Search results for ""fonthill media""

Vilified publicly as a pedophile, William Beckford sought refuge in his Fonthill estate where he amassed works of art fit for a king. He resided initially in a magnificent house called Fonthill Splendens, but then ordered it demolished to fund a work of art on a grand scale called Fonthill Abbey. Four public sales in 1801 and 1807 provided accessibility to Splendens and thousands came to examine the opulent offerings. Then the new structure with its extravagant Gothic interior, extraordinary possessions and scenic landscaping effects began to draw obsessive attention. This interest reached a pitch in 1822 when the entire estate was offered for sale, developing into a 'Fonthill fever' with over 7,000 people gravitating to Beckford's 'Holy Sepulchre'. The book examines Beckford's building, landscaping and collecting habits that led to this remarkable public interest. It identifies, too, the anonymous author of a series of articles in the Morning Chronicle that provide the sights and sounds when the auctioneer raised his hammer to disperse the riches of Fonthill. The building collapsed in 1825, but contemporary drawings and engraved 'views' have continued to keep it alive as an indelible icon of the Romantic period.

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Henry VI (1422-61), a man 'more given to God and devout prayer than handling worldly and temporal things', was the third, and least successful, Lancastrian king of England; his wife Margaret of Anjou, 'a great and strong laboured woman', became a formidable political force in her own right; and the Wars of the Roses, so dramatically portrayed by William Shakespeare as bloody dynastic struggles fought for the possession of the crown, brought the usurpation of Edward IV (1461-83), the humiliation and exile of Margaret of Anjou, and the murder of her husband in the Tower of London. Combining a framework of interpretation and a rich selection of passages from contemporary and near-contemporary sources, this compilation enables readers to appreciate just why the rule of Henry VI resulted in the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, what these internecine conflicts were like, and how they culminated in the end of the House of Lancaster.Keith Dockray was formerly Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of Huddersfield.This volume, following in the footsteps of his Edward IV: From Contemporary Chronicles, Letters and Records (2015) and Richard III: From Contemporary Chronicles, Letters and Records (2013) completes a trilogy of source readers covering English kings, politics and war circa 1450 to 1485

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Monty's desert legions - 7th Armoured Division, 51st Highland Division and 50th Northumbrian Division - helped him win at El Alamein and throughout North Africa, and eventually in North West Europe after D-Day. Monty's Northern Legions is the story of two distinguished formations who played significant roles in the liberation of North West Europe. 50th Tyne Tees Division was a fine infantry division first blooded at El Alamein and later in Sicily. Monty gave 50th Division the dangerous honour of attacking on D-Day in the first wave ashore on 'Gold' Beach. The only D-Day Victoria Cross was awarded to CSM Hollis of the Green Howards. The division fought through the Normandy campaign up towards the German border before disbandment in late 1944. 15th Scottish Division's three brigades swept into Normandy in Operation 'Epsom', Monty's first great battle for Caen. They fought their way through France and the Low Countries and were one of two assault divisions entrusted with storming across the Rhine in Operation 'Plunder'.

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A Flying Life: An Enthusiast's Photographic Record of British Aviation in the 1930s consists of photographs taken by E. J. Riding, the author's father, who spent his working life in the aviation industry. He was apprenticed to A. V. Roe & Company and employed as an aircraft engineer up to the outbreak of war. During the war, Riding became an AID inspector and was seconded to Fairey Aviation, London Aircraft Production, and the de Havilland Aircraft Company, where he signed out Halifax bombers and Mosquitoes as airworthy and ready for test flying. Sadly, Riding was killed in a flying accident in 1950. During his short life, he gained a lasting reputation as an engineer, professional photographer, draughtsman, and aero modeller. Riding began taking photographs of aircraft in 1931, aged fifteen. Fortunately, he kept copious notes recording the locations and dates of when and where the aircraft were photographed. More importantly, he noted aircraft colour schemes - details rarely recorded by the press at the time. The range of aircraft types photographed by Riding includes Tiger Moths, RAF fighters, ultralights, and airliners.Together they give an extensive cross-section of flying in Britain up to the outbreak of the Second World War. The photographs are of excellent quality and taken from a variety of angles - they are not all of the sterile bog-standard side view. Many depict aircraft being stripped for maintenance and servicing, while others show aircraft dumped or having crashed. Although approached in a generally light-hearted manner, A Flying Life features in-depth and informative captions.

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The de Havilland Aircraft Co opened an aerodrome in 1930 on farmland that it acquired outside Hatfield. The company's School of Flying was the first operation to take up residence. Flying clubs moved in and recreational facilities were developed. Garden parties, aerobatic displays and national air races were hosted. Regular visitors included famous flyers, royalty and aristocracy, actors and actresses, politicians, senior military ranks and representatives from Britain's other great aircraft manufacturers. Throughout 1934, new buildings were constructed to house de Havilland's global headquarters, factory production and Aeronautical Technical School. The victory of the sleek, red Comet in the England-Australia air race would have lasting significance for the town. The legendary Tiger Moth and iconic airliners such as the Dragon Rapide came off the production lines. Increasing numbers of RAF pilots were trained by the School of Flying while the garden parties, flying displays and air races continued. Military aircraft contracts were getting larger as long shadows from Europe reached the town.

