Historical
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Gunpowder and Geometry: The Life of Charles Hutton: Pit Boy, Mathematician and Scientific Rebel
August, 1755. Newcastle, on the north bank of the Tyne.
In the fields, men and women are getting the harvest in. Sunlight, or rain. Scudding clouds and backbreaking labour. Three hundred feet underground, young Charles Hutton is at the coalface. Cramped, dust-choked, wielding a five-pound pick by candlelight. Eighteen years old, he’s been down the pits on and off for more than a decade, and now it looks like a life sentence. No unusual story, although Charles is a clever lad – gifted at maths and languages – and for a time he hoped for a different life. Many hoped.
Charles Hutton, astonishingly, would actually live the life he dreamed of. Twenty years later you’d have found him in Slaughter’s coffee house in London, eating a few oysters with the President of the Royal Society.
By the time he died, in 1823, he was a fellow of scientific academies in four countries, while the Lord Chancellor of England counted himself fortunate to have known him. Hard work, talent, and no small share of luck would take Charles Hutton out of the pit to international fame, wealth, admiration and happiness. The pit-boy turned professor would become one of the most revered British scientists of his day. This book is his incredible story.
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£5.50£9.50 -
Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Volume 1): 1918-38
The Sunday Times bestselling edition of Chips Channon’s remarkable diaries.
‘The greatest British diarist of the 20th century. An astonishing achievement. By turns frivolous and profound.’ Ben Macintyre, The Times
‘Wickedly entertaining. Genuinely shocking, and still revelatory.’ Andrew Marr, New Statesman
‘An irresistible, saucy read . . . One of the most impressive editions of our time.’ The Telegraph
‘They’re among the most glittering and enjoyable diaries ever written’ Observer
____________________________________Born in Chicago in 1897, ‘Chips’ Channon settled in England after the Great War, married into the immensely wealthy Guinness family, and served as Conservative MP for Southend-on-Sea from 1935 until his death in 1958. His career was unremarkable. His diaries are quite the opposite.
Elegant, gossipy and bitchy by turns, they are the unfettered observations of a man who went everywhere and who knew everybody. Whether describing the antics of London society in the interwar years, or the growing scandal surrounding his close friends Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson during the abdication crisis, or the mood in the House of Commons in the lead up to the Munich crisis, his sense of drama and his eye for the telling detail are unmatched. These are diaries that bring a whole epoch vividly to life.
________________________________‘Fascinating and sometimes a key historical record. And the man could write.’ Daily Mirror
‘Fascinating stuff.’ The Spectator
‘Gripping reading.’ The Sunday Times
‘Chips perfectly embodied the qualities vital to the task: a capacious ear for gossip, a neat turn of phrase, a waspish desire to tell all, and easy access to the highest social circles across Europe.’ Jesse Norman, Financial Times
‘A masterpiece of storytelling and character assassination.’ Guardian
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£14.71£15.99 -
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: 1926–2022: A celebration of her life and reign
Long did she reign and peacefully may she rest: this beautiful and thoughtful tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the life of a remarkable woman whose 70 years on the throne made her the longest-reigning monarch in British History.
Royal biographer Brian Hoey describes the childhood, accession and coronation of young Elizabeth, and chronicles her extraordinary and dignified transfiguration into beloved wife, mother and grandmother during her seven decades of unflagging service and dedication as Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth. He also explains the constitutional roles and public duties of this accomplished stateswoman, conducted with such outstanding grace and professionalism throughout her life.
As the royal family, her country, and countless people around the world prepare to say goodbye, he describes all the honour and ceremony one would expect to be lavished on this cherished sovereign and considers the everlasting effect that her work, life, and legacy will continue to have for many years to come.
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£8.70£9.50 -
History of Britain and Ireland: The Definitive Visual Guide
Discover the pivotal political, military, and cultural events that shaped British and Irish history, from Stone Age Britain to the present day, in this revised and updated book.
Combining over 700 photographs, maps, and artworks with accessible text, the History of Britain and Ireland is an invaluable resource for families, students, and anyone seeking to learn more about the fascinating story of the England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Spanning six distinct periods of British and Irish history, this book is the best way to find out how Britain transformed with the Norman rule, fought two world wars in the 20th century, and faced new economic challenges in the 21st century.
DK’s visual guide places key figures – from Alfred the Great to Winston Churchill – and major events – from Roman invasion to the Battle of Britain – in their wider context, making it easier than ever before to learn how they influenced Britain and Ireland’s development through the age of empire into the modern era.
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£19.80£23.80 -
History: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK Definitive Visual Encyclopedias)
This lavishly illustrated visual encyclopedia tells the story of our world in depth and detail from the dawn of civilization to the present day.
