Shire Publications imprint: 233 books

Over the course of the nineteenth century, gardening came to be considered a respectable profession, providing a means to an education, a good chance of advancement and decent working conditions. The hierarchy of the garden staff became just as regimented as that of domestic servants, and progression...

The humble buckle is an often-taken for granted fastening, yet its usefulness and sturdiness has ensured that it has survived from ancient times through to the present day. The author provides a comprehensive typology of buckles, from the earliest designs to the most recent uses. With detailed records...

Since the early seventeenth century, when the cultivation of exotic plants and fruit became fashionable in northern Europe, glasshouses have offered an artificial climate in which they could flourish. At first these structures were within reach only of the very richest, and growing one's own oranges,...

A duel could result from any challenge to a gentleman's honour, from minor insult to major accusation. At a prearranged time, two men at odds would meet, armed either with swords or pistols, to engage in a formal and sometimes fatal exchange. Gentlemen considered it their prerogative to fight, despite...

At the dawn of the Victorian age there was effectively no police detective force in Britain and detecting methods were rudimentary; by the end of Victoria's reign the Criminal Investigation Department had been established and basic forensic tests were in use. This book explores the development of...

The Salvation Army is a byword for philanthropy and charitable work, with its brass bands and uniformed officers indelible parts of the fabric of British life – yet many may not be aware of the real extent of its work and influence. This is the story of how Reverend William Booth's East London Christian...

Founded in 1894 by James Wright Beswick, Beswick Pottery remained in the family for three generations before becoming part of Royal Doulton in 1969, and is now independently owned. As owners and collectors of its products will testify, Beswick aimed, and still aims today, to produce well-made ceramics...

Although steel and glass dominate modern cities, Britain boasts innumerable beautiful examples of more traditional construction methods. Many date from the period before easy nationwide transportation, when materials were usually grown or extracted locally, and as a result Britain has a varied legacy...

With world markets upset and economies in recession, the 1920s and '30s were not an easy time for farmers, who required great resilience to survive. Jonathan Brown here examines the challenges that farmers faced and the ways in which they responded. Some turned to new crops, with new markets emerging...

For thousands of years peat was the main fuel that that warmed houses all over the British Isles, and the mark of the peat cutter is written deep in the landscape. This book is a celebration of a cultural history that extended from the Iron Age to the twentieth century. It tells the story of the use...

The rapid westward expansion of the United States in the early twentieth century set the stage for a new industry: mail-order homes. Sold by such companies as Sears, Roebuck & Co., Aladdin, and Montgomery Ward, these kit homes were shipped by train to their purchasers in boxcars containing everything...

Reading Blue Coat School was opened in 1660 to teach twenty 'children of honest poore men', according to the bequest of merchant Richard Aldworth. Despite his and subsequent bequests, the school was initially housed in a dilapidated former inn, and it was a constant struggle to make ends meet and...

The Rowntree name is linked to some of the most iconic and well-loved brands of the 20th century, including the KitKat, Aero and Fruit Pastilles. On the way he transformed a small factory in York into a global business. But there is much more to the Joseph Rowntree story than chocolate. A prominent...

Since the end of the nineteenth century there has been a stunning succession of transatlantic liners, from the White Star Line's Oceanic of 1899 to the Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 of 2004. These floating palaces often contained luxurious staterooms, ballrooms and lounges for the rich, and noticeably...