For people-watchers everywhere, this is the definitive guide to one of the strangest peoples in existence: the British. Discover the weird, loveable and inexplicable variety of beings populating these isles, each with their own delightful quirks and oddities. Learn to spot the difference between landed gentry and oligarchs, amateur artist and hipster. Recognise the middle-aged couple on their way to Glastonbury and the Brit on holiday. Soon you’ll be spying them everywhere.
LEGEND The Legend of the Unicorn tells the story of Rhiannon Carter, a pretty English girl, who lived in the days of King Arthur. One day she makes friends with a young unicorn in the forest, but greedy Sir Brangwyn finds out and ... The King of the Wizards is a legend from Scotland that tells about a young man who wants to become a great juggler, but he doesn’t know that his teacher is an evil wizard. Bedd Gelert is the touching Welsh legend about Prince Llewellyn’s loyal dog who must protect the prince’s son while he goes hunting. When he returns after the hunt, it is dark and he makes a terrible mistake. Dossiers: Haunted Castles in Scotland Man's Best Friend
Embark on a magical voyage to the enchanted sites of the ancient world, all associated with legends of mystery and power. From Stonehenge in England to the oracle of Apollo in Greece, Magical and Mystical Sites explores the most remarkable and significant places of antiquity -- temples, places of learning, monuments, ruins, and sacred groves -- and the legends that accompany them. Filled with details of historical data and local information, this book is a wonderful companion for both the armchair traveler and the actual visitor. Magical and Mystical Sites explores the sacred and legendary places of the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and more -- places like Delphi, Chartres, and Glastonbury. The discussions are highly readable yet consistently thorough, focusing not only on the lore and legends, but also covering archaeological discoveries, the nature of the old divinities, the relation of the sites to ancient culture and religion, and what these places are like today. Rounded out with excellent photographs and maps, Magical and Mystical Sites is a complete historical and practical guide to the sacred sites of Europe and the British Isles. Illustrated.
Like the other Sasek classics, these are facsimile editions of his original books. The vibrant illustrations have been preserved, remaining true to his vision, and where applicable facts have been updated, appearing on a "This is...Today" page at the back of each book. The charming illustrations, coupled with Sasek’s witty, playful narrative, make for perfect souvenirs that will delight both children and their parents, many of whom will remember them from their own childhood. This is Britain, first published in 1974, encompasses the nation’s many facets, from the mystery of Stonehenge to the monuments of the British Isles. Among his stops are the White Cliffs of Dover; Brighton’s Prince Regent’s Royal Pavilion; the castles and Tintern Abbey in Wales; and Scotland’s four Royal Palaces and long lochs. This is Israel, first published in 1962, visits the Promised Land, a sun-drenched panorama of many hues and many traditions. From the Sea of Galilee to the Red Sea (it’s really blue); from modern Tel Aviv to Jerusalem new and old; from Mt. Zion to King Solomon’s mines; Sasek presents the biblical glory of its past and the golden hope of its future.
Recounting stories and legends from the dark centuries of British prehistory to the 9th century AD, Ashe shows how they interrelate and take on fresh significance from historical and archaeological research.
From a Scottish waterfall three times the height of Niagara Falls to the last foreign invasion of Britain, The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer brings together hundreds of remarkable facts concerning different locations across Britain and Ireland. An As much an accessible and informative reference book as it is an entertaining miscellany.
A scientific exploration of the advanced ancient civilization known as Doggerland or Fairland that disappeared 5,000 years ago • Looks at the latest archaeological and scientific evidence preserved beneath the North Sea and on the tiny island of Fair Isle • Examines Doggerland’s sophisticated technology, including how its people were able to melt solid rock to create vitrified structures far stronger than concrete • Shows how the survivors of the destruction of Doggerland sailed to the British Isles and established the megalithic culture that built Stonehenge New marine archaeological evidence has revealed the remains of a large landmass to the north of Britain that hosted an advanced civilization 1,000 years before the recognized “first” civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, or India. Remembered in Celtic legends as Tu-lay, and referred to by geologists as Doggerland or Fairland, this civilization began at least as early as 4000 BCE but was ultimately destroyed by rising sea levels, huge tsunamis, and a terrible viral epidemic released from melting permafrost during a cataclysmic period of global warming. Exploring the latest archaeological findings and recent scientific analysis of Doggerland’s underwater remains, Graham Phillips shows that this ancient culture had sophisticated technology and advanced medical knowledge. He looks at evidence detected with remote sensing and seismic profiling of many artificial structures, complex settlements, gigantic earthworks, epic monoliths, and huge stone circles dated to more than 5,500 years ago preserved beneath the ground and on the ocean floor. He also looks at the small part of the Fairland landmass that still exists: Fair Isle, a tiny island some 45 miles north of the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Phillips shows how, when Fairland sank beneath the waves around 3100 BCE, its last survivors traveled by boat to settle in the British Isles, where they established the megalithic culture that built Stonehenge. Revealing the vast archaeological evidence in support of the existence of Doggerland, as well as its threads of influence in early cultures around the world, Phillips also shows how the fate of this sophisticated ancient culture is a warning from history: the cataclysmic events that happened to the first civilizations could happen again as the world heats up.
The three volumes weave together the histories of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and their peoples. Volume II includes the formation of the nation-state, the industrialization of the British economy and the emergence of Victorian society.
In Secret Britain, join anthropologist and broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota for a tour of more than 70 of Britain's most intriguing archaeological sites and artefacts.
