The History Press Ltd strana 12 z 14

Who was St George and how did he become patron saint not only of England but also of many other European countries? In this richly illustrated book, Samantha Riches explores the extraordinary wealth of myths and legends, art and inspiration that has grown up around the obscure fourth-century Christian martyr.The visual arts of medieval and renaissance Europe bear eloquent testimony to the range of significant cultural roles of St George. A hero and martyr who was venerated as a symbol of chivalry, he was also an emblem of both chastity and fertility, and was a signifier of the power of the urban elite. Using historical, art historical and literary evidence, Riches creates a vivid and compelling narrative, paying close attention to the symbolism of the saint’s combat with the dragon and its development as the most significant aspect of his legend and cult.The complex medieval psychology revealed by her study of this motif reveals some astonishing results, not least the implications of the discovery of a number of representations of female dragons.

Created in the aftermath of World War II, the Central Intelligence Agency relied on women even as it attempted to channel their talents and keep them down. Women sent cables, made dead drops, and maintained the agency’s secrets. Despite discrimination – even because of it – women who started as clerks, secretaries, or unpaid spouses become some of the CIA’s shrewdest operatives.They were unlikely spies – and that’s exactly what made them perfect for the role. Because women were seen as unimportant, pioneering female intelligence officers moved unnoticed around Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets from under the noses of their KGB adversaries. Back at headquarters, women built the CIA’s critical archives – first by hand, then by computer. And they noticed things that the men at the top didn’t see. As the CIA faced an identity crisis after the Cold War, it was a close-knit network of female analysts who spotted the rising threat of al-Qaeda – though their warnings were repeatedly brushed aside.After the 9/11 attacks, more women joined the agency as a new job, targeter, came to prominence. They showed that data analysis would be crucial to the post-9/11 national security landscape – an effort that culminated spectacularly in the CIA’s successful effort to track down bin Laden in his Pakistani compound.Propelled by the same meticulous reporting and vivid storytelling that infused Code Girls, The Sisterhood offers a riveting new perspective on history, revealing how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age, and how their silencing made the world more dangerous.

Richard the Lionheart travelled to far-flung realms, went on crusade, met kings and popes, and exerted a great deal of influence on the world around him … and so did his sister.The sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine have been the subject of much historical attention, but their daughters have been curiously overlooked. The youngest of them, Joanna, led a particularly extraordinary life full of adventure and danger – and not a little controversy – that was more than a match for those of any of her brothers, including the famed Lionheart himself.Lionessheart is Joanna’s story, and also an exploration of the wider world of the twelfth century as seen through the eyes of a woman who was a princess and a pioneer, a warrior and a wife, a captive and a queen.

At 11.40 p.m. on 14 April 1912, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. She sank less than three hours later, taking around 1,500 people down with her. Devastated survivors provided conflicting information about her final hours – did she slip gracefully below the waves in one piece, or did she violently break apart?The answer would not be confirmed for seventy-three years.Breaking Titanic is the first comprehensive study of the break-up of Titanic’s hull. Using eyewitness accounts, underwater archaeology reports and data from computer simulations, Eugene Nesmeyanov presents a critical analysis of the most significant theories and models of the break-up, drawing his own conclusions based on the available body of evidence.

First published in 1980, shortly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, The Afghan Wars 1839–1919 speedily became a standard work of reference at military academies and staff colleges in the UK and overseas. Since then, with the attack on the World Trade Center in September 2001 and subsequent war in Afghanistan, copies of the book have been increasingly in demand by readers interested in finding out the context to one of the most complex conflicts of modern times.T.A. Heathcote departs from the Eurocentric approach of most British military historians and sets the causes and events of the Anglo-Afghan wars firmly in their Asian context, providing as much a political as a military history. Using official dispatches and private letters as well as existing histories, this book tells the story of all three Anglo-Afghan conflicts in a single, accessible volume. It remains essential reading for anyone with an interest in the study of warfare in one of the world’s most hostile environments.

