Search results for ""the history press""
The History Press Ltd The Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was a conflict of unprecedented scale. The Soviets massed 1,600,000 troops for Operation Berlin, and but Marshal Zhukov's his initial attack floundered and was so costly that he had to revise his plans for taking of the city when Stalin allowed his rival, Marshal Koniev, to intervene. The fight for Berlin thus became a contest for the prize of the Reichstag, fought in the sea of rubble left by Allied aerial bombardments, now reduced further by the mass of Soviet siege artillery. Meanwhile, Hitler and his courtiers sought to continue the struggle in the totally unrealistic atmosphere that prevailed in his bunker, while soldiers and civilians alike suffered and perished unheeded all around them.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Chantry Chapels and Medieval Strategies for the Afterlife
Beliefs in the afterlife dominated the images, literature and liturgy of medieval church and society. In particular, the concept of purgatory – a penitential state where the soul was purged of sin and therefore able to attain eventual salvation – was a central element. Barring a life of extraordinary saintliness, most medieval people anticipated a long stay in purgatory. However, this time could be lessened through various strategies, including the organization of a range of memorial and commemorative practices and, particularly, the foundation of chantry chapels. Chantry chapels were often outstanding additions to parish and monastic church spaces and, despite the ravages of the Reformation, many still survive. These structures, much altered with time, are still a noticeable feature of many churches and cathedrals.This book offers a thematic approach to such monuments, combining archaeological approaches with relevant documentary sources and discussing aspects of chantry chapel foundation, design and spatial arrangements, as well as their origins and the effects the Reformation had on these constructions. It will also consider the various different types of chantry chapel including those in colleges, churches, cathedrals, bridges and hospitals.This is a fascinating study of monuments that were devised as a strategy to improve the afterlife and were one of the most important and influential institutions of the medieval period.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd A History of Airships
This detailed history examines the development of the airship, from the pre-First World War dirigibles up to date. Covering the airship in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US, author John Richards has delved into every aspect of the airship. The book ranges from the first fully controlled powered flight and the flight around the Eiffel Tower, the failed attempts to cross the Atlantic and the first London-Paris flight, to the many uses of the airship in times of war, including anti-submarine campaigns, convoy escorts and patrols. Between the wars Arctic expeditions were undertaken and events included a successful Atlantic crossing, Graf Zeppelin's 21-day round-the-world flight, a service to South America and the launch of the Hindenburg. The Second World War and a discussion of the airship's functions in the more modern world round off a fascinating and definitive guide to the airship.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd Fulham Football Club 1879-1979: Images of Sport
Fulham FC is the oldest professional club in London and an established Premiership side. This book offers a look at the club's history until 1970, including the time they played in the First Division, and players such as England captain Johnny Haynes, Bobby Robson and World Cup winner George Cohen.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Enid Blyton: The Biography
Enid Blyton is known throughout the world for her imaginative childrens books and her enduring characters such as Noddy and the Famous Five. She is one of the most borrowed authors from British libraries and she holds a fascination for readers old and young alike. Yet until 1974, when Barbara Stoney first published her official biography, little was known about this most private author, even members of her own family. The woman who emerged from Barbara Stoney's remarkable research was hardworking, complex, often difficult and, in many ways. childlike. Now this widely praised classic biography has been fully updated for the twenty-first century and, with the addition of new colour illustration and an extended bibliography of Enid Blyton's books, it documents the growing appeal of this extraordinary woman and her writing. The fascinating story of one of the world's most famous authors will once again intrigue and delight all those with an interest in her timeless books.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Haunted Birmingham
Terrifying true-life tales of ghosts, spirits and apparitions of all kinds in Birmingham.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Battlefield Archaeology
