Oxford thought it was at war. And then it was. After the horrors of the First World War, Oxford looked like an Arcadia - a dream world - from which pain could be shut out. Soldiers arrived with pictures of the university fully formed in their heads, and women finally won the right to earn degrees. Freedom meant reading beneath the spires and punting down the river with champagne picnics. But all was not quite as it seemed.The women of Oxford still faced a battle to emerge from their shadows. And among the dons a major conflict was beginning to brew. This singular tale of Oxford colleagues and rivals encapsulates the false sense of security that developed across the country in the interwar years. With the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich came the subversion of history for propaganda. In academic Oxford, the fight was on not only to preserve the past from the hands of the Nazis, but also to triumph, one don over another, as they became embroiled in a war of their own.

'[ The Brideshead Generation] has both style and substance, and is above all an enjoyable companion. It has a wildly amusing cast, here controlled by a skilful director.' Evening Standard 'Jovial and entertaining, full of the sort of stories that your friends will tell you if you don't read it before them.' Independent 'Carpenter has read widely and has collected an enormous fund of entertaining stories and facts.' Sunday Telegraph 'Hauntingly sad and wonderfully funny and by far the best thing Humphrey Carpenter has done.' Fiona MacCarthy, The Times

'A brilliant concept, executed with enviable elegance' Lucy Worsley 'A gem of a book. Thanks to Daisy Dunn's elegant and lively retelling of history, the women of the ancient world are restored to the centre of the story of classical antiquity. It was a joy to read.' Peter Frankopan Spanning 3,000 years, from the birth of Minoan Crete to the death of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in Rome, a magisterial new history of the ancient world told, for the very first time, through women. For centuries, men have been writing histories of antiquity filled with warlords, emperors and kings. But when it comes to incorporating women aside from Cleopatra and Boudica, writers have been more comfortable describing mythical heroines than real ones. While Penelope and Helen of Troy live on in the imagination, their real-life counterparts have been relegated to the margins. In The Missing Thread, Daisy Dunn inverts this tradition and puts the women of history at the centre of the narrative. These pages present Enheduanna, the earliest named author, the poet Sappho and Telesilla, who defended her city from attack. Here is Artemisia, sole female commander in the Graeco-Persian Wars, and Cynisca, the first female victor at the Olympic Games. Cleopatra may be the more famous, but Fulvia, Mark Antony's wife, fought a war on his behalf. Many other women remain nameless but integral. Through new examination of the sources combined with vivid storytelling Daisy Dunn shows us the ancient world through fresh eyes, and introduces us to an incredible cast of ancient women, weavers of an entire world.

This book is about women in World Wars I & II - women working in factories and on farms, or toiling perilously in field stations just behind the front lines, in inhospitable hospitals and convalescent homes. It is, therefore, about the prodigious contribution women made to the war efforts from 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, standing in for the men who had left their places of work for the various theatres of war from Greece and Italy to Belgium, from Mesopotamia to France. Their tasks were many and various: keeping the troops supplied with shells, bullets and explosives, keeping the nation from starving to death, keeping hundreds of thousands of wounded troops alive so that they might fight another day. The book is, in short, the uplifting but sometimes tragic story of the many women who stepped up to work in the factories, hospitals, field stations, in transport and in civil defense, on the farms and shipyards, or signed up to the various military and civil services during the two world wars of the 20th century, ‘wars to end all wars…’. The book is different because it deals with women’s labour in both world wars and in all occupations, it covers the discrimination and prejudice they faced from men at every level, military and civilian, even when they had demonstrated beyond doubt that they were quick learners, industrious and proficient, and usually as good as any man. The book raises the embarrassing question why it has it taken so long for the prodigious contribution women made in both wars to be recognized, and why some women workers still remain air brushed from our military history after more than a century. As it turned out, little was beyond their capabilities and it is reasonable to suppose that without their huge efforts and accomplishments both wars might have turned out very differently for us.

Two allegorical ancient Greek stories about a young hero’s career- defining choice are shown in this book to have later been appropriated to radically differing effects. E.g. a male’s choice between female personifications can morph into a female’s choice between the same, or between various male personifications. Never before have so many instances of this process from art, literature, music, even landscape gardening, been culled. Illustrations, mainly colour, many brought into this context for the first time, are conveniently incorporated into the text, thus mimetically mirroring a central theme of the book, the process of ‘visualising the verbal, verbalising the visual.’

This book delves into the impacts and consequences of the policy of co-residence at the University of Oxford, investigating why and how women were kept at the periphery of the university and how Oxford responded to the growing demand for women’s higher education. The book further examines how the admittance of women into men’s colleges and vice versa ultimately shaped the identities of both the University and the student population. The author draws upon identity theory to explain the existence and persistence of single-sex colleges at the University, and the theory of social epidemics or cascades is used to explain the rapid embrace of co-residence by the remaining men’s colleges after its adoption by the first five men’s colleges. In addition, the author uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate claims about the impact of co-residence on undergraduate women, women dons, and women’s colleges. Unearthing and providing a sustained and in-depth analysis of a quiet, yet revolutionary, undertaking at one of the world’s most renowned institutions, it will appeal to scholars, faculty, and upper-level students with interests in gender in education, educational inclusion and diversity, history of education, international education, as well as sociology of education and social theory.

