History Books
Wildy, Simmonds and Hill Publishing A Victorian Tragedy The Extraordinary Case of
Book Synopsis'A Victorian Tragedy', for the first time, describes how the landmark court case of Banks v Goodfellow (1870) came about, what happened to the protagonists and how an enlightened judgment provided a practical definition of testamentary capacity that has since been used throughout the common law world law.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One - Who was John Banks the Elder? Chapter Two - John Banks the Elder: His Life, Illness and Death Chapter Three - The Wills of John Banks the Elder Chapter Four - Margaret Banks Goodfellow: The Niece and Beneficiary of the Last Will Chapter Five - The Trials of the Will Chapter Six - John Banks the Younger: The Claimant Chapter Seven - Edward Barron Goodfellow: The Defendant Chapter Eight - The Questions that still Remain Appendix I -Information Appendix II - Biographical Sketches of the Judges and Principal Barristers Appendix III -The Judgment in Queen’s Bench Endnotes Index
£21.38
Colourpoint Creative Ltd Where Are You Really From Kola Kubes and
Book SynopsisA fascinating and powerful memoir about growing up black in the Falls road area of Belfast during the Troubles in the 1970s and 80s, and a moving tribute to the mother who risked everything to keep her son.Trade Reviewone of the defining memoirs of the late Troubles * Sunday Times * an amazing story of secrets and sacrifice * Sunday Mirror * an enthralling read * The Times * The remarkable story of a life founded on lies but saved by a mother's love * Daily Mirror *
£9.49
Colourpoint Creative Ltd A Time To Speak
Book SynopsisHelen Lewis survived the greatest nightmare ever dreamed by man. Her story is appalling, mesmerising, and one reads with increasing gratitude for her clarity, honesty and courage.' Ian McEwanHelen Lewis, a young student of dance in Prague at the outbreak of WW2 was herded, like Madeleine Albright, into the Terezin ghetto, then shipped to Auschwitz, in 1942. Separated from her family, she struggled to survive amidst the carnage of The Final Solution. How she did so, and what she did in order to survive, is a gripping story, told with wit, candour, and controlled anger.Widely praised by many, including Jennifer Johnston, Michael Longley, and the Guardian, and hailed by the Independent for its elegiac simplicity and lucidity', A Time to Speak is an elegant memoir of the Holocaust, humbling in its freedom from bitterness, which will leave no reader unmoved.Trade ReviewOnly the dead know the whole truth and some of those witnesses who survived have taken upon themselves the painful task of speaking for them… This book is the testimony of a woman who has survived the unsurvivable. -- Jennifer JohnstonThe world needs testimonies like Helen Lewis's... a book of utmost distinction. -- Michael LongleyHer writing does not need any embellishment or fancy prose; she simply describes scenes as close to hell on earth as it is surely possible to be.harrowing but upliftingso much more than a mere memoirIn 117 staggering pages, A Time to Speak is everything a book can and should hope to be.
£999.99
Liverpool University Press Aeschylus Persians Aris Phillips Classical Texts
Book SynopsisAs the earliest surviving European drama, Persians is of incalculable interest to students of ancient literature. This edition offers facing translation, commentary and notes that focus on the visual and aural effects Aeschylus created, his extraordinarily rich imagery, and the play’s unique contribution to Athenian democratic ideology.Trade Review‘This edition is the most up-to-date scholarly text of Persians now available. Scholars teachers, and students will appreciate in particular Hall’s careful and complete research, evidenced in the excellent introduction, commentary and bibliography as well as in the translation itself; ... An excellent text for Western tradition, history and literature courses. Highly recommended for all academic collections.’Choice‘In short an admirable edition almost convincing that Persians is a good play as well as a useful historical source!’ JACTTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsAddenda 2007Bibliographical Supplement 2007Introduction1. Remember Athens2. Aeschylus3. Persians and Historical ‘Reality’4. Historical Tragedy5. History and Myth6. The Tetralogy7. Political Perspective8. Aeschylus’ Sources9. Religion10. Persians as Tragedy11. Visual and Aural Dimensions12. Imagery13. Style and Language14. The TextIllustrationsSymbols in the ApparatusText and TranslationCommentaryMetrical AppendixAbbreviations and BibliographyIndex
£29.95
Liverpool University Press Symposium Classical Texts Aris Phillips
Book SynopsisXenophon’s Symposium is a work as useful for its Greek as it is precious for its content, a document of prime importance for the study of classical Greek society. This edition offers an unprecedented amount of help with the language, a large vocabulary and notes on the content. Greek text with facing translation, introduction and commentary.Table of ContentsPreface Map IntroductionBibliographyNote on the Text and TranslationSYMPOSIUM: Parallel Greek Text and English TranslationCommentaryVocabulary of Greek WordsIndexes
£29.95
Egypt Exploration Society Archaeological Sites of the Nile Delta of Egypt
Book SynopsisArchaeological Sites of the Nile Delta of Egypt is intended to be a directory, providing an overview and a direction to original sources, without seeking to republish all the known information about each site. It makes available the data on all 783 of the sites in the Egypt Exploration Society's Delta Survey.
