Category Archives: Travel Guides
Knossos – The Minoan Civilisation
Covers the Palace of Knossos on Crete, The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, which has captivated story tellers throughout the ages. Features the artefacts, ruins and reconstructions of this important archaeological site. An indispensable guide for all who visit Knossos.
Outrageous Waves – Global Warming & Coastal Change in Britain
The great floods of 1953 in Eastern and Southern England inspired Basil Cracknell to write this book, at a time when he was finishing his thesis on changing land and sea levels in the Thames estuary. He decided to map the impact of medieval sea level rise for the whole of the coastline of Britain,
House Histories
It is a good time for a beginner to set about finding out about his or her house. Popular television programmes are highlighting the satisfaction that can be gained from investigating the history of houses, and interest in the subject is growing. Archives, too, are becoming ever more accessible under the impetus of the internet.
Veiled Half-Truths
This book examines the way in which Middle Eastern women were regarded by European travellers of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Much of the writing is concerned with the secrets of the harem. There was much romantic speculation about the lives of the women, but it was also felt that their lot was to be
Bristol – Ethnic Minorities & The City 1000 – 2001
Throughout much of its history, Bristol has been one of England`s most important ports; on the very edge of England it looks out towards Wales, Ireland, to the Atlantic and beyond. Those who have made Bristol their home range from medieval Jews to modern asylum seekers. Well before the post-war arrival of people of Caribbean
The Other Way Around
150 years after Charles Darwin completed his epic voyage in “HMS Beagle”, a research ship owned and operated by the UK`s Natural Environment Research Council and bearing the name of the famous scientist, began another global circumnavigation that would take her away from her home base for three and a half years. Unlike “HMS Beagle”,
Bristol Past
Once England`s second city, Bristol is still the commercial, retail and distribution centre for the whole of the South West. The city`s long and fascinating history has been the subject of many books, one of the most successful being the same author`s Bristol: A Pictorial History (1991). Now he has greatly expanded the narrative of
Lion & the Gazelle – the Mammals & Birds of Iran
Iran is a country rich in wildlife and, under the Shah, was one of the first in the world to develop a conservation program. A natural crossroads over which migrations of men and animals have flowed since the beginning of time, the country has two completely different climatic zones enabling an extraordinary variety of species
Kingsdown – Bristol`s Vertical Suburb
Kingsdown was built as Bristol`s first planned suburb in the 18th century. At the time it was well know locally as the site of an important Civil War fortification and appreciated as an airy, green space just beyond the crowded medieval city. The land had once belonged to the Benedictine Priory of St James but
Ottoman & Persian Odysseys
“The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan,” the story of a likable Iranian rogue caught up in a series of extraordinary and farcical adventures, remains perhaps the most famous of English picaresque novels and, curiously, a favorite among Iranians. First published in 1823, it was an instant best-seller, and is still in print. Little, however,
Monarchs of the Sea
This text surveys the history of the ocean liners. Each great ship, from the “Titanic” to the “QE2”, epitomized the designs and fashions of its age while at the same time representing the national aspirations of its flag nation. With prestige at stake, competition between these ships was intense. Through this book we not only
Travellers in Egypt
Offering a study of travellers in Egypt, the contributions to this book encompass early travellers, those with a serious scientific or archaeological interest, those whose primary interest was artistic and literary, and those – including Flaubert – who wrote classic works of European literature based on their experiences. A whole section is devoted to E.W.
Palaeography for Family and Local Historians
Family and local historians frequently encounter the challenge posed by the writing, and sometimes the translation, of the records which might most enable them to make further progress with their research. Many pamphlets, booklets and even books have been produced over the past century to help with old handwriting and abbreviations, but this new work,
London: Rebuilding the City after the Great Fire
After the Great Fire, Londoners faced the challenge of rebuilding their devastated city. They did so with a very English compromise between modernity and tradition. This intriguing book opens up new perspectives on the story in an account of how and why the new City of London was rebuilt as it was after 1666. The
Roads And Tracks For Historians
Major features of the landscape, roads and tracks are often ignored by those who use them. Yet they can tell us much about a locality and the social and economic life of the past. The earliest trade routes date back far into pre-history, long before the Romans imposed their military network. This book provides penetrating
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was built in Hyde Park to house the treasures of the world for the Great Exhibition of 1851. It became a microcosm of Victorian life, industry and leisure, reflecting every aspect of its age. Designed by Joseph Paxton as a temporary structure its success meant that when it closed it was moved
Criminal London
London has always had more than its fair share of criminals, and medieval records are full of murders, fights, forgery and vagrancy. As the capital, it was the obvious centre for conspiracies, riots and revolts, while its wealth and anonymity made it a magnet for thieves, robbers and criminal gangs from the entire kingdom. In
A History of Woking
Woking, though the largest town in Surrey, is known to many only as a railway junction and might seem to be the archetype of suburban dormitories with no past or any interest. However, this first comprehensive account of its origins and growth shows that Woking, with its associated villages of Byfleet, Horsell and Pyrford, can
