Search results for ""amberley publishing""

John Gaspard Le Marchant was born in France in 1766, his father from Guernsey, his mother French. He joined the British Army aged sixteen and despite his family's moderate wealth and lack of society connections, he rose through the ranks to become one of the most accomplished cavalry officers of his time. A master swordsman, he had seen how poor training with the sword resulted in numerous casualties amongst the British cavalry sometimes accidentally self-inflicted. Le Marchant set about designing a new cavalry sabre, writing instruction manuals on swordsmanship and training cavalry men throughout the country. Le Marchant's achievements did not go unnoticed and he enjoyed the patronage of George III and the Duke of York.He didn't stop there. His proposal for a military establishment for the professional training of army officers initially met with opposition. He persevered, and the Royal Military College was founded in 1801, where he served as its inaugural Lieutenant-Governor. Later

Read more less

In 1959 there were twenty-seven Corporation Transport systems in the Red Rose County. These were significantly reduced in 1969 with the creation of the Passenger Transport Executives in Manchester and Liverpool and further reduced in 1974 following the reorganisation of local government, when boundaries were changed and new administrative boroughs created. All but two of the remaining systems were privatised during the 1990s, following the deregulation of bus services in 1986. Rossendale clung on to its own transport organisation until 2018 when it too was bought out by Transdev, leaving just Blackpool Transport as the only council-owned operator within the redrawn county boundary. This book picks up the story following local government reorganisation in 1974 and uses a comprehensive selection of photographs to depict the closing years of all of Lancashire’s Corporation Transport systems.

Read more less

Southampton has been a major port on the Hampshire coast since the medieval period, and the development of the docks in the nineteenth century saw the town (it became a city in 1964) expand massively. Thornycroft established a shipbuilding yard for the Royal Navy in 1904 and the town’s strategic importance led to it being a target for aerial bombardment in the Second World War, in which 70 per cent of the buildings in the centre were badly damaged or destroyed. Rebuilt after the war, Southampton is now a thriving, populous metropolitan area. In this book author Martin Brisland reveals the hidden history of Southampton, from the grisly locations of the Old Admiralty Gallows and other public executions at the Bargate to the medieval wine vaults beneath the streets that were used as air-raid shelters during the Second World War. Many notable characters have been associated with the city, including Benny Hill; Jane Austen; General Rosas, who helped create modern Argentina; and Admiral Jellicoe. As well as being the port of embarkation for the Titanic, the Pilgrim Fathers’ Mayflower sailed from Southampton. All this and more features in Secret Southampton as the author explores the little-known history of the city.

Read more less

Southport History Tour is a unique insight into the fascinating history of this attractive seaside town on the Merseyside coast and shows just how much it has changed during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readers are invited to follow local author and historian Hugh Hollinghurst as he guides them through its streets and promenades, its parks and open spaces, pointing out the well-known and lesser-known landmarks along the way.

Read more less

This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Leeds’ past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts. Historic England: Leeds shows the city as it once was, from its streets, squares and parks to its mills and factories. The self-proclaimed ‘Capital of the North’ has come a long way since receiving its first charter in 1207. From its early developments during the Industrial Revolution, it became a major area for the production of wool, engineering and printing. Today, with its legal and financial services, it is a prosperous contender with London. Leeds is also a city with a wide variety of entertainment, arts, culture and history, as well as having a thriving university. Leeds truly is one of the country’s greatest cities and this book will help you discover its remarkable history.

Read more less

In this comprehensive book, the author charts the development and production of one of the most famous fire engine manufacturers in the world. After an introduction that outlines Dennis’s early days of manufacturing bicycles and cars in Guildford, the author describes the initial fire engine design in 1908 which was to establish Dennis as a fire engine maker and the principal supplier to the London Fire Brigade. Technical developments were accompanied by export success to Commonwealth countries where the name Dennis became synonymous with fire engines. After supplying fire-fighting trailer pumps that were used in the Blitz, Dennis production continued to be innovative and varied in the post-war years, and the author explains the development of both the small town and country fire engines as well as larger engines, which were the mainstay of city fire brigades. The author brings the story right up to date with the development of both the Dennis Rapier and Dennis Sabre. The Rapier was considered the ultimate fire engine and both models enjoyed export success until the company ceased independent production in 2007.

