Born in Moravia, the philologist and historian Joseph (Giuseppe) Müller (1825–95) translated into Italian several major works of German classical scholarship. He held positions at the universities of Pavia and Padua, in the state archives of Florence, and finally in Turin. This work, published in Florence in 1879, prints original documents from the archives of the Tuscan city states in Latin, occasionally Greek, and later in Italian, ranging from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. The first half comprises correspondence with the crusader kings, the Christian communities of the Near East, and subsequently the Ottoman sultanate, introducing ambassadors and negotiating privileges for the city states' communities and representatives in the region. The second half contains the deliberations of the maritime republics on sailing routes and trade schedules. Together they illuminate political and practical relations between the Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim worlds surrounding the Mediterranean in this formative period.

Having married and settled in Florence in the 1840s, the poet and translator Theodosia Trollope (1816–65) found herself well placed to chronicle the events which contributed to the unification of Italy. While another Englishwoman in Italy, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, would become better known for her verse, Trollope nevertheless firmly established herself in the liberal and literary circles of Florentine society, allowing her to witness at first hand, and explore in prose, the effects that the Risorgimento was having on those living through it. Vividly capturing the unfolding situation in Tuscany, twenty-seven letters first appeared in The Athenaeum in 1859–60. They were published together in this work of 1861, along with an update on the months that had elapsed since the last letter was written in April 1860. Championing the cause of unification, Trollope's writing helped to generate enthusiasm in Britain for the progress and personalities of the Risorgimento.

As a younger woman, Anna Maria 'Marie' Tussaud (1761–1850) rubbed shoulders with many of the key figures of the French Revolution, sculpting in wax the likes of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Marat and Robespierre. After moving to Britain, she made her living by exhibiting her sculptures in numerous towns and cities. In 1835 she settled in London and opened her museum, which became one of the city's most popular attractions. Initially reluctant about releasing her memoirs, Madame Tussaud was convinced by her editor Francis Hervé (1781–1850) that her unique position - of seeing first-hand the events and characters that drove the Revolution, while maintaining a generally non-partisan view of them - would make the book of real interest to the public. First published in 1838, it offers evocative eyewitness insights into one of the defining periods in modern European history.

At the close of the Napoleonic Wars, Malta officially became part of the British Empire in 1814. As the British presence there increased, so too did public interest in the island's history, particularly the military religious order of the Knights Hospitaller. In 1858, the army officer Whitworth Porter (1827–92) published this two-volume work, tracing the fortunes of the order since its establishment following the First Crusade. Incorporating details of the knights' social habits and customs into his narrative, Porter also provides supplementary material such as royal and papal documents in translation. Volume 1 focuses on the centuries of warfare between the order and the forces of Islam, from its beginnings in the Holy Land through to the second siege of Rhodes in 1522, when the knights were outnumbered and ultimately defeated by the attacking Ottoman armies.

At the close of the Napoleonic Wars, Malta officially became part of the British Empire in 1814. As the British presence there increased, so too did public interest in the island's history, particularly the military religious order of the Knights Hospitaller. In 1858, the army officer Whitworth Porter (1827–92) published this two-volume work, tracing the fortunes of the order since its establishment following the First Crusade. Incorporating details of the knights' social habits and customs into his narrative, Porter also provides supplementary material such as royal and papal documents in translation. Volume 2 opens in 1522 with the surrender of Rhodes, followed by the order's eventual relocation to Malta, which the Ottomans besieged without success in 1565. The coverage extends to the blockade of Valletta, then under French control, at the end of the eighteenth century.

In the wake of German unification in 1871, Berlin became a place of increased interest to the other nations of Europe. The journalist Henry Vizetelly (1820–94) made his first journey to the capital of the new empire in 1872. Based on observations from a series of visits, this two-volume work presents a witty and detailed portrait of the city and its inhabitants. The topics covered in Volume 2 include the Prussian Landtag, the Reichstag, Berlin's places of education, its palaces, churches and museums, and its restaurants, cafés and beer gardens. Chapters on theatre, music, satire and socialism give a vivid sense of the cultural and political zeitgeist. Illustrated with hundreds of engravings from designs by German artists, the work first appeared in 1879. Vizetelly's Paris in Peril (1882) and Glances Back through Seventy Years (1893) are also reissued in this series.

In the wake of German unification in 1871, Berlin became a place of increased interest to the other nations of Europe. The journalist Henry Vizetelly (1820–94) made his first journey to the capital of the new empire in 1872. Based on observations from a series of visits, this two-volume work presents a witty and detailed portrait of the city and its inhabitants. In Volume 1, Vizetelly describes travelling to Berlin and his mixed first impressions. He sketches a brief history of the city and its development from the thirteenth century onwards, and in a series of essay-style chapters he discusses aspects of Berlin culture and society - including dinner-party etiquette - as well as political and military personalities. Illustrated with hundreds of engravings from designs by German artists, the work first appeared in 1879. Vizetelly's Paris in Peril (1882) and Glances Back Through Seventy Years (1893) are also reissued in this series.

