Books with author JR Woodward

Soon after the death of her father, chieftain of a small Scottish clan, fourteen year old Ailie is married by proxy to a Flemish knight, the Count of Aucun. Now she has travelled to meet him just outside the city of York (Jorvik) to have their marriage blessed in the minster. But Jorvik is the wrong place to be in 1066, the year of four kings of England, because the next day, just south of the city, the last battle but one will be fought between the English and the Danes, just three weeks before the Battle of Hastings. The Battle of Fulford takes place on Wednesday the 20th of September in the boggy watermarshes on the river Foss and will become one of England's least known battles but possibly one of the most crucial, as this story attempts to justify. The action spans a week, from the Saturday when Ailie arrives to the following Saturday after Fulford. Unwillingly Ailie becomes a messenger for the Northumbrian faction, which is defending the city and the great northern earldom on behalf of the new king, Harold Godwinson. The city is now filling with terrified refugees hoping the king is rushing his army north from the Channel coast where he has been waiting for an attack from William of Normandy who is determined to wrest the crown of England from him. The defenders of Jorvik are led by two teenage brothers, Edwin, Earl of Mercia and Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, a title which had belonged for years to Tostig Godwinson, the new king’s younger brother until his behaviour towards his citizens drove them to rebellion. The northerners were so powerful that King Edward the Confessor did not dare deny them the right to replace Tostig. When Edward ordered Harold to install the new earl, it turned Tostig against his brother forever. Ailie should be most unsuitable as a messenger, but she has hidden advantages. Borrowing a pot-boy's clothes she is stealing ash from the village forge with which to dirty herself into an unsavoury state when the smith suggests that she should play the part of his apprentice. He has saddle bits to be delivered to Bishop Wulfstan, the same man to whom Ailie must deliver details of the terrifying numbers of gathering Norsemen, and also a curious bauble given to her by a dying priest. The Norse army will probably win any conflict preceding the king’s arrival. The Vikings are greedy and York is a very rich prize possessing great civic and private wealth, but what everybody fears is that the invading army will then be let loose on the citizens to rape, murder and enslave as well as loot. It is to prevent this that the Bishop decides to use the bauble, an Alfred jewel, as a bargaining counter. The hope is that Tostig, known to be a superstitious man, will believe its reputed magical qualities will bring him future success and will agree to accept only loot, but will keep the army outside the city walls in exchange for the amulet.At the end of the book is information on the primary and secondary sources available on which the story has been built.

Meet 25 of the most powerful and inspirational women of all time. From historical world leaders to modern pioneers and international muses, these are the incredible life stories of women from around the world to inspire and empower. Created by an all-women team and illustrated by internationally renowned artists, What Would She Do? packs a feminist punch. From Cleopatra to Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie to Malala Yousafzai, learn about powerful and inspiring women throughout history in this incredible book! Covering female world leaders from centuries ago through to modern-day heroes, What Would She Do? is the ultimate guide to empowered women. Portraits created by hand-picked contemporary illustrators and snappy, compelling text bring these women's achievements vividly to life, and relate their stories back to those of young girls today. These trailblazers not only accomplished great things, but overcame the same issues that girls all over the world have to face in modern society: inequality, gender stereotyping, body shaming, bullying and much more. Each profile concludes with a "What Would She Do…" scenario that applies the subject's attitude to a relatable situation.

A gorgeous follow-up to our innovative Mission: Space, Voyage: Ocean brings us back down to Earth and into the abyss of the deep, blue sea. Spectacular images take center stage as we explore the incredible ocean and the animals and plants that live there.Special spreads focus on man s interaction with and exploration of the ocean, explaining up-to-the minute scientific advances and developments.Informative text interacts with the imagery throughout this circular tome, making it an asset to any library, be it at home, school, aquarium, or beyond.

Kids have always been fascinated by the amazing world of insects and bugs. From colorful butterflies to battling rhinoceros beetles, there’s plenty for kids to discover in Creature Close-Up: Insects. This unique book is filled with interactive elements that give young readers a chance to explore the natural world like never before. Kids can use the removable dual-focus magnifier to examine close-up images of all types of insects, including the intricate wing markings of a monarch butterfly and the pollen basket of a honeybee. Creature Close-Up: Insects is filled with engaging text and photographs, and also includes a grasshopper model to build, reusable stickers, a plastic model beetle, and a foldout butterfly.

Contents: The black depths; Your mission; A midnight visitor; The big squeeze; The big chill; Lights in the dark; Spotlights and lures; Loosejaws and fangtooths; Weird and wonderful;- Mid-ocean drive; Looking for a giant; Fins and tentacles; Doomed liner; Disaster detectives; Rusting ruin; Pacific dive; A near miss; Over the edge; The challenger deep; The deep water challenge; Mission debriefing.

Here are honeybees, killer bees, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, and hedge clippers, plus ants and wasps of many kinds. Here too are spiders and flies, mosquitoes and ladybugs, aphids, slugs, snails, and dragonflies. Some live behind bushes, or among flowers and grass, while others crawl beneath rocks, burrow underground, or swim in nearby ponds. For kids who are fascinated by bugs, the large and colorful books in this series describe insects, spiders, and an assortment of other creatures that creep, crawl, and fly—and that all live somewhere nearby. Descriptions are accompanied by much-enlarged color photos. Although kids will recognize many of the creepy-crawlies, they'll be inclined to think that some of the others are fugitives from a science fiction movie. Fortunately, many are harmless to people (some are actually beneficial), others are merely nuisances, and only a few are dangerous. In the pages of this volume, kids will discover them all.

Contents: The blue twilight; Your mission; Fishing the depths; Dawn descent; Getting darker; Getting colder; Coming up; Microscopic life; Marine snow; A deep-sea vampire squid; The deep scattering layer; Rise and fall; Big-eyed hunter; Top predators; Mirrors and light; Deepwater giants; Talking whales; Heading south; Deep currents; Diving with elephant seals; Mission debriefing.