History Books
Graffeg Limited Lost Lines of Wales: Brecon to Newport
Book SynopsisAuthor Tom Ferris uncovers Wales'' railway heritage through a series of four attractively priced pocket books, each one looking at a ''lost line''. The Brecon to Newport line is explored in this volume, station by station, as the history, heritage and social background of the railway and its passengers is brought to life using archive photography, some never before published.
£8.99
Prospect Books Cooking & Dining in the Victorian Country House
Book SynopsisFor centuries the food cooked in our country houses was the finest available, its variety greatly expanded by Victorian investment in new technology and professional cooks who were employed in the country houses. Adventurous, international trade in the Victorian period also meant that new ingredients became available. This great culinary tradition began its decline around the time of the First World War, and collapsed with the outbreak of war in 1939. Now, over eighty years later, it remains forgotten, as even those who experienced its final stages have passed away. Hopefully Peter Brears? book will go a long way in reviving interest in it, and encouraging further appreciation and enjoyment of all its diverse aspects.
£36.00
Crecy Publishing Impermanent Ways Special 1
Book Synopsis1966 was a bad year for the thousands of fans of the erstwhile Somerset & Dorset route when, after more than 100 years of service there would be no more trains over this picturesque line between Bath and Bournemouth. In the years building up to that dreadful time, railway management had done everything they could to make the railway less attractive, diverting trains and rescheduling services so as to make connections difficult if not impossible, at the same time ''asset stripping'' so as to reduce to a minimum the service this once proud railway could offer. Half a century later much of the route has disappeared but before it did and whilst in moribund state, Jeffery Grayer recorded the scene witnessing the demise of a line and a way of life that has rarely been portrayed before. Containing much new material this book will rekindle memories of what once was and what we have now lost forever before. Much of the material to be seen is previously unpublished and will rekindle memories of
£13.46
HarperCollins Publishers Capability Brown: and His Landscape Gardens
Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the life, influences, techniques and works of 18th-century landscape gardener Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. His transformation of unpromising countryside into beautiful parks changed the face of a nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside. One of the most remarkable men of the 18th century, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was known to many as ‘The Omnipotent Magician’ who could transform unpromising countryside into beautiful parks that seemed to be only the work of nature. His list of clients included half the House of Lords, six Prime Ministers and even royalty. Although his fame has dimmed, we still enjoy many of his works today at National Trust properties such as Croome Park, Petworth, Berrington, Stowe, Wimpole, Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle (location of the ITV series Downton Abbey) and many more. In Capability Brown, author and garden historian Sarah Rutherford tells his triumphant story, uncovers his aims and reveals why he was so successful. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs of contemporary sites, historical paintings and garden plans, this is an accessible book for anyone who wants to know more about the man who changed the face of the nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside.
£17.00
Mortons Media Group No 47 Nene Valley Railway Recollections
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£6.00
Mortons Media Group The Bridge is Down!: Dramatic Eye-witness
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£15.29
Signal Books Ltd River Effra: South London's Secret Spine
Book SynopsisLondon was once a city awash with watercourses. Most of these streams and small rivers have long since disappeared underground and their void has been filled by myth, legend and an enduring yet uncertain fascination. The River Effra was one of these vanishings. In its earlier existence above ground it could only ever have been a modest tributary of the Thames, but through a vivid subterranean afterlife it has continued to impose itself on South London's development history and local mythology. Once fringed by willows and water meadows, it was the haunt of salmon, eels and herons until it fell victim to the unregulated development of suburban South London. The Victorian housebuilder and his tenants enthusiastically transformed it from a small river into a large sewer until finally in desperation it was covered up. Yet it still flows...and occasionally floods.River Effra: South London's Secret Spine is the first comprehensive account, beginning with its underlying geology and pre-history and continuing through to the river's ongoing significance today.The machinations of medieval landowners seeking to divert its course are uncovered along with some of the more absurd legends concerning Canute, Queen Elizabeth and others. For the Victorians it was a public health disaster in waiting and its ignominious disappearance underground into London's main drainage system in the 1860s was seen as a triumph of nineteenth-century civil engineering. In the twenty-first century its legacy is being approached anew.Richly illustrated with archival images and crisp contemporary black and white photographs, which combine to reveal its vanished stream, River Effra combines geography and geology with social, environmental and engineering history and sets this alongside a detailed walker's itinerary for anyone needing to follow the ghost of this watercourse from Norwood, through Herne Hill, Dulwich and Brixton to Kennington and Vauxhall.
