Alexander, Caroline. The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. HarperCollins (UK)/Viking Pr. (US) 2003 [This is one of the most acclaimed histories of the Fall 2003 season. Alexander's throrough research is a corrective to the legends surrounding Bligh, Christian, and the Bounty that have been popularized by Hollywood. Stripped of all the myths, it is still an amazing story, especially Bligh's 48-day, 3,600-mile journey to safety in a 23-foot open boat with 18 of his crew. "Alexander's reconstruction of the mutiny and its aftermath (thanks to her exhaustive research through books, reports, newspapers, correspondence, historical societies and archives) is almost as remarkable as Bligh's feat. . . . Alexander's work is destined to become the definitive, enthralling history of a great seafaring adventure." -- Publishers Weekly. ". . . fast-reading and gripping narrative . . . an in-depth, well-researched look at all the elements that went into the history-making event. . . . Alexander leaves no detail unexamined. . . . A rollicking sea adventure told with enormous confidence and style." -- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review). "Surely this exhaustingly-researched, enthralling and enthusiastically-written tome is the last word on the most famous of all seafaring mutinies. . . . The book is enlivened by the colorful commentary of the crew members themselves, gleaned from letters and court documents. Alexander does us all the favor of presenting Bligh the way he was understood and received in his day--as a brilliant navigator who, when placed in context, was not a brutal task-master at all." -- Mike McGonigal, Amazon.com. To order via Amazon.com.uk, please click here.]Appleby, John C. & Paul Dalton, eds. Government, Religion and Society in Northern England 1000-1700. Sutton Publ. 1997 [Publisher supplied info: This volume incorporates a series of essays which, from varying perspectives, shed considerable light on the history of northern England during a period which witnessed dramatic developments in the government, religion and society of the region. Topics covered include the patterns of patronage and power in northern governance in both town and countryside, the governmental integration of northern England, the place of the north in Anglo-Scottish relations, the distinctive character of northern society, ecclesiastical appointments, the consequences of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the role of women in border society and the religious life of the north. The papers cross conventional dividing lines in history in an attempt to provide a more effective survey of a vital period in the development of the north.]
Arnold, Dana. The Georgian Country House: Architecture, Landscape and Society. Sutton Publ. 1999 [Dana Arnold brings together five other scholars in this new look at the pivotal role the country house played in eighteenth and early nineteenth century British society. Arnold provides the preface and five of the book's ten chapters, the other contributors being Tim Clayton, Stephen Bending, M.H. Port, Philippa Tristram, and Andrew Ballantyne.]
Arnold, Dana, ed. The Georgian Villa. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Fourteen contributors look at the Georgian villa given its noted place in the changing form and function of the villa, and in the social and economic circumstances of its occupants. The essays are accompanied by many interesting and useful illustrations. This book was initially published in 1996. "Stimulating. . . a must for the serious reader." -- Conservation Bulletin. "The rich mix of views. . . helps make the book the lively read that it is." -- The Architects' Journal.]
Atkin, Malcolm. Cromwell's Crowning Mercy: The Battle of Worcester 1651. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Worcester was the final Royalist headquarters during the English Civil War. On 3 September, 1651, Cromwell, leading his troops into battle for the last time, took the city in a two-pronged attack. With the Royalist cause shattered and Charles II a fugitive, Cromwell refered to this final battle as a "crowning mercy." This book is nicely printed and features ample maps and illustrations, including drawings by Stephen Rigby.]
Aubrey, John. Brief Lives. [Penguin Classics; John Buchanan-Brown, ed & intro.; Michael Hunter, foreword] Penguin 2000 [Publisher supplied info: With deft, picturesque prose, Aubrey (1626-1697) presents biographical sketches for an intriguing and colorful parade of statesmen, poets, philosophers, and scientists, including Walter Raleigh, Francis Bacon, William Shakespeare, John Milton, Thomas Hobbes, and Rene Descartes, as well as a host of lesser known but equally fascinating figures. This anecdotal, gossipy collection brings to life the tumultuous world of Elizabethan and Stuart England and its revolutions in politics, science and morality. At the same time, Aubrey revels in the sheer variety of human nature and in the detailed, intimate, and sometimes scandalous aspects of his subjects' lives. . . . In this new edition, more faithful to the original text than previous versions, Brief Lives emerges as a revolution in the art of English biography, a mixture of entertainment and erudition, and a lively portrait of an age. Aubrey was a member of the Royal Society and pioneered the study of archaeology.]
Barron, Caroline & Nigel Saul, eds. England and the Low Countries in the Middle Ages. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Nine chapters by ten contributors look at the relations between England and the Low Countries during the 150 years from the accession of Edward III in 1327 to the passing of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1477. This book was originally published in hardcover in 1995. ". . . the papers bring out the richness and diversity of the influence of the Low Countries on England. . . . a very valuable overview. . . does full justice to the complexity and variety of interconnections that developed across the North Sea." -- Michael Prestwich, English Historical Review.]
Barstow, Phyllida. The English Country House Party. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a very well illustrated look at the golden age of English country house entertaining from around 1860 to the beginning of World War I. Written in most engaging and witty style, this book is certain to entertain. The author tells the colorful stories of the aristocratic personalities and their lifestyles, while also discussing the political and social implications of the country house party. "A splendid celebration of the Edwardian era, going far beyond the confines of the country house." -- Times Literary Supplement. "Highly entertaining. . . sympathetic and well researched. . . the pictures are admirable." -- Daily Telegraph. Originally published in 1989.]
Blair, John. Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire Books/Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book, originally published in 1994, describes the development of the society and landscape of Oxfordshire from the Anglo-Saxon settlement to the early twelfth century. "exemplary local study." -- Annual Review of Historical Literature. "a stunning piece of scholarship . . . archaeology at its best, closely linked with history." -- Current Archaeology. "state of the art history, drawing on every kind of evidence . . . intellectually thrilling . . . writing as plain and direct as the technicalities permit." -- The Countryman. "every page has been carefully thought out and deserves careful attention . . . fluently readable . . . illustrations numerous and good." -- Oxford Magazine.]
Bobbitt, Malcolm. Rolls-Royce & Bentley: Sixty Years at Crewe. Sutton Publ. 1998 [In 1998, Rolls-Royce celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Crewe factory, which became the home of the company's car production after WW II. This beautifully illustrated oversized hardcover history runs up through the 1998 sale to Volkswagen and the acquisition of the Rolls-Royce name by BMW.]
Boughey, Joseph. Charles Hadfield: Canal Man and More. [Sonia Rolt, foreword] Sutton Publ./Inland Waterways Association 1998 [Hadfield was the leading British historian of canal and waterways. In the first part of this book, Boughey chronicles how Hadfield developed the field of canal history in his studies of British and world canals. The second part of the book, "Scenes from a Life," is based on drafts written by the late Hadfield and edited by Boughey. The chapters cover over important facets of Hadfield's life, from boyhhod in the Transvaal to his publishing career to retirement in the Cotswolds, and his love for his wife, Alice Mary.]
