Search results for ""the history press""
The History Press Ltd The Little Book of Donegal
The Little Book of Donegal is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Donegal. Here you will find out about Donegal’s folklore and customs, its proud sporting heritage, its castles, forts and stone circles, its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and historic towns and along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Donegal and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient county.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd When Giants Ruled the Sky: The Brief Reign and Tragic Demise of the American Rigid Airship
Almost everything you know about airships is wrong. Between 1917 and 1935, the US Navy poured tens of millions of dollars into their airship programme, building a series of dirigibles each one more enormous than the last. These flying behemoths were to be the future of long-distance transport, competing with trains and ocean liners to carry people, post and cargo from country to country, and even across the sea. But by 1936 all these ambitious plans had been scrapped. What happened? When Giants Ruled the Sky is the story of how the American rigid airship came within a hair’s breadth of dominating long-distance transportation. It is also the story of four men whose courage and determination kept the programme going despite the obstacles thrown in their way – until the Navy deliberately ignored a fatal design flaw, bringing the programme crashing back to earth. The subsequent cover-up prevented the truth from being told for more than eighty years. Now, for the first time, what really happened can be revealed.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd prettycitylondon: Discovering London’s Beautiful Places
Go beyond London's famous landmarks and discover the hidden gems. From secluded mews and undiscovered cafes to flower markets and tree-lined streets, prettycitylondon champions the quiet, gentle moments that allow you to escape in a huge capital city like London. If you know where to look, you will find that traditional shopfronts, vintage transport, artisan bakeries, whimsical florists and timeless bookstores are but a hop, skip and a jump from the centre, and some right in the middle. Full of the unexplored and less-appreciated areas of London, this stunning guide also includes tips on how to plan and photograph your own prettycitylondon experience, whether on foot or dreaming from afar.
£25.00
The History Press Ltd Referencing for Genealogists: Sources and Citation
Reliable genealogical conclusions depend on reliable data. Central to any good investigation is an appreciation of where the data came from, so that other investigators can re-examine it and re-establish the conclusions reached. Genealogy is little more than anecdote when the sources for facts are not cited and where clear references to sources are not given. Referencing for Genealogists will enable others to follow in your footsteps because it gives you the means to write clear, unambiguous references that provide solid support to the evidence you offer towards your conclusions. It is packed with examples that the reader can learn from and that also provide a treasure trove of sources invaluable to any genealogist.
£16.00
The History Press Ltd Me and Mr Welles: Travelling Europe with a Hollywood Legend
In late autumn 1968, Dorian Bond was tasked with travelling to Yugoslavia to deliver cigars and film stock to the legendary Hollywood director Orson Welles. The pair soon struck up an unlikely friendship, and Welles offered Bond the role of his personal assistant – as well as a part in his next movie. No formal education could prepare him for the journey that would ensue. This fascinating memoir follows Welles and Bond across Europe during the late 1960s as they visit beautiful cities, stay at luxury hotels, and reminisce about Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, among others. It is filled with Welles’ characteristic acerbic wit – featuring tales about famous movie stars such as Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich and Steve McQueen – and is a fresh insight into both the man and his film-making. Set against the backdrop of the student riots of ’68, the Vietnam War, the Manson killings, the rise of Roman Polanski, the Iron Curtain, and Richard Nixon’s presidency, Me and Mr Welles is a unique look at both a turbulent time and one of cinema’s most charismatic characters.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Paranormal Encounters on Britain's Roads: Phantom Figures, UFOs and Missing Time
In this detailed book, Dr Peter McCue reflects on the enormous range of paranormal phenomena to have been reported along Britain’s roads, and examines the theory that certain areas seem to be hotspots for such occurrences, such as the A75 and B721 roads in southern Scotland, and the Blue Bell Hill area in Kent. He delves into the sightings of apparitional vehicles; encounters with ‘colliding apparitions’; ‘phantom hitch-hikers’; out-of-place big cats; phantom black dogs; UFOs; ‘missing time’ (strange memory gaps); vehicle interferences (such as mysterious breakdowns); and incidents in which drivers and passengers seem to have been translocated in space or time. This thorough book debates the evidence and theories in a critical but open-minded way, and is a welcome addition to the genre.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Odette: World War Two's Darling Spy
Odette Brailly entered the nation's consciousness in the 1950s when her remarkable - and romantic - exploits as an SOE agent first came to light. She had been the first woman to be awarded the GC, as well as the Legion d'Honneur, and in 1950 the release of a film about her life made her the darling of the British popular press. But others openly questioned Odette's personal and professional integrity, even claiming that she had a clandestine affair with her supervisor Capt. Peter Churchill, with whom she had worked undercover in France. Soon she became as controversial as she was celebrated. In the first full biography of this incredible woman for nearly sixty years, historian Penny Starn delves into recently opened SOE personnel files to reveal the true story of this wartime heroine and the officer who posed as her husband. From her life as a French housewife living in Britain and her work undercover with the French Resistance, to her arrest, torture and unlikely survival in Ravensbruck concentration camp, Starns reveals for the first time the truth of Odette's mission and the heart-breaking identity of her real betrayer.
