A witty and concise return to the very beginning of English history. England. 871. The land is overrun by Vikings: the unrelenting, impervious, bloodthirsty Scandinavian assailants who have instilled terror across early medieval Europe. For the kingdom of Wessex, prospects look bleak following the deaths of two of their kings: one by murdered by arrows, the other tortured to death, with his lungs ripped out... Worse still, the Saxons are now led by a young man barely out of his teens, more interested in God than fighting for his kingdom. But within a matter of years, England is transformed. Alfred - the only English king known as 'the Great' - has forced the Vikings out of half of England, and his descendants will go on to unite England within the decade. The period covered in Saxons vs. Vikings - popularised by TV shows such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom - was one of revolutionary change: the creation of England as a nation state, the implementation of Alfred's first national law code, and the establishment of an education system alongside immense architectural development. This fascinating introduction to the early days of England also covers the period before Alfred, such as ancient Britain, the Roman occupation, and the Dark Ages, exploring defining historical episodes in English history such as Boudicca, King Arthur, and Beowulf.
From William Shakespeare's series of history dramas to Sir Walter Scott and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, not to mention the smash-hit TV show Game of Thrones, the British civil war of 1455 to 1485 has inspired writers more than any other. Ed West's My Kingdom for a Horse illuminates the bloody war fought for thirty long years between the descendants of King Edward III in a battle for the throne. Named after the emblems used by the two leading families, the Houses of York and Lancaster, the title of the conflict gives it a romantic feel that probably wasn't as apparent to those on the battlefield having swords shoved into their eyes. And, for all the lovely heraldry and glamorous costumes of the era, the war saw the complete breakdown of the medieval code of chivalry in which prisoners were spared, which makes it even better drama. In 1460-61 alone, twelve noblemen were killed in the field and six were beheaded off it, removing a third of the English peerage. Written in the spirit of a black comedy, My Kingdom for a Horse is an ideal introduction for anyone interested in one of history's most insane wars. Featuring some of history's most infamous figures, including the insane King Henry VI, whose madness triggered the breakdown, and the wicked Richard III, who murdered his young nephews to take the throne, this fifth entry in West's A Very, Very Short History of England series is a must for fans of British history.
An entertaining, wide-ranging defence and explanation of the conservative way of seeing the world . . . suffused with generosity and wit' Catholic Herald Brought up by eccentric intellectuals, Ed West experienced what he believed was a fairly normal childhood of political pamphlets as bedtime reading, family holidays to East Germany and a father who was one political step away from advocating the return of serfdom. In his mid-twenties, West found himself embracing a mindset usually acquired alongside a realisation that all music post-1955 is garbage, agreeing with everything said in the Telegraph and all the other bad things people get in middle age. This is his journey to becoming a real-life Tory boy. Forgoing the typically tedious and shouty tone of the Right, West provides that rare gem of a conservative book - one that people of any political alignment can read, if only to laugh at West's gallows humour and dry wit. Crammed with self-deprecating anecdotes and enlightening political insights, Tory Boy discloses a life shaped by politics and the realisation that perhaps this obsession does more harm than good. 'Anyone - liberal, conservative, whatever - would enjoy [this book]. It is full of the most fascinating facts, all mixed in with Ed's inimitable displays of self-mockery' Tom Holland 'A self-deprecating and often hilarious memoir of a born conservative watching the world go wrong. Sprinkled with gallows humour, like a political version of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch' The Critic
Duty First is a penetrating account of a year inside one of America's premier schools for leadership -- the United States Military Academy -- as it celebrates the bicentennial of its founding. Ed Ruggero, a former West Point cadet and professor, takes an incisive look at how this elite school builds the "leaders of character" who will command the nation's military. Writing with deep insight and superb narrative skill, Ruggero follows the cadet's tumultuous lives: the initial grueling training; the strict student hierarchy and intense classroom work; and the interaction between the lowly first-year plebes and the upper-class cadets who train them. Duty First also shows the role played by the majors, captains, and sergeants, who oversee everything that happens at this unique institution.
