SEARCHsearch icon
CLOSE X

Cathedrals of Britain

Stephen Platten

Pitkin

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781841658759

Paperback publication date: 5 March 2020

Category:

Paperback price:

£ 15.99

OUT OF STOCK

eBook ISBN: 9781841659152

eBook publication date: 1 April 2020

Category:

eBook price: £ 9.99

  Our price: £

For centuries the great religious buildings of Great Britain have inspired and fascinated pilgrims and visitors from around the world. The beauty and diversity of British ecclesiastical architecture is superbly captured in this guide to over 60 of Britain’s finest cathedrals.

This definitive guide contains over 130 magnificent colour photographs that capture the enduring appeal of these great monuments to the Christian tradition.

Extended entries are included on Durham Cathedral, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral, Norwich Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Glasgow Cathedral, St David’s Cathedral.

 

This definitive guide contains over 130 magnificent colour photographs that capture the enduring appeal of these great monuments to the Christian tradition.

 

Extended entries are included on Durham Cathedral, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral, Norwich Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, St Pauls Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Glasgow Cathedral, St Davids Cathedral.

ABOUT THE Author

Stephen Platten is an Assistant Bishop in the Dioceses of London, Southwark, and Newcastle, chairman of Hymns Ancient and Modern and of the governors of the Anglican Centre in Rome, and Chaplain to St Martin-within-Ludgate, London.

He was formerly the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs, Dean of Norwich, and Bishop of Wakefield. He was a member of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England from 2006 to 2016 and Chair of the Church of England Liturgical Commission from 2004 to 2014.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

'A trustworthy guide'

The Living Church

How to Swindle in Chess

snatch victory from a losing position

Andrew Soltis

Batsford

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781849945639

Paperback publication date: 5 March 2020

Category: Chess

Paperback price:

£ 16.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946643

eBook publication date: 1 April 2020

Category: Chess

eBook price: £ 11.99

  Our price: £

A book by stalwart chess writer on an aspect of chess that is quite common, but little is written about, swindling in chess. In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss. Renown chess writers Horowitz and Reinfeld observe that swindles, "though ignored in virtually all chess books", "play an enormously important role in over-the-board chess, and decide the fate of countless games".

Andrew Soltis, American chess journalist, says swindles are not accidental or a matter of luck. Swindling is a skill. But there has been almost nothing written about how to do it, how to make yourself lucky in chess. Swindling means setting traps that exploit an opponent’s over-confidence. It means choosing the move that has the greatest chance of winning, rather than the move that has the least chance of losing.

Soltis’ new proposal will explain to players of all levels how to do just that with plenty of examples to explain along the way.

ABOUT THE Author

Andrew Soltis is an International Grandmaster, a chess columnist for the New York Post and a highly popular chess writer. He is the author of many books including 500 Chess Questions Answered, The Chessmaster Checklist, How to Choose a Chess Move and How to Swindle in Chess. He lives in New York.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

'Full of interesting positions, [How to Swindle in Chess] can be read for pure enjoyment, and there are enough diagrams provided that it can mostly be read without a board.'


ChessCafe.com

Everything You Know About Animals is Wrong

Matt Brown

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849945820

Hardback publication date: 2 April 2020

Series: Everything You Know About...

Category: Nature

Hardback price:

£ 9.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946742

eBook publication date: 25 March 2020

Series: Everything You Know About...

Category: Nature

eBook price: £ 6.99

  Our price: £

A humorous and informative book, debunking a range of commonly held myths about animals.

Camels store water in their humps and magpies love to steal shiny objects. Or do they? A must-read in the Everything you Know series, this book debunks a range of old-cod stories about animals in author Matt Brown’s inimitable humorous and fascinating style.

Covering everything from the myth that lemmings throw themselves off cliffs in suicide (they don’t, but on occasion some just fall off) to the one about bats being blind (they’re not, and they can see but use the more sophisticated echolocation for certain hunting). From head in the sand ostriches to cats landing on their feet, a wealth of information on our beloved pets to creepy crawlies and wild giants, this book will set the marvel of the animal word straight. Plus, there are special features on the odd diets of animals and how wrongly they are portrayed in the movies.

