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After becoming king in 1199, resentment grew and grew at the inept way John dealt with financial issues until matters came to a head with his barons.John lost his military campaigns; he was corrupt, indulged in blackmail, and manipulated the justice system more than any other king. He was a womaniser and rumours of ruthlessness surrounded him. The author provides fascinating insights into Johns rule, which ultimately leads to the story of Magna Carta. Magna Carta placed huge impositions on the king; now he could no longer rule arbitrarily but only in accordance with the law of the land. The impact of this precedence remains with us today.From the charters clauses that focussed on more mundane matters to a whole range of references to feudal issues, this guide is a perfect introduction to the incompetent rule of King John and his legacy that is Magna Carta. Calls to standardise measures of wine, ale and corn follow the collapse of empire, bound together in this informative guide complete with full-colour illustrations and contempoaray artworks.

This fascinating book looks at a typical day in a big house, the relationship between the master and mistress and their valet and maid; the children and their servants; the various departments inside and outside a big house; the London season and country house weekends. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

Pitkin presents the fascinating and engaging story of everyday life in and around castles from 1066 to the 1400s.Alongside the Church, the stone castle was one of the enduring symbols of medieval life. To the poor, its intimidating walls represented the preordained social order. To many, the castle represented business, and the heights of ambition. And to the rich it represented fun and frivolity in the form of feasting, chivalry and games.The guide uncovers the complexities of life in and around such settlements: the family, the workers, the food, the wars and the entertainment.Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel, particularly the other books in the Life in series: Medieval England, Tudor England, Stuart England, Georgian England and Victorian Britain.

This Pitkin guide uncovers the fascinating lives of medieval monks in Britain.The golden age of the monastery in Britain was between the Norman Conquest (1066) and the dissolution of the monasteries (1536-40). The monks were secluded in the great monasteries, freed from the temptations and distractions of the fallen world and governed by the triple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Yet they contributed to the societies of their time to such an extent that they can be proclaimed pillars of the medieval economy. This guide explores how this happened, and how the daily lives of the monks influenced great social and political changes across the country.Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel, particularly the other books in the Life in series: Medieval England, Tudor England, Stuart England, Georgian England and Victorian Britain.

The events of your life, from local walks to exotic trips, can provide endless inspiration for textile art. This inspiring book shows you how to record your experiences, using sketchbooks, journals and photography, to create personal narratives that can form a starting point for more finished stitched-textile pieces.Acclaimed textile artist and teacher Cas Holmes, whose work is often inspired by her life and the journeys she makes, helps you find inspiration through your own life and explains how to record what you see in sketchbooks and journals, which can often become beautiful objects in themselves. She explains how you can use photography, both as documentation and as inspiration, and sometimes incorporate it into the work itself, along with found objects and ephemera.Throughout the book are useful techniques that can be harnessed to add extra interest to your work, such as methods for making layered collages, how to sketch with stitch, and advice on design and colour. If you want to create beautiful, unique work inspired by your life and travels, this is the perfect book for you.

Among all the varied productions with which Nature has adorned the surfaces of the earth, none awakens our sympathies, or interests our imagination so powerfully as those venerable trees, which seem to have stood the lapse of ages John Muir, 1868A fascinating celebration of the some of the oldest living organisms on the planet, from the grand Oaks of Europe and mighty Redwoods of California to Africas upside-down Baobab tree, and from the Ginkgos of China and Korea to the Olive tree, the worldwide symbol of peace.Ancient Trees covers those species of tree that have lived for more than a thousand years: the Redwood, Bristlecone pine, Montezuma Cypress, the Monkey Puzzle, Amazonian Ancients, Yew, Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Lime, Olive, Welwitschia, the Baobab, Kauri, Totara, Antarctic Beech, the Fig, Cedar, and Ginkgo.Anna Lewington, the well-known writer on all things botanical, and leading wildlife photographer Edward Parker provide an illuminating and visually striking history of each tree species, including where the long-living species can still be found, the trees botanical details, and its mythical associations.

Our nation is a treasury of outstanding palaces and fine merchant houses from this rich period in our past. The Tudor period is one that feels familiar to many of us with famous monarchs such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, but we perhaps are not as familiar with the everyday life of the era.Here we uncover what these remarkable buildings can tell us about Tudor lives and times. Alison Sims guide explores noble to ordinary households, how Tudors cared for their homes, and their daily routines including diet, health and entertainment.This is an informative and entertaining look at the daily reality of life in the Tudor period, from the wealthiest families to the humblest of households. Colour photographs of palaces and homes, accompanied by contemporary portraits and woodcuts give a fascinating insight into the everyday life of the Tudors.Contains a list of related places to visit, including many National Trust properties, and a glossary of key terms used within the guide.

