Gareth Williams – författare

Between the late 8th and late 11th century Viking warriors had a massive impact, from the western Mediterranean round through northern Europe and the Baltic to the Middle East and Central Asia.Written by an expert on early medieval weaponry, this book examines the weapons of the typical Viking warrior, dispels some of the myths of the popular image, such as double-headed axes, and considers the range of weapons that actually underpinned the Vikings’ success including bows and arrows.Drawing upon contemporary literary and historical accounts from the North Atlantic to the Arab world, surviving examples of weapons and armour, and practical experimentation and reconstructions by modern weapon-smiths and re-enactors, this study casts new light on how Viking weapons were made and used in battle.

A gazetteer of the many fine Shropshire country houses, which covers the architecture, the owners' family history, and the social and economic circumstances that affected them.Shropshire is the largest English inland county, and has a wide variety of important landed country houses, with owners from diverse social groups, with links to trade in Liverpool, Manchester and London as well as the local gentry. This book is not simply about the houses they built, but also about the people who lived in them and the context in which the houses are set. The architecture is of course fully covered. What is distinctive about the author's approach is that he treats the histories of the families, their artistic tastes and their estates, as an integral part of the character of each house. Country houses can serve as a barometer of national tastes and of the social and economic times in which they were built. The work includes reference to the important sporting associations, fine and decorative art collections, and to important guests and social networks. Unlike most architectural guides, this aims at a wider readership, and will be an important resource for social historians, genealogists and local historians. The Country Houses of Shropshire considers the history of 347 identified houses of varying importance; those with a significant or influential history are given a main entry of up to 6000 words whilst lesser houses are treated with an entry of less than 1000 words. All houses have footnoted entries, enabling the reader to refer directly to source and to undertake further research themselves.

Ovid has long been celebrated for the versatility of his poetic imagination, the diversity of his generic experimentation throughout his long career, and his intimate engagement with the Greco-Roman literary tradition that precedes him; but what of his engagement with the philosophical tradition? Ovid's close familiarity with philosophical ideas and with specific philosophical texts has long been recognized, perhaps most prominently in the Pythagorean, Platonic, Empedoclean, and Lucretian shades that have been seen to color his Metamorphoses. This philosophical component has often been perceived as a feature implicated in, and subordinate to, Ovid's larger literary agenda, both pre- and post-exilic; and because of the controlling influence conceded to that literary impulse, readings of the philosophical dimension have often focused on the perceived distortion, ironizing, or parodying of the philosophical sources and ideas on which Ovid draws, as if his literary orientation inevitably compromises or qualifies a "serious" philosophical commitment. Philosophy in Ovid, Ovid as Philosopher counters this tendency by considering Ovid's seriousness of engagement with, and his possible critique of, the philosophical writings that inform his works. The book also questions the feasibility of separating out the categories of the "philosophical" and the "literary" in the first place, and explores the ways in which Ovid may offer unusual, controversial, or provocative reactions to received philosophical ideas. Finally, it investigates the case to be made for viewing the Ovidian corpus not just as a body of writings that are often philosophically inflected, but also as texts that may themselves be read as philosophically adventurous and experimental. The essays collected in this volume are intended at the individual level to address in new ways many aspects of Ovid's recourse to philosophy across his corpus. Collectively, however, they are also designed to redress what, in general terms, remains a significant lacuna in Ovidian studies.

Sweeping changes have taken place in many parts of the world in the provision and organisation of health care, welfare and other 'public' services. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has been a prime example of this. This multi-disciplinary collection of essays reviews recent evidence from a major research programme, commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council (ERSC), into the evolution and impact of contracting in the NHS. Each chapter examines a particular aspect of health and social care, including competition between hospitals and the effects of GP fundholding, and discusses the important theoretical implication of experience in the NHS quasi-market. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in the contemporary debate surrounding the issues.

Covering all GCSE specifications, this tried and tested series has been fully updated to match the (9-1) GCSE Biology specifications for first examination in 2018, as well as international specifications. With a focus on science, concepts develop naturally, engaging students and enabling them to get a thorough understanding of Biology.

