Henry V: pocket GIANTS
Henry V: pocket GIANTS

Author: A.J. Pollard

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2014-02-03

Total Pages: 107

ISBN-13: 0750955244

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Henry V is the best-known military hero in English history: better known than Marlborough or Wellington, or his grandfather, Edward III. He enjoyed more success against the French than any of them, coming tantalisingly close to conquering that vast country and imposing an English dynasty; this in a reign of just nine years, in only seven of which he was at war. Even before he died the heroic myth, later enshrined by Shakespeare, was being created. His victories have become the touchstone of English nationalism, English militarism and English imperialism. For good or ill, Henry V now signifies the one-time 'Greatness of England'. He was a military genius, yet his megalomania was not always in the best interests of his own kingdom, let alone the people of France who suffered at his hands. Behind the carefully constructed nationalist myth was a cold, calculating, ruthless ruler who, before his early death, revealed ominous tyrannical tendencies.

Wellington: pocket GIANTS
Wellington: pocket GIANTS

Author: Gary Sheffield

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2017-07-17

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 0750963387

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Wellington is a giant because he was one of the greatest military commanders in British history, an important figure in the emergence of Britain as a great imperial power, a man who dominated British society and politics for 35 years. He was the only one of Napoleon's contemporaries who can be mentioned in the same breath as a general - a master of logistics, politics and coalition warfare as well as strategy, operations and tactics. The book's focus is on Wellington's military career, and it looks at all of these aspects, placing them in the context of the military and political developments of the time. It explores Wellington's personality – a key to understanding his success - and briefly examines his post-Waterloo career as a politician. It concludes that Wellington was not only a military genius, but an icon whose fame endures to our own time.

Jesus: pocket GIANTS
Jesus: pocket GIANTS

Author: Ed Kessler

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-11-02

Total Pages: 99

ISBN-13: 0750981237

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Why is Jesus a giant? Because he was the founder of Christianity, the largest religion in the world with 2 billion adherents; because Christianity is one of the five great religions of the world, with followers in every country on the planet and a history stretching back two thousand years; because there remains great interest in the teaching of Jesus, his personality and his life. The origins of a great religion which has filled so immense a place in the history of the world must surely be of interest to everyone.

Giuseppe Verdi: pocket GIANTS
Giuseppe Verdi: pocket GIANTS

Author: Daniel Snowman

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2014-02-03

Total Pages: 89

ISBN-13: 0750955236

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Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was the Shakespeare of opera, the composer of Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Aida and Otello. The chorus of Hebrew slaves from Nabucco (1842) is regarded in Italy as virtually an alternative national anthem – and the great tragedian rounded off his career fifty years later with a rousing comedy, Falstaff.When Verdi was born, much of northern Italy was under Napoleonic rule, and Verdi grew up dreaming of a time when the peninsula might be governed by Italians. When this was achieved, in 1861, he became a deputy in the first all-Italian parliament.While in his 20s, Verdi lost his two children and then his wife (many Verdi operas feature poignant parent-child relationships). Later, he retired, with his second wife, to his beloved farmlands, refusing for long stretches to return to composition. Verdi died in January 1901, universally mourned as the supreme embodiment of the nation he had helped create.DANIEL SNOWMAN was born in London, educated at Cambridge and Cornell and at 24 became a Lecturer at the University of Sussex, going on to become BBC Radio’s Chief Producer, Features. Since 2004 has held a Senior Research Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research (University of London). Recent books include a study of the cultural impact of the ‘Hitler Emigrés’, a collection of critical essays on the work of today's leading historians and The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera, reviewed by Tim Blanning as ‘A mighty achievement, by far and away the best history of opera available’.

Jane Austen: pocket GIANTS
Jane Austen: pocket GIANTS

Author: Caroline Sanderson

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2014-02-03

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 0750955228

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There’s something about Jane... Jane Austen lived only just into her forties, never married, never had children, lived all her life in the south of England and rarely strayed far from the genteel and orthodox social circle into which she was born. She completed only six novels, and achieved little fame in her lifetime. Yet 200 years after her death, she remains one of our most revered writers, and one of the most regularly adapted for television and film. Her novels are beloved by readers all over the world who continue to be inspired, beguiled and delighted by her often comic, and always shrewd insights into the calculations, and complexities of human hearts and minds. This short biography aims to get to the heart of the enigmatic woman who was Jane Austen, and to the enduring qualities in her work which make it so universally loved and admired. CAROLINE SANDERSON has done jobs in both bookselling and publishing and now works as a writer, editor and books journalist. She is the author of three works of non-fiction: Someone Like Adele, Kiss Chase & Conkers: The Games We Played; and: A Rambling Fancy: In the Footsteps of Jane Austen, a travel book about Jane Austen’s life and locations. Caroline’s articles, book reviews and author interviews have appeared in The Times, The Independent on Sunday, Mslexia, newbooks and Books for Keeps. She is non-fiction editor of The Bookseller, the weekly magazine for the UK book trade. Caroline is a regular broadcaster, and public speaker to WI & Probus groups, and also regularly chairs events at book festivals. She is a judge for the 2013 Costa Biography Award. Caroline lives in Gloucestershire with one husband and two children, in a house with too few bookshelves. When not reading or writing, she tries to improve her bad Flamenco dancing.