Bourke, Angela. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. Penguin 2001 [This book recounts the infamous 1895 demise of Bridget Cleary -- burned to death by her husband and friends amidst rumors of her having become a changeling left behind by fairies. It was originally published in 2000. "[A] tightly constructed and authenticallly dramatic account. . . . [A] powerful reconstruction of the crime." -- The New York Times Book Review. "Filled with original thinking about the collision of Irish culture with the modern world." -- San Francisco Chronicle.]
Broatch, Stuart Fergus. Vauxhall. [Sutton's Photographic History of Transport] Sutton Pub. 1997
Burgess, Colin. The Age of Stonehenge. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling Publ. 2001 [Burgess covers the history of Britain and Ireland from 3,000 BC to 1,000 BC. He argues that the people of those times were more numerous, organized, and technologically advanced than was originally thought. This book was originally published in 1980, for this new edition the author adds a short, yet critical, introduction.]
Bush, Barbara. Imperialism, Race and Resistance: Africa and Britain 1919-1945. Routledge 1999 [Bush offers three examinations of the growth of anti-colonial resistance and the opposition to racism in the period prior to collapse of colonialism. Her first focus is West Africa, her second is South Africa, and her third focus is on Britain. This book is also available in a hardcover edition.]
Butler, Daniel Allen. "Unsinkable:" The Full Story of the RMS Titanic. Da Capo Pr. 2002 [This is a meticulously researched, and very even-handed and fair, history of the loss of the Titanic. Rather than looking to cast blame, Butler cooly considers what happened and why. One wishes all historians could write such a calm, dispassionate assessment of such painful and complicated events. Fortunately, this quick-reading book was rewarded with New York Times bestseller status. "A masterfull treatment of the Titanic disaster." -- Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember. "The best treatment of the unlucky liner's saga since Walter Lord's A Night to Remember." -- Washington Times. "Butler gives a new perspective on this incredible story. . . . Riveting." -- New York Post. "A page-turner." -- Publishers Weekly. "Do we need another Titanic book? Absolutely." -- Northern Mirror. Originally published in 1998, this book is still available in a hardcover edition from Stackpole Books.]
Cesarani, David. Justice Delayed: How Britain Became a Refuge for Nazi War Criminals. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2001 [Historian David Cesarani explains in this book, now updated with a new Afterword, how it was that the immigration policy of the Labor Government under Clement Atlee allowed Britain to become a haven for mass murderers and Nazi collaborators. Atlee's postwar government favored Eastern Europeans over nonwhites and Jewish Holocaust survivors. The author was a former researcher for the All-Party Parliamentary War Crimes Group. This book was originally published in 1992.]
Chandler, John, compiler. A Country House Christmas. Sutton Publ./National Trust 1999 [Chandler draws on great materials to show what the Holiday season looked like in English and Welsh country houses over a six hundred year span. Selections come from works by many writers including Charles Dickens, Hillaire Belloc, King James I, Washington Irving, and Harold Macmillan.]
Christopher, David. British Culture: An Introduction. Routledge 1999 [This book is a wide ranging introduction to all aspects of British culture and the arts over the past several decades.]
Conner, Clifford D. Colonel Despard: The Life and Times of an Anglo-Irish Rebel. [Signpost Biography Series; Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, foreword] Combined Publ. 2000 [Despard was a Protestant Irishman whose career spanned the American Revolution, the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and the French Revolutionary Wars. He once fought alongside Horatio Nelson in the American Revolution, and later was a British colonial adminstrator, but he ended up on the gallows accused of plotting within the Brigade of Guards to kill the King of England. "Cliff Conner's Colonel Despard captures in wonderful words a gallant hero in a romantic time and place. We are given the gift of history on a personal level while at the same time he deals with the complexity of empire and its conquest. A most enjoyable and compelling read." --Malachy McCourt. "Cliff Conner has resurrected a revolutionary figure, Marcus Despard, from the grave, and in this book he walks again amongst us." --Sean Cronin. ". . . rescues from anonymity an important player in early nineteenth century Anglo-Irish revolutionary Jacobinism in this careful, judicious biography. . . ." -- Marvin Gentelman.]
Corfield, Penelope J. & Chris Evans, eds. Youth and Revolution in the 1790s: Letters of William Pattisson, Thomas Amyot and Henry Crabb Robinson. Alan Sutton Publ. 1996 [Published in this work are the newly found letters of three young English reformers caught up in the heady atmosphere of radicalism that was eminating from the turmoil in France. The editors analyze and provide background to the letters in order to provide insight into the intellectual and political milieu of English radicalism.]
Coulter, John. London of One Hundred Years Ago. Sutton Publ. 1999 [This is an oversized hardcover published on glossy paper featuring numerous photographs plus fascinating selections from period writings. Chapters cover royalty, society, tourism, entertainments, streets and buildings, shopping, the daily grind, transprt and commuting, poverty and charity, and improvements.]
Crawford, Patricia & Laura Gowing, eds. Women's Worlds in Seventeenth-Century England: A Source Book. Routledge 2000 ["This rich and exciting collection brings seventeenth-century women to life. Full of unexpected information, the documents are culled from a wide range of sources, much of it archival material which has never been published before. This is a superb volume ." -- Lyndal Roper. "Now, at last, we will be able to read the collected were of English woman--ordinary English woman--as they spoke in courts, wrote letters to friends, scribbled down accounts, shared advice with one another, and otherwise left records of their experiences, fears, and hopes. Many original documents are printed here for the first time, it all will delight and inform readers. Created by the care for research and attentive teaching of two respected historians, this is a wonderful book." -- Judith M. Bennett.]
Davies, John. <The Making of Historic Wales. CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments/Sutton Publ. 1999 [Originally published in hardcover in 1996, this oversized trade paperback is a beautiful book. The work traces the process of evolution in the Weslh landscape from prehistory (about 10,000 BC) to the present day. Lavish use of color and black and white photographs, maps, prints, and line drawings, and the heavy, glossy paper this book is printed on make this work a real treat.]
De-la-Noy, Michael. Scott of the Antarctic. [Pocket Biographies Series] Sutton 1997
Devine, T.M. The Scottish Nation: A History, 1700-2000. Penguin Books 2001 [Publisher supplied info: T.M. Devine uses extensive original research to examine Scotland's urban vigor as well as describing the traditional aspects of Scottish history, covering key topics such as the Union, the Enlightenment, industrialization, the Clearances, religion, and the road to devolution. He also explores the global diaspora of the Scots, the impact of migrants, and the effect of the World Wars. Throughout, Scotland's story is set against the background of British, European, and world history. "Outstanding . . . Scottish history has been waiting a long time for a counterpart to Roy Foster's masterpiece Modern Ireland. . . . Devine has written it." -- Niall Ferguson, The Sunday Times (London). "A comprehensive, lucidly written history of Scotland, a nation that despite its small size has had a disproportionate impact on the world's intellectual and industrial development. Scotsman Devine, Professor at the University of Aberdeen, has taken on the ambitious task of chronicling the last three centuries of Scottish history. A must read for anyone interested in Scotland's history." -- Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1999. "A tremendous study of transformation . . . Devine's strength is his huge learning in the field of social history, especially the story of the rural communities of Scotland." -- Neal Ascherson, Los Angeles Times. "His epic, forward-looking historical study is without peer, and students of Scotland's past and present will find much of value in its pages." -- Gregory McNamee, Amazon.com. "Splendid . . . will remain the standard one in its field for a long time." -- The Times Literary Supplement. Originally published by Viking in 1999, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]
Donoughue, Bernard & G.W. Jones. Herbert Morrison: Portrait of a Politician. [Peter Mandelson, foreword] Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling Publ. (US) 2001 [This is a biography of a key figure in British political life for nearly forty years. Morrison was London's most famous city boss, a Labour Transport Minister, and he almost became prime minister. During WW II, Churchill included him in his cabinet as the Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security. His career ended in 1951 as he was overwhelmed with problems and scandals during his time as Foreign Secretary, e.g., the Burgess-Maclean spy fiasco. This book was originally published in 1973, and now features a new foreword by his grandson.]