Silver, Butter, Cloth advances current debates about the nature and complexity of Viking economic systems. It explores how silver and other commodities were used in monetary and social economies across the Scandinavian world of the Viking Age (c. 800-1100 AD) before and alongside the wide scale introduction of coinage. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach that unites archaeological, numismatic, and metallurgical analyses, Kershaw and Williams examine the uses and sources of silver in both monetary and social transactions, addressing topics such as silver fragmentation, hoarding, and coin production and re-use. Uniquely, it also goes beyond silver, giving the first detailed consideration of the monetary role of butter, cloth, and gold in the Viking economy. Indeed, it is instrumental in developing methodologies to identify such commodity monies in the archaeological record. The use of silver and other commodities within Viking economies is a dynamic field of study, fuelled by important recent discoveries across the Viking world. The 14 contributions to this book, by a truly international group of scholars, draw on newly available archaeological data from eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, and the British Isles and Ireland, to present the latest original research. Together, they deepen understanding of Viking monetary and social economies and advance new definitions of 'economy', 'currency', and 'value' in the ninth to eleventh centuries.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses has entranced audiences for two thousand years, from Rome under Augustus to humanities classrooms today. Borrowing liberally from Greek and Roman mythology, the poem tells hundreds of stories that share one essential theme: each tale depicts a transformation from one physical form into another.Drawing on many years of teaching the Metamorphoses, Gareth Williams offers a brisk and lively reading of the poem that emphasizes why it speaks in compelling ways to a twenty-first-century audience. He shows how the Metamorphoses is not just a colorful collection of stories about change but an exploration of change itself. Ovid challenges us to recognize flux as fundamental to human experience: circumstances shift, fortunes ebb and flow, and our very identities ceaselessly evolve across from one life stage to another.Capturing the energy and excitement that Ovid’s poem generates among readers, Williams also sheds new light on its modern provocations. His fresh interpretations of the Metamorphoses reveal its power to enrich and inform our daily existence amid the uncertainties of life today.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses has entranced audiences for two thousand years, from Rome under Augustus to humanities classrooms today. Borrowing liberally from Greek and Roman mythology, the poem tells hundreds of stories that share one essential theme: each tale depicts a transformation from one physical form into another.Drawing on many years of teaching the Metamorphoses, Gareth Williams offers a brisk and lively reading of the poem that emphasizes why it speaks in compelling ways to a twenty-first-century audience. He shows how the Metamorphoses is not just a colorful collection of stories about change but an exploration of change itself. Ovid challenges us to recognize flux as fundamental to human experience: circumstances shift, fortunes ebb and flow, and our very identities ceaselessly evolve across from one life stage to another.Capturing the energy and excitement that Ovid’s poem generates among readers, Williams also sheds new light on its modern provocations. His fresh interpretations of the Metamorphoses reveal its power to enrich and inform our daily existence amid the uncertainties of life today.

The remarkable story of the forgotten British scientists who enabled the Manhattan Project to create the atomic bomb  Atomic weaponry is widely understood as a story of American scientific achievement—but scientists working in Britain played a vital role in its development. Including Nobel Prize winners and Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, these scientists have long since been forgotten. But without their expertise, Robert Oppenheimer’s research at Los Alamos would never have succeeded.  Gareth Williams unearths the true story of the top-secret British atomic programme, codenamed “Tube Alloys,” established in 1940. These pioneering scientists struggled to convince sceptics in Britain and the USA that an atomic “super-bomb” capable of destroying entire cities was feasible, and could be built in time to influence the outcome of the Second World War. Williams shows how the British atomic programme, despite the often disruptive involvement of political leaders such as Winston Churchill, was vital to the success of the Manhattan Project.  The Impossible Bomb sheds new light on how humanity’s deadliest weapons came to exist—and the massive destruction they wrought.