Charting human endeavour from every angle, History chronicles the significant events, ground-breaking ideas, political forces, and technological advances that have shaped our planet. Every historical episode is explored and explained with the help of stunning images that bring the authoritative text to life.
Important points in history, from the battle of Hastings and the storming of the Bastille to D-Day and 9/11, have clear but concise coverage, together with profiles of influential figures, such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Nelson Mandela.
It’s time to head back in time and explore the past with this striking history book, which features:
– Profiles of key people who have made history
– Features on inventions, discoveries, and ideas that changed the world
– Graphics lend immediacy and impact to key statistics
– National Histories section separately chronicles key events of every countryAs each moment in history is defined and detailed, supporting panels note the causes and consequences, providing wider context and broadening our horizons. New and enhanced coverage of recent events – such as the Arab Spring – and contemporary issues such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, bring the book firmly into the present.
With its broad-themed approach to important historical events, this book shows that ours is a history with genes and viruses, not just battle and treaties – and the stories and biographies of men and women from every corner of the globe who have shaped today’s world reaffirm that History is the story of humankind in which everyone has a part to play.
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£26.20
£28.50How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History
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Hunter Killers: The Dramatic Untold Story of the Royal Navy’s Most Secret Service
HUNTER KILLER: a submarine designed to pursue and attack enemy submarines and surface ships using torpedoes.
HUNTER KILLERS will follow the careers of four daring British submarine captains who risked their lives to keep the rest of us safe, their exploits consigned to the shadows until now. Their experiences encompass the span of the Cold War, from voyages in WW2-era submarines under Arctic ice to nuclear-powered espionage missions in Soviet-dominated seas.
There are dangerous encounters with Russian spy ships in UK waters and finally, as the communist facade begins to crack, they hold the line against the Kremlin’s oceanic might, playing a leading role in bringing down the Berlin Wall. It is the first time they have spoken out about their covert lives in the submarine service.
This is the dramatic untold story of Britain’s most-secret service.
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Irish Rugby Top 50 Players
We talked to leading rugby journalists, we talked to ex-players, we talked to fans and we looked at the playing records of all the stand-out internationals to have played rugby for Ireland before compiling a list of the 50 greatest Irish rugby players in the sport s history.
Many players were impossible to leave out such as Rory Best, Mike Gibson, Jamie Heaslip, Jack Kyle, Paul O’Connell, Brian O Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Jonnie Sexton and Keith Wood. While Lions’ legends such as Willie John McBride, Tom Kiernan, Syd Millar and Tony O’Reilly were also a shoo-in.
There is also a hefty selection of modern-day players including Keith Earls, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Rob Kearney, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahoney and the new whizkid winger Jacob Stockdale. While there is also space for the great characters of the game, none more so than Peter ‘The Claw’ Clohessy, Willie Duggan and Moss Keane, who didn’t win the most caps but were fans’ favourites because of the spirit in which they played.
With a foreword by Ollie Campbell, the Ireland and British and Irish Lions flyhalf, each entry lists the key facts, statistics and achievements that help show why the selected players are part of the game s elite.
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£10.80£12.30Irish Rugby Top 50 Players
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Iron Spy: The True Story of the Greatest Double Agent in World War II
Known as Fritz to his German spy-handlers and Zig-Zag to the British secret service, Eddie Chapman was a man of many faces. While his early life was rife with petty crime, gang activity and a dishonourable discharge from the British military, Chapman’s unique skills were eventually sought out by Nazi Germany, and after convincing them he could use his criminal contacts to sabotage the English forces, he was quickly recruited.But Chapman’s loyalty to his country knew no limits. A talented, handsome, and reckless Englishman, Chapman was a traitor on the surface but a fearless patriot on the inside. After cracking Germany’s military code, the British sought Chapman for their own affairs, and Chapman was happy to oblige.
Eventually being awarded the prestigious Nazi Iron Cross for services to Germany while acting as a double agent for Britain, Chapman’s espionage efforts involved masterful deceit and feats which few men alive could ever boast of.
Eddie Chapman’s life story is an unbelievable journey of crime, jail-breaks, treachery, and love. He was responsible for saving countless lives during his career, cementing himself as the ultimate double agent during World War II.
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Jerusalem: The Biography
A new, updated, revised edition of JERUSALEM: THE BIOGRAPHY, the wider history of the Middle East through the lens of the Holy City, from King David to today.
The story of Jerusalem is the story of the world.
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilisations. How did this small, remote town become the Holy City, the ‘centre of the world’ and now the key to peace in the Middle East? Drawing on new archives and a lifetime’s study, Montefiore reveals this ever-changing city through the wars, love affairs and revelations of the kings, empresses, prophets, poets, saints, conquerors and whores who created, destroyed, chronicled and believed in Jerusalem.
