📖 Book Review ~ Abandoned Britain by Simon Sugden

 

Amberley Publishing
15 September 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

In this collection of extraordinary photographs, photographer Simon Sugden has brought to the light the beauty of abandoned buildings and other sites no longer home to the activity of people. These buildings and places have been left empty, often to gently decay and rot, but a ghostly presence of their previous life remains. The buildings range from mills, mines, factories and other industrial features, farmhouses and fairgrounds to hospitals, asylums, places of entertainment and religious buildings. Sometimes we find boats, cars and aircraft left behind and rotting in the landscapes, nature is reclaiming many, others seem almost untouched by their disuse but all have a new kind of beauty. Look through these photographs and you will discover the beauty that photographer Simon Sugden has found in his unique portrayal of the after-life of abandoned buildings and other structures around Britain.

📷My Review..

We've all seen those areas of decay in our urban towns and cities. Long forgotten buildings which stand sentinel to our past and are now quietly turning back to nature, becoming a home, sometimes, for those who have also been abandoned by society.

In this volume of photographs about Abandoned Britain photographer Simon Sugden takes us on his journey into forgotten Britain. From abandoned farmhouses complete with memories of a life lost, to the echoing chambers of factories and hospitals whose corridors still echo with the footsteps of those who once made the place buzz with activity. The tangible sadness of an abandoned room in an unquiet  psychiatric hospital in Leeds could be the perfect backdrop for a film set.

There is something strangely compelling about urban decay. The shapes and shadows which lurk in corners can be highlighted by clever photography to show elements of beauty, maybe a curled newspaper, its date obscured, or the treasured mementos on a dressing table which hint at a life now gone. I was particularly taken by the clever use of light and shade which bring the photographs to life with an eerie sort of majesty, especially in the views of abandoned mill buildings, their cluttered machinery now obscured by myriad bird droppings. 

Simon Sugden has travelled around northern England and brings together a fascinating collection of photographs which remind us that strange beauty is all around us, and if we look carefully through the shadows of Abandoned Britain we can still see glimpses of our forgotten past all around us.

About the Author

Simon Sugden was born in Ilkley and has been interested in photography for most of his life. He picked up his first DSLR fourteen years ago when he bought a cheap camera from a friend and is self -taught. Simon loves most aspects of photography but his main passion is architecture which led him to take images of abandoned buildings.

Twitter @suggy67 #AbandonedBritain

@amberleybooks

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Boleyns: From the Tudors to the Windsors by Amanda Harvey Purse

 

Amberley Publishing 
15 October 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed on May 19, 1536. Her sister Mary, rumored mistress to the monarch, lived on and survived the king’s wrath. But this is not the end of the tale of the Boleyns and the British Royal family – their stories have remained entwined for almost 500 years, through countless wars, crises and triumphs.

In this book, Amanda Harvey Purse delves into the archives to tell the remarkable story of a number of individuals who form part of the Boleyn bloodline, spanning the worlds of the military, art and politics. Among those featured are Robert Devereux, executed for treason after leading an army against the government in the early seventeenth century; Lettice Knollys, banished from the court of Elizabeth I after marrying the wrong man; and Cecilia Nina Bowes Lyon, the godmother to Elizabeth II who scandalised society when marrying Claude Bowes Lyon and played a significant role in the convalescence of soldiers during the First World War.

📖 My Review

Any mention of King Henry VIII and before too long the name Boleyn crops up and not just because of Anne Boleyn’s ill-fated marriage to the irascible monarch but also because of her family’s deep involvement in Tudor court life. In this comprehensive look at the Boleyn bloodline the author has put together, in fascinating detail, how this family shaped their own destiny.

For the continuation of the Boleyn bloodline after Anne’s untimely death we need look to her sister, Mary Boleyn, herself a prominent player in Tudor life albeit more on the sidelines after her family’s dramatic fall from grace. Through Mary’s children, the Boleyn bloodline continues with Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Leicester who courted Elizabeth I’s anger when she married the Queen’s  favourite, Robert Dudley, in a secret marriage service, and then onwards throughout the generations until the familial link falls upon the Bowles-Lyon family from whom Queen Elizabeth II is descended.

The book takes us on a very readable journey through some of the momentous years of the last 500 years of British history and gives a credible account of those historical figures who played such prominent roles. The early section of the book, with its focus on the Boleyn family, is particularly interesting and even though I thought I knew quite a lot about the family, and Anne Boleyn in particular, I found that I discovered snippets about the family I hadn’t previously known.

