Pen & Sword Books

Two little girls vanish after going out for sweets, while an investigation unravels community shock and hidden deception.On an August evening in 2002, two little girls named Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman set out to buy sweets, but they never returned home… The last person to see them was Ian Huntley, a man who had seamlessly integrated himself into the fabric of a new community under false pretences.With an alibi from his girlfriend, Maxine Carr, the truth of their disappearance remained a mystery — until a large-scale investigation unfolded over the following weeks which would reveal horror after horror.This narrative dives into one of the most extensive police searches in British history, capturing the heart-gripping grief and trauma that ripped through families and communities for decades to come. Explore the psyche of Huntley and Carr through expert analyses, as this chilling account unravels the complexities of human behaviour and sordid pasts.Discover the haunting true story behind the sensationalised headlines, where innocence met depravity and lives remain irrevocably changed.

“… a fairly complete history and description of each and every project. In all it is a fascinating look at a subject that is still of considerable interest to historians and modelers alike.” — ModelingMadness.ComDuring its short life, the rocket interceptor, a concept that reached maturity towards the end of the Second World War, attracted the attention of top scientists, designers and aeronautical engineers in Germany, the USSR, the United States and Japan. It was universally agreed that an interceptor capable of flying 300 mph faster than any other aircraft would give the wielding power untouchable aerial superiority. However, this new technology was unable to adapt to the realities of war.The complexity of the propulsion system and the need to develop new aerodynamic concepts were challenges too great for the aeronautical industries of the major powers at the time, which specialized in the mass construction of piston fighters. Nor were fighter pilots able to adapt to the high-G combat conditions that came with achieving speeds of nearly 900 mph; it was simply not possible for them to aim and fire.In 280 immaculate technical drawings, each set within its historical context and with full performance specifications, Rocket Interceptors 1941–1947 presents 125 project, prototype and combat rocket-powered aircraft developed by Germany, the United States, the USSR and Japan in the 1940s, though initial development for some can be traced as far back as the 1920s. This is the last word on a technology that, had it been properly harnessed, might have changed the course of the Second World War.

Celebrity air travel's perilous history unfolds through twenty-three renowned figures, revealing how fame intersects with aviation’s evolving risks.Everyone loves adventure, mystery and the notion of celebrity and this book combines all of these with new unpublished material, supported by high quality previously unpublished images. Aviation history is full of evocative stories about the evolution of aeroplanes; flying and the perils of air travel and there are many ways of looking at these. The theme of this book is to recall some of those perils through the eyes of twenty-three internationally-famous celebrity air travellers between 1919 and 2020. What brings them all together here is that, as well as presenting the personalities, the stories showcase aeroplanes from the golden age of biplanes to helicopters, biz-jets and airliners. They also illustrate the fallibility of people and technology, while giving a flavour of the social progress of air transport over the past 100 years. Sadly, the climax of these particular stories culminates in air crashes that took the lives of the celebrities involved. While the final selection of the stars might be open to debate, the breadth of celebrity representation in these stories is very wide, being drawn from the fields of aeronautics; cinema; exploration; fashion; music; politics and sport. Mysteries and myths have grown up around some of these incidents and while some of these can be debunked, others will pose unanswered questions. All, though, will demonstrate that Fame and Fortune alone are no protection from Fate.

Amphibious warfare insights from a seasoned executor reveal enduring lessons on conflict, leadership, and strategic risk.Amphibious Warfare Post WWII is a collection of essays and articles written for various military publications during the author’s 32 years’ service. Following retirement he was able to express his opinions and views in a rather more forthright manner as the Editor of Jane’s Amphibious and Special Forces. As a renowned practitioner of amphibious operations much of what he has to say remains relevant and seminal to this day. The author also describes his time as a European Community Monitor in the Former Yugoslavia (from which he resigned after being ordered to falsify his daily reports to Brussels) and his experiences as a company commander during the Dhofar War.

