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Maps have played a central role in our understanding of what and where the north is. At the same time, the northernmost reaches of our world have, for much of history, been difficult to navigate and verify, from the mythical islands on medieval maps to the itineraries of Arctic explorers in the nineteenth century. This has inspired inventive mapping strategies, as well as ongoing struggles to define what constitutes believable cartographic information.This beautifully illustrated book takes the reader on a journey to examine the rich, and sometimes contentious, history of how mapmakers have understood and processed knowledge about a region they described as ‘the north’. In the process of mapping, the north as a place changed from an inaccessible and vividly imagined unknown to a region claimed and exploited by southern nations. What emerges is a riveting story of exploration, survival and cartographic skill bound up with conceptions of nature, religion and politics extending far beyond the Arctic.

Reynard – a subversive, dashing, anarchic, aristocratic, witty fox from the watery lowlands of medieval East Flanders – is in trouble. He has been summoned to the court of King Noble the Lion, charged with all manner of crimes and misdemeanours. How will he pit his wits against his accusers – greedy Bruin the Bear, pretentious Courtoys the Hound or dark and dangerous Isengrim the Wolf – to escape the gallows? Reynard was once the most popular and beloved character in European folklore, as familiar as Robin Hood, King Arthur or Cinderella. His character spoke eloquently for the unvoiced and disenfranchised, but also amused and delighted the elite, capturing hearts and minds across borders and societal classes for centuries. Based on William Caxton’s bestselling 1481 English translation of the Middle Dutch, but expanded with new interpretations, innovative language and characterisation, this edition is an imaginative retelling of the Reynard story. With its themes of protest, resistance and duplicity fronted by a personable, anti-heroic Fox making his way in a dangerous and cruel world, this gripping tale is as relevant and controversial today as it was in the fifteenth century.

This handsome hardback journal features ten new mini stories about everyone’s favourite fox, reimagined by 'Reynard the Fox' author Anne Louise Avery. Told by Reynard to his three little cubs on a moonlit spring night in the east of Flanders, each of the two-page stories is based on old medieval French vulpine tales, drawn from Marie de France’s version of Aesop, 'Ysopet', Guillaume Tardif’s 'Les Apologues et Fables de Laurens Valle' and 'Le Roman de Renart'. Some tell of Reynard’s antics, others of the exploits of his noble and mythic ancestors. Foxes tumble into dyer’s vats, steal twists of eels from unsuspecting fisherman, lounge around Black Sea ports and are transformed into eternal and glittering stars. With a stylish ribbon marker, foiled spine and high-quality ruled pages, this notebook is a stationery-lover’s delight as well as the perfect gift for fans of Avery’s captivating story-telling and all those entranced by this enduring animal fable.

The art of being a good husband is not an easy one. This little guide was written for the middle classes of the 1930s who were reading one of the first modern self-help books. Illustrated with contemporary line-drawings, it contains advice by turns delightfully arcane and timelessly true, for example: Don’t squeeze the tube of toothpaste from the top instead of from the bottom. This is one of the small things of life that always irritates a careful wife. Don’t think that your wife has placed waste-paper baskets in the rooms as ornaments. Don’t tell your wife terminological inexactitudes, which are, in plain English, lies. A woman has wonderful intuition for spotting even minor departures from the truth. Do cultivate the habit of coming down to breakfast with a smile. Remember that as the head of the house, it is your duty to see that everyone starts the day in an atmosphere of happiness. Don’t criticise the food at your own table when you are entertaining and especially refrain from doing so before the servants.

