European history Books

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a fresh perspective on British history in the long nineteenth century through the lens of a study of Sevenoaks and the surrounding area of West Kent. It considers, in particular, how the risks faced by the people of this region, and the choices they made to try to mitigate them, shaped their lives and relationships. During a period of often dramatic change, the economic, social, political, religious and cultural interests of individuals were subject to different risk factors; the responses they made (and the reasons for those choices) provide valuable insights and enable the writing of highly nuanced local history. The authors pinpoint the fundamental risk factors affecting the lives of West Kent’s inhabitants (especially the poor): the struggle to obtain the four bare necessities of shelter, food, fuel and clothing, without which their survival was threatened. Other risks abounded too, from abysmal sanitary conditions and the dangers of giving birth, to industrial injuries and being a victim of crime. Secure work and strong family networks were essential to limiting risks – often forming part of the ‘makeshift economy’ – as well as charity, education, health insurance and access to medical care. For many, not all these options were available – or not until much later in the period. Choice was central to religious and political struggles. The examination of beliefs and values reveals the immense impact such issues had across West Kent society, and how and why it divided as a direct result. Finally, the authors consider the advent of motor vehicles, which combined both risk and choice in exciting but potentially dangerous ways. This innovative approach provides a fruitful new way of writing history and offers a model for future local history studies.Table of Contents1 Introduction: risk and choice 2 Power and authority 3 Ideas, beliefs, and values: parish and vestry 4 Ideas, beliefs, and values: locality, nation, the world 5 ‘The necessities of life’: housing and fuel 6 ‘The necessities of life’: food and clothing 7 Work 8 Self, family, friends, neighbours, townspeople 9 Health, welfare and environment 10 Financial risk to pension security 11 Knowledge and education 12 Leisure 13 Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe small island archipelago of St Kilda, which rises majestically from the stormy waters of the North Atlantic, has a magic and allure which is both enduring and inexplicable. For centuries, St Kilda’s remoteness (it lies sixty miles west of the Scottish Hebrides), together with the way of life of its inhabitants, has attracted huge attention from outsiders, who have been fascinated by this small community literally clinging to the edge of the world. Although St Kildans were always few in number (the population was under 100 when Hirta, the only inhabited island, was evacuated in 1930), their society was extraordinarily well developed – they famously had their own daily ‘parliament’, at which the men of the island would meet and discuss the tasks of the day. This remains a work of vital importance for the understanding of this fascinating island society.

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Book Synopsis"The place where the German U-boat sank the British battleship Royal Oak was none other than the middle of Scapa Flow, Britain's greatest naval base! It sounds incredible..." - William L Shirer, journalist, 18 October 1939 Sinking the battleship HMS Royal Oak in the Royal Navy’s home anchorage, with the loss of more than 800 of her crew, was Germany’s first shattering blow against Britain in the 1939-45 war. Within six weeks the long-standing German dream of breaching the defences of Scapa Flow had been achieved. After years of misinformation, propaganda and conspiracy theories, this meticulously researched book reveals what really happened.

