{"title":"Margaret Willes","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the curated collection of works by the distinguished author Margaret Willes. Renowned for her captivating exploration of history and botany, Willes skilfully weaves narratives that enrich our understanding of Britain’s past and its verdant landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong her noted works, \u003cem\u003eA Shakespearean Botanical\u003c\/em\u003e offers a fascinating glimpse into the flora that inspired and adorned the plays of Shakespeare. Delve into \u003cem\u003eDomestic Herbal\u003c\/em\u003e, where Willes expertly revisits the traditional uses of herbs within the British household, blending historical anecdotes with botanical knowledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn her engrossing history books, such as \u003cem\u003eIn the Shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLiberty over London Bridge\u003c\/em\u003e, Margaret Willes transports readers to pivotal moments in London's past, shedding light on the city's enduring architectural and cultural heritage. For those fascinated by personal stories from history, \u003cem\u003eThe Curious World of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn\u003c\/em\u003e offers an intimate look into the lives of these famous diarists and friends, providing insights into 17th-century England.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMargaret Willes also explores social history through the lens of horticulture in \u003cem\u003eThe Gardens of the British Working Class\u003c\/em\u003e, examining the profound impact of gardening on the lives of ordinary British people through the centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are a history enthusiast or a lover of botany, Margaret Willes’ books promise an engaging journey through time, with stories uniquely rooted in the rich soil of British history.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"domestic-herbal-the-by-margaret-willes-9781851245130","title":"Domestic Herbal, The","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the seventeenth century, most English households had gardens. These gardens were not merely ornamental; even the most elaborate and fashionable gardens had areas set aside for growing herbs, fruit, vegetables, and flowers for domestic use. Meanwhile, more modest households considered a functional garden to be a vital tool for the survival of the house and family. The seventeenth century was also a period of exciting introductions of plants from overseas, which could be used in all manner of recipes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUsing manuscript household manuals, recipe books, and printed herbals, \u003ci\u003eThe Domestic Herbal\u003c\/i\u003e takes the reader on a tour of the productive garden and of the various parts of the house—kitchens and service rooms, living rooms and bedrooms—to show how these plants were used for cooking and brewing, medicines and cosmetics, in the making and care of clothes, and to keep rooms fresh, fragrant, and decorated. Recipes used by seventeenth-century households for preparations such as flower syrups, snail water, and wormwood ale are also included. A brief herbal gives descriptions of plants both familiar and less known to today's readers, including the herbs used for common tasks like dyeing and brewing, and those that held particular cultural importance in the seventeenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing exquisite coloured illustrations from John Gerard's herbal book of 1597 as well as prints, archival material, and manuscripts, this book provides an intriguing and original focus on the domestic history of Stuart England.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849026326764,"sku":"9781851245130","price":82.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3007173482847.jpg?v=1759009661"},{"product_id":"the-curious-world-of-samuel-pepys-and-john-evelyn-by-margaret-willes-9780300238686","title":"The Curious World of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn intimate portrait of two pivotal Restoration figures during one of the most dramatic periods of English history\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Curious World of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn\u003c\/em\u003e by Margaret Willes offers the first full portrait of the friendship between two celebrated English diarists, Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, transforming our understanding of their times. These extraordinary men were not just close friends, but they also epitomised the intellectual spirit of the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePepys, known for his earthy and shrewd nature, contrasted with Evelyn, a genteel aesthete. Despite their differing personalities, both were united by their passion for intellectual pursuits. Their work to alleviate the plight of sailors caught up in the Dutch wars brought them together, sharing an inexhaustible curiosity for life and the exotic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWilles delves into their mutual interests—diary-keeping, science, travel, and a love of books—while also exploring their divergent enthusiasms, such as Pepys' love for theatre and music, and Evelyn's passion for horticulture and garden design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the richly documented lives of these two remarkable men, Willes revisits the history of London and England in an age marked by regicide, revolution, fire, and plague, revealing it as a time of enthralling possibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855860748524,"sku":"9780300238686","price":28.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24384603482294.jpg?v=1759281158"},{"product_id":"in-the-shadow-of-st-pauls-cathedral-by-margaret-willes-9780300273380","title":"In the Shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe extraordinary story of St. Paul’s Churchyard—the area of London that was a centre of social and intellectual life for more than a millennium.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSt. Paul’s Cathedral\u003c\/em\u003e stands at the heart of London, an enduring symbol of the city. Less well known is the neighbourhood at its base that hummed with life for over a thousand years, becoming a theatre for debate and protest, knowledge and gossip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, Margaret Willes tells the full story of the area. She explores the dramatic religious debates at Paul’s Cross, the bookshops where Shakespeare came in search of inspiration, and the theatre where boy actors performed plays by leading dramatists. After the Great Fire of 1666, the Churchyard became the centre of the English literary world, its bookshops nestling among establishments offering luxury goods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis remarkable community came to an abrupt end with the Blitz. First, the soaring spire of Old St. Paul’s and then Wren’s splendid Baroque dome had dominated the area, but now the vibrant secular society that had lived in their shadow was no more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000650776812,"sku":"9780300273380","price":25.