From cold war bunkers to Civil War sieges - Britain is littered with sites of military significance. This book shows the amateur enthusiast how to unlock the drama of a battlefield in his or her own area. It explains how to read a military map and apply it to the ground, how to interpret the clues in the landscape and where to find the evidence.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd The Construction of Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a small part of the thousands of miles of Roman frontiers, but presents the most magnificent spectacle. Its 90-mile length was conceived on a grand scale, with a stone wall 10 Roman feet thick and 15 high, and has been the subject of research for four centuries. There is, however, one aspect which has never been studied in detail: the practicalities of how it was actually built.This book examines every aspect of the work needed to construct the Wall, and analyses all the building operations including quarrying, stone dressing, transport and scaffolding. It is presented in a form accessible to the interested layman as well as to the student, and among other new conclusions throws light on the attitude of the Roman army to the work.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd Tanker Barges on the Humber Waterways
The introduction of iron tanks within barges in the early twentieth century enabled much heavier cargoes to be carried on the Humber waterways, including liquids such as coal tar or vegetable oils and, by the 1920s, petrol. By the late 1950s/early 1960s, tanker traffic flourished on the industrial waterways like the Aire & Calder and Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigations. Mike Taylor relates the story of the Humber tankers, widely illustrated and interspersed with recollections of men who worked on the waterways. This detailed book provides a overview of the history of these craft on the Humber waterways, including looking at boatyards, cargoes, waterway features and the interconversions of dry cargo craft to tankers.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Walter Sutherland: Scottish Rugby Legend 1890-1918
Walter Sutherland played rugby for Scotland between 1910 and 1914. He was a brilliant player, a genuine folk-hero and also a very good athlete who also represented Scotland at sprinting. This book is a comprehensive biography of Walter Sutherland.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd The Mighty Quinn: Jimmy Quinn, Celtic's First Goalscoring Hero
Rising to prominence with his hat-trick in the Scottish Cup final of 1904 against Rangers, Jimmy Quinn became the spearhead of Willie Maley's great Edwardian side who won six League titles in a row. Some of the very essence of Scottish football lies in the story of Jimmy Quinn.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Vikings of the Irish Sea
This book looks at the activities of the Vikings in the Irish Sea, a band of water that has been important since prehistoric times in the history of maritime cultural exchange between Britain and Ireland as well as the Scandinavian countries. The Vikings fully exploited their naval dominance to exert their influence across this area and David Griffiths presents a unique overview of the results of this dominance. The book will look in detail at the activities of the Vikings in Wales, NW England, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Ireland. The archaeological evidence such as silver hoards and burials, along with the evidence of place-names, settlement and sculpture provide a fascinating insight into the mechanisms of Viking power in these areas.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Young Jim: The Jim Parks Story
As one of the first great wicketkeeper-batsmen Jim played 46 times for England in a career that earned him widespread respect throughout the game of cricket.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Ace of Spies: The True Story of Sidney Reilly
Ace of Spies reveals for the first time the true story of Sidney Reilly, the real-life inspiration behind fictional hero James Bond. Andrew Cook's startling biography cuts through the myths to tell the full story of the greatest spy the world has ever know. Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He was a master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, a cad and a lovable rogue who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, using women shamelessly and killing where necessary - and unnecessary. Sidney Reilly is one of the most fascinating spies of the twentieth century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic - until now.
£13.60
The History Press Ltd Icelandic Folktales and Legends
This book of 85 stories from medieval Iceland illustrates a variety of supernatural beliefs concerning elves, gigantic trolls, water monsters, ghosts, wizards and black magic rites, buried treasure and religious tales. The stories are intimately linked to the landscape and reflect the hopes, fears, hardships and preoccupations of everyday life. The translation of each tale is accompanied by an explanatory introduction and notes.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Plague
The Black Death first hit Europe in 1347. This horrific disease ripped through towns, villages and families. Men, women, children, young and old succumbed to a painful, drawn-out death as pustules, abscesses and boils erupted over their bodies. SUbsequent attacks of the disease, coming almost every decade, so limited the population that it was not until the eighteenth century that it managed to surpass the levels of the 1340s. For over three hundred years, Europeans were stalked by death. In the end, this mysterious disease that had terrorized, terrified and killed millions, disappeared at inexplicably as it had appeared. William Naphy is Senior Lecturer and Head of History at the University of Aberdeen. his other books include Born to be gay and Sex Crimes, both by Tempus. Andrew Spicer is Lecturer in Early Modern European History at Oxford Brookes University.