A classic of modern literature, this is not only the epic story of 3,000 years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and co-existence, but also a freshly-updated history of the entire Middle East, from King David to the twenty-first century, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the wars of today. This is how Jerusalem became Jerusalem – the only city that exists twice – in heaven and on earth.
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£12.90£14.20Jerusalem: The Biography
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Johnson at 10: The Inside Story: The Bestselling Political Biography of the Year
***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***
‘Excellent… first class… both fair and damning.’ Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
‘Authoritative, gripping and often jaw-dropping’ Andrew Rawnsley, Observer
‘Invaluable’ New Statesman
‘Explosive’ Isabel Hardman, The i
After his dramatic rise to power in the summer of 2019 amid the Brexit deadlock, Boris Johnson presided over the most turbulent period of British history in living memory. Beginning with the controversial prorogation of Parliament in August and the historic landslide election victory later that year, Johnson was barely through the door of No. 10 when Britain was engulfed by a series of crises that will define its place in the world for decades to come. From the agonising upheaval of Brexit and the devastating Covid-19 pandemic to the nerve-shredding crisis in Afghanistan, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the Partygate scandal, Johnson’s government ultimately unravelled after just three years.
This gripping behind-the-scenes work of contemporary history maps Johnson’s time in power from start to finish and sheds new light on the most divisive Prime Minister to have led the United Kingdom since Thatcher. Based on more than 200 interviews with key aides, allies and insiders, Johnson at 10 gives the first full account of Johnson’s premiership, the shockwaves of which are still felt today.
***A WATERSTONES BEST POLITICS BOOK OF 2023***
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Joscelyne’s Beach: A Memoir of Leigh-on-Sea
In 1909 – when Arthur Joscelyne was six – his father emptied the family savings from the jug on the mantelpiece to buy 200 yards of beach on the north shore of the River Thames.Arthur helped run ‘Joscelyne’s Beach’ for 20 years. His boyhood reminiscences vividly bring to life a world long disappeared. The tide, the gulls, and the dinghies set the scene for a cast of characters that will never be forgotten.This lyrically beautiful memoir offers an exquisite snapshot of English coastal life before, during and after the First World War.See also Arthur Joscelyne’s companion book: Joscelyne’s Tales of Old Leigh and Chalkwell.REVIEWS OF Joscelyne’s Beach:“Beyond the bounds of this idyllic place, two world wars came and went, generations grew and faded, and Southend relentlessly enlarged . . . This small patch of private foreshore somehow seemed to enshrine so much of Southend’s – and the English seaside’s history, as well as a haunting sense of a vanished happy world . . . If this book is as widely read as predicted, this bewitched morsel of land will once again become Joscelyne’s Beach in theminds of people far beyond Essex.”The Evening Echo“Here are recollections at first hand from Edwardian childhood to the 1940s, with a broad variety of people and events, hopes and disappointments brought to life with insight . . . Francis Turnidge the sailmaker; the magnificently uniformed Gravesend coastguards; a champagne-quaffing countess and many others. Boats are an underlying thread: a ‘white elephant’ hire dinghy too posh to use; a rowboat from Gamages which proved invaluable; buying a Gravesend shrimper for £20 . . . An unusual and beguiling book, with its background of sun, sand and seaweed.”Classic Boat“This lyrical memoir offers a vivid insight into Leigh-on-Sea and its characters before, during and after the First World War.”Essex MagazineRead more
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King Charles III: A special commemorative souvenir book for the 2023 royal coronation
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
Stunning, photographic King Charles III memorabilia gift for royal fans
As the nation celebrates the coronation of a new monarch, The Sun looks back on 100 moments in the life of the man who would be king.
The longest heir apparent in British history, King Charles has lived a remarkable life during his 70-year wait to be king. From his childhood to his later years, each day of Charles’s life has led up to the moment he ascended to the throne. With exclusive articles from The Sun’s archives, rarely seen photographs and a foreword written by celebrated royal photographer Arthur Edwards MBE, this book paints a unique portrait of the man behind the monarch.
Featuring the ups and downs, highs and lows, and the key moments that have shaped the life of a son, father, grandfather and king, including:
- The birth of a prince, 1948
- From Balmoral to boarding school, 1958
- Investiture of the Prince of Wales, 1969
- Blazing a trail for the environment, 1970
- Charles meets Camilla, 1972
- Wedding of the century, 1981
- ‘I’m a dad’, 1982
- The end of a fairytale, 1992
- Cool Charles stares down gunman, 1994
- The death of Diana, 1997
- Official: he’s world’s best dressed man, 2009
- Proud Charles walks Meghan up the aisle, 2018
- Charles’s tearful farewell to Papa, 2021
- God save the Queen, 2022
- All hail the King, 2022
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Kings and Queens of Britain, Illustrated History of: A visual encyclopedia of every king and queen of Britain, from Saxon times through the Tudors and Stuarts to today
In this beautifully illustrated and updated edition, just prior to the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Phillips charts the complete history of the royal families of Britain. Beginning in the earliest times with the legend of King Arthur, Eric Bloodaxe and the real-life history of Macbeth, he describes the lives and legends of the kings and queens of Britain, their consorts and children, and the pretenders, usurpers and regents who played a role in the making of the United Kingdom. Fact boxes highlight the essential events of each reign, as well as maps, charts and family trees. Over 500 fine art paintings, sculptures, engravings, artefacts, photographs, maps and illustrations reveal the heritage and pageantry of royal Britain. A valuable reference book for any historian, this guide will fascinate every reader interested in one of the longest-running monarchies in the world.Read more
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Le Mans Winning Colours: A Visual History of 100 Years of the 24-Hour Race
Celebrating 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, motorsport’s iconic endurance race, technical illustrator Mick Hill takes us on a potted history of this world-famous event. The follow-on book to his successful Grand Prix’s Winning Colours, Mick once again allows his signature artwork to take centre stage, presenting a complete visual record of every winning car since the championship began back in 1923.Including details of the cars’ drivers, as well as interesting facts about each race, such as weather conditions, distance covered and average speeds, Le Mans Winning Colours is a book to treasure for all racing-car enthusiasts.
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Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
The tenth anniversary edition of the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius. With a new Foreword by the celebrated astronaut Neil Armstrong.
‘Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy – no mean feat’ New Scientist
Anyone alive in the 18th century would have known that ‘the longitude problem’ was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day – and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.
The quest for a solution had occupied scientists and their patrons for the better part of two centuries when, in 1714, Parliament upped the ante by offering a king’s ransom (£20,000) to anyone whose method or device proved successful. Countless quacks weighed in with preposterous suggestions. The scientific establishment throughout Europe – from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton – had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution.
Full of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and the absurd, LONGITUDE is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.
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Messi: The must-read biography of the World Cup champion, now fully updated (Guillem Balague’s Books)
‘I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi’ Diego Maradona
FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI’S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI
As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi’s final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend.
Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi’s inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi’s precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi’s World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius.
‘I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi’ Pep Guardiola
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Mind Game: The Secrets of Golf’s Winners
Eye-opening contributions from the stars of game make this a powerful, groundbreaking investigation into the mind of the professional golfer. The perfect gift for Father’s Day.
* SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS *
Professional golf is the most remorseless of sports, unique in the complexity of its demands. Technical perfection must be produced in short, concentrated bursts of synchronised movement. Huge mental strength is required.
Why, then, do we know so little about what it takes to succeed – even survive – at the highest level?
What separates the good from the great? What are the rituals of preparation and execution?
How does an elite team come together?
In a truly groundbreaking exposé of professional golf, Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjorn – captain of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team – capture the distinctive nature of the game, and the principles and philosophies of players who dominate the world rankings. With unprecedented access to the European Tour players, and in-depth interviews with the European Ryder Cup team, Calvin reveals a sport which operates entirely within the finest margins of excellence.
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£8.70£9.50Mind Game: The Secrets of Golf’s Winners
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Muhammad and the Empires of Faith: The Making of the Prophet of Islam
In Muhammad and the Empires of Faith, Sean W. Anthony demonstrates how critical readings of non-Muslim and Muslim sources in tandem can breathe new life into the historical study of Muhammad and how his message transformed the world. By placing these sources within the intellectual and cultural world of Late Antiquity, Anthony offers a fresh assessment of the earliest sources for Muhammad’s life, taking readers on a grand tour of the available evidence, and suggests what new insights stand to be gained from the techniques and methods pioneered by countless scholars over the decades in a variety of fields. Muhammad and the Empires of Faith offers both an authoritative introduction to the multilayered traditions surrounding the life of Muhammad and a compelling exploration of how these traditions interacted with the broader landscape of Late Antiquity.
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Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
Acclaimed worldwide as the definitive biography of the Prophet in the English language. Martin Lings life of Muhammad is unlike any other. Based on Arabic sources of the eighth and ninth centuries, of which some important passages are translated here for the first time, it owes the freshness and directness of its approach to the words of men and women who heard Muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life. Martin Lings has an unusual gift for narrative. He has adopted a style which is at once extremely readable and reflects both the simplicity and grandeur of the story. The result is a book which will be read with equal enjoyment by those already familiar with Muhammads life and those coming to it for the first time. This book was given an award by the government of Pakistan, and selected as the best biography of the Prophet in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad in 1983. In 1990, after the book had attracted the attention of Azhar University, the author received a decoration from president Mubarak.Martin Lings, formerly Keeper of Oriental Manuscript in the British Museum and the British Library, is the author of three works on Islamic mysticism, A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century, What is Sufism? and The Book of Certainty, all published by The Islamic Texts Society.Read more
£15.20£18.00Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
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My Husband and I: The Inside Story of the Royal Marriage
A vivid and revealing portrait of the royal marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip—perfect for fans of the popular Netflix TV series The Crown.When a young Princess Elizabeth met and fell in love with the dashing Naval Lieutenant Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, it wasn’t without complications. The romance between the sailor prince and the young princess brought a splash of color to a nation still in the grip of post-war austerity. When they married in Westminster Abbey in November 1947, there were 3,000 guests, including six kings and seven queens. Within five years, as Queen Elizabeth II, she would ascend to the throne and later be crowned in front of millions watching through the new medium of television.
