Bøker av John Naylor

Rainbows have been a source of fascination since time immemorial. They have been the subject of myth and superstition, an inspiration to poets, a challenge to painters, the object of intense scientific interest and a touchstone for ideas about the nature of light and colour. Above all, the rainbow has been the embodiment of wonder from the earliest times to the present day.Beginning with the circumstances in which you are likely to see a rainbow and descriptions of its salient features, this book recounts and explains the myths and superstitions about rainbows, and describes how poets, painters and, above all, leading scientists in every age have sought to discover and understand the rainbow¿s secrets.Readers with a love of nature and art and an interest in the history of science will enjoy this attractive and informative book.

Since 1997 the Portable Antiquities Scheme has recorded almost 1.5 million objects found in England and Wales, the vast majority discovered by members of the public rather than professional archaeologists. Among these finds are more than 10,000 early medieval coins. Each one of these coins has its own story to tell, from its minting, use and loss through to its eventual recovery and recording. In this book, Dr John Naylor, the PAS's National Finds Adviser for Early Medieval and Later Coinage, explores the Anglo-Saxon world through these coin finds, tracing the development of coinage from the end of Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest of 1066 and how they were used by early medieval people. As well as their use in trading, he shows how they can help us to understand how the Anglo-Saxons saw themselves through looking at coin design and iconography, and how they were used in diverse and interesting ways such as their inclusion in burials and hoards, and their re-use as items of jewellery.

The aim of this book is to provide a regional component to the study of the early medieval economy (Middle Saxon England), and from this, to re-assess trade during the period. The work looks at the archaeology of trade in middle Saxon eastern England, based around the regional analysis of a range of data intended to reflect different aspects of the Anglo-Saxon economy. In broad terms the aims are twofold. Primarily, the book works towards a new understanding of the operation of trade on a regional basis andat all levels, i.e. local to international networks of trade. Secondly, it critiques and challenges traditionally held views of an urban-centred economy based around the long-distance trade in prestige goods. These central aims are further refined into a number of research questions that are explored through the project. These are: To what level were rural regions involved in trade? How was trade organised in middle Saxon eastern England, and how might any regional differences be explained? What was the nature of the involvement of royalty and the church in early medieval trade? These questions form the core of the aims for the book. It is divided into six chapters, each chapter designed to examine an aspect of early medieval trade.

Why is the sky blue and why are sunsets red? When can I see a rainbow? Why is the moon sometimes visible in daylight? In Out of the Blue skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena, what you will see and how to improve your chances of seeing it. He takes in both the night and the day sky, and deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and written in a popular style that assumes only basic scientific know-how, Out of the Blue is for everyone who enjoys being outdoors and who feels curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical.