Four hundred years ago, every barrister had to dance because dancing put them in harmony with the universe. John Ogilby's first job, in 1612, was to teach them. By the 1670s, he was Charles II's Royal Cosmographer, creating beautiful measured drawings that placed roads on maps for the first time. During the intervening years, Ogilby had travelled through fire and plague, war and shipwreck; had been an impresario in Dublin, a poet in London, a soldier and sea captain, as well as a secret agent, publisher and scientific geographer. The world of his youth had been blown up and turned upside down. Beset by danger, he carefully concealed his biography in codes and cyphers, which meant that the truth about his life has remained unknown... until today. In this enlightening book, Alan Ereira brings a fascinating hidden history to light, and reveals that Ogilby's celebrated Britannia is far more than a harmless road atlas: it is, rather, filled with secrets designed to serve a conspiracy of kings and England's undoing. The Nine Lives of John Ogilby is the story of a remarkable man, and of a covert journey which gave birth to the modern world.

In September 1931 the Royal Navy experienced its biggest modern mutiny. The largest warships in the Atlntic Fleet were gathering in Cromarty Firth, for their autumn exercises. Meanwhile Ramsay MacDonald's newly formed national Government announced its emergency budget, introducing means tests, cutting umeployment benefit and reducing public sector pay. On arrival Invergordon the sailors discovered the scale of the cuts they were supposed to bear. Their resulting strike, co-ordinated from ship to ship, swiftly achieved its objective. The Navy was badly shaked by the extraordinary efficiency of the action, and Britiains' financial credit was so seriously damaged that within a few days the country was forced off the Gold Standard. Until this book was published little of the story was known; officially dexcribed as a case of 'unrest' it was hushed up and no Courts-Martial or Commission of Inquiry followed. This is the first detailed account of the Invergordon mutiny based on the personal testimony of those involved on the lower deck. Particular attention is given to the way the affair was organized, both centrally and in individual ships, to the structure of command and to the flash points when the use of force was considered and attempted. The dramatic story is hereput into is historical context: the background to the budget crisis of 1931, the implications of the cuts imposed, the conditions of the Fleet at the time: themes which remain as pertinent today as they were in 1931.

In September 1931 the Royal Navy experienced its biggest modern mutiny. The largest warships in the Atlantic Fleet were gathering in Cromarty Firth, for their autumn exercises. Meanwhile Ramsay MacDonald's newly formed national Government announced its emergency budget, introducing means tests, cutting umeployment benefit and reducing public sector pay. On arrival at Invergordon the sailors discovered the scale of the cuts they were supposed to bear. Their resulting strike, co-ordinated from ship to ship, swiftly achieved its objective. The Navy was badly shaked by the extraordinary efficiency of the action, and Britiains' financial credit was so seriously damaged that within a few days the country was forced off the Gold Standard. Until this book was published little of the story was known; officially dexcribed as a case of 'unrest' it was hushed up and no Courts-Martial or Commission of Inquiry followed. This is the first detailed account of the Invergordon mutiny based on the personal testimony of those involved on the lower deck. Particular attention is given to the way the affair was organized, both centrally and in individual ships, to the structure of command and to the flash points when the use of force was considered and attempted. The dramatic story is hereput into its historical context: the background to the budget crisis of 1931, the implications of the cuts imposed, the conditions of the Fleet at the time: themes which remain as pertinent today as they were in 1931.

Was medieval England full of knights on horseback rescuing fainting damsels in distress? Were the Middle Ages mired in superstition and ignorance? Why does nobody ever mention King Louis the First and Last? And, of couse, those key questions: which monks were forbidden the delights of donning underpants...and did outlaws never wear trousers?;Terry Jones and Alan Ereira are your guides to this most misrepresented and misunderstood period, and they point you to things that will surprise and provoke. Did you know, for example, that medieval people didn't think the world was flat? That was a total fabrication by an American journalist in the 19th century. Did you know that they didn't burn witches in the Middle Ages? That was a refinement of the so-called Renaissance. In fact, medieval kings weren't necessarily merciless tyrants and peasants entertained at home using French pottery and fine wine.;Terry Jones' Medieval Lives reveals Medieval Britain as you have never seen it before - a vibrant society teeming with individuality, intrigue and innovation.;'Jones laces the latest academic research with his own increasingly avuncular humour. Who says history can t be fun? In the hands of P

The Kogi people, the "Elder Brothers" of humanity, live hidden on a mountain they call "The Heart of the World." This is the true story of how they revealed themselves to warn us of the impending calamity we are creating.

Terry Jones' Barbarians takes a completely fresh approach to Roman history. Not only does it offer us the chance to see the Romans from a non-Roman perspective, it also reveals that most of those written off by the Romans as uncivilized, savage and barbaric were in fact organized, motivated and intelligent groups of people, with no intentions of overthrowing Rome and plundering its Empire. This original and fascinating study does away with the propaganda and opens our eyes to who really established the civilized world. Delving deep into history, Terry Jones and Alan Ereira uncover the impressive cultural and technological achievements of the Celts, Goths, Persians and Vandals. In this paperback edition, Terry and Alan travel through 700 years of history on three continents, bringing wit, irreverence, passion and scholarship to transform our view of the legacy of the Roman Empire and the creation of the modern world.