Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Throughout history plague has been the cause of many major catastrophes. It was responsible for the 'Plague of Justinian' in 542, the Black Death of 1348, and the Great Plague of London in 1665, as well as for devastating epidemics in China and India between the 1890s and 1920s. In the 21st century Coronavirus pandemics have served as a powerful reminder that we have not escaped the global impact of epidemic diseases. ...

Plague, the epidemic disease whose ravages are the subject of this book, originally published in 1985, was both a personal affliction and a social calamity. It regularly decimated urban populations and totally disrupted social, economic and even political life. Paul Slack discusses the stresses which plague imposed on individuals, families and communities, and the ways in which people tried to explain, control and come to terms with it. The book also discusses contemporary attitudes to pla...

This collection of essays in English urban history covers a period which has been called 'the Dark Ages in English Economic History', on which it directs a revealing light. The essays range from a discussion of the role of ceremony in the civic life of Coventry at teh end of the Middle Ages to the influence of war on London Merchant class at the end of the seventeenth century.This book was first published in 1972.

Sons and Lovers, Lawrence’s third published novel, was written by the author at the height of his literary powers. The story of class differences (the relationship between a woman of middle class family and a miner) in the tough world of coal mining, it brought a refreshing realism to literature. It remains a challenging text (and is studied widely). It is particularly effective on audiobook in the hands of reader Paul Slack, who comes from Nottinghamshire.

Bestselling author and world-renowned historian Niall Ferguson has won widespread acclaim for thought-provoking works such as Civilization and High Financier. The Great Degeneration tackles nothing less than the decline of Western civilization. Ferguson posits that slowing growth, outrageous debt, and antisocial behavior are contributing to the erosion of the West's once rock-solid foundations. Ferguson excavates the causes and shows how heroic leadership and radical reform are needed to r...

D.H. Lawrence’s controversial classic, The Rainbow, follows the lives and loves of three generations of the Brangwen family, between 1840 and 1905. Their tempestuous relationships are played out against a backdrop of change as they witness the arrival of industrialisation the only constant being their unending attempts to grasp a higher form of existence, symbolised by the persistent, unifying motif of the ‘rainbow’. Lawrence’s fourth novel, and the prequel to Women in Love, is an invigora...

Sons and Lovers, Lawrence’s third published novel, was written by the author at the height of his literary powers. The story of class differences (the relationship between a middle-class woman and a miner) in the tough world of coal mining brought a refreshing realism to literature. It remains a challenging text and is studied widely. It is particularly effective on audiobook in the hands of Nottinghamshire reader Paul Slack.

Brought to you by Penguin.Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, compelled to defend his adopted homeland from the growing threat of Russian invasion. In February 2022, as Russia mounted a full-scale offensive, Aiden and his unit were stationed at the frontline at Mariupol.Pinned down at a Mariupol steelworks, after a month-long siege and running out of supplies, Aiden was part of the mass surrender of over a thousand Ukrainian troops, in April 2...

Considered the most widely read novel of the 20th century, D.H. Lawrence’s fiery fifth book continues the loves and lives of The Rainbow’s Brangwen sisters, Gudrun and Ursula. Gerald Crich, son of a wealthy colliery owner, captures the heart of Gudrun, while Ursula becomes enamoured with Rupert Birkin, a school inspector their complex relationship likely modelled on that between Lawrence, his wife Frieda, and John Middleton Murry and Katherine Mansfield. Things are far from harmonious, and...

Throughout history plague has been the cause of many major catastrophes. It was responsible for the "Plague of Justinian" in 542, the Black Death of 1348, and the Great Plague of London in 1665, as well as for devastating epidemics in China and India between the 1890s and 1920s. In the twenty-first century Coronavirus pandemics have served as a powerful reminder that we have not escaped the global impact of epidemic diseases.In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Slack take...

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.Provocative and sensual, this is the story of one man torn between the love for his mother and his desire for two very different women.Sons and Lovers is a compe...

The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain’s age of empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and the institutions of representative government—all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain’s economy, population, and culture from the seventeenth century until the mid-twentieth. On a vast and vividl...