£66.50
Egypt Exploration Society Statuary from Royal Buildings at Amarna 2volume
Book Synopsis2-volume set in slipcase. Excavations at the Ancient Egyptian city of Amarna have yielded the remains of many hundreds of statues that were part of Akhenaten's visionary plan. This work catalogues all the statuary, and in a separate volume begins to reintegrate it into the history of the city's temples and palaces.
£308.75
Egypt Exploration Society Amelia B Edwards
Book SynopsisAmelia Blanford Edwards was so much more than a pioneer of British Egyptology. She was a writer, musician, artist, activist, and explorer. She is remembered for different reasons, by different people, in different ways. This volume offers new revelations about Amelia''s private life and her relationships with women that led her, ultimately, to the founding of the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society). What circumstances in her life led Amelia Edwards to Egypt and what happened after her famous journey ''A Thousand Miles Up the Nile''? To answer these questions, Carl Graves navigates Amelia''s complicated personal life, unpacking the events that surrounded the foundation of the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society). Her legacy in Egyptology ends with the equally intriguing journey of an oil painting by Florence Blakiston Attwood-Mathews, now in the collection of the Society. But who really is the woman in the painting?
£11.97
Halsgrove Liverpool Blitzed Seventy Years On
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£999.99
Halsgrove The Book of Happisburgh
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£22.49
Halsgrove Last of the Wooden Walls An Illustrated History
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£22.49
Halsgrove The Book of Helston Ancient Borough Market Town
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£22.49
Halsgrove Derbyshire Unusual Quirky
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£17.99
Halsgrove Prelude to DDay Devons Role in the Storming of
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£999.99
Halsgrove Yorkshire Heritage Steam Railways
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£14.24
Halsgrove Curious and Surprising Victorian Derbyshire
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£9.49
Halsgrove Hidden Riverside Norwich
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£16.14
Halsgrove A History of Watchet Na
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£22.49
Halsgrove European Stamp Issues and the First World War
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£999.99
Halsgrove Suffolk Above and Beyond
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£16.14
Halsgrove Shropshire Unusual Quirky
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£17.99
Halsgrove Thomas Hardys Women In Life and Literature
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£14.24
Halsgrove Somerset Shocking Surprising and Strange
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£12.34
Halsgrove Somerset and District Friendly Society Pole Heads
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£26.99
Halsgrove The Barbarians are Coming
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£17.99
Quercus Publishing Defending the Motherland The Soviet Women Who
Book SynopsisPlucked from every background, and led by an N.K.V.D. Major, the new recruits who boarded a train in Moscow on 16th October 1941 to go to war had much in common with millions of others across the world. What made the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Heavy-bomber Regiment and the 588th Regiment of light night-bombers unique was their gender: the Soviet Union was creating the first all-female active combat units in modern history.Drawing on original interviews with surviving airwomen, Lyuba Vinogradova weaves together the untold stories of the female Soviet fighter pilots of the Second World War. From that first train journey to the last tragic disappearance, Vinogradova''s panoramic account of these women''s lives follows them from society balls to unmarked graves, from landmark victories to the horrors of Stalingrad. Battling not just fearsome Aces of the Luftwaffe but also patronising prejudice from their own leaders, women such as Lilya Litvyak and Ekaterina Budanova are Trade ReviewWhat has been missing until now is a thoroughly researched account of all these pilots' wars, based on primary sources and stitched into the larger picture of the epic battle for what Hitler called the "world island" of central Russia. Defending the Motherland fills that void -- Giles Whittell * The Times *Brings to light the fascinating story of the world's first and only all-female aviation regiments . . . Not for the first time, one can't help being flabbergasted by the heroic achievements of the poverty-stricken