The battlefields of England and Scotland are a strongly neglected but important part of our national heritage, and what remains today and the current usage of the sites is very varied. Some, like Bosworth and Culloden, have modern visitor centres, shops and cafés, and others such as Homildon Hill and Edgecote have nothing at all. From King Alfred’s victory over the Danes at Ashdown in AD 871 to the defeat of the Jacobites in the April snow at Culloden in 1746, this book covers seventy batt...

In this stunning, full-colour book, John Kinross explores the fascinating history behind the castles of Herefordshire, Shropshire and the Welsh border. Areas characterised by their rural beauty and agricultural charm, it is no surprise that they are home to such extraordinary relics. From the majestic Goodrich Castle, which is situated on the River Wye and boasts one of the most intact sets of medieval domestic buildings surviving today, to the red sandstone fort at Shrewsbury, protected b...

In this stunning, full-colour book, John Kinross explores the fascinating history behind the smaller, lesser-known churches of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire and the Welsh borders. Areas characterised by their rural beauty and agricultural charm, it is no surprise that they are home to such extraordinary relics. From the tiny church of St David, Rhulen, in Radnorshire to the even smaller church of Hope Bagot, St John, with its nearby well and wild flowers, each site tells a different ...

The Marches – the border area between Wales and England – was semi-independent during much of the Middle Ages and today retains a special character. In this book author John Kinross explores the country houses built over the centuries in the border areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire, west Cheshire, west Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Denbighshire. Areas characterised by their rural beauty, often wild and remote, are home to some of the most interesting country houses in England ...

Which king's guards massacred a group of his supporters by mistake? Who had an oversized tongue and had to slobber when they ate food? Who was so large when they died that they had to be buried in a square coffin? Who survived seven assassination attempts? As you can tell from the bizarre questions above, it wasn't all thrones and sceptres for British kings and queens. Some of them were completely batty, and others were downright vicious. On the other hand, some monarchs were an icon to th...

Continuing the sensational success of the Useless Information Series, the Official Useless Information Society brings you another essential compendium of everything you never needed but always wanted to know. A celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee this amazing volume contains all things royal such as: The popular misconception that the royal family cannot vote in political elections. It is only the Queen, herself, who is not allowed to vote. Other members of the family merely choose n...

Yorkshire is well known for its miners, pudding and cricket, but 'Yorkshire, A Very Peculiar History' scrapes beyond the surface and past the cliches. Featuring a host of characters from Yorkshire past and present, it's not all grit and grime! Tracing Yorkshire's history back through Roman and Viking rule, to the various tribes which populated the area in prehistoric times, this book covers the largest county in England from all angles. Featuring quirky tales of Yorkshire's crucial role in...

Which 'ill-prepared' monarch was on the English throne at the turn of the last millenium? How many English monarchs have been crowned on St George's Day? When, how and why did England 'lose' eleven days? Monarchs, Murders and Mistresses answers these questions and many more, presenting a royal event for each day of the calendar year in vivid detail with close-ups of the personalities involved. The book reveals the recurring occupational difficulties faced by the r...

Who invented the 'House of Windsor' as a royal name? Who founded Westminster Abbey? Which king had twenty-one illegitimate children? David Halliam answers all these questions and more. Here is a continuous history of the English monarchy, showing how the nine dynasties rose and fell.The book describes the most memorable features of the life and times of each king or queen - from Egbert, crowned in 802 and considered the first king of England, to Queen Elizabeth II ...

Our bestselling series is fit for a queen!The life of Queen Elizabeth I was dramatic and dangerous: cast out of her father's court at the age of three and imprisoned at nineteen, Elizabeth was crowned queen in 1558, when she was only twenty-five. A tough, intelligent woman who spoke five languages, Elizabeth ruled for over forty years and led England through one of its most prosperous periods in history. Over 80 illustrations bring 'Gloriana' and her court to life.

A secret that could have changed the course of English history...Acclaimed historian Paul Doherty offers an insightful interpretation of one of the most fascinating English monarchs in his masterful 'faction', The Secret Life of Elizabeth I.From master historian Paul Doherty comes a detective story with a difference: tracking down the real Elizabeth I, and capturing the atmosphere of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Written as a 'fa...

The quintessential Englishwoman Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of the Two Fat Ladies and author of Spilling the Beans, takes us on a personal journey through the country of her birth.From Cornwall to Cumbria, Norfolk to Northumbria she brings her extraordinary knowledge, huge passion, forthright opinions and inimitable wit to the distinctive history and regional character of every corner of England.In her cornucopia of local knowledge she reveals, for exampl...