Search results for ""the history press ltd""

Blackrock is a noted residential area on Dublin's south side, close to Dublin Bay. Once a small fishing village, its modern streets are lined with centuries of historical interest, from old houses and churches to one of the oldest roads in the country.From schooldays to sporting greats, a host of famous people have had their beginnings here. Éamon de Valera, Seamus Heaney and Bob Geldof have all taught at various academic institutions in the area, and Brian O'Driscoll learned to play rugby at Blackrock College.A reliable reference and handy guide to Blackrock's past, this book can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, heritage and secrets of Blackrock.

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I have an excellent memory for faces. I recall the face of every dead body I have ever seen. Every murder victim, every suicide, every cot death and every death reported as unexplained.'At the age of 22, Dennis McGookin was made a Detective Constable in the Criminal Investigation Department of Kent County Constabulary. He had no way of knowing at the time, but this career decision would put him at the heart of some of the most notorious crimes in Britain, including the case of Kenneth Noye, the so-called M25 Road Rage Killer', and the largest human-smuggling homicide investigation in British history.Told with forensic detail, but also humanity and heart, The Many Faces of Crime is the story of an extraordinary career that took McGookin from the south side of Belfast to the diplomatic echelons of Beijing, and put him face-to-face with both victims and murderers.

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From its humble beginnings in the 1930s as a landing strip associated with a country club, Elstree Aerodrome would go on to be used extensively for repair and overhaul of military aircraft in the Second World War and would later become one of the foremost general aviation airfields in the country. Examined in this volume are the aircraft, events and personalities that have shaped it over the decades.Elstree is one of only a dozen or so civil aerodromes in the UK which have been in continuous operation for at least the last ninety years. In peacetime it became a hub for charter companies and flying clubs, and many celebrities have flown from here, enjoying its close proximity to Elstree Studios and London. With the addition of further significant historical events to bring it right up to date, and with many new photographs, this expanded edition tells the full story of ninety years at Elstree Aerodrome.

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Our story begins in 1920s London, at a time when women's rights were surging after the long battle for suffrage and nightclubs emerged as spaces where single women could socialise unchaperoned. This was the age of the dance craze and the gender-bending Flapper', who inspired the creation of the Gargoyle club, a nocturnal hunting ground for Femmes Fatales.Meanwhile, London's Bohemia was ruled by the Queen of Clubs', Kate Meyrick; the taboo-breaking Tiger Woman', Betty May; the original Chelsea Girl', Viva King; the artist, Nina Hamnett; the Euston Road Venus', Sonia Orwell; and Isabel Rawsthorne, artist, spy, pornographer, model and muse to name but a few.Using previously unpublished memoirs and interviews, Queens of Bohemia creates a soundscape of voices that gives the reader a taste of their world, so exotic and yet often wracked with despair. It offers a unique insight into a generation of women for whom ideals of duty and self-sacrifice ha

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Lancaster, the county town of Lancashire, stands at the lowest bridging point of the River Lune. A chartered borough since 1193 and a city since 1937, it has had a long and turbulent history. Since the Roman army first saw the strategic possibilities of a low hill by the river it has housed garrisons and acted as a fortress. Its position on the main west-coast road to and from Scotland has on numerous occasions led to the passage of hostile armies.As county town and seat of the Assizes it has seen all the principal criminal cases for Lancashire tried in its magnificent Castle over the last eight centuries. Next to the Castle in a typical juxtaposition of Church and State stands the Priory church with its own history running back some twelve or thirteen centuries.In this book, based wherever possible on original sources, such as the rich resources of the borough records or the local newspapers, the author takes a thematic approach. In ten chapters he examines themes such as ‘House and Home’, ‘Working for a Living’ and ‘Where do you come from?’, the last of which is a study of all the people who over the centuries have come from other countries to live in Lancaster.

