Books & Music

Spanning ten dynasties of England's monarchs, The Kings and Queens of England presents portraits and potted biographies of England's monarchs. Spanning from the Normans through to the House of Windsor, this exquisite little book captures the...

The King James Version of 1611 has been the most widely known and quoted version of the Bible for four centuries, and has shaped both Western culture and the English language. The Standard Text Bible offers the text of the King James Version in an...

The Westminster Abbey Choir continues their exploration of the rich repertoire of the liturgy in its historical context in the Abbey with music for the Feast of St Michael and All Angels, 29 September. The texts for Michaelmas are uniquely dramatic and...

LONDON: a settlement founded by the Romans, occupied by the Saxons, conquered by the Danes and ruled by the Normans. This changeful place became a medieval maze of alleys and courtyards, later to be chequered with grand estates of Georgian splendour. It...

Most of us think that theology is what you do if you haven't got a life. At best, we think it needs to be practical to be of any use. But theology is in fact all about life and how we live it as God's people. No matter how theology-phobic you feel, David...

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...

George Mikes's perceptive best-seller provides a complete guide to the British Way of Life. Having been born in Hungary, he eventually spent more than forty years in the field, and the fruits of his labour include insights on important topics including...

Westminster Abbey contains the only surviving medieval Cosmatesque mosaics outside Italy. They comprise: the ‘Great Pavement’ in the sanctuary; the pavement around the shrine of Edward the Confessor; the saint’s tomb and shrine; Henry III’s tomb; the...

Young children just love things that go, and here is a board book they will spend hours pushing along the floor as well as reading! Follow the red bus around the streets of London visiting the sights, with an extra detail to spot on every page. Then...

Fanfares and anthems commissioned by previous monarchs, together with classic hymn settings and marches, all combine to recall the Queen's Coronation service of 1953. The musical forces deployed on that occasion included a choir of over 400 and a large...

In this book, Ian Mortimer's radical new approach turns our entire understanding of history upside down. History is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived, whether that's the life of a peasant or a lord. The result is perhaps...

Three composers whose contributions to the Anglican choral tradition are rich in historical significance: much of this music is inseparably bound up with the national celebrations or commemorations appropriate to war, coronation and royal marriage. Sung...