In this book contributions by archaeologists and numismatists from six countries address different aspects of how silver was used in both Scandinavia and the wider Viking world during the 8th to 11th centuries AD. The volume brings together a combination of recent summaries and new work on silver and gold coinage, rings and bullion, which allow a better appreciation of the broader socioeconomic conditions of the Viking world. This is an indispensable source for all archaeologists, historians and numismatists involved in Viking Studies.

Researching the People's Health examines the different ways in which needs are assessed and health care is organized, prioritized and delivered in circumstances of rapid change in patterns of health and illness. The book also addresses the issue of relationships between lay and expert knowledge.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major cause of disability affecting about 1% of the population. Although much effort has been expended on research into the causes and cures of RA, little progress has been made. The focus of treatment in RA is on reducing the disabling consequences of the disease and controlling the symptoms. Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis examines the nature of RA and its symptoms of pain and stiffness. The role of health care professionals and the individual's encounters with the doctor are important to understand as these experiences influence the individual's behaviour and understanding of their RA. This book will be an invaluable aid to the considerable number of people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, their families, carers and all health professionals involved in its treatment.

This highly topical and controversial book presents a lively re-appraisal of the current changes to the health service and analyzes their effects on the status and practice of health professionals.Modern medicine is a powerful institution. With the help of highly-developed drugs and surgical techniques, it promises to relieve suffering, improve the quality of life and extend the life-span. Conversely, it is expensive for the governments, insurance companies and individuals who pay for it and sometimes appears to be insensitive to the needs of those for whom it provides. And while recent restructuring of healthcare delivery services has provided medical practitioners with new challenges, there has been very little consideration of the range of pressures that they now face. Edited and written by experienced medical sociologists, this book draws together analysis of a number of diverse challenges to medicine, and provides original debate on the challenges posed from within medicine from nurses and managers and alternative practitioners, and from outside by self-help groups, the women’s movement and the media.

This highly topical and controversial book presents a lively re-appraisal of the current changes to the health service and analyzes their effects on the status and practice of health professionals.Modern medicine is a powerful institution. With the help of highly-developed drugs and surgical techniques, it promises to relieve suffering, improve the quality of life and extend the life-span. Conversely, it is expensive for the governments, insurance companies and individuals who pay for it and sometimes appears to be insensitive to the needs of those for whom it provides. And while recent restructuring of healthcare delivery services has provided medical practitioners with new challenges, there has been very little consideration of the range of pressures that they now face. Edited and written by experienced medical sociologists, this book draws together analysis of a number of diverse challenges to medicine, and provides original debate on the challenges posed from within medicine from nurses and managers and alternative practitioners, and from outside by self-help groups, the women’s movement and the media.

This book was originally published in 1979 and deals with the contentious subject of teacher's pay. There were a number of key issues. First, and most crucial, how salary levels were affecting the aggregate supply or teachers. In other words, where teaching is a vocation so salaries make no difference, or whether pay matters. The second issue is how much difference do administered pay scales make? Lastly, could the system manage to adjust within this framework to the underlying pattern of shortage and surplus? All these questions above are subjected to systematic analysis using the complete tapes of the teachers' record for 1963-1972 from the Department of Education and Science. The analysis is approached with an awareness of the educational context within which the market is situated. It remains of value to anyone with an interest in education and economics.

The changing nature and fortunes of Welsh Rugby since the 1950s are here traced through the careers, on and off the field, of some of its most interesting and controversial characters. Each player's style and personality are evoked, his rapport with fans and the media examined and his career and interest off the rugby field traced.

Like all cliches, Wales as 'the Land of Song' has a solid basis in historical fact. Welsh choral singing was a form of popular culture in the nineteenth century. Crowds followed the choirs in even greater numbers than in football matches and Eisteddfod competitions frequently became 'choral bull-fights' where keenly honed rivalries spilled over into betting, missile throwing, assaults on adjudicators and general violence. This is the story of Wales as the 'the Land of Song' as it has never been told before - colourful, dramatic and uplifting. This enthralling social history focuses on such groups as the fighting choirs of Dowlais and Merthyr that raised armies of supporters, electrified massive crowds and aroused fierce passions. There is also Caradog's South Wales Choral Union which marched on the Crystal Palace and the male voice choirs of the Rhondda which toured the world and left a lasting legacy to all of Wales. These choirs, their audiences and the music they sang, as well as the wider musical life of their communities from oratorio concerts to amateur opera companies, are set squarely in the context of the society that nurtured them. Vividly written in a lucid style by an accomplished social and cultural historian, this is a celebration of the land of song in its hey-day that will appeal to a wide audience.