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An intriguing series of tales about love affairs with cars which, like human relationships, can go badly wrong.' Christian Wolmar, best-selling author of The Subterranean Railway and Fire & SteamThree Million Miles in a Volvo and Other Curious Car Stories is a whistle-stop tour of fifty fascinating petrolheads and how they changed car culture for goodMeet: The Prince of Darkness! The Sweeney's ace stunt driver! Renault's doyenne of colours and fabrics!Discover: A pathetic steam car! Metal underpants! The unseen brilliance of Jaguars!And find out exactly how one man adored his Volvo so much that he drove it around the world 120 times to cruise into the record books.

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Which misunderstood creature still lives in Leith, hidden away in their home?Who is the sleeping lady, resting under Roslin Castle after all this time?What man could sell his own sister's dead body?Where does the headless coachman steer his carriage on a stormy night?Did an ogre really stalk the Pentland Hills?What is the Portal Tree?These are just some of the secrets waiting to be discovered within this collection of sixteen folk tales. Stretching from the mysterious Moorfoot Hills all the way to the magical coast of Portobello, each story unearths a new place to visit and explore. Some tales are magical, some are historical, some uncover the mysteries of mythical creatures, some are about animals and some will help you find the magic hidden in everyday life.

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We could live in a paradise where insects, especially bees, pollinate fragrant oceans of flowers whose fruits we harvest. Instead, patio wastelands and utilitarian lawns are now displacing flower gardens, and agriculture is dominated by monocultures. Pesticides and climate change are also causing insect mortality, with dramatic consequences for the global ecosystem. If this carries on unchecked, honey will be just one of the many foodstuffs no longer available to us unless we learn to honour our innate connection with nature before it's too late.Milk Without Honey is a poignant and provocative graphic novel about the plight of the bees in which illustrator Hanna Harms inspires not only reflection but also action.

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What has the small nation of Wales given to the wide world?Well, to name but a few examples: the NHS, magical drama, mail order, sleeping bags, the basis of the internet, the Town of Books', the first powered flight, presidents, prime ministers and Nobel prize-winners.People of Welsh heritage have helped shape the culture and constitution of the United States; they have enriched British culture in innumerable ways through writing, acting, painting, poetry, singing and architecture; they have amassed a fantastic range of sporting achievements; and they made their own unique mark on history.Welsh history deserves to be rewritten in a manner that highlights and celebrates its achievements both past and present. The 100 reasons in this book do just that. They are pathfinders to a confident tomorrow as the Royal Badge of Wales reads in translation: The Red Dragon points the way'.

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Newton’s Notebook is a biography with a difference. It provides a full and detailed account of Sir Isaac Newton’s life and discoveries, but is written, designed and illustrated to look like a personal notebook.By mining the rich sources of Newton’s own journals and books, and incorporating a variety of quotations and illustrations, Newton’s Notebook brings its subject to life more vividly than any ordinary biography. It reveals the man behind the theories and examines Newton’s personal and family life as well as the amazing impact of his ideas and the world’s reaction to them.

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East Ham was sparsely inhabited in the fourteenth century and had not changed much with the advent of the railway in the 1850s. Farmers and market gardeners grew crops for the ‘distant’ London market, their houses scattered thinly from Wanstead flats in the north to just south of the turnpike road.A phenomenal transformation came in the second half of the nineteenth century as the demands of Britain’s growing industries and population led to the use of land for factories and, eventually, to a house-building boom. Fortunately, photos of these amazingly rapid changes have survived to add great impact to this narrative of East Ham’s past.Brian Evans captures the rise of East Ham from an area of fields and marshes to a county borough by 1914. Bygone East Ham will fascinate all who know the place whilst adding greatly to our understanding of the making of the present district.

