Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov (1812-1891) was a Russian novelist who achieved literary fame later in life, after a career in the civil-service which spanned more than thirty years. His first novel, "A Common Story", was a definitive success and his notoriety was cemented with the publication of his second novel, "Oblomov", in 1850. Based on a short story written a year prior, "Oblomov" is about a cultured, intelligent, upper middle class man experiencing...

The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860) is a work of art history by Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt. Recognized today as the founder of modern art history and as one of the key thinkers of the nineteenth century, Burckhardt changed not only the way we think about the Renaissance in relation to European and world history, but the value placed on art as a tool for understanding historical developments. The Civilization of the Renaissance...

An illuminating look at the monumental inventions of the Middle Ages, by the authors of Life in a Medieval Castle.

Great writer's 1897 account of circumnavigating the globe by steamship. Brimming with ironic, tongue-in-cheek humor, the book describes shark fishing in Australia, riding the rails in India, tiger hunting, diamond mining in South Africa, much more; also peoples, climate, flora and fauna, customs, religion, politics, food, etc. 197 illustrations.

Surprisingly, not the true story about what happened to the other two after Beyoncé disbanded Destiny's Child to pursue a solo career, "The Two Destinies" is a manageable little number about George and Mary – star-crossed lovers from different social classes. The setting is mid-19th Century England – a convenient Collins favourite. But before you glance at your copy of Pride & Prejudice, groan about this novel being yet another installment of...

An ancient Scots law says that the head of any dead whale found on the Scottish coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail the property of the queen. The Scots excel at elephant polo, a game usually played in the East. The modern game was co-founded in the 1980s in Scotland, and the Scots are top of the leader board! This book contains hundreds of "strange but true" facts and anecdotes about Scottish history. Arranged into...

Kent boasts a plethora of characterising traditions which include hop-growing, smuggling and saints. All this reflects the curious history and geography of the area. It is bounded by sea on three sides, has the longest coastline of any English county and was the base for much maritime activity. This included trade and invasions, which gave rise to communities rich in sea-lore. This book also covers topics such as seasonal customs including harvest...

Passed down from generation to generation , many of Derbyshire's most popular folk tales are gathered together here for the first time. Ranging from stories specific to the region, such as 'The Derby Ram', to others which are local versions of well-known classics, like 'Beauty and the Beast', all of the tales in this collection are rooted in Derbyshire's past. Written to recreate the oral traditions that made these anecdotes popular, this book provides...

On March 18, 1990, two men dressed as policemen broke into Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and walked out with a dozen masterpieces worth $500 million. To date, not one painting has been recovered. Before he died, Harold Smith, one of the world's greatest art detectives, believed he was close to cracking the case. After Smith's family gave journalist Ulrich Boser access to his research, Boser explored Smith's unfinished leads.

This gripping account of the impact of the Blitz upon an Upminster couple was recently unearthed by the diarist's son. The harrowing events described so poignantly had an immediate effect on the author, who set out to compile this tribute both to his family and the countless people who have experienced or died from air raids. The Blitz diary began less than a year after Mary Hoodless had married, just three days before the Declaration of War in 1939....