European history Books

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Shortlisted for the HW Fisher Best First Biography Prize 2012 "The only Western woman to enlist as a soldier in the First World War, the Englishwoman Flora Sandes became a heroine and a media sensation when she fought for the Serbian Army and pursued a distinguished career in its ranks. This account charts her incredible story: her tomboyish childhood in genteel Victorian England, her mission to Serbia as a Red Cross volunteer and subsequent military enrolment, her celebrity lecture tours, her marriage to a fellow officer, her survival in a Gestapo prison during the Second World War and her final years in Suffolk. A fascinating character of her times and an inspiration to women the world over, Flora Sandes is brought to life and restored to her rightful place in history by this biography, compiled with the help of her family, and using hitherto unpublished private papers and photographs."

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Book SynopsisIn the 1790s, Britain underwent what the politician Edmund Burke called 'the most important of all revolutions...a revolution in sentiments'. Inspired by the French Revolution, British radicals concocted new political worlds to enshrine healthier, more productive, human emotions and relationships. The Enlightenment's wildest hopes crested in the utopian projects of such optimists - including the young poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the philosophers William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, the physician Thomas Beddoes and the first photographer Thomas Wedgwood - who sought to reform sex, education, commerce, politics and medicine by freeing desire from repressive constraints. But by the middle of the decade, the wind had changed. The French Revolution descended into bloody Terror and the British government quashed radical political activities. In the space of one decade, feverish optimism gave way to bleak disappointment, and changed the way we think about human need and longing. A Revolution of Feeling is a vivid and absorbing account of the dramatic end of the Enlightenment, the beginning of an emotional landscape preoccupied by guilt, sin, failure, resignation and repression, and the origins of our contemporary approach to feeling and desire. Above all, it is the story of the human cost of political change, of men and women consigned to the 'wrong side of history'. But although their revolutionary proposals collapsed, that failure resulted in its own cultural revolution - a revolution of feeling - the aftershocks of which are felt to the present day.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating examination of the life of Thomas Clarke, a member of the Fenians and was a key leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1916.

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Book SynopsisFrom the first symptoms of serious unrest - the Divis Street riots of 1964 - to the tortuous political manoeuvrings culminating in the 2003 Assembly elections, the book traces the reality of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It details the motivation behind the IRA 'armed struggle', the Civil Rights movement, the murder campaigns of various loyalist terror groups, the major incidents of violence and the response of the British security forces and the justice system. It describes what it was like to live with bombs, army searches in the dead of night, death threats to politicians, activists and others. A detailed account of the political and personal toll of the Northern Ireland conflict.Trade Reviewa useful introduction -- Books Ireland

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Book Synopsis"Rising from humble beginnings as a foundling, Castruccio Castracani came to prominence as one of the most powerful and shrewd warlords in Italy. Indeed, Machiavelli argues, so great was his vigour and charisma that - had he not been prevented by his untimely death - he might have surpassed in fame the great generals of antiquity and brought all the territories of Italy under his sole dominion. Written in Machiavelli's characteristically lucid and terse style, Life of Castruccio Castracani is not only a key text in understanding the development of the author's ideas on leadership and good statesmanship that would find fuller expression in The Prince, but also a revealing account of the political ferment and fractious factionalism of fourteenth-century Italy. This edition is accompanied by selected passages from Machiavelli's Florentine Histories and a detailed map with historical notes."Trade ReviewCastruccio Castracani is a short book that tells a larger story… it will show that greatness, as Machiavelli defined it five centuries ago, is made, not born. -- Richard OveryMachiavelli was a pioneer of political science. He was a republican and a patriot. His prose style was as clear as Julius Caesar’s. He was a literary genius. * The Times *Machiavelli is a pivotal figure in the history of political thought. His views of human nature, society and government mark a break with medieval philosophy and sixteenth-century political thought based on assumptions about God’s purposes for man. * New Statesman *We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do. * Francis Bacon *

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Book SynopsisNikolaus Pevsner described Berwick-upon-Tweed as ‘one of the most exciting towns in England’ [Nikolaus Pevsner, Buildings of England: Northumberland (1957), 88] – a place where an absorbing historical tale can still be read in the dense fabric of its old streets and buildings. It attracts not only day-trippers and holidaymakers but also new residents who have learnt to appreciate the spirit of the place. But outsiders all too easily confine their attention to the space within the impressive Elizabethan ramparts, while local people are sometimes unaware or dismissive of the wider significance of the very things that they know so intimately. Berwick deserves to be known better, and to be celebrated not just as a vivid reminder of what many other towns were once like, but more especially as something unique and distinctive, shaped by a peculiar combination of historical and geographical circumstances. This distinctiveness is acutely apparent as one passes between Berwick and the contrasting, but historically intertwined, settlements of Tweedmouth and Spittal. This book presents something of the wealth of historic interest encapsulated in Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal, and explains how these places came to assume such varied and distinctive forms. Above all, it urges that a town anxious for stability and prosperity in the future must know where it has come from as well as where it is going.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword 1. Introduction: a border town on the borders of change 2. A town takes shape The landscape beneath The Liberty of Berwick Fruits of the earth Communications The buildings of the early town 3. Political, social and spiritual order Defence of the realm Competing faiths Berwick corporation and local government 4. Commercial growth: Berwick looks abroad The salmon fishery The herring fishery The Greenland whale fishery The grain trade The rebuilding of Berwick 5. Industry and housing: the 19th and 20th centuries The rise of industry Housing the poor 6. Leisurely pursuits The growth of the resort 7. Safeguarding Berwick's past for the future Notes References and further reading