Read more less

Oakham, the county town of Rutland, has a fascinating history. Oakham Castle's Norman hall was built by Walkin de Ferrers around 1190, and also houses the famous horseshoes, which were collected from members of royalty and peers of the realm who passed through the town. The impressive tower of All Saints church dominates the skyline from miles around. Rutland County Museum on Catmose Street was constructed in 1794 to be the home of Rutland Fencible Cavalry. Walking around the lanes and minor roads that crisscross Rutland today is still a trip back in time. This unique selection of old and new images, compiled by local historian Trevor Hickman, is essential reading for anybody who knows and loves Oakham and the surrounding villages. Featured alongside Oakham are Cottesmere, Langham, Empingham, Whissendine and many more.

Read more less

This book describes the heritage and development of the entire Piper Cherokee family; its safety and ownership characteristics; internal and external details; and a range of special variants from STOL modifications and new engines to seaplanes and tailwheel conversions. The hugely successful Piper PA-28 was produced and sold as a direct competitor to the Cessna 172. Initially produced with a rectangular wing planform and fixed undercarriage, it was available with installed powers ranging from 140 to 235 hp. A retractable undercarriage resulted in the Arrow series. The closely related PA-32 Cherokee Six, Saratoga and Six X are larger high performance aircraft. Versions of the PA-32 fitted with retractable undercarriages are the Lance and the sophisticated Saratoga II series.

Read more less

When Hitler marched into Austria in March 1938, he was given a rapturous reception. Millions lined the streets and filled the squares of Vienna. Tobias Portschy, a self-appointed regional Nazi chief, considered what to give the Fuhrer for his birthday, and devised a particular gift from the Austrian people: the elimination of Jewish life in the Burgenland, picturesque farming country about 70 km south-east of Vienna. Eichmann took note of the brutal methodology. The Holocaust had begun.Burgenland is an astonishing survey of Jewish history in Central Europe, an account of the opening salvo of what turned into the systematic industrial-scale genocide of European Jewry, a stern examination of British policy and the world's wholly inadequate response. It is also a deeply personal memoir and family history. Impeccably researched and hugely ambitious in scope, it narrates the full arc of the Jewish experience in Central Europe over 300 years, following the lives of one family who played a si

Read more less

Rare and previously unpublished photographs celebrating the venerable Class 37 locomotives at work in Scotland.

Read more less

Chiswick grew from a village on a bend of the River Thames to a fashionable retreat from London in the eighteenth century, then a suburb of London in the nineteenth century. The Palladian villa Chiswick House, with its landscaped gardens, was created by Lord Burlington in 1720 and artists and writers were drawn to the area, which also later became home to the Royal Horticultural Society and the first Garden Suburb at Bedford Park. Industries later associated with Chiswick included Thorneycroft marine builders and Fuller's famous brewery. During the Second World War the first V-2 rocket to hit London fell on Staveley Road in Chiswick.In AZ of Chiswick author Andy Bull reveals the history behind Chiswick, its streets and buildings, industries and the people connected with the area. Alongside the famous historical connections included are some unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well-known. Readers will discover tales of glamorous residents of Chiswick H

Read more less

This book explores the fascinating history of Nottinghamshireâs remarkable literary heritage as well as being a guide to the locations where that heritage can still be found.