Regency England takes center stage, tracing aristocratic manners and lavish fashion, then exposing poverty, abuse, and exploitation.Bridgerton Revisited is the first book to place the hugely successful Netflix production Bridgerton in its historical context, the Regency Period of English history which ran from around 17295 until 1837.This eagerly anticipated book is in three parts: Part One examines in detail the social history of the Regency, and is obviously the most recognizable to viewers of the series released so far by Netflix. As such it takes in all aspects of Regency society as enjoyed by the landowning and titled aristocracy in their opulent houses, with their lavish fashions and impeccably prescribed conduct and manners. We learn of the affairs, adultery, sport, leisure and the ardent pursuit of illicit sex in brothels, gambling houses and taverns, of Regency LGBTQ and the endless scramble for the best marriage match as played out in the extravagant balls and at the endless visits and soirées.Part Two takes a close look at the production itself and discusses its historical accuracy in relation to what we discovered in Part One, and the divergences from that history. Using first-hand evidence from the creators and writers of the production we explore the ‘alternate history’ underscoring the series, not least the controversial issue of racial diversity in the casting. Part Three looks at the other side of the coin: the plight of the vast majority living and just surviving in Regency England, amidst the routine squalor, poverty, vagrancy, prostitution and occupational disease, workhouses and domestic and sexual abuse navigated daily, particularly by the women of the day.

Michael Ward's biography chronicles his trailblazing climbs, medical leadership, and enduring impact on high-altitude exploration.This is the first biography of Michael Ward (1925–2005): mountaineer, surgeon, scientist, explorer and writer. Amongst his many accomplishments, it describes — from his unique perspective — the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, when he was expedition doctor. Before this, he instigated the 1951 Reconnaissance Expedition, which discovered the route climbers would take to Everest’s summit after poring over forgotten maps and aerial photographs.During the ground-breaking 1960–61 Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition, he led the first ascent of the iconic Ama Dablam, notably during winter, a climb considered years ahead of its time. As an explorer, he was one of the first Europeans to travel through, and map, the remote northern regions of Bhutan, while conducting a medical survey of its inhabitants. He went on to write the first textbook on mountain medicine, which remains in print today.In 1981, just as China was opening up following its turbulent Cultural Revolution, Ward organised and led an expedition there, which made the first ascent of Mount Kongur. The following year, the Royal Geographic Society awarded him its highest honour, the Founder’s (Gold) Medal.Ward climbed with some of the legends of mountaineering: Eric Shipton, Ed Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and Chris Bonington; and this book relates many stories during his time with them. It also contains never-before published material, including Ward’s view of some controversial incidents during that history-making climb of Everest, as his widow allowed full access to his expedition diaries and his unpublished, hand-written autobiography.

In The Rise of the Bomber: RAF-Army Planning 1919 to Munich 1938, the second book in the series, author Greg Baughen uses archive material to reassess British air policy in the inter-war years. Gone is the image of a Royal Air Force starved of funds and struggling for survival against a bullying Army and Navy. Instead, Baughen describes how the Air Force set out to replace both the Army and Navy. It blocked the development of a modern air/tank strategy and won government backing for a defence policy built around the bomber — the first weapon of mass destruction. Yet the time and money invested in the policy achieved nothing. When put to the test in 1938, the equipment proved inadequate and the strategy flawed. The Air Staff had misled the government, deceived itself and left the country defenceless. Yet, all was not lost. Unintentionally, the Air Ministry had been creating the aircraft that might still save the country. . .

Sons of Ragnar chronicles the dramatic, real-life Viking exploits that reshaped Britain and Ireland.The iconic Ragnar Lothbrok and his five famous sons Ivar, Bjorn, Ubbe, Halfdan and Sigurd have become immortalised through Norse sagas and the hit TV show Vikings. The real life story of this warrior family from the Viking Age is just as dramatic. Sons of Ragnar led a ‘great heathen army’ to avenge their father's death according to a legendary Old Norse tale and changed the face of Britain. Drawing on numerous ancient sources, extensive archaeological findings and exciting new research, this investigation will piece together the incredible true story of Ragnar's five famous sons and how much of the iconic saga traditions were based on reality.The most notorious son was Ivar the Boneless. This book will explore his connection to the mysterious ‘Dark Foreigners’ in Ireland, his infamous executions of two Anglo Saxon kings and a spectacular raid on an impregnable fortress in modern Scotland. A giant skeleton found in the mass Viking burial at Repton has been linked to Ivar, while another legend says he was buried on the coast to scare away future invaders. Both of these fascinating claims are probed. Bjorn Ironside's notorious raid in the Mediterranean is featured as well as his links to a Swedish dynasty and a huge burial mound in Sweden. One of the most decisive battles in British history — the Battle of Cynuit — where Ubbe fought the Anglo Saxons is subject of a major investigation, while the location of the Battle of Ashdown pitting Halfdan against Alfred the Great is also revealed through new research.The captivating question of whether shield maidens and a Lagertha type character existed is also explored. The book also draws on the remarkable Norse mythology which inspired the sons of Ragnar as they left a trail of carnage across Britain, Ireland and France. Two massive Viking raids in Paris, including one potentially led by Sigurd Snake in the Eye which was documented in a remarkable poem, begin and end this incredible story.The first attack was led by the real life Ragnar Lothbrok…

