Download or read book Middle English Literature written by Christopher Cannon and published by Polity. This book was released on 2008-04-07 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a boldly original account of Middle English literature from the Norman Conquest to the beginning of the sixteenth century. It argues that these centuries are, in fundamental ways, the momentous period in our literary history, for they are the long moment in which the category of literature itself emerged as English writing began to insist, for the first time, that it floated free of any social reality or function. This book also charts the complex mechanisms by which English writing acquired this power in a series of linked close readings of both canonical and more obscure texts. It encloses those readings in five compelling accounts of much broader cultural areas, describing, in particular, the productive relationship of Middle English writing to medieval technology, insurgency, statecraft and cultural place, concluding with an in depth account of the particular arguments, emphases and techniques English writers used to claim a wholly new jurisdiction for their work. Both this history and its readings are everywhere informed by the most exciting developments in recent Middle English scholarship as well as literary and cultural theory. It serves as an introduction to all these areas as well as a contribution, in its own right, to each of them.
Download or read book Britain s Royal Family in the Twentieth Century written by Donald Edgar and published by Random House Value Publishing. This book was released on 1979 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dignified Efficient written by Charles Douglas-Home and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series of moving portraits of the monarchs and their advisors, Charles Douglas-Home and Saul Kelly examine the tasks with which recent crowned heads have been troubled, and the virtues that enabled them, by and large, to act for the common good. Incisive, evocative and informed by a magisterial vision of the scope of political power, this work offers a persuasive answer to the critics of monarchy, and an account of a unique form of government that will give confidence and inspiration to the British people, as they enter a new century of shifting powers and uncertain prospects.
Download or read book The Monarchy and the British Nation 1780 to the Present written by Andrzej Olechnowicz and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-11-29 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What has been the function of monarchy in the political and social life of Britain?
Download or read book Great Survivors written by Peter Conradi and published by Alma Books. This book was released on 2018-01-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this riveting and extensively researched account, Peter Conradi - the celebrated author of The King's Speech - offers an uncompromising portrayal of Europe's royals and reveals the scandals, excesses, conflicts and interests hidden behind the pomp of ceremonial garb and the grandeur of official functions. At a time when Western society appears to be demanding more equality and democracy, people's fascination with monarchies shows no signs of waning.Taking the reader on a journey between past and present, into a world populated by great celebrities such as Wallis Simpson, Grace Kelly and Princess Diana, as well as lesser-known and slightly murkier aristocratic figures, The Great Survivors analyses the reasons behind this apparent paradox by looking at the history of the main European dynasties - including the Windsors and their predecessors - and providing a glimpse into their world, their lives and their secrets.
Download or read book The British Monarchy on Screen written by Mandy Merck and published by . This book was released on 2016-02-01 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving images of the British monarchy are almost as old as the moving image itself, dating back to an 1895 American drama, The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots. And from 1896, actual British monarchs appeared in the new 'animated photography', led by Queen Victoria. Half a century later the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II was a milestone in the adoption of television, watched by 20 million Britons and 100 million North Americans. At the century's end, Princess Diana's funeral was viewed by 2.5 billion worldwide. In the first book length examination of film and television representations of this enduring institution, distinguished scholars of media and political history analyze the screen representations of royalty from Henry VIII to 'William and Kate'. Seventeen essays by Ian Christie, Elisabeth Bronfen, Andrew Higson, Karen Lury, Glynn Davies, Jane Landman and other international commentators examine the portrayal of royalty in the 'actuality' picture, the early extended feature, amateur cinema, the movie melodrama, the Commonwealth documentary, New Queer Cinema, TV current affairs, the big screen ceremonial and the post-historical boxed set. A long overdue contribution to film and television studies, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of British media and political history.
Download or read book Crown Sceptre written by Tracy Borman and published by Grove Atlantic. This book was released on 2022-02-22 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth look at the British monarchy that’s “a superb synthesis of historical analysis, politics, and top-notch royal gossip” (Kirkus Reviews). Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, forty-one kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre. Ironically, during very few of these 955 years has the throne’s occupant been unambiguously English—whether Norman French, the Welsh-born Tudors, the Scottish Stuarts, and the Hanoverians and their German successors to the present day. Acknowledging the intrinsic fascination with British royalty, Borman lifts the veil to reveal the remarkable characters and personalities who have ruled and, since the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, more ceremonially reigned. It is a crucial distinction explaining the staying power of the monarchy as the royal family has evolved and adapted to the needs and opinions of its people, avoiding the storms of rebellion that brought many of Europe’s royals to an abrupt end. Richard II; Henry VIII; Elizabeth I; George III; Victoria; Elizabeth II: their names evoke eras and the dramatic events Borman recounts. She is equally attuned to the fabric of monarchy: royal palaces; the way monarchs have been portrayed in art, on coins, in the media; the ceremony and pageantry surrounding the crown. Elizabeth II is already one of the longest reigning monarchs in history. Crown & Sceptre is a fitting tribute to her remarkable longevity and that of the magnificent institution she represents. “Crown & Sceptre brings us in short, vivid chapters from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth herself, much of it constituting a dark record of bumping off adversaries, rivals and spouses, confiscating vast estates and military invasions…. [A] lucid, character-rich book.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Borman’s deep understanding of English royalty shines.” —Chris Schluep, Amazon Editors’ Picks, The Best History Books of February 2022
Download or read book Crown and Country written by David Starkey and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2010 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of our finest historians comes an outstanding exploration of the British monarchy from the retreat of the Romans up until the modern day. This compendium volume of two earlier books is fully revised and updated.