Read more less

The largest city in the East Midlands, Nottingham has been an important centre in the area since the Middle Ages. The old Saxon borough was built around the area known today as the Lace Market and an adjoining settlement developed around the Norman castle, famously occupied by the Sheriff of Nottingham in the legendary Robin Hood stories. In later centuries Nottingham became a major manufacturer of lace and several other famous names in industry also made their home in Nottingham, including Boots the chemists, Raleigh cycles and Player’s the cigarette manufacturers. The city also has a strong cultural legacy, associated with writers such as D. H. Lawrence and Alan Sillitoe. With two universities, many new industries and commercial developments, a new tram system, and a UK sporting centre with the oldest professional football team in the world, Notts County, and Nottingham Forest, and the test cricket venue of Trent Bridge, Nottingham is a vibrant, modern British city proud of its heritage including the Goose Fair which is still held every year. This fascinating A–Z tour of Nottingham, its interesting people, places and historic events, is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this city in the East Midlands.

Read more less

Dry stone walls create much of the character of upland landscapes across Britain. How do we go about dating dry stone walls? Why were they built and by whom? This book seeks answers to these questions and also suggests how walls themselves may be ‘read’ as historical evidence, shedding light on past farming practice and the history of local communities. The first part of the book traces the history of dry stone walls from medieval times to the present. The standard form of most dry stone walls probably dates from Tudor times but the great era of wall-building in the uplands took place comparatively recently, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There are numerous regional variations: ‘Galloway dykes’ in south-west Scotland; stone slab fences, found from Orkney to mid-Wales; ‘consumption’ walls, built to absorb vast quantities of stone from the fields. The second part of the book looks at dry stone walls as part of Britain’s cultural heritage. The walls themselves contain evidence of why they were built and how they functioned as part of the hill farming system. They sometimes preserve information about their builders and owners or evidence of lost features in the landscape.

Read more less

British traditional working boats are famous – Morecambe Bay prawners, Manx luggers, Scots fifies and zulus, Lowestoft and Yarmouth drifters, Yorkshire cobles, Colchester smacks, Hastings beach boats, Brixham trawlers, and many others. Over a century ago, progressive fishermen began to install engines in their boats. Motor fishing boats have been part of our coastal scene since then. Local boatbuilders built local kinds of boat to suit each home port and its fisheries; examples include Cornish pilchard boats and long liners, Devon crabbers and beach boats, motor bawleys and cocklers, motor drifters and seiners, and the famous ring netters of the Clyde ports. These boats have gone or are fast disappearing. This book tells their story.

Read more less

Explore the fascinating story of England's emergence as a major maritime trading power, from 1400 to 1540.

Read more less

New paperback edition - Life in the Tudor metropolis for both commoner and king alike. Everyday Life in Tudor London vividly recreates this colourful city.

Read more less

New paperback edition - The interviews and images gathered by Jonathan Trigg are vital historical documents.

Read more less

Ribble Motor Services emerged from humble beginnings but expanded rapidly through the 1920s and 1930s before becoming part of the British Electric Traction group (BET) in 1942 and being nationalised in 1969. Over the years, the fleet expanded to over 1,200 buses and coaches based at 30 garages across a vast operating area stretching from Carlisle to Merseyside. The company weathered nationalisation but was snapped up by Stagecoach in 1989 following deregulation.This nostalgic collection of rare and previously unpublished images celebrates the fleet of this iconic and much-loved company.

Read more less

Five months, one week and three days of hell. The German offensive to capture Stalingrad began in August 1942, using Friedrich Paulus's 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army. The attack was supported by intense bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The battle degenerated into house-to-house fighting, as both sides fought for the city on the Volga. By mid-November, the Germans were on the brink of victory as the Soviet defenders clung on to a final few slivers of land along the west bank of the river.Then, on 19 November, the Red Army launched Operation Uranus, targeting the weaker Romanian armies protecting the 6th Army's flanks. The ill-equipped Romanians were overrun and the 6th Army was cut off and surrounded. Hitler was determined to hold the city the symbolic namesake of the Soviet leader and forbade the 6th Army from attempting a breakout, insisting they be supplied by air instead; in February 1943, without food or ammunition, some 91,000 starving, lice-ridden

Read more less

Explore a fascinating portrait of Exeter presented through a remarkable collection of historical postcards.

