Great Britain
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The Victorian Garden: 691 (Shire Library)
Gardening became a popular pastime in Victorian Britain with the rise of suburban gardens, and improvements in technology made gardening more accessible to amateurs. New introductions from abroad brought a greater variety of plants, leading to fashions for massed bedding, exotic glasshouse displays, rock gardens and rhododendrons. The large and prestigious gardens of country houses were emulated in suburban settings as gardening spread to the masses, and the creation of public parks introduced green spaces to grey cities. Caroline Ikin here explores the many aspects of Victorian gardens and gardening and introduces some of the most influential people of the age, including Joseph Paxton, John Loudon and Gertrude Jekyll.Read more
£9.20£9.50The Victorian Garden: 691 (Shire Library)
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The Victorians: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
bVery Short Introductionsb: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring /bThe Victorian period may have come to an end over 120 years ago, but the Victorians continue to be a vital presence in the modern world. Contemporary Britain is still in large part Victorian in its transport networks, sewage systems, streets, and houses. Victorian cultural legacies, especially in art, science, and literature, are still celebrated. The first to have to grapple with many of the challenges of modern urban society, we continue to look to the Victorians for inspiration and solace. And we are increasingly aware of the ways their global actions shaped, often for ill, the world around us. Much mythologised, inexhaustibly controversial, the Victorians are an inescapable reference point for understanding the modern histories not just of Britain and its empire, but of the world.
In The Victorians: A Very Short Introduction Martin Hewitt offers a guide through the thickets of judgement and debate which have grown around the period and its people, to offer a historical overview of the Victorians and their legacies. He seeks to answer five crucial questions. Why have the Victorians continued occupy such a prominent place in the cultures of not just the anglophone world? How far does it make sense to think of a 64-year period arbitrarily given an identity by the longevity of the Queen as an identifiable historical period in a general sense? How justified are the value-laden versions of the Victorians which argue for the existence of a particular world view called ‘Victorianism’? Beyond ideology, what was Victorian Britain actually like – and in particular, what was distinctive about it? Who were the Victorians – not just the eminent few, but the population as a whole? And finally, how far and with what results did the Victorians and their culture spread across the globe?
In answering these questions, Hewitt cautions against some long-held orthodoxies, throws a light on some less well-known aspects of the period, and urges the importance of understanding the Victorians on their own terms if we are to effectively engage with their legacies.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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The Wars of the Roses: The Key Players in the Struggle for Supremacy
In the second half of the fifteenth century, for over thirty years, civil war tore England apart. However, its roots were deeper and its thorns were felt for longer than this time frame suggests. The Wars of the Roses were not a coherent period of continual warfare. There were distinct episodes of conflict, interspersed with long periods of peace. But the struggles never really ceased. Motives changed, fortunes waxed and waned, the nature of kingship was weighed and measured and the mettle of some of England’s greatest families was put to the test. Matthew Lewis examines the people behind these events, exploring the personalities of the main players, their motives, successes and failures. He uncovers some of the lesser-known tales and personal stories often lost in the broad sweep of the Wars of the Roses, in a period of famously complex loyalties and shifting fortunes.Read more
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This is Your Everest: The Lions, The Springboks and the Epic Tour of 1997
‘A rollicking read and a mighty achievement’ – Donald McRae, The Guardian
The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa is one of the most iconic in rugby history. Written off at home and abroad, Martin Johnson’s men were given no hope of success against the world champion Springboks in their own backyard. But a combination of brilliant coaching, astute selections and outstanding players laid the foundations for the touring side’s outstanding attacking mindset and brutal stonewall defence.
On the other side was a team expected to stamp their authority on the tourists and confirm their place as the best side on the planet. But with political, racial and economic scandals swirling around the Springbok camp, plus a rookie coach parachuted into office just before the tour began, the hosts were under huge pressure.
In a Test series that will go down in legend as one of the most compelling of all time, the sides could barely be separated. This is the inside story from both camps as they battle for supremacy, lifting the lid like never before as a huge cast of characters look back on those extraordinary weeks and the impact it had on their lives and careers thereafter. Hilarious, insightful and spine-chilling, Tom English and Peter Burns provide the perfect read for all Lions fans.
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Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today
Lacing cultural criticism, Victorian literature, and storytelling together, Too Much explores how culture corsets women’s bodies, souls, and sexualities – and how we might finally undo the strings.
Written in the tradition of Shrill, Dead Girls, Sex Object and other frank books about the female gaze, Too Much encourages women to reconsider the beauty of their excesses – emotional, physical, and spiritual.
