The Duke S Other Village

Most women would not be pleased to be labeled a spinster. But Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes isn't most women. In fact, Poppy has invented an imaginary fiancé, the Duke of Drummond, to deter unwanted suitors. A very useful fellow, this duke, until the real Drummond turns up and uses Poppy's ploy to trap her in a betrothal. A good spy flies below the radar. Which is why being named one of the Prince Regent's "Impossible Bachelors" is so inconvenient for Nicholas Staunton. Every society female will be out to ensnare him. Nicholas needs a fiancée—and Poppy's ruse is the answer. How could he have known she'd be a brazen, sensual siren with an irresistible taste for adventure? Now nothing less will do than to convince his fiery Poppy to revoke her spinster status...for good.

The history of the noble Arenberg family presented in an accessible and attractive way for the general public. From its origins in medieval times to the present day, the Arenberg family has been one of Europe’s leading noble families. With origins in the German Eifel region, the Arenbergs became sovereign Princes and later Dukes in the Holy Roman Empire. Their ranks included active officers on many battlefields, important decision makers, and cunning diplomats in the Low Countries, France, and Germany. This book relates the history of this still important and influential noble family and shows how the Dukes of Arenberg have maintained their position in the highest echelons of society throughout the ages. Richly illustrated with numerous paintings, photographs and colour drawings from the family’s well-preserved archives, The Dukes of Arenberg offers the reader not only the military and political history of the Arenberg family, but also an overview of more than a thousand years of European history, in which they have often played an important role.

In the late fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries, the Dukes of Valois-Burgundy created a composite monarchy in the Netherlands, an area that had been dominated for centuries by several regional dynasties. In this way they laid the foundation for the modern states of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg. The rise of the House of Burgundy can be read as the success story of a dynasty that in little over a century managed to assemble a great number of principalities, thus creating a new state. The Burgundian takeover, however, resulted in a modernization of administration, jurisdiction, and finances. The process of unification and the character of the union are the central topics of Magnanimous Dukes and Rising States. Robert Stein mirrors continuity and modernisation in Burgundian times with the bankruptcy of the former dynasties and the decline of feudal government. The powerful towns played an important background role; it was only with their support that a unification of the Netherlands was possible, but this support was not unselfish. This study is about the development of power relations and institutions in the field of tension between ruler and subject, between centralisation and particularism.

Enjoy a delightful collection of 12 witty, feel-good, small-town romps from New York Times bestselling author Erica Ridley! ONCE UPON A DUKE Enjoy a fun regency romp featuring a spinster in a counting house, a grumpy duke, goats, true love, and a partridge in a pear tree. What could go wrong? Absolutely everything! KISS OF A DUKE A delightful romp featuring a rake (the sexy kind), a perfumer (of the chemist heroine variety), two turtle doves, one true love, and a kiss to last a lifetime. WISH UPON A DUKE An endearing historical romance featuring an astronomer heroine, an adventurer hero, three French hens, two nerds in love, and a wish that finally comes true. NEVER SAY DUKE A heartwarming romp featuring four colly birds, three French kisses, two turtledoves, one surly war hero… and the vexing young lady he cannot resist! DUKES, ACTUALLY A heartwarming romp featuring a buttoned-up duke seeking lessons in love, and a carefree hoyden who may give him much more than he bargains for… THE DUKE'S BRIDE Featuring a charming British smuggler, a clever French spinster, and a cozy holiday home in which anything might happen… THE DUKE'S EMBRACE When Monsieur le Duc discovers Miss Shelling intends to publish an exposé about his family, he’ll wage nothing short of war to stop her… but may lose more than his heart in the battle! THE DUKE'S DESIRE Featuring a grumpy hero minding his reputation, a determined spinster who doesn’t give two figs about hers, and a holiday that turns everything topsy-turvy! DAWN WITH A DUKE Secrets and scandal abound when two delightful, strong-willed opposites are snowbound together in this witty, feel-good romance! ONE NIGHT WITH A DUKE Sparks fly in this definitely-not-falling-in-love workplace romance between a handsome drifter chasing adventure, and a small-town jeweler who would never leave her home behind… TEN DAYS WITH A DUKE A second chances, enemies-while-lovers reunion romance where nothing is as it first appears, and everyone’s motives are suspect… FOREVER YOUR DUKE A forbidden love, opposites attract romp between a meticulously proper duke and an impishly improper spinster in this witty, feel-good romance! The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Enjoy the first two Regency Christmas romances in New York Times bestselling author Erica Ridley's fun, feel-good 12 Dukes of Christmas series! "Erica Ridley's love stories are warm, witty and irresistible!" — ELOISA JAMES ONCE UPON A DUKE Enjoy a fun, second-chances regency romp featuring a spinster in a counting house, a grumpy duke trying not to fall in love, magical nights in a romantic castle, mischievous goats, and a partridge in a pear tree. What could go wrong? Absolutely everything! KISS OF A DUKE A delightful romp featuring a rake (the sexy kind), a perfumer (of the female scientist persuasion), two turtle doves, one true love, and a kiss that changes everything. Of course a dashing rogue and a no-nonsense chemist can indulge their passion without pesky feelings getting in the way... Can't they? The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke! “Swoon-worthy and heartwarming… When I want to feel good, I read Erica Ridley.” — Darcy Burke, USA Today bestselling author ~~~ The Twelve Dukes of Christmas: Once Upon a Duke Kiss of a Duke Wish Upon a Duke Never Say Duke Dukes, Actually The Duke's Bride The Duke's Embrace The Duke's Desire Dawn with a Duke One Night with a Duke Ten Days with a Duke Forever Your Duke

