Search results for ""the history press ltd""

France produced some of the finest and best-decorated passenger ships of the twentieth century. Beginning in 1912 with the four-funnel France, the nostalgic voyage continues with the great and grand transatlantic liners of the French Line, the CGT. These include the famous Île-de-France, Normandie and Liberté, as well as the lesser passenger ships of the French Line. In addition, focus is given to Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique, Transports Maritimes and Chargeurs Réunis operating important South American routes and to Messageries Maritimes running in Africa, the East and the South Pacific. Packed full of nostalgic reminiscence of great ship days gone by, the book explores majestic liners, mail boats to Africa and colonial steamers to Saigon. Presenting many previously unpublished images alongside insightful text and anecdotes, William H. Miller brings the reader on board France’s greatest transatlantic liners.

Read more less

The Little Book of Scotland is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Discover the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts.Geoff Holder’s latest book contains historic and contemporary trivia including such gems as the real story of William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace, which king was murdered in a barn, and where the Second World War Commandos were formed. From Sir Walter Scott to Sir Sean Connery and Queen Victoria to Mary Queens of Scots, this is a remarkably engaging little book, essential reading for visitors and Scots alike.

Read more less

Ellerman Lines was formed by John Reeves Ellerman at the end of the nineteenth century. Ellerman left home at age 14, and at 24 he established J. Ellerman & Co. in London; by 1893, he had been appointed chair of a shipping company. Following the acquisition of various companies, Ellerman Lines Ltd was formed on 22 January 1902, becoming one of the greatest shipping lines in the world. Services were offered to the Mediterranean, India, South America and East and South Africa as the Ellerman group grew and grew. Ellerman Lines traded successfully throughout war and peace, heavily involved in the war effort, until the third quarter of the century, when many countries gained their independence from Britain and 1960s containerisation saw this once great shipping line close for good. Using many previously unpublished photographs illustrating the different types of vessels owned by Ellerman Lines, experienced maritime author Ian Collard turns his attention to the company’s history, from its establishment in 1886 until the shipping business was bought by its management in 1985. It was then sold to the Trafalgar House conglomerate, which merged it with its ownership of the Cunard Line to form Cunard-Ellerman in 1987. In 1991 it passed to the Andrew Weir Shipping Group and in 2003 the Mediterranean, Middle East, African, Indian and Pakistan services were acquired by Hamburg Süd and the Ellerman brand was replaced by them exactly two years later.

Read more less

The loss of the great fenlands of eastern England is the greatest single removal of ecology in our history. So thorough was the process that most visitors to the regions, or even people living there, have little idea of what has gone. For many, the Fenlands are the vast expansive flatlands of intensive farming, the ‘breadbaskets’ of Britain. Lost are the vast flocks of wetland birds that filled the evening skies in winter, the frozen wetlands and the fen skaters of the winter, and the abundant black terns or breeding wading birds of the summer months. However, pause a while off main roads and consider place names and road names: Fenny Lane, The Withies, Commonside, Reed Holme, Fen Common, Turbary Lane, Wildmore, Adventurers’ Fen, Wicken Fen, and more; they tell a story of a landscape now gone but once hugely important. The Fens bred revolution and civil war and paid the penalty. They nurtured religious non-conformism with global impact. After 1066, the Saxons withheld the Normans’ onslaught, and in the 1970s, unting’s Beavers took action against twentieth-century invaders. The fenscapes, neither water nor land but something in-between, breed independence and, if necessary, dissention. This story is of politically and economically driven ecological catastrophe and loss. So much has gone, but we do not even know fully what was there before. With global environmental change, and especially climate change, fenlands once again have major roles in our sustainable futures.

Read more less

This colourful history tells the story of Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary, who along with her running mate Queen Elizabeth covered the transatlantic route from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg, the British answer to the German and French superliners. She was launched in May 1936 and immediately won the coveted Blue Riband, winning it again in 1938, before she served as a troopship in the war. She then carried on plying the Atlantic route with Queen Elizabeth until the jet age changed the world again and she was retired, now preserved as a floating museum and restaurant in Long Beach, California. Andrew Britton presents a wealth of unpublished photographic material and ephemera from his unparalleled collection to tell the story of this historic liner, including rare wartime views, shots of her ‘grey ghost’ paintwork, unique behind the scenes photographs, from the air shots, interior views and a wide selection of menus, log books, timetables, tickets and much more besides. Even including captain’s invitations, this superlative book offers a captivating trip through the history of this great liner.