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Book SynopsisTwo men came to personify British and German generalship in the Second World War: Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel. They fought a series of extraordinary duels across several theatres of war which established them as two of the greatest captains of their age. Our understanding of leadership in battle was altered for ever by their electrifying personal qualities. Ever since, historians have assessed their outstanding leadership, personalities and skill.The careers of both began on the periphery of the military establishment and represent the first time military commanders proactively and systematically used (and were used by) the media as they came to prominence, first in North Africa, then in Normandy. Dynamic and forward-thinking, their lives also represent a study of pride, propaganda and nostalgia. Caddick-Adams tracks and compares their military talents and personalities in battle. Each brought something special to their commands. Rommel's breathtaking advance in May-June 1940 was nothing less than inspired. Montgomery is a gift for leadership gurus in the way he took over a demoralised Eighth Army in August 1942 and led it to victory just two months later. This compelling work is both scholarly and entertaining and marks the debut of a major new talent in historical biography.Trade ReviewA quite brilliant piece of writing. Here in a single volume we have a first-rate expose of two of the war's best known commanders... if Caddick-Adams were a landscape painter his book would be the equivalent of Monet, full of rich intriguing colours and patterns. The resultant effect is spectacular, and Caddick-Adams is to be congratulated on his achievement ... a brilliant book written with passion and verve. * Robert Lyman for BBC History Magazine Book of the Month *A compelling study of two of the Second World War's best known commanders. Peter Caddick-Adams writes with authority and a deep knowledge of both his subjects and the two world wars in which they fought. He has produced an utterly absorbing and hugely entertaining book that will provide a new benchmark on how we view these two divisive generals. * James Holland *Peter Caddick-Adam's comparison of two entwined careers is full of penetrating new insights, illuminated by a clear understanding of the world wars. This impressive book will undoubtedly prove one of the best military histories of the year * Richard Holmes *Intriguing study of General Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel ... discursive ... highly rewarding book. * Spectator *Distinguished military historian Caddick-Adams has achieved a first by entwining biographies of two WW2 adversaries, field marshals Montgomery and Rommel ... Caddick-Adams makes good use of personal memoirs to make his book an exciting character-driven read and it an excellent example of how the personal experience of war can create great and yet humane generals. First class history * Military Illustrated *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book to address the long art history of dynastic marriage exchange between Denmark and Britain between 1600 and 1900. It explores an intersection of three themes trending in early modern studies: portraiture, gender and the court as a centre of cultural exchange. This work re-evaluates the construction and staging of gender in Northern consort portraiture over a span of three hundred years, examining the development of the scientific and social paradigms inflecting consort portraiture and representation, with a view to excavating portrait images' agency at the early modern moment of their conception and making. The consort's liminal position between royal houses, territories, languages and sometimes religion, has often been equated with political weakness, but this new work argues that this position endowed the consort with a unique space for innovation in the representation of elite identity. As such, consort imagery drew upon gender as a generative resource of motifs and ideas. Each chapter is informed by new archival research and introduces the reader to little known, yet astonishing works of art. Collectively, they seek to trace a shift in practices of identity formation over time; the transition from an emphasis on rank to an increasingly binary emphasis on gender.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Figure List; Introduction; 1 Anna of Denmark (1574—1619); 2 Prince George of Denmark (1653—1708); 3 Louisa of Great Britain (1724—1751); 4 Caroline Matilda of Great Britain (1751—1775); 5 Alexandra of Denmark (1844—1925); Bibliography; Endnotes

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Book SynopsisWith this third volume John Gill brings to a close his magisterial study of the war between Napoleonic France and Habsburg Austria. The account begins with both armies recuperating on the banks of the Danube. As they rest, important action was taking place elsewhere: Eugene won a crucial victory over Johann on the anniversary of Marengo, Prince Poniatowski's Poles outflanked another Austrian archduke along the Vistula, and Marmont drove an Austrian force out of Dalmatia to join Napoleon at Vienna. These campaigns set the stage for the titanic Battle of Wagram. Second only in scale to the slaughter at Leipzig in 1813, Wagram saw more than 320,000 men and 900 guns locked in two days of fury that ended with an Austrian retreat. The defeat, however, was not complete: Napoleon had to force another engagement before Charles would accept a ceasefire. The battle at Znaim, its true importance often not acknowledged, brought an extended armistice that ended with a peace treaty signed in Vienna. Gill uses an impressive array of sources in an engaging narrative covering both the politics of emperors and the privations and hardship common soldiers suffered in battle. Enriched with unique illustrations, forty maps, and extraordinary order-of-battle detail, this work concludes an unrivalled English-language study of Napoleon's last victory.

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Book SynopsisThe history of the Middle Ages [in Ireland] is so neglected that the only figure of renown is Strongbow, the man who led the Norman Invasion of Ireland in the twelfth century … There is little written about the lives of majority of men, who held no title or land, and even less about women … Indeed, so neglected are these people in history that many of the stories and people recounted … haven’t been heard of in centuries. In a society born of conquest, beset with famines and plagues, and where the staples of life were everything from spies and corruption to witch trials and warfare, life in medieval Ireland was seldom dull. In Life in Medieval Ireland, Finbar Dwyer offers a unique portrait of life as it was lived in medieval Ireland. Against the backdrop of what was often a violent and chaotic period of history, Dwyer explores the personal stories of those whose recollections have been preserved, finding in them continual relevance and human interest.

