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A selection of new Isle of Man titles...
The Foxdale Mines by Henry Timperley
NEW - June 2026
Discover the untold final chapters of one of the richest lead-silver mining operations in the British Isles.
For decades, vintage photographs of the Isle of Man's Foxdale Mines have captivated historians and locals alike. While the early origins of these famous grounds are well-documented, the final, most dramatic decades of their century-long run have remained shrouded in mystery.
Focusing on the pivotal years between 1866 and the mines' closure in July 1911, this book serves as an indispensable visual companion to a bygone era.
Through a comprehensive treasure trove of rare photographs, you will step directly into the historical landscapes, meet the unforgettable characters who labored underground, and witness the immense trials they faced.
Complete with an accessible overview of local geology and fascinating breakdowns of historical engineering methods, this book bridges the gap between image and history. It is a must-read for industrial historians, photography enthusiasts, and anyone captivated by Manx heritage.
88 pages. 210x210mm. Printed on gloss art paper, perfect bound with laminated covers.
Breckan Manninagh Laksey (the Laxey Manx Tartan board book)
New - May 2026
by Ealish Swift
Help celebrate Blein ny Gaelgey (Year of the Manx Language)!
Early language exposure is key for later language skills, and thick cardboard pages mean that the book is safe for little ones from birth onwards. Featuring colourful and lively scenes of lush glens, windy hills, and choppy seas, this sturdy book grounds basic Manx in the world around them, teaching basic colours with simple sentence structure that is particularly helpful for building familiarity with a new language. Gaelic is written in a bold font, with an easy-to-use phonetic translation and an English translation beneath so that even beginners can read Manx to their children with confidence. The illustrations also feature plenty of wonderful Manx wildlife for children to spot and recognise for interactive reading adventures.
Board book - 10 pages
Isle of Man (Slow Travel) by Emma Craig
NEW - Jan 2026 - Guide to the Isle of Man
Part of Bradt's distinctive, award-winning series of 'Slow' travel guides to British regions, Isle of Man (Slow Travel) is a new guidebook celebrating this self-governing Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea. Written with intimate detail and insider tips by an author born and raised on the island, it offers a more personal, off-beat selection of places to explore than other guides, and its text is infused with vibrant stories and local voices. Easily accessible from mainland Britain yet different enough to feel like a real adventure, the Isle of Man is a remarkable destination in the heart of the British Isles.
With a strong sense of their own cultural and political identity, Manx people take great pride in their blend of Celtic and Viking roots. At a thousand-plus years old, the Manx parliament (Tynwald) claims to be the world's oldest continuous parliamentary assembly, while music and cultural events celebrate the island's status as one of the six Celtic nations. Folklore and superstition are entwined with everyday life in ways largely forgotten elsewhere: children still celebrate Hop tu Naa instead of Halloween, bonfires are lit for Oie Voaldyn on 30 April - and woe betide anyone who forgets to greet the fairies as they cross Fairy Bridge.
Often described as 'the British Isles in miniature', this island of 50km by 21km harbours flat plains in the north, rugged hills down its spine, beautiful sandy beaches in the west and craggy cliffs dimpled with smugglers' coves in the east and south. Whether along main roads linking its major settlements (Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown) or winding country lanes, from steam trains or footpaths lined with coconut-scented gorse, it is hard to find a spot that doesn't provide a stunning view - whether out to sea, down a valley to an old fishing port or across heather-dappled hills. From basking sharks to four-horned loaghtan sheep, the Isle of Man TT motorbike race to Cregneash's folk village, ghost stories to the Great Laxey Wheel, Neolithic standing stones to the world's oldest tram, Bradt's Isle of Man (Slow Travel) is the essential guide for discovering this under-the-radar destination.
Format: Paperback / softback 232 pages
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides
Published: Jan 2026
Ballamona Hospital The Complete History by John Manley
NEW - available now
For 130 years, Ballamona Hospital was at the forefront of mental health care provision on the Isle of Man
This unique history examines both the radical therapies provided at the hospital, and the barbaric conduct suffered by those with mental illness before the hospital was founded
Using previously unexplored primary source material and unseen photographs, the text provides an in-depth analysis of how the institution was established and managed, and tracks how life was experienced inside its walls, both by patients and staff
The book also sheds light on the transition from mental health services at Ballamona Hospital to those provided on the Isle of Man today
Paperback
Douglas: past & present, Volume I
NEW - in stock now
Written by Ray Stanfield with George Hobbs and Sara Goodwins
“Falcon Cliff does not denote the nesting place of raptors but was a marketing ploy by the owners Philip Garrett and Carre Tupper in 1838. They wanted an impressive name for the plot of land they were selling by the rather unusual means of a lottery.”
Another in the series of past and present books. Douglas past & present Volume I joins Port Erin, Peel, Castletown and Ramsey.
Volume II will follow in the early summer of 2026.
From the Publisher...
"Putting together a book containing photographs drawn from old postcards always brings home how personal, and often treasured, such items were.
A century ago most ordinary people couldn't afford photography except occasionally a formal portrait to celebrate a wedding. And with its heavy, specialised equipment, and chemical processes to produce the picture, most people couldn't understand it either, so it’s always pleasing when postcards reveal something of the personal lives of those sending or receiving them. A particular favourite in Douglas past & present, Volume I is the wife of the manager of the Granville Hotel whose card, showing the hotel, announces proudly that her husband has just been made manager of it (page 46).
Even rarer than senders featuring on the postcards, however, is a photographer appearing on one. There were a number of photographers working in Douglas including a widow who was continuing her husband’s work, but pictures of them are relatively rare. Douglas past & present, Volume I offers us a tantalising glimpse on page 86, as a photographer is obviously photographing an event happening on the cable car at 12.00. Unfortunately we can’t see what it is!"