and hounded peoples of the USSR -- Charlotte Hobson * Spectator *[Vinogradova's] assiduous research, including numerous interviews with elderly veterans, has uncovered fascinating nuggets about the young female pilots' experience -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *A gripping, unforgettable and heart-breaking story of female heroism in war and terror, written elegantly, filled with new research - archival and oral - and told here fully for the first time. Not just a tale of amazing derring-do, but a terrifying window into Stalinist Russia. Simply superb -- Simon Sebag MontefioreLyuba Vinogradova tells the poignant story of the determined young women who fought and died in the air above Stalingrad and elsewhere in the epic struggle to expel the German invaders from their country. It is an absorbing and meticulously researched account -- Sir Rodric BraithwaiteRemarkable . . . Vinogradova tells the stories Russian pilots with verve -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *A feat of historical research and a wonderful, stirring read -- Rachel PolonskySuperbly written and researched . . . Vinogradova takes her place in the top flight of Russian historians -- Anna ReidThe story of the Soviet airwomen is well told by Lyuba Vinogradova . . . She has done a huge amount of research, which shines through the pen portraits of the aviators and some of the vivid descriptions of the aerial battles -- Leo McKinstry * Literary Review *Vinogradova is excellent on the technical aspects and experience of flying the various aircraft . . . She is at her best, though, in bringing alive the quotidian details of wartime -- Wendy Slater * Times Literary Supplement *Russian historian Vinogradova dove deeply into the archives and conducted an admirable amount of legwork to craft this revelatory study of Soviet female fliers during WWII * Booklist *Following these women's stories with a focused lens and allowing the background themes to add to the narrative without shifting emphasis, this engaging work adds to the knowledge of the Soviet military effort of World War II, profiling its lesser-known heroines while also offering a straightforward critique of Soviet culture * Library Journal *
£11.69
Quercus Publishing Rose Nicolson
Book Synopsis''A tale I have for you.''Embra, winter of 1574. Queen Mary has fled Scotland, to raise an army from the French. Her son and heir, Jamie is held under protection in Stirling Castle. John Knox is dead. The people are unmoored and lurching under the uncertain governance of this riven land. It''s a deadly time for young student Will Fowler, short of stature, low of birth but mightily ambitious, to make his name.Fowler has found himself where the scorch marks of the martyrs burned at the stake can be seen on every street, where differences in doctrine can prove fatal, where the feuds of great families pull innocents into their bloody realm. There he befriends the austere stick-wielding philosopher Tom Nicolson, son of a fishing family whose sister Rose, untutored, brilliant and exceedingly beautiful exhibits a free-thinking mind that can only bring danger upon her and her admirers. The lowly students are adept at attracting the attentions of the rich and powerTrade ReviewI loved this book -- Richard HollowayExceptionally enjoyable . . . Greig very skilfully combines a gripping adventure story with an exploration of the dark forces that shaped Scottish history. * Sunday Times *Prepare to be pitched back in time in this visceral and passionate novel set in 16th Century Scotland * Sunday Post Dundee *[A] highly entertaining historical novel * Independent *Andrew Greig's novel is written in archaic Scots; the result is an immersive reading experience, helped along by a glossary. This is a meaty, satisfying novel and the character of Rose, a strong woman trapped by her circumstances, will linger long. * Times *[N]ever allows the narrative to flag. William Fowler is his perfect alter ego, a poet, a gowfer and a natural raconteur * Literary Review *This novel is full of surprises, rich in delights. Greig writes with rare authority and understandings. Sometimes it seems as if he was behind a heavy tapestry or curtain listening to everything being said, then keeking through a gap to view the action. * The Scotsman *Mr Greig is a master at conjuring atmosphere, very good on taste and aroma-'the smell of ink, that dark and pungent rot'-and keeps his complex tangle of plotlines taut. He avoids quaint archaism and possesses the ability to make the past feel present to the people he describes * Country Life *[A] rich, lyrical, rackety, colourful read. * Daily Mail *Rose Nicolson is a remarkable novel, a work of imagination, intelligence and gusto . . . the novel is full of surprises, rich in delights. Greig writes with rare authority and understanding. * The