BookOdyssey

King John ruled England for seventeen and a half years, yet his entire reign is usually reduced to one image: of the villainous monarch outmanoeuvred by rebellious barons into agreeing to Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. Ever since, John has come to be seen as an archetypal tyrant. But how evil was he? In this perceptive short account, Nicholas Vincent unpicks John\'s life through his deeds and his personality. The youngest of four brothers, overlooked and given a distinctly unroyal name, John seemed doomed to failure. As king, he was reputedly cruel and treacherous, pursuing his own interests at the expense of his country, losing the continental empire bequeathed to him by his father Henry and his brother Richard and eventually plunging England into civil war. Only his lordship of Ireland showed some success. Yet, as this fascinating biography asks, were his crimes necessarily greater than those of his ancestors - or was he judged more harshly because, ultimately, he failed as a warlord? Σελίδες: 160, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

‘A hero of mine, a moral as well as literary giant’ Simon SchamaAmos Oz, the internationally acclaimed author of A Tale of Love and Darkness and Judas, grew up in war-torn Jerusalem, where as a boy he witnessed first-hand the poisonous consequences of fanaticism. In How To Cure a Fanatic Amos Oz analyses the historical roots of violence and confronts truths about the extremism nurtured throughout society. By bringing us face to face with fanaticism he suggests ways in which we can all respond. From the author of A Tale of Love and Darkness and Man Booker International Prize shortlisted Judas.‘He was the conscience of Israel’ Roger Cohen, New York Times Σελίδες: 112, Διαστάσεις: 10.5x10.5cm

Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 15.2x15.2cm

A fascinating guide to the English Reformation and its consequences. In April 1536, in the 27th year of the reign of King Henry VIII, there were scattered throughout England and Wales more than 800 monasteries, nunneries and friaries, and within them 10,000 monks, canons, nuns and friars.  By April 1540 there were none. The major social and religious upheaval of these four years is what we call the Dissolution of the Monasteries. An absorbing look at a pivotal point of British history, this new edition of a classic text expertly pairs the seminal text of G.W. O. Woodward with a fresh modern cover that encapsulates the drama of the period. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel. Σελίδες: 32, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0801, Διαστάσεις: 17.2x17.2cm

A copiously illustrated guide to the monarchs of the British Isles and Ireland from pre-Saxon times to the present, complete with concise genealogical charts and details of key historical events. The book is divided into five sections, together with a Compendium at the end. Part One, presents information about Pre-Saxon rule, including details about ancient British chiefs, Roman rulers and the Roman Conquest. Part Two provides information about Scotland, Ireland and Wales, with sections on Robert I and the Wars of Independence, The Union of the Crowns, the Princes of Wales and the High Kingship of Ireland.Part Three discusses the Saxons, Normans and Plantagenets. Part Four gives details about the Tudors and Stuarts. Part Five presents an in-depth discussion of the houses from Hanover to Windsor. Parts Two to Five provide all the essential information you will need to know about Kings and Queens including details of birth, parents, accession to the throne, coronation, authority, personal status, death date and burial place for each monarch. In addition an overview is given for each reign outlining major events and personal tragedies, war, celebrations and conspiracies. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 8.2x8.2cm

Make love, not war.At the heart of the 1960s was a desire for change, a yearning for a new way of living and a rejection of the old order. From the civil rights movement or the Vietnam War to the Apollo moon landings or the launch of the birth control pill, and from the Beatles to the Beat Generation, it was a period of revolutionary change.Packed full of fabulous facts and quotes – from civil rights leaders and counterculture icons to writers, artists and musicians – this little book captures the key events, icons and ideas that defined this tumultuous decade.\"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.\" John F. Kennedy, 1963\"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.\" Martin Luther King, 1964\"We don\'t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.\" Decca executive, after turning down the Beatles, 1962The yellow smiley face was born in 1963 when American graphic designer Harvey Ball was approached by State Mutual Life Assurance Company to create a morale booster for employees.In 1967, South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the world\'s first human heart transplant.In 1969, Woodstock – one of the most famous music festivals of all time – took place. More than 400,000 people attended the three days of peace and music. Σελίδες: 192, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0312, Διαστάσεις: 11.6x11.6cm