£10.79
Brewin Books The Friendly Invasion of Leominster: An Account
Book Synopsis"The Friendly Invasion of Leominster" relates the activities of a number of American units based in Leominster during World War II. During its history the Herefordshire market town had been no stranger to invasions from across the Welsh border, but in 1943 it was to encounter an incursion of another type. The invasion of U.S. soldiers was a friendly one, although not all of Leominster's residents recognised it as such at the time. On the outskirts of Leominster, Barons Cross became home to the doctors and nurses of the 76th and 135th U.S. Army General Hospitals and patients from the hostilities on the Continent. In the build up to D. Day, American units occupied camps in the grounds of Berrington Hall and in the town. Some of these units, such as the 5th Ranger Battalion and the 90th Infantry Division were to play a major part in the D. Day landings. Others, such as the 7th Armored Division and the 736th Field Artillery Battalion landed after D. Day and took part in the liberation of France. This book describes each unit's time in Leominster, using eyewitness accounts and photographs, and then follows the unit across the English Channel and through Europe.
£14.61
Brewin Books The Streets of Brum: Pt. 1
Book SynopsisBirmingham's streets, roads and lanes are an absorbing aspect of our history. They call out to us about long dead landowners, notable figures from the history of England, Brummies long forgotten, farms that have been swept away by the outpouring of our city, remarkable physical features, distant battles, intriguing foreign places and mysterious happenings. Such names almost demand of us that we ask questions of them. Why is Conybere Street so called? Where is the Fashoda that is highlighted in a Stirchley road? How did AB Row gain its name? For what reason are the Adderleys brought to mind in Saltley? Did people wash themselves in Bath Row? Were cherries once picked in Cherry Street? And where were Fisherman's Hut Lane, Noah's Ark Passage, Devil's Tooth Hollow Yard and The Froggery. In this deeply researched book, Carl Chinn looks at scores of street names, bringing to life their meaning and those people who belonged to them. Carl Chinn MBE is Director of the BirminghamLives multimedia project at South Birmingham College, Professor of Community History at The University of Birmingham, a broadcaster with BBC WM and a columnist with the Birmingham Evening Mail. The Streets of Brum: Part One is his 21st book.
£13.95
Signal Books Ltd Travellers in the Great Steppe: From the Papal
Book SynopsisThe Great Steppe stretches from the Volga River and the Caspian Sea in the west to the easternmost limits of Djungaria in Western China. Sometimes referred to as the biggest field in the world, this vast region is as mysterious today as it was a thousand years ago. Despite modern development it remains little visited and little known. This was once a land of nomads, barren and harsh at its centre, but with rich grasslands fed by the many rivers flowing from the surrounding mountains. It was home to a society that kept no records other than the epic poems and songs celebrating the stories of its great batyrs (warriors). Whatever is known of this society survives within local culture - desecrated as it is by years of Soviet cultural vandalism - or in the voices of outsiders who occasionally passed through. Usually they were on their way elsewhere - to India, China, Tibet - but occasionally there were visitors who took more than a passing interest in the lives of the steppe nomads. Their findings and impressions are collected in this book. Edited and told with relish by Nick Fielding, these are the stories of early papal emissaries like Friar William of Rubruck and Jean de Piano Carpini, sent to negotiate with the Mongols, and the merchant adventurers like Andrew Jenkinson and Jonas Hanway who tried to capture the Silk Road trade. Later came the early scientists and geographers associated with Peter Simon Pallas and the Russian explorers exemplified by Chokan Walikhanov and Petr Petrovich Semenov. Thomas and Lucy Atkinson became the earliest British visitors to spend time in the steppe. They were followed by military adventurers such as Captain Fred Burnaby and James Abbott, and journalists including the great Aloysius MacGahan and David Ker, the original purveyor of 'fake news'. Besides Lucy Atkinson there were other determined women travellers including Adéle Hommaire de Hell and the remarkable Marie de Ujfalvy-Bourdon, both of whom documented life in the Great Steppe. Cambridge scientist William Bateson spent 18 months traversing the steppes looking for snail shells in the 1880s, and by the end of the 19th century the first tourists - some, like R L Jefferson, on bicycle - were arriving, to be followed by mining engineers and agricultural merchants. All have a tale to tell.
