Batsford imprint: 183 books
Royalty's Strangest Characters
Extraordinary But True Tales of 2000 years of mad monarchs and raving rulers
Language: English
Release Date: March 27, 2014
Recounting over 2,000 years of daft despots, raving rulers and potty potentates, this unique look at the worlds craziest kings and queens will leave you shocked, amazed and often in fits of laughter. From the madness of ancient Rome, exemplified by the Emperor Caligula who wanted to appoint his horse...
by Ann Blockley
Language: English
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: October 26, 2018
John Blockley was one of Britain’s most outstanding watercolour and pastel painters of the late 20th century, and has exhibited at the Royal Academy. Self-taught, he produced work that has always been experimental and progressive. His highly textured style was well ahead of his time and still hugely...
Fishing's Strangest Days
Extraordinary But True Stories From Over Two Hundred Years of Angling History
Language: English
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Fishing's Strangest Tales gathers together choice stories and bizarre fishing tales from all over the world. Consider the Oxford scientist who in 1910 discovered the marvellous life-giving properties of brandy to fish who had otherwise gasped their last. Or how about the nine-year-old boy fishing...
Benny Hill - Merry Master of Mirth
the Complete Companion
Language: English
Release Date: October 30, 2014
Benny Hill is the best known and best loved British comedian on world television - from the USA to the Pacific Rim. Feted for his unique brand of coy awareness, innuendo and saucy songs - but seemingly out of favour in his homeland before his death - Benny Hill can now be rated as having had one of...
Tony Miles: It's Only Me
England's First Chess Grandmaster
Language: English
Release Date: November 12, 2014
The charismatic Tony Miles has been much missed since his tragic and premature death in 2001. Regarded as one of England's greatest ever chess players and analysts, he was also one of the wittiest writers on the game. By sheer force of example and ebullient peronality, he inspired the 'English chess...
Henry Stephens's Book of the Farm
concise and revised edition
Language: English
Release Date: July 10, 2013
The Book of the Farm, written by the 19th-century farming expert Henry Stephens, was the indispensable farming 'bible' referred to by the historians living and working on the BBC series Victorian Farm. This brand new version has been fully revised and edited by Alex Langlands, who starred on the programme,...
Learn Chess Quick
How to Play the World's Greatest Board Game, And Win
Language: English
Release Date: January 15, 2013
This fun and chatty book provides the ideal way to learn the world's greatest board game - the easy way.
by Richard Palliser
Language: English
Release Date: February 27, 2014
Language: English
Release Date: February 27, 2014
A comprehensive study book for players who would like to cultivate a reliable yet initiative-seeking opening repertoire as White, based on the opening moves 1 d4 followed by 2 c4. Specific main lines and side-variations are given to combat Black's possible choices of the King's, Queen's and Bogoljubow-Indian...
The Art of Checkmate
new translation with algebraic chess notation
Language: English
Release Date: February 5, 2015
The Art of Checkmate, first published in Monaco in 1947, has remained one of the most popular and enduring chess books of all time, loved by chess players and regularly appearing in top ten lists of their favourites. Remarkably, despite its widespread popularity, the first English edition, published...
Petrosian vs the Elite
71 victories by the master of manoeuvres 1946-1983
Language: English
Release Date: September 24, 2014
This book contains 71 deeply annotated chess victories of Tigran Petrosian (World Champion from 1963 to 1969) against the leading players of his day, some of which are in print for the first time. The authors' authoritative but accessible language makes it a good read for the amateur as well as a cast-iron network of interlocking variations to satisfy the professionals.
Caro-Kann Defence
Panov Attack
Language: English
Release Date: February 6, 2014
The Caro-Kann Defence has a justified reputation for reliability, making it an attractive choice for players with a preference for positional play. However in recent years many new dangerous ideas have been discovered for White which makes a study of the theoretical main lines imperative for competitive...
Faeries, Elves and Goblins
The Old Stories
Language: English
Release Date: August 15, 2013
Many people in England have little knowledge of genuine 'English' fairy tales. The stories that many of us grew up with are from overseas: for example Snow White is German, Cinderella is French and Aladdin is Arabian.
by A.A. Kotov
Language: English
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Language: English
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Alexander Kotov's trilogy, of which this is the second volume and now available in digital format for the first time, marks a landmark in chess literature. For the first time, a leading player managed to tackle the important elements of chess mastery in a methodical way which all chess players could...
by Gary Lane
Language: English
Release Date: April 4, 2016
Language: English
Release Date: April 4, 2016
A follow-up to the bestselling 'Improve Your Chess in 7 Days', this essential chess instructor is perfect for players who are desperate to brush up on their tactics but don''t have time to devote to long hours of study. Handily arranged day by day, it is full of easy-to-follow advice on developing...