£10.99
The History Press Ltd Stothert & Pitt: Cranemakers to the World
When Stothert & Pitt announced, in January 1989, the closure of its engineering works, 580 local people lost their jobs and the city of Bath lost its single largest manufacturer. For over 250 years the heavy engineering and metalworking business had employed local people (over 2,000 in 1945) and supplied a wide variety of products from bedsteads to boilers and cement mixers to cranes. Today, when Bath is renowned for an 'industry-free' elegance, refined and displayed for tourists, this opportunity to remind us that heavy industry has played its part in the city's evolution could not be more timely. In 1980 the director of the Science Museum claimed that the work of Stothert & Pitt, as a supplier of heavy engineering across the world, was Bath's greatest contribution to world history. This apparently surprising remark reveals an acknowledgement of the company's significance, locally, nationally and internationally.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Voices of Quedgeley and Hardwicke: Tempus Oral History Series
This book is part of a series, which combines the reminiscences of local people with old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in Great Britain, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Age of Athelstan: Britain's Forgotten History
In an age of evocative names like Eric Bloodaxe and Egil Skallagrimson, one name has been lost in the mists of time: that of Athelstan, ruler of all Britain. From the first raids of the Vikings on the shores of Britain and Ireland, the book traces the response to threat across the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic worlds.The rise of the kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, and later, of the English, built from the debris of Viking destruction is analysed in detail and compared to the struggle for independence in Northumbria. Athelstan's achievement in establishing an empire for which he became famous is a key focus of the tale, along with the extraordinary history of the hunt for the lost battle of Brunanburh (AD 937), a clash which defined a people. For hundreds of years, no king would rule as much of Britain as Athelstan. His reputation survived the medieval period in the form of histories, songs and poems only to be lost at a later date, and yet its essence can still be found today all over the country.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Durham: 1000 Years of History
Durham is a World Heritage city of remarkable architectural richness, with the cathedral, castle and town forming three constant elements in a history spanning many centuries. This book traces the story of Durham from its beginnings to the present day, through its rich heritage of buildings and landscapes.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd Roads in Roman Britain
There has been a strong interest in Roman roads in Britain for centuries and a vast amount of information has been accumulated from observation and excavation. For the first time this new study analyses the data systematically and evaluates it from a highway engineering viewpoint. Hugh Davies not only provides an up-to-date account of the road system built by the Romans in Britain, he examines whether this information matches up with what we would expect of a transport system.Looking at the construction of the roads - their width, surface and drainage - as well as at their number, the author concludes that the Romans did indeed provide a high-quality service suited to the needs of civilians and soldiers alike. At the same time his study shows how the development of the road system fitted in with the layout of town plans and with the overall expansion of the province; on the whole the early military roads were constructed of lighter materials and by the end of the Roman period as many as ten layers of road surface can on occasions be detected. This accessible work, which includes a Gazetteer of some 400 Roman roads, will be welcomed by anyone interested in the Romans in Britain.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd The Great Siege of Chester
The appalling effects of civil war are often suffered most horrifically by the ordinary men, women and children involuntarily caught up in it, as it tears asunder the very fabric of their lives. Such was the fate of the citizens of Chester, who for almost four years found themselves at the centre of the battle between King and Parliament. Chester's inhabitants withstood the terrors of bombardment and the rigours of starvation, in one of the most fiercely contested sieges of the Civil War. Using myriad contemporary sources it is possible for the first time to present a detailed picture of the part played in the siege by the 'common sort', the 'forgotten voices' of Chester: ordinary citizens forced by their employers to enlist in the City Regiment, their brutal introduction to the realities of war and their gallant defence of Chester.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd Grangemouth
A history of Grangemouth
