18 History The Great Mysteries of Archaeology


70976 TUTANKHAMUN: The Great Mysteries of


Archaeology by Renzo Rossi


Of all the great archaeological triumphs, the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the “forgotten pharaoh”, is perhaps one of the most famous and evocative. Howard Carter, Lord


Carnarvon and the American Theodore Davis began their search for the tomb based on the flimsiest of evidence in 1907. Then in 1922 came the breakthrough. The tomb was fully opened on 27 November, whereupon began the two-year task of excavating and cataloguing the pharaoh’s tomb. Renzo Rossi and his team expertly take us through the almost unimaginable splendour of Tutankhamun’s treasure, with the aid of some 200 colour and original b/w photos. We can relive the moment of discovery, gaze at the artefacts, sculptures, incredible gold, reliefs and frescoes found in the burial chamber, and in addition we learn of much more. Did the legendary curse strike when several men who disturbed the sleeping pharaoh died mysteriously? What did the ancient Egyptians believe about religion, life and death? And what of the other notable pharaohs and queens of the 18th Dynasty? 192pp softback. £9.99 NOW £4


70969 KNOSSOS: The Great Mysteries of


Archaeology by Renzo Rossi


Crete in the 19th century was a dangerous place to visit. Heinrich Schliemann, discoverer of Troy and Mycenae, realised that a priceless archaeological treasure was hidden there, but his financial problems saw the honour of


unveiling the features and nature of this great civilisation, today called Minoan, to the Englishman Sir Arthur Evans. This is a magnificently produced history of the Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the half- man, half-bull Minotaur that was said to reside in the labyrinth below. Renzo Rossi and his expert contributors take the reader on an enthralling wander through the palace and its amazing treasures. Here is the entire story of its discovery and excavation, with over 200 colour photos of the site, original artefacts, sculptures, reliefs and frescoes. We also learn about everyday life in rural, urban and coastal Crete, in those times a wealthy region with its commerce centred on wine and olive oil. Be enchanted by Daedalus, Icarus, Ariadne, Theseus, Zeus, Poseidon, King Minos himself and his wife, the lusty Pasiphae, whose unnatural congress with the white bull of Zeus led to the birth of the minotaur. A superb study in 192pp softback. £9.99 NOW £4


Also available in the series:


70973 POMPEII: The Great Mysteries of Archaeology £4


70974 PYRAMIDS: The Great Mysteries of Archaeology £4


68062 MEMOIRS OF DUC DE SAINT-SIMON


1710-1715: The Bastards Triumphant by Duc de Saint-Simon


!


The Sun King Louis XIV is dying, and the French court is erupting in a frenzy of twisted alliances and dark schemes in the struggle for power. In this volume, the author witnesses the birth of the future Louis XV, learns of Vendôme’s ‘shabby alliance’ with Mlle d’Enghien, is himself ‘vilely slandered’ and is protected by Mme la Duchesse de Bourgogne. Then he feels himself ‘betrayed, deceived and supplanted by Pontchartrain’ so he breaks with him! Later, Saint-Simon finds himself in grave danger but recovers enough to describe a comical interlude at the session of the Parlement, followed by a description of the Duc de Noailles who also has turned against him. Then everything is forgotten with the death of the King. 525 paperback pages with maps. $21.95 NOW £5


68063 MEMOIRS OF DUC DE SAINT-SIMON


1715-1723: Fatal Weakness by Duc De Saint-Simon


This third volume of Saint-Simon’s memoirs starts at a time when Louis XIV, the Sun King, is dead. Intrigue and espionage run rampant at a royal court where indulgence and excess are the norm and the new king is only five years old. Saint-Simon has close ties to the most powerful man in France, the Regent Duc d’Orléans, but he also has enemies stronger than ever before. There is plenty of time for the author to titillate us with salacious details of what the members of the court are up to as he relates the ‘obstinate debauchery’ of the Regent and an extraordinary conversation at the Opéra, not to mention the shocking news that the old king’s bastards are to be excluded from the succession, followed shortly afterwards by their re-instatement. Never a dull moment. Edited by Lucy Norton. 524 paperback pages with map. $21.95 NOW £5


