King Arthur is often written off as a medieval fantasy, the dream of those yearning for an age of strong, just rulers and a contented kingdom. Those who accept his existence at all generally discard the stories that surround him. This exciting new investigation argues not only that Arthur did exist, as a Dark Age chieftain, but that many of the romantic tales - of Merlin, Camelot and Excalibur - are rooted in truth. In his quest for the real King Arthur, Rodney Castleden uses up-to-date archaeological and documentary evidence to recreate the history and society of Dark Age Britain and its kings. He revives the possibility that Tintagel was an Arthurian legend, and proposes a radical new theory - that Arthur escaped alive from his final battle. A location is even suggested for perhaps the greatest mystery, the whereabouts of Arthur's grave. King Arthur: The Truth Behind the Legend offers a more complete picture of Arthur's Britain and his place in it than ever before. The book's bold approach and compelling arguments will be welcomed by all readers with an interest in Arthuriana.
Plato's legend of Atlantis has become notorious among scholars as the absurdest lie in literature. Atlantis Destroyed explores the possibility that the account given by Plato is historically true. Rodney Castleden first considers the location of Atlantis re-examining two suggestions put forward in the early twentieth century; Minoan Crete and Minoan Thera. He outlines the latest research findings on Knossos and Bronze Age Thera, discussing the material culture, trade empire and agricultural system, writing and wall paintings, art, religion and society of the Minoan civilization. Castleden demonstrates the many parallels between Plato's narrative and the Minoan Civilization in the Aegean. Fired by the imagination a new vision of Atlantis has arisen over the last one hundred and fifty years as a lost utopia. Rodney Castleden discusses why this picture arose and xplains how it has become confused with Plato's genuine account.
From the Queen's residence at Windsor Castle to dramatic Alnwick (‘The Harry Potter Castle'), from the scene of royal coronations and funerals at Westminster Abbey to the gruesome tortures and executions of the Tower of London, and from the commanding sentinel of Dover Castle (‘the Key of England') to the mystic environs of Glastonbury Abbey, all of historic England is here. Immersed in history, visually imposing and set in stunning locations, medieval castles and cathedrals are to many the essence of England's great past. This full-colour, beautifully photographed book celebrates 60 of the grandest and most historically significant of these formidable stone strongholds. Around these striking images, Rodney Castleden has weaved a fascinating and detailed text, telling not just of the construction, history and often destruction of these magnificent structures, but also the human stories from behind their ancient walls. These are the stories of Kings, Queens and feuding lords; conquest, war and bloody conflict; treason, revenge and murder...
The Mycenaean world: the stuff of legends and heroes who conquered Troy and who still stand at the heart of Greek identity today. This clear, detailed study brings their civilisation, culture, and history to life for both students and enthusiasts
In this book the author takes a thought-provoking look at the various people whose lives have illuminated the world in one way or another, highlighting extraordinary individuals and the impact they made on human society.
Inventors have been inventing since time began, but which inventions do we value the most? A recent poll put the bicycle at number one on the basis that it is a simple, ecologically sound means of transport, and universally useful. It was seen as the best thing since sliced bread – except that sliced bread is a much more recent innovation than the bicycle; it was invented in 1927 by Otto Rohwedder. Tracing the origins of more than 230 inventions in chronological order, this book captures the essence of invention from 500,000 BC to the modern day, showing the historical significance of each and how ultimately their creation changed the world.
Every generation has created its own interpretation of Stonehenge, but rarely do these relate to the physical realities of the monument. Rodney Castleden begins with those elements which made possible the building of this vast stone circle: the site, the materials and the society that undertook the enormous task of transporting and raising the great vertical stones, then capping them, all to a carefully contrived plan. What emerges from this detailed examination is a much fuller sense of Stonehenge, both in relation to all the similar sites close by, and in terms of the uses to which it was put. Castleden suggests that there is no one 'meaning' or 'purpose' for Stonehenge, that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs. The Romans saw it as a centre of resistance; the antiquaries who 'rediscovered' it in the seventeenth century saw a long line of continuity leading back into the nation's past. The archaeologists see it as a subject for rational, scientific investigation; The National Trust and English Heritage view it as an unfailing magnet for visitors; UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site, the cultural property of the whole of humanity. Lost to view amid competing interests over the millenia are the uses it has served for those who live within its penumbra, for whom Stonehenge has never been 'lost' or 'rediscovered'. It exists in local myth and legend, stretching back beyond history.
To many, medieval castles are the essence of Britain and Ireland's fascinating past. Immersed in history and centuries old, each one tells a story of Kings, Queens and feuding lords; war and bloody conflict; treason, revenge and murder. In Castles of Britain and Ireland, Rodney Castleden weaves a fascinating and detailed narrative of 115 of the grandest and most historically significant castles in the British Isles, including Balmoral in Scotland, Bunratty in Ireland, Caernarfon in Wales and St Michael's Mount in England. As well as the details of the construction, function, and often the destruction of these magnificent buildings, each chapter also tells the human stories behind these ancient walls, with fascinating details of everyday life within.