Scotsman Magazine *[A] brilliant combination of romance and historical insight, and Rose is an intriguing heroine. * Woman & Home *[A]n exquisitely crafted historical novel that elegantly evokes 16th century Embra while also providing a thrilling snapshot of the struggle for power over Scotland's crown. * Wee Review *This is a gripping and engrossing retelling of a dramatic period in Scottish history by an appealing and engaging narrator. * Countryman Magazine *A vivid and passionate novel set in 16th Century Scotland * Edinburgh Life *Rose Nicolson is a remarkable novel, a work of imagination, intelligence and gusto . . .This novel is full of surprises, rich in delights. Greig writes with rare authority and understanding . . . it is lucid and has the essential rapidity that a historical romance requires. -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *Of the books i've read so far, i'd have to mention . . . Rose Nicolson by Andrew Greig -- Ian Rankin (Books of the Year, Irish Independent)
£9.49
Quercus Publishing Between the Wars 19191939
Book SynopsisAt the end of 1918 one prescient American historian began to write a history of the Great War. What will you call it? he was asked. The First World War, was his bleak response.In Between the Wars Philip Ziegler examines the major international turning points - cultural and social as well as political and military - that led the world from one war to another. His approach is panoramic, touching on all parts of the world where history was being made, examining Gandhi''s March to the Sea and the Chaco War in South America alongside Hitler''s rise to power.It is the tragic story of a world determined that the horrors of the First World War would never be repeated, yet committed to a path which in hindsight was inevitably destined to end in a second, even more devastating conflict.Each chapter bears the unmistakable stamp of Ziegler''s scholarship: a keen eye for the telling anecdote, elegant and fluid prose, and calm and fair judgments. In a world tTrade ReviewA fascinating, panoramic overview . . . In prose of crystalline elegance, Ziegler travels chronologically across countries and continents, discussing global events that range from the complex arguments for Home Rule in Ireland in 1921 to the fascist takeover of Madrid in 1939. -- Juliet Nicolson * Spectator. *Very rewarding, well-written, succinct and full of intelligent judgements. -- Hugh ThomasZiegler is an elegant, unfailingly lucid writer -- Simon Callow.One of the most experienced and versatile biographers of his generation. * Observer. *Ziegler writes with urbanity and wit but is unflinching in his judgments. * Times Literary Supplement. *Fascinating. -- Bill Bryson * on The Black Death. *A skillful historian. * Kirkus Reviews. *
£11.69
Quercus Publishing The Photographer at Sixteen WINNER OF THE JAMES
Book SynopsisA poet''s memoir of his mother that flows backwards through time, through a tumultuous period of European history - a tender and yet unsparing autobiographical journey.**A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK**A truly remarkable book . . . fiercely compelling EDMUND DE WAAL*WINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK MEMORIAL PRIZE* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE JEWISH WINGATE PRIZE*I''ve read no memoir that moved me more MIRANDA SEYMOURThe writing is always scrupulous . . . [a] compelling memoir BLAKE MORRISONBeautifully written and utterly compelling Sunday TimesAn original, probingly thoughtful memoir EVA HOFFMANNIn July 1975, Magda Szirtes died in the ambulance on the way to hospital after she had tried to take her own life. She was fifty-one years old. The Photographer at Sixteen spools into the past, through her exile in England, her flight with her husband Trade ReviewIn this extraordinary, hybrid book - part memoir, part history, part poetic journey - Szirtes re-makes the life of his mother, tracing her childhood in Europe's darkest period to her life in Britain after the Hungarian uprising. He brilliantly captures how sometimes it's those closest to us who remain the most mysterious. -- Patrick McGuinness, author of OTHER PEOPLE'S COUNTRIES: A JOURNEY INTO MEMORYA truly remarkable book about identity, image and memory. It is fiercely compelling. -- Edmund de Waal, author of THE HARE WITH THE AMBER EYESUnforgettably sad . . . Szirtes has made [his mother's] monument. It is a courageous and remarkable achievement. I've read no memoir that moved me more. -- Miranda Seymour * Financial Times *The writing is always scrupulous . . . Knowledge is partly invention, Szirtes says, memory is mostly invention, and 'the trick is to invent the truth.' It may be a trick but it's one he pulls off brilliantly in this compelling memoir. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *Exceptional . . . There is much more to this scrupulously written memoir than I have been able to convey. There are photographs throughout the text, but those in the final pages are heartbreaking. -- Paul Bailey * Literary Review *A book full of warmth, grief, curiosity, wisdom, staggering anecdotes and a coming to terms with the vicissitudes of 20th-century history . . . [a] highly original telling of the author's mother's life and the heartrending events through which she lived. -- Charlie Connelly * New European *Szirtes uses his poet's eye to build images and details that bring his mother superbly to life . . . [this] is a beautifully written and utterly compelling narrative. -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *In this quest to understand the enigma of his mother 's life and death, George Szirtes travels back from personal memory to deeper history, as he reconstructs his family's tragedy-darkened past . . . An original, probingly thoughtful memoir whose restraint only increases its poignancy and impact -- Eva Hoffman, author of LOST IN TRANSLATION: A LIFE IN A NEW LANGUAGE[An] exquisitely told memoir . . . By telling the story of his mother's life backwards Szirtes has performed a sort of conjuring trick . . . Not simply a memoir but a hybrid of history and biography interspersed with photographs, poems and several standout moments -- Anne Sebba * Spectator *As isolated snapshots build into a family portrait, and a historical fresco, we grasp the wider picture . . . beautiful, devastating -- Boyd Tonkin * Arts Desk *Like a film in reverse, this narrative structure not only reclaims a time of innocence and hope but also functions as a form of healing, an undoing of her pain. -- Fiona Capp * Sydney Morning Herald *Magda Szirtes is intense, untameable, tantalising and compelling. George Szirtes is tender and astute in trying to understand her, percipient in analysing the enduring fragments of her life -- letters, tape-recordings, photographs, memories -- yet ever-aware of how little it is possible to know. The result is engrossing and profoundly moving. -- Keiron Pim, author of JUMPIN' JACK FLASHHe works, frame by frame, through a sequence of ever-older photographs, employing her own chosen medium to interrogate the mystery of her existence, and the fallibility of memory -- Ariane Banks * Tablet *Exceptional . . . An act of love. -- Paul Bailey * Literary Review. *
£9.49
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Twelve Years a Slave
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAn Introduction by David Fiske ix About David Fiske xxxiii About Tom Butler-Bowdon xxxv
£9.99
PiXZ Books Spirit of Highland Cattle
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£6.78
Halsgrove Dorset Smugglers Pubs
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£9.49
PiXZ Books Windsor and the Great Park
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£9.49
PiXZ Books West Sussex Smugglers Pubs
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£12.34
PiXZ Books Railways Round the Chilterns
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£12.34
McNidder & Grace Goin Back to the 1960s
Book SynopsisA wonderful and fun memoir capturing the feeling of the carefree sixties, when things were so much simpler! The story begins in the East End of London and follows the author's move to Bristol. These stories remind us of the day-to-day and historical events and music of the time interwoven with a big splash of humorous fishing tales.
£10.44
SPCK Publishing Son of the Underground
Book SynopsisIsaac Liu, the son of Brother Yun, tells his own story of growing up under the hostile eyes of the Chinese authoritiesTable of ContentsContents1. Son of an enemy of the state 72. A nervous robber 143. Our village 174. My grandmother’s equation 215. A heroine of the faith 246. I only knew my father from the wanted poster 297. My mother was a very courageous woman 328. Persecuted, but alive and active 359. It’s a good thing you only get baptized once! 3810. Not a little saint 4211. Police and demons 4812. Secret meetings 5413. Forced to flee 6414. Disappointed by God 6815. A guest of the official church 7216. The exam is cancelled 7717. The network of Christian “agents” 8318. In a Chinese Volkswagen among buffalo carts and goats 8819. We leave China 9320. In Burma 9621. My friend Ming 10222. Reading and yet more reading… 10923. Prisoner in a hotel 11424. Fleeing to Thailand 12125. Lufthansa flight to Germany 12526. What’s to become of me? 13027. The “dusty country” 13728. When I think of China… 140
£9.25
Anness Publishing The World of the Medieval Knight A Vivid
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£9.49
Anness Publishing Mythology of the American Nations An Illustrated
Book SynopsisA fully illustrated A-Z reference on the legends of the American continents, with 900 entries.