Read more less

On 30 January 1607 a huge wave, over 7 meters high, swept up the River Severn, flooding the land on either side. The wall of water reached as far in land as Bristol and Cardiff. It swept away everything in its path, devastating communities and killing thousands of people in what was Britain's greatest natural disaster. Historian and geographer Mike Hall pieces together the contemporary accounts and the surviving physical evidence to present, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of what actually happened on that fateful day and its consequences. He also examines the possible causes of the disaster: was it just a storm surge or was it, in fact, the only recorded instance of a tsunami in Britain.

Read more less

Operation Detachment, the US invasion of Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945, was the first campaign on Japanese soil and resulted in some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific. If you truly want to understand what happened and why – read Battle Story. Detailed profiles explore the leaders, tactics and equipment of the US and Japanese armies. Nine specially commissioned maps track the progress of the battle and the shifting frontlines. Rare photographs place you in the centre of the unfolding action. Diary extracts and quotes give you a soldier’s eye-view of the battle. Orders of Battle reveal the composition of the opposing forces’ armies. Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore this important battle.

Read more less

Passed down from generation to generation, many of Nottinghamshire’s most popular folk tales are gathered here together for the first time. In the popular imagination, Nottinghamshire means Sherwood Forest, outlaws, wicked sheriffs, wild beasts and Robin Hood. All these feature in this selection of folk tales compiled by storyteller Pete Castle, but there are also stories of the Men of Gotham; of fairies, witches, ghosts and vampires; as well as noble lords and thwarted lovers. These captivating stories of love, loss, heroes and villains have been written to recreate the oral tradition that made these anecdotes popular, and are brought to life through unique illustrations and vivid descriptions that have survived for several generations.

Read more less

Discovering Britain’s First Railways is devoted to the history, rediscovery and exploration of Britain’s first railways, examining its network of over 1,500 miles of horse-drawn tramroads and waggonways. This essential guide not only describes their origins and ways of working, but opens up a world of discovery in a little-documented part of Britain’s transport history. Tramways across the Britain, from Cornwall to Scotland, are documented and their remains detailed in a lively and informative style, making this an ideal reference book for social historians and railway enthusiasts as well as an invaluable walking guide with routes and maps around the country. Unlike a lot of former British Railways branch lines, many of these routes are now public rights of way enabling walkers and often cyclists to explore some spectacular and hitherto little-known countryside on a safe and level path.

Read more less

Robert Hichens has gone down in history as the man who was given the famous order to steer the Titanic away from the iceberg and failed. Following this, his falling out with the ‘Unsinkable Molly Brown’ over the actions of the lifeboats saw him branded a coward and his name indelibly tarnished. A key witness at both US and British Inquiries, Robert returned to a livelihood where fellow crewmen considered him jinxed. But Robert had a long career and was a hardworking, ambitious seaman. A fisherman at 19, he quickly became a junior officer in the merchant navy. In the Second World War he was part of a cargo ship convoy on route to Africa where his ship dodged mines, U-boats and enemy aircraft. To Robert, being at sea was everything but the dark memories of the Titanic were never far away and in 1933 a failed murder attempt after a bitter feud nearly cost Robert his life. Here Robert’s great-granddaughter Sally Nilsson seeks to set the record straight and reveal the true character of the man her family knew. This is one man’s story of survival, betrayal and determination.

Read more less

For millennia, mankind has devised ingenious and diabolical means of inflicting pain on fellow human beings. This deplorable but seemingly universal trait has eaten away at mankind’s very claim to civilisation. Despite how repugnant the practice of torture appears to us today, for at least 3,000 years it formed part of most legal codes throughout Europe and the Far East. The Big Book of Pain is an exploration of the systematic use throughout the ages of various means of punishment, torture, coercion and torment. It takes the reader into the Ancient Roman Coliseum, the medieval dungeon, the Inquisitional interrogation, the auto-da-fe, the witch-trial, and the worst of prisons. It is a shocking and compelling study of the shameful methods and motives of the torturer and the executioner, and of the heinous duty they have performed through the ages.

