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First published in 1920, this manual reveals a golden age of elegant dining. Advice on table settings and decorations, etiquette, food and wine is complemented by menus for breakfasts, al-fresco luncheons, wedding receptions and garden parties. A chapter on ‘freak dinners given by wealthy people’ offers a glimpse into the decadent world of the Jazz Era.

Due to the expensive materials and craftsmanship required, shoes have often been regarded as status symbols; the desire of owners to display their wealth resulting in extreme designs such as the absurdly elongated toes of 14th-century 'poulaines'. This well-illustrated history of shoe design analyses the many fads of the 20th century and the latest models of contemporary designers as well as investigating footwear styles dating back as far as 3500 BCE – the oldest shoe ever found.

How did a commodity that was once the prized monopoly of kings become an essential ingredient of everyday life and then the cause of a global health epidemic? James Walvin traces the history of how the demand for sweetness has been met, from early Mediterranean sugar plantations, to the immense human and environmental cost of the Caribbean plantations and the slave system, the industries that followed, and the dawning awareness of the obesity problem.

After petroleum, coffee is the most traded commodity in the world, with over 7 million tonnes produced annually. By 2015, Britain had more than 20,000 coffee shops, and the sector is still growing. This book charts the history of what a pope called ‘the Devil’s drink’, the rise of the coffee house in 18th-century Europe, and the global industry today.

As battle raged in North Africa and Italy, Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed about how to win the war. Drawing on new research, this history – the second volume in a trilogy on FDR’s wartime leadership – overturns 70 years of received wisdom to reveal a strategic difference between the two men, as the president challenged Churchill’s decision to widen the war in the Mediterranean in favour of an invasion of France the following year.

This lavishly illustrated book charts the history of fashion and the social calendar in Britain from the late 18th century to the outbreak of the Second World War, when intricately drawn fashion plates were gradually abandoned in favour of photography. Material is taken from the pages of fashion magazines, showing readers how to dress appropriately and stylishly at any time of year and for any occasion, ranging from weddings and funerals to sporting activities and the making of morning calls.

This comprehensive and detailed sourcebook comprises over 2,000 specially commissioned illustrations, many in colour, charting the history of the shoe from the Egyptian sandals of 2500 BCE to the baseball boots of the 21st century. Each example is carefully described, including details of materials, decorations and fastenings. The reference section provides short biographies of leading designers and companies, and a visual timeline shows the development of footwear through the centuries.

How did a commodity that was once the prized monopoly of kings become an essential ingredient of everyday life and then the cause of a global health epidemic? James Walvin traces the history of how the demand for sweetness has been met, from early Mediterranean sugar plantations, to the immense human and environmental cost of the Caribbean plantations and the slave system, the industries that followed, and the dawning awareness of the obesity problem.

First published in 1983, this landmark history shed new light on the struggle for social justice and drew attention to the achievements of many forgotten women activists. Reissued with a new introduction, it remains as relevant as ever today.

Doris Kloster, the photographer and editorial director of FAD magazine, presents an album of 160 photographs celebrating the world of night people, drag goddesses, dominatrixes and divas that inhabited New York’s club scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Sexually explicit.

Launched in 1978, weekly teenage magazine My Guy was packed with celebrity news, fashion tips, advice and photo stories. Here are some of the earliest stories, many featuring future stars such as Tracy Ullman, Hugh Grant and George Michael.

From the cavernous kitchens of medieval manors to the relatively sophisticated technology of Victorian houses, this magnificent volume draws on the records of National Trust properties to show how cooking and dining habits evolved through the centuries. The book is illustrated with reproductions of paintings from each period and photographs of surviving kitchens and, to bring it all to life, each chapter includes practical modern adaptations of historical recipes.

Elsa Schiaparelli famously said, ‘What Hollywood designs today, you will be wearing tomorrow,’ and it’s been true since film and fashion were first united at a party in 1911. Richly illustrated with photographs from both worlds, this guide divides 45 movies into seven genres: from crime – featuring film noir and Lauren Bacall; to musicals – including Top Hat and West Side Story; and art house – from directors such as Jean Luc-Godard and Wim Wenders.

With tales both tragic (the 2,500 deaths from crinoline fires in 1864) and amusing (the horse that ate the stuffing from a race-goer’s bustle), Bowman takes readers on a lively journey from Roman times to 1940s Britain, examining some of the more unusual trends that have been deemed fashionable at one time or another. From the style that was invented to mask disease, to a 1920s hairdo that ended relationships, there’s more to fashion that first meets the eye.