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed a revolution in the eating habits of European households with disposable incomes. Central to the culinary history of the period is the innovative French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935). His cooking methods, combined with a modern approach to managing professional kitchen staff, contributed to the development of a fashionable culture of dining out, notably at London's Savoy and Carlton hotels. Escoffier's influence was such that he was urged to publish his methods and recipes. Reissued here in its English translation of 1907, this textbook on haute cuisine was first published in French in 1903. Beginning with the fundamental elements of cooking, Escoffier gives nearly 3,000 descriptions and recipes, ranging from sauces and marinades to jams and jellies. Intended for the instruction of aspiring chefs, this monumental work remains a core text at cookery schools to this day.

Sir George Francis Hill (1867–1948), was perhaps best known as a numismatist, although his scholarly interests and accomplishments included a range of time periods and subjects. A classicist by training, Hill built his career at the British Museum's department of coins and medals. In his forty-three years there he produced volumes on coins of antiquity; Greek history and art; coins, heraldry, and iconography of medieval and Renaissance Italy; and treasure troves. In 1931 Hill became the Museum's director and principal librarian, the first archaeologist to hold this post. His four-volume History of Cyprus (1940–52) ranged from Cyprus's earliest years to the twentieth century, and became the standard text on the subject. It is a valuable resource for scholars of the country, of antiquity and of the Mediterranean world. Volume 4 (1571–1948) reviews Ottoman rule, and and evaluates the then contemporary British presence in Cyprus.

Sir George Francis Hill (1867–1948), was perhaps best known as a numismatist, although his scholarly interests and accomplishments included a range of time periods and subjects. A classicist by training, Hill built his career at the British Museum's department of coins and medals. In his forty-three years there he produced volumes on coins of antiquity; Greek history and art; coins, heraldry, and iconography of medieval and Renaissance Italy; and treasure troves. In 1931 Hill became the Museum's director and principal librarian, the first archaeologist to hold this post. His four-volume History of Cyprus (1940–52) ranged from Cyprus's earliest years to the twentieth century, and became the standard text on the subject. It is a valuable resource for scholars of the country, of antiquity and of the Mediterranean world. Volume 3, organized largely around monarchical reigns, concludes Hill's analysis of the Frankish period (1432–1571).

Sir George Francis Hill (1867–1948), was perhaps best known as a numismatist, although his scholarly interests and accomplishments included a range of time periods and subjects. A classicist by training, Hill built his career at the British Museum's department of coins and medals. In his forty-three years there he produced volumes on coins of antiquity; Greek history and art; coins, heraldry, and iconography of medieval and Renaissance Italy; and treasure troves. In 1931 Hill became the Museum's director and principal librarian, the first archaeologist to hold this post. His four-volume History of Cyprus (1940–52) ranged from Cyprus's earliest years to the twentieth century, and became the standard text on the subject. It is a valuable resource for scholars of the country, of antiquity and of the Mediterranean world. Volume 2 commences Hill's investigation of the Frankish period (1192–1432), which he continues in Volume 3.

Sir George Francis Hill (1867–1948) was perhaps best known as a numismatist, although his scholarly interests and accomplishments included a range of time periods and subjects. A classicist by training, Hill built his career at the British Museum's department of coins and medals. In his forty-three years there he produced volumes on coins of antiquity; Greek history and art; coins, heraldry, and iconography of medieval and Renaissance Italy; and treasure troves. In 1931 Hill became the Museum's director and principal librarian, the first archaeologist to hold this post. His four-volume History of Cyprus (1940–1952) ranged from Cyprus' earliest years to the twentieth century, and became the standard text on the subject. It is a valuable resource for scholars of the country, of antiquity and of the Mediterranean world. Volume 1 describes the land of Cyprus before unravelling its history from the Stone Age to the Crusades.

Preserved Smith (1880–1941), a professor in the history department of Cornell University, owed his unusual first name to Puritan ancestors who could be traced back to the seventeenth century. His great interest was in the Protestant reformation, and its wide-ranging political and cultural effects in Europe and America. An obituary remarks that his writings 'reveal a remarkable breadth of knowledge and interest and a consistent devotion to high standards of scholarly integrity'. This two-volume work of 1930–4, discussing 'modern culture' from 1543 to 1776, displays these qualities in abundance. Volume 1, after an introductory chapter, considers the state of the sciences in the sixteenth century, then the humanities and the social and political context of law, morality and art. The emphasis on the importance of science as a driver of change makes this a remarkable and readable overview of the emergence of modern society.