£15.29
Frith Book Company Ltd. Sherborne
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£13.50
Reaktion Books The Mongol Conquest in World History
Book SynopsisThe Mongol Empire (c. 1200-1350) in many ways marks the beginning of the modern age, as well as globalization. While communications between the extremes of Eurasia existed prior to the Mongols, they were infrequent and often through intermediaries. The rise of the Mongol Empire changed everything: through their conquests the Mongols swept away dozens of empires and kingdoms and replaced them with the largest contiguous empire in history. While the Mongols were the most destructive force in the pre-modern world, the Pax Mongolica had stabilizing effects on the social, cultural and economic life of the inhabitants of the vast territory, allowing merchants and missionaries to traverse Eurasia. The conquests also set in motion other changes in warfare, medicine, food, culture and scientific knowledge. When Mongol power declined, it was replaced with over a dozen successors who retained elements of the Mongol Empire, but none of its unity. The Mongol Conquest in World History examines the many ways in which the conquests were a catalyst for change. The memory of the Empire fired the collective mind into far-reaching endeavours: the desire for luxury goods and spices that were once available launched Columbus' voyages; the Renaissance was inspired by the innovations in art that emerged from the Mongol Empire: China was unified for the first time in 300 years and the Islamic world doubled in size. This fascinating book offers comprehensive coverage of the entire empire, rather than a more regional approach, as well as providing a long view of the Mongol Empire's legacy. It will appeal to all those interested in this vast, epoch-making empire, as well as specialists in the field.
£28.50
Haus Publishing A History of the Silk Road
Book SynopsisThe Silk Road is a route from the edges of the European world to the central plains of China. For thousands of years, its history has been a traveller's history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China, and the site of much of the 'Great Game' between Victorian empires. Jonathan Clements guides the reader through the trackless wastes of the Taklamakan Desert, its black whirlwinds and dead lakes, its shimmering mirages, lost cities and mysterious mummies, but also its iconic statues and memorable modern pop songs. He explains the truth behind odd tales of horses that sweat blood, defaced statues and missing frescoes, and Marco Polo's stories of black gold that seeps from the earth.
£10.44
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Home Front in Britain Then and Now
Book SynopsisFor nigh-on half a century, After the Battle has been exploring and photographing the battlefields of the Second World War, but now it is time to look at events nearer to home. Following the fall of France in June 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany until the first American soldiers began arriving in Britain in January 1942. At that time the only active `Battle Front’ was in North Africa, yet the Home Front played a vital role in preparing a secure base for the eventual liberation of Europe. The Home Front has been described in many ways but this volume offers a snapshot of life in Britain during 1939 to 1945, illustrated with many `then and now’ comparison photos.Table of ContentsPreamble to War Britain Prepares for War Operation `Pied Piper’ Air Raid Precautions Shelter Protection Rationing The Black-out Gas Masks Invasion Leaflets The Parachute Mine Churchill’s Heroines The Women’s Land Army The Big Guns Detention and Internment The Battle Begins The Blitz Entertainment Guide for US Servicemen The Victory Parade The Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour
£26.96
Helion & Company Barbarossa Derailed: Volume 3: The Battle for
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£44.96
Stenlake Publishing Old Newtongrange, Gorebridge and Rosewell
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£11.35
Helion & Company Hitler’S Last Levy in East Prussia: Volkssturm
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£15.26
Froglets Publications Ltd Kent at War: The Unconquered County, 1939-45
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£14.99
Bernard McCall Classic Dutch-Built Coasters
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£15.30
Helion & Company Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces
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£35.00
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Pattern and Process: Landscape Prehistories from