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Did you know that Beethoven made every cup of coffee with exactly 60 beans?Or that Shirley Temple always had precisely 56 curls in her hair?Or that the young Frank Sinatra practised underwater swimming as a way of developing his ability to hold long breaths?In Secrets of Success, Charlie Croker brings his proven blend of gripping trivia and incisive humour to the question of how famous high achievers reached those heights. We’ll see Chopin sleeping with wedges between his fingers to increase their span, learn how P.G. Wodehouse reminded himself which pages of a manuscript still needed work, and find out why Thomas Edison chose his research assistants on the basis of their soup-eating habits.This revealing and entertaining book provides countless glimpses into the methods – and sometimes madness – of the world’s most famous figures. From ancient Egypt to the modern day, you’re about to learn the secrets of their success . . .

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''Funny, occasionally filthy and ultimately fascinating.'' - Richard Herring, comedianGo to any ancient building in the land and there will be interesting and exciting stories presented to the visitor. Tales of secret passages and hidden tunnels, strange marks and carvings left by stonemasons all commonly believed and widely repeated, but are they really true?From ship timbers being repurposed on dry land to spiral staircases giving advantage to right-handed defenders, and from archers sharpening their arrows on church stones to claims of being the oldest pub in the country, Historic Building Mythbusting seeks to uncover the real stories.Buildings archaeologist James Wright explains and unpicks the development of these myths and investigates the underlying truths behind them. Sometimes the realities hiding behind the stories are even more engaging, romantic and compelling than the myths themselves...

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One of the world's most loved cruise lines, P&O Cruises can trace its history back over 180 years. Through an impressive and unique collection of imagery, this new and updated edition of A Photographic History of P&O Cruises details the history of the cruise line and explores the impact the company had in shaping the British Empire.With a vast fleet of ocean liners that undertook voyages to all parts of the globe, P&O was instrumental in immigration to Australia and New Zealand, while acting as a gateway to the Far East and India. After the advent of jet aircraft, the venerable company reorganised its services to offer pleasure cruises. In Australia, P&O held a near monopoly during the 1980s and '90s, with their ships Oriana and Fairstar.Today, as part of the giant Carnival Corporation, P&O Cruises remains an iconic brand, offering British-based cruises, world voyages and a specialist Australian subsidiary that sails into the

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Vivien Leigh was one of the greatest film and theatrical stars of the twentieth century. Her Oscar-winning performances in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire have cemented her status as an icon of classic Hollywood.Her meteoric rise to fame launched her into the gaze of fellow rising star Laurence Olivier. A tempestuous relationship ensued that would last for twenty years and captured the imagination of people around the world.Behind the scenes, however, Leigh's personal life was marred by bipolar disorder, which remained undiagnosed until 1953. Largely misunderstood and subjected to barbaric mistreatment at the hands of her doctors, she also suffered the heartbreak of Olivier's infidelity. Contributing to her image as a tragic heroine, she died at the age of 53.Where Madness Lies begins in 1953, when Leigh suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalised. The woeful story unfolds as

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Derbyshire is a county of dramatic variations and contrasts created by millennia of geological change. Situated in the very middle of England, it is the furthest county from the sea. Its minerals, rivers and landscapes have guided the people of Derbyshire through the centuries, from its first Stone Age cave dwellers, Roman rulers and industrialists to more than 13 million people who visit its Peak District National Park each year.Discover the story of Derbyshire's prehistoric past, its feudal keeps and royal forests, and the fortunes of Bess of Hardwick, Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Florence Nightingale. From lead miners to revolutionaries, cotton mills to coal mines, iron foundries and quarries to motor cars, bouncing bombs and jet engines, learn how the men and women of Derbyshire have helped shape the history of a nation.

