Book House

The British Royal Family is a perennial source of fascination around the world, and few aspects of their lives are more celebrated and scrutinised than their weddings. This fascinating, accessible guide to some of the more eventful and momentous royal weddings in history covers everything from the notorious nuptials of Henry VIII to the achingly romantic recent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton ...

Yorkshire is well known for its miners, pudding and cricket, but Yorkshire: A Very Peculiar History scrapes beyond the surface and past the cliches. Featuring a host of characters from Yorkshire past and present, from Guy Fawkes to Michael Parkinson, it's not all grit and grime! Tracing Yorkshire's history back through Roman and Viking rule, to the various tribes which populated the area in prehistoric tim...

Step inside an ancient Egyptian building site where one of mankind's most spectacular creations is slowly taking shape. Discover how the Egyptians constructed these vast buildings with such incredible precision, without using wheels, machines or iron tools. Their aim: to preserve their pharaoh not just from tomb robbers, but from death itself. An Egyptian Pyramid is an exciting and superbly-illustrated look...

Step inside one of the marvels of the Victorian age! In the middle of the 19th century, steam railways were the very latest transport technology: fast, comfortable (if you could afford a first-class ticket), safe and reliable. Learn about this triumph of engineering and about the army of workers who laboured long hours to keep it going. A 19th Century Railway Station is an exciting and superbly-illustrated ...

Step inside a Viking town and discover for yourself what it was like to live and work in this bustling centre of long-distance trade. Admire the well-built houses before joining the town's defenders as they fight off an attack by rivals from across the sea. This is a superbly-illustrated look at the daily lives of different types of Vikings. Astounding architectural acheivements are explained and explored w...

Taking a unique look at one of the most acclaimed and best-loved poets, Robert Burns, A Very Peculiar History provides a fascinating insight into the life and times of Scotland's national poet. We learn about his romantic, tragic life, his journey from underdog to celebrity and about his family and childhood. With much reference to his most famous works, Fiona Macdonald explores his profound, passionate po...

'Whisky, A Very Peculiar History' takes a sideways look at this most inebriating beverage from its simplistic origins to its pride of place in the drinks cabinets of the world. When Henry VIII disbanded the monasteries and let those brewing monks out into the wilderness, he had no idea of the kind of beast he'd unleashed. Whisky was used as a medicine, giving 'the glow of apparent well-being' and even hors...

Discover the horrible and hilarious secrets of Edinburgh's chequered (or perhaps tartaned) past. Fiona Macdonald presents a history of Scotland's most powerful city, from ancient to modern, gracious to grimy. Edinbroo! 'Auld Reekie', 'Quite enchanting - like fairlyland!','The Athens of the North', 'Edina, Scotia's darling seat', 'World Festival City'(modest, huh?)' or even a 'Mad God's Dream' of architectur...

David Arscott explores the quirky past of one the UK's most important cities. From the Morris Minor to spoonerisms, the boat race to the Oxford bag, this title takes a fascinating tour through the streets of Oxford. Featuring black and white illustrations, witty anecdotes and incredible trivia, readers will be entertained and educated, disovering everything from Oxford's first origins to its presence in pop...

Readers can discover all about the peculiar history of England from ancient times to Agincourt with volume I of this three-part series. The unfolding story will tell of early hunter-gatherers and the first farmers; of Roman occupation eventually giving way to the often brutal land-hungry Anglo-Saxons; of Viking incursions and the 1066 Conquest by their cousins, the Normans; and of later incomers from all pa...

In Cricket, A Very Peculiar History Jim Pipe uniquely explores one of this nation's greatest and the second biggest spectator sport on the planet. From the hazy bat-and-ball origins of the game to the biggest celebrity players of today, this book is a fascinating insight into the popular sport. Filled to the brim with quirky quotes, fantastic facts and surprising statistics, this is the perfect gift book fo...

Step inside the Colosseum at Rome around AD80 and discover for yourself the technological wonders, the vicious weapons, the thrills and the dangers of a great Roman arena. Find out why this incredible feat of architecture was built, who paid for it and where the money came from. And then gasp at the stars, the Gladiators who fought for their lives in the ancient Roman Colosseum and made it so lucrative for ...

The Tudors were an odd bunch, more odd than their subjects, perhaps. When they weren't beheading wives and enemies they were threatening to, or going around earning themselves nicknames like 'Bloody Mary' and 'The 9 Day Queen'. The Tudors: A Very Peculiar History tells the story of the Tudor monarchs, their castles, their lives and their subjects in a time when it was fashionable to slash up your clothes f...

Decorate each colourful safari scene with stickers from 8 pages of over 250 fantastic designs: featuring lions, elephants, crocodiles and much, much more! Children will have hours of fun accessorising these vivid pages to make them look just the way they want. Each page features things to look for, find and count, along with questions to stimulate young minds. Plus a treasure hunt activity so children can g...

Great Britain can be accused of many things; a proliferation of queuing, a fondness of the demon drink; but it's not without more than its fair share of important historical and modern people. Great Britons: A Very Peculiar History looks at a myriad brillliant Britons and their influence on the world. The book features a short potted history of each person, detailing their acheivements, personalities and l...

Children can embark on an entertaining tour of London, taking in its many sights and sounds from Big Ben to the Beefeaters, and its rich history, as they complete all manner of exciting puzzles and games.