Book SynopsisThe King’s Dyke and Bradley Fen excavations occurred within the brick pits of the Fenland town of Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. The investigations straddled the south-eastern contours of the Flag Fen Basin, a small peat-filled embayment located between Peterborough and the western limits of Whittlesey ‘island’. Renowned principally for its Bronze Age discoveries at sites such as Fengate and Flag Fen, the Flag Fen Basin also marked the point where the prehistoric River Nene debouched into the greater Fenland Basin. A henge, two round barrows, an early fieldsystem, metalwork deposition and patterns of sustained settlement along with metalworking evidence helped produce a plan similar in its configuration to that revealed at Fengate. In addition, unambiguous evidence of earlier second millennium BC settlement was identified together with large watering holes and the first burnt stone mounds to be found along Fenland’s western edge. Genuine settlement structures included three of Early Bronze Age date, one Late Bronze Age, ten Early Iron Age and three Middle Iron Age. Later Bronze Age metalwork, including single spears and a weapon hoard, was deposited in indirect association with the earlier land divisions and consistently within ground that was becoming increasingly wet. The large-scale exposure of the base of the Flag Fen Basin at Bradley Fen revealed a beneath-the-peat or pre-basin landscape related to the buried floodplain of an early River Nene. Above all, the revelation of sub-fen occupation means we can now situate the Flag Fen Basin in time as well as space.Trade Review…a thoughtful and thought-provoking book. […] of value to anyone interested in the archaeology of the second and first millennia BC. * The Prehistoric Society *
£999.99
Trolley Books Double Blind: Lebanon Conflict 2006
Book SynopsisFeatures photographs that capture the fear and powerlessness of the Lebanese population in the face of the ceaseless Israeli air strikes, revealing the terror and despair of families and friends witnessing the deaths of their loved ones, whilst around them their homes were destroyed.
£22.49
Helion & Company The End of Empire: Napoleon'S 1814 Campaign
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£44.96
Liverpool University Press Augustus, First Roman Emperor: Power, Propaganda
Book SynopsisRome's first emperor, Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, has probably had the most lasting effect on history of all rulers of the classical world. This book focuses on his rise to power and on the ways in which he then maintained authority throughout his reign. It is often assumed that the close relationship between power and presentation, popularly known as 'spin', is a modern phenomenon. Augustus, however, emerges as consummate master of the political process, using propaganda to fashion his own historical legacy. Clark examines the importance of his chief political advisor Maecenas, the patron of Horace and Virgil; and of his military commander Agrippa. He also considers the contrasting fates of the main poets of Augustus' reign, Virgil and Ovid, and the public monuments that - as much as poetry -– served to shape his reputation.Table of Contents List of Illustrations Author's Note on Roman Names Map of the Roman Empire Map of Italy Introduction: 'Boy, You Owe Everything to Your Name' PART I: The Failure of the Roman Republic 1 The Strains of Empire 2 The Death of the Republic PART II: Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus 3 Calculated Risks 4 The Battle for the Empire. 42-30 BC PART III: Caesar Augustus 5 The Res Publica of Augustus 6 The Frontiers of Empire 7 The Myth of Caesar Augustus 8 Social Engineering: 'Back to Basics' 9 The Imperial Family; The Verdict Family Tree Bibliography Index
£32.46
Lexus Ltd Scottish History: A Colouring Book
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£6.99
Tangent Books Slavery And Bristol
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£16.99
Peter Halban Publishers Ltd The Gunzburgs: A Family Biography
Book SynopsisIn 1857 the Gunzburgs arrived in Paris from Russia with their large family, a retinue of business staff and extensive domestic help: personal assistants, secretaries, tutors, wet-nurses and nannies, coachmen, ladies' companions, valets and maids, and even a kosher cook. For the Gunzburgs were practising Jews who observed every religious law whilst also launching themselves into Parisian high society. Napoleon III was on a mission to modernise France and the Gunzburgs were quick to avail themselves of opportunities that were opening up - particularly in banking.The family fortunes prospered through hard work, foresight and marriage. Soon the family was playing a leading role in the Jewish communities of both Russia and France, alongside their contemporaries or relatives the Ephrussis, the Rothschilds, the Brodskys, the Camondos and the Sassoons.The family lived through the tumultuous events of the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, and when family tragedy struck later, they returned the family base to Russia. They witnessed the Russian pogroms and revolution of 1905. Their sons fought in the armies of three countries in the First World War, only to go into exile as revolution gripped Russia in 1917-18. The outbreak of the Second World War saw some of the family once again on the road as refugees.Lorraine de Meaux discovers lost archives, letters and pictures, as she brings together distant family members in her story of the Gunzburgs.