Douglas, Hugh. The Private Passions of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Sutton Publ. 1998 [A look at the Scottish romantic hero, Charles Edward Stuart, and the women he loved, from his mother to his mistresses to his disastrous late dynastic marriage to Louise de Stolberg, and finally to his elder years of loneliness comforted by his daughter. This book was first published in 1995 with the title, Bonnie Prince Charlie in Love. "a sympathetic account" -- The Daily Telegraph. "entertaining and well-researched . . . " -- The Sunday Telegraph.]
Emery, Norman. Banners of the Durham Coalfield. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Drawing on Christian, socialist, and Marxist ideas and imagery, these banners are the battle-standards of the Durham coal miners. As history they record the calls for social justice and the struggle for working-class rights in the UK coalfields. Details on the construction and use of the banners, and a catalogue of over 500 banners are part of the text. Color and b&w photos are included throughout. A very thorough bibliography rounds out the book.]
Emett, Charlie. Durham Railways. [Sutton's Photographic History of Railways] Sutton Publ. 1999 [The northeast of England has been key to British rail service since the 1825 opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. An ex-railwayman and historin, Emett has collected over 250 good photographs that chronicle the trains and rail system of this region. To the photos he has added informative captions.]
Fraser, Lady Antonia. Faith and Treason: The Gunpowder Plot. Doubleday 1997 [Originally published in 1996, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]
Gelling, Margaret. Place-Names in the Landscape: The Geographical Roots of Britain's Place-Names. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2001 [Gelling, President of the English Place-Name Society, explains the derivation of English place-names and their roots in British history and and landscape. This book was originally published in 1984.]
Gilbert, Martin. The Routledge Atlas of British History, Third Edition. Routledge 2003 [An excellent history resource, this book offers over 150 maps with text by noted historian Martin Gilbert clearly woven throughout the maps. Gilbert begins with the ancient Celts and the Roman invasions and runs up to 2002. Coverage extends to politics, war, conflict, societal upheavels, economics, trade and industry, religion, society, etc. Twelve new maps were prepared for this edition, previous editions having appeared in 1993 and 1968. This book was published simultaneously in a hardcover edition.]
Gilbert, Martin & Richard Gott. The Appeasers. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling Publ. (US) 2001 [Gilbert and Gott examine Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement in his dealings with Hitler. They explain how the policy was developed, how it was carried out, and why the policy proved to be a mistake. This book was originally published in 1963. "Here is a remarkable book, admirably documented and most fairly presented." -- Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart, Glasgow Herald. ". . . an extraordinary compilation of detailed facts." -- Michael Foot.]
Gracie, Colonel Archibald. Titanic: A Survivor's Story. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a vivid account of the last day and fateful night by one of the last passengers to leave the ship. Gracie tracked down fellow surviors and attended the court hearings in the US in an effort to document this story. Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember called Gracie "an indefatigable detective." Due to the lingering effects of the ordeal and exposure to the icy waters, Gracie passed away on 4 December, 1912. This book was published postumously in 1913 with the title The Truth About the Titanic. "The most detailed and accurate contemporary narrative of that night to remember." -- Navy News. "Worth reading for tis meticulous post-mortem on the fateful night's events." -- The Daily Telegraph. ". . . engrossing and harrowing" -- The Seaman.]
Gray, Edward. Manchester Ship Canal. [Sutton's Photographic History of Transport] Sutton Pub. 1997
Gregg, Pauline. King Charles I. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2000 [This book was originally published in 1981. "The fullest and most carefully compiled biography that we are ever likely to have. She combines sympathetic understanding of his character with a dispassionate account of his career." -- C.V. Wedgwood, Telegraph. ". . . a well researched, well written biography that deserves to become the standard work." -- Christopher Hill, Guardian. "A fine book . . . so obviously the fruit of devoted labour . . . there is everything to enjoy in it." -- Rivers Scott, The Times.]
Harkness, David. Ireland of One Hundred Years Ago. Sutton Publ. 1999 [This is an oversized hardcover published on glossy paper featuring numerous photographs plus illuminating selections from period writings. Chapters cover governance, earning a living, recovering the past, sport, entertainment and leisure, education, health and housing, religion, and a general guide to the Ireland of a century ago.]
Hawkes, Jane & Susan Mills, eds. Northumbria's Golden Age. Sutton Publ. 1999 [This is a beautiful, oversized hardcover that examines the most significant of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the seventh and eigth centuries. It stretched from Humber in the south to the Forth in the north (that is in modern Scotland). Not only was a political power, it is very much noted for its magnificent cultural and artistic achievements. It had the leading monasteries and the greatest scriptoria. Only Norman and Viking invasions drove the cultural center to the south of England. Thirteen chapters by fourteen experts cover Northumbria's archaeology and history, thirteen contributors provide eleven chapters on the material culture, four chapters by four writers cover manuscripts, and six contributors provide a similar number of chapters on St. Bede, the scholar, monk, and priest. A thirty-page bibliography rounds out this work. "No one working within this period will be able to carry the subject forward without reference to this collection." -- Richard Bailey, Prof. of Anglo-Saxon Civilization, Univ. of Newcastle.]
Hickman, Trevor. The History of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. [The Best of British in Old Photographs Series] Sutton Pub. 1997
Hill, Michael & Sally Birch. Cotswold Stone Homes: History, Conservation, Care. [John Julius Norwich, foreword; Margaret Lister, photographs] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Originally published in 1994. ". . . a thorough and useful study of the region's characteristic building material and its use in vernacular domestic architecture . . . an enjoyable and informative read." -- Conservation Bulletin. ". . . should be required reading not only for those fortunate enough to live in a Cotswold house but for everyone, everywhere, who cares about English architecture." -- John Julius Norwich.]
