Search results for ""author roy"

He became king before his first birthday, inheriting a vast empire from his military hero father; she was the daughter of a king without power, who made an unexpected marriage at the age of fifteen. Almost completely opposite in character, together they formed an unlikely but complimentary partnership. Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou have become famous as the Lancastrian king and queen who were deposed during the Wars of the Roses but there is so much more to their story. The political narrative of their years together is a tale of twists and turns, encompassing incredible highs, when they came close to fulfilling their desires, and terrible, heart-breaking lows. Personally, their story is an intriguing one that raises may questions. Henry was a complex, misunderstood man, enlightened and unsuited to his times and the pressures of kingship. In the end, overcome by fortune and the sheer determination of their enemies, their alliance collapsed. England simply wasn't ready for a gentle king like Henry, or woman like Margaret who defied contemporary stereotypes of gender and queenship. History has been a harsh judge to this royal couple. In this discerning dual biography, Amy Licence leads the way in a long-overdue re-evaluation of their characters and contributions during a tumultuous and defining period of British history.

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“Even those who can’t tell a Royal Coachman from a Wooly Bugger will have fun.” —Publishers WeeklyFly fishermen tend to be a peaceful bunch. But suddenly the sleepy, northern Michigan town of Ossning, home of the trout-packed Borchard River, has a killer in its midst. Charlie Orr, a solitary fisherman of advanced years, who spends his summers camping in a state forest campground, is brutally murdered one night while reading by lamplight in his tent. Charlie was known by all, but did he know too much? Shocked fellow anglers quickly set about investigating their own theories.In Ronald Weber’s third fly-fishing mystery, state lottery winner Donald Fitzgerald, on leave from his beat as a journalist for the Detroit Free Press, once again joins forces with his girlfriend, Department of Natural Resources officer Mercy Virdon. Together, they must uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of their old friend before tragedy strikes again.Perfectly capturing what happens when a grisly crime disturbs the serenity of small-town life Riverwatcher is a classic and entertaining whodunit. Fitzgerald and Mercy’s investigation to discover the deadly secret leads to a startling revelation that takes everyone by surprise. Weber expertly weaves his riverine plot, creating a great yarn for fly fishermen and mystery lovers alike.

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You wont be familiar with every one of the huge array of women featured in these pages, but all, familiar or not, leave unanswered questions behind them. The range is extensive, as was the research, with its insight into the lives and minds of women in different centuries, different countries, with diverse cultures and backgrounds, from the poverty stricken to royalty. Mistresses, murderers, smugglers, pirates, prostitutes and fanatics with hearts and souls that feature every shade of black (and grey!). From Cleopatra to Ruth Ellis, from Boudicca to Bonnie Parker, from Lady Caroline Lamb to Moll Cutpurse, from Jezebel to Ava Gardner. Less familiar names include Mary Jeffries, the Victorian brothel-keeper, Belle Starr, the American gambler and horse thief, La Voisin, the seventeenth-century Queen of all Witches in France but these are random names, to illustrate the variety of the content in store for all those interested in women who defy law and order, for whatever reason. The risque, the adventurous and the outrageous, the downright nasty and the downright desperate all human (female!) life is here. From the lower stratas of society to the aristocracy, class is not a common denominator. Wicked? Misunderstood? Nave? Foolish? Predatory? Manipulative? Or just out of their time? Read and decide.

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Set in Williams' New York Times bestselling fantasy world, the second book of The Last King of Osten Ard returns to the trials of King Simon and Queen Miriamele as threats to their kingdom loom...The kingdoms of Osten Ard have been at peace for decades, but now, the threat of a new war grows to nightmarish proportions.Simon and Miriamele, royal husband and wife, face danger from every side. Their allies in Hernystir have made a pact with the dreadful Queen of the Norns to allow her armies to cross into mortal lands. The ancient, powerful nation of Nabban is on the verge of bloody civil war, and the fierce nomads of the Thrithings grasslands have begun to mobilize, united by superstitious fervor and their age-old hatred of the city-dwellers. But as the countries and peoples of the High Ward bicker among themselves, battle, bloodshed, and dark magics threaten to pull civilizations to pieces. And over it all looms the mystery of the Witchwood Crown, the deadly puzzle that Simon, Miriamele, and their allies must solve if they wish to survive.But as the kingdoms of Osten Ard are torn apart by fear and greed, a few individuals will fight for their own lives and destinies—not yet aware that the survival of everything depends on them.

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This is the Paris you never knew. From the Revolution to the present, Graham Robb has distilled a series of astonishing true narratives, all stranger than fiction, of the lives of the great, the near-great, and the forgotten. A young artillery lieutenant, strolling through the Palais-Royal, observes disapprovingly the courtesans plying their trade. A particular woman catches his eye; nature takes its course. Later that night Napoleon Bonaparte writes a meticulous account of his first sexual encounter. A well-dressed woman, fleeing the Louvre, takes a wrong turn and loses her way in the nameless streets of the Left Bank. For want of a map—there were no reliable ones at the time—Marie-Antoinette will go to the guillotine. Baudelaire, the photographer Marville, Baron Haussmann, the real-life Mimi of La Boheme, Proust, Adolf Hitler touring the occupied capital in the company of his generals, Charles de Gaulle (who is suspected of having faked an assassination attempt in Notre Dame)—these and many more are Robb’s cast of characters, and the settings range from the quarries and catacombs beneath the streets to the grand monuments to the appalling suburbs ringing the city today. The result is a resonant, intimate history with the power of a great novel.

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With a foreword by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey who concludes that: `This is the world that Ruth Binney has brought so wonderfully to life in her book'. Inside the country house, what exactly were the duties of the master's valet and the lady's maid? How did these fit into the daily routine? And what were the protocols for visitors? The answers to these, and many more questions, are revealed in this entertaining and intimate guide to the self-contained world of the country house. Here you'll learn the rules of etiquette essential both upstairs and down -for both residents and visitors -marvel at the intricacies of housekeeping, and enter a bygone age of hunts, house parties and grand balls. All these aspects of country house life, and many more, are introduced here through the contemporary maxims used to instruct the members of the household and their guests, from running a large kitchen to entertaining royalty. Each is brought to life with both practical detail and direct, compelling quotes and illustrations from period manuals and advice books, giving every entry a totally authentic feel and `voice'. Rounding off the book is an informative list of houses to visit, stressing the features that relate directly to the descriptions included in the book.