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Book SynopsisAuthorised biography of Welsh nationalist and activist John Barnard Jenkins, one of the most iconic figures in recent Welsh history. The leader of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC), he masterminded their 1960s bombing campaign protesting British state oppression and exploitation of Wales' natural resources. Hardback edition: 9781912631070Trade ReviewDr Wyn Thomas was the author of Hands Off Wales (Gomer, 2013), a study based on his doctoral thesis. This previous volume analysed the nationalist militancy which characterized the heady 1960s, culminating in the violent protests which took place during the period just before the Investiture at Caernarfon Castle on 1 July 1969. Several government institutions in the various parts of Wales and Welsh water pipe lines were targeted and, sadly, there were to be a number of casualties as a result. The view expressed by Wyn Thomas in the study is that the militant Welsh nationalism of the 1960s is now an integral part of our history as a nation and should certainly not be emulated in the 21st century. What, however, is clear to Dr Thomas is that the record of Welsh militancy in the 1960s tended to be airbrushed from history on the grounds that it was not wholly academically respectable and might well prevent the career progression of our Welsh historians. In a sense the present volume is a natural offshoot from the earlier study for it examines the extraordinary life and quite unique career of John Barnard Jenkins who, at 86, still remains fully convinced of the justice of his cause to this very day. Jenkins spent his early career as an officer within the British Army and later assumed the position of the leading light within the nationalist paramilitary organisation Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru. It was he who was primarily responsible for organising the daring bombing campaigns of the late 1960s and was sentenced to a prison term of ten years. He was eventually released from Albany Prison in July 1976. John Jenkins is one of the most alluring but hitherto understudied figures in modern Welsh political history. As is revealed in this book, it was his heartfelt conviction that the Welsh voice received no hearing in the corridors of power at Westminster which were ever ready to exploit the exploitation of the natural resources of Wales. The campaigns did undoubtedly achieve a measure of success, as they drew attention to the desperate need for a measure of administrative devolution for Wales and the holding of the first abortive referendum on 1 March 1979. We are told by the author, 'After fifteen years of interviews and 2½ years of write-up, I am happy and relieved to state that I have completed John Jenkins: the Reluctant Revolutionary?' The backbone of the research is a long series of interviews (conducted between 2004 and 2019) with John Jenkins who has clearly been outstandingly candid, if defiantly outspoken, throughout, and with a number of former police officers who worked (usually as low-key plain clothes officers) to counter the machinations of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru, other active supporters of the movement and various members of their families. Much previously long-buried information has come to light and the dark world of the MAC, with its distinctive political and social background, has been probed as a result. Throughout the author's tone and approach is highly sympathetic, a feature which may well jar with some of the book's readers. Full attention is given in these pages to John Jenkins's childhood and upbringing, his relationship with his mother Minerva and her own background, his early spirituality and Christian beliefs, his evolving political awareness, in part as a result of the horrific Aber-fan disaster of October 1966, and his personal life, including his marriage to his wife Thelma and their subsequent divorce in June 1972, and his role as a father to their two sons Vaughan and Rhodri. Later sections of the book analyse Jenkins's gradual 'conversion' to the ideals embraced by the MAC, and, eventually, his comparative 'rejection' by much of Welsh society. The immediate and long-term outcomes of the MAC campaigns are then discussed. It was Jenkins's proud assertion only this year, 'Never again will Whitehall take us [Wales] for granted'. The vigilant reader must judge for himself the veracity of this bold assertion. The MAC is compared with other contemporary protest movements, and the volume ends with a compelling, astute pen-portrait of the unrepentant John Jenkins as he is today. The volume discusses his 'legacy' and his so-called 'mortality'. Finally, brief attention is given to history's verdict on Jenkins and his contribution. Throughout, one is struck by the completeness of the underlying research and the validity of the shrewd historical analysis. The author also informs us: 'I am working on another title which addresses (primarily, although not entirely) the judicial process of the Tryweryn Reservoir Bill.' It will certainly be eagerly awaited. -- J. Graham Jones @ www.gwales.com