£7.59
Oldcastle Books Ltd The History Of Witchcraft
Book SynopsisExplores the historical background to the modern European witchcraft phenomenon, examining the growth of the ideological, cultural and legal concepts that eventually led to the carnage of the Witch Craze in the 16th and 17th centuries - estimated to have claimed the lives of over 40,000 people.Trade Reviewa fascinating book, clearly written and and well-argued -- Lucya Szachnowski * www.badwitch.co.uk *
£11.69
Oldcastle Books Ltd History of the Cathars A Pocket Essential Short
Book SynopsisThe Cathars taught that the world is evil and must be transcended through a simple life of prayer, work, fasting and non-violence. They believed themselves to be the heirs of the true heritage of Christianity, and completely rejected the Catholic Church and all its trappings, regarding it as the church of Satan. Cathar services and...Trade ReviewSean Martin's "Pocket Essential" is an exemplary introduction to the Cathars -- Christopher Bland * The Telegraph *This little book is a remarkable account of an obscure religious order in Europe in the Middle Ages. It is most definitely thought-provoking.... in only 164 pages author Sean Martin manages to do something that more prolific writers have failed to do with volume upon volume of exhaustively and ridiculously over-researched text; provide a concise and focused rendering of a topic of historical interest and do so in a way that is not condescending, pedantic or self-complimentary. Martin's style of writing is simple, but never dull as he relates the history of Catharism... This is history at its best and a great read -- Chris Schwarzkopf * Bookstove *
£15.29
Oldcastle Books Ltd Short History of Europe
Book SynopsisWhat is Europe? Firstly, of course, it is a continent made up of countless disparate peoples, races and nations, and governed by different ideas, philosophies, religions and attitudes. Nonetheless, it has a common thread of history running through it, stitching the lands and peoples of its past and present together into one fabric. ......
£9.49
Oldcastle Books Ltd British Traitors
Book SynopsisBritish Traitors explores the lives and motivations of a number of the traitors who betrayed their country during the twentieth century. From Kim Philby to Lord Haw-Haw, Wilfred Macartney to George Blake, the book Investigates what drives a person to commit that most heinous of crimes - treason....
£9.49
Oldcastle Books Ltd 1922
Book Synopsis1922 was a year of great turbulence and upheaval. Its events reverberated throughout the rest of the twentieth century and still affect us today, 100 years later. In a sequence of vividly written sketches, Nick Rennison conjures up all the drama and diversity of an extraordinary year....Trade ReviewVivid... In this enjoyable slice of popular history, Rennison assembles a month-by-month almanac, including all the most notable moments from science, politics, art and culture * Guardian *Hugely enjoyable * Times Literary Supplement *Attempting a pithy summary of the events of any year is a difficult task, especially one as seismic as 1922. Nick Rennison has given it a go in this entertaining and thoroughly readable canter through the events of a century ago... Fascinating * Observer *This is a delightful book, and Rennison's selection is intelligent and lively. He has an eye for the significant detail and an agreeably dry tone... 1922 should please those who are well-versed in history, but it will also be a treat for those for whom the past is another country. * Scotsman *In crisp and evocative snatches, he gives monthly summaries of global events, domestic episodes, newspaper sensations, sporting triumphs and cultural acclaim during 1922... There is a moral lesson submerged in Rennison's playful selection of anecdotes. Life's tragedies bind humans together as much as hate and greed, and more tightly than love * Spectator *
£9.49
Oldcastle Books Ltd Free Your Mind
Book SynopsisBetween 1967 and 1970 Italian auteur Giovanni 'Tinto' Brass directed four feature films in London, each starring a woman. Exploring the political, cultural and sexual ideas of their time, they contain priceless footage of now forgotten neighbourhoods, galleries, clubs and events. This book describes the films, their stars and how they...Trade ReviewMatthews doesn't hold back when it comes to detail, and this makes for a fascinating read as we uncover a whole new perspective on the well-worn history of underground London. -- Sarah Gregory * Shindig! *But Simon Matthews weaves a web around the story of Tinto Brass, adding dozens of links with people and organisations from the underground, the avant-garde, the rock scene, and the movie world. (Just like Julian Palacios did in Dark Globe, but around Syd Barrett and the early Floyd.) In that aspect, it is much more than a Tinto Brass biography. Just like the title predicts, it gives an overview of 'swinging London and the 60s pop culture scene', through the cinematographic lens of Giovanni Brass. People who have read some of my reviews know that I am a sucker for footnotes (Men On The Border is mentioned in one of those) and that I can't resist a bulky index. Free Your Mind! has a 23-page index, making it a joy to jump from page to page. Free Your Mind! is the kind of book I like to read. -- Felix Atagong * The Holy Church of Iggy the Inuit *
£17.09
Oldcastle Books Ltd The Art of Wandering