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A radical re-interpretation of the chivalric biography of Boucicaut. The Livre des fais du bon messire Jehan le Maingre (1409) is one of the most famous chivalric biographies of the Middle Ages. It presents Jean II Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut (1366-1421), as an ideal knight and role model, and has frequently been seen by modern scholars as a last-ditch effort to defend traditional chivalric values that were supposedly in decline. Here, however, Craig Taylor argues that the biography is a much more complex and interesting text, fusing traditional notions of chivalry with the most fashionable new ideas in circulation at the French court at the start of the fifteenth century. Rather than a nostalgic criticism of contemporary knighthood, it should be seen as a showcase of the latest ideas on chivalry, written to renew the enthusiasm of the great French princes for a man who was in grave danger of falling out of favour: its purpose was to celebrate and to defend a beleaguered Boucicaut against his critics at the royal court, and to explain his actions as governor of Genoa, his failed crusading enterprises in the Eastern Mediterranean and his unsuccessful efforts to broker a solution to the Papal Schism. CRAIG TAYLOR is a Reader in Medieval History at the University of York; he was Director of its Centre for Medieval Studies from 2010 to 2011 and from 2014 to 2017.

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Charles III: The Making of a King highlights the most important portraits of King Charles III from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. Charles III: The Making of a King celebrates King Charles III in the year of his coronation. Follow Charles’ life from a baby, his investiture as Prince of Wales to becoming king through the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of portraits and photographs of Britain’s newest monarch. From the same publisher that brought to you Elizabeth II: Princess, Queen, Icon. The beautiful gift book includes a timeline of key events from King Charles’ life, and explores the future of the monarchy through photographs and paintings of the wider royal family, including Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla, Queen Consort, William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Prince George of Wales. Presenting family photographs alongside important formal portraits, this book features works by key artists who have depicted the King from 1948 to the present day, such as Nadav Kander, Cecil Beaton, Marcus Adams, Lisa Sheridan, Lord Snowdon, Joan Williams, Patrick Lichfield, Norman Parkinson, Bern Schwartz, Carole Cutner, Bryan Organ, Terence Donovan, Nicola Philipps and Mario Testino.

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Set in the early nineteenth century The Counting House follows the lives of Rohini and Vidia, a young married couple struggling for survival in a small, caste-ridden Indian village who are seduced by the recruiter's talk of easy work and plentiful land if they sign up as indentured labourers to go to British Guiana. There, however, they discover a harsh fate as 'bound coolies' in a country barely emerging from the savage brutalities of slavery. Having abandoned their families and a country that seems increasingly like a paradise, they must come to terms with their problematic encounters with an Afro-Guyanese population hostile to immigrant labour, with rebels such as Kampta who has made an early abandonment of Indian village culture, and confront the truths of their uprooted condition."Excellent... Presented with poetic precision, this novel succeeds as both a compelling story and a beautifully sustained piece of writing." Sean Coughlan, The Times."Beautifully written... Dabydeen's grace, as a poet turned novelist, is to give his characters' imaginations and inner lives voices in prose... This is a marvelous novel" Michele Roberts, Independent on Sunday.David Dabydeen was born in Guyana. He has published six acclaimed novels and three collections of poetry. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and Professor of Literary Studies at the University of Warwick.

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The story of the war at sea in the reign of Edward III, including the important sea battles, and an analysis of the development of the English navy in the period. This book describes naval warfare during the opening phase of the Hundred Years War, a vital period in the development of the early Royal Navy, in which Edward III's government struggled to harness English naval power in a dramatic battle for supremacy with their French and Spanish adversaries. It shows how the escalating demands of Edward's astonishing military ambitions led to an intense period of evolution in the English navy and the growth of a cultureof naval specialism and professionalism. It addresses how this in turn affected the livelihoods of England's mariners and coastal communities. The book covers in detail the most important sea battles of Edward III's reign -Sluys, Winchelsea and La Rochelle - as well as raids and naval blockades. It highlights the systems by which ships were brought into service and mariners recruited, and explores how these were resisted by mariners and coastal communities. It also tells the story of the range of personalities, heroes and villains who influenced the development of the navy in the reign of Edward III. GRAHAM CUSHWAY holds a PhD in Maritime History from the University of Exeter.

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Join the rebellion to burn down a cruel tyrant in this heartracing new fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Wolf and the Woodsman. To cage a god is divine. To be divine is to rule. To rule is to destroy. Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera's mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire-no matter the cost. With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn. While Sera reunites with her estranged lover who now leads the rebellion, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina's secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire-or bring it all down.

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Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis is an established and successful program of treatment. Once a diagnosis of MS meant inevitable decline and disability. Now thousands of people around the world are living healthy, active lives on the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis recovery program.Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis explains the nature of MS and outlines an evidence-based 7 step program for recovery. Professor George Jelinek devised the program from an exhaustive analysis of medical research when he was first diagnosed with MS in 1999. It has been refined through major ongoing international clinical studies under Professor Jelinek's leadership, examining the lifestyles of several thousand people with MS world-wide and their health outcomes.Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis is invaluable for anyone recently diagnosed with MS, living with MS for years, or with a family member with MS. It makes an ideal resource for doctors treating people with MS.'I would have no hesitation in recommending Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis to my patients, but also to my friends and colleagues.' Professor Gavin Giovannoni, MBBCh, PhD, FCP (S.A., Neurol.) , FRCP, FRCPath, Chair of Neurology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry'Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis combines hard scientific evidence with practical advice and compassion. It will be of benefit to nearly everybody affected by MS and I heartily recommend it.' Dr Peter Fisher FRCP , Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and Director of Research, Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine

