Search results for ""Author Richard Tames""

It may not be the longest, deepest or widest river in the world but few bodies of water reveal as much about a nation's past and present, or are suggestive of its future, as England's River Thames. Tales of legendary lock-keepers and long-vanished weirs evoke the distant past of a river which evolved into a prime commercial artery linking the heart of England with the ports of Europe. In Victorian times, the Thames hosted regattas galore, its new bridges and tunnels were celebrated as marvels of their time, and London's river was transformed from sewer to centrepiece of the British Empire. Talk of the Thames Gateway and the effectiveness of the Thames Barrier keeps the river in the news today, while the lengthening Thames Path makes the waterway more accessible than ever before. Through quiet meadows, rolling hills, leafy suburbia, industrial sites and a changing London riverside, Mick Sinclair tracks the Thames from source to sea, documenting internationally-known landmarks such as Tower Bridge and Windsor Castle and revealing lesser known features such as Godstow Abbey, Canvey Island, the Sanford Lasher, and George Orwell's tranquil grave. PAINTINGS, WORDS AND MUSIC: Turner, Tissot, Whistler and Monet; Shakespeare at Southwark, Alexander Pope, Charles Dickens, Jerome K. Jerome, William Morris; Handel's Water Music, the first rendition of Rule Britannia, the Rolling Stones and The Who rocking Eel Pie Island. POWER, POLITICS AND INTRIGUE: Runnymede and Magna Carta, the first English parliament, Whitehall Palace, Cliveden and the Profumo affair, the Houses of Parliament and the brooding headquarters of MI5 and MI6. TRADE AND COMMERCE: Eel trapping, osier growing; bargemen, watermen and lightermen; the rise and fall of London's docks; urban regeneration, rural protection.

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Step back in time to Ancient Greece and discover the spectacular achievements of an adventurous civilization. Learn about the birth of the theatre and arts; sports and the Olympic games; science and the beginnings of modern medicine and philosophy; trade, travel, weapons and warfare; and much much more.

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Richard Tames, the well-known popularizer of English history, offers an entertaining exploration of the bits of English history that have been sidelined, lost or somehow overlooked. Written in an engaging, easy-to-read and often humorous style, Tames brings to life the various colourful characters, famous in their day, who have now sunk into obscurity, from St Cuthbert and Nicholas Breakspear (the only English pope) to Octavia Hill and the Marquis of Granby. Tames also covers such diverse areas as sports, lost villages, forgotten war heroes and inventors. Did you know, for example, that Barking was once home to the largest fishing fleet in the world? Or that coffee houses were once known as ‘penny universities’? Peppered with quotes and anecdotes, and arranged into concise sections, this book is ideal for dipping into or reading from cover to cover.

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Step into the world of the classical Greeks, with 15 step-by-step projects and 350 exciting pictures. You can delve into everyday life in the past to find out what the ancient Greeks ate, where they lived, the games they played, the clothes they wore, the heroes they admired, and the people who made history. Fact boxes provide extra insights and highlight links with the present. It is packed with over 350 photographs and illustrations, including cross-section diagrams, historical maps and a pictorial timeline. It features 15 simple and enjoyable projects that enable you to recreate the past - construct a miniature Parthenon, paint a dolphin fresco, make a comic mask, and learn the ancient Greek alphabet. It is ideal for home or school use for 8- to 12-year-olds. You can discover the spectacular achievements of this ancient civilization. You can learn about the creation of the Olympic games; the beginnings of modern medicine and philosophy; travel, trade and warfare; and the dawn of democracy. A selection of 15 practical projects help to bring the past to life - make a vase, sculpt a scary Medusa, and play the Greek game of knucklebones. The projects are shown in specially commissioned step-by-step photographs and will make learning stimulating, exciting and fun, either at home or in the classroom.

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An "Armchair Traveller's History of Cambridge" provides not only a narrative of the city and university, and a guide to visits within a short driving distance, it also features a variety of aspects ignored in other accounts - food and fashion, music and gardens, books and clubs, Cambridge contributions to poetry, theatre and sport, royal associations and links with the Arab world and China. Cambridge offers the splendour of King's College Chapel and the beauty of 'the Backs' but also outstanding collections of fans and fritillaries, sculpture and stained glass, medieval coins and oriental manuscripts. Free attractions include the world-class Fitzwilliam Museum and Botanic Gardens, quirky Kettle's Yard, and museums devoted to Archaeology, Anthropology, Zoology, Earth Sciences, Polar Research and the History of Science - plus Britain's oldest bookshop. Enter the world of 'Bumps' and 'Bedders' and learn why May Week is in June. Research reveals that most visitors to Cambridge never venture more than four hundred yards from the Market Square. An "Armchair Traveller's History of Cambridge" will help you do better than that - and want to.

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This entertaining and fact-packed guide provides all the information you’ll need to travel back in time to Elizabethan London – a booming city of courtiers, cutthroats, merchants, beggars, lawyers, dramatists, apprentices and adventurers. Find out the best way to the capital and where to stay. Saunter over London Bridge, with its hundreds of shops and houses. Glimpse Her Majesty at Whitehall, Europe’s largest palace. Watch the finest plays and players at the Rose Theatre, and marvel at the bustle of business in the Royal Exchange. Go down to Greenwich to stand on the deck of the Golden Hind, the ship that Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world. This intriguingly addictive guide provides all you need to know to sightsee, shop and meet the famous in the capital of a nation stirring to greatness.

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This title explores the ancient cultures that shaped human history and civilization. It vividly portrays key periods from the past, with glimpses into art, fashion, crafts, trade and warfare. It contains inside-view artworks of palaces and humble homes, and insights into the everyday lives of monarchs, priests, farmers, traders and children of long ago. It includes 60 practical projects for historical models, costumes and recipes - construct a miniature Parthenon, don the uniform of a Roman legionary, and bake pastries from an age-old Egyptian recipe. It features an exciting and authoritative reference for home or school use by 8- to 12-year-olds. This authoritative reference and project book will enrich your knowledge and understanding of the past. Witness the progression of human civilization, and see what gave each culture - from the Stone Age to the Roman Empire - its particular identity. Over 1500 photographs and illustrations include inside-view artworks of important buildings from history, such as a Pharaoh's tomb, an ancient Greek home and a Roman bath. Projects include a model Egyptian boat, a miniature stonehenge, a Roman toga and the Greek game of knucklebones.

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