Najnovšie - Knihy - História strana 21 z 25

On 3 September 1650 Oliver Cromwell won a decisive victory over the Scottish Covenanters at the Battle of Dunbar – a victory that is often regarded as his finest hour – but the aftermath, the forced march of 5,000 prisoners from the battlefield to Durham, was one of the cruellest episodes in his career.The march took them seven days, without food and with little water, no medical care, the property of a ruthless regime determined to eradicate any possibility of further threat. Those who survived long enough to reach Durham found no refuge, only pestilence and despair. Exhausted, starving and dreadfully weakened, perhaps as many as 1,700 died from typhus and dysentery. Those who survived were condemned to hard labour and enforced exile in conditions of virtual slavery in a harsh new world across the Atlantic.Cromwell''s Convicts describes their ordeal in detail and, by using archaeological evidence, brings the story right up to date. John Sadler and Rosie Serdiville describe the battle at Dunbar, but their main focus is on the lethal week-long march of the captives that followed. They make extensive use of archive material, retrace the route taken by the prisoners and describe the recent archaeological excavations in Durham which have identified some of the victims and given us a graphic reminder of their fate.

Many aspire to serve with the Special Air Service, arguably the world’s most prestigious regiment, but few achieve their aim. In this inspiring memoir the author describes how he left school without any qualifications and embarked on a 30 year career much of it spent in Hereford, including four years in ‘The Regiment’. Against the odds he rose through the ranks before being commissioned and eventually retiring as a Major. Initially attached to 22 SAS as a signaller, he volunteered for and passed ‘Selection’, the most gruelling and demanding of tests. He was posted to D Squadron Boat Troop with whom he saw active service in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and the UK counter-terrorist team. Thanks to the diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping first-hand account of the intense action that he and his colleagues experienced, including recces, diversionary attacks, raids and ambushes both on South Georgia and the Falklands Islands. Later he commanded the Royal Signals troop supporting D Squadron, 22 SAS before commissioning and later on pursuing a second career as a security consultant in various Middle Eastern hotspots. It is a privilege to read this commendably modest account of one man’s unique career which provides a fascinating insight into elite special forces soldiering.

‘Impressively original and ingenious’ OPHELIA FIELD, author of The Favourite'Gripping' GARETH RUSSELL, author of Queen James'Illuminating' ALICE HUNT, THE TIMES'Refreshing, immersive and compelling' CLARE JACKSON, author of The Mirror of Great BritainA spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her ‘graces’, the extraordinary women who practiced art, poetry and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court. In 1673, fifteen-year-old Maria d’Este travelled from Italy to marry James, the future King of England, who was twenty-five years her senior. At the debauched Restoration court, Maria recreated the world she’d left behind – one in which women were highly educated, exercised power and celebrated art and artists with concentrated patronage. From Sarah Churchill, keen politician and ‘favourite’ of Queen Anne, to revered poet Anne Finch and founder of a legendary literary salon Hortense Mancini, the women Maria surrounded herself with defied the conventions of their time. The Graces resurrects their lives, shedding light on a hidden world of female friendship, education and artistic endeavour.

UPLIFTING, PRACTICAL AND SURPRISING WISDOM FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING CLASSICIST'Wonderful. Thoughtfully chosen, carefully explained and beautifully expressed' NATALIE HAYNES'A literary phenomenon' TLS'She leaves her readers inspired, invigorated and sincerely grateful' TELEGRAPHWhy do some loves endure while others fade? Is happiness something we can learn? Why do some things feel like work and others like leisur? very new page of Consolations offers a thought-provoking idea about life - from friendship and family arguments to ageing and narcissism. Renowned classicist Irene Vallejo shows us how each of these ideas has its roots in ancient times, drawing on the wisdom of Aristotle and Seneca, as well as lesser known philosophy and history. Each entry brings a surprising insight, and helps us to think differently about our daily life. These are fascinating little gems to read every day, and to savour slowly.

Fully illustrated, this study examines the US Army and Japanese troops who fought for control of the Philippine Islands in the climactic months of World War II. In October 1944 the Sixth US Army landed on Leyte in the Japanese-held Central Philippine Islands, initiating a series of battles that became the largest contest between the US and Japanese armies. Determined to liberate the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur’s forces confronted the Japanese troops intent on extracting a bitter price from their adversaries, amid challenging terrain ranging from the urban streets of Manila to the mountains and jungles of Leyte. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-color mapping, this book examines three important battles of the Philippines campaign. The IJA’s 1st Division faced the US Army’s 24th Division as it attacked toward the port of Ormoc (Breakneck Ridge, November 3–11, 1944), in a fight that pitted one of Japan’s crack divisions against prewar US Regular units. The US 38th Division battled the reinforced 39th Infantry Regiment at Zig-Zag Pass (February 1–13, 1945), an action that saw a relatively green US division facing IJA veterans located in highly defensible terrain. Finally, Gregg Adams examines the battle for the Ipo Dam (May 6–21, 1945), where the veteran US 43d Division fought the Kawashima Force. This absorbing study casts light on the fighting men on both sides.

In viewing Galloway from the wider context of the northern British mainland, Irish Sea and wider Hebridean zone, it has been possible to explore the dynamics of state-building, dynastic interactions, and the close inter-relationships of the territories connected by the western seaways, which most traditional ’national’ histories obscure. From this wider perspective, the development of the lordship of Galloway can be considered in the context of the spreading power and regional rivalries of English, Irish and Scottish kings, and a reassessment of the emergence of the unitary lordship controlled by Fergus of Galloway and his family. Traditional interpretations of the relationship of Fergus and his successors with the kings of England and Scotland are challenged and new light is thrown on the beginnings of the processes of progressive domination of Galloway by, and integration into, the kingdom of the Scots. The end of the autonomous lordship in the 1230s is projected against the backdrop of the aggressive state-building activities of King Alexander II and the transformation of its rulers from independently minded princes and warlords into Anglo-Scottish barons.

Stafford’s history can be traced back to an Anglo Saxon settlement, when it became the county town of Staffordshire. The Normans built a castle in the town and a priory was founded nearby. The two mediaeval churches in the centre of the town also survive from this period. Stafford was fought over during the Civil War and was eventually captured by Parliamentary forces. In later centuries Stafford’s wealth grew from industries such as shoemaking and later engineering, and the arrival of the canal network through the River Sow Navigation and the railway in the nineteenth century. Stafford’s history also features its military connections, the story of crime and its punishment in the town and recreation, not least the foundation of the Stafford Rangers Football Club in 1876 and the opening of Victoria Park in 1908.Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Stafford has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the area.

In 1805 the antiquarian and astronomer Sir Henry Englefield wrote a beautifully illustrated walking tour leading readers through the streets of Southampton. He offered insights into the city’s fascinating historical past, including some fanciful stories about the buildings he was exploring. Since then, much of the fabric of the city has changed with many of the elements he highlighted having been removed through the slum clearances of the twentieth century and bombing during the Second World War. In this book, we retrace Sir Henry’s footsteps and examine key city sites, such as the Bargate, Watergate, the town walls, Church of All Saints, Holy Rood Church, the medieval friary and sugar house, and the medieval vaults, as well as other curiosities he mentions, such as a cannon of Henry VIII and the arms granted by Elizabeth I.Featuring a vivid selection of fascinating illustrations and 3D images and links to the city’s museum collections, here the Southampton of the past is brought to life. Join us on a walking tour through the historic town and find out how the city of Southampton has changed over the past 200 years.