The fantastical fictional land of Narnia, famously reached via a magical wardrobe, has many connections to the world in which its creator C.S. Lewis lived. The influence of Oxford can be seen not only in medieval buildings and towers but also in the literature which Lewis encountered there, through a lifetime’s reading and teaching of classical, medieval and renaissance literature. This book examines the role Oxford, its colleges, libraries, chapels, clubs, common rooms and pubs, played in fostering the work of one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers and thinkers. It brings to light a number of new archival discoveries, including letters, tutorial reports and even an unpublished poem, as well as offering new insights into Lewis’s Oxford life, his transition to Cambridge, his Christian faith and his global influence today. It also takes a fresh look at his extensive involvement in Oxford’s various clubs and societies, including the Coalbiters, the Socratic Club and, of course, the Inklings, whose distinguished members coalesced around him and his great friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. Written by an expert in medieval literature who teaches at Magdalen College, where Lewis himself taught, this book, illustrated with letters, manuscripts and Oxford landmarks, helps us understand the author of the Narnia stories and of The Screwtape Letters as a student, scholar and teacher in greater depth.

Remarkable Renaissance Books tells the story of eighteen extraordinary early printed volumes, from the very first titles printed in the fifteenth century to the groundbreaking scientific texts of the Enlightenment.Including Gutenberg’s watershed Bible, a maths book illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo’s observations of mountains on the Moon, Kepler’s treatise on a supernova, Robert Hooke’s discovery of microscopic honeycomb structures he coined cells, and Maria Sibylla Merian’s pioneering studies of metamorphosis, these beautiful books and their enthralling histories, prehistories and legacies chart the fascinating stories of readers, writers, printers, scientists, philosophers and artists, and the part they played in forging the modern world. In addition to highlighting their production and reception, the author traces each book’s journey into print, painting a vivid and enthralling picture of remarkable books authored by prodigious minds. This lavishly illustrated volume brings the early print culture of the Renaissance to life and will appeal to lovers of books and history alike.

This innovative collection of essays shows how linguistic diversity has inspired people across time and cultures to embark on adventurous journeys through the translation of texts. It tells the story of how ideas have travelled via the medium of translation into different languages and cultures, focusing on illustrated examples ranging from Greek papyri through illuminated manuscripts and fine early books to fantasy languages (such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish), the search for a universal language and the challenges of translation in multicultural Britain. Starting with the concept of Babel itself, which illustrates the early cultural prominence of multilingualism, and with an illustration of a Mediterranean language of four millennia ago (Linear A) which still resists deciphering, it goes on to examine how languages have interacted with each other in different contexts. The book also explores the multilingual transmission of key texts in religion, science (the history of Euclid), animal fable (from Aesop in Greek to Beatrix Potter via La Fontaine, with some fascinating Southeast Asian books), fairy-tale, fantasy and translations of the great Greek epics of Homer. It is lavishly illustrated with a diverse range of material, from papyrus fragments found at Oxyrhynchus to Esperanto handbooks to Asterix cartoons, each offering its own particular adventure into translation.

How did German intelligence agents in the First World War use dead fish to pass on vital information to their operatives? What did an advertisement for a dog in The Times have to do with the movement of British troops into Egypt? And why did British personnel become suspicious about the trousers hanging on a Belgian woman’s washing line? During the First World War, spymasters and their networks of secret agents developed many ingenious – and occasionally hilarious – methods of communication. Puffs of smoke from a chimney, stacks of bread in a bakery window, even knitted woollen jumpers were all used to convey secret messages decipherable only by well-trained eyes. Melanie King retells the astonishing story of these and many other tricks of the espionage trade, now long forgotten, through the memoirs of eight spies. Among them are British intelligence officers working undercover in France and Germany, including a former officer from the Metropolitan Police who once hunted Jack the Ripper. There is also the German Secret Service officer, codenamed Agricola, who spied on the Eastern Front, an American newspaperman and an Austrian agent who disguised himself as everything from a Jewish pedlar to a Russian officer. Drawing on the words of many of the spies themselves, Secrets in a Dead Fish is a fascinating compendium of clever and original ruses that casts new light into the murky world of espionage during the First World War.

