Search results for ""The History Press Ltd""

Is there a secret tunnel in O’Connell Street? Who stole the Irish crown jewels? And did the word ‘quiz’ originate in Dublin as the result of a bet? Urban legends are the funny and frightening folklore people share today. Just like the early folk tales that came before them, these stories are formed from reactions to events in the modern world, and are often a window into our current values. For the first time, Brendan Nolan explores the power of Dublin’s urban legends – murky stories whispered in classrooms and backstreets, and ripping yarns passed on across the bar. Urban legends may sometimes just be the best of rumours, but the real question is about the truth that lies behind them?

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Castletown House, Ireland's largest and earliest Palladian-style house, was built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and the wealthiest commoner in Ireland. In 1967, the house was bought by the Hon. Desmond Guinness, founder of the Irish Georgian Society and opened to the public. In 1994, ownership of the house was transferred to the State, and it is now managed by the Office of Public Works. Castletown House, a history, is the story of that house, written by the children who grew up there, Baroness Diana Wrangle Conolly Carew, the Hon. Sarah McPherson & their brother, the Hon. Gerald Edward Ian Maitland-Carew. In this fascinating history, the character of the house is brought to life through its former residents, together with stories of their Olympic medals, the chance survival of the house through the Civil War, and tales of visiting royalty to the greatest of Ireland’s great houses.

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The story of Glasnevin House and Demesne, now Holy Faith Convent, is intertwined with the development of the area from the time of the early monks, through the medieval period when it was a farm of Christ Church, to the Georgian building of Mitchell and its nineteenth-century occupancy by the Lindsay family and the Sacred Heart sisters. The story continues with the arrival of the Holy Faith sisters in 1865 and their ongoing stewardship and development of the land. As this book opens with the contemplation of its surroundings, so it closes with the description of the new centre, which draws on natural beauty and the traditional spiritual influences that help us better engage with the modern world.

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Do you know what the oldest horse race in Britain is, where the term ‘gee-gee’ comes from, or who is credited with bringing racing to Ascot? Fact-packed but light-hearted in style, this reliable reference book and quirky guide reveals little-known facts, details of classic races, famous riders, racing records, amusing anecdotes and criminal goings-on. A compendium of the fascinating, strange and entertaining, The Little Book of Horse Racing can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about this ancient sport.

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These stories have been told for 2,000 years. At their heart stands the great Ulster hero, Cúchulainn and on his shoulder sits a dark goddess in the form of a crow. She is the mistress of chaos, surveying the slaughter as he whirls in fury through an ancient yet still familiar world. Their dynamic force has helped shape the history of Ireland – its tribes, its warrior queens, its dispossessed kings. Harnessing the imagination of a modern storyteller, using often overlooked material, this work is an exhilarating retelling of an epic journey – following our champion from a disputed birth through to the battle of the bulls and beyond.

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County Armagh, the Orchard County, abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscences, have been brought to life here by local storyteller Frances Quinn. Armagh is the place where, legend has it, the warrior king Conor Mac Nessa once ruled and where Deirdre of the Sorrows met her lover Naoise. It is where St Mochua’s Well was said by some to curse as well as cure and where evidence of St Patrick’s disagreement with a bull can still be seen. And it is where Mrs Lester was rudely awakened in her grave. It is also said to be the home of a plethora of strange and magical creatures and stories abound of encounters with fairies, ghosts, dragons, witches and even a giant pig. From age-old legends and fantastical myths to amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, this collection is a heady mix of bloodthirsty, funny, passionate and moving stories. It will take you into a remarkable world where you can let your imagination run wild.

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Puck Fair, Ireland’s oldest festival, was established by a royal patent in October 1613, granted to the Welsh planter, Jenkyn Conway, of Killorglin. It first became a famous, however, as a result of the parading and display of a male goat, which is awarded a crown and named as the King of the Town. 2013 saw the celebration of Puck Fair’s 400 year anniversary, which was promoted and celebrated as part of The Gathering. This book was launched in August of that year, as part of these festivities.

