Lettie Peppercorn lives in a house on stilts near the wind-swept coast of Albion. Nothing incredible has ever happened to her, until one winter's night, when the night the Snow Merchant comes. He claims to be an alchemist - the greatest that ever lived - and in his suitcase, he carries his newest in[...]

A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year "This book will stand as a eulogy for the city." - Anthony Satin, The Literary Review

Aleppo lies in ruins. Its streets are plunged in darkness; most of its population has fled, its memories ravaged. But this was once a vibrant world city, a trade [...]

This work examines what life was like in the new communities founded by David I in the 12th century, such as Perth, Aberdeen, Elgin, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It looks at houses, clothes and lifestyles, and also in relation to the religious houses which played such an important part in their life.[...]

From historian David Priestland, "Merchant, Soldier, Sage" is a remarkable book that proposes a radical new approach to how we see our world, and who runs it, in the vein of Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History". We live in an age ruled by merchants. Competition, flexibility and profit are still t[...]

What was a merchant seaman's life like in the past, what experiences would he have had, what were the ships like that he sailed in, and what risks did he run? Was he shipwrecked, rewarded for bravery, or punished? And how can you find out about an ancestor who was a member of the long British mariti[...]

Lettie Peppercorn lives in a house on stilts near the wind-swept coast of Albion. Nothing incredible has ever happened to her, until one winter's night. The night the Snow Merchant comes. He claims to be an alchemist - and in a suitcase, he carries his newest invention. It is an invention that will [...]

The Merchant of Venice is perhaps most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex figure of the money lender, Shylock. The play was described as a comedy in the First Folio but its modern audiences find it more problematic to categorise. The vilification of Shylock 'the Jew'[...]

Over seventy merchant ships sailed in the Task force sent by Britain to recapture the Falkland islands in 1982. Some were Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, but the majority were STUFT-ships taken up from trade-and the officers and crew of these merchant vessels, all volunteers, suddenly found themselve[...]

Keep it simple and do it well. The Merchant & Mills Sewing Book contains fifteen step-by-step projects aimed at guiding you gently but firmly through the basics of sewing. Each project you make from this book will be stylish, but above all, useful. Part I of the book presents a fundamental overview [...]

The Merchant of Venice is most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex, unforgettable figure of the money-lender, Shylock. It is Shylock who finances Antonio's friend Bassanio in his pursuit of the beautiful Portia, and who demands a gruesome bond from the wealthy merchan[...]