To connect a family through half a millennium takes an extraordinary amount of research and the author has done a great job in presenting the factual details without ever getting too complicated with facts and figures and whilst there are a lot of dates to take in it really does give a comprehensive account of a dynamic family who survived through the generations and against all the odds managed to succeed.

About the Author

Amanda Harvey Purse is an author and historical researcher for London-based museums. She has spent the last twenty-five years studying the Victoria period and is a member of The Royal Historical Society. She has studied the Tudors at the University of Roehampton and is the founder of Tudor Secrets and Myths.

Foreword by Dr Owen Emerson is curator at Hever castle, the seat of the Boleyn Family.

Twitter @amberleybooks

📖 Publication Day ~ Britain by Night by Mark McNeill

Amberley Publishing
15 August 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

The landscape of Britain is transformed at night when its man-made and natural landmarks are illuminated against a backdrop of magnificent stellar skyscapes. In the heart of our cities iconic structures are picked out and away from the built-up areas in our darker spaces the astral and lunar world takes to the stage alongside the landscape.

In Britain by Night, photographer Mark McNeill has captured a huge variety of night scenery and skyscapes that show both natural and man-made Britain in a new light. He takes his camera from Scotland, the North East, the Lake District and the rest of the North West including Liverpool and Manchester, to Wales, the Midlands including Birmingham, the East of England, London, the South Coast and the South West. 

The images captured range from iconic locations such as the Sycamore Gap in the Northumberland National Park framing the Milky Way, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Forth Viaduct, Jodrell Bank beneath the moon, to familiar landmarks such as the Cutty Sark picked out by light and the Liverpool skyline, our magnificent coast, atmospheric lakeside and mountain shots, and much, much more.

Look through these photographs and you will quickly see the fascination of the night-time world of Britain beneath the stars.

📖 My review..

Over the last couple of years I think we have all come to appreciate the natural world and perhaps we now see our environment in a more enlightened way, but do we ever stop to consider what is happening when our night-time world goes dark? 

In Britain By Night photographer, Mark McNeill shines the spotlight, not just on places of natural beauty but also on the urban landscape of our towns and cities and this lovely book offers a tantalising glimpse into a fascinating world of night-time photography where images, colour and shape take on a very different form. The night sky offers a unique perspective and photographers especially love the challenge of capturing dark skies awash with myriad stars, or using their photographic skill to bring familiar landscapes to life in a kaleidoscope of colour.

The photographic images in Britain by Night are many and varied, some capturing iconic views which are instantly recognisable whilst others perhaps not so well known but equally captivating. I have really enjoyed looking through the 130 illustrations, which bring back memories of places I have visited like Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Hermitage Castle in the Scottish borders and South Stack on Anglesey. Other images are places on my doorstep right here in the North West and having seen Media City in Salford many times in day light I was beguiled by its night time persona. However, no matter where you are in Britain there are multi-coloured images which will capture your attention and encourage an interest in our nocturnal landscape.

Britain By Night is a fascinating look at Britain under the stars by a talented and skillful photographer whose passion for his art comes across in his fine attention detail and his emotional connection to the rural, and urban, landscape around him.

📷 Best read with... a flask of coffee and camera on a tripod.

About the Author

Mark McNeill is a professional photographer based in the North West of England. He specialises in landscape photography and also has a particular interest in night-time photography and astrophotography. In 2018 he was highly commended in the prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition held by the Royal Observatory Greenwich celebrating the very best in astrophotography across the globe, judged by a panel of experts from the worlds of art and astronomy.

Twitter @marksmcneill #BritainByNight

Website

@amberleybooks

Amazon UK

Review ~ Forgotten History by Jem Duducu

Amberley Publishing
15 November 2017

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of this book

About the book...

Not all history is recorded in school textbooks or cast into towering monuments that shape city skylines. Quite often the most intriguing (and most bizarre) bits are forgotten and fall away into obscurity. In this fascinating book, Jem Duducu shines light on the almost forgotten, wonderfully strange, and often hilarious moments of history that would otherwise be lost forever. 

Forgotten History tells in delightful detail the stories of the hard-to-believe moments, people or inventions from history. Split into four main eras–ancient, medieval, early modern and twentieth century – this light-hearted and easy-to-read fact book is full to bursting with the bits from history that even history enthusiast may otherwise have never known. 