£10.99
The History Press Ltd Wherever the Firing Line Extends: Ireland and the Western Front
The First World War was the biggest conflict in Irish history. More men served and more men died than in all the wars before or since that the Irish fought in. Often forgotten at home and written out of Irish history, the Irish soldiers and their regiments found themselves more honoured in foreign fields. From the first shot monument in Mons to the plaque to the Royal Irish Lancers who liberated the town on Armistice Day 1918, Ronan McGreevy takes a tour of the Western Front. At a time when Ireland is revisiting its history and its place in the world, McGreevy looks at those places where the Irish made their mark and are remembered in the monuments, cemeteries and landscapes of France and Flanders.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd RMS Titanic Colouring Book
The story of RMS Titanic resonates all around the world, the vessel immortalised on stage, screen and in print. This collection of drawings does not dwell on the tragedy that befell this magnificent ship, but rather seeks to showcase her great beauty, representing the pinnacle of a grand era of style and innovation, with experts Steve Hall and Bruce Beveridge providing insight and commentary. Colouring these scenes of Titanic’s hope-filled early days at sea, sumptuous interiors and grand promenades will breathe life into a bygone age of luxury, opulence and transatlantic adventure. Suitable for children.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Little History of Essex
There is nothing ‘little’ about the history of Essex! However, this small volume condenses that fascinating, rich history into a collection of stories and facts that will make you marvel at the events our county has witnessed. Discover the development of ship building at Harwich, the silk and woollen industries in central Essex, the fortunes of Chelmsford and Colchester and the rise of seaside resorts at Southend and Clacton. Take a journey through Essex’s historic struggles and celebrations or jump in to the era of your choice to discover the who, what and why of our county’s history.
£12.00
The History Press Ltd QE2: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
Fifty years ago the last British-built transatlantic liner was launched. Christened by HM the Queen on 20 September 1967, the 963ft-long vessel was named Queen Elizabeth 2. By the end of that same day, she was already known by her famous nickname: QE2. Fast, smart and sleek, QE2 sailed over 5.6 million miles and carried more than 2.5 million passengers during a magnificent career spanning nearly forty years. Put simply, she carried more people further than any ship before her and remains the longest serving express liner in history. Having sailed both as a liner and as a cruise ship, served her country in the Falklands conflict and undergone multiple makeovers, she also has one of the most fascinating histories of any vessel and remains one of the best loved and most celebrated. With stories from captains, crew and passengers, and an unparalleled collection of photographs, Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross bring the majestic QE2 to life in this commemorative tribute.
£22.50
The History Press Ltd After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War
When Britain’s empire went to war in August 1914, rugby players were the first to volunteer: they led from the front and paid a disproportionate price. When the Armistice came after four long years, their war game was over; even as the last echo of the guns of November faded, it was time to play rugby again. As Allied troops of all nations waited to return home, sport occupied their minds and bodies. In 1919, a grateful Mother Country hosted a rugby tournament for the King’s Cup, to be presented by King George V at Twickenham Stadium. It was a moment of triumph, a celebration of military victory, of Allied unity and of rugby values, moral and physical. Never before had teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and France been assembled in one place. Rugby held the first ever ‘World Cup’ – football would not play its own version until 1930. In 2015 the modern Rugby World Cup returns to England and Twickenham as the world remembers the Centenary of the Great War. With a foreword by Jason Leonard, this is the story of rugby’s journey through the First World War to its first World Cup, and how those values endure today.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Dover in the Second World War
This book tells in detail what it was like to live in an English town constantly under siege from enemy guns in the Second World War. Many towns in Britain suffered from enemy action during the 1939-45 war but none endured the almost daily explosions of shells fired from huge German guns on the French coast, some 21 miles away. Not only that for there were regular bombing raids while Luftwaffe pilots machine gunned people in the streets. Many of those who lived in Dover during the bombing and shelling are no longer with us but the authors have captured the memories of more than a score of survivors, some of whom have since died. This fully illustrated book reveals how the military authorities planned to demolish homes on the seafront to provide clear lines of fire to cut down any invaders coming ashore at the port. And how a scheme was developed to evacuate thousands from the depleted population in trainloads of 800 at a time. Those who remained were to be herded into deep shelters in the cliffs and chalk hills so that the defending troops in the ancient Dover Castle and the Napoleonic fortifications on the Western Heights could pour firepower down into the centre of the town. In early 1939 the busy ferry port of Dover had a population of more than 40,000 but with the enemy 21 miles away preparing to invade, the population dwindled in 1940 to an estimated 16,500 and the borough council feared widespread bankruptcy. But while there was an outflow of civilians from the town, hundreds of Royal Navy personnel and soldiers arrived in Dover to hit back at the enemy whose fortifications, on a clear day, could be seen on the cliffs of Calais. Gradually, with the threat of invasion reducing, there was a drift back of many of those who had evacuated the town but, once again, there was a rush to depart in September 1944 when German gunners fi red relentlessly on Dover in an effort to use up all their shells before the Canadians fought their way into their heavily fortified gun emplacements on the cliffs of Pas-de-Calais.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd The Dublin King: The True Story of Edward, Earl of Warwick, Lambert Simnel and the 'Princes in the Tower'
A year after Richard III’s death, a boy claiming to be a Yorkist prince appeared as if from nowhere, claiming to be Richard III’s heir and the rightful King of England. In 1487, in a unique ceremony, this boy was crowned in Dublin Cathedral, despite the Tudor government insisting that his real name was Lambert Simnel and that he was a mere pretender to the throne. Now, in The Dublin King, author and historian John Ashdown-Hill questions that official view. Using new discoveries, little-known evidence and insight, he seeks the truth behind the 500-year-old story of the boy-king crowned in Dublin. He also presents a link between Lambert Simnel’s story and that of George, Duke of Clarence, the brother of Richard III. On the way, the book sheds new light on the fate of the ‘Princes in the Tower’, before raising the possibility of using DNA to clarify the identity of key characters in the story and their relationships.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Kut 1916: The Forgotten British Disaster in Iraq
The siege of Kut is a story of blunders, sacrifice, imprisonment and escape. The allied campaign in Mesopotamia began in 1914 as a relatively simple operation to secure the oilfields in the Shatt-al-Arab delta and Basra area. Initially it was a great success, but as the army pressed towards Baghdad its poor logistic support, training, equipment and command left it isolated and besieged by the Turks. By 1916 the army had not been relieved, and on 29 April 1916, the British Army suffered one of the worst defeats in its military history. Major-General Sir Charles Townshend surrendered his allied force to the Turks in the Mesopotamian (now Iraq) town of Kut-al-Amara. Over 13,000 troops, British and Indian, went into captivity; many would not survive their incarceration. In Kut 1916, Colonel Crowley recounts this dramatic tale and its terrible aftermath.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd 185: The Malta Squadron
A unique contemporary account of the epic air battle of Malta as related by fighter pilots of No. 185 Squadron, among them Flight Lieutenant H.W. ‘Chubby’ Eliot, Sergeant Garth E. Horricks and Sergeant J.W. ‘Slim’ Yarra. For nearly eighteen months the squadron saw continual action, finally helping to win the air war over Malta before taking the fight to the enemy by bombing and strafing targets in support of Allied ground forces during the Italian campaign. From the first day of squadron operations on 1 May 1941 until the squadron was disbanded on 14 August 1945 pilots recorded events in an unofficial squadron diary. Supplemented with rare combat and intelligence reports, 185: The Malta Squadron is a humorous and often poignant account, with explanatory notes by Anthony Rogers that provide a clear and authoritative overview of events.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Wolsey: The Life of King Henry VIII's Cardinal
Cardinal Wolsey is a controversial figure: a butcher’s son, a man of letters and the Church, a divisive political expert, a man of principle – yet, to some, an arrogant upstart. As Lord Chancellor to the incorrigible Henry VIII he achieved much both at home and abroad, but his failure to achieve the mighty monarch’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon saw him brought to his knees. John Matusiak explores the pragmatic cardinal’s life and career to uncover a man of contradictions and extremes whose meteoric rise was marked by an equally inexorable descent into desperation, as he attempted in vain to satisfy the tempestuous master whose ambition ultimately broke him. Far from being another familiar portrait of an overweight and overweening spider or cautionary tale of pride preceding a fall, this is the gripping story of how consummate talent, noble intentions and an eagle eye for the main chance can contrive with the vagaries of power politics to raise an individual to unheard of heights before finally consuming him.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Spynest: British and German Espionage from Neutral Holland 1914–1918
After the First World War broke out, Holland, and the port city of Rotterdam in particular, became a prolific breeding ground for secret agents and spies. The neutrality of the Netherlands, its geographical position between the warring nations and its proximity to the Western Front meant that the British and German secret services both chose Holland as the main base for their pioneering spy operations. It was here that the new intelligence agencies fought their battles, each in pursuit of the other’s secrets. Both sides sent in their own agents, but they also hired local men and women to work for them, as couriers, trainspotters and infiltrators. Many of them were recruited from the shadowy criminal underworld and brought with them their own concerns; others sacrificed their lives for love of their country. Author Edwin Ruis has plumbed the depths of the international archives to bring to light the unexplored and often wellguarded secret histories of intelligence in the First World War. But even this is only half the story. Those who were not found out, the truly successful spies, remain a mystery to this day.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s