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Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for creating the perfect happily-ever-after moment for her clients' dream weddings. So how is it that her best friend has roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer's book launch extravaganza? But the second Kate meets-or rather, accidentally maims-the drop-dead-hot Drake Matthews, her well-ordered life quickly transforms into an absolute nightmare.Drake Matthews is tired of the spotlight and tired of his reputation as the Knight of Nightmares. He's really a nice guy! But he's not prepared for Kate, a fearless agent of chaos in steel-tipped stilettos, or for that sweet sting of attraction he feels for her. She's inspiring him to take his writing in a whole new direction-one that no one expects. Because now Kate and Drake are changing up the rules, and this plot twist might just surprise everyone . . . including themselves."Fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur will adore How Sweet It Is!" --The Nerd DailyAs featured in:PopSugar: Must-Read July BooksPopSugar: 12 Swoonworthy Romances to Read in One Sitting

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We don't know what we've got until it's gone...This brief, lucid book by the Director of Science at Royal Botanical Gardens takes you on an unforgettable tour of the natural world, showing how biodiversity - the rich variety of life in the world and in our own backyards - provides both the source and the salvation of our existence. Combining inspiration stories and the latest scientific research, Alex Antonelli reveals the wonders of biodiversity at a genetic, species and ecosystem level - what it is, how it works, and why it's the most important tool in our battle against climate change.A deeper understanding of biodiversity has never been more important, as the slow violence of habitat loss has put the fate of almost one-fifth of all species on Earth at risk of extinction in the coming decades. These building blocks of life form a network that underpins almost every aspect of our lives, providing invaluable sources of food, medicine, fibre, clothing, building material and more. With simplicity and clarity, The Hidden Universe shows you not only what's at stake, but what can be done (and is already being done) to protect and restore biodiversity around the world. It marks the arrival of a bold new voice in popular science.

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'Soyinka's greatest novel ... No one else can write such a book' - Ben Okri 'A lion of African literature' - Financial Times 'Chronicles is many things at once: a caustic political satire, a murder mystery, a conspiracy story and a deeply felt lament for the spirit of a nation' - Juan Gabriel Vásquez, New York Times A FINANCIAL TIMES AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR To Doctor Menka’s horror, some cunning entrepreneur has decided to sell body parts from his hospital for use in ritualistic practices. Already at the end of his tether from the horrors he routinely sees in surgery, he shares this latest development with his oldest college friend, bon viveur, star engineer and Yoruba royal, Duyole Pitan-Payne, who has never before met a puzzle he couldn’t solve. Neither realise how close the enemy is, nor how powerful. Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth is at once a savagely witty whodunit, a scathing indictment of Nigeria’s political elite, and a provocative call to arms from one of the country’s most relentless political activists and an international literary giant. 'A high-jinks state-of-the-nation novel' - Chibundu Onuzo 'Chronicles is a good model for what the political novel should be: fearless, disdaining formal constraints, sparing no one' - Guardian

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The history of projected images at the turn of the seventeenth century reveals a changing perception of chance and order, contingency and form. In Projecting Spirits, Pasi Väliaho maps how the leading optical media of the period—the camera obscura and the magic lantern—developed in response to, and framed, the era's key intellectual dilemma of whether the world fell under God's providential care, or was subject to chance and open to speculating. As Väliaho shows, camera obscuras and magic lanterns were variously employed to give the world an intelligible and manageable design. Jesuit scholars embraced devices of projection as part of their pursuit of divine government, whilst the Royal Society fellows enlisted them in their quest for empirical knowledge as well as colonial expansion. Projections of light and shadow grew into critical metaphors in early responses to the turbulences of finance. In such instances, Väliaho argues, "projection" became an indispensable cognitive form to both assert providence, and to make sense of an economic reality that was gradually escaping from divine guidance. Drawing on a range of materials—philosophical, scientific and religious literature, visual arts, correspondence, poems, pamphlets, and illustrations—this provocative and inventive work expands our concept of the early media of projection, revealing how they spoke to early modern thinkers, and shaped a new, speculative concept of the world.

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In Souls under Siege, Nicole Archambeau explores how the inhabitants of southern France made sense of the ravages of successive waves of plague, the depredations of mercenary warfare, and the violence of royal succession during the fourteenth century. Many people, she finds, understood both plague and war as the symptoms of spiritual sicknesses caused by excessive sin, and they sought cures in confession. Archambeau draws on a rich evidentiary base of sixty-eight narrative testimonials from the canonization inquest for Countess Delphine de Puimichel, which was held in the market town of Apt in 1363. Each witness in the proceedings had lived through the outbreaks of plague in 1348 and 1361, as well as the violence inflicted by mercenaries unemployed during truces in the Hundred Years' War. Consequently, their testimonies unexpectedly reveal the importance of faith and the role of affect in the healing of body and soul alike. Faced with an unprecedented cascade of crises, the inhabitants of Provence relied on saints and healers, their worldview connecting earthly disease and disaster to the struggle for their eternal souls. Souls under Siege illustrates how medieval people approached sickness and uncertainty by using a variety of remedies, making clear that "healing" had multiple overlapping meanings in this historical moment.

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While historians of medieval Spain have been unanimous in acknowledging the significance of Infante Manuel’s impact on the reign of his brother, Alfonso X, the Wise, and the rise to power of his nephew, Sancho IV, none have attempted a biography of his life, convinced there was insufficient material to justify the endeavour. Systematic and persistent research over many years, however, has uncovered a profusion of facts and figures which, together with the evidence discovered in numerous unedited archival documents, effectively establishes the prince as a major player during Alfonso’s troubled rule. This is the first and only book-length biography of Prince Manuel, the progenitor of the longest ruling dynasty in the history of Spain. In his capacity as the monarch’s closest advisor, Manuel assiduously maintained critical working relationships with the most notable leaders of his age, including James I and Peter III of Aragon, Louis IX and Philippe III of France, Edward I and Queen Eleanor of England, Popes Alexander IV and Gregory X, and a host of other royal and noble personages from Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. Intended for specialists in the field of medieval Iberian history and literature, Dawn of a Dynasty is a highly reliable source work and a significant contribution to our knowledge of late-thirteenth-century Castile.

