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{{Frontpage|isbn=1789016304|class-"wikitable" cellpaddingtitle="15"War and Love: A family's testament of anguish, endurance and devotion in occupied Amsterdam<!-- |author=Melanie Martin -->|-rating=5| stylegenre="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|History[[image:1789016304.jpg|linksummary=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1789016304/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Melanie Martin read about what happened to Dutch Jews in occupied Amsterdam during World War II and Love: A familywas entranced by what she discovered, particularly in ''s testament The Diary of anguish, endurance Ann Frank'' but then realised that her own family's stories were equally fascinating. A hundred and seven thousand Jews were deported from the city during the war years, but only five thousand survived and devotion in occupied Amsterdam by Melanie Martin]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Categorycould not understand how this could be allowed to happen in a country with liberal values who were resistant to German occupation. Most people believed that the occupation could never happen:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]]even those who thought that the Germans might reach the city were convinced that they would soon be pushed back, [[:Category:Biography|Biography]] Melanie Martin read about what happened to Dutch Jews that the Amsterdammers would never allow what happened to escalate in occupied Amsterdam during World War II and was entranced by what she discoveredthe way that it did, particularly in ''The Diary of Ann Frank'but initial protests melted away as the organisers became more circumspect. It' s an atrocity on a vast scale but then realised that her own family's stories were equally fascinatingmade up of tens of thousands of individual tragedies. A hundred and seven thousand Jews were deported from the city during the war years, but only five thousand survived and Martin could not understand how this could be allowed to happen in a country with liberal values who were resistant to German occupation}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1908745819|title=Surfacing|author=Kathleen Jamie|rating=5|genre=History|summary=Sometimes when people suggest that you read a certain book, they tell you ''this one has your name on it''. Most people believed that the occupation could never happen: even those who Mostly we take them at their word, or not, but rarely do we ask them why they thought so unless it turns out that we didn't like the Germans might reach the city were convinced that they would soon be pushed backbook. That's a rare experience. People who are sensitive to hearing a book calling your name, that the Amsterdammers would never allow what happened to escalate in the way that rarely get it didwrong. In this case, but initial protests melted away as the organisers became more circumspectI was told why. ItThe blurb speaks of the author considering ''s an atrocity on a vast scale but made up older, less tethered sense of tens of thousands of individual tragediesherself. [[War and Love: A family's testament of anguish' Older. Less tethered. That's not a bad description of where I am. Add to that my love of the natural world, endurance of those aspects of the poetic and devotion in occupied Amsterdam by Melanie Martin|Full Review]] <!-- Jamie -->|-| lyrical that are about style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1908745819not form, and substance most of all, about connection.jpg|link=http://wwwOf course, this book had my name on it.amazon It was written for me.coIt would have found its way to me eventually. I am pleased to have it fall onto my path so quickly.uk/dp/1908745819/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{Frontpage| styleisbn="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"0857058320|=title=Lord Of All the Dead|author=[[Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie]]=Javier Cercas and Anne McLean (translator)|rating=4|genre=History [[image:5star.jpg|linksummary=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]]''Lord Of All the Dead'' is a journey to uncover the author's lost ancestor's life and death. Cercas is searching for the meaning behind his great uncle's death in the Spanish Civil War. Manuel Mena, [[:Category:Travel|Travel]]Cercas' great uncle, [[:Category:Autobiography|Autobiography]] Sometimes when people suggest that you read a certain is the figure who looms large over the book, they tell you ''. He died relatively young whilst fighting for Francisco Franco's forces. Cercas ruminates on why his uncle fought for this one has your name on it''dictator. Mostly we take them The question at their word, or not, but rarely do we ask them why they thought so unless the centre of this book is whether it turns out that we didn't like is possible for his great uncle to be a hero whilst having fought for the bookwrong side. That's a rare experience. People who are sensitive }}{{Frontpage|isbn=0008294011|title=How to hearing Lose a book calling your name, rarely get it wrongCountry: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship|author=Ece Temelkuran|rating=4. In this case, I was told why. The blurb speaks of the author considering ''an older, less tethered sense of herself.'' Older. Less tethered. That's not 5|genre=History|summary=A little while ago a bad description of where friend asked me if I am. Add thought that we were living through what in years to that my love of come would be discussed by A level history students when faced with the natural world, of those aspects of question ''Discuss the poetic and lyrical factors which led to...'' I agreed that are about style not form, she was right and substance most of wasn't certain whether it was a good or bad thing that we didn't know what all, about connection. Of course, 'this book had my name on it' was leading to. It was written for me. It would have found its way to me eventuallyI think now that I do know. We are in danger of losing democracy and whilst it's a flawed system I am pleased to have it fall onto my path so quicklycan't think of a better one, particularly as the 'benevolent dictator' is as rare as hen's teeth. [[Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie|Full Review]] <!