Book SynopsisThe Art of Wandering is a history of that curious hybrid, the writer as walker. From the Ancient world to the modern day, the role of the walker continues to evolve, from philosopher and pilgrim, vagrant and visionary, to experimentalist and radical. Newly revised and updated edition....Trade ReviewThis is a real eye opener of a book and one I would recommend to anyone -- Harri Roberts * Outdoor Focus Magazine *Path to enlightenment: how walking inspires writers -- Billy Mills * The Guardian *A brisk history of why and in what ways writers have walked -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *Coverley's approach is an enlightening one. Covering an astounding amount of material, both well-known and cult writers feature with equal prominence; from Baudelaire, Blake, Whitman and Rimbaud, to the lesser-known Papadimitriou and Walser -- Declan Tan * Huffington Post UK *Splendid, scholarly and suffused with evocative stories and biographical sketches, Coverley's book not only proffers pleasure and diversion but also potently explores the historical significance of the art of walking * Booklist *
£11.69
Oldcastle Books Ltd Illiberal Europe
Book SynopsisLeon Marc gives the reader the big picture of Eastern Europe - its political, economic, social and cultural history, the nature of changes there and of the issues at stake in the political and economic transition - while putting the fall of the Berlin Wall, EU enlargement and the war in Ukraine into a broader perspective of European...Trade ReviewIn our time, the political scene and the moral and cultural climate of the post-communist world are changing dramatically. These changes will have long-term global political and economic consequences. Leon Marc's deep and well-researched analysis of these countries' ancient and recent history offers a reliable key to understanding these processes -- Tomas Halík, Professor of Sociology at Charles University, Prague, and winner of the Templeton PrizeMarc's analysis is particularly valuable on the growing mutual incomprehension of 'West' and 'East' over what constitute European values. For the most radical voices in Western - or perhaps Northern - Europe, to be a European is chiefly a matter of defending and enhancing certain 'liberties', notably but not exclusively in the spheres of sexuality, gender, and control over reproduction. The roots of these now dominant ideas, he suggests, are not to be found in the humanist heritage, let alone the Greek, Roman, Judaic or Christian traditions. Rather they derive from a form of hyper-individualism, which can be largely indifferent to other important, more social, imperatives, for example the welfare of the poorest classes in society or the need for national cohesion. As a result of this hypertrophy of individualist liberalism and the sidelining of social and spiritual values, the 'illiberal democrats' of Central Europe, the likes of Orbán and Kaczy?ski, have been able to present to their electorates a simplistic picture of a decadent West which poses a threat to national values while at the same time working to entrench their own and their parties' dominance in the long term * Enda O'Doherty, Dublin Review of Books *There is a rich tradition of diplomats being great historians and writers as well: people who combine their rich experience of political reality with a profound historical and philosophical knowledge. Among the many famous names: Machiavelli, Chateaubriand, Talleyrand, Metternich, Thomas Jefferson, Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Isaiah Berlin, Henry Kissinger... With his book Illberal Europe Leon Marc makes himself part of this tradition. His book is a profound reflection of the contemporary history of Eastern Europe and the urgent lessons of that history to be learned for the whole of Europe * Rob Riemen, Nexus Instituut *This is a very timely book, adding an additional, well-informed and persuasively argued integral perspective on the contemporary "tragedy of the Central Europe" * Prof Matej Avbelj, Nova University Ljubljana, author of 'The Impact of European Institutions on the Rule of Law and Democracy in Slovenia and Beyond' *
£17.09
Oldcastle Books Ltd Before It Went Rotten
Book SynopsisBefore It Went Rotten takes a trip back to the world before punk. Covering the bands, the pubs, the characters, the albums, the songs and the personal histories that emerged out of the 60s, it shows how they provided the foundations for the musical explosion that swept the UK after 1977....Trade ReviewAbsolutely extraordinary... The work of a master. So beautifully constructed with so many elements and angles woven together seamlessly -- Billy Jenkins, former member of BurlesqueSimon Matthews takes the much overlooked era to task and, through a tonne of research and interviews with the folk who lived through it, uncovers the whole vibrant story of what went on in 1970s London between the demise of the Swinging 60s and Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's black-eyed golden dawn, bringing to life an array of characters and venues that very nearly slipped out of the pages of the history books -- Heyrichey * The Edge of Arcady *You'll find some very decent music that you probably don't know... There are terrific stories... takes us right back to the Music Hall -- Alwyn Turner * Lion & Unicorn *Excellent... an atmospheric, (usually) tuneful look back at the 'pub-rock' era -- Graham Sharpe, author of Vinyl Countdown
£16.99
