Pen sword books ltd (Oltre 54.000 risultati)

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Hubert de Burgh rose from obscure beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in England. He loyally served first King John and then the young Henry III and played a crucial role in saving the Plantagenet dynasty when it was at its most vulnerable. During King Johns disastrous wars in France, Hubert held Chinon castle against the besieging French for a whole year. He remained loyal when the Barons rebelled against John and, when they invited French invaders to intervene, Hubert successfully held Dover Castle for the king against a siege led by the French Prince Louis. After Johns death, he held it for the new king, 9-year old Henry, against a renewed siege. In August 1217 he struck the final blow against the French invasion, which still held London, when he defeated a powerful fleet carrying French reinforcements at the naval Battle of Sandwich. Hubert continued to serve Henry III, making important reforms as Justiciar of England and leading military campaigns against the Welsh Prince Lewellyn. He eventually lost favour due to the machinations of his rivals and narrowly avoided execution but was eventually reconciled with his king and able to die a peaceful death. Incredibly, this is the first full-length biography of this remarkable man.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. How has the place we live in changed, developed, and grown over the centuries? That is the basic question local historians seek to answer. The answer is to be found in the sources of information that previous generations have left us. The records of parish, county, and diocesan administration, of the courts, of the national government, and of private estates, all have something to tell us about the history of the locality we are interested in. So do old newspapers and other publications. All of these sources are readily available, but many have been little used. Local historians come from a wide diversity of backgrounds. But whether you are a student researching a dissertation, a family historian interested in the wider background history of your family, a teacher, a librarian, an archivist, an academic, or are merely interested in the history of your own area, this book is for you. If you want to research local history, you need a detailed account of the myriad sources readily available. This book provides a comprehensive overview of those sources, and its guidance will enable you to explore and exploit their vast range. It poses the questions which local historians ask, and identifies the specific sources likely to answer those questions.…

Hardback. Condizione: Good. The biography of John Wenlock, Lord Wenlock, one of the foremost soldiers, courtiers and diplomats of the Wars of the Roses.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. The Author played a key role broking peace in the Bosnian War. Tells of personal contact with all leading protagonists, Mladic, Milosevic, Karadzic, Carrington. The author was a leading witness at the International War Crimes trials.

Hardback. Condizione: Good. The Author played a key role broking peace in the Bosnian War. Tells of personal contact with all leading protagonists, Mladic, Milosevic, Karadzic, Carrington. The author was a leading witness at the International War Crimes trials.

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Explores how the survival of Rome might have altered world history.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Explores how the survival of Rome might have altered world history.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Broadmoor, Britain's first asylum for criminal lunatics, was founded in 1863. In the first years of its existence, one in five patients was female. Most had been tried for terrible crimes and sent to Broadmoor after being found not guilty by virtue of insanity. Many had murdered their own children, while others had killed husbands or other family members. Drawing on Broadmoor's rich archive, this book tells the story of seven of those women, ranging from a farmer's daughter in her 20s who shot dead her own mother to a middle-class housewife who drowned her baby daughter. Their moving stories give a glimpse into what nineteenth-century life was like for ordinary women, often struggling with poverty, domestic abuse and repeated childbearing. For some, Broadmoor, with its regime of plain food, fresh air and garden walks, was a respite from the hardships of their previous life. Others were desperate to return to their families. All but one of the women whose stories are recounted in this book recovered and were released. Their bout of insanity was temporary. Yet the causes of their condition were poorly understood and the treatment rudimentary. As well as providing an in-depth look at the lives of women in Victorian England, the book offers a fascinating insight into the medical profession's emerging understanding of the causes and treatment of mental illness.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. In a time before television, radio and cinema, entertainment was found at the many music halls and theaters up and down Great Britain. Acts were varied and included singers, comedians, acrobats, dance acts, animal acts, magicians and escapologists as well as male and female impersonators. Shows played to packed audiences. Many people escaped their humdrum lives, working in cotton mills, coal mines or factories up and down the country, by visiting the local theater or music hall. Magicians and illusionists attracted huge crowds all over the country. This book includes the stories of some of the best illusionists as well as specialty acts such as Datas and The Human Fly. Some are still well-known names today, while others will be unheard of by many. Marvel at the feats and lives of the Davenport Brothers, the Great Raymond, David Devant, Carl Hertz and Harry Kellar. Relive the tragedies such as the deaths on stage of Chung Ling Soo and the Great Lafayette. The performers of the late 1800s and early 1900s made way for the many great illusionists and stage artists that we have today. Acts such as David Copperfield, Siegfried and Roy and David Blaine are all influenced by the likes of Houdini, The Great Lafayette and Robert-Houdini and without the innovations of the early artists, the modern performers might not exist - how different would entertainment be to this day.…

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Describes the ascendancy of the U-boat campaign.

