A compendium of 28 beautiful, historical Scottish Castles for local and visitor alike

Scotland: A land with rich history, wild landscapes and some of the most beautiful castles on Earth. There have been over 2000 castles in scottish history; some have been preserved in superb condition, some lie in picturesque ruin and others have been resigned to historical records.

Discover the story of the well-trodden fortress of Edinburgh Castle, uncover the beautiful remoteness of Eileen Donan and learn all about Castle Urquhart, on the banks of Loch Ness. These are the sites of feuds, the homes of royalty and the locations of great battles.

This Pitkin guide takes the reader on a tour of 28 of Scotland’s most magnificent castles. Revised for 2019, it makes a perfect addition to the literature for any visitor to the country.

To be a medieval pilgrim evokes an image of a dauntless soul, braving weather, weariness and woe to fulfil a spiritual quest, treading ancient highways and following some inner force to Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago or Canterbury.

Pilgrims today are more fortunate since, through the wonders of modern travel and communications, pilgrim sites are now accessible in a way our medieval forbears could never have imagined. Be that as it may, true pilgrimage never changes: it is to set out on a journey of outward and inner discovery; and to return changed and inspired by all that has been seen and experienced along the way.

This Pitkin guide explores the history of pilgrimage; covering pagan, celtic and Christian sites. It also describes the main shrines throughout the UK – Winchester, Canterbury, Westminer, Lincoln, Durham and more – and the saints connected to them.

Follow in the footsteps of royalty past and present on this journey through England’s capital and beyond to Kew, Hampton Court and Windsor.

London has a charm that draws visitors from home and abroad who are looking to explore what England’s capital city has to offer. The fact that for hundreds of years Britain has had a Royal Family is part of that charm, and the unique history of our monarchy forms the basis of Royal London.

From palaces and parks to pomp and ceremony, from streets with royal connections to statues commemorating past sovereigns and their consorts, much of today’s royal London is readily available to any visitor who wishes to seek it out. But it is fascinating, too, to reflect on how parts of London came about, thanks to those monarchs who have lived, loved, lost and left a royal footprint.

Sites include: Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Kensington Palace, Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, V&A Museum, Green Park, Hyde Park, Greenwich Observatory, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle.

This beautifully illustrated book is part of the Pitkin Royal Collection series, celebrating the lives of the British royal family. Other notable titles in this insightful series include Royal Babies, The Queen and Her Family and Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth I’s reign is amongst the most exciting and fascinating of any period of English history. She was a glamourous queen who ruled a vibrant nation full of legendary figures: Robert Dudley, Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, the Earl of Essex were all international celebrities of their day. Great events unfolded, with triumphs such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and tragedies, including the long-term imprisonment and execution of Mary Queen of Scots.

With love affairs, wily politicians, sinister plots and intrigues at the royal court, Elizabeth’s reign was a long-running drama; it is appropriate that William Shakespeare was writing at the time, and characters and events of his plays often mirrored Elizabethan life. But it was Queen Elizabeth who was the star of the story, holding centre stage over a glittering royal court.

In this seminal Pitkin text by G.W.O. Woodward, revised and updated by Gill Knappett for 2019, read how Gloriana reigned in dazzling majesty over an exciting new age of exploration, discovery, artistic brilliance, architectural achievement, foreign conquest and prosperity.

This beautifully illustrated biography is part of the Pitkin Royal Collection series, celebrating the lives of the British royal family. Other notable titles in this insightful series include Royal Babies, The Queen and Her Family and Queen Elizabeth II.

In a ceremony of great solemnity in July 1220, almost fifty years after his murder in December 1170, the relics of Saint Thomas Becket, Canterbury’s most famous archbishop, were taken from the tomb in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral where they had lain for fifty years and placed in a magnificent bejewelled shrine in the cathedral’s Trinity Chapel.

The shrine, which became the focus of pilgrimage and veneration for generations of travellers to Canterbury, remained in the Trinity Chapel for more than 300 years until its destruction in September 1538 by commissioners acting on the orders of King Henry VIII. The fabulous jewels and precious metals were carted off to the king’s treasury in London, but no authentic record has come to light of the fate of the mortal remains – the holy relics – of Saint Thomas. There are many stories but few hard facts.

This book marks the 800th anniversary of the translation of Thomas Becket’s relics in 1220 from the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral to the shrine in the Trinity Chapel. In it, John Butler carefully sifts the evidence about the fate of Becket’s bones when the shrine was destroyed in 1538, and he explores a series of probing questions. Did the monks of the cathedral attempt to hide the relics before King Henry’s commissioners arrived in Canterbury? Were the bones burnt on the orders of Pope Paul III, as many believe, or did they somehow survive? What is the significance of the grave discovered in the crypt of the cathedral in 1888?

Against a background of church politics and carefully referencing all his sources, John Butler pieces together an intriguing story of faith, science and romanticism that will appeal to all who relish a true-life mystery.

What is the origin of the stories of the Round Table, of Excalibur and the Holy Grail, of Sir Launcelot and Guinevere? And where was Camelot?