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Patrick Pearse, teacher, poet, and one of the executed leaders of the 1916 Rising has long been a central figure in Irish history. The book provides a radically new interpretation of Patrick Pearse’s work in education, and examines how his work as a teacher became a potent political device in pre-independent Ireland. The book provides a complete account of Pearse’s educational work at St. Enda’s school, Dublin where a number of insurgents such as William Pearse, Thomas McDonagh and Con Colbert taught. The author draws upon the recollections of past-pupils, employees, descendants of those who worked with Pearse, founders of schools inspired by his work - including the descendants of Thomas McSweeny and Louis Gavan Duffy – and a vast array or primary source material to provide a comprehensive account of life at St. Enda’s and the place of education within the ‘Irish-Ireland’ movement and the struggle for independence.

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Drogheda nestles on the east coast of Ireland, on the border of Louth and Meath. A lively medieval town, it is home to a host of contemporary music and theatre companies, an international Samba festival, and was the birthplace of many famous Irish people, including Pierce Brosnan, Steve Staunton and Shane Horgan. Drogheda also has a long and colourful history, which includes the Battle of the Boyne, sieges and massacres, earls, rebels and saints. The severed head of Saint Oliver Plunkett remains on display in St Peter’s church. All of this and more is covered in Joe Curtis’ comprehensive illustrated history.

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For over three years, photographer Heike Thiele and writer Winifred McNulty have captured images and stories from the last traditional shops in the North West of Ireland. Their journey – across Donegal, Leitrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Sligo and Cavan –has taken them through an Aladdin’s Cave of drapery and hardware, to abandoned creameries and shops where empty shelves are filled only with the stories of different times. Based on a series of highly successful exhibitions across the North West, this book is a highly visual record of the stories of changing face of rural Ireland.

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While the type of small political party In Ireland has varied, their fate, it seems, has not. Although some enjoy a brief time in the sun, termination is the long-term prospects for all minor parties. The usual pattern is a speedy ascent, an impact on the political system including a time in government, followed by a prolonged termination. This book examines this pattern of evolution for minor, or small, parties in Irish politics. As the Irish state has changed, so too have the types of parties that have emerged. With the first-time entry of the Greens into government in 2007, their wipeout in 2011, the termination of the Progressive Democrats in 2009, and the failure of a new party to emerge despite the on-going financial crisis, the time is ripe for this analysis.

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Have you heard the story of ‘Bang Bang’ Dudley, who roamed the streets of Dublin shooting anyone who caught his eye? Or of ‘Lugs’ Brannigan, the city’s most famous detective? Do you know who the real Molly Malone was, or the story of Marsh’s Library, or how the devil himself came to the Hellfire Club? These and many more accounts of Dubliners and Dublin City fill this book, as told by Brendan Nolan, a professional storyteller who has been recording these tales for decades. These are the stories of real Dublin, the stories that are passed from generation to generation and which give this city its unique character. To know Dublin is to know these characters, these stories, and the legends which have grown up around them.

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Rathmines lies on the south bank of the Grand Canal, stretching out as far as Rathgar and bordered on two sides by Ranelagh to the east and Harold’s Cross to the west. It is one of the country’s most well-known suburbs, home to heads of government, vast swathes of students and local families alike. The colourful array of public houses have become institutions for many over the years, and its landmarks, the old Stella Cinema, the clock tower and the famous green dome of the Mary Immaculate church, have been forged in the memories of countless generations. This is an area of Dublin that holds a very particular resonance for many people all over Ireland. In his latest book, writer and historian Maurice Curtis takes the reader on a visual tour of Rathmines through the decades, recounting both the familiar and the forgotten, those features and events that may have faded over time. From the Battle of Rathmines in the seventeenth century (that changed the course of Irish history) to the achievements of Irish Independence and beyond in the twentieth century, Dr Curtis charts the development of this nationally important suburb that mirrors the changing face of Ireland itself. Illustrated with over 150 archive photographs, this fascinating book pays fitting tribute to the place Rathmines has carved in the history of all who have passed through it.

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The Clare War Dead is a comprehensive record of those men from County Clare who died during the Great War, and is the next instalment in this prolific author’s series on the subject. His tireless research has been undertaken to honour those who died in service, and to shine a light on an aspect of Irish history which has for too long gone unexamined and unrecognised. Such a list, combined as it is with intricate data and previously unpublished correspondence and photographs, is an essential addition to any local historian or military enthusiast’s bookshelf. This is Tom Burnell’s seventh book in this series, following on from the success of similar titles on Waterford, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, Tipperary and Carlow.

