What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.

    They are best known as the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi," and comprise the tales of Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan, and Math. The remaining stories also spring from the same tree, and together they form a collection that comprises the core of the ancient Welsh mythological cycle. They are also among the best the medieval Celtic literature has to offer.In the first thoroughly revised edition and translation of this world classic since Lady Charlotte Guest's famous Mabinogion went out of print, Mr. Ford has endeavored to present a scholarly document in readable, modern English. Basing his criteria on the latest scholarship in myth, he includes only those stories that have remained unadulterated by the influence of the French Arthurian romances. These are, in addition to the "Four Branches," the tale of "Kulhwch and Olwen," which is rooted in the mythological origins of Arthur, seen here in his role of divine hunter in pursuit of the swine-god; "Lludd and Lleuelis," which reaches beyond its immediate Celtic sources into ancient Indo-European ideologies; and the long unavailable "Tale of Taliesin," which offers insights into Celtic concepts of the archetypal poet-seer and the acquisition of Divine Wisdom.

    "Marion Meade has told the story of Eleanor, wild, devious, from a thoroughly historical but different point of view: a woman's point of view."—Allene Talmey, Vogue.

    But how many of us can place that event in the context of the entire dramatic year in which it took place? From the death of Edward the Confessor in early January to the Christmas coronation of Duke William of Normandy, there is an almost uncanny symmetry, as well as a relentlessly exciting surge, of events leading to and from Hastings.

    Using the best recipes from the first edition as a base, Constance Hieatt and Brenda Hosington have added many new recipes from more countries to add depth and flavour to our understanding of medieval cookery. All recipes have been carefully adapted for use in modern kitchens, thoroughly tested, and represent a wide range of foods, from appetizers and soups, to desserts and spice wine. They come largely from English and French manuscripts, but some recipes are from sources in Arabia, Catalonia and Italy. The recipes will appeal to cordon-bleus and less experienced cooks, and feature dishes for both bold and timourous palates.The approach to cooking is entirely practical. The emphasis of the book is on making medieval cookery accessible by enabling today's cooks to produce authentic medieval dishes with as much fidelity as possible. All the ingredients are readily available; where some might prove difficult to find, suitable substitutes are suggested. While modern ingredients which did not exist in the Middle Ages have been excluded (corn starch, for example), modern time and energy saving appliances have not. Authenticity of composition, taste, and appearance are the book's main concern.Unlike any other published book of medieval recipes, Pleyn Delit is based on manuscript readings verified by the authors. When this was not possible, as in the case of the Arabic recipes, the best available scholarly editions were used. The introduction provides a clear explanation of the medieval menu and related matters to bring the latest medieval scholarship to the kitchen of any home. Pleyn Delit is a recipe book dedicated to pure delight - a delight in cooking and good food.

    Schapiro applies evidencefrom numerous sources, such as literature, folklore, and politicalhistory, to reconstruct and interpret this rich artistic period.

    Face-to-face with an oncoming army, he could decide matters of life and death. But now, face-to-face with one gentle woman, he was hopelessly confused and uncertain. Startled by Catherin's pale beauty when he first saw her, he was dumbfounded by her passionate radiance now, and he felt a desire far different from his usual impersonal need for a woman.

    He was married to a royal countess and lived with a beautiful commoner. He was the legal representative of the National authority in territories north of the River Forth and he waged a bitter war on the Church in the Province of Moray and on its Bishop Alexander Bur.He burned two towns, plundered an abbey and destroyed a great cathedral. He was excommunicated, condemned by his king, blackened by historians. Could anything good or new be said about such a man? Nothing, until a chance uncovered the story of Philip Hogeston, soldier-priest, crusader and prisoner of the water-pit in the island of Lochindorb, the lair of the Wolf of Badenoch.

    

    This work analyzes Tolkien's fiction within the context of its medieval antecedents.

    Proceeding no further than Constantinople, the Crusaders sacked the capital of eastern Christendom and installed a Latin ruler on the throne of Byzantium. This revised and expanded edition of The Fourth Crusade gives fresh emphasis to events in Byzantium and the Byzantine response to the actions of the Crusaders. Included in this edition is a chapter on the sack of Constantinople and the election of its Latin emperor.A History Book Club selection.

    Revised version of the author's thesis, University of Cambridge, 1975.

    

    Together the Jews and Arabs of his native Spain had created a culture of dazzling sophistication. It was a Golden Age, a turning point in history. Yet the resplendent kingdom of Granada was threatened by barbaric Christians to the North and, more seriously, by fanatics gathering across the Mediterranean in Africa. Rallying to the standard of demagogue ibn Tashfent, a Moslem army was massing there for a holy crusade to purify Islam by the sword.But just that autumn Gabriol had fallen in love with an enchanting and brilliant woman who had found him sleeping on the beach below her secluded home. So the adventurer's thoughts were elsewhere as he journeyed to Granada at the prime minister's behest, unaware of the role he would be called upon to play in the kingdom's destiny.

    Photos and Portraits of British Monarchs from William the Conqueror to the Present, facts and provenance about each, additional commentary and full genealogy chart {but no mention made of the Nine Day Queen.}