United Kingdom Books

If you are interested in the life of Emma of Normandy, wife of King Canute, then this book will captivate you. It is a fascinating, contemporary look at the legendary events of 11th century England.

This is a detailed, fact-filled book on Queen Emma of the 11th century. It is a fascinating portrait of a queen who lived through a lot of tragedies. Not for the light reader, though.

This guide is on a par with the older Roger Phillips "Mushrooms" and very similar in size and format. Unlike Phillips, all photographs have been shot in situ. With so few guides to fungi available, and each covering a particular selection, it's best to assemble a good library - and this should be one of the major works. Even though the focus is Europe, many of the fungi have much wider ranges and this book is invaluable in the Western Hemisphere too.

This is a very useful book because it has well-taken pictures that show the habitat where the fungi was found. Also, the beginning of the book has pictures of spores as they look under a microscope and a color chart for the colors described in the text. The description of each fungi also lists any chemical reagent useful for identification and the expected result. A wonderful identification guide. He should write a similar book for fungi of the United States.

The Ends of British Imperialism provides an excellent survey of how the British Empire rose to prominence in the 1800's and then began a decent after the second world war. This book is a collection of William Roger Louis lifetime essays and focus on different aspects of the process. William Roger Louis is one of the most respected scholar's on this area of British history and these essays are a treasure trove for anyone wanting to understand why the British Empire fell. The collapse of empire is often described as happening in four main events. The fall of Singapore, the independence of India, the Suez Crisis and the winds of change that granted independence to most of Africa. This book covers all of those areas but spends the bulk of the time on Suez and analyzing its importance in the fall of the empire. It is very well written although it can jump around at times due to the fact that it is a collection of essays and not a continuous book. Also for the historians out there it does have a decent summary of historiography in the last three chapters that really give the reader a good sense of what the general historic community has to say on this topic and for those wanting to read more it will be an invaluable guide to finding more books to read on the subject and what their arguments say. All in all a superb book and one that should be read!

William Roger Louis is a giant among scholars of British imperialism. The editor of the "Oxford History of the British Empire", for nearly half a century his scholarship has helped define the field. Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Suez crisis he has collected his essays related to that defining episode. These not only cover the incident itself but a number of related topics - for as he explains, "the Suez crisis can be studied as an episode in decolonization and that decolonization itself . . . can best be understood in the context of the long colonial era extending from the British occupation of Egypt in 1882 to the death of Nasser in 1970 and the withdrawal of all troops East of Suez in the following year."

Louis groups these essays into ten categories. After an introductory overview of Suez and decolonization, he provides an essay on colonial empires in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and four on "the scramble for Africa". These are followed by four which examine the First World War and the mandates system, two on the British possessions of Singapore and Hong Kong, and four on India, Palestine and Egypt, which are linked together by the theme of impending independence. After five essays on decolonization in general, he includes six on aspects of the Suez crisis itself and four more on Britain's withdrawal from the rest of the Middle East in its aftermath before finishing with three essays on the historiography of his field.

Though all but one of these essays have been published before now, bringing them together allows Louis to draw out three main themes. The first is the one which occasioned the volume - the study of Suez in the broader context of decolonization. This last, failed effort to hold onto the empire through force led the British to attempt to maintain some vestige of their influence through more informal means, which is the second theme of his collection. Finally, as British control gradually slipped, new states emerged throughout Africa and Asia; it is the consequences of their emergence which forms the final theme Louis emphasizes.

Taken together, these essays represent a formidable body of work on one of the key developments of modern times. Though some of the essays have been reworked, the basic scholarship within them remains as informative and insightful as it was when they were first published. Delving into the pages of this book provides insight not only into the demise of the British Empire, but into how it shaped and defined the world in which we live today. No student of British imperial history should be without this volume, and anyone interested in understanding the twentieth century will profit from reading it.

Although I have traveled numerous times to England, I decided to purchase this superior book. I am currently booked for another trip next October, and thought it best to do more research. I was most certainly not disappointed. This book has a plethora of information of which I was not aware. Also, in that I will be traveling to villages/cities not previously visited, it has been an enormous help, as I plan my itinerary. I would urge anyone who has never had the pleasure, but plans on visiting the U.K. to investigate this very informative book.