Rachel Vorona Cote braids cultural criticism, theory, and storytelling together in her exploration of how culture grinds away our bodies, souls, and sexualities, forcing us into smaller lives than we desire. An erstwhile Victorian scholar, she sees many parallels between that era’s fixation on women’s ‘hysterical’ behavior and our modern policing of the same; in the space of her writing, you’re as likely to encounter Jane Eyre and Lizzie Bennet as you are Britney Spears and Lana Del Rey. This book will tell the story of how women, from then and now, have learned to draw power from their reservoirs of feeling, all that makes us ‘too much’.
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Transport and the Industrial City: Manchester and the Canal Age, 1750-1850
This book presents the first scholarly study of the contribution of canals to Britain’s industrial revolution. Although the achievements of canal engineers remain central to popular understandings of industrialisation, historians have been surprisingly reticent to analyse the full scope of the connections between canals, transport and the first industrial revolution. Focusing on Manchester, Britain’s major centre of both industrial and transport innovation, it shows that canals were at the heart of the self-styled Cottonopolis. Not only did canals move the key commodities of Manchester’s industrial revolution -coal, corn, and cotton – but canal banks also provided the key sites for the factories that made Manchester the ‘shock city’ of the early Victorian age. This book will become essential reading for historians and students interested in the industrial revolution, transport, and the unique history of Manchester, the world’s first industrial city.Read more
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Tudor England: A History
A compelling, authoritative account of the brilliant, conflicted, visionary world of Tudor England
When Henry VII landed in a secluded bay in a far corner of Wales, it seemed inconceivable that this outsider could ever be king of England. Yet he and his descendants became some of England’s most unforgettable rulers, and gave their name to an age. The story of the Tudor monarchs is as astounding as it was unexpected, but it was not the only one unfolding between 1485 and 1603.
In cities, towns, and villages, families and communities lived their lives through times of great upheaval. In this comprehensive new history, Lucy Wooding lets their voices speak, exploring not just how monarchs ruled but also how men and women thought, wrote, lived, and died. We see a monarchy under strain, religion in crisis, a population contending with war, rebellion, plague, and poverty. Remarkable in its range and depth, Tudor England explores the many tensions of these turbulent years and presents a markedly different picture from the one we thought we knew.Read more
£12.30£14.20Tudor England: A History
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Tudor History: A Captivating Guide to the Tudors, the Wars of the Roses, the Six Wives of Henry VIII and the Life of Elizabeth I (Key Periods in England’s Past)
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Tudors, then keep reading…Four captivating manuscripts in one book:
- The Tudors: A Captivating Guide to the History of England from Henry VII to Elizabeth I
- The Wars of the Roses: A Captivating Guide to the English Civil Wars That Brought down the Plantagenet Dynasty and Put the Tudors on the Throne
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII: A Captivating Guide to Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr
- Elizabeth I: A Captivating Guide to the Queen of England Who Was the Last of the Five Monarchs of the House of Tudor
Five Tudor monarchs sat on the throne of England and Ireland from 1485 to 1603. The family earned their royal rights through strategic planning and battlefield prowess, and kept them because of intellect, strength and sheer determination. The Tudors, one of England’s most powerful and famous royal dynasties, knitted together a fragmented and small island nation that became one of the world’s financial, colonial and technological superpowers.
There is so much more to the story of these kings and queens than beheadings, political marriages and the reformation of the church – but those events remain some of the family’s most enthralling moments.
Some of the topics covered in part 1 of this book include:
- The Tudors of Wales
- The Wars of the Roses
- Catherine of Valois, Mother of the Tudor Dynasty
- Margaret Beaufort, Second Tudor Matriarch
- King Henry VII
- Arthur Tudor
- King Henry VIII
- Margaret Tudor, Sister of Henry VIII
- Mary Tudor, Queen of France
- The Birth of the Church of England
- King Henry VIII: Wives Two and Three
- King Henry VIII: The Last Three Wives
- King Edward VI
- The Nine Days’ Queen, Jane Grey
- Elizabeth Tudor
- Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
- And much more!
Some of the topics covered in part 2 of this book include:
- A Short History of the House of Plantagenet
- Civil War in France
- England’s Loss and a King’s Illness
- Treason by the Duke of York
- The Battle of Northampton
- Margaret’s Army
- Mortimer’s Cross and the Battle of Towton
- York Takes the Throne
- The King in the Tower
- The Kingmaker Repents
- The Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury
- The Death of a King
- The Final Plantagenet Kings
- Richard III and the Princes in the Tower
- The Battle of Bosworth
- The Foundation of the Tudor Dynasty
- Attempts on the Tudor Throne
- The Sainthood and Cult of King Henry VI
- The Legacy of the Wars of the Roses
- And much, much more!