Hardback. Condizione: Good. A Jewish memoir that goes beyond the Holocaust and ask what happened after Soviet liberation'.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Clear step-by-step guide to painting by a professional painter, Andy Singleton.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Thomas Wolsey rose from humble beginnings to power under Henry VIII, ultimately meeting a tragic end. The Wolseys of Suffolk date to Anglo-Saxon times. The earliest notice of a Wolsey as inhabitant of Ipswich is Thomas Wolsey's father, Robert. He was a successful small businessman and married a Joan Daundy. Thomas was probably born in 1471 in an inn and was almost certainly baptized in St Mary at the Elms church, Ipswich. Wolsey graduated from university and then his climb to power was extremely fast. He entered the Royal Household as the chaplain to King Henry VII. When King Henry VIII ascended to the throne Wolsey became his Almoner, which gave him access to the King's Council. Henry was very impressed with Wolsey's work. Thomas gained many important clerical positions. In 1515 Wolsey became Lord Chancellor of England. Thomas Wolsey's most famous peace treaty was signed between Henry VIII and Francis I of France at the glorious Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520. Henry had not produced a male heir. A woman called Anne Boleyn came on the scene. Henry began to think that she could mother him a son. The king asked Wolsey to seek a divorce from his first wife. He tried his utmost, as always, but the Pope kept delaying the matter. Wolsey failed and fell out of favor with Henry. He was charged with treason and escorted to the Tower of London. On his way, Thomas became very frail and sadly, on 29th November 1530 he died at Leicester Abbey.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Family history should reveal more than facts and dates, lists of names and places - it should bring ancestors alive in the context of their times and the surroundings they knew - and research into local history records is one of the most rewarding ways of gaining this kind of insight into their world. That is why Jonathan Oates's detailed introduction to these records is such a useful tool for anyone who is trying to piece together a portrait of family members from the past. In a series of concise and informative chapters he looks at the origins and importance of local history from the sixteenth century onwards and at the principal archives - national and local, those kept by government, councils, boroughs, museums, parishes, schools and clubs. He also explains how books, photographs and other illustrations, newspapers, maps, directories, and a range of other resources can be accessed and interpreted and how they can help to fill a gap in your knowledge.As well as describing how these records were compiled, he highlights their limitations and the possible pitfalls of using them, and he suggests how they can be combined to build up a picture of an individual, a family and the place and time in which they lived.…

Hardback. Condizione: Good. Find out more about Edward VIII, the first celebrity monarch.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Jewish Lives presents the life-stories of ten individual Jews who immigrated to Britain between 1750 and 1950, based on actual genealogical research. Their life-stories, enriched by a variety of sources, reflect the experiences of all Jewish immigrants as they settled in their adopted land. Melody Amsel-Arieli does not just piece together the detail of their lives - their work, pastimes, families, daily chores, food and celebrations. Drawing on social, economic and historical records, she also explores their background, places of origin, motives for immigration, arrival in the UK and experiences as they adjusted to their new surroundings - placing them in the wider historical context of their adopted community and society. This selection of revealing life-stores will prove fascinating for family historians and researchers, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, by offering parallels with their own lives and the lives of their ancestors. Jewish Lives: Britain 1750-1950 will inspire readers to pursue their own quest for information and understanding of their past.…

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Ron Williams' flying career started in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve which he joined for his National Service in the 1950s. Having completed this he became a civilian pilot and embarked on a career that would see him flying an amazing variety of aircraft in all parts of the world. His first operational naval aircraft was the Seafire XVII, a direct descendent of the Spitfire. This aircraft was capable of 480 knots, and it was during his first solo flight in one that he very nearly killed himself trying to achieve that speed. Luckily he escaped unharmed but much chastened. Whilst serving with the RNVR he also went solo on the Hawker Sea Fury, the world's fastest piston engine at that time, and also the jet powered Attacker. Having obtained his civilian pilot's licence he commenced flying DC-3s for Cambrian Airways around the UK and Europe. He then moved to a charter airline, Independent Air Travel flying the Vickers Viking, then to BlueAir flying DC-4s to Hong Kong and the Far-East. Next came Airwork based in Adelaide, still on DC-4s. A return to the UK saw him flying the Bristol Freighter from Southend Airport to the near Continent carrying passengers and their cars. Tragedy nearly struck when he was attempting to deliver a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer from Southend to the Cape Verde Islands. One of the legs of this flight entailed a stop-over on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands. Having elected to fly at night the small twin-engined aircraft hit bad weather and became lost. Unable to make radio contact and running out of fuel he was forced to ditch into the Atlantic in the eye of a hurricane. A Spanish fishing boat was fortunately to hand and rescued Ron, his co-pilot and single passenger. A move to Eire and Air Lingus followed, captaining Boeing 707s to New York and other American cities. Then came Cathay Pacific flying the Convair 880, British Airways flying BAC 1-11s and finally a twenty year stint with British Caledonian flying DC-10s. This airline was eventually merged with British Airways. This book explains many of the practical and technical aspects of commercial flight and also the pleasurable side of Ron's enforced nomadic lifestyle. The story covers commercial flight from its early post-war piston-powered infancy to current airline technology and methods.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. In-depth insight into the lives of criminal children in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. From the very outset of war Nazi Germany demonstrated its determination and ability to lay siege to the British Isles by the laying of mines in shipping lanes. Losses to both merchant ships and naval vessels became a serious factor. If supplies continued to be lost by a combination of U-Boat and mine attacks the very survival of the nation was at risk. Finding counter-measures to the German mine offensive was thus a top priority. The responsibility for this vital work rested with a small group of highly skilled and courageous naval specialists based at HMS Vernon, the RN's mine and torpedo shore-base at Portsmouth. Ranged against them was a growing and ingenious array of weapons: magnetic, acoustic, oyster, booby-trap mines to name but four varieties. Some were laid by boat, others dropped from the air. The story of HMS Vernon's contribution led by men such as Commander JGD Ouvry DSO and Captain R L Lewis DSO and many other courageous figures has been written by John Frayn Turner, the distinguished historian who served with them.He adopts a fast moving style to describe the near continuous struggle to detect, understand and master the best efforts of the German war machine. He brings home the constant deadly danger faced by these highly skilled and dedicated men.…