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Exam Board: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC Eduqas, WJECLevel: A-levelSubject: GeographyFirst teaching: September 2016First exams: Summer 2017 (AS), Summer 2018 (A-level)Don't let your students miss out on easy marks; help them improve their skills and feel confident about the maths they need for AS/A-level Geography with this essential guide.If your students struggle with student t-test or Spearman rank correlation, this is the book for them. This textbook companion will improve students' essential maths skills for geography, whichever awarding body specification you're following. You can use it throughout the course, whenever you feel your students need some extra help.- Develop understanding of both maths and geography using worked examples and questions that are all set within a geography context- Improve confidence with a step-by-step approach to every maths skill- Measure progress with guided and non-guided questions that show how students are improving- Enable students to see where they're going wrong by referring to full worked solutions for every question - Feel confident with expert guidance from experienced teacher, examiner, and specification developer Helen Harris, reviewed by Steve Brace, Head of Education & Outdoor Learning at the Royal Geographical Society

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UNCOVER A CAPTIVATING FANTASY KINGDOM, FILLED WITH DARK SECRETS, INTRIGUE AND BETRAYAL . . .'A beautifully written, fantastical page-turner' Kirkus Reviews'Fresh, bold and unique' Emma McLaughlinI did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer - even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.Yet at court she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, Alyrra, who recruits her as an attendant. So Rae begins to seek answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself. Praise for THORN:'A dark, Middle-Eastern influenced retelling [...] dangerous secrets, false identities, delicious court intrigue and justice.' Culture Fly'THE BEST YA FANTASY BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR!' neverjudgeabookbyitscover.co.uk'Immersive and captivating' Kirkus ReviewsRead more Dauntless Path novels:THORN - OUT NOW!A DARKNESS AT THE DOOR - COMING SOON . . .

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No medieval writer reveals more about early English drama than John Lydgate, Claire Sponsler contends. Best known for his enormously long narrative poems The Fall of Princes and The Troy Book, Lydgate also wrote numerous verses related to theatrical performances and ceremonies. This rich yet understudied body of material includes mummings for London guildsmen and sheriffs, texts for wall hangings that combined pictures and poetry, a Corpus Christi procession, and entertainments for the young Henry VI and his mother. In The Queen's Dumbshows, Sponsler reclaims these writings to reveal what they have to tell us about performance practices in the late Middle Ages. Placing theatricality at the hub of fifteenth-century British culture, she rethinks what constituted drama in the period and explores the relationship between private forms of entertainment, such as household banquets, and more overtly public forms of political theater, such as royal entries and processions. She delineates the intersection of performance with other forms of representation such as feasts, pictorial displays, and tableaux, and parses the connections between the primarily visual and aural modes of performance and the reading of literary texts written on paper or parchment. In doing so, she has written a book of signal importance to scholars of medieval literature and culture, theater history, and visual studies.

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In The Optickal Illusion, Rachel Halliburton’s meticulous recreation of Georgian society reveals the sordid details of a genuine scandal that deceived the British Royal Academy. Her debut novel questions the lengths women must go to make their mark on a society that seeks to underplay their abilities - a theme only too relevant today. It is three years from the dawn of a new century and in London, nothing is certain any more: the future of the monarchy is in question, the city is aflame with right and left-wing conspiracies, and the French could invade any day. Against this feverish atmosphere, the American painter Benjamin West is visited by a strange father and daughter, the Provises, who claim they have a secret that has obsessed painters for centuries: the Venetian techniques of master painter Titian. West was once the most celebrated painter in London, but hasn’t produced anything of note in years so against his better judgment he agrees to let the intriguing Ann Jemima Provis visit his studio and demonstrate what she knows. What unravels reveals more than he has ever understood – about himself, about the treachery of the art world and the seductive promise of genius. The nature of truth itself is called into question in this story of envy, lust and corruption.

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Although most people don't give security much attention until their personal or business systems are attacked, this thought-provoking anthology demonstrates that digital security is not only worth thinking about, it's also a fascinating topic. Criminals succeed by exercising enormous creativity, and those defending against them must do the same. Beautiful Security explores this challenging subject with insightful essays and analysis on topics that include: * The underground economy for personal information: how it works, the relationships among criminals, and some of the new ways they pounce on their prey * How social networking, cloud computing, and other popular trends help or hurt our online security * How metrics, requirements gathering, design, and law can take security to a higher level * The real, little-publicized history of PGP This book includes contributions from: * Peiter "Mudge" Zatko * Jim Stickley * Elizabeth Nichols * Chenxi Wang * Ed Bellis * Ben Edelman * Phil Zimmermann and Jon Callas * Kathy Wang * Mark Curphey * John McManus * James Routh * Randy V. Sabett * Anton Chuvakin * Grant Geyer and Brian Dunphy * Peter Wayner * Michael Wood and Fernando Francisco All royalties will be donated to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

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The Lost Diaries is a wide-ranging anthology of the world's greatest diarists, each of them channelled onto paper through the considerable psychic force that is Craig Brown. Arranged on a day-to-day basis, spread throughout an entire year, these diary extracts form a patchwork quilt of observation, reflection, contemplation and, above all, self-promotion. As the months unfold, different diarists offer their insights on the events that pass: John Prescott on going to Royal Ascot, Nigella Lawson on preparing Christmas lunch, W.G. Sebald on enjoying an ice lolly by the beach, Karl Lagerfeld on the need for an umbrella in Spring. Among over 200 diarists featured are Martin Amis, Jordan, Germaine Greer, The Duchess of Devonshire, President Barack Obama, Philip Roth, HM the Queen, Heather Mills McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Sir Cecil Beaton, John Prescott, Mohamed Fayed, Harold Pinter, Yoko Ono, Barbara Cartland, Jilly Cooper, Christopher Ricks, Jeremy Clarkson, Jeanette Winterson, Sylvia Plath, Keith Richards, Maya Angelou and Frank McCourt. The Lost Diaries is the first time all Craig Brown’s greatest parodies have been gathered together in one book. Arranged day-by-day, full of invigorating and sometimes shocking juxtapositions, they constitute a treasure-trove, choc-a-bloc with all the fantasies and illusions of our times.

