History & Reference Books

In July 1998, ten statues of martyrs of the twentieth century were unveiled surmounting the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey. These statues were intended to represent those millions of individuals who suffered for their faith in Christ in the...

A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year. ‘One of the most important books to be written about the Tudors in a generation.’ Tracy Borman In this groundbreaking history, Sarah Gristwood reveals the way courtly love made and marred the Tudor dynasty. From...

A BBC History magazine Book of the Year. As religion divided sixteenth-century Europe, an extraordinary group of women rose to power. They governed nations while kings fought in foreign lands. They ruled on behalf of nephews, brothers and sons. They...

Churches are all around us. Their steeples remain landmarks in our towns, villages and cities, even as their influence and authority has waned. They contain art and architectural wonders - one huge gallery scattered, like a handful of jewels, across...

'The classic book on Black people in Georgian London' DAVID OLUSOGA 'Deeply researched, lucidly written and utterly fascinating . . . If you ever thought Black British history started with Windrush, read this book' GREG JENNER Georgian England had a...

This richly illustrated collection presents the extraordinary life stories of fourteen bright stars from Black British history - from Tudor England to modern Britain - and charts their ongoing influence. This important and timely book delves into the...

This 24 page publication takes an in-depth look at the Tomb of the 'Unknown Warrior' at Westminster Abbey. Written by James Wilkinson, it looks at the idea behind the Unknown Soldier, the selection of the deceased, the journey of the coffin and the...

The Queen’s Coronation, on 2 June 1953, should have been celebrated in blazing sunshine. Instead, it was one of the coldest June days in years, and it poured with rain. The enthusiasm of the hundreds of thousands of people who lined the streets waiting...

Ground-breaking new studies of Henry V's chapel, tomb and funeral service have new revelations and insights into the time.Before Henry V set out in 1415 on the campaign which culminated in victory at Agincourt, he made a will laying down precise...

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, which opened in June 2018, are an exciting new development in the history of Westminster Abbey.  The eastern triforium, which runs around the Abbey's interior 16 metres above floor level, has been transformed into...

The Bible is the central book of Western culture. For the two faiths which hold it sacred, it is the bedrock of their religion, a singular authority on what to believe and how to live. For non-believers too, it has a commanding status: it is one of the...

'As we contemplate the coming months, not knowing when we can breathe again, it's worth thinking about how already the foundations have been laid for whatever new opportunities God has for us on the far side of this crisis.'Rowan Williams offers these...