Some of the topics covered in part 3 of this book include:
- Henry Tudor
- Catherine of Aragon
- Mistress Elizabeth Blount
- Mistress Mary Boleyn
- Anne Boleyn
- Anne of Cleves
- Mistress Mary Shelton
- The Wooing of Jane Seymour
- Catherine Howard
- The Culpeper Affair
- Katherine Parr
- More Theories on Henry Tudor’s Fertility
- The Illegitimate Children of Henry VIII
- And much more!
Some of the topics covered in part 4 of this book include:
- The Birth of a Future Queen
- From Princess to Lady
- Elizabeth and the Royal Stepmothers
- The Teenaged Princess
- A Flurry of Successions
- Queen Elizabeth I
- Sir Francis Drake and the Elizabethan Settlements
- Mary, Queen of Scots and War with Spain
- Arts and Culture in Elizabethan England
- The End of the Tudor Dynasty
- And much, much more!
So if you want to learn more about Tudor history, click the “add to cart” button!
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Uncivil War: The British Army and the Troubles, 1966–1975 (Cambridge Military Histories)
When Operation Banner was launched in 1969 civil war threatened to break out in Northern Ireland and spread over the Irish Sea. Uncivil War reveals the full story of how the British army acted to save Great Britain from disaster during the most violent phase of the Troubles but, in so doing, condemned the people of Northern Ireland to protracted, grinding conflict. Huw Bennett shows how the army’s ambivalent response to loyalist violence undermined the prospects for peace and heightened Catholic distrust in the state. British strategy consistently underestimated community defence as a reason for people joining or supporting the IRA whilst senior commanders allowed the army to turn in on itself, hardening soldiers to the suffering of ordinary people. By 1975 military strategists considered the conflict unresolvable: the army could not convince Catholics or Protestants that it was there to protect them and settled instead for an unending war.Read more
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United Counties Buses: A Fleet History, 1921-2014
United Counties Buses – A Fleet History begins by taking a brief look at the expansion of the United Counties Omnibus Company since its formation in September 1921 through to its demise in October 2014. The company acquired over fifty independent operators between 1922 and 1938 giving the company prominence in Northamptonshire and surrounding areas. May 1952 saw the fleet double in size with the acquisition of the Midland area of the Eastern National Omnibus Company, encompassing Bedfordshire, north Buckinghamshire and north Hertfordshire. The National Bus Company split United Counties into three operating companies in 1986, United Counties, Luton & District and MK Citybus, halving the size of the fleet. After being acquired by the Stagecoach Group in 1987, the company was largely left untouched. The main focus of the book looks at the vehicles operated by the company, covering the numerous types operated by United Counties themselves. The various liveries, both fleet and advertising liveries are also listed with in the book.Read more
£14.20£28.50United Counties Buses: A Fleet History, 1921-2014
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Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan
Afghanistan was an unwinnable war. As British and American troops withdraw, discover this definitive account that explains why.
It could have been a very different story. British forces could have successfully withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2002, having done the job they set out to do: to defeat al-Qaeda. Instead, in the years that followed, Britain paid a devastating price for their presence in Helmand province.
So why did Britain enter, and remain, in an ill-fated war? Why did it fail so dramatically, and was this expedition doomed from the beginning? Drawing on unprecedented access to military reports, government documents and senior individuals, Professor Theo Farrell provides an extraordinary work of scholarship. He explains the origins of the war, details the campaigns over the subsequent years, and examines the West’s failure to understand the dynamics of local conflict and learn the lessons of history that ultimately led to devastating costs and repercussions still relevant today.
‘The best book so far on Britain’s…war in Afghanistan’ International Affairs
‘Masterful, irrefutable… Farrell records all these military encounters with the irresistible pace of a novelist’ Sunday Times
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£9.60£10.40Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan
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Victorian Christmas: Vintage Ephemera Vol.10 (Vintage Victorian Ephemera Collection)
“Victorian Christmas” is an enchanting experience taking you to a world of elegance to inspire your creativity and infuse your celebrations with the beauty and nostalgia of Christmas seen through the lens of the Victorian era. This book is a world of intricately designed tags, delicate cutouts, and exquisite cards that capture the essence of Christmas in the Victorian era. With “Victorian Christmas” in your hands, you’ll have access to a selection of vintage-inspired designs that will take your crafting projects to the next level.Imagine the joy of receiving a handcrafted Christmas card adorned with delicate lace patterns and ornate borders. Picture the beauty of decorating your holiday gifts with carefully crafted tags that evoke memories of a bygone era. With “Victorian Christmas” these visions become a reality.