Being a housewife in the 1950s was quite a different experience to today. After the independence of the wartime years, women had to leave their jobs when they married and support their husband by creating a spotless home, delicious meals and an inviting bedroom. A 1950s Housewife collects heart-warming personal anecdotes from women who embarked on married life during this fascinating post-war period, providing a trip down memory lane for any wife or child of the 1950s. This book will prove an eye-opener for those who now wish they had listened when their mothers attempted to tell them stories of the ‘old days’, and will provide useful first-hand accounts for those with a love of all things kitsch and vintage. From ingenious cleaning tips, ration-book recipes and home decor inspiration, the homemaking methods of the fifties give an entertaining and poignant insight into the lives of 1950s women.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Third Plantagenet: George, Duke of Clarence, Richard III's Brother
Less well-known than his brothers, Edward IV and Richard III, little has been written about George, Duke of Clarence, leaving us with a series of unanswered questions: What was he really like? What set him and his brother Edward IV against one another? And who was really responsible for his death? George played a central role in the ‘Wars of the Roses’, played out by his family. But was George for York or Lancaster? Is the story of his drowning in a barrel of wine really true? And was ‘false, fleeting, perjur’d Clarence’ in some ways one of the role models behind the sixteenth-century defamation of Richard III? Finally, where was he buried and what became of his body? Could the DNA used recently to test the remains of his younger brother, Richard III, also reveal the truth about the supposed ‘Clarence bones’ in Tewkesbury? Here, John Ashdown-Hill brings us a new full biography of George, Duke of Clarence, which exposes the myths surrounding this important Plantagenet prince, and reveals the fascinating results of John’s recent reexamination of the Clarence vault and its contents.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd The Other First World War: The Blood-Soaked Russian Fronts 1914-1922
Winston Churchill called it ‘the unknown war’. Unlike the long stalemate of the Western Front, the conflict 1914–18 between the Russian Empire and the Central Powers was a war of movement spanning a continent – from the Arctic to the Adriatic, Black and Caspian seas and from the Baltic in the west to the Pacific Ocean. The appalling scale of casualties provoked strikes in Russia’s war industries and widespread mutinies at the front. As the whole fabric of society collapsed, German money brought the Bolsheviks to power in the greatest deniable dirty trick of the twentieth century, after which Russia stopped fighting, eight months before the Western Front armistice. The cost to Russia was 4 million men dead and as many held as POWs by the Central Powers. Wounded? No one has any idea how many. All the belligerent powers of the Russian fronts were destroyed: the German, Austro–Hungarian and Russian empires gone forever and the Ottoman Empire so crippled that it finally collapsed in 1922. During four years of brutal civil war that followed, Trotsky’s Red Army fought the White armies, murdering and massacring millions of civilians, as British, American and other western soldiers of the interventionist forces fought and died from the frozen Arctic to the arid deserts of Iran. This is the story of that other First World War.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd War in the Wilderness: The Chindits in Burma 1943-1944
War in the Wilderness is the most comprehensive account ever published of the human aspects of the Chindit war in Burma. The word ‘Chindit’ will always have a special resonance in military circles. Every Chindit endured what is widely regarded as the toughest sustained Allied combat experience of the Second World War. The Chindit expeditions behind Japanese lines in occupied Burma 1943–1944 transformed the morale of British forces after the crushing defeats of 1942. The Chindits provided the springboard for the Allies’ later offensives. The two expeditions extended the boundaries of human endurance. The Chindits suffered slow starvation and exposure to dysentery, malaria, typhus and a catalogue of other diseases. They endured the intense mental strain of living and fighting under the jungle canopy, with the ever-present threat of ambush or simply ‘bumping’ the enemy. Every Chindit carried his kit and weapons (equivalent to two heavy suitcases) in the tropical heat and humidity. A disabling wound or sickness frequently meant a lonely death. Those who could no longer march were often left behind with virtually no hope of survival. Some severely wounded were shot or given a lethal dose of morphia to ensure they would not be captured alive by the Japanese. Fifty veterans of the Chindit expeditions kindly gave interviews for this book. Many remarked on the self-reliance that sprang from living and fighting as a Chindit. Whatever happened to them after their experiences in Burma, they knew that nothing else would ever be as bad. There are first-hand accounts of the bitter and costly battles and the final, wasteful weeks, when men were forced to continue fighting long after their health and strength had collapsed. War in the Wilderness continues the story as the survivors returned to civilian life. They remained Chindits for the rest of their days, members of a brotherhood forged in extreme adversity.
