History

The invention of the aeroplane was the dawn of a new way of travelling. Its potential was quickly realised, and aircraft were developed (read more)

The invention of the aeroplane was the dawn of a new way of travelling. Its potential was quickly realised, and aircraft were developed to carry first mail and then passengers, over distances that would have previously taken many hours or even days. Successive aircraft changed how we experience flight and how far we could go, introducing new standards of on-board service. (hide)

The saga of human civilization has been formed and scarred by conflict. At eachstage of our history there have been defining episodes (read more)

The saga of human civilization has been formed and scarred by conflict. At eachstage of our history there have been defining episodes of violence, sometimeslong and simmering, at other times sudden and cataclysmic. And each stage has produced new forms of weaponry.

Some of these weapons of war have been decisive, such as the terrifying war elephants deployed by Hannibal at the battle of Cannae in 216 B.C. Others have become iconic in our culture. Chief among these is the AK-47-symbol of communism, and now of terrorism, and the most widely found fiream in the world.
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It was Winston Churchill who, in his speech at Fulton, Missouri, advocated a 'special relationship between the British Commonwealth...and (read more)

It was Winston Churchill who, in his speech at Fulton, Missouri, advocated a 'special relationship between the British Commonwealth...and the United States...the continuance of intimate relationships between our military advisers, leading to the common study of potential dangers'.Through the eyes of Churchill, Roosevelt and their successors, Robin Renwick traces the development of the Anglo-American relationship since the desperate summer of 1940, and the part it played in the shaping of the post-war world.

Published on 01/11/2016 (hide)

April 1945. The mutilated bodies of Mussolini and his mistress hang by their heels in Milan while a hostile crowd whistles and jeers. (read more)

April 1945. The mutilated bodies of Mussolini and his mistress hang by their heels in Milan while a hostile crowd whistles and jeers. Desperate to avoid the same fate, Adolf Hitler leaves orders for his own body to be burned after his death.

With the Russian Army closing in on Berlin and his world crashing in to flames, Germany's doomed leader would never allow his enemies the satisfaction of desecrating his corpse. This is the story of an immensely exciting few days, but it is also a snapshot of the whole world at the end of an extraordinary week. Nicholas Best tells a compelling tale of the men and women from all around the world who experienced the final chaotic days of World War II.****Arrives 20 March 2012**** (hide)

Pub Date:24/09/2015 - Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, dominated the 18th century in the same way that Napoleon dominated the (read more)

Pub Date:24/09/2015 - Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, dominated the 18th century in the same way that Napoleon dominated the start of the 19th - a force of nature, a caustic, ruthless, brilliant military commander, a monarch of exceptional energy and talent, and a knowledgeable patron of artists, architects and writers, most famously Voltaire. From early in his reign he was already a legendary figure - fascinating even to those who hated him. Tim Blanning's brilliant new biography recreates a remarkable era, a world which would be swept away shortly after Frederick's death by the French Revolution.

Equally at home on the battlefield or in the music room at Frederick's extraordinary miniature palace of Sanssouci, Blanning draws on a lifetime's obsession with the 18th century to create a work that is in many ways the summation of all that he has learned in his own rich and various career. Frederick's spectre has hung over Germany ever since: an inspiration, a threat, an impossible ideal - Blanning at last allows us to understand him in his own time. (hide)

The fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 has become the commemorative symbol of the French Revolution. But this violent and random (read more)

The fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 has become the commemorative symbol of the French Revolution. But this violent and random act was unrepresentative of the real work of the early revolution, which was taking place ten miles west of Paris, in Versailles. There, the nobles, clergy and commoners of France had just declared themselves a republic, toppling a rotten system of aristocratic privilege and altering the course of history forever.

