History

The definitive history of Leeds United's first century. 100 Years of Leeds United tells the story of a one-club city and its unique (read more)

The definitive history of Leeds United's first century.

100 Years of Leeds United tells the story of a one-club city and its unique relationship with its football team. Since its foundation in 1919, Leeds United Football Club has seen more ups and downs than most, rising to global fame through an inimitable and uncompromising style in the 70s, clinching the last Division One title prior to the Premier League's inauguration in 1992, before a spectacular fall from grace at the start of the 21st century. United finally restored their top flight status after a sixteen-year wait with an unstoppable promotion campaign in the club's 100th year; the transformation under manager Marcelo Bielsa fittingly reminiscent of those instigated by Howard Wilkinson and Don Revie decades earlier. (hide)

1520 explores the characters of two larger-than-life kings, whose rivalry and love-hate relations added a feisty edge to European (read more)

1520 explores the characters of two larger-than-life kings, whose rivalry and love-hate relations added a feisty edge to European relations in the early sixteenth century. What propelled them to meet, and how did each vie to outdo the other in feats of strength and yards of gold cloth? Everyone who was anyone in 1520 was there. But why was the flower of England's nobility transported across the Channel, and how were they catered for? What did this temporary, fairy-tale village erected in a French field look like, feel like and smell like?This book explores not only the political dimension of their meeting and the difficult triangle they established with Emperor Charles V, but also the material culture behind the scenes.

Published:15 Jul 2020 (hide)

Medieval Europe is a dark and dangerous place. In 1054 the Church tears itself in two, setting the scene for nearly 500 years of (read more)

Medieval Europe is a dark and dangerous place. In 1054 the Church tears itself in two, setting the scene for nearly 500 years of turmoil. Empires will collide and dynasties will rise and fall; marriages will be made and alliances broken.

It is a place where love clashes with ambition and violence rules - enemies are blinded, rivals are murdered and heretics are burnt at the stake. As the Black Death sweeps the continent and the Mongol hordes threaten its borders, can the kings of the old world survive the dawn of a new era? (hide)

Pub Date:28/02/2015 - In WW2 information leaflets and posters proliferated. Soldiers were bombarded with Field Regulations, airmen (read more)

Pub Date:28/02/2015 - In WW2 information leaflets and posters proliferated. Soldiers were bombarded with Field Regulations, airmen with the latest updates about airborne early warning, bomb sights and radio navigation and sailors with material that helped them identify enemy aircraft and submarines and told them how to operate the new ship board weapons to destroy them. An abundance of familiar slogans exhorted the population to do the utmost: 'Go To IT!', 'Come Into The Factories', 'Keep Calm and Carry On', 'Dig For Victory', 'Lend A Hand on the Land', 'Walk When You Can'.

Other messages warned of the consequences of irresponsible behaviour: 'Careless Talk Cost Lives', 'Loose Lips Sink Ships', 'Keep It Under Your Hat' and 'Be Like Dad, Keep Mum', the latter illustrating just how much social mores have, thankfully, changed in the last 75 years. This book is concerned with the plethora of printed ephemera that was designed to educate, instruct, inform and entertain. Such original material can still be bought and is easy to store - the posters also often making attractive items for display - but as with all other authentic historical material supply is finite and examples of wartime publications in first class condition command a high price. (hide)

In this introductory guide, Knud Jespersen traces the process of disintegration and reduction that helped to form the modern Danish (read more)

In this introductory guide, Knud Jespersen traces the process of disintegration and reduction that helped to form the modern Danish state, and the historical roots of Denmark's international position. Beginning with the Reformation in the sixteenth century, Jespersen explains how the Denmark of today was shaped by wars, territorial losses, domestic upheavals, new methods of production, and changes in thought. Focusing on the interplay between history, politics and economics, this illuminating text offers an insider's view of Danish identity formation over the last centuries.

Published:24 Jul 2018 (hide)

'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.' - Samuel Johnson It is the people who make London what it (read more)

'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.' - Samuel Johnson It is the people who make London what it is. The men and women living within its walls, with all their successes and failures, their loves and lies, their dramas and indulgences. Taking us from the sixteenth century to the present day, London author David Long introduces us to fifty of the most eccentric, revolutionary, bloodthirsty and memorable characters to have walked London's streets.

Many are familiar names, but others remain largely unknown. From a house lived in by both Handel and Hendrix to Queen Victoria's rat catcher, an emperor in exile and real-life tales of derring-do, A History of London in 50 Lives is a unique take on the English capital and on some of the more remarkable characters who have called it home. (hide)

Once we've learned it as children few of us think much of the alphabet and its familiar sing-song order. And yet the order if the (read more)

Once we've learned it as children few of us think much of the alphabet and its familiar sing-song order. And yet the order if the alphabet, that simple knowledge that we take for granted, plays a major role in our adult lives. From the school register to the telephone book, from dictionaries and encyclopaedias to library shelves, our lives are ordered from A to Z.

Long before Google searches, this magical system of organisation gave us the ability to sift through centuries of thought, knowledge and literature, allowing us to sort, to file, and to find the information we have, and to locate the information we need. In A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, acclaimed historian Judith Flanders draws our attention to both the neglected ubiquity of the alphabet and the long, complex history of its rise to prominence. For, while the order of the alphabet itself became fixed very soon after letters were first invented, their ability to sort and store and organize proved far less obvious. (hide)

From the invaders of the dark ages to the aftermath of the coalition, one of Britain's most respected journalists, Simon Jenkins, (read more)

From the invaders of the dark ages to the aftermath of the coalition, one of Britain's most respected journalists, Simon Jenkins, weaves together a strong narrative with all the most important and interesting dates in a book that characteristically is as stylish as it is authoritative. A Short History of England sheds light on all the key individuals and events, bringing them together in an enlightening and engaging account of the country's birth, rise to global prominence and then partial eclipse. (hide)

The First World War was a watershed in world history. Tragic but far from futile, its origins, events and legacy have roused impassioned (read more)

The First World War was a watershed in world history. Tragic but far from futile, its origins, events and legacy have roused impassioned debate, creating multiple interpretations and confusion for those encountering the period for the first time. Synthesising the latest scholarship, acclaimed historian Gary Sheffield cuts to the heart of the conflict.

He explores such key issues as: - the causes of war- the great battles on land, sea and in the air- the search for the peace and peace settlements- the political, social and economic consequences- the impact of 'total war' on the belligerents and the individual- and the place of the Great War in the history of warfare Accessible and authoritative, this is the ultimate introduction for anyone wanting a clear understanding of what happened and why. (hide)

A Short History of the World in 50 Animals provides a new perspective on the grand sweep of our planet's making, taking readers from (read more)

A Short History of the World in 50 Animals provides a new perspective on the grand sweep of our planet's making, taking readers from the time of the dinosaurs to the time of Dolly, the first cloned mammal. This book will include a great variety of beasts from across the animal kingdom, some well known and others far more surprising, from every continent in the world. Each entry will show the creature's influence on world development, economy, health, culture, religion and society. (hide)