Europe
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No Ordinary Deaths: A People’s History of Mortality
History is dominated by A-list deaths: queens beheaded; archdukes assassinated. But what about everyone else? How did ordinary people depart this life and grieve for loved ones – and which of the old ways might help us prepare for the end?
Our ancestors, living closer to death than we do, had a more intimate and integrated relationship with death as a familiar presence in daily life. From the death-watchers of the Middle Ages to the pomp of Victorian funeral wear, by way of plague pits, grave-robberies and wakes, historian and bereavement counsellor Molly Conisbee explores how cycles of dying, death and disposal have shaped – and been shaped by – society. She examines, through the prism of past deaths, their interweaving with our beliefs and politics, our most fervent hopes and deepest fears and, ultimately, what it means to ‘die well’.
A groundbreaking new work of social history, No Ordinary Deaths paints a rich picture of the lives of our forebears, skilfully bringing the lost art of death to life today.
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£16.80£20.90No Ordinary Deaths: A People’s History of Mortality
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Why is Downing Street Painted Black?: 365 fun, fascinating London facts from one of the city’s most popular tour guides, the perfect 2025 gift for history and trivia fans
Have you ever tried to find a street named Bond Street? (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t exist!)
Did you know you can’t dine for 13 at the Savoy? At least not without a cat joining you …
And have you heard about the bus that jumped Tower Bridge?
As a walking tour guide for 15 years, Jonnie Fielding has made it his mission to uncover all there is to know about London, from forgotten facts to the history hiding in plain sight.
Packed full of pub-quiz trivia and bespoke illustrations, Why Is Downing Street Painted Black? includes 365 of his favourite quirks, anomalies and eccentricities from all over town.
So whether you live in London, would love to live in London or just love a great fun fact, Jonnie is guaranteed to reignite your fascination with this weird and wonderful city.
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The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty (Audio Download): Tracy Borman, Hodder & Stoughton: Amazon.co.uk: Books
‘A powerful tale . . . compelling and brilliant’ – ALISON WEIRIn March 1603, Queen Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, lies dying at Richmond Palace. The queen’s ministers cluster round her bedside, urging her to name her successor – something she has stubbornly resisted throughout her reign. Almost with her last breath she whispers that James VI of Scotland should succeed her. She dies shortly afterwards and the throne of England passes peacefully from Tudor to Stuart.
Or so we’ve been led to believe . . .
But, as enthralling new research shows, this is not what happened. In the years that followed, history was literally re-written on the orders of James VI to hide the truth: Elizabeth went to her grave without formally naming an heir. The notion of an approved succession from Tudors to Stuarts is little more than an elaborately constructed fiction.
And so James’s rule in England began with a lie – a lie that went on to have devastating consequences. The Stuart regime rapidly descended into turbulence and uncertainty, conspiracy and persecution, witchcraft and gunpowder – culminating in the destruction of the monarchy in the English Civil War.With a combination of rigorous research and brilliant story-telling, Tracy Borman’s revealing new book shows that truth and monarchy have always been strange bedfellows . . .
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