Preserved Smith (1880–1941), a professor in the history department of Cornell University, owed his unusual first name to Puritan ancestors who could be traced back to the seventeenth century. His great interest was in the Protestant reformation, and its wide-ranging political and cultural effects in Europe and America. An obituary remarks that his writings 'reveal a remarkable breadth of knowledge and interest and a consistent devotion to high standards of scholarly integrity'. This two-volume work of 1930–4, discussing 'modern culture' from 1543 to 1776, displays these qualities in abundance. Volume 2 deals with the Enlightenment from 1687 to 1776, and, like Volume 1, starts by considering the role of science as the driver of rapidly evolving cultural, social and political change. The work is a remarkable and readable overview of the emergence of modern society.

Alphonse Aulard (1849–1928) was the first French historian to use nineteenth-century historicist methods in the study of the French Revolution. Pioneered by German historians such as Leopold van Ranke, this approach emphasised empiricism, objectivity and the scientific pursuit of facts, rather than the philosophical and literary concerns that had guided earlier scholars. Aulard's commitment to archival investigation is evidenced by the many edited collections of primary sources that appear in his extensive publication record. In these eight volumes of papers analysing the French Revolution (published 1893–1921), Aulard sought to apply the principles of historicism to reveal the truth. The work draws on earlier journal articles and lectures which Aulard delivered as Professor of the History of the French Revolution at the Sorbonne, a post he had held since 1885. Volume 8 (1921) describes the annexation by France of land in the Rhine Valley, and compares the French and American Revolutions.

First published in 1921, this book examines the changes in styles of warfare between the medieval period and the Renaissance. Frederick Lewis Taylor links the transformations in intellectual and cultural life in this period with contemporary military innovations. His discussion focuses on the Italian wars between Spain, France and the Netherlands between 1494 and 1529, both because the aggression of competing states in a small area led to frequent wars, and because the influence of the Renaissance was strongest in its birthplace, the Italian peninsula. Taylor traces the stages in the development in all aspects of military operations, and also investigates the development of a theoretical study of war. His work remains one of the most complete reviews in English of the Italian wars of this period, and explains the origins of the style of warfare which would dominate Europe in the following centuries.

Cecil Nathan Sidney Woolf (1887–1917), Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, was killed in the First World War. In this prize-winning book, published in 1913, Woolf examines the way in which the medieval jurist Bartolus of Sassoferrato (1314–57) interprets the Roman Law to make it relevant to fourteenth-century Italian political reality. Considering Bartolus's treatment of the relationships between the Roman Empire and the papacy, kingdoms and city-republics, Woolf places Bartolus's thought in its wider historical context by surveying the complex problem of the empire from the mid-thirteenth century onwards. In particular, he assesses Bartolus's most famous argument that the city is its own emperor. Arguing that Bartolus's influence lasted into the early modern period, both in the practice of law and in the use made of his works by writers like Bodin and Albericus Gentilis, this book also includes a useful table explaining Bartolus's distinctions between imperium and jurisdiction.

Zeyneb Hanoum (who died c.1923) and her sister Melek fled Turkey in 1906, at a time when women's freedom was severely restricted. This book, first published in 1913, is a collection of letters written by Zeyneb to her friend, feminist journalist Grace Ellison. As well as discussing the political situation in Turkey, Hanoum compares the life of Turkish women with their European counterparts and presents a more balanced view of real harem life. Witty and forthright, the author shares her opinions on strange Western phenomena such as tennis, snobbery and the poor quality of English food. She also offers views on the suffragette movement and muses on the freedoms enjoyed by women in the West. The author's outsider status provides fascinating insights into European culture and such diverse experiences as tea at the House of Commons and bullfighting. This remains an entertaining and touching travelogue from a unique viewpoint.

Dorothea Gerard (1855–1915) was a British novelist specialising in romances. A prolific writer, she often dealt with controversial and unconventional topics. In 1886, while living with her sister in the Austrian province of Galicia, she married the Austrian military officer Julius Longard de Longgarde, and remained a resident of the Austrian Empire for the rest of her life. This volume, first published in 1913, contains Gerard's study of the officer class of the Austrian Imperial Army. She indicates the historical background of the development of the Austrian army, together with a detailed description of the life of contemporary Imperial officers. The book provides fascinating insights into how the myriad constituent nationalities of the Austrian Empire became a cohesive military force and distinct social class within the Empire. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=gerado

Alphonse Aulard (1849–1928) was the first French historian to use nineteenth-century historicist methods in the study of the French Revolution. Pioneered by German historians such as Leopold van Ranke, this approach emphasised empiricism, objectivity and the scientific pursuit of facts. Aulard's commitment to archival investigation is evidenced by the many edited collections of primary sources that appear in his extensive publication record. In these eight volumes of papers analysing the French Revolution (published 1893–1921), Aulard sought to apply the principles of historicism to reveal the truth. The work draws on earlier journal articles and lectures which Aulard delivered as Professor of the History of the French Revolution at the Sorbonne, a post he had held since 1885. Volume 7 (1913) includes essays on feudalism under Louis XVI, regionalism, centralisation, Carlyle's history of the Revolution (also reissued in this series), economic history, and Aulard's personal reflections on his teaching career.