''A fascinating and well-researched biography of a fearless woman, it combines history, adventure and romance. I loved it.'' - Lady Antonia FraserLady Dorothy ‘Dolly’ Mills was a trailblazer, whose larger-than-life personality led her to extraordinary adventures. Born in 1889 into the Walpole family, who were eminent in political and literary spheres, Dolly defied the constraints of her upper-class upbringing by marrying a poor army captain, prompting her disinheritance.From becoming the first English woman in Timbuktu she forged a reputation as one of the most renowned explorers in West Africa and beyond, travelling deep into Venezuela and the Middle East – territories often considered the preserve of men – breaking the mould and challenging her background and the expectations of her gender.Dolly wrote acclaimed travel books, documenting remote places and peoples, capturing history in the making. By the 1930s, she was the best-known female explorer, appearing on platforms and in books alongside prominent men. She was elected as an early female Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and was a strong advocate for women in the field, leaving a bequest for women explorers on her death in 1959.A feminist with unorthodox views which ultimately cost her her marriage, Dolly also wrote bold novels and incisive features for women. Despite life-changing obstacles, she never lost her love of donning a glamorous frock and downing a cocktail.No Country For a Woman is the first book about the life of the best-known female explorer, set against the backdrop of the decadent Jazz Age, and will captivate not only those who are fans of other famous explorers but also curious readers, interested in the lives of fearless women.

Kent is well-known for hops and oysters, the Channel Tunnel and Chatham Dockyard – but sandwiched between these are towns and villages that each have a story to tell.The A-Z of Curious Kent takes you off the beaten track, to a world of daddlums and hufflers, gavelkind and grotters. While kings and queens travelled the highways on their way to and from the continent, the people of Kent quietly defined the new order, defended the nation and left teasing reminders of a past that may never be fully understood.

In May 2024 Cunard welcomed Queen Anne to the fleet. The 249th ship to sail for Cunard since 1840, Queen Anne represents a new generation of Cunard cruising. Built at Fincantieri, Italy, the ship’s interior design challenges the status quo, blending traditional Cunard spaces with a modern style that makes this ship stand out.Queen Anne is the second-largest Cunard ship ever to go to sea, allowing it to feature many favourite Cunard venues, while also introducing exciting new ones. Spaces aboard that wow travellers include the multi-storey Pavilion complete with its massive glass roof, as well as a wellness studio, Bright Lights Society entertainment venue, and new dining choices.This full-colour book, the latest in the beautiful Photographic Journey series, showcases Queen Anne in all her glory. Featuring a foreword by Cunard President Katie McAlister, as well as a perspective from Captain Inger Thorhauge, the ship’s first Master, Queen Anne: A Photographic Journey allows readers to enjoy this Cunarder whether aboard the ship, reminiscing from the comfort of home, or planning a voyage. It is a perfect addition to the library of anyone with a love of ships, Cunard or cruising.

‘Confident and very readable . . . one of Frances Spalding’s achievements in this book is to display Stevie Smith’s frailties without destroying her dignity’ – Victoria Glendinning, Literary Review‘A careful, informative and worthwhile book’ – Hermione Lee, The Observer‘It is a biography of inner life. It is also a hymn to tenebrous suburbia, a book full of English oddness, and a lovely loamish read.’ – The TimesStevie Smith had a unique literary voice: her idiosyncratic, wonderfully funny and poignant poems established her as one of the most individual of English modern poets. She claimed her own life was ‘precious dull’, but Frances Spalding’s acclaimed biography reveals a far from conventional woman.While she lived in suburbia with her beloved ‘Lion Aunt’, Stevie Smith was from the early 1930s a vibrant figure on London’s intellectual and literary scene, mixing with artists and writers, among them Olivia Manning, Rosamond Lehmann and George Orwell. She was noted for her wit – often maliciously directed at friends – and occasional public tantrums. Her use of real people in her writing angered many of her friends and brought the threat of libel.Always feeling herself out of step with the world, she was haunted by her father’s absence during her childhood and her mother’s early death; she longed for love yet was sexually ambivalent. In exploring the intimate relationship between Stevie Smith’s life and work, Frances Spalding gives a new insight into a writer who always saw death as a friend, yet was also one of the great celebrators of life, whether commonplace or extraordinary.

''For fans of folklore this is a must read.'' - Scottish Field magazineThis spellbinding collection of stories once again gathers together legends and lore from across Scotland in one special volume.Drawn from The History Press’ popular Folk Tales series, this second selection features further tales from authentic Scottish storytellers, honouring the unmistakable character of Scotland’s customs, beliefs and dialects.From the fearsome elfin warrior haunting Carterhaugh Woods to the beautiful mermaid enchanting young men off the coast of Orkney, this collection of tales belongs on the bookshelves of all who enjoy both the magic of Scotland and a well-told story.