Conflict and warfare is perpetual in the world today. It has always been like that. The history of the human race is the history of conflict. Conquest and glory versus death and destruction. Who takes us to war and why? This book traces world history through the conflicts that changed the world. From the Battle of Megiddo in 1479 BC to the Wars of the Roses of the Middle Ages and the American Civil War of the 19th century. From World Wars I and II to the Iraq War and the ongoing war against terror. Some conflicts are not only turning points in war but in history itself. Contents include Persian invasion of Greece, wars of Alexander the Great, the slave rebellion of Spartacus, Julius Caesar's Gallic wars, Boudicca's rebellion, the birth of Islam, Viking raids, the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, fall of Constantinople, the wars of the Roses, Spanish conquest of Peru, the Anglo-Spanish wars, rebellion in Ireland, British Civil War, Jacobite rising, French revolution, Napoleonic wars, the Zulu war, Crimean war, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Falklands war, the Gulf war, the war on Terror.
A comprehensive guide of Celtic history and culture, THE ELEMENT ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE CELTS tells the stories of these grand peoples and their way of life, including their heroic gods and goddesses, incredible myths and legends, and their everyday lives through their language, customs, and society. Encompassing their iron-age beginnings, European colonization, the various strands of 'Celticness' (race, politics, and culture), as well as the Celtic Tiger of today, this encyclopedia gets to the very heart of Celtic origin and meaning, as well as delving into the cultural and mythical background that draws so many to claim their Celtic roots today.Including:,*The Celtic People and Their Way of Life,*Celtic Places,*Celtic Religion,*Myths, Legends, and Stories,*Symbols, Ideas, and Archetypes,*Celtic Twilight and RevivalAccompanied by illustrations and maps, which show the spread of Celts across the globe, as well as the symbols of Celtic mythology and religion
Knossos, like the Acropolis or Stonehenge, is a symbol for an entire culture. The Knossos Labyrinth was first built in the reign of a Middle Kingdom Egyptian pharaoh, and was from the start the focus of a glittering and exotic culture. Homer left elusive clues about the Knossian court and when the lost site of Knossos gradually re-emerged from obscurity in the nineteenth century, the first excavators - Minos Kalokairinos, Heinrich Schliemann, and Arthur Evans - were predisposed to see the site through the eyes of the classical authors. Rodney Castleden argues that this line of thought was a false trail and gives an alternative insight into the labyrinth which is every bit as exciting as the traditional explanations, and one which he believes is much closer to the truth. Rejecting Evans' view of Knossos as a bronze age royal palace, Castleden puts forward alternative interpretations - that the building was a necropolis or a temple - and argues that the temple interpretation is the most satisfactory in the light of modern archaeological knowledge about Minoan Crete.
Who discovered evolution? Who discovered the Amazon? Who discovered psychoanalysis? Who discovered the Rings of Saturn? Who discovered DNA? Who discovered the Pacific Ocean? This fascinating book captures in chronological order major advances in science and world exploration side by side, as author and historian Rodney Castleden traces the development of more than 150 amazing discoveries that changed the world.
A story of a collaboration. A series of letters between the co-writers of 'Winfrith' (an historian and a composer) shows how a music drama came into being. All the stresses and strains of creativity are visible in this blow-by-blow account of a race against time, to write a full-scale stageworthy music drama in time to celebrate the Millennium at Brixworth Church in Northamptonshire. A story of ambition, disagreement, compromise, and ultimately achievement against heavy odds. Includes the full text of the music drama and samples of the music. 278 pages.
20 April 1999, Columbine High School, Colorado, USA. Lunchtime. Enter Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold armed with shotguns. Pumping bullets into two classmates they left one dead and the other fighting for his life. They went on the rampage through the school leaving in their wake a trail of bloody death and destruction. In the aftermath, fifteen were dead, including the killers, and twenty-four were seriously injured. Spree Killers examines the events surrounding the world’s most shocking mass-killings; from the tortured drawn-out deaths of Hiroshima to the postal worker who made one too many deliveries and finally went crazy with a gun. Contents: Ancient Slayings including Viking Berserkers, Neolithic mass killings Mass Murder by the State including The Spanish Inquisition, The Holocaust, Russian Revolution Wartime Massacres including The Blitz, My Lai, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Breaking Point Killers including Derrick Bird, Raoul Moat, Appomattox shootings Also including School Massacres, Workplace Killings, Mission Murders
This is the first book to have been written about the Long Man of Wilmington. Many different theories about the Long Man's origins are discussed and evaluated. The book is a guide to the history and archaeology of the Giant's Downland setting, and will appeal to everyone who loves the landscape, heritage, history and lore of the South Downs. An expanded version of the 1983 edition, which has been described in a review as 'a modern antiquarian classic'. 258 pages, 96 black and white illustrations.