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Book SynopsisDefinitive account of the cultural and political impact on Wales of the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley. The failure of the nation to block the move politically led to increased Welsh national consciousness and to a period of militant activism which eventually led to the process of devolution. -- Cyngor Llyfrau CymruTrade ReviewThis substantial publication offers a detailed re-assessment of the decision by the officials of the Liverpool City Council to drown the village of Capel Celyn in Merionethshire during the early 1960s in order to provide a water supply for some of the citizens of Liverpool, a total of around a million individuals. The book's release was timed to coincide broadly with the 65th anniversary of the passing of the Tryweryn Reservoir Bill. This volume is the result of over twenty years of research, combining traditional archival research with a series of interviews with many of the individuals involved in the story. Dr Thomas has also quarried a large number of the scripts of relevant television and radio programmes. The analysis in Tryweryn is exceptionally detailed and based on exhaustive research work. It pays sympathetic attention to the story from the perspective from the standpoint of the Liverpool City Council, and charts the progress of the Tryweryn Water Bill through parliament where it completed its journey following the final reading of the highly contentious measure on 31 July 1957. These events caused much embarrassment and heart-searching for many of the inhabitants of north Wales who considered Liverpool with affection to be their capital city. They also caused, of course, personal tragedies to those individuals who lost their ancestral homes, some of whom are given full and sympathetic attention in this study. Attention is also given to the long-term effects of these events on the political and social evolution of the Welsh nation. No one escapes judgement in this fair-minded study. The author condemns the Labour members of the Liverpool City Council who were renowned for being stubborn and obdurate. Among them was the fiery and headstrong Councillor Bessie Braddock and her husband John. (Interestingly, in October 2005, on the suggestion of Lord Roberts of Llandudno, the officials of the Liverpool City Council announced their intention to make a full public apology for the events of a full half century earlier.) The incompetent, pusillanimous members of the Merioneth County Council are also much criticised here for their failure to respond positively to this course of events. Some of the inhabitants of Capel Celyn are also judged for their failure to act while losing their homes. Some of them, it would seem, actually welcomed the opportunity to acquire homes of a higher standard in the wake of these events. Dr Thomas also tends to suggest that the leaders of Plaid Cymru failed to reap the potential political advantage from these events. Dr Wyn Thomas said: 'Two aspects of the Tryweryn story have attracted particular attention and comment in Wales: what is deemed to be Liverpool’s dubious justification for flooding Cwm Tryweryn and the traditional belief, often strenuously expressed, that the threatened Welsh-speaking community was united in opposing Liverpool’s reservoir construction project.’ He challenges both these deeply-held opinions in his book. The use of extensive archival testimony convincingly demonstrates that Liverpool’s need to construct a reservoir to combat the city’s municipal water and employment problem was genuine. This seminal volume fills a gap in the historiography of Wales and is fair-minded throughout. It succeeds admirably in looking beyond the mythology and the heated emotions which accompanied the drowning of Capel Celyn in the Welsh heartland. The text is penned in clear, fluid prose, and the volume includes relevant photographs and other illustrations. The endnote references, index, full bibliography and the list of sources used are very helpful. This study will be respected and used for many years to come, and will prove of immense interest to everyone who takes an interest in Welsh history and politics during a highly formative period in the nation's development. -- J. Graham Jones @ www.gwales.com