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Motorcycles entered military service in World War I, replacing the mounted despatch rider and mechanizing machine-gun and stretcher units. The conflict brought an enormous upsurge in the use of motorcycles in Europe and America. This comprehensive new book covers the lively history of the machines, highlighting the roles of military motorcycles, and how they have evolved. An A-Z directory focuses on 160 motorcycles, showing their diversity. Detailed specification boxes are featured for every motorcycle described. This expertly written book, with its wealth of rare and previously unseen photographs, provides enthusiasts and historians with key information about these diverse and multi-tasking vehicles. The story of the military motorcycle, from the early years of the 20th century to the present day * An illustrated A-Z of over 160 vehicles, including makes such as Harley-Davidson from the USA, Royal Enfield from the UK, BMW from Germany, and other famous manufacturers from around the world, such as Husqvarna, Henderson and Kawasaki * Specification panels provide at-a-glance information about each motorcycle's official name, country of origin, date, crew, weight, dimensions, powerplant and performance * Features over 550 photographs, which illustrate each type and include rare and unseen images from archives, museums and private collections * A glossary explains key terms and abbreviations

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This informed and richly illustrated guidebook brings the ancient city of Akhetaten alive with a keen archaeological eye, drawing on ongoing archaeological research and the knowledge and insight of Amarna’s modern-day communities and caretakers to explain key monuments and events, while offering invaluable practical advice for visiting the site. With over 140 illustrations, maps, and plans, Amarna is both an ideal introduction for visitors to Amarna and a window onto the extraordinary reign of Akhenaten. Huge open-air temples served the cult of Aten, while palaces were decorated with painted pavements and inlaid wall reliefs. Akhenaten created a new royal burial ground deep in a desert valley, and his officials built elaborate tombs decorated with scenes of the king and his city. As thousands of people moved to Akhetaten, it became the most important city in Egypt. But it was not to last. Akhenaten’s death brought the abandonment of his city and an end to one of the most startling episodes in Egyptian history. Today, Akhetaten is known as Amarna, a sprawling archaeological site in the province of Minya, halfway between Cairo and Luxor. With its beautifully decorated tombs and vast mud-brick ruins, it is the best-preserved pharaonic city in Egypt.

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Emirates Diaries tells the story of how Peter Clark came to love the Emirates and its people. He got to know Abu Dhabi sheikhs and Dubai merchants and people at every level of society. The country was on the cusp of enormous economic expansion and this book is an affectionate picture of the Emirates when it was still like a chain of large informal villages. The people of the UAE were aware of their good fortune and were, he found, open, generous and innovative. Clark arranged for the explorer Wilfred Thesiger to return to the country he had celebrated before it became oil-rich. Thanks to Peter, Thesiger met up with his old companions who had accompanied him in crossing the Empty Quarter 40 years earlier. Peter embedded himself in the local cultural scene and translated stories by Dubai's best known writer, Muhammad al-Murr. Emirates Diaries tells of opera in Ras Al Khaimah, how Shakespeare was brought to large audiences of young people, how to organize a royal visit, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease among the oryx in the Al Ain zoo, the culture of camel racing and an unpaid bill left by Margaret Thatcher. The diaries sparkle with mischievous humor and acute observation. This book is a prequel to Peter Clark's Damascus Diaries: Life under the Assads, described by The Economist as 'quirky, digressive and indiscreet'.

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In her third book of poems, Sinead Morrissey builds on the achievement of her award-winning collection, "Between Here and There", by expanding the lyric into new territories and admitting new voices. The theme of imprisonment is variously addressed: in the actual prisons of eighteenth-century Europe; in the prison of our own limited perceptions of experience, particularly of other cultures when abroad; in the prison of the mortal human body itself. Alongside the intimate interiors of human relationships, the poems are also interested in broader discourses, particularly history, and range in scope from the Royalist convictions of a woman wearing a Scold's Bridle during England's interregnum, to the story of the number zero. Form and content, as well as the personal and the political, are blended throughout this collection with imagination and consummate skill. As in her previous two books, travel remains a source of inspiration: one exhilarating poem details, in nine 'chapters', a six-thousand-mile train journey across China in which the conflicting faces of a rapidly changing country jostle for space.The collection ends with a compelling act of ventriloquism, as Morrissey recounts, in the first person, the life and works of the great prison reformer John Howard, and details his vision for the moral regeneration of the corrupted human soul.

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Explorers and travellers have always been attracted by the lure of the unknown. By traversing and mapping our planet, they have played a vital role in mankind's development. For almost two hundred years, the Royal Geographical Society has recognised their achievements by awarding its prestigious gold medals to those who have contributed most to our knowledge of the world.Taking us on a journey across mountains and deserts, oceans and seas, Exploring the World tells the stories of more than eighty of these extraordinary men and women. Some, such as David Livingstone, Scott of the Antarctic and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, are well known; whilst others, such as William Chandless and Ney Elias, are today less familiar. Some dreamed of being the first to sight a lake or a river; others sighted some of the world's greatest natural features by chance. Some were naturalists, anthropologists or mountaineers; others went in search of explorers who had vanished without trace, or had been shipwrecked or marooned.Filled with epic tales of endurance and perseverance, Exploring the World celebrates a group of exceptional individuals possessed of indomitable courage, boundless determination and adventurous spirit. It portrays a variety of fascinating lives driven by curiosity, wanderlust and the pursuit of knowledge - and, in doing so, provides a unique overview of two centuries of exploration.

