Trafalgar

TRAFALGAR
by John Terraine
superbly illustrated book describing one of the most famous battles of all time, which shattered Napoleon's dream of invading the England.
Amplifying the details of the battle is a lengthy selection of contemporary eye witness accounts specially compiled for this book which paint a fresh picture of the maritime engagements of the Napoleonic wars.
This story is not just of the morning and afternoon in which Nelson and Colling wood smashed the combined fleets of France and Spain but also that of a complex campaign of which Trafalgar was the climax.
It shows the protagonists were not admirals Villeneuve and Nelson but Napoleon and the British naval tradition

Battle of the Britain

BATTLE OF BRITAIN ILLUSTRATED
by Paul Jacobs and Robert Lightsey
“The battle of France is over. The battle of Britain is about to begin” - Churchill,
from his 'Finest hour' speech on 18th June 1940.
Below was a fire storm where once was London and in front were hundreds of Hitler's bombers and their fighter escorts bent on the destruction of Britain.
This is the dramatic chronicle of the events from 10th July to 31st October 1940, The Battle of Britain, when this was what confronted the young under trained pilots and crews of the RAF every day.
The product of the efforts of the two former RAF officers, an artist cum engineer and a pilot cum program manager, the book provides a unique amount of the most important battle of the history.
140 original art works in oil, ink and graphite depicting important moments, military perspectives on tactics and technology, illustrated time lines and technical drawings. A product of years of love, devotion, work and study.

Carpets for the home

CARPETS FOR THE HOME
by Amicia de Moubray and David Black
A buyer's guide filled with artistic designs that is the ultimate window gazer's “How other people live?” hand book of interiors featuring: ancient, modern, oriental and western floor textiles and also wall hangings.
Different carpets help create the individual mod and style of a home, from rustic French farm house to spartan Manhattan loft.
Contemporary designers include Christopher Farr and Christine Vanderhurd, while oriental designs can be sought from modern companies such as Woven Legends.
This luxurious hand book gives plenty of advice for choosing and purchasing a carpet, care and repair, a glossary of terms, an international source directory of recommended dealers, a list of world wide and private collections

WARMLY INSCRIBED

Warmly inscribed:
The New England forager and other book tales;
by Lawrence and Nancy Gold stone,
Perfect bed time reader for all. Written by a husband and wife team. Both books collecting enthusiasts. This is a charming account of a personal tour of the Library of congress, where you will find more than 115 million volumes to be read. Like wise: the Folger library and the Beinecke, which is the Yale University's Rare Book and manuscripts library.
They recount the tale of the New England forger and discover just how valuable certain antiquated titles can be, such as $250 for a 1974 wall calendar, on which Michael Ondaatje used it for his family's routine appointments.

collections in museums etc.

COLLECTIONS IN MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND HISTORIC HOUSES
edited by Victoria Rowland
third edition 2004 of this splendid and definitive guide to the greatest treasures of the British and Irish museums, art galleries and the historic houses.
The collections featured are a recommendation of places to visit with an insight into the culture and history or cultural history, together with an indication of guided or private tours available, disabled access, gift shops, cafés and refreshments, restaurants and car parking, plus information on web sites, e mail addresses, opening times, admission, charges, and location.
Covering over 1600 collections on public display, with clear headings and lovely color photos. Organized by geographical area.

Medieval life and leisure

MEDIEVAL LIFE AND LEISURE
In the Devonshire hunting Tapestries
by Linda Woolley
Focusing on the four exceptional fifteenth century Devonshire hunting tapestries that are housed in the Victoria and Albert museum ; the only such tapestries to have survived.
These scenes depict a lost chivalric world in rich and fascinating detail from the late middle ages while hunting with the falcon or hounds was common place among the nobility of the Europe, providing rise to the saying 'The sport of Kings'. The tapestries were owned by the duke of Devonshire once upon a time, and they vividly record falcony, hunting for otter, boa, bear and deer; as well as the ransacking of a swan's nest for its eggs.
They also contemporary scholars much about human behavior of that time, what type of clothing had been worn, and other customs of those days.

Old Crown Derby China works

OLD CROWN DERBY CHINA WORKS
The King Street factory
1849- 1935
by Robin Black wood and Cheryl Head
In the year of 1849 Sampson Hancock and five other partners established the 'King street works', which saved the production of Crown Derby china. When he died during the year of 1895, he had over seen the resurgence of the Crown Derby's prestige and popularity, and employed some of the best china painters, and he left behind a legacy of exquisite pottery, notably the Japanese, which are marvels of beauty and colors. They consisted of the deep Mazarin blue, red, green , and gold; which have made
Derby china famous all over the world.
Beginning with the history, the authors bring back 'King Street' to life again, linking the makers marks on the base of the china to the employees them selves, giving us their lives, families and the back grounds.
It is delightful to read the biography of a painter, potter or gilder; see the photographs of their work and then read the subsequent description of the piece, who owned it and where it ended up.
If you are not a collector already, you will get the itching to scour antique markets for lost pieces. Check the bases for a very rare mark: a black zeppelin under a gilded crescent moon.
During an air raid in 1916 one kiln was at a crucial stage in firing The staff left it as long as possible before extinguishing the fire. The following morning they removed what they presumed would be a ruined batch, only to find out that it has been fired perfectly.
So as to commemorate the event , the zeppelin mark was put on each piece.