Hitchens, Peter. The Abolition of Britain: From Winston Churchill to Princess Diana. Encounter Books 2000 [This is an articulate critique of the British condition delivered with great wit and vigor. It was first published in the UK in 1999. For the US edition the seventeen original essays are joined by one deleted from the UK edition (on homosexuality) plus a new preface. Hitchens ranges wide and far looking at the dreadful effects of the TV culture, the decline of the English language, the gutting of English history, the undermining of education, the "Church's pitiful collapse," class warfare, the disappearance of politeness, the impact of the female contraceptive pill on morality, the public reaction to the demise of Diana, and much, much more. Although one can disagree with some of his interpretations or opinions, the overall impact of the book is to rightly make one fear for the future of England. "[This book] shows that the 'culture wars' are not restricted to the United States. Hitchens shows that in England, the conflict is more desperate than it is here and the outcome even more depressing. The book is a stunning elegy for the England that the Left destroyed." -- David Horowitz, Los Angeles, July 2000. "This is a cri de coeur from an honest, intelligent and patriotic Englishman, desperately worried about the corruption of his country and the likely effects of its lurch into the embrace of a European superstate." -- The Spectator, October 1, 1999. "Tony Blair's 'cool Britain' is also a site of junk culture, showbiz values, pernicious officiladom and fifth-rate political manipulation. It simultaneously illustrates much of the worst of elitism and the worst of populism. Reading this honest and indignant account, I could not repress a twinge of fraternal solidarity." -- Christopher Hitchens. "When you read it, you know where you stand, who the enemy is, and that there really is still a great ideological divide about every aspect of society." -- The Guardian, December 1999. "Peter Hitchens has put his fingers on a deep unease. Away from London, in the villages, among the old, the retired, country-dwellers, farmers and landowners, people are unhappy. They feel that New Britain is out to get them." -- Wall Street Journal Europe.]
Hoby, Margaret. The Private Life of an Elizabethan Lady: The Diary of Lady Margaret Hoby 1599-1605. [Joanna Moody, ed.] Sutton Publ. 1998 [This nicely-illustrated diary offers interesting insights into life in the Tudor era. Lady Margaret was the only daughter and heiress of a wealthy landowner. Her three marriages provided interesting links to Elizabeth's court and English intellectual life. This diary covers the period when she lived on her estate in North Yorkshire and was married to Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby, a Puritan. It was primarily intended as a record of her religious observances, and being full of private meditations, pious endeavors, and religious self-examination, it reveals Lady Margaret to have been very devout. The diary also records her daily household life, and notable events such as a legal case in the Star Chamber which took the Hobys to London.]
Hubert, Maria, compiler. Christmas in Shakespeare's England. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a wonderful anthology which recalls Christmas during Shakespeare's era. On Christmas Day observance of the holiday was strictly religious, but the holiday season was long and merry with numerous feasts, masques, and plays. Hubert compiles 45 pieces, including plays, short stories, poetry, songs,and recipes which provide an interesting look at how the Christmas Season was understood and celebrated. Numerous illustrations are included, e.g., engravings, portraits, drawings, and playbills.]
Hubert, Maria, compiler. The Great British Christmas. Sutton Publ. 1999 [Hubert, who specializes in recounting the stories of Christmas past here assembles a superb collection spanning almost two thousand years. She begins with traditions adopted by early Christians during the Roman occupation and runs up to the modern era. Along the way she includes such gems as an extract from Sir Thomas Malory on King Arthur's Christmas, poems by Kipling, excerpts from Thackeray, Pepys, Hardy, and Dickens, a look at Queen Victoria's Christmases, recipes, traditional carols and much more. These short pieces make for a quick, enjoyable read.]
Hughes, R. Iestyn & Paul O'Leary. Wales of One Hundred Years Ago. The National Library of Wales/Sutton Publ. 1999 [This is an oversized hardcover published on glossy paper featuring numerous photographs plus interesting quotations and other text selections from period books, magazines, newspapers, government reports, etc. Chapters cover industry and commerce, rural society, travel, cuture and religion, entertainment, politics, David Lloyd George, and pomp and circumstance.]
Hutchinson, Lucy. Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson: Charles I's Puritan Nemesis. [N.H. Keeble, ed.] Phoenix Pr. 2000/Sterling Publ. 2001 [These are the memoirs of a pivotal character in the English Revolution written by his wife. Hutchinson, a staunch Puritan, was one of the men to sign the death warrant of Charles I. He was to later become disenchanted with Cromwell's assumption of personal power. Hutchinson perished in prison four years after the Restoration. His wife wrote these memoirs from 1664-1671. This edition was first published in 1806, and features a new introduction and critical material added by by J.M. Dent in 1995.]
Jane Austen's Emma. 1996 [This is the DVD version of a classic work by Austin directed by Diarmuid Lawrence. Comes recommended by my wife, a great Jane Austin fan.]
Jenkins, Elizabeth. Elizabeth the Great. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling Books (US) 2000 [This book was originally published in 1958. "A wonderfully readable account of one of the most extraordinary beings who ever lived." -- Daily Telegraph. ". . . with Miss Jenkins we come as close to the secret of it all . . . as we are ever likely to get . . . a touching portrait that is unforgettable and very touching." -- A.L. Rowse.]
Kearns, Kevin C. Dublin Tenement Life: An Oral History. Penguin 2000 [In 1900 there were more than 6000 tenement houses in Dublin, and over one-third of the population lived in them. This book provides an interesting, yet heartbreaking, look at life in the slums from the early nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth. Kearns shows how the poor, despite their hardships, developed a close-knit community life in which they found security and happiness. The author also provide sixty-six photographs which vividly show life in the tenements. This book was originally published in 1994. "Among the finest books ever written about Dublin." -- Dermot Bolger, The Sunday Tribune. "This is truly an admirable book, capturing echoes of a vanished world with vanished assumptions, vanished pieties, vanished aspirations. . . . The recollections Kearns has elicited from the scores of old Dubliners recaptures the vitality of the city which was destroyed in the great slum clearance of thirty years ago." -- Kevin Meyers, Irish Times. "Kearns has been able to tell the true story of the hidden Dublin. . . . He writes authoritatively about the history and evolution of the slum problem. . . . The book really comes to life through the direct testimony of evidence of the people who once lived in the slums." -- Colin Kerr, Evening Press. "Vividly depicts life in the Dublin tenements. . . . Kearns has performed an invaluable service in collecting the testimonies of survivors." -- Kerry McCarthy, Evening Herald.]
Kee, Robert. The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism. Penguin Books 2001 [This book was originally published in 1972. "Beautifully objective and thorough." -- Sunday Times. "Sympathetic . . . also highly intelligent and critical . . . Mr. Kee writes out of a long affection for this country, but he remains, in the best sense, an outsider, and he brings to the most volatile ingredient of our history the detachment which his subject so desperately needs." -- Irish Times. "Excellently structured . . . Kee's survey is particularly impressive for his stirring word-picture of the great Irish figures who made much of the history he relates." -- Boston Globe. "If there had been more Englishmen with Kee's perception part of our tragedy would never have happened." -- Irish Independent. "A remarkable work which is a delight to read." -- Irish Catholic. "The narrative skill with which the author handles the various strands of this most complicated of historical subjects is masterly." -- Daily Telegraph. "Industry, insight, and massive research . . . enjoyably written." -- The New York Times.]