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In 1841, a twenty-eight-year-old Scottish missionary, David Livingstone, began the first of his exploratory treks into the African veldt. During the course of his lifetime, he covered over 29,000 miles uncovering what lay beyond rivers and mountain ranges where no other white man had ever been. Livingstone was the first European to make a trans-African passage from modern day Angola to Mozambique and he discovered and named numerable lakes, rivers and mountains. His explorations are still considered one of the toughest series of expeditions ever undertaken. He faced an endless series of life-threatening situations, often at the hands of avaricious African chiefs, cheated by slavers traders and attacked by wild animals. He was mauled by a lion, suffered thirst and starvation and was constantly affected by dysentery, bleeding from hemorrhoids, malaria and pneumonia. This biography covers his life but also examines his relationship with his wife and children who were the main casualties of his endless explorations in Africa. It also looks Livingstone's legacy through to the modern day. Livingstone was an immensely curious person and he made a habit of making meticulous observations of the flora and fauna of the African countryside that he passed through. His legacy includes numerable maps and geographical and botanical observations and samples. He was also a most powerful and effective proponent for the abolition of slavery and his message of yesterday is still valid today in a continent stricken with drought, desertification and debt for he argued that the African culture should be appreciated for its richness and diversity. But like all great men, he had great faults. Livingstone was unforgiving of those that he perceived had wronged him; he was intolerant of those who could not match his amazing physical powers; and finally and he had no compunction about distorting the truth, particularly about other people, in order to magnify his already significant achievements.

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In 1925, Adolf Hitler chose a remote mountain area in the southeast corner of Germany as his home. Hitler settled in a small house on the Obersalzberg, a district overlooking the picturesque town of Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps. After Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Obersalzberg area was transformed into the southern seat of power for the Nazi Party. Eventually the locale became a complex of houses, barracks, and command posts for the Nazi hierarchy, including the famous Eagle's Nest, and even the mountain itself was honeycombed with tunnels and air-raid shelters. A bombing attack at the end of World War Two damaged many of the buildings and some were later torn down, but several of the ruins remain today, hidden in the woods and overgrown. This guide book will help history-minded explorers find these largely-forgotten sites, both on the Obersalzberg and in Berchtesgaden and the surrounding area, with detailed directions for driving and walking tours.

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This collection of over 350 letters written by William Beckford to his bookseller George Clarke over the years 1830 to 1834, gives a vivid picture of the insatiable connoisseur in the act of gathering the books and prints that ultimately became part of the library of the Duke of Hamilton, sold in 1882. This correspondence, with the addition of Clarke's own letters to Beckford, constitutes the most complete documentary record of Beckford's collecting habits and literary pursuits in existence. They are significant as historical documents that guide the reader into the golden age of the London book trade with its array of wealthy collectors, publishing houses, auction firms, book and print dealers.They also shed light on the negotiations with the publisher Richard Bentley for the publication of Italy; with Sketches of Spain and Portugal and trace the anxiety Beckford experienced in his fruitless efforts to sell the Episodes of Vathek. The editor's explanatory notes are comprehensive, revealing Beckford's enthusiasms and the fury of his attack against competitors in the field.The Consummate Collector will be warmly received by bibliophiles, historians, and readers interested in one of the most fascinating men of his time.

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The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was the paramount Allied sabotage force of the Second World War. Its job - in Churchill's words - was to "set Europe ablaze" through the use of sabotage, insurrection and assassination. One of its "shining Stars" and "legends" was the close-combat pistol instructor, Colonel Hector Grant-Taylor. Grant-Taylor taught the commandos, secret agents and irregular soldiers the art of how to kill at close quarters. He taught them how to be ruthless, lethal and covert, and yet his own life was itself a mystery worthy of a John Buchan thriller novel. Misinformation, deception, bravery, murder, and ultimately redemption, all play a part in his story. At Close Quarters finally puts to rest the myths and legends that surrounded his life, and unravels the mysterious truth behind the enigma that was Colonel Hector Grant-Taylor!

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Raymond Lodge's death from shell shrapnel in 1915 was unremarkable in a war where many young men would die, but his father's response to his untimely death was. Sir Oliver Lodge, physicist, scientist, part inventor of the wireless telegraph and the spark plug, could not let go of Raymond and went on a controversial and bizarre journey into the realm of life after death. Following Sir Oliver's journey, Dear Raymond, explores the untapped topic of spirituality pre- and post-war, the influence that a national tragedy can have on a nation's belief system and the long lasting effects from this time that we still feel today. Alongside Lodge were some of the great names of the day, as a member of the Ghost Club and the Fabian Society he was in contact with famous men such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who went on his own mission into the afterlife after losing a son. Lodge's exploration and the controversy it exploded opens our eyes to how modern religion has been shaped and changed by the conflicts of the Twentieth Century.

