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In the past fifteen years, Ireland has gone from being one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the richest in the world. Of all the factors in this extraordinary transformation, none has been more prominent than the astonishing boom in construction. The transformation was created by a relatively small number of men, mostly from humble rural backgrounds. In The Builders, Frank McDonald and Kathy Sheridan tell the stories of these men, of the local and national governments that have helped them, and of the changes – physical and psychological – they have brought about. They also go behind the facades of these secretive men, explaining what drives them and what they do with their vast wealth. The story of Ireland's property developers has been the great untold story of the country's growth – until now. ... Read more

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This book presents a social and cultural history of "dishonorable people" (unehrliche Leute), an outcast group in early modern Germany. Executioners, skinners, grave-diggers, shepherds, barber-surgeons, millers, linen-weavers, sow-gelders, latrine-cleaners, and bailiffs were among the "dishonorable" by virtue of their trades. It shows the extent to which dishonor determined the life chances and self-identity of these people. Taking Augsburg as a prime example, it investigates how honorable estates interacted with dishonorable people, and shows how the pollution anxieties of early modern Germans structured social and political relations within honorable society. ... Read more

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Artists such as Ronan Keating, Westlife, B*Witched and Samantha Mumba are reported on and profiled regularly in the international media, yet little is known publicly about the behind-the-scenes dealings by Walsh that have driven their success. Walsh also has a reputation, particularly in Ireland, as an outspoken and controversial figure. These factors should aid considerably in generating publicity for the book. The author also focuses on Walsh's wealth and other business interests, and his involvement in a number of court cases, issues that are rarely covered in the media. The author tells many stories that have not been previously published and finds out why a man who courts publicity so actively remains so intensely private in his personal life. ... Read more

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A history of one of the great Irish landed estates and the two families who owned it exploring the complex relationship of landowner, agent, middleman and tenant that cast such a long shadow over Irish life. ... Read more

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The Hansom cab is one of the most striking images of the Victorian city, but it was not the only type of cab in use during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Much of the work was done by the 'growler', a four-wheeled cab that rattled through the streets, laden with luggage and with families eager to catch a train. Trevor May travels through the streets of Victorian and Edwardian England to trace the origins of the horse cab and the improvements in its design throughout the period, and to celebrate the cab drivers themselves, who had a reputation for quick-wittedness and repartee equal to that enjoyed by today's taxi-driver. ... Read more

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