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A DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEKEverest is truly dedicated to his profession He deserves to be known as the Welsh Ralph Lauren or Giorgio Armani.' Roger Lewis, Daily MailThe son of restaurateurs, young Timothy Everest wanted nothing more than to be a racing driver. This was not to be, but little did he know that a job he took at age 17 as a sales assistant at Hepworths in Milford Haven would set the trajectory for success to come.Boy Wanted on Savile Row is the remarkable story of Everest's meteoric rise in the British fashion industry. Starting in the 1980s and studying under Tommy Nutter, the rebel of Savile Row, while rubbing shoulders with the likes of Steve Strange and Boy George, he branched out on his own the following decade. Here he initially styled bands and pop stars, before spearheading the Cool Britannia' generation and becoming the face of the New Bespoke Movement. After

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‘It is impossible not to be thrilled by Edgar Wallace.’ So said the blurbs of Wallace’s own books.Indeed, he was a prolific author of over 170 books, translated into more than thirty languages. More films were made from his books than any other twentieth-century writer, and in the 1920s a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. His success is written in black and white, but his life got off to an inauspicious start.Edgar Wallace, the illegitimate son of a travelling actress, rose from poverty in Victorian England to become the most popular author in the world and a global celebrity of his age.Famous for his thrillers, with their fantastic plots, in many ways Wallace did not write his most exciting story: he lived it, and here Neil Clark eloquently tells his tale to allow you to live it too.

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The 1950s saw a major shift in the lifestyles of many in Britain. Employment levels rose to new heights, white consumer goods appeared in shop windows for the first time, television replaced the radio in many homes, rock ‘n’ roll was born, the National Health Service provided free healthcare to the nation, families went on holiday, and the new Queen was crowned — bringing in a glorious new Elizabethan age.Including interviews with former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock and footballers Bobby Charlton, Wilf McGuinness and Terry Venables, Recollections of the 1950s will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade. With chapters on schooldays, television and radio, trips to the seaside, music and fashion, these wonderful stories are sure to jog the memories of all who remember this exciting era.

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Forget the adventure stories of James Bond, Kim Philby, Klaus Fuchs and co. – espionage is not just a boys’ game. As long as there has been conflict, there have been female agents behind the scenes. In Belgium and northern France in 1914–18 there were several thousand women actively working against the Kaiser’s forces occupying their homelands. In the Second World War, women of many nations opposed the Nazis, risking the firing squad or decapitation by axe or guillotine. Yet, many of those women did not have the right to vote for a government or even open a bank account. So why did they do it?Female Secret Agents explores the lives and the motivations of the women of many races and social classes who have risked their lives as secret agents, and celebrates their intelligence, strength and courage.

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THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK AT MONTE CARLO.'Brilliant – a terrific read' - Michael Aspel OBE'The best book I’ve read all year' - Nigel Jones, editor, Devonshire MagazineCharles Deville Wells broke the bank at Monte Carlo – not once but ten times – winning the equivalent of millions in today’s money. He followed up with a colossal bank fraud in Paris, and became Europe’s most wanted criminal, hunted by British and French police and known in the press as ‘Monte Carlo Wells – the man with 36 aliases’.Is he phenomenally lucky? Has he really invented an ‘infallible’ gambling system, as he claims? Or is he just an exceptionally clever fraudster?

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Delve into London's architectural curiositites and discover the unexpected gems waiting around every corner.London is full of extraordinary, enigmatic and, above all, unexpected buildings: a pirate castle in Camden, an art gallery made of shipping containers, underground ghost stations, and much more. Here David Long reveals the very best of the capital’s extraordinary buildings, some of which are passed by every day, hidden in plain sight.

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The bold campaign to liberate Western Europe from Nazi tyranny was the outcome of years of close co-operation and meticulous planning by the Western Allies. Eleven months of vicious fighting followed the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, against a determined and well-armed foe controlled by paranoid and brutal political masters.Military author and veteran Roy Conyers Nesbit has assembled a selection of over 300 photographs and illustrations that tell the story of the battle for Europe, from the shores of Normandy to the daring airborne assault on Arnhem, and from the bitter winter fighting in the forests of the Ardennes to the final sweep into the heartlands of Nazi Germany.

