Kings in All but Name illustrates how Japan was an ethnically diverse state from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries, closely bound by trading ties to Korea and China. It reveals new archaeological and textual evidence proving that East Asia had integrated trading networks long before the arrival of European explorers and shows how mining techniques improved and propelled East Asian trade. The story of the Ouchi rulers contradicts the belief that this was a period of warfare and turmoil in Japan, and instead, proves that this was a stable and prosperous trading state where rituals, policies, politics, and economics were interwoven and diverse.

Retells the life and death of the famous Roman ruler, using contemporary documentation to present him as a skilled general, politician, and orator.

This book examines the lives and tenures of all the consorts of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs of England between 1485 and 1714, as well as the wives of the two Lords Protector during the Commonwealth. The figures in Tudor and Stuart Consorts are both incredibly familiar—especially the six wives of Henry VIII—and exceedingly unfamiliar, such as George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne. These innovative and authoritative biographies recognise the important role consorts played in a period before constitutional monarchy: in addition to correcting popular assumptions that are based on limited historical evidence, the chapters provide a fuller picture of the role of consort that goes beyond discussions of exceptionalism and subversion. This volume and its companions reveal the changing nature of English consortship from the Norman Conquest to today.

In 1582 Alessandro Valignano, the Visitor to the Jesuit mission in the East Indies, sent four Japanese boys to Europe. Until the arrival of the embassy in Europe, the Euro-Japanese encounter had been almost exclusively one way: Europeans going to Japan. This book is an account of their travels, their long journeys out and back, and the 20 months in Europe being received by popes and kings. It was published in Macao in 1590 with the title De Missione Legatorvm Iaponensium ad Romanum curiam. The present edition is the first complete version of this rich, complex and impressive work to appear in English, and is accompanied with maps and illustrations of the mission, and an introduction discussing its context and the subsequent reception of the book.

Who invented the 'House of Windsor' as a royal name? Who founded Westminster Abbey? Which king had twenty-one illegitimate children? David Halliam answers all these questions and more. Here is a continuous history of the English monarchy, showing how the nine dynasties rose and fell. The book describes the most memorable features of the life and times of each king or queen - from Egbert, crowned in 802 and considered the first king of England, to Queen Elizabeth II - as well as recording the extraordinary lives of their queens, consorts, mistresses and bastard children. It also tells the story of the Saxons, describes what has happened to the monarchs' mortal remains, and relates many lively incidents of royal history that rarely appear in the text books. Read of the saintly Edward the Confessor, who is believed to have refused to consummate his marriage; of the rumbustious Henry VIII, given to beheading those who displeased him; of the 'little gentleman in black velvet', who caused the death of William III; and of Queen Victoria's strange servant, the 'Munshi', Queen Emma, who endured a trial by ordeal; and Anne Boleyn, widely suspected of being a witch. A complete list of the monarchs' reigns and a genealogical table showing the royal descent down thirty-seven generations from Egbert to Elizabeth II adds to the volume's reference value.

In the year 937, the new king of England, a grandson of Alfred the Great, readies himself to go to war in the north. His dream of a united kingdom of all England will stand or fall on one field—on the passage of a single day. At his side is the priest Dunstan of Glastonbury, full of ambition and wit (perhaps enough to damn his soul). His talents will take him from the villages of Wessex to the royal court, to the hills of Rome—from exile to exaltation. Through Dunstan’s vision, by his guiding hand, England will either come together as one great country or fall back into anarchy and misrule . . . From one of our finest historical writers, The Abbott’s Tale is an intimate portrait of a priest and performer, a visionary, a traitor and confessor to kings—the man who can change the fate of England.

The Kings Despair concludes the trilogy began in The Kings’ Assassin and continued in The Kings Death. Sillik and his companions make their final preparation for the war that is coming.

At the Manor House, Victoria is attempting to see Michael, through the first weeks after the death of his wife, Michael is waiting in anticipation for news of his son, and they take delivery of something which neither is expecting. Victoria has a sealed letter, which may have profound effect upon the future of her family, and she must decide whether or not to give the letter to its intended recipient. In the village, Isabella is planning her revenge against those who have so abused her, meanwhile a chance visit by Reginald to Jacobs Field sets him on course to see his domestic circumstances back on track, and unbeknownst to him he will meet somebody who will have a far more profound effect upon his life. Megan, the black witch, gains the confidence of those around her as she continues to quietly hatch her murderous plans, and Percival returns from his self - imposed exile, and must decide whether or not he will stay in the village. However, as with much in Percivals life, nothing on his return will be as he would have expected. Tarragon records her second album, and the band plays on, but will she be invited to join them on their world tour?

This epic tale based on Norse sagas by the Science Fiction Grand Master “proves that he is indeed a master!” (Robert Jordan, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). In Mother of Kings, Poul Anderson “brings to life the bloodthirsty Norse as they evolve into the looting, plundering Vikings of popular lore” (Publishers Weekly). During the tenth century, Gunnhild, the daughter of a Norse warlord, is sent to study sorcery under the auspices of two Finnish wizards. She is able to ensnare as a husband a man she has only seen in visions—the formidable Norse king Eirik Blood-Ax—and bears him nine children. Wielding her magic as a weapon, Gunnhild survives political intrigues and power struggles at Eirik’s side, forging a family dynasty that will cement its place in Scandinavian legend and lore . . . “An unquestionably great work.” —Kirkus Reviews “The genre’s guru blends mythology and history into a powerhouse of a tale that tells readers the story of Gunnhild, a real persona who has received legendary status over the last millennium. The gritty but vivid story line provides a powerful look at the tenth century as rarely seen by literature except perhaps [in] Beowulf and that is a few centuries earlier. The beginning of the end of the Age of the Vikings is fitting posthumous triumph from one of the greats.” —AllReaders.com

WITH EXCLUSIVE PICTURES BY ARTHUR EDWARDS MBE.With the world watching, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, third in the line of succession to the throne, was born on 22 July 2013. The next day, his proud parents stepped out of St Mary's Hospital, London to present their baby to the excited crowds.From the beginning, the world had watched with bated breath as the charming prince and his future bride overcame the struggles of university, rumours and a brief breakup before finally reconciling and becoming engaged. The royal wedding in 2011 - watched by an incredible estimated 2 billion people worldwide - was a defining moment, not only in their young lives, but also for the perception of the monarchy.When the Palace announced the Duchess's much-anticipated pregnancy in 2012, a public frenzy surrounded the arrival of the heir to the throne. Now that the Duke has left the military to focus on his royal duties and charity work, there is already speculation as to whether George will follow in his father's footsteps, with a passion for wildlife and conservation.As well as a history of the young couple's romantic relationship, this in-depth book chronicles the next chapter of this modern-day fairytale and is packed with beautiful photographs, fascinating facts and expert analysis. An intriguing insight and unrivalled souvenir, this is an essential read for royalists and romantics. alike