I just have to say this book was amazing! I have been thinking and dreaming about going to England for ages. This book explained so much that I absolutely would NOT have known! Thinking about if I would have went without reading this book is scary! There is so much information in here you NEED to know before you go. Everything was explained so clear and wonderfully easy to learn.I ABSOLUTELY recommend anyone thinking about going to England to read this book!

This is the textbook you wish you'd had when you studied history in school. Maurice Keen presents a thouroughly researched and well thought out overview of the primary social and political events of England from the reign of Edward I to that of Richard III. He starts with the death of Alexander III of Scotland and the political crisis that ensued, leading England into the wars of Scottish independence. He analyzes the wars from an economic as well as a political and social perspective, and presents convincing arguments for why Edward II was an unsuccessful king and Edward III more effective. He examines the role of the church during the later middle ages and sets the stage for England's eventual reformation of the church in the Tudor era. The Hundred Years War is examined not in the details of its battles, but in its effect on English politics and society and how its cost changed the relationship between the king and English nobility. In every chapter Keen takes the reader through how the acts of the various rulers during this time period had a profound and lasting effect on all segments of English society, from the nobility to the clergy to the merchants to the peasants.

Although some of the economic arrangements are difficult to follow in places, at least for someone without a background in economics, Keen's prose is highly readable, grammatically correct and eloquent, and the chapters are divided into manageable and logical chunks. Keen's footnotes are largely references to his considerable source material and can be safely ignored except by those interested in the specific backup for a point of reference. Keen doesn't seem to have a political agenda, which is a refreshing change from most books on the period.

I suspect this book might be a little bit difficult for someone without at least a basic knowledge of the time period, but much less so than many of the scholarly and even some of the less scholarly works covering this period. This is, in short, a book that is highly readable from cover to cover, and a great straightforward examination of the political, social and economic changes that occurred in England between the end of the thirteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.

This is a fascinating and erudite overview of medieval Europe - one that combines lucidity and accessibility with an exceedingly high level of scholarship. Maurice Keen is a distinguished proponent of the Southern tradition of medieval history, and a ready reminder that the school of Bruce McFarlane is not the only voice of Oxford medievalism.

i'v used this book for direction in taking the clep in english lit and the gre in lit in english. obviously it isn't comprehensive, just skims, but covers the pertinent dates, figures, and works to get you going. i recommend the Masterplots series for in-depth essays on these topics -- much better than those cliff notes which bore me.

I am currently studying to take the Oklahoma Teacher's Certification Exam in English. This book has really helped me. I don't know what I would have done without it!!

When I began studying, I only had four weeks to study. Right now, I still have two weeks left, and I am actually starting to understand British/English literature. Please keep in mind; I have only had one literature class in my life, and I took it over 14 years ago. Basically, I was literature illiterate. This book has really help me a lot.

However, I must admit that I have done a lot of additional research. [...]

I also bought the American Literature EZ 101 because the exam will cover both areas. That book is equally as excellent as this one. By using those two books, by comitting to some serious study time, and by using wikipedia when I got stuck, I feel literate!!

I truly believe that this book is a good resource for self-study--if you're willing to study!! It WILL NOT give you every little detail; it is designed as a study guide to help you get through a college class where you actually have a teacher to help when you get "stuck". On the other hand, if you're looking for a study guide, I don't think you can beat it. It is excellent!!

To paraphrase H.G Wells rather melodramatically, no one would believe in the first years of the 21st century that this nation was once watched keenly and covetously by formidable personalities from across the channel; that as Englishmen busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied...

The aftermath to the Battle of Hastings was violent and ruthless. William of Normandy's achievements can be seen as a formidable combination of both clear-minded political magination and merciless, hard-nosed execution. However, after William's victory in 1066, the English were not a people who could simply roll over and allow the invaders free access to the island's bounty. A tough and equally brutal resistance was fought against Norman rule for a further five years.

Peter Rex's brilliantly researched book overturns today's meekly accepted stance that the Normans invaded and that was that. Walt, in Julian Rathbone's "The Last English King", refuses to call William 'the Conqueror' (preferring, as you might expect, an earthier soubriquet referencing William's illegitimacy) and the impression you get from "The English Resistance" is similarly one of a population rejecting the concept that they are under enemy control.

