Professor Tolkien of Oxford. Published by High-Res History.

J.R.R. Tolkien lived for most of his life in Oxford, and the great university city proved a valuable source of inspiration for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Using photographs both new and old, as well as specially authorised quotations from his works, this absorbing ebook charts Tolkien's life in Oxford, from his arrival as an undergraduate of Classics in the Michaelmas term of 1911, his first post-First World War job at the Oxford English Dictionary and professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College, to his death in September 1973.

Presented in convenient ebook format, this is an essential companion for anyone wanting to find out about Tolkien’s days at Oxford, and the relationship of one of England’s most awe-inspiring cities to one of the twentieth century’s most remarkable writers.

Northumbria: The Lost Kingdom, published by The History Press.

In Britain, during the so-called Dark Ages, a kingdom flourished that traded as far afield as Byzantium, that sent scholars to teach the kings of Europe, that created unmatched art and weapons, and that produced some of the most extraordinary men and women in history. That kingdom was Northumbria, and hardly anyone remembers Cuthbert and Oswald, Wilfrid and Hilda now, nor how the kings of Northumbria reigned as High Kings of Britain. But the patient labours of archaeologists have gradually brought this story to light, and revealed just how extraordinary this kingdom by the sea at the edge of the world was.

My co-writer, Paul Gething, brings the archaeological chops to the work, seeing as how he is one of the directors of the Bamburgh Research Project, which is continuing to bring to light further discoveries about the kingdom, and one of the key figures in the revolution of our understanding of the kingdom, the people and the times.
 

Call to Prayer: The Story of Bilal. Published by Kube Publishing.

Written for children eight and above, this story tells the life of Bilal, the first muezzin of Islam. Bilal was originally an Ethiopian, a black man, and a slave. But he was freed by Abu Bakr, who went on the be the first Muslim caliph, and the Prophet Muhammad made him the first muezzin – the man who calls the faithful to prayer – because of his beautiful voice. Bilal thus went from slavery to one of the most public roles of the new and growing religion. This beautifully illustrated book, with original drawings by Angela Desira, reveals the story behind the haunting call to prayer

Imam Al-Ghazali: A Concise Life, published by Kube Publishing.

December 2011 is the 900th anniversary of the death of the great Muslim mystic, scholar and philosopher, Al-Ghazali. This book, written to be suitable for children at Key Stages 3 and 4, brings the man and his world to life. Having risen to the heights of influence and prestige in the Muslim world while still a young man, Al-Ghazali had a profound crisis of conscience and, leaving everything behind, set off on a career as a wanderer and pilgrim. Widely regarded as the second most influential man in Islamic history, this richly illustrated book will challenge and enthrall the reader.