1215 is one of the most famous dates in English history, and with good reason, since it marks the signing of the Magna Carta by King John and the English barons, which altered the entire course of English and world history. John Lackland was born to King Henry II and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitane in December, 1166; he was the youngest of five sons. However, he unexpectedly became the favored heir to his father after a failed rebellion by his older brothers in 1173. He became king in 1199, though his reign was tumultuous and short. After a brief peace with Phillip II of France, war broke out again in 1202 and King John lost most of his holdings on the continent. This, coupled with unpopular fiscal policies and treatment of nobles back home, led to conflict upon his return from battle. Buffeted from all sides, King John was pushed in 1215 to sign along with his barons the Magna Carta, a precursor to constitutional governance. But both sides failed to uphold the agreements terms and conflict quickly resumed, leading to John’s untimely death a year later to dysentery. Pitched at newcomers to the subject, 1215 and All That will explain how King John’s rule and, in particular, his signing of the Magna Carta changed England—and the English—forever, introducing readers to the early days of medieval England. It is the third book in the acclaimed A Very, Very Short History of England series, which captures the major moments of English history with humor and bite.
Voilà désormais plus de 10 000 ans que la civilisation occidentale s'est installée et voilà 10 000 ans qu'elle viole le sens même de la nature : la vie. En s'appropriant sans concession ce qui l'entourait, l'homme de l'Ouest a vu son horizon ployer sous la charge de la destruction qu'il lui avait lui-même réalisée. Sommes-nous des lycanthropes ou des vampires? Ces monstres si terrifiants qui sortent de notre imagination sont-ils en réalité la copie de notre comportement dévastateur? Prédateurs, nous pompons sans remords les énergies qui nous entourent. Jusqu'où ira-t-on?.
A truly dandy history of the TV show, full of thrillingly memorable anecdotes, interviews and a lively (yet scholarly) look at the television industry of the late fifties and early sixties…. This is one of those books that transcends its own parochial interest to shed light on an entire medium: the players emerge as three-dimensional, idiosyncratic characters, and when the decline of the series is delineated, one feels it profoundly as the genuine tragedy and short-sided artistic waste that it was. Mr. Robertson performed the same honors in The Fugitive Recaptured, and, as notable works of television journalism, both deal a straight flush."The Nassau Herald“The definitive guide to Garner's definitive series."Amazon.com“A thorough documentation of the Emmy Award-winning series."Ingram“Everything you ever wanted to know about the TV show."Jill Jackson's Hollywood“Ed Robertson has studied and described this entertainment phenomenon from its beginning in 1956... [He] has made that history suspenseful and absorbing, and I am persuaded, after reading Maverick: Legend of the West, that Maverick is nowhere near the end of its illustrious history."Roy Hugginscreator of Maverickfrom his ForewordMAVERICK: LEGEND OF THE WEST is a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic TV Western series that turned the genre inside out, featuring interviews and commentary from series creator and producer Roy Huggins, writers Marion Hargrove and Howard Browne, directors Budd Boetticher and Leslie H. Martinson, producer Coles Trapnell, actor Roger Moore (“Beau Maverick”), and other key series personnel. Bret Maverick (James Garner), and later his brother Bart (Jack Kelly), neither looked nor behaved like a traditional cowboy hero. He dressed in black, played cards for a living, and wasn't above sneaking out the back door if it meant avoiding trouble. At a time when television was chock full of Westerns, Maverick (ABC, 1957-1962) stood out from the pack, putting series creator Roy Huggins on the map as a producer while making James Garner a star. Maverick quickly became a bona fide TV legend, burning itself indelibly in the hearts and minds of Baby Boomers around the world. But like most legends, the show's history on television is a mixture of fact and fiction. Maverick: Legend of the West examines the myths and the realities, probing what made Maverick such a huge success in its first two seasons, while also revealing the backstage struggles with Warner Bros. that eventually drove away Huggins and Garner, the show's two key components. This revised second edition features additional interviews with actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (“Dandy Jim Buckley”) and guest stars Sherry Jackson, Julie Adams, and Linda Lawson, plus new information about the series, behind-the-scenes photographs, three appendices, and much, much more.Author Ed Robertson is an award-winning journalist, analyst, and television historian whose books include Thirty Years of The Rockford Files, The Fugitive Recaptured and The Ethics of Star Trek. He is also the host and producer of TV Confidential, a syndicated weekly radio talk show about all aspects of network, cable, and classic television. www.edrobertson.comwww.tvconfidential.net
Dating can be a scary business, a minefield of potential embarrassment, rejection and humiliation, but you only have to look at the people who have succeeded to see that it's not impossible. Luckily there are rules to make the game easier to follow and play. Like with the laws of anything from rugby to Scrabble, these were invented to ensure that everyone got a fair chance and, assuming they played the game fairly, could end up with something more than just a wooden spoon and a patronising pat on the head. So whether you're a boy or a girl, an asker or an askee, a blind-dater, speed-dater orjust a no-hope-dater, here's an easy-to-follow guide to the perils of dating.