A track-by-track analysis of Genesis’s entire catalogue, exploring the band’s evolution from progressive rock pioneers to global pop superstars.Genesis is one of the most successful British rock bands of all time. Their long and diverse career has not only allowed its three principal members—Phil Collins (vocals, drums), Mike Rutherford (guitars, bass) and Tony Banks (keyboards)—to pursue successful solo careers, it has also divided their fanbase. While some celebrate the band’s early years in the 1970s, characterised by epic rock classics like ‘The Musical Box’ and ‘Supper’s Ready’ and singer Peter Gabriel in his strange masks and costumes, others prefer their chart-topping period of the 1980s and early 1990s, when drummer Phil Collins had taken over the microphone and the band produced hits like ‘That’s All’, ‘Invisible Touch’ and ‘I Can’t Dance’. The common perception of this transition, however, that Genesis went from prog to pop, is wrong. Genesis have always been the most progressive of all the ‘progressive rock’ bands. Without losing their identity they survived the loss of Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett and went on to become one of the biggest bands on the planet. Genesis: Song by Song shows what Genesis is all about, analysing every track ever made, with additional commentary on music videos, album covers and reviews from across the band’s history.

“The battles are competently told and the analysis of what went wrong and right for the British is even better. Glossing over details receives an examination of the official and personal reports that are understandable from the viewpoint of career officers seeking to make British troop losses less problematic than the final correlation of casualties.” — Historical Miniatures Gaming SocietyThe two main Zulu War battles of Hlobane and Khambula were fought on consecutive days, 28 and 29 March 1879, with very different outcomes. The first, a bungled raid to deprive the Zulus of vital cattle, ended in a humiliating debacle due to poor planning and reconnaissance. The latter saw the outnumbered British first repulse the counterattack against their camp and then unleash their cavalry to turn the Zulu withdrawal into a bloody rout, thus sealing the first decisive British victory of the war. As Adrian Greaves contends in his exciting account, this change in fortunes made Khambula the most important battle of the war, since it persuaded both Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, that the British could defeat the Zulus. Yet, despite their importance, these linked encounters have been neglected by historians due mainly to their inaccessibility and dangerous terrain.Both battles are described in the fullest detail possible, drawing on eyewitness testimony and meticulous research and benefitting from the author’s twenty-five years’ experience of leading guided tours of the battlefields and surrounding terrain. He recounts tales of extraordinary courage but also exposes blunders and cowardice that tarnish some famous reputations. Colonel (later Field Marshal) Wood in particular comes out badly. This is an essential, eye-opening book for anyone with an interest in the Anglo-Zulu War.

On 10 May 1940, the French possessed one of the largest air forces in the world. On paper, it was nearly as strong as the RAF. Six weeks later, France had been defeated. For a struggling French Army desperately looking for air support, the skies seemed empty of friendly planes. In the decades that followed, the debate raged. Were there unused stockpiles of planes? Were French aircraft really so inferior? Baughen examines the myths that surround the French defeat. He explains how at the end of the First World War, the French had possessed the most effective air force in the world, only for the lessons learned to be forgotten. Instead, air policy was guided by radical theories that predicted air power alone would decide future wars. Baughen traces some of the problems back to the very earliest days of French aviation. He describes the mistakes and bad luck that dogged the French efforts to modernise their air force in the twenties and thirties. He examines how decisions made just months before the German attack further weakened the air force. Yet defeat was not inevitable. If better use had been made of the planes that were available, the result might have been different.