Download or read book Anne Boleyn written by G. W. Bernard and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2010-05-25 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Review: "In this groundbreaking new biography, G.W. Bernard offers a fresh portrait of one of England's most captivating queens. Through a wide-ranging forensic examination of sixteenth-century sources, Bernard reconsiders Boleyn's girlhood, her experience at the French court, the nature of her relationship with Henry and the authenticity of her evangelical sympathies. He depicts Anne Boleyn as a captivating, intelligent and highly sexual woman whose attractions Henry resisted for years until marriage could ensure legitimacy for their offspring." "He shows that it was Henry, not Anne, who developed the ideas that led to the break with Rome. And, most radically, he argues that the allegations of adultery that led to Anne's execution in the Tower could he close to the truth."--BOOK JACKET
Download or read book Behind the Throne written by Adrian Tinniswood and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An "enchanting" upstairs/downstairs history of the British royal court, from the Middle Ages to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Wall Street Journal). Monarchs: they're just like us. They entertain their friends and eat and worry about money. Henry VIII tripped over his dogs. George II threw his son out of the house. James I had to cut back on the alcohol bills. In Behind the Throne, historian Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking the reader on a remarkable journey from one Queen Elizabeth to another and exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads: the power struggles and petty rivalries, the tension between duty and desire, the practicalities of cooking dinner for thousands and of ensuring the king always won when he played a game of tennis. A masterful and witty social history of five centuries of royal life, Behind the Throne offers a grand tour of England's grandest households.
Download or read book Royal Fever written by Cele C. Otnes and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No monarchy has proved more captivating than that of the British Royal Family. Across the globe, an estimated 2.4 billion people watched the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on television. In contemporary global consumer culture, why is the British monarchy still so compelling? Rooted in fieldwork conducted from 2005 to 2014, this book explores how and why consumers around the world leverage a wide range of products, services, and experiences to satisfy their fascination with the British Royal Family brand. It demonstrates the monarchy’s power as a brand whose narrative has existed for more than a thousand years, one that shapes consumer behavior and that retains its economic and cultural significance in the twenty-first century. The authors explore the myriad ways consumer culture and the Royal Family intersect across collectors, commemorative objects, fashion, historic sites, media products, Royal brands, and tourist experiences.Taking a case study approach, the book examines both producer and consumer perspectives. Specific chapters illustrate how those responsible for orchestrating experiences related to the British monarchy engage the public by creating compelling consumer experiences. Others reveal how and why people devote their time, effort, and money to Royal consumption—from a woman who boasts a collection of over 10,000 pieces of British Royal Family trinkets to a retired American stockbroker who spends three months each year in England hunting for rare and expensive memorabilia. Royal Fever highlights the important role the Royal Family continues to play in many people’s lives and its ongoing contribution as a pillar of iconic British culture.
Download or read book Britons written by Linda Colley and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Controversial, entertaining and alarmingly topical ... a delight to read."Philip Ziegler, Daily Telegraph
Download or read book For King and Country written by Heather Jones and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-09-23 with total page 591 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was the First World War really 'For King and Country'? This is the first full history of the monarchy's role.
Download or read book Selling the Tudor Monarchy written by Kevin M. Sharpe and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals how, from even before the Reformation, the Tudors sought to sustain and enhance their authority by representing themselves to their people through the media of building, print, art, material culture and speech.
Download or read book Mystifying the Monarch written by Jeroen Deploige and published by Amsterdam University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The power of monarchs has traditionally been as much symbolic as actual, rooted in popular imagery of sovereignty, divinity, and authority. In Mystifying the Monarch, a distinguished group of contributors explores the changing nature of that imagery—and its political and social effects—in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day. They demonstrate that, rather than a linear progression where perceptions of rulers moved inexorably from the sacred to the banal, in reality the history of monarchy has been one of constant tension between mystification and demystification.
Download or read book Loyalty to the Monarchy in Late Medieval and Early Modern Britain c 1400 1688 written by Matthew Ward and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the place of loyalty in the relationship between the monarchy and their subjects in late medieval and early modern Britain. It focuses on a period in which political and religious upheaval tested the bonds of loyalty between ruler and ruled. The era also witnessed changes in how loyalty was developed and expressed. The first section focuses on royal propaganda and expressions of loyalty from the gentry and nobility under the Yorkist and early Tudor monarchs, as well as the fifteenth-century Scottish monarchy. The chapters illustrate late-medieval conceptions of loyalty, exploring how they manifested themselves and how they persisted and developed into early modernity. Loyalty to the later Tudors and early Stuarts is scrutinised in the second section, gauging the growing level of dissent in the build-up to the British Civil Wars of the seventeenth century. The final section dissects the role that the concept of loyalty played during and after the Civil Wars, looking at how divergent groups navigated this turbulent period and examining the ways in which loyalty could be used as a means of surviving the upheaval.
Download or read book The Kings Queens of Britain written by Cath Senker and published by Arcturus Publishing. This book was released on 2020-04-03 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who was the first king of England? Did Henry I assassinate his brother? How did 'Bloody Mary' reinstate Roman Catholicism? For more than 1,000 years the British monarchy has dramatically shaped national and international history. Kings and queens have conquered territory, imposed religious change and extracted taxation, each with their own motivations and ambitions. In this beautifully illustrated book, Cath Senker delves into the extraordinary history of the British monarchy and its host of kings, queens and pretenders. There have been benevolent rulers, violent ones, religious fanatics, brilliant economists, masters of diplomacy and the power hungry. But whether they have abused their power or used it for good, each monarch has played a part in the rich tapestry of British history, coping with both international and civil wars, rebellions and criticism. The Kings & Queens of Britain introduces this fascinating thousand-year history, providing rich biographical detail of Britain's remarkable monarchs.
