History

Intriguing accounts of history, with books to entertain both young and old readers alike. Ever wondered what life was really like in a medieval monastery, or how the brave soldiers from the DLI liberated the Belsen concentration camp? Discover Durham with beautiful paintings and illustrations, and the true story behind the corpse of North East England’s best-loved saint!

• The Empress and the Bishop: The Triumphs and Tragedy of John Chrysostom

  by Patrick Whitworth

  Paperback £16.99
  

  An accessible and comprehensive biography of the fourth-century preacher and theologian John Chrysostom, one of the most iconic voices of Christian history.

  Coming Soon

• Defend Us in Battle: Catholic Chaplains in the British Military

  by James Hagerty and Barry Hudd

  Paperback £25.00 £20.00
  

  An insight into the ministry of priests who over the centuries and across the world have voluntarily provided Catholic service personnel with the solace of religion far away from home and frequently in danger.

  

• Educating in Faith: A History of the English Catholic Public School

  by Mark Cleary ★★★★★

  Paperback £19.99
  

  An examination of the religious, social and political context within which Roman Catholic public schools developed in England from around 1800 and considers their contemporary relevance and character.

  

• India and the End of Empire: Selected Writings of Daniel O’Connor

  by Daniel O’Connor, Ann Loades, and David Jasper (editors)

  Paperback £19.99
  

  This collection of the writings of Daniel O’Connor, edited and introduced by David Jasper, is a treasure trove for all interested in the Church in India in the twentieth century.

  

• Edward Vernon-Harcourt: The Last Aristocratic Archbishop of York

  by Tony Vernon-Harcourt

  Hardback £30.00 £24.99
  

  The first-ever biography of Edward Vernon Harcourt, Archbishop of York from 1807 to 1847, and the last aristocrat to occupy the office.

  

• Thomas Henry Lyon: Architect and aesthete – his life and work

  by Michael Yelton

  Hardback £60.00
  

  The first ever description of the life and work of Thomas Henry Lyon (1869–1953), an important but neglected twentieth-century architect.

  

• With Bridget in the Holy Land

  by Luca Cesarini

  Paperback £16.99
  

  Discover the dramatic and eventful pilgrimage of a medieval women – St Bridge of Sweden – from Rome to Jerusalem in 1371-73.

  

• Mamerto Gueritz: A Country Catholic 1823–1912

  by David Gunn-Johnson

  Hardback £30.00
  

  The life of Mamerto Gueritz, an Anglo-Catholic priest in the West Country during the ritualist controversy in the late 19th century.

  

• Breathers of an Ampler Day: Victorian Views of Heaven

  by Ian Bradley ★★★★★

  Paperback £14.99
  

  As death comes out of the closet in contemporary society, this book presents the views on heaven and the afterlife of a number of well-known Victorians, and others not so well known, in the belief that they may help us today.

  

• Constantinople to Chalcedon: Shaping the World to Come

  by Patrick Whitworth and Prof. Mark Edwards (foreword) ★★★★

  Paperback £19.99
  

  An exploration of the theological turmoil of the fifth-century church, and the impact it had on the future of Western Europe.

  

• Three Wise Men from the East: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Struggle for Orthodoxy

  by Patrick Whitworth and Rowan Williams (foreword) ★★★★

  Paperback £16.99
  

  A comprehensive, clear, and accessible introduction to the writings and complex characters of the Cappadocian Fathers—Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory Nazianzen—and a crucially formative period for Christian thinking.

  

• The Roman Catholic Bishops of Lancaster: Celebrating the Centenary 1924–2024

  by Paul Severn

  Paperback £16.99
  

  In a series of biographical portraits Paul Severn tells the story of the seven diocesan and one auxiliary bishop in the Roman Catholic diocese of Lancaster.

  

• Defining God: Athanasius, Nicaea and the Trinitarian Controversy of the Fourth Century

  by Patrick Whitworth

  Paperback £16.99
  

  A vivid account of the fourth-century dispute surrounding the divine status of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This is the story of that controversy: its protagonists, the involvement of imperial power, its theological twists and turns, and the many creeds and councils of this period.

  

• The End of the Church?: Conversations with the Work of David Jasper

  by Bridget Nichols and Nicholas Taylor (editors)

  Hardback £30.00
  

  These 14 essays by scholars who have worked with David Jasper in both church and academy develop original discussions of themes emerging from his writings on literature, theology and hermeneutics. The arts, institutions, literature and liturgy are among the subject areas they cover.

  

• Henry Beeching: Professor, Poet, Priest

  by Peter Fanning

  Hardback £25.00
  

  Henry Beeching (1859–1919), Dean of Norwich, was a popular preacher, celebrated man of letters and journalist. This is the first full-length biography of this popular poet, professor of English, and a much loved priest.

  

• Northumberland: A Guide

  by Stephen Platten

  Hardback £30.00 £25.00
  

  A fully illustrated guidebook to Northumberland, including a gazeteer, maps and more than 200 photographs

  

• Alfred Hope Patten and the Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham

  by Michael Yelton ★★★★

  Paperback £19.99
  

  The definitive history of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and its founder Alfred Hope Patten

  

• The Roman Catholic Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle

  by Paul Severn

  Paperback £16.99
  

  A chronological survey of the Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle from 1850 to the present day.

  

• A Life-Long Springtime: The Life and Teaching of Fr George Congreve SSJE

  by Luke Miller

  Hardback £25.00
  

  A biography of George Congreve showing his contribution to SSJE and the Church of England by describing his teaching and quoting much of his unpublished or out-of-print writing.

  

• Tuscany's Noble Treasures: Conceptualizing Female Religious Life in Medieval Italy

  by Paula Clifford

  Paperback £19.99
  

  A comprehensive study of female religious life in medieval Tuscany and the development of new categories of religious women

  

• Literature and Devotion in Later Medieval England: A selection of manuscripts from Durham University Library

  by Richard Gameson

  Paperback £16.99
  

  Embracing poetic and prose writings on philosophy, contemplation and bibliophily, key service books for the clergy, and devotional texts for the laity, this book explores the interrelated themes of literature and devotion in England from the Black Death to the Reformation as seen through the lens of twenty-six precious manuscripts in Durham University Library.

  

• And Did Those Feet: The Story and Character of the English Church AD 200-2020

  by Patrick Whitworth ★★★★

  Hardback £45.00 £35.00
  

  Patrick Whitworth charts both the contribution and shortcomings of the English Church. An extraordinary story well told, this will remain the standard work on the Church in England for many years to come.

  

• Sink or Swim: Catholicism in Sixties Britain through John Ryan's Cartoons

  by Alana Harris and Isabel Ryan, and John Ryan (illustrator) ★★★★

  Paperback £12.99
  

  Cartoons by John Ryan, better known as the creator of Captain Pugwash, provide a personal portrait of the extraordinary ups and downs of religion in the Sixties—encompassing the machinations of popes and cardinals, the testimony of expert witnesses, runaway priests, radical reformists and lay protest movements.

  

• Saints and Holy Places of Yorkshire: A Pilgrims' Guide to God's Own County

  by Gavin Wakefield ★★★★

  Paperback £12.99
  

  A unique guide for visitors to the many pilgrimage sites in Yorkshire and the holy people who have been associated with these places.