The Revolution was led not by angry mobs, but by the best and brightest of France's growing bourgeoisie: young, educated, ambitious. Their aim was not to destroy, but to build a better state. In just three months they drew up a Declaration of the Rights of Man, which was to become the archetype of all subsequent Declarations worldwide, and they instituted a system of locally elected administration for France which still survives today. (hide)

Two childhood companions, now matriarchs of two opposing powers, calmly set their menfolk aside and declare that they, as women, (read more)

Two childhood companions, now matriarchs of two opposing powers, calmly set their menfolk aside and declare that they, as women, are better equipped to organise a peace between their warring nations. An ambitious young woman, debarred by her sex from ascending the throne, nonetheless rules her country and turns her court into an academy where girls are taught how to rule. A mother tells her daughter to face death rather than give up the sceptre that is her right to wield...As religion divided sixteenth-century Europe, an extraordinary group of women - queens, consorts and thinkers - rose to power.

Despite finding themselves on opposing sides of power struggles both armed and otherwise, through their family ties and patronage they educated and supported each other in a brutal world where the price of failure was disgrace, exile or even death. Theirs was a unique culture of feminine power that saw them run the continent for decades. And yet, as the sixteenth century waned and the Reformation left faultlines across the continent, the Virgin Queen of England was virtually alone as ruler - a queen surrounded by kings once more. (hide)

Gender in Medieval Culture provides a detailed examination of medieval society's views on both gender and sexuality, and shows how (read more)

Gender in Medieval Culture provides a detailed examination of medieval society's views on both gender and sexuality, and shows how they are inextricably linked. Sex roles were clearly defined in the medieval world although there were exceptions to the rules, and this book examines both the commonplace world view and the exceptions to it. The volume looks not only at the social and economic considerations of gender but also the religious and legal implications, arguing that both ecclesiastical and secular laws governed behaviour.

The book covers key topics, including femininity and masculinity and how medieval society constructed these terms; sexuality and sex; transgressive sexualities such as homosexuality, adultery and chastity; and the gendered body of Christ, including the idea of Jesus as mother and affective spirituality. Using a clear chapter structure for easy navigation and categorisation, as well as a glossary of terms, the book will be a vital resource for students of medieval history. (hide)

Pub Date:28/02/2015 - The phrase 'German Secret Weapons' immediately conjures up images of the V-1 and V-2 missiles which bombarded (read more)

Pub Date:28/02/2015 - The phrase 'German Secret Weapons' immediately conjures up images of the V-1 and V-2 missiles which bombarded London in 1944. But what of the V-3 and V-4? What of Schmetterling, the Rochling shell, the Kurt bomb, the Hs293? These, and many other devices, were all part of the German secret armoury but are relatively unknown except to a handful of specialists. What of the German nuclear bomb? And the question of chemical warfare? The sheer magnitude of the secret weapon projects of the Third Reich is revealed in this comprehensive study written by one of the world's great experts on weaponry.

The book explores the various fields in which the Germans concentrated their weapon development and discusses the multiplicity of ideas, the difficulties, and, in several cases, how these ideas were subsequently exploited by the victors. Although much of the German wartime development was not completed before the war's end, it nevertheless provided a foundation for a great deal of the munitions development which has since taken place. Comparisons with Allied projects are also drawn. (hide)

'Portolan charts', so called from the Italian adjective portolano, meaning 'related to ports or harbours', were born during the 12th (read more)

'Portolan charts', so called from the Italian adjective portolano, meaning 'related to ports or harbours', were born during the 12th century in the maritime community. These charts, drawn on parchment and crisscrossed with lines referring to the compass directions, indicated the succession of ports and anchorages along the shores, and were used by European sailors exploring the world up until the 18th century. Not only used as navigational instruments on boats, they were also produced for wealthy sponsors in the form of illuminated images of the world, to illustrate the economic and political interests of the major European sea powers.

This book takes stock of the state of knowledge on these maps, bringing together contributions from a dozen European specialists, who trace the history and diversity of styles and places of production of these charts. This type of mapping is approached from three angles. The first part, 'The Mediterranean', refers to the manufacture and use of the first charts, centered on the Mediterranean, and the persistence of this tradition in the Mediterranean basin until the 18th century. (hide)