Even in London society—where everyone knows what you did last season—you never know who's next in line to walk down the aisle, in Why Dukes Say I Do... TRUE LOVE IS OFTEN FOUND With her whirlwind social life in London, Lady Isabella Wharton has little interest in the customs of the country. But when her godmother asks her to pay a visit to her bachelor grandson in Yorkshire, Isabella can't refuse. It behooves her to please the old dowager, since she harbors one of Isabella's most scandalous secrets. So off she goes to see the newly-titled—and notoriously rustic—Duke of Ormond... WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT Trevor Carey doesn't care about what goes on behind ballroom doors. He is content with the simple life—and isn't ashamed to admit it to a society flirt like Lady Isabella. But the country air brings out a different side of Isabella—one full of longing and passion. Can her sophistication be hiding a desire for love? When a blackmailer from the city arrives to threaten Isabella, Trevor will shield her from harm—even travel to London. Can the duke tackle the ton on Isabella's behalf ...and manage to keep her all to himself? "Absolutely delightful...an emotion-packed, passionate historical romance"—Romance Junkies, five stars (on How to Romance a Rake)

A major new exploration of the history and development of gunpowder weapons in the 15th century based on the artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy. The four Valois Dukes of Burgundy created, in little more than a century, a fabulously wealthy and independent state. Their centralised control and chancellery have bequeathed to us a vast treasure trove of documents, including accounts and inventories of the Masters of the artillery under the later Dukes. Although many of these were extracted and transcribed in the late nineteenth century, modern historians have largely ignored their unprecedented insights into fifteenth-century guns and their use. When Charles the Bold, the last Valois Duke, took on the combined Swiss confederate forces in 1476 he lost not just the battles and his personal fortune, but much of his artillerytrain as well. Of the dozens of cannons captured, at least 25 pieces survive in Swiss museums. The documents that survive from the Valois state give us, almost for the first time in medieval Europe, the ability to see the course of history in a period when Europe was undergoing some of the most profound changes before the 20th century. The Artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy is the first attempt to combine all these sources, bringing newand fresh insights into the development and use of artillery in the fifteenth century. Moreover this is the first modern study of medieval cannon, one of the most important discoveries of the post-classical world. KELLY DeVRIES has authored numerous books and articles on medieval warfare. ROBERT DOUGLAS SMITH formerly Head of Conservation in the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, is an acknowledged expert on medieval artillery. This study is thefirst major fruit of their combined researches.