All the old stories and myths about animals we’ve had since childhood are gleefully debunked in a hugely entertaining book.

ABOUT THE Author

Matt Brown is author of several books for Batsford, using his trademark humour and playfulness as tools to explore the world. He has served as editor and editor-at-large of Londonist.com, writing on topics as diverse as street art, politics, map-making and science. With a deep love of trivia, he’s written and hosted hundreds of quizzes, including events for the Museum of London and Manchester Science Museum, among many others. He lives in Hertfordshire and tweets at @mattfromlondon.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

'While lighthearted in tone, a lot of knowledge is nonetheless imparted, and Brown’s natural wit and obviously in-depth levels of research shine through'


How it Works

'A book bound to start conversations'


The Field

RELATED FEATURES

SEE ALL FEATURES >

How to See Nature

Paul Evans

Batsford

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781849945813

Paperback publication date: 9 July 2020

Category: Nature

Paperback price:

£ 8.99

Hardback ISBN: 9781849944939

Hardback publication date: 4 October 2018

Category: Nature

Hardback price:

£ 16.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849945707

eBook publication date: 25 March 2020

Category: Nature

eBook price: £ 6.99

  Our price: £

"Pack soup, cheese and a copy of How To See Nature by the Bard of Wenlock Edge and Guardian diarist." John Vidal

With a title taken from the 1940 Batsford book, this is nature writing for the modern reader. Evans weaves historical, cultural and literary references into his writing, ranging from TS Eliot to Bridget Riley, from Hieronymus Bosch to Napoleon.

It is a book both for those that live in the country and those that don’t, but experience nature every day through brownfield edge lands, transport corridors, urban greenspace, industrialised agriculture and fragments of ancient countryside.

The essays include the The Weedling Wild, on the wildlife of the wasteland: ragwort, rosebay willowherb, giant hogweed and the cinnabar moth; Gardens of Light, about the creatures to be found under moonlight: pipistrelle bats, lacewings and orb-weaver spider; The Flow, with tales from the riverbank, estuaries and seas, including kingfisher, minnow, otter and heron. The Commons looks at meadowland with a human footprint, with the Adonis blue butterfly, horseshoe vetch, skylark, black knapweed and the six-belted clearwing moth. The author also looks at the wildlife returned to Britain, such as wild boar and polecats, and finds nature in and around landscapes as varied as a domestic garden or a wild moor.

The book ends with an alphabetical bestiary, an idiosyncratic selection of British wildlife based on the author’s personal encounters.

ABOUT THE Author

Paul Evans is a nature writer, Guardian Country Diarist, poet, broadcaster, journalist and senior lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is the author of Field Notes from the Edge (a journey through Britain’s secrets wilds). He broadcasts regularly for Radio 4 nature programmes.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

'It’s like going on a series of quiet, unhurried rambles in the company of an interesting and very knowledgeable teacher'


Green Spirit

 'A lyrical celebration of the marvellously diverse wildlife of modern Britain.'

Eithne Farry,
The Simple Things

'The ordinary becomes extraordinary in this fascinating book'

Miriam Darlington
BBC Wildlife

‘By celebrating [the natural world] so beautifully, Evans is playing as important a role in its conservation as anybody.'


Birdwatching

Fashion Doodling and Colouring

Frances Moffatt

Batsford

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781849946735

Paperback publication date: 7 January 2021

Category: Colouring & Activity Books

Paperback price:

£ 9.99

A great book for expressing your creative fashion urges, with doodling, drawing and colouring exercises to fill in.

Fashion illustrator and lecturer Frances Moffatt provides suggestions and half-filled pages of drawings and doodles for you to continue. Including sections on designing your own fashion blog, creating your own festival fashions, styling street style models from across the globe, adding bling to celebrity pets and creating your own fashion patterns and prints. This book is packed full of fun exercises to get creative and bring out the fashionista in you. 

Unleash your creative potential by adding colour, patterns and glitter to these line drawings to make them unique to your style. Whether it’s a simple colouring-in piece, or a more considered drawing, the suggestions offer something for everyone and encourage you to make the book about your own style.