THE MAJOR NEW BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE QUEEN: AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. 'Impeccably researched . . . Hugo Vickers offers us his piercing insights into the innermost workings of the Royal family' - DAILY MAIL'His knowledge of royalty and aristocracy is encyclopaedic . . . and his deep emotional connection with Elizabeth II and certain members of her family is given full throttle. The detail about a very public woman who, at the same time, was very private, is so remarkable' - TELEGRAPH 5-STAR REVIEW'The closest thing to an authorised life one is likely to read. Intelligent, intuitive and scrupulously researched' - QUADRANT MAGAZINE'A perfect match between subject and writer . . . The level of detail in Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History is unequalled' - THE TIMES'Vickers is the Tolstoy of royal biography, creating a vast and detailed panorama, the eccentric footnotes a glorious satire of scholarship.' - SPECTATORQueen Elizabeth II occupies a unique place in the hearts of her people, and in this major biography marking the Centenary of her birth, acclaimed royal historian Hugo Vickers sheds new light on the woman behind the greatest reign in British history. Based on six decades of close research into her life and reign, this master work contains not only archival research and close personal observation but many hours of conversation with those who knew and worked with The Queen. After a supremely happy decade of early childhood, a certain gravitas descended with the death of her beloved grandfather, George V, and the Abdication of her uncle Edward VIII. As Vickers reveals in impeccable prose, she accepted her destiny and worked steadfastly to prepare for what was to come, dedicating her life to the service of the Commonwealth. On her twenty-first birthday in 1947, she made a promise to serve and kept it for a remarkable seventy-five years. She was steadfast and conciliatory and presided calmly over decades of change, political upheaval and family tragedy. Described by the Financial Times as 'the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet', Vickers is completely at home in the world of Queen Elizabeth II. He has worked with members of her family on various projects and also met with members of her Household. He first met The Queen in 1968 and had his last conversation with her in June 2022. This is his most incisive book yet, decoding hidden patterns in our most iconic monarch's behaviour to illuminate her as never before. -----Queen Elizabeth II was an instant Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller in the w/c 13.04.2026.

Women and Resistance in the Annals of Tacitus explores how Tacitus often represents a Roman woman's relationship to the imperial household and its members as one of resistance. Throughout his Annals, women discover ways to resist without relying on traditional forms of power. Women engage in political protests, legal disputes, public processions, and subversive religious rituals. They demonstrate resistance in acts of mourning and commemoration and overturn gender stereotypes by enduring pain and displaying courage in death. Tacitus illustrates how women's public movements, rituals, suicides, and survivals become sites of resistance and opportunities for civic engagement open to women. Caitlin C. Gillespie situates nonimperial Roman women at the fore, reading them in comparison with Tacitus's narratives of imperial women and hierarchies of power. With this new analytical approach, stereotypes against women are variously confirmed or denied, challenged or evoked as evidence, or employed as a means of attack or defense. Women emerge to claim agency over their bodies, reputations, and actions, and though a vulnerable population, refuse to be passive victims of their circumstances.

We often think of medieval medicine as strange, unhygienic and unscientific, but The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living reveals a far richer story. Long before modern wellness trends, people in the Middle Ages were actively thinking about how to live well. They followed detailed health regimens, balanced diet with exercise, considered the effects of emotions and sought to avoid illness through environmental awareness and routine care. This book sheds light on the practical and surprisingly relatable ways medieval individuals cared for body and mind. Drawing from historical sources that echo today’s wellness concerns, it offers a fresh, thoughtful view of a misunderstood era. In understanding their world, we might see our own in a new, more connected light.

From the acclaimed author of Michelangelo, God’s Architect, a dual biography of two towering artists of the Renaissance, whose decades-long rivalry spurred both to greater heightsIn 1529, Michelangelo was in Venice when he first met Titian, Venice’s famed painter of princes, gods, and goddesses. Coming face-to-face with Titian’s drama-infused, richly colored works, the creator of David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling realized he had met a worthy opponent. Twenty-five years later, Titian came to Rome to paint the pope, and the two met again. Painting in the Vatican, Titian experienced the full power of Michelangelo’s work and vowed to surpass the achievements of his older contemporary. Michelangelo and Titian is the untold story of history’s greatest artistic rivalry, a competition between two monumental figures more admiring of one another than either would ever admit. William Wallace brings the world of the sixteenth century to life, and in particular its culture of gossip and intrigue. Wallace challenges the established narrative of this relationship as mostly one-sided, with the younger artist in competition with the reigning master. He shows how the artists moved in overlapping courtly and papal circles, sharing the patronage, power, and sometimes friendship of the most important people of their era, including members of the Medici, Este, and Farnese families. Wallace traces how, over the span of some forty years, this unspoken rivalry was reciprocal and mutually beneficial, with each learning from the other’s brilliance, quietly seeking to best the other’s work and secure his own legacy. An extraordinary achievement, Michelangelo and Titian is a compelling account of two supremely gifted rivals who inspired each other to test the limits of their creative genius, and in doing so created some of the most astonishing works of art the world has ever known.