Paperback
The Isle of Man VOL IV, Part I, 1405-1830 - Political and Constitutional History
Only a few left!
NEW
This is the first comprehensive modern account of the history of the Isle of Man, through the years between the establishment of the Stanley lordship early in the fifteenth century and the Revestment of 1830. Focusing on political and constitutional aspects, the book traces developments through the successive lordships of the Stanley Earls of Derby, Thomas Fairfax and the Dukes of Atholl and highlights the evolution of the Isle of Man's distinctive constitution. It includes coverage of the succession dispute within the Stanley family in the period 1594 to 1610 between the sixth Earl of Derby and the widowed countess of his elder brother, the fifth Earl, who had died with daughters but no son.
It also covers the troubled civil war period when the seventh Earl of Derby raised troops to fight for the king despite the pro-Parliamentarian sympathies of the bulk of the population and the extensive smuggling activities of the population in the eighteenth century which prompted the British crown to reassert its rule. Throughout the book emphasises the distinctiveness of the Manx experience, connected to, but different from the history of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Edited by: Tim Thornton, Professor Harold Mytum, Michael Hoy
Format: Hardback 360 pages, 2 Maps
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Published: Jun 2025
Weight:652g
Dimensions:162 x 243 x 29 (mm)
The Isle of Man VOL IV, Part II, 1405-1830 - Social and Economic History
NEW
This is the first comprehensive modern account of the history of the Isle of Man, through the years between the establishment of the Stanley lordship early in the fifteenth century and the Revestment of 1830. Focusing on social and economic aspects, it traces developments in society, economy, religion and the Island church, education and literacy, daily life, arts and culture, and landscape and the built environment. Generously illustrated, it explores demographic changes, charts the growth of trade, and surveys social and cultural change including the changing status of the Manx language.
It discusses disputes over land ownership, considers improvements in agriculture and fishing, and examines the encouragement of industry. Throughout the book emphasises the distinctiveness of the Manx experience, connected to, but different from the history of England, and of Scotland and Ireland.
Edited by: Tim Thornton, Professor Harold Mytum, Michael Hoy
Format: Hardback 478 pages, 3 Maps
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Published: Jun 2025
Weight:918g
Dimensions:162 x 243 x 29 (mm)
A Guide to the Folklore Sites of the Isle of Man by James Franklin, Sam Hudson & Katie Newton
Published December 2023
Where is the Cursed Stone of Destiny?
Which holy well offers a cure for baldness?
What terrifying creature lurks on Ramsey promenade?
This is a guide to over 400 sites around the Isle of Man and the traditional folklore to be found there.
Gathered from thousands of sources across hundreds of years of folklore collecting, ranging from medieval stories of vengeful saints through to ghostly figures still being seen today, this book offers a comprehensive guide to the breadth and variety of the traditional folklore of the Isle of Man.
This collection will transform not just our knowledge of Manx folklore but also our relationship to the Isle of Man itself.
Paperback 312 pages
Manx Words 2nd Edition
Now in its second edition AUG 2025
by Adrian Cain
A new dictionary for learners of Manx, "Manx Words" is a fantastic addition to the growing material available for both learners and speakers of the language.
The pocket dictionary has been produced by James Harrison and Adrian Cain but has been heavily influenced by the work and assistance of Steve Morris of Swansea University who produced a similar dictionary for learners of Welsh.
Manx Words covers vocabulary encountered by students in their first couple of years of studying the language. Each item comes with an example of the terminology being used in everyday situations whilst there are useful word lists covering numbers, days of the week, months of the year and common place names in the Island and elsewhere. There is also an explanation, with examples, of irregular verbs and the most common prepositions.
Cre ren oo jiu? by Adrian Cain
Only a few left!
Published June 2024
by Adrian Cain
"Cre ren oo jiu?" What did you do today?
A Manx Gaelic handbook for parents anc carers.
Have you ever fancied learning Manx?
Adrian Cain, a teacher at the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, that’s the Manx-language primary school in St John’s, has written a book, packed with useful, everyday phrases to help get you started.
Adrian’s a former Manx Language Officer and a passionate advocate for making Manx accessible to everyone - not just parents of pupils at the school.
Paperback, spiral bound, A5
Manx Myths, Customs & Curiosities by Lauren Metcalfe
NEW
Dive into a different history of the ancient and fascinating Isle of Man.
From the true story of 'Jinny the Witch' to helpful Folklore Creatures, from bygone Victorian attractions to quirky Manx inventions, this little island is full to the brim with captivating stories to tell.
Manx Myths, Customs and Curiosities brings to you a myriad of historical stories about the people, customs and places that make the Isle of Man unique, with some spooky stories and peculiar facts that make you realise how amazing this gem in the middle of the Irish Sea really is.
Paperback A5 201 pages
A Grim Awakening: The First World War Diaries of Manx Soldier John McCauley
NEW : April 2026
Edited by John Manley
No other Manx war diary has ever been published. Manx literature following the First World War mainly focused on the island’s experience of alien internment on the island, whilst private John McCauley’s first-hand war memoir is unique; he is a war writer in a category of his own, providing readers with an intimate insight into the thoughts of a regular First World War soldier at the Western Front in France. John McCauley fought in some of the most famous First World War battles including at Neuve Chapelle, Thiepval Ridge, the Somme and Devil’s Trench in Delville Wood. Additionally, during 1916, John McCauley served with British forces in Egypt guarding the vital Suez Canal link for Britain.
A5 Paperback
138 pages
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