ABOUT THE Author

Frances Moffatt is an illustrator specialising in fashion and beauty, and is also a Visiting Lecturer at various colleges and universities. Her work is characterised by dynamic line work, combined with vibrant colour and bold pattern and texture. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Marketing, and worked in fashion design, before returning to education to complete an MA in Design (Illustration). Her work was selected for the Association of Illustrators IMAGES 35 annual in the ‘New Talent’ category, and for the ‘Talent’ portfolio section of the D&AD website.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

'A great way to stay creative and keep entertained at home’

The Pattern Pages

‘A fun one for anyone who likes fashion and accessories… The inviting illustrations and doodle prompts make it a fun way to unleash your inner creativity.’

Independent

RELATED FEATURES

SEE ALL FEATURES >

A Cloud a Day Journal

Gavin Pretor-Pinney

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849946674

Hardback publication date: 1 October 2020

Category: Stationery

Hardback price:

£ 15.99

A cloudspotter’s interactive journal.

Our interest in clouds is more profound than we ever thought. Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society and author of A Cloud A Day has been spreading the word via social media and hugely popular TED talks, and the response has been revelatory.

Following on from his very successful A Cloud A Day book, he wants readers to take time each day to look at the shifting skies. To take a moment, as he says. Then, using the prompts and space in the journal, record the cloud, weather, and importantly their thoughts on that day. It is the perfect mindful occupation.

To help readers understand the clouds they are looking at, the book includes a hugely useful pin wheel device – a cloud selector – at the back of the journal. The device allows the reader to visually match the cloud they see in the sky with the cloud in the selector device, which has all the information about that particular cloud they need. From the cloudlets of the altocumulus clouds to the rarer Lacunosus cloud (holes surrounded by fringes of cloud).

In amongst the prompts and spaces are stunning images of clouds with bits of poetry, science and folklore. It is the ideal interactive journal for those interested in clouds and the weather but also for those looking for the perfect way to spend 10 minutes of the day to reconnect with nature and the passing of the seasons.

Praise for A Cloud A Day:

 ‘[This] charming little volume reminds us that self-care is as available as a glance out the window, no matter your age or infirmities’

The New York Times

‘A confident celebration of our ever-changing skies… I defy anyone who reads it not to start taking furtive peeks out the window.’

Robert Leigh-Pemberton, Daily Telegraph

Isaac Newton

Remarkable Lives

Robin Wilson

Raymond Flood

Pitkin

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781841658520

Paperback publication date: 6 February 2020

Category:

Paperback price:

£ 6.00

eBook ISBN: 9781841659145

eBook publication date: 6 February 2020

Category:

eBook price: £ 3.99

  Our price: £

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), mathematician and physicist, is one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. This fully illustrated, accessible guide to the life and work of Isaac Newton is the perfect introduction to his groundbreaking work on gravity, motion, optics, light, colour and calculus. It also considers his lesser known research into chemistry, theology and alchemy while assessing his continuing legacy.

Organised chronologically, this book covers his childhood in rural Lincolnshire, school days in Grantham and undergraduate life at Trinity College, Cambridge. All of his major discoveries, breakthroughs and publications are lucidly described. Entries include: the story of the falling apple, Gravity and the Principia, Newton’s laws of motion, Optics, Alchemy and Divinity, as well as his time as Warden of the Royal Mint in London.

This is the essential guide to the life, work and legacy of one of the greatest geniuses of all time.

 

Organised chronologically, this book covers his childhood in rural Lincolnshire, school days in Grantham and undergraduate life at Trinity College, Cambridge. All of his major discoveries, breakthroughs and publications are lucidly described. Entries include: the story of the falling apple, Gravity and the Principia, Newtons laws of motion, Optics, Alchemy and Divinity, as well as his time as Warden of the Royal Mint in London.

 

This is the essential guide to the life, work and legacy of one of the greatest geniuses of all time.

ABOUT THE Author

Robin Wilson is an Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Open University, Emeritus Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, and a former Fellow of Keble College, Oxford University. A former President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics, he has written and edited over 40 books on the history of mathematics.