Covering a wide variety of topics, from the time a Pope put his dead predecessor on trial all the way up to the awkward moment when the US Air Force accidentally dropped nuclear bombs on Spain, take a journey through time and discover the weird and wonderful history that you didn’t learn about in school.

My thoughts...

If you are interested in snippets of 'forgotten history' then this little gem of a book will really appeal to you. 

In an easy to read format, the book covers:

Ancient History - where I discovered more about Aliens v Smart Humans:the Nazca Lines..

The Medieval Era - where I discovered more about the strange history of chocolate..

The Early Modern to the Victorians - where I discovered more about the most expensive dress disaster in history..

The Twentieth Century - where I discovered that in 1943, IBM didn't think there was much a future for computers..

It is often said that the truth is stranger than any fiction and whilst some of these forgotten moments seem to be shrouded in myth and legend, there is no doubt that we share a rich and varied history, and  that no matter how much you think you know, there is always something new to learn.

The author has done a great job in bringing these forgotten moments of history to life in one slim volume. And reading never becomes a chore as there is always a fascinating fact or two to capture the imagination. So, if you like to learn about history in bite size chunks, from the bizarre to the the genuinely obscure, then this little book would be an interesting addition to any history book shelf.

And you never know, when that pub quiz question asks who was Jonathan Wilde..well.. you'll be able to answer ...in 1718, he was the first self proclaimed Thief Taker General of Great Britain and Ireland ...who knew !!

About the Author

Jem Duducu has been in love with history for as long as he can remember. He went to UWCC to read Archaeology and Medieval History. He is also the author of several history books from the ‘100 Facts’ series for Amberley.

Follow the author on Twitter @HistoryGems.

Amazon UK

~****~

Review ~ In the Footsteps of the Wives of Henry VIII by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger

Amberley Books

July 2017

In the Footsteps of the Six Wives of Henry VIII: The visitor’s companion to the palaces, castles houses associated with Henry VIII’s iconic queens.

It's such a refreshing change to read something different about the six wives of Henry VIII. So much has been written about them both individually and collectively that sometimes I feel that there is nothing more to discover about any of them. 

And then along comes .. In the Footsteps of the Wives... which delighted me in a different sort of way. I was thrilled to learn something new, with the added bonus of also being able to picture the wives 'in situ' at their various residences. From the sunshine gardens of the Alhambra Palace in Spain, the childhood home of Katherine of Aragon, through to the cold of Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire, once the home of Katherine Parr, the book takes us on a real journey of discovery. Also stopping off at Hever Castle in Kent, Wolfhall in Wiltshire and the Schloss Dussefdorf in Germany and points in between, the book is imaginatively and professionally developed so that each individual journey becomes one of discovery.

The book is easy to navigate which is an added bonus if, like me, you tend to dip in and out of factual books. There's a good index of contents which makes it easy to locate whichever wife you have a fancy to follow and a series of clear maps helps to put them in their place.The illustrations both colour and black and white give added depth and help to place the locations in context. There are also some important visitor details so that if you have an interest in visiting any of the residences, and places of interest, you can find out more by following links to websites and using the necessary post codes.

The book is very much more than just a collection of historic houses and castles, it also gives an interesting and concise history of each Queen, so that if you don't know too much about the six wives, then there is more than enough information to get you started.

If you like Tudor history and visiting the sites of Tudor castles and palaces, and also have a fascination for the six wives of Henry VIII, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as much as I did.

About the Authors

Sarah Morris runs the website www.anneboleynbook.co.uk dedicated to her non-fiction and fiction writing about England’s most famous queen consort.

Natalie Grueninger is a researcher, writer and educator, and founder of www.onthetudortrail.com, a site about Anne Boleyn and Tudor England.

My thanks to Philip at Amberley Books for my copy of 

 In the Footsteps of the Wives of Henry VIII

~***~

Review ~ Warriors and Kings by Martin Wall

Amberley Publishing

What's it all about..

For centuries, the Celtic peoples of Britain stood fast against invasion, oppression and war. Theirs is a fascinating and exciting story which birthed some of the most tenacious and heroic leaders in history: from Caractacus and Boudicca, to William Wallace, Owain Glyndwr and the legendary King Arthur. What was it that gave first the Britons, and then the Welsh, this fanatical will to hold out against overwhelming odds, over so many centuries? Martin Wall explores the mythology and psychology of this unyielding and insular people: their devotion to charismatic leaders they believed to be sent from God, and their stubborn determination "ne’er to yield" to oppression and injustice, whether Roman, Saxon, Norman or Viking, or the ravages of soulless industrialism.