£21.25
Clairview Books Allies in Auschwitz: The Untold Story of British
Book SynopsisThe huge Auschwitz camp in Poland, the Third Reich's most gruesome death camp, contained not only the infamous concentration camp - whose horrors are well-documented - but also a prisoner-of-war facility that housed British inmates. Situated close enough to the Jewish quarters to smell the stench of burning bodies from the crematoria, the POWs were forced to work alongside concentration camp inmates in a Nazi factory. Witnesses to daily violence, the men survived beatings, hard labour and the extreme cold of Polish winters, whilst subsisting on meagre rations. Their final ordeal was to march hundreds of miles, in the depths of winter, to secure freedom in the spring of 1945. Based on interviews with some of the few surviving members of E715 Auschwitz, this book charts the British captives' true story: from arriving on cattle trucks through to their eventual departure on foot. Haunted by what they had witnessed as young men, Brian Bishop, Doug Bond and Arthur Gifford-England were only able to speak about their experiences decades later, when approached during research for this book. Few people were interested in these remarkable men in post-war Britain, and they coped with the trauma of their experiences with little support. Allies in Auschwitz records an important and forgotten episode of modern history. As corroboration of the men's testimony, the final chapter includes post-war accounts from other British POWs held in E715 Auschwitz, based on documents compiled by war crimes' investigators for the Nuremburg Trials.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Background 2. Cattle trucks to Auschwitz 3. Recollections 4. The long walk to freedom and recovery 5. The official record Notes
£9.49
Archaeopress Dictionary of Archaeological Terms:
Book SynopsisThis concise dictionary is intended to be helpful in the reading of archaeological books and publications, and in the writing of papers and articles in both English and German. The aim of this work is to help, in particular, students and on-site archaeologists to find quickly a word relating to a specific period, a specific area or a research field, in a book easy to carry everywhere; but this dictionary is also intended for those with a general interest in archaeology wishing to broaden their vocabulary!
£12.00
Oxford Archaeology East Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, Part 1: Excavations at
Book SynopsisExtensive archaeological investigations were undertaken over two decades in Hinxton, south Cambridgeshire by OA East on behalf of the Wellcome Trust. The excavated areas lay in the Cam valley, a ‘borderland zone’ crossed by Icknield Way; the ridgeway route and the River Cam providing natural corridors of movement and communication.Hinxton’s post-glacial valley landscape of indigenous woodland, streams and seasonally flooded pools attracted Palaeolithic and Mesolithic communities to the area. Fills of one pool yielded a Terminal Palaeolithic ‘Long/Bruised Blade’ assemblage of national significance.Tree clearance to permit exploitation of the fertile valley sides began in the Early Neolithic. The increasingly ‘ritual’ or ceremonial significance of the landscape is indicated by a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age shaft containing a substantial assemblage of worked flint and Beaker pottery. During the later prehistoric and Early Roman periods, two square enclosures – the largest related to mortuary practices – were followed by a small timber shrine. Burial of selected individuals, both in graves and as disarticulated remains, occurred sporadically throughout prehistory.Agricultural exploitation of the valley seems to have been almost continuous from the Early Neolithic until the Middle Roman period, after which the land lay largely fallow. Conquest period large corrals linked to major trackways potentially demonstrate stock management on a scale commensurate with supplying the nearby fort and Roman town at Great Chesterford.The immediate landscape was not resettled until the Anglo-Saxon period. Post-Roman activity at Hinxton is the subject of a companion volume (Part II).
