Justin Pollard

Howard Reid

A history of the ancient city documents its period superiority as an archaeological and technological super power, revealing how atomic theory, geometry, the steam engine, and other developments were initiated there while tracing the city's downfall and ultimate legacy to the modern world.

Birthplace of the Modern Mind

The Rise and Fall of Alexandria

the man who made England

Alfred the Great

A history of archaeology in 50 great discoveries.

The Story of Archaeology in 50 Great Discoveries

Did you give school history lessons your undivided attention? Even if you did, you're probably none the wiser as to how exactly Henry II of France came to have a two-foot splinter in his head or why Alexandra of Bavaria believed she had swallowed a piano. Or where terms like bunkum, maverick, John Bull and taking the mickey come from; or how the Tsarina of Russia once saved a life with a comma; or why Robert Pate hit Queen Victoria on the head with a walking stick. For some unknown reason the most interesting bits of history are kept out of lessons and away from syllabuses. Relegated to history's footnotes, they lie buried beneath the dense text like a few golden nuggets in a mountain of granite. Now The Interesting Bits rights this wrong; it is a veritable treasure trove of those surprising, eccentric, chaotic, baffling asides that don't fit neatly into history's official narrative. They are historys little-known treasures the gems that generations of teachers have excised from lessons on the grounds that they might make history too much like well fun.

The History You Might Have Missed

The Interesting Bits

In an era darkened by the terror of Viking invasions, England's first and greatest king was a beacon of light. "This is the story of England's birth. A great story, beautifully told." (Bernard Cornwell, author of The Pale Horseman) Alfred was England's first king, and his rule spanned troubled times. As his shores sat under constant threat from Viking marauders, his life was similarly imperiled by conspiracies in his own court. He was an extraordinary character?a soldier, scholar, and statesman like no other in English history?and out of adversity he forged a new kind of nation. Justin Pollard's enthralling account strips back centuries of myth to reveal the individual behind the legend. He offers a radical new interpretation of what inspired Alfred to create England and how it has colored the nation's history to the present day. Justin Pollard, a Cambridge-educated archaeologist, is a documentary filmmaker and the author of Seven Ages of Britain.

MGM's hit show Vikings on the History Channel has drawn millions of viewers into the fascinating and bloody world of legendary Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok, who led Viking warriors to the British Isles and France. Covering the first three seasons of the series, this official companion book delves into the real history as well as the behind-the-scenes stories. Viking historian Justin Pollard explains shipbuilding and navigation, Norse culture and religion, and the first encounters between Viking warriors and the kings of England and France. Interviews with cast and crew reveal the process of dramatizing this gripping story, from reviving the Old Norse language to choreographing battle scenes and building ancient temples for human sacrifice. This spectacular ebook is a must for fans of the show and history buffs alike. VIKINGS © 2015 TM Prods Ltd/T5 Vikings Prods Inc. VIKINGS™ TM Prods Ltd.

The World of Vikings

Some of our most intriguing history is missing. Perhaps there has been a conspiracy, a cover-up? Or maybe some stories have been lost, forgotten or were just too embarrassing to talk about at the time? But now they are back, revealed in all their glory: secret passages, events, societies, loves, identities and even dark secrets of the grave. After much sleuthing, Justin Pollard takes us into undisclosed historical waters to discover why the city of Burlington isn't on the map; how 'Agent Pickle' saved the lost treasure of Bonnie Prince Charlie; what Sir Thomas Overbury knew in 1613 that got him murdered with a poisoned enema and how Virginia Woolf sweet-talked her way aboard HMS Dreadnought dressed as Abyssinian Prince. Secret Britain also reveals the tragic love story behind the Rolls Royce mascot; how agent Garbo managed to get an MBE and an Iron Cross; the sinister properties of the Hand of Glory; the lost smuggling ship Peggy; the Mystery Runner of Nos Galan; the extraordinary history of the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan; London's only Nazi war memorial and the secrets of the WWII Monopoly board.

The Hidden Bits of Our History

Secret Britain

Michael Hirst

Since the autumn of 2007 Justin Pollard's Eccentric Engineer column in the award-winning E&T magazine has been campaigning to remind engineers of the extraordinary role that their subject has played in human history. This book gathers together three years of those musings, highlighting not simply the most famous engineering tales but the unusual, the erratic, and occasionally the patently insane. In its fifty stories it covers everything from aircraft carriers made of ice, to the origins of the omnibus. We'll toy with Roman turbines, and Greek computers, look at Renaissance hypertext and have arguments with Americans over the shape of our lightning conductors. We'll shake Scotland with earthquakes and build cars out of beans. But most of all we'll celebrate the joys and perils of living in an engineered world.

Justin Pollard

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