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Book SynopsisA Daily Express Book of the Year ‘Engrossing … grips you and doesn’t let go.’ The Spectator ‘Waterdrinker’s gift for savage comedy and his war correspondent’s eye have few contemporary equivalents.’ The Times A thrilling escapade through the Soviet Union of the ’90s and early 2000s by a tour guide turned smuggler turned novelist, that tells the unputdownable story of modern Russia. One day, in 1988, a priest knocks on Pieter Waterdrinker’s door with an unusual request: will he smuggle seven thousand bibles into the Soviet Union? Pieter agrees, and soon finds himself living in the midst of one of the biggest social and cultural revolutions of our time, working as a tour operator ... with a sideline in contraband. During the next thirty years, he witnesses, and is sometimes part of, the seismic changes that transform Russia into the modern state we know it as today. This riveting blend of memoir and history provides startling insight into the emergence of one of the world’s most powerful and dangerous countries, as well as telling a nail-biting, laugh-out-loud adventure story that will leave you on the edge of your seat.Trade Review‘Waterdrinker’s gift for savage comedy and his war correspondent’s eye have few contemporary equivalents.’ -- Simon Ings * The Times *‘A gripping memoir by one of Holland’s most admired novelists … a valuable historical document of the era.’ -- Rupert Christiansen * The Telegraph *‘Engrossing … grips you and doesn’t let go.’ -- Matthew Janney * The Spectator *‘A disarming, erudite, shocking, laugh-out-loud Dutch bestseller.’ -- Rory Maclean * TLS *‘A wonderful, page-turning narrative … fascinating and endlessly readable … Waterdrinker is a gifted storyteller.’ -- Donal O’Keeffe * Irish Examiner *‘The recreations of revolutionary Russia are vivid (including his hatred of the Tsar, Lenin, and Stalin) as is the daily reality of living in glasnost Russia. There are some positively Dostoevskian characters, and his portrait of Russia caught at twin moments of upheaval (1917, 1988) is an epic tale told with deceptive simplicity.’ -- Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘A remarkable, sly blend of memoir and history, past and present, amusement and bemusement. How the memoir of a Dutch writer selling bibles in Russia also becomes the story of our past century is beyond me. But in Waterdrinker’s masterful hands, it does. The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street is a spectacular tale, and a towering achievement.’ -- Shalom Auslander, author of Mother for Dinner‘Russia’s recent history has been inspirational and unpredictable, tragic and bizarre, and it takes a quirky literary autobiography like this to capture that. From showing the Russian president’s wife through Amsterdam’s red-light district to wheeling and dealing in the dying days of the USSR, Waterdrinker offers up an eminently readable and critically affectionate vision of a Russia constantly in the throes of reinvention.’ -- Professor Mark Galeotti, author of A Short History of Russia‘An evocative personal history of smuggling and surviving.’ * Foyles *‘I really enjoyed it … it spoke to my own experiences.’ -- Mark Galeotti * The Spectator TV *‘Peter Waterdrinker’s experiences of Russia over the past quarter century are undoubtedly worth telling … his descriptions are evocative.’ -- Owen Matthews * Catholic Herald *‘In this compelling memoir … Waterdrinker recounts the awful and at the same time great decades that gave Russians a radically redefined role on the world stage … An intensely personal perspective on geopolitical transformation.’ -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist, starred review *‘[Waterdrinker] interweaves memoir and history in this impressionistic account of Russia from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to the present day … [he] incisively captures the beauty and terror of his adopted country … Russophiles will savour this iconoclastic portrait of modern Russia.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘An octogenarian aristocrat cooped up in a decrepit Soviet madhouse, doctors requiring bribes before even considering treating patients, the wife of a Russian president touring Amsterdam’s red-light district, lust-driven physicists embezzling foreign aid programs, the mad monk Rasputin. These are just a handful of the memorable characters Pieter Waterdrinker draws in his idiosyncratic, darkly humorous, captivating blend of memoir, history, and reportage that spans Russia’s last century. It’s a terrific read that will engage and inform in equal measure.’ -- Gordon Peake * The Canberra Times *‘Compelling.’ * The Herald *‘Words by Waterdrinker are as amazing as a superior circus.’ * Elsevier *‘How evocatively Waterdrinker can write! A hundred years after the Russian Revolution, he makes this violent period of history shine once again.’ * Zin *

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Book SynopsisPalestine, 1850: a backwater of the Ottoman Empire, but soon to become the focus of intense jealousies. Locally Arabs and Jews became increasingly polarised, internationally the vacuum left by the demise of the Ottoman Empire was filled with the rivalries of Western nations.This book is a vivid account, told through oral history and a wealth of photographs from the time, never previously published. They add new dimensions to our understanding of the history, the geography, and the human reality of Palestine.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the History Book of the Year category of the 2009 Saltire Literary Awards The Spanish Civil War was a call to arms for 2,300 British volunteers, of which over 500 were from Scotland. The first book of its kind, Homage to Caledonia examines Scotland's role in the conflict, detailing exactly why Scottish involvement was so profound. The book moves chronologically through events and places, firstly surveying the landscape in contemporary Scotland before describing volunteers' journeys to Spain, and then tracing their every involvement from arrival to homecoming (or not). There is also an account of the non-combative role, from fundraising for Spain and medical aid, to political manoeuvrings within the volatile Scottish left. Using a wealth of previously-unpublished letters sent back from the front as well as other archival items, Daniel Gray is able to tell little known stories of courage in conflict, and to call into question accepted versions of events such as the 'murder' of Bob Smillie, or the heroism of 'The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel'. Homage to Caledonia offers a very human take on events in Spain: for every tale of abject distress in a time of war, there is a tale of a Scottish volunteer urinating in his general's boots, knocking back a dram with Errol Flynn or appalling Spanish comrades with his pipe playing. For the first time, read the fascinating story of Caledonia's role in this seminal conflict.Trade ReviewAs seen on STV Documentary The Scots Who Fought Franco: 'Daniel Gray has done a marvellous job in bringing together the stories of Scots volunteers - in [this] many-voiced, multi-layered book' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY ...moving and thought-provoking. THE HERALD A new and fascinating contribution. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKSBook of the week - Gray deserves applause for shining a light on a lesser-known aspect of the nation's character of which we should all be proud. PRESS & JOURNAL