Read more less

The steep western ridge of the Cotswolds has a commanding view of the Severn Valley, the Malvern Hills and the Forest of Dean. To the north is an equally impressive view of the Vale of Evesham, the Worcester plain and Bredon Hill. The source of many rivers, including the Windrush and Thames, are found in the high uplands dipping towards the Oxford plain, and in the south sits the city of Bath. The 790 square miles that comprise the Cotswolds formed between 200 to 150 million years ago and were then shifted, twisted and arranged over the next 100 million. Moreover, in the past ten thousand years, human activity has further shaped and altered the land through agriculture, trade, transport, building of towns and cities - constantly changing, but at the same time adding to the stunning appearance of this landscape. Dry stonewalls criss-cross hills and valleys marking out arable fields and pastures for sheep and cattle, farmhouses built in Oolithic weathered limestone, villages and towns built of the same honey-coloured stone all radiate the warm mellow colour of this local bedrock - the very foundation of this range of hills. A Postcard from the Cotswolds describes this outstandingly picturesque region in words and pictures as immortalised by earlier generations of photographers and artists for countless tourists and visitors to this exceptional part of England.

Read more less

In the mad, money-driven world of football, some rather interesting and sometimes shocking kits have been worn upon the field of play. This book is a full-colour celebration of some of the most outrageous strips foisted upon the poor players and the loyal fans, both for club and country, from clashing colours and disastrous designs to surprising sponsors and back luck omens. Written by a leading authority on kit design and with anecdotes from fans, this book is a wry look back at some of the more bizarre decisions taken by marketing companies and clubs alike. Ranging from Victorian outfits to modern-day efforts, The Worst Football Kits of All Time is also a history of the kit, the game and some of the many characters who have played, watched, loved and despaired at this most noble (and sometimes ignoble) of sports. Set to delight fans old and young alike, this book makes the perfect gift and an excellent reference guide. Illustrated with photographs, caricatures and kit designs, this is an easy to read, vivid, vibrant and downright humorous treat for the eyes. It's a must have for the more serious kit historians, the lads and lasses down the pub or the boy in his bedroom, surrounded by posters of his heroes, standing proud in the (occasionally monstrous) colours of their club and country.

Read more less

Dabbling in family history is a pastime anyone of any age can enjoy, but the massive proliferation of websites, magazines and books in recent years can baffle the would-be genealogist to a standstill. This is an ideal introduction to the tools and processes of researching your past. It will teach you how to get the most information from living relatives, how to negotiate the vast quantities of census data with ease, and the best way to store, catalogue and present the information you discover. Family History for Beginners will also help you take your research to the next level, beyond the simple facts of birth, marriage and death, with chapters on occupation, emigration and military service.

Read more less

Bath: City on Show provides a unique and fascinating blend of historical images and contemporary photography, contrasting a World Heritage city as depicted over several hundred years with how it is seen through the lens today. Talented local photographers have worked in all seasons developing a stunning portfolio of new and original views of Bath’s most notable locations. These are presented with a pick of classic images of the city from the extensive archive of Bath in Time. From the Roman Baths of 2,000 years ago to the twenty-first century Thermae Bath Spa, via Georgian splendour and architectural grandeur, Bath has evolved to meet the changing needs and tastes of its residents and visitors. This book is a compelling and powerful reminder of past times with a fresh and revealing look at life today.

Read more less

This is the first book to the reveal the complex personality behind the public image that is Ivan Mauger, the dedicated and often ruthlessly efficient speedway multi- World Champion. Driven by uncompromising determination and naked ambition he became, to terrace fans and on-track rivals alike, a virtual sporting automaton. His motorcycle racing achievements - 15 world titles on speedway and long track - are testament to his pursuit of excellence. He elevated a minority sport to a new and higher dimension with professionalism that made him at once envied and feared, admired and hated. And it launched him from the obscurity of his small-town New Zealand origins to worldwide acclaim, which continues to enjoy. Here, renowned speedway historian and journalist John Chaplin reveals, through the words of opponents, friends, enemies, business associated, fans, rivals and his own family, the real Ivan Mauger... the man behind the myth.

Read more less

14 August 1940, which Hitler code-named ‘Adlertag’, or ‘Eagle Day’, was fated to become one of the most significant days in the Battle of Britain. It signified the start of the Luftwaffe’s aerial offensive, planned to cripple Britain and clear the path for the German troops ammased in readiness for invasion. The Luftwaffe sent out waves of unescorted bombers to attack difficult and long-range targets by daylight, hoping to confuse and split the fighter defences with the small but numerous bomb formations. The tactic was a calculated gamble and one that cost the Germans deeply. Despite successes in attacking and damaging airfields, the losses were severe and and the following day Goering vetoed such tactics, now convinced his bombers could never operate over Britain without fighter cover. Using first-hand recollections of both Luftwaffe and RAF pilots as well as local witnesses to the day’s action, gleaned from interviews and written accounts and with many unpublished photographs, Hugh Trivett has collated the definitive record of Eagle Day.

