Pen Sword Books: 303 books

The remarkable life and culinary career of the Martha Stewart of World War–era Britain. Dorothy Peel played a key role in creating wartime recipes for householders and was awarded an OBE in 1918 for services to the Ministry of Food. In this fascinating book, Vicky Straker explores the social...

An “utterly brilliant” and deeply researched guide to the sights, smells, endless wonders, and profound changes of nineteenth century British history (Books Monthly, UK).   Step into the past and experience the world of Victorian England, from clothing to cuisine, toilet arrangements to transport—and...

An account of four royal women that’s “as inherently fascinating as it is exceptionally informative . . . an extraordinary read from beginning to end” (Midwest Book Review). Once upon a time there were four kings called George who, thanks to a quirk of fate, ruled Great Britain for...

From the authors of An Infamous Mistress: “The tale of two juicy 19th-century scandals, both concerning the aristocratic Cavendish-Bentinck family” (Cheshire Life). Almost two books in one, A Right Royal Scandal recounts the fascinating history of the irregular love matches contracted by...

Profiles of twelve trailblazing Regency Era women—from Jane Austen to Madame Tussaud—who took charge of their destinies and changed the world.   In the nineteenth century, women faced challenges and constraints that many of us would find shocking by today’s standards. What Regency Women Did...

“A fascinating tale of witchcraft and skulduggery in darkest Yorkshire in the early 19th century. . . . An extraordinary story, brilliantly told.” —Books Monthly On the morning of March 20, 1809, the woman who had earned herself the title of “The Yorkshire Witch” was hanged at York’s...

The fascinating history of “a race that simply would not accept defeat” (Books Monthly).   In the late fourth century, pressure from the Huns forced the Goths to cross the Danube into the Roman Empire. The resultant Battle of Adrianople in 378 was one of Rome’s greatest defeats. Both western...

An eyewitness account of the fight for supremacy at sea during World War II, as told by a man who was in the thick of combat against Nazi Germany. The Battle of the Atlantic was an unremitting assault by enemy boats and aircraft against Allied merchant ships that were the lifeline of Great...

The author of *Guarding Hitler*tells the truly heart-rending stories of Caucasian and Eurasian children held captive inside Japanese internment camps.   The Japanese treatment of Allied children was as harsh and murderous as that of their parents and military POWs, but this whole episode has been...

“The inspiring stories of a number of very different characters who used their Christian faith to cope with their experiences of the First World War.” —Jacqueline Wadsworth, author of Letters from the Trenches   While a toxic mixture of nationalism and militarism tore Europe and the wider world...

An “insightful and extensive” history of the women who took over agricultural duties in England during World War I (Sussex Living Magazine).   One could be forgiven for supposing that the story of the Women’s Land Army starts in 1939 during World War II. But it’s a much older and more complicated...

“Fascinating and enlightening . . . Historical true crime books can often fall victim to being very dry . . . [This book], however, is quite the opposite” (Crime Traveler).   Despite the Victorian period’s reputation for stability and social order, there was plenty of civil disorder during...

A “superlative social history” of British women’s efforts in WWI and how they led to the women’s suffrage movement—includes photos (Books Monthly).   In this fascinating history, husband and wife coauthors Stephen and Tanya Wynn chronicle the effects of the Great War on the lives of women,...

From Victorian cat funerals to a Regency-era pony who took a ride in a hot air balloon, a collection of history’s quirkiest—and most poignant—animal tales.   Meet Fortune, the Pug who bit Napoleon on his wedding night, and Looty, the Pekingese sleeve dog who was presented to Queen Victoria...