The Batsford Book of Chess is a landmark, full-colour chess instruction book, authoritatively written and beautifully designed. Arranged in the form of a course, it will take you all the way from tentative beginner to formidable chess player. Quick Start reference pages help you retain the information youve learned, and puzzle sections let you test yourself as you go. To illustrate more advanced strategy and tactics, the author uses world-class chess heroes such as Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal to bring the concepts to life.Essential topics include: Pieces and Moves: the very basics, covering the chessboard, notation, the names of the pieces and how they move, plus an overview of chess etiquette What Chess is All About: an exploration of chess culture and history Winning, Drawing and Losing: Covers the various ways of winning at chess, and how games are drawn Six Openings for Life: Coverage of six of the best chess openings, each illustrated by a different chess hero Tactical Weapons: An examination of forks, pins, skewers and other tactical devices, followed by illustrative games from Tactical Hero Mikhail Tal Positional Play: Looks at good and bad positions, plus the art of planning, seen through the games of Positional Hero Tigran Petrosian Human Factors: Typical mistakes and blunders youll need to steer clear ofEasy to follow, yet more thorough and more challenging than other chess instruction books on the market, this book is an essential companion for all budding chess champions.

One of the longest established, yet still most innovative, introductory chess manuals.Laskers masterwork has already provided a generation of aspiring chess players with an entertaining course in the basics of mastering chess. This edition, edited by John Nunn, is the definitive chess teaching manual. Interactive chess exercises Superb examples by some of the all-time greats Written by a man who played chess at the highest levelLasker takes the reader through an interactive chess adventure. The reward for a correct answer is to proceed to the next concept; otherwise the reader is told why the answer is wrong, and encouraged to try again. All aspects of chess are covered, from the rules of the game through to advanced play.

Poker has never been more popular. Its played in all sorts of places - in serious international tournaments, at the casino, socially with friends and, of course, online. If you dont know how to play it, youre missing out, and heres where this book comes in! It gives you all the information you need to go off and play your first poker game. In clear, easy-to-follow text, backed up with helpful diagrams and amusing cartoons, and concentrating on the most popular poker variant, Texas Hold Em, the author shows you how to set up a game, how to bet (when to raise and when to fold), the values of the different hands, and the different versions of poker you can play. It also covers the essential psychological skills used by the best players. Armed with the information in this book, youll become an expert poker player - in extra-quick time!

Digital technologies in fashion are becoming more accessible and now any creative with a basic knowledge of fashion design and computing can create convincing still or animated 3D visualizations of styles, designs and products. With this technology, the designer is able to present a lifelike design that shows how the fabrics will look and how the garment fits on the body.3D Fashion Design presents an overview of current technologies and their uses. It is packed with case studies and step-by-step tutorials showing the far-reaching capabilities of 3D fashion software. The author begins with an introduction to 3D software and the principals of working in three dimensions. He then moves onto creating the mannequin avatar, garments, accessories and textures and shows how to present and publish the finished article. Various software programmes are covered including Clo3D and Marvellous Designer for fashion-orientated design, and Maya, Mudbox, Rhino and Photoshop for more general digital design, visual effects and rendering.This authoritative guide is aimed at all levels, from beginners and fashion students working with digital technologies to advanced fashion designers, digital designers and visual effects specialists for film and animation.

The word workhouse has a grim resonance even today, conjuring up a vision of the darker side of Victorian Britain. Almost every town had at least one workhouse, and most people dreaded ending up there. Here we examine how workhouses came into being, what life was like for men, women and children on the wrong side of the poverty line, and how social attitudes evolved through the momentous events of Victorian Britain into the 20th century. Illustrated from contemporary and modern sources, this fact-filled guide presents an intriguing picture of a world of steam engines, self-help, service and salvation - where workhouse life, and workhouse reform, influenced attitudes and services we now take for granted.

What constituted a secret or a scandal in times gone by? This entertaining title in this new series gives an overview of the times and attitudes to secrets, and what was meant by a scandal. The series uncovers revelations of spies and plots, financial scandals, secrets of the royal bedchambers, dynastic tangles, and the exploits of both villains and so-called saints. Noble lords and ladies sampled the same pleasures and sometimes met the same ghastly fate as common criminals. Enemies of the state plotted and were plotted against, while a horrible fate awaited those found guilty of treason, hanged, drawn and quartered to the jeers of the mob. Assassins lurked in alleys, ghoulish body snatchers opened graves in the dead of night

This multi-language lace book provides the enthusiast with a collection of 75 quick and easy bobbin lace patterns. The (mainly) small designs are worked in a range of styles: Bruges Flower, Schneeberg, Russian Tape and Free, plus Torchon, Honiton and Bedfordshire The patterns assume a certain level of skill but each one is graded according to experience and ability (beginner, practitioner and advanced). They include: Baby bear, circles, parasol, swans, Russian lace sampler, tortoise, wedding garter, frame, seashore edge, fleur de lys mat, summer daisies, wedding handkerchief, dolphins, lily bud, square mat.