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Roman Military Signalling
The ingenuity and technology of the ancient world never ceases to surprise and signalling demonstrates both to the full. There has, however, never been a study of Roman signalling in English, nor has anyone previously tried to operate the techniques described in the classical manual. Dr Woolliscroft's study is in two parts: first he describes the signalling techniques pioneered by the Greeks and developed by the Romans; then he looks at the application of these principles to Hadrian's Wall and to the German Limes, as revealed by archaeological research. In each case he finds that, despite difficult terrain, the layout allows nearly all the small observation posts to see, and thus signal to, one of the main garrison forts. Since on occasion this caused marked tactical weaknesses in the line, it is clear that signalling was given high priority by the frontier designers. Similar results are now being found elsewhere in the Roman world, suggesting that all Rome's very different looking frontier systems may have an underlying uniformity With 80 illustrations and complete with an Appendix containing all the key classical references to signalling, this is a study that will be indispensable for anyone seriously interested in the Roman army or in frontier studies.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Newcastle Upon Tyne In Old Photographs
With 200 images, selected from the archives, portraying the city in a bygone age, we embark on an intriguing pictorial journey around Newcastle upon Tyne. The Tyne of course dominates the scene, new bridges are built and old ones demolished to cope with the changing demands of Newscastle transport and industry. The quayside, redeveloped after the great fire of 1854, was busy as a market and the commercial centre of the Great Northern Coalfield. The gap between the rich and the poor was wider then. Jesmond Towers, home to an entrepreneurial shipbuilder, and The Gables, home to the Richardson family, owners of Elswick leather works, contrast starkly with living conditions in the inner city area. During the 1930s the council rehoused 30,000 people in slum clearance projects. Leisure time was occupied in many and varied ways, sports such as rowing, bowling and curling were all enjoyed, along with football (naturally) - 1955 being a golden year for Newcastle FC. Alternatively, The Hoppings was a popular annual festival, earning the nickname 'the greatest show on earth' with its combination of freak shows, rides and entertainment. All this and much more is brought vividly to life through photographs and narrative, making for a fascinating and memorable read.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd The County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil
A history of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Alan Turing's Manchester
Alan Turing is a patron saint of Manchester, remembered as the Mancunian who won the war, invented the computer, and was all but put to death for being gay. Each myth is related to a historical story. This is not a book about the first of those stories, of Turing at Bletchley Park. But it is about the second two, which each unfolded here in Manchester, of Turing’s involvement in the world’s first computer and of his refusal to be cowed about his sexuality. Manchester can be proud of Turing, but can we be proud of the city he encountered?
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Lost Cars of the 1940s and '50s
Sixty diverse cars, sixty fascinating stories, sixty contrasting specifications, just one uniting factor: they’re all forgotten, neglected or misunderstood classics.Motoring in the 1940s and ’50s spanned from post-war austerity to the you’ve-never-had-it-so-good era. It was a time when engines gained more power, suspension became more cosseting, the chassis frame was rendered a thing of the past, and styling followed jet fighters and later space rockets. Many cars found success across the world, but others barely got off the ground and quickly vanished from our collective consciousness.In Lost Cars of the 1940s and ’50s, award-winning author Giles Chapman presents an all-new selection of the intriguing strays of the car world. Rarely seen archive and contemporary images bring daring new designs, economy models and some extraordinary luxury cars back to life … even if they misfire once again in the process.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Practical Forestry: For the Agent and Surveyor
Cyril Hart's seminal work on woodland management and practices is back in this fourth edition, which covers a wealth of material including financial management, taxation, the integration of forestry and agriculture, silvicultural operations, grading of timber, valuations marketing, utilisation, non-wood benefits, saw-milling and nursery practice.A modern classic that has been a trusted companion to forestry students and experts for decades, Practical Forestry is a must-have for anyone interested in working in, managing or preserving Britain’s lush and vital woodland areas.
