Dundee Asylum has been in place for nearly 200 years and this fascinating account of its history and patients is a well researched description of asylum life over they years. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Charles Duff’s 1928 study of state sanctioned-killing, botched executions and the relative merits and demerits of decapitation. ‘A Handbook on Hanging’ is an anti-capital punishment polemic in the honourably ironic tradition of Jonathan Swift and Stephen Leacock. Duff updated his ‘Handbook’ in 1938, 1948 and in 1961, but this version is the original 1928 edition. Charles Duff (Enniskillen, N.I., 1894-1966) a talented linguist and travel writer, served in the Briti...

A Memoir of Robert Blincoe' published in 1828 was influential in improving the working conditions of children in factories. It is also believed that Charles Dickens based his character Oliver Twist on Robert Blincoe. This book contains the original full 1828 text of the memoir by John Brown and historical notes by the author, Stuart Courtman. The historical notes explore the influences that led to the development of mechanised cotton production and discuss the political and economic changes t...

A fascinating look—first published in 1894—at two philanthropists known as the "Prisoner's Friends" and the early history of prison reform.Prisons in England were once dark, inhumane places lacking any regulations. The facilities were poorly managed and unsanitary, and prisoners were treated like animals. One man and one woman, the "Prisoner's Friends," sought to change that.Through Prison Bars is an in-depth account of John Howard and Elizabeth Fry...

'It is a salutary thing to look back at some of the reforms which have long been an accepted part of our life, and to examine the opposition, usually bitter and often bizarre, sometimes dishonest but all too often honest, which had to be countered by the restless advocates of 'grandmotherly' legislation...'Contemporary readers of a progressive bent may like to think it elementary that certain inhumane practices in which Britons indulged pre-1800 came to be abolished. But as...

The first volume of the Nobel Prize-winning Prime Minister's biography of his father, the fiery Conservative Party leader of late Victorian Britain.In 1906, Sir Winston Churchill produced a two-volume biography of his father Lord Randolph Churchill, the 19th century Member of Parliament whose political career ended in scandal. This first volume deals with early events in Randolph's life, including his upbringing, his education, and his election to the House of Comm...

In "A Tale of One City: the New Birmingham," Thomas Anderton embarks on a profound exploration of contemporary Birmingham, articulating its transformation through vivid storytelling and sharp social commentary. The book employs a blend of narrative styles, interweaving personal anecdotes with historical analysis to unveil the intricate tapestry of urban life shaped by globalization and socio-economic shifts. Engagingly written, it stands as a critical reflection of post-industrial cities, ...

Under the headings of 'Narrative of Law and Crime' and 'Narrative of Accident and Disaster' may be found an astonishing catalogue of terrible, grisly and most dreadful Victorian events. Fires and railway disasters abound; shipwrecks, floods and 'horrible affairs' leap from every page. Some of the crimes would surprise even the most ardent fan of crime fiction - it is doubtful that so many cases of such shocking violence and awful ingenuity have been collected together in o...