The hugely accomplished textile artist Jean Draper gives an invaluable guide to designing and working with pattern in textile art. Jean goes back to basics with simple dots and lines, demonstrating how even basic squares, circles and triangles can have a stunning impact in stitch and textiles. She provides practical and simple instructions for developing and experimenting with pattern, using grids, symmetry, rotation and repeats. Jean draws inspiration from patterns around the world, from West African Kente Cloth to the Gees Bend quilts of Alabama. There are instructions on creating bands and borders, strip patchwork and strip piecing, plus an extended study of Banjara stitched textiles. Natural patterns from plants and flowers also offer exciting opportunities for stitch, and Jean explores important design emblems such a the Tree of Life alongside other stitched flower forms. Finally, the ornamentation of the body provides many unique and striking ways to interpret the human form in stitch. Pattern is everywhere and can be used to stunning effect, taking your textile art to the next level. This fascinating and exciting guide brings together inspiration, design methods and stitching techniques to help you develop truly great textile art.

Life in a wartime house

Stunning watercolour title new in paperback. Leading watercolourist reveals the secrets behind his atmospheric, light-filled paintings. Watercolour is ideal for capturing the transient effects of light and, with compact and lightweight materials, is the perfect medium for plein-air painting. Leading watercolour painter David Curtis is a strong advocate of working on site, observing and capturing changing conditions and effects. In this beautifully illustrated book, he explains in detail his two main methods for working on location for quick, loose studies and for more controlled and detailed paintings. He also shows how to collect reference material on the spot and develop this into resolved paintings back at the studio. He provides helpful instruction on interpreting light effects, with strong guidance on choosing materials, exploring techniques, composition, tone and colour and associated topics. This invaluable advice is complemented by a wealth of sketches, finished works and step-by-step demonstration paintings to illustrate different points and inspire further ideas. Reference Light and Mood in Watercolour hardback (9780713489552) Leading watercolourist reveals the secrets behind his light-filled paintings How to work en plein air to capture the transient effects of light How to collect reference material on location but paint in the studio Bestselling title new in paperback

Since their fairy-tale wedding in 2011 and the announcement in December 2012 that William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were expecting their first child, the British have taken the young couple into their hearts. The first decades of the 21st century have seen a surge of pride for our Royal Family as never before and the birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge, our future king, has been greeted with genuine joy. This celebratory and beautifully illustrated guide not only commemorates this Royal birth but looks at the history of children of the monarchy from Queen Elizabeth II to her great-grandchildren. Age-old customs, ceremonies, christenings, toys and pastimes, nannies, nurseries and the Royal line of succession are also explored, presenting an illuminating portrait of Royal children through the ages.

For centuries it was far more efficient to move goods by water than by road. The end of the 18th century saw 2,000 miles of canal built in Britain: the Canal Age had begun.Constructing the canals consisted of a great deal of hard work and manual labour, headlines by individual names but mostly done by tens of thousands of men across Britain called navvies. Initially much like carting on roads, boating on canals grew as canal systems expanded across the country, but still required long hours, hard work and specific skills.This detailed and informative guide tells the story of the boats and their workers. From the professional leggers who walked boats through tunnels to lock keepers to canal children running ahead of the boats, original photographs and artefacts such as tug tickets and timetables show what life was like on the canal.A classic Pitkin guide to immerse readers in the world of canals in Britain, including a list of museums and heritage centres to provide further insight into the history of the canal network.

Alexander Kotovs trilogy, of which this is the second volume and now available in digital format for the first time, marks a landmark in chess literature. For the first time, a leading player managed to tackle the important elements of chess mastery in a methodical way which all chess players could understand, spiced with insight and colourful observation. Furthermore, his ideas and approach are as relevant to players today as they were when the books were first published.Alexander Kotov was one of the strongest players of the immediate post-war period, twice reaching the Candidates stage of the World Championship. He was also one of the leading Soviet trainers but is primarily remembered for his trilogy of classic works on chess coaching, of which Think Like a Grandmaster, one of the best-selling chess books of all time, was the first volume, and Play Like a Grandmaster the second.