Mark Blackburn was one of the leading scholars of the numismatics and monetary history of the British Isles and Scandinavia during the early medieval period. He published more than 200 books and articles on the subject, and was instrumental in building bridges between numismatics and associated disciplines, in fostering international communication and cooperation, and in establishing initiatives to record new coin finds. This memorial volume of essays commemorates Mark Blackburn's considerable achievement and impact on the field, builds on his research and evaluates a vibrant period in the study of early medieval monetary history. Containing a broad range of high-quality research from both established figures and younger scholars, the essays in this volume maintain a tight focus on Europe in the early Middle Ages (6th-12th centuries), reflecting Mark's primary research interests. In geographical terms the scope of the volume stretches from Spain to the Baltic, with a concentration of papers on the British Isles. As well as a fitting tribute to remarkable scholar, the essays in this collection constitute a major body of research which will be of long-term value to anyone with an interest in the history of early medieval Europe.

This series [pushes] the boundaries of knowledge and [develops] new trends in approach and understanding. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW Of necessity, historians of the late Middle Ages have to rely on an eclectic mix of sources, ranging from the few remaining medieval buildings, monuments, illuminated manuscripts and miscellaneous artefacts, to a substantial but often uncatalogued body of documentary material, much of it born of the medieval administrator's penchant for record keeping. Exploring this evidence requires skills in lateral thinking and interpretation - qualities which are manifested in this volume. Employing the copious legal records kept by the English Crown, one essay reveals the thinking behind exceptions to pardons sold by successive kings, while another, using clerical taxation returns, adds colour to contemporary criticism of friars for betraying their vows of poverty. Case studies of the registers of two hospitals, one in London the other in Canterbury, lead to insights into the relations of their administrators with civic and spiritual authorities. A textual dissection of the epilogues in William Caxton's early printed works focuses on the universal desire for commemoration. Other essays about royal livery collars and the English coinage are nourished by material remains, and where contemporary records fail to survive, as in the listing of burials in parish churches, notes kept by sixteenth-century heralds and antiquaries provide clues for novel identifications. The book-ends are exemplars of the historian's craft: the one, taking as its starting point the will of Ralph, Lord Cromwell, explores in forensic detail how his executors coped with their enormous task in a time of civil war; the other,by examining research into the economy of fifteenth-century England undertaken since the 1880s, provides an over-view which scholars of the period will find invaluable. Contributors: Martin Allen, Christopher Dyer, David Harry, Susanne Jenks, Maureen Jurkowski, Simon Payling, Euan Roger, Christian Steer, Sheila Sweetinburgh, Matthew Ward.

At last, new archival discoveries reveal the truth about the German Deputy-Fuhrer's incredible solo flight to Britain in May 1941, and explain the British government's sixty-year silence as to what the Hess mission was all about. On the night of 10 May 1941, in one of the most extraordinary and bizarre incidents of the Second World War, a Messerschmitt-110 crash-landed on a remote Scottish hillside. Its pilot, who had parachuted to safety, was Rudolf Hess, the Deputy-Fuhrer of the German Reich. Hess's remarkable solo flight was immediately dismissed in both Britain and Germany as the deranged act of a disordered mind. He was disowned by Hitler, and Winston Churchill's government insisted that his unexpected arrival on British soil was of no lasting consequence. Nevertheless, the mysterious circumstances of the flight, and Hess's unbroken silence during fifty subsequent years of imprisonment, have led to endless speculation as to his true motives. Until now, no one has found the crucial pieces of evidence which prove that a small group of men within the British government and intelligence services were in fact conducting a brilliantly clever plot which was not only to lead to Hess's flight, but would also have a decisive impact on the course of the war. Martin Allen's researches in archives in Britain, Germany and the United States have unearthed many documents previously undiscovered by historians. The details they reveal are explosive, and alter our perception not only of the conduct of the Second World War, but of the secret forces which shaped post-war Europe and global politics.