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As the moon rises over the South African savannah, a young African girl called Thembile and her father, a wildlife ranger, are out patrolling through the night on horseback. They hear the heart-rending cries of a terrified rhino calf, and find him shivering beside the mutilated body of his mother. Help is summoned, but who will care for this orphan, look after him and pay for his milk and medicines? Ubuntu: Summer of the Rhino is brilliantly told and beautifully illustrated and will delight children from the age of eight years upwards. It tells the story of a young African girl and an English boy living in Dubai, whose love of animals and interest in wildlife inspires them to care for an orphaned Rhino, Ubuntu. The story of Ubuntu the rhino weaves back and forth across continents, at once heart-breaking and heart-warming, teaching children the importance of conservation and protecting our wildlife. All royalties will be donated to the Rhino Rehabilitation Centre of Rhino Revolution, to help rescue and rehabilitate orphaned rhinos. By buying this book you are making a difference - but do join the Revolution and help make the world a kinder place: visit rhinorevolution.org.

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How can social movements help bring about large-scale systems change? This is the question Jen Gobby sets out to answer in More Powerful Together. As an activist, Gobby has been actively involved with climate justice, anti-pipeline, and Indigenous land defense movements in Canada for many years. As a researcher, she has sat down with folks from these movements and asked them to reflect on their experiences with movement building. Bringing their incredibly poignant insights into dialogue with scholarly and activist literature on transformation, Gobby weaves together a powerful story about how change happens.In reflecting on what's working and what's not working in these movements, taking inventory of the obstacles hindering efforts, and imagining the strategies for building a powerful movement of movements, a common theme emerges: relationships are crucial to building movements strong enough to transform systems. Indigenous scholarship, ecological principles, and activist reflections all converge on the insight that the means and ends of radical transformation is in forging relationships of equality and reciprocity with each other and with the land.It is through this, Gobby argues, that we become more powerful together.100% of the royalties made from the sales of this book are being donated to Indigenous Climate Action www.indigenousclimateaction.com

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A vivid reappraisal of the legendary Captain Cook, from bestselling biographer Frank McLynn The age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with heroic adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy.Recent writers have viewed Cook largely through the lens of colonial exploitation, regarding him as a villain and overlooking an important aspect of his identity: his nautical skills. In this authentic, engrossing biography, Frank McLynn reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant seaman. He shows how the Captain's life was one of struggle--with himself, with institutions, with the environment, with the desire to be remembered--and also one of great success.In Captain Cook, McLynn re-creates the voyages that took the famous navigator from his native England to the outer reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately, Cook, who began his career as a deckhand, transcended his humble beginnings and triumphed through good fortune, courage, and talent. Although Cook died in a senseless, avoidable conflict with the people of Hawaii, McLynn illustrates that to the men with whom he served, Cook was master of the seas and nothing less than a titan.

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As Charles III is crowned King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and Defender of the Faith, this timely book explains the Christian symbolism of the coronation, and the unique significance of Christian monarchy in the history of the British Isles. God Save the King explores the theme of sacred kingship, its origins in primal religion, its central role in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and its representation in modern popular culture. The book also analyses the particular relationship in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth between sovereign and church, the monarch’s traditional roles as protector of Protestantism and Defender of the Faith, and how these are being reinterpreted in the context of a multi-faith and multi-cultural Britain. With the inclusion of fascinating details of sacred engagements in the annual royal calendar and little-known rituals, this book represents a celebration and an exploration of sacred monarchy as it has been understood and practised over the centuries and of its continuing relevance today. This is an indispensable and essential guide to the history, structure and symbolism of the coronation service, including lively anecdotes about things that have gone wrong in past ceremonies. It will provide the perfect companion for all who wish to understand the significance and symbolism of what will happen on 6 May.

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Traitor's Blood, the first in The Civil War Chronicles, Michael Arnold's acclaimed series of historical thrillers, sees battle-scarred hero Captain Stryker, 'the Sharpe of the Civil War', confront his nemesis. 'Stands in comparison with the best of Cornwell' Yorkshire PostOnce seen in the heat of battle, Captain Stryker is never forgotten. A hardened veteran of the wars in the Low Countries, he has come home to England to seek revenge on the man who left him for dead and scarred him for life.Stryker is driven by loyalty rather than conviction to serve King Charles's cause. He has no truck with aristocracy, preferring the company of a handful of trusted men, including sometime actor Lancelot Forreseter and his foul-mouthed sergeant, Skellen. But when the existence of a dangerous spy at the heart of the Royalist establishment is discovered, it is Stryker whom Prince Rupert chooses to capture the man before he realises the game is up.Lightly armed and with only a handful of men, Stryker must journey across a country riven by bitterness and beset by marauding bands of soldiers in a race against time. But unbeknown to Stryker, someone else is also closing in on his quarry, someone whom Stryker has sworn to kill: Captain Eli Makepeace, his nemesis, the man who nearly destroyed him . . .

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The greatest conquest in historyGenghis Khan left an empire more than twice the size of Alexander’s: his successors went on to conquer and govern an area stretching from Korea to the River Danube. How did a band of nomadic herdsmen achieve so much, so fast?Despite these stunning achievements, many writers dismiss the Mongols as just ferocious barbarians. This bestselling book sets the record straight. The epic starts in 1206 - when Genghis became master of ‘all the people with felt tents’ and an unknown tribe took the first steps towards world domination - and ends with the empire’s decline and fall, after Khubilai Khan’s triumphant unification with China.Robert Marshall describes their devastating invasions, including that of feudal Europe and Christendom’s clumsy attempts to understand and fend off these legendary warriors. Full of extraordinary events, painted on a vast and colourful canvas, Storm from the East brings to life a time when East and West finally came face to face and the contours of modern Asia were set.‘Storm from the East does not seek to excuse Mongol excesses - yet Robert Marshall appears to speak for the Mongols… A fascinating voyage through time and space’ Thomas Nivison Haining in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

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Status Quo? All their songs sound the same and they only know three chords' Really? This retrospective of one of Britain's most successful bands takes this lazy criticism and puts it to the sword. Spanning the period 1970 to 1984, the creative peaks and troughs of all the songs recorded by 'The Frantic Four' are examined in detail by a fan who can play guitar a bit, and also knows his Bach from his byte. Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster, and John Coghlan withstood the slings and arrows of unending criticism to become a national institution, even playing to Royalty along the way. After their early, psychedelic-influenced and fleeting pop success, Quo underwent a dramatic and natural re-invention, unleashing a series of innovative albums and hit singles, such as 'Down Down' and 'Rockin' All Over The World' that established their unique sound and style. Relentless touring, changes in musical direction, unwise choices of producer, substantial substance abuse, and personality clashes, all played their part in the collapse of the classic line-up before a brand re-launch in 1986 that enjoys continued success to the present day. Status Quo - The Frantic Four Years on track examines the band's groundbreaking first era with critical detail and honest opinions.