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Book SynopsisMcMillan's Galloway, a witty and irreverent look at contemporary Dumfries and Galloway, provides a suitably individualistic snapshot of a place which operated for so long as an independent entity completely separate from its neighbours, Scotland and England. McMillan takes us on a rollicking tour from the Mull of Galloway to Langholm, through land once shrouded in myth and populated by warriors, emigrants, fairies and liars, rooting out the truth and the fiction and frequently confusing them.Trade ReviewWRITER Hugh McMillan has brought together a collection of irreverent stories about Dumfries and Galloway in the book just published by Luath Press "McMillan's Galloway". In it he tells of the Dumfries local, famous for being an excellent fishermen who was notoriously poor at having permits for it, being asked in the pub if he could secure a large salmon for someone willing to pay him for it. THE HERALD Although this unconventional guidebook is irreverent in tone, it's clear that McMillan's feelings for Galloway run deep. And we're sure yours will too, after joining MacMillan on this witty and whimsical tour of his homeland. SCOTLAND MAGAZINEOne could say that McMillan’s Galloway is an Encyclopaedia in the same way that the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a travel book. His Galloway is less a geographic than an imaginary space, an imagined place more like, built on and in dialogue with perspectives borrowed from those who have written, drawn, filmed or simply visited it in the past. ALISTAIR FINDLAY spent two weeks searching for a zeppelin base near new Galloway. I am deeply disappointed by the research that has gone into this book. TONY BARBOURA sort of public transport road movie, where mostly it is raining and the narrator not in good shape. ANDREW GRIEG

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Book SynopsisIn his newest publication, Storer concentrates on the history of the Corrour Bothy. The book tells the story of the oldest and most famous bothy in the world, celebrating a century of public use in 2020. The book blends guidebook entries with historical accounts. Through guidebook entries between the years of 1928 and 2019, Storer outlines bothy life, the history of the Highlands, of hillwalking and of climbing and thereby provides a portrait of the past 100 years from a unique perspective centred on the Scottish Highlands.

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Book SynopsisHugely informative and stunningly produced, the Elizabeth I Book of Days pairs a practical perpetual diary with a wealth of material on the life and times of the last Tudor queen, Elizabeth I (1533-1603), one of England''s most iconic and celebrated monarchs.

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Book SynopsisA photographic guide to surviving planes from the Battle of Britain. The Battle of Britain is widely considered to be Britain's finest hour. The 'Few' who so bravely fought to save the nation will not be forgotten, nor will they be around forever to recount the heroism of the summer of 1940 first-hand. In contrast, the number of restored and preserved aircraft in our museums and skies is at an all-time high. Authentic warbirds have never been better cared for and formations of 15 or more Spitfires and half a dozen Hurricanes are not unheard of at UK air shows. It is now left to the sights and sounds of these surviving aircraft to remind us of the sacrifices, daring and bravery of those who saved Britain from imminent invasion in 1940. This book features a brief history of all the front-line RAF fighter aircraft that were involved in the famous battle and explores some of the major training and support aeroplanes that contributed to the iconic events. The story is told using over 160 photographs of surviving and restored aircraft in the air, on the ground and in unique formations together. 160 illustrations