The art of being a good wife is not an easy one. This little guide was written for the middle classes of the 1930s who were reading one of the first modern self-help books. Illustrated with contemporary line-drawings, it contains advice by turns delightfully arcane and timelessly true, for example: It is a wife’s duty to look her best. If you don’t tidy yourself up, when you have done the bulk of the day’s work, don’t be surprised if your husband begins to compare you unfavourably with the typist at the office. Don’t forget that a wife can always set the standard of behaviour for the home. If she allows laxities of dress or conversation at the table she will soon find that they become a fixed procedure. Don’t forget that very true remark that while face powder may catch a man, baking powder is the stuff to hold him. Don’t criticise the food at your own table when you are entertaining and especially refrain from doing so before the servants. After all is said and done, husbands are not terribly difficult to manage.

'To keep children clean is something that should never be attempted. It cannot be done.' 'The mere provision of the vegetable is not sufficient; it must be actually eaten.' 'If there is room enough for somersaults, the child can be satisfied.' Many books of advice for new parents were published during the 1920s and 30s, influenced by the growth of developmental psychology and aimed at the aspirant middle classes who were taking a more hands-on role in the raising of their offspring. This compendium brings together nuggets from the best of these titles in one handy volume. Chapters include good – and bad – behaviour, meals and mealtimes, dress and deportment, children’s parties and playtime and storytelling, with sections on the all-important saying ‘No!’ and good bedtime habits. Illustrated with charming contemporary line drawings, this little book is full of no-nonsense, old-fashioned parenting advice: a gem of a guide for anyone new to the hardest job in the world.

John le Carré is one of the most significant political novelists in the English language. His early career in the secret service took him to West Germany at the height of the Cold War and subsequent novels prompted field trips all over the world, from Hong Kong to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He conducted hundreds of interviews with privileged observers, from freedom fighters to spies, bankers and gangsters.In this book, collaborators and friends take us behind the scenes to give original insights into le Carré’s extraordinary observational writing techniques, revealing his unique ‘tradecraft’ as a writer. His striving for artistic truth and historical precision is presented here through the words of those who worked alongside him, together with an analysis of the novels, which so often captured the zeitgeist. Illustrated with manuscript pages, family photographs, film stills and correspondence, this book provides a multifaceted portrait of the working life and legacy of a great writer.

Ross...achieve[s] that rare thing: a happy balance of academic rigour and vivacious storytelling, with an eye for the details that bring the past delectably to life. - Alice Loxton, Financial Times, May 2026 'Insatiable Appetites' combines rigorous research with an engaging style. Its portrait of Georgian London is vivid and surprisingly modern, showing how many of today’s eating habits have eighteenth century roots.- Rebecca Williams, Jane Austen Society Step into the kitchens, streets and chop houses of Georgian London – one day, one city, countless appetites.From dawn until past midnight, Londoners dined at taverns, coaching inns, oyster rooms, confectioners, coffee shops, chocolate houses, soup shops and dining rooms. For the poor, the streets bustled with vendors offering early versions of fast food: hot green peas, baked potatoes, suet puddings, curds and whey, rice milk, gingerbread, pastry ‘pigs,’ and the now-forgotten saloop, a warming drink made from orchid roots. After dark, sex workers and their clients indulged in a glass of jelly, then considered an aphrodisiac, as a precursor to a visit to the brothel. As the empire expanded, culinary influences poured in: London’s first Indian takeaway appeared in 1773, while the East End became home to Jewish fried fish, Italian boloney and German sausages.Through the course of a single day, this book takes readers on a journey through breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper in Georgian London, drawing on contemporary archives to follow hungry citizens from all walks of life as they navigate the city’s diverse food landscape. It reveals not only culinary pleasures and horrors, but also the social challenges and daily struggles that shaped life in the capital.

