Lucy Worsley gets into bed with the past monarchs to uncover the "Tales from the royal bedchamber". She reveals that the obsession with royal bedrooms, births and succession is nothing new. In fact, the rise and fall of their magnificent beds reflects the changing fortunes of the monarchy itself. Looks at the creation of private chambers in response to the public nature of royal bedrooms, and the changing fortunes of the British monarchy as reflected...

"Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England's various kingdoms, forty-one kings and queens have sat on Britain's throne: "shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue's gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs," as Tracy Borman evocatively describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre. Ironically, during very few of these 955 years has the...

Impressed by a poor Jewish shoemaker's belief that God will ensure everything turns out as it should, a shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, devises a series of hardships to test the man's faith.

"Revealing the truth behind the life of a royal princess in medieval England, the colorful story of the five remarkable daughters of King Edward I. Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized--and largely mythical--notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of the great...

"A comparison of the life of a fairy tale princess vs. that of a real medieval princess"-- "Did you ever wish to be a princess? Have you ever wanted to wear a pretty pink gown, sing to your forest animal friends, and attend a fancy fairy-tale ball? Then meet Beatrice -- she represents what being a princess in the Middle Ages was really like. Pink gown? More like itchy wool! Sing to animals? Think archery and horseback riding instead. Beatrice's life...

Eragon is an orphaned farm boy whose destiny is sealed forever when a mystic stone chooses him for its keeper. This is no ordinary stone, this is the last surviving egg of the dragon race. Eragon is now the new Dragon Rider, the boy who will be a savior to the repressed peoples of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is ruled by the wicked King Galbatorix and his evil wizard Durza. Eragon, together with his mentor, Brom, the gracious dragon Saphira and the beautiful...

One of the largest empires the world has ever known, the Empire of Mali flourished in West Africa from 1235 CE until 1464. The empire remains well known for its wealth and significant cultural influence, still felt hundreds of years later, both in modern Mali and its neighbors. The language, laws, and customs of the Empire of Mali spread throughout West Africa and along the Niger River, creating an enduring legacy that continues to influence and characterize...

"In Blood Song, Anthony Ryan introduced readers to "a fascinating world of conflicting religions and the wars fought in the name of those faiths" (Library Journal). Now Ryan's epic tale continues as Vaelin Al Sorna discovers that there is no escape from the call of destiny -- "The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home." Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior...

The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all? This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's chronicle reveals their secret world...