Every campaign fought during the years 1067 to 1071 is detailed, with Rex analysing the resistance's character, its motives and its triumphs and disappointments. Here, we are focussed on a time when England was divided into occupied and unoccupied zones, collaborative areas and no-go districts, resistance movements spreading through remote areas of the country.

The book examines William's responses, his initial attempts at pacification, and then the notorious harrying of the north (a rather impotent euphemism that, I've always thought, for which we might readily substitute 'genocide' or 'ethnic cleansing' if these battles and skirmishes were being played out on our news screens today). This is an eloquent portrayal of a chaotic period, which demonstrates that the English were not conquered as easily as was once thought. Perhaps the comparison with "The War of the Worlds" isn't quite so inappropriate after all.

Having interest in this period since college days and having books on the shelf of this period, I was pleasantly surprised at last to find a book that told of the period after the 1066 conquest. Most generally whether in college courses or history books dealing with this era, everything halts at the conquest. Everything was fine, peaceful, everyone working together, right? Well as the author relates, nothing could be farther from the tragic truth. 'Ethnic cleansing' of our age had its predecessor in England after 1066.

However, as this author and his engrossing book tell much happened in this hardly ever written about "underground war against the Normans". The book is well written, easy to comprehend, and shows the resistance the English continued to offer after the 1066 battle. William did not begin to build the Tower of London because all things were peaceful, no, and in many, many other places as well small castles were needed to keep William's men from being themselves wiped out. All important offices were taken from the English and given to the Norman vassals, a complete changing of the guard.

Though some would view William as offering 'pacification attempts' the truth more nearly approaches a campaign of totally doing away with the native population. William seems to have had little use, trust, or respect for any native English person. The sooner they were gone the better.

This is some story and one wonders just why no one else through the years has bothered to tell it. History at its best.

Semper Fi.

On The English Warrior by Stephen Pollington

One clarification needs repeating: this book is about the Anglo-Saxon military experience, from their early (mythic) raids and use as mercenaries, up to 1066. For those interested in the Anglo-Saxon way of war, I think this book would be very valuable. It is divided into three parts: the warrior in society, his weapons, and military strategy and tactics. The first part deals with the warrior's relationship to his lord, dueling, the gods of warriors (Woden and Thor, particularly), shield-maidens, berserkers, and so on. The second part will be especially interesting to reenactors and the like. Pollington has gathered and summarized a lot of technical data from various sources. His discussion of the sword is not very long (14 pages), but he discusses the spear (10 pages), the axe (3), the shield, (9), as well as seax, helmet, armor, the bow, and oddities. The later include the hammer and the "staff-sword", which seems to be a slashing spear like the Norse `hoggspjot'. In his discussion of the spear, he cites Swanton's typology in toto, all 30-odd types, with lengths and descriptions of each type, and illustrations of many of them. One item I found entirely new to me was the "corrugated" cross-section of spearheads; the flattened-diamond ones and lenticular (lens-shaped) ones were familiar, but some late spears had a cross-section like a diamond with only two surfaces hollow-ground, or like a sheet of metal folded, then folded back to leave a ridge in the middle: the result resembles a Nazi SS lightening-bolt insignia more than anything else. There is a classification of shield bosses, and where each type was popular - lots of useful data in one handy volume. The section on warfare is well done too. Pollington discusses tactics and strategy, the use of horses and fortifications and so on.

Some noteworthy features of this book: there are lots of quotes, and excellent line drawings of artwork, archeological finds and the like. For the doubting Thomases in his readership, all the quotes are given in the original (mostly Old English, some Old Norse) as well as his own translations. Pollington has also written a couple of books on learning Old English, so I am inclined to trust his translations. ]Beowulf is well represented, also the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but a lot of more obscure texts as well. For practitioners of Western Martial Arts, rest easy. One of credits goes to Terry Brown of English MartialArts, so the statements on the use of weapons have been vetted by an experienced teacher in their use. The piece de resistance, however, is the three appendices. These are the full texts of the three great OE military poems, in parallel translation: the battles of Finnsburh, Brunanburh, and Maldon.

I recommend this work highly. It compliments Davidson's The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England, dealing with many other weapons, and both social and military matters, as well as having lots of illustrations. It fits opposite Paddy Griffith's Viking Way of War, dealing with defense against the Vikings, and has technical and personal matters Griffith omits.