Many beautiful illuminated manuscripts survive from the Middle Ages and can be seen in libraries and museums throughout Europe. But who were the skilled craftsmen who made these exquisite books? What precisely is parchment? How were medieval manuscripts designed and executed? What were the inks and pigments, and how were they applied? This book looks at the work of scribes, illuminators and book binders. Based principally on examples in the Bodleian Library, this lavishly illustrated account tells the story of manuscript production from the early Middle Ages through to the high Renaissance. Each stage of production is described in detail, from the preparation of the parchment, pens, paints and inks to the writing of the scripts and the final decoration and illumination of the manuscript. This book also explains the role of the stationer or bookshop, often to be found near cathedral and market squares, in the commissioning of manuscripts, and it cites examples of specific scribes and illuminators who can be identified through their work as professional lay artisans. Christopher de Hamel’s engaging text is accompanied by a glossary of key technical terms relating to manuscripts and illumination, providing an invaluable introduction for anyone interested in studying medieval manuscripts today.

‘Without a revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.’ Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and founder of the USSR, was profoundly aware of the power of words. As a zealous orator and prolific writer, he used his words to launch a soaring critique of imperialist society and to theorize the development of the world’s first socialist state. Much of his writing was translated into English in order to further the Socialist cause. This book is a compilation of some of Lenin’s most famous sayings, taken from speeches, tracts, letters and recorded conversations. They expose his views on topics ranging from democracy to terrorism, from religion to Stalin’s untrustworthiness and from education to music. Accompanied by a range of arresting images, including contemporary propaganda posters, photographs, portraits, illustrations and Soviet art, these aphoristic proclamations offer an insight into the atmosphere of pre- and post-Revolutionary Russia and the mind of one of the twentieth century’s most defining political figures.

This richly illustrated book explores the huge creative endeavour behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works – 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' and reproduces personal photographs and private papers,some of which have never been seen before in print. Tolkien drew on his deep knowledge of medieval literature and language to inform his literary imagination. Six introductory essays cover some of the main themes in Tolkien’s life and work including the influence of northern languages and legends on the creation of his own legendarium; his concept of ‘Faërie’ as a literary construct; the central importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from the literary group known as the Inklings. This book brings together the largest collection of original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume. Drawing on the archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, and Marquette University, Milwaukee, as well as private collections, this exquisitely produced catalogue draws together the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien – scholarly, literary, creative and domestic – offering a rich and detailed understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary author.

Home to Nelson’s Column, Landseer’s lions, Lutyens’s fountains, the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square has long been defined, cartographically and emotionally, as Britain’s beating heart. This famous landmark has multiple roles: a national showcase; a political soapbox; an architectural and sculptural gallery; and a default venue for national expression. Its stories are rich and varied, from its controversial inception to its transformation in the post-war era as a focus for both celebration and dissent. Trafalgar Square belongs to the people, not to the Crown, and it is not only the nation’s heart, it is also its soul. This book explores contemporary accounts and recent research in social history, architectural history and human geography to analyse the square’s genesis, development and maturity. Including archival prints and illustrations, it shows how this space developed over the centuries to the central focus it has now become. Encompassing a critical review of the site’s structures and sculptures, and covering key architects, artists, patrons, embassies and protests, each chapter investigates the origins and achievements of the men and women who have made Trafalgar Square such a powerfully resonant symbol of art, architecture and democracy at work.

Magna Carta is the most famous document in English history. And yet its survival is purely accidental. King John, who negotiated the document with his rebellious barons, had no intention of honouring its contents. Annulled by the pope within weeks of being issued, it was destined to oblivion. But with the sudden death of John, all of this changed. Magna Carta was reissued by the regents of the boy King Henry III as an apology for past misrule and as a promise of future good government. It was reissued on successive occasions and repeatedly cited in legal cases in the following centuries. Later, it played a part in conflicts such as the English Civil War and the US Wars of Independence. Echoes of Magna Carta are to be found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It continues to be cited today as a touchstone of fundamental universal freedoms. This book tells the story of the birth and development of Magna Carta from its origins to the modern day. It also reproduces and describes, for the very first time, every surviving copy of the Great Charter, as well as related charters of the period, including various new discoveries. It addresses the previously unanswered question of how the charter was published and disseminated to the shires of England and includes a chapter on the charter's scribes and sealing, supplying a truly unique insight into both the creation and afterlife of the most fundamental legal document in British history.

