New to the catalogue

Copyright © David Roberts, 2011

It is difficult to believe that it is almost 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, yet, the spirit of the unofficial Ceasefire, on the first Christmas Eve of the War, continues to capture the imagination of many.

The singing of Christmas Carols brought the two sides together that night and led to many soldiers meeting in “No Man’s Land” to exchange gifts, hold burial ceremonies, and, famously, to play football.

The current Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, captures the spirit of the event in ‘The Christmas Truce’, her latest poem. The transformation of the night from one of quiet and homesickness to that of a celebration between the two sides is wonderfully described. Beautiful illustrations by David Roberts also help to bring the moment alive.  

Through Duffy’s work the event becomes all the more poignant for us, looking back, and knowing that the fighting would resume. Yet, there is a hopeful message too, that even in the midst of the misery of war, a moment of joy was shared by all.

You can find further details of The Christmas Truce on our catalogue.

We’d like to wish all of the readers of our ‘New to the Catalogue’ Blog a ‘Merry Christmas’!

(Photo credit: Thames & Hudson Publishers)

Reproduced from the largest collection of its kind, War Posters gives us a unique insight into life during conflict in the last century.  It boasts over 300 illustrations, each supplemented with explanatory text.

Coverage is given to war posters displayed in:

• Europe
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Russia
• Commonwealth Countries

This allows us to compare and contrast the different methods of propaganda used by the varying sides in 20th Century conflicts.

Studying the posters also gives an insight into the social history of the time from the role of women to government controls on everyday life.

Moving from iconic designs suchs as “Your Country Needs You” to the modern anti-war campaigns, Aulich charts the fascinating development of poster design over the last century.

You can find further details of War posters : weapons of mass communication on our catalogue.

For over 100 years, the agents of M15 have defended Britain against enemy subversion. Their work has remained shrouded in secrecy – until now.

This first-ever authorised history by Christopher Andrew reveals the British Secret Service as never before. It is a fascinating account of its inner workings, its clandestine operations, its failures and its triumphs.

M15 is the first major security or intelligence service in the world to give a historian free access of its records. Professor Andrew has used this unique opportunity to present an entertaining and authoritative guide to a fascinating subject. It is a riveting read with stories far more sensationally than anything seen on screen.

Further details of The defence of the realm can be found on our catalogue.