This is the first modern account of the emergence of the northern French county of the Perche, and the rise of a relatively minor noble family from obscure origins to princely power. The Rotrou family ruled the Perche from around the year 1000 until 1226. They took part in many of the most famous military engagements of the middle ages, from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 to the recovery of territory from the Muslims in twelfth-century Spain. Their involvement in crusading initiatives was told in the popular poetry of the day, and they came to number the kings of France, England,...

This book offers the first comprehensive history of the order of Tiron. As a unique survey of the Tironensian experience it sheds new light on traditional assumptions of twelfth-century monastic history. Previous sketches have been shaped by the life of the founder, the Vita Bernardi, which depicts the forests of western France teeming with holy men, and that self-image of hermit preachers in the wilderness has been deeply influential in the historiography of twelfth-century reform. Drawing from the latest advances in the understanding of hagiography and institutional memory, Thompson...

WINNER OF WORDS FOR THE WOUNDED BOOK AWARD 2016 - FIRST PLACE

Whilst dealing with her own breast cancer, Dr Kathleen Thompson recognised the desperate need for a 'going through breast cancer' guide. Her experiences make a fascinating story in themselves, and Kathleen uses them to guide the reader through diagnostic tests and treatment options, what to do when things go wrong, and when mistakes are made. All the while she explains what is happening and why.
Recognising that anyone encountering cancer is in a state of shock, she delivers factual information intermingled with her...