Afascinating and comprehensive history which gives intriguing and colourfulcontext to the phenomenon of the bestselling book in history.- The Reverend Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of Twelve Churches: An Unlikely History of the Buildings that Made Christianity (Hodder & Stoughton, 2025)Published on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Tyndale’s groundbreaking printed translation of the New Testament, this book traces the evolution of the English Bible from 1525 to the much celebrated King James version of 1611. By this date, readers could already choose from over a dozen English versions, each of them printed in vastly different ways. Behind each edition are stories of rivalries, mistakes, bankruptcies and bestsellers. Far from being fixed, stable publications, Bibles were consistently undergoing change and development in the early modern period.Creativity and enterprise were at the heart of the English Bible market, something that the usual focus on Bible translators has often overshadowed. Illustrated with early editions, this book considers how printers created new markets for Bibles, how they advertised them, and how they commissioned innovative forms of illustration and decoration to attract buyers. How, it asks, did the English Bible become a bestseller?

'Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves' is an illustration made for The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937. In it you can see Bilbo sitting on top of a barrel as it floats down the forest river. He and the Dwarves (who are hidden inside the barrels) have just escaped from the Elvenking. This was Tolkien's favourite watercolour for the book and he was disappointed to find that it had been omitted from the first American edition.Designed to be easily portable or to fit in a small bag, with ruled pages and handy ribbon marker, this stunning journal uniquely features Tolkien's exquisite illustration on both front and back covers. A must for all Tolkien enthusiasts.

Bookbindings: An Illustrated History' is full of beautiful images of bookbindings from the beginnings of the codex right up to the present day. The volume's beauty is matched by David Pearson's encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject.- Sara J Charles, Literary ReviewBindings have been an essential – and often beautiful – component of books since the codex form was invented 2,000 years ago. They make books work, but they also provide an opportunity for binders to display their skills. Until book trade processes were industrialised in the nineteenth century, every binding was a unique handcrafted object, no matter how simple or elaborate it now looks from the outside. Bindings have been made of all kinds of materials – calfskin, parchment, vellum, ivory, even silver – and embellished using many different techniques, to satisfy the wishes of owners from students to kings. The ways in which they were produced and decorated have evolved steadily over time, and many countries have their own distinctive traditions. Bindings may testify to the taste and social status of wealthy connoisseurs, or to the economic necessities of ordinary households. Because they can often be dated and localised, they also give us information about the histories of individual volumes.This lavishly illustrated book provides a fascinating history of the development of bookbindings from Roman times to the present day. Almost all the examples are chosen from the shelves of the Bodleian Library, showcasing the outstanding collection of historic bindings to be found there.

The University of Oxford is the third oldest university in Europe and remains one of the greatest universities in the world. How did such an ancient institution flourish through the ages? This book offers a succinct illustrated account of its colourful and controversial 800-year history, from medieval times through the Reformation and on to the nineteenth century, in which the foundations of the modern tutorial system were laid. It describes the extraordinary and influential people who shaped the development of the institution and helped to create today’s world-class research university. Institutions have waxed and waned over the centuries but Oxford has always succeeded in reinventing itself to meet the demands of a new age. Richly illustrated with archival material, prints and portraits, this book explores how a university in a small provincial town rose to become one of the top universities in the world at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Silly season, spring chicken, Shrovetide, dog days, Halloween, wassail, Snowtober, Hogmanay and over 100 other words and phrases are brought together here to show how seasonal vocabulary has become one of the most productive areas of the English lexicon. Words associated with spring, summer, autumn – or fall – and winter, along with ‘season’ itself, have long been used creatively in such worlds as commerce, politics and the arts; music and painting especially provide famous cases of the popular appeal of the 'four seasons'. The entries in this book, alongside idioms, extracts from poetry and exquisite engravings by Eric Ravilious, demonstrate how these words and phrases have spread throughout the language.Each entry gives an account of historical origins, tracing the development of meaning over time, and concluding with examples of current usage in everyday situations, some of which are decidedly unexpected. Appendices provide etymologies for the months of the year and wonderfully evocative folklore names for moons. Few other lexical domains would bring together St Augustine, Antonio Vivaldi, James Joyce and Stormzy – just four of some 200 personalities that enliven the pages of this fascinating book.