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Book SynopsisFew people know that Ypres, centre of First World War remembrance, was once home to a thriving British community that played a heroic role in the Second World War. This expatriate outpost grew around the British ex-servicemen who cared for the war memorials and cemeteries of 'Flanders Fields'. Many married local women and their children grew up multi-lingual, but attended their own school and were intensely proud to be British. When Germany invaded in 1940 the community was threatened: some children managed to escape, others were not so lucky. But, armed with their linguistic skills and local knowledge, pupils of the British Memorial School were uniquely prepared to fight Hitler in occupied territory and from Britain. Still in their teens, some risked capture, torture and death in intelligence and resistance operations in the field. An exceptional patriotism spurred them on to feats of bravery in this new conflict. Whilst their peers at home were being evacuated to the English countryside, these children were directly exposed to danger in one of the major theatres of war.James Fox was a pupil at the British Memorial School in 1940 and he has made it his mission to trace his former school friends. The Children Who Fought Hitler is their story: a war story about people from an unusual community, told from a fresh and human perspective.Gardens of Stone: My Boyhood in the French Resistance, published recently by Hodder & Stoughton, tells the story of one of James's former school friends, Stephen Grady, and his role in the French Resistance.Trade Review'It's hard to come up with new, untold stories about World War Two, but this book succeeds in just that... [James Fox] has retraced all the individual stories with impressive detail and moving candour' * Military Illustrated *'Fascinating' * Best of British *'Extraordinary' * Sunday Express *'essential reading' * Families Journal *'A vivid slice of human history.' * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn 1485 the Battle of Bosworth marked an epoch in the lives of two great houses: the house of York fell to the ground when Richard III died on the field of battle; and the house of Tudor rose from the massacre to reign for the next hundred years. Michael Jones, co-author of The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III, rewrites this landmark event in English history. He shifts our perspective of its heroes and villains and puts Richard firmly back into the context of his family and his times.Trade ReviewSplendid . . . a very exciting re-interpretation of the battle which totally transforms our understanding of what actually happened on that fateful day * Professor A. J. Pollard *An extraordinary shift . . . puts this key English battle over the county line * Guardian *Insightful and rich study of the battle of Bosworth . . . no longer need Richard play the villain * Times Literary Supplement *An entirely new analysis of Bosworth . . . a lively read * BBC History Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'A hell of a tale and Jonathan Beckman gives it all the verve and swagger it deserves . . . I read it with fascination, delight and frequent snorts of incredulity' The Spectator On 5 September 1785, a trial began in Paris that would divide the country, captivate Europe and send the French monarchy tumbling down the slope towards the Revolution. Cardinal Louis de Rohan, scion of one of the most ancient and distinguished families in France, stood accused of forging Marie Antoinette's signature to fraudulently obtain the most expensive piece of jewellery in Europe - a 2,400-carat necklace worth 1.6 million francs.Where were the diamonds now? Was Rohan entirely innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen? What was the role of the charismatic magus, the comte de Cagliostro, who was rumoured to be two-thousand-years old and capable of transforming metal into gold?This is a tale of political machinations and extravagance on an enormous scale; of kidnappings, prison breaks and assassination attempts; of hapless French police disguised as colliers, reams of lesbian pornography and a duel fought with poisoned pigs. It is a detective story, a courtroom drama, a tragicomic farce, and a study of credulity and self-deception in the Age of Enlightenment.Trade ReviewGlittering and gloriously goofy . . . This is a terrific tale, told with assurance and gusto * Guardian *Jonathan Beckman has an eye for a good story. His account of the affair is full of human drama, including illicit sex, assassination attempts and prison escapes . . . a superb piece of research that separates myth from reality * Sunday Business Post *A really fascinating history * Dan Stevens *Stranger than fiction and told with a verve that suggests the author relishes his dodgy tale * Country Life *Jonathan Beckman has tunnelled into the warren of misinformation . . . and has come out with what must be as near to the truth as we'll get * Daily Mail *Jonathan Beckman tells his complicated tale with gusto * Observer *A wonderfully enjoyable account of one of the most audacious cons ever perpetrated * John Preston, Evening Standard Books of the Year *Jonathan Beckman dazzlingly rehabilitates Marie Antoinette in an atmospheric and evocative account of diamonds, fraud, intrigue and a 1785 case that stoked antiroyalist feeling in France * Telegraph Books of the Year *A richly enjoyable account of one of the most audacious scams ever perpetrated * Mail on Sunday *Beckman's tale of the Diamond Necklace Affair is full of character and tawdry details, and glistens with wit and insight * Daily Telegraph *Beckman has waded through masses of evidence from the trial to retell this fascinating and complicated story * Daily Mail *Gripped me like a whodunnit . . . That's not surprising. It relates the story of the greatest crime caper of the 18th Century * The Times *Beckman has waded through masses of evidence from the trial to retell this fascinating and