Read more less

The tribe of the Durotriges was listed by the Greek geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD. Traditionally it has been believed that the Durotrigans formed an Iron Age tribe whose territory included Dorset and parts of neighbouring Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. Their hillforts are amongst the largest and most striking earthwork fortresses in Britain. In AD 43-44, these hillforts - sites such as Maiden Castle, Hod Hill and South Cadbury - bore witness to one of the pivotal events of British history, when the Romans fought in a bloody campaign against the Durotrigan people to claim the Battle for Britain. In this engaging and fully illustrated new book, Martin Papworth brings together fresh evidence to suggest that the Durotrigan nation was made up not of a unified state but, rather, of fiercely independent baronies. Here, for the first time, the evidence for the Durotriges is made accessible to both archaeologists and those who simply have an interest in the British Iron Age, the Romans or the history of this area.Martin Papworthis the Archaeologist for the National Trust, advising on the conservation of sites in Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire within their South West Region.

Read more less

At Fromelles in July 1916 two divisions – one British and one Australian – within a few weeks of arriving in France – went into action for the first time. Their task was to prevent the Germans from moving troops to the Somme where a major British offensive was in progress, but the attack on 19/20 July was a disaster with nearly 7,000 casualties in a few hours. This account explores this battle which for many epitomises the futility of the Great War. In those few hours many heroic deeds were done but the battle caused a souring of Anglo-Australian relationships and truly was a baptism of fire for these British and Australian troops. This is their history. In a new section, Paul Cobb explores the recent discovery in 2008/09 of a mass war grave on the battlefield and includes details of the findings of the archaeological dig, the recovery of 250 bodies and the creation of a new military cemetery.

Read more less

Katherine Swynford – sexual temptress or powerful woman at the centre of the medieval court? This book unravels the many myths and legacies of this fascinating woman, to show her in a whole new light. Katherine was sister-in-law to Geoffrey Chaucer and governess to the daughters of Blanche of Lancaster and John of Gaunt. She also became John of Gaunt’s mistress – a role that she maintained for 20 years – and had four illegitimate children by him, from one of whom Henry Tudor was descended. In a move surprising in the fourteenth century, John of Gaunt eventually married her, making her Duchess of Lancaster and stepmother to the future king, Henry Bolingbroke. But who was this extremely well-connected woman? In this fascinating book, Jeanette Lucraft treats Katherine as a missing person and reconstructs her and her times to uncover the mystery of the ‘other woman’ in John of Gaunt’s life.

Read more less

Sir Morgan Crofton fought in the Boer War and joined the 2nd Life Guards at 34 years old as a cavalry office. His diary charts his experiences on the front-line at Ypres from late October 1914 to the centenary of Waterloo in June 1915. Crofton describes a battlefield a world away from what he and any of his comrades had experienced before - one of staying still in trenches, being pounded by artillery and the terrifying new power of machine guns. He describes the bewildering pace of technological change as new weapons, such as gas and hand grenades entered the fray. His often acerbic commentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the mindset of the regular officer class and his outspoken scepticism informs our understanding of a lost generation of professional soldiers.

Read more less

Whitstable is a town steeped in history. From its famous native oysters to the important harbour, and the now-closed railway to old buildings and alleyways, the past is all around. The town has drawn holidaymakers since Victorian times and there is a wealth of history contained in the postcards and pictures following that period. This volume draws on those old picture postcards and other ephemera to present a varied look at Whitstable's past. The book contains sections featuring comical 'Dainty' postcards, pub and shop signs and advertisements, and also some modern photographs illustrating the more recent redevelopments. It will bring nostalgic memories for locals, and is sure to fascinate anyone who has ever visited Whitstable.