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National league glory last visited Manchester City in 1968, when the likes of Bell, Lee and Summerbee lifted the English Football League Championship trophy. Fast forward forty-four years. The 2011/12 Premiership season belongs to Manchester City. It has been a long wait, but premiership glory has finally come to rest at the Ethiad Stadium. My Eyes Have Seen the Glory is a match-by-match, blow-by-blow, superbly illustrated account of the most memorable season of English football in recent years. The world has looked on as Man City has grown in strength under the steady leadership of Roberto Mancini. The chairman expected, the fans expected; Mancini has delivered. It has been a season of magnificent highs - the 6-1 trouncing of Manchester United, named by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'the worst result in my history' - and depressing lows - the infamous Carlos Tevez saga - but there has always been drama, passion and world-class football. Victory in the Premiership is to be cherished; My Eyes Have Seen the Glory is the book every Man City fan has been waiting to read. Read it, bask in the glory of long-awaited victory, and celebrate the birth of a new era in the Premiership - Manchester City's era.

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Thomas Lipton's America's Cup Campaigns is the saga of one man's 30 year obsession with winning the America's Cup. It includes brief stories of the most interesting of the early races for the Cup which lead up to the Lipton challenges and then gives the account of the Lipton and Herreshoff face-offs in a fascinating and illustrated narrative.

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When modern readers think of Hermann Goring, what probably comes to mind is the overweight drug addict and convicted war criminal who cheated the hangman's noose at Nuremberg by committing suicide just hours before he was due to be hanged. Or perhaps there is the image of his powerful German air force in the Second World War---the Luftwaffe---bombing defenceless European cities and towns in the early part of the war, until it was defeated by the British Royal Air Force in the epic Battle of Britain in 1940. Perhaps the reader might think of Goring the debauched art collector who pirated captured collections all over Nazi Europe during the Occupation years. All of these images are correct, but here we see another Hermann Goring: the slim, dashing fighter pilot and combat ace of an earlier struggle, the Great War, or World War I of 1914-18, which he began as an infantry officer fighting the French Army in the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers. During a hospitalization, his friend Bruno Lorzer convinced him to become an aerial observer-photographer, photographing the mighty French fortress of Verdun. He did, and began these never-before-seen personal photo albums of men and aircraft at war: up close.

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The first great British aircraft engine manufacturer, the Sunbeam Motor Car Company turned to the sunrise industry of aviation in 1912, and was among the first to buy an aircraft to test their engines, flown by a full-time test pilot, the famous Jack Alcock. Through the First World War Sunbeam was a vital supplier, of both engines and aircraft, particularly to the Royal Naval Air Service. Consistently Sunbeams were the most powerful British engines available, and they were fitted to the first aircraft to torpedo an enemy ship, the only aircraft to fly at the Battle of Jutland, and the first seaplanes to operate in the heart of Africa. After the War they powered the greatest of British Airships the R.34, the first aircraft to fly the Atlantic east to west, and the first to make the double crossing, and the R.33, the British dirigible with the highest flying hours. As Sunbeam reverted to car manufacture their aero engines were fitted to a succession of land speed record-breaking cars, including the first to exceed 150 mph and the first to exceed 200 mph, ironically, faster than any Sunbeam-powered aircraft.

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With the approach of WW2 the de Havilland Aerodrome at Hatfield went through a major expansion, concentrating on Mosquito production and development. The Company also pioneered the production and development of jet engines led by Major Frank Halford, leading to the Vampire jet fighter. Early commercial aircraft were the Dove and Heron, but the major pioneering programme was the Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner, which first flew on 27 July 1949 and entered service with BOAC on 2 May 1952. The DH.108 tailless research aircraft based on the Vampire fuselage was used to investigate the effects of the speed of sound, exceeding Mach 1 on 9 September 1948. The de Havilland jet airliner developed through the Trident, which was the first aircraft capable of automatic landing with passengers in all weathers, leading to the BAe 146 Whisper Jet, Britain's most successful jet airliner. In addition to developing turbojet engines, the Engine Company also developed rocket engines. The Propeller Company developed air-to-air guided missiles and the Blue Streak stage 1 booster space rocket. Other types developed by de Havilland at Hatfield were the Sea Vixen naval strike fighter and the DH 125 Business Jet.

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In 1938, the Reichsluftfahrtsministerium (German Air Ministry, RLM), issued a requirement for a new twin-engine heavy fighter to replace the Me 110. This type of combat aeroplane was known as Zerst rer (Destroyer). The first prototype flew in September 1939. The Me 210 proved very difficult to fly, having numerous deficiencies. It was said to be deadlier to its crews than the enemy. Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe ordered the Me 210 into production. Operational trials began in late 1941, but it was eventually acknowledged that the aircraft had to be redesigned in order to be accepted into Luftwaffe service. The whole Me 210 debacle proved a huge scandal. A redesigned variant, the Me 410 began to reach Luftwaffe units in mid-1943. Even if the Me 210 and Me 410 were similar in appearance, the latter had to be redesigned to avoid the extremely poor reputation of the Me 210. The Me 410 proved a quite successful aeroplane, being used as a heavy fighter and for reconnaissance duties. Its closest Allied equivalent was the British DH 98 Mosquito. More than 1,500 Me 210/410s were built in Germany and Hungary, with only two Me 410s surviving today.

