Collection: Special Collections - Loan

Jane Austen, widely acclaimed as one of the greatest English novelists, possessed another talent that enriched her life and work - music. She played and sang draws on the newly digitised music books of the Austen family, granting us a deeper understanding of the writer's artistic prowess and the ...

An epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook's death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day.

On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were 30 emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's ship The Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 174...

The revival in Jane Austen and her world continues apace, and Maria Hubert's book will delight and amuse anyone interested in the writer or the fascinating social era in which she was writing. Capturing the sheer delight of the Christmas period, it is a fascinating and captivating collection of e...

Hilary Davidson delves into the clothing of one of the world's great authors, providing unique and intimate insight into her everyday life and material world. What did Jane Austen wear? Acclaimed dress historian and Austen expert Hilary Davidson reveals the wardrobe of one of the world's most cel...

True-crime author Amanda Bailey knows all about the notorious Alperton Angels cult. There have been dozens of books and films about the Angels, ever since the night nearly two decades ago, when they attempted to sacrifice a baby they believed to be the Antichrist. With all the cultists now dead -...

What was daily life in Nelson's navy really like, for everyone from the captain down to the rawest recruit? What did they eat? What songs did they sing? What was the schedule of watches? How were the officers and crew paid, and what was the division of prize-money? These questions and many more a...

Best known - and beloved - for her highly popular novels including 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Emma' and 'Sense and Sensibility', Jane Austen was also an accomplished, and often witty, poet: 'I am going to have my dinner, after which I shan't be thinner'. This collection, which also includes poems by...