Read more less

During a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s Robert Longden took a remarkable set of photographs of the narrow boat community at Hawkesbury Stop - the main meeting point for those who worked the Midlands canals. The images are of a close community and represent its members in a very intimate way, at work, at play, in their domestic affairs, and as they lived on the paired and single colourful narrow boats. They illustrate the close relationship between all ages and types within the community, and the dramatic boat shapes and infrascape of this rural and industrial area. Sonia Rolt, who herself worked the canals during the period and knew the photographer, provides an introduction, which details how Robert Longden came to this passionate involvement. It also sets the photographs in the context of their time, the last period when the narrow boats could be said to play a serious part in transporting goods in quantity. Informative captions identify the scenes before you. Providing a rare insight into the community who worked the waterways when it was still a way of life for many, this book will appeal not only to canal enthusiasts, but to anyone interesting in Britain's social and industrial heritage.

Read more less

The beauty of the lower reaches of the River Wye is famous. Many writers and artists have tried to capture the splendour of the scenery and the dramatic views afforded by the ruins of Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. The arrival of the camera provided a new way of capturing these memorable scenes, and even today, the snapshots and postcards show remarkably similar views of the valley's landmarks. Through the photographs in this album the viewer may travel around the town of Chepstow, cross the river to Beachley, Sedbury and Tutshill, and voyage up the Wye to Tintern stopping, like tourists of old, to look at Piercefield and explore the Wyndcliff. This selection of photographs, drawn from collections at Chepstow Museum, focuses as much on the people - working, playing and celebrating - as it does on the place. The collection of photographs is preserved at the Museum for the enjoyment and enlightenment of future generations as well.

Read more less

A treasure-trove of previously unpublished letters and first hand accounts from British ‘tommies’ of life and death in the trenches during the First World War. This is the story of the men who held the front line in France and Flanders. It is a graphic account of a strange and seemingly unending style of life and death in all their facets. It is a unique approach, an anthology interwoven with a continuous commentary so that the reader is always kept aware of the context of the writing. The balanced and un-emotive approach cannot, however, fail to leave the reader deeply moved.Domestic life in the line: accommodation, food and drink, wiring and carrying, the whole day and night routine are investigated, as are the operational aspects of trench life – raiding and patrolling in no-man’s-land and the German lines. Actual battle experience is also featured, but one of the most interesting parts of the book is devoted to the attitudes of front line soldiers, officers and their men, to each other; to the staff; to their Allies; to wounds; to fear; to God; to the sheer horror of it all.There is also a strong sense of humour about some of the material included – often a necessary antidote to the appalling conditions, but it should not be thought that everyone involved hated it. Some young soldiers found in it experience and responsibility beyond their years, while the professionals went to war with cool enthusiasm.The aim of this all encompassing portrayal of the front line is to grip the reader such that it cannot be put down, and that by the time it is finished he or she will have a genuine understanding of what it was like to fight in the trenches of the Western Front.

Read more less

How does excavation enable the archaeologist to reconstruct the past? Victor Ambrus, who has been the Channel 4 Time Team artist since the programme's inception in 1994, has selected some of the key excavations from the many series to show how it has been possible to recreate snapshots of the past.

Read more less

Leaving the river Thames at Brentford and travelling through the Home Counties to Birmingham and Leicester, the Grand Union Canal wends its way through sylvan countryside and market towns on its route from London to the Midlands. Looking at the group of canals that came together to form the Grand Union, Ian J. Wilson tells the story of this picturesque waterway and looks at the impact it has had in changing the landscape it has travelled through. Using antique postcards and photographs to illustrate the story, he takes us on a trip along the main line to Braunston and along the various cuts at the southern end of the canal including the Paddington, Slough, Wendover, Aylesbury and Old Stratford & Buckingham Arms.

Read more less

Wales had a rich gallery of magical specialists (prophets, cunning-men, physicians etc), including many who were suspected of harmful witchcraft. Richard Suggett examines all types of magical specialists, including those regarded as beneficial as well as harmful. Popular belief in witchcraft in Wales did not decline with the abolition of the Witchcraft Act in 1736. Indeed belief in witchcraft beliefs became darker in form and was transformed into a novel form of cursing the use of cursing wells, many of which are still in existence in Wales.

Read more less

Written from the point of view of the Viking warrior and those who had to face him, this book details the design and construction of the weapons used by the Norse peoples we have come to call the Vikings. Twenty-three years of re-enactment experience and research have given the author an unparalleled breadth of experience in the practical recreation of the past. He has smelted iron and forged weapons, fought in battle and commanded others, built Viking ship replicas and sailed them. In this extensively revised edition, Kim Siddorn brings a vanished age to life with over a hundred drawings and photographs detailing the clothes and wargear of both Viking and Saxon.