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Most books about Celtic saints are based on their legendary medieval lives. This book, however, focuses on the sites where these early Christians lived and worked. Archaeology, combined with early inscriptions and texts, offers us important clues which help us to piece together something of the fascinating world of early Christianity. The book is illustrated with the author's own evocative photographs of the sites where the Celtic saints of north Britain worked and prayed. The reader is therefore drawn into the beautiful world which these men and women inhabited. 'Celtic Saints of Scotland' includes accounts of most well-known saints, and a number of less famous individuals. It is not, however, exhaustive: lack of historical data means that there are hundreds more Celtic monks and nuns, of whom we know little beyond their names. The book is easy to read, with an Introduction and maps to pinpoint the sites described and photographed. It is aimed at a broad reading public. Since it is both readable and fully illustrated, it will appeal to anyone interested in history, landscape or spirituality, and to tourists in Scotland, Northumbria and the Isle of Man. Based on sound scholarship, it will also be of value to students of history, religion and culture.

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One of the most popular areas of ancient history is war in the Greek world. The number of books, articles, web pages and blogs on every conceivable aspect of war in ancient Greece is endless, and continues to grow. So why add to the pile? Wars & Battles of Ancient Greece is not just another arid account of wars and battles, with endless, often exaggerated, casualty figures and repetitive tactics. It is different from most other books in the field because it has context as its focus: each of the battles covered is, where sources permit, placed in its historical, political and social context: why was the battle fought, how was it fought, what was the outcome, and what happened next ? No war or battle has ever been fought in isolation - there is always a prelude, a casus belli and a series of consequences. These are revealed wherever possible for each of the wars and battles in this book. In order to reinforce our focus on context the book includes chapters covering warfare in civilisations and cultures before Greece; the Greek war machine; and Greek women and conflict.

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This biography of Hypatia the female philosopher and mathematician in Christian Egypt provides background on her work and her life as an elite woman at this time. There are many myths about Hypatia, including her research, inventions and the impact of her murder, all based on a handful of contemporary resources. Through presenting the different theories and myths alongside the available evidence, this book will enable the reader to make their own interpretations about her life. Whilst the evidence does leave many questions unanswered this book provides the evidence as it stands, separating the myth from reality. There is very little published on Hypatia and she forms quite a niche market in the history of ancient Egypt. However she is an interesting example of how multicultural Alexandria functioned at such an unstable political time, and provides anecdotal evidence of the atrocities that occurred. This book will appeal to scholars, lay people and political and religious researchers, and will show that the history of Egypt does not end at Cleopatra.

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Lance Corporal Dean Bailey was just 22 when he was sent to Afghanistan as a Sniper Section Commander. Craving the opportunity to finally see some action after a disappointing tour in Iraq, he now had the chance to put his elite marksmanship training to the test. To his disappointment, the Taliban proved to be nothing like a traditional enemy and their hit and run ambush tactics mean that more often than not Dean and his men are cooped up inside a Viking armoured personnel carrier, desperate to get out and take the fight to the Taliban on the ground. During one such ambush, Dean's Platoon is attacked from all sides, and Dean's Viking is immobilised. Going up on top of the carrier to fend off the assailants with his rifle, an RPG explodes next to him, covering him with burning diesel. Continuing his stubborn defence, and enabling his men to scramble out the back door of the stricken vehicle, Dean takes a direct hit from an RPG ending his brave covering fire. Dragged from the burning Viking, he is flown back to England with little expectation of surviving the flight home. Dean's next battle was the hardest he ever had to face.

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Major Leif Lundsten flew hundreds of Spitfires during the Second World War. As a fighter pilot with 331 Squadron and test pilot with Vickers-Armstrong, he strapped on as many as seven different marks of Spitfires. All the way from the early mark II up to the rare, brutal XII version. Following Lundsten s career as a fighter pilot through the War, all the Spitfires he flew are covered in this book along with descriptions of his sorties. Behind every Spitfire there is a story to be told. Stories of brave heroism, tragic deaths or determined resilience. Many of the Spitfires disappeared quickly, shot down by Luftwaffe fighters. Others lived longer than our hero did, and still exist today, becoming legendary Spitfires on their own. The author pays tribute to a forgotten Spitfire hero, a gallant and brave man that did his country proud. Time and time again Leif Lundsten took a Spitfire to the air, whether it was an air-test or to meet the Luftwaffe in a dogfight over the channel. He never lived to tell his story, but the stories of the Spitfires he flew remains. This is Leif Lundsten s legacy."

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A generation raised on the British Empire confronted the unexpected horrors of modern war. Never were a nation's expectations so different from the coming clash of the First World War. Expecting a vigorous romp to victory, soldiers endured a brutal quagmire. Presenting letters & diaries of soldiers themselves, many unseen for nearly a hundred years, Smith allows men from Field Marshall "Douggy" Haig to plain Private Smith to have a clear voice. With enough narrative to recall how the Great War unfolded, a wealth of vivid detail brings the miserable life in the trenches back to life. What began with high hopes and horses ended with disillusion and tanks. From the build up at the beginning of the war until the immediate post-war reduction, Letters from the Front: Letters and Diaries from the BEF in Flanders and France 1914-1918 is enlivened with fascinating details and makes a moving, entertaining and informative read.