Details: 267 pages, extensive bibliography (5 close-set pages), scattered (unobtrusive) footnotes. Copyright 1996, ISBN 1-898281-10-6

You need not be a military history buff to find this book interesting. Another reviewer has done a good job of describing the book's features, so I'll just mention a few things I particularly liked: It is well organized -- e.g., with sections for various types of weapons. The drawings are clear and useful; they include bits of the Bayeux tapestry, drawings of archeological items, and diagrams of weapons. The quotations from source material (e.g., Old English poetry) and discussion of OE terminology give insight into the Anglo-Saxon culture. "English Warrior" is a highly readable survey for the interested layman.

This book attempts to get beyond the legends and what everyone knows about the battle. It delivers a description of the times and what else was going on in the world. The author provides a small biography of the major (and minor) players including what brought them to that battlefield. He recognizes that alot of what is known(?) about the battle comes from the Bayeaux tapestry which is obviously a piece of propoganda which the Normans used to tell their version of the story.

The author does a very good job changing the viewpoint he is using depending on who he is talking about. There were three claimants to the throne of England in 1066 and several important battles including Hastings which decided the matter. He builds the background very well describing how Duke William had difficulty getting his army across the English Channel and Harold was fighting the Battle of Standford Bridge in the North so he could not be near the south of England when the landings did take place.

I would recommend this book to those interested in the time period along with anyone interested in how historians can determine truth from fable on a history with little unbiased information available. The author does a very good job of finding obscure and seemingly unrelated records which back up some claims and dispute others that have been made.

Other books tend to get better publicity regarding the events of 1066 in England but few are as good as this one. Most books detailing events of 1066 tend to make conclusions about the different personalities motives that defy common sense and often leave the reader more frustrated than enlightened. Tetlow's, on the other hand enlightens the casual reader and scholar. This book has good prose, great information and excellent conclusions from intelligent reasoning. Tetlow is one of the few writers to clearly explain the affect the geography of the land had on the different battles and is convincing in his arguments.

Tetlow also lets you know what level of certainty modern researchers can use various sources. Certainly modern writers can't know with certainty what motivated each of the main individuals in this important period of history but Tetlow does a good job of trying. He makes the wise decision to not impose 20th century values on 11th century people, and he neatly interprets ancient values so the modern reader can understand what went on and why.

I've read more than 20 books on the subject and if I were going to read just one book on the events of 1066 then this is the one. It's a great unappreciated book.

I have not read this book. However, I'd like to point out that Tim Berners-Lee claims that it was the inspiration for his inventing the World Wide Web. !!!

This detailed Victorian compendium of advice & instructions is fascinating. I first ran across mention of it in an Agatha Christie mystery, and it sounded like an interesting peek into the encyclopedic rules, customs, and social beliefs of a certain class in this era--which it is--but I never expected it to be so much fun to read!!

Densely written, thin-leaved, this book is invaluable if you want to delve into questions ranging from "which hand should a lady use to accept a gift from a gentleman whose attentions she wishes to discourage?" to "How can I tell this fish is fresh?" to "How much should I pay the second housemaid?" to "Where should I store nails?"
It includes recipes for food, medicines, and cleansers, accounting tables, morals, stern admonishments on proper dress, child-rearing instructions, and so much more I can't begin to approach the subject. Each question answered is numbered, and appears in a loose order, but the accompanying index helps to organize it somewhat; each page is topped by a Poor-Richard-style aphorism that might or might not relate to that page's content.

If you've ever been seriously or casually interested in How People Lived Back Then (and There; it appears aimed mainly at a London audience of middle-to-upper class, but again, I didn't get far enough through to be sure)--you will find something to enthrall, amuse or enlighten you here.

ETA: the foreword describes it best, proclaiming:

""Whether You Wish to Model a Flower in Wax;
to Study the Rules of Etiquette;
to Serve a Relish for Breakfast or Supper;
to Plan a Dinner for a Large Party or a Small One;
to Cure a Headache;
to Make a Will;
to Get Married;
to Bury a Relative;
Whatever You May Wish to Do, Make, or to Enjoy,
Provided Your Desire has Relation to the Necessities of Domestic Life,
I Hope You will not Fail to 'Enquire Within.'"--Editor..."