Pen Sword Books: 303 books
Compacts and Cosmetics
Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day
Language: English
Release Date: November 9, 2009
A delightfully illustrated history of makeup and the beauty business.
Cosmetics go all the way back to ancient times. In this book, an expert in vintage accessories tells the story of beauty products from the nineteenth century to the present, revealing how both makeup and the women who wear...
Cataclysm 90 BC
The Forgotten War that Almost Destroyed Rome
Language: English
Release Date: November 30, 2014
A dramatic account of a rebellion against the Roman republic—by a confederation of its Italian allies.
We know of Rome’s reputation for military success against foreign enemies. Yet at the start of the first century BC, Rome faced a hostile army less than a week’s march from the capital....
A Georgian Heroine
The Intriguing Life of Rachel Charlotte Williams Biggs
Language: English
Release Date: November 30, 2017
“A very fair and balanced portrait of one of the Regency era’s most remarkable—and most unknown—women” from the authors of A Right Royal Scandal (Jacqueline Reiter, author of Earl of Shadows).
Rachel Charlotte Williams Biggs lived an incredible life, one which proved that fact is often...
by Daniel J. Codd
Language: English
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Think the world is bad today? Then take a true-crime trip back in time to 1600s England, where violence, robbery, and cold-blooded murder ran amuck.
These days, criminals and evildoers are stopped, caught, and punished every day. But how did people deal with crimes before the police, computer records,...
by Kathy Martin
Language: English
Release Date: December 12, 2016
Language: English
Release Date: December 12, 2016
“This fascinating and enjoyable book tells the story of around 200 brand names, delving succinctly into their origins and fortunes over time” (Your Family History).
Many brands, including Boots, Hoover, and Kelloggs, were named after their founders whilst others have less obvious origins; for...
Everest & Conquest in the Himalaya
Science and Courage on the World's Highest Mountain
Language: English
Release Date: July 12, 2011
A history of those who have scaled Mount Everest—and the advances in mountaineering over a century.
At one time, the summits of the world’s highest peaks—Everest included—were beyond reach. Pioneering attempts to overcome the dangers of climbing at extremely high altitudes ended in failure,...
Women of the 1960s
More Than Mini Skirts, Pills & Pop Music
Language: English
Release Date: March 30, 2016
An in depth look at the lives of women in the swinging 1960s—beyond the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.
The 1960s were a progressive decade, bringing many life changing events, especially for women. Women of the 1960s explores the experiences of teenagers, young career women, and those...
by Chris Peers
Language: English
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Language: English
Release Date: March 31, 2015
The military might, tactics, and philosophy of Khan is explored in this “fine read” and “useful source for Mongolian . . . and medieval studies in general” (De Re Militari).
As a soldier, general, statesman, and empire-builder, Genghis Khan is a near-mythical figure. His remarkable achievements...
The Biafra Story
The Making of an African Legend
Language: English
Release Date: March 21, 2015
A fearless act of journalism in 1960s Nigeria and the true story behind the international bestselling novel The Dogs of War.
The Nigerian civil war of the late 1960s was one of the first occasions when Western consciences were awakened and deeply affronted by the level of suffering and the...
by Stephen Jakobi
Language: English
Release Date: November 30, 2017
Language: English
Release Date: November 30, 2017
Four turn-of-the-century fiends whose “crimes, even by today’s standards, are still shocking—because they were committed by women” (Yorkshire Magazine).
Their names may not be as familiar as such notorious female serial killers as Aileen Wuornos, Myra Hindley, Martha Beck, or Belle...
An Anthology of Ancient Mesopotamian Texts
When the Gods were Human
Language: English
Release Date: November 30, 2016
Learn about the ancient civilizations of Iraq and Syria, through the stories they told.
This book gathers the best stories of ancient Near Eastern literature surrounding the Mesopotamian gods, men, and kings. It takes the reader on a journey back to the birth of literature in Mesopotamia—which...
Fire Over the Rock
The Great Siege of Gibraltar, 1779–1783
Language: English
Release Date: May 21, 2009
**“**This book does a wonderful job in describing a portion of [the Rock of Gibraltar’s] history during the Napoleonic Wars” (The Past in Review).
The great siege of Gibraltar was the longest recorded in the annals of the British army. Between 1779 and 1783, a small British force defended...
A Pauper's History of England
1,000 Years of Peasants, Beggars & Guttersnipes
Language: English
Release Date: September 30, 2015
A unique tour through British history—from the perspective of the peasants and the poverty-stricken.
The past is traditionally told from the viewpoint of kings and queens, politicians and pioneers. But what about the people struggling to survive at the very lowest levels of society?
A Pauper’s...
The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes
The Ancient World Economy & the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia & Han China
Language: English
Release Date: November 11, 2016
A fascinating history of the intricate web of trade routes connecting ancient Rome to Eastern civilizations, including its powerful rival, the Han Empire.
The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes investigates the trade routes between Rome and the powerful empires of inner Asia, including the Parthian...