Local history Books
The Francis Frith Collection Porthcawl: Photographic Memories
Book Synopsis
£13.50
Countryside Books Tales of Old Berkshire
Book Synopsis
£7.55
Four Courts Press Ltd Monaghan: The Irish Revolution, 1912-23
Book Synopsis
£21.38
Four Courts Press Ltd Medieval Dublin XIX
Book Synopsis
£23.70
Quiller Publishing Ltd The Decline of an English Village
Book SynopsisThis is the 45th Anniversary Edition of The Decline of an English Village. When The Decline of an English Village was first published in 1974, its appearance was greeted with immediate critical acclaim. As a young writer, born into declining village life, Robin Page’s message simultaneously struck a chord and sounded a warning. Now, after forty-five years, it reappears with a new and updated introduction, in which political activist Robin Page exposes greed, political ineptitude, and social and environmental indifference as the driving forces behind the deterioration of village life and the communities around it. Robin Page transports readers back to a time when villages were founded on the value of community, and when people still worked the land in the traditional sense. He reflects and ruminates on his own experiences of rural life, raising sensitive topics, such as the intensification of farming, over-population, and environmental degradation in some of England’s most beloved places. Robin shares his concern for the alarming loss of wildlife in England, and offers his own perspective on what he perceives to be the most pressing issues. His passion for English tradition, reflected through his involvement with the Countryside Restoration Trust, radiates from within the pages of this book, along with his enthusiasm for preserving the countryside and its wildlife. Throughout his life, Robin has observed dramatic changes in the way people live their lives. It’s in this book that he reiterates the tragedy behind a countryside increasingly misused and abused in the name of urbanisation and industrialisation. Trade ReviewRobin Page is a national treasure. This whiskery and rebarbative countryman, now in his mid seventies, has campaigned tirelessly for the cause of traditional rural life... he has shown, admirably, what even a single individual can do off his own bat by founding the Countryside Restoration Trust. The Decline of an English Village was one of Mr.Page's early books. Written 45 years ago, and now reissued with a new last chapter, it is a classic. * Country Life *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Home and Farm 2. The Village 3. God 4. Sex and Violence 5. The School 6. The Brook 7. The Shoot 8. Feathers and Feet 9. Second Thoughts 10. All Change 11. Thirty Years On 12. Forty-Five Years On Countryside Restoration Trust
£18.00
Cassini Publishing Ltd Land's End and Isles of Scilly
Book Synopsis
£12.79
Alan Godfrey Maps Glasgow (St Rollox) 1933: Lanarkshire Sheet 6.07
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Brighton 1909: Sussex Sheet 66.09
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps North Chadderton and SW Royton 1932: Lancashire
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Stockport Town Centre 1873: Stockport Sheet 8
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Altrincham 1908: Cheshire Sheet 18.06
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Manchester SW 1916: Lancashire Sheet 104.10b
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Birmingham (South) 1888: Warwickshire Sheet
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Huyton 1906: Lancashire Sheet 107.10
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Hunslet 1890: Yorkshire Sheet 218.10
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Macclesfield (South) 1897: Cheshire Sheet 36.12
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Swansea (North) 1897: Glamorgan Sheet 24.01
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Central Birmingham 1913: Warwickshire Sheet
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Alan Godfrey Maps Toxteth 1890: Lancashire Sheet 113.02a: Coloured
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Manchester (Harpurhey & Collyhurst) 1931:
Book Synopsis
£4.95
Alan Godfrey Maps Central Sunderland 1914: County Durham Sheet
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Alan Godfrey Maps Headingley 1890: Yorkshire Sheet 203.13a:
Book Synopsis
£7.06
Alan Godfrey Maps Central Newcastle 1940: Tyneside Sheet 11.3
Book Synopsis
£6.11
Amberley Publishing Peckham & Nunhead Through Time
Book SynopsisPeckham & Nunhead Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of London. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Peckham and Nunhead, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people in these communities throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of this area's history. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of Peckham and Nunhead, as we are guided through the local streets. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in the area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting. It also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Portsmouth Through Time