Read more less

A fascinating illustrated overview of the evolution of the bus scene within the areas of Devon and Cornwall.

Read more less

Swanage's position on the Dorset coast has shaped its history since its earliest years. In 877 a Danish fleet threatening King Alfred's army was destroyed in Swanage Bay and in the nineteenth century the town became a popular seaside resort for the wealthy. Before that, for centuries the town's port had enabled the locally quarried Purbeck stone to be used throughout the country, including the Purbeck marble to be found in Britain's medieval churches and cathedrals. Swanage's history has also been shaped by its famous sons John Mowlem and George Burt, who vastly improved the fortunes of the town during the Victorian era by creating the famous Mowlem quarrying and construction company and also importing many old London buildings and giving them a new lease of life in the town. Swanage's story also includes the Great Globe, Durlston Castle and the Anvil Point Lighthouse, as well as the historic Corfe Castle presiding over the landscape just outside the town, which has been the scene of v

Read more less

Edward the Elder succeeded his father Alfred the Great to the kingdom of Wessex, but was largely overlooked by his contemporaries (at least in terms of the historical record) and to a greater or lesser extent by later historians. He is the forgotten son of Alfred. Edward deserves to be recognised for his contribution to Anglo-Saxon history and a new assessment of his reign is overdue. He proved equal to the task of cementing and extending the advances made by his father, and paved the way for the eventual unification of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the nation-state of England. The course of English medieval history after his death was a direct outcome of military successes during his reign. Edward was a ruthlessly efficient military strategist and commander, a strong and stable ruler and administrator, and the most powerful figure during the early decades of the tenth century. He and his famous sister Æthelflæd constructed fortresses to guard against Viking attacks and Edward conquered the southern Danelaw. He should be acknowledged as a great Anglo-Saxon king in his own right, and is entitled to stand comparison with every English monarch in the millennium that has passed since his reign.

Read more less

Warrington is a twentieth-century New Town with a history stretching back to prehistoric times. Behind the present-day streetscape of a thriving Cheshire economic centre lie the ghosts of its Lancashire past. Secret Warrington reveals the often-forgotten fascinating stories of the famous, infamous and ordinary characters who have shaped its past and trodden the national or even international stage. Rediscover lost landmarks and the hidden history beneath the modern townscape. Explore Warrington’s urban myths and delve into forgotten scandals swept under the carpet of time. A companion to the A–Z of Warrington, this fascinating volume combines in-depth stories with quirky facts to capture your imagination and features many previously unpublished images and documents from the archives and collections of Warrington’s historic museum. Local historian Janice Hayes and Warrington’s Archives Officer Philip Jeffs provide the keys to help history detectives unlock the town’s secret past and become guardians of its future heritage. Well-illustrated throughout, this engaging and informative book will appeal to residents and all those with links to the town.

Read more less

Stamford has a reputation for being one of England's finest stone towns. It is a happy mix of medieval and Georgian architecture that was untouched by the Industrial Revolution or later large scale developments, so its central core has survived remarkably intact. Its architecture is outstanding and for this reason, in 1967, it became the country's first conservation area. In recent years the town has become a popular tourist destination for both home and overseas visitors. It has also attracted the attention of film makers who have been quick to see its potential as a back-drop for such TV productions as Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice. Using contrasting photographs, this book sets out to show something of both the continuity and change in the town during the last 100 years.