Not only will this book enhance your creativity, but it will also transport you to a world where handwritten letters, attention to detail, and heartfelt expressions of love and joy were cherished. Let the pages of this book inspire you to create personalized gifts and decorations that are truly unique and evoke the romance and splendor of the Victorian Christmas season.
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Victorian Farm
No electricity, no gas, no flushing toilet … and no tractor! Could you survive a year on a Victorian farm? In this fascinating time-travelling experiment Lion Television, with the BBC, follow a team of historians who will spend a year recreating farm life in 1885. Accompanying the series, this book follows the team as they try to run a farm using only materials and resources that would have been available to them in the Victorian era.This was a crucial period in the history of Britain – rapid industrialization had radically changed life in the cites but rural communities used a mixture of centuries-old and pioneering modern practices. Packed with informative text and photographs from the farm year, this book reveals exactly what the Victorians, ate, wore, how they managed their animals, farmed the land and organised their lives. In-depth features describe revolutionary advances in more detail, including new inventions, new breeding methods and advances in agricultural science. Practical projects allow you to join the historians in rediscovering Victorian crafts, cookery and homecare.
Providing a real insight into life on a Victorian farm, this series is also a fascinating reminder of how history comes full circle. The organic diet of 1885, use of natural products for cleaning and healthcare and interests in crafts and gardening are of increasing relevance today as we look for a more responsible way of living over 120 years later.
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£3.60Victorian Farm
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Victorian London Scenes: Journey Through The Charming Victorian Of London Coloring Book For Adults
Immerse yourself in the charm and elegance of a bygone era with “Victorian London Scenes : Journey Through The Charming Victorian Of London Coloring Book For Adults,” an exquisitely crafted coloring book that transports you back to the enchanting world of 19th-century England. Step into the bustling streets of Victorian London and experience the rich history, architectural marvels, and bustling life of this iconic city.Each illustration takes you on a journey through time, showcasing iconic landmarks, bustling London Street, serene town, and the Victorian life. As you bring these scenes to life with your artistic touch, you’ll find yourself strolling along cobblestone streets lined with elegant townhouses, ornate lampposts, and majestic cathedrals. Immerse yourself in the vibrant energy of the city, as horse-drawn carriages pass by, and finely dressed ladies and gentlemen promenade through the city.
Whether you’re seeking relaxation, a trip through history, or a unique way to explore Victorian London, this coloring book will be your perfect companion. Allow your creativity to flourish and your imagination to wander as you embark on this delightful coloring journey through the enchanting streets of Victorian London. So, pick up your favorite coloring tools and immerse yourself in the romance and elegance of this extraordinary era. Let the enchanting world of “Victorian London Scenes” unfold before your eyes!
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Wales in World War 2: Wales in World War II
The most comprehensive study to date of Wales’ role in the British response to World War II, and the impact of the war on Wales itself. Wales was vital to the war effort, from military training to public entertainment, from hosting several of Britain’s most secretive weapons programs to housing 110,000 child evacuees, from the war economy to food security. The devastating 1940 blitz in the cities of the south is well known, but the book covers every region comprehensively. Politicians, civil servants and civilian volunteers; miners, steelworkers, farmers, factory workers and entertainers; local children, host families and evacuees; new recruits, soldiers, prisoners of war and pacifists – the book looks at the experience of every part of the population present in Wales during the war. Long-standing tensions between the Welsh people and the English authorities meant for a sometimes strained relationship, affecting the role of film, radio and the arts in propaganda directed to audiences in the home. The book also looks at the legacy of the conflict on Wales after the war.A well-researched, well-written account and analysis drawing on a wide range of sources. It provides international context but also the experiences of regions, communities and individuals. A major advance in writing on this still rather neglected topic. – Dr Neil Evans, Honorary Research Fellow, Bangor University
World War II was a defining moment in the history and the lives of many Welsh people. Yet it has been relatively neglected by historians of Wales. This book sets out to correct that omission with a well-researched account of a war that changed the very course of the history of the nation. – Professor Martin Johnes, Dept of History, Heritage and Classics, Swansea University
Comprehensively researched, with an eloquent yet easy-to-read narrative, this book is highly recommended for anyone wishing to learn about a neglected piece of twentieth-century history: the experiences of World War 2 in Wales. – Kate Sullivan, Project Coordinator, ‘People’s Voices in a People’s War: Aberystwyth, 1938-1945
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£13.50£14.20Wales in World War 2: Wales in World War II
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Wars of the Roses: A History From Beginning to End (Medieval History)
Wars of the Roses
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The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars in England fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and 1485. Over a thirty-year period, England had five rulers, three of whom were killed or executed. Power changed hands on even more occasions as an ineffective king, Henry VI, was subject to mental breakdowns and protectors of the realm were regularly appointed to rule during these episodes, thereby disaffecting Henry’s ambitious queen, Margaret of Anjou. Though the battles fought were limited in scope, one of these, the Battle of Towton, is considered the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. The nearby river was described as running red with the blood of some 38,000 soldiers who lost their lives that day.