The photographs in this fascinating collection enable the reader to explore the differences that passing time has wrought on the urban landscape of Portsmouth and Southsea, and place unrecognisable scenes in context in place and time. Archive images, including Victorian scenes, Edwardian postcards, and unique colour photographs from the 1960s and '70s, are compared and contrasted with a similar view today. These absorbing images, from professional and amateur photographers, include many street scenes alongside subjects ranging from a military band at Clarence Barracks in the 1910s, commercial shipping at the Camber in the 1930s, Billy Smart's circus in the 1950s and Dockyard pickets in the 1970s. Portsmouth Through Time is sure to evoke a wealth of personal memories and interest to anyone who knows and loves the city and would enjoy a trip into its recent past.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing East Dulwich Through Time
Book SynopsisEast Dulwich Through Time contains 180 images of East Dulwich in London, of which 90 are old photographs, (some printed in a sepia tone and some in full colour). Each photograph is printed alongside a contemporary full colour photograph illustrating the same scene. The contrasting illustrations show how the area has changed and developed during the last 100 years. The photographs are of shops, schools, garages, churches, houses and street scenes and each photograph is captioned. The book also has an introduction which gives a brief overview of the history of the area.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Teignmouth Through Time
Book SynopsisTeignmouth Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Teignmouth, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of this area's history. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of this town, as the author guides us through the local streets. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in the area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting this fabulous market town. It also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Belper Through Time
Book SynopsisFrom the late eighteenth century, the Industrial Age transformed Belper from a small village of nail-makers to a busy and successful town. Thanks to the Strutt family, the town was the first in the world to have water-powered cotton mills, and the hundreds of people that flocked to work in those mills were provided with homes, chapels, schools and much more. Since Belper was inscribed on to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Derwent Valley Mills Site in 2001, the drive to save, enhance and restore the historic town has never been greater. By comparing views from years past, this book helps to define what has survived, what has been lost, and what we can do to ensure Belper remains the unique historic community it is today.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Royal Leamington Spa Through Time
Book SynopsisRoyal Leamington Spa Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of Warwickshire. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Leamington Spa, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this town throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of this town's history. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of this diverse and vibrant area, as Jacqueline Cameron guides us through Leamington's streets. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in this area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting Warwickshire and Leamington Spa for the first time. This book also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Hemel Hempstead Through Time
Book SynopsisHemel Hempstead's history goes back a long way and is mentioned in the Domesday Book survey. St Mary's Parish Church is one of the oldest buildings and dates from 1150. Henry VIII came to Hemel Hempstead and granted a Charter in 1539 which also put the town on the map. In more recent times Hemel Hempstead was designated to be a New Town in 1946 which caused it to grow from being a market town of 22,000 to one of the largest in the county. This book shows how the town has changed - many people consider it to be improved while others wish time could hark back to the days when small shops were the norm and areas such as Apsley, Boxmoor and Leverstock Green were individual villages where everyone knew each other. The photographs will help those who have forgotten what Hemel was like years ago and shows the places and buildings that have replaced them.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing New Forest Through Time
Book Synopsis'Go where we will throughout England, there is no spot which is not boundup with our history. The New Forest is, perhaps, as good an example as could be wished of what has been said of English scenery, and its connection with our history. It remains after some eight hundred years still the New Forest. True, its boundaries are smaller, but the main features are the same as on the day when first afforested by the Conqueror.' The words of John R. Wise, author of The New Forest: Its History and its Scenery, echo across one and a half centuries since its first publication in 1863. The Forest boundaries are still tweaked and altered today but the 'essential Forest' remains. The illustrations in this book celebrate the things which make the New Forest unique and the contrasting images chronicle the similarities as well as the changes that have taken place over time.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Audley Through Time
