Shire Publications imprint: 233 books

Steam, and then cumbersome motor, tractors existed in small numbers before 1914, after which the need to produce more foods using less horse and man power saw the origins of the machine we know today. Thanks to mass production, Ford brought the price down to suit average farmers, and in the 1920s...

East Oxford Primary School has been serving the local community for almost 150 years. Its story mirrors the development of the education system in the United Kingdom, as the school both responded to and shaped changing national policies. Drawn from the school's extensive log books, photographic records,...

Hardworking, swift, loyal and capable of great heroism, horses have been our constant companions for thousands of years. Using stunning illustrations, The Horse Book pairs famous historical figures with their faithful mounts including: Alexander the Great's beloved steed at whose death he dedicated...

Blood is something that all humans share: a vital force that courses through our veins – the giver of life. This book gathers together specially commissioned essays from leading scholars which reflect on the religious, historical, and medical dimensions of blood. Written for a broad audience and...

The midwife: medical professional, friend in a woman's hour of greatest need, potent social and cultural symbol. Though the role of midwife has existed since time immemorial, it is only since the Victorian era that it has been a recognised and regulated profession. This book, from social history expert...

London's royal parks are amongst its most beautiful and beloved spaces: just as much as the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station, the mere mention of Hyde or Regent's Park is enough to evoke the capital in all its glory for residents and tourists alike. They have a grand history...

From Norman Foster's remarkable station at Canary Wharf to the Yellow-brick vaults of Baker street to the Art Deco exuberance of Arnos Grove, London's tube stations are among its most distinctive and iconic buildings. This beautiful hardback edition is a fantastic gift-book, publishing in the run...

Through a collection of coloured holiday photographs covering all the major and several minor resorts around England's coast, linked to selected written commentaries from Charles Dickens and many others, this book celebrates the heyday of the seaside holiday.

This book is an overview of the struggle for women to gain the vote in Great Britain and explores who the women were that formed and led or became members of the women's suffrage movement. Early campaigners and pressure groups in the nineteenth century led to the formation of National Union of Women's...

The story of the Old Baptist Chapel is a fascinating tale of family life and faith, persecution and tolerance. The Chapel began life as a late-fifteenth century hall house which was later converted into a Nonconformist meeting house. Tucked away down one of Tewkesbury's famous medieval alleyways and...

The streets and public spaces of London are rich with statues and monuments commemorating the city's great figures and events – from Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square and Sir Christopher Wren's Great Fire Monument to the charming Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, the range is glorious. Some...

Britain is a treasure trove of medieval architecture. Almost every village and town in the land has a church that was built during the period, whose history is legible – to those who know how to look – in every arch, capital, roof vault, and detail of window tracery. By learning how to identify...

The stained glass windows of England's cathedrals and churches are masterpieces of colour and storytelling, and for a thousand years they have brought meaning and beauty to worshippers and visitors alike. This book traces the history of stained glass from its Anglo-Saxon origins until the present...

Covered Bridges are historic pieces of American and Canadian rural history, gracing the countryside from Oregon to Tennessee and from California to New Brunswick and across Canada. In this lavishly illustrated volume Joseph D. Conwill recounts the rich, romantic history of covered bridges as they...