-- Cercas -->}}�{{Frontpage|-isbn=1788037812| styletitle="widthThe Fraternity of the Estranged: 10%; verticalThe Fight for Homosexual Rights in England, 1891-align: top; text-align: center;"1908|author=Brian Anderson[[image:0857058320.jpg|linkrating=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0857058320/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] 5| stylegenre="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"History|summary===[[Lord Of All Originally passed in 1885, the Dead by Javier Cercas and Anne McLean (translator)]]=== [[image:4starlaw that had made homosexual relations a crime remained in place for 82 years. But during this time, restrictions on same-sex relationships did not go unchallenged.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[Between 1891 and 1908, three books on the nature of homosexuality appeared. They were written by two homosexual men:Category:History|History]]Edward Carpenter and John Addington Symonds, [[:Category:Biography|Biography]] ''Lord Of All as well as the heterosexual Havelock Ellis. Exploring the Dead'' is a journey to uncover margins of society and studying homosexuality was common on the author's lost ancestor's life and death. Cercas is searching for the meaning behind his great uncle's death European Continent, but barely talked about in the Spanish Civil War. Manuel MenaUK, Cercas' great uncle, is so the figure who looms large over publications of these men were hugely significant – contributing to the scientific understanding of homosexuality, and beginning the book. He died relatively young whilst fighting struggle for Francisco Franco's forces. Cercas ruminates on why his uncle fought for this dictator. The question at recognition and equality, leading to the centre milestone legalisation of this book is whether it is possible for his great uncle to be a hero whilst having fought for the wrong side. [[Lord Of All the Dead by Javier Cercas and Anne McLean (translator)same-sex relationships in 1967.}}�{{Frontpage|Full Review]]isbn=1910593508 <!-- Ece Temelkuran -->|title=Apollo|-author=Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and Mike Collins| stylerating="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|5[[image:0008294011.jpg|linkgenre=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008294011/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] History| stylesummary="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship This incredible graphic novel is a love letter to the Moon landings and the passion for the subject drips off every Apollo by Ece Temelkuran]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Politics and Society|Politics and Society]], [[:Category:Autobiography|Autobiography]], [[:Category:History|History]] A little while ago Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and Mike Collins. This is a story we know well and because of this, the authors take a few narrative shortcuts knowing that we can fill in the blanks. These shortcuts are the only downside to the book. If you've ever read a comic book adaptation of a friend asked me if I thought that we were living through what in years to come would film you will be discussed by A level history students when faced familiar with the question ''Discuss the factors which led toslight feeling that there are scenes missing and that dialogue has been trimmed...'' I agreed This is a graphic novel that she was right could easily have been three times as long and wasn't certain whether it was a good or bad thing that we didn't know what all 'this' was leading tostill felt too short. I think now that I do know. We are in danger of losing democracy and whilst it}}�{{Frontpage|isbn=1786331047|title=The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue Russia's a flawed system I can't think Imperial Family|author=Helen Rappaport|rating=5|genre=History|summary=The basic facts about the deaths of a better oneNicholas and Alexandra, particularly as some of which were deliberately obscured at the 'benevolent dictator' is as rare as hen's teethtime for various reasons, have long since been established. [[How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps For the last few months of their lives in Russia the former Tsar and Tsarina, their children and few remaining servants were held in increasingly squalid, humiliating captivity. To prevent them from Democracy being rescued, in July 1918 the revolutionary regime had them all shot and bayoneted to Dictatorship by Ece Temelkuran|Full Review]] <!-- Anderson -->death in circumstances which, once the news was confirmed beyond all doubt, horrified their relatives in Europe.