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Book SynopsisBehind the world's most iconic front door lies the core of British political power: the Prime Minister's home and office. Designed over three centuries ago as an ordinary residence, 10 Downing Street (or 'No. 10') has undergone a challenging metamorphosis, with continuous adaptation and renovation allowing successive occupants to make their mark on this evolving, surprising and in some places crumbling building. No. 10's first-ever Researcher in Residence, Jack Brown, has used unprecedented access to people and papers to uncover intimate stories of Downing Street's post-war residents, staff and visitors, revealing how those in power have shaped the building - and been shaped by it in return. This is a fascinating account of unexplored corners of one of the nation's best-known buildings, from the minutiae of decoration and diplomacy to the drama of terrorist bombs and political bombshells.Trade Review'Serious analysis of government and its processes... but the human element is there, too' -Daily Mail; 'Everything you could want to know about Downing Street is here' -TLS; 'A fascinating biography of one of the great political survivors: Downing Street. A must-read for anyone who has wondered what life is like behind that famous black door' -Matt Chorley, The Times; '...full of such gems which make it a delight to read' -Civil Service World; 'the book is indispensable...' -LSE Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe passion and emotion felt about the partition of Ireland has not dissipated in the 100 years since and, as the disorders occurred in Northern Ireland in the Spring 2021 show, it is as controversial now as it was then. To mark the centenary of partition, this much-acclaimed concise introductory history explains clearly and objectively why and how two states were created on the island.Trade Review‘An excellent exposition of how the border came into existence… a short, very readable and clear overview.’—Times Literary Supplement; ‘…notable for [its] attention to detail.’ —Financial Times; ‘an accessible, well-written concise history of partition’ –History Ireland.

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Book SynopsisHitler's tyranny is still difficult to understand today. In this book, Ralf Georg Reuth examines ten aspects of this catastrophe. Among other things, he asks: Was anti-Semitism more pronounced in Germany than elsewhere? Was Versailles responsible for Hitler's rise, and why did the Germans follow a racial fanatic like him? How did his war differ from all others before it? The disturbing answers provide an overall picture that shows: Hitler was not just the consequence of German history, but the result of chance, deception, and seduction. This thought-provoking new study takes aim at several of the 'sacred cows' of Hitler scholarship from the past forty years. Reuth interrogates and challenges a range of orthodox views on such topics as how mainstream politicians facilitated Hitler's rise to power, the Fuhrer's infamous pact with Stalin, and the complicity of ordinary Germans in his genocidal tyranny. Eschewing a conventional chronological approach in favour of a forensic analysis of Adolf Hitler's mainsprings of action both as chancellor and military commander, Reuth portrays Hitler as the apotheosis of a specifically German strain of militarism and imperialism, shifting the focus firmly back on to the mindset and modus operandi of Hitler himself. The portrait that emerges is one of a murderous fantasist and political opportunist driven by an all-embracing ideology of racial superiority. Reuth's account courts controversy on a few points but offers a fascinating counterpoint to much recent scholarship.Trade Review‘An urgent reminder of what happened the last time the world mistook a psychotic warmonger for a rational, power-hungry politician.’ James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany; ‘...provides an intriguing perspective on Hitler from one of Germany's foremost experts on the subject.’ Brendan Simms, author of Hitler's American Gamble

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Book SynopsisThis book recovers the neglected history of Gerlin Bean, an activist and community organiser in the Black radical movement of the 1960s-1980s.

