Iain Finlayson * The Times *'An outstanding work of research which no-one interested in George Mackay Brown can afford to be without . . . This is a distinguished example of the art of the biography, beautifully produced in every respect . . . at once sympathetic and professional' * Orcadian *'And, behold, a miracle! In one of his many letters (and this book makes me long for a big collected edition of his letters) Brown wrote "There must be a secret wisdom inside us all that directs our lives, often against our wills and desires". Maggie Fergusson seems to have tapped into this secret wisdom. She has drawn a portrait of this man which is both the perfect companion for a rereading of his works and also a fascinating story in its own right...She herself writes with a poet's accuracy. The setting of the Orcadian scene in the opening pages is masterly, but she also has the poet's knowledge of when to produce the telling detail....As well as being a preternaturally acute exponent of what makes Brown's poetry work, Maggie Fergusson is wonderfully wise and deep in her explorations of his emotional and religious life.. 'This is an altogether remarkable book. I know it will be unforgettable, and that it will draw me back to many rereadings. It is that rare thing, a biography whi * Statesman *'After reading this book every reader will feel at home in the harsh, rewarding world of the Orkneys' * Independent *'Remarkable man. Remarkable art. Fine book that illuminates them both' * Scotsman *'Strangely, this is what I would call an inspiriting story...and it is very well told' * Spectator *'Fergusson's biography of Scottish poet George Mackay Brown ignores the modern trend of looking down gleefully from a dunghill height at the subject.' * Irish Times *'A stimulating and elegantly written biography, an excellent companion to Mackay Brown's "Collected Poems", which were co-edited by... Archie Bevan, and appeared last year from the same publisher, John Murray.' * The Economist *'Maggie Fergusson treats Brown's sexuality with delicacy and respect' * Times Literary Supplement *'Loving study' * Jeremy Lewis, The Sunday Times *'One of the best lives of a poet I have ever read is Maggie Fergusson's George Mackay Brown. She creeps up, not only on her subject, but also on her reader, wooing and cunning. Out of his inner life in a remote place, Fergusson has made a great book about a great man. She is brilliant at understanding the things which did not happen, as well as the things which did, in her subject's life (sex, for example). I seldom feel envy when reading modern books, but I wish I wrote as well as she has done' * An Wilson, The Observer *'A real treat: a sensitive record of a neglected modern poet that made a convincing argument for his genius' * Tim Martin, Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisRe-Discovering the Past is SHP''s ideal series for mixed-ability teaching in Key Stage 3, combining clear author text, accessible but worthwhile activities and clear lines of enquiry. About the seriesThrough this series you can ensure your teaching of National Curriculum History is totally accessible, interesting and worthwhile. It is based on the Schools History Project''s awarding-winning series Discovering the Past but for this series SHP have: streamlined the content, simplified the language, scaffolded the tasks, while retaining their characteristic emphasis on challenging readers to think deeply and pursue historical enquiry. SHP have also provided extensive support for further differentiation through FREE online support material via the Hodder History Nest. About this titleRe-Discovering the Making of the UK provides an accessible textbook for the early modern part of the revised History National Curriculum: ''The development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745''. It investigates four key topics:- Daily life in the 1500s (for the rich, the poor, and family life)- Religious change in Tudor times (from the English Reformation to the Gunpowder Plot)- The English Civil War (from 1642 to the Restoration)- The Scientific Revolution (viewed in context)The Making of the UK Special Needs Support Materials and Re-Discovering the Making of the UK Teacher''s Resource Book are available FREE from the Hodder History Nest.The full series:Re-discovering Medieval Realms 1066-1500Re-discovering the Making of the United Kingdom 1500-1750Re-discovering Britain 1750-1900Re-discovering the Twentieth Century World

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Book SynopsisA study of the work of the popular historian and journalist, Sir Arthur Bryant (1899-1985). This work provides an understanding of the man and the writer. It shows us that Bryant prefigured and sustained a form of romantic nationalism that remained nascent within the British population deep into the twentieth century.Trade ReviewStapleton's careful study of Bryant's career, thought, books and journalism is not a biography: we learn next to nothing about Bryant's personal life; but for thoughtful readers its focus is more valuable as a result, as we are able to study the travails of romantic Tory nationalism through one of its foremost exponents. * The Social Affairs Unit *This is a thoroughly researched, clearly written study of the attitudes and influence of Sir Arthur Bryant...Julia Stapleton does not offer a full biography of Bryant, but thoughtfully explores Bryant's efforts to "revive the role of 'national historian'.... Stapleton succeeds admirably, showing how Bryant projected romantic conservative views on the past, often to great popular approval, but not always as a partisan of the Tory Party. * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *In her brilliant, richly textured, ably supported, and continually judicious study of Bryant's career and intellectual development, Julia Stapleton reveals him as a complex figure who sought to represent and sustain an inherent patriotism. . . . Stapleton's important study offers much to those interested in intellectual history and historiography. It is a considerable achievement and one of the most interesting books I have read for some time. -- Jeremy Black * Times Higher Education *Sir Arthur Bryant is nowadays a largely forgotten figure. Julia Stapleton's new study, based on his papers at King's College London, and other archival materials, undertakes to situate Bryant in the wider context of the melancholy fate of 'Englishness' in British national history in the course of his life.… Stapleton's account of his life is both balanced and considerate, particularly her persuasive rebuttal of charges that he was a keen Nazi sympathizer in the 1930s, his views at the time being less pro-Hitler than reflective of a historian's convictions about how best to engage a German people who had been unjustly humiliated by an undercurrent of loss perhaps inescapable in a tale cast against a background imagery of decline and fall. -- George Feaver * Times Literary Supplement *Stapleton does an excellent job in presenting a highly complex individual. Bryant emerges as a very English Tory, who did not really fit into the Conservative Party any more after 1945..... * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online, (H-Soz-U-Kult) *Arthur Bryant was not the kind of person most people approve of today—an English Tory patriot, writer of romantic 'middlebrow' histories, an appeaser who thought the intellectuals were too hard on Hitler. But the history of the twentieth century cannot be written properly without taking account of people like him, and the thousands of readers who believed what he wrote. Julia Stapleton tells his story with care and grace and insight. She illuminates the range of moral and political dilemmas that Bryant had to face and which were not then as simple as they may now appear with hindsight. A troubling and often moving book. -- Peter Mandler, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge UniversityStapleton does an excellent job in presenting a highly complex individual. Bryant emerges as a very English Tory, who did not really fit into the Conservative Party any more after 1945. * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online, (H-Soz-U-Kult) *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Early Life and the First World War Chapter 3 Oxford and the Making of a Middlebrow Figure Chapter 4 Patriotism, Pagentry, and Tory History Chapter 5 National Character, the Countryside, and the English Country House Chapter 6 The Life of Samuel Pepys and Liberal-Conservatism in the 1930s Chapter 7 The Offensive Against the Left in Interwar Britain Chapter 8 The Crown, Dictatorships, and Appeasement Chapter 9 Nazi Fellow-Traveling, 1939-1940 Chapter 10 History and Patriotism during the Second World War Chapter 11 Captive Audiences, New Alliances, and the Retreat from Conservatism in 1945 Chapter 12 Postwar Niche, the Armed Forces, and Political Disillusion Chapter 13 The History of England in the New Elizabethan Age Chapter 14 Friends, Critics, and the End of the Tory-Whig Road Chapter 15 Final Years: Political Commentator Chapter 16 Final Years: National Historian Chapter 17 Conclusion

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