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The Wildwoods are four boroughs on a South Jersey barrier island first settled in the late 1800s. Once known as Five Mile Beach, the wind-whipped forest and beaches transformed from fishing town to summer resort. Developers divided the ground into lots, hired architects to draw houses, and construction companies to build them. This all happened during an architectural transition period at the turn of the century, resulting in a diverse range of styles, from Victorian to Craftsman and Gothic to Colonial, many of which were as grand as those in Cape May. Although Wildwood's Victorian architecture was called noteworthy by architects, many homes were not appreciated or protected. Instead of being restored or renovated, they became run-down and were knocked down. But luckily, not all was lost. There are homeowners and developers who see potential in the Wildwoods' history and character. They accept the challenges of preservation, knowing the benefits it brings the community. These people are saving what makes the Wildwoods worth living in.

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Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage is a photographic essay of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, streetcar system. The first electric streetcar line in Philadelphia opened in 1892 and quickly replaced horsecar service by 1897. Streetcar lines were merged into the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) in 1902 to achieve a unified system. There were 1,500 new streetcars purchased by 1913, which was the largest fleet of standardized streetcars ever purchased by one transit company. Ridership dropped during the Depression, and PRT reorganized as the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) in 1940. After National City Lines (NCL) obtained control of PTC in 1955, many streetcar lines became bus operated. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) acquired PTC in 1968. The overhaul of 112 Presidents' Conference Committee (PCC) cars began in 1979. Kawasaki Heavy Industries built 112 streetcars (light rail vehicles) for the subway surface lines. With buses taking over Route 15 (Girard Avenue) in 1992, only five subway surface lines remained. SEPTA restored Route 15 streetcar service in 2005 using Brookville Equipment Corporation rebuilt PCCII cars. Philadelphia's Streetcar Heritage documents the city's streetcars, including Fairmount Park Trolleys and trackless trolleys.

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"Following the demolition of the LaVilla neighborhood in the height of the cocaine epidemic, Abandoned Jacksonville takes readers from the fall of the city to the resurgence currently overtaking the downtown area and the renovations of many gorgeous structures. Written by local historian and photographer, David Bulit, Abandoned Jacksonville will take you through the seedier and forgotten parts of the First Coast. This book features many locations in the city, including the 310 West Church Street Apartments, a once high-class establishment with a dark past related to the cocaine epidemic; the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, the longest running family business in the city, which is now frequented by homeless vagrants and drug dealers; Annie Lytle Elementary School, closed for over fifty years due to the highway construction (urban legends now surround it giving it the nickname the "Devil's School"); the Dr. Horace Drew Manor, once a beautiful and prestigious home which fell into disrepair in the 70s (now referred to by locals as the "Haunted House""); and many more."

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The Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time is a brief history of a neighborhood known to early San Franciscans as St. Ann's Valley. The story of this once-placid piece of real estate provides us with a fascinating microcosm of urban history as we follow its turbulent passage from an outlying village of Gold Rush pioneers to prosperous but quiet residential respectability; its development into a hotel, entertainment, and vice district; its gradual decay into decades of mean and homeless streets; and its on-going efforts towards economic rehabilitation. Numerous photographs and images offer glimpses of its successive worlds of early settlers in the sand dunes; houses, churches, schools and mansions in a respectable middle- and upper-class neighborhood; fancy and not-so-fancy hotels and restaurants and saloons and theaters; ward politicians and political bosses, labor unions, gamblers, entertainers, high-class brothels, and petty criminals; bars, strip clubs, burlesque, and poker joints; and the politics of a decaying central city neighborhood trying to save itself.

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"In Abandoned Georgia: Traveling the Backroads, photographer Leland Kent showcases fourteen abandoned locations from across the state. Whether it's a small six-room school or a sprawling defunct religious community, they are all left for nature to take over after being discarded by humanity. Each chapter captures the beauty of these abandoned places through stunning imagery accompanied by a detailed narrative. Abandoned photography captures the beauty of urban ruins left behind. The author's goal is to give the viewer an exhilarating look at our past and inside these forgotten places. Each location has a story waiting to be told. Georgia is home to dozens of fascinating abandoned or forgotten places. Follow along with Leland as he travels the backroads of Georgia, uncovering hidden gems across the state. You can find more of Leland's work at www.abandonedsoutheast.com."

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Despite being part of the most densely populated state in the United States, much of southern New Jersey is uninhabited Pine Barrens, marshland, and even shoreline, hiding secrets such as ghost towns, forgotten cemeteries, and other little-known historical places largely overlooked by most people. Abandoned or Forgotten: Overlooked Corners of South Jersey is a collection of several of these sites found throughout the southern half of the state, both on and off the beaten path. Explore long abandoned towns in the Pine Barrens and even along the shore. Discover relics from both World Wars on the beach and in the woods. Visit the site where the world's first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton was unearthed. Learn about New Jersey's answer to the Boston Tea Party during the American Revolution. In these pages, author and photographer Ryan Stowinsky takes the reader to these sites and several more. With dozens of photographs and directions to most locations, readers can discover the history that is hidden all around them.