Kenyon, John. The Popish Plot. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [This is the dramatic account of one of the most incredible outbreaks of mass hysteria in English history. In the fall of 1678, Titus Oates and his followers convinced both Parliament and the public that a Jesuit/Catholic conspiracy was afoot. The conspiracy was designed to assassinate Charles II and replace the Protestant establishment with Catholicism. The author critically examines what plotting really had, or had not, occurred; how the anti-Catholic paranoia led to the imprisonment of hundreds of Catholics and the execution of twenty-four; and what long-term damage the hysteria inlicted on England. This book was originally published in 1972. "With the technical mastery of a seasoned professional, the sureness of touch of one steeped for more than twenty years in seventeenth-century material, and his own special brand of mordant wit, he re-tells in vivid detail an extraordinary tale of human credulity, knavery and follly." -- The Times.]
Kidd, Alan & David Nicholls, ed. The Making of the British Middle Class?: Studies of Regional and Cultural Diversity Since the Eighteenth Century. [Sutton Modern British History Series] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Eighteen experts present the latest thinking on the history of the British middle classes in their fourteen chapters. Coverage ranges from the onset of the Industrial Revolution up to the present. The contributors reexamine traditional notions of the middle class while opening new avenues of research and inquiry. This wide-ranging study of the origins and nature of the middle class will be of interest to historians, sociologists, and political scientists. This book was simultaneously published in a hardcover edition.]
Lacey, Robert. Sir Walter Raleigh. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2000 [This book was originally published in 1973.]
Laing, Jennifer. Art & Society in Roman Britain. Sutton Publ. 1999 [A well-illustrated history of the development of Romano-British art. Chapters on various aspects of the artwork include: religion, personal possessions, jewellery, the countryside, the towns, and the army. The book concludes with a discussion of the post-Roman period. This book was originally published in 1997.]
Lamont-Brown, Raymond. Edward VII's Last Loves: Alice Keppel & Agnes Keyser. Sutton Publ. 1998
Laybourn, Keith. Britain on the Breadline: A Social and Political History of Britain 1918-1939. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Laybourn emphasizes that unemployment was the dominent issue in Britain in the years 1918-1939. It ran between just under a million to as high as three million in 1931. This book was originally published in 1990. ". . . a sound and solid labour history . . . sets out to revise the revisionists." -- Times Literary Supplement. ". . . clear and concise . . . a useful addition to students' reading lists." -- Times Higher Education Supplement. "fascinating . . . fair, and in a real sense, objective." -- Morning Star.]
Lewis, Lesley. The Private Life of a Country House, 1912-1939. [In Association with The National Trust] Sutton Publ. 1997 [A look at everyday life in an English country house in Essex between the wars. ". . . a charming slice of social history." -- Publisher's Weekly. ". . . an absorbing chronicle of the day-to-day running of a country house." -- Daily Telegraph. ". . . the book never becomes dry, for it is full of anecdotes and laced throughout with gentle, sometimes wry, humour." -- The Times Educational Supplement.]
Mackenzie-Wintle, Hector. Renault. [Sutton's Photographic History of Transport Series] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Using a larger format (i.e., more pages, 160 to be exact), this fact-filled photographic record celebrates 100 years of Renault cars.]
Mansfield Park. 1999 [Directed by Patricia Rozema, this is the DVD movie version of Jane Austen's strongly autobiographical novel. it features full-screen and widescreen anamorphic formats, audio commentary, and more. "Rozema delivers full-blooded Austen and a protofeminist with savvy charm in this entertaining ride in the socioeconomic fast lane, circa 1806." -- Kathleen Murphy, Amazon.com.]
Marreco, Anne. The Rebel Countess: The Life and Times of Constance Markievicz. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling Books (US) 2000 [This is a biography of the famed rebel countess who was born into an Anglo-Irish family and later condemned to death for her fight against England (she was later released from prison). Well-known in English and Irish literary circles (a friend of Yeats and many others), Markievicz took part in the Easter Rising of 1916. This book was originally published in 1967.]
Meredith, Lee W. 1912 Facts About Titanic. Historical Indexes Publ. Co. 2000 [Publisher supplied info: Fascinating, lesser-known facts about the Titanic and details on the ship, the passengers, and the sinking. It also explores aspects of the wreck today and salvage operations. Lee W. Merideth is the author of several Civil War reference books and a longtime Titanic buff. This book was originally published in 1999 by Savas Publishing Company.]
Mingay, G.E. Rural Life in Victorian England. Sutton Publ. 1998 [orig. 1976. "lavish and carefully researched." -- The Times Educational Supplement. "an absorbing account. . . of a whole way of life in transition." -- The Good Book Guide. "handsomely produced. . . a very readable book." -- Archives. "brings a vanished age vividly to life" -- Rural Viewpoint.]
Mitchison, Naomi. Among You Taking Notes . . .: The Wartime Diary of Naomi Mitchison 1939-19145. [Dorothy Sheridan, ed.] Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [Mitchison, a noted left-wing intellectual, kept this diary at the request of the social research organisation, Mass Oberservation. She spent most of WW II in the fishing village of Carradale on Kintyre. This book was originally published in 1985.]
Morris, John. The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2001 [This is the classic account of the British Isles from the fourth to the seventh ceturies. It was an age when the Pax Romana collapsed and the Roman Britain slowly transformed into Great Britain. England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland began to emerge from the Roman ruins. There was a historic Arthur, now shrouded in legend, but Morris makes clear that despite the legends, his was a pivotal time, "his victory and his defeat turned Roman Britain into Great Britain. . . . The history of the British Isles is funnelled through the critical years of Arthur's power and of its destruction, for thence came the modern nations. . . . The age of Arthur is the foundation of British history. . . . In name he was the last Roman Emperor; but he ruled as the first medieval king." This book was originally published in 1973. "From the resources of a mind vastly learned in the documents of the Arthurian age, John Morris has created more than the most devoted of Arthurian enthusiasts could ever have hoped for. He has done this in a style of great elegance, enriched by telling epigrams. . . . Winston Churchill would have loved this book." -- Times Literary Supplement.]
Newman, Paul. Lost Gods of Albion: The Chalk Hill-Figures of Britain. Sutton Publ. 1997 [This book examines the Uffington White Horse, the Cerne Giant, the Long Man of Wilmington, the Red Horse of Tysoe, the Westbury Horse, and all the other chalk hill-figures that dot the British countryside. The thirty-plus figures cut into the turf of southern England have been the subject of great speculation for centuries. This book was originally published in 1987, but new advances in science and anthropology have allowed Newman to thoroughly revise his text and fully illustrate the book. For example, since the original book, new dating techniques now place the origin of the Uffington White Horse at 1000 BC. "The delight of this book is that it is a well-read and wry survey of the extraordinary variety of response and interpretation the hill-figures have evoked down the centuries." -- Richard Mabey, The Daily Telegraph.]
Okokon, Susan. Black Londoners, 1880-1990. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This illustrated history examines both the famous and the average black citizens from all walks of life in London over the course of a century.]
Ollard, Richard. The Image of the King: Charles I and Charles II. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2000 [This is a look at the political and personal character of the two kings, and the representation of that character, during their own time and thereafter. This book was originally published in 1979. "Remarkable and immensely readable. . . . A just yet compassionate study of two complex, muddled, fissured human beings caught in the most difficult of crafts -- kingship. . . . It should not be missed by anyone interested in the Stuarts or in the personalities of Charles I and Charles II: indeed any reader will be greatly stimulated by it." -- J.H. Plumb, New York Review of Books. "Original, witty, and enjoyable." -- Christopher Hill, Guardian.]
