The book that all archaeology buffs have secretly been yearning for! This unique blend of text, anecdote and cartoon reveals, and revels in, those aspects of the past that have been ignored, glossed over or even suppressed — the bawdy, the scatological and the downright bizarre. Our ancestors were not always serious, downtrodden and fearful creatures. They were human like ourselves and shared our earthy sense of humour that is based on bodily functions, bawdiness and slaps...

What would you like your last words to be? For some people, the last thing they ever say turns out to be their most memorable line, while for others, their last utterance is disappointingly (often hilariously) mundane. This book takes a look at the final quotes from famous figures, as well as the stories behind them – poignant, funny, modest, deluded or philosophical, planned or unplanned. Exclusive cartoons from the pen of Bill Tidy provide the last word on deathbed humour. ‘Life is what ...

Miriam Margolyes leads a comedy spoof version of John Galsworthy's classic 'The Forsyte Saga' novelsFollow the uproarious antics of the Edwardian Fosdyke family as they work their way out of the mining pits of Lancashire to become rulers of a global tripe empire. An empire that the villainous Roger Ditchely will stop at nothing to try and bring down...A classic tale of struggle, power, personalities, and offal.Based on Bill Tidy's hugely popular Dai...

Almost as breathtaking as the treasures from Sutton Hoo, 14 archive episodes of the long-running topical Radio 4 panel show, chaired by Barry Took, Bill Tidy, Simon Hoggart and Sandi Toksvig.Now on display for the first time, these valuable editions can be dated to between 1980 and 2012 and tell us much about the headline-grabbing issues, incidents and individuals of yesteryear.Joining regular panellists Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams,...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A book in the best tradition of popular history—the untold story of Ireland's role in maintaining Western culture while the Dark Ages settled on Europe. • The perfect St. Patrick's Day gift!Every year millions of Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but they may not be aware of how great an influence St. Patrick was on the subsequent history of civilization. Not only did he bring Christianity to Ireland, he instilled a sense of literacy and ...

What do the rich and famous really get up to behind closed doors? When does sexual passion become sordid perversion? Who are history's most shocking deviants and what are their sex secrets? The pages of this book reveal 45 shocking, scandalous - and often disturbing - stories of promiscuity and sexual perversion throughout the ages. Uncovered here are the orgies of Cleopatra and the incest of the Romans; the darkest fantasies of Michelangelo and the gross indecencies of the Marquis de Sade...

This is Patrick Leigh Fermor's spellbinding part-travelogue, part inspired evocation of a part of Greece's past. Joining him in the Mani, one of Europe's wildest and most isolated regions, cut off from the rest of Greece by the towering Taygettus mountain range and hemmed in by the Aegean and Ionian seas, we discover a rocky central prong of the Peleponnese at the southernmost point in Europe.Bad communications only heightening the remoteness, this Greece - south of ancient Sparta ...

With the Emperor himself in danger, can spy Claudia uncover the truth?The gripping first novel of political intrigue in Paul Doherty's series set in Ancient Rome, featuring the imperial spy Claudia. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Davis and Steven Saylor.313AD. Under the rule of Emperor Constantine, Rome finally appears to be emerging from its turbulent past. In order to consolidate his control and under the guidance of his mother Helena, Const...

Patrick Leigh Fermor's Mani compellingly revealed a hidden world of Southern Greece and its past. Its northern counterpart takes the reader among Sarakatsan shepherds, the monasteries of Meteora and the villages of Krakora, among itinerant pedlars and beggars, and even tracks down at Missolonghi a pair of Byron's slippers.Roumeli is not on modern maps: it is the ancient name for the lands from the Bosphorus to the Adriatic and from Macedonia to the Gulf of Corinth. But it ...

The slightest mistake could cost her life...In the summer of 314AD, dark figures lurking in the twilight of Roman society are on the prowl, and Rome is shocked by a series of gruesome murders in Paul Doherty's third novel featuring imperial secret agent Claudia. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Davis and Steven Saylor.'The master of historical whodunit' - BooklistRome: August 314AD, and as the sun's insidious heat beats down, mu...

The History of Torture tells the complete story of torture, from its earliest uses right up to the present day. The book explains the tools and techniques of torture, from the first use of the rack in Ancient Greece to the use of modern drugs to elicit confessions. The book also details the fight against torture through the work of international campaigners such as Amnesty International. A subject which – in moral terms at least – permits no shades of grey is dealt with in an objective and...

Whether you're planning your first seige, building a fortress or just looking for a way to escape the peasants below, 'Castles: A Very Peculiar History' is full of tips, tricks and horror stories from the castle-building trade. We can't all match up to the combined beauty and danger of the Tower of London, but in this title you'll learn who developed the world's first flat-pack castle, the difference between donjeons and dungeons (it's important, trust us) and even the best time of year fo...