England Traditions

The New York Times bestseller and International Phenomenon One of the Top Ten Books of 2015, Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times. "It's bloody marvelous." - Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H IS FOR HAWK "Captivating... A book about continuity and roots and a sense of...

Step into a world where people chase giant wheels of cheese down muddy hills, pull ridiculous faces for international glory, dance with hobby horses through crowded streets, and roll flaming barrels through tiny villages—all in the name of tradition. Quirks of Tradition: England’s Most Bizarre Festivals and Customs takes you on a hilarious and fascinating journey through the strangest side of English history and culture. From medieval oddities and royal disasters to ghostly legends and bizarre celebrations that still survive today, this book uncovers the wonderfully weird customs that ...

Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture—and why his legacy endures to this day. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The...

A "powerful and scary and important and true" memoir of a young woman's struggle to regain her sense of self after trauma, and the efforts by a powerful New England boarding school to silence her—at any cost (Sally Mann, author of Hold Still). Shortlisted for the 2022 William Saroyan...

The new book from the well regarded Anglican theologian Martin Davie is a four part study of what the gospel is and how it finds expression in the orthodox Anglican tradition. The first part looks at what we are taught about the meaning of the gospel by the Old and New Testaments. The second part considers how the very existence of the Church of England and worldwide Anglicanism bears witness to the gospel by testifying to God’s fulfilment of his promise of universal blessing. The third part explains how the gospel finds expression in the forms of Christian belief and practice contained ...

On Christmas morning in the 1640s, a Scottish minister walked through his parish and looked inside every house in it. He was checking that nobody had roasted a goose. That is British midwinter folklore as its own records describe it. Not snow and spirits — cold, hunger, obligation, and a great deal of enforcement. A household in Shropshire is still blamed, a century later, for an avalanche that killed its neighbours, because it once lent a man a light. A young woman stands in a Nottinghamshire street at one in the morning, locked out of her own home until a male relative can be found to ...

A comprehensive account of the rich folk culture preserved in the rural secret societies of the British Isles Describes the secret rites, ceremonies, and initiation rituals of guilds and rural fraternities such as the Shoemakers, Horsemen, Toadmen, Mummers, and Bonesmen Explains their...

From the dark centuries of British prehistory to the ninth century AD, comes tales of giants and fairy-folk of druids and saints. From King Lear and King Arthur, to Fingal, Beowulf, Gwendolen, and Guinevere legendary characters have shaped the making of the nation. But who were they? In Mythology of the British Isles, Geoffrey Ashe explores how each of these stories are inter-connected, and how they have taken on fresh significance and meaning as historical and archaeological research has uncovered the truth behind each legend.

While music has always been an integral part of the lives of the people of the British Isles and the diaspora around the world, an exploration of why this is so has seldom been explored. Celtic Song will take listeners on a journey to the past through a medium that uplifts the spirit and speaks to the heart.

In this engaging and deeply informed audiobook, Stephen Knight looks at the different manifestations of Robin Hood at different times and places in a mythic biography with a thematic structure. The best way to get at the essence of the Robin Hood myth, Knight believes, is in terms not of chronological and generic progression but of the purposes served by heroes.

We're here to help you see London just as you've been longing to! Perhaps you've never been to London. No worries, Passport to European Travel Guides offers this comprehensive yet quick and concise five-day guide to London, England - one of the most distinguished focal points of the European showcase!

The legend of King Arthur and his castle Camelot has gripped people’s imagination for centuries. In this classic study, drawing upon myriad sources both literary and historical, the world’s leading Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe digs deep into the important 12th century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth to trace the origins of the myth. Through brilliant historical detective work, he shows that much of Monmouth's history, which sets out to describe fifth-century Britain, was based on fact.

The Significance of Flags in British Culture Explores how Britain’s flags—simple shapes of coloured cloth—came to embody a millennium of conflict, identity, union, and debate. The book argues that flags are “arguments in cloth,” carrying meanings far beyond their materials. They compress history, emotion, and belonging into instantly recognisable symbols. The narrative begins with ancient standards: the Roman aquila, the vexillum, and the draco, the dragon windsock that later inspired Wales’s red dragon. Anglo‑Saxon and Viking war-banners—boars, wolves, horses, and ravens—...

A complete guide to the techniques of the pre-Celtic Druids for understanding the past, present, and future Offers step-by-step instructions for a wealth of practices passed down across five generations of Welsh Druids Explains the three forms of divination used by the Druids...

More Strange Scotland is a collection of anecdotes, facts, folklore, and legends about the strangeness of that little nation on the western fringe of Europe. From fairies to witches and the frightening water horses, Scotland has a host of legends. Add haunted castles, strange pub names, and devilish people to the mix, sprinkle with Aberlour spirits and the mists of Skye and then start listening to the audiobook. If ghostly bagpipers and unseen river monsters don’t scare you off, then you may revel in the stories from this most strange of all countries.

Step into the epic world of Vikings and Norse mythology! Whether you love history or thrilling stories, this book is for you.

One tragic night. One homemade field. Three generations tied to a fence. When a late-night shooting rips through a small New England town, the cameras leave before the sirens stop. But factory worker Fred Davis refuses to look away. He clears a strip of land by the creek, hammers together a backstop, and builds a fence with a promise no kid in his neighborhood will ever believe life is only what happens on the six o’clock news. Board by board, that patch of dirt becomes a refuge where games last until dark, adults remember who they used to be, and a community fights to protect the one ...

Alive with anecdote, this is a wonderful companion for anyone who enjoys Scotland's heritage and tales of its gaunt and shadowy ruins.

When winter settles over Maple Hill and the first Advent candle is lit, Margaret Callahan feels the quiet shift of the season more sharply than anyone. This is her first Christmas carrying the weight of Patrick’s pocket watch alone—a faithful, silent reminder of promises made, years tended, and time that refuses to stay still. With Cate returning home bristling with questions, Dan wandering at the town’s edges, and Emily steadying the choir with her gentle gifts, Margaret finds herself holding a family that is both gathered and scattered, near and far. The town moves around her in ...

"Joe Giampaolo's The Reader's Companion to the Hampshire Stories Series, Life and Literature in 19th-Century England, is an excellent resource, both educational and entertaining. The book is full of interesting and sometimes unknown details of life in 18th and 19th century England... A fascinating read.” - Readers' Favorite Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century England with The Reader's Companion to the Hampshire Stories Series, a delightful and concise guide to its rich history, traditions, and literature. The book covers a variety of topics, including courtship and weddings, ...