2 SEPTEMBER 1666: 350 YEARS SINCE THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON In the early hours of 2 September 1666 a small fire broke out in a bakery in Pudding Lane. In the five days that followed it grew into a conflagration that would devastate the third largest city in the Western world.This short edition is the essential guide to the Great Fire of London and includes first-hand descriptions from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, as well as a gripping account from renowned historian Adrian Tinniswood. Σελίδες: 128, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

Sent to scout the enemy, Blutch and Chesterfield are chased by a Confederate patrol and forced to cross the Rio Grande to safety. But that safety is relative: stuck between Apache bandits and Mexican outlaws, our two Bluecoats have no choice but to disguise themselves as civilians Blutch as a peasant, Chesterfield as a monk. But the nearby village is eagerly awaiting its new padre, and the villagers aren t fooled by the deception... Σελίδες: 48, Διαστάσεις: 21.7x21.7cm

Collins Gem Babies Names is number one in the best-selling stakes. Meet its Irish cousin! This detailed guide to over 2000 of the most popular Irish first names is the ideal gift for anyone wishing to choose an Irish name for their child, or is interested in finding out a bit more about their own name. This Collins Gem is being reissued in paperback. The stylish new cover style and new text design will enliven this and other best-selling Gems. Irish names are spreading across the world. As well as being more common in Ireland, they now feature in most English-speaking countries of the world. The reason for this spread is not hard to find. Massive emigration, especially during the 19th century famines, left many people of Irish descent in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia. These emigrants often had to give up the Irish language in favour of English, but they took their names with them, gave them to their children and spread them in the new countries. Indeed some, such as Brian, are now so well-established that they are no longer considered Irish. Others have developed strong associations with their new countries, so that Oscar is sometimes thought of as Scandinavian, Barry and Sheila are associated with Australia, and for most people Darren is American. What then is an Irish name? In this book a very broad view is taken, with special attention paid to what has happened to names after they left Ireland. The names come from Gaelic (and are given in Gaelic and in an anglicised form), from translations from Irish forms of non-Irish names and from Irish surnames and words. Over 2000 names included. Features names derived from the Irish language, anglicized versions of Irish names, and Irish names used in the USA and Australia. Meaning, origin and pronunciation guide given for each name. This edition has been redesigned in the new Gem style both internally and with a new cover design Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 8.2x8.2cm

Canada is repeatedly ranked the world\'s most favourite tourist destination. And there\'s a lot of reasons why. It is a nation of vast, unspoiled wilderness, and yet you still get the feeling everyone still knows each other\'s name. It has a ton of bears. And maple syrup. And lakes. Great lakes, the best. And a handsome, competent Prime Minister.The Little Book of Canada – a compact companion stuffed to the Gills (a common Canadian surname, FYI) with so much fun stuff you\'ll pass your citizenship test with flying colours. This tiny tome celebrates almost everything that is unique, special, and \'nice\' about Canada because, quite frankly, Canada deserves it more than any other place on earth.\'I believe the world needs more Canada.\' Bono\'Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematics of not being.\' Mike Myers Σελίδες: 192, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0917, Διαστάσεις: 11.6x11.6cm

Here is a lively, vibrantly illustrated social and cultural history of the Aboriginal Australians, from their origins to the present day. The book explores the spiritual beliefs and Dreamings of the Indigenous people, their complex social structures and relationship with the land, and their struggle to survive the trials of colonization and forced assimilation. It also looks in depth at their massive cultural renaissance over the past four decades, with comprehensive coverage of the way in which Aboriginal art and literature have become flagships for Australian culture. Σελίδες: 128, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1028, Διαστάσεις: 12.5x12.5cm

\'Most contemporaries would have argued that it was a king\'s job to put in peril his soul for the good of his Church and of his people. But Henry was too determined to live a life of a saint\'Henry III, the son of King John, was catapulted onto the throne aged just nine and reigned for fifty-six years, during which time his self-conscious piety often put him at odds with those around him. Yet as this sparkling account makes clear, he deserves to be better known: for the birth of Parliament, the building of Westminster Abbey, and the development of a kingdom that still recognizably exists today. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

