by Peter Fox (1998)
Cambridge University Library is one of the world's great research libraries. This book is a celebration of the treasures of the library from the perspective of a group of eminent scholars who actively use the collections for research. Chapters have been selected to illustrate the vast range of the library's collections: from the fifth-century Codex Bezae to the archives of contemporary writers and politicians; from medieval manuscripts to the letters of Charles Darwin; on history, theology, politics, sociology, art history, biology, agriculture, mathematics and astronomy. Extensively illustrated with over two hundred photographs, many of them in colour and published for the first time, Cambridge University Library: The Great Collections offers a unique perspective on a remarkable institution.
Jacqueline Stedall
In this Very Short Introduction, Jacqueline Stedall explores the rich historical and cultural diversity of mathematical endeavour from the distant past to the present day, using illustrative case studies drawn from a range of times and places; including early imperial China, the medieval Islamic world, and nineteenth-century Britain--
Emma Wilby
This book examines the folkloric roots of familiar lore in early modern Britain from historical, anthropological, and comparative religious perspectives. It argues that beliefs about witches’ familiars were rooted in beliefs surrounding the use of fairy familiars by beneficent magical practitioners or “cunning folk,” and corroborates this through a comparative analysis of familiar beliefs found in traditional Native American and Siberian shamanism. The author then goes on to explore the experiential dimension of familiar lore by drawing parallels between early modern familiar encounters and visionary mysticism as it appears in both tribal shamanism and medieval European contemplative traditions. These perspectives challenge the reductionist view of popular magic in early modern Britain often presented by historians.
Ian Mortimer
Henry V is regarded as the great English hero. Lionised in his own day for his victory at Agincourt, his piety and his rigorous application of justice, he was elevated by Shakespeare into a champion of English nationalism for all future generations.
S.D. Church
"If the medieval king was the helmsman of the ship of state, the royal household was the ship's engine. It comprised men from most ranks of society, from the great magnates of the realm to simple servants who looked after the day-to-day needs of the king and his court. English government, in both peace and war, was conducted through the royal household, amongst whom the most important men were the king's knights: socially elite, militarily preeminent, and indispensable for the workings of English medieval government. It is with these men during the reign of King John that this work is concerned."--Jacket.