In the period between the early 14th and mid 16th century, prelates – cardinals, bishops and monastic superiors – had considerable power, wealth and cultural influence. This study, comprising twelve essays, examines their exercise of power, their patronage of books and libraries, and their material wealth.

Illustrated with 53 reproductions of manuscript pages, this book describes the work of four professional literary text-writers in late medieval England, the clerks Richard Osbarn, John Marchaunt, Adam Pinkhurst and John Carpenter, and others associated with the Guildhall. Slightly off-mint.

In 1559, the physician William Cunningham published The Cosmographical Glasse, focusing on Norwich as an exceptionally ‘healthfull and pleasant city’. Isla Fay’s book explores the philosophy that linked a city’s location and landscape with its health, and the practical realities of Norwich’s ‘vibrant, native culture of urban hygiene’.

Sylvia Federico provides a historical and literary reading of neglected works by the head of the St Albans scriptorium, alongside texts by his contemporary Chaucer. Her study illuminates their reception of the Latin classics and explores the idea of ‘humanism’ in the late Middle Ages.

Decade by decade, this sumptuously illustrated volume charts over 100 years of knitwear, from Chanel's cardigan suits of the 1920s and the expansion in ready-to-wear pieces in the 1950s, to Bill Gibb's ethnic 1970s designs and the 21st-century work of Mark Fast and Louise Goldin, among others. There are hundreds of photographs, of individual pieces and from contemporary publications, and profiles of key designers and fashion houses from each period. The guru of knitwear, Kaffe Fassett, provides a foreword.

Presenting York's medieval mystery plays as 'a cultural, devotional and theatrical phenomenon', this volume also reflects on the practical experience derived from modern revivals in the city.

In this comprehensive study Lacey examines the theological underpinnings of royal mercy, the social and legal context, the procedures of pardoning and their use at moments of political upheaval such as the Peasants' Revolt.

Internationally renowned jazz composer Graham Collier (1937–2011) offers a radical analysis of the composer’s place in a genre associated with improvisation and traditional ‘standards’. Looking back over the development of jazz composition, he considers the work of such important figures as Gil Evans and ‘acknowedged genius’ Duke Ellington. He then examines the new directions taken by contemporary jazz, illustrating his points with examples from his own music and anecdotes from his life. References to websites may no longer be valid.