Throughout her record-breaking reign, she has relied on the formidable partnership she had made with her consort. Now, after 70 years of their marriage, acclaimed royal biographer Ingrid Seward sheds new light on their relationship and its impact on their family and on the nation.
My Husband and I reveals the challenges faced by Prince Philip as he accompanies the Queen in their many public appearances, and also offers insight into how their relationship operates behind closed doors. Throughout the years, there have been rumors of marital troubles, fierce debates over how to raise their children, and numerous family traumas—from scandalous divorces to shocking deaths—in the full glare of the public eye. But somehow, their relationship has endured and provided strength and inspiration to those around them. My Husband and I is not only a vivid portrait of an iconic marriage—it is also a celebration of the power of love.
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National Geographic Queen Elizabeth II: A Life in Photographs
This unique look at the life and legacy of Elizabeth II, modern Britain’s most unlikely but much beloved queen, features scores of stunning images, including more than 20 exclusive photographs from the National Geographic archive. Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by the Meredith Corporation and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment.Read more
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Oliver Cromwell: The brave, bad man of British history
Not since Antonia Fraser’s major biography (1975) has there been a life of Cromwell so sympathetic to its subject and based on so many years of scholarship and research.
As General Editor for Oxford University Press of the five-volume edition of all the recorded words (writings and recorded speech acts) of Oliver Cromwell, Professor Morrill is perfectly equipped to write this biography. He argues that Cromwell has been seriously misinterpreted by historians, not least by left-wing thinkers such as Tony Benn claiming Cromwell as their own and thus misunderstanding the nature of Cromwell’s political thought. This was a product of his religious ideas, and, argues the author, in this Cromwell was entirely sincere.
Cromwell felt propelled by God to become head of state but in the process the savagery and cruelty he meted out to his opponents – especially the Irish and the Scots – seems today to be beyond human imagining. And yet he described this as the ‘cruel necessity’ of God’s will. After the Siege of Drogheda he murdered 3,000 people and Catholic clergy and the religious were killed on sight. He cast a long shadow over Irish history which is still remembered to this day even in popular songs. To many this would appear to verge on genocide but with this and the signing of the act of execution of Charles I, Cromwell never doubted that he was doing God’s will.
Morrill’s book sheds exciting new light on Cromwell, both political and religious, and is based on the latest scholarship of the highest quality. Morrill argues against contemporary critics and claims that Cromwell was a man of fundamental sincerity and devotion to high Puritan principles.
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Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics
‘’F *** ing brilliant. I would describe it as like a bag of political nuts – moreish and fabulously salty’ JOE LYCETT
Forget Westminster bust-ups and PMQs, some of the key events that have shaped modern British politics happened not in the cloisters of parliament or Downing Street’s many corridors of power, but in car parks, village halls and seaside resorts where the mundane have played host to the mighty. From Pitt the Younger’s Putney Heath duel to finding Margaret Thatcher a voice coach on a train, Harold Wilson’s ‘Scilly’ season holidays to John Major’s dental appointment clearing his path to No10 – these (and many more) are the places where chance meetings, untimely deaths and snap, sometimes daft, decisions changed the course of politics.
Matt Chorley has spent almost two decades covering Westminster, interviewing prime ministers, mocking ministers and chronicling the serious, and sometimes unintentionally absurd, events which act as unlikely turning points in the direction of a nation. Illustrated by award-winning political cartoonist Morten Morland, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors combines Matt’s insider-knowledge, smart analysis and detailed research with his background in comedy to create an hilarious history of how politics actually happens.
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Please, Nurse!: A Student Nurse in the 1950s
Joan Lock’s warm and nostalgic account of her three years of training as a young student nurse in the early 1950s. Perfect for fans of CALL THE MIDWIFE.
When Joan Lock began her formal training as a young nurse in the 1950s, she was unprepared for the strict discipline and long hours which were to follow and quickly realised she was no Florence Nightingale. Her honest and humorous account of the next three years reveals her most intimate experiences of being a nurse: from dealing with temperamental surgeons to fighting off flirtatious patients.