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Fighting between Christians and Muslims in the medieval period is often seen in the narrow context of the battle for the Holy Land. Other points of conflict tend to be ignored. But, as David Nicolle's thought-provoking survey shows, the religions clashed across the medieval world - in the Mediterranean and the Iberian peninsula, in the Near East, in Central Asia, India, the Balkans, Anatolia, Russia, the Baltic and Africa. Over 500 years, the struggle in each theatre of conflict had its own character - methods of warfare differed and developed in different ways and were influenced by local traditions and circumstances. And these campaigns were not waged solely against Christian or Islamic enemies, but against pagan, non-Christian or non-Islamic peoples. As he tells the story of Crusade and Jihad, and describes the organization and tactics of the armies involved, David Nicolle opens up a new understanding of the phenomenon of holy war.…

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. The reasons behind the USA's involvement in Vietnam remain a subject of extensive debate. Initially, America supported the French until their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, which then shifted to backing the South Vietnamese government due to fears of communism spreading throughout Southeast Asia.Why Vietnam delves into the myriad reasons for US involvement, examining theories that date back to 1918 when Woodrow Wilson ignored Ho Chi Minh's plea for independence at the Treaty of Versailles, through to Johnson's full commitment to the undeclared war, which restrained the military to a defensive role in protecting South Vietnam instead of an offensive one that would send troops across the DMZ into Laos and Cambodia.The questions of why the USA became involved, whether their involvement was justified, and if the war was ever winnable have been fiercely debated for over 50 years. This book seeks to address these 'whys' by providing a thorough examination of all contributing factors, from presidential actions to foreign policy, and the social and political climates of the war era.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The USMC saw some of the bitterest fighting of WW2 in the long Pacific campaign. This is a superb resume of the USMC's achievements against a fanatic enemy.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The USMC saw some of the bitterest fighting of WW2 in the long Pacific campaign. This is a superb resume of the USMC's achievements against a fanatic enemy.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Cold War nadir: January 1968 and in Czechoslovakia the new Communist Party leader Alexander Dubcek has made it clear that this is the opportunity to loosen the Soviet stranglehold on the country. As the Prague winter slowly eases into a Prague spring, it really does seem as if Dubcek has judged it right.…

Hardback. Condizione: Fair. This book shatters many long-held conception s of how and why the charge of the Light Brigade happened, a nd who was to blame. This is a gripping and definitive book for the general reader and military buff alike. '.

Hardback. Condizione: Good. A naval history of the ships and personalities of the Nelson period. The sources used include accounts of the Napoleonic Wars, ships' logs, Admiralty documents, private and official reports, letters and contemporary descriptions.

Hardback. Condizione: Good. A highly engaging homage to the iconic style of Elvis Presley, who shook up the world of music and fashion, triggering a cultural revolution that stopped 1950s America in its tracks.Born into poverty, his voice of liquid gold and show-stopping appearance propelled him into a life of extreme wealth.Elvis's extraordinary story - told through a fashion lens - celebrates the shy, lonely boy who awakened an entire generation to forbidden fruit.The defiant hair, the sultry good looks, the gender-ambivalent outfits - even the famous sideburns of the man who would be King - are all considered in loving detail.From impoverished scamp and teenage antihero in pink, through Hollywood heartthrob and sensual leather-clad rock star, to caped superhero in Vegas jumpsuits, the author describes his clothes with as much joy as she does his journey through the decades.A contemporary take on the evolution of Elvis the Showman, featuring interviews with people who knew, met and dressed him, and analysis of the 2022 hit movie, Elvis.A rags-to-riches tale, forged in the hardship and music of the poor South, it personifies the American Dream, retold with style by an author raised on Elvis's songs and movies and who walked in his shoes through Memphis to discover they really were two-toned.Set in a fascinating period in time, it looks at his powerful legacy, preserved by his devoted fans, and the films and tributes still being produced in his honour today.…

Condizione: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The author, in his thorough investigations, has interviewed all the leading participants involved and can now reveal the true story of the 'Brown Eminence'.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The author, in his thorough investigations, has interviewed all the leading participants involved and can now reveal the true story of the 'Brown Eminence'.