complicated story * Irish Daily Mail *Beckman's diligent detective work uncovers the murky truth behind this cause celebre * Mail on Sunday *Stranger than fiction but just as gripping, How to Ruin a Queen is a masterly exploration of the 'diamond necklace' affair * Hilary Mantel *A work of scholarship and imagination, that focusses new light on the famous and extraordinary affair of Marie Antoinette and the stolen diamonds. The narrative is like an ingenious chess game showing us the complex moves of bishops, knights and pawns round the king and queen. Jonathan Beckman is the new Wilkie Collins of biographical history * Michael Holroyd *How to Ruin a Queen is a fascinating and impeccably researched account of one of the great scandals of the 18th century. Beckman is a master-storyteller whose consummate skills are evident on every page * Amanda Foreman *A murky story of the Ancien Regime including diamonds and sex, brilliantly told * Lady Antonia Fraser *Necklace to neckless! This is the murky tale of the diamond heist that led to Marie Antoinette's demise * Tatler *A rollicking whodunit * Independent *A hell of a tale and Jonathan Beckman gives it all the verve and swagger it deserves . . . I read it with fascination, delight and frequent snorts of incredulity - and I strongly suspect you will too * The Spectator *Fascinating . . . a gripping detective story and a witty revelation of a scandal that shocked Paris * BBC History Magazine *In his intriguing history, Jonathan Beckman has spun out of this dirty tangle of source material a clear and compelling narrative line . . . with its exuberant use of language and subtly ironic storytelling, it is almost as colourful as the scandal it explores * Sunday Times *Gripped me like a whodunit . . . Beckman tells this scarcely believable story with flair * The Times *Jonathan Beckman skilfully unfolds the intricacies and absurdities of this extraordinary episode . . . Beckman provides us with an engaging and finely researched study of an affair that, despite having the plot of a frothy operetta, was of genuine historical significance * Literary Review *As gripping as a heist movie * Mail on Sunday *A gem . . . glistening with wit and insight * Sunday Telegraph *Fast-paced, colourful and rich * The Economist *Vivid and compelling * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisThe Crimean War (1853-1856) was the first modern war. A vicious struggle between imperial Russia and an alliance of the British, French and Ottoman Empires, it was the first conflict to be reported first-hand in newspapers, painted by official war artists, recorded by telegraph and photographed by camera. In her new short history, Trudi Tate discusses the ways in which this novel representation itself became part of the modern war machine. She tells forgotten stories about the war experience of individual soldiers and civilians, including journalists, nurses, doctors, war tourists and other witnesses. At the same time, the war was a retrograde one, fought with the mentality, and some of the equipment, of Napoleonic times. Tate argues that the Crimean War was both modern and old-fashioned, looking backwards and forwards, and generating optimism and despair among those who lived through it. She explores this paradox while giving full coverage to the bloody battles (Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman), the siege of Sebastopol, the much-derided strategies of the commanders, conditions in the field and the cultural impact of the anti-Russian alliance.Trade Review‘Provides an authoritative account of the origins of the conflict, its principal engagements and its geopolitical consequences. The book also makes a very welcome contribution to current debate on the lasting historical and cultural significance of the Crimean War. An excellent introduction.’ -- Philip Shaw, Professor of Romantic Studies, University of LeicesterTable of ContentsList of Illustrations and Maps Acknowledgements Timeline Introduction 1. The Drift to War and the Battle of the Alma 2. The Siege Established and the Battle of Balaklava 3. Scutari, Inkerman and the Siege 4. Sebastopol: The Fallen City 5. The Baltic Campaign 6. The End of the War Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award and runner-up for Countryfile Book of the Year. For millennia, the passing seasons and their rhythms have marked our progress through the year. But what do they mean to us now that we lead increasingly atomised and urban lives and our weather becomes ever more unpredictable or extreme?In this splendidly rich and lyrical celebration of the English seasons, Nick Groom investigates the trove of strange folklore and often stranger fact they have accumulated over the centuries and shows how tradition and our links with nature still have a vital role to play in all our lives.Trade ReviewGroom's enthusiasm is hard to resist, and his garnering of folklore and customs that, for centuries, guided life through the changing seasons bulges with fascination. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *Wonderful and timely -- Philip Hoare * Independent *It's no exaggeration to say that this is a volume I have been waiting for all my life... I love Nick Groom's passionate plea for us to be aware of traditional connections between human lives, the seasons and the natural world. He provides a cornucopia of knowledge, and an inspirational call to awareness... This is a rich celebration of traditions and a plea for them not to be forgotten. -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *Groom writes so well and so fittingly... He has taken a classic formula and reinvigorated it, given it new breath and interest. -- Ronald Blythe * Times Literary Supplement *Beguiling... Unexpectedly fascinating * Spectator *Offers far more than trivia and contains details that demand to be shared. -- Max Liu * Independent *A heartfelt exploration of the connections between the seasons and England's traditions and folklore brims with fascinating revelations. * Readers Digest *