69742 RAMSES II: An Illustrated Biography by Christiane Desroches Noblecourt Ancient Egypt boasts several sovereigns with the birth name Ramses, but the one of whom popular history is most fond is the son of King Seti I Men-Maat-Re and of the noble lady Tuya. The king hailed from a family of senior officials from the Eastern Nile Delta and in his role as defender of his country, Ramses has been given the first name of User-Maat Re. Over 32 centuries ago, the glory of Ramses II regarded as the living incarnation of God himself, radiated throughout Egypt. His 67 year reign was punctuated with marvellous events. No pharaoh before or after would construct so many awe- inspiring monuments, the remains of which are still visited today, or leave such a legacy of writings devoted to his accomplishments. With his many wives and innumerable children, the reputation the King enjoyed as a ‘miracle-worker’ was encouraged by the monarch himself. Here are the enigmas of his temples, valuable information on how to decipher the esoteric signs and symbols of his reign and insight into the personality of an extraordinary individual. Hugely detailed and almost scholarly, 252 very large pages on glossy paper. Colour photos, illustrations, coloured maps and drawings. £25 NOW £8


BOOK TOKENS - Bibliophile is happy to accept National Book Tokens .


68608 KING TUTANKHAMUN: The Treasures of the Tomb by Zahi Hawass


Since their discovery in 1922 and the British Museum exhibition in the 1970s, the fabulous treasures of King Tutankhamun have fascinated the British public. This volume by world-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass is probably the most exciting ever. In all there are 324 illustrations, 317 in colour and 26 gatefold pages. Organised to follow the chambers of the tomb in order in which Henry Carter excavated them, the tome illustrates the site’s most magnificent artefacts including all of the objects in two travelling Tutankhamun exhibitions. We go through the stairway and entrance corridor, into the ante-chamber, the burial chamber, the treasury and the annex, go backstage and look at a chronology. The famous golden mask, beautiful gold collars, necklaces with scarabs - a vast array of gleaming jewellery, coloured with lapis lazuli, quartz, turquoise, carnelian and glass leap from the pages of this very lavish 9½” x 13" tome. 296pp.


£39.95 NOW £12.50 68687 CONSTANTINOPLE: Istanbul’s


Historical Heritage by Stephane Yerasimos


Constantinople was the capital of two of the world’s greatest empires: the Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium and the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The city was christened by Constantine the Great and following its conquest by the Ottomans in 1453, they chose the legendary Metropolis as the centre of their empire and renamed it Istanbul. The art of the Ottoman Empire, permeated by Arab and Persian forms, made a lasting mark on the city’s appearance. The Topkapi Sarayi, the Palace of the Sultans, became one of the most famous of the new rulers’ building projects. In the 16th century, the era of Süleyman the Magnificent, gorgeous mosques were created and the decorative arts, including calligraphy, illumination, miniature painting, ceramics, textiles and carpet weaving all flourished. Here are many facets and priceless artistic treasures. 400 large pages, 8½” x 10", packed with colour photos, plans and diagrams.


$29.99 NOW £10.50


68809 VALVERDÉ’S GOLD: A True Tale of Greed, Obsession and Grit by Mark Honigsbaum


Legend has it that treasure had been collected by the Indians to pay the ransom demanded in November 1532 by the Spanish for the release of an uncrowned Inca chief. English botanist Richard Spruce, described how his uncle had stumbled on an ancient Spanish treasure guide composed by a former conquistador named Valverde. In 1861 Spruce had published the guide in the Journals of the Royal Geographical Society in London but the guide was cryptic and confusing. In a quest for the truth, Honigsbaum travels to Ecuador where he meets a bizarre array of playboys, arms dealers and secretive priests. 363pp in paperback, photos and maps. £7.99 NOW £1.25


68905 DUELLING HANDBOOK 1829 by Joseph Hamilton


In this engrossing historical record of the codes and conduct of the duel, originally written in 1829 as ‘The Only Approved Guide Through All the Stages of a Quarrel’, every aspect of the arcane practice is brought to life. It offers authentic advice on such subjects as withdrawal of challenges, weapons, distance and the fate of survivors. It brims with vivid anecdotes recounting duels arising from disagreements over religion, women, gambling and other volatile standpoints. 167pp in paperback. £9.99 NOW £3