READ MORE

ABOUT THE Author

Raymond Flood is Vice-Principal of Kellogg College, Oxford and former President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics.

READ MORE

English Fairy Tales and Legends

Rosalind Kerven

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849945431

Hardback publication date: 6 June 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

Hardback price:

£ 15.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946209

eBook publication date: 13 December 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

eBook price: £ 7.99

  Our price: £

12 classic English fairy tales and their history, from tales of dragons to Robin Hood.

Folk tales and legends are an intrinsic part of English national culture. In his book, Rosalind Kerven has revived the best English fairy tales for a new generation. These are stories of giants, dragons, fairies and Arthurian Romance. Together, they form a perfect introduction to the different types of traditional stories and their place in English oral and written heritage.

Each tale is linked with a specific place or county in England: ‘The Dragon Castle’ from Northumberland, ‘The Girl Snatched By Fairies’ from County Durham, ‘The Princess and the Fool’ from Kent and ‘The Dark Moon’ from Lincolnshire.

The book also includes notes on each story: the history and where it came from, its development and short summaries of many related or similar stories.

ABOUT THE Author

Rosalind Kerven, “connoisseur of myths and folk tales” – The Independent, is a narrative folklorist and the author of over 70 books published in 22 countries. She has specialist knowledge of world myths, legends and folk tales and is on a mission to bring these wonderful old stories back to life for modern readers. Her bestselling titles include English Fairy Tales and Legends, Viking Myths & Sagas, Faeries, Elves & Goblins and Arthurian Legends. She lives in the Northumberland National Park.

Her website is: workingwithmythsandfairytales.blogspot.com

READ MORE

RELATED NEWS & EVENTS

SEE ALL RELATED NEWS & EVENTS >

Faeries, Elves and Goblins

The Old Stories and fairy tales

Rosalind Kerven

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849945424

Hardback publication date: 6 June 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

Hardback price:

£ 14.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946193

eBook publication date: 13 December 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

eBook price: £ 7.99

  Our price: £

A unique collection of traditional stories about faeries, elves and goblins. 

Faeries, elves, goblins, leprechauns, brownies, spriggans and many other supernatural beings leap vividly off the page in this collection of haunting stories. Included are 25 stories drawing on folklore from the rich narrative heritage of Britain and Ireland.

Marvel over ancient spells to summon faeries to your house, tremble at the shapeshifting powers of dangerous faery queens, lose yourself amongst the illusions of Faeryland and learn how to protect family members from the terrors of faery abduction. Interspersed with facts on faery folklore, these tales cover faery morals, elvish misdemeanours, the spells cast by goblins and the sightings of the creatures, as well as their dealings with mortals.

With charming illustrations from favourite illustrators throughout, including Arthur Rackham, this book reminds us of the enduring appeal of folklore and mystery for all generations.

ABOUT THE Author

Rosalind Kerven, “connoisseur of myths and folk tales” – The Independent, is a narrative folklorist and the author of over 70 books published in 22 countries. She has specialist knowledge of world myths, legends and folk tales and is on a mission to bring these wonderful old stories back to life for modern readers. Her bestselling titles include English Fairy Tales and Legends, Viking Myths & Sagas, Faeries, Elves & Goblins and Arthurian Legends. She lives in the Northumberland National Park.

Her website is: workingwithmythsandfairytales.blogspot.com

READ MORE

RELATED NEWS & EVENTS

SEE ALL RELATED NEWS & EVENTS >

RELATED FEATURES

Faery Wishes

It’s Halloween – the favourite time of year for the supernatural. Faeries, Elves & Goblins by Ro[…]

MORE >
SEE ALL FEATURES >

Arthurian Legends

Rosalind Kerven

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849945417

Hardback publication date: 6 June 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

Hardback price:

£ 15.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946186

eBook publication date: 13 December 2019

Series: Batsford Fairy Tales

Category: Folklore & fairy tales

eBook price: £ 6.99

  Our price: £

The definitive book of stories from Arthurian legend.