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Founded in 1871 after the Civil War, Birmingham rapidly grew as an industrial enterprise due to the abundance of the three raw materials used in making steel--iron ore, coal, and limestone. Birmingham's rapid growth was due to the booming iron and steel industries giving it the nickname "Magic City" and "Pittsburgh of the South." The city was named after Birmingham, England, as a nod to the major industrial powerhouse. The iron and steel industries began to dry up by the early 1970s, leaving behind dozens of abandoned structures that now dot the city's landscape. In the last several years, Birmingham has begun to experience a rebirth. Money has been invested in reconstructing the historic downtown area into a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district. In Abandoned Birmingham, photographer Leland Kent gives the reader an in-depth look at the forgotten buildings and factories throughout the city.

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On January 7, 1891, in the immediate aftermath to the assassination of Sitting Bull and the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek, an obscure Sioux Indian shot and killed one Lieutenant Casey in cold blood. This is the forgotten story of the civil trials of Plenty Horses for the murder of the last Whiteman to die in the Great Plains War, trials that legally and dramatically agonized over justifying criminal acts committed during warfare. Four decades of continuous conflict--skirmishes, battles, massacres and atrocities committed by both sides--provide the catalyst to this incident, mainly told from an Indian perspective through eyewitness accounts, while detailing aspects of lost Lakota and Cheyenne culture and spirituality. This lone Indian represented the clash between White expansion and continuation of tribal life on the Great Plains, influenced by decades of bloody fighting, broken treaties, loss of hunting lands, deliberate demise of the buffalo, forced assimilation within Indian schools and the despair of reservations and finally belonging to neither world when the crime was committed.

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For almost 200 years, Shrewsbury was a small town with virtually no growth in population or industry. Starting around World War I, that rapidly changed, with many small farms and open spaces being developed into house lots and businesses. The many changes in town, from being a small village to becoming the modern town it is today, can be seen and read about in "Shrewsbury Through Time."

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The fighting on July 1, 1863 built the foundation to what would become known as the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. Yet, it remains one of the most overlooked locations ofthe battlefield. Cast into the shadows of much more scenic locations, such as Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and the Wheatfield, it is easy to drive right through one of the most iconic locations of the battlefield. This comprehensive and reader-friendly narrative works to shine some light onto a portion of the battlefield that is so often overlooked. Beginning on June 9 and taking the reader through to July 1, James Smith II goes through great lengths to explain the movement of troops, human interest stories, humorous accounts, and detailed descriptions of the men present for the battle, in a close examination of the harrowing deeds it took to preserve a nation during the American Civil War.

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Mira Slovak was born in Czechoslovakia and endured both the Nazi occupation and the brutal Russian liberation. He joined the Czech Air force, rising to Captain by the age of 21. When he could no longer tolerate life under the Communists, he hijacked an airliner and flew across the Iron Curtain to freedom. He went to work for the CIA and was eventually sent to the US and given a job as Bill Boeing, Jr’s personal pilot. When Boeing began racing Hydroplanes in the late 1950s, Mira was his driver. During his ten year career as a hydroplane driver, he won many races and two national championships. He met Presidents and dated movie starlets. After a serious hydroplane accident, Slovak switched to airplanes where he won another national championship. When he retired from racing he became a stunt pilot and public speaker and talked about the value of freedom and how we should value it above everything else. He outlasted Communism and when it collapsed in 1990 he returned to his home, only to realize that his true home was, and always would, be the United States.

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The Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik became the aerial representative of the Soviet response to the German invasion on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. The Il-2 was designed as a low-level close-support aircraft capable of defeating enemy armour and other ground targets. Hardly a fighter, the Il-2 was exclusively engineered to take an enormous amount of punishment and still keep the pilot, rear gunner and critical mechanical components unharmed. In the end, the Il-2 would become the most important aircraft to the Soviet Union in the defence of the homeland against advancing hordes of panzers. At its height, production of the Il-2 hit a peak of 300 aircraft per month and variants boasted potent 23-mm cannon, 200 anti-tank bomblets and 4 x 132-mm rockets. The Il-2 became a highly respected and highly feared adversary. Soviet air crews dubbed the Il-2 as the 'Flying Tank' for its incredible ability to withstand a tremendous amount of damage and still release its payload only to return home intact. Not only did its rear gunners shoot down Luftwaffe aces thanks to its 12.7 -mm machine gun, the Il-2 was also used as a fighter and German pilots were amazed to see 20-mm cannon shells bouncing off its armour plates. Crews were also known to weld additional armour to their Il-2s. The Shturmovik proved so effective that many Soviet crews were recipients of the Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union. Even today, the Il-2 is regarded as the Russian equivalent of the Spitfire.By the war's end, some 36,000 Il-2s were produced and became the symbol of the Eastern Front.

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The North American F-100 Super Sabre served with the United States Air Forces in Europe for a total of sixteen years at the height of the Cold War. The primary mission of the USAFE units that flew the 'hun' was the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons on targets in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The nuclear mission was practised on the gunnery ranges of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and North Africa. The pilots, called bomb commanders, sat alert all over Europe to take off at a moment's notice and fly alone into the heart of enemy territory carrying just one atomic bomb often more powerful than those dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War. These dedicated pilots acknowledged that many of their targets were situated so far away that there would be no prospect of return to their home base and their families and friends. The secondary mission of the USAFE F-100 units was to prepare for conventional war.

