Arabella Beaumont, courtesan, adventuress, and sleuth, romps her way through Regency London into a dangerous affair of blackmail... Arabella Beaumont is the fortunate possessor of one of England's most celebrated bodies-with a formidable business brain to match. Her latest venture: transforming a London hotel into a social club for courtesans. To afford the lavish renovations, Arabella needs her featherbrained friend Constance Worthington to repay the fortune she owes her. And now that Constance has a wealthy protector, Pigeon Pollard, she's finally good for the cash. Alas, the imprudent Constance has also been dallying with Lady Ribbonhat's footman, and a mysterious blackmailer is threatening to tell all. If Constance pays up, there will be no money left for Arabella's renovations; if she doesn't, the cuckolded Pigeon is bound to leave her penniless. But as the case escalates rapidly from extortion to murder, Arabella's life, as well as her fortune, hangs precariously in the balance... PRAISE FOR DEATH AND THE COURTESAN "Saucy...the effervescent and free-thinking Arabella is a delightful heroine." -The Bellingham Herald "Historical mystery readers fond of arch and ribald takes on the genre will best appreciate Christie's debut." -Publishers Weekly
One 19th century footman complained about the work involved in drawing more than 40 baths for his household, yet Lady Grenville felt no compunction in describing her footman as a "lazy flunkey". For centuries a large body of domestic servants was an often unappreciated foundation for the smooth running of a household. Today, the warrens of "domestic offices" intrigue visitors. This book makes sense of these and the social structures behind them. It describes the skills, equipment, cleaning methods and work organization of the housemaid, laundrymaid, footman, valet and hall-boy - the servants who spent their days polishing fine furniture, and washing brilliant chandeliers, but also sponging filthy riding habits, and washing babies' nappies. The author also looks at how servants spent their leisure time. One footman enjoyed rowing on the lake every morning before work, while others had to sit up late at night sewing their own work-dresses. Contemporary manuals, diaries, accounts and first hand recollections provide a vivid insight into what life was really like for those in domestic service. A wealth of photographs, engravings and panels illustrate the domestic workings of country houses, many now looked after by the National Trust. This is an absorbing book for social historians and visitors to country houses alike.
Drawing from sermons, novels, newspaper editorials, poetry, medical texts, and the writings of social activists, Cholera and Nation explores how the coming of the cholera epidemics during a period of intense political reform in Britain set the terms by which the social body would be defined. In part by historical accident, epidemic disease and especially cholera became foundational to the understanding of the social body. As the healthy body was closely tied to a particular vision of nation and modernity, the unhealthy body was proportionately racialized and othered. In turn, epidemic disease could not be separated from issues of social responsibility, political management, and economic unrest, which perpetually threatened the nation and its identity. For the rest of the century, the emergent field of public health would be central to the British national imaginary, defining the nation's civilization and modernity by its sanitary progress.
font size="+1"'As her work reappears, another missing jigsaw piece is replaced' Independent/font size Described by the New York Times upon her death as 'one of Britain's best-known novelists', plunge yourself into the wry world of Pamela Hansford Johnson in this story of seduction and marriage, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Jane Howard and Barbara Pym. ****************** It's between the wars, and Christine - Christie, to her friends - is tired of London, her job in a travel agency, her friends, and the young men she's being set up with. So when, by chance, she meets the older Ned Skelton, who seems sophisticated and experienced, she quickly becomes besotted. Before Christie knows it, they are engaged. But will marriage to a man she doesn't know well truly offer this young woman an escape? Or is she walking into another prison of her own making? A classic coming-of-age story set in the 1930s, by one of Britain's best-loved and almost-forgotten novelists. 'A story so vivid it might be the memoir of a real person' Britannia and Eve ****************** Praise for Pamela Hansford Johnson: 'Witty, satirical and deftly malicious' Anthony Burgess 'A remarkable craftswoman' A.S. Byatt 'Hansford Johnson at her wittiest is Waugh mingled with Malcolm Bradbury Ruth Rendell 'A writer whose memory fully deserves to be kept alive' Jonathan Coe
The first installment in Pamela Aidan’s irresistible trilogy, An Assembly Such As This takes us into the world of Jane Austen’s Fitzwilliam Darcy. “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.” So begins the timeless romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen's classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? In An Assembly Such as This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley and reveals Darcy's hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley's persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows—as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham. Setting the story vividly against the colorful historical and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Austen but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen's original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy's past and present. Austen fans and newcomers alike will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time.
