Way back in the 16th Century King Henry VIII decided to rob the country's abbeys and churches of all their riches to finance his army. Peakdale Abbey, in North Yorkshire, was very rich, with lots of items made of gold, silver and precious stones which were used in the daily services that took place in the abbey. Abbot Saxton was forewarned by a friend who worked for Henry that the king's henchmen were on their way to rob his abbey. He quickly organised the burial of the valuable items, leaving some less valuable ones on display for the henchmen to take, which they willingly did. The location of the buried treasure was known to only a handful of people, all of whom were unfortunately killed by the collapse of the roof when the abbey was struck by lightning during a Sunday morning service. Amongst the dead was Abbot Saxton himself. As a result the location of the treasure was lost to the world. Although it was searched for in the following years, more recently with the use of metal detectors, it was never found...until a small group of children from a local primary school started to dig up parts of a local farmer's field.

Iceland was the last country in Europe to become inhabited, and we know more about the beginnings and early history of Icelandic society than we do of any other in the Old World. This world was vividly recounted in The Book of Settlements, first compiled by the first Icelandic historians in the thirteenth century. It describes in detail individuals and daily life during the Icelandic Age of Settlement.

“A superb new book . . . explores the history of Britain’s first National Park from the Stone Age to the modern day . . . lavishly illustrated.”—Reflections Magazine The moors of the Peak District provide some of the finest walking country in England. The pleasure of rambling across them is enhanced by a knowledge of their history, ranging from prehistoric times and the middle ages to their conversion for grouse shooting and the struggle for the “right to roam” in modern times. This distinctive landscape is not an untouched, natural relic for it has been shaped by humans over the centuries. Now it is being conserved as part of Britain’s first National Park; much of it is in the care of The National Trust. The book covers all periods of time from prehistory to the present, for a typical moorland walk might take in the standing stones of a prehistoric stone circle, a medieval boundary marker, a guide stoop dated 1709, the straight walls of nineteenth-century enclosure, a row of Victorian grouse butts, a long line of flagstones brought in by helicopter, and very much more besides. “This is no ‘desk-based study’ but the product of a lifetime of living, working and researching in or immediately adjacent to the moors.”—The Local Historian “David writes with a contagious enthusiasm. This generously illustrated book roams amongst the best—and lesser-known—moorland features . . . a guide par excellence.”—Peak Advertiser “Few tomes can have been quite as comprehensive as David’s. Within these pages are Romans and Vikings, railways and canals, ramblers and World War Two soldiers.”—The Star (Sheffield)

9th edition, 2019. A comprehensive list of books, articles, theses and other material covering the brass band movement, its history, instruments and musicology; together with other related topics (originally issued in book form in January 2009)

The book unfolds the story of Southgate House and it inhabitants from the mid-18th century until today. Located near Clowne, Derbyshire, it is a perfect example of a Georgian country house. For most of its history, it belonged to the well-known Butler-Bowdon family, serving as their main seat for about 150 years. Southgate House provides a microcosm of the social history of England over several centuries.

From Crocodile Dundee to Strictly Ballroom , from Breaker Morant to Mad Max , Australian film has delighted and moved audiences the world over. Now in a new edition, Australian Film makes available all the essential statistics on over 340 beloved feature films from leading film writers of the last seventeen years, including Jane Campion, Jocelyn Moorhouse, Keith Connolly, Philippa Hawker, and Adrian Martin. This comprehensive and meticulously edited volume includes at least one superb still for each film covered, revealing a surprising number of local and international movie stars including Mel Gibson, Rachel Ward, Meryl Streep, Anthony Hopkins, Mia Farrow, Bryan Brown, Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Greta Scacchi, and Paul Hogan. The most in-depth look available at this important era in film-making, Australian Film is accessibly arranged with one film to a page. Each entry gives technical and cast credits which correct many factual errors and offers a succinct article covering the film's content and significance. For this second edition Scott Murray and his contributors assess the forty-two Australian films released in 1993 and 1994, detailing such international successes as Pricilla, Queen of the Desert , Sirens , and Muriel's Wedding . Also examined are films such as Mel Gibson's first and little-known movie Tim , box office hits The Year of Living Dangerously , Green Card , and the Mad Max movies, and critically acclaimed films such as Strictly Ballroom , The Black Robe , My Brilliant Career , Breaker Morant , Gallipoli , The Man from Snowy River , The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith , and An Angel at My Table . The most comprehensive reference to the films of the past two decades, Australian Film will both delight and edify all serious movie-goers and film buffs.