68946 BEDLAM: London and its Mad by Catharine Arnold


Bethlehem Hospital or Bedlam as it became in cockney slang, is the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital. Founded in 1247, it developed from a ramshackle hovel to the magnificent ‘Palace Beautiful’ where visitors could pay to gawp at the chained inmates, through to the great Victorian hospital in Lambeth, now the Imperial War Museum. Catharine Arnold takes us on a tour and looks at the capital’s attitude to madness along the way. We travel from the barbaric ‘exorcisms’ of the medieval era to the Tudor belief that a roast mouse, eaten whole, was the cure. 306pp in paperback. Woodcuts and illus. £7.99 NOW £3.50


69195 CHINA: World’s Oldest Living Civilisation Revealed by Dr. John Makeham


China boasts a recorded history that dates back more than 3,500 years. This wonderful tome examines the turbulent history, including the inventiveness of Chinese Bronze Age society, the ‘Barbarian’ invasions, the conquest by Genghis Khan, the rise and eventual fall of the dynasties and the Opium Wars. It also looks at Chinese culture and social history including the rise of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Cult of Ancestor Worship. An international team of historians, archaeologists and Sinologists chronicle the full sweep from the earliest proto-human and human remains up to the fall of the last emperor. The six parts are Origins, The Three Dynasties, Unification and Expansion, Partition and Conflict, Great Changes and Late Imperial China. More than 500 superb colour photos of artefacts, artworks right up to contemporary opera in Peking, Ming ceramics, statues and paintings and poems, all beautifully produced in colour on very glossy paper. Apologies if there is some damage to the carry handle mailing box. 368pp. 9" x 12" with bonus CD-Rom. ONLY £20


69217 THE MIDDLE EAST: The Cradle of Civilisation Revealed by Dr Stephen Bourke


Compiled by an international team of historians, linguists and archaeologists, this monumental tome discusses the rise and fall of the Ancient Middle Eastern societies including Sumeria, Babylonia, Anatolia, the Levant, Assyria and Persia, and the lasting impact that these cultures have had on the modern world. We look at the compelling story from the Neolithic period through to the Arab conquest of how a group of linguistically disparate, nomadic tribes responded to specific social, economic and environmental factors. 500 stunning colour photos of artefacts, artworks, statues, reliefs, buildings and landscapes. With six detailed maps illustrating the geography and archaeology of the regions. CD-Rom and poster for this edition only. Apologies if the mailing box is slightly damaged - the book inside is perfect. 368pp, 9" x 12". ONLY £20


69330 EGYPT FROM ALEXANDER TO THE COPTS


edited by Roger Bagnall and Dominic Rathbone This archaeological and historical guide to Egypt in the ten centuries between its conquest by Alexander the Great (332BC) and conquest by the Arabs (641) is written by 12 leading Egyptologists. The years the book describes are rich in interest and well documented too, with over 50,000 extant papyri in Greek, Latin, Egyptian and other languages. With over 170 colour and b/w photos, site and building plans and maps we are offered a vivid picture into Egyptian society of the period at all social and economic levels. A general introduction is followed by a study of Alexandria, founded by Alexander in 331BC and the most important city in the eastern Mediterranean for centuries, and the Nile Delta. Other sites described include Cairo, Memphis, Herakleopolis, Thebes, Upper Egypt, the amazing western oases such as Kharga, Dakhla and Bahariya and the eastern desert, with the all-important ports. £29.95 NOW £8


69438 IF A PIRATE I MUST BE... by Richard Sanders


Subtitled The True Story of ‘Black Bart’, King of the Caribbean Pirates, Richard Sanders tells the larger-than- life story of Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart. Born in a rural town, Roberts rose from third mate on a slave ship to pirate captain in a matter of months. Before long, his combination of audacity and cunning won him fame and fortune from the fisheries of Newfoundland to the slave ports of West Africa. Sanders brings to life a world where men, a third of whom were black, lived a close- knit egalitarian life, democratically electing their officers and sharing their spoils. Yet with a fierce team of Royal Navy pirate-hunters tracking his every move, Black Bart’s heyday would prove a brief one. 278pp in paperback, plates plus maps. $14.95 NOW £4.50


