November Additions To The Library

Well, November is upon us and the order has gone in for the next round of additions to the Library. And here they are:

The Crimes of Elagabalus: The Life and Legacy of Rome's Decadent Boy Emperor by Martijn Icks

Elagabalus was one of the most notorious of Rome's 'bad emperors': a sexually-depraved and eccentric hedonist who in his short and riotous reign made unprecedented changes to Roman state religion and defied all taboos. This book examines the life of one of the Roman Empire's most colourful figures, and charts the many guises of his legacy.

Great Commanders of the Medieval World 454-1582AD by Andrew Roberts

A magisterial survey of the military giants of the medieval world. (And at AUS$8.00- a bargain!)

The Kings & Queens of Scotland by Timothy Venning

The story of the rulers of Scotland's constituent states and then of the united kingdom of Scots from Kenneth MacAlpin onwards is complex and often violent. It is full of rapid reversals of fortune, brilliant and incompetent leadership, family strife, and triumph and tragedy closely intertwined. The obscure earlier history is often as fascinating as the better-known stories of the Bruce and Queen Mary, though less familiar. This saga of a thousand years is a tribute to the qualities of Scotland's rulers. (I have two others by Venning - collection nearly complete!).

The Italian Crusades: The Papal-Angevin Alliance and the Crusades Against Christian Lay Powers, 1254-1343 by Norman Housley

From the cover of the book:"The Papal - Angevin alliance and the Crusades against Christian lay powers 1254 - 1343" (hey - at over AUS$100.00 off RRP - a real bargain for a  300-page hardback edition!)

The Dukes of Burgundy: Charles the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Bold, Philip the Good by Richard Vaughan

First published nearly forty years ago, Richard Vaughan's masterly four-part history of the Valois dukes of Burgundy has never been surpassed. Beginning with Philip the Bold, Vaughan describes the emergence of the Burgundian state. John the Fearless defended and developed its power ruthlessly during his ducal reign, which reached its apogee under Philip the Good. Charles the Bold ruled a state that was recognised as one of the major powers of medieval Europe, his ambition extending to an alliance with England. With the death of Charles fighting the Swiss army at Nancy in 1477, Richard Vaughan brings this history of the Burgundian dukedom to a triumphant conclusion. (Four volume box set).