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Meet the people connected to Titanic in a very personal way. Through a tremendous display of memorabilia items some of them very personal you will feel the Titanic disaster as you never have before. A fresh, unique tour de force in the annals of Titanic literature!' J. KENT LAYTON, co-author of Recreating the TitanicThe basic facts of the Titanic's story are well known: in April 1912 the largest ship in the world, described as practically unsinkable', set off on her maiden trip to New York. She would never make it there. Instead she would strike an iceberg just days into her journey and sink to the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, taking nearly 1,500 people with her. She would remain there undisturbed for seventy-three years.Titanic Collections: Fragments of History is a two-part series showcasing rare and important artefacts relating to the history of RMS Titanic. Many collectors prefer to hide their t

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‘An extraordinary history’ PETER ACKROYD, The Times‘A lively account of (Bazalgette’s) magnificent achievements. . . graphically illustrated’ HERMIONE HOBHOUSE‘Halliday is good on sanitary engineering and even better on cloaca, crud and putrefaction . . . (he) writes with the relish of one who savours his subject and has deeply researched it. . . splendidly illustrated’ RUTH RENDELLIn the sweltering summer of 1858, sewage generated by over two million Londoners was pouring into the Thames, producing a stink so offensive that it drove Members of Parliament from the chamber of the House of Commons.The Times called the crisis ‘The Great Stink’. Parliament had to act – drastic measures were required to clean the Thames and to improve London’s primitive system of sanitation. The great engineer entrusted with this enormous task was Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who rose to the challenge and built the system of intercepting sewers, pumping stations and treatment works that serves London to this day. In the process, he cleansed the Thames and helped banish cholera.The Great Stink of London offers a vivid insight into Bazalgette’s achievements and the era in which he worked and lived, including his heroic battles with politicians and bureaucrats that would transform the face and health of the world’s then largest city.

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From the crowning of Charles III, thirty-nine coronations have been held in Westminster Abbey since the Norman Conquest. Only two monarchs – Edward V and Edward VIII – were uncrowned, and a further twenty or so Scottish monarchs were crowned elsewhere, usually at either Scone Abbey or Holyrood Abbey.In The Throne, Ian Lloyd turns his inimitable, quick-witted style to these key events in British royal history, providing fascinating anecdotes and interesting facts: William the Conqueror’s Christmas Day crowning, during which jubilant shouts were mistaken by his guards as an assassination attempt; the dual coronation of William and Mary in 1689; the pared-back ‘Half Crown-ation’ of William IV; and the televised spectacle of Elizabeth II’s 1953 ceremony.Detailing everything from the famous Coronation Chair made for Edward I and the Crown Jewels to the infamously uncomfortable Gold State Coach – this is a truly spectacular celebration of British culture and the ultimate pomp of royalty.

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In Service is the tale of one person's journey into manhood, ultimately finding himself in the theatre of war. It is a journey littered with colourful anecdotes and diverse experience: from military training in the Guards Depot to Trooping the Colour; from academic failure to intelligence work in Northern Ireland; from helping Rudolf Hess out of an ambulance to being tasked with taking the Queen's portrait. Tim Rees colours every experience with profound and often idiosyncratic observations that offer the reader a taste of the sometimes humorous, often arduous and, on too many occasions, brutal reality of service. But, as Tim says, 'The positive effect is the bond of common experience I share with men with whom I served in the army' - a type of bond that, in his opinion, is in danger of being lost in the modern age.

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The Palestine campaign of 1917 saw Britain’s armed forces rise from defeat to achieve stunning victory. After two failed attempts in the spring, at the end of the year they broke through the Ottoman line with an innovative mixture of old and new technology and tactics, and managed to advance over 50 miles, from Gaza to Jerusalem, in only two months. As well as discussions of military strategy, Stuart Hadaway’s gripping narrative of the campaign gives a broad account of the men on both sides who lived and fought in the harsh desert conditions of Palestine, facing not only brave and determined enemies, but also the environment itself: heat, disease and an ever-present thirst.Involving Ottoman, ANZAC, British and Arab forces, the campaign saw great empires manoeuvring for the coveted Holy Land. It was Britain’s victory in 1917, however, that redrew the maps of the Middle East and shaped the political climate for the century to come.