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24731543482294.jpg?v=1763293697"},{"product_id":"liberty-over-london-bridge-by-margaret-willes-9780300272208","title":"Liberty over London Bridge","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe first complete history of Southwark, London's stubbornly independent community over the Thames\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSouthwark's fortunes have always been tied to those of the City of London across the river. But from its founding in Roman times through to flourishing in the medieval era, the Borough has always fiercely asserted its independence. A place of licence, largely free of the City's jurisdiction, Southwark became a constant thorn in London's side: an administrative anachronism, a commercial rival, and an asylum for undesirable industries and residents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this remarkable history of London's liberty beyond the bridge, \u003cem\u003eLiberty over London Bridge\u003c\/em\u003e, Margaret Willes narrates the life and times of the people of Southwark, capturing the Borough's anarchic spirit of revelry. Populated by a potent mix of talented immigrants, religious dissenters, theatrical folk, brewers, and sex workers, Southwark often escaped urban jurisdiction—giving it an atmosphere of danger, misrule, and artistic freedom. Tracing Southwark's history from its Roman foundation to its present popularity as a place to visit, through Chaucer, to Shakespeare, and on to Dickens, Willes offers an indispensable exploration of the City's unacknowledged mirror image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000670372076,"sku":"9780300272208","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24719823482294.jpg?v=1763295286"},{"product_id":"the-gardens-of-the-british-working-class-by-margaret-willes-9780300212358","title":"The Gardens of the British Working Class","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis magnificently illustrated people's history celebrates the extraordinary feats of cultivation by the working class in Britain, even if the land they toiled, planted, and loved was not their own. Spanning more than four centuries, from the earliest records of the labouring classes in the country to today, Margaret Willes's research unearths lush gardens nurtured outside rough workers' cottages and horticultural miracles performed in blackened yards. It reveals the ingenious, sometimes devious, methods employed by determined, obsessive, and eccentric workers to make their drab surroundings bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShe also explores the stories of the great philanthropic industrialists who provided gardens for their workforces, the fashionable rich stealing the gardening ideas of the poor, alehouse syndicates, and fierce rivalries between vegetable growers. Flower-fanciers cultivated exotic blooms on their city windowsills, and the rich lore was handed down from gardener to gardener through generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Gardens of the British Working Class\u003c\/em\u003e is a sumptuous record of the myriad ways in which the popular cultivation of plants, vegetables, and flowers has played—and continues to play—an integral role in everyday British life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072732971244,"sku":"9780300212358","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24121323482294.jpg?v=1765128549"},{"product_id":"a-shakespearean-botanical-by-margaret-willes-9781851244379","title":"A Shakespearean Botanical","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Falstaff calls upon the sky to rain potatoes in \u003ci\u003eThe Merry Wives of Windsor\u003c\/i\u003e, he is highlighting the late sixteenth-century belief that the exotic vegetable, recently introduced to England from the Americas, was an aphrodisiac. In \u003ci\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/i\u003e, Lady Capulet calls for quinces to make pies for the marriage feast of her daughter. This fruit was traditionally connected with weddings and fertility, as echoed by John Gerard in his herbal where he also explained that eating quinces would 'bring forth wise children, and of good understanding'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking fifty quotations centring on flowers, herbs, fruit, and vegetables, Margaret Willes gives these botanical references their social context to provide an intriguing and original focus on daily life in Tudor and Jacobean England, looking in particular at medicine, cookery, gardening, and folklore traditions. Exquisitely illustrated with unique hand-painted engravings from the Bodleian Library's copy of John Gerard's herbal of 1597, this book marries the beauty of Shakespeare's lines with charming contemporary renderings of the plants he described so vividly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'We closed Willes's book imagining the Bard tending an allotment in Stratford-upon-Avon, with marigolds — opening \"to adorn the day\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Rape of Lucrece\u003c\/i\u003e), closing \"with the sun\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Winter's Tale\u003c\/i\u003e) — nodding violets, and thoughtful pansies. \u003ci\u003eA Shakespearean Botanical\u003c\/i\u003e would make a better Christmas gift...than deadly nightshade.' — Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47076063969516,"sku":"9781851244379","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2999663482847.jpg?v=1765190133"},{"product_id":"natures-apothecary-by-margaret-willes-9781851246694","title":"Nature's Apothecary","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBeautifully illustrated throughout, this book shows the social, cultural and historical importance of plants and their role in both formal and folk medicine.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHerbs have been used for centuries to cure all manner of ailments. They were especially important as home remedies for the many people without access to a trained physician before the advent of affordable healthcare. In the Middle Ages, monastery gardens were used to cultivate plants to treat not only their own house, but also the secular community that surrounded them. Information about the medicinal properties of plants was gathered into books known as herbals, which gained a much increased audience with the advent of printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNature's Apothecary features a selection of 100 plants showing how not only herbs but also flowers, fruit and vegetables have been used in different ways for medicinal purposes. Exquisite colour illustrations from the renowned Herball by John Gerard, first published in 1597, accompany short narratives describing the social, cultural and historical importance of plants growing naturally in the hedgerows and meadows, and in gardens, as well as more exotic flowers from further afield, drawn from the writings of a range of herbalists including John Gerard, Nicholas Culpeper and Elizabeth Blackwell. Together, they give a fascinating history of nature's extraordinary role in both formal and folk medicine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288660328684,"sku":"9781851246694","price":57.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3022813482847.jpg?v=1770566778"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/margaret-willes.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}