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This is the story of Mayo men and women active during the War of Independence and the Civil War, a story largely untold or forgotten. Throughout, there is an attempt at real insight into the lives of participants. The establishment and acceptance of the Garda Síochána and how Mayo adapted to peace while hundreds of Mayo men and women were still imprisoned is explored. The myth that little or nothing happened in Mayo during these troubled times is dispelled forever. • First factual account of War of Independence and Civil War in Mayo • This book is explosive (Taoiseach Enda Kenny, at the launch of the book) •

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Book SynopsisThe Great Famine in Ireland was a catastrophe of immense proportions. Eviction, emigration and death from starvation were widespread. Landlords, eager to dispose of `surplus’ tenants, engaged in `assisted passages’, whereby tenants were given financial incentives to emigrate. The clearances of uneconomic tenants from the 85,000-acre Coolattin Estate in County Wicklow by Lord Fitzwilliam were the most organised in Ireland during and after the Famine years. From 1847 to 1856 Fitzwilliam removed 6,000 men, women and children and arranged passage from New Ross in Wexford to Canada on emigrant ships such as the Dunbrody. Most were destitute and many were ill on arrival in Quebec and New Brunswick. Hunger and overcrowding at quarantine stations, such as the infamous Grosse Île, resulted in further disease and death. Jim Rees explores this tragedy, from why the clearances occurred to who went where and how some families fared in Canada.

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`It was the most providential escape yet. It will probably have the effect of making them think that I am even more mysterious than they believe me to be, and that is saying a good deal.’ Michael Collins knew the power of his persona, and capitalised on what people wanted to believe. The image we have of him comes filtered through a sensational lens, exaggerated out of all proportion. We see what we have come to expect: `the man who won the war’, the centre of a web of intelligence that `brought the British Empire to its knees’. He comes to us as a mixture of truth and lies, propaganda and misunderstanding. The willingness to see him as the sum of the Irish revolution, and in turn reduce him to a caricature of his many parts, clouds our view of both the man and the revolution. Drawing on archives in Ireland, Britain and the United States, the authors question our traditional assumptions about Collins. Was he the man of his age, or was he just luckier, more brazen, more written about and more photographed than the rest? Despite the pictures of him in uniform during the last weeks of his life, Collins saw very little of the actual fight. He was chiefly an organiser and a strategist. Should we remember him as a master of the mundane rather than the romantic figure of the blockbuster film? The eight thematic, highly illustrated chapters scrutinise different aspects of Collins’ life: origins, work, war, politics, celebrity, beliefs, death and afterlives. Approaching him through the eyes of contemporaries and historians, friends and enemies, this provocative book reveals new insights, challenging what we think we know about him and, in turn, what we think we know about the Irish revolution.

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Book SynopsisThe Easter Rebellion of 1916 was one of the first comprehensively documented political rebellions in the twentieth century. A generation of extraordinary revolutionaries left behind iconic photographs, manuscripts, personal notebooks, letters of insurgents and civilians, and political cartoons. Now, for the first time, this material is gathered together in a riveting exploration of this violent and tragic event. By exploring some of the lesser-known dimensions, such as the role of Ireland's revolutionary women, the experience of the civilian population, and personal papers of ordinary volunteers, this sympathetic study does not obscure the grim realities of political violence.The indelible imprint of the events of Easter Week 1916 on Irish people across the world is authoritatively portrayed.Trade Review"A treasure trove of great visual primary sources." * Come Here To Me! blog *"It is not only replete with wonderful illustrations but is a meaty read." * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisTrees mirror in many ways the life cycle of human beings: they are born from seed, they breathe and drink, they grow to maturity, reproduce and eventually die from age or disease. Their branches, roots and the veins of their leaves resemble human blood vessels, and certain species even ooze a reddish, blood-like sap when damaged.From ancient times, people appreciated the spiritual value of trees, singling out individual trees for special veneration. In Ireland the roots of tree worship reach deep into pagan Celtic religion and spirituality. Christine Zucchelli looks at these trees, from Fairy Thorns to Rag Trees, from Mass Bushes to Monument Trees. This fascinating exploration of their stories and legends reveals their spiritual, social and historical functions from pagan times to the present.Trade Review'Beautiful arboreal studies, inspiring pleasure in trees' -- Michael Viney * The Irish Times *'Inestimable contribution to the knowledge and understanding of trees in Ireland' * Irish Examiner *

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Book SynopsisThe 1916 Rising is one of the most documented and analysed episodes in Ireland's turbulent history. Often overlooked, however, is its immediate aftermath. This significant window in the narrative of Irish revolutionary history, which saw the rebirth of the Volunteers and laid the foundations for the War of Independence, is usually covered as a footnote, or from the biographical standpoints of the leaders.Picking up where the authors' acclaimed account of the Rising, When the Clock Struck in 1916, left off, we join the men and women of the Rising in the dark abyss of defeat. The leaders' poignant final hours and violent ends are laid bare, but the perspective of those with the unpalatable task of carrying out the executions is also revealed, rectifying a historic disservice to those who reluctantly formed the firing squads. While the prisoners in Dublin awaited their grisly fates, others were deported in stinking cattle boats to camps in England and Wales. When they returned, it was to a jubilant welcome in a radically changed country. The gruesome death of Thomas Ashe in September 1917, after being force-fed in Mountjoy Prison, became a marshalling point for the republican movement, as his funeral saw Volunteers once again assembled in uniform on Dublin's streets. The next phase of the struggle was born, under new leaders who had 'graduated' from the internment camps known as 'Republican Universities', ready and eager to fill the void left by the executed visionaries.The authors sifted through thousands of first-hand accounts of the suffering endured when ordinary people set out to change history. Their stirring account will transport readers into life as it looked, sounded and even smelt to those taking part in this crucial juncture of our history.