Read more less

It is almost impossible to summarise the extraordinary life of Mariella Novotny in a few paragraphs. In 1961 she was an underage hooker engaging in sexual relations with President John F. Kennedy, the most powerful man in the world. She was believed to be part of a vice ring set up by an alleged Communist agent who was also a well-known British film producer. FBI officers called their investigation ‘The Bow-Tie Case’. Two years later the young ‘Monroe lookalike’ played a major part in another sex scandal with implications for national security: the Profumo Affair. Mariella was the hostess of the Man in the Mask party. She was a close friend of Stephen Ward, the osteopath and pander to high society, another putative whistle-blower who died in suspicious circumstances. In the late 1960s, she gave birth to the illegitimate child of Eddie Chapman (Agent Zigzag), England’s most successful wartime double agent. Between 1975 and 1978 she was working undercover for Operation Countryman, an investigation into police corruption in the Flying Squad. Her chief target was the author’s grandfather, Charlie Taylor, a London conman who had high-ranking officers in his deep pockets. Mariella brought them all down. Mariella was found dead with her face in a bowl of milk pudding in February 1983. She was in the process of writing her memoirs – in her own words, ‘It’s dynamite!’ Christine Keeler said, ‘I think it was murder … most probably by the CIA.’ In the author’s own words, ‘This is a life that is bigger than the woman who led it. She embodies the emergence of a radical sexual politics.’

Read more less

The Portable Antiquities Scheme celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2018, and has been operating in Buckinghamshire since 2003 when the scheme went national. Today the scheme runs in England and Wales, with thirty-nine Finds Liaison Officers recording objects discovered by members of the public. Working with local archaeology finders, including metal detectorists, this has allowed for both the discovery of new significant objects and sites across the country. This is a unique scheme, allowing anyone to add to the archaeological record, which in turn has helped research projects using the database to discover more about our heritage. The scheme in Buckinghamshire has recorded a wealth of discoveries, from the everyday objects that showcase the history and life in the area, its industry and creativity, to the more unusual such as the recent discovery of the Lenborough Hoard. These objects hold the stories of the past, and can tell us about the way of life of the ordinary people. The book will examine life from prehistory to the more recent, as well as the movement of the people and their belongings.

Read more less

One of the great names of the British bus and coach industry was Royal Blue, whose vehicles were a familiar sight on the express routes between London and the West Country. For many years, Royal Blue was the name adopted by the Southern National and Western National companies for their express services, but the origins of the name date back to the late nineteenth century when a horse-drawn coach service operated from Bournemouth. The Royal Blue operation grew under the ownership of the Elliott family until it was acquired by the two subsidiaries of the Tilling Group. As part of this group, the company ultimately ended up integrated into the National Bus Company and its individual identity was lost with the creation of NBC's long-distance coaching arm, National Express. This book examines the day-to-day operations of the company and how it interlinked with the other operators in the areas that it served, and in particular covers the operator's express operations in the period up until the mid-1960s.

Read more less

The County Durham town of Darlington has a long and interesting history. In medieval times it was a market town for the surrounding area, with records of the market dating back to the twelfth century. The Victorian covered market is an iconic feature at the heart of Darlington today but was hugely controversial when built in the 1860s and its floor collapsed when it opened, killing a local farmer. By this time Darlington had been transformed by the opening of the world’s first passenger railway in the town, built with the wealth acquired by the Pease family’s wool mills. Secret Darlington explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of the town through the centuries, including scandals such as the Cheese Affair involving the Bishop of Durham, war heroes, sporting stars such as the dentist who won the town’s first Olympic gold medal as a football goalkeeper but who died while making a save, a Quaker-born adventurer who fled to Easter Island, a global screen star engaged to Fred Perry who died in an air raid during the Second World War, campaigners for women’s suffrage, industries that have disappeared today including the forge that built the rudder for the Titanic, and forgotten places of entertainment, not least the largest number of cinemas per head of population in the country in the 1930s. With tales of remarkable people, unusual events and tucked-away historical places, Secret Darlington will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in County Durham.

