Service Alert
Website maintenance April 24 10pm ET
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
Showing 21 - 40 of 858 items
By John Freed. 2016
Frederick Barbarossa, born of two of Germany’s most powerful families, swept to the imperial throne in a coup d’état in…
1152. A leading monarch of the Middle Ages, he legalized the dualism between the crown and the princes that endured until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. This new biography, the first in English in four decades, paints a rich picture of a consummate diplomat and effective warrior. John Freed mines Barbarossa’s recently published charters and other sources to illuminate the monarch’s remarkable ability to rule an empire that stretched from the Baltic to Rome, and from France to Poland. Offering a fresh assessment of the role of Barbarossa’s extensive familial network in his success, the author also considers the impact of Frederick’s death in the Third Crusade as the key to his lasting heroic reputation. In an intriguing epilogue, Freed explains how Hitler’s audacious attack on the Soviet Union in 1941 came to be called “Operation Barbarossa.”By Meredith Cohen. 2015
This book offers a novel perspective on one of the most important monuments of French Gothic architecture, the Sainte-Chapelle, constructed…
in Paris by King Louis IX of France between 1239 and 1248 especially to hold and to celebrate Christ's Crown of Thorns. Meredith Cohen argues that the chapel's architecture, decoration, and use conveyed the notion of sacral kingship to its audience in Paris and in greater Europe, thereby implicitly elevating the French king to the level of suzerain, and establishing an early visual precedent for the political theories of royal sovereignty and French absolutism. By setting the chapel within its broader urban and royal contexts, this book offers new insight into royal representation and the rise of Paris as a political and cultural capital in the thirteenth century.By John Hajdu Heyer. 2014
Louis XIV and his court at Versailles had a profound influence on music in France and throughout Europe. In 1660…
Louis visited Aix-en-Provence, a trip that resulted in political and cultural transformations throughout the region. Soon thereafter Aix became an important center of sacred music composition, eventually rivaling Paris for the quality of the composers it produced. John Hajdu Heyer documents the young king's visit and examines how he and his court deployed sacred music to enhance the royal image and secure the loyalty of the populace. Exploring the circle of composers at Aix, Heyer provides the most up-to-date and complete biographies in English of nine key figures, including Guillaume Poitevin, André Campra, Jean Gilles, François Estienne, and Antoine Blanchard. The book goes on to reveal how the history of political power in the region was reflected through church music, and how musicians were affected by contemporary events.By Rebecca C. Hains. 2014
Cartoon royalty, beware! A practical, solutions-based approach to navigating the perilous world of princesses Little girls love everything about princesses:…
the dolls, the love stories, the play clothes. But pop culture princesses are part of a powerful marketing machine, encouraging obsessive consumerism and delivering negative stereotypes about gender, race, and beauty to young girls. Princess Problem features stories and advice from parents, educators, psychologists, and children's industry insiders-including former Disney employees-to equip every parent with skills that will help them navigate their daughters' princess-saturated worlds.By Alex Rory. 2011
In Will and Kate's Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, the Royal couple take us behind-the-scenes with exclusive photos of their engagement,…
the hen night, the wedding day and more! Featuring comments from the future King and Queen, as well other less-interesting Royals, this unique photo album tells: . How Wills first 'grabbed' Kate at an Edinburgh fashion show: 'I had to get my hands on that see-through dress!' . Why Kate believes a Princess belongs in the caravan: 'It's not like Wills is going to be working either...' . Of Prince Harry's love of bare-knuckle boxing: 'It's just rahlly traditional, like' . And what the Queen thinks of anti-Royal/Gypsy prejudice: 'One is actually starting to get pi**ed off!'By David Fromkin. 2008
The story of the unlikely friendship between King Edward the Seventh of England and President Theodore Roosevelt, which became the…