The best source for a comprehensive overview of mental competency in criminal, mental disability, and civil law, Competence in the Law prepares mental health professionals to assess questions of both civil and criminal competence and to counsel lawyers and judges in cases in which these issues are germane. A landmark contribution to forensic practice, this book equips you to expertly address critical issues faced in conducting assessments within the legal system.
Along with my own personal story, I am going to write down a few things that may amuse you (or even take you down some other emotional path) and I'll let you in on a few so-far-unrevealed aspects of my life. I'll try to leave out the boring bits. Don't be thinking this is easy for me. I'm darn good at getting under other people's skin, but opening up about my own life is quite a different matter. So how shall I portray myself? There are choices, you know: Wife, mother, psychologist, writer, comedian, actor, dancer, diver, gypsy, dreamer, rich girl, poor girl, beggar girl, thief. I am all of those and more. Tell you what, you decide. You decide exactly what I am… A complicated childhood in Australia, a bold move to London, being a woman in a man's world on Not the Nine O'Clock News, becoming Mrs Billy Connolly, motherhood, career changes and then Strictly Come Dancing - told in her own inimitable style, The Varnished Untruthis Pamela Stephenson's own story.
The interrelationship between fashion and celebrity is now a salient and pervasive feature of the media world. This accessible text presents the first in-depth study of the phenomenon, assessing the degree to which celebrity culture has reshaped the fashion system. Fashion and Celebrity Culture critically examines the history of this relationship from its growth in the 19th century to its mutation during the twentieth century to the dramatic changes that have befallen it in the last two decades. It addresses the fashion-celebrity nexus as it plays itself out across mainstream cinema, television and music and in the celebrity status of a range of designers, models and artists. It explores the strategies that have enabled visual culture to recast itself in the new climate of celebrity obsession, popular culture and the art world to respond adaptively to its insistent pressures. With its engaging analysis and case studies from Lillian Gish to Louis Vuitton to Lady Gaga, Fashion and Celebrity Culture is of major interest to students of fashion, media studies, film, television studies and popular culture, and anyone with an interest in this global phenomenon.
What if someone wrote a tale about Dracula that was different from the rest? Wouldn’t it be refreshing to read a vampire story that cuts through Hollywood’s glitzy version of vampires, and invites the reader into the ethereal realm of otherworldly creatures? Our main character, Vlad Dracula is a handsome and virile vampire and although a savage killer, he is a hopeless romantic; our count also has the ability to time travel. In this gripping tale we explore the man living behind the vampire, as Dracula navigates his way through time, settling in London where he spawns a colony of vampires who live beneath Trafalgar Square. Assisting the seasoned vampire is the infamous Jack the Ripper; he has been made a creature of the night, but still has a penchant for killing prostitutes. When the Blitzkrieg destroys Makefield Manor in 1941, Dracula and his entourage are forced to leave London. They decide to settle in New York City during the tumultuous 1960s, where they discover a modern world and a new enemy called the Van Helsings. This narrative offers a different perspective on the ethereal realm of vampires and the earthbound spirits who keep them company, in a place called the Otherworld. Accompanying the two vampires on a journey through time are an artist, a poet and a group of misfit children; together they encounter an array of historical figures including, Elizabeth Bathory a.k.a. the Blood Countess, Adolph Hitler, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Manson and even Bram Stoker, himself. Their misadventures create an action packed and compelling story that makes the reader want to keep turning the page. I hope you enjoy the ride!
Now in its third edition, Academic Writing offers a succinct and practical introduction to the development of research papers across the disciplines. Structured around contemporary genre theory, which establishes the importance of context for effective communication, the text describes the writing process step by step, including how to formulate a topic; gather and properly document sources; develop strong proposals, introductions, core paragraphs, and conclusions; and refine the final draft. Additionally, readers will observe the progress and thought processes of Jenna, a first-year student, as she crafts her own paper. New to this edition are materials for instructors that include full-length research papers, PowerPoint slides, an exam bank, and ideas for study. Rich with such pedagogical features as chapter learning objectives, annotated passages that illustrate aspects of academic style, and a glossary, Academic Writing is a must-have textbook for students developing their research and writing skills.
This book considers patterns of women's employment in the period 1700-1850. Focusing on the county of Essex, material on the worsted industry, agriculture, fashion trades, service, prostitution, and marriage and family life will shed light on contemporary debates in history such as the sexual division of labour, controversy over continuity or change in women's employment, the importance of ideas of 'separate spheres' and 'domestic ideology', and the overall effects of capitalism on women's employment.
