I'm not planning on buying anyone any language courses, I always seem to end up giving people books or chocolates
, but I think some of the books could be considered cultural background for a region of interest to you.----------
Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England (ISBN: 9781784537869)
One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so. But locked away in the buried history of the British Isles are other, far richer and more nuanced, stories; and these hidden tales paint a picture very different from the ferocious pillagers of popular repute.
Eleanor Parker here unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the marauding army that in the late ninth century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its sleek, dragon-prowed longships.
Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, she depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home.
Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons; Cnut; and Havelok the Dane. Each myth shows how the legacy of the newcomers can still be traced in landscape, place-names and local history. This book uncovers the remarkable degree to which England is Viking to its core.
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Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia (ISBN: 1841957879)
First published in 1942, Rebecca West’s epic masterpiece is widely regarded as the most illuminating book to have been written on the former state of Yugoslavia. It is a work of enduring value that remains essential for anyone attempting to understand the enigmatic history of the Balkan states, and the continuing friction in this fractured area of Europe.
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Civilisation: A Personal View (ISBN: 9780719568442)
Famous TV documentary series as a book!
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Journey Through Wine: An Atlas (ISBN: 9781743794746)
Wine has rolled its barrel from the shores of the Black Sea to the mountains of the Andes, following humans and their dreams. But just how did a Pyrenean grape variety end up in Uruguay? And by what means were grapevines able to reach Japan?
This book goes back through time to retrace the grape’s conquest of the world, stopping in each winemaking country, from the oldest to the most recent, to discover wines past and present, while also looking to the future.
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Do you have any Christmas shopping suggestions you could share?