From 18th-century flock wallpapers to modern designs such as Bike Chain by Brixton Print Shed or Newton Paisley’s floral pattern featuring endangered species, Zoë Hendon’s concise and richly illustrated history reveals wallpaper’s often overlooked role in interior design and making houses feel like home.

Slightly off-mint.

From early post mills to shuttered sails and crown wheels, this is a well-illustrated survey of the machinery used by windmills across Britain to grind grain, pump water and generate power. Martin Watts, a traditional millwright and historian, explores the local materials and craftsmen that shaped their story.

The Scottish engineer Thomas Telford was nicknamed the ‘Colossus of Roads’ because of the engineering genius he brought to British roads, bridges, tunnels and canals. This concise biography by a local author tells how he established his reputation in Shropshire before creating landmarks such as the Menai Bridge and the Ellesmere and Caledonian Canals.

The long-established Shire Archaeology series comprises illustrated introductory guides on a wide range of archaeological topics. Each volume offers an overview of our current knowledge, as well as providing suggestions for further reading and information about sites to visit. New editions of these books are updated with information learned from the most recent excavations and research.

Covering the period from the pre-Roman Celts to the introduction of Christianity, this well-illustrated study draws on archaeological evidence to explore how people in the Roman province of Britain expressed their religious belief. Off-mint.

Updating Jarvis’s earlier books, this A–Z guide to 2,300 first names reflects the multiculturalism and popular culture of modern Britain. From the Hindu ‘Aakesh’, meaning ‘Lord of the sky’, to Zuleika, the ‘brilliant beauty’ beloved of Persian poets and Max Beerbohm, the book gives the meaning of names, their language of origin and notable examples.

To understand what constitutes ‘rococo’ in a garden, Michael Symes surveys 18th-century English gardens, including Painswick, Stowe, Hampton Court House and Frampton Court, and discusses features such as rocks and shells, Gothic ornamentation and chinoiserie, that are characteristic of the style.

This is an expanded, illustrated edition of the earlier Arthur Taylor book, a detailed almanac of the county regiments of England. It gives a brief history and lineage of each, plus details of battle honours, marches, customs, Victoria Crosses, nicknames, badges, facings, mottoes and memorials. It also includes details of the regimental museums and the churches where their Regimental Colours are displayed.

The first lamps adapted for use on bicycles and motor cars were powered by oil, acetylene, candle and, by the turn of the century, battery. This collector’s guide includes period advertising and ephemera as well as photographs of vintage examples up to about 1930.

The long-established Shire Archaeology series comprises illustrated introductory guides on a wide range of archaeological topics. Each volume offers an overview of our current knowledge, as well as providing suggestions for further reading and information about sites to visit. New editions of these books are updated with information learned from the most recent excavations and research.

Arranged in chapters on the main groups of surnames, those derived from nicknames, occupations, locality or family relationships, and others from various regions – England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, America and Commonwealth countries – this guide to their origins and meanings covers around 2,000 names.

This introductory guide outlines the techniques used by archaeologists to discover, excavate and interpret sites. It also shows how much archaeological finds have taught us about the past inhabitants of England and Wales, from the first appearance of Homo sapiens to the coming of the Normans. Sixth edition.

Breweries and pubs today rely on metal containers, but in the past, wooden casks or barrels were prized for their strength and versatility. In this illustrated guide, Ken Kilby, himself a cooper, surveys the history of the craft and describes the complex, physically demanding skills that went into making a barrel.

John McCann first describes the various processes of building with earth before going on to survey and illustrate regional differences in clay, cob and pisé (rammed earth) cottages, barns and boundary walls throughout Britain.

Beer has been brewed in the British Isles since at least Roman times and it has played a significant role in our social history ever since. This concise illustrated account of the craft includes details about common pub names, the fermentation process and breweries that offer tours to the public

From King Alfred’s defeat of the Danes at Ashdown in 871 to the Duke of Cumberland’s victory at Culloden in 1746, this illustrated guide covers 69 battlefield sites in England and Scotland. John Kinross recounts the events of each battle and provides a plan, photograph and description of what remains today, with the OS map reference and practical information for visitors.

The long-established Shire Archaeology series comprises illustrated introductory guides on a wide range of archaeological topics. Each volume offers an overview of our current knowledge, as well as providing suggestions for further reading and information about sites to visit. New editions of these books are updated with information learned from the most recent excavations and research.

From medieval ‘hospitals’, attached to monasteries and offering shelter to lepers, pilgrims or the old and poor, to a modern almshouse opened in 2003, this survey illustrates the various types of charitable housing for the elderly in need in Britain; examines the buildings’ often picturesque architectural styles; and discusses the donors, beneficiaries and life within almshouses. The book ends with a gazetteer of interesting examples to visit.

Here, the author considers how the BBC balanced its broadcasting output during the Second World War to include news reporting, morale boosting content, advice for the Home Front and government messaging, and why it chose to eschew propaganda.

This illustrated guide to all outdoor statues and busts in Greater London examines the significance, the sculptor and the story behind each piece, from Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square to the many monuments that have been erected in the suburbs. This revised second edition also features sculptures added between 2012 and 2017, including the controversial memorial to Mary Seacole at St Thomas’s Hospital and the life-size statue of Amy Winehouse in Camden.

Focusing on the everyday lives of British servicemen during the First World War, this trilogy of short, richly illustrated books comprises Peter Doyle’s account of daily life for the average British ‘Tommy’; David and Stuart Hadaway’s look at the pioneering young men of the new Royal Flying Corps; and an examination of life on board Royal Navy ships by Dr Quintin Colville.

Beginning with an introduction to understanding, identifying and collecting prints, this guide covers eleven genres, illustrating many examples of each, and including topographical, natural history, sporting and maritime prints.

The most successful of the many friendly and fraternal societies that sprung up in Britain from the 18th century was the Freemasons. At one time millions of people belonged to similar clubs such as the Oddfellows and the Ancient Order of Foresters but social changes and the welfare state reduced participation drastically in the 20th century. This illustrated guide uncovers the history of these orders and explores their elaborate regalia. Off-mint.

By the end of the 15th century, following the introduction of gunpowder and the cannon, it was clear that fortresses would need to be built very differently to withstand the assault of artillery. This review of the evolution of fortifications in Britain charts developments from Henry VIII's castles to the pillboxes of the 1940s and the underground bunkers of the nuclear age.

Mark Child provides a concise, illustrated history of English ecclesiastical architecture from the earliest stone buildings of the Anglo-Saxons to the end of the Victorian era, and explains the key architectural features that identify each period and style. Off-mint.