Pellegrino, Charles. Her Name, Titanic: The Untold Story of the Sinking and Finding of the Unsinkable Ship. Avon 1997
Pelling, Henry. Winston Churchill. [Wordsworth Military Library Series] Wordsworth Editions (UK)/Combined Publ. (US) 2000 [This massive biography of Churchill weighs in at 724 pages. It was originally published in 1974. "Never dull, and enlivens the narrative with a touch of wit . . . shrewd and realistic . . . it will surely hold the field for very long time." -- Lord Blake, The Sunday Times.]
Persuasion. 1995 [This is the movie adaptation on DVD of the Jane Austen novel directed by Roger Michell and starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds. "Persuasion is the story of a love that survives eight years of dormancy and the frustrating obstacles of class prejudice in 19th century England. Anne (Amanda Root) is captivated when she meets the dignified naval officer Capt. Wentworth (Ciarán Hinds), but she is advised to discourage his romantic overtures because he has no fortune. They meet again eight years later, but now Capt. Wentworth has become wealthy while Anne's father is in reduced circumstances in the wake of reckless extravagance. . . . The film's success depends entirely on the subtle, superb performances of Root and Hinds." -- Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com. "A lovingly crafted (and beautifully acted) adaptation of Jane Austen, this film demands patience but provides ample rewards. Impeccable yet understated period detail brings early-19th-century England to life." -- Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide.]
Petegorsky, David W. Left-Wing Democracy in the English Civil War: Gerard Winstanley and the Digger Movement. [Christopher Hill, foreword; Ivan Roots, new intro.] Alan Sutton 1995 [Originally published in 1940 as Left-Wing Democracy in the English Civil War: A Study of the Social Philosophy of Gerard Winstanley.]
Peters, Ellis. Ellis Peters' Shropshire. [Roy Morgan, color photographer] Sutton Publ. 1999 [Famed medieval mystery writer Ellis Peters describes the beautiful border country that is the setting for so many of her works. Probably best known of her regional connections is that of Shrewsbury, the setting of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, which is featured in the Brother Cadfael novels. This book was originally published in 1992 with the title, Shropshire.]
Plowden, Alison. Tudor Women: Queens & Commoners. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book was originally published in 1979 and was revised and updated for this edition. "A more vivid, informed and entertaining book about women in the Tudor era cannot be imagined." -- Country Life. "Interesting, percipient and lively." -- The Guardian. "Richly embroidered, remarkable portrait gallery . . . Plowden writes with style, finesse, and her judgments are astute." -- Publishers Weekly.]
Plowden, Alison. Women All On Fire: The Women of the English Civil War. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book provides a wide-ranging look at the women who played all manner of roles in the English Civil War. From Queen Henrietta Maria, the self-styled "Her She-Majesty Generalissima," to royalists like the formidable Charlotte, Countess of Derby, and Lady Mary Winter to parliamentarians like Lady Brilliana Harley and Anne Fairfax, and to the oyster wenches of parliamentary London who helped dig trenches around the city, Plowden provides an interesting look at the little reported, yet valiant actions of the women caught up in this tumultuous age.]
Plowden, Alison. The Young Elizabeth: The First Twenty-Five Years of Elizabeth I. Sutton Publ. 1999 [orig. 1971. "A delightfully fresh, readable book." -- Daily Mail.]
Pope, Dudley. At 12 Mr Byng Was Shot. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2002/Sterling (US) 2003 [Noted naval historian and fiction author, Dudley Pope (the Ramage series), provides an insightful look at "the most cold-blooded and cynical acts of judicial murder in the whole of British history," i.e., the execution of Admiral the Honourable John Byng by a Marine firing squad aboard the HMS Monarch on 14 March, 1757. Pope levels a tough charge, but one supported by materials he uncovered. Byng was shot for losing to a French naval squadron and failing to relieve Minorca. It was this event that led Voltaire to quip in Candide, "In this country it is thought well to kill an Admiral from to time to encourage the others." (In fact, Voltaire also wrote to Byng and included a letter from the Duc de Richelieu [commander of the French troops in the Minorca operation] that praised the performance of Byng.) However, several tragic circumstances came together to make Byng the only British admiral ever executed. This book was originally published in 1962. "Dudley Pope's book is the first on this fascinating subject for over 30 years. He is a naval historian of considerable experience and his research is meticulous and exhaustive." -- Roy Jenkins, Observer. "Dudley Pope tells this disturbing story well. His plans and description of the naval battle are masterpieces of lucidity." -- Sunday Telegraph.]
Pope-Hennessy, James. Queen Mary. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [This book was originally published in 1959. This is the life of Princess May of Teck, better known to history as Queen Mary. She lived a long (1867-1953) and full life; and the author, being an official biographer, had access to private papers and people not normally available to biographers. "There are those biographies that leave me sitting in my armchair while some author tells me what someone's world was like. I don't want to be told about it, I want to go there. [The author's] biography of Queen Mary took me there, takes me there every year or two when I take him down from the shelf." -- Helene Hanff.]
Porter, Stephen. The Great Fire of London. Sutton Publ. 1998 [A comprehensive and fully illustrated account of the 1666 tragedy that raged for four days and destroyed 13,200 houses and 87 churches. Reconstruction took place over the next five years, and witnessed the contributions of many fine builders and architects, including Christopher Wren. Wren rebuilt or superintended the rebuilding of 51 of the churches, including St. Paul's. ". . . lavish and carefully researched." -- The Times Educational Supplement. Originally published in 1996, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]
Postlethwaite, Alan, ed. The Last Days of the Steam Railway. Sutton Pub. 1997 [An oversized, heavily illustrated hardcover book.]
Postlethwaite, Alan. Odd Corners of the Southern from the Earliest Days of Steam. Sutton Publ. 1999 [This oversized hardcover is a blend of interesting photos and informative captions of the Southern Region of British Railways. It ranges from Kent to Cornwall, including the Isle of Wright. The book is printed on heavy glossy paper which enhances the quality of the photographs and the durability of the book.]
Potts, D.M. & W.T.W. Potts. Queen Victoria's Gene: Haemophilia and the Royal Family. Alan Sutton Publ. 1999 [This is an extended scientific examination of the history of haemophilia in the royal families in Europe. It discusses were the disease originated, and what impact it had on history, especially since it was passed from two of Victoria's daughters into the Spanish and Russian royal families. ". . . an intricate and utterly gripping process of genetic detective work." -- Daily Mail. ". . . breaks new historical ground." -- Newsweek. Originally published in 1995, this book is also available in a hardcover edition.]