Book SynopsisAudley Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Audley, its well-known streets and famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this town throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a reliable view of this village's history. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of Audley, as Tony Lancaster guides us through the local streets. There is something for everyone here, whether they have lived in the area all their lives, or whether they are just visiting for the first time. Audley Through Time also shows how photography has continually evolved to keep up with an ever changing society.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Portobello & District Through Time
Book SynopsisThe communities that feature in this book lie to the east of Edinburgh and all have fallen prey over the years to its inevitable expansion. Portobello accepted merger with Edinburgh in 1896 when this proudly independent burgh was not only Scotland's premier seaside resort but also boasted a strong local economy based on its thriving pottery, brick and glass manufacturing works. All of these underpinned a wide range of retail and commercial enterprises. Suburban sprawl spread to the west of Portobello in the 1930s when a mix of local authority and private housing was built over the fields of Restalrig, Lochend and Craigentinny. This book chronicles the early changes and also those caused by industrial collapse and urban development from the second half of the twentieth century. Inevitably, some of these changes have produced scars on the landscape but there are many positive images of regeneration.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Isambard Kingdom Brunel Through Time
Book SynopsisIsambard Kingdom Brunel was Britain's greatest engineer, he was the man who built everything on a huge scale, he built Britain's biggest ship, some of Britain's most spectacular bridges, a tunnel under the Thames and the finest railway line in Britain, the London to Bristol route of the Great Western Railway. Everything he did was on a scale not seen before, not just in Britain, but in the world. Brunel left a legacy of industrial architecture and design, from the vaulted roof of Paddington station to the SS Great Britain, the first true ocean greyhound, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge to the Tamar Bridge, which bears his name on its approaches. His life was one of superlatives - bigger, wider, taller and faster. Nearly drowning in the Thames Tunnel, he eventually suffered a stroke aboard his Great Eastern, the world's largest vessel for almost half a century, and died two days before her maiden voyage. As the historian Dan Cruikshank put it, Brunel was quite simply 'a one-man Industrial Revolution'. Here, John Christopher tells the story of the man and his tunnels, bridges, railways, ships and buildings, with many new illustrations accompanying the old, showing the changes time has made to Brunel's greatest legacy - the things he designed and built that we still take for granted and use every day, over a century and a half since his death.
£14.39
The Gresham Publishing Co. Ltd Robert Burns in Edinburgh: An Illustrated Guide
Book SynopsisA reader-friendly, fully illustrated colour guide to Robert Burns' time in Edinburgh, with fresh research, maps and illustrations of the key people Burns met, with 27 relevant poems by Burns throughout. With over 100 illustrations by David Alexander and 80 photographs by Jerry Brannigan of key people and places Burns encountered. Easy to follow routes and walking guides in Edinburgh arranged by area and place/people. Tourist information about each site. Robert Burns came to Edinburgh in November 1786 and stayed for 14 months. His book, Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kilmarnock Edition , went on sale on July 31, 1786 and was an immediate success throughout Scotland. Suddenly,he was being spoken of the length and breadth of the land. His plan to emigrateto Jamaica with any profit from the sales of the book was abandoned. Burns's life was about to change! Dr Thomas Blacklock, known as the Blind Poet, came to know of the book. Blacklock was a much respected poet and critic, acquainted with the cream of literary society in Scotland and he advised Burns to travel to the nation's capital where a larger edition was promised. Blacklock was sure it would have a more universal circulation than "anything else that had been published within his memory". So it was that on November 27, 1786 that Robert Burns, on a borrowed pony, set off on the two-day journey to Edinburgh. It was at the peak of the Scottish Enlightenment. Edinburgh at the time was home to great philosophers, world-renowned economists, engineers, scientists, writers and poets. Enterprise and industry were flourishing. Robert Burns was to find himself thrust into the midst of the social and academic whirlpool that was Edinburgh in 1786, establishing him as a vital part of the Scottish Enlightenment. This book chronicles the places he visited and the brilliant, eccentric, but always fascinating people he met during his stay. Places including Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No. 2, The Kirk of the Canongate, Old Calton Burial Ground, St. Cecilia's Hall, Pear Tree House, The Luckenbooths and many more. People including, The Duchess of Gordon, Lord Monboddo, James (Balloon) Tytler, Bishop John Geddes, (Indian) Peter Williamson and a host more. Learn of his meeting with a young Sir Walter Scott, and - let's not forget - Mrs Agnes McLehose, his Clarinda, and inspiration for Ae Fond Kiss. Robert Burns left Edinburgh on March 24, 1788. He was only 29. He was to die in Dumfries eight years later at the age of 37.