Discover how engineering-minded owners customized production Jowett cars for speed, off-road use, and comfort.Since the early days of motoring, car owners with an engineering background have customised production cars, normally for increased speed for racing, but also for off-road work, touring, commercial work, or for added comfort and reliability. Jowett owners are no exception, with unique sporting models being owner-built since the 1920s. In fact there are racing Javelin saloons and Jupiter sports cars taking part in historic races today that are considerably faster than the production cars of the late 1940s and early 1950s.There’s the full gamut of Jowett specials featured here, covering pre-Second World War models through to modified versions of the post-war Bradford van. The Javelin and the Jupiter are also featured. Jowett Specials: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a celebration of them all, and the intrepid, mechanically minded owners who built them.

“Walsh presents a good picture of operations carried out by the original intruder squadrons, as well as squadron and station life. His book is highly readable and certainly worth the attention of anyone at all interested in World War II in the European theater.” — The Journal of the Air Force Historical FoundationIt was only the ‘above average’ pilots and navigators who were invited to volunteer for what was some of the most challenging, daring and rewarding flying operations of the Second World War. Their role was to take Mosquitos at low level through the night across Europe to loiter near a Luftwaffe airfield to attack and shoot down returning enemy bombers or night fighters.The Mosquito intruders’ story starts during the Battle of Britain, when RAF planners noticed a few German interlopers ‘hiding’ in the returning bomber streams, so that they could attack landing RAF aircraft. They recognised that this was a tactic the RAF could also employ.To exploit this concept properly, the RAF needed the right equipment, training programme and airmen. Each would take time to establish. It was not until mid-1943, with the superior performance and capabilities of the iconic de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB VI, that the intruders’ full impact would at last be felt. The first three intruder squadrons, Nos. 23, 418 and 605, were the elite of the elite. Their ‘Battle Honours’ demonstrate their contribution to delivering victory over the Axis forces.Mosquito Intruders — Target Europe uses diaries, first-hand accounts, contemporaneous sources, and official records to take the reader through the development of the intruder concept, their early days equipped initially with the Douglas DB-7 Boston and the Mosquito NF II (Special), to the operations of the first three Mosquito intruder squadrons. These three squadrons defended Malta, supported the invasion of Sicily, assisted No. 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron on their famous Dortmund-Ems Canal raid, were the first to attack on D-Day, and worked out how to defeat the V1 flying bombs. They were led from the front, and through example, by larger-than-life fighter aces.The Mosquito demanded respect and could take punishment. Beautifully balanced, fast and with a powerful punch, for most of the aircrew, it was the aircraft of their dreams. By the end of Mosquito Intruders — Target Europe, you will understand why!

The English Electric Lightning was the first Mach 2 fighter to enter service with the RAF. It began life as a purely experimental design, and despite inadequate funding from the government, was developed by the manufacturer into a highly effective combat aircraft. It was also an export success, particularly with the Royal Saudi Air Force, paving the way for major export contracts of future aircraft with Saudi Arabia and other nations.Lightnings were challenging to fly and maintain—one pilot famously likened it to ‘being saddled to a skyrocket’—but the aircraft was nonetheless revered by pilots and ground crew alike, who valued its astonishing rate of climb among other performance advantages. Among enthusiasts, it quickly became iconic.English Electric Lightning: The RAF’s First Mach 2 Fighter is a comprehensive history and analysis of the aircraft, covering its design, development and service, with extensive illustrations, many previously unpublished, as well as appendices detailing production, service and performance data, and information on preserved aircraft.

Learn how a Shabbat stew simmered for fifteen hours migrated across the Diaspora for over 1,700 years.It sounds insane. Why would anyone deliberately leave a pot cooking for fifteen hours straight? But that’s what Jewish people worldwide have done for more than 1,700 years.In this richly-researched book, Jewish food scholar Joel Haber explains the reasons for this practice, digging into how one special food—“the Shabbat stew”— has changed as Jews have migrated. Despite unique ingredients and names (cholent, hamin, skhena, khalebibi, and more), these many stews prove to be versions of the same dish, rather than different ones. A popular one-pot meal traveled with Jews wherever they moved, morphing with what ingredients were available and popular. The book uses this singular “stew with a thousand flavors” to trace the routes of Jewish migrations throughout the Diaspora.Exploring the changes to the dish, and to Jewish life in each place, Joel highlights how this dish embodies the Jewish story. The Jewish nation is the most globalized on earth, one people with numerous visible communal variations. This book celebrates Jewish uniqueness, as seen through the nearly 30 tried and tested recipes the book includes. Reflecting that unity-within-diversity, the kaleidoscopic Shabbat stew is truly the most Jewish food on earth.