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Discover the darker side of Cork with this collection of spine-chilling tales from the archives of the Paranormal Database. Featuring stories of unexplained phenomena, apparitions, poltergeists, changelings and banshees and including accounts of mysterious vanishing islands, ghosts of shipwrecked Spanish sailors, and, of course, the story behind the legendary Blarney Stone, this book contains many spooky narratives that are guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources and containing many tales which have never before been published, Haunted Cork will delight everyone interested in the paranormal.

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The Great White Fair.

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Acquaints modern brides and grooms with Irish wedding traditions. This book describes romance and marriage in olden-day Ireland alongside various traditions, proverbs, and the fun and frolics that accompanied the couple up the aisle.

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'The Fires and the Shadows' is a collection of some of the world's finest tales of the supernatural, from some of the literary world's most darkly glittering imaginations. Including works from Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce (The Devils Dictionary), Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling, this compilation is a volume that will terrify and delight, and ultimately to treasure.

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A field guide to the monuments of County Dublin. From megalithic tombs to stone circles, barrows and standing stones, Dublin has a rich historical heritage standing proud in its midst. This guide provides an in depth discussion of Dublin's monuments, detailing their relationship to each other and the surrounding landscape.

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The County Wicklow Database.

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Originally published in 1909, this book explores the Dublin of the early 1900s. The narrative stretches from Church Street out to Howth by way of Clontarf, Fairview, Marino and the Phoenix Park. The author displays an impressive knowledge of the people, places and happenings of the city and its surrounds over the centuries that preceded publication.A comprehensive study of the city and county north of the Liffey this book provides a fascinating view of Dublin from the eyes of an Irishman in the early twentieth century. A re-publication of a classic history text widely quoted and referred to and not reprinted since 1977. The book covers a broad swathe of the city and county north of the Liffey; features interesting local content; and offers a fascinating perspective on the image of Dublin held by our predecessors and ancestors.

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The Forgotten Heritage of Kildare

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A history of Colyton & Seaton

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This fascinating selection of over 180 old photographs and postcards depicts Windsor and Eton over the last one hundred years. Windsor's Royal connections and monuments and Eton College are world famous and need no introduction. Perhaps less well known, but no less important, are the streets, people and events of everyday life in and around such internationally renowned landmarks. Street parties, schools, Dr Barnardo's boys, breweries, amateur dramatics, pubs, butchers selling ice cream alongside joints and cuts of meat, evacuees, Boy Scouts, floods, charabanc outings, football teams and the fire brigade are all remembered in this evocative collection. The Thames has always played an important part in the life and development of the town, whether for business or pleasure, as shown by images of boat builders, bridges, steamer trips, the Empress of India, the Windsor Belle and College boys rowing on the river. The author, Mike Stiles, not only spent his formative years in Windsor, but also worked at Windsor Great Park and on many of the buildings in the town. Most of the material in his book has been drawn either from his own extensive collection or from family sources. The result is an informative, affectionate recollection that will appeal to all those who know and love this historic area.

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Clay Cross is a classic product of the Industrial Revolution. The town's industrial future was sealed in 1837 with the driving of the Clay Cross Tunnel and the simutaneous founding of the George Stephenson Company, which became the Clay Cross Company in 1851. This book of over 200 photogrpahs gives a glimpse of that industrial history and forms a sort of industrial directory of the development of the company and the way that it influenced the lives of the people of the town. It emphasises the company's paternal imperatives, which insured retention of labour and moulded a core of sober and subserviant workers. These old photographs and documents will bring back strong memories for Clay Cross families and introduce newcomers to a bygone area. George Stephenson would be gratified to learn that his company still flourished, now in the hands of the Biwater Company, and the railway line still runs, albeit as an Inter-city express.

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Pocket Images Buntingford

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Illustrated with exceptionally high quality archive photographs, many previously unpublished, this is both a striking visual work and a controversial history of the one of Ireland’s most well-known areas. For many years, the scenic side of the town has been the focus of publications; in this book, the author has extensively researched the darker side of Dun Laoghaire, and reveals the poverty which has historically counter-balanced its more salubrious tendencies.

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Born in Wiltshire and the son of a farmer, Richard Jeffries had an abiding love for nature and was a prolific writer on the subject. In this collection of beautifully-written essays Jeffries attempts to distill the essence of nature and of life in the country into prose and to impart the wonder he feels when immersed in nature. In all the pieces collected here, a different aspect of the countryside or its people is vividly brought to life, such as when describing the face of an old man as 'twisted like the fantastic turns of a gnarled tree-trunk, hollowed and decayed'. In "The Open Air" Jeffries displays his talent for descriptive writing again and again with crystal-clear descriptions and an emotionally-charged, poetic style.