\'Edward was a man of considerable charm, who perhaps relied too much upon that charm to keep tensions within his entourage at bay\' In 1461 Edward earl of March, a handsome, charismatic eighteen-year old, usurped the English throne during the first and most fierce of the Wars of the Roses. The years that followed witnessed a period that has been described as a golden age. Yet, argues A. J. Pollard, Edward was a man of limited vision, who squandered his talents and failed to secure his own dynasty. Σελίδες: 160, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

\'He seems to have laboured under an almost child-like misapprehension about the size of his world. Had greatness not been thrust upon him, he might have lived a life of great harmlessness\'The reign of Edward II was a succession of disasters. Inept in war, and in thrall to favourites, most notably the young nobleman Piers Gaveston, he preferred drinking, driving carts and rowing boats to the tedium of government. After twenty ruinous years, he was imprisoned and murdered. This remarkable book gives a glimpse into the abyss: the terrors of kingship. Σελίδες: 160, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

\'Stephen risked being seen as a man who never quite transcended the essential flawed-ness of his claim to be king. His actions betrayed uneasiness in his new skin\' Remembered as a time in which \'Christ and his saints slept\', Stephen\'s troubled reign plunged England into anarchy. Without clear rules of succession in the Norman monarchy, conflict within William the Conqueror\'s family was inevitable. But, as this resonant portrait shows, there was another problem too: Stephen himself, unable to make good the transition from nobleman to king. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England\'s rulers - now in paperbackEdward I (1272-1307) is one of the most commanding of all English rulers. He fought in southwest France, in Wales, In Scotland and in northern France, he ruled with ruthlessness and confidence, undoing the chaotic failure of his father, Henry III\'s reign. He reshaped England\'s legal system and came close to bringing the whole island of Great Britain under his rule. He promoted the idea of himself as the new King Arthur, his Round Table still hanging in Winchester Castle to this day. His greatest monuments are the extraordinary castles - Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Harlech and Conwy - built to ensure his rule of Wales and some of the largest of all medieval buildings.Andy King\'s brilliant short biography brings to life a strange, complex man whose triumphs raise all kinds of questions about the nature of kingship - how could someone who established so many key elements in England\'s unique legal and parliamentary system also have been such a harsh, militarily brutal warrior? Σελίδες: 160, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England\'s rulers - now in paperbackHenry II (1154-89) through a series of astonishing dynastic coups became the ruler of an enormous European empire. One of the most dynamic, restless and clever men ever to rule England, he was brought down both by his catastrophic relationship with his archbishop Thomas Becket and his debilitating arguments with his sons, most importantly the future Richard I and King John. His empire may have ultimately collapsed, but in Richard Barber\'s vivid and sympathetic account the reader can see why Henry II left such a compelling impression on his contemporaries.Richard Barber has written for Penguin The Penguin Guide to Medieval Europe, The Holy Grail and Edward III and the Triumph of England. He is a major figure in medieval studies, both as a writer and as a publisher. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES.____________Why was North Africa such a key component in Britain\'s success over Mussolini and his Italian Army?How did they blunt Italy\'s actions?What challenges did they face?And what new technologies were brought to bear?When fascist dictator Mussolini declared war against Britain he was taking a huge risk . . . Italy lacked natural resources, and Britain and France\'s wealth.He hoped to create a new Roman Empire across the Mediterranean and into Africa. And with Hitler and the Nazi\'s by his side he had a great chance of doing so - but what was it that stopped him?Discover the answers and more inside James Holland\'s The Desert War, the thrilling and accessible account that explains what happened, who the key figures were and the tactics, triumphs and failures on both sides . . . Σελίδες: 56, Διαστάσεις: 12x12cm

\'Here is the English sovereign as a crusader, battling on the fringes of the known world; the warrior-king ... imbued with the heart of a lion\'Even within his own lifetime Richard I, dubbed the \'Lionheart\', attained a kind of semi-mythical status as a paragon of chivalry, yet his reign is both controversial and full of contradictions. Seeking to reconcile the conflicting evidence, Thomas Asbridge\'s incisive reappraisal of Richard I\'s career questions how the memory of his life came to be interwoven with myth. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