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Waterford, the Gentle County, can boast a proud sporting tradition that is as long as it is unusual. Ireland's oldest city has witnessed many trends, from blood sports like bull-baiting in Ballybricken to roller hockey at the Olympia Ballroom. But the towns and villages of County Waterford were not to be overshadowed, producing notable sports people such as basketballers and boxers.In I Love Me County', learn about everyone from camogie pioneers to World Champions, as this collection of stories records the lives, loves and losses of some of Waterford's forgotten sporting heroes, demonstrating the importance of sport and leisure in the history of the county.

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Gants Hill, a suburb of the London Borough of Redbridge, Essex, has long been a thriving community and shopping area, all centred around the famous and, at times, difficult to negotiate roundabout. Home to the iconic Moscow Metro-inspired underground station, Gants Hill is thirty-five minutes east of Oxford Circus on the Central Line. There are schools, offices, colleges, businesses, entertainment venues, religious centres, a library, and the beautiful Valentines Park, which stretches from Gants Hill to Ilford town centre.Let expert local historians Vincent Goodman and Jef Page take you on a journey with over 180 carefully selected photographs and images of Gants Hill, illustrating how it has developed over the years. The book is the first collection of its kind to be published specifically on Gants Hill and includes a comprehensive history of the area.

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White Star Line was originally founded in Liverpool in 1845 for travel to Australia but was eventually purchased by Thomas Ismay and transformed into the successful Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Cleverly merging with Harland & Wolff, the line focussed on luxury over speed, developing many of the world's favourite vessels. Finally merging with its great rival Cunard in the 1930s depression, the companies continued to operate separately while flying one another's flags. This evocative book explores the colourful history of White Star Line, from personal postcards with messages from passengers, crew and troops, to the careers of her vessels in peacetime and at war, all from Patrick Mylon’s impressive collection. It includes ships with alternative identities, unusual stories like the planned escape of Dr Crippen, and showcases a wide variety of interior views, adverts and 'proof', silk and Company Issue cards, conveying the glamour, drama and history of this world-renowned line.

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During the eighteenth century, ladies of high society kept handwritten notes on recipes and it became fashionable to exchange the most successful with friends and neighbours. This charming book is a compilation of fifty of the best recipes taken from the archives of the country houses of Britain and Ireland. Each recipe is shown in its original form accompanied by an up-to-date version created by professional chefs so that the recipes can be recreated today. In a world dominated by additives and synthetic foodstuffs, these traditional recipes contain only natural ingredients and show that simple ways are often the best when it comes to creating dishes that stand the test of time.

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Did you know?• The first African community to arrive in England was stationed at Aballava on Hadrian's Wall to keep out the Picts.• Admiral Robert FitzRoy, creator of the Met Office, was so upset by criticism of his weather forecasts that he shot himself.• While studying at Cambridge, Charles Darwin formed the 'Glutton Club' for the purpose of eating unusual animals.• Ada Lovelace wrote a computer code in the nineteenth century, before a working computer had even been invented.• Maids of Honour at Henry VIII’s court were given eight pints of ale per day and his army mutinied in Spain when the ale ran out.A little book about a BIG subject. England's not huge in land mass, but there is a lot to say about this little country. Yes, we'll be touching on the obvious bits – Shakespeare, 1966, disappointing weather, etc., but we'll also be going in search of what's under the surface of English history, society and culture.What is it that makes England England? People all over the world think they know the answer to that: the King or Queen, awkward politeness, Beefeaters and losing in penalties in international football. But we English know that we're a bit more complicated than such stereotypes. Or are we? Let's find out.