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Local historian and broadcaster Ken Pye has collected a further fifty true tales that celebrate the weird and wonderful side of Merseyside's history.From the subterranean munitions factory at New Brighton and the bird-man of Speke, to wild tigers at Tranmere and a mysterious leprechaun, you are sure to uncover some truly amazing and extraordinary stories here.Richly illustrated, this fantastic collection will delight everyone interested in finding out more about Merseyside's strange and curious heritage.

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Our prehistoric ancestors used flint tools every day; they were of vital importance for cutting and scraping, used for hunting, preparing food, making clothing and building shelters, and their remnants are scattered around the countryside.Unearthing such a find is a magical moment a direct link to events thousands of years before but how do you identify the piece of flint you find out in the field? Is it only a lump of flint, or did it really have an important function as a tool prized by our ancestors? And how old is it, exactly?In Flint Tools Field Guide, archaeologist and flint knapper Robert Turner opens a window into prehistoric archaeology, using hand-drawn illustrations and photographs to explain how to identify tools and their uses, as well as approximate their age. This is an important insight into how people lived and worked so many years ago.

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''Masterful'' The EconomistThe Congo-Océan railroad stands as one of the deadliest construction projects in history. It was completed in 1934, when Equatorial Africa was a French colony, and it stands as one of the deadliest construction projects in history. Colonial workers were subjects of an ostensibly democratic nation whose motto read Liberty, Equality, Fraternity', but liberal ideals were savaged by a cruelly indifferent administrative state.African workers were conscripted at gunpoint, separated from their families and subjected to hellish conditions as they hacked their way through dense tropical foliage; excavated by hand thousand of tonnes of earth in order to lay down track; blasted their way through rock to construct tunnels; or risked their lives building bridges over otherwise impassable rivers. In the process, they suffered disease, malnutrition and rampant physical abuse, likely resulting in at least 20,000 dea

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In 1943, and with Allied victory in North Africa imminent, 1st Special Air Service Regiment was in danger of being disbanded. However, with the timely and vital intervention of Major Robert Blair Mayne, the unit was saved and replaced by an organisation known as HQ Raiding Forces, and Mayne was appointed to command the Special Raiding Squadron.The heroic spirit of 1st SAS Regiment continued to thrive in the squadron, and Paddy Mayne as he was known to his soldiers was an inspiration to those he commanded. Through action in Sicily in July 1943, undertaking distraction missions in Bagnara and finally aiding the Eighth Army in Termoli before being recalled to the UK to aid the SAS with the invasion of France, Paddy's Men worked as a well-oiled, dangerous and fiercely loyal unit, performing skilfully under the immense pressure of war.In this book Stewart McClean provides an illustrated history of the Special Raiding Squadron, detailing the formation of t

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THE FIVE-DAY WORKING WEEK MUST CHANGE: HERE'S HOW.Fingers crossed that this book will shake up the five-day working week.' - Sir Christopher Pissarides, 2010 Nobel Laureate in EconomicsFriday is the New Saturday makes a compelling, provocative and timely case for societal change. Drawing on an eclectic range of economic theory, history and data, Dr Pedro Gomes argues that a four-day working week will bring about a powerful economic renewal for the benefit of all society. It will stimulate demand, productivity, innovation and wages, whilst reducing unemployment and crushing populist movements. The arguments come from both the left and right of the political spectrum to show that a polarised society can still find common ground.In the 1800s, people in the West worked six days each week, resting on Sundays. In the 1900s, firms began to give workers Saturdays off as well, realising that a two-day weekend helped the

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There are so many insights even hardcore Bond fans will be surprised. Indispensable.' David Lowbridge-Ellis MBEOnly six men can lay claim to wearing the famous Savile Row tuxedo of James Bond; more people have stepped on the Moon. Yet, hundreds more came within an inch of winning the coveted 007 role the pinnacle for so many actors.For the first time, The Search for Bond tells the extraordinary story of how cinema's most famous secret agent was cast, featuring exclusive interviews with many of the actors who were at one time considered to play Bond, interviewed for the role, or went as far as to be screen tested. From Ranulph Fiennes to Colin Firth, their memories and stories give a fascinating insiders' glimpse into the process of how the Bond producers, Broccoli and Saltzman, came up with the right man to play their famous spy.