Pride and Prejudice. 1996 [This is the BBC TV Mini-Series on 2 DVD discs. Directed by Simon Langton, it stars Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. "Jane Austen's classic novel of 1813, Pride and Prejudice, still wins the hearts of countless schoolgirls with its romantic story of Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Now, the 1996 BBC miniseries is winning over adults, with its faithful adaptation, gorgeous scenery, and superb acting. . . . this miniseries will round out the ultimate Austen video library. For those new to these romantic period pieces, this version of Pride and Prejudice will have you hooked and longing for more. One caveat, however: plan to watch it in an entire day, because very few have the self-control to not watch all six hours in a single sitting." -- Jenny Brown, Amazon.com.]
Rackham, Oliver. The History of the Countryside: The Classic History of Britain's Landscape, Flora and Fauna. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [This book was originally published in 1986. "A classic of scholarship and imagination . . . a monumental work, but it is written with humanity, dignity, concern and a great deal of humour." -- Richard Mabey, Times Educational Supplement. "One thing is certain: no one would be wise to write further on our natural history, or to make films about it, without thinking very hard about what is contained in these authoritative pages." -- Ronald Blythe, Country Life. "A study as quirky and rewarding as the English countryside itself. . . . It is full of answers to questions that others have not had the wit to ask." -- Economist.]
Rackham, Oliver. Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape: The Complete History of Britain's Trees, Woods & Hedgegrows. Phoenix Pr. (UK)/Sterling (US) 2001 [This book was originally published in 1976 and revised in 1990. "This is the book that felled the romantic cliché of sylvan England. . . . There are heroes in this book as much as in any history but they are ancient oaks and beeches and hornbeams. Besides, how could anyone not want to read a book with a section on 'What nettles say'?" -- Simon Schama. "He has the gift of presenting solid scholarship in a way that kindles the imagination and stimulates the sense of curiosity. . . . It is difficult to convey the quality of Dr. Rackham's book on the strength of a few quotations. As an aid to understanding the landscape I haven't found its equal." -- New Scientist. "A masterly account . . . of supreme interest . . . a classic of recorded field work and meticulous scholarship." -- Country Life.]
Reilly, Tom. Cromwell: An Honourable Enemy: The Untold Story of the Cromwellian Invasion of Ireland. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [Reilly argues against all conventional interpretations that in his Irish campaign Cromwell proved to be more compassionate than he is normally portrayed and that he scrupulously adhered to the letter of the law of contemporary warfare. Quite simply, says Reilly, "The focus of this book is to exculpate Cromwell from the charges of wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter of the ordinary unarmed people of Ireland." This book was originally published in 1999. "A terrific job of research to make a case for Cromwell against the verdict of history." -- Charles Chenevix Trench, Irish Independent. "This book . . . humbles us all . . . this is an important book. He is scrupulous in his examination of evidence, he has the necessay skepticism, he is assiduous in research and he quotes primary sources extensively. Above all he understands that the past should not be judged by the standards and fashions of the 1990's." -- Ruth Dudley Edwards, Sunday Times.]
Robertson, Kevin. Steam Around Eastleigh. [Sutton's Photographic History of Railways] Sutton Pub. 1997
Rolt, L.T.C. Red for Danger: The Classic History of British Railway Disasters. [Jack Simmons, intro.] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Originally published in 1955, this classic of railway history covers every major accident on British railways between 1840 and 1957 which resulted in a change in railway practice. It reveals the evolution of safety devices and methods. "An intensely human story. . . . A remarkable book." -- The Listener. "Railway enthusiasts should consider it essential." -- Books and Bookmen.]
Rolt, Sonia. A Canal People: The Photographs of Robert Longden. Sutton Publ. 2000 [This work features a visually interesting b&w photo collection taken by Robert Longden during the 1940s and early 1950s of the narrow boat community at Hawkesbury Stop, the main meeting point for those who worked the Midlands canals. This book was originally published in 1997. "One of the most remarkable collections of old photographs I've ever seen . . . . They are like stories; the photographs are full of handsome women, and rather sulky mysterious men and wonderful mud-locked children . . . I was absorbed by them. . . . Marvelous." -- Ronald Blythe, Kaleidoscope. "Any evocative and intimate reminder of a lost way of life." -- The Times. "The most remarkable series of photographs of canal people that ever seen." -- Waterways World.]
Rose, Kenneth. King George V. Phoenix Pr. 2000/Sterling Publ. 2001 [This key biography was the winner of the Whitbread and Wolfson Prizes. "Fascinating. . . . Sympathetic but not uncritical . . . very well written, highly perceptive and at times very amusing. . . . A superb book." -- Robert Blake. "Wonderful biography. He writes not only with enviable ease and grace but with even more enviable psychological insight. . . . This is historical biography as it should be written." -- J.H. Plumb. This book was originally published in 1983.]
Saunders, Andy. RAF Tangmere Revisited. [Sutton's Photographic History of Aviation] Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book recounts the history of the RAF base at Tangmere through great photographs with informative captions. The base was built in 1917, but achieved fame for its role in WW II, both for the fighter squadrons stationed there along with the Lysander aircraft that ran covert operations into and out of occupied Europe. The base was closed in 1970, but the book shows documents what has happned to the site since then. It is printed on heavy, glossy paper and features over 250 photographs.]
Sawford, Eric. The Last Days of Steam on the Eastern Region. Sutton Publ. 1999 [This oversized hardcover presents the photographic legacy of the steam trains on the Eastern Region. The book is printed on heavy glossy paper which enhances the quality of the photographs and the durability of the book, and Sawford provides ample captions that show steam at its heyday in the 1950s, but failing to survive past the mid-1960s.]
Sawford, Eric. Steam Locomotives 1955: 70000-90774: Standards and Austerities. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a wonderfully illustrated book covering the British Railways Standard designs and ex-War Department Austerity locomotives (designed and built to assist transportation during WW II) purchased by British Railways during the landmark year of 1955.]
Sawford, Eric. Steaming On: Engines & Wagons from the Golden Age of Steam Power. Sutton Publ. 1998
Sense and Sensibility. 1995 [This is the DVD version of the superb adaptation of Jane Austen's novel which brilliantly examined the manners and social mores of early 19th-century England. Directed by Ang Lee, the film stars Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, and Hugh Grant. It uses the widescreen anamorphic format, and comes with a number of special features, e.g., deleted scenes, audio commentary by Emma Thompson and producer Lindsay Doran, and another audio commentary by Ang Lee and co-producer James Schamus. Thompson won an Oscar for Best Screenplay Adaptation.]
Shearer, Moira. Ellen Terry. [Pocket Biographies Series] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Terry was the most celebrated actress of the nineteenth century. She was part of talented theatrical family which continues to this day -- her great-nephew is Sir John Gielgud.]
Sheppard, Francis. London: A History. Oxford Univ. Pr. 2000 [This is a survey history of the great city. It was originally published in 1998. "This comprehensive history of London offers a clearly written and reasonably concise overview of the great city's history, from its founding by invading Romans to its recent status as an international city. . . . a treatment both responsible and highly readable." -- Robert McNamara, Amazon.com. "Sheppard handles [the subject] with the evenness, lucidity and pace that are the hallmark of a lifetime's writing about the capital, and destine London: A History to be the exemplary politico-economic narrative of its subject for decades to come." -- London Review of Books. ". . . instructive and highly enjoyable. . . . enthusiastic and easily digestible prose." -- Jay Freeman, Booklist, November 1, 1998. ". . . a fascinating narrative of that city'as growth from a Roman provincial encampment to a modem world metropolis. . . . Sheppard's excursion through London history has the engaging quality of a walking tour given by a guide with an infectious love of his subject." -- Kirkus, November 1, 1998.]