Labelled a trouble-maker, Joan and her friends tested their strict Sisters’ patience as they climbed through windows, slept through lectures and broke every thermometer that passed through their hands. But through it all, Joan found herself touched by the people she met and their heart-warming stories.
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£7.50£8.50Please, Nurse!: A Student Nurse in the 1950s
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Politics On the Edge By Rory Stewart & Politics A Survivor’s Guide By Rafael Behr 2 Books Collection Set
Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original ISBN and Cover Image Shall be Dispatched Collectively:Politics On the Edge By Rory Stewart & Politics A Survivor’s Guide By Rafael Behr 2 Books Collection Set:
Politics On the Edge:
ISBN-10 : 1787332713
ISBN-13 : 978-1787332713
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise. Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow our democracy and government had become. Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today.Politics A Survivor’s Guide:
ISBN-10 : 1838955046
ISBN-13 : 978-1838955045
A new crisis erupts before the last one has finished: financial crisis, Brexit, pandemic, war in Ukraine, inflation, strikes. Prime Ministers come and go but politics stays divided and toxic. It is tempting to switch off the news, tune out and hope things will get back to normal. Except, this is the new normal, and our democracy can only work if enough people stay engaged without getting enraged. But how?To answer that question, award-winning journalist Rafael Behr takes the reader on a personal journey from despair at the state of politics to hope that there is a better way of doing things, with insights drawn from three decades as a political commentator and foreign correspondent.Read more
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Politics On the Edge: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller from the host of hit podcast The Rest Is Politics
A political journey through turbulent times
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow and inadequate our democracy and government had become. Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today. Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.
Politics On the Edge invites us into the mind of one of the most interesting actors on the British political stage. Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life; a new classic of political memoir and a remarkable portrait of our age.
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Politics On the Edge: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller from the host of hit podcast The Rest Is Politics
A searing insider’s account of ten extraordinary years in Parliament from Rory Stewart, former Cabinet minister and co-presenter of breakout hit podcast The Rest Is Politics
‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’ ALAN JOHNSON
‘An instant classic’ MARINA HYDE
‘At last a politician who can write’ SEBASTIAN FAULKSThe Times pick for *The Biggest Books of the Autumn*
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow our democracy and government had become.
Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today. Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.
Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, Politics On the Edge is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life and a remarkable portrait of our age.
The perfect Christmas gift for anyone who wants to understand our current political climate.
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Politics On the Edge: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller from the host of hit podcast The Rest Is Politics
A searing insider’s account of ten extraordinary years in Parliament from Rory Stewart, former Cabinet minister and co-presenter of breakout hit podcast The Rest Is Politics
‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’ ALAN JOHNSON
‘An instant classic’ MARINA HYDE
‘At last a politician who can write’ SEBASTIAN FAULKSThe Times pick for *The Biggest Books of the Autumn*
Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow our democracy and government had become.
Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today. Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.
Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, Politics On the Edge is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life and a remarkable portrait of our age.
**A FINANCIAL TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, CHURCH TIMES AND SCOTSMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023**
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Pride: The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement
In June 1969, police raided New York gay bar the Stonewall Inn. Pride charts the events of that night, the days and nights of rioting that followed, the ensuing organization of local members of the community – and the 50 years since in which activists and ordinary people have dedicated their lives to reversing the global position.
Pride documents the milestones in the fight for LGBTQ equality, from the victories of early activists to the passing of legislation barring discrimination, and the gradual acceptance of the LGBTQ community in politics, sport, culture and the media. Rare images and documents cover the seminal moments, events and breakthroughs of the movement, while personal testimonies share the voices of key figures on a broad range of topics. Pride is a unique celebration of LGBTQ culture, an account of the ongoing challenges facing the community, and a testament to the equal rights that have been won for many as a result of the passion and determination of this mass movement.
A fully updated edition of Matthew Todd’s essential 2019 book, Pride is a celebration and a clarion call.
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£8.90£19.00Pride: The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement
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Princess Margaret: A Life Unravelled
Elegant and sophisticated biography of Princess Margaret, the controversial sister of Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess Diana of her day
‘A fascinating insight into the life of the party girl who became an icon in postwar Britain’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘She was a witty, intelligent, stimulating companion – happily Tim Heald captures all these qualities in his admirably well-balanced biography’ LITERARY REVIEW
The almost universal conception is that the life of Princess Margaret (1930-2002) was a tragic failure, a history of unfulfilment.
Tim Heald’s vivid and elegant biography portrays a woman who was beautiful and sexually alluring – even more so than Princess Diana, years later – and whose reputation for naughtiness co-existed with the glamour. The mythology is that Margaret’s life was ‘ruined’ by her not being allowed to marry the one true love of her life – Group Captain Peter Townsend – and that therefore her marriage to Lord Snowdon and her well-attested relationships with Roddy Llewellyn and others were mere consolation prizes. Margaret’s often exotic personal life in places like Mustique is a key part of her story.