£23.75
Five Leaves Publications Curious Crouch End
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£9.45
Helion & Company Counterinsurgency in Africa: The Portugese Way of
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£23.96
Little Toller Books Ridge and Furrow: Voices from the Winter Fields
Book SynopsisIn his haunting debut, Water and Sky, published in 2014, Neil Sentance explored the history of his family and the landscape which shaped them. Ridge and Furrow continues the project to chart in prose the voices of a seldom recorded people and place. From the long shadows of war and want, to facing the great changes to rural life in the twentieth century, to first forays into a world beyond the flatlands of Lincolnshire, the book delicately portrays the dreams of lone, and often lonely, figures in one family's history. Ridge and Furrow melds memoir and fiction, place and nature writing, told with characteristic lyricism and muddy realism.
£10.80
Helion & Company Deter Suppress Extract!: Royal Military Police
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£16.96
Brewin Books Beaten Paths are Safest: From D-Day to the
Book SynopsisBeaten Paths are Safest - was the motto of The Reconnaissance Regiment. This book tells the story of the 61st Recce Regiment whose own official history was never completed for the period 23rd Feb 1944 to 1st October 1944. Roy Howard who compiled the book served with the Regiment through the period in question which saw 61st Recce land on "Gold Beach" on D-Day followed by continuous active service up to and including the German Ardennes offensive when the 50th Northumbrian Division, of which the Regiment was a part, disbanded. Roy's book consists of personal memoirs of events together with a considerable amount of material from The Old Comrades Association newsletter. Sadly, the author died in 1996 but the book has been completed by his son Mark, as a tribute to his father and all the members of the 61st Reconnaissance Regiment.
£12.85
Helion & Company Shadow Factories: Britain’S Production Facilities
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£999.99
Helion & Company Twilight of the Gods: A Swedish Waffen-Ss
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£22.50
Helion & Company The Rwandan Patriotic Front 1990-1994
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£16.10
Museum of London Archaeology The New Churchyard: From Moorfields marsh to
Book SynopsisModern Liverpool Street was once on the margins of London: the story of its development – from the medieval marsh of Moorfields to municipal, non-parochial, burial ground and later suburb – is illustrated by archaeological investigations undertaken as part of the Crossrail Central development. Excavation also recovered a wealth of well-preserved artefactual evidence for the local inhabitants, from the 16th century to the 19th-century households of Brokers Row.The New Churchyard, or 'Bethlem' as it was later known, was established after the severe plague of 1563 and was in use from 1569 to 1739; archaeological evidence suggests c 25,000 people in total were buried here. Contemporary accounts and parish registers, combined with tombstones and detailed osteological analysis of one quarter of the 3354 burials excavated, enable the reconstruction of some of their lives, and their deaths. They included migrants, many of the city's poor and those on the fringes ofsociety. Some were the victims of recurrent epidemics and outbreaks of plague – confirmed by the identification of the plague pathogen in five skeletons – when mass, but orderly, graves were dugTrade ReviewThis well-writtena nd beautifully illustrated volume - priced at a very low level so it is extremely accessibly - offers a window in to London's population and mortuary culture following the Reformation, and before the undertaking business encouraged consumers to have more elaborate funerals and coffins. * British Archaeology *
£999.99
The History Press Ltd Devon (Hoskins)
Book SynopsisDEVON has a great sense of its own separate history. Throughout the centuries it was relatively isolated, with two long coastlines and comparatively short land boundaries, both ancient: Celtic Cornwall to the west and the rest of England to the east. Until the 19th century communications were very poor and Devon developed a distinct culture, economy, dialect and landscape – contributing to its strong local pride and character. That Devon is different is a fact, and helps explain the interest in its history shown by Devon folk and their many visitors. A great history deserves a great historian. W.G. Hoskins was a Devon man and one of England’s foremost economic and social historians. He pioneered the study of landscape history and initiated the modern approach to local history. His seminal work Devon is universally regarded as a major masterpiece of local history, both in its research and its writing. Throughout the half century since its first appearance it has been reprinted many times, has been held up as a model throughout Britain, and has always remained the unchallenged, essential, authoritative history of Devon. This new, revised edition, with an up-to-date Introduction, a new, extensive bibliography, the most recent population and similar statistical figures, reproduces the author’s classic text in full, including the Gazetteer – at over two hundred pages a book in itself, describing every place, hamlet to city, in the county – and his superb collection of contemporary photographs. The book is packed with detailed information, as remarkable in its high quality as its huge quantity. This new edition will be warmly welcomed by all who know and love Devon – England’s most popular county.