69554 CODEX BODLEY: A Painted Chronicle


from the Mixtec Highlands, Mexico by Maarten Jansen and G. A. Pérez Jiménez


Treasures from the Bodleian Library. Superb facsimile, first published 2005. Codex Bodley has long been recognised as one of the most important ancient Mexican manuscripts of which fewer than 20 survive today. Painted shortly before the Spanish Conquest of Mexico (1521) in the Mixtec region, it is a magnificent example of ancient Mexican pictorial writing in screen fold format. It depicts and recounts the history of the kings and queens who ruled the village-state of Nuu Dzaui from the 10th century to the early 16th century. The history of the manuscript, its provenance and the circumstances behind its creation are all studied. It offers insights into the politics, calendar, marriage ceremony and ancient naming process of the Mixtec people. The techniques necessary for interpreting the pictograms are provided with important keys to decode the dating system. Illus, 32cm x 28cm, 96pp. £19.99 NOW £9


69585 SLAVERY: Antiquity and its Legacy by Page duBois


In the ancient world, however, slavery was a major and essential part of every civilisation, and society was unequal at every level. The author juxtaposes the modern experience of economic or sexual bondage, gained from extensive travel and interviews with those involved, with the slavery of antiquity, as described in the writings of Aristotle, Plautus and Aristophanes amongst others, and revisits the life of Spartacus and his followers in their revolt against Rome. The parallels between ancient notions of enslavement and liberation and to what is going on right now are striking and often appalling. 154pp OUP paperback. $24.95 NOW £4.50


69587 TRAITOR TO THE CROWN


by James Long and Ben Long King Charles II always trod a very perilous line between his nation’s Protestantism and his personal affinity for Catholic France. The King’s sympathies made him vulnerable and by 1679 fear of Catholic conspiracy against the King had provoked panic in politicians and an over-zealous reaction from the


legal system. In the midst of all this, Samuel Pepys, celebrated diarist and now Secretary of the Admiralty, found himself accused, along with the country’s finest shipwright, Sir Anthony Deane, of high treason for selling naval secrets to France. Imprisoned in the Tower, abandoned by the king, he served loyally for many years and facing a show trial and public execution, Pepys set about investigating his mysterious accuser, one Colonel John Scott. He soon uncovered a life of ambition, greed, forgery, treason and murder. Colour and b/w plates, 322pp paperback. $16.95 NOW £4


69704 A HISTORIE OF LONDON AND


LONDONERS: A Romp Through the Capital by Sean Boru


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The Roman invasion of A.D. 43 is the starting point for this chronological selection of quirky and fascinating metropolitan facts. 1514 saw the biggest warship in naval history being launched by Henry VIII. Shortly before he died he closed all the brothels and gambling houses on London’s Bankside, a sign of very different Puritan times to come. The 17th century saw the Civil War, Black Death and Fire. In the 1690s William III cynically imported cheap gin from Holland in order to keep the poor happy. The story takes us to 2009 and the final chapters are on general topics such as policing, pub signs, public health and a selection of famous residents. 214pp, paperback. £12.99 NOW £4


70258 CODEBREAKER: The History of Secret Communication


by Stephen Pincock and Mark Frary If you want to pit your wits against famously unbroken codes like the Dorabella or the Beale ciphers, discover more about the Navajo wind talkers of World War Two, or simply get a taste of the long and distinguished history of the codemakers’ craft, here is a fascinating and enlightening guide. From the Bible code to the Voynich manuscript, from subtly altered hieroglyphs carved into Ancient Egyptian monuments to clues hidden in Renaissance paintings, we are surrounded by mysterious codes from the past. Covers all periods of history. 176 large pages, colour photos. £14.99 NOW £6.50


70579 THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA:


History and Speculation by James Bonwick First published under the title Pyramid Facts and Fancies in 1877, here is a bargain paperback facsimile reprint. One of the ancient world’s legendary Seven Wonders, only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains. This awesome feat of engineering along the Nile’s West Bank has survived to inspire thousands of years of admiration and speculation. How did they build it and why? The world’s tallest building for more than 43 centuries, the pyramid’s two million blocks of stone, each weighing more than two tons, were assembled with an astonishing degree of accuracy. Bonwick looks at its steps, passages, chambers and inscriptions, the red granite walls of the king’s burial chamber, monumental tombs, obelisks and the Great Sphinx. 224pp in paperback. £10.99 NOW £3