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In 1739, the London Foundling Hospital opened its doors to take in the abandoned children of the city. It was the culmination of seventeen years of campaigning by Captain Thomas Coram, driven by his horror at seeing children die in the streets. He was supported in his endeavours by a royal charter and by William Hogarth and George Frideric Handel. The Hospital would continue as both home and school for over 215 years, raising thousands of children until they could be apprenticed out.London’s Forgotten Children is a fascinating history of the first children’s charity, charting the rise of this incredible institution and examining the attitude towards illegitimate children over the years. The story comes alive with the voices of children who grew up in the Hospital, and the concluding, fully updated, account of today’s children’s charity Coram is an ongoing testament to the vision of its founder.

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Hanna Reitsch longed to fly. Having broken records and earned the respect of the Nazi regime, she was the first female Luftwaffe test pilot, and eventually became Adolf Hitler’s personal heroine.An ardent Nazi, Hanna was prepared to die for the cause, first as a test pilot for the dangerous V1 flying bombs and later by volunteering for a suggested Nazi ‘kamikaze’ squadron. After her capture she complained bitterly of not being able to die with her leader, but she went on to have a celebrated post-war flying career. She died at the age of 67, creating a new mystery – did Hanna kill herself using the cyanide pill Hitler had given her over thirty years earlier? Hitler’s Heroine reveals new facts about the mysterious pilot and cuts through the many myths that have surrounded her life and death, bringing this fascinating woman back to life for the twenty-first century.

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Winner of Military History Monthly’s 2017 Book of the Year AwardThe Classis Britannica was the Roman regional fleet controlling and protecting the waters around the British Isles – in other words, Britain’s first-ever navy.For over 200 years it played a key role in the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire: it helped to establish the province of Britannia and assisted in Roman military campaigns, as well as controlling the continental coast through to the Rhine Delta. Outside of war, the Classis Britannica also offered vital support for the civilian infrastructure of Roman Britain, assisting in administration, carrying out major building and engineering projects, and running industry. Later, its mysterious disappearance in the mid-third century ad would contribute to Britain finally leaving the Empire 150 years later. In Sea Eagles of Empire, acclaimed historian Simon Elliott tells its story for the very first time.

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The Little Book of Sandymount is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about one of Dublin’s most important suburbs. Here you will find out about Sandymount’s streets and buildings, its schools and industries, its proud sporting heritage, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through main thoroughfares and twisting back streets, this book takes the reader on a journey through Sandymount and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this south Dublin suburb.

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‘It's the best present you can give. It never breaks and doesn't need batteries. What is it?’The answer is inside THIS BOOK!Eleven of the funniest traditional tales from around the world. Laugh your socks off as you discover why dogs are our best friends, learn how to flummox fairies, and meet a shape-shifting, cartwheeling badger.

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Many thousands of different types of vehicles were used by the armies during the Second World War for various roles, including the fighting vehicles such as armoured cars and tanks. Today these are very popular with enthusiasts who restore these historic vehicles to their pristine state and attend specialist gatherings around the UK, Europe and the USA.This book explores original and reconstructed military vehicles from British, US, Russian, Italian and German forces using stunning colour photographs. It also provides a detailed history of each vehicle’s development and use in the war, plus a wealth of technical information and rare internal shots. The range of vehicles includes trucks, ambulances, half-tracks, motorcycles, bulldozers, armoured cars and of course the impressive range of tanks, from tankettes to the fearsome German Tiger. Some vehicles are so rare that examples have been recreated using designs of the era and together with the original vehicles their fascinating wartime experiences are revealed. From the Moto Guzzi tricycle to the Schwimmwagen, the T-34 to the Austin ambulance, this is the perfect book for recreating, restoring and exploring the history of these classic military vehicles.