Inside you will read about…
✓ Prelude to War: A House Divided
✓ A Mad Monarch and His Quarrelsome Relatives
✓ The Ultimate Family Feud
✓ The Final Battle
✓ The Tudor Dynasty
And much more!By the end of the Wars, a new dynasty—the Tudor Dynasty—was born, the powers of the nobility were significantly diminished, and the system of feudalism was all but eradicated. The monarchy was strengthened, and the royal line of succession was secured for the Tudor line. As family feuds go, the Wars of the Roses were historically significant in changing the trajectory of power in England. This book tells the compelling story of this tumultuous period in English history in succinct, yet informative detail that is both educational and entertaining.
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Wars of the Roses: The People, Places and Battlefields of the Yorkists and Lancastrians
The Wars of the Roses, which saw England and Wales ravaged by warfare for three decades and dynasties rise and fall, decimated the nobility of an entire generation, and saw the rise of the merchant class, the decline of medieval feudalism and opened the country to the enlightened ideals of the Renaissance. Such has been its lasting effects the red and white rose of the Tudors is still a national symbol. This book is an exploration of the buildings, monuments, towns and battlefields of that turbulent era across both England and Wales – places that can still be visited and experienced today. The stories of the great battles of St Albans, Stoke Field, Wakefield, Townton, Barnet, Tewksbury and, of course, Bosworth, are told along with beautiful photographs to help guide the reader round these important sites, as well as the dozens of smaller engagements where the supporters of the Houses of York and Lancaster fought and died. Here are castles and manor houses galore, all of which played their part in this protracted struggle for the throne of England, such as Richard of York’s imposing powerbase of Lulow Castle and the magnificent Tudor stronghold of Bamburg. These are compared with the scant remains of Fotheringhay Castle, the birthplace of Richard III – the man whose remains were so dramatically uncovered in Leicester – and Micklegate Bar, York, was where Richard’s head was placed on a spike. We see the Clocktower of St Albans and ‘Gabriel’ the bell that was rung in 1455 alerting of the Yorkist advance, as well as the Tower of London where Henry VI met his death and the possible burial place of the two princes. These, and scores of other places, monuments, plaques, buildings and battlegrounds, represent not only a journey across England and Wales, but a journey back in time to the bloody conflict that was the War of the Roses.Read more
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Who Beat the All Blacks?: The story behind the most famous club victory in Welsh rugby history
A new edition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest rugby moments ever. Against all expectations, on 31 October 1972 Carwyn James Llanelli beat New Zealand 9-3. The day’s events are recalled by those who were there. First edition shortlisted for 2013 British Sports Book Awards.Read more
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Zulu
Saul David’s Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 is a fascinating look at the most controversial and brutal British imperial conflict of the nineteenth century.
The real story of the Anglo-Zulu war was one of deception, dishonour, incompetence and dereliction of duty by Lord Chelmsford who invaded Zululand without the knowledge of the British Government. But it did not go to plan and there were many political repercussions. Using new material from archives in Britain and South Africa, Saul David blows the lid on this most sordid of imperial wars and comes to a number of startling new conclusions.
‘Saul David’s brilliant and magisterial account must now be regarded as the definitive history of the Zulu War’ Frank McLynn, Literary Review
‘This meticulously detailed book…give[s] a fully rounded and judicious account of this dismal conflict Guardian
‘Fascinating, thrilling, convincing… reads like a novel’ Economist
Saul David is Professor of War Studies at the University of Buckingham and the author of several critically acclaimed history books, including The Indian Mutiny: 1857 (shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone’s Military History Book of the Year) and, most recently, Victoria’s Wars: The Rise of Empire.
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£5.40£12.30Zulu
£5.40£12.30