The author has had extraordinary help from those closest to Princess Margaret, including her family (Lord Snowdon and her son, Lord Linley), as well as three of her private secretaries and many of her ladies in waiting. These individuals have not talked to any previous biographer. He has also had the Queen’s permission to use the royal archives.
Heald asks why one of the most famous and loved little girls in the world, who became a juvenile wartime sweetheart, ended her life a sad wheelchair-bound figure, publicly reviled and ignored. This is a story of a life in which the private and the public seemed permanently in conflict. The biography is packed with good stories. Princess Margaret was never ignored; what she said and did has been remembered and recounted to Tim Heald.
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£9.60£10.40Princess Margaret: A Life Unravelled
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Queen Consort: The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller: the Biography of Queen Consort Camilla
THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘A gripping story of human frailty, love, loss, sadness, and tragedy’ Daily Mail
She is the most public and least understood woman in Britain. Diana called her a Rottweiler. Prince Harry said she was a villain. But spend two minutes with Camilla and you understand why Charles fell for her.
The relationship between King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, is one of the most extraordinary, star-crossed love stories of the past fifty years. It has endured against all the odds, and in the process nearly destroyed the British monarchy.
In this compelling biography, Britain’s top royal author paints an intimate portrait of the Queen Consort, revealing for the first time why the King went against his mother and risked everything to have Camilla by his side.
Previously published as The Duchess.
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Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family: A Glorious Illustrated History
A magnificent tribute to the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and a celebration of the British royal family.
This book is a stunning visual guide to the world’s most famous royals, from Queen Elizabeth’s Norman predecessors to her great-grandchildren. It features events such as the Queens’ coronation and the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and profiles on key people such as Princess Diana and Prince Harry. This new edition is revised to include the most recent events and milestones, such as the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, the birth of Lilibet and other new family members, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and her death on 8th September 2022. A special 16-page photographic essay is dedicated to her funeral and the accession of King Charles III.
This book examines the Queen’s life in detail from her childhood to the end of her reign, but also goes back through more than 1,000 years of history to tell the story of the House of Windsor and the entire succession of kings and queens of England and Scotland. With dazzling galleries of royal artefacts and photographic tours of sumptuous royal residences, this is the perfect book for fans of the Queen and royal family or anyone interested in the history of the British monarchy.
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Queen Elizabeth II The Life and Reign of Her Majesty – souvenir special issue, touching tribute, Commemorating her life and reign 1926 – 2022
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning queen regnant and British head of state, just surpassing Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years and seven months. Elizabeth II retained an extraordinary degree of public affection through good and bad times, through war and national celebration as princess and queen. This book brings to life many aspects of her personal story and accomplishments in a touching tribute to her life and reign as we say goodbye to a monarch who has ruled over generations of Britons.Read more
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Queen Elizabeth II: A Celebration of Her Life and Reign in Pictures (BBC Books)
An official BBC book that celebrates the life of Queen Elizabeth II through photographs, some rarely seen, drawn largely from archives of the BBC.
The longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II has been at the centre of British life for almost a century. She’s led a very public life, seen by millions through photographs, film and television, from the time of her birth in 1926 to the final years of her reign. The embodiment of Britain, she has been a constant, knowledgeable presence in our politics and culture since she came to the throne in 1952.
This book celebrates the life of Queen Elizabeth II through photographs and still images, drawn largely from the archives of the BBC, an organisation that received its royal charter only one year after she was born. From her earliest days and first moments of public life, to her Platinum Jubilee and the weddings of her children and grandchildren, this is a lavish tribute to the most public of monarchs, an iconic figure in the hearts and minds of millions throughout the world.
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Queen Elizabeth II: A Glorious 70 Years
Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne for a glorious 70 years. This book pays tribute to this long serving monarch charting her journey, in words and pictures, from the 25 year old young woman who ascended to the throne in 1953 to the much loved elder stateswoman of today. This celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II offers the definitive illustrated story of her public and private life spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Featuring the incredible tradition, history, glamour, and culture of Her Majesty, this book also follows the international tours, state functions, royal weddings, and jubilees, and showcases the glorious royal photography of some of the most well known Royal photographers and archives.Read more
£13.90£20.00Queen Elizabeth II: A Glorious 70 Years
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Queen Elizabeth II: The Life, Times, and Glorious 70 Year Reign of England’s Iconic Platinum Monarch (1926-2022) – Her Fight for the Palace, House of Windsor, and Royal Papers…
Do you want to know everything there is to know about Queen Elizabeth II?
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, at the age of ninety-six. She was the longest reigning British monarch in history and her death leaves a gaping hole in the British royal family. The queen’s death sent the nation into mourning. The queen will be remembered for her long reign, her dedication to her country, and her love for her family.