Read more less

The Roman Empire has been a source of fascination to political thinkers, the obsession of some of the greatest historians, and has influenced art down the ages. Now, in a fresh new take on the era, historian Stuart Laycock sums up the subject in 100 haikus. These original poems are sometimes witty, sometimes sad, sometimes playful, sometime serious, but with only a few syllables to play with they are always concise and to the point. Read them in order for a sense of the vast sweep of Roman history, or dot around and find hidden gems. Power, glory, death, slaughter, murder, ambition, lust, love and triumph. It’s all here. Each haiku comes with a brief historical text to accompany it and an evocative original illustration by John Travis.

Read more less

Wigan grew rapidly during the nineteenth century as a major cotton mill town and centre for coal mining, aided by the construction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which passed through the town. These industries continued well into twentieth century, although in recent decades the mills and coal mines in the area have closed and many of the old buildings have been repurposed and are now part of new commercial and leisure industries.In Wigan and Around: The Postcard Collection author Roy Pennington has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in Wigan and the surrounding areas in the past, from the Victorian and Edwardian era onwards. Although some of the historical Wigan seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. The postcards show the changes in Wigan's fabric and its community adapting over the course of this period. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have l

Read more less

‘Great ideology creates great times.’ Kim Jong-il (1942–2011) Where to start with this mysterious, sometimes terrifying country? Perhaps with some hard facts - which are notoriously difficult to come by. Ruth Ann Monti teases out the truth about this dictatorship to provide an illuminating insight into a society that might just as well be in outer space for most in the West. Did you know, for instance, that high school students are required to complete an 81-hour course on current leader Kim Jong-un? Or that everyone must wear a Kim badge at all times? Even Mao didn't demand that. How about the fact that Kim Jong-un's father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, kidnapped two of South Korea's film industry giants and made seven films with them – including a Socialist version of Godzilla? The 100 facts don't all make grim reading: for instance, North Koreans like to relax with a favourite tipple - but make theirs from acorns. More importantly, in 2012 North Korean archaeologists discovered a unicorn lair… This book highlights the hidden reality and strange truths about this much-misunderstood country.

Read more less

Explores one of the most dramatic episodes in British military history - and 24 VCs won in a single day.

Read more less

Forgotten is an extraordinary blend of military and social history – a story that pays tribute to the valour of an all-black battalion whose crucial contributions at D-Day have gone unrecognised to this day. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a unit of African-American soldiers, landed on the beaches of France. Their orders were to man a curtain of armed balloons meant to deter enemy aircraft. One member of the 320th would be nominated for the Medal of Honor, an award he would never receive. The nation’s highest decoration was not given to black soldiers in the Second World War. Drawing on newly uncovered military records and dozens of original interviews with surviving members of the 320th and their families, Linda Hervieux tells the story of these heroic men. In England and Europe, they discovered freedom they had not known in a homeland that treated them as second-class citizens – experiences they carried back to America, fuelling the budding civil rights movement. In telling the story of the Battalion, Hervieux offers a vivid account of the tension between racial politics and national service in wartime America, and a moving narrative of human bravery and perseverance in the face of injustice.

Read more less

Few Americans are aware of the reasons why visitors are prevented from having access to the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Access to the torch ended in 1916 as a result of a massive terrorist bomb in New York. The attack was traced to Germany, anxious to keep the USA out of the First World War - and West Germany paid reparations for this attack until 1979. In reality, terrorism has been part of American life since its founding, but early terrorist activity increased dramatically from 1865, especially during the anarchist era from the 1880s, an era that culminated in the deadly Wall Street attack of 1920. Terrorist threats rose again from the 1950s, reaching a peak in the 1970s, when Americans experienced almost daily terrorist attacks. During the 1960s, the US faced increasing external threats to security as hijackings, kidnappings and bomb attacks became almost commonplace. Hijackings from America to Cuba became so frequent that some pilots took to carrying a map of Havana’s José Martí Airport. From the 1970s, America linked terrorism to ‘rogue states’ such as North Korea, Iran, Libya and later Iraq, with Ronald Reagan both connecting terrorism to the Soviet Union and moving it to the top of his political agenda in 1985. By the 1990s, terrorist attacks against America had dramatically reduced. However, those that did take place were increasingly deadly, as seen with the World Trade Center bombing (1993), the Oklahoma bombing (1995) and the attack on the USS Cole(2000). With the historical linkages to terrorism addressed, the author places the tragic events of 9/11 into context and looks at the events of that day and their impact on America, both at home and overseas.