catalyst for an international power shift and the beginning of the American century. In The King and the Cowboy, renowned historian David Fromkin reveals how two unlikely world leadersEdward the Seventh of England and Theodore Rooseveltrecast themselves as respected political players and established a friendship that would shape the course of the twentieth century in ways never anticipated. In 1901, these two colorful public figures inherited the leadership of the English-speaking countries. Following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, Edward ascended the throne. A lover of fine food, drink, beautiful women, and the pleasure-seeking culture of Paris, Edward had previously been regarded as a bon vivant. The publiceven Queen Victoria herselfdoubted Edwards ability to rule the British Empire. Yet Edward would surprise the world with his leadership and his canny understanding of the fragility of the British Empire at the apex of its global power. Across the Atlantic, Vice President Rooseveltthe aristocrat from Manhattan who fashioned his own legend, going west to become a cowboysucceeded to the presidency after President McKinleys 1901 assassination. Rising above criticism, Roosevelt became one of the nations most beloved presidents. The King and the Cowboyprovides new perspective on both Edward and Roosevelt, revealing how, at the oft-forgotten Algeciras conference of 1906, they worked together to dispel the shadow cast over world affairs by Edwards ill-tempered, power-hungry nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. At Algeciras, the U. S and major European powers allied with Britain in protest of Germanys bid for Moroccan independence. In an unlikely turn of events, the conference served to isolate Germany and set the groundwork for the forging of the Allied forces. The King and the Cowboyis an intimate study of two extraordinary statesmen whoin part because of their alliance at Algeciraswould become lauded international figures. Focusing in particular on Edward the Sevenths and Theodore Roosevelts influence on twentieth-century foreign affairs, Fromkins character-driven history sheds new light on the early events that determined the course of the century.By E. A. Smith. 1999
This engrossing biography of George IV, king of England from 1820 to 1830, gives a full and objective reassessment of…
the monarch's character, reputation, and achievement. Previous writers have tended to accept the unfavorable verdicts of the king's contemporaries that he was a dissolute, pleasure-loving dilettante and a feeble and ineffective ruler who was responsible for the decline of the power and reputation of the monarchy in the early nineteenth century. Now E.A. Smith offers a new view of George IV, one that does not minimize the king's faults but focuses on the positive qualities of his achievement in politics and in the patronage of the arts.Smith explores the roots of the king's character and personality, stressing the importance of his relationship with his parents and twelve surviving siblings. He examines the king's important contributions to the cultural enhancement of his capital and his encouragement of the major artistic, literary, and scholarly figures of his time. He reassesses the king's role as constitutional monarch, contending that it was he, rather than Victoria and Albert, who created the constitutional monarchy of nineteenth-century Britain and began the revival of its popularity. Smith's biography not only illuminates the character of one of the most colorful of Britain's rulers but also contributes to the history of the British monarchy and its role in the nation's life.By George M. Logan. 2011
This Companion offers a comprehensive introduction to the life and work of a major figure of the modern world. Combining…
breadth of coverage with depth, the book opens with essays on More's family, early life and education, his literary humanism, virtuoso rhetoric, illustrious public career and ferocious opposition to emergent Protestantism, and his fall from power, incarceration, trial and execution. These chapters are followed by in-depth studies of five of More's major works - Utopia, The History of King Richard the Third, A Dialogue Concerning Heresies, A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation and De Tristitia Christi - and a final essay on the varied responses to the man and his writings in his own and subsequent centuries. The volume provides an accessible overview of this fascinating figure to students and other interested readers, whilst also presenting, and in many areas extending, the most important modern scholarship on him.By John Guy. 2016
A groundbreaking reconsideration of our favorite Tudor queen, Elizabeth is an intimate and surprising biography that shows her at the…
height of her power by the bestselling, Whitbread Award-winning author of Queen of Scots. Elizabeth was crowned at twenty-five after a tempestuous childhood as a bastard and an outcast, but it was only when she reached fifty and all hopes of a royal marriage were dashed that she began to wield real power in her own right. For twenty-five years she had struggled to assert her authority over advisers who pressed her to marry and settle the succession; now, she was determined not only to reign but also to rule. In this magisterial biography of England's most ambitious Tudor queen, John Guy introduces us to a woman who is refreshingly unfamiliar: at once powerful and vulnerable, willful and afraid. In these essential and misunderstood forgotten years, Elizabeth confronts challenges at home and abroad: war against the Catholic powers of France and Spain, revolt in Ireland, an economic crisis that triggered riots in the streets of London, and a conspiracy to place her cousin Mary Queen of Scots on her throne. For a while she was smitten by a much younger man, but could she allow herself to act on that passion and still keep her throne? For the better part of a decade John Guy mined long-overlooked archives, scouring court documents and handwritten letters to sweep away myths and rumors. This prodigious historical detective work has made it possible to reveal for the first time the woman behind the polished veneer: wracked by insecurity, often too anxious to sleep alone, voicing her own distinctive and surprisingly resonant concerns. Guy writes like a dream, and this combination of groundbreaking research and propulsive narrative puts him in a class of his own.From the Hardcover edition.By Mary Ellen Johnson. 2018
As a Kingdom Trembles With Revolt a Knight and His Lady Must Choose Between Duty and Love in the…
Medieval Historical Romance A Child Upon the Throne by Mary Ellen Johnson--Medieval England following the death of Edward III in 1377 through the Peasants Revolt of 1381--With a child king upon the throne and England s lucrative martial victories a faded memory Knight Matthew Hart wants only to reunite with his long-time lover Margery Watson and their son to live out his days far away from the royal court But Margery s loyalties are torn To settle down with the knight she s loved since childhood or commit treason and side with the commoners overburdened with servitude and taxes When revolt sparks among the masses thousands march on London vowing to overthrow all those in power Now Margery must choose between her place in society with a knight she loves and her true beliefs about freedom justice and equality From the Publisher Readers with a passion for history will appreciate the author s penchant for detail and accuracy In keeping with being authentic to the era this story contains scenes of brutality which are true to the time and man s inhumanity There are a limited number of sexual scenes and NO use of modern vulgarity Fans of Elizabeth Chadwick Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory as well as Tamara Leigh and Suzan Tisdale will not want to miss this series Author Mary Ellen Johnson strides through history with the reader in the front seat Karen Lausa it challenged my intellect as well as my heart Margaret Watkins eBook Discovery ReviewerFrom the Author When crafting a story I am ever mindful of the parallels between the past and present Endless wars indifferent rulers rising taxes and corruption all of which inevitably resulted in a bloody insurrection An insurrection that while unsuccessful in the short term was even referenced by our Founding Fathers during their struggle for freedom As William Faulkner said The past isn t dead it s not even past so a knowledge of history is imperative THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND in series orderThe Lion and the LeopardA Knight There WasWithin A Forest DarkA Child Upon The ThroneLords Among the RuinsBy Antonia Fraser. 1998
By Antonia Fraser, John Gillingham, Peter Earle. 2000
By Patrick Collinson. 2013
This major new study is an exploration of the Elizabethan Puritan movement through the eyes of its most determined and…
relentless opponent, Richard Bancroft, later Archbishop of Canterbury. It analyses his obsession with the perceived threat to the stability of the church and state presented by the advocates of radical presbyterian reform. The book forensically examines Bancroft's polemical tracts and archive of documents and letters, casting important new light on religious politics and culture. Focussing on the ways in which anti-Puritanism interacted with Puritanism, it also illuminates the process by which religious identities were forged in the early modern era. The final book of Patrick Collinson, the pre-eminent historian of sixteenth-century England, this is the culmination of a lifetime of seminal work on the English Reformation and its ramifications.By The Editors of Life. 1945
Queen Elizabeth II has been called "A Queen for All Times." At 90 years old, she now has eclipsed Queen…
Victoria's 63-year record to become Britain's longest reigning monarch. She remains the head of state of the United Kingdom, and a group of 16 nations including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand call her queen, and she is the head of the British Commonwealth which includes another 37 countries, including India and South Africa. Throughout her life, she has enjoyed much happiness including a long and happy marriage to Prince Philip, four children, and Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees. Her reign has also been marked by much sadness, including the failed marriages of three of her children, the deaths of close family members and friends, and the markedly difficult death of Princess Diana, which took a toll on both the Royal Family and the nation.Now Life, in a new special edition, takes a nuanced and thoughtful look at the reign of Elizabeth at 90 and what her over-63 years on the throne have meant for her subjects and the world at large, including her early life, the years of World War Ii, her marriage and family, life ruling Great Britain, Windsor family values and much more.With dozens of stunning photos, stories, and analysis, Queen Elizabeth at 90 is a keepsake of both a life well-lived and an historical time on the throne, as well as a captivating collection for any royal watcher.By Kate Williams. 2015
We can hardly imagine a Britain without Elizabeth II on the throne. It seems to be the job she was…
born for. And yet for much of her early life the young princess did not know the role that her future would hold. She was our accidental Queen. Elizabeth's determination to share in the struggles of her people marked her out from a young age. Her father initially refused to let her volunteer as a nurse during the Blitz, but relented when she was 18 and allowed her to work as a mechanic and truck driver for the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. It was her forward-thinking approach that ensured that her coronation was televised, against the advice of politicians at the time. Kate Williams reveals how the 25-year-old young queen carved out a lasting role for herself amid the changes of the 20th century. Her monarchy would be a very different one to that of her parents and grandparents, and its continuing popularity in the 21st century owes much to the intelligence and elusive personality of this remarkable woman.By Alice Schertle. 1981
By Mary Villeponteaux. 2014
During the Elizabethan era, writers such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Sidney, Daniel, and others frequently expounded on mercy, exploring the sources…
and outcomes of clemency. This fresh reading of such depictions shows that the concept of mercy was a contested one, directly shaped by tensions over the exercise of judgment by a woman on the throne.By Sarah Duncan. 2012
This book explores the gender politics of the reign of Mary I of England from her coronation to her funeral…
and examines the ways in which the queen and her supporters used language, royal ceremonies, and images to bolster her right to rule and define her image as queen.By Elizabeth Casteen. 2015
In 1343 a seventeen-year-old girl named Johanna (1326–1382) ascended the Neapolitan throne, becoming the ruling monarch of one of medieval…
Europe's most important polities. For nearly forty years, she held her throne and the avid attention of her contemporaries. Their varied responses to her reign created a reputation that made Johanna the most notorious woman in Europe during her lifetime. In From She-Wolf to Martyr, Elizabeth Casteen examines Johanna's evolving, problematic reputation and uses it as a lens through which to analyze often-contradictory late-medieval conceptions of rulership, authority, and femininity. When Johanna inherited the Neapolitan throne from her grandfather, many questioned both her right to and her suitability for her throne. After the murder of her first husband, Johanna quickly became infamous as a she-wolf—a violent, predatory, sexually licentious woman. Yet, she also eventually gained fame as a wise, pious, and able queen. Contemporaries—including Francesco Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Birgitta of Sweden, and Catherine of Siena—were fascinated by Johanna. Drawing on a wide range of textual and visual sources, Casteen reconstructs the fourteenth-century conversation about Johanna and tracks the role she played in her time’s cultural imaginary. She argues that despite Johanna’s modern reputation for indolence and incompetence, she crafted a new model of female sovereignty that many of her contemporaries accepted and even lauded.By Joel Sherzer, Yolanda Lastra, Dina Sherzer. 2009
Mexico is famous for spectacular fiestas that embody its heart and soul. An expression of the cult of the saint,…
patron saint fiestas are the centerpiece of Mexican popular religion and of great importance to the lives and cultures of people and communities. These fiestas have their own language, objects, belief systems, and practices. They link Mexico's past and present, its indigenous and European populations, and its local and global relations. This work provides a comprehensive study of two intimately linked patron saint fiestas in the state of Guanajuato, near San Miguel de Allende - the fiesta of the village of Cruz del Palmar and that of the town of San Luis de la Paz. These two fiestas are related to one another in very special ways involving both religious practices and their respective pre-Hispanic origins. A mixture of secular and sacred, patron saint fiestas are multi-day affairs that include many events, ritual specialists, and performers, with the participation of the entire community. Fiestas take place in order to honor the saints, and they are the occasion for religious ceremonies, processions, musical performances, dances, and dance dramas. They feature spectacular costumes, enormous puppets, masked and cross-dressed individuals, dazzling fireworks, rodeos, food stands, competitions, and public dances. By encompassing all of these events and performances, this work displays the essence of Mexico, a lens through which this country's complex history, religion, ethnic mix, traditions, and magic can be viewed.