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John Clare: A Biography
The long-awaited literary biography of the supreme "poets' poet"John Clare (1793-1864) is the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self, but until now he has never been the subject of a comprehensive literary biography. Here at last is his full story told by the light of his voluminous work: his birth in poverty, his work as an agricultural labourer, his burgeoning promise as a writer--cultivated under the gaze of rival patrons--then his moment of fame in the company of John Keats and the toast of literary London, and finally his decline into mental illness and his last years confined in asylums. Clare's ringing voice--quick-witted, passionate, vulnerable, courageous--emerges in generous quotation from his letters, journals, autobiographical writings, and his poems, as Jonathan Bate, the celebrated scholar of Shakespeare, brings the complex man, his beloved work, and his ribald world vividly to life. .
Price: $2.45
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Althorp: The Story of an English House
This account of Althorp, his family seat, by Charles, the ninth earl Spencer, only scratches the surface of its 500-year history Nevertheless, whether he is describing the sleepless nights of his childhood, the ticking of clocks "always ... too subtle a sound, getting absorbed in the oak of the floorboards and the fabric of the tapestries," or appraising the forbidding character of his grandfather, the "Curator Earl," Spencer casts a candid, evocative light on his subject. Indeed, Spencer's own efforts on the estate have been considerable. First comes the business of repairing the predations of his "short-termist stepmother," Raine, the countess of Dartmouth, who has laid down wall-to-wall oatmeal carpet in a 115-foot-long Tudor picture gallery. Now comes the death and burial on the estate of his sister, Diana, the princess of Wales. That Charles must now curate the family home as a site of global mourning is a trial quite the equal of anything the estate has ever faced. Subtitled "The Story of an English House," the book has a structure, dividing the subject into buildings, grounds, family history, and collections, that is entirely conventional. Yet Spencer surprises by packing in many details about the social and political vicissitudes that shaped his family's wealth and taste. In doing so, he eschews his grandfather's regrettable elitism, while losing none of the old man's dedication to the family's heritage. Like all good introductions, this book suggests a world and time far exceeding its little compass. --Simon Ings.
Price: $79.98
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The Green Lane to Nowhere: The Life of an English Village
Byron Rogers moved to Blakesley, in Northamptonshire, long before fleeing the city for the country became everyone’s dream. Over the years, his “Village Voice” column in London’s Daily Telegraph observed his village’s gradual evolution from a place where people lived from cradle to grave, into a dormitory haven for car-borne commuters. Now, in The Green Lane to Nowhere, his touching, frequently hilarious chronicle can be enjoyed by a wider audience. Here is the Methodist chapel that became an auto showroom, the summer gala where the author bought his neighbor’s shirts, his elevation to heady civic responsibility as Warden of the Paths, and the pathos of the village’s oldest resident finally having to quit her ancestral home. It is an enchanting book that will appeal to anyone who has ever dreamed of leaving the metropolis behind. Byron Rogers is the author of An Audience with an Elephant..
Price: $9.49
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AIRFIELDS OF 1ST AIR DIVISION (USAAF): Cambridgeshire * Northamptonshire * Bedfordshire - Aviation Heritage Trail Series
As part of the AHT series, the airfields and interest in this book are concentrated in a particular area - in this case Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire Constituted as the lst Bombardment Division on 30 August 1943 the unit was activated at Brampton Grange, Huntingdon on 13 September 1943. It was assigned to the Eighth Air Force and redesignated lst Air Division in December 1944. The division served in combat in the European theater of Operations from September 1943 until April 1945. All squadrons within the division flew the long-distance Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber on raids into occupied Europe and Germany. There were forty-eight squadrons in the division based at Bassingbourn, Ridgewell, Nuthamstead, Podington, Chelveston, Thurleigh, Molesworth, Kimbolten, Grafton Underwood, Polebrook, Deenethorpe and Glatton. As part of the AHT series, the airfields and interest in this book are concentrated in a particular area - in this case Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Constituted as the lst Bombardment Division on 30 August 1943 the unit was activated at Brampton Grange, Huntingdon on 13 September 1943. It was assigned to the Eighth Air Force and redesignated lst Air Division in December 1944. The division served in combat in the European theater of Operations from September 1943 until April 1945. All squadrons within the division flew the long-distance Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber on raids into occupied Europe and Germany. There were forty-eight squadrons in the division based at Bassingbourn, Ridgewell, Nuthamstead, Podington, Chelveston, Thurleigh, Molesworth, Kimbolten, Grafton Underwood, Polebrook, Deenethorpe and Glatton..