This e-book is an extract from Encounters that Changed the World and is also available as part of that complete publication. He didn’t realize it at the time, but in the late 1860s, David Livingstone had disappeared and was presumed dead. He had been in Central Africa and out of touch with the world for 5 years. In November 1871, Henry Morton Stanley mounted an expedition to find him. Read about the famous encounter between Stanley and Livingstone along with other famous chance encounters that changed the world.
First published in 1990. Of all the monuments left by the past, Stonehenge is the most evocative, the most memorable and the most mysterious. Whilst the monuments of other cultures have gradually surrendered their mysteries, Stonehenge alone seems to stimulate endless conjecture. Rodney Castleden's vivid presentation of the world of the megaliths answers many of the most baffling questions about Stonehenge. There are, he stresses, few absolute certainties, but from the vast body of evidence assembled during the last hundred years it is now possible to get much closer to the truth than ever before. Who built the monuments and for what purpose? How were the bluestones moved from the sacred mountains of the west to Salisbury Plain? Who were the people responsible for this amazing undertaking, and what did they think and believe?
This e-book is an extract from Encounters that Changed the World and is also available as part of that complete publication. In many relationships we know a great deal about a friendship from one participant’s point of view and much less from the other’s. Because Plato wrote and Socrates did not, we know a great deal about what Plato thought of Socrates, but we know absolutely nothing about what Socrates thought of Plato. We think of Plato as Socrates’ greatest pupil and perhaps Socrates did too ... or did he see the young Plato as just another pupil? This book shines a light back in time to reveal great friendships that were so significant that they changed the world forever.
Infamous murderers, their deeds horrifying yet intriguing, have always inspired a strange fascination. Their crimes repulse us, yet the more heinous the act, the more we crave information, and ultimately we elevate the perpetrator to celebrity status. The names of the often random and completely innocent victims are not always so easily recalled. Murderers are remembered for many different reasons. Some have struck out and killed for revenge, some in an uncontrollable jealous rage. Others have planned the murder out of greed, or with money in mind. Some acted out of pure hatred and rage. One thing they all have in common - they just have the urge to kill. Contents: Ancient Murder Mysteries including King John, Edward II, Mary Queen of Scots Fatal Families including The Duc de Praslin, Lizzie Borden, Dr Crippen, Ruth Ellis Political Assassinations including Brutus and Cassius, John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald Murder for Profit including Dick Turpin, Francois Courvoisier, James Hanratty, Jermey Bamber also including Poisonous Women, Madmen, Child Victims, Lady Killers, Bodies in Boxes
The Minonan ruins at Knossos are spectacular to look at and exciting to explore, whatever we believe the original building was used for. It became famous in antiquity as the Labyrinth, the first maze, and it was believed that the great engineer Daidalos designed it. Arthur Evans thought it was the palace of the legendary King Minos, but year-by-year the evidence increases that it was not a palace, but a temple. In this new guide, Rodney Castleden takes us round the building, showing in detail how each room and courtyard functioned within the bronze age temple precinct. We are shown the cellars for storing the offerings Minonans made to their gods, the paved courts for public ceremonies, the sanctuary suites for initiation rituals. In the frescoes we see the powerful priestess who ran the temple. This new perspective takes us much closer to the reality of bronze age Crete than any previous guide.
This e-book is an extract from Encounters that Changed the World and is also available as part of that complete publication. On 26 September 1960, an estimated 70 million Americans watched John Kennedy and Richard Nixon in the first ever televised presidential debate. Nixon perspired heavily and appeared unshaven while Kennedy was immaculate and composed with a California suntan. Kennedy had found his perfect medium and in future he was to use it to great effect. Read about the famous TV encounter between Kennedy and Nixon along with other significant political encounters that changed the world.
Empress Josephine grew up in a well off, white Creole, sugar-plantation-owning family in Martinique. But a hurricane destroyed the plantation along with her family’s fortunes. In 1795 she met Napoleon Bonaparte and a legendary romance developed. Her hair was dark and silky, her voice was low and beautifully modulated. Napoleon need no encouragement and they married in 1796. Napoleon’s passionate infatuation with his new wife was evident for all to see. Read about the romance between Napoleon and Josephine along with many other great encounters that changed the world.
Throughout the course of history, rebels and revolutionaries have been many and varied, as have the motivations and successes of the revolutions they attempted and inspired. Whether their beliefs, with the benefit of hindsight, were correct or misplaced, the courage to fight for them unites them. They stood, frequently alone, frequently in the face of enormous adversity, and attempted to change the practices of the society in which they lived, and even of the entire world around them. This book is a record of pioneering, inspirational, courageous, determined, and sometimes very dangerous, men and women, and of the places they secured for themselves in history.
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.