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Book SynopsisSince the end of WWI, one party has held the momentum of political and social change in south Wales: the Labour Party. Its triumph was never fully guaranteed. It came quickly amidst a torrent of ideas, actions, and war. But the result was a vibrant, effective and long- lasting democracy. The result was Labour Country. In this bold, controversial book, Daryl Leeworthy takes a fresh and provocative look at the struggle through radical political action for social democracy in Wales. The reasons for Labour's triumph, he argues, lay in radical pragmatism and an ability to harness lofty ideals with meaningful practicality. This was a place of dreamers as well as doers. The world of Arthur Horner and Aneurin Bevan. And yet, as the author shows, this history is now over. Although a trajectory leads from the end of the Miners' Strike both to the advent of devolution and the circumstances that led to the Brexit vote in 2016, these are exits from Labour Country, not a continuation. Sustained by a powerful synthesis of scholarship and original research, passionate and committed, this book brings the cubist epic of south Wales and its politics to life.Trade Review"...the vast amount of evidence is brought together to build a narrative which brings the history of this period to life and emphasises the vitality of community politics in south Wales." Nye Davies, Wales Arts Review

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Book SynopsisTwo of the RAF's most memorable aircraft are the English Electric Lightning and the McDonnell Phantom. The Lightning, which flew with nine RAF squadrons before being retired in 1988, is fondly remembered for is astonishing rate of climb, while the Phantom, which flew with three Royal Navy squadrons and 15 RAF squadrons, started out in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles but became more predominant in the tactical fighter role before being finally retired in 1992. Illustrated with more than 180 photographs, this book covers in great detail the Lightning and Phantom fighter aircraft and the part they played in the latter stages of the Cold War. 180 illustrations

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Book SynopsisIn this volume, we explore the southern end of the Heart of Wales line - Central Wales Line 1. It includes the now closed section running along the Swansea shore line and the branch to Carmarthen, and documents its complicated history around the Swansea and Llanelli areas.

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Book SynopsisHaving covered the southern section of the Central Wales Line and its branches in Swansea to Llandovery, this volume traces the line from Llandovery to Craven Arms, where it met the North & West line, taking its traffic on to Shrewsbury. This is Central Wales Line 2.

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Book SynopsisThe first volume in the Lost Tramways of Ireland series features the history of the Belfast system, including its origins as a horse tramway in the 1870s, its conversion to electric traction in the early 20th century, its role in two World Wars, the conversion of the network to bus and trolleybus operation from the late 1940s and the system''s eventual demise in 1954.

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Book SynopsisThe first of two volumes covering the history of tramcar operation in Glasgow. The book narrates the story of the city''s impressive network from its origins as a horse tramway in the 1870s, through the early years of electrification and expansion during the first decades of the 20th century through to World War II. The book focuses on locations in the southern half of the city.

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Book SynopsisThe second of two volumes covering the history of tramcar operation in Glasgow. The book narrates the story of the city''s network from the immediate post-war years, through the 1950s to the early 1960s when the final services were operated. This volume focuses on locations in the northern half of the city.