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At what time was Guy Fawkes discovered underneath the Palace of Westminster? Just when was Einstein’s Theory of Relativity proved? What time was on the clock when Titanic sunk? When was President John F. Kennedy assassinated? All these questions and 400 more are answered in History Minute by Minute, breaking down history into a round-the-clock timeline of fascinating and vital moments from around the world. From battles and assassinations to crimes, deaths and disasters – and everything else that makes up our vivid and unique history – you will find that no minute lacks some significance. So, whether you want to find out what time an event happened or if anything noteworthy happened at the time of your birth, anniversary or the time on the clock right now, you are sure to delight in this quirky take on world history.

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Queens and princesses have always shown care and compassion, but many went much further. They were not afraid to roll up their sleeves, work in wards or help in field hospitals and operating theatres, despite their sheltered upbringings. Through wars and revolutions across Europe, their experiences were similar to those of thousands of other nurses, but this is the first time that their involvement in nursing and the extent of their influence on the profession has been detailed in full.Beginning with two daughters of Queen Victoria – Princess Alice and Princess Helena – Princesses on the Wards looks at the difficulties these royals faced while carving a worthwhile role in an age when the place of a well-born woman was considered to be in the home. Empress Alexandra of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, and Princess Alice of Greece (mother of the Duke of Edinburgh) were just a few of Queen Victoria’s relatives who set an example of service well beyond that considered necessary for their rank. Not all of them were fully trained nurses, but each made a positive contribution towards alleviating suffering which cannot be overestimated.

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September 1940: In the midst of the Second World War, The Luftwaffe unleashed a series of devastating raids on Southampton, all but destroying its Spitfire factories.But production didn’t stop. Instead, manufacturing of this iconic fighter moved underground, to secret locations staffed by women, children and non-combatant men. With little engineering experience between them, they built a fleet of one of the greatest war planes that has ever existed.This is their story.

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‘An essential part of the library for anyone interested in the great political and military upheavals in the 15th century.’ – Graeme Rimer, Retired Former Academic Director of the Royal Armouries‘A creditable effort to examine a neglected aspect of medieval warfare.’ – Jim Bradbury, Cambridge University Press ‘Everything you need to know about being a soldier in the Wars of the Roses.’ – The Mail BookshopWhat was it like to fight in a Wars of the Roses battle? What kind of men fought at St Albans, Northampton, Wakefield, Towton, Tewkesbury and Bosworth? How was the medieval soldier recruited, paid, equipped, fed and billeted? And how was a battle contested once both sides resorted to all-out conflict?First published in 1998, this classic study of the medieval soldier in the Wars of the Roses examines these and other questions using various documentary sources and recent evidence. Eyewitness accounts, contemporary chronicles, personal letters, civic records, archaeology and surviving military equipment are used to paint a fascinating picture of the medieval soldier. Evidence gleaned from the mass war grave found close to the battlefield of Towton in North Yorkshire sheds new light on those that lived and died in the civil wars. But what do we know about the psychology of those involved? And how did soldiers feel about killing their fellow Englishmen?Andrew Boardman explores the grim reality of medieval soldiering on land and sea during this crucial period of aristocratic violence and dynastic upheaval. He makes us question the current historical record, such as it is, and our perceptions of chivalry and warfare in Lancastrian and Yorkist England. The text is supported by many contemporary illustrations, diagrams and maps, making this updated work an indispensable guide to medieval soldiering in the late fifteenth century.

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The Battle of Arnhem has acquired a near-legendary status in British military history as an audacious plan to land paratroopers into the Netherlands and spearhead an attack against the German-held Ruhr. Beyond images of brave paratroopers and scenes from A Bridge Too Far, this was in fact one of the most complex and strategically important operations of the war.It was expected that the British would sweep through and connect with the Arnhem force within a matter of days. But things on the ground proved very different. The Allied forces were isolated, without reinforcements and unable to advance. The operation ended in disaster. Using first-hand accounts, maps and detailed timelines, historian Chris Brown explores the unfolding action of the battle and puts the reader on the front line. If you truly want to understand what happened and why – read on.

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