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Ballet is a breathtaking photographic collection, celebrating the precision, athleticism and artistry of classical and contemporary ballet. Live performances allow us to admire ballet's visual splendour from afar, but rarely are we given the opportunity to study dynamic poses, leaps and lifts in intimate, close-up detail. An inspirational companion for dance aficionados, performing arts enthusiasts and keen photographers, Ballet captures awe-inspiring moments performed by the art form's most remarkable talents. Leo Mason's arresting images provide a unique glimpse into the world of ballet and its superstars, featuring a cast of former and current principal dancers including Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Vadim Muntagirov, Daria Klimentova and Ivan Vasiliev. With over 40 years' experience as a sports and dance photographer, Leo recreates the beauty and seemingly effortless nature of the discipline - made even more remarkable by the gruelling training required to achieve perfection - and often uses exposure creatively to capture movement and compose striking images. Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption, providing information on the performers, work, location and date, along with technical specifications regarding camera equipment, exposure and aperture. Includes images of: Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Vadim Muntagirov, Daria Klimentova and Ivan Vasiliev at the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells and the London Coliseum.

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In many respects Dudley was the most significant figure of his age. As a great impresario, he showed Elizabeth off to her people to glittering effect and became the forerunner of Shakespearian theatre, combining classicism with ribaldry. He attracted the financing of Drake's circumnavigation. He was the supporter of academic endeavour, of poetry, and of Puritan scholarship. By employing a network of his own agents, he provided information of crucial importance to Government. He built some of the finest houses and gardens of the age. As Master of the Horse, he developed English bloodstock to provide horses for Royal and military requirements. He saw to it that England's navy and army was properly prepared to meet Continental aggression when needed. Lord Robert Dudley has faced criticism from historians by competing with William Cecil to gain the ear of Elizabeth I and thwarting his efforts to arrange a political marriage for her to protect against Continental Catholic aggression. There can be no doubt that Elizabeth wanted to marry him. He was devastatingly attractive, athletic and loyal. The text provides compelling evidence that the virgin queen' spent time in bed with him. An influential and important character of the Elizabethan age, this biography places Robert Dudley within the context of the time and how he navigated court as the favourite of the infamous Elizabeth I.

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Tudor London was a vibrant capital city, the very hub of English cultural and political life. The thriving metropolis had a strong royal presence, at the long established Tower of London and Westminster, and later at the palaces of Whitehall, Bridewell and St James’s, built by Henry VIII to host his glittering court. Anne Boleyn was assigned a house in the Strand, with gardens running down to the river, while Elizabeth I stayed occasionally at Somerset House. The great and the good gravitated to the city too: Erasmus lodged with Sir Thomas More and his family in Bucklesbury, off Cheapside; Sir Walter Raleigh wrote poetry in his study in Durham House, overlooking the Thames and William Shakespeare lodged in Silver Street. Like today, streets and areas grew up with their own distinct personality: Bankside and Shoreditch were the first theatre and entertainment districts where the Globe Theatre was built to sit alongside the bear-baiting rings. Londoners themselves, and the many immigrants who flocked from the continent, created a lively, raucous society in the streets, markets and the hundreds of inns and ale-houses. Everyday Life in Tudor London vividly recreates this colourful city.

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William Adams (1823 - 1904) is probably best known from his locomotive designs for the London & South Western Railway. The years at Nine Elms were the culmination of career which began formally in marine engineering, including a period at sea with the Royal Sardinian Navy, encompassed civil engineering and surveying before joining the North London Railway as locomotive, carriage and wagon superintendent. He has been described as the father of the suburban train, an inventive engineer, who pioneered the use of continuous train brakes, developed well designed, free-steaming locomotive boilers for services requiring rapid acceleration and frequent stops, and his invention of a bogie with controlled side-play revolutionised future locomotive design. His next move was to the Great Eastern Railway where his designs met with mixed success, before moving south of the Thames to Nine Elms. Here, over five hundred locomotives were built to his designs, with his later express classes regarded by many as his greatest achievement. Adams also proved himself a very capable designer in developing locomotive and carriage works at all three railways, improving efficiency and reducing costs. This book tells the story of a genial man with a love of music, who was undoubtedly one of the finest late Victorian locomotive engineers.

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Supporting the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.Enjoy a heartwarming dog to brighten every single day of the year. From Pickles, the dog who single-handedly saved the 1966 world cup, to Pal, who found silver screen fame as the original Lassie, Battersea's A Dog a Day contains 365 fascinating stories of dogs to enjoy throughout the year.Beautifully packaged and illustrated throughout with charming illustrations of cheeky puppies and hounds, this is the perfect book for any lover of our four-legged friends.Produced under license from Battersea Dogs Home Limited to go towards supporting the work of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (registered charity no 206394). For all licensed products sold by Welbeck across their Battersea range, Welbeck will donate a minimum of £20,000 plus VAT in royalties to Battersea Dogs Home Limited, which gives its profits to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. www.battersea.org.uk