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Book SynopsisOld orchards have an irresistible appeal. Their ancient trees and obscure fruit varieties seem to provide a direct link with the lost rural world of our ancestors, a time when the pace of life was slower and people had a strong and intimate connection with their local environment. They are also of critical importance for sustaining biodiversity, providing habitats, in particular, for a range of rare invertebrates. Not surprisingly, orchards and the fruit they contain have attracted an increasing amount of attention over the last few decades, from both enthusiastic bands of amateurs and official conservation bodies. But much of what has been written about them is historically vague, romanticised and nostalgic. Orchards have become a symbol of unspoilt, picturesque rural England.This book attempts, for the first time, to provide a comprehensive review of the development of orchards in England from the Middle Ages to the present day. It describes the various different kinds of orchard and explains how, and when, they appeared in the landscape – and why they have disappeared, at a catastrophic rate, over the last six decades. Chapters discuss the contrasting histories of fruit growing in different regions of England, the complex story of ‘traditional’ fruit varieties and the role of orchards in wildlife conservation. In addition, a chapter on researching orchards provides a practical guide for those wishing to investigate the history and archaeology of particular examples.Trade ReviewThe book is an enjoyable read, it combines a vast amount of information in an accessible narrative * Antiquity *This is a well-produced book with ample colour illustrations and presents a useful summary on the subject of English orchards, in particular the consideration of the four different types of orchards and a comparison of orchard development between the three key regions of orchard landscapes in England. * Landscape History *Blending erudite landscape history and ecology with a perceptive eye for heritage and environmental issues, this book provides a superb overview of a neglected feature of our historic environment. It fully deserves the wide readership that it will doubtless receive. * Worcestershire Recorder *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations 1. Introducing Orchards 2. Types of Orchard: Farmhouse and Commercial 3. Types of Orchard: Gardens and Institutions 4. The Orchard Countries: Western England 5. The Orchard Countries: South-East England 6. The Orchard Countries: East Anglia and the Fens 7. The Recent History of Orchards 8. Studying Old Orchards 9. The Importance of Orchards: Biodiversity 10. The Importance of Orchards: Culture and History 11. Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe study of the Spartans is now pursued more widely and intensively than ever. Indeed, no longer is Sparta the 'second city' of ancient Greece. This volume, the fourth in the established series on which Powell and Hodkinson have collaborated, breaks fresh ground, not least in the range of its contributors. The authors of the fourteen new papers represent nine different countries and demonstrate many of the fertile modern approaches to the history, the archaeology - and the still-influential image - of the city on the Eurotas.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Stephen Hodkinson I. Representations of Sparta 1. Herodotus and Spartan Despotism - Ellen Millender 2. Spartan Ate at Thermopylai: Semantics and Ideology at Herodotus, Histories 7.234 - Michael Clarke 3. Was Sophrosyne Ever a Spartan Virtue? - Noreen Humble 4. Three Evocations of the Dead with Pausanias - Daniel Ogden II. Invention and Tradition 5. Iron Money and the Ideology of Consumption in Laconia - Thomas J. Figueira 6. Iron Money in Sparta: Myth and History - Jacqueline Christien 7. The Invention of Tradition in Classical and Hellenistic Sparta - Michael Flower 8. Notes on the Influence of the Spartan Great Rhetra on Tyrtaeus, Herodotus and Xenophon - Michael Lipka III. Subject Populations 9. Helotic Slavery Reconsidered - Nino Luraghi 10. Helotage and Spartan Social Organization - Nikos Birgalias 11. Settlements of Spartan Perioikoi: Poleis or Komai? - Andrey Eremin 12. Ouk Homoioi, Agathoi De: The Perioikoi in the Classical Lakedaimonian Polis - Norbert Mertens IV. Historiographical Reception 13. Sparta Compared: Ethnographic Perspectives in Spartan Sstudies - Marcello Lupi 14. From Thermopylae to Stalingrad: The Myth of Leonidas in German Historiography - Stefan Rebenich Index

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Book SynopsisThe inspirational story of a young German orphan who escaped a war-torn Berlin to rise to the highest ranks of the European legal system. When Konrad Schiemann escaped his home in Berlin to begin a new life in England, he didn’t know what life awaited him there. An orphan who had lost both of his parents at the end of World War Two, he reached this new country to start again with the help of relatives. Grown up, he decided to practise as a barrister in England and became a judge of the Appeal Court and finally of the European Court of Justice. After having his family and life in Germany torn apart by conflict, he forged a career around his desire to help in the construction of a peaceful Europe. It was only late in life that he came to realise the extent of the extraordinary family into which he had been born. A great-great grandfather who presided over 5 parliaments and the first German Supreme Court, a great-grandfather who was a friend of the last Kaiser and a grandfather who joined the Nazi Party despite the opposition of two members of the family later recognised by Israel as Righteous among the Nations for saving Jews from the Nazis. He learned of his mother’s close acquaintance with one of the plotters of the assassination attempt on Hitler and it became evident that there was a powerful family history to be traced, and a story to be told. Piecing together extensive correspondence from the war years, A Dual Perspective is the moving memoir of a German orphan who built a new future away from home, and the story of the family he loved and lost along the way.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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