Have you ever wondered if it is possible to stay in touch with your loved ones and share their journey in the afterlife? What happens after death is far too important for us to rely on hand-me-down teachings. We need the authority of first-hand experience. This is what Ann West provides in her moving narrative of her remarkable attempt to continue her friendship with three extraordinary women for many years after their deaths. As we join her on her excursions, we learn about lifestyle and real estate options on the Other Side, the anatomy of subtle bodies, and how the law of attraction applies in all realities. She describes her personal journey, including her discovery of the consequences of bleedthroughs from past or parallel lives, with candor and humility. She draws on the theory and practice of esoteric orders, but comes to understand that the heart of the matter is very simple; we can dream with the deceased, and in dreaming we travel to the realms where they are at home. The Great Transition confirms that there is life beyond life, and that learning and creative evolution never cease. ROBERT MOSS, author of Conscious Dreaming, Dreamgates and The Boy Who Died and Came Back This book will take you on a very unusual journey with warmth, wit and wonder. Dr. West describes in vivid detail life in the next world as revealed in her own dreams and intriguing visions. Anyone seeking to gain a synthesis of the after death experience will find value, insight and I dare say inspiration in this deeply researched and intriguingly written text. REVEREND LEROY E. ZEMKE, author of Thoughts for Transformation Inspired by three remarkable women in her life, Ann invites you to embark upon an incredible journey with her to continue relationships with loved ones as they make the great transition to the Other Side of life. Ann shares her personal experiences of contact with other dimensions, the afterlife, to help you discover new and less painful ways to approach the loss of loved ones in your life. It is comforting to know that the connection is still there and that our goodbyes do not have to be permanent. Because of an increase in reports of the phenomenon of near-death-experiences (NDEs), great interest in the evidence of an afterlife has arisen, igniting a growing trend of research on the topic. In this book, Ann captivatingly reveals past research as well as current scientific research about our contact with the afterlife dimensions.
Have you read everything George R.R. Martin has every written? Do you know what in Game of Thrones is based in real history? A young pretender raises an army to take the throne. Learning of his father’s death, the adolescent, dashing and charismatic and descended from the old kings of the North, vows to avenge him. He is supported in this war by his mother, who has spirited away her two younger sons to safety. Against them is the queen, passionate, proud, and strong-willed and with more of the masculine virtues of the time than most men. She too is battling for the inheritance of her young son, not yet fully grown but already a sadist who takes delight in watching executions. Sound familiar? It may read like the plot of Game of Thrones. Yet that was also the story of the bloodiest battle in British history, fought at the culmination of the War of the Roses. George RR Martin’s bestselling novels are rife with allusions, inspirations, and flat-out copies of real-life people, events, and places of medieval and Tudor England and Europe. The Red Wedding? Based on actual events in Scottish history. The poisoning of Joffrey Baratheon? Eerily similar to the death of William the Conqueror’s grandson. The Dothraki? Also known as Huns, Magyars, Turks, and Mongols. Join Ed West, as he explores all of Martin’s influences, from religion to war to powerful women. Discover the real history behind the phenomenon and see for yourself that truth is stranger than fiction.
A revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering. Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of Chivalry. . . And Awful Diseases covers the events, personages and ideas most commonly known as "medieval". This includes Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasants revolt, the Scottish wars of independence, the Great Famine of 1315, the Black Death and the 100 Years War. Central to this time is King Edward III, who started the 100 Years War and defined the concept of chivalry, including England's order of the garter. His legacy continues to shape our view of England’s history and is crucial in understanding the development of Europe.
Duty First is a penetrating account of a year inside one of America's premier schools for leadership-the United States Military Academy at West Point. Ed Ruggero, a former West Point cadet and professor, takes an incisive look at how this elite school builds the "leaders of character" who will command the nation's military. Ruggero details the struggles of young men and women who will lead the American soldiers of the future. Writing with deep insight and superb narrative skill, he follows their tumultuous lives: the initial, grueling training, the strict student hierarchy and intense classroom work, and the interaction between the lowly first-year plebes and the upper-class cadets who train them. Duty First also shows the role played by the majors, captains, and sergeants, who oversee everything that happens at this unique institution. By taking a close, critical look at the Academy's standards and traditions, Ruggero examines the changes in West Point's approach to leadership training that have sparked controversy among its alumni. While all West Pointers would agree with one graduate's claim that "steel is forged in fire," many worry that the fire has been allowed to cool too much. Does today's Academy produce leaders with the inner steel to fight and win the nation's wars, or are today's cadets being coddled in the interest of political correctness, retention, and diversity? Above the Hudson River to the hot and humid barracks rooms where the nation's future captains struggle, Ruggero combines objective reporting with the emotional perspective of memoir to take readers on a guided tour through the jarring, overwhelming, inspiring leadership school that is West Point. The stories in Duty First widely reverberate far beyond West Point, because while the specific goals and methods of developing leaders differ, the fundamental values courage, commitment, selfless sacrifice - are the same for all leaders, from the parents of small children to the CEOs of major corporations.
A witty and concise look at the beginnings of English history, when the nation consolidated after clashes between the Saxons and invading Vikings. In 871, three of England's four kingdoms were overrun by Vikings, the ruthless, all-conquering Scandinavian raiders who terrorized early medieval Europe. With the Norsemen murdering one king with arrows and torturing another to death by ripping out his lungs, the prospects that faced the kingdom of Wessex were bleak. Worse still, the Saxons were now led by a young man barely out of his teens who was more interested in God than fighting. Yet within a decade Alfred—the only English king known as the Great—had driven the Vikings out of half of England, and his children and grandchildren would unite the country a few years later. This period, popular with fans of television shows such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, saw the creation of England as a nation-state, with Alfred laying down the first national law code, establishing an education system and building cities. Saxons vs. Vikings also covers the period before Alfred, including ancient Britain, the Roman occupation, and the Dark Ages, explaining important historical episodes such as Boudicca, King Arthur, and Beowulf. Perfect for newcomers to the subject, this is the second title in the new A Very, Very Short History of England series. If you’re trying to understand England and its history in the most informative and entertaining way possible, this is the place to start.
A riveting account of the most consequential year in English history, marked by bloody conflict with invaders on all sides. 1066 is the most famous date in history, and with good reason, since no battle in medieval history had such a devastating effect on its losers as the Battle of Hastings, which altered the entire course of English history. The French-speaking Normans were the pre-eminent warriors of the 11th century and based their entire society around conflict. They were led by William 'the Bastard' a formidable, ruthless warrior, who was convinced that his half-Norman cousin, Edward the Confessor, had promised him the throne of England. However, when Edward died in January 1066, Harold Godwinson, the richest earl in the land and the son of a pirate, took the throne . . . . this left William no choice but to forcibly claim what he believed to be his right. What ensued was one of the bloodiest periods of English history, with a body count that might make even George RR Martin balk. Pitched at newcomers to the subject, this book will explain how the disastrous battle changed England—and the English—forever, introducing the medieval world of chivalry, castles and horse-bound knights. It is the first part in the new A Very, Very Short History of England series, which aims to capture the major moments of English history with humor and bite.
A perfect blend of characterization, action and poetic images, John Ford's Stagecoach (1939) made "A" Westerns a viable product for Hollywood in the sound era. By 1990, the Western had again been on a downswing when Dances with Wolves became both a critical and commercial success. This work examines these two films and twelve others--Red River, High Noon, Shane, The Searchers, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Alamo, The Magnificent Seven, Ride the High Country, How the West Was Won, The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Unforgiven--that hold unique spots in the genre's history. Full filmographic data are provided for each, along with an essay that blends plot synopsis, historical perspectives and the movie's place in the Western genre.
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