Read more less

Voices of Ashton Under Lyne

Read more less

During the years of 1950–2000 Wrexham FC developed into one of the most respected football clubs in the Football League. Their daring deeds during those fifty years include reaching the quarter-finals of the English FA Cup on three occasions: 1973/74, 1977/78 and 1996/97. The Robins’ most notable recent achievement during this time was, of course, their victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 1992.However, there are countless other League and cup matches to be remembered, particularly those from Wexham’s golden era of the late 1970s and early ’80s. This book traces the history of the club, right up to the change of their nickname, from Robins to Red Dragons.This pictorial history, which includes over 200 photographs, will appeal to anyone with an interest in Wrexham Football Club.

Read more less

2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the Severn Railway Bridge disaster. Read about it and other disasters in this book.

Read more less

Even those who live in Essex may be surprised by the richness of the county's prehistoric and Roman heritage, and the number of visible ancient monuments that can be readily seen, as detailed in this book.

Read more less

Ashtead

Read more less

In June 1790, Sir William Hamilton received Royal Assent to build the new town and port of Milford in the Manor or Lordship of Hubberston and Pill, which he had inherited from his first wife, Catherine Barlow of Slebech. His nephew, Charles Francis Greville, supervised the building task and persuaded two leading American Quaker whaling families- the Folgers and Starbucks- to come to the town. This heralded the beginnings of Milford Haven. This informative collection of around 200 photographs tells the story of Milford Haven from earliest times, taking in the formation of the Haven itself, as well as the development of the town as a fishing port and later a centre for oil refineries. The book shows how, in 1874, work began on a floating dock, which had been designed for use by transatlantic trade, and how Milford was destined to become the fifth biggest fishing port in Britain. When fishing fell into irreversible decline in the late 1950s and oil, in the form of five international companies came to the rescue, Milford Haven became the largest oil port in Europe. The book provides an unparalleled insight into the Waterway and Town of Milford Haven and gives a glimpse of the streets of the town and the people who lived there, at work and leisure. Many of these photographs are in print for the first time and will provide much nostalgic pleasure for many.

Read more less

This fascinating book of over 200 old photographs depicts scenes, people and events from everyday life in Corsham and the surrounding area, including Pickwick, Gastard, Easton and Neston, covering a period of more than one hundred years. The book contains many photographs of the town's important landmarks, such as the Almshouses, Mansion House, Monks Chapel and the water tower atop Velley Hill. The people of Corsham are an important part of the book and they are shown at work and at play. Amongst this interesting sequence of photograph are images of many of Corsham's former business and traders, including F. Lord, the tobacconist, Merretts, builders and undertakers, the Webbs Dairy, Baines confectioner and H.R. James, the ironmonger. Some of the town's well known individuals are also included, such as Florence Light (nee Barnett), 'The Angel' of Neston and Steven Hill who directed horse-drawn traffic early last century. There are scenes too of street parties, sporting activities, local clubs, churches and schools. With material covering many aspects of life in and around Corsham, this book will appeal to all who know and love this Wiltshire town adn who would enjoy a trip into its recent past.

Read more less

1971 was a great year for cinema. Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Dario Argento, Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kubrick, Sergio Leone, George Lucas, Sam Peckinpah, Roman Polanski, Nicolas Roeg and Steven Spielberg, among many others, were behind the camera, while the stars were also out in force. Warren Beatty, Marlon Brando, Michael Caine, Julie Christie, Sean Connery, Faye Dunaway, Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Vanessa Redgrave all featured in films released in 1971.The remarkable artistic flowering that came from the ‘New Hollywood’ of the ’70s was just beginning, while the old guard was fading away and the new guard was taking over. With a decline in box office attendances by the end of the ’60s, along with a genuine inability to come up with a reliable barometer of box office success, studio heads gave unprecedented freedom to young filmmakers to lead the way.Featuring interviews with cast and crew members, bestselling author Robert Sellers explores this landmark year in Hollywood and in Britain, when this new age was at its freshest, and where the transfer of power was felt most exhilaratingly.

Read more less

Birds are intelligent, sociable creatures that exhibit a wide array of behaviours – from mobbing and mimicking to mating and joint nesting. Why do they behave as they do? Bringing to light the remarkable actions of birds through examples from species around the world, How To Read a Bird presents engaging vignettes about the private lives of birds, all explained in an evolutionary context. Richly illustrated, this book explores the increasing focus on how individual birds differ in personality and how big data and citizen scientists are helping to add to what we know about them.