}}�{{Frontpage|-isbn=Woolf_Great| styletitle="widthThe Great Horizon: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|50 Tales of Exploration[[image:1788037812.jpg|linkauthor=http://wwwJo Woolf|rating=3.amazon.co.uk/dp/1788037812/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] 5| stylegenre="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"History|summary===[[The Fraternity Jo Woolf has compiled a brilliant set of fifty short insights into the Estranged: The Fight for Homosexual Rights in England, 1891-1908 by Brian Anderson]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]], [[:Category:Reference|Reference]], [[:Category:Biography|Biography]] Originally passed in 1885, lives and achievements of some amazingly brave people. Their fearless journeys have helped us unlock many of the mysteries of the wildest parts of our world, and also given us an understanding of what it is like to be faced with the most terrible conditions and still have the determination and grit to carry on. This book could be viewed as a taster which encourages us to seek out and read more about some of the law that had made homosexual relations a crime remained in place for 82 yearsmost iconic explorers. But during this time, restrictions on same-sex relationships did not go unchallengedTheir stories are pretty incredible and Woolf does them justice. Between 1891 and 1908, three books on the nature of homosexuality appeared. They were written by two homosexual men}}�{{Frontpage|isbn=Mourby_Rooms|title=Rooms with a View: Edward Carpenter and John Addington Symonds, as well as the heterosexual Havelock Ellis. Exploring the margins The Secret Life of society and studying homosexuality was common on the European Continent, but barely talked about in the UK, so the publications of these men were hugely significant – contributing Great Hotels|author=Adrian Mourby|rating=4|genre=History|summary=Adrian Mourby has given us a flying visit to the scientific understanding each of homosexualityfifty grand hotels, and beginning from fourteen regions of the struggle for recognition and equalityworld, leading to with the milestone legalisation hotels in each section being arranged chronologically rather than by region, which helps to give something of same-sex relationships in 1967an overall picture. [[The Fraternity of the Estranged: The Fight for Homosexual Rights So what makes a hotel 'grand'? The first hotel to call itself 'grand' was in Covent Garden in 1774 and it ushered in England, 1891-1908 by Brian Anderson|Full Review]] <!-- Fitch -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1910593508the beginning of a period when a hotel would be a lifestyle choice rather than a refuge for those without friends and family conveniently nearby.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1910593508/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"The hotels we visit all began life in different circumstances and each faced a different set of challenges. We begin in the Americas, move to the United Kingdom, circumnavigate Europe, briefly visit Russia and Turkey then northern Africa, India and Asia. Australia, it seems, does not go for the grand.}}�{{Frontpage|isbn=Hailstone_Berlin|title=Berlin in the Cold War: 1959 to 1966|author=Allan Hailstone|rating=[[Apollo by Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and Mike Collins]]==4|genre=History [[image:5star.jpg|link|summary=Category''Berlin in the Cold War:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]], [[:Category:Popular Science|Popular Science]] This incredible graphic novel is a love letter 1959-1966'' contains almost 200 photographs taken by author/photographer Allan Hailstone in his visits to the Moon landings and city during this period. The images provide an insight into the passion for changing nature of the subject drips off every Apollo by Matt Fitch, Chris Baker divide between East and West Berlin and Mike Collins. This is a story we know well and because of this, the authors take a few narrative shortcuts knowing that we can fill glimpse into life in the blanks. These shortcuts are city during the only downside to the bookCold War. If you've ever read }}�{{Frontpage|isbn=Moorehead_Russian|title=The Russian Revolution|author=Alan Moorehead|rating=The author was writing from a comic book adaptation slightly different stance from most other historians. Only a decade after the end of a film you will be familiar with the slight feeling Second World War, he was basing his account on the premise that there are scenes missing the Nazis' rise to power in Germany was connected with the heritage that Lenin had left behind, and that dialogue has been trimmed. This is a graphic novel that could easily without Stalin's assurances of support Hitler would never have been three times as long and still felt too shortdared to plunge the world into such a devastating global conflict. [[Apollo by Matt FitchIt was his belief that America's post-war commitments in Europe and the Far East, Chris Baker and Mike Collins|Full Review]] <!other post-- Rappaport -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:17863310471945 developments, could also be traced back to the events of 1917.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1786331047/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Race to Save Much of his material came from German archives which were saved from destruction when the Romanovs: The Truth Behind Third Reich was on the Secret Plans to Rescue Russia's Imperial Family by Helen Rappaport]]=== [[image:5starbrink of collapse.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]] The basic facts about These documents that the German government would have kept private had they won the deaths of Nicholas and Alexandra, some war provided full detail on the attempts of which were deliberately obscured at their forebears to pave the time way for various reasons, have long since been establishedchaos and revolution in their Asiatic neighbour. For the last few months of their lives in Russia the former Tsar and Tsarina, their children and few remaining servants were held |genre=History|summary=}}�{{Frontpage|isbn=Anderson_Fantasyland|title=Fantasyland|author=Kurt Andersen|rating=4|genre=History|summary=Fantasyland covers the history of America from 1517 to 2017 in increasingly squalid, humiliating captivityawesome detail. To prevent them from being rescuedCovering five centuries of tempestuous history, Andersen paints the conjuring of America in July 1918 the revolutionary regime had them all shot and bayoneted vivid relief. Discussing everything from pilgrims to death in circumstances which, once politicians, the news was confirmed beyond all doubtexhilarating gold rush to alternative facts, horrified their relatives seminal episodes are explored in Europeforensic detail with razor-sharp wit. [[The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue Russia's Imperial Family by Helen Rappaport|Full Review]] <!