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“There is plenty in this book to get your teeth into and help us think about how we work with people in mental health crises and how we might best make a difference.”Alan Simpson, Professor of Mental Health Nursing, Health Service and Population Research, King’s College London, UK“Any one of us could experience a mental health crisis. However, a high-quality interdisciplinary response can be lifesaving and life changing. This book is an important contribution to the literature as it has examples ofgood practice for all professionals – both on the frontline and in service development.”Dr Adrian James, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK“This publication is a valuable and timely resource given the increasing recognition of the impact of mental health needs in a range of different professional settings.”Victoria Sweetmore, Acting Discipline Lead for Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing, University of Derby, UKInterprofessional Perspectives of Mental Health Crisis improves the care of those experiencing a mental health-related crisis by providing insight into the roles different UK statutory services have and the need for collaborative mental health care.For those studying and working in the field of mental health crisis, this vital work will bridge your understanding by offering a cross-discipline perspective of the different services, their role in aiding service users and, the ways we can work more collaboratively together to meet the mental health needs of those requiring care.Throughout, the book:• Promotes understanding of the various roles each of the key services play within the crucial first 24-hours of a mental health crisis and the challenges they face• Fosters interprofessional collaboration to create a whole-system approach to crisis care• Helps professionals to understand good practice and the challenges of other services when aiding a person in crisis• Critically evaluates service provision and ways to improve crisis care• Explores recovery and collaboration with service users experiencing a crisis and their significant othersThe book is timely and essential in its promotion of high-quality interdisciplinary response and emphasis on integration and collaboration between service providers.Kris Deering is Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and the module lead of Working with a Person Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis at UWE Bristol, UK. Including working as a senior practitioner for a mental health crisis team, Kris has over 15 years of mental health nursing experience.Jo Williams is Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at UWE Bristol, UK. Her clinical practice experience includes civilian and military nursing, supporting people living with co-existing mental health and substance misuse issues.

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THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she's convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever. His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark-and in doing so, risks starting a war. BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything that he's fought for. Torn between her growing allegiance to the Thirty-Seventh legion and her need to liberate her people, Teriana finds herself mired in a web of secrets. She embarks upon a path that will either save everyone she loves-or put them all in their graves.

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This is the first study of the work of Chao-Chen Yang (1909–1969), an important Seattle photographer who gained national prominence in the mid-twentieth century. Born in Hangzhou, China, Yang received his art training at the University of Hsin-Hwa in Shanghai. After graduating, he became art director for the Government Institute of Nanking. In 1933 he moved to Chicago as chancellor of the Chinese Consulate and attended the Art Institute of Chicago. Initially trained as a painter, he later used photography as his main medium for artistic expression. In 1938 Yang was transferred to Seattle as chancellor of the Chinese Consulate and became actively involved with the Seattle Photographic Society. He was also an influential art and photography instructor and worked tirelessly to advance Chinese culture in the United States. Yang won numerous awards in important photography salons and became a Fellow of the Photographic Society of America, the Professional Photographers Association of America, and the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. He was a pioneer in color photography in the Northwest in both advertising and the fine arts. Exhibition dates: Cascadia Art Museum, November 9, 2023–February 11, 2024

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Kinky killers. Exploding speedboats. $2 billion paternity suits. Its love Voltarian-style and planet Earth is feeling the heat. Voltarian Royal Officer Jettero Heller will go to any length to protect his beloved Countess Krak. Hell race up the eastern seaboard pursued by the entire Coast Guard. Hell smash boats, hell set off bombs, hell fight off every paternity suit that comes his way But Apparatus Officer Soltan Gris is just as determined to put the Countess out of commissionfor goodand hes found the perfect hit man for the job. Well, almost perfect. This particular Torpedo has one little kink. He takes a bit of an unhealthy interest in his victims after he kills them. And as if Gris didnt have enough on his plate, wedding bells are ringing. The Voltarian stud is about to tie the knotwith two women! Yes, love is a battlefield. But in this warped war of twisted desires, perverse passions and unholy alliancesthe entire Mission Earth enterprise could soon morph into a truly decadent DEATH QUEST.

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To know a Boston Terrier dog is to be charmed by one…so is it any wonder that images of these lively, expressive dogs have been placed on so many delightful antiques and collectibles? A wonderful assortment featuring "the American Gentleman among dogs" has been gathered in this volume, which is sure to appeal to canine aficionados everywhere. Featured are cast iron doorstops, porcelain and bronze figurines, bookends, inkwells, ashtrays, cigarette cases, salt and pepper shakers, toys, artwork, jewelry, advertising, novelties, paperweights, clocks, souvenir spoons, canes, books and comics, sheet music, and much more. The items range from tiny to life-size, from aristocratic to amusing, from antique to contemporary. Among the manufacturers and artists represented are Bing & Grondahl, Goebel, Rookwood, Bradley & Hubbard, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Mortens Studios, Hagen-Renaker, Steiff, Chester Nicodemus, Chris Baldwin, Lowell Davis, and Morgan Dennis. Values for all items are included in the captions. This book is a tribute to the Boston Terrier breed and a treat for antique collectors and dog lovers alike.

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Some promises should never be broken.AD 1055. With the crisis of 1051 long behind them and finally coming to terms with the death of Sweyn, the Godwin family’s influence across England is growing. Harold enjoys a position of trust with King Edward and the country is at peace, but Edward knows that he needs an heir before it is too late.In Hungary, there is one potential heir with royal blood running through his veins, but before he can be contacted another king, much closer to home, rises to power, and Harold finds himself torn between diplomacy and violence to maintain the peace.With King Edward relying on him more and more, Harold travels to Normandy to find the two hostages still missing after many years. But while there, he uncovers a situation far more dangerous than any threat from the Welsh king...With England now being torn apart by internal politics, can Harold forge unity amongst his fellow nobles before it is too late?The gripping next step along the road to Hastings, perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden.

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For 270 years, the House of Braganza provided the kings and queens of Portugal. During a period of momentous change, from 1640 to 1910, this influential family helped to establish Portuguese independence from their powerful Spanish neighbours. They ruled the vast empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1889, successfully creating a unified nation and preventing the country from splitting into small warring states, and they saved the monarchy and government from total destruction by the marauding armies of Napoleon. In his fascinating reappraisal of the Braganza dynasty, Malyn Newitt traces the rise and fall of one of the world’s most important royal families. He introduces us to a colourful cast of innovators, revolutionaries, villains, heroes and charlatans, from the absolutist Dom Miguel to the `Soldier King’ Dom Pedro I, and recounts in vivid detail the major social, economic and political events that defined their rule. Featuring an extensive selection of artworks and photographs, Newitt offers a timely look at Britain’s `oldest ally’ and the role of monarchy in the early modern European world.

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