Britain’s History from the Air by Jane Struthers

Britain’s History from the Air by Jane Struthers lands on the shelves of my shop.

Ebury Press, 1994, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Jacket illustration: Dover Castle. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs;

From the cover: Here is Britain as never seen before, a birds-eye view of the historic buildings and landscapes which represent our heritage. The castles, palaces, cathedrals and rural landscapes, both legendary and actual, have been captured on film by Jason Hawkes, a photographer of exceptional talent who has recorded each place in stunning compositions. The photographs are captioned by Jane Struthers, supplying fascinating details on the significance of the places in British history.

The lives of kings and queens from ancient times to the present are bound up with the places significant in their lives. In Britains History from the Air many of these are portrayed. The royal castles and palaces Windsor, Caernarfon, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral are depicted in all their architectural grandeur and dignity. The great cathedrals and churches St Pauls, Westminster Abbey, Canterbury and the rest are included, in addition to stately homes, fortifications, public buildings, towns, battlefields and other landscapes, all of which have played their part in Britains history.

With 100 full-colour photographs and many additional historic and documentary illustrations, Britains History from the Air offers a visual feast and an absorbing and original view of our island story.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Matching Pictorial boards. 144 pages. Index. 10¾” x 11¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Dynasty: The Turbulent Saga of the Royal Family from Victoria to Diana by Donald Spoto

Dynasty: The Turbulent Saga of the Royal Family from Victoria to Diana by Donald Spoto lands on the shelves of my shop.

Simon & Schuster, 1995, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: The bestselling US author turns his attention to the biggest-selling soap opera of all time: the Royal Family

After a small avalanche of books on this or that member of the contemporary Royal Family, at last we have the entire Windsor tapestry a dramatic, colourful, sometimes poignant, often shocking family history.

DYNASTY is in fact a compelling album of portraits the first book to tell the whole story of the family that has occupied the British throne from the reign of Queen Victoria to the time of Queen Elizabeth II.

Each chapter contains fresh information, gleaned from Royal archives, correspondence files and previously unpublished documents and manuscripts, including never-before-revealed information on the less than Victorian sexual behaviour of Queen Victoria, the true reason for Edward VIIIs decision to quit the throne, and the machinating role the Queen Mother played in tearing the two royal brothers, George VI and Edward VIII, apart.

The current Royals, now no longer the darlings of the press, publicly disgraced, openly fighting their battles under the glare of ferocious publicity, are also scrutinized. Intriguing and sinister patterns of recurrent family behaviour and failings begin to emerge which suggest that the Royal Family is a prisoner of its past as well as an inmate of its current paparazzi jail.

The Windsors are a victim of their own celebrity, with the public and the media always baying for further intimate details of their lives, ever more indignant when those very details reveal that this family is just like any other: riddled with conflict, beset by old family skeletons in the cupboard, struggling to maintain order in the face of chaos. Their story is a dramatic one: crisis and scandal have lurked in the corridors of the House of Windsor ever since Victoria primly announced T will be good. Here is that story told throughout the Royal generations which proves that the best sagas are those which are true.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 474 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!