"The Earliest English Kings" is a sweeping and thorough overview of Anglo-Saxon History from the sixth century to the eighth century and the death of King Alfred. Kirby explains and explores the 'Heptarchy' or the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, as well as the various peoples within them, wars, religion, King Offa, and the coming of the Vikings. In this completely revidsed edition, the author brings this classic book up to date to reflect on current findings on this line of rulers. With maps and family trees, this book reveals the complex, distant and tumultuous events of Anglo-Saxon politics.
Life in the Middle Ages - From the Seventh to the Thirteenth Century
Historian Hans-Werner Goetz presents here a comprehensive depiction of life in the earlier Middle Ages that focuses on "everyday history". According to Goetz it is nearly impossible to write a history of everyday life during the Middle Ages since the written sources of that age had entirely different purposes, never describing everyday life for its own sake.
However, by drawing on chronicles, legal documents and even fiction, Goetz is able to produce a lively picture of this era, illuminating everyday life as it was conditioned by institutional, physical, and social environments.
The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates
Economist Leeson leads readers though a surprisingly entertaining crash course in economics in this study of high seas piracy at the turn of the 18th century. Far from being the bloodthirsty fiends portrayed in popular culture, pirates created a harmonious social order; through the application of rational choice theory, the author explains how a common pursuit of individual self-interest led pirates to create self-regulating, democratic societies aboard their ships, complete with checks and balances, more than half a century before the American and French revolutions brought such models to state-level governance.
Hatred and Civility - The Antisocial Life in Victorian England
To understand hatred today, start with the Victorians. This book explores the depths of loathing in Victorian fiction and society, highlighting numerous cultural contradictions. It shows that the fanatics and terrorists troubling us in the 21st century have many precursors in our supposedly moral ancestors.
Taking the 1270s as typical of the century, the author gives a realistic and detailed description of the everyday life of children in five English families of different social classes: that of an earl, a knight, a peasant, a London merchant, and a craftsman in an East Anglian town.