£19.80
The History Press Ltd The Steam Rail Motors of the Great Western Railway
Self-propelled carriages were a major innovation at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the GWR was quick to develop a large number of steam motor cars to link farms and scattered villages across the South West to the new branch lines. Their steam motor cars ran from 1903 to 1935, stopping during the war, and were so effective at making rural areas accessible they became victims of their own success. Wagons brought in to meet the high demand proved too heavy for the carriages and they struggled on hills. Soon the steam rail motor services were in decline. After its cancellation all ninety-nine steam carriages were eventually scrapped. Engineer Ken Gibbs reveals the unique GWR carriages, a window into early twentieth-century transport, and the modern replica he helped build, now the only way of viewing these charming historic vehicles.
£16.99
The History Press Ltd Jurassic Mary: Mary Anning and the Primeval Monsters
Spinster Mary Anning, uneducated and poor, was of the wrong sex, wrong class and wrong religion, but fate decreed that she was exactly the right person in the right place and time to pioneer the emerging science of palaeontology, the study of fossils. Born in Lyme Regis in 1799, Mary learned to collect fossils with her cabinet-maker father. The unstable cliffs and stealthy sea made the task dangerous but after her father died the sale of fossils sustained her family. Mary’s fame started as an infant when she survived a lightning strike that killed the three adults around her. Then, aged twelve, she caught the public’s attention when she unearthed the skeleton of a ‘fish lizard’ or Ichthyosaurus. She later found the first Plesiosaurus giganteus, with its extraordinary long neck associated with the Loch Ness monster, and, dramatically, she unearthed the first, still rare, Dimorphodon macronyx, a frightening ‘flying dragon’ with hand claws and teeth. Yet her many discoveries were announced to the world by male geologists like the irrepressible William Buckland and Sir Henry De La Beche and they often received the credit. In Jurassic Mary Patricia Pierce redresses this imbalance, bringing to life the extraordinary, little-known story of this determined and pioneering woman.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Can Crocodiles Cry?: Amazing Answers to Mind-Blowing Questions
In Can Crocodiles Cry? Paul Heiney unravels further science behind those things we take for granted, and explains just why the world and its contents are the way they are. Drawing on questions asked by the public, this book brings some of the finest scientific minds to bear on how the laws of science apply to everyday life. It is the perfect gift for the insatiably curious, provocative poseurs, quizaholics and science addicts everywhere.
£8.99
The History Press Ltd Cars We Loved in the 1980s
It was brash and it was loud – the 1980s put paid to the glumness of the ’70s and nowhere was that more obvious than in the cars we drove, which took a quantum leap in durability, performance, equipment and style. They had to: Japanese quality and European design were luring away ever more customers. Features such as fuel injection, turbochargers, computer-controlled systems and four-wheel drive became commonplace. This was also the decade that brought us the people-carrier and the off-roader, new classes of car that radically reshaped family transport. Meanwhile, seatbelt-wearing became law, the M25 opened, speed cameras appeared and ram-raiding was the new motoring nemesis. Relive everything car-related in Britain in the 1980s with Giles Chapman.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd The Forgotten Front: The East African Campaign 1914-1918
The First World War began in East Africa in August 1914 and did not end until 13 November 1918. In its scale and impact, it was the largest conflict yet to take place on African soil. Four empires and their subject peoples were engaged in a conflict that ranged from modern Kenya in the north to Mozambique in the south. The campaign combined heroic human endeavour and terrible suffering, set in some of the most difficult terrain in the world. The troops had to cope with extremes that ranged from arid deserts to tropical jungles and formidable mountains, and almost always on inadequate rations. Yet the East African campaign has languished in undeserved obscurity over the years, with many people only vaguely aware of its course of events. Indeed, Humphrey Bogart’s famous film, The African Queen, inspired by an episode of the campaign, often provides its only lasting image. The Forgotten Front is the first full-scale history of this neglected campaign. Ross Anderson details the fighting and the strategic and political background to the war and the differing viewpoints of the principal protagonists.
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Christmas in the Trenches
The outbreak of war in 1914 was greeted with euphoria by many in Europe, and it was widely believed that the conflict would be ‘over by Christmas’. In the event, millions of men were destined to spend the first of four seasons away from their families and loved ones. Amid the shortages, tedium and dangers of life in the trenches, those at ‘the sharp end’ remained determined to celebrate Christmas as a time of comradeship and community, a time when war could be set aside, if only for a day. Unlike the famous Christmas truce of 1914, the Christmas experiences in other years of the war and on other fronts have received scant attention. Alan Wakefield has trawled the archives of the Imperial War Museum, National Archives and National Army Museum to provide a fascinating selection of first-hand accounts of the six wartime Christmases of the First World War.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Junak King: Life as a British POW, 1941-45
Sydney Litherland, at the age of 20, was called up in February 1940. After having been evacuated from Greece, he was among the 30,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers taken prisoner by the Germans at the fall of Crete in June 1941. This book documents in fascinating and historically important detail their daily life as POWs in Germany and encapsulates the experiences of tens of thousands of ordinary POWs. The German airborne invasion of Crete and the surrender by the British is still the subject of controversy. Sydney gives here his own first-hand account of the event. This is not an account of heroic escapes and derring-do by dashing officers, but of the day-to-day endurance of the other ranks, mostly very young men, separated from their officers and expected to do hard manual labour in working camps. What is revealed is a different kind of courage: a quiet resilience and dogged determination not just to endure, but to triumph. Supporting each other, they never lose hope of eventual victory or let an opportunity slip to make life more difficult for their captors. This is an enthralling record of their triumphs and tragedies over four long years.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Flintshire Pubs and Breweries
Flintshire has over seventy separate towns and villages, the largest being Mold, Buckley, Flint and Holywell. These mining communities were once home to numerous public houses and inns, many of which disappeared with the closure of the mines. Illustrated with over 100 old photographs, postcards and other memorabilia, this absorbing collection offers the reader an insight into the life of many Flintshire pubs past and present, and highlights some of the changes that have taken place during the last century. Glimpses of the area's working and social life are featured; each image recalling the fascinating history of this part of North Wales's history. Flintshire Pubs and Breweries will delight all those who want to know more about the history of Flintshire's pubs, their clientele, landlords and ladies and takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the past of their favourite local.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd A Century of Northampton: Events, People and Places Over the 20th Century
Presents a selection of photographs, which illustrate the transformation that has taken place in Lowestoft during the 20th century. This book offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader glimpses and details of familiar places during a century of unprecedented change.
£12.46
The History Press Ltd A Century of the East End: Events, People and Places Over the 20th Century
This fascinating selection of photographs illustrates the extraordinary transformation that has taken place in the East End during the 20th century. The book offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader glimpses and details of familiar places dyring this century of unprecedented change. Many aspects of the East End's recent history are covered, famous occasions and individuals are remembered and the impact of national and international events is witnessed. The book provides a striking account of the changes that have so altered the East End's appearance and records the process of transformation. Drawing on detailed local knowledge of the community, and illustrated with a wealth of black-and-white photographs, this book recalls what the East End has lost in terms of buildings, traditions and ways of life. It also acknowledges the regeneration that has taken place and celebrates the character and energy of local people as they move through the first years of this new century.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd The Titanic Story
This concise but authoritative story of RMS Titanic, the most famous ship of all time, is packed with fascinating facts.
£10.99
The History Press Ltd Leicester Murders
Contained within the pages of this book are the stories behind some of the most notorious murders in Leicester's history. From the brutal murder of John Paas in 1832, whose killer became the last man in England to be gibbeted, and the poisoning of a seventy-year-old widow by two young men, to the failure to convict Archie Johnson of the murder of Annie Jennings in 1912 due to the inability to identify blood groups at that time, this is a collection of the most dramatic and interesting criminal cases that have taken place in Leicester between the mid-1800s and 1950s. Ben Beazley was a policeman for almost thirty years. His experience and understanding of the criminal justice system give authority to his unbiased assessment and analysis of the cases in this book. His carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to anyone interested in the shadier side of Leicester's history.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd Making Cars at Crewe
In 1998, there was the latest in a long and complex history of takeovers that had bedevilled Rolls-Royce and Bentley since the companies were founded. This resulted in Volkswagen taking ownership of the factory in Crewe, together with the Bentley range and name, while BMW moved Rolls-Royce production to a new site in Sussex. On 30 August 2002, the last Crewe-built Rolls-Royce rolled off the production line, bringing the era of Crewe-built Rolls-Royces to an end.Peter Ollerhead, an ex-Rolls-Royce employee, has spent years researching the history of the company in Crewe, from 1938 to 1998, focusing on the endeavours and the experiences of its employees: this is a book about people. The detailed text, illustrated with over 80 photographs, explains how the initial establishment of a Merlin aero engine factory was thwarted by the problems of building on a greenfield site, where the early days of skill shortages, a chronic need for housing and a strike were followed by a bombing raid in 1940, in which seventeen employees were killed.The arrival of car production just after the Second World War is fully covered, as are the other enterprises that helped to keep the company afloat, from War Department power units to hip joints for the NHS. Despite a troubled history - with two major fires, bankruptcy and large-scale redundancies - Rolls-Royce was Crewe's largest employer for many years, produced the world's best luxury cars, and influenced and shaped the town as no other company has done. This book is a fitting tribute to the generations of workers who made it all possible.
£14.99
The History Press Ltd The Concorde Story
As the world's first - and only - supersonic passenger transport aircraft, the Anglo-French Concorde has never been out of the news. From its maiden flight in 1969 until its retirement from airline service in 2003, Concorde's achievements have been perpetually in the superlativ - the fastest, highest, most luxurious, most expensive (to build as well as to fly in) - to name just a few. The sleek white bird set standards in aeronautical design and passenger service that remain unsurpassed to this day. Here is the incredible story of an icon of 20th century design technology.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King
King Harold Godwineson is one of history's shadowy figures, known mainly for his defeat and death at the Battle of Hastings. His true status and achievements have been overshadowed by the events of October 1066 and by the bias imposed by the Norman victory. In truth, he deserves to be recalled as one of the greatest rulers. Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King sets out to correct this distorted image by presenting Harold's life in its proper context, offering the first full-length critical study of his career in the years leading up to 1066. Ian Walker's carefully researched critique allows the reader to realistically assess the lives of both Harold and his rival William, significantly enhancing our knowledge of both.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Great Irish Potato Famine
In the century before the great famine of the late 1840s, the Irish people, and the poor especially, became increasingly dependent on the potato for their food. So when potato blight struck, causing the tubers to rot in the ground, they suffered a grievous loss. Thus began a catastrophe in which approximately one million people lost their lives and many more left Ireland for North America, changing the country forever. During and after this terrible human crisis, the British government was bitterly accused of not averting the disaster or offering enough aid. Some even believed that the Whig government's policies were tantamount to genocide against the Irish population. James Donnelly's account looks closely at the political and social consequences of the great Irish potato famine and explores the way that natural disasters and government responses to them can alter the destiny of nations.
£27.00
The History Press Ltd With the Jocks: A Soldier's Struggle for Europe 1944-45
'The book is remarkable .... one of the most striking personal records of the period.' - Max HastingsAs a 24-year-old lieutenant in the King's Own Scottish Borderers, Peter kept an unauthorised journal of his regiment's advance through the Low Countries and into Germany in the closing months of the war in Europe. Forbidden by his commanding officer from doing so for security reasons, Peter's boyhood habit of diary keeping had become an obsession too strong to shake off. In this graphic evocation of a soldier at war, the images he records are not for the faint hearted.There are heroes aplenty within its pages, but there are also disturbing insights into the darker sides of humanity - the men who broke under the strain and who ran away; the binge drinking which occasionally rendered the whole platoon unable to fight; the looting, the rape, and the callous disregard for human life that happens when death is a daily companion. Hidden away for more than 50 years, this is a rare opportunity to read an authentic account of the horrors of war experienced by a British soldier in the greatest conflict of the 20th century.