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Book SynopsisWhy were both sides of the Civil War divide so evasive when it came to the death of Michael Collins? Why were they still trying to effect cover-ups as late as the 1960s? Determined to find the truth despite the trails of deception left by many of the key players, Gerard Murphy, a scientist, looked in detail at the evidence. Previous researchers have tended to concentrate on the reminiscences of survivors. Murphy instead focuses on information that appeared in the immediate wake of the ambush, before attempts could be made to conceal the truth. He also examines newly released material, and has carried out a forensic analysis of the ambush site based on photographic evidence of the aftermath recently discovered in a Dublin attic. These investigations have unearthed significant new evidence, overlooked for almost a century, that seriously questions the version of events currently accepted by historians.Trade Review'Well-written, well researched challenge to the consensus' -- Eoghan Harris * Sunday Independent *'A forensically persuasive argument' -- Damian Corless * independent.ie *

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Book SynopsisWho was the real King Arthur? What do the historical documents tell us about the Knight of the Round Temple? It is just a chivalric fantasy? The story of Arthur has been handed down to us by Medieval poets and legends - but what if he actually existed and was in fact a great king in the early years of Britain's story. Mike Ashley visits the source material and uncovers unexpected new insights into the legend: there is clear evidence that the Arthurian legends arose from the exploits of not just one man, but at least three originating in Wales, Scotland and Brittany. The true historical Arthur really existed and is distantly related to the present royal family.

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Book SynopsisGenoa has an incredible story to tell. It rose from an obscurity imposed by its harsh geography to become a merchant-pirate superpower that helped create the medieval world. It fought bitter battles with its great rival Venice and imprisoned Marco Polo, as the feuding city states connected Europe to the glories of the East. It introduced the Black Death to Europe, led the fight against the Barbary Corsairs, bankrolled Imperial Spain, and gave the world Christopher Columbus and a host of fearless explorers. Genoa and Liguria provided the brains and the heroism behind the Risorgimento, and was the last place emigrants saw before building new lives across the Atlantic. It played host to writers and Grand Tourists, gave football to the Italians, and helped build modern Italy. Today, along with the glorious Riviera coast of Liguria, Genoa provides some of the finest places on earth to sip wine, eat pesto and enjoy spectacular views. This book brings the past alive and paints a portrait of a modern port city and region that is only now coming to terms with a past that is as bloody, fascinating and influential as any in Europe.Trade Review'A journalist who lived in the city for some years, Walton illuminates the history with compelling episodes and human drama.' -- Times Literary Supplement'[Walton] goes on to show how much the place deserves to preen itself on achievements in everything from banking, shipbuilding and the Risorgimento (Mazzini was Genoese) to the green glories of pesto sauce and the foundation (with some help from an earlier English resident) of Italian football.' -- Literary Review'At last! An approachable and informative book about Genoa, one of the world's great cities, but sadly underrated and still one of Italy's best kept secrets. Read, explore, enjoy!' -- Andrew Graham-Dixon, art critic and broadcaster'Part lively history, part personal travelogue, Nicholas Walton writes with gusto of this quirkiest, least known and most authentic of Italian cities. He vividly conjures an extraordinary past populated by pirates, adventurers and eccentrics, its landscapes, its buildings, inhabitants, food and culture. This book's an invitation to go there straight away.' -- Roger Crowley, author of City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire'A spirited evocation of Genoa medieval and modern, a city of agile businessmen, talented navigators and citizens with their eyes open to the world, but also a port with its fair share of pirates, pimps and profiteers. Genoa, 'La Superba' is not just a very pleasurable read - it also uncovers a city of beguiling beauty and genuine importance in the history of Europe, the Mediterranean and the world whose role has far too long been overshadowed by that of its great rival, Venice.' -- David Abulafia, Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge'Walton presents a passionate, idiosyncratic history of the Genoan city-state, glorying in the medieval piratical enterprise that brought it both fame and notoriety. ... One of Walton's strengths is his depiction of the city itself, with its narrow alleyways and jumbled mixture of centuries of building, and like the local architecture, he slides easily from past to present and back again. This book is an unashamed celebration of Genoa, warts and all, a city that "does not get the credit its extraordinary history deserves".' -- Publishers Weekly'Genoa, "La Superba" is a swashbuckling ride through the history of the Republic of Genoa. ... Genoa was a city of adventurers ... and the 240 pages of the book are as crammed full of ... anecdotes as the centuries-old vicoli are full of tales ... [Walton's book] is a romantic letter to the people of a city who need to look beyond its shores again and rediscover who they once were...' -- Delicious Italy'[This is] an incredibly detailed, charming, and intriguing work that's part travel diary, and part thoughtfully researched history book about a captivating city that remains woefully underrated. If you were looking for a reason to visit Genoa, Walton just gave you a thousand in under 220 pages. ... This is far from a dusty, dry history text or simple travel guide. The lively Genoese stories, along with Walton's humorous modern day accounts are brilliantly woven together making this book an absolute pleasure to read. Historian and traveller alike will find remarkable information crammed within its 218 pages. Walton gives an outstanding account of centuries of Genoese life and sheds an important light on the contributions made by this fearless city to the annals of Italian history.' -- Medievalists

