A definitive and completely up-to-date account of the Roman conquest and occupation of Britain—a crucial period in its history

In this lively, authoritative new account of Britain as a Roman province, Guy de la Bédoyère puts the Roman conquest and occupation of the island within the larger context of Romano-British society and how it functioned.

Following introductory chapters outlining events from the Iron Age period to the emperor Honorius' advice to the Britons in 410 to fend for themselves, the author tackles the issues facing Britons after the absorption of their culture by an invading army, including the role of government and the military in the province, religion, commerce, technology, and day-to-day life both in towns and in the countryside.

The narrative is brought vividly to life by quotations from inscriptions found on tombstones and buildings and the writings of historians such as Tacitus and Dio. The text is supplemented throughout by box features devoted to topics ranging from the Roman city of London and the building of Hadrian's Wall to discoveries such as the Vindolanda writing tablets and the treasure hoards found at Mildenhall and Thetford.

Roman Britain is lavishly illustrated with over 290 illustrations, many in color, including reconstruction drawings by the author. Dramatic aerial views of the remains of Roman forts such as Housesteads and Vindolanda along Hadrian's Wall and the Saxon Shore fort of Portchester are also featured. The book incorporates the latest discoveries, including the remains of a stadium recently uncovered in Colchester by the author and a team of archaeologists. 294 illustrations, 77 in color....

This fabulous new series takes key scientific developments from the last century and investigates how they came about, their creation or discovery, and their long-term effects. Each book places the development in the context of its time, to increase awareness of some of the amazing discoveries that have helped to shape the world today, and the key people behind each of these scientific milestones. The First Computers looks at how computers have been transformed from massive, unwieldy and slow calculating machines, to devices that can be held in the palm of the hand, and which have infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. It explains how the first computers worked, their functions, advantages and drawbacks, the race to improve on the basic model, and how this competition inspired further developments....

This fabulous new series takes key scientific developments from the last century and investigates how they came about, their creation or discovery, and their long-term effects. Each book places the development in the context of its time, to increase awareness of some of the amazing discoveries that have helped to shape the world today, and the key people behind each of these scientific milestones. The First Polio Vaccine explains what vaccinations are and how they work, and it discusses how Jonas Salk created his vaccine with the help of controversial government funding. It looks at how his work was received by his peers and the public and it investigates how other scientists developed the polio vaccine. It goes on to take a look at what his discovery, which virtually eradicated the disease from the western world, has meant for medical science up to the present day....

The correspondence included here represents the first selection of Pepys's letters drawn from all possible sources to be published since 1933. Since the Diary does not cover this period, the letters enable the reader to follow Pepys' early career on the staff of the Earl of Sandwich, his rise to greatness as Secretary of the Admiralty, and his retirement after the Glorious Revolution. Along the way Pepys fought battles with opponents of his naval reforms and enemies who tried to implicate him in the Popish Plot, while taking care of his various relatives and keeping up with an array of friends and acquaintances who included many of the great and famous of late-seventeenth-century England. The letters have been chosen to reflect all these aspects of Pepys's varied and fascinating life, and include 30 never before published. They are accompanied by a running commentary, biographies of persons mentioned, a glossary, a chronology, and an introduction that explains how the letters have survived and analyses how they were written....

This fabulous new series takes key scientific developments from the last century and investigates how they came about, their creation or discovery, and their long-term effects. Each book places the development in the context of its time, to increase awareness of some of the amazing discoveries that have helped to shape the world today, and the key people behind each of these scientific milestones. The First Computers looks at how computers have been transformed from massive, unwieldy and slow calculating machines, to devices that can be held in the palm of the hand, and which have infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. It explains how the first computers worked, their functions, advantages and drawbacks, the race to improve on the basic model, and how this competition inspired further developments....