great britain

Compares and contrasts the work of sixteenth-century poet and playwright William Shakespeare and twentieth-century comedy troupe Monty Python, discussing their status as national poets of England, their uses of history, aspects of theatricality, and other topics.

Chronicles the life of Bess Hardwick, the fifth daughter of an impoverished Derbyshire nobleman who rose from her meager beginnings to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in English history.

Presents a comprehensive profile of British mineralogist and chemist James Smithson, who bequeathed half a million dollars to the United States for the purpose of establishing a museum.

Chronicles the life of William Thomas, focusing on how he became one of the most important figures in modern science.

A memoir that chronicles the author's journey back to his ancestral home in Ghana in search of his roots.

Tells the story of the youth and reign of King Arthur, the establishment of the Round Table, and the search for the Holy Grail.

The unpublished conclusion to The once and future king that tells how Arthur, Guenever, and Lancelot come to their ends.

A biography of British political theorist, author, and civil servant Leonard Woolf, discussing the extremes of his personality and behavior, and focusing on the nature of his relationship with his wife, author Virginia Woolf.

Tells the parallel stories of the skepticism and incredulity that accompanied Guglielmo Marconi's invention of wireless communication in the late nineteenth century, and the investigation of the murder of an inconvenient wife by her love-starved husband, Dr. H.H. Crippen, who would likely have pulled off the perfect crime had it not been for the ability to send wireless transatlantic transmissions.

Presents an overview of the medieval castle, providing an examination of how they were employed in battle as walled fortresses, as well as their role as a symbol of a power and social control. Includes glossary, chronology, and index.