£17.09
The History Press Ltd The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich: Britain in Old Photographs
Little is generally known of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and the immortal place it holds among all the Royal Ordnance Factories. For nearly four hundred years it was a 'secret walled city', self-sufficient and closely guarded. As it grew, and developed the nation's weapons of war, it became the main source of all implements of war for our armed forces. Even those weapons not produced in the Arsenal very often had to be tested and approved within its boundaries. Here for the first time is a tantalising look behind the walls of the secret city, once among the most sensitive of government establishments.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Sutton-in-Ashfield
This addition to the "Britain in Old Photographs" series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors
£12.99
The History Press Ltd Argyll Folk Tales
Saints and sorcerers, haunted caves and bloody battles, fairy mounds and forsaken harpers – Argyll is teeming with folk tales. The region has played a key part in the history of Scotland since prehistoric times. From the Irishsettlers who established the kingdom of Dál Riata, bringing with them the Gaelic language and the tales of Finn MacCool, to the Lords of the Isles, and the warring clans, their folk tales and legends are gathered together in this richly entertaining and beautifully illustrated book by Highland-based storyteller Bob Pegg.
£13.60
The History Press Ltd The Little Book of Wiltshire
The Little Book of Wiltshire is a compendium of fascinating information about the county, past and present. Contained within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Wiltshire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, agriculture, transport, industry and royal visits. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. It is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.
£11.25
The History Press Ltd Till the Boys Come Home: How British Theatre Fought the Great War
Ever since the signing of the Armistice in 1918, theatre has played an important part in reflecting the experience of the ‘war to end all wars’. But on the Home Front, what role did those involved with British theatre play during those tumultuous four years and three months? Till the Boys Come Home salutes British theatre in wartime, when theatres became powerful generators for escapism, for stirring patriotism, for sharing experiences of loss and joy – and for raising vast amounts of charity money. It brings to life a Britain where theatre-going peaked in popularity, yet became full of the curious contradictions bred by war. Richly illustrated with original programmes, posters and ephemera, author and critic Roger Foss reveals a theatrical powerhouse, where all sections of the profession – from grand Shakespearian knights to lowly concert party artistes – were doing their bit, both at home and on the front line.
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Long Barrows of the Cotswolds and Surrounding Areas
Long barrows with their massive tapering mounds and hidden burial chambers, bear witness to the architectural proficiency of our ancestors. Built by early farming communities between 4000 and 3000 BC, they form part of Western Europe's earliest surviving architecture. Today they are familiar features of our landscape, with over 200 examples scattered across the Cotswold Hills, north Wessex Downs, and the hills and vales west of the River Severn. As well as exploring their design, construction and purpose, and the ceremonies that took place at these impressive structures, Professor Timothy Darvill examines their origins, considers their relationships with similar sites elsewhere in Britain, and shows how they acted as permanent focal points in a changing landscape.
£17.99
The History Press Ltd Scattering Plenty
At the outset of the twentieth century, the management of the British countryside was the preserve of powerful aristocratic estates, the ground worked by labourers toiling in time-honoured tradition.Scattering Plenty tells of the birth of modern farming through wartime, post-war reconstruction and four decades embroiled in European countryside policies. It follows the stories of key figures driving change; as the face of the countryside evolves, it charts their fight for nature and natural beauty, and traces the gradual control that the state and democratic agents had on the land.Their stories evoke the landscape of Britain, and take the reader inside the corridors of power in Whitehall and Brussels, where farmers and environmentalists jostled for influence. Who were the people scattering plenty across our land, and who made the modern countryside?In Scattering Plenty, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the profound legacy o
£20.69
The History Press Ltd The Little Book of Cornwall
A compendium of fascinating information about Cornwall past and present, this book contains a plethora of entertaining facts about the county’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, agriculture, transport, industry and royal visits. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike. Did You Know? In British law no officer or agent of the Crown, which includes both Westminster and the Anglican Church, can legally set foot upon Cornish soil without the express and joint permissions of the Duke of Cornwall and Cornwall’s Stannary Parliament. Dolly Pentreath (c. 1680–1777), is popularly regarded as the last true speaker of the Cornish language and her last words were reputedly ‘Me ne vidn cewsel Sawznek!’ (‘I don’t want to speak English!’). Penzance boasts the county’s only officially designated promenade, which extends for just over a mile from the town harbour to Newlyn. Founded in 1860 Warrens Bakery, a family-owned chain based in St Just in Penwith, supplies pasties to Fortnum & Mason. Cornwall’s flag is that of St Piran and shows a white cross which represents molten tin oozing out of a black rock which Piran used when building his fireplace.
£13.49
The History Press Ltd 101 Things for the Handyman to Do
This book caters for the man who likes to do the odd jobs about the house and to spend interesting hours in making useful articles of furniture. Whether it be laying linoleum, making a concrete garden seat or re-stringing a racket, this invaluable book, originally published in 1937, provides a wealth of helpful information for carrying out every-day repairs.
£8.99