Think of the Renaissance and you might only picture the work of fine artists such as Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Van Eyck. Or architecture could spring to mind and you might think of St Peter’s in Rome and the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Or you might consider scientists like Galileo and Copernicus. But then let’s not forget the contribution of thinkers like Machiavelli, Thomas More or Erasmus. Someone else, though, might plump for music or poets and dramatists – after all, there was D...

'We have long passed the Victorian Era when asterisks were followed after a certain interval by a baby.' - W. Somerset MaughamThe Victorian era boasted the glory of the Empire and the grandeur that Empire afforded, it saw huge technological advances in civil engineering and transport, mass urbanisation and social change, as well as still-treasured literature and the most popular sports that we play today. But it was also a time of great poverty, of mass child labour and prostitution...

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." – Samuel JohnsonFrom plagues and poverty to financial scandals, serial killers to public executions, mad monarchs to barbaric mental asylums, Bloody History of London reaches deeply into the city’s long history and ranges widely across the social, political and cultural life of the metropolis.Founded by the Romans and attacked by the Vikings, London grew to become a...

This introductory text on labour economics covers topics such as: the shift in America from a manufacturing-based economy to a service economy; the changes in the economic conditions in the US; the implications of NAFTA and GATT; and the labour markets.

Sol-Gel processing methods, first used historically for decorative and constructional materials, were extensively developed in the last century for applications such as glasses, ceramics, catalysts, coatings, composites and fibres. Today they are reaching their full potential, enabling the preparation of new generations of advanced materials not easily accessible by other methods yet using mild, low-energy conditions. The topic is therefore increasingly included in advanced undergraduate, ...

Behind the familiar names of the military and political leaders whose names we all know--Lincoln, Davis, Lee, Grant, Sherman, and Jackson, are the people whose lives and hard work defined the Civil War era: abolitionists, slaves, inventors, manufacturers, painters, lawyers, writers, spies, nurses, and preachers. These are the people who helped shape both the war and our ideas about it.The Routledge Encyclopedia of Civil War Era Biographies is a comprehensive collection of ...

'Highly enjoyable' – Ancestors'A fascinating recreation of the Tower as the life-and-death blood of the nation' – Oxford TimesServing as both a palace and a prison, the Tower of London has been at the centre of more intrigue, terror and crucial turning points in history than any other site in England. Diehl and Donnelly take us behind the grim, grey walls which circumscribe England's grea...

"This fascinating book will make the Civil War come alive with thoughts and feelings of real people."The Midwest Book ReviewThe Civil WAR You Never Knew…Behind the bloody battles, strategic marches, and decorated generals lie more than 100 intensely personal, true stories you haven't heard before. In Best Little Stories from the Civil War, soldiers describe their first experiences in battle, women obse...

From William Shakespeare's series of history dramas to Sir Walter Scott and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, not to mention the smash-hit TV show Game of Thrones, the British civil war of 1455 to 1485 has inspired writers more than any other.Ed West's My Kingdom for a Horse illuminates the bloody war fought for thirty long years between the descendants of King Edward III in a battle for the throne. Named after the emblems used by the two leadi...

Ulysses S. Grant was the first four-star general in the history of the United States Army and the only president between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson to serve eight consecutive years in the White House. As general in chief, Grant revolutionized modern warfare. Rather than capture enemy territory or march on Southern cities, he concentrated on engaging and defeating the Confederate armies in the field, and he pursued that strategy relentlessly. As president, he brought...

First in a three-volume exploration of English history from the historical consultant of Netflix's award-winning series, The Crown .From ancient times to the present day, the story of England has been laced with drama, intrigue, courage and passion—a rich and vibrant narrative of heroes and villains, kings and rebels, artists and highwaymen, bishops and scientists. Now, in Great Tales from English History, Rober...

Which king's guards massacred a group of his supporters by mistake? Who had an oversized tongue and had to slobber when they ate food? Who was so large when they died that they had to be buried in a square coffin? Who survived seven assassination attempts? As you can tell from the bizarre questions above, it wasn't all thrones and sceptres for British kings and queens. Some of them were completely batty, and others were downright vicious. On the other hand, some monarchs were an icon to th...