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Rigged exposes a cover-up at the highest level on both sides of the Atlantic, upending the official story of the biggest scandal since the global financial crisis. It picks up where The Big Short leaves off, as the dark clouds of the financial crisis gather. Banks' health is judged by an interest rate called Libor (the London Interbank Offered Rate). The higher the Libor, the worse off the bank; too high and it's goodnight Vienna. Libor is heading skywards. To save themselves from collapse, nationalisation and loss of bonuses, banks instruct traders to manipulate Libor down a criminal practice known as lowballing. Outraged, traders turn whistleblowers, alerting the authorities.As Rigged reveals, their instructions come first from top bosses then from central banks and governments. But when the scandal explodes into the news, prosecutors allow banks to cover up the evidence pointing to the top. Instead, they accuse 37 traders of another kind of int

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In the summer of 1914 Scotland prepared for war.Steel and Tartan charts the adventures of the 4th Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders from their training in Bedford with the Highland Division through to five major engagements in France, including the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Battle of Loos, to eventual break-up in March 1916 at the hands of the British Army administrators. Of the 1,500 men who fought with the Battalion, over 250 were killed and either buried in one of the many British war cemeteries in France or else left where they fell, their names etched on one of the memorials to the missing.Using previously unpublished diaries, letters and memoirs together with original photographs and newspaper accounts, Patrick Watt tells the story of the gallant officers and men of the 4th Camerons: those Saturday night soldiers' who went so eagerly to war in August 1914.

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Worcestershire is a county of wide, fertile valleys, drained by the Severn, the Avon, the Teme and the Stour and ringed by some of England’s best-known hills, including the Malverns and the Cotswolds.This concise but comprehensive account is based on a wealth of published and unpublished research. It is both highly readable and well illustrated, and will interest the general reader, students and local groups seeking to put their own work within a wider perspective. Particular attention is given to the settlement of the county, especially to its colonisation by the Hwicce in the sixth and seventh centuries. There are fascinating insights into the lives of ordinary people through the ages, based on records such as medieval monastic estate records and later probate inventories. Throughout, local happenings are related to national trends, and dramatic events such as the Battle of Evesham of 1265 and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 are highlighted.Contrasts between rural and urban areas are explored, and products such as the carpets of Kidderminster, the salt of Droitwich and the glass of Stourbridge are seen within a wider economic context. Information on important individuals is also examined, some of whom, such as Edward Elgar and the poet Piers Plowman, are already well known, while others emerge from local records for the first time. This book reaches right up to the 1990s, including the triumphs of Worcestershire County Cricket Club and the day-to-day concerns of the Archers in the final chapter.

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During the Second World War, the Germans considered the Royal Artillery to be the most professional arm of the British Army: British gunners were accurate, effective and efficient, and provided fire support for their armoured and infantry colleagues that was better than that in any other army.However, the Royal Artillery delivered much more than field and medium artillery battlefield support. Gunner regiments manned antitank guns on the front line and light anti-aircraft guns in divisional regiments to defend against air attack at home and abroad. The Royal Artillery also helped to protect convoys that brought essential supplies to Britain, and AA gunners had their finest hour when they destroyed the majority of the V-1 flying bombs launched against Britain from June 1944.Richard Doherty delves into the wide-ranging role of the Royal Artillery, examining its state of preparedness in 1939, the many developments that were introduced during the war – including aerial observation and self-propelled artillery – the growth of the regiment and its effectiveness in its many roles. Royal Artillery in the Second World War is a comprehensive account of a British Army regiment that played a vital role in the ensuing Allied victory.

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While Fanny Cradock cut a controversial figure – berating Margaret Thatcher for wearing ‘cheap shoes and clothes’, writing off Eamonn Andrews as a ‘blundering amateur’ and famously being forced to apologise for insulting a housewife cook on The Big Time – her cookery programmes were enormously popular.Dressed in evening gown, drop earrings and pearls, donning thick make-up, she boomed orders to her partner Johnnie, a gentle, monocled stooge who was portrayed as an amiable drunk. The programmes were watched by millions and were hugely influential: the Queen Mother told Fanny that she and Johnnie were ‘mainly responsible’ for the improvement in catering standards since the war; Keith Floyd declared that ‘she changed the whole nation’s cooking attitudes’; for Esther Rantzen ‘she created the cult of the TV chef’.Lavishly illustrated and illuminated by amusing facts and anecdotes, Fabulous Fanny Cradock paints a fun, entertaining portrait of this extraordinary woman.