Coal reshaped the Royal Navy as steam replaced wind, accelerating battles, economies, and imperial reach.The vast British fleet that enabled Allied victory in the First World War was one largely fuelled by coal. During the preceding century the burgeoning industrial revolution, and the Royal Navy that emerged out of new technologies, had become entirely dependent on the precious ‘black diamonds’. When Queen Victoria had ascended the throne in 1837 ships were powered entirely by wind; by the end of her reign the navy was driven by coal.What happened in the intervening years forms the core of this new book. It is the story of a naval revolution greater than any that had gone before. Free and inexhaustible wind was replaced by expensive coal; ships became faster, their offensive capabilities more devastating and the Royal Navy’s control of the seas of Britain’s emerging empire undisputed.Steve Dunn embraces a whole range of themes and topics to demonstrate how coal, at the very heart of this revolution, affected every aspect of the Navy. The impact of steam propulsion on ship design; the evolution of seamanship for iron ships; the establishment of coaling stations around the world; the mining and transportation of coal; that most hated of tasks, coaling ships; the challenges of working in the terrible heat of engine rooms; these are just some of the subjects elucidated in peace and during conflict. With its emphasis on the human as well as the technological aspects of the story, Coal Ship! offers fascinating insights into every aspect of the navy during the long period of Pax Britannica and during the First World WarBy the outbreak of that war, Britain’s coal resources enabled the Royal Navy to safeguard Britain’s trade. The book details how in wartime colliers became warships, and the social impact of war on the coal mines which led to repeated industrial strife and nationalisation. It examines the problems in providing fuel to the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, and how coal became a weapon to enforce a blockade of Germany.At the heart of this story are ‘black diamonds’, the key element in the undisputed dominance of the Royal Navy; this new book tells that wide-ranging and compelling story.

Tyranny's core insight reveals how a dictator's ascent reshaped politics, power, and society.The art of tyranny involves aspirants taking and keeping uninhibited, arbitrary power over others. Benito Mussolini is among the world’s most recognizable tyrants with his scowl, jutting jaw, bald dome, booming voice, chopping fists, squat body, and wide stance. He founded the Fascist movement dedicated to transforming Italy’s liberal democracy into a regime that mingled authoritarianism, nationalism, populism, corporatism, vigilantism, and imperialism with himself the all-powerful ‘Duce’ or leader.By threatening to march on Rome with his Blackshirt militia, Mussolini bullied King Victor Emmanuel III into naming him prime minister. He ruled Italy from 30 October 1922 until 25 July 1943, achieving supreme power just thirteen months after taking power. With an overwhelming legislative majority, he issued decrees and had laws approved that granted him dictatorial powers, outlawed all political parties except for his Fascist Party, and jailed or drove into exile most of his opponents. Yet Mussolini’s dictatorship was limited as the king remained the head of state with the latent power to dismiss him as prime minister backed by the need and courage to do so. That time eventually came.Until the war years, most Italians enthusiastically embraced Mussolini’s dictatorship because his economic and nationalist policies boosted their living standards, hope, and pride. Mussolini oversaw a corporatist economy where the state partnered with industrial, agrarian, labour, and energy groups to expand production, productivity, wages, and quality of life. Yet, Mussolini ultimately failed catastrophically as a tyrant when he tried to fulfil his promise to make Italy as great a modern imperial nation as the ancient Roman empire. The series of military disasters that Italy’s military suffered eventually turned even his closest supporters against him. On 25 July 1943, the Fascist National Council voted 19 to 8 with 1 abstention that he resign. Later that day, King Victor Emmanuel III summoned him, announced that he would replace him as prime minister with General Pietro Badoglio, and had him arrested and imprisoned. It was the beginning of what was to be his fatal demise.Benito Mussolini and the Art of Tyranny explores the nature of the dictator and his regime and their strengths, weaknesses, triumphs, disasters, and legacies.