£999.99
Haus Publishing Clem Attlee: Labour's Great Reformer
Book SynopsisFar from Winston Churchill's jibe that he was a "modest little man with plenty to be modest about," in this acclaimed biography, comprehensively revised in this new edition, Francis Beckett makes the case that Clement Attlee's reputation as Britain's greatest ever reforming Prime Minister is fully deserved. With new research, thinking and stories (many of them never published before) Beckett compelling shows Attlee's relevance to a new political generation. Far from being a dull, grey man, he was a poet and a dreamer. Here is an eloquent portrait of Attlee the man, not only his remarkable political life but also of the poetry he wrote, the poetry he loved, and more of the famous Attlee anecdotes.Trade Review'Beckett gets near to the essence of Attlee, and does so in an easy, flowing narrative.' - - Independent 'More government records have been opened, and Beckett has used them to great effect.' - The Times 'An engrossing personal biography of Attlee.' - History Today 'The triumph of this work is the author's success in passing on his love for his subject. By the final chapter...I too liked Attlee, whom I had previously barely known.' - The Spectator 'A formidable work of scholarship...draws out the many facets, including the real subtlety, of his character.' - John Bercow MP
£11.69
The History Press Ltd A History of Stourbridge
Book SynopsisStourbridge came into existence in the early Middle Ages. It has seen much development from Roman and Saxon times and during the reigns of Elizabeth and Victoria. More changes followed in the 20th century; though an agricultural market town it is also renown for its glass-making.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd London Country Houses
Book SynopsisFrom the mid-16th century the rich and successful usually had a London house, and often a country estate; but more important in many ways was the suburban house within easy reach of London, where they could send their families for the summer and from which they could keep in contact with their business or the court. This book is the first to address the history of these houses, concentrating on those that still exist, while giving some indication of the major lost ones as well. Includes plans and images of most houses listed. Includes information on owners, architects, landscape design, building materials and styles. The area covered by this book extends from London to the M25, which sliced through the country round London in the late 20th century.
£24.00
Old Street Publishing The Shortest History of the Crown
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£11.69
The History Press Ltd A History of Southend
Book SynopsisSouthend has a complex and surprisingly interesting history. From 18th-century origins as the ‘South End’ of Prittlewell Parish, it has grown over 300 years to swallow up six separate parishes: Prittlewell, Southchurch, Leigh, Eastwood, North Shoebury and South Shoebury. The town and wider borough are both now known as ‘Southend’. Starting in the Stone Age, it ends in the modern Information Age, covering all points in between. The story of its evolution as a seaside resort, a commuter town and a regional shopping ventre is unterwoven with a multitude of amusing, intriguing and impressive events, incidents and achievements in this very readable narrative. Southend has been unfairly maligned as ‘lacking much history’. This new book successfully demolishes that suggestion, revealing a wealth of interest in the town and its past – from Prittlewell’s Saxon origins to its important role in two world wars. It will be warmly welcomed throughout Essex.
£16.19
The History Press Ltd Salisbury Past
Book SynopsisSalisbury is always symbolised by its cathedral spire and the physical dominance of that magnificent building over the surrounding city is as impressive today as it was in medieval times. The two elements of Salisbury - the cathedral and the city - owe their existence to each other and the relationship between the authorities on opposite sides of the Close wall dominated the early centuries when the new town was developing its independent identity.The shape of the city was laid down in the 13th century and the essence of the planned medieval town with its chequer system can still be easily traced. Growth since then has spread outwards from this original core but the importance of the Market Place still draws both residents and visitors back to the centre. 'Continuity and change' may be a familiar phrase but it summarises Salisbury both architecturally and as a community. A recurring theme is the continued use of old buildings for changed functions. By such gentle adaptations wholesale destruction and rebuilding have been avoided. This important new book traces the development of Salisbury as a market, as an industrial town, as a transport hub, and as a social and service centre.Its authors have very successfully met the challenge of producing a comprehensive, concise and readable volume, generously and intelligently illustrated. It will provide a valuable source of reference and also excite the imagination through its fascinating insights into the lives of past citizens. A splendid synthesis of well-researched facts and entertaining anecdotes, this is local history writing at its best.