£36.00
The History Press Ltd Jeoffry: The Poet's Cat
Jeoffry was a real cat who lived 250 years ago, confined to an asylum with Christopher Smart, one of the most visionary poets of the age. In exchange for love and companionship, Smart rewarded Jeoffry with the greatest tribute to a feline ever written. Prize-winning biographer Oliver Soden combines meticulous research with passages of dazzling invention to recount the life of the cat praised as ‘a mixture of gravity and waggery’. The narrative roams from the theatres and bordellos of Covent Garden to the cell where Smart was imprisoned for mania. At once whimsical and profound, witty and deeply moving, Soden’s biography plays with the genre like a cat with a toy. It tells the story of a poet and a poem, while setting Jeoffry’s life and adventures against the roaring backdrop of eighteenth-century London.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Hawkhurst: Murder, Corruption, and Britain's Most Notorious Smuggling Gang
South-east England, 1740s: war and heated politics bring the old practice of smuggling to new and dangerous heights. Violent gangs of smugglers terrorise communities and confound government attempts to stop them. The most famous of these, the Hawkhurst Gang, operate like a modern drug cartel fuelled by illegal tea. They threaten witnesses and authorities, brandish weapons in public, and fight battles in the streets, murdering and kidnapping those who get in their way.Enter a world filled with gangsters, corrupt politicians, crooked law enforcement, and vigilantes, brought to the brink by Britain's most notorious smuggling gang.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd Private Inquiries: The Secret History of Female Sleuths
‘Private Inquiries is a must-read – a riveting mythbuster, with its revelations of the real histories of women PIs.’ – Val McDermidThe female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern PIs. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales?Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – everything from theft and fraud to romance scams and murder.In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day. Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zena Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives. Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern PIs to find out the reality behind the fictional image.Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871–1918
Before 1871, Germany was not yet a nation but simply an idea. Otto von Bismarck had a formidable task at hand. How would he bring thirty-nine individual states under the yoke of a single Kaiser? Once united, could the young European nation wield enough power to rival the empires of Britain and France – all without destroying itself in the process? In a unique study of five decades that changed the course of modern history, Katja Hoyer tells the story of the German Empire from its violent beginnings to its calamitous defeat in the First World War. This often-startling narrative is a dramatic tale of national self-discovery, social upheaval and realpolitik that ended, as it started, in blood and iron.
£11.99
The History Press Ltd The Duke: 100 Chapters in the Life of Prince Philip
The Archbishop of Canterbury called him ‘bloody rude’, courtiers feared he was ‘a foreign interloper out for the goodies’, daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson found him ‘very frightening’ and the Queen Mother labelled him ‘the Hun’. Journalists have continually portrayed him as a gaffe-prone serial philanderer, with European outlets going way off-piste and claiming he has fathered 24 illegitimate children. Prince Philip says ‘the impression the public has got is unfair’, though there is no self-serving autobiography and his interviews with broadcasters or writers are done grudgingly. The Duke sets out to explore the man behind the various myths, drawing on interviews with relations, friends and courtiers and the Duke's own words. It brings to life some rare aspects of his character, from a love of poetry and religion to his fondness for Duke Ellington and his fascination with UFOs. It also explains why for over seven decades he has been the Queen's ‘strength and stay’ – and why he is regarded by many as a national treasure.