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Book SynopsisWhen the Romans occupied the southern half of Britain in AD 43, the Iceni tribe quickly allied themselves with the invaders. Having paid tribute to Rome, they continued to be ruled by their own kings. But 17 years later when Prasutagus, the king of the Iceni, died the Romans decided to incorporate his kingdom into the new province. When his widow Boudicca protested, she 'was flogged and their daughters raped', sparking one of the most famous rebellions in history. This book tells how Boudicca raised her people and other tribes in revolt, overran the provincial towns of Camulodunum (Colchester), Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans), destroyed the IX Legion, and nearly took control of the fledgling Roman province, before being finally brought to heel in a pitched battle at Mancetter.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The Battlefield today /Bibliography /Glossary /Index

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Book SynopsisThe richly varied lives of the Martin brothers reflected the many upheavals of Britain in the age of Industrial Revolution. Low-born and largely unschooled, they were part of a new generation of artists, scientists and inventors who witnessed the creation of the modern world. William, the eldest, was a cussedly eccentric inventor who couldn't look at a piece of machinery without thinking about how to improve it; Richard, a courageous soldier, fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo; Jonathan, a hellfire preacher tormented by madness and touched with a visionary genius reminiscent of William Blake, almost burned down York Minster in 1829; while John, the youngest Martin, single-handedly invented, mastered and exhausted an entire genre of painting, the apocalyptic sublime, while playing host to the foremost writers, scientists and thinkers of his day. In The Prometheans Max Adams interweaves the fascinating story of these maverick siblings with a magisterial and multi-faceted account of the industrial, political and artistic ferment of early 19th-century Britain. His narrative centres on a generation of inventors, artists and radical intellectuals (including the chemist Humphry Davy, the engineer George Stephenson, the social reformer Robert Owen and the poet Shelley) who were seeking to liberate humanity from the tyranny of material discomfort and political oppression. For Adams, the shared inspiration that binds this generation together is the cult of Prometheus, the titan of ancient Greek mythology who stole fire from Zeus to give to mortal man, and who became a potent symbol of political and personal liberation from the mid-18th century onwards. Whether writing about Davy's invention of the miner's safety lamp, the scandalous private life of the Prince Regent, the death of Shelley or J.M.W. Turner's use of colour, Adams's narrative is pacy, characterful, and rich in anecdote, quotation and memorable character sketch. Like John Martin himself, he has created a sprawling and brightly coloured canvas on an epic scale.Trade Review'An intriguing look at the impact on Britain of the first industrial revolution... fascinating... wonderfully eclectic' The Good Book Guide. * Good Book Guide *'Max Adams has undertaken something new in The Prometheans; he has done it dazzlingly' Guardian. * Guardian *'...succeeds brilliantly as a biography of a family and place. Writing of an age before rigid disciplinary boundaries, Adams illuminates the links between a generation of artistic and scientific visionaries' James Grande, Independent on Sunday. * Independent on Sunday *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. List of illustrations. Forethought. The chains of slavery. The rights of man. Children of the Revolution. Mechanics of war. Brothers in arms. A million fires. Peace divided. A light in the darkness. Belshazzar's Feast. Paradise Lost. Playing with fire. The 'democratical' principle. Babylon-on-Thames. Survivors. Judgement. Notes and references. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Victorians called him 'Bobby' after Sir Robert Peel, the Home Secretary who created the Metropolitan Police in 1829. The generations that followed came to regard the force in which he served as 'the best police in the world'. If twenty-first century observers sometimes take a more jaundiced view of his efforts, the blue-helmeted, unarmed policeman remains an icon of Britishness, and a symbol of the relatively peaceful nature of our social evolution. In The Great British Bobby, Clive Emsley traces the development of Britain's forces of law and order from the earliest watchmen and constables of the pre-modern period to the police service of today. He examines in detail such milestones in police history as the establishment of the Bow Street Runners in the 1740s, the Police Acts of 1839, the introduction of women police officers during the First World War, and the Macpherson Report of 1999 into the death of Stephen Lawrence. Threaded through his narrative are case-studies of real-life Bobbies, drawn from police archives, evoking the day-to-day reality of the policeman's lot over two and a half centuries: the boredom of patrolling on foot in all weathers, the threats to life and limb of policing rough areas, and the diverse historical challenges of industrial unrest, the growth of cities, the arrival of the motor car and the ethnic diversification of society. From Robert Grubb, patrolling the mean streets of Georgian London with rattle and cudgel, to Norwell Roberts, the first black officer to be appointed to the Metropolitan Police, The Great British Bobby presents a cast of mostly honest coppers performing a testing role to the best of their ability. A distinguished historian and criminologist, Clive Emsley is ideally placed to tell - candidly but affectionately - the fascinating story of Britain's police force. The Great British Bobby is nothing less than a social history of Britain over the last 250 years, viewed through the prism of one of its most remarkable and distinctive institutions.Trade ReviewInformative jaunt through the history of the modern bobby … worth reading' Daily Telegraph. * Daily Telegraph *A thoroughly learned, clear-eyed and engaging read' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *The doyen of police history has produced a well-informed, thoughtful account of the British police over some 200 years that is a pleasure to read' BBC History Magazine. * BBC History Magazine *Exhaustively researched account … fascinating' Brian Paddick, Guardian. * Guardian *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. List of illustrations. Introduction. Policing Georgian Liberty. The First Bobbies, 1829-1860. Country Cousins: Policing outside London, 1839-1860. Further Afield: A United Kingdom, an Empire and Two Models. 'An Institution Rather than a Man': The Victorian Police Officer, 1860-1880. Hard Men and Harder Coppers: Bobby on the Front Line, 1860-1914. War, Women and Wages: Policing the Home Front, 1914-1918. Good Cop, Bad Cop: Bobby Between the Wars, 1919-1939. A New War, a New World, 1939-1970. Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same. Appendix: Timeline of main legislative and institutional changes. Abbreviations in the Notes. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Picts were a sophisticated and powerful people who dominated much of what is now Scotland for hundreds of years, before uniting with the Gaels to form the nation of Alba (later Scotland). Their language has all but disappeared, but their cultural heritage survives, above all in the form of hundreds of incised and carved stones, many marked with their distinctive symbols. Pictish symbols have provoked much curiosity and prompted many interpretations, some more fanciful than others. They are still the subject of debate among experts. This extensively illustrated book explores all the available information on the Picts in an appealing, accessible and authoritative way. It also includes full guides to the important collections of Pictish carved stones at St Vigeans in Angus and Meigle in Perth & Kinross.