Read more less

Alfred, son of Æthelwulf, king of the West Saxons, ran. Behind him, the takers of his land and kingdom fanned out, searching for the fleeing king ... Buried in AD 899 as the king of the English at his capital city of Winchester, Alfred the Great’s bones were thought to have ultimately been moved to an unmarked grave. His remains had been completely lost to us for centuries until researchers at the University of Winchester discovered what is in all probability a piece of his pelvis in a cardboard box. This exciting discovery has reawakened interest in one of our most notable monarchs. The only English monarch ever to have had the epithet ‘the Great’, Alfred’s reputation reaches down to us through the years. Christian hero, successful defender of England against the Vikings, social and educational reformer. There is a man and a life buried amid the myths. Within these pages, discover Alfred’s dramatic story.

Read more less

Viking is such a vivid word, steeped in imagery and blood. The Viking Age began and ended in England. Its first act in AD 789 was a murder on a beach in Dorset; its last, some two and a half centuries later, was the crowning of a Dane in London as king of a united England. In between, the Vikings waged war on four continents, they besieged London, Paris and Constantinople, founded Russia and the Duchy of Normandy and very nearly snuffed out Anglo-Saxon England. Yet these days they are seen more as traders and explorers than as warriors. This new history returns the Vikings to their former position as the scourge of Christendom.

Read more less

Egypt is extremely popular in the West, with almost everyone having some preconceptions about the country and its history, but questions about the building of the pyramids, the curse of Tutankhamun and Cleopatra's baths of ass's milk are only the tip of the iceberg. The myth of Egypt is often one of mysticism and the occult, and the ancient texts are reputed to hold all manner of secrets, magical, technological and mystical, while in the Old Testament it is seen as a land of great magicians. In this book, Charlotte Booth sets out to investigate eight of the most common myths about Egypt, their origins and how they have developed, in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. These range from the River Nile itself, through the pyramids and mummification, to three of the most famous names to have come out of ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and Cleopatra and the reputation of Alexandria as a city of ancient learning. The book concludes with a look at the important role which the myth of ancient Egypt has played in Western culture through the centuries, from art and architecture to the hundreds of films, cartoons and books which have been inspired by Egypt.

Read more less

The Routemaster bus has become synonymous with London and is recognised the world over. Although fewer were built than of the preceding RT type, their uniqueness and longevity made them instantly identifiable as the typical London bus. First conceived as a replacement for the trolleybuses, the prototype was unveiled in 1954. Main production did not start until 1959 but they would then continue to serve London's passengers until 2005. From the 1980s, they began to be withdrawn from London, but many found further use with bus companies throughout Britain and beyond.Now, seventy years since the prototype first emerged, some Routemasters can still be found on sightseeing work in London. Others are in use for such purposes as corporate hospitality, film work and wedding hires, while hundreds survive in preservation. This book celebrates this iconic symbol of London through a collection of outstanding images and informative captions.