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'Fascist Italy at War: 1939-1943' examines in depth Mussolini's expansionist aims in the Balkans and North Africa; Italy's brazen seizure of Albania; Italy's belated entry into WWII; Italy's disastrous military operations in Egypt, Greece, Yugoslavia, and the U.S.S.R.; the Allied invasions of Northwest Africa and Sicily; and the fall of Fascism.

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On 22 January 1879, British forces in Zululand suffered a shocking and unimaginable defeat at the hands of the Zulus resulting in over 1300 dead, including more than 800 regular British soldiers. But the Zulu victory came at a cost, and their losses were very heavy too. Yet, surprisingly, scattered in archives, museums, and private collections around the world, sits many first-hand accounts from those who were there. Inaccessible to most, these primary sources are vital to our understanding of the battle and how it unfolded, and they shed important light on the experiences of those who were there on that fateful day. British soldiers, those from the colonial forces, civilians, and those Zulu warriors who attacked the camp, all left detailed descriptions of the battle. By bringing these sources together, this book-the largest collection of primary accounts ever gathered on the battle - allows the reader to view all sources under one roof, providing a better understanding of the battle, how it played out, and what those involved witnessed on that monumental day in both British and Zulu history.

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This book charts the story and the events of one of the Royal Navy's last great voyages. Led by one of the most iconic warships to serve with the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, the Special Service Squadron embarked on a journey around the globe, showing the flag for Great Britain and strengthening ties across the British Empire.

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The Second World War was the cause of more civilian casualties, many of them young people, than of military. In Britain, young people were on the front line, facing the threat of enemy invasion and the fragmentation of daily life. Their education was disrupted as their schools were taken over by government, the military and ARP; as pupils were evacuated and staff conscripted; curriculum was diluted and part-time schooling instituted; and concerns over food and accommodation increased. Along with the physical dangers of bombing and the increased disease caused by deprivation and social dislocation, youngsters endured psychological and emotional pressure from anxieties over home and family. Young people worked in industry and agriculture; served in the Home Guard and ARP; carried out voluntary activities in health and welfare; and prepared for military service as cadets and in uniformed organisations. School buildings aided the war effort as military HQs, training centres, research centres for weapons development and, central to ARP, especially in the cities, were often at the forefront of the bombing. This book attempts an overview of the circumstances under which youngsters grew up between 1939 and 1945 on the Home Front, with particular emphasis on the 14-18 age group.

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'Everlasting Love' featured in Kenneth Branagh's 2021 film, 'Belfast,' is a classic song that catapulted the Love Affair to fame and for three years the group were almost as popular, in Britain, as the Beatles. This never before told 'behind the screams' story of the youngest group to have a No. 1 hit, may be fun and fascinating, but it is also a serious piece of rock music history, appealing to everyone who loved, or lived during, London's swinging 60s. Patricia was the secret fiancee of Mick Jackson, bass player, and has catalogued his life in the group in astonishing detail. Whether the boys were being arrested and jailed for causing chaos after climbing Eros or shocking the nation by exposing the music industry's biggest ever cover-up, live on Saturday night TV, a controversy was never far away. Coupled with a revealing, often humorous account of her own and Mick's romance, this is an exceptional memoir. Together for 55 years and still talking, Mick & Patricia have possibly the longest, happy relationship in the memory of pop .

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When the Panzer VI Ausf. E Tiger I tank first arrived on the battlefield, it started the Allied and Soviet intelligence race to discover everything they could about this new threat. The British Army quickly needed to know how to knock it out, then communicate that information back to the troops that had to face this new German metal monster either by official means or via newspapers. This is not a typical book on the Tiger tank. It tries to show the reader what the British and Commonwealth forces knew about the Tiger I tank during the war and the results of scientific firing trials. Unpublished Second World War original documents, discovered in different archives, have been transcribed and reproduced along with any existing photographs found in those official secret reports. These include top-secret Bletchley Park and Enigma intercepts of German messages that were decoded and translated before being sent to wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Illustrated with over 360 images, "How to Kill a Tiger Tank" is the definitive examination of a world-changing fighting vehicle.

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Princess Eugenia (Ena) of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice (Bee) of Saxe-Coburg, granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England, married into the Spanish royal family. In 1906 Ena became the consort of King Alfonso XIII, who had been sovereign since his birth in 1886. Three years later Bee married his cousin, Infante Don Alfonso. Ena's marriage proved unhappy with the ill-health of her haemophiliac sons and her husband's infidelities. The King abdicated in 1931, and they led separate lives in exile until he died in 1941. Bee and her husband Ali were more popular, although personal differences between them and the King resulted in their temporary exile for the first years of their marriage, they later returned to Spain, staying there for the rest of their lives. Bee died in 1966 and Ena three years later. This dual biography, written by Anna de Sagrera with additional material from Dona Beatriz, Bee's granddaughter, looks in depth at the friendship of the mutually supportive cousins against the often turbulent background of twentieth century Spanish politics.