Slobodin, Richard. W.H.R. Rivers: Pioneer Anthropologist, Psychiatrist of The Ghost Road. Sutton Publ. 1997 [orig. 1978. This is a biography of one of the key British figures in the development of three fields -- neurophysiology, psychiatry/psychology, and anthropology. A selection of seven writings by Rivers is also included.]
Southworth, John. Shakespeare the Player: A Life in the Theatre. [proofs] Sutton Publ. 2000 ["John's knowledge of Shakespeare is encyclopedic and fed by a profound passion for the man and his work." -- Dame Diana Rigg. ". . . the emphasis that John (himself an actor and man of the theatre) gives to Shakespeare as player, suddenly seems to be the element that has been missing in our search for a full and convincing portrait of 'the man Shakespeare' . . . wonderfully readable." -- Giles Block.]
Trelford, Donald. W.G. Grace. [Pocket Biographies Series] Sutton Publ. 1998 [A biography of England's greatest crickateer (he dominated the game for nealy half a century), and one of the more famous characters of the Victorian era.]
Trevor-Roper, Hugh. Archbishop Laud. Phoenix Pr. (UK) 2000/Sterling (US) 2001 [This book was originally published in 1940. It was the first book by the noted historian. It covers the life of Charles I's ill-fated Archbishop of Canterbury who was executed on Tower Hill during the English Civil War. This edition contains the new preface written for the 1961 edition. "A book that is, by any standards, brilliant." -- New Statesman. ". . . this brilliant early biography." -- Guardian.]
Tucker, George Holbert. A History of Jane Austen's Family. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book traces the history of Austen's family from Elizabethan times and discusses the various members of her immediate family, plus other close relatives. One can now better appreciate the impact of ancestors and relatives on Jane Austen. This book was originally published in 1983 with the title, A Godly Heritage. "A pleasure. . . . A particularly important feature of the book is the rounding out of characters closely associated with Jane Austen." -- The Spectator. "A major contribution to Jane Austen scholarhip. . . ." -- Paul Johnson.]
Urry, William. Thomas Becket: His Last Days. Peter A. Rowe, ed. & intro.] Sutton Publ. 1999 [A look at the last days of the martyr who put God before his king. It provides the necessary background to understand the differences between Henry II and St. Thomas, but is especially detailed on the last fateful month of 1170. This book is constructed in the usual excellent Sutton manner with heavy use of wonderful illustrations on heavy paper. "William [Urry] was the one man who had, so to speak, the complete file on every minor actor in the drama of the Becket conflict. . . . Where others have done fine work on the broad setting, he seized the opportunity to tell a story for which the local element is fundamental." -- Henry Mayr-Harting, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, University of Oxford.]
Van Vugt, William E. Britain to America: Mid-Nineteenth-Century Immigrants to the United States. [Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Series] Univ. of Illinois Press 1999 [The author looks at who came to America from Great Britain and why during the years 1820-1860. "Lucid and coherent. . . . Van Vugt offers a very perceptive picture of British immigration to the U.S. during the crucial years of early industrialization." -- Robert P. Swierenga. "The strength of Van Vugt's work lies in his assessment of the economic issues, the forces for migration, the settlement and work patterns in the United States, and especially the very interesting material he has on rural life in England and farmers in America. His book is especially important because he is writing about an immigrant group that has not received extensive coverage by historians." -- David Reimers. This book was simultaneously published in a hardcover edition.]
Wheeler, James Scott. Cromwell in Ireland. St. MartinŐs Pr. 2000 [This is a thorough account of the ninth month's (August 1649-May1650) Cromwell spent completing the conquest of Ireland, something no English monarch had successfully done since 1170. Wheeler provides two chapters on the history prior to Cromwell's landing, and he also covers the the long mopping-up operation that followed Cromwell's departure (it wan't till 1653 that his troops were able to establish full control).]
White, Kathryn. The Brontës. [Pocket Biographies Series] Sutton Publ. 1998 [This is a short (just over 100 pages) biography of the tragic, yet productive, lives of one of literature's most noted families, e.g., their works include, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey.]
Williams, Trevor I. Our Scientific Heritage: An A-Z of Great Britain and Ireland. Sutton Publ. 1996 [This is a guide to nearly 750 sites in Great Britain and Ireland that witnessed achievements in science, technology, archaeology, engineering, and medicine. The assortment of sites is wide-ranging, e.g., from famous bridges to Newton's home to memorials and monuments to Stonehenge. Eleven maps are included plus a twenty-eight page list of the Dramatis Personae -- the prinicpal scientists, engineers, doctors, etc. featured in the guide.]
Williamson, Tom. Polite Landscapes: Garden and Society in Eighteenth-Century England. Sutton Publ. 1998 [This book is a history of gardens and parks and their relationship to English society. The book is marvelously illustrated with contemporary maps and plans, as well as paintings and photographs. "Excellent." -- Observer Review. "A significant step towards a new kind of garden history." -- The Times. "This is an excellent, intelligent book which takes the back off the watch and shows you how things worked." -- The Architectural Review. This book was originally published in hardcover in 1995.]
Witts, F.E. The Diary of a Cotswold Parson: Reverend F.E. Witts, 1783-1854. [David Verey, ed.] Sutton Publ. 1998 [Originally published in 1978, this book reveals the world of an English parson, the Cotswold countryside and the growing communities of Gloucester and Cheltenham. "It is a gem which every student of English country life and its changing scene should regard as indispensable." -- Sir Robert Lusty.]
Worth, Martin. Sweat and Inspiration: Pioneers of the Industrial Age. Sutton Publ. 1999 [Beginning in 1800, Worth chronicles the lives and achievements of the engineers who changed the UK from a pastoral land into an industrial country. The lives and work of two generations of men intertwined as they developed steam engines, road carriages, locomotives, tunnels, bridges, etc. which by Great Exhibition of 1851 put Britain at the forefront of industrial accomplishments. This well-illustrated, oversized hardcover book is based on the Radio 4 series.]
Zeepvat, Charlotte. Prince Leopold: The Untold Story of Queen Victoria's Youngest Son. Sutton Publ. 1998 [Arguably the most intelligent and most interesting of Queen Victoria's four sons, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-1884) was the first member of the royal family to suffer from hemophilia. Ill health plagued his life, he was also epileptic. Zeepvat not only chronicles Leopold's life, she considers his life in the wider world of Victorian England, especially at Oxford, where he spent much of his time. She also fleshes out his relationship with his mother, cand onsiders Leopold's personal life as it was juxtaposed with public duty. Another angle the author pursues is the question of hemophilia and the royal family -- just how much was this affliction understood and what impact did that have. A useul two-page geneological tree shows the hemophiliacs, and known and probable carriers of the gene, amongst the interconnected royal families of Europe (the best known case being with the Romanovs).]
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