This book tells the story of one of the most iconic and fascinating women in history. Elizabeth II has been a part of the British monarchy for over 70 years and her reign has seen some incredible changes. Read all about her life, times, and glorious reign in this comprehensive book.
In 1926, a young woman named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to King George V and Queen Mary of England. She was the third child and second daughter of the royal couple, and she would go on to inherit the throne after her father’s death in 1936. Elizabeth would reign as Queen of England for 70 years, becoming one of the longest-serving monarchs in English history.
She would also come to be one of the most beloved. Even early in her reign, Elizabeth proved herself to be a strong and capable leader, helping to guide the country through World War II. After the war ended, she set about rebuilding England’s shattered economy and creating a new social welfare system. She also worked to strengthen the monarchy’s ties to the people, visiting all corners of her country and earning the affectionate nickname “the People’s Queen.”
Throughout her long reign, Elizabeth has faced many challenges – including divorces, scandals, and even an attempted assassination. But she has always remained dignified and steadfast, earning the respect and admiration of her subjects. In 2002, Elizabeth became the longest-reigning British monarch in history, leaving a lasting legacy as one of England’s most iconic monarchs.
Read everything there is to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Grab your book today!
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Queen Elizabeth II’s Guide to Life
A timely celebration of the many attributes our Queen brings to the nation – fortitude, stoicism, diplomacy, family values, sense of fun and style among them.
Queen Elizabeth II – Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Head of the Commonwealth – has reigned over us for a record-breaking sixty-seven years. Now in her ninety-fourth year, this timely celebration sheds new light on the myriad attributes and personal qualities she brings to the nation.
From fortitude in the face of adversity to standing as the nation’s ambassador all over the world, no one could doubt the work ethic that powers this remarkable woman, even into her nineties. Equally, her love of family – from her rock of over sixty years’ marriage, Prince Philip, to her great grandchildren – shines through. But what are the secrets of her success? How does she still approach her day-to-day with such vitality and aplomb, even when culture and society are changing rapidly all around her?
The Queen on fame: When an MP commented that it must be a strain meeting so many strangers all the time, the Queen smiled, ‘It is not as difficult as it might seem. You see, I don’t have to introduce myself. They all seem to know who I am.’
The Queen on fashion: In the late sixties when Mary Quant and the mini skirt came to epitomize all that was fashionable, Princess Anne suggested her mother might also consider shortening her hemline. The Queen was adamant, ‘I am not a film star.’
The Queen on family: As Great Britain’s most famous great grandmother, it is no surprise that the Queen values family life. ‘Marriage gains from the web of family relationships between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, cousins, aunts and uncles.’
In this book Karen Dolby unpicks the key elements that make the Queen so special to – and so loved by – the nation and presents a guide to how you too could put into practice some of Her Majesty’s traits to help overcome adversity, find inner strength and present yourself as wonderfully considered and calm, even when all about you seems in chaos.
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£4.20£9.50Queen Elizabeth II’s Guide to Life
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Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II
A Sunday Times Book of the Year
Queen Of Our Times is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain’s leading royal authorities, Robert Hardman. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral.
‘Sensational’ – Kirsty Young, The Platinum Pageant (BBC)
With fascinating revelations from those who knew her best and special access to unseen royal papers granted by Elizabeth II herself, author and royal expert Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this authoritative yet intimate biography.
The book also charts the way in which the Queen raised the future King Charles III as both son and heir.
Elizabeth was not born to be queen, being third in line to the throne. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of Covid-19, she proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, unified the Commonwealth, saw fifteen British prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June 2022 and her death mourned months later, both events a reminder of the huge impact she had made.
Queen of Our Times is a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader whose legacy of steadfast service lives on.
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Red Devils: The Trailblazers of the Paras in World War Two
‘Riveting . . . Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable’ Damien Lewis
‘Gripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country – a true and moving story of war’ Andy McNab
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Their German enemies called them the ‘Red Devils’. Montgomery described them as ‘men apart – every man an Emperor’. The cards they received on qualifying began: ‘You are the elite of the British army’.
The Parachute Regiment.
In this gripping, authorized account, bestselling historian Mark Urban tells the story of the wartime creation and development of Britain’s elite airborne infantry – who ranged from circus performers to solicitors, policemen to gravediggers, Christians and Jews to communists.
Through the fates of six men – including recently widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his little boy at home to head to the front, and Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war – Urban vividly shows what it took to succeed in this new regiment. All six men would shed blood for their country in daring actions at D-Day, Arnhem and across the Second World War; two would not survive, and one would face disgrace.
Based on deep archival research, British and German sources and new material from the men’s families, and giving overdue recognition to the North African campaign, Urban’s unvarnished history is a compelling and moving depiction of the highs and lows of battle.
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