The fourteenth century was, for the English, a century which witnessed dramatic and not always easily explicable changes of fortune. In 1300, England's population was around seven million, and Edward I seemed to be on the verge of turning the British Isles into an English Empire. By 1400, its population was between three and four million (due mainly to the Black Death), dreams of a 'British' empire had all but crumbled, and instead England had become embroiled in a war - the Hundred Years' War - which was not only ultimately disastrous, but which also established the French as the 'national enemy' for many centuries to come. In addition, despite the fact that before 1300 no reigning English monarch had ever been deposed, by 1400 two had: Edward II in 1327, and Richard II in 1399. Sandwiched between these two turbulent reigns, however, came that of Edward III, one of the most successful, both politically and militarily, in English history. It is against the background of these remarkable fluctuations that the articles in this volume, the second in the Fourteenth Century England series, have been written. The range of subjects which they cover is wide: from princely education to popular heresy, from national propaganda to the familial and territorial power politics which occasioned the downfall of kings. Taken together, they reinforce the view that, whether viewed as calamitous or heroic, the fourteenth century was never less than interesting.CHRIS GIVEN-WILSON is Professor of Late Medieval History, University of St Andrews. Contributors: MARTIN ALLEN, JOHN ARNOLD, PAULETTE BARTON, TOM BEAUMONT-JAMES, ALASTAIR DUNN, JEFFREY HAMILTON, JILL C. HAVENS, ANDY KING, CARLA LORD, SHELAGHMITCHELL, MICHAEL PRESTWICH, ARND REITMEIER, NIGEL SAUL.

This book is the result of the author's research into the intriguing Charles Eugene Bedaux, a Frenchman suspected of spying for the Germans in the First World War, and in whose house in France the Duke of Windsor married Wallis Simpson. Bedaux, through his connections with high-ranking Nazis, ensured that the Duke of Windsor found a sympathetic audience for his own fascist ambitions. Evidence unearthed in European archives, from the FBI, and interviews with key individuals has thrown new light on a letter given to the author's father by Albert Speer, enabling new and sinister conclusions to be drawn from the events which occurred in 1939. The book provides a fresh perspective on the true causes of the abdication crisis and tells the astonishing story of the ex-King who betrayed his own country and altered the course of the Second World War.

A series which is a model of its kind. Edmund King, History The contributions collected in this volume demonstrate the full range and vitality of current work on the Anglo-Norman period in a variety of disciplines. Subjects include the fables on the Bayeux Tapestry, the piety of Earl Godwine, the feudal quota of the pre-1066 Archbishops of Canterbury, Geoffrey Malaterra's treatment of Roger the Great Count, mints and money in Anglo-Norman England, the church of Lastingham, and a reappraisal of Lanfranc as theologian. David Bates is Professorial Fellow, University of East Anglia. Contributors: Martin Allen, Henry Bainton, Nicholas Brooks, Jonathan Grove, Toivo Holopainen, Chris Lewis, Tom Licence, Marie-Agnes Lucas-Avenel, Christopher Norton and Stuart Harrison, Rebecca Slitt, Stephen D. White, Ann Williams.

Survey of the reign of Henry II, offering a range of new evaluations and interpretations. Henry II is the most imposing figure among the medieval kings of England. His fiefs and domains extended from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and his court was frequented by the greatest thinkers and men of letters of his time,besides ambassadors from all over Europe. Yet his is a reign of paradoxes: best known for his dramatic conflicts with his own wife and sons and with Thomas Becket, it was also a crucial period in the evolution of legal and governmental institutions. Here experts in the field provide significant reevaluations of its most important aspects. Topics include Henry's accession and his relations with the papacy, the French king, other rulers in the British Islesand the Norman baronage; the development of the common law and the coinage; the court and its literary milieu; the use of Arthurian legend for political purposes; and the career of the Young King Henry, while the introduction examines the historiography of the reign. CONTRIBUTORS: MARTIN ALLEN, MARTIN AURELL, NICK BARRATT, PAUL BRAND, SEAN DUFFY, ANNE DUGGAN, JEAN DUBABIN, JOHN GILLINGHAM, EDMUND KING, DANIEL POWER, IAN SHORT, MATTHEW STRICKLAND CHRISTOPHER HARPER-BILL and NICHOLAS VINCENT are Professors of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia.

Recondite is a number of abstract digital pieces combined into one collection. Each piece is an invocation of a particular mood or concept. The pieces are grouped according to the original source material into a number of "series" to illustrate the dimensions of experience within each image.

Money could be as essential to everyday life in medieval England as it is today, but who made the coinage, how was it used and why is it important? This definitive study charts the development of coin production from the small workshops of Anglo-Saxon and Norman England to the centralised factory mints of the late Middle Ages, the largest being in the Tower of London. Martin Allen investigates the working lives of the people employed in the mints in unprecedented detail and places the mints in the context of medieval England's commerce and government, showing the king's vital interest in the production of coinage, the maintenance of its quality and his mint revenue. This unique source of reference also offers the first full history of the official exchanges in the City of London regulating foreign exchange and an in-depth analysis of the changing size and composition of medieval England's coinage.