Read more less

Did you know? Richard Burton claimed that he would rather have played rugby for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park than Hamlet at the Old Vic. Local rivalries between choirs in the ‘land of song’ used to be so fierce that fights would break out following singing competitions. Roald Dahl was an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War, and a near-death crash landing inspired his first published work. The Little Book of Welsh Culture is a fast-paced, fact-filled journey through the cultural heritage of Wales, crammed full of myths, traditions and personalities.Experience the country’s immense artistic legacy as never before, from the medieval legends surrounding King Arthur and The Mabinogion to its modern-day transformation into a thriving filming location for big-screen blockbusters. Discover the truth behind the ancient druidic rituals of the National Eisteddfod, separate the facts from the fiction that surround Dylan Thomas’ infamous lifestyle, and learn how Wales successfully regenerated the Doctor Who franchise – and unearth some fascinating secrets and hidden gems along the way.

Read more less

Did you know that Black people from around the world helped Britain fight in the First World War?How heroic were the people who fought?Why did Black people have to keep fighting for equality even after the war?In this young readers’ edition of Black Poppies, Stephen Bourne takes us on a hero-filled journey. Explore the many and extraordinary ways in which Black people helped Britain fight the First World War, on the battlefield and at home. After meeting Stephen’s Aunty Esther, we hear the story of Walter Tull, who led soldiers in some of history’s bloodiest battles and died in the fighting just weeks before the conflict would end. Then there is Alhaji Grunshi, an African who fired the first shot of the whole war. Back at home, Black men and women helped by entertaining the people, making materials like bullets and uniforms, and beginning the long fight for equality and the freedom to celebrate being Black and British with pride.

Read more less

THE ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF CODE GIRLS RETURNS WITH A REVELATORY HISTORY OF THREE GENERATIONS AT THE CIA – THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT TO BECOME OPERATIVES, T RANSFORMED SPYCRAFT, AND TRACKED DOWN OSAMA BIN LADEN.Created in the aftermath of World War II, the Central Intelligence Agency relied on women even as it attempted to channel their talents and keep them down. Women sent cables, made dead drops, and maintained the agency’s secrets. Despite discrimination – even because of it – women who started as clerks, secretaries, or unpaid spouses rose to become some of the CIA’s shrewdest operatives.They were unlikely spies – and that’s exactly what made them perfect for the role. Because women were seen as unimportant, pioneering female intelligence officers moved unnoticed around Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets from under the noses of their KGB adversaries. Back at headquarters, women built the CIA’s critical archives – first by hand, then by computer. And they noticed things that the men at the top didn’t see. As the CIA faced an identity crisis after the Cold War, it was a close-knit network of female analysts who spotted the rising threat of al-Qaeda – though their warnings were repeatedly brushed aside.After the 9/11 attacks, more women joined the agency as a new job, targeter, came to prominence. They showed that data analysis would be crucial to the post-9/11 national security landscape – an eff ort that culminated spectacularly in the CIA’s successful eff ort to track down bin Laden in his Pakistani compound.Propelled by the same meticulous reporting and vivid storytelling that infused Code Girls, The Sisterhood offers a riveting new perspective on history, revealing how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age, and how their silencing made the world more dangerous.

Read more less

Lost to a German torpedo on 7 May 1915, Cunard’s RMS Lusitania captured the world’s imagination when she entered service in 1907. Not only was she the largest ship in the world, but she was also revolutionary in design as well as being a record breaker. Lusitania is now sadly remembered for her tragic destruction, sinking in eighteen minutes with the loss of around 1,200 souls.In this sumptuously illustrated book, historian Eric Sauder brings RMS Lusitania to life once again. Filled with vivid, unseen photographs and illustrations from Eric’s extensive private collection, this absorbing read will transport the reader back over 100 years to a time when opulent Ships of State were the only way to cross the Atlantic.