£15.19
Nine Elms Books The Vagabond and the Princess: Paddy Leigh Fermor
Book SynopsisInvention, passion, war and exile are but some of the elements in this revealing new insight into Paddy Leigh Fermor's many Romanian journeys. Starting with the `great trudge' on foot through Romania in 1934 and ending in 1990 with his assignment for The Daily Telegraph following the fall of Ceausescu, The Vagabond and The Princess by Alan Ogden unravels the tapestry of fact and fiction woven by Paddy and reveals in detail the touching story of the love affair between the youthful writer and Balasa Cantacuzino, a beautiful Romanian Princess. After a poignant parting on the eve of the Second World War, they were reunited some twenty-five years later and remained in close touch until her death. Paddy had been the great love of her life. Alan Ogden brings great insight into this enduring and touching relationship as well putting into context the glamorous lost world of pre-WW2 Romania.Table of ContentsPreface A Note on Paddy's usage of place names and titles Part 1 - 1934 Chapter 1 - Romania in 1934 Chapter 2 - Hungarian Hosts and Hostesses Chapter 3 - The Secret Journey Chapter 4 - Bucharest 23 October - 14 November 1934 Part 2 - 1935-1945 Chapter 5 - Descriptio Moldaviae Chapter 6 - Baleni Part 3 - 1946-1965 Chapter 7 - The Curtain Falls Chapter 8 - Toutes les Tristesses du Monde Part 4 - 1966-2017 Chapter 9 - Romania Revisited Bibliography Acknowledgements
£10.79
Profile Books Ltd The Alhambra
Book SynopsisThe Alhambra, the 'red fort' on its rocky hill above Granada, with its fountained courts and gardens, and intricate decoration, has long been a byword for exotic and melancholy beauty. In a stimulating new book in the 'Wonders of the World' series Robert Irwin, Arabist and novelist, examines its engrossing and often mysterious history. Built by a bloody and threatened dynasty of Muslim Spain, it was preserved as a monument to the triumph of Christianity. Much of what we see is the invention of later generations. Its highly sophisticated decoration is not just random but full of hidden meaning. Even its purpose - palace or theological college - is not always clear. Its influence on art, and on literature, orientalist painting and Granada cinemas, Washington Irving and Borges, has been significant. Robert Irwin enables us to understand that history fully. The Wonders of the World is a series of books that focuses on some of the world's most famous sites or monuments. Their names will be familiar to almost everyone: they have achieved iconic stature and are loaded with a fair amount of mythological baggage. These monuments have been the subject of many books over the centuries, but our aim, through the skill and stature of the writers, is to get something much more enlightening, stimulating, even controversial, than straightforward histories or guides.Trade ReviewThis highly readable study provides both a welcome demystification and a fascinating reinterpretation * The Scotsman *For those who know his work, it will confirm his genius and to others it will act as an excellent introduction * Observer *Fascinating -- Malise Ruthven * Sunday Times *A lively, yet clear-headed introduction encouraging a more thoughtful and critical approach to the monument * Literary Review *Irwin's book is both a perfect introduction to the place and a first-rate account of its history * Guardian *He brings the majestic ruins to life' * Newsweek *This book captures and conveys the mysterious attractions of the Alhambra * Doris Lessing *It is ... greatly to Robert Irwin's credit that he has written a book on the subject that is sensible, scholarly, astringent and witty. It is a fine addition to what promises to be an outstanding series on the world's great monuments. * Sunday Telegraph *Entrancing ... an excellent guide, full of fascinating characters and juicy anecdotes ... Having been to the Alhambra many times, after reading this wonderful book I wished to go back - and see it for the first time. -- Susha Guppy * Independent *
£9.49