As the pyres of the Inquisition burned, the faith of Decimus Vespilo did not waiver. Holding to the tenants of his training he remained detached from that which he visited on others. Assigned to an Investigation he deemed beneath him he is caught up, not only in a rapidly growing movement but a conspiracy that could destabilise the teachings of the temple to which he devoted his life. Is the mysterious preacher the "Phoenix" a threat or the salvation he has been subconsciously seeking since consigning his own grandfather to the flames when just a child? As his ties to the movement grow stronger during his undercover investigation, will his affection for Histar sway his course? The emergence of a Shadowy mastermind casts a sinister foreboding to Decimuss mission as his every move is predicted and countered. Could it be the "Phoenix" is an unexpected ally to forestall the inhuman manoeuvring of those seeking to subvert the original message of the Empire? Manoeuvring that has been bastardising this message for years, so much so that the original is lost and incompatible. Decimus must decide between his beliefs and the Empire he has been trained to protect at all costs.

An exploration of the perceived infallibility of DNA and Fingerprint Evidence as presented in UK Law. Until relatively recently there have been virtually no challenges to the reliability of these types of evidence. This title explores not only the cases that have challenged these evidential types in the UK but also persuasive authorities from overseas and expert opinions on their scientific validity as they are currently presented in the UK.

Beautifully written and illustrated, Thorden is a thought provoking tale about trust, friendship, grief, courage and overcoming adversity. Every page features rich, original paintings in ink and vibrant colors. The story includes living trees, the natural environment, animals and elves. Historic perspective, metaphor and dream create an endearing reading experience with a surprise ending.

The United States has yet to find a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. Since September 11, 2001, when communications failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. The 111th Congress considered pivotal issues, such as radio frequency spectrum license allocation and funding programs for a Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN), without finding a solution that satisfied the expectations of both public safety and commercial network operators. This book explores the areas where changes in existing policies and practices may facilitate achievement of the important goals for emergency communications that Congress and others have identified. Why these goals have become important, and recent planning efforts to achieve these goals is discussed.

Symposium Z, 'Oxide Semiconductors', and Symposium F, 'Oxide Thin Films for Renewable Energy Applications', were held November 25-30 at the 2012 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Oxide materials are attracting considerable attention both as semiconductors for a wide range of potential device applications but also in energy research spanning from photo- and electro-catalysis, to electrolytes and electrodes used in batteries or fuel cells. This symposium proceedings volume collects recent reports from the meeting aimed at providing a fundamental understanding of bulk oxide materials as well as thin films and nano-structures. The topics covered in this volume are quite broad and include such areas as growth and doping, defects and characterisation, and device applications.

Money could be as essential to everyday life in medieval England as it is today, but who made the coinage, how was it used and why is it important? This definitive study charts the development of coin production from the small workshops of Anglo-Saxon and Norman England to the centralised factory mints of the late Middle Ages, the largest being in the Tower of London. Martin Allen investigates the working lives of the people employed in the mints in unprecedented detail and places the mints in the context of medieval England's commerce and government, showing the king's vital interest in the production of coinage, the maintenance of its quality and his mint revenue. This unique source of reference also offers the first full history of the official exchanges in the City of London regulating foreign exchange and an in-depth analysis of the changing size and composition of medieval England's coinage.

Mark Blackburn was one of the leading scholars of the numismatics and monetary history of the British Isles and Scandinavia during the early medieval period. He published more than 200 books and articles on the subject, and was instrumental in building bridges between numismatics and associated disciplines, in fostering international communication and cooperation, and in establishing initiatives to record new coin finds. This memorial volume of essays commemorates Mark Blackburn's considerable achievement and impact on the field, builds on his research and evaluates a vibrant period in the study of early medieval monetary history. Containing a broad range of high-quality research from both established figures and younger scholars, the essays in this volume maintain a tight focus on Europe in the early Middle Ages (6th-12th centuries), reflecting Mark's primary research interests. In geographical terms the scope of the volume stretches from Spain to the Baltic, with a concentration of papers on the British Isles. As well as a fitting tribute to remarkable scholar, the essays in this collection constitute a major body of research which will be of long-term value to anyone with an interest in the history of early medieval Europe.

This is a concise account of the current difficulties in education and employment, offering positive strategies for future policy. Education and training faces its own credit crunch as unemployment rises. The growing lack of legitimation creates a space for an open debate on its future and purpose. The coherent account presented in this book contributes to this debate by concisely explaining how what sometimes appears to be an almost terminal crisis in schools, colleges and universities is related to the changing relationship between young people, educational qualifications and employment in the early 21st century. Uniquely, the authors combine their experience of teaching at all levels to present a comprehensive analysis ranging from primary to postgraduate schools. Accessible and direct in style, it argues that radical alternatives are required and that for the first time opportunities exist to have a wider debate about not only what education is for, but also what it could be for. The book ends with positive proposals for future strategies bringing together students and teachers in new conceptions of education and democracy as the only way to break the impasse in education at all levels.