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History records that the Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece nearly three thousand years ago, died out around 393 AD, and were triumphantly reborn in 1896, in the Greek capital of Athens. Rather less well known is how, during the intervening centuries, an assortment of British writers, romantics, sportsmen and visionaries helped nurture that revival. Indeed, as sports historian Dr Martin Polley argues in this, the 12th book in the acclaimed Played in Britain series, our nation's fascination with all things Olympian has played a pivotal role in shaping the Games as we know them today, culminating in London becoming in 2012 the first city ever to stage a third modern Olympiad. Consider,...
An account of the transformation of a neglected abbot's lodging into a country house with a celebrated cultural salon at its heart.
War has come again to the March of England and Wales. An army under Prince Edward is massing at Ludlow to subdue the Welsh after their invasion of the autumn of 1262, which caused so much devastation and suffering in England. Stephen Attebrook, the deputy coroner, wants more than anything to be part of that army, despite his maimed foot, hoping for a stroke of luck that will bring him to the attention of some magnate and free him from the poverty and lack of prospects of his dead end position. Yet Fate conspires against him. His infirmity will not be overlooked. Moreover, other matters are forced upon him - the body of a missing Ludlow castle guard is discovered at the foot of the castle walls and the precious relic of a saint intended as a gift for Prince Edward goes missing from a locked and guarded chamber. Stephen's superior, Sir Geoffrey Randall, is quick to volunteer his services to Edward to find the relic. The commission thrusts Stephen into the path of a bitter and powerful enemy, Earl Percival FitzAllen. And the search for the relic - and the guard's killer - leads deep into Wales itself, where Stephen finds the battle he craves.
This is the most comprehensive single volume on English architecture for the general reader. It is a visual cornucopia and a tribute to the diversity of the English built environment, which is among the richest and most diverse in the world. Over 700 buildings are described and illustrated, and they range from the architectural icons to the less noticeable but equally fascinating buildings of England's towns and villages.
A skyscraper one mile high, a dome covering most of downtown Manhattan, a triumphal arch in the form of an elephant: some of the most exciting buildings in the history of architecture are the ones that never got built. These are the projects in which architects took materials to the limits, explored challenging new ideas, defied conventions, and pointed the way towards the future. Some of them are architectural masterpieces, some simply delightful flights of fancy. It was not usually poor design that stymied them – politics, inadequate funding, or a client who chose a ‘safe’ option rather than a daring vision were all things that could stop a project leaving the drawing board. These un...
The Oxford Names Companion provides all the information that you will need about place and personal names existing within the British Isles. Divided into three sections on Surnames, First Names, and British Place-Names, they showcase the knowledge and detailed information from leading experts in the names field: A Dictionary of Surnames explains the origin and meaning of nearly 70,000 surnames. It covers all the common surnames, and many other rare ones, in the English-speaking worldthat are of European derivation. Also giving information about the history and distribution of names where possible and having sourced advice from specialist consultants for particular areas, such as Jewish names...
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