-- Woolf -->}}�{{Frontpage|-isbn=Way_Tea| styletitle=Tea Gardens (Britain's Heritage Series)|author="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"Twigs Way|rating=4[[image:Woolf_Great.jpg|leftgenre=History|linksummary=https://wwwTea Gardens really began in London in the late 18th century: a trip to Kings Cross or St Pancras was effectively a trip to the country in those days.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1910985880?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1910985880]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Great Horizon: 50 Tales of Exploration by Jo Woolf]]=== [[image:3Men had their coffee houses, but they were not places where women could or would be seen. Tea was introduced to England in the 17th century but it was not until 1784 that the high duty was reduced from 119% to 12½% and tea became the drink of choice for the nation.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]]Until then the working classes had been fuelled largely by cheap gin. Only, [[:Category:Travel|Travel]] Jo Woolf has compiled a brilliant set of fifty short insights into where would this beverage be drunk? One answer was the pleasure gardens where the lives fashionable went to see and achievements of some amazingly brave peoplebe seen: by the mid-1600s tea was also being served in places such as Ranelagh Gardens. Their fearless journeys have helped us unlock many of the mysteries of the wildest parts }}�{{Frontpage|isbn=Stewart_Marches|title=The Marches|author=Rory Stewart|rating=5|genre=History|summary=The Observer quote on the front of our world, and also given us an understanding of what the paperback edition of Stewart's latest book observes ''This is travel writing at its finest.'' Perhaps, but to call it 'travel writing' is like to be faced with totally under-sell it. This is erudition at its finest. Stewart has the most terrible conditions background to do this: he had an international upbringing and still have followed his father in both the determination Army and grit the Foreign Office, and then (to carry onhis father's, bemusement, shall we say) became an MP. This book could be viewed as a taster which encourages us to seek out and read more about some of Oh, and he walked 6,000 miles across Afghanistan in 2002. A walk along the most iconic explorersScottish borders should be a doddle by comparison. Their stories are pretty incredible and Woolf does them justice. [[The Great Horizon: 50 Tales of Exploration by Jo Woolf|Full Review]] <!-- Hailstone -->}}�{{Frontpage|-isbn=Parker_50| styletitle="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"50 Things You Should Know About the Vikings|author=Philip Parker[[image:Hailstone_Berlin|rating=4.jpg5|leftgenre=History|linksummary=https://wwwThe Vikings have got a lot to own up to.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1445672901?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1445672901]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Berlin A huge DNA study in 2014 was the first thing that proved to the Orkney residents that they had Viking blood in their veins – they had been insisting it was that of the Cold War: 1959 Irish. The Vikings it was that forced our English king's army to march from London to 1966 by Allan Hailstone]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]]Yorkshire to kill off one invasion, [[:Category:Travel|Travel]] ''Berlin in only to spend the next fortnight schlepping back to Hastings to try and fend off another – and the Normans had the Cold War: 1959-1966'' contains almost 200 photographs taken by author/photographer Allan Hailstone in his visits to same Norse origin as the first lot, hence the city during this periodname. The images provide an insight into the changing nature of There is a Thames Valley village just outside Henley – ie pretty damned far from the divide between East and West Berlin and coast – that has a glimpse into life in the city during the Cold WarViking longship on its signpost. [[Berlin in Yes, they got to a lot of places, from Greenland to Kiev, from Murmansk to Turkey and the Cold War: 1959 to 1966 by Allan Hailstone|Full Review]] <!-- Moorehead -->Med, and their misaligned history is well worth visiting – particularly on these pages.|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|}}Move on to [[image:Moorehead_Russian.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1445667320?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1445667320]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Russian Revolution by Alan Moorehead]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]] The author was writing from a slightly different stance from most other historians. Only a decade after the end of the Second World War, he was basing his account on the premise that the Nazis' rise to power in Germany was connected with the heritage that Lenin had left behind, and that without Stalin's assurances of support Hitler would never have dared to plunge the world into such a devastating global conflict. It was his belief that America's post-war commitments in Europe and the Far East, and other post-1945 developments, could also be traced back to the events of 1917. Much of his material came from German archives which were saved from destruction when the Third Reich was on the brink of collapse. These documents that the German government would have kept private had they won the war provided full detail on the attempts of their forebears to pave the way for chaos and revolution in their Asiatic neighbour.