FROM THE ORWELL PRIZE-WINNER AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 \'Palestine\'s greatest prose writer\' Observer \'A valuable read. As well as talking through the history, Shehadeh is reaching out to Israelis and searching for some kind of dialogue\' Armando Iannucci When the state of Israel was formed in 1948, it precipitated the Nakba or \'disaster\': the displacement of the Palestine nation, creating fracture-lines which continue to erupt in violent and tragic ways today. In the years that followed, while the Berlin Wall crumbled and South Africa abolished apartheid, the Israeli government rejected every opportunity for reconciliation with Palestine. But Raja Shehadeh, a human rights lawyer and Palestine\'s greatest living writer, suggests that this does not mean the two nations cannot work together as partners on the road to peace, not genocide. In graceful, devastatingly observed prose, this is a fresh perspective in a time of great need. \'Powerful\' New Statesman \'A buoy in the sea of bleakness\' Rachel Kushner, author of Creation Lake \'Shehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise\' Colm Toibin, author of The Magician Σελίδες: 128, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

George Orwell\'s vivid memoir of his time living among the desperately poor and destitute, Down and Out in Paris and London is a moving tour of the underworld of society.\'You have talked so often of going to the dogs - and well, here are the dogs, and you have reached them.\' Written when Orwell was a struggling writer in his twenties, it documents his \'first contact with poverty\'. Here, he painstakingly documents a world of unrelenting drudgery and squalor - sleeping in bug-infested hostels and doss houses of last resort, working as a dishwasher in Paris\'s vile \'Hôtel X\', surviving on scraps and cigarette butts, living alongside tramps, a star-gazing pavement artist and a starving Russian ex-army captain. Exposing a shocking, previously-hidden world to his readers, Orwell gave a human face to the statistics of poverty for the first time - and in doing so, found his voice as a writer. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 11.2x11.2cm

\'An unrivalled picture of the rumours, suspicions and treachery of civil war\' Antony BeevorEvery line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism as I understand it\'. Thus wrote Orwell following his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War, chronicled in Homage to Catalonia. Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity, passion and clarity, describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes and cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode: the revolutionary euphoria of Barcelona, the courage of ordinary Spanish men and women he fought alongside, the terror and confusion of the front, his near-fatal bullet wound and the vicious treachery of his supposed allies.A firsthand account of the brutal conditions of the Spanish Civil War, George Orwell\'s Homage to Catalonia includes an introduction by Julian Symons. Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 11.2x11.2cm

\'A reputation as a ruthless ruler was sealed that would last beyond his lifetime. In that respect, at least, Cnut had succeeded...\'Cnut, or Canute, is one of the great \'what ifs\' of English history. The Dane who became King of England after a long period of Viking attacks and settlement, his reign could have permanently shifted eleventh-century England\'s rule to Scandinavia. Stretching his authority across the North Sea to become king of Denmark and Norway, and with close links to Ireland and an overlordship of Scotland, this formidable figure created a Viking Empire at least as plausible as the Anglo-Norman Empire that would emerge in 1066. Ryan Lavelle\'s illuminating book cuts through myths and misconceptions to explore this fascinating and powerful man in detail. Cnut is most popularly known now for the story of the king who tried to command the waves, relegated to a bit part in the medieval story, but as this biography shows, he was a conqueror, political player, law maker and empire builder on the grandest scale, one whose reign tells us much about the contingent nature of history. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

\'Wars are not won by evacuations\'\'We can take it!\'\'Westward look, the land is bright\'This collection of speeches from one of the great modern orators includes Churchill\'s famous words on the declaration of war with Germany, as well as his rousing call to the British in June 1940 after Dunkirk, and his immortal tribute to the young men fighting in the Battle of Britain. GREAT IDEAS. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'I am a woman\'s rights. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I am as strong as any man that is now\'A former slave and one of the most powerful orators of her time, Sojourner Truth fought for the equal rights of Black women throughout her life. This selection of her impassioned speeches is accompanied by the words of other inspiring African-American female campaigners from the nineteenth century.One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists. Σελίδες: 112, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

\'People can only be free in relation to one another.\'Three exhilarating and inspiring essays in which the great twentieth-century political philosopher argues that there can be no freedom without politics, and no politics without freedom.One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists. Σελίδες: 128, Διαστάσεις: 11x11cm