Delve into the enchanted world of Arthurian legends where you will meet the Knights of the Round Table, Wizard Merlin, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. With plots full of romance, adventure and enchantment, these fascinating ancient tales have been revived by the author to reflect their origins in oral history and will appeal to a whole new generation of readers.

Stories include Elaine Who Loved Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Tristan and Isolde and The Enchantment of Merlin, many of which have recently been adapted in modern cinema and remain a fascination within contemporary culture.

The book also features detailed notes on each story and mentions specific places in Britain with Arthurian links, including properties such as Tintagel.

Beautifully illustrated with images inspired by Arthurian legend by Arthur Rackham and others.

ABOUT THE Author

Rosalind Kerven, “connoisseur of myths and folk tales” – The Independent, is a narrative folklorist and the author of over 70 books published in 22 countries. She has specialist knowledge of world myths, legends and folk tales and is on a mission to bring these wonderful old stories back to life for modern readers. Her bestselling titles include English Fairy Tales and Legends, Viking Myths & Sagas, Faeries, Elves & Goblins and Arthurian Legends. She lives in the Northumberland National Park.

Her website is: workingwithmythsandfairytales.blogspot.com

READ MORE

RELATED NEWS & EVENTS

SEE ALL RELATED NEWS & EVENTS >

Favourite Poems to Celebrate Babies and Children

poetry to celebrate the child

Lucy Gray

Batsford

Format:

Paperback ISBN: 9781849945370

Paperback publication date: 7 March 2019

Category: Poetry

Paperback price:

£ 7.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849945974

eBook publication date: 13 December 2019

Category: Poetry

eBook price: £ 5.99

  Our price: £

A beautifully illustrated anthology of poetry celebrating babies, children and childhood – from the magical times and memories of childhood, through to the unconditional love a parent has for a child.

Some of our best-loved poets are featured, such as William Blake, John Betjeman, Robert Louis Stevenson, Adrian Mitchell and WH Auden.

The poems begin in infanthood, with the joys that babies and toddlers bring as they learn to move and speak, and progresses to playtime, friendships, holidays, trips and school days.

The wonderful, endearing illustrations throughout make this the ideal book for anyone who celebrates a child in their life.

ABOUT THE Editor

Lucy Gray is a writer and journalist with a background in psychology. She possesses a wealth of knowledge about manners and etiquette that she imparts in the belief that perfectly polished manners are within everyone’s grasp.

READ MORE

REVIEWS

‘This is a wonderfully nostalgic anthology of poems…There is much depth to this collection.’ 


Juno magazine

‘Stunning retro illustrations accompany some of the best poetry… A charming treat.’


Evergreen

'This is a delightful collection of some of the best poems written celebrating children, being a parent and that magical time of childhood.’


Angels and Urchins

'[J]oyful…This one’s for keeps.’ 


Absolutely Mama

Sussex, Kent and Surrey 1939

Richard Wyndham

Batsford

Format:

Hardback ISBN: 9781849945486

Hardback publication date: 4 April 2019

Category: History

Hardback price:

£ 9.99

eBook ISBN: 9781849946018

eBook publication date: 12 December 2019

Category: History

eBook price: £ 6.99

  Our price: £

A remarkable and eccentric insight into the south east of England in the pre-war period.

Richard Wyndham’s ‘last look round’ was a tour taken immediately before the Second World War in 1939 and was originally published in the following year as South-Eastern Survey.

Wyndham is a very agreeable companion as he travels in his self-confessed ‘haphazard’ way around the counties of Sussex, Kent and Surrey. Often eccentric but always good fun, he drives ‘for the most part on side roads only, and through villages and lesser towns.’ A selection of Wyndham’s own black and white photographs taken on his expedition are included.

Sussex, Kent and Surrey 1939 is a wonderful insight into south east of England before the outbreak of the Second World War, which brought so much change to the country. Wyndham is a superb travel companion who completed the writing as he was called up for active service.

REVIEWS

‘Wyndham’s tone is that of a warm, eccentric uncle.'


Discover Britain

0
    0
    Your Basket
    Your basket is emptyReturn to Shop