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Doomed survivor of a family of geniuses, Charlotte Brontë had a life as dramatic as Jane Eyre. Turning her back on her tragic past, she reinvented herself as an acclaimed writer, a mysterious celebrity and a passionate lover. Doing so meant burning many bridges, but her sudden death left her friends and admirers with more questions than answers.Tasked with telling the truth about Brontë's life, her friend, the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, uncovered secrets of illicit love, family discord and professional rivalries more incredible than any fiction. The result, a tell-all biography, was so scandalous it was banned and rewritten twice in six months but not before it had given birth to the legend of the Brontës.The Invention of Charlotte Brontë is a darker take on one of the most famous women writers of the nineteenth century, showing Charlotte to be a strong but flawed individual. Through interrogating known events and introducing new archival ma

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This richly illustrated history explores every aspect of life in Bradford.The Story of Bradford traces the city's history from earliest times to the present, concluding with comments on the issues, challenges and opportunities that the twenty-first century will present. The departure of the German wool merchants in 1914 and the tragedy that befell the Bradford Pals at the Somme had a serious effect not just on the city but further afield, while the achievements of the great nineteenth-century wool barons are contrasted with the condition of the working class and industrial unrest.The challenge in the new millennium is for Bradford to use its considerable assets including its architectural development and heritage to shine as a prosperous and self-confident community.

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The streetscape of London’s historic square mile has been evolving for centuries, but the City’s busy commercial heart still boasts an extensive network of narrow passages and alleyways, secret squares and half-hidden courtyards.Using his wealth of local knowledge, historian David Long guides you through these ancient rights of passage – many dating back to medieval times or earlier – their evocative names recalling old taverns, notable individuals and City traditions. Hidden behind the glass, steel and stone of London’s banks and big business, these survivors of modern development bear witness to nearly 2,000 years of British history.

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The Second World War saw the role of espionage, secret agents and spy services increase exponentially as the world was thrown into a conflict unlike any that had gone before it.At this time, no one in government was really aware of what MI5 and its brethren did. But with Churchill at the country’s helm, it was decided to let him in on the secret, providing him with a weekly report of the spy activities. These reports were so classified that he was handed each report personally and copies were never allowed to be made, nor was he allowed to keep hold of them. Even now, the documents only exist as physical copies deep in the archives, many pages annotated by hand by ‘W.S.C.’ himself.In Churchill’s Spy Files intelligence expert Nigel West unravels the tales of hitherto unknown spy missions, using this groundbreaking research to paint a fresh picture of the worldwide intelligence scene of the Second World War.

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Baltinglass is the very heart of West Wicklow. It is a charming country town on the banks of the River Slaney and is a designated Heritage Town. By building upon the base of street directories garnered from census returns and news articles, Paul Gorry provides a fascinating insight into the life of a provincial town.Featuring stories of local notables, politicians and ordinary residents, Baltinglass Chronicles will delight locals and visitors alike.

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The Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (170144) was arguably the world's first true Earth scientist. In Celsius: A Life and Death by Degrees, Ian Hembrow reveals what his extraordinary, but tragically short, life and career can teach us about our today and humanity's tomorrow.Our modern understanding of many of the Earth's most awe-inspiring phenomena owes much to a modest and quietly spoken, eighteenth-century Swedish astronomer, who died of tuberculosis aged just 42. From the Northern Lights, air pressure and magnetism to the shape of the planet, sea levels and early studies of climate change, Celsius unravelled some of the greatest mysteries of his time.Best known for inventing the 100-point centi-grade' scale, Celsius' name also now frames humanity's future in the international targets to limit average global temperature increases to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. As our world faces this life-or-death struggl

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From crowded train stations to quiet woods and from city centres to our own back gardens, birds remind us that nature is everywhere. But do you know which is the king of the birds? Has anyone ever told you how the brave swallow got its forked tail? And what of the owl, who was really a baker’s daughter?Take a look inside The Magpie’s Nest, where a hoard of stories, riddles and rhymes is waiting for you.Suitable for all ages and charmingly illustrated by Lakeland artist Becca Hall, this is an essential collection of stories for all who love the natural world.

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