[[The Russian Revolution by Alan Moorehead|Full Review]] <!-- Mourby -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Mourby_Rooms.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785782754?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1785782754]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Rooms with a View: The Secret Life of Great Hotels by Adrian Mourby]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Travel|Travel]], [[:Category:History|History]] Adrian Mourby has given us a flying visit to each of fifty grand hotels, from fourteen regions of the world, with the hotels in each section being arranged chronologically rather than by region, which helps to give something of an overall picture. So what makes a hotel 'grand'? The first hotel to call itself 'grand' was in Covent Garden in 1774 and it ushered in the beginning of a period when a hotel would be a lifestyle choice rather than a refuge for those without friends and family conveniently nearby. The hotels we visit all began life in different circumstances and each faced a different set of challenges. We begin in the Americas, move to the United Kingdom, circumnavigate Europe, briefly visit Russia and Turkey then northern Africa, India and Asia. Australia, it seems, does not go for the grand. [[Rooms with a View: The Secret Life of Great Hotels by Adrian Mourby|Full Review]] <!-- Anderson -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Anderson_Fantasyland.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785038656?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1785038656]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:History|History]], [[:Category:Politics and Society|Politics and Society]] Fantasyland covers the history of America from 1517 to 2017 in awesome detail. Covering five centuries of tempestuous history, Andersen paints the conjuring of America in vivid relief. Discussing everything from pilgrims to politicians, the exhilarating gold rush to alternative facts, seminal episodes are explored in forensic detail with razor-sharp wit. [[Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen|Full Review]]<br> <br> <!-- Way -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Way_Tea.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1445670011?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1445670011]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Tea Gardens (Britain's Heritage Series) by Twigs Way]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Lifestyle|Lifestyle]], [[:Category:History|History]] Tea Gardens really began in London in the late 18th century: a trip to Kings Cross or St Pancras was effectively a trip to the country in those days. Men had their coffee houses, but they were not places where women could or would be seen. Tea was introduced to England in the 17th century but it was not until 1784 that the high duty was reduced from 119% to 12½% and tea became the drink of choice for the nation. Until then the working classes had been fuelled largely by cheap gin. Only, where would this beverage be drunk? One answer was the pleasure gardens where the fashionable went to see and be seen: by the mid-1600s tea was also being served in places such as Ranelagh Gardens. [[Tea Gardens (Britain's Heritage Series) by Twigs Way|Full Review]] <!-- Stewart -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Stewart_Marches.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0099581892?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0099581892]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Marches by Rory Stewart]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Travel|Travel]], [[:Category:History|History]] The Observer quote on the front of the paperback edition of Stewart's latest book observes ''This is travel writing at its finest.'' Perhaps, but to call it travel writing is to totally under-sell it. This is erudition at its finest. Stewart has the background to do this: he had an international upbringing and followed his father in both the Army and the Foreign Office, and then (to his father's, bemusement, shall we say) became an MP. Oh, and he walked 6,000 miles across Afghanistan in 2002. A walk along the Scottish borders should be a doddle by comparison. [[The Marches by Rory Stewart|Full Review]] <!-- Parker -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Parker_50.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1784937908?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1784937908]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[50 Things You Should Know About the Vikings by Philip Parker]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Children's Non-Fiction|Children's Non-Fiction]], [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident Readers]], [[:Category:History|History]] The Vikings have got a lot to own up to. A huge DNA study in 2014 was the first thing that proved to the Orkney residents that they had Viking blood in their veins – they had been insisting it was that of the Irish. The Vikings it was that forced our English king's army to march from London to Yorkshire to kill off one invasion, only to spend the next fortnight schlepping back to Hastings to try and fend off another – and the Normans had the same Norse origin as the first lot, hence the name. There is a Thames Valley village just outside Henley – ie pretty damned far from the coast – that has a Viking longship on its signpost. Yes, they got to a lot of places, from Greenland to Kiev, from Murmansk to Turkey and the Med, and their misaligned history is well worth visiting – particularly on these pages. [[50 Things You Should Know About the Vikings by Philip Parker|Full ReviewNewest Home and Family Reviews]] <!-- DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE --> |}