In her prologue to this much-acclaimed study, Dressler writes of Eigg, ‘From the fierce struggles in clan times to the bleak period of famine and emigration, through to the modern-day fight to maintain a viable crofting community, the island has always been a microcosm of Highland history’. Drawing on oral history, legend and song, and written sources, Dressler’s book covers the story of the island from the coming of the Celts to life on Eigg since the 1997 community buy-out.

Felicity Green was fashion editor of the Daily Mirror throughout the 1960s and, as well as blazing a trail for women in journalism, revolutionized newspaper coverage of fashion through the introduction of celebrity and glamour. Reproducing some of the best pages from the newspaper, featuring leading models, designers and celebrities of the day, she reflects on the rapidly changing scene of the 1960s, when sexy and playful fashions scandalized, entertained and excited the nation.

Award-winning Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley suggests that we are largely unaware of the obesity epidemic happening around us, and that we should take issue with food and drink manufacturers, fast-food chains, our attitude to obesity and the diet industry itself. Boseley presents some frightening facts and statistics, but also proposes solutions; they involve the whole community, and a huge change in attitude.

Linda Kirk examines the life and work of Richard Cumberland, the Bishop of Peterborough and author of De Legibus Naturae (1672), who devoted his philosophical work to establishing a cosmology that would refute Hobbes.

DA Hamer’s study in the history of Victorian reform agitations looks at extra-parliamentary reform and particularly the deployment of mobilized ‘persuasion’ directed at candidates and political parties.

Marijuana was part of the scene for the early jazzmen of New Orleans, and the arrival of heroin in Harlem in the 1940s hooked the bebop players and helped create the culture that influenced writers such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. This social history examines the connection between drug use and the evolution of jazz music and discusses its influence in shaping American culture in the 20th century. Slightly off-mint with a felt-tip mark on upper trimmed edge.

In her foreword, Harper’s editor-in-chief, Glenda Bailey, writes, ‘You can become a good model with a perfect body, but to become a great model you need a unique face’. With over 200 photographs by some of the greatest fashion photographers, this volume presents the stories of 28 women whose faces, poise and ability to switch personas made them the most sought-after models of the last 60 years, from Dovima and Suzy Parker in the 1950s to Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss in the 2010s.

Fashion changed slowly in the centuries before the modern era and resulted in some odd and impractical styles, such as the long, pointed men’s shoes of the 15th century or the 19th century’s bustles and crinolines. This children’s history of costume tells the story of fashion from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the modern era through a series of 325 colour illustrations. Age 8+

In short essays, each of these volumes focuses on the 50 essential writers, movements, works or themes in disciplines ranging from ancient history to modern media studies.

Written by noted experts, these lucid, alphabetically organized handbooks define and discuss the central concepts, thinkers and debates in a broad range of academic disciplines.

As fashion history is now taught, a divide has developed between collections of dress in museums and academics who approach fashion via theories about the body, feminism, gender and postmodernism. A classic text in its field, this book re-examines the evolution of fashion and how it has been defined and studied since the late 17th century, and looks in detail at the assembling and use of collections of fashion and textiles.

Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book provides a fascinating insight into the ancient culture of Chinese tea; the trade, tradition, literature, philosophy and ceremony associated with tea in China; and its popularization around the world. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour reproductions and photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

Among the royals of Europe there have always been fashionistas: long before Christian Louboutin, Louis XIV created a trend with red-soled shoes, Queen Victoria started the fashion for white wedding dresses, and the elegant style of Grace Kelly has been copied the world over. With over 200 photographs of aristocratic fashion leaders, Royal Style celebrates regal fashion, from the Middle Ages to the newest icons such as the couture-loving Kate Middleton and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece.

Iconic costumes from the golden era of Hollywood are indelibly associated with particular stars and films. With over 150 photographs, and featuring screen stars such as Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe, this book explores how cinema's most glamorous costumes were created and how you can get the look today. Focusing on 34 classic films, including Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Bonnie and Clyde, the book also tells the stories of the designers, including some who became stars themselves.

This volume brings together Beales's essays, articles and lectures on 18th century Europe and, in particular, his research on Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor 1765-1790 and ruler of the Austrian Monarchy 1780-1790, and his 'revolution from above'. The book covers an area as wide as Joseph's rule and reforming influence, from the Austrian Netherlands in the West to Galicia and Transylvania in the East, and explores his ideas, aims and achievements through topics ranging from enlightened despotism to Mozart, and from the suppression of the Jesuits to Maria Theresa.

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