Shame on Santa. He brought me new books for Christmas, but neglected to bring the shelves to put them on.

That means I have to get rid of some of my existing books to make room for my new treasures.

If you’re a book-lover living in the U.S., and you’re interested in history and all things English, I’d love to send you one of my research books FOR FREE!

All you have to do is promise to give it a good home.

Here are the books I’m giving away this month:

The London Mob; Violence and Disorder in Eighteenth-Century England, by Robert Shoemaker

About the book: By 1700 London was the largest city in Europe, with over 500,000 inhabitants. Weakly policed, its streets saw regular outbreaks of rioting by a mob easily stirred by economic grievances, politics or religion. If the mob vented its anger more often on property than people, eighteenth-century Londers frequently came to blows over personal disputes in a society where men and women were quick to defend their honour. Slanging matches easily turned to fisticuffs and slights on honour were avenged in duels. In this world, where the detection and prosecution of crime was the part of the business of the citizen, punishment was public and expected to be endorsed by crowds. The London Mob draws a fascinating portrait of the public life of the modern world’s first great city. This is a hardback book with original dust cover.

Heroines, by Norma Lorre Goodrich

About the book: Norma Lorre Goodrich, world-renowned Arthurian scholar and historian, turns her attention to female heroes whose valor, fortitude, fearlessness, brilliance and fame have defined and defied women’s roles throughout the ages. She traces the core archetypes of women in ancient history, shows how the stories have descended through the ages, and examines the historical truths behind the myths. From legendary “Good” women to Amazons, fallen women to Joan of Arc, Goodrich examines the female legends on which today’s grand operas, classic novels, and beloved movies are based. This is a hardback book with original dust cover.

Mrs. Keppel and Her Daughter, by Diana Souhami

About the book: Alice Keppel, the married lover of Queen Victoria’s eldest son and great-grandmother to Camilla Parker-Bowles, was a key figure in Edwardian society. Hers was the acceptable face of adultery; discretion was her hallmark. It was her art to be the king’s mistress, all the while lauding the Royal Family and the institution of marriage. Formidable and manipulative, her attentions to the king brought her wealth, power, and status.

Her daughter Violet Trefusis had a long and tempestuous affair with author and aristocrat Vita Sackville-West, during which Vita left her husband and two sons to travel the world with Violet.

From memoirs, diaries, and letters, this is a fascinating portrayal of two strong women, their complicated relationship, and the duplicity and double-standards of the world in which they lived. This is a hardback book with original dust cover.

The Man Who Would Be King, the Life of Philippe D’Orleans, Regent of France, by Christine Pevitt

About the book: When Louis XIV, the Sun King, died in 1715, his five-year-old great-grandson succeeded him as King Louis XV. But real power passed to the new Regent, the man who became the de facto ruler of France, Philippe, duc d’Orleans. This biography examines the character of a man whose scandalous reputation has almost overwhelmed his many extraordinary qualities. He earned a reputation as a philanderer and a rake, but he was also intelligent, diligent, loyal, and brave. At a time when Europe was enjoying the dawn of the Enlightenment, Philippe d’Orleans established France as the very center of the intellectual and artistic ferment. This is a hardback book with original dust cover.

If you reside in the USA and would like to have one of these hardback books, leave a comment below, telling me which title you want.

If none of these titles sound like your cup of tea, please check back regularly. I’ll have more research books to give away in the next week or two!