69754 CHAPTER OF KINGS by Mr Collins A facsimile of the original edition published by the Bodleian Library who acquired the book from the Opie Collection of Children’s Literature in 1988. The book was first published on the 1st August 1888. It is an irreverent and beautifully illustrated overview, one line from each ruler from Caesar we go through Willy the Conqueror, Red Billy his son, Henry 1st, Stephen, Henry Plantagenet, Richard Coeur de Lion (famed Magna- Charta we gained from John, which Henry the Third put his seal upon). Dates and reigns. 37pp. £4.99 NOW £2.50


69767 RED FLAG: A History of Communism by David Priestland


At the height of their influence, Communists ruled a third of the world’s population. Beginning with the first modern Communists in the age of Robespierre, Priestland examines the motives of thinkers and leaders including Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Che Guevara, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Gorbachev and many other men of steel. Violent repression of anybody who refused to submit was the inevitable result of this utopianism. Priestland asks whether the militants of 1920s Russia, the guerrilla fighters of China, the Marxist students of Ethiopia or the urban terrorists of Europe in the 1970s founded their inspiration in Communism. 674pp with 45 illus, many in colour. £19.99 NOW £6


69711 CASTLES - SCOT- LAND AND THE BORDER COUNTRY: The Essential Visitor Guide to the Best of the Region by Plantagenet Somerset Fry, revised and updated by Pip Leahy Here are more than 100 castles, mostly in Scotland but, because many English border castles are accessible for a day trip, the best of those have also been included. The


castles have been divided into four key geographic areas, all clearly marked on a coloured diagram at the front. With specially commissioned colour photos, and packed with info on opening times, collections, gardens and other visitor attractions. 128 softback pages with maps, key dates, useful addresses and websites. £9.99 NOW £3


69783 WAR THAT KILLED ACHILLES: The True Story of Homer’s Iliad and the Trojan War by Caroline Alexander


Is a warrior ever justified in challenging his commander? Must he sacrifice his life for someone else’s cause? Can glory ever compensate for death? The dramatic events of the Trojan War are legend - the beauty of Helen, the tragic deaths of Ajax, Hector and Achilles, the scheme of the Trojan Horse, the pillage of Troy - but the Iliad is actually devoted entirely to a few mundane weeks at the end of a debilitating ten-year campaign. The combatants want nothing more than to stop fighting and go home. The author takes apart a story that we think we know and puts it back together. 296 pages with map. £20 NOW £5


69842 ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF PATRIOTISM: The Bestselling Phenomenon that Makes History Simple by George Courtauld The use of timelines to set key events in British history alongside those of world history allows readers to view the whole panorama in a simple way. At a glance, fascinating parallels are revealed. As Britain perfects the longbow, gunpowder reaches Europe. As Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn, the Inca Empire collapses. There are words, deeds, dates, phrases, songs, speeches and commandments from Stonehenge to the present day. 160 large pages, 100 colour and b/w plates. £15 NOW £4


69849 OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! All the Cool Bits in British History by Martin Oliver


The author zips at speed through British history in short, snappy paragraphs enlivened with cartoons. The Celts exuberantly combined bloodthirstiness with a passion for poetry, but the Romans were less romantic, introducing plumbing and underfloor heating. The conflicts of the Tudor and Stuart eras are made crystal clear (well, almost), and although 18th century monarchs were rather a staid lot, piracy, the slave trade and the industrial revolution meant the Hanoverian age was packed with incident. 128pp, cartoons, royal timeline. £7.99 NOW £2.25


70537 ENGLAND’S SEA FISHERIES: The Commercial Sea Fisheries of England and Wales Since 1300 edited by David J. Starkey, Chris Reid and Neil Ashcroft


Since time immemorial, fish and fishermen have played the most fundamental role in the provision of food in England and Wales, and this definitive work reaches to the heart of every aspect of the nation’s fisheries. No previous publication has tackled this immense subject in such detail and in so accessible a manner. It brings alive the history of a livelihood, once central to our way of life but now facing extinction. Fishing has always been a complex human activity and its story involves myriad themes: seafood and diet, the curing and preservation of fish and its distribution, fish farming - from monastic institutions to the modern hi-tech methods and aquaculture - boats and gear, catching methods, the social structures of fishing communities, the Missions to deep-sea fishermen, the development of harbours and docks, fish protection against the background of ecological collapse, and the fishermen’s skills set against such a dangerous occupation. 272 pages 25cm x 29.5cm, photos.


£35 NOW £13


BONUS CD-ROM & POSTER


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