Richard Partington

'An absorbing and eye-opening account of what the Plantagenets did for us.' - HELEN CASTOR'Burt and Partington show precisely and engagingly why the Middle Ages matter.' - DAN JONESBetween 1199 and 1399, English politics was high drama. These two centuries witnessed savage political blood-letting - including civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords - as well as international warfare, a devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in English history. Arise, England uses the six Plantagenet kings who ruled during these two centuries to explore England's emergent statehood. Drawing on original accounts and arresting new research, it draws resonances between government, international relations, and the abilities, egos and ambitions of political actors, then and now. Colourful and complicated, and by turns impressive and hateful, the six kings stride through the story; but arguably the greatest character is the emerging English state itself.

'An absorbing and eye-opening account of what the Plantagenets did for us.' - HELEN CASTOR'Burt and Partington show precisely and engagingly why the Middle Ages matter.' - DAN JONESBetween 1199 and 1399, English politics was high drama. These two centuries witnessed savage political blood-letting - including civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords - as well as international warfare, devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in English history. Arise, England uses the six Plantagenet kings who ruled during these two centuries to explore England's emergent statehood. Drawing on original accounts and arresting new research, it draws resonances between government, international relations, and the abilities, egos and ambitions of political actors, then and now. Colourful and complicated, and by turns impressive and hateful, the six kings stride through the story; but arguably the greatest character is the emerging English state itself.

Despite an increasing demand for energy-efficient design, it is generally accepted that architects rarely return to their creations to ensure that they are performing as intended: to talk to users, observe how the buildings work and have been adapted, and whether the environments created are enjoyable places to be in. While most building professionals recognise the value of follow-through and involvement after handover, there are many perceived barriers to undertaking this work in practice. This book provides a bold vision for how some of these perceived barriers can be overcome. Better Buildings provides architects with the inspiration and tools they need to deliver truly sustainable design. Through essays and illustrated case studies, this essential book explores how sustainable buildings are occupied and work and sheds light on the methods used to observe this. It illustrates that in observing building performance in-use, sustainable architecture has moved beyond simply creating beautiful spaces, to deliver on the low-energy performances promised.