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Book SynopsisOne of Scotland’s finest late-medieval strongholds, Doune Castle stands high on a promontory between the River Teith and the Ardoch Burn in Perthshire. It is a testament to the power of one nobleman, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. He was known as Scotland’s ‘uncrowned king’, and the castle was one of his main residences in the late 1300s. For a long time Albany has been credited with the complete construction of the castle, making Doune a remarkable example of a medieval fortress built as one man’s vision. However, fresh research is casting new light on Doune Castle, suggesting a much more complex history dating back to the century before Albany and beyond.

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Book SynopsisSt Aidan of Lindisfarne established a monastery at ‘Mailros’ in the 7th century – a place of solitude and contemplation in the Border hills. Five centuries later, Cistercian monks settled nearby and built Melrose Abbey, inspired by the legacy of the early saints. Their austere and simple monastery would grow to become one of the wealthiest abbeys in medieval Scotland. Its magnificent buildings bear witness to almost 1,000 years of work, prayer and worship. Today, Melrose Abbey sits in a busy town. Within a radius of just a few miles lie the ruins of the three other great Border abbeys – Kelso, Jedburgh and Dryburgh. Together they form the greatest concentration of medieval religious houses in Scotland.

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Book SynopsisThe Honours of Scotland tells the turbulent story of the Honours – Scotland’s crown jewels – and the equally dramatic tale of the Stone of Destiny. Over the centuries, Scotland’s monarchy experienced relentless conflict and shifts in power. But throughout all of the struggles, there remained one stalwart reminder of the authority of the monarchy: the Honours of Scotland. For centuries, these priceless objects were entangled in the intrigues of Scottish noble and royal families. Hidden, stolen, mended, remade – and now taking pride of place on display in Edinburgh Castle – their survival depended on the brave actions of many Scots. Existing at the crossroads of myth and tradition, ceremony and legitimacy, the Honours and the Stone of Destiny transcended the sway of individual kings and queens to become proud symbols of Scottish identity and power.Trade Review'a concise but detailed account . . . Intriguing and informative' * Scottish Field *'beautifully-produced and presented . . . The book sets out to present the story of the Honours of Scotland to a popular audience . . . and it does it very well' * Undiscovered Scotland *

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Book SynopsisPraise for the first edition: 'Royle calls on an impressive range of materials (supported by an excellent bibliography) to offer a judicious review of most of the issues currently confronted by social historians. His agenda contains both traditional and novel elements [...] all are presented with admirable clarity and balance. [...] A volume which shows an astonishing command of such a wide range of material will long prove essential reading.' Times Literary Supplement This popular work provides an in-depth historical background to issues of contemporary concern, tracing developments over the past two and a half centuries. It promotes accessibility by adopting a thematic approach, with each theme treated chronologically. Major themes are chosen partly by their importance to an understanding of the past and partly by their relevance to students of contemporary Britain - rather than by imposing current fashions in historical study on the past. Thoroughly revised, the third edition of Modern Britain reviews and brings up to date the content to take account of developments since 1997 and reconsiders emphases and interpretations in light of more recent scholarship. It incorporates new currents in historical writing on matters such as the language of class, the position of women, and the revolution worked by the Internet and mobile technologies. Modern Britain is vital reading for students of history and the social and political sciences.Trade ReviewThe author has updated several aspects of Modern Britain ... [including] the extensive bibliography, to reflect developments in social history in the past thirty years ... The book is refreshingly traditional in manner, style and approach ... [It paints] a varied picture of life in Britain, analysed through a number of lenses, and presented in a number of guises. * Family & Community History *Table of ContentsList of maps and tables Preface 1. The changing environment 2. People 3. Class 4. Poverty and welfare 5. Life and leisure 6. Religion 7. Education Conclusion Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe English canal network becomes increasingly popular and widely used each year. The main aim of this book is to explain how everything works - from locks and lifts, to tunnels and towpaths. Stan Yorke, a life-long narrow boat enthusiast, explains in an easy-to-understand manner the story of the canals. In this he is ably assisted by his son Trevor's superb drawings and diagrams. The book is divided into three clear sections. The first describes the history of the canals, the second looks at their structures and features, and the third suggests special sites of interest around the country, which can be visited by foot or by boat.

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