Over more than four decades J.R.R. Tolkien’s son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien, published some twenty-four volumes of his father’s work, much more than his father had succeeded in publishing during his own lifetime. Standing on the mountain of his son’s colossal publishing effort and extraordinary scholarship, readers today are therefore able to survey and understand the vastness of the landscape of Tolkien’s legendarium. This collection of essays by world-renowned scholars, together with family reminiscences, sheds new light on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, his son Christopher’s unique gifts in communicating and interpreting that work and the debt owed to Christopher by the many Tolkien scholars who were privileged to work with him. What was Tolkien’s intended ending for 'The Lord of the Rings'? Did it leave echoes in the stripped-down version that was actually published? What was the audience’s response to the first ever adaptation of 'The Lord of the Rings' – a radio dramatization that has now been deleted forever from the BBC’s archives? What was the significance of the extraordinary array of doorways which confronted the hobbits as they journeyed through Middle-earth? The book is illustrated with colour reproductions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s manuscripts, maps, drawings and letters and, with the kind permission of his estate, photographs of Christopher Tolkien and extracts from his works, some of which have never been seen before, making this volume essential reading for Tolkien scholars, readers and fans.

The world of books has played a striking role in the history of English vocabulary. Book itself is one of the oldest words in the language, originating from boc in Old English, and appears in many commonly used expressions today – by the book, bring to book and bookworm – to name a few.With the arrival of printing, typesetting and the development of the newspaper industry came terminology that developed into commonly used phrases such as stop the press, front-page news and hit the headlines, and the emergence of the internet generated still more. This anthology presents a selection of more than 100 words which show the influence of writing, reading and publishing books on our everyday vocabulary over the centuries, telling the stories behind their linguistic origins, and uncovering some surprising twists in the development of their meaning through time.

This lavishly illustrated book showcases the highlights of the Tolkien archives held at the Bodleian Library. From J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood in the Midlands and his experience of the First World War to his studies at school and university; his exquisite illustrations for The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and his creation of intricate and beautiful maps showing the topography of Middle-earth – the land he invented – this stunning book is a perfect introduction to Tolkien’s creative imagination, giving a unique insight into the life of this extraordinary writer, artist and scholar.

Joint winner of the Architectural Book Awards 2026 (Photography)The libraries of the University of Oxford and its colleges are among the most splendid, but also the least-known, buildings in the city. Spanning over 800 years of architectural design and taste, nowhere else boasts such a wealth of libraries in so compact an area.While for centuries, Oxford’s libraries were repositories of knowledge in the form of manuscripts and printed books, to be consulted only by scholars, today they serve both the advancement of learning and the teaching needs of thousands of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Over the years, Oxford’s libraries attracted wealthy donors, some of whom, like John Radcliffe, gave generously to the provision of impressive and architecturally innovative buildings to house the books. These buildings are still among the most impressive features of Oxford’s architectural landscape, helping to define its visual identity. Architectural styles range from medieval wooden stalls to the asymmetrical stainless steel and glass of the twenty-first century, and notable architects include Sir Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Arne Jacobsen and Zaha Hadid.With exquisite, specially commissioned photography, this profusely illustrated book invites readers through the doors of over fifty beautiful and iconic libraries, revealing how they are steeped in history, learning and cultural change.