My thoughts about it..

I don't claim to speak with any authority on the Celts. As an avid reader of historical fiction, I merely have a non-academic interest in finding out more about the people who shaped the early world. So for me, to have an easy to read introduction to the Warriors and Kings of Celtic Britain is both fascinating and informative.

I tend to read non-fiction history books in non-sequential order, much preferring to read snippets from chapters here and there which seems to appeal more to my sense of purpose. In Warriors and Kings, the author has given a thoughtful introduction into the Celtic world and over the course of the next sixteen chapter spans almost fifteen hundred years. A might ambitious, maybe, but no less interesting.

The book covers a huge area of history starting with the 'war mad' Celts of the pre-Roman era and extending to the Arthurian legend surrounding the once and future King and the search for the elusive Holy Grail, all is done with a fine eye for historical detail and a distinct enthusiasm for the subject matter. The author writes with authority and gives the reader enough information without getting too bogged down in interminable facts and figures which can so often spoil the enjoyment of reading a non-fiction history book. There is also an extensive bibliography and a useful index which is particularly valuable if , like me,  you want to reference something quickly.

On a personal level, and because I have just read an enjoyable fictional book set in Wales during the time of Owain Glyndwr, I was especially interested to read about the Welsh bard Iolo Morganwg in the chapter entitled, The Son of Prophecy.

I found much to enjoy and lots to learn in this book. I am sure that I shall use it as an aide memoir when I need some clarification on a period of history I enjoy learning more about.

Jaffa was especially thrilled to find reference to this poem written in the 9th century by an Irish Monk to his cat Pangur Ban...

I and Pangur Ban my cat,
'Tis a like task we are at:
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill-will,
He too plies his simple skill.

'Tis a merry task to see
At our tasks how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

About the Author

Martin Wall inherited his passionate interest in local history and folklore from his father and has been writing about these subjects for ten years. He lectures historical groups on a variety of subjects and acts as a gallery interpreter in his spare time.

My thanks to Philip at Amberley Publishing for introducing me to this author and also for kindly supplying the review copy of Warriors and Kings

~***~

Review ~ The Anglo-Saxon Age: The Birth of England by Martin Wall

Amberley Publishing
2017

What's it all about..

The discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard in 2009 has captured the imagination and stimulated renewed interest in the history and culture of the Anglo-Saxons. The discovery poses some interesting questions. Who owned the treasure and how did they acquire it? Was it made locally or did it originate elsewhere? Why was it buried in an obscure field in the Staffordshire countryside? To answer these questions, Martin Wall takes us on a journey into a period that still remains mysterious, into regions and countries long forgotten, such as Mercia and Northumbria. This is a story of the ‘Dark Ages’ and the people who lived in them, but darkness is in the eye of the beholder. This book challenges our notions of these times as barbaric and backward to reveal a civilization as complex, sophisticated and diverse as our own.

What did I think about it..

I like to read novels which are set in the so called 'dark ages' of our history and whilst historical fiction authors do a really good job of interpreting time and place, sometimes I get lost, not just in the mists of time, but also without enough background knowledge of my own to draw upon when something puzzles me. So, to have a very readable account of the Anglo-Saxon world is going be a great asset to me. 

The author writes well and puts forward his interpretation of the Anglo Saxon world, including his own theories about who did what, to whom and why with competent assurance. Of course, this is an area of which I have no expert knowledge, I'm merely an enthusiastic histfic reader however, I have read and absorbed this author's work with real interest and have found much to enjoy in reading his various interpretations and conclusions. I was particularly interested in the chapter headed Lady of the Mercians in which the author introduced me to Aethelflaed, eldest child of Alfred, and much more importantly told me that she became a powerful female leader in an all too often male dominated world. 

The book spans fifteen chapters, which take the reader from early history in a chapter entitled Into the Mists of Oblivion and completes the book, some fourteen chapters later, in a conclusion detailing just how The Anglo-Saxon Legacy continues to live on in all of us, in the patterns of our speech and customs, in our place names and also, in our shared heritage.

Best Read with... A cup of sweet honey mead brimful and plentiful..