Σελίδες: 128, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

A brilliant, intricate and magical novel from the Godmother of British fantasy. When Andrew Hope\'s magician grandfather dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson who spent much of his childhood at the house. Andrew has forgotten much of this, but he remembers the very strong-minded staff and the fact that his grandfather used to put the inedibly large vegetables on the roof of the shed, where they\'d have vanished in the morning. He also remembers the very colourful stained glass window in the kitchen door, which he knows it is important to protect. Into this mix comes young Aidan Cain, who turns up from the orphanage asking for safety. Exactly who he is and why he\'s there is unclear, but a strong connection between the two becomes apparent. There is a mystery to be solved, and nothing is as it appears to be. But nobody can solve the mystery, until they find out exactly what it is! Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Millicent Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Constance Markievicz, Nancy Astor They terrorised the establishment. They fought for the vote. They pushed back boundaries and revolutionised our world. For the hundredth anniversary of the historic moment the franchise was finally extended to women, here is a selection of suffragette and suffragist activists and pioneering MPs from the pages of Jenni Murray’s bestselling A History of Britain in 21 Women. Set against the backdrop of a world where equality is still to be achieved, it is a vital reminder of the great women who fought for change. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm

Σελίδες: 192, Διαστάσεις: 15.3x15.3cm

Σελίδες: 400, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Discover Scotland with this authoritative guide to clans, tartans, and their origins. These popular maps are highly detailed, showing hundreds of arms, official insignia, crests, and tartans of the Scottish clans. This beautifully illustrated map is both decorative and informative. This map includes: Two double-sided, full-colour maps of ScotlandMore than 170 arms, the official insignia of clan chiefs, crest badges, and the locations of their ancient territories around the time of King James VIMore than 240 tartans with corresponding clan/ family names, alphabetically arranged for easy look-upAdditional information about the history of the clans and their tartans The map is ideal for those with an interest in Scottish heraldry, clans and family history. Other titles in the series include:• Castles Map of Scotland (99780007508532)• Whiskey Map of Scotland (9780008368319) Σελίδες: 2, Διαστάσεις: 12.4x12.4cm

\'A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought...but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.\' When Machiavelli\'s brief treatise on Renaissance statecraft and princely power was posthumously published in 1532, it generated a debate that has raged unabated until the present day. Based upon Machiavelli\'s first-hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe, The Prince analyses the usually violent means by which men seize, retain, and lose political power. Machiavelli added a dimension of incisive realism to one of the major philosophical and political issues of his time, especially the relationship between public deeds and private morality. His book provides a remarkably uncompromising picture of the true nature of power, no matter in what era or by whom it is exercised. This fluent new translation is accompanied by comprehensive notes and an introduction that considers the true purpose of The Prince and dispels some of the myths associated with it. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World\'s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford\'s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Σελίδες: 192, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'An unforgettable love story set in perilous times\' Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of AuschwitzThe greatest love blossoms in the darkest hour.In the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe, two people meet fleetingly in a chance encounter. One is an underground resistance fighter; the other a prisoner of war. A crumpled note passes between these two strangers and sets them on a course that will change their lives forever. The Note Through the Wire is the stunning true story of Josefine Lobnik, a resistance heroine, and Bruce Murray, an imprisoned soldier, as they discover love in the midst of a brutal war. Woven through their story of great bravery, daring escapes, betrayal, torture and retaliation is their remarkable love that survived against all odds. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

The perfect Mother\'s Day gift - a compulsive collection of the world\'s most entertaining, inspiring and powerful letters with mothers at their heart, curated by the founder of the global phenomenon lettersofnote.comIn Letters of Note: Mothers, Shaun Usher gathers together exceptional missives by and to mothers, celebrating the joy and grief, humour and frustration, wisdom and sacrifice the role brings to both parent and child. Includes letters by:Caitlin Moran, Sylvia Plath,Martin Luther King Jr., George Bernard Shaw,E.B. White, Laura Dern, Louisa May Alcott,Edna St. Vincent Millay, Bette Davis,Richard Wagner, Martha Gellhorn& many more Σελίδες: 176, Διαστάσεις: 11.1x11.1cm