£8.99
The History Press Ltd House Histories for Beginners
Popular television programmes highlight the satisfaction that can be gained from investigating the history of houses, and there is always plenty of interest in the subject, with archives becoming ever more accessible with access to the internet.As the subject covers a broad field, the authors have set out to include advice on those aspects that usually apply to a project and others that will be of particular use for beginners. The reader is guided through every stage of research, from the first exploration of the archives to the completion of the task. Suggestions are also included on how to present the findings – a house history makes a very attractive gift.The authors describe how to deduce the age of a property (it is very seldom directly recorded when a house was built) and characteristics of research on particular types of property – such as cottages, manor houses, inns, mills, former church properties, and farms – are discussed. In one example, research demonstrated that a farm was likely to have been a Domesday manor – a fascinating discovery achieved using records accessible to any beginner.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd The War for American Independence, 1775-1783
The bitter and often bloody fight which accompanied the emergence of the United States of America as an independent force on the world stage has always been a subject of much debate and controversy. Historian Jeremy Black challenges many traditional assumptions and conveys vividly the immediacy of events such as the battles of Bunker Hill and Saratoga and the sieges of Charleston and Yorktown, as well as less famous incidents, while also offering an original and thorough assessment of the campaign in its American, colonial and European contexts.Combining a chronological survey of the war with a thematic examination of the major issues, The War for American Independence, 1775–1783 is a comprehensive account of a remarkable campaign.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd The Curse of Sherlock Holmes: The Basil Rathbone Story
Basil Rathbone is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes. He played the Victorian sleuth in the fourteen Fox/Universal films of the 1930s and ’40s, as well as on stage and radio. For many people, he is the Holmes. Basil Rathbone grew to hate Sherlock Holmes. The character placed restrictions on his career: before Holmes he was an esteemed theatre actor, appearing in Broadway plays such as The Captive and The Swan, the latter of which became his launchpad to greater stardom. But he never, ever escaped his most famous role. Basil Rathbone was not Sherlock Holmes. In The Curse of Sherlock Holmes, celebrated biographer David Clayton looks at the behind-the-camera life of a remarkable man who deserved so much more than to be relegated to just one role.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Remembering the Big Four: The LMS, LNER, SR and GWR in Photographs
The railways of Britain were battered and bruised after the First World War. Over 20,000 miles of track were owned and operated by 120 companies, and the government decided the country could no longer support so many inefficient, diverse and, in some cases, overlapping operations. To stem the mounting losses and regulate the system, the 1921 Railways Act, also known as the Grouping Act, became law on 1 January 1923. Just four large companies remained, nicknamed the ‘Big Four’: the LMS (London, Midland and Scottish Railway); the LNER (London and North Eastern Railway); the SR (Southern Railway); and the GWR (Great Western Railway). Remembering the Big Four looks back at the Big Four railway companies, 100 years after they were drawn together. Complete with contemporary images of the locomotives inherited and built by each company, it is essential reading for any railway enthusiast.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd The Titanic Expeditions: Diving to the Queen of the Deep: 1985–2021
The remains of the world’s most famous passenger liner, RMS Titanic, were discovered off the coast of Newfoundland in 1985, seventy-three years after it sank. Since then there have been numerous deep-water expeditions to the wreck site, yet little has ever been revealed about the details of these operations.Now, in this fully updated book, Eugene Nesmeyanov recounts all the major Titanic expeditions from 1985 to 2021, taking us on a journey alongside the scientists, cinematographers and other specialists who have visited the legendary wreck 2½ miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. A thorough analysis of the sophisticated technical equipment used is presented, along with historical, biological and other scientific findings, and rare material from official archives and private collections.
£24.75
The History Press Ltd Telling the Seasons: Stories, Celebrations and Folklore around the Year
Telling the Seasons takes us on a journey through the twelve months of the year with stories, customs and celebrations. Drawing on the changing patterns of nature and the rich tapestry of folklore from the British Isles, it is a colourful guide into how and why we continue to celebrate the seasons.Here are magical myths of the sun and moon, earthy tales of walking stones and talking trees and lively legends of the spirits of each season. Original drawings, sayings, songs, recipes and rhymes, combine into a ‘spell-book’ of the seasons. Martin Maudsley tells tales around the year to children and adults, specialising in stories of the natural world and local landscapes. He can be found leading seasonal celebrations from firelit winter wassails to bright May Day mornings in rural Dorset where he lives.