With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Soviet armed forces were largely disbanded and some of their personnel were distributed among the newly independent republics. With few options, the author joined the Redut organisation which consisted of Russian mercenaries operating abroad. In the years that followed, the rise of Valdimir Putin after he became President led to a strong nationalist sentiment developing in the Kremlin. Two former Soviet republics, initially Chechnya and then Georgia, were the first to be subjected to a growing Russian aggression. Special sabotage teams and assault battalions were created, each based on the Redut group, and the author, who had acquired the call sign ‘Viper’, soon found himself once again in Russian pay. This time, though, he was leading a special forces group in operations in Donetsk in the eastern part of Ukraine. In the autumn of 2021, ‘Viper’ was appointed to command the intelligence unit of the Redut group as part of the GRU. He was given three secret agents. These were Ukrainian special forces officers who had defected to Russia. They were handed a secret mission – to attack the headquarters in Kyiv of the Ukrainian Counter-Intelligence and Security Service, the SBU, and destroy all its files ahead of Putin’s full-scale invasion of the country. Putin's ‘Viper’ Detachment is the first full account by ‘Viper’ himself of this secret operation and how his unit had to fight its way out of Ukraine after the attempt on the SBU headquarters failed. A tense, full-throttle, struggle ensued, which ultimately led the battle-hardened author refusing to fight or kill anymore. He pulled his platoon out of the Ukraine and into Belarus, pursued by Putin’s counter-intelligence officers. Eventually, ‘Viper’ managed to escape Russia and went to the International Criminal Court in Hague to testify about war crimes committed by Putin's government. This is the first time the world will read about this secret operation recounted by the man who led it. In this book, ‘Viper’ reveals true nature of the hidden war in Ukraine.

During winter 1944/45 few German officers believed that the Allies would attack the wooded Reichswald Plug on the narrow neck of land between the rivers Rhine and Maas. Consequently, relying on the natural defences of the forest, the vaunted Siegfried Line had been allowed to peter out. The 84th Infantry Division held field defences that had been worked on all autumn, but the defenders were thinly spread, and most German soldiers now faced the certainty of defeat.Originally hoping to use the frozen winter ground for a speedy assault, days before Operation VERITABLE began a thaw set in and the Allies faced attacking in the worst possible ground conditions. On the morning of 8 February, after protracted bombardment, delays multiplied as vehicles became bogged in saturated fields and shell holes, and roads broke up under heavy armour. However, just enough assault engineer equipment reached the outer German defences, where they found the enemy infantry largely stunned by the bombardment.It took all of the first day to break through the mud and defences into the Reichswald, while to the north, Canadians and Scots struggled across equally sodden open country with the Rhine floods rising fast. Despite the conditions, overnight the Canadians took to the flood waters to seize what were now island villages and the Scots dashed to capture the vital Materborn, which overlooked Kleve.With heavy rain compounding difficulties, mud and flood waters made movement of men and supplies increasingly difficult. Despite this and the arrival of German reinforcements, the Allies fought their way forward, forcing the Reichswald Plug and opening the way into the Rhineland and the final phases of the war.

One cannot discuss the Renaissance without coming across the name of Desiderius Erasmus. He was renowned for scholarship, views on education, religion, and conduct. Erasmus found himself in the midst of the religious debate in Europe during the sixteenth century and regardless of where his path led he would find himself subject to praise and scrutiny. Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe's Greatest Mind will look at the life of a scholar who chose to put his own learning ahead of income, obtained patronage from the wealthy and influenced education for centuries to come.

We take brands for granted: they surround us and pervade our everyday life. But have you ever wondered where they come from, and why they became successfu? he histories are sometimes remarkable: how did Reebook emerge from a town in North West England to become one of the leading athletic apparel brands in the world? Ever wondered how McDonald’s convinced a sceptical British public to eat hamburgers? Or how Hall’s cough drops became the highest-selling sweet in the world? Are you curious as to what really constitutes the secret recipe of Dr Pepper or Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauc? his book breaks new ground by combining depth with readability, and uncovers previously forgotten facts. At its heart, this is a story about people: brilliant individuals who defied the odds to succeed, and introduced products that have ultimately improved peoples’ lives. The book covers history from the 18th century with the foundation of the Schweppes, Crosse & Blackwell and Gordon’s gin businesses, right up to the present day with modern brands including Greggs and Costa Coffee. If you want to delve beyond the official company histories and learn the truth, to be entertained, educated, amazed and engaged, then this is the book for you!