£13.49
The Gresham Publishing Co. Ltd Glasgow's Grand Central Hotel: Glasgow's
Book SynopsisGlasgow's most loved and famous hotel - choice of Hollywood stars on trips to Scotland, is the subject of this timely chronicle. Glamour, drama, stars, fame, food and travel, weddings, life above and below stairs, music and dance, weddings and pianos, autograph hunters, board meetings and AGMS, fancy dresses and ballroooms - Glasgow's Grand Central Hotel has it all - and more! Origins, growth, heydey, and then bust! And now refurbished and stunning in glorious luxury - the hotel is celebrated in this wonderful, beautiful book. Personal mementoes, wonderful images of stars like Danny Kaye, Mae West, Laurel and Hardy, Gene Kelly, The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Laurence Olivier, Lena Horne, Jimmy Durante, decorate this gorgeous book.Trade Review'Celebrates the grande dame of Gordon Street - as it went from dishevelled duchess and a return to splendour. The Herald's book of the week.' The Herald
£17.00
Batsford Ltd The Spirit of London
Book SynopsisA new edition of a classic Batsford title from the 1930s. London is brought to life through its people, buildings and history in this classic book, first published in 1935. The Spirit of London presents a wonderful snapshot of our capital before World War II and a charming insight into urban life in the 1930s. Paul Cohen-Portheim was an Austrian traveller and writer who was interned in the UK during World War I. His enforced stay made him fall in love with England and in particular, London. This is his take on the irrepressible city. Chapters include: Towns Within, Town Streets and their Life, Green London, London Amusements and Night Life, Traditional London, London and the British and London and the Foreigner. The book features Brian Cook’s iconic illustration of Ludgate Circus and St Paul’s on the cover. Add in the charm of the authentic voice of a 1930s Londoner, this book should be enjoyed by all Londoners and London enthusiasts.
£9.49
Sigma Press Coast to Coast on the Ravenber Way: A Walk Across
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Sigma Press New Forest Walks
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Sigma Press Walking in Eden: Circular and Linear Routes in
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Bodleian Library Oxford Botanic Garden: A Guide
Book SynopsisOxford Botanic Garden has occupied its central Oxford site next to the river Cherwell continuously since its foundation in 1621 and is the UK’s oldest botanic garden. The birthplace of botanical science in the UK, it has been a leading centre for research since the 1600s. Today, the garden holds a collection of over 5,000 different types of plant, some of which exist nowhere else and are of international conservation importance. This guide explores Oxford Botanic Garden’s many historic and innovative features, from the walled garden to the waterlily pool, the glasshouses, the rock garden, the water garden and ‘Lyra’s bench’. It also gives a detailed explanation of the medicinal and taxonomic beds and special plant collections. Lavishly illustrated with photographs taken throughout the seasons, this book not only provides a fascinating historical overview but also offers a practical guide to the Oxford Botanic Garden and its work today. Featuring a map of the entire site and a historical timeline, it is guaranteed to enhance any visit, and is also a beautiful souvenir to take home.
£10.25
Lang Syne Publishers Ltd Greyfriars Bobby: The Remarkable True Story of
Book Synopsis
£5.71
Poetry Wales Press Wales's Best One Hundred Churches
Book SynopsisIllustrated in colour, this volume encompasses a millennium of Churches around Wales. It is an invaluable repository of history, art and architecture which will appeal to the historian and tourist. Reprint; first published in 2006.
£13.49
Country Publications Ltd Bill Mitchell's Yorkshire
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Mortons Media Group The Bridge is Down!: Dramatic Eye-witness
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Mortons Media Group An Illustrated History of Cardiff Docks: Pt. 1:
Book SynopsisConcentrates on the Bute West, Bute East and Roath Docks, from their beginnings in the 1840s, through the boom years of the 1950s and ''60s to the period of redevelopment and modernisation. This book includes 300 photographs and maps.
£16.99
Mortons Media Group Railwaymen of the Welsh Valleys 1914-67: Part 1:
Book Synopsis
£28.00
Brewin Books Beneath the Bull Ring: The Archaeology of Life
Book SynopsisThere have been many books about Birmingham's history but this one is different. It is based on the archaeological evidence from the first major excavations to be carried out in Birmingham city centre. The book is written in a lively, accessible style and contains over 100 illustrations, most in colour. It provides new evidence of Birmingham's origins and its growth as a market town and industrial centre in the medieval period. The book also offers a new perspective on the transformation of Birmingham into 'the first manufacturing town in the world' in the 18th and 19th centuries. A large part of the book is devoted to the excavation of St. Martin's Churchyard, which uncovered 857 burials - in simple graves and elaborate tombs - of the people who made the Industrial Revolution. The burials are explored in fascinating detail, together with analysis of the health of the population based on scientific study of the skeletons. New research reveals intimate details of the lives of the men and women of the town of a thousand trades. If you are interested in the history of Birmingham, this book is essential reading.
£14.95