A forgotten army history unfolds through Charles Jerrard’s frontline account of Burma’s decisive 1944 campaign.It was a casual encounter, a conversation between holidaymakers abroad. As all such discussions inevitably do with people of a certain age, the subject of children was raised. One said that his son was a military historian who specialised in the Fourteenth Army — often known as ‘The Forgotten Army’. The other said that her late father was a senior officer with that very same forgotten force. She had retained all his papers; would the other’s son be interested?Those papers included maps, diagrams and orders compiled by Brigadier Charles Ian Jerrard. Jerrard commanded the 98th Brigade during the re-invasion of Burma in 1944, a formation which participated in the great battles which saw the Fourteenth Army crossing the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy, taking Mandalay in bitter close-quarters fighting, and, eventually, driving the Japanese out of Burma.On 6 October 1944, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander South-East Asia, arrived at Janori in India to inspect all the units in the 98th Brigade. On the eve of the 98th’s departure for the Burma theatre, Mountbatten concluded his address to the troops with these words: ‘The Japanese has one great advantage … his greatest pleasure is to die for his country. It is up to you to see that you give him all the pleasures he can possibly have.’ With these words ringing in their ears, Brigadier Jerrard and the men of his 98th Brigade concentrated in the Imphal area in early November 1944. The 98th was going to war and set about its task of pursuing the Japanese. The aim was to run them out of Burma.The most remarkable document discovered in Jerrard’s papers was his personal account of these momentous operations and engagements. Told from a front-line commander’s perspective, this highly detailed and thoroughly absorbing narrative provides the reader with a unique insight into one of the key campaigns of the Second World War. It is that story which is presented by James Luto in this book. As a result, those seven dramatic months of continuous action is revealed in detail through a unique war history collated in 1946.

Hulme’s journey through Philippine battlefields reveals endurance, atrocity, and courage shaping collective memory.Over several years, author Chris Hulme embarked on a personal travel odyssey across the battlefields of the Second World War in the Pacific. In The Bataan Death March to MacArthur’s Return, he journeys through the Philippines — from the rain-swept streets of Manila to the wreck-strewn waters of Leyte Gulf — blending gripping history with personal exploration.The author begins by walking in the footsteps of those who endured the harrowing three-month siege of Bataan, where American and Filipino forces, cut off from supplies and reinforcements, made their desperate last stand against overwhelming Japanese troops. That valiant struggle culminated in the largest surrender of U.S. Army forces in history and the infamous Bataan Death March, marked today by 136 white concrete obelisks along the 65-mile route of suffering.Taking a boat across Manila Bay, Hulme explores the island fortress of Corregidor, where General Jonathan Wainwright’s forces held out for another month after Bataan’s fall. Hulme navigates the haunting ruins of burned-out barracks and massive gun batteries, descending into the Malinta Tunnel complex where MacArthur once commanded the defence before a nighttime evacuation in a PT boat.The narrative follows MacArthur’s promise to return, landing with him on the beaches of Leyte in 1944. Hulme links the fury of that campaign with the elemental power of the Pacific itself, where typhoons battered fleets and civilians alike, and reflects on new deep-ocean discoveries of warships resting more than 6,000 meters below the surface. The story culminates in Manila, 1945, when a month-long inferno claimed 100,000 civilian lives and reduced the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ to burning rubble. From the restored MacArthur Suite at the Manila Hotel to the dungeons of Fort Santiago, Hulme confronts a legacy of atrocity, endurance and defiance.The Bataan Death March to MacArthur’s Return transforms battlefields into living landscapes where past and present converge, offering a haunting meditation on courage, loss, and the human capacity to rebuild — brought vividly to life with evocative photographs and maps.

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters from the Conquest will explore the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time.Almost as interesting as the marriages these girls made are the ones that were never realised. Many English princesses were betrothed, or proposed as brides, three or more times before they were married. Their failed marriage proposals demonstrated their influence and worth on the international royal marriage market, as well as the changing allegiances between countries and the making and breaking of international friendships.Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them.Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.