Pershing’s aim had always been to fight the Germans with an independent American Army (the AEF, the American Expeditionary Forces) instead of dividing his divisions between the allies. When the Germans launched the first attack of their Spring Offensives on 21 March 1918, he was still far away from the creation of this independent army. During the first three months of 1918 only a few divisions could be considered as available for immediate action. On 26 March 1918 Foch was selected as the Supreme Allied Commander. Two days later, to solve immediate allied manpower problems and to check the German assault, General Pershing temporarily placed all American forces at the disposal of Supremo Foch. It was agreed that the availability of American troops would only last so long as was needed to check the German advance.This book deals with three lesser known battles fought by five divisions of the AEF that took place in the Champagne/Marne Region between the City of Reims and the Argonne Forest. The narrative includes actions of the 2nd, 36th, 42nd, 92nd and the 93rd Divisions. The latter two were made up of African-American troops.The five tours are ideal for visitors who have a few hours to spare coming from or going to the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Verdun battlefields from one of Paris’s airports. They cover a lesser known area and each tour will not take more than a few hours. The starting points are all situated a little north of the A4, the Paris-Metz motorway. The tours also bridge the gap between the better known Chemin des Dames and Meuse-Argonne battlefields.

**Battle Group "Lohse"** - Oberleutnant Heinrich Lohse's memoirs detail his time as a training officer at the 5th Wehrmacht Infantry School in Poznan. When the battle for the city began, he led a reserve battle group and commanded the fortress headquarters' last defence. Lohse is notably critical of General Gonell, the fortress commander and former head of the 5th Infantry School, in this gripping memoir about the fight for the citadel. **Fahnenjunker from Poznan** - Leutnant Jonny Neuwirth recounts his role in the battle of Poznan. After being wounded, he describes the dire conditions in military hospitals, his attempted escape and his experience of being captured by the Polish militia and taken into Soviet captivity. His memoir details his suffering and that of his fellow German soldiers under a ruthless enemy, highlighting the brutal reality of war and its aftermath. **Two Steps to a Mass Grave** - Kurt F. Lange, a pre-war German citizen of Poznan and former Polish Army soldier, faced persecution due to his origins. After the German invasion, he joined the Waffen-SS, serving in the SS "Lenzer" Combat Group. His memoir offers detailed battle accounts from across the besieged city, culminating in the Citadel's defence. Captured, he narrowly escaped execution after being identified as a member of the Waffen-SS.

The ‘Wagner’ mercenary group remained comparatively unknown for years, and only after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, did the general public learn about the existence of this shadowy organization. But for years before that, they roamed free in Africa and the Middle East, fighting Russia’s conflicts, protecting dictators and waging war against anyone who was declared to be the enemy of the Russian government. Many journalists have attempted to uncover Wagner’s secrets but, for the first time, we hear the voice of an actual Wagner commander, who participated in some of the organization’s operations. This is Igor Salikov, former Wagner commander and the most high-ranking Russian service member who testified against the Russian regime and its crimes in Ukraine for the International Criminal Court in Hague. Igor was not just a soldier, but a high ranking commander, which gave him a unique insight into the organization, structure, political goals and operational procedures of Wagner. The author witnessed the birth of the group and their first operations in Syria, which in 2018, saw and the first battle between US forces and Russians since the end of the Cold War. Later, Wagner infiltrated into other countries and was one of main assets of Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. In 2022, after the failure of the initial invasion of Ukraine, Wagner’s leader received an order to recruit directly from prisons, and convicted rapists, murderers and cannibals joined what once was a small and elite mercenary unit. In 2023, Wagner mercenaries attempted to organize a coup against Vladimir Putin but turned back at the last moment. Soon after, the leaders of the group were killed in an aircraft crash, and Wagner disappeared from the spotlight. This book allows us to look at this group through the eyes of someone who has been there, done that, and witnessed the entire history of the Wagner organization, from its origins to its ignominious end.