Read more less

Exeter is one of the oldest cities in Britain: people have lived here without a break for more than two thousand years. The High Street has been in continuous use as a thoroughfare throughout that long period. For centuries Exeter was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the kingdom and has always been the mother city of the South West.In this book, first published in 1960 and acclaimed as a ‘small masterpiece’, the author traces the essential historic development and character of a leading provincial centre. He describes its adventure from a Roman camp to a modern city, with particular reference to its social history, to the lives and surroundings of ordinary people, to the buildings and landscapes of the past. Above all, he is concerned with the recent past and devotes three thorough chapters to the 19th and 20th centuries.W. G. Hoskins died in 1992. The task of bringing the work up to date and preparing text and illustrations for this new edition of a classic work has been undertaken by Hazel Harvey, a distinguished local historian of Exeter. Much of Exeter has been destroyed, but much of the historic past of this entrancing city still remains. Hoskins’ incomparable text is supported by a new selection of illustrations and maps, with an appendix on the street names of the city and place names in the neighbourhood.This book will be as valuable to the visitor as to the citizen of Exeter, for it tells where to look for the memorials of the past and for the history that lies behind them.

Read more less

A GRIPPING NEW HISTORY OF US PRESIDENTS AND CIA SECRETSEvery day, the President of the United States receives a bespoke, top-secret briefing document from the Central Intelligence Agency.Truman started them, Kennedy came to rely on them and Trump hardly read them.Current Intelligence charts almost a century of history and politics, revealing for the first time the day-to-day intelligence that lands on the Oval Office desk in the form of the President’s Daily Brief. Using recently declassified documents, it uncovers what successive American presidents knew and when, and what they did in response. The nuclear arms race, the Vietnam War and 9/11 might never have happened if presidents had read their Daily Briefs differently.By focusing on key moments, from the Cuban Missile Crisis and covert operations around the world, right up to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Current Intelligence reveals how intelligence has profoundly shaped our past and present.

Read more less

On the night of 14–15 April 1912, Titanic, a brand-new, supposedly unsinkable ship, the largest and most luxurious vessel in the world at the time, collided with an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage. Of the 2,208 people on board, only 712 were saved. The rest perished in the icy-cold waters of the North Atlantic, and the tragedy has fascinated and perplexed the world ever since.This stunning book tells the story of not just the Titanic, but also of its sister ships, Olympic and Britannic. Maritime experts J. Kent Layton, Tad Fitch, and Bill Wormstedt tell the stories of these legendary liners with a compelling narrative alongside original artwork from up-and-coming artists, bringing to life the design, construction and service of the ships together with the wrecks of the ill-fated Titanic and Britannic.From the cold, starry night when Titanic collided with her iceberg to the tragic wartime loss of Britannic and the impressive reliability of the long-lived Olympic, this cinematic and immersive new study captures all of the glory and drama of the Olympic-class age and allows readers to visualise Titanic and her sisters like never before.

Read more less

‘A few tools and a wide range of skills can achieve many things …’If you've ever wanted to make your own bow and arrows, learn to create fire using friction, or mix up glue and dyes from the natural resources that surround us, then this is the book for you. John Rhyder has taught traditional woodcraft skills for several decades and can now teach you in this no-nonsense, amusing and easy-to-follow guide.Woodcraft will take you on a practical learning journey – from the safe use of tools and sustainable harvesting of wood to the subsequent uses for roots, bark and timber. This step-by-step account is suitable for the student of woodcraft, the naturalist and the practitioner of bushcraft skills.

Read more less

'An important and timely book.' - Philippa Gregory Joan of Navarre was the richest woman in the land, at a time when war-torn England was penniless. Eleanor Cobham was the wife of a weak king’s uncle – and her husband was about to fall from grace. Jacquetta Woodville was a personal enemy of Warwick the Kingmaker, who was about to take his revenge. Elizabeth Woodville was the widowed mother of a child king, fighting Richard III for her children’s lives. In Royal Witches, Gemma Hollman explores the lives of these four unique women, looking at how rumours of witchcraft brought them to their knees in a time when superstition and suspicion was rife.

Read more less

Once upon a time, the world was neatly divided into prosperous and backward economies. Babies were plentiful, workers outnumbered retirees and people aspiring towards the middle class yearned to own homes and cars. Companies didn't need to see any further than Europe and the United States to do well. We grew up learning how to ‘play the game’, and we expected the rules to remain the same throughout our lifetimes. That world – and those rules – are over. By 2030, a new reality will take hold, and before you know it there will be more grandparents than grandchildren. The global economy will be driven by the non-Western consumer for the first time in modern history and there will be more global wealth owned by women than men. There will be more robots than workers and more currencies than countries. All these trends, currently underway, will change everything you know about culture, the economy and the world. 2030 is both a remarkable guide to the coming changes and an exercise in the power of ‘lateral thinking’, thereby revolutionising the way you think about cataclysmic change and its consequences.

Read more less