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Nigel Kennedy changed the course of classical music in the late 1980s with his interpretation of Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’. He was revolutionary: in his performance and presentation; in his technique and his open-minded attitude. A natural boundary-pusher and musical adventurer, Nigel Kennedy blew minds - and sales records - as he became the best-selling violinist of all time. Instead of an Introduction, Nigel opens with a tongue-in-cheek ‘Warning’: readers should beware of his politically incorrect writing style and his frank take on the BBC, record companies, the Bavarian Police and any other ‘self-appointed wielders of power.’ It sets the tone for a truly original memoir that is as playful, unconventional and carefully executed as his music. The book is structured like a musical performance, with ‘Interludes’, ‘Outros’ and an ‘Encore’ separating the regular chapters which cover Nigel’s life story, from his humble beginnings and scholarship to the newly created Yehudi Menuhin School - and then New York at The Juilliard School - to his flourishing career and break-through as a world-class superstar. ‘Interludes’ cover subjects varying from Nigel’s best and worst gigs (“It might seem strange that shit gigs stick in the mind so much more than the good ones but I suppose it makes sense…”), to run-ins with rock stars and Police forces around the world. His anecdote on the London Metropolitan Police’s handling of a noise complaint at an after-show all-star jam is particularly funny: “These guys (the Met) were cheerful, they dealt with the situation and didn’t escalate the problem when there wasn’t one. 10/10” ‘Outros’ cover Nigel’s thoughts on classical music today - fascinating reading from the perspective of a virtuoso - to Brexit, where the spelling of the word alone leaves the reader in little doubt as to which side of the fence the author sits. ‘Encores’ is a comprehensive section on Nigel’s recorded output, covering his early classical work, the Four Seasons and later albums. There are insights into his work with rock musicians including Robert Plant, the late drummer Michael Lee, Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman, and producers Eddie Kramer (Jimmy Hendrix) and John Leckie (Stone Roses). Nigel’s writing on Gershwin, Yehudi Menuhin, Stephan Grappelli (‘my biggest inspiration’), Jimi Hendrix and the Doors is compelling. Nigel writes of his interests outside music - boxing and football - which provide inspiration and balance to his creative output (on Aston Villa - “a true blessing for me to have an outlet in which I was surrounded by normal, honest, hard-working people who did ‘proper jobs’”). There is a splendid chapter on ‘Kitchen Golf’, a not-without-risk variation of the game, conjured up with close friend and mischief-maker Gary Lineker, during a messy late night kitchen session. “My whole life has been spent breaking down barriers between people and this book is proof of that.” states Nigel in his ‘Warning’. It’s a Mission Statement borne out in ‘Uncensored’ with aplomb.

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This beautifully illustrated book provides information on the air arms of the nations which took part in aerial warfare during the First World War featuring the Aces and their mounts. The war was a global conflict with 57 nations involved, but with aviation being in its infancy only eight nations had a major air arm to their fighting Services. The Allies: Britain, America, Italy, Belgium, France, and Russia and then the Central Powers comprising Germany and Austria-Hungary. This book is not intended to be comprehensive, for to provide such a work would require many volumes totalling thousands of pages. Instead this should be viewed as a relatively detailed overview; a general introduction to the topic of military aviation in the First World War. The aim has been to produce a well-illustrated book to maintain the interest of the reader with some short biographies of the leading Aces and basic information on the aircraft types used, and their development during the First World War. Furthermore, this book focuses on the air arms initially developed by the respective armies, and therefore the air arms of the navies, although fleetingly touched upon, are not dealt with in much detail. To provide reasonable coverage for the Royal Naval Air Service alone would require a separate and substantial additional volume. In a similar manner, although Zeppelins, other airships and balloons are mentioned and illustrated, little detail is given. The book contains details of the top Aces for each nation and in extensive illustration sections provides an extensive summary of the aircraft flown. While much of the focus is on the Aces, the book provides information on the aircraft flown and also has a separate illustrated section on Manfred von Richthofen and his 'flying circus'.

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For 100 years, the world's oldest independent air force, the RAF, forged a distinguished record in military air operations from the First World War through to recent operations over Iraq and Syria. There is, however, a field of endeavour in which the Royal Air Force has excelled: selling its public image. Of the three armed services, the air force is the one perfectly placed to advertise its wares 'at home' with the facilities to accommodate large audiences, through scintillating flying displays with ever more impressive aircraft and large airfields with readily available facilities. Originally centred on the RAF station at Hendon in North London, the RAF held its first public 'Air Pageant' in 1920. A grand affair, it continued as an annual event until 1937 when it was succeeded by the widespread 'Empire Air Day' held at several RAF stations until war intervened in 1939. The RAF came to true military prominence during the Second World War, particularly the 'Battle of Britain'; this then became the focus of the celebration and commemoration. However, the Battle of Britain Displays constantly contracted, eventually to zero, but for much of their existence were the most impressive air shows around the globe.

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The story of the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, forerunner of the World’s premier aeronautical research establishment wherein were designed a diversity of aircraft including many of those that equipped the RFC, RNAS and RAF during the First World War. Originally established to build observation balloons for the Victorian British Army, the Factory later expanded to employ over 3500 people by mid-1916, at which time it became the subject of a political controversy that ended in a judicial enquiry. In 1918 its title was changed to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, not only to avoid a clash of initials with the newly formed Royal Air Force but to better define its changing role. Each of the many designs for airships and aeroplanes that were produced by the Factory between 1908 and 1918 is described in detail, illustrated by photographs, and with three-view drawings provided for the more prominent designs.

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