"Miss Trevelyan's scope of human experience makes her one of the most important novelists of our day." - Leonora Eyles, Times Literary Supplement William’s Wife is perhaps the most normal horror story ever written. There are no monsters or murderers here – just two ordinary people. Jane Atkins is a lady’s maid who thinks she has moved up in the world by marrying William Chirp, a successful widowed grocer in her town of Jewsbury. Jane has managed her own affairs and is proud of her small savings. But she quickly finds that William exercises control over everything in the household, down to the last penny. Jane resorts to subterfuge and evasion to keep going, but as time goes on, she takes on William’s suspicions and fears. After he dies, she spirals down into an obsessive paranoia and penury that Trevelyan depicts with chilling realism – a portrait unique in its convincing oppression. Back in print for the first time since 1938, William's Wife is one of the most powerful portraits of a pathological obsession in English literature. “A book which lingers in the mind, which leaves the reader unsettled and disturbed.” Alice Jolly “Novelists seldom achieve such a power of close concentration upon a single theme as Miss Trevelyan has shown in this macabre tale." Liverpool Daily Post

What would Little Women be without the charms of the March family’s cozy New England home? Or Wuthering Heights without the ghost-infested Wuthering Heights? Getting lost in the setting of a good book can be half the pleasure of reading, and Decorating a Room of One’s Own brings literary backdrops to the foreground in this wryly affectionate satire of interior design reporting. English professor and humorist Susan Harlan spoofs decorating culture by reimagining its subject as famous fictional homes and “interviews” the residents who reveal their true tastes: Lady Macbeth’s favorite room in the castle, or the design inspiration behind Jay Gatsby’s McMansion of unfulfilled dreams. Featuring 30 entries of notable dwellings, sidebars such as “Setting Up an Ideal Governess’s Room,” and four-color spot illustrations throughout, Decorating a Room of One’s Own is the ideal book for readers who appreciate fine literature and a good end table.

The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh is a comprehensive collection that brings together 50 books by the acclaimed British author. This beautifully illustrated edition features some of Waugh's most famous works, including "Brideshead Revisited," "A Handful of Dust," "Scoop," "Decline and Fall," "Sword of Honor," and numerous others. In "Brideshead Revisited," readers are transported to the captivating world of the aristocratic Marchmain family, exploring themes of love, faith, and the passing of time. "A Handful of Dust" offers a scathing satire of the English upper class, highlighting the disintegration of a marriage and the pursuit of purpose in a seemingly empty existence. "Scoop" takes a humorous and biting look at the world of journalism and foreign correspondents, while "Decline and Fall" follows the misadventures of a young man navigating the absurdities of early 20th-century British society. With its witty prose, sharp social commentary, and insightful characterizations, this collection showcases the breadth and depth of Waugh's literary genius. The reader is taken on a journey through various settings, from the grandeur of Oxford and the English countryside to the tumultuous landscapes of war-torn Europe. Waugh's works deftly blend comedy, tragedy, and profound observations on human nature. "The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh" offers an immersive reading experience, allowing fans of the author and new readers alike to explore the entire range of his remarkable storytelling. It is a testament to Waugh's enduring influence and enduring legacy in the world of literature. The Novels Decline and Fall Vile Bodies Black Mischief A Handful of Dust Scoop Put Out More Flags Brideshead Revisited The Loved One Helena Men at Arms Officers and Gentlemen The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold Unconditional Surrender The Sword of Honour The Short Stories The Autobiography A Little Learning

'This is a pacey and colourful read ... elegantly written.' – Daisy Dunn, The Times 'The whole book reads rather like a Powell novel, with unexpected meetings and reversals ... it is a constant pleasure.' – Mark Amory, The Spectator 'At a rollicking pace, it follows the post-Oxford careers of all the main Hypocrites ... Waugh addicts will wish to add it to their shelves.' – A.N. Wilson, Times Literary Supplement Daily Mail top ten history book of 2022 Described by one habitué as 'a kind of early twentieth-century Hell Fire Club', the Hypocrites Club counted some of the brightest of the future 'Bright Young People' among its members. The one-time secretary was Evelyn Waugh, who used ten of his fellow Hypocrites as inspiration for his fictional characters – seven of them in Brideshead Revisited alone. The Hypocrites didn't just lend themselves to Waugh's fiction. Many went on to prominence themselves, including Anthony Powell, Robert Byron, Henry Green, Claud Cockburn and Tom Driberg. Hellfire is the first full-length portrait of this scandalous club and its famous members, who continued to be thorns in the Establishment's side – throughout war and austerity – for the next five decades.