About the Author

Martin Wall inherited his passionate interest in local history and folklore from his father and has been writing abou these subjects for ten years. He lectures historical groups on a variety of subjects and acts as a gallery interpreter in his spare time.

My thanks to Phillip at Amberley Publishing for introducing me to this author and also for kindly supplying the review copy of The Anglo-Saxon Age; The Birth of England 

~***~

Review ~ Pirates : Truth and Tales by Helen Hollick

Amberley Publishing
15 February 2017

What's it all about..

The historian R. H. Tawney famously wrote, ‘The sixteenth century lives in terror of the tramp.’ The eighteenth century lived in terror of the tramps of the seas – pirates. Pirates have fascinated people ever since.

It was a harsh life for those who went ‘on the account’, constantly overshadowed by the threat of death – through violence, illness, shipwreck, or the hangman’s noose. The lure of gold, the excitement of the chase and the freedom that life aboard a pirate ship offered were judged by some to be worth the risk. 

Helen Hollick explores both the fiction and fact of the Golden Age of piracy, and there are some surprises in store for those who think they know their Barbary Corsair from their boucanier. Everyone has heard of Captain Morgan, but who recognises the name of the aristocratic Frenchman Daniel Montbars? He killed so many Spaniards he was known as ‘The Exterminator’. The fictional world of pirates, represented in novels and movies, is different from reality. What draws readers and viewers to these notorious hyenas of the high seas? What are the facts behind the fantasy? 

What did I think about it..

I must admit that when I think about pirates, what usually springs to mind is the classic, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, a story I read as a child curled in a chair immersed in the excitement of buccaneers and pirates, of buried treasure and golden doubloons, of marauding seamen and dastardly sea captains. And then, of course, much later, came the rather delectable image of the dangerously addictive, Jack Sparrow, the swashbuckling hero of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, the reality of piracy is a whole world away from the glitz and glamour of the movie screen and even the adventures of young Jim Hawkins, aboard the Hispaniola, pales into insignificance alongside the reality of what the real life pirates got up to as they sailed the Seven Seas.

In this informative and comprehensive book, the author takes the idea of pirates and piracy, a subject close to her heart, and shows how the literary and movie images of pirates, often bears little, or no, resemblance to the actual physical reality of the real life sea terrorists of the 17th and 18th centuries. The 'golden age' of piracy whilst steeped in mystique and legend, was, all too often, a time of great danger and uncontrolled violence. Interspersed throughout the book is the author's impressive knowledge of historical detail and it is obvious that a great deal of research has gone into bringing this piratical guide to life. Skillfully blending historical facts with literary fiction, sometimes, the book reads as lightly as a novel, but then, at other times, we come sharply back to reality with daring tales of mischance and menace, of lives ruined by too much grog and too many loose women, and which ended, all too often, dangled at the end of a hangman's rope.

Throughout the book, the author's real life buccaneers nestle comfortably alongside their more colourful literary counterparts. I especially enjoyed seeing the author's own pirate creation, Jesemiah Acorne, from The Sea Witch Voyages, come to vibrant life in his own much deserved chapter. The book has a rich and lively vocabulary, with snippets of interesting facts about pirates and piracy that you never knew you needed to know, but which are all recounted with the authors sparkling wit and fine attention to detail. For the songsters among you there are words to popular sea shanties, some familiar like, Spanish Ladies and What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor and others such as, The Top Man and the Afterguard, which are rather more obscure but no less fascinating to read of their origin and usage.

However you like your pirates, be they real or imaginary, there is no doubt that Pirates:Truth and Tales, is a great dip in and out of kind of book and whichever page the book falls open at, you are guaranteed to find a fascinating snippet into the life and times of these colourful, and it must be said, decidedly, dangerous characters.



Best Read with....A tot of Damson rum and a generous slice of rum laden fruitcake...



About the author

Helen Hollick is a British author of historical fiction.She is the author of the Arthurian Trilogy, Pendragon's Banner and two Saxon novels, Harold the King and The Hollow Crown. Helen was selected by US publisher Sourcebooks and became a USA bestseller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical adventures with a touch of fantasy and are inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. Helen lives in Devon.

You can find out more about the author by going to her website by clicking here


Or follow on Twitter @HelenHollick

Amazon UK

My thanks to Phillip at Amberley Publishing for sending me a review copy of Pirates : Truth and Tales

~***~