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Following the treaty of Utrecht, Portugal, successful diplomatically where she had failed militarily, embarked on a lengthy period of balancing the interests of Britain, France and Spain against her own political and economic needs. This study, drawing extensively on state papers and other collections, follows the course of Anglo-Portuguese relations through the years of John V, the age of Pombal and the 1762 war with Spain, to the years of the French revolution and the flight of the court to Brazil under the threat of Napoleon's army.

Looking at the building of country houses as a whole, this book investigates why owners embarked on extensive building programmes, often following a grand tour. It explores the cost of building and the cost of furnishing and decoration.

The story of Lancashire's mining industry, including a wonderful collection of rare images.

Outstanding were the large-scale works dealing with aerial warfare of England by Paul Nash, a survivor of the Western Front. Three exceptionally talented war artists were killed; Eric Ravilious, whose subjects ranged from northern convoys and submarines to the Fleet Air Arm; Albert Richards, who painted paratroopers and tank-battles during the advance into Germany; and Thomas Hennell, who began work in trawlers off Iceland and was last seen in Java. The war in Europe, the Middle East and Burma was recorded variously by Edward Bawden, Anthony Gross, Edward Ardizzone and William Coldstream. Leonard Rosoman drew aircraft on the flight-decks of carriers in Japanese waters, Barnett Freedman produced studies of submarine and battleship crews. Some of the most dramatic paintings of the war were those made by Richard Eurich of preparations for D-Day. In almost every case active service had a crucial effect on the subsequent work of war artists.