Read more less

New paperback edition - Fifty years on, a compelling new perspective on one of the most violent and controversial events of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Read more less

Women have played a vital role in scientific discovery, although at times their participation has gone unrecognised. Their scholarly research and discoveries have provided a rich tapestry to add to the scientific endeavours of the world. It is important that these women be viewed through the lens of their time, placing their achievements in context throughout the past few centuries.Their scientific fields of excellence include medicine, biology, astronomy, mathematics, physics, meteorology, geology, zoology and engineering, along with their various sub-categories. The significant contributions by women to science date from the earliest times and this book brings together the stories of those who have left their mark, despite the significant hurdles they have faced.There are many women who deserve recognition in this way, including the much vaunted Madame Curie and Ada Lovelace, and there are others whose talent is undoubted although they have not received the plaudits they deserve. Thi

Read more less

New paperback edition - Starting with Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, Amanda Harvey Purse looks at significant Boleyns through history, shining a spotlight on how their story has been entwined with that of the British monarchy for almost 500 years.

Read more less

Taunton is the county town of Somerset. It has its origins in the Saxon period and was a prime location in the Civil War and during the Monmouth Rebellion. Much development took place in the Georgian era when many of the ancient buildings were refaced in the new style, reflecting a time of prosperity. With the development of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, and the arrival of the railways, industry came into the town. As housing increased, so did the need for the infrastructure associated with a county town, and the Shire Hall, courts, hospitals, churches, schools and leisure buildings such as the Brewhouse Theatre and County Cricket Ground were developed. In 2017 Taunton was granted the status of a Garden Town by the government, with plans to develop new housing areas and spaces fit for a twenty-first-century town.Taunton in 50 Buildings explores the history of the county town of Somerset through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that h

Read more less

First introduced in 1953, the Bristol 403 made an instant impact. With its smooth aerodynamic shape, it became a design icon of British motor manufacturing. In this book, Bristol 403 owner John Manley explains the background to the development of the Bristol 403, including the history of the famous Bristol Aircraft Company and its decision to enter car production. Not only was the Bristol 403 produced to aircraft standards, but it also benefited from aeronautical windflow design. This expertise resulted in what were called the aerodyne models, of which the 403 was the leading exponent. The Bristol engine, coupled with unique aerodynamics and excellent build quality, also made the Bristol aerodynes effective contenders in motor sport, the cars participating with considerable success in the Monte Carlo Rally, the Tulip Rally and the Daily Express Production Touring Car Championships at Silverstone, among others. The author also includes valuable insights on owning and driving a Bristol 4

Read more less

A stunning collection of photographs celebrating Gloucestershire, which capture the life of the county.

Read more less

Based on the BMC Morris Oxford body, the Farina and Riley MG saloons were successors to the successful MG Magnette ZA and ZB. Introduced in November 1958, the MKIII was a combination of different parts, including engine, gearbox and rear axle borrowed from the ZB model and based on an A55 floor pan. The standard cars were produced as four separate models: the Austin A55 MkII, Morris Oxford Series 5, Wolseley 15/60 and Riley 4. The cars were updated in January 1961. The MG Magnette Mk3 and Mk4, and the Riley 4/68 and 4/72 were the up-market versions.In this fascinating book, MG expert Neil Cairns tells the full story of these rare cars that caused controversy when they were launched due to accusations of badge engineering. However, they proved in many ways to be ahead of their time, as badge-engineered cars became the norm. Although the Riley and Farina MG saloons were criticised for not having the performance and taut handling of the previous MG Magnette model, they form an important p

Read more less

The county of Buckinghamshire has a rich and varied past which is reflected in its historic churches. In Churches of Buckinghamshire, author Eddie Brazil explores the architecture, history and beauty of a selection of the most interesting churches from all over the county, both the well-known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. The buildings range from Anglo-Saxon, at Wing, and Norman/Romanesque, at Stewkley, through the many Gothic stages to the bare, box pew interiors of Protestantism, the plain simplicity of Jordan's Meeting House, Victorian reimaginings of the past and the glass and concrete functionalism of the modern day.The book examines how the architecture and history of Buckinghamshire's churches was not only fashioned and changed by developments in building and architectural innovation, but also the religious, political and social demands of the time, and how they have become integral to the cultural identity of England.This fascinating picture of an impo

Read more less