Emily Jane Brontë was born in July 1818; along with her sisters Charlotte and Anne, she is famed as a member of the greatest literary family of all time, and helped turn Haworth into a place of literary pilgrimage. Whilst Emily Brontë wrote only one novel, the mysterious and universally acclaimed Wuthering Heights, she is widely acknowledged as the best poet of the Brontë sisters – indeed as one of the greatest female poets of all time. Her poems offer insights to her relationships with her family, religion, nature, the world of work, and the shadowy and visionary powers that increasingly dominated her life.Taking twenty of her most revealing poems, Nick Holland creates a unifying impression of Emily Brontë, revealing how this terribly shy young woman could create such wild and powerful writing, and why she turned her back on the outside world for one that existed only in her own mind.

On 19 February 1945, Operation Detachment began with US marine forces storming Iwo Jima, aiming to capture the island and its airfields. This was the first campaign on Japanese soil and would result in some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific. A brutal example of war at all costs, the defending garrison fought to almost the last man; it was a fight they couldn’t hope to win against the superior US numbers, but they exacted horrific casualties on the invading forces before their ultimate defeat.In this concise account, Andrew Rawson uses timelines, diary extracts and detailed profiles to explain the lead-up to the campaign, the battle itself and its legacy, while maps and rarely published photographs place you in the centre of the unfolding action. With painful lessons learned, this vital battle of the Pacific theatre would inform US strategies and actions through the rest of the war, and here Rawson shows exactly how and why.

The development of rocket and jet aircraft by the Germans before and during the Second World War is something that intrigues all those interested in the history of aviation. The first trials of the V1 (Doodlebug) were carried out with a pilot at the controls, on occasion the world-famous aviatrix Hannah Reitsch. The first encounter with a jet aircraft by Allied airmen is documented here, including the first shooting down of a jet aircraft by an Allied pilot.Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich documents the huge problems faced by the German scientists, designers and engineers, and the pressures put upon them by the German High Command. At the end of the war the Americans and Russians struggled to get their hands on these experts and their data whilst the SS were trying to prevent them falling into Allied hands. Heinkel, Henschel, Junkers – and of course Messerschmitt — all feature, amongst other pioneering designers, alongside legendary pilots such as Adolf Galland and Walter Nowotny.

In a BBC poll in 2002, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was voted the second-greatest Briton of all time, only eclipsed by Winston Churchill.In the soaring ambitions of the Victorian age, nobody thought bigger than Brunel; indeed, it’s often claimed that that, through his ships, bridges, tunnels and railways, he played a critical role in creating the modern world. Never tied to a dusty office, he crammed enough work, adventure and danger into a single year to last a lesser person a lifetime. He was also a brilliant showman, a flamboyant personality and a charmer.Brunel’s influence is seen all over the landscape of England and in the practices of modern civil engineering. He may have made plenty of mistakes, but he also designed and built several structures which are still with us to this day. In this concise yet informative biography, learn about the man famously described to be ‘in love with the impossible’.

From its origins as a small Saxon hamlet, to the large sprawling city of the present day, Birmingham has quite the tale to tell – and within the pages of this handy and compact book is where you''ll find it.Stories of how Birmingham developed and of the people who helped develop it. Stories of its industries, how they prospered and made Birmingham famous around the world. Stories of politicians, industrialists and celebrities who were born or lived in Birmingham, and the not-so-famous people who worked tirelessly in its factories and workplaces, who helped make Birmingham the city it is today.Set out chronologically from prehistoric times to the present day, The Little History of Birmingham is a handy guide to the city through the ages that can be picked up and enjoyed whenever and wherever you want.

‘A very enjoyable history and survey of the present and the future.’ - James Daunt, Managing Director of Waterstones; CEO of Barnes & NobleEmbark on a captivating journey through the ages with Shelf Life, a meticulously crafted exploration of bookselling and publishing that spans two millennia. This engaging narrative unveils the resilience and innovation of key figures who have shaped the literary landscape, from the pioneering days of William Caxton to the contemporary influence of Jeff Bezos.As the narrative navigates the ever-evolving terrain of book retail, it delves into the seismic changes of the past forty years and reflects on the current state of the industry, as well as offering insights into the challenges and future opportunities that lie ahead for publishing and bookselling in the twenty-first century.A must-read for anyone passionate about books, bookshops and the enduring legacy of the written word.