Northern Europe and North America have dominated the world stage for more than two centuries. Using a wide range of sources, this book provides the first coherent account from a multi-national perspective of the ideas and perceptions that, from the Renaissance onwards, fuelled the North’s rise to prominence, and enabled it to rival the traditional cultural and political hegemony of the South. This includes not only the fascinating conquest of the polar regions, but also the religious upheaval of the Reformation, the changing view of nature engendered by Romanticism, and, not least, the revival of ancient Nordic and Celtic culture. Finally, the book offers an indispensable historical background to current events in the Far North, where the past and the future meet in a complex web of dramatic environmental concerns, the exploitation of natural resources, and the strategies of politics and commerce.

“The Old English Faring Books” explores the history of English farming, exploring notable authors and the developments in agriculture that they were arguably responsible for. Beginning with “Fitzherbert’s Boke of Husbondrye”, first published in 1523, this volume explores two hundred years of farming and farming literature, making it highly recommended for those with an interest in the history and development of modern farming techniques. Contents include: “Introduction”, “Tudor times”, “The Age of Markham”, “The Age of Hartlib”, “The Age of Worlidge and Houghton”, “The Age of Richard Bradley”, “Bibliography”, and “Appendix”. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on farming.