John Lennon: pocket GIANTS
John Lennon: pocket GIANTS

Author: Robert Webb

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-07-07

Total Pages: 95

ISBN-13: 0750969113

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John Lennon is a giant of popular music and culture. As one-quarter of the Beatles, he was in the vanguard of music, art, fashion and popular culture during the sixties. His music, humour and outspoken calls for peace inspired a generation. He stands as an iconic figure for those who lived through the sixties and seventies, as well as for those who grew up long after his untimely death in 1980. Above all, Lennon was one of the twentieth century's greatest and most important songwriters. Songs he wrote with Paul McCartney, such as 'She Loves You' and 'A Day in the Life', define an era. Others he wrote alone, such as 'God', 'Help!' and 'Revolution', betray an often complex, contradictory and troubled character. Lennon was never one to hide his love away, nor his anger, nor his convictions. In 2000 his anthem 'Imagine' was voted the song of the millennium.

Sigmund Freud: pocket GIANTS
Sigmund Freud: pocket GIANTS

Author: Alistair Ross

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-07-07

Total Pages: 99

ISBN-13: 0750969121

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'This is a very, very smart book. It makes Freud accessible, interesting and relevant.' - Ruby Wax Sigmund Freud is rightly called the godfather of psychoanalysis. He forever changed the way we view ourselves and developed our understanding of human nature. His concepts have become part of our psychological vocabulary: unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. He dared to try new methods and treatments. Everyone knows the term Freudian slip and has a basic understanding of his theories, however, Freud gave us a great deal more. From education to critical theory he changed the way we think. His ideas and clinical practices offer psychological insights that bring help and healing. Freud's work has suffused contemporary Western thought and popular culture. He is the epitome of a pocket GIANT.

Napoleon Bonaparte: pocket GIANTS
Napoleon Bonaparte: pocket GIANTS

Author: William Doyle

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2015-06-01

Total Pages: 103

ISBN-13: 0750965398

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In the space of less than twenty years, Napoleon turned Europe upside down. Rising from obscure origins to supreme power by a mixture of luck, audacity and military genius, he was able to harness the energies released by the French Revolution to resolve the internal problems which it had created, before turning his restless ambition to remodeling the political structure of the whole continent in a series of brilliant military victories. He was never able to finally subdue all his foreign enemies, and in the end they came together to bring him down; but by then it was impossible to restore what he had destroyed, or, in France, to destroy much of what he had created. The memory of his epic exploits, carefully refashioned during his last years in exile, haunted Europe for over a century, while the more distant effects of his career changed the whole destiny of the Americas and of the world.

Queen Elizabeth II: pocket GIANTS
Queen Elizabeth II: pocket GIANTS

Author: Victoria Arbiter

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-03-07

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 0750968753

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At age 25, Elizabeth II became Britain’s 40th monarch and vowed to dedicate her life to service and duty on behalf of her country. She is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, head of the 53 member Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and head of the armed forces. Most notably, however, on September 9th, 2015, she became the longest reigning monarch in British history. She has consistently adapted in order to remain relevant, while devotedly upholding the age-old traditions of the monarchy. Although there have only been six British female monarchs, it cannot be argued that some of the most enlightened times in history have occurred during periods of queenship. Elizabeth I led the country through the Golden Age and Victoria ushered in the Industrial Revolution, but it is Elizabeth II who will leave the most illustrious and progressive legacy of all.

Alfred the Great: pocket GIANTS
Alfred the Great: pocket GIANTS

Author: Barbara Yorke

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2015-06-01

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 0750963697

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'Alfred is one of the most remarkable rulers of any time or place. This clear, readable and insightful book shows why.' - Michael Wood Why is Alfred the Great? A simple answer is that he has been seen as a man who saved England, invented English identity and pioneered English as a written language. He is the first Englishman for whom a biography survives so that we know more about Alfred and his ideals than we do for most people who lived over a thousand years ago. A slightly longer answer would say that things are a bit more complicated, and that one reason Alfred seems to be so 'great' was that he made sure we were told that he was. To get the measure of Alfred we need to look at what he actually managed to achieve. Can we resurrect the 'real' King Alfred? There may be limits, but even if we have to part company with some of the Victorian adulation, we are still left with a pretty impressive and surprising person. Barbara Yorke has recently retired from the University of Winchester where she worked in the History Department for many years, ultimately as Professor of Early Medieval History. She is now a Professor Emerita there, and also an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London where she has advised on a number of projects. She has written extensively on the early middle ages in books and academic papers, as well as more popular works such as History Today and BBC History magazine (including on King Alfred). She has appeared on various radio and television programmes on Anglo-Saxon topics. In 2008 she curated an exhibition on King Alfred in the Discovery Centre, Winchester.