Heart and Soul `the character of Welsh rugby' published October 1998, was defined in terms of the relationship between players and supporters. Individual authors evoked the memory of favourite players and went on to trace the differing ways in which the careers of their heroes had shaped their own perception of the game and their sense of Wales. In this new volume, similar themes will be investigated. Again the chosen players are favourites, men who played the game delightfully and effectively whilst at the same time exuding a degree of authority and confidence that inspired a grateful nation. Moreover, many of the subjects were to have second careers when their playing days were over, as administrators, coaches or pundits they still played a part in moulding the rugby culture of Wales. Once again all this will be put in context: historians Gareth Williams and Dai Smith trace the story of Welsh rugby since the publication in 1981 of their excellent centenial volume Fields of Praise whilst Peter Stead and Huw Richards evaluate the state of the game in Wales at the end of the millennium.

For centuries there had been fistfighters, and from the early days of industry it was apparent that the Welsh had a particular passion for boxing. This book traces that passion through the lives of champions, by recalling their great bouts and by showing how moments of triumph were celebrated by whole communities.

The Viking ship is one of the most iconic images of the Vikings and the longship in particular has been central to our understanding of the Viking Age. The Vikings used their shipbuilding skills to command the sea and their famous ships permittedthe exploration, colonization and the raids for which they are best known.This book explores the evolution of their sea-going vessels and celebrates this outstanding feature of the Viking Age. In addition to well-known ships such as the spectacular burials from Gokstad and Osebergin southern Norway, The Viking Ship features the newly-conserved longship Roskilde 6 from Denmark. Measuring over 37 metres, this is the longest Viking ship to have been discovered to date.From Viking Age coins, brooches and graffiti, to the use of the Viking ship on contemporary banknotes, labelling and logos as a symbol of national and cultural identity, this book includes a surprising range of objects that have helped to shape our understanding of the Vikings and their ships.With over 50 illustrations.

Discover the real story behind The Dig, streaming now on Netflix, starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph FiennesThe objects unearthed in 1939 from an Anglo-Saxon ship-burial at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, rank among the most splendid treasures in the collection of the British Museum. Bringing together fine craftsmanship from England, Germany, Scandinavia, Alexandria and far Byzantium, the spectacular finds included gold and garnet jewellery, silverware, drinking vessels with silver-gilt fittings, a lyre and a sceptre, as well as the iconic helmet, all deliberately buried in the early seventh century as grave-goods for an important, though unidentified, warrior. The Sutton Hoo ship-burial was one of the most exciting discoveries ever made in British archaeology. This beautifully designed introduction to the treasure details the most significant pieces contained within it and explores the circumstances of its burial, discovery and excavation, as well as its lasting legacy and fame.

For nearly three hundred years, the Vikings set out on voyages from Scandinavia reaching every corner of the northern world. As raiders, traders, explorers and colonizers, they had a profound impact on those cultures with which they came into contact. The archaeological evidence of their settlements, burials and hoards, as well as the literature of their later sagas reveal a complex and fascinating culture.The Vikings represent a dramatic time in the history of northern Europe and their legacy forms an important part of the cultural heritage of Britain and Ireland. This book explores Viking raids, conquest and settlement across these islands from the end of the eighth century to the raids of Magnus Barelegs, king of Norway, around 1100, examining their impact, their towns and society, language, trading activities and beliefs.Written by three authors specializing in a range of disciplines, and drawing on the superb collection of the British Museum, together with finds, sites and monuments, The Vikings in Britain and Ireland is a well-illustrated introduction to the culture, daily life and times of the Vikings, and their legacy which is still visible today.