Price: $12.83
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The Spencers: A Personal History of an English Family
That this book would have been less likely without a certain English princess is beyond dispute Even Charles Spencer won't deny the influence famous sister had in keeping the family image prominent in both the public eye and the marketplace, whether that means books or Althorp guided tours. Yet he avoids capitalizing on Diana's name, and in the process creates a lively history of a powerful family in an age when, as Spencer writes, "the aristocracy ... is most often perceived as an anachronism." The Spencers first came to the fore in the 15th and 16th centuries. Prosperous Northamptonshire sheep farmers who spun wool into gold, their influence in both politics and the military grew steadily until no Cabinet was complete without a Spencer. Their family tree in subsequent centuries featured a few common themes, including patronage of the arts, a liberal Whig sensibility, books and bookmakers, and sons who chose between the ecclesiastical cloth and the gaming cloth. But they were perhaps most interesting for their women, strong-willed, resolute characters like Sarah Marlborough, Lavinia Spencer, and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. While the Spencer men held power, their wives wielded it. And what of the most famous female Spencer of all, Diana? The author wisely deals with her in less than a paragraph, aware of the glut of words already used up on her life. Unfortunately such discipline doesn't extend to the publishers, who include a picture of her on the book's cover and say that its contents put her life into "vivid context." This is to do an injustice to her brother's cause, for his mix of historical research and family legends makes for a readable account in its own right, enlivened rather than spoiled by his engaging and distinctively Spencerian voice. --David Vincent.
Price: $15.21
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Sargent Genealogy: Hugh Sargent, of Courteenhall, Northamptonshire, and His Descendants in England and William Sargent, of Malden, New England, and His Descendants in America
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The Military Airfields of Britain: Wales and West Midlands: Cheshire, Hereford and Worcester, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, ... Wales (Military Airfields of Britain)
This series of books provides a fresh user-friendly look at the military airfields of the British Isles. The series is split geographically, each book including a number of counties on a regional basis. Entries cover every military airfield within the counties, from WWI to the present day and comprise: the counties that spread from Northamptonshire to Wales made two great contributions to World War II: in training and in the maintenance units that ensured a steady supply of aircraft to the frontline. The region also made a direct contribution to the war in all roles: fighter, bomber, maritime patrol and air assault. Postwar, the region has continued to play an important role in aircrew training at bases such as Valley and Shawbury. .
Price: $19.29
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FIGHTER BASES IN WORLD WAR 2 - AIRBASES OF 12 GROUP: Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Northamptonshire (Aviation Heritage Trail Series)
As part of the Aviation Heritage Trail series, this book covers airfields in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Yorkshire and Northamptonshire. 12 Group was formed in 1937 within Fighter Command to become responsible for aerial defense of the industrial Midlands. During World War Two this group was the second most important fighter group and as such, it received it's fair share of attacks from the German Luftwaffe throughout the war. As well as regional defense, 12 Group were also supposed to fly cover for 11 Group airfields during the Battle of Britain. The airfields and other places of interest include Digby, Hibaldstow, Kirton on Lindsey, Coltishall, Matlask, Swanton Morley, Catterick, Church Fenton, Clifton, Hutton Cranswick and Wittering This book looks at the history and personalities associated with each base, what remains today and explores the favorite local wartime haunts. Museums and places that are relevant will also be described and general directions on how to get them included..
Price: $16.21
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