The Mammoth Book of How It Happened in Britain
Jon E. Lewis (Editor)
A tour of British history through the eyes of those who were there, in first-hand accounts of the events that made Britain great. 300 eyewitness accounts of British history, culled from memoirs, diaries, letters and newspaper reports.
£6.39^* - save 20%

Life in a Medieval Castle
Joseph Gies, Frances Gies
Describes the evolution, architecture, and historical function of the medieval castle and the daily life, habits, and relationships of its inhabitants through a detailed study of England's thirteenth-century Chepstow Castle. The book begins with the castle arriving in England, and then moves into the various aspects of castle life: the function of the Lord and Lady, the running of the household, hunting as a means of survival, how a knight was created, how the castle functioned during warfare and why castles slowly faded into disuse. An excellent work for anyone interested in the topic and a must for historical writers.
£7.67^* - save 9%

Life in a Medieval Village
Frances Gies, Joseph Gies
Focusing on the village of Elton, in the East Midlands, this book describes the food and housing of the peasants, the tension between them and the lord of the manor, and the place of the church in their lives.
£7.69^* - save 10%

Life in a Medieval City
Joseph Gies, Frances Gies
Every aspect of life in a prosperous thirteenth-century city is explored in this representative study of Troyes in 1250 A.D. A great overview of life in a Medieval City. The writing style is light but gives plenty of detail.
£7.67^* - save 9%

Writing Historical Fiction
Rhona Martin
The award-winning author discusses the many different kinds of historical fiction in detail - the family saga, the romance, the nostalgia novel, the adventure story, the 'straight' historical. She also shows how to carry out research to establish convincing backgrounds and characters. Observations from a number of leading historical novelists are also included.
£7.19^* - save 20%

The Mammoth Book of How It Happened
Jon E. Lewis (Editor)
A collection of eye-witness accounts of events that have shaped history. Including the Kosovo crisis, the Lewinsky affair, the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and JFK, tragedies from Pompeii to the Titanic, the horrors of war through the ages, sensational crimes and uprisings, assassinations and the moon landing. Packed with unforgettable moments relayed through diary extracts, memoirs, letters and newspaper reports.
£6.39^* - save 20%

Shakespeare's England
Life in Elizabethan and Jacobean Times
R.E. Pritchard (Editor)
What was life like in Shakespeare's time - or, what did people then say it was like? This book provides a picture of the age, with a selection of accounts of Elizabethan and Jacobean life taken from books, plays, poems, letters, diaries and pamphlets by and about Shakespeare's contemporaries. Includes descriptions of England, country life, London, struggling writers, a Puritan's view of Elizabethan enjoyments, witches and spirits, meditations on prayer and death, tobacco, and Shakespeare himself. Also included are accounts of theatre-going, May Day celebrations, Queen Elizabeth at court, the place of women, education, garden books and herbals, clothes, food, drink and religion. A miscellany of some of the best, wittiest and most unusual of 16th and 17th-century writing, this book aims to bring to life the variety, the energy and the often harsh reality of the society that produced England's greatest writer.
£16.99^* - save 15%

The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Renaissance England
From 1485-1649
Kathy Lynn Emerson
Fifteenth- and sixteenth-century English life is examined, detailing government, family life, modes of travel, housing, and more.
£10.44^* - save 10%

Everyday Life in the 1800s
A Guide for Writers, Students and Historians
Marc McCutcheon
This is a complete reference, offering pertinent information about the nineteenth century in a logical, accessible form. Fiction and non-fiction historical writers interested in this period will find this book a must. The wonderful and fascinating details of the 1800s have never before been gathered into one volume. And, to make the information even more interesting, the author has included quotes from 19th-century citizens concerning or describing key words and definitions. This complete guide tells writers: "in" hairstyles and fashions for every decade of the century; the cost to mail a letter; favourite swear words and slang; thieves' methods for cracking bank safes; courtship and marriage rituals; jokes of the period; and much more!
£9.34^* - save 9%

Everyday Life During the (American) Civil War
Michael J Varhola
Illuminates sweeping events and standard practices that shaped the Civil War era. Outlines social and economic realities of daily life in the North and South, and looks at military life in the army and navy, from rankings and regiments to duties and dress. Sheds lights on dialects, diction, and slang.
£9.34^* - save 9%

Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel
Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages
Frances Gies, Joseph Gies
An exploration of how Western Europe, after the chaos of the Dark Ages, rose to lead the world in technology. The book examines such inventions as the spinning wheel, the flying buttress, and the blast furnace. A fascinating view of how technology affects society. An entertaining history that really opens your mind to the connections between technology and society while dispelling many of the myths we have of the "Dark Ages".
£8.22^* - save 9%