Something for everyone

Above: Cathedral

Above: The Home Guard in Hertfordshire

Above: Walter Rothschild

Above: The Witch of Spiton and the Serpent on Anata

Cathedral
This extremely well illustrated book on ‘The English Cathedrals and the world that made them, 597-1541’ gives an expert view on how these breathtaking examples of architecture came to being. As well as walking the reader through 28 of the best examples in the country – including a chapter devoted to St Albans – this 500-page plus book also represents a wealth of historical research. Author and heritage expert Jon Cannon goes beyond the architecture to show how the buildings were constantly changing, recreated by a rich brew of ancient rituals, beliefs, personalities and politics. This book is a must for anyone who likes to roam the country visiting cathedrals.

Cathedral
By Jon Cannon
Published by Constable & Robinson
ISBN: 9781841198415
Price £30

The Home Guard in Hertfordshire 1952-1957
While much is known about the role the Home Guard played in wartime, few people realise how this institution continued to operate in peacetime. Disbanded in 1944, the debate on whether it should be resurrected ignited in early 1948 and in April 1952 recruitment for the new Home Guard started. This book looks at the long-running debate on getting the Home Guard back into being and the efforts made to recruit, well illustrated with photographs and copies of original signing-up papers. It explains how the force was divided into units across Hertfordshire and looks at its operational role in the county. This book enlightens readers on a hidden slice of history.

The Home Guard in Hertfordshire 1952-1957
By J D Sainsbury
Published by Hart Books, Welwyn
ISBN: 9780948527104
Priced £14.95
Hertfordshire Life readers can get a copy for £12 by sending a cheque payable to J D Sainsbury to Hart Books, 6 Roundwood Drive, Welwyn Garden City AL8 7JZ

Walter Rothschild: The Man, the Museum and the Menagerie
Anyone who has ever visited the Natural History Museum at Tring will know something of the weird and wonderful world of Walter Rothschild. Walter was one of the best known zoologists of his day and accumulated a huge collection of zoological specimens, which then became exhibits in his private museum, opened in 1892. Written by his niece, Dame Miriam Rothschild, who died in 2005, three years before the book was published, this book pays tribute to Walter and delves into his eccentric and secretive life. Miriam used family letters and photographs to produce a compelling read on a remarkable man with an obsessive fondness for the natural world.

Walter Rothschild: The Man, the Museum and the Menagerie
By Miriam Rothschild
Published by The Natural
History Museum Publishing
ISBN: 9780565092283
Priced £9.99

The White Witch of Spiton and the Serpent of Anata
This intriguing novel combining Egyptology and witchcraft is mainly aimed at children but is an enjoyable light read for adults as well. The book is the debut of author Tracey Rolfe, from Waltham Abbey, and tells the tale of 13-year-old witch, Isobel Ashwell, as her adventures unfold in the village of Spiton, and her dealings with arch enemy, the dark wizard Karlad. The book starts with the discovery of the Serpent of Anata in a pharoah’s tomb in 1930s Eqypt, then moves to the present day to follow the race between good and evil on who can gain possession of the powerful weapon which has the ability to bring people back from the dead.

The White Witch of Spiton and the Serpent of Anata
By Tracey Rolfe
Published by Jake Boy Publishing
ISBN: 9780955702006
Priced £7.99