£15.99
The History Press Ltd A History of Gardening in 50 Objects
The earliest record of an enclosed space around a homestead come from 10,000 BC and since then gardens of varying types and ambition have been popular throughout the ages. Whether ornamental patches surrounding wild cottages, container gardens blooming over unforgiving concrete or those turned over for growing produce, gardens exist in all shapes and sizes, in all manner of styles. Today we benefit from centuries of development, be it in the cultivation of desirable blossom or larger fruits, in the technology to keep weeds and lawn at bay or even in the visionaries who tore up rulebooks and cultivated pure creativity in their green spaces. George Drower takes fifty objects that have helped create the gardening scene we know today and explores the history outside spaces in a truly unique fashion. With stunning botanical and archive images, this lavish volume is essential for garden lovers.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Heathrow in Photographs: Celebrating 75 Years of London's Airport
London’s Heathrow Airport has seen dramatic changes since it opened in 1946, from canvas tents as terminal buildings serving converted military piston-engined airliners to the latest Airbus and Boeing jet airliners operating from five modern, sophisticated terminals. As air travel became more affordable, Heathrow expanded to accommodate the increase in airline traffic. This pictorial timeline records these changes in air transport and infrastructure to capture the interest of the aviation enthusiast, the Heathrow visitor or just someone who is fascinated by nostalgia in an ever-changing world.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd The Mighty Goddess: World Myths
This stunning collection of myths is for adults, and brings together 52 goddess myths from across the globe: familiar, unknown, forgotten - spectacular! Pioneering storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton revitalises powerful goddesses, creating new perspectives and contemporary literature from fragments of myth. It features 52 papercuts by artist Sophie Herxheimer, juxtaposing the ordinary and fabulous. The Mighty Goddess reimagines ancient myths in poetic language, putting the goddess in the centre of the narrative, exploring the diverse ways in which goddesses are represented. Words and images delight and subvert, revelling in the female, exploring creativity, desire, destruction and death. This contemporary collection brings goddesses to life in all their glory.Journey from Alaska to Mesopotamia, and ancient Rome to Tibet, and follow the goddess from creator to crone in a collection where myth and art combine.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd Never Shaken, Never Stirred: The Story of Ann Fleming and Laura, Duchess of Marlborough
Glamorous, fun and packed with scandalous anecdotes and exclusive interviews, Never Shaken, Never Stirred tells the story of two extraordinary sisters, Ann and Laura Charteris, who made marrying well an art form.While Laura eventually became the Duchess of Marlborough, Ann’s third and final husband was the journalist Ian Fleming, who she inspired to start writing the spy franchise he would become famous for. Along the way there were marriages, and affairs, with some of the biggest names of the twentieth century. The sisters’ collective husbands included a duke, four peers, Jacqueline Kennedy's former brother-in-law and the alleged illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth’s uncle. There were also passionate flings with a Labour leader, a press baron and a cluster of film and literary stars.History would come to define Ann and Laura by the men they married, but their marriages are only part of the story. From royals to writers, film stars to politicians, aristocrats to academics, the Charteris sisters knew everybody that mattered, their countless friendships allowing them a privileged ringside seat during many momentous historical moments of the last century. Blazing a glamorous trail with their beauty, charm, riotous behaviour and energetic love affairs, the aristocratic Charteris sisters alternately delighted and scandalised British society, and their lives continue to do so to this day.
