"Lost Sir Massingberd: A Romance of Real Life Vol. II" by James Payn is a gripping Victorian novel that plunges readers into a world of mystery, intrigue, and family secrets. Set against the backdrop of rural England, Payn's masterful storytelling transports readers to a realm where the past and present collide, and the sins of previous generations cast a long shadow over the lives of the present. At its core, "Lost Sir Massingberd" is a character-driven narrative that follows the fortunes...

Art appreciation made accessible, relevant and entertaining; writer, curator, and YouTube sensation James Payne demystifies great works of art."James Payne's YouTube Channel "Great Art Explained" gained a huge and appreciative worldwide audience. This beautifully put-together book is simply the best introduction to the lifelong pleasure and rewards of looking at pictures since Gombrich. An instant classic." — Stephen FryBased on the popular and enormously s...

Setting - Mirk Abbey: The novel is centered around Mirk Abbey, an ancient and atmospheric location that plays a central role in the story. The abbey is depicted with a sense of historical depth and intrigue, contributing to the novel’s gothic atmosphere.Characters: The novel features a range of characters, including the abbey’s residents and visitors. The interactions between these characters drive the plot, revealing various aspects of their personalities and motivations.Mystery and Drama...

This book covers research completed between 1981 and May 1985 and includes: reviews of recent studies, sitings and investigations at spills-of-opportunity as well as results of recent arctic and sub-Arctic oil weathering experiments and observations on the behavior of crude oil in the presence of ice. Topics covered include the following: laboratory studies of formation and stability of water-in-oil emulsions; selected case histories of the more detailed chemistry studies of mousse behavio...

From the mid 1700s in Edinburgh until today The Clock winds its way through time and tides. Through the centuries it stands, a sentinel in many a home, some grand, some not so grand. Always it stands and keeps time for the owner. It keeps watch in more ways than one. Some owners are proud of the clock and keep it front and center, while others are ambivalent towards it and hardly notice its presence. Still it ticks and tocks its way through the ocean of time that two centuries ava...

Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volumes 1-4, Second Edition is a pioneering four volume encyclopedia compiled by an international team of forensic specialists who explore the relationship between law, medicine, and science in the study of forensics.This important work includes over three hundred state-of-the-art chapters, with articles covering crime-solving techniques such as autopsies, ballistics, fingerprinting, hair and fiber analysis, and the sophisticate...

Picture a tranquil English village, with an inn on the green. A lone patron enjoys his wine and teasing the landlord's pretty daughter, when suddenly they are rudely interrupted by a local aristocrat and his two henchmen. These same three reappear the following day to disrupt the May Day celebrations.Suddenly, a group of men in Lincoln green appear to save the day. But who are they? This is a different take on the tale of Robin Hood, placing him in the time of Henry III, rather than the mo...

G.P.R. James was a historian and novelist, who took well-documented historical events and characters and wove stories around minor or imaginary actors in the events. In this work, set in seventeenth century France, we follow the adventures of young Louis, heir to the Count of Bigorre, after an encounter with the vindictive Marquis de Saint Brie forces him into exile. The tale wends its way inexorably towards the Battle of Marfee in the 30 years War and the death of the Count of Soissons in...

The Hundred Years' War: a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the House of Valois, rulers of the Kingdom of France, over the succession to the French throne. It was a time of intrigue, plot, murder and romance. Agnes Sorel, aged 20, became the favorite mistress of the King of France, wielding much influence over him and earning many enemies. Her untimely death at the age of 28, just days after bearing him a four...

Merry England!--Oh, merry England! What a difference has there always been between thee and every other land! What a cheerfulness there seems to hang about thy very name! What yeoman-like hilarity is there in all the thoughts of the past! What a spirit of sylvan cheer and rustic hardihood in all the tales of thy old times! When England was altogether an agricultural land--when a rude plough produced an abundant harvest, and a thin, but hardy and generous peasantry, devoted themselves total...

One of the finest characters in the world was the old English merchant. We may and have improved upon many things, but not upon that. A different spirit reigns in commerce from that which ruled it long ago, and not a better one. We are more the shopkeeper, as a celebrated but not a great man called us, and less the merchant. As a people, our commerce is more extended, but the separate transactions are smaller; and minute dealings almost always produce paltry minds. Not at all do I mean to ...