King Arthur’s name has echoed down the centuries, conjuring up rich images of mystery and power, chivalry and romance. But did he exist at all? There is no evidence to prove he reigned in the fifth and sixth centuries; no eye-witness accounts of his coronation and no reliable manuscripts outlining his deeds.

This full-colour guide examines the facts of the legends in the tantalising puzzle of King Arthur and his knights. Learn about the origins of the Round Table, the cult of chivalry and conflict between knights, and Arthur’s shape-shifting half-sister Moran le Fay. From the origins of Arthurian legend to the new phase in the Arthurian cyce in the romantic revival of the early nineteenth century, read about the tantalizing puzzle that is King Arthur.

Look out for more Pitkin guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

The French strategy of seeking to establish a fortified base across the Viet Minh’s route to and from Laos provoked an awesome struggle that lasted from November 1953 to May 1954. During this time Dien Bien Phu, surrounded by 2000 ft hills and thus difficult to re-supply by air as the French had intended, became the scene of fearful contests between the locally savvy men of General Giap and the hapless French forces who, losing one strongpoint after another, were finally trapped in Dien Bien Phu garrison. The French lost the cream of their strategic reserve in the region and, within months, were agreeing to the independence of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. David Stone, a British Army officer of the post World War II era, leads the reader through the complex nature of this significant action.

Though the words, Cold War, refer to a period of specific international tension it is also true that the wars, conflicts and armed disputes of the period were most often influenced by, and even created because of, the existence of a ‘cold war’ environment – the Cold War was, in many ways, the Third World War. This extensive and authoritative volume presents all the major wars of the period – Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, etc., the uprisings and revolts in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, etc, and even the skirmishes, such as the Cuba Missile Crisis, in a form that is suitable both for reading and for reference. Indeed, it is a book that meets a major need for historians, students and professionals working in the field of international current affairs and modern history.

Because it lasted only seven months, the Franco-Prussian War has sometimes been ignored by historians and yet it merits study for the fact that it was the first deployment of a ruthlessly efficient and superbly organised German Army, a phenomenon that was to be seen twice more in the next 75 years. Indeed, military professionals and history students have long sought a thorough account of this conflict for the very reasons of its significance in both military development and European evolution. The war machine of the expansive Prussians used organisational strength and modern techniques to prevail over the more antiquated French and yet the battles were keenly fought and brought awesome casualties. The lessons learned by both sides, and onlookers, had a mighty impact; the emergence of a dominant German land force, a German nation and a German Empire determined the course of European and world history for a century and beyond. The story of the war is told with vigour and accuracy and will be a significant contribution to military history and to our understanding of the development of Europe as we see it today.

A chronological survey of the world’s most influential books.

Many books have become classics, must-reads or overnight publishing sensations, but how many can genuinely claim to have changed the way we see and think?

In 100 Books that Changed the World, authors Scott Christianson and Colin Salter bring together an exceptional collection of truly groundbreaking books – from scriptures that founded religions, to scientific treatises that challenged beliefs, to novels that kick-started literary genres. This elegantly designed book offers a chronological survey of the most important books from around the globe, from the earliest illuminated manuscripts to the age of the ebook publication.

Entries include: The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer (750 BC), Gutenberg Bible (1450s), The Quran (AD 609–632), On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Nicolaus Copernicus (1543), Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623), Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Isaac Newton (1687), The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith (1776), The Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1792), On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin (1859), Das Kapital, Karl Marx (1867), The Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud (1899), The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank (1947), Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung (1964), A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking (1988).

A practical and inspirational book for dressmakers, quilters and embroiderers who have long coveted the style of Japanese clothes, in particular the kimono. Expert dressmaker and quilter Jenni Dobson takes you through the techniques for making Japanese clothes with simple step-by-step processes, but goes further, covering details on Japanese design and the various techniques for embellishing Japanese clothes. Colourfully illustrated with images of finished garments as well as practical diagrams and patterns for dressmaking, the author has deliberately made all the garments accessible even for those with limited experience of dressmaking, but there are plenty of ideas to inspire those more accomplished readers.

From her first public broadcast in 1940 as a 14-year-old princess, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has given loyal service throughout her long and glorious reign over the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for over 60 years, which means she is now the world’s longest reigning living monarch. Such an achievement of unstinting service in both the Victorian age and the new Elizabethan age adds certain poignancy to the words of the national anthem: ‘long to reign over us’. In 2016 she reached another milestone as she celebrated her 90th birthday and in 2017 her and Prince Philip celebrate their 70^th platinum wedding anniversary.

Her Majesty’s dignity and sense of loyal duty have long assured her of a place in the hearts of her subjects. Having set such a fine example, when Prince Charles eventually takes the crown (followed, one day by Prince William and, in turn, Prince George) we are assured of a monarchy we can be proud of for generations to come.

This beautifully illustrated book is part of the Pitkin Royal Collection series, celebrating the lives of the British royal family. Other notable titles in this insightful series include Charles – Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II.