£20.69
The History Press Ltd Honour Restored: The Battle of Britain, Dowding and the Fight for Freedom
The Battle of Britain was won in 1940 by the squadrons of Fighter Command under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Dowding who was given no public honour or recognition for this great achievement in saving Britain from Nazi invasion and occupation - here now is a searching and advanced review which justifies Dowding's place of honour in British history.This book is written by a Spitfire pilot who served at readiness and in combat throughout the Battle of Britain in day fighter squadrons. His personal observations of the war during 1939 and 1940 combined with many years of research has produced a penetrating review of the Battle with many of the old myths dispelled.The author tells of the sacrifices of the people of Britain, the great courage and tenacity of our young fighter pilots, always outnumbered by the Liftwaffe bombers and fighters. He courageously exposes and shames the appalling behaviour of the Air Ministry cabal of senior officers who attacked and dishonoured Dowding at this time of great crisis in our history.Questions such as: who controlled the Battle? was it Reichsmarschall Goering or the weather? was there really a Big Wing Philosophy or was it just a Big Wing myth? why were WWI night fighting tactics for slow flying biplanes introduced by the Air Ministry in 1940 as a defence over London against fast flying modern Luftwaffe bombers? why was there a cabal and who were the members, plus many more, are discussed?This is a book telling of honour restored to the people of Britain, our fighter pilots, and Air Chief Marshal Dowding - sadly it also tells of dishonour.
£13.60
The History Press Ltd Roman Bath: A New History and Archaeology of Aquae Sulis
For almost three hundred years, excavations have been carried out in Roman Bath. At first these were rare and sporadic and archaeological finds were made by chance. Even fewer were reported. But from the 1860s, deliberate investigations were made and increasingly professional methods employed. The Roman Baths were laid open to view, but little was published. From the 1950s, interest accelerated, professionals and amateurs collaborated, and there was never a decade in which some new discovery was not made. The first popular but authoritative presentation of this work was made in 1971 and updated several times. However, from the 1990s to the present there has been some sort of archaeological investigation almost every year. This has thrown much new and unexpected light on the town of Aquae Sulis and its citizens. In this book, Peter Davenport, having been involved in most of the archaeological work in Bath since 1980, attempts to tell the story of Roman Bath: the latest interim report on the ‘Three Hundred Year Dig’.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 20th Century: Hannah's Daughter
Life in the early twentieth-century coalmining communities changed very little for the women who dedicated their lives to their miner husbands. The women’s working days were much longer than the miners, who typically worked an 8-hour shift. Their living conditions were poor and lack of investment by the coal owners greatly challenged their homemaking skills as they faced life without many basics, such as clean water and sewerage systems. Health services were slow to develop and women’s health was only just beginning to be of some importance to the medical profession.Coal-miner wives in the twentieth century also had to cope with demands put upon their families by the First World War, which highlighted the importance of solidarity, a feature of mining communities that had proved itself to be at the heart of colliery village life.This follow-up book to the popular Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 19th Century continues with the story of Hannah’s daughter as she negotiates homemaking in the most challenging of conditions.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (The shocking true story behind A Very British Scandal, starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany)
The shocking true story behind A Very British Scandal, starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany Margaret, Duchess of Argyll’s life was one of complexity and controversy. Born Ethel Margaret Whigham, the only child of a Scottish self-made millionaire and a beautiful high-society woman, her childhood was rich and splendid – but empty. She was a daddy’s girl with an absent father, living with a jealous mother who sought to remind Margaret of her every shortcoming. As she grew up, her name was a byword for class and beauty; she was the debutante of her coming-out year, and her marriage to Charles Sweeny literally stopped traffic. But it was not to last: Margaret needed more. What followed was a story of tragedy, scandal and heartbreak as Margaret swung from lover to lover, society to society. This culminated in her notorious divorce case of 1963, where her soon-to-be-ex-husband produced his pie`ce de résistance: a Polaroid of her in a compromising position with two other men. In The Grit in the Pearl, Lyndsy Spence takes a look at a woman who was ahead of her time. Using previously unpublished sources and personal transcripts, this is the story of a fragile woman who was to come up against the very highest echelons of English high society – and lose.
£9.99