Other Women: The History of the Mistress

Fiona McDonald • £14.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

For centuries mistresses or ‘kept women’ have sauntered through life as symbols of power, pleasure and freedom. The women were, and often still are, vilified by and kept separate from ’traditional’ society. But once a discerning gentlemen was under their spell, they lived a secret life of luxury and comfort and endless independence.

Fiona McDonald’s Other Women: The History of the Mistress tells the stories of the women, from right across history, who gave away their hearts and bodies for wealth. Famous examples from the book include the secret meetings between Edith Swan-Neck and King Harold II, Alice Keppel and King Edward VII as well as the mistresses of writers such as Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.

Ranging from companions to royalty to those of the ‘ordinary man’, this interesting piece of social history explores the sacrifices, gains and controversies that have followed various mistresses down the ages.

Author Fiona McDonald is a writer and illustrator with a diverse range of interests. She is also the author and illustrator of Gentlemen Rogues & Wicked Ladies (The History Press, 2012), which explores the equally lurid history of highwaymen – and highway-women – in Britain.

Britannia’s Dragon

J D Davies • £18.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

Wales has a long coastline, and nowhere is more than about 40 miles from the sea or a navigable river. From the earliest times, Welshmen have used the sea and the sea has shaped the history of the country. Seapower was arguably one of the most decisive factors in ending the nation’s independence. The Welsh contribution to piracy also has long been recognized.

Britannia’s Dragon presents much new and sometimes surprising evidence, such as the fact that relative to the populations of the retrospective countries, proportionately more Welshmen fought at Trafalgar than Scots, Irishmen or even Englishmen. The book also examines the invaluable contribution made by Welsh industry – especially coal and copper – to naval history, and considers such themes as shipbuilding and shipwrecks.

Britannia’s Dragon spans five centuries of history and gives Welsh naval history the voice it deserves.

Lavender Water & Snail Syrup

Nicola Lillie & Marilyn Yurdan • £9.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

Elizabeth Ambler started compiling her household book of cures in the early 18th century, including in it treatments which were much older. Her descendant Nicola Lillie, aided by historian Marilyn Yurdan, provides a fascinating intro-duction to this book handed down through three centuries, including edited selections of the original.

The result offers a fascinating insight into the sickness and health of our Georgian ancestors, and into what really went on in their kitchens. The book is also lavishly illustrated with period pictures and documents.