Contains all the major political, philosophical and educational writings of William Godwin, one of the foremost philosophers of his age. His work on government and individual freedom, "Political Justice", made him the chief exponent of English radicalism in the latter half of the 18th century.
Displayed on European stages from 1810 to 1815 as the Hottentot Venus, Sara Baartman was one of the most famous women of her day, and also one of the least known. As the Hottentot Venus, she was seen by Westerners as alluring and primitive, a reflection of their fears and suppressed desires. But who was Sara Baartman? Who was the woman who became the Hottentot Venus? Based on research and interviews that span three continents, Sara Baartman and the Hottentot Venus tells the entwined histories of an elusive life and a famous icon. In doing so, the book raises questions about the possibilities and limits of biography for understanding those who live between and among different cultures. In reconstructing Baartman's life, the book traverses the South African frontier and its genocidal violence, cosmopolitan Cape Town, the ending of the slave trade, the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, London and Parisian high society, and the rise of racial science. The authors discuss the ramifications of discovering that when Baartman went to London, she was older than originally assumed, and they explore the enduring impact of the Hottentot Venus on ideas about women, race, and sexuality. The book concludes with the politics involved in returning Baartman's remains to her home country, and connects Baartman's story to her descendants in nineteenth- and twentieth-century South Africa. Sara Baartman and the Hottentot Venus offers the authoritative account of one woman's life and reinstates her to the full complexity of her history.
In 1851 there were over a million servants in Britain. This book reveals first-hand tales of put-upon servants, who often had to rise hours before dawn to lay fires, heat water and prepare meals for their employers, and then work into the small hours. Yet there are also heart-warming stories of personal devotion, and reward, and of how the servants enjoyed themselves in their time off. There are moments of great poignancy as well as hilarity: a steward's dawning realisation that the housekeeper he befriended is a thief; a young footman chasing a melon as it rolls through a castle's corridors into the moat; the smart manservant weeping at the station as he bids farewell to his mother. This was an era when footmen were paid extra for being six foot or over, and female servants had to wear black bonnets to church. Drawing on letters, diaries, and autobiographies "Keeping Their Place" provides a vivid insight into the day-by-day lives of country house servants between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries.
The fifth and final book in the Blue Door series, which starts with The Swish of the Curtain, the classic story which inspired actors from Maggie Smith to Eileen Atkins. Maddy got up and did her Junior Miss speech, trying not to overdo the comedy. Her American accent was hideous, and very funny, and all the class began to giggle. The whole class clapped when she had finished, and Mr Manyweather roared with laughter. 'What a little horror!' he cried. 'I've never seen anything so nauseating, but excellent!' Maddy is on her own again at the Actors' Guild in London, while the others work at the Blue Door Theatre. But she's not entirely alone: she has a new roommate, a new chaperone and an inspiring new teacher, Mr Manyweather, brought in to introduce students to the very different world of television. With these friends, can Maddy survive her first taste of failure - or is she embarking on her greatest acting adventure yet?
Now in its 24th year, this B&B connoisseurs favorite presents the great boutique accommodations of the world. From upscale guesthouses to country inns, each establishment has been hand selected for its special touches and exceptional features, making this a guide that no traveler should be without.
With more than 22,000 listings for the best accommodations in every state in the Union and beyond, this is a must-have for travelers seeking quaint, cozy, one-of-a-kind lodgings. Now more than ever, the world is choosing road trips over grand, oversea tours, and this guide is, as always, here to serve.
The story takes place in the magnificent Cape Cod town of Osterville Massachusetts. The whole town is affected after a body washes up on the shore-more so, when they discover it is the teenage daughter of a respectable, hardworking black family. The murder investigation that follows, led by diligent Lilly McCoy, shakes the community to its foundations as the social and political differences between the affluent Curtain family and the family of the victim bubble to the surface. As the story unfolds, the secrets and lies inherent in the nature of the character are starkly revealed. Can detective McCoy find the truth, and if so, can she bring the murder to justice? A story of life, and loss-all bound together like the stitches on a quilt
With over two million copies in print, "The Complete Guide to Bed & Breakfasts, Inns & Guest-Houses" is truly the premier book of its